Portrait by Jeff Comber.
The man in black, Dan Arget, has been venturing off the mean streets of Toronto lately right into your favorite skateboard magazines and websites. But don't let his hessian-inspired looks frighten you, as the 22 year-old Arget is as soft as they come. Actually, let me rephrase that, Dan is far from soft; rather he's harder than nails and skates like a bat out of hell, but carries zero attitude and is always willing to befriend a fellow skater.
Hot off the heels of his Push.ca Payout victory, single-handedly stealing the competition for Hammer skate shop, we caught up with "Danimal" to ask him about leather jackets, death metal, skate tattoos, and to see if he's quitting the skate life to become a big-time Queen West promoter (he isn't).
Read on to get the guts on one of the GTA's fastest (literally), up-and-coming rippers... As he says, "Live by the board, die by the board."
What's up Dan? You've deservingly been blessed with one of the best skate nicknames ever, "Danimal Gnarget." Care to comment? It's funny how the two names came around. I don't remember who exactly was responsible for "Gnarget", but as far as I can remember the nickname started getting thrown around at Common Ground skate park and has stuck among a variety of my friends. The Vox team manager, Mike Prangnell, started calling me "Danimal" on a Vox trip I went on in Vancouver when I first got on a couple years ago. Anytime I call to hassle him for shoes or maybe just a new beer cozy, he answers the phone with a "Danimal" in a raspy voice you wouldn't want to hear behind you late at night, usually followed by, "What the hell do you want now?" That's about it.
So you're the big Push Payout champ. Tell us about it, what went down? How was the comp? The contest was fun and the course was unusual to say the least, making things a little more interesting for us. After a couple beers and a brief warm-up, the runs started one shop after another. I'd like to internet high five Al Murray-Lawson for cleaning up on the blackjack table, everyone that was out skating that night, and TLG.
How did you get into skating? Ever since I can remember growing up, I'd see some older dudes, one of them being Todd Hohberger, skating around the neighborhood and was always losing my mind watching them. I got this Canadian Tire board for my seventh birthday, and a couple of years later another board from my neighbors that were moving. I gradually made more friends who were into skating and it just went from there.
Explain what growing up in Woodbridge was like? It doesn't seem like the most likely spot for a skater to emerge from... I tried the typical hockey/baseball thing and had my fun, but it didn't last long, especially after I started to realize that listening to some asshole coach wasn't for me. For years the other nearby skaters and I would build all kinds of boxes and ramps, but eventually pissed off so many neighbors with the noise that the cops would start showing up to kick us off our own streets. Eventually the skateboarding spark died for most of my friends and it was me against Woodbridge. I can't thank Glen Field of Common Ground skatepark enough for everything; that place kept skating alive for me.
What is your most frequented skate spot in Toronto? In the winter I usually hibernate at Shred Central and various indoor mini-ramps and do what I can to get by in the snow-covered city. In the summer I'll often find myself at the legendary Dundas and Bathurst skate park known to most as Dunbat. The GTA is bursting at the seams with spots and parks of all shapes and sizes, so aside from occasionally sitting in traffic, there isn't much to complain about. I'll usually figure out a way to have fun wherever I'm skating.
Where can you be found when not skating? When I'm not skating, chances are I'm either: at work, wandering around enjoying the city, listening to music, playing drums, or just sitting around with friends, having a couple beers, and watching skate videos. I guess I don't have much to complain about.
So you are becoming quite the big name promoter around Toronto with the slammed nights at 751 you've been putting on. What's the deal there? Along with a large portion of the skate community and locals in general, I've managed regular status at the bar. Jasmine, the bar manager and all around lovely lady herself, offered me the odd slot of playing music off my iPod, which eventually turned into every Tuesday night along with a weekend bussing shift here and there. On a Tuesday night, as many already know, the bar has awesome half-price wings and cheap drinks as usual, so I just invite all the friends I can and try to make it a good time with music everyone will like. I by no means call myself a DJ, I just spin the hell out of the wheel, press play, and have a good time, so a big thanks to everyone who has ever come out.
Skate-wise, what does the rest of the summer have on tap for Dan Arget? I just got home from a weekend of skating in Montreal which was a lot of fun; I plan on going back there soon, as well as hoping to check out New York sooner than later. As for footage and photos, I'm not working towards any particular projects but I'm always out skating in most of my spare time and doing what I can to get things done right.
On the scale of hip-hop-to-metal, you're every-day dress code seems to head toward the dark side. Is this accurate? What bands are you into? This is true to an extent; it is a reflection of my musical taste due to my collection of metal band shirts and a tendency to wear mostly black, but mainly I just wear whatever fits comfortably. As for music, I just love it and will pretty much listen to anything, though I can't deny my love for a wide variety of some pretty heavy, evil, music. It's all in good fun and just makes me want to skate fast!
Kickflip pivot to fakie. Jeff Comber sequence.
How big is your leather jacket collection? I just have one leather jacket right now. They're probably a good 20 years-old when you find them, so I've gone through a couple because the stitching or a zipper will blow out. The upside is that they're rain-proof, they keep you toasty on a cool night, and have plenty of pockets for beer!
You have some pretty sweet skateboard tattoo work... Thanks, dude. I was always fascinated by tattoos as a kid, so I figure it was only a matter of time until I started getting work done, which has been within the last couple years or so. I've got all kinds of ideas, some more sensible than others, but I'm not in any rush to completely cover myself. Either way, I can't seem to stop and don't plan on it anytime soon.
Last words? Thanks to my family, friends, and anyone who has ever helped me with skateboarding in any way shape or form along the way. Skate and destroy! Roll forever in peace, Rob Piontek.
Check out the Pay Payout video and article, with Dan Arget.
A selection of Dan Arget's ink:
Self-explanatory.
Slayer-inspired treatment of Dan's last name.
A tribute to a fallen friend.
Diablo!
Die by the board.