The Tiltmode Army. The name alone evokes images of chaotic fun, unconventional skateboarding, and a complete disregard for the status quo. For many, their videos were more than just skate flicks; they were a cultural touchstone, a reminder that skateboarding should be about joy, creativity, and friendship. Starting in the early 90s, this group of skaters from San Jose, California, created a unique brand of skateboarding that resonated with a generation, proving that you didn’t have to be serious to be influential.
Jai Tanju filming the Tiltmode crew
The Genesis of a Crew (1992-1994)
The Tiltmode Army didn’t start as a grand plan, but rather as a natural coming together of like-minded individuals. The core group, including Matt Eversole, Chris Avery, Marc Johnson, and Louie Barletta, began to coalesce in the early 90s in San Jose, a city with a distinct skate scene, separate from the spotlight of San Francisco or Los Angeles.
Jerry Hsu: “The four key people were Matt Eversole, Chris Avery, Marc Johnson, Louie.”
Louie Barletta: “I moved to downtown San Jose around 1993… It was a small skate scene back then… so you kind of knew each other.”
Chris Avery: “The scene was kind of tight-knit because it wasn’t San Francisco or LA. San Jose was always kind of a weird one.”
This organic connection, combined with a shared love for skating and a healthy dose of sarcasm, laid the foundation for what would become the Tiltmode Army. They weren’t just skaters; they were a community, and that close bond would be evident in all their future endeavors. The addition of younger skaters like Jerry Hsu further solidified their crew dynamic.
Jerry Hsu: “I met a lot of guys when I started to become friends with older guys like Erik Olsen, and they all had cars.”
Matt Eversole and the early Tiltmode crew
Chris Avery: “I met Jerry Hsu when I went to skate camp and he was a camper…Probably like a year later someone brought in Jerry’s sponsor tape to NC Boardshop, and I was like, ‘Holy shit this is amazing.'”
Matt Eversole’s personality, often described as sarcastic and dry, became a central part of the group’s identity.
Paul Sharpe: “I met Matt Eversole through skating and filming growing up with him in the valley. … I thought he was a little wiseass.”
J Strutz: “Matt was kind of a dick.”
However, despite the tough exterior, Matt was also fiercely loyal and supportive, particularly to the younger members of the crew.
Jerry Hsu: “He was very, very kind to me… Matt snuck me into a bar at a bowling alley and he bought me a drink and he was like, ‘Don’t let this get out of hand.’ Very older brother, dad-like.”
The San Fernando House and The Tantau Empire (1994-1998)
The Tiltmode story is intrinsically linked to the houses they inhabited, each one serving as a hub for creativity, parties, and of course, skateboarding. The San Fernando house was the first of these legendary skate houses.
Jai Tanju: “I think Tiltmode is really the story of houses.”
Louie Barletta: “Around 94-95 we rented a house downtown…it became a notorious party house.”
The San Fernando house was a place where the crew could truly be themselves, hosting wild parties and forming lasting memories.
J Strutz: “The parties were crazy at that house. First time I ever thought I was going to die from smoking too much weed was at that house.”
The shenanigans weren’t limited to just inside the house; even passing by became an adventure.
Jason Adams: “That house was only a couple blocks from where we lived downtown, and it was on the way to the bar, so we’d ride past it on our bikes every night.”
Chris Avery and the Tiltmode crew in costume
The next pivotal location was the Tantau Empire, a suburban house in Cupertino. It was here that the Tiltmode name was born, and where the group’s creative energy began to fully materialize.
Matt Eversole: “I think things really got started when a few of us moved into a shitty skate house in Cupertino – The Tantau Empire… This was maybe in 1998.”
Jerry Hsu: “It was very much like an adventure to me. It was a time in my life where I had achieved all the freedom I’d ever wanted.”
The Tantau house was the setting for many of the parties that would be immortalized in their videos and where the now legendary “Tilt Mode” name was first used.
Matt Eversole: “The first person I heard say it was Marc Johnson saying, ‘set it on tilt mode’ meaning ‘lets party, let’s set it on tilt.'”
The Birth of the Tilt Mode! Video (1998)
As the crew’s energy and antics grew, it was only a matter of time before they decided to document it all. The first Tilt Mode video was a raw, unfiltered look into the lives of these skaters, capturing their unique style and irreverent attitude.
Jerry Hsu: “Matt Evs and Chris Avery were the videographers, they had it all. They were the ones who looked at this whole situation and said, ‘Why don’t we make a video out of this?'”
Matt Eversole: “It frustrated me watching so many good skateboarders in San Jose ripping and not getting filmed. I saved some money and bought a VX1000…”
Louie Barletta skating for the first Tiltmode video
The first video was a collaborative effort, featuring not just the core members but also other talented skaters from the San Jose scene, including even some big names like Steve Caballero.
Steve Caballero: “There weren’t any vert ramps around so my only access to skating was street skating with those guys.”
