What got you into skateboarding?
I was introduced to skateboarding first from watching it on national television in 1998 watching the X games street contest and vert competition. during the commercial break I went outside my aunties house in Los Angeles in search of my cousin randy plastic skateboard that was in the front yard. I attempted to do an ollie not having a clue of what I was doing. I fell hard and got back up and ran back inside to see some more X games to learn. The very second introduction was hanging out at this park not skatepark, but it is a known skate spot in Pasadena, CA where I was living at the time with my dad called Villa Parke recreation center. This guy name Ace basically taught how to ollie and pop shuvit and we went to the same middle school also. My dad and I decided one evening to go hang at Santa Monica pier. we get there and I get out of the truck and I see these 3 guys just skating flat ground but they was putting on full on free demo basically cause the tricks they was doing I couldn’t even fathom! I was in shock my dad was like go ask them if they can teach you so I roll over to one of the guys and ask him can you show you do a kickflip? dude was so cool about it and he took me over to the grass area. he dropped the skateboard right on the grass and began showing me the foot position for doing a kickflip. so, after some time of failing to even flip it I told the guy thank you and I left. about a week or two later I am listening to what he told me, and I flipped it and landed back on it in the grass! I had landed my first kickflip not moving! Another week goes by and I’m skating down Colorado Blvd old town Pasadena and I don’t know why I said to myself let me try it while moving and I popped it everything went exactly as I visualized it. I landed back on the board still rolling and I had blacked out literally. I landed the kickflip rolling!!! skateboarding had me hooked this is so cool and I want to learn more tricks but how? third introduction was this guy named Jacob Gossard he showed me about skate videos and 411VM tapes. we would skate, eat dinner over at his house and watch skate videos. watching videos is what taught us how to dress, the lingo, and the tricks. watching the feet mainly to see how they did what they did. I leave California at the end of the summer in 1999 which sucked because I did not get a chance to tell Jacob I was leaving for Dallas, TX around 2000 to live with my mom.
What is your skate scene like in your city?
The skate scene in Pasadena, CA was definitely more younger incredible skateboarders cause you have LA and its scene was gnarly in the 90s so a suburb like Pasadena was much the same cause you have the schools, businesses off main streets with rails, stairs and gaps etc. The skate scene in Dallas, TX was very much different but still almost the same in the more city based areas like Downtown Dallas is still highly known till day for the ledges, stairs, rails, the spot that no longer there called “rooftop”. whenever you talk to another Dallas skateboarder about “Rooftop” they will tell you this spot was heaven literally. It was on top of a parking garage hidden from the street level so you could not see it. It had everything from ledges, gaps, and huge drops. I mean like two blocks that is high and long. A homie from Dallas have a video coming out very soon called “Gnarstalgia” that will showcase the Dallas skateboarding scene of many skaters from the past and present. “Rooftop” will be featured and many Spots all over Texas. you will want to peep that when it drops!!!
What is you to go trick to start your sesh?
My go to trick to start off can be 360 flip, pop shove it, or heelflip usually something I am comfortable with doing without getting broke lmao.
Do you feel skateboarding has changed your life? How?
I feel like skateboarding has brought me around so many incredible people who are sponsors involved in the business itself like self-owned skater owned shops and brands. I’ve also had the privilege in going on a Christian tour with www.Theextremetour.com in 2005. 7 skaters and 7 groups of band members from everywhere to be on a mission to pray, skate, and perform free of charge sleeping at churches. This allowed me to travel through states and meet so many people for us to skate with. I was not that type that was like I want to get famous from skating. My dream is going Pro one day and still being able to skate around the cities with everyone and anyone. I am only Mo as I tell people that do not know I am a regular skater like them.
What pro skater inspires your skateboarding?
Bahahaha I have so many influences and inspirations Like Ronnie Creager, Daewon song, Rodney Mullen, alexander Garcia, Jim bates, Darrell Stanton, josh Hurley, Elijah Moore Jr, Kechaud Johnson, all my brothers from Dallas!!!! All the pros from the 80s,90s,2000s and currently.
Do you prefer watching skate videos on social media or buying it? Why?
I honestly prefer to watch skate videos anyway I can but considering we are in this age of social media then its more convenient to watch online. I came around VCR tapes or DVD a bit after as well because there was not no online stuff. later, myspace came thru which you still had to buy DVDs and tapes from your local skate shops. what hyped videos so much more was you must wait for the video to come out once you seen the trailer on 411VM. I miss those days!!
What is the gnarliest trick you have ever done? How did you feel when you landed it?
The gnarliest trick I think I have did was 360 flip manual frontside 180 out in at this underground manual pad in Korea town in 2017. amongst that maybe in 2006 in Carrollton, TX I 360 flipped across a 14ft. water ravine that was shot by a friend of mine name Jon Snyder. the clip had made it into a popular Texas skateboarding database monthly video called www.4duos.com or @4duos on Instagram. they are like the 411VM of Texas skateboarding so I’m was so hyped!!!!! till this day I’m like omg I can’t believe I made it in a 4duos video!! when I landed it I didn’t even know I landed it cause I was going so fast that as I flipped it and caught it I kind of blacked out before landing it. Snyder was like wow!!! I was like omg I cannot believe I just did that. just shocked mainly.
Tell us little bit about your local skate shop & what they do for skateboard scene?
I live in Los Angeles; CA the local skate shops are all around me considering that I live in the downtown LA area. the nearest local skate shop to me is Non factory Skate shop on 1st. & San Pedro. @nonfactoryskateshop on Instagram. they do a ton for the skate scene I mean from many professional rolling there to check it out or even bless the place with buying stuff and taking pictures with people. They do shoe raffles and very inexpensive boards on selective brands. they carry tons of brands but, none of the brands I skate for personally but hey my sponsors are not huge exactly but very solid people. for the record I am not sponsored by this local skate shop I do visit from time to time and purchase a few small things I maybe missing like grip tape or bearings etc.
What is your daily routine before you go shred?
My daily routine would be first wake up, get dressed while watching skate videos or even some Tony Jaa (Ong Bak), Rush hour with Chris tucker and Jackie Chan, or even John Wick. Stretch first, skate to the local 711 to get some Cold coffee, come back home sip on coffee and check Instagram while chatting with people I am also watching YouTube TSM Media videos etc. I’m hyped up mentally and physical feeling great I grab water, my essentials I bail out to the local skatepark Gilbert Lindsay skatepark to shred for a few hours then back home due to the covid-19 our skatepark lights don’t come on after dark.
Any inspiring words you want to tell the next generation of skaters?
The inspiring words I can tell the next generation of skaters is pass on the great teachings of the history of skateboarding. the tricks the style the originality of where skating came from. most people wonder why I said in the @carvskate magazine interview telling the generation do not be so quick to want to get sponsored. the reason for was because sponsors get tired of people running up to them wanting to be sponsored as a title. they do not know about sponsor me videos and the point of being sponsored besides bragging to their friends and getting free stuff. not even close to what being sponsored is about honestly. it can be overwhelming at times when people stop you to ask you are you sponsored? The best times was when we were a lot to skate, have fun, and learn from one another. do not forget to enjoy skating with your friends and love what everyone does regardless of the level. if you can teach someone, you are that is what is great for the next generation of skateboarding. peace and love!!
