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EricSantos_FsBoneless_OldOrchardBeachMaine_WesCunningham

Eric Santos – Juice Magazine State of Skate Interview

Name: ERIC SANTOS
Hometown: Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Age: 25
Sponsors: Weird Wood Skateboards, Pioneers Board Shop.

What set-up are you riding right now?
I’m riding the Weird Wood Skateboards ‘Skatecat’s Weird Adventure’ model, (which I did the artwork for), Independent Trucks, green Rainskates wheels (which I find to be perfect for all terrain, indoor and outdoor) and paint pen customized griptape.

What’s the most fun DIY, skater-built or renegade spot that you’ve skated lately?
5.9 was incredible. Such a devoted and die-hard scene going on. When we went to the Death Jam it seemed like a culmination of New England skateboarders all in one place. That ramp is so gnarly.

Have you ever built something to skate?
I help out at the Weird Wood Compound when I can. That helps me gain experience with concrete and I’m thankful. Disassembling, moving and assembling ramps with Rob is always interesting.

Who do you like to skate with these days?
I mostly skate with Adam Legassie, the boy with a billion tricks, and Ian Junkins a.k.a. Astrocock. Among the Old Orchard Beach scene are the likes of the legendary Andrew Syska and Sam ‘Speedy’ Lampert. My buddy Jon Jon is back in town, so we’ve been shredding. Skating with Chris Peterson and Coral is always a good time.

Best skate graphic you have seen lately?
The coolest art I’ve seen is coming out of Bobby Brown every day. That guy is a graphic powerhouse, always coming out with new rad stuff.

Best thing you’ve skated in a skatepark?
The entire Groton, CT park. It’s so expansive it seems like it doesn’t end. There are so many transitions and pockets that it just blows me away.

Favorite skateboarders of all time?
My favorite skaters are Neil Blender, Peter Hewitt and Nolan Johnson.

Is there anything that hasn’t been built to skate yet that you’d like to see built?
I’d like to see a full scale replica of the SF China Banks. They were supposed to get one in Portland, Maine, but the shady park builder Hardcore Shotcrete (a subsidiary of the infamous American Ramp Company) decided they didn’t mean for the town to choose the park design that included it.

Best road trip you ever took?
Going to SurfFest 2015 with the Weird Wood crew. We brought a 3/4 pipe and a shitload of skateboards and I think we made quite an impression. Got to skate with a bunch of rad people and it was quality time with my friends and teammates.

Any skate-related charities you support?
I support the Andrew Syska Drinking Fund.

What music have you been listening to?
Right now I’m getting into Kitty Wells and 40’s/50’s country music. I love The Cramps, Sparklehorse, Dinosaur Jr, and Modest Mouse.

What do you consider the responsibilities of a professional skateboarder?
A pro skater should always be down to skate, have a positive attitude, lack an ego, and not be afraid to talk to a kid about how great skateboarding is.

Which skate shops do you support?
Long’s Board Shop, Mocean Surf and Skate, Backwoods, Pioneers, and Red Alert.

Favorite skate photo of all time?
My favorite photo is the Hackett Slash. That is the epitome of what skateboarding means to me.

What is your take on girls skateboarding?
I think more girls should start riding. Skateboarding is something for everyone to enjoy. I don’t like segregation in contests and I think they should be allowed to compete with guys if they want to.

What skateboarding memorabilia do you have that means the most to you?
For a while, I collected boards, but through working with Weird Wood, I’ve been able to save one of every graphic we’ve done. It’s a rad feeling.

Who contributes the most to your local skate scene?
Rob Kendall by far contributes the most. He runs Weird Wood Skateboards out of his home where he builds insane terrain to skate. He supports us by supplying boards, stoking people out by putting their names on boards, and being down for the cause. I’m eternally grateful to have him in my life.

Top three favorite skate tricks?
I love frontside grinds on pool coping, boneless-fingerflip-disasters, and sweepers.

Do you think skateboarding should be in the Olympics?
My problem with skateboarding in the Olympics (and events like X Games) is that someone is making a bunch of money off of skateboarding who doesn’t skate. Also, they seem to build and tear down the parks used for the competitions while they could just as easily turn it into a permanent skatepark. It looks like skateboarding will be in the Olympics some day, and there’s nothing we can do about that but bitch about how they don’t support skateboarding enough.