For many, the Tilt Mode video was their first exposure to the crew and their unique approach to skateboarding.
Louie Barletta: “I had no idea what it was going to be, I just wanted my name to be on a box because I’d never been in a video before…”
The video was edited at Ty Evans’ house, with Matt and Chris working tirelessly to create something that captured the essence of the group.
Chris Avery: “When we were done, we showed it to Ty, and he was laughing the whole time. He liked it but he was like, ‘You guys are fucking nuts.'”
The ending of the video featuring Marc Johnson dressed up like a crazy hick is what cemented the name, “Tiltmode Army.”
Chris Avery: “Matt just typed up Tiltmode Army on a whim, and it stuck.”
The Pink House Era and Man Down (1998-2001)
The success of the first video fueled the crew’s creative fire, and they soon moved into a new house, the notorious Pink House. This period was marked by a surge in popularity and a growing sense of community around the Tiltmode name.
Jose Rojo: “It felt like there was a huge buzz in the skate world about it.”
Matt Eversole: “It was a house full of service industry people. Everyone fucking hated us because we would come home wasted and party and make a shit load of noise.”
Jerry Hsu and Marc Johnson in the Tiltmode video
The chaotic environment of the Pink House became the backdrop for their second video, Man Down, a more polished and ambitious project than their first.
Chris Avery: “The first Tiltmode video is definitely the inferior video compared to Man Down… Man Down, we had an idea and direction, so it just came out as a better video.”
Man Down solidified the Tiltmode Army’s position as a force in the skateboarding world. It was a celebration of their unique style and sense of humor, and it resonated with skaters who felt alienated by the increasingly serious and commercialized side of the sport. The video also highlighted the growing community around the Tiltmode crew, with more skaters wanting to be involved.
Jai Tanju: “Everyone wanted to be a part of it. Even if you weren’t going to be a pro skater, to have Matt or Chris film a trick with you and be a part of this video with people like Jerry and Marc, people wanted in.”
The Man Down video also became infamous for its skits and jokes, which showcased the crew’s personalities, especially J Strutz.
Chris Avery: “We were also purposefully staging and making things happen. Skits, jokes, dudes doing a nosegrind and finishing it with his shirt off, the Naked Ninja Stuff.”
The Mansion and the Tiltmode Philosophy (2001)
After the Pink House, the crew moved into the Mansion, which was another hub for creativity and parties.
Jose Rojo: “You would open up the closet and there would be wigs, shoes, pants, whatever. Someone would disappear in the house and come back out in a gorilla suit and cowboy boots.”
The costume parties, a long-standing tradition, became even more elaborate, reflecting the crew’s playful and anti-establishment attitude.
Louie Barletta: “We’d been throwing costume parties since the Fernando days, so by the time we got to the Mansion we had it dialed.”
This period highlighted the core message of the Tiltmode Army – to have fun, be creative, and not take skateboarding too seriously.
Chris Avery and other Tiltmode members in costume
Jerry Hsu: “The whole essence, or message, or attitude of Tiltmode was sort of a reaction to what Zero created, a very serious fast aggressive styled company… We were trying to show that skateboarding isn’t just one way or one thing, there are many other ways.”
Bonus Round and the Legacy (2006-2008)
After a hiatus, the Tiltmode Army returned with Bonus Round, a video that celebrated the younger generation and closed a chapter on their legacy.
Nestor Judkins: “After Man Down, Tiltmode became pretty popular… There was a lot of talk like, ‘Oh are they going to make a company out of this?'”
Matt Eversole: “A lot of time had passed since Man Down, and we got older, and it felt like a good time to make room for the younger generation and try to shine a light on them.”
Nestor Judkins in the Bonus Round video
Bonus Round had all the familiar Tiltmode elements, and it also felt like a passing of the torch to a new generation of skaters.
Carson Lee: “It was the tail end of people buying videos or going to skate shops to watch.”
Despite its unique place in history, Bonus Round still held true to the spirit of the Tiltmode Army: fun and creative.
Nestor Judkins: “Hearing people scream and clap. It was this unreal, meaningful experience for me. And then we went to the bar and got hammered.”
The Enduring Impact
The Tiltmode Army’s influence extends beyond the videos themselves. They created a community, inspired countless skaters, and helped to redefine what skateboarding could be.
Jerry Hsu: “I get why people enjoy it and why it survives, it taps into that childlike DIY essence that we can all relate to.”
Cairo Foster: “Uninhibited fun. It’s unique to those people who really love it… Personalities shine through and it made those videos special.”
The Tiltmode Army proved that skateboarding could be about more than just technical tricks; it could be about friendship, creativity, and having fun with your friends. They remind us to not take life, or skateboarding, too seriously. Their story is a testament to the power of community, the importance of creativity, and the enduring appeal of skateboarding in all of its forms.
Jai Tanju: “It was about being young and free and seeing this apple in front of you and you’re either going to let it rot or eat it up… It’s not really like that anymore.”
