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Photo by Louie Alfaro
Jezreel Lasala
Editorial In the wake of watching the finals of the 2014 SKATE championship, I decided to take the opportunity to interview Eli Madrid. For some time, I have wanted to talk to him about skateboarding but, skate comps, editing and keeping busy with the skate world has kept the interview on iSkatemag’s to do list. Well, as you’ll see in this issue, it was worth the wait. I also got the chance to interview two young skaters who seem to following in Eli’s footsteps. What’s important about all three is that they never gave up and they all started out with boards that came from the most unlikely places –Walmart, Big Lots etc. It doesn’t matter where or how you start what matters is that you start skating. Check out my interview with Eli and our two young skaters. 2
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an b e t s E ez u g i r Rod
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Featured Lou
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24 Eli Madrid 32 2014 S.K.A.T. E Comp 34 Sebastian Rodriguez 36 Youth Daze Video Premiere 40 Gabriel Varela
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This picture was taken at the 2014 SKATE Championship. We should have bought one of these decks. They were only $25.00! Cool Artwork!
We were at the Barrio Skate shop when we took this photo. It’s a small world. We are all here to represent!
El Chuco Skate Mom making the rounds at Barrio Sk8 Shop.
Photos by Louie Alfaro 8
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Frontside Indy Grab
Photo by Jezreel Lasala 9
so n fo es l A r r To
Trey Flip
Photo by Jezreel Lasala 10
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We met Anthony at the Sunland Park Plaza. It was a good day for skateboarding. Fakie Backside Flip Photo by Louie Alfaro 12
REUP Clothing Co. Keep Ya Game Up! Photo by Louie Alfaro 13
n o g a al
M s i r Ch
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Jeno M
adrid
Photo by Jezreel Lasala
Nose Grab 15
JEREMIAH MADRID Skateboarder Artist
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http://elephantbrandskateboards.com Elephant Skateboards, 1751 Placenta Ave., Costa Mesa, Ca 92627, Ph: 949-515-6209, Fx: 949-515-6290 17
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Photos by Louie Alfaro
Laser Flip 19
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Photo by Jezreel Lasala
Indy Grab 21
Gabriel Vasquez Birthday: March 8, 1996
Rey Gom ez
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 22
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Eli Madrid Eli, are you currently sponsored by a team? Yes Sir! I’m with Crooks Skate Shop. Can I mention other sponsors? Sure, go ahead! Well, I’m with Hibernate Clothing Co, Sushi wheels and Element Skateboards. Man, Element, that is great! Yes, I just picked them up. How old are you? I’m 19 years old. I was born in August 1994. So, I guess you are a Leo like me. Lol! Where were you born? I was born in El Paso, Tx. How old were you when you first started skating? I was 14 years old. What was your first board? It was some knock off brand from Big Lots. It was orange and had a dragon on it. Do you skate regular or goofy? I skate regular. Do you consider yourself a street or vert skater? I’m a street guy. Do you remember your first trick? It was an inward heel flip. What is the craziest thing that you have ever tried? I know that you have done a lot of crazy stuff! I’ve seen the videos! Lol! I tried skating off the roof of a downtown building. It was pretty sketchy because the cars were always running down the street.
Continued on page 26.
Photo by T. Naser 24
Photos by T. Naser
Front Slide Flip 25
Continued from page 24.
Did you land it? No, but I need to go back and try it again. What’s your favorite trick? That would be a Trey Flip. What is the dumbest thing that you have ever done and would you do it again? Would that be the roof thing? Yes! Lol! What are you currently working on? I’m working on a video for Element. Do you get a discount on the boards? No, they give them to me. Now, that’s cool! I’m expecting a new board and a t-shirt to arrive pretty soon. Who’s your favorite pro? That would be Leo Romero. What are your goals in skateboarding? I just want to keep getting better and eventually, turn pro. If you become a pro, I want to be your best buddy! Lol! Are you going to school? I was going to UTEP but I’m taking a break this semester. Do you have any advice for young skaters? If you attempt a trick and fail, just keep trying. I know that it’s going to piss you off but, eventually, you will land it. If you give up, you give up on yourself. What do you think I should put in the mag? Well, you should add more skateboarding ads. Like endorsements from Element Skateboards and Sushi Wheels. Lol! That’s a good idea! I guess this is it Eli. Thanks for your time.
Photo by T. Naser 26
Photo by Jessie (Crooks) 27
Photos by T. Naser 28
Ollie 29
la e r a V l e u Mig
Frontside Indy Grab
Photo by Jezreel Lasala 30
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Photo by Louie Alfaro
Nothing but S.K.A.T.E.
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Richey Mo 2014 SKATE Champion
rowing up in El Paso, you see guys playing S.K.A.T.E. almost every day with friends. On March 22, 2014, Snake2Skate held another local tournament — only this time, they were looking for the Best of the Best to show off their skateboarding prowess.
