Where is Sacrifice Skateboards based?
We’re based out of the Inland Empire. Been there since we started in late 1999. I used to have a
warehouse, but now run it out of my garage. Just trying to keep it alive, you know?
For sure! So how did Sacrifice first form 25 years ago?
I grew up skating in Alhambra California and was lucky to skate a place called, Phil’s Ramp. I
got to see amazing guys like Grosso, Eric Castro, Lance Mountain, Steve Mokler. Fast forward to the summer of 1998. I’m getting food at Island Burgers and I look up and there’s Tony Hawk on T.V. skating a vert ramp. I hadn’t skated in years, unless you count liquor store
runs, and was like, “I wanna start skateboarding again.” One day I was talking to Lupe at Traffic Board Shop and her husband about starting a skateboard company. And they were like, “Hey, we have a friend that can get you blank boards.” Then, I was at my house one day with Richard Sanchez and he said, “This whole thing takes a lot of sacrifice man.” I was like, “That’s it!”
What companies inspired you when you first started?
Believe it or not, Cholo from Scum. As far as I’m concerned, he was the first guy to ever be
making bigger boards. Stuff that I personally like and I wanted to make. I loved the Ham’s beer
graphics and that’s what inspired me to do the Sacrifice Blue Ribbon Board. Back in the 2000s,
so I’m told, the President of Pabst Blue Ribbon, had one of my boards on the wall in his office.
How did you first meet Richard Sanchez?
Jeff Greenwood (Concrete Disciples), who I consider a brother, introduced me to Sanchez. Me
and Sanchez are very much on the same wavelength when it comes to Chicano art and what we
consider to be heavy metal and hardcore.
With you recently celebrating your 25th anniversary, what do you contribute to Sacrifice’s
years of success?
To be blunt, it’s because we always danced to the beat of our own drummer. Our artwork and
everything. I’ve worked with amazing artists. Mike McKinnis, Bart Saric, Addison Fozy
Mayfield, Richard Sanchez. Chris Thatcher passed away a while back, but that guy was my
muse. I always made sure to give them proper credit. Cause that’s the honorable thing to do. Yes,
a lot of them were my ideas, it’s their rendition of what I was thinking.
Speaking of that, your decks and apparel have always had great artwork, what do you look
for in deck graphics?
I pick stuff that I like. Tom Ledin, another amazing artist, was creating some of the most iconic
Sacrifice stuff, all based on stuff I like. I love the movie The Shining, and he did the graphic with
the two little girls. I’m a big fan of Cheech and Chong, he drew a picture of me and Keith Moser,
rolled in a joint from Up in Smoke.
Are you always searching for new, outside talent?
I used to, yeah. That’s how I met all these rad artists. I would meet some random artists and be
like, “Dude, you want to do some graphics for me?”
Who is on the Sacrifice Skate Team today? Are you always searching for new riders?
The way my motto now is, if you ride Sacrifice, you are the team. I don’t really pick up riders
anymore. I do have certain guys on the team because they have been with me for years.
With reissue decks becoming increasingly popular, have you found there to be more of a
demand for your shaped boards?
You know what, yes. Nowadays everything I try to put out are custom shapes. I still do popsicles
cause everyday riders seem to like them. Other than that, everything I do are all these really
weird ‘80s throwback shapes with funky noses and tails. I love where skateboarding is in the
sense that old school’s cool again.
What is the most difficult part of running a skate company in 2024?
Honestly, money. Thanks to God, I have a really good job, that allows me to supplement that into
Sacrifice. If I was in this for the money, I would’ve shut this down a long time ago. I’m lucky if I
break even. My tax guy has told me to shut it down. But I don’t want to because I’ve helped so
many people. That’s my way of giving back to what God has given me. I donate boards to a lot
of different organizations like, Save Souls, Skate Bowls. It’s all about good karma, man.
We’ve been hearing a lot of talk about the slump the industry is in. Do you think it can
bounce back?
