Smallwood and John O ’ Shea emptied a mudfilled , 55-gallon trashcan about 75 times during three days of intense work . “ It was like 25 years of fucking leaf matter broken down into sludge , with a big , nasty tarp in the pool ,” Smallwood says , grimacing . “ It ’ s a little rough , but it ’ s the kind of backyard you can do whatever the fuck you want . One of those cool places , one of those welcoming places , and it ’ s always skateable .”
“ Anthony and the guys have been skating my pool for a few years now and last year they had one hell of a party here with bands . I had the grill out and was cooking for everyone . I love watching them skate ,” McKenna says .
Permission is preferred , but if anyone confronts the crew on a vacant property like the one in the swanky D . C . hood , honesty is the best policy . “ Even if you are blatantly breaking the law , you have to just negotiate . You never , ever run ,” Smallwood says . “ I believe if you pitch a good story , talk good shit , they might say , ‘ Carry on .’ Those are the odds I play , and we win more than we lose .”