I've said it before and I'll say it again: Dustin Montie is one of the hardest working skateboarders in Canada. He's been skating for a long-ass time now, and it doesn't look like he's going to stop dropping hammers anytime soon. Even though I constantly rag on him for wearing his size 4-XL shirts and big-ass LRG jeans, he won't change for anyone. (That's how I know he's an original guy: he's not willing to compromise how he looks for some stupid team manager who doesn't know shit, anyways.  Did I just write that about myself?) Anyhow, being a sponsored skater for nine years, a full-time team manager with S&J distribution for two years, and a dedicated friend to many skaters inside Canada, there's no questions that Dustin Montie has enough street cred to warrant a "Five Things" article on Push.ca. Read on and find out what he has to say.

Travelling and hitting different skate spots.

"Over the years I have taken almost every advantage and chance I could to travel. There's honestly nothing like going to a new city, country, or town to skate. It's really sick to look outside of your own city to see what's out there to skate. You meet the local skaters, who tend to be more than hospitable to you. That makes it unbeatable. It's not like going on a vacation with your family and site- seeing and being a typical tourist. You go with a handful of your close friends, have a great time, and always come home with a handful of new friends on top of it. For me, just being away from home, whether it's for a weekend or a month, is a great feeling. I love it!"

Different seasons, different challenges.

"Skating in Canada is sick, but it's tough: From the fall and winter weather, to the always less-than-perfect spots, to the skate-stoppers, etcetera. I figure if you can learn to skate everything up here and enjoy it, you're going to be able to skate damn-near anything that comes your way anywhere else. Either way, I love skating in Canada!"

Frontside Half Cab Flip. sequence Odam.

Contests and meeting people.

"Over the years I've tried to get to any and every contest I could possibly get to, whether it was Slam City Jam, Tampa Am, the Dew Tour, etcetera. I have met so many new people that I always end up running into down the road somewhere. I was just in Korea recently for a contest and I ended up running into one of the world cup judges I've known over the years, and some Brazilian homies that I hadn't seen since Tampa years ago. It was so sick... we had a blast together. That is another one of the great things about skateboarding -- you can meet people from all over the world and have the best time of your life with these people, and a lot of times you come out feeling like you've known these people for years, yet it's only been a few days or a weekend or something."

Learning new tricks.

"I'm getting older and I'm working full time now, so I don't skate as much as I would really like to, which usually means not coming up with new tricks as much as I used to. But once something comes to my head, it's a very hard thing to let go. I've never been the most consistent skater, so for me to get that new trick can be seriously tough, but I've somehow always had the determination to try and try and try again until I either get it, or I can barely walk. I just hate the feeling of walking away from a trick... It's always been a really hard thing for me to do. Determination and the feeling of accomplishment are what usually keep's me going."

Kickflip to Front Board. sequence Odam.

Shooting and filming and motivation.

"It's a tough gig to push yourself to film that shit you wouldn't normally do. Somehow it just works: you got the filmer, you got the photographer there, and your adrenaline kicks in and you go just for it... push yourself to do things you never really thought you would be able to do. That's one of the greatest things about skateboarding -- you can continuously keep pushing the bar higher and higher for yourself. There is no true end in sight.

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Related:
Q & A with Dustin Montie
Damn Am at Metro Skatepark (video)
Five Things: Stacey Gabriel
Five Things: Lee Yankou