Oh God, yes. My board sales are horrible. And it’s okay. About every 10 years it does this. I feel
like I’m about to quote The Godfather. Every 10 years it gets rid of the bad blood (laughs).
How do you rise up to meet those challenges?
My philosophy has always been, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Back in 2004 when our film, In
Through The Out Door, came out I was making money hand over fist. And then the industry
tanked again. I realized that I was wrapped up in corporate stuff. I lost focus why I started this in
the first place. Cause I love skateboarding. I was making the money, but I wasn’t having a good
time with it. When I started Sacrifice I truly believed it wasn’t gonna last. So I always have this
nonchalant, happy go lucky attitude with it. Then all of a sudden I cared too much. I realized I
have to find a medium. Thanks to guys like Jeff Greenwood, they helped me find that.
I definitely understand that.
My daughter Jordan told me the other day, “Dad, you realize that, in a way, all of you guys are
immortal?
Even when you’re gone, all that art, all those videos will still be there on the internet
for someone to discover.” And that really freaked me out.
Why is that?
It’s true. And that goes for everybody. If someone really wants to find it, they can.
After having that conversation, does it change how you now look at Sacrifice?
It does. I care about it more than I think I have in years. Because I realize when I’m gone, my
kids can look at this and be like, “This is my dad.” It’s like I always say, how many chubby
Mexicans can say they own a skateboard company (laughs)? It’s not a lot of us!
Do you think the DIY aspect of skateboarding is making a comeback?
DIY has always been there and that’s never changed. That’s an amazing aspect of skateboarding
and the DIY stuff now is even more amazing. I remember when I went to Washington Street
Skatepark in San Diego when they were first building it. I stopped off at the liquor store and
grabbed two twelve packs of beer and a carton of cigarettes and showed up and thanked them for
doing it and handed the beer and cigarettes out, and I was everyone’s best friend after that.
What has 25 years of Sacrifice taught you?
The main thing it taught me was to be humble. Just because you have a company, doesn’t give
you the right to act like a jerk or pretend you’re better because you have the boards or hang with
that pro. The important thing is sharing it with others. There were these three kids a block down
from my house at this ledge and I went into my garage and got boards and some stickers and
said, “Whoever can do the first noseslide gets it.” To me that’s what skateboarding is.
Skateboarding is a way of life, it’s not a sport. Whether you can skate anymore or not, it’s still a
part of you. Unfortunately, skateboarding has gotten away from that and started to be mom and
dad pushing to make their kid the next Tony Hawk.
Any advice for those wanting to create their own companies in skateboarding?
If you think you’re going to make money, stop now. Because everyone and their mother can
make a skateboard now. But if you really love it, and wanna do it for the right reasons, I say go
for it. What’s the worst thing that could happen? You’re going to lose some money. Don’t get me
wrong, if you get crazy and dump a million dollars, sorry dude (laughs).
What are the right reasons to start a company?
First and foremost, you want to show the world how much you love skateboarding, and you have
artists that deserve to have their artwork on a board, on a t-shirt, on some stickers related to
skateboarding. When I started Sacrifice, I was the one of the first companies to use the term bro
model and I got a lot of hate from people who were like, “Hey, that guy’s not even a pro!”
Whoever said he was a pro?
You can’t tell me who I thought paid their dues to skateboarding and
earned it. Once you start investing in my company, then we can talk.
Are you ready for another 25 years?
No man (laughs). I don’t think I could do another 25 years. Eventually when I retire I’m going to
give it to my nephew, who is an avid skateboarder and highly intelligent. He can do what he
wants with it. The only stipulation I put in there is that he has to keep the integrity of the
company. He cannot make lame graphics or involve lame people.
Is there anything we can expect from Sacrifice?
I’m trying to do a 25 years party and invite everyone who was ever involved with Sacrifice.
We’d show the videos we made and reminisce on all the crazy things we’ve been through over
the years. And trust me my brotha, there’s a lot of it. – Chuck Harp
