WORDS & PHOTOS Jake Groove, shot throughout SoCal
We are skateboarders. We are the ones you see bouncing between the traffic of the streets, speeding down mountain roads with the wind in our faces, slashing alleyways, and grinding ledges with the screech of our trucks. We find ourselves in different terrains, different spots, different features, and doing different tricks, but we all share a common passion; to explore, and shred everything in our path.
Be it in a secret backyard pool, a public skatepark, a winding downhill road, or a city street; we skate and destroy, skate and enjoy, skate and curate, whatever you want to call it. We shred it and slash it, pop it and bash it, slip it and slide it, grip it and grind it.
We are hated by some, but fueled by many more. Yeah, some of us trespass, grind the crap out of everything, and anger a wide range of people without trying, but skateboarding holds no stereotypes. We are not one, we are many. A collective society of skaters, made of young and old, experienced and new, guy and girl, and everything in between. Skateboarding doesn’t discriminate, it doesn’t stereotype, it doesn’t hate. It welcomes all.
With this, I found myself shooting this series to display our collective skate scene. Many enjoy the stoke brought by skating, and bring all different backgrounds, lifestyles, and ideas to the table. In this series, I worked to reveal this wide range of skaters, and showcased two-photo series on 10 different riders to do so.
The mission of the series is this; shoot two photos of a variety of riders to reveal their skate style and lifestyle; include an action shot to freeze them mid-skate and show the type of skating they embrace, and include a portrait to reveal who they are and what they do outside of skating. I’ve been working off and on in this series since October of 2015, and I’m stoked to finally exhibit it at Don Carlos and share it through Wheelbase! We are skateboarders; not a stereotype. We shred with passion and let the stoke flow; out of our minds, through our feet, and into our boards. Enjoy!
Phranklyn Qee-Ros
Name, Age, Location: Franklin Quiros , 35, Oceanside
Years Skating: I’ve been skating for a hot minute
Favorite Style of Skating: The fun type
Favorite Spot: This one ditch
Favorite Skate Event: Skating my parking block every morning
Advice to new skaters: Skate to enjoy yourself not to entertain the world . If you can get a few free things along the way then do it but don’t ever compromise who you are
Why do you skate: I skate to relieve stress it’s the only time in my life I can afford to focus on one thing . It is truly one of the only times I feel free . The simple act of doing something until it works is very satisfying .
Sponsors: Gravity Skateboards
Lifestyle: My lifestyle is eccentric
Background: Lifelong skateboarder that transitioned into surfing; they’ve stayed tied together since the early years. I have been in the surf, skate, snow industry since my career began at Billabong back in the 80’s.
Plans for the Future: To continue doing what I’m doing successfully
Manny Castaneda
Name, Age, Location: Manny, not too old, So☆Cal
Years Skating: 3.5 years downhill, 7 years overall
Favorite Style of Skating: Free ride/city riding
Favorite Spot: Upperz in California or Sumaré in Rio de Janeiro
Favorite Skate Event: Downhill Disco and Angie’s curves #cutyourselfforangies
Advice to new skaters: It doesn’t matter how much money you put into skating, what matters is how much heart you put into it. Just have fun with it!
Why do you skate: Exercise
Sponsors: Real: Adrenalina (Pablo), Array washers (Thane)
Companies that show me alot of love: riptide bushings, arsenal trucks, tracker trucks, remember collective, sector 9 and gravity
Work in industry: 2 years working at Adrenalina Skate Shop.
Lifestyle: Random
Background: World famous/locally infamous
Plans for the Future: Raise my daughter and somehow fitting skating into it
Doug Owens
Name, Age, Location: Doug Owens, 55, Cardiff by the Sea
Years Skating: 50 years of skateboarding. Started when I was 5. Can’t believe how long it has been!
Favorite Style of Skating: Bowls and banks because it has always reminded me about surfing.
Favorite Spot: I have to say 2 spots; Poods Park in Encinitas because the bowl is just about perfect, and Prince Park in Oceanside for the variety , besides it’s my daughter’s favorite place to skate.
Favorite Skate Event: Clash at Clairemont since it’s for a great cause and there is so much insane skateboarding going on. One more thing, AGENT ORANGE is playing this year!!! The soundtrack to my teenage years of skateboarding
Advice to new skaters: Have fun and learn to flow with style. Even if you can’t do one trick at least you will look and feel good just rolling. That my friends is pure simple skateboarding.
Why do you skate: For the same reason since day one. It’s fun.
Sponsors: Myself and my family. Have to give a big shout out to my wife Cara, daughter Keala and my two pets Izzy the dog and Nuni the cat.
Work in industry: I build skateboards at Muir Skate and manufacture PNL Precision Trucks.
