Who are you and where are you from?
I’m Will Martinez and I’m from Compton, California.
What’s it like growing up in Compton?
I actually grew up in East LA up to about the age of 11, then moved to Compton. It was a pretty weird transition being that I didn’t know anyone out there but I found out there was a skatepark down the street from my house and got all hyped cause I was sure I wasn’t gonna be able to
skate as much as I did when I was living out in East LA. I never really stay in Compton though. I guess it’s cause I’m always out with the homies skating somewhere. Anywhere! Something that happens from being out on trips is when I get people asking me where I’m from and I reply with
Compton. They almost always say the same fucking thing: “So you’re like, straight out of Compton?” That’s the only bad part about living there. Other than that Compton is pretty chill.
Do you get any shit for being a skater in your area?
Nah not at all. People are cool as fuck out here. No one really cares if you’re a skater or not. The only time its wack is when you get these younger kids trynna to be gangsters come up to the skatepark. That’s probably the only time you get any shiet out here, but that’s another story.
How did you get into skateboarding?
I got into it through my older brother and cousin. They had just started skating and I kinda just joined cause that shiet looked like it was fun!
Do you remember what your first setup was?
Haha, my first set up sucked. I had gone to a Walmart with my tia and she had asked me what I wanted for my 9th birthday. It was between a Powerade skateboard and one of those ripstik boards. Glad I went with that fake ass Powerade board. Haha.
Do you have any influences in skating, like do you have a favorite skater?
I have a couple of influences. Definitely gonna go with TNT, Grant Taylor, Dylan Rieder, Ishod Wair, and Ronnie Sandoval. Lately, it’s been some newer ams like Heitor Da Silva and Evan Mock.
What do you prefer parks, street or ditches?
I prefer parks… well, at least when it comes to skating some good tranny. Street is fun as fuck but I love skating parks and pools. I just have more fun flowing around and doing airs.
So how are you set up for sponsors, who do you ride for?
I’ve got a couple of sponsors that hook it up and I’m thankful for every single one. I’m getting hooked up by Kingswell, Brujaria Skateboards, and Sk8key right now. Thanks for the support.
Have you been traveling much, if so what’s your favorite place traveled so far?
I just went on a homie trip out to Europe. Funded the entire trip ourselves and went to Barcelona, London, Athens, and then back to Barcelona. Barcelona is definitely one of my favorites! Skate spots, women, and food.
Do you have any crazy road trip stories you want to share?
Well, our first day in Athens was a trip cause I and three other homies were trynna be tourists our first day so we left the hostel and went around the city exploring, which eventually led us up to these old roads and alleyways. We walked up this mountain and ended up jumping into the ancient ruins of Acropolis, which was already closed. This guard ran up to us while we walked up the side of the mountain and he started shouting at us in Greek. He had called the cops because none of us had any form of ID with us. We all gave fake names and they eventually just let us go based on the fact that we were Americans. Haha. They thought we were stupid. We walked out the front gates and ended up taking photos of Acropolis then took off to go eat. That was a great fucking day.
Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us. Do you have any closing words or shoutouts you want to give?
Shout out to everyone!
– Interview and photos by Marfa Capodanno
Follow Will Martinez on Instagram at @Will_Martinez
Follow Marfa Capodanno on Instagram @Marfa_Capodanno
Follow Kingswell on Instagram @Kingswell_LosFeliz
Follow Brujaria Skateboards on Instagram @BrujariaSkateboards
Follow Sk8key on Instagram @Sk8key
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