iSkatemag August by Louie Alfaro

iSkatemag welcomes all editorial submissions. All letters, art, drawings and photographic material will be treated as unconditionally assigned publication and copyright purposes and subject to iSkatemag’s right to edit and comment editorially. All rights reserved on entire content: nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the author. Any similarities between persons or places mentioned or alluded to in the fiction and real places or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

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Photo by Louie Alfaro

Editor In Chief Louie Alfaro

Editor at Large Pricilla Duran Contributing Photographer Ruben Palomares Contributing Photographer Lori George Charles 50-50

Editorial In this issue, I decided to add a new twist to the mag. I interviewed the El Paso Roller Derby Association. These hard working individuals are dedicated Roller Derby Skaters. As you know, roller skates played a big part in the development of skateboarding. I remember taking the steel wheels off the roller skates and nailing them to a piece of wood. It was the start of my skateboarding journey. Anyway, this interview was a humbling and educational experience. Skate On!

Chris Gregson

Eli Alfaro

Featured 8 1st.Annual Regional Skate Jam 13 Skateboarding Over 30 18 Chicks in Bowls 34 Battle of The Bronx 50 Eli Alfaro

58 Blood Wizards Signing Downtown River in Austin Tx. 5

Josh Spencer Las Cruces, NM Skatepark 7

The First Annual Z Regional Skate Jam Alamogordo NM Sponsored by Zia Therapy Center The competition was fierce and the action was amazing! The skaters brought their best game to this event. However, In the end ,there can only be just one and it was Issac “Haardbody” who took the gold. The comp was a well organized machine. According to the sponsor, next year, it will be bigger and better! Dude!

This picture was taken at the 2014 SKATE Championship. We should have bought one of these decks. They were only $25.00! Cool Artwork!

The Sponsors: Shogun Skateboards, Peace Out, Orange Curb and Sk8 Lab.

El Chuco Skate Mom making the rounds at Barrio

First Place Winner

Issac

Frontside Indy Grab 9

hen we think of skateboarders, in general, we tend to think of young kids anywhere between the ages of 10-17 trying to do the same tricks as their idols. We see them at skate parks, shopping centers and around the neighborhood. “Little hoodlums” some call them. What about a 30 year old? Is he a “hoodlum” or a “troublemaker?” Absolutely not. Skateboarding often carries a negative stigma to it but it is usually placed on those who are below the age of 18. However, there are those who are over their twenties, have families, and even careers that are still skating. Jesse Matthews, a 30 plus year old, commented on this when he went to go visit his doctor. In his blog he writes “My doctor, knowing I’m married with 3 children, in graduate school, and working in a professional job looked at me in amazement. He then asked, ‘How many 30 year olds do you know who are still doing that?’” Why the amazement? It seems like the same time of amazement we would have knowing that a five year old weight lifts for a living. The point is there should be no amazement. Skating is a wonderful form of exercise. It may be a little more dangerous but nonetheless it gets the body moving. To top it off: it’s fun. I have spoken to so many skaters about how fun it is for them to ride, to feel the wind on their face while trying to do some fancy trick off a tailpipe. A long time ago the career of a skateboarder ended at 25 at best. Many of them have retired and vanished into the style of living we can all recognize. Perhaps a coffee in the morning, taking the kids to school, working in a different setting etc. However some of them have stuck around. What’s important about this is that these 30 to forty year-olds are pros at what they do. They know the sport, they’ve had broken bones, bad days and triumphs and now with the world of Twitter and Instagram and even Facebook, these so-called veterans are sharing their knowledge with the younger generations of skaters. In fact if you Google it, there’s a page dedicated to 30+ skaters. The point is that skateboarding shouldn’t be limited to a particular age. It’s a sport that, if practiced daily, can be conquered by anyone. Age should not be limit when taking care of your health all the while trying to have fun. So those of you out there who are 30+ and still rocking a skateboard, keep at it. The world needs you as does this young generation of skaters. Rock on and keep skating! Pricilla Duran