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The game, modeled after H.O.R.S.E., challenges players to come up with difficult skateboarding moves that their opponents must duplicate. If a player fails to copy a move, he or she receives a letter of S.K.A.T.E., with players eliminated when they reach all five letters. The scene was part of a two month area wide S.K.A.T.E competition which brought out the best from the City of El Paso and the surrounding area. Included were a few well known skateboarders that intended to prove their skateboard mettle to friends and onlookers. Snake 2 Skate main intent is to promote skateboarding. The S.K.A.T.E. Championship tournament invited contestants to show off their skills on a skateboard, it advertised with fliers and social media and drew a few hundred people. For the tournament, S2S lined up a few sponsors, including Reup Clothing which gave away products to attendees. The tournament featured no minimum or maximum age. Among those who entered the tournament was Richey Mo (1.st Place Winner), a member of the Crooks Skatehop team and the Flying Penguin Company. iSkatemag sees these events as a platform to get sponsors for skateboard competitions and help skaters plug into a tight-knit community. A lot of people look at skating as bad, but if you have a positive venue for it and you're doing it the right way, this is what happens, we see groups of young skaters sharing stories. Skaters develop social networks away from the Internet, with groups getting together to share ideas and learn tricks. In addition, Skateboarding is a great way to make friends, go out in the sun and get some exercise. It’s much better than sitting on the couch and playing video games all day. In addition, learning new tricks often involves repetition, frustration and skinned knees. That's a part of skateboarding. You don't land everything, but you keep trying. You fall, you get back up ... It's determination! In summing the event, we saw an intense skate competition. People were going big and everyone threw down some cool stuff. By Louie Alfaro 33
n a i t as b e S t” r i h s t a e “Sw guez ri d o R
Nose Slide What’s your name sir? Sabastian Rodriguez I saw your Facebook page it had a different name. Why?
What advice would you give to beginners?
That’s because there is this rapper that I like and his name is Earl Sweatshirt.
Just do it and practice, practice, practice.
Yes
So you used his last name?
Well, that makes sense. How old are you? I’m 14 years old. Are you on any team or do you have a sponsor? No. Where were you born? Arlington Texas How old were you when you started skateboarding? I don’t remember. I was very small. What was your first board? My mom bought me a Walmart board when I was very young. It was my cruiser. How did you get into skateboarding? I remember watching the XGames and I liked the huge vert ramps. That’s when I told my mom that I needed a skateboard like the ones on television. That’s how I got started. What was your first pro board? My first pro board was an Eric Kosten . 34
Do you skate goofy or regular? I skate goofy. Do you consider yourself a street or a vert skater? I’m a street skater. Do you remember your first trick? Yes, it was an Ollie. What’s your favorite trick? I like to do fakies. What are you working on now? I’m trying to do stalls and halfpipes. If you could build your perfect board, what would it look like? It would have Tensor Trucks, Spitfire Bearings and Bone Wheels. Who encourages you to keep skating? My brother and my parents keep me motivated. Who is your favorite pro skater? My favorite skaters are Paul Rodriguez and Vincent Hubbard. What do you want to do with your skateboarding? I want to be the best skater and turn pro. As a pro, which team would you like to join? Spitfire or Girl What are your long term goals? I want to go to college. What advice would you give to beginners? Just do it and practice, practice, practice. What would you like to see at local skate parks? I would like bigger parks with more ramps and rails. Actually, I would like to see a concrete park in Anthony. Do you have any skills? I like photography, video and art. Art? I would like to see your art? Well, it’s at the school and I don’t like to show it off. There is a saying that goes “Build it and they will come”. So, show off your Art! Anyway, that is it Sebastian. Thanks for your time.
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n April 14, 2014, the Sand Box in El Paso hosted the new Youth Daze video premiere.
The premiere felt like a skateboard reunion party. A slew of local skateboarders from El Paso and Las Cruces came to support the video. In regards to the video, I'd like to note Kyle Odom, Logan Lewis, and Diego Alvarado brought the heat with many face-melting moves. Speed, power and creativity are the words I'll use to describe Kyle's skating. All in all, the premier was a great success with a happy crowd kicking it and moshing up the night. Despite the crowd's rowdy appearance, no irate fans smashed up the place and everyone had a good time. Check out the photos on the next page!
Photo by Louie Alfaro 37
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C
heck out some photos from the Youth Daze Video Premier that was held at The Sandbox. The venue was packed by 9pm and the good vibes were definitely flowing‌ By the end of the premiere the homies were hyped and that led into an epic party. Big THANK YOU to The Sandbox, S2S for sponsoring the event and thanks to everyone that made it out to the premiere. El Paso represent!
Photos by Louie Alfaro 39
el u a g i el M ar V
How old are you? 15 Years Old When did you start skateboarding? I’ve been skating for about a year. What was your first skateboard? It was a mini logo. Who bought you your first board? Was it your parents? No, I got my board from a friend. He was going to throw it away and I told him that I wanted it. It was all torn up. I already had wheels (Recto) and trucks (Tensor). All I needed was a board. I used the mini logo until I had to buy one. Do you skate regular or goofy? I skate regular. Do you consider yourself a street or a vert guy? I’m vert but I can do street. Do you remember your first trick? Yes, it was a 50-50 Backside. What is the craziest thing that you have ever done? That would be a hand plant. What is your favorite trick? I like 5’s on the tail and heelflips. Where do you go to school? I go to Chaparral. Who encourages you to skateboard? Ben Raybourn keeps me motivated. He is my favorite pro. Also, I have two friends (Diego and Gabriel) that encourage me to skate. These guys are great skateboarders. What are you goals in regards to skateboarding? I would like to turn pro but if not, then, I will just continue skating. Anyway, that is it my friend. Thank You.
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5-0 Tailslide 41
Tris te
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The 2014 SKATE competition held in Anthony, Texas. Who won? Tristen!
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S R E N IN G E ” ! B p O u T e E v i C I G V r e v AD e N d n a e ic t c a r ”P
Miguel Varela
5 -0
Photos by Louie Alfaro 44
DA NIE L FRI EDA
Frontside 360 Shuvit
Photos by Louie Alfaro 45
Photo by T. Naser 46
Boardslide
Photo by Louie Alfaro 47
Boneless 48
Photos by Louie Alfaro 49
Eli A lfaro
Photo by Louie Alfaro
Boardslide 50
te n e u es P
Andr
Photos by Louie Alfaro 51
Flor Rodriguez
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