Lifestyle: When I am not skateboarding I am a family man which of course means skateboarding with my daughter Keala. I also practice a form of martial arts know as Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho. Good skills that help me protect my family. Best thing is that the principles apply to everything in life as well as skateboarding. Of course I have to keep playing guitar with my friends as well as practice by myself. Just great fun to make noise.
Background: Lifelong skateboarder that transitioned into surfing; they’ve stayed tied together since the early years. I have been in the surf, skate, snow industry since my career began at Billabong back in the 80’s.
Plans for the Future: To keep simplifying and refining my life. As you get older there is less you need. The game now is to shed bad habits and movement that have accumulated over a lifetime. I guess you could say it’s like taking it back to when you were a baby. An open book ready to absorb life. What a great way to go into the next realm.
@mylifeofbalance, @prettynoiselab
Jesse Swalley
Name, Age, Location: Jesse Swalley, 53, Palmdale Ca
Years Skating: Started at age 12 and stopped at age 28 because I got stabbed, and started skating on my knees June 26 2011. Total of 21 years
Favorite Style of Skating: All of it’s cool but bombing hills is the best adrenaline rush! I’ve gone about 45MPH
Favorite Spot: The top of the Skateboard! Just kidding, not sure if I have one, and if I did it would be Sayre Street in Sylmar, ca where I grew up
Favorite Skate Event: Life Rolls On, an adaptive skating event at Venice
Advice to new skaters: Protect yourselves; wear pads and a helmet
Why do you skate: Because I can
Sponsors: Gravity skateboards, Tracker Trucks, Gracias LA, Nike, The Green Earth, Challenged Athletes Foundation and Terry (Tat Daddy) Newhouse!
Background: Average kid liked bikes and skating, ran 6 miles a day for five years from age 13 -18. Was in the navy 1980-83 towed airplanes in the navy and towed cars for five years! Got stabbed in 1991 had a daughter two months after becoming disabled! Got custody of my daughter at age 1 and 1/2 and raised her as a single father! Started skating 2011 at a World record attempt in Venice Ca! Been skating since then
Plans for the Future: I’d like to try the mega-ramp, but I have no connections for that. But it’s on my bucket list
Zoey Vagner
Name, Age, Location: Zoey Vagner, 22, San Diego
Years Skating: 1.5
Favorite Style of Skating: Downhill, but I love a little bit of everything! I believe everyone should learn all styles of skating.
Favorite Spot: A road called T.r ;]
Favorite Skate Event: Catalina is my favorite event so far. I enjoyed the encouragement of others as I was figuring out how to navigate down the road. Had an unexpected pack run which was the cherry on top, when I made it down I had a huge rush of excitement.
Advice to new skaters: Take your time. Don’t feel like you need to rush into this. Find a good group of friends who are inspiring to skate with, all different levels. Don’t measure your success based on anyone else but you. Love the process. <3
Why do you skate: I skate because there is nothing else that brings me as much joy. Every time I step onto my board I am smiling ear to ear. The friends I have met along the way are amazing, and the strength I have found within is the best part.
Sponsors: Immortal Laces, and a little help from Arbor[arbor girls] and Osiris <3
Lifestyle: I am a yoga teacher and yoga therapist with over 3 years and 900 hours of training and teach 8 classes weekly along with private lessons and therapy sessions. I love and live to help people. When I am not doing this you can catch me in the ocean or mountains. I love cooking and inventing new plant based recipes for nomming on. I am an artist as well and love to paint and draw aspects of nature.
Plans for the Future: To keep skating and one day complete several IDF tours like Europe and others. I want to also start creating online yoga videos specifically designed for skaters to help with the various aspects of skating. I hope to one day just work remotely and share and teach yoga with all of the world to all kinds of people. I also would love to create more of a following for my artwork so hopefully soon that will all come into fruition.
Jimmy Riha
Name, Age, Location: Jimmy Riha, 24, La Jolla, Ca
Years Skating: Got my first scooter skate when I was 11, ripped the handle bars off and took it from there, so it’s been a while.
Favorite Style of Skating: My style of skating, all of it.
Favorite Spot: The mountains are a pretty cool place to get lost in and find cool things to skate!
Favorite Skate Event: Kozakov challenge in the Czech Republic
Advice to new skaters: Have fun, stay safe and enjoy the ride! Meet up with other local skaters!!!
Why do you skate: Cause it’s fun and better than doing a lot of other things.
Sponsors: Muir skate, sector 9, rad wheels, Don Carlos, ronin trucks, Kreed sunglasses and rad train!
Lifestyle: Skate, surf, beach, mountains, fish, hunt. Do it all!
