It is important to know how to make the most of the environment you are given.

First of all, please introduce yourself.

brophy: His name is Andrew Brophy. He is 31 years old and hails from Queensland, Australia. I am sponsored by Converse, Girl Skateboards, GoPro, Grizzly, and I also produce a brand called Wayward Wheels.

Recently, your deck sponsor changed from "cliché" to "Girl Skateboards".

brophyI don't know the details, but the Cliche business was going down the drain. So we had to find a new board sponsor.

I had been friends with the Girl Skateboards crew for many years through their previous support of Fourstar Clothing, so I thought it would be a great environment for me to skateboard. I contacted Mike Carroll and Rick Howard and they agreed to let me join the team.

Cool brands have been named as sponsors. Do you have any criteria for selecting sponsors?

brophyI'm not in a position to choose, so if you ask me if I have any criteria, I don't. However, if there is a brand that I like, I have been thinking about how to get there, and I think that is why I have the sponsors that I have today. I have always believed that if you aim high, you will get good results.

What was your impression of Japan after touring Tokyo?

brophyTokyo is a very busy city. A lot of people and a lot of traffic in a small city. It is very different from America or Australia. But I like it very much. I was a bit concerned about the tight security though.

I guess that's why all Japanese skaters skate at night. In Australia, there are many skating spots because of the large space and small number of people. Tokyo is the opposite, so there is a fundamental difference. For skaters, I think it is a city where it is hard to find spots.

Do you think these differences in environment affect your style as a skater?

brophyI don't really think that the environment creates the style. I myself was born and raised in Margaret River in Western Australia, which is a rural town with very few skate spots. I think it's more about how you make the most of the environment you are given.

However, all the skaters coming out of Tokyo are badass. Kota (Ikeda) is Amazing, and Junnosuke (Yonesaka) is also great. I think Junnosuke (Yonesaka) is great, probably because he practices tight in a small environment. There are many unique skaters.

Kota Ikeda was a teammate of yours when you were at Cliche. He was also a spotter on this tour, wasn't he?

brophyI think so. Buchi (Hiroaki Kawabuchi) also attended the event, and I think everyone got some good footage. I had been to Tokyo and Yokohama about five years ago for Cliche's "SAKE AND DESTROY TOUR," so I knew there were some good spots, but this trip took me to many more. I knew some good spots from my "SAKE AND DESTROY TOUR" in Tokyo and Yokohama.

Where can I see the videos from this tour?

brophyYou can check it out on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. I think the official video will be released by GoPro around August.

GoPro has changed creativity in skateboarding.

You mentioned GoPro. Can you tell us how you came to use GoPro?

brophy: I guess since around 2014. It all started when I happened to find it on a tour bus. What's this? It looks interesting! I thought, "What the heck, I've got it, and I didn't even know who it belonged to!

What is your impression of GoPro?

brophyI like it a lot. It's amazingly compact and the photos are beautiful and interesting to take in all styles. I use it a lot for taking pictures as well as videos. The burst mode is a great feature for trick photography.

Other times, when I'm driving, I attach it to the window with a suction cup and use the night-lapse function to enjoy the POV (point of view). In any case, I think GoPro is a fun camera to use.

The filmer who came to Japan with us this timeChris Ray's InstagramI have a few trick photos on my website that were all shot with a GoPro.

I see that all of the high-resolution photos were taken with a GoPro. How did GoPro influence your skateboarding expression?

brophyI think there is, of course. I myself am sponsored in this way, and I use a GoPro to take many of my photos. And I can easily transfer the data to my smartphone and immediately share it with the world via social networking sites.

In other words, GoPro has had a huge impact on the creative side of skateboarding. I think it's an innovative product, including the quality of the photos.

So, how do you think you can make the best use of it in skating? How do you use it?

brophyIt's best to shoot from the angle you think you want to see. Some people shoot from below, others from above. I think it's best to think about what angle would be interesting to shoot from. GoPro is compact, so you have a wide range of options when using it.

When I use it, I hold it in my hand and take pictures of myself or ask someone nearby to do so, rather than using a mount or putting it on my body. Anyway, I can easily take pictures in all kinds of situations.

A post shared by Chris Cole, (@chriscobracole) - 2017 Apr 18 10:29 PM PDT

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Inspiration comes from skiing with others.

Thank you very much. Now, I would like to talk about skating. How do you analyze your own skating style?

brophyI think of myself as a skateboarder who does simple tricks to attract people. I don't go into very big handrails. I think I have powerful moves.

What inspires you to ride?

brophyI am not serious about tricks, but rather I am just trying to have fun. I also like to ski with others. Not only is it fun, but we can naturally stimulate each other and improve each other's skills. Like anything else, it is even more fun when you are with other people.

Who are some of the members you enjoy skiing with the most?

brophyI used to live in LA for a while. I'm based in Australia now, but there aren't that many skaters in my home town, so I tend to skate with friends wherever I go.

Recently, you have been producing your own brand.

brophyI do most of the work myself, from planning to designing. My friend Benny Fairfax helps me sometimes, but I do almost everything myself, from planning to design.

Is there a design motif?

brophyMy father used to participate in automobile racing, so I often get inspiration from the race cars and posters of the time.

Lastly, what do you think about the fact that skateboarding has been adopted as an official sport for the Tokyo Olympics?

brophyI think skateboarding is a very popular sport for young people, and it is one of the main factors of street culture. When people want to belong to something, skateboarding culture welcomes them.

It is true that sometimes people speak ill of skateboarding. But basically, I think skating is something that makes people's hearts positive. That's why I personally think it's a good thing that skateboarding was chosen as an Olympic sport, even though there may be pros and cons.

Rather, I am very much looking forward to seeing how skateboarding, once a core sport, will develop as it experiences the major stage of the Olympics.