Dont call it a comeback. Brian Wenning is just happy to be skating again without any industry politics. Here is an exclusive video of his newest, never been seen footage. Released November 5, 2009.

Filmed by: Dario Rezk & Hunter Baker - Edited by: Jon Edwards

Song: Ice-T - 99 Problems - Home Invasion (1994)

Interview by Blair Alley. Photos by Taylor Baker.

Where have you been lately?

Just hanging out in Jersey, getting my head straight. Hanging out with family and friends—people I trust, my brother, my dad. I’m living with them right now because I got my condo for sale. I’m just basically layin’ low. Sittin’ back watchin’ everybody else.

Have you been skating a lot out there?

Yeah. I’ve been skating flatground and the local skateparks. I haven’t been around anybody you’d know.

So what happened with Plan B?

Plan B was just a whole misunderstanding. Colin (McKay) offered me a deal I couldn’t pass up. Double the money I was getting from Habitat, Habitat didn’t have contracts, Colin had contracts. I thought Colin was the main man, but Colin wasn’t. Me and Colin are very good friends still to this day. He didn’t explain to me until lately that he doesn’t write the checks, it’s Syndrome (Distribution). Chris Carter said, “Do not go over there Brian. Just stay with me, I don’t even care if you don’t skate. Those dudes are sketchy.” Zorlac trucks or whatever. Look what happened. It happened to me. It was one month with no pay, then two, then three, then no Tech Deck check. It was just like, “Check’s in the mail.”

So did you end up quitting Plan B?

Nah, I tried to sue them for the money. I got together with my lawyer on the way to an Arizona filming trip. They got their lawyers together and said I breached the contract because I didn’t have team morale, and I didn’t show up in Arizona. And the reason I didn’t show up in Arizona is because they owed me so much money, man. They promised me money the day before I drove my Caddy out there. I was like, you know what man? I’m not f—kin’ stupid. I been through sketchy situations beyond skateboarding. “The check’s in the mail” bullsh-t. That’s the oldest trick in the book. I drove out to AZ alone, that was a long drive, I had a lot of time to think. I was like, I’m not even gonna meet up with these dudes. I met up with my aunt and hung out with some of my friends. It’s not like I don’t like anybody at Plan B, it’s just the money, I gotta survive. How the hell are you gonna support your family with four months of back checks? Car payments, mortgage payments, cell phone bills, your mother doesn’t have a job, little brother needs money—you’ve always been that guy to help people out and now they’re f—kin’ it all up claiming it’s my fault.

So they didn’t respond for two weeks, and my lawyer is a very serious dude—he’s like 750 dollars just to talk to. And he got offended that they didn’t respond for two weeks. Then he was like, “I got a problem Brian, I can’t practice in the state of California.” I was like, “Are you kidding me?” He told me I’d have to handle it on consignment and go to court in California. I was like, “How much money am I gonna get? They owe me 20 grand.” He said, “You’re probably gonna get like four grand outta this, maybe nothing.” I was like forget it. Being a skate rat, I never thought it would come to the point where I wouldn’t want to skate because my dream team owes me money. It turned into me hating skating. Every moment that I rode for Plan B I hated skateboarding. That’s why people wouldn’t see as much footage of me and I didn’t really care. I’d be punching holes in walls in my house. I just hated riding for Plan B.

Do you regret leaving Habitat?

I regret quitting Habitat. I’m not gonna be a guy that says I coulda, shoulda, woulds, but yeah it was possibly the worst move of my life. Those guys are still my family. I talk to them everyday. I talk to Tim (O’Connor) all the time, Freddy (Gall) is my best friend, Danny Garcia will always be there for me. The reason why I quit was because they said, “Yeah, put on Ed Selego and Raymond Molinar.” And I was like, “You know what? You’re finally not gonna listen to me about the guys I think shouldn’t be on the team? F—k it, I’m quitting.” And now look, they kicked them dudes off.

Brian in Asbury Park, New Jersey

So what’s next? Are you gonna try to get a board sponsor and shoe sponsor?

I don’t know, I’m getting boards from DGK, L&K Clothing, basically it’s all Kayo sh-t. You know my man Eli at Gold Wheels. Nick Lockman, Stevie, they’re all hooking me up. I got this little video that I sent you guys, and I’m pretty psyched on it. I’m just gonna stay on the East Coast and hopefully link back up with Pappalardo man and just do us man, because I haven’t seen that fool in six years. I think that’s the best key to success right now. Go back where it began. I’m gonna attack that fool until I find him.

Courtesy of Transworld SKATEboarding.

Click HERE to read the longer-extensive interview