‘Texas does nearly everything differently than the rest of the states.’
Jon Hanks
Mongochatter on Texas
June 2026
Can you tell us something about Texas people do not know?
It is my understanding that Texas is the only state in the union that is given permission by the federal government to fly the Texas state flag at the same height as that of the American flag.
You are originally from Boston but been living in San Antonio, Texas for a few years. In our first interview, you mentioned that you ‘f… love San Antonio’. Can you tell me why?
San Antonio has got a lot of soul! It is not the most sophisticated or progressive city in terms of infrastructure and convenience, but the people are what makes this place amazing. The people are hearty and soulful and not pretentious, but also not naive or uncultured. San Antonio is real and raw and is not trying to keep up with the Jones’, which is refreshing in 2024 where everyone seems to be going out of their way to be a glamorous superstar.
When you first arrived, how welcoming was the local skate community to Jonathan Hanks?
Man the scene was and is so welcoming! I had done a Mongochatter episode with Mark Fleming while I was still in Boston, so he and I had gotten to be buddies over text, and when I came down here, he totally rolled out the red carpet for me, introducing me to all the Og’s and inviting me to epic skate sessions at private backyard DIYs and that kind of thing. I’m lucky I get to skate with the elder Og’s of the San Antonio skate scene, and they are a sick crew to be around, for sure.
How do you describe the skate scene in Texas?
The skate scene in Texas is vibrant and sprawling. A lot of people I stay in touch with are reasonably nomadic with their spots and sessions. there’s a lot of cross communication between the Austin, San Antonio and Houston scenes,
and the sessions and vibes can often overlap because a lot of people are willing to travel.
Is there anything Texas does differently to the rest of the States?
Texas does nearly everything differently than the rest of the states. Honestly, I’ve been everywhere in the USA and Texas feels like no place else, almost like it’s its own country with its own rules and values. To me it has been very refreshing to deal with that independent spirit and when you take that vibe and apply it to the skate scene, the unique energy and stoke feels really good to be a small part of.
‘San Antonio has got a lot of soul!’
Which city is the capital of Texas skateboarding?
Oh man am I gonna get in trouble for not knowing or having the wrong impression? Austin is the capital of the state and has a lot of ties to Thrasher and gets a lot of coverage. Austin is kinda like the new Los Angeles in a lot of ways so there’s a lot of energy there and skateboarding is certainly heavily represented in the city. Houston has an excellent vert scene with tons of heritage and tradition through things like Embassy skateboards and the banger in the hangar contest. and San Antonio has such crazy gnarly and raw untapped terrain made up of ditches and sprawling public irrigation projects. I don’t know much about Corpus, Dallas, Waco, etc. but I’m excited to explore and check all that stuff out as well.
If you could pick any guest out of Texas for your podcast, who would it be and why??
Man I suck at answering these kind of questions because I could probably name ten or twenty people. Jimmy Gonzales is seventy one and still shreds and he is certainly one of the godfathers of the scene. I know him a little bit so that could actually happen, and I think people would really enjoy that. John Gibson is obviously another epic name that comes to mind or Todd Prince or any of the Embassy/Houston OG heads.
Last question. If you could interview any person in the world, who would it be? In our first interview, you mentioned Jereme Rogers. Have you heard back?
Man I haven’t heard back from J Cassanova yet! I guess it’s a painfully obvious cliche, but I’d love to interview the Gonz or Nyjah. Outside of skateboarding I’ve always wanted to interview Howard Stern, because he’s the king.