Texting Gonz
Questioning and interrogation by Caleb Sugai.
Mark Gonzales is one of the most well-beloved skateboarders in history. He is also one of the most well-documented.
Everyone from the art and skate worlds have asked him everything under the sun. Stories about going to Europe with World Industries, what he thinks about contemporary skating and skaters, blah blah blah. The man has been interrogated by skate publications for years. And yet, somehow, inexplicably, there were a few more hyper specific questions that we had for our hero. Questions that don’t quite fit into a feature with purpose, but are valid questions nonetheless. Some stupid, some thoughtful, some hopeful, all sincere. Often times in the skateboarding and fashion industries, the talents we love won’t want to do press unless it is in promotion of a new project they’re working on, and as luck would have it, Gonz has just that; a new collection coming out, the Adidas x Mark Gonzales Shmoofoil collection, and with that collection, the opportunity rose to email over our burning queries. When the opportunity arrises to ask Gonz anything, you take it, so we did.
What tricks are you into lately/have been inspiring you?
Manual pads. I’ve been into tricks on manual pads lately.
Will you come skate your collection with us?
Sure, count me in!
What makes a good curb great?
Smooth ground leading up to the curb makes it great.
What do you look for in a good walking around shoe and how does it differ from a good skate shoe? Or does it?
It is pretty much the same. If it’s good to walk, then it’s probably better to skate in.
After getting to skate the resurrected Y Ramp in Hawaii, are there any other weird or forgotten obstacles you would want to see come back for a day?
Maybe the Turkey Shoot in Whittier.
What ways have you been commuting?
Mostly by car these days. I’ve been driving my Audi Q5.
What's the secret to an eggplant?
Go upside down and commit.
What are some underrated or lesser known advantages of wearing breakaway adidas trackpants while skating?
I’ve never skated in them, so I can’t say for sure. But I like the idea.
Living in New York, it’s important to get outside and into nature when possible. How does escaping into nature outside the city change your day or affect your mood?
Yesterday I was in the woods, the trees were making strange sounds. I got scared and got out of there.
The Whittier bowl looks unforgiving, who made it look easy?
It actually was really mellow, big transitionally... Billy Ruff skated it really well, Lance Mountain and Tony Hawk too.
Who is the first skater today that you would invite to the Turkey Shoot 2.0?
Ben Kadow.
What inspired the colors in your Adidas Terrex collection?
Pink is my favorite color so that was why I chose it, pairing it with red seemed like a good idea. No inspiration just my personal choice.
Everyone always looks forward to a new fun board shape from you. How does the idea for a new shape usually come to you?
Not sure how it comes to me, the phantom was inspired by Sci Fi, the new beamer skate shop day board was inspired by a Dave Andrecht board. I guess inspiration could come from wherever?
Favorite activity to do in the rain?
Anything really, I've eaten in the rain a few times, that’s prob my least fave thing to do.
