Interview by Chris Nieratko
Photos by JP Dougherty
Ever watch the movie Money Ball? There’s a formula for successful teams. In baseball, you need a heavy slugger but you also need a stud of a pitcher. In basketball, you need a star that will put up numbers but you also need a scrappy big man underneath to clean up. In skateboarding, your team is pretty wack if you don’t have someone from New Jersey. Every good team manager already knows this. That’s why you have to tip your hat to the UK’s Clown Skateboards; they knew if their triumphant resurrection of the cult ‘90s brand was ever going to be successful they were going to need a Jersey head. And they swung for the fences when they scooped up West New York’s finest, Jacob Gonzalez. Jacob turns up any session. He’s going to try the hardest trick first (and often get smoked trying it) to get everyone fired up. Jacob is one of the humblest yet rippingest cats to ever walk through NJ’s doors and we’re honored to have him as part of our family.
What’s up, Jacob? How was your day?
It was good, I went out to the city to film with some homies. I randomly got hit up to model for some backpack company, Manhattan Portage, last minute for a few hours.
You do a lot of modeling?
This is like the fourth one I’ve done; not too often.
Was that ever something that you were interested in pursuing?
Nah, ever since I was a kid I hated being in front of the camera. I was never a fan of having my photo taken or being in family photos. But now it’s like if I get offered money I’ll do it.
Do you have a mean blue steel?
Haha, not really.
I heard you quit skating in high school for running.
Yeah, I pretty much quit skating right when I felt like I was at my best, to run for four years. I did cross country, indoor and outdoor track.
Were you fast?
So my freshman year I thought I was pretty good. The first race I ever ran I got second place with no training. That next weekend I ended up winning which was crazy, that’s what got me juiced to keep going. I went on to win a few county championships. But when I stepped up to varsity it was a whole different level, I was racing guys who were older and way faster.
Taking that long of a break did it come right back to you or was it hard?
I felt like it came back pretty quick. Those four years of building stamina helped. Overall I had just got a little stronger and taller.
Now you work at NJ skateshop on the weekend and you’re an aspiring filmer as well. I hear you’re always up in the trees to get these weird second angles.
Oh yeah with the phone. Yeah I mean if I’m not skating the spot I don’t wanna just sit around and waste time, I’m gonna get a second angle or whatever to help my friends. So I’ll climb random spots to get a second angle while staying out the filmer’s way.
You recently got hooked up with Clown Skateboards from the U.K. Which is super sick. How did that come about?
I was getting boards from a company for a little while and then I was just buying boards from NJ and then I guess Steve Lenardo got tired of me buying decks so he’s like, “Let me see if I can find someone to send you some boards just to hold you over.” I guess he had told Clown about me and sent them some footy and they were hyped on it. They sent me out a really nice box of boards, which is the biggest box I’ve ever gotten. A week later I started texting the owner, Jeff. It’s been pretty chill, we had a nice phone call where we talked about plans for the future, he asked me what my goals are and I was asking what his goals were with the company. I think they were around from 1998 to 2004. They were supposed to shut down for a year and that ended up becoming like twenty years, and then in 2020, they brought the brand back. It’s fairly new.
When I used to interview people a long time ago I always had a hard rule where I would never talk about religion or politics. As you grow up and change and evolve I have realized god is good, whatever your definition of god or higher power is. I know you’re Jehovah’s Witness. I don’t know if you want to talk on that at all?
I’m not a Jehovah’s Witness anymore. I grew up in that religion. Ever since I was young I always had doubts about all religions in general. I feel like across the board they all have very similar stories just told by different people with different characters. I feel like life is all about having good morals and at the end of the day being a good person, making the right decisions, and just not being an asshole human being, respecting life and others. I’m really grateful for the way my mom raised me. I feel like I have a pretty solid head on my shoulders because of her. I usually try to think things through before I act. I just hated going to church all the time and now I’m able to decide for myself what I want to believe in, which is nice.
Is it true you never celebrated birthdays or Christmas or any of that?
Yeah, most of my life it was like that. Now that I stopped going I guess I started to celebrate a little bit more.
Do you go hard on your birthday now?
I never really cared about it, and to this day I still don’t think it’s a big deal. I don’t tell people it’s my birthday or anything. Like if you know you know, kind of thing.
When’s your birthday?
December 11th.
Well, we’re going to buy you a cake this year.
I’ll be 22.
You’re getting old.
I know, man. These knees don’t jump like they used to. I have back pains; shit hurts.
What kind of cake do you want?
Nothing big. Just like a low key little personal cake. I like flan.
I’m going to ask my mom to make you her flan! There is no better flan than my mom’s.
I love that. Thank you.