Background: La Jolla born, San Diego raised, it’s been a blast! Surfer growing up and skater on the side, unfortunate events with a few ear problems and I thus picked up skating down hills. San Diego is a hilly place to grow up in, with lots of valleys and small mesas. Found a new passion for going fast, haven’t looked back since!
Plans for the Future: Make it out alive
Jasper Ohlson
Name, Age, Location: Jasper Ohlson, 16, San Diego, Ca
Years Skating: 12
Favorite Style of Skating: Anything and everything on concrete or asphalt
Favorite Spot: The local park (Penasquitos)
Favorite Skate Event: Giant’s Head Freeride
Why do you skate: Fun
Lifestyle: Skate, Surf, Sleep, Eat, Art. Film Photographer.
Background: Born in Oregon, Live in Cali!
Plans for the Future: Skating and surfing until I can’t walk
Rob Molt
Name, Age, Location: Rob Molt, 44, Mission Beach, CA
Years Skating: Since 1982
Favorite Style of Skating: Fast is always more fun.
Favorite Spot: New York City. It has an energy like no place I’ve ever been.
Favorite Skate Event: The Broadway Bomb, a 7.5 mile traffic mash from Harlem to Wall St. It’s the one event I never miss, I’ve done 10 of them. The first year there was just like 40 of us and they gave us those little marathon numbers for our shirts. At its peak I think there was over 2500 skaters, and hundreds of cops.
Advice to new skaters: If you pay attention skateboarding can lead you to art, music and people you didn’t expect. Oh, and be cool man.
Work in Industry: I got my first surf shop job at age 19, I fell right in and never looked back. Since then I’ve been a part in growing a few different brands with my role being in sales and marketing. Im now the brand director at Sk8ology.
Lifestyle: Rock n Roll, left leaning. I also enjoy minimalism, and try reject excessive western consumerism whenever possible. That being said I do continually acquire music, and show posters.
Background: I’m a partially deaf born and raised Southern Californian who at one time was a part of radio programs on 91X, Legit Radio and XFM.
Plans for the Future: I want to write a children’s book titled Batbunny vs.Ducksnake. Two rival mutant animals who eventually find their commonality. And to stop sounding this pretentious in bios.
Blake Hargis
Name, Age, Location: Blake Hargis, 27, San Marcos, CA
Years Skating: 6 years
Favorite Style of Skating: Any good day out in the hills with friends
Favorite Spot: Malibu, CA
Favorite Skate Event: Not too keen on events, prefer a good session with friends
Advice to new skaters: Get involved with your local group of skaters, lots of knowledge there, and once you have been skating for a while share what you’ve learned with others who are just getting into skating. That’s the best thing you could do.
Why do you skate: The inspiration from sliding wheels, apexing corners, and the golden glow bursting across the sky at the end of the day. And friends, I’ve meet alot of cool people skating.
Sponsors: Ha! I’m a dedicated amateur
Lifestyle: I love the outdoors and cherish every opportunity to connect with it thru the mediums of skating and climbing
Background: Came to California in 2008 when I joined the navy. Served for 6 years and fell in love with this place. Been married to my wife sojung for 5 years and can’t thank her enough for supporting me in going and and doing dangerous stuff haha
Plans for the Future: Finish nursing school and climb the nose of El capitan
Scott Lembach
Name, Age, Location: Scott Lembach, 45, San Diego
Years Skating: 10 Years
Favorite Style of Skating: Downhill, Freeride, Bowls
Favorite Spot: Mesa Grande
Favorite Skate Event: Muirskate Downhill Disco, Angie’s (Rip)
Advice to new skaters: Focus and never give up!
Why do you skate: Adrenaline is what drives me to the hills! I enjoy being part of longboarding and helping it grow.
Sponsors: Muirskate
Work in industry: Retail; Owner of Muirskate
Lifestyle: Skate, Surf, Snow, Mountain Biking, Motocross
Plans for the Future: Seeking the next thrill! You never know what is around the corner.
Thank You’s:
Big thanks to all the featured riders that took the time to dial in my ideas and shoot. Phranklyn, Manny, Doug, Jesse, Zoey, Jimmy, Jasper, Rob, Blake, and Scott all helped me develop my ideas on their lifestyle and how to shoot them, and I can’t thank them enough for their cooperation!
Also, massive thanks goes out to Ryan Hill, Don Carlos Taco Shop! This venue was so rad to have a taco shop photo show, and Ryan did a ton with me to make the show run smoothly and keep everyone stoked. Not to mention, Don Carlos makes the best burritos! Check them out next time you’re in San Diego!
Thanks to Sector 9 for helping us out and getting us a board for our giveaway, and also a big thanks to everyone who got the word out about the show and came in for the opening night!
Until next show! Keep an eye out for more art + burritos at Don Carlos!