interview by Adam Abada

Yo, what’s good Ross?
How’s it going, Adam? I’m doing good – at the park. It’s beautiful today. I actually thought it was too hot earlier today.

The weather’s turning. Thanks for taking the time for this.
My pleasure.

I’d love to start a little bit with how you started skating and your Montclair upbringing.
Easy. I got a board when I was ten and learned how to ride it, but I wasn’t really around any skating, so I didn’t know what to do and I stopped. I played soccer, wrestled, and I rock climbed a little bit right before skating. I resold clothes like a hypebeast in middle school. It was pretty lucrative right then. A lot of Supreme. I had a cousin from Kenya come stay with us, and he found the board and was stoked. He knew how to ollie and taught me and some friends how to ollie and that was that. It was me and my friends at first without me integrating into the local skate scene. I’d just watch YouTube and learn new tricks. I remember one of my first times at the skatepark I did eight heelflips in a row and asked some guy “Yo, do you think I can go pro?” I didn’t know anything.

When was that?
That must have been the start of eighth grade. I guess 2016.

Damn, ten years ago. What part of town are you from?
I’m up by MSU [Montclair State University]. The College.

Where was that first board from?
I got it from Division East, actually! That was the only time I ever went there. By the time I started actually skating it had closed.

Were you skating spots in town?
I would skate all over the University a lot. We would go downtown pretty much every day after high school. Hit the Ave [Bloomfield Avenue] or Watchung [Plaza] or churches or the Y[MCA]. We’d skate those ledges at Lackawanna Plaza.

We’d call that “New Spot” when it was first built.
You ever skate the four stair in the back there?

I sure have.
Dude, I was just skating it the other day because it was rainy.

You ever skate Clifton Underground?
What’s that?

That hubba on Broad Street.
Ooooh, Immedicenter. We’d skate there. We didn’t go down that way too much back then. Eventually after the park was built. The Courts – the local – didn’t get built until I was a sophomore or junior and that opened in 2023, after COVID lockdown.

Were you in highschool during lockdown?
Yeah I was, it was sick. I was just kicking it with my friends and skating. It was super chill, actually.

Where you eating in Jersey? What’s your favorite Montclair food spot all time and current favorite?
That’s a tough one. It’s not in Montclair but maybe Yetla’s is all time. For current favorite it’s a tie between Egan’s and T.S. Ma Chinese.

How’d you get connected with Crazy Ass Paterson Skaters [CAPS]?
After the park was built the community solidified. Me and my friends would go street skating and actually filmed a video for my first time. We were getting around like that and I got stoked on skating street and filming and I started to skate with the Paterson guys – CAPS – around then. That original video was the Unofficial video, a crew around here named Unofficial. It was called UOV9732021 I think, or something. Maybe 973UOV2021. It’s not on YouTube anymore, though, which actually bums me out! If anyone finds it, let me know.

Can you talk a little bit about that solidifying of the scene once the Courts opened?
It’s so good. I’m here right now, you know? It’s a real open community and a lot of the same, consistent people. I kind of know when my friends will be here. How do I put this – even people I don’t plan with or know well, I know when they’ll be there. You’ll see the same 50 – or maybe even more – rotating locals. It’s a meeting place. Any skater I know in the area could be here at some point in the sesh. It’s kind of a bummer we don’t have a good set or rails, but there’s a million ledges of every size and all sorts of stuff to wallride and wallie and a pretty good quarter pipe.

What are your favorite obstacles?
The yellow ledge, I think. Actually both of the ledges we have are pretty solid ledges so that’s what I skate the most.

Does skating that translate to street spots?
Dude – you’d think! Sometimes. You hope it does, you know?

How’d you get hooked up with EJ and Hardbody?
I was skating with the CAPS guys and Jason Byoun told EJ about CAPS and was stoked on us and said we should all skate together. I was at an interesting point in my skating where I was breaking like seven boards a day so I was skating shop dropoffs. The first day we skated I went to the shop and got all the dropoffs they had and went through every one by the end of the day. But I got a few clips. We skated a few more times and I did the same thing – I’d break all the boards I had but get a few clips. EJ gave me some boards a couple times and we just kept skating.

Are you snapping