Skateboarding Over 30

This is a first for iSkatemag. I’m here at the North East Skatepark and I’m waiting to interview the derby girls. I’ve always wondered how this league was put together. It’s going to get interesting! I’m amazed as to how a few dedicated people can change the sports landscape of El Paso. In this interview I spoke to Redd, Grace and Pepper. They are members of the Chicks in Bowls and the El Paso Roller Derby team. Good afternoon how are you guys doing today? [Redd] We are all doing great! How long have you been roller skating with the Roller Derby? [Redd] Pepper and I have been skating with the roller derby for about 7 years. How long have you been skating the Skate Parks? [Redd] I’ve been skating the parks for about a year and a half. [Grace] I periodically skate the parks but I’m been trying to get rid of this fear. I jumped into a half pipe and twisted my ankle pretty bad. [Grace] The injury happened at Veterans Park. I still think about the fall. I was out of commission for 9 months. I diagnosed myself [Laughs] as having an extreme ankle sprain. It was pretty bad! Like skateboarding, these things happen and its takes time to recover from this type of injury. It’s mental as well as a physical. The mental part is the hardest thing to overcome. You just have to get back on the deck or roller skates as soon as possible to get rid of the fear. It’s hard to get back from an injury. So, besides Chicks in Bowl, do you guys skate with the El Paso Roller Derby team? [Redd] Yes, we are called “The Tex Pistols”. Who created the team? [Redd] We created the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. We had to do an apprentership and get accepted by the league. There were 40 leagues competing for a spot and only 9 were selected. We were lucky to be one of them. It has taken a lot of commitment and hard work to get to this level. Now, we are a charted team and can compete with just about anyone.

PEPPER

[R ha

[R Av

Where do you guys practice?

Do the proceeds help cover your expenses?

Redd] We practice at a warehouse on Lucket. It’s a 2 ½ hour workout and it’s ard.

Where do you compete?

[Redd] Yes. In addition, it helps us cover the cost of using the warehouse. As a non-profit organization, we donate a portion of our proceeds to local charities.

Redd]: We have a new home. It’s the Field House at the Market (6827 Market ve, El Paso Tx.) Also, we are always holding fund raisers to help out our local community. We want the money to stay in El Paso. o people pay to get in and watch you guy’s bout?

Redd] Yes.

GRACE LIGHTNING

Do you promote your sponsors? [Grace] We promote our sponsor by putting them on our banners, game programs and website. Also, we announce them at the bouts. [Redd] We want local sponsors. Who is in charge of getting sponsors? [Redd] Pepper, Grace and I are the sponsor group. I’m the committee leader. Do you get paid for your work? [Redd] No. [Grace] We do it for the love of the sport! I understand. It’s the same way with skateboarding! I run this magazine to promote our local skaters. I don’t get paid. Can you make money in Derby? [Redd} Yes, but you have to be a pro. There are many well-known skaters who are sponsored by big companies and they do very well. It’s like Pro Skateboarding. [Redd] Yes. Also, there are teams that teach derby all over the world and they do pretty good. It appears that you can make a living in Derby! [Redd] Yes, but it takes time and a lot of hard work.

Do you have a website? [Grace] Yes. We are at www.elpasorollerderby.com Does the City of El Paso support the team? [Redd] No. Since you are representing El Paso, have you tried talking to the City about getting some support? [Pepper] Yes, but It’s all about the politics. [Redd] We named the league after El Paso? I think that It’s about finding the right person. You might want to talk to a local City Representative. Hopefully, he/she could support the team. At the end of the season, does the team compete for a trophy? [Redd] No. Not in our division. However, there are Regional, National and World Cup Championships. [Grace] The US has won every year! [Pepper] We are undefeated! Is the Southwest your division? [Grace] Yes How many teams are in this division? [Redd] Geez, there are a lot of teams. There are three divisions: Division 1 (Professional), Division 2 (Semi-Professional) and Division 3 (Amateur). Since we are fairly new, we are in Division 3. What would it take to get to the next level? [Redd] We have to work at improving our team ranking. If our sanctioned game point differential improves (The difference between the winning and losing score), we can get enough points to move to Division 2. In Division 2, you can compete at the Regional level and go to tournaments. Once you are in Division 1, you can compete at the National level. Most of these Division 1 teams have been around for a long time and usually more than 10 years. It takes a lot of work to get to that level. When does your season begin and end? [Grace] Our season starts in February and ends in November. [Redd] We get Thanksgiving and Christmas off and work the rest of the year. [Laughs] How many girls are on your team? [Redd] We have 17 girls and 14 rosters.