What is your proudest moment in skateboarding so far?
Getting the Old Orchard Beach Skatepark built. We worked for 10 years lobbying, fundraising, and volunteering to get what we wanted and there is still plenty of room for expansion. A few young rippers have surfaced and are riding with style and landing new tricks all the time. It feels so good to have such a rad skate community. We also got NO BIKES NO SCOOTERS added to the rules, and that is awesome. They thought they were entitled to chip our concrete after not putting in an ounce of effort or help to get the park built. They thought wrong.

EricSantos_FsBoneless_OldOrchardBeachMaine_WesCunningham
E. SANTOS FS BONELESS AT OLD ORCHARD BEACH, MAINE. PHOTO BY WES CUNNINGHAM

 

ABOUT THE JUICE MAGAZINE STATE OF SKATE:

When we started Juice Magazine 22 years ago, you could count the number of skateparks on one hand and grindable pool coping was mostly a distant memory. Now there are thousands of skateparks all over the world, along with a vast quantity of DIY spots built to skate. In 1993, the majority of skateboarders listened to punk rock or hip hop exclusively. Now skateboarders listen to almost every kind of sound created. Two decades ago, skateboarding related charities were non-existent. Today, there are numerous non-profits giving back to skateboarding in many ways. One of the most important differences between now and then is that, 22 years ago, there was a clear division between old school and new school skateboarding. Now that wall of separation has followed the same path as the Berlin Wall, allowing for an unprecedented unification of skateboarders all over the globe. Great strides have been made for girls that skate as well as the acceptance of skate history and long overdue recognition for skateboarding’s pioneers and its artifacts. At the same time, the current generation of skateboarders is taking skateboarding to new heights, previously unimaginable. As the landscape of the skateboarding industry changes on a daily basis, and the topic of skateboarding in the Olympics rears its head once again, along with the disturbing subject of who controls skateboarding being tossed about by corporate entities, we decided it was time to take a good look at the State of Skate. We asked 20 questions to 100 skateboarders, ages 8 to 58, and found that skateboarding is as diverse as the skateboarders that are addicted to it, no one controls skateboarding except skateboarders, and the State of Skate is savage and strong. Now get out there and skate tough!

JUICE MAGAZINE STATE OF SKATE features interviews with 100 skateboarders including: Tony Alva, Dave Hackett, Chris Strople, Duane Peters, Steve Olson, Dave Duncan, Steve Alba, Tony Magnusson, Pat Black, Jesse Martinez, Bill Danforth, Jim Murphy, Ric Widenor, Lester Kasai, Glen Charnoski, Bryan Pennington, Peter Furnee, Jeremiah Risk, Ryan Smith, Jason Jessee, Omar Hassan, Cam Dowse, Jen O’Brien, Depth Leviathan Dweller, Brett Roper, Travis Beattie, Chris Gentry, CW Dunn, Chris Albright, Charlie Wilkins, Cairo Foster, Pierre-Luc Gagnon, BJ Morrill, Dr. Lenore L.A. Sparks, Sid Melvin, Jesse Irish, Packy Fancher, Greg Lutzka, Jimmy Larsen, Adam Dyet, Luis Tolentino, Greg Harbour, Frank Faria, Ryan DeCenzo, Dave Bachinsky, Johnny Turgesen, Casey Meyer, Edward Sanchez, David Gravette, Ben Hatchell, Brian Geib, Felipe Gouveia, Eric Santos, Kyle Smith, Cameron Revier, Josh Stafford, Justin Grubbs, Etienne Eden Archila, Sanzio Piacentini, Josh Elder, Eddie “Mighty” Moreno, Kevin Kowalski, Otto Pflanz, Jeremy Smith, Adam Wiggins, Jimmy Wilkins, Danny Gordon, Jake Hilbish, Corey Blanchette, Adam Legassie, Nick Santos, Trey Rounds, Curren Caples, Justyce Tabor, Andy Anderson, Sarah Thompson, Coral Guerrero, Collin Graham, Derek Scott, Ace Pelka, Sonny Rodriguez, Jarren Duke, Mikayla Sheppard, CJ Titus, Noah Schott, Emily Earring, Julian Torres, Wyatt Wisenbaker, Josh Forsberg, Nathan Midgette, Roman Pabich, Yago Dominguez, Jack Winburn, Jonas Carlsson, Kiko Francisco, Bryce Ava Wettstein, Desmond Shepherd, Matty Jessee and Luke Kahler.

FOR THE REST OF THE STORY, ORDER ISSUE #74 BY CLICKING HERE…

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