Alex Knost
- Text by Shelley Jones
To celebrate Huck 45, curated by artist, skateboarder and chronicler of teenage California Ed Templeton, we are having a Huck website summer takeover dedicated to Ed’s longtime muse, suburbia.
In this regular series, the Suburban Youth Pop Quiz, we ask characters from our world what their suburban youth meant to them.
Third up is pro surfer, Tomorrows Tulips frontman and champion of the shaggy blonde bob Alex Knost.
Suburban Youth Pop Quiz #3
Where did you grow up and can you describe it in three words?
Costa Mesa. Table and sea.
Who was your weirdest neighbour?
I can’t remember.
What was the most important record you owned?
Velvet Underground box set.
Where did the bad kids hang out?
Across the street.
Biggest fashion faux pas as a teenager?
Bad hygiene.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Liv Tyler in Empire Records.
Describe your first kiss.
Under the water at the beach so our parents couldn’t see.
What happened the first time you got drunk?
I can’t remember.
What is the naughtiest thing you did as a suburban youth?
I used to steal my Grandma’s cigarettes.
What was the best party of your teenage years?
The entire month of March when I was 14, I got to travel unsupervised to Australia.
What’s your most embarrassing suburban youth memory?
I kinda always felt embarrassed.
What was the greatest lesson you learnt during that time?
Disregard judgment and try to remain respectful.
Who would you most like to see at a reunion?
My art teacher.
What was your first car?
1988 Oldsmobile station wagon.
What was your food of choice?
Nachos.
What was the biggest fight you ever had with your parents?
My parents were really open-minded, the first time my dad caught me sneaking booze he was pretty pissed, he tried to make me saw my surfboards in half to teach me a lesson.
What book/film changed your teenage life?
A Light In The Attic really turned me on, I also had a book of poetry and short stories by Richard Hell.
What posters did you have on your bedroom wall?
The Clash – Combat Rock, Nirvana – Nevermind, Joel Tudor.
Any hobbies you didn’t give up?
My hobbies have turned into my life.
What smell reminds you most of the suburbs?
Water on hot asphalt or pavement.
Huck 45 launches at Arcana Books, LA, this Saturday August 2, 4-6pm.
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