What is Chicks in Bowls? [Redd] What we do at the parks is called Chicks in Bowls. There are 62 chapters throughout the world. Our group is called Chicks and Bowls El Paso. AKA “Edge of Texas 79915”. We are proud of being El Pasoans! Who runs the local chapter? [Redd] I’m the president, Karla Zapa is the manager and Martha Zapa is the Vice President. Grace, Pepper and Secret Agent Slam are team members. We try to encourage women to skate the parks. At one time, roller skating was very popular and then, it faded away. Now, we see it making a comeback! How did you get into skating parks? [Redd] This is how I got into skating bowls. One day I was cruising by Saul Kleinfield and I saw some kids skating the park. I thought “why the F**K haven’t I ever thought of skating the bowls”. The next day, I woke up early and decided to go to the skate park. I started hitting the ramps. I always was kept falling and getting hurt. I would look at the skateboarders and get so jealous watching them flip their boards. I can’t do that with my skates. They are stuck to my feet and I can’t bail. Redd Dahlia [Laughs] 22

[Redd] It was then that I decided to join the International Game of Roller Skate. It’s basically a game of skate. You have a week to complete the trick and submit it on Facebook. I was always by myself and I wanted to see if I could find some more skaters to join my group. Jessie (Crooks Owner) told me about these 2 girls that were skating the parks. That’s when I met Carla and Martha. Now, they are my best friends. How did you learn about Chick in Bowls? [Redd] I was searching the web and found Chicks in Bowls on You Tube. We started working with The Heart of Texas Chicks in Bowls from Austin, Tx. and they suggested that we start our own chapter in El Paso. I contacted Lady Trample from New Zealand. She is in charge of all the chapters. We signed the contracts and became Chicks In Bowls El Paso. What do the skateboaders think about you guys? [Redd] The skateboarders have been very supportive. They look at us and say “How Do You Do That?” I think the tricks that skaters do are scary! Since roller skating is tied to skateboarding, it is a lot easier for the skaters to accept your guys. [Redd] In the 70’s, the skaters and the roller skaters used to hang out and work together.

It’s interesting that in the old days we used to take the wheels off the roller skates and put them on a piece of wood. [Redd] Now, I use skate boarding wheels and trucks on my roller skates. [Laughs]. What’s your setup? [Redd] My roller skates are an aggressive setup. Bigfoot Skate and Bikes sent me these sliders for ledges and rectangle rails. I have another set with a concave that is made for coping and round rails. I have Penny trucks for grinding. I Love It! Adriane Quintana is helping me with my street skating. I’m learning how to grid and slide rails. Do you think that skating can help people? [Redd] To me, Roller Derby is like anger management. Sometimes, I can be such a dick. However, since I’ve been skating, I feel more relaxed and in control. It has helped me a lot. You skate, fall, get up and do it again. It’s like life! [Pepper] We beat up and bruise our bodies to save our souls!

Redd Dahlia 27

Issac Flores Caveman 29

Carolina Skatepark 30

Whether you’re doing hand stands, grinds on the half-pipe or kickflips in the street, this competition shaped board has supreme pop! Our decks are made of the best quality hardrock maple and with our one-of-a-kind printing process; you get the best skateboard available in the world. http://www.zazzle.com/jacob+whitt+skateboards 31

Battle of The Bronx

is is an annual AM competition held in The Bronx. This event is hosted by Founder and CEO Bert Correa of Indigenous Skateboard Productions. This is the 7th annual which is sponsored by Nike SB and co-sponsored by the Harold Hunter Foundation, Zoo York, Thrasher and Indigenous. This skatepark is located on 157th Street River Ave and is two blocks down from the New York Yankee’s Stadium. Lori George

Gabriel Vasquez Birthday: March 8, 1996 Birthplace: El Paso, Texas Skate Stance: Goofy Skate Type: Vert Can be Seen at: Carolina Favorite Pros Past & Present: John Cardiel & Omar Hassan Bio: When Gabriel was 12, his brother skated frequently. He took up the sport and loved it. Even after his brother quit. His first board was a Speed Demon from Zumiez. The first trick he accomplished was the kick flip. The craziest thing he ever tried was a Miller Flip frontside 360 handflip. Amazingly, he landed it, but at the last second, lost the board. Once, he broke his collar bone by trying to ollie up the box. He didn't know how to get off, froze up and fell flat. Gabriel is friendly to all and is encouraged and supported by everyone that meets him. He is a great skater with a great attitude.

Photo by Jezreel Lasala 36

Photo by T. Naser 38

Sergio Diaz 39

Photo by Louie Alfaro 41

Three Stair Ollie 49

nterview

How old are you? I’m 15yrs. How old were you when you started? I was 11yrs. What was your first skateboard? It was an Sports Academy deck. Was it a good board? No, it was terrible. What it easy to learn to skate? No. I had a hard time getting my balance. How long did it take you to learn how to skate? It took me about a year to get my balance. I’m still learning how to skate. You learn something new every day. How often do you skate? I skate every day. What was the first trick you learned? It was an ollie. Where do you live? I live in Anthony, Tx. Where is your favorite skate park? I like the Plaza in Sunland Park. What do you like about the park? Its street and I can do fun tricks at this park. What do you think of the Carolina or Northeast parks? They are great parks but I’m a street guy and I don’t do vert.

What kind of setup do you like? I like Indy Trucks, Bones Wheels, Red Bearings, Mob Grip and Toy Machine decks. Are you a member of a Skate Team? Yes. I’m with the Cronic Boys. Where do you guys skate? We skate the Anthony Skate Park. Do you go to school? Yes, I go to Anthony High School. Have you ever been in trouble with the law? No, but one time I was pulled over by our local police for making too much noise on the street. A lady complained that my deck was making noise and she wanted me to skate on another street. I was just going home! Crazy! What do you want to do with skateboarding? I just want to skate for the rest of my life. What are your plans after High School? Keep skating and go to college. Which college would you like to go to? UT Austin (The University of Texas at Austin). Have you skated other parks? Yes, I’ve been to Tuscon, Az, Austin, Tx and San Antonio, Tx. They have some great parks. Have you meet any pro skaters? Yes, I’ve meet Jamie Thomas, Mike Carrol, Mike Mo, Lizard King, Bo Johnson, Jim Greco, Forest Edwards, Jeremy Gurnee and recently, Chris Greco. They are all great guys! Crooks Skate Shop usually brings these pros to town. What do you think of the El Paso skate scene? It looks like it’s getting better.

Have you ever skated indoors? Yes. I’ve skated at the Sandbox. Who puts these events together? Snake 2 Skate Do you recommend the Sandbox? Yes, but keep an eye on the decks? They fly everywhere! [Laughs] When you are at the skate parks, do you help other skaters? Yes, the other day, I helped a kid learn how to Ollie. That’s pretty good. I’ve seen how skaters help each other out. What advice do you give beginners? Just keep skating and don’t give up. It’s not the easiest sport but with time, you will get better. You will love it!

Boneless Flip

Tail Slide 54

Oille 55

Nose Grind 56

http://elephantbrandskateboards.com Elephant Skateboards, 1751 Placenta Ave., Costa Mesa, Ca 92627, Ph: 949-515-6209, Fx: 949-515-6290 57

Welcome to the Blood Wizards Signing! This team has been around since 2008 and is still going strong. The name came from seeing a lot of homeless people in San Francisco that grew long hair and beards. They were call Wizards as a joke. Then one night, they saw a Wizard lying on the ground with some blood on him and they named them “ Blood Wizards”. Sick! These guys were the best! We had a great time! They were brought to you by none other than Crooks Skateshop!

Photo by Jezreel Lasala

Nose IndyGrab Grab 63

The Sandbox 5352 Doniphan Drive El Paso, Texas 79925 Photos by Louie Alfaro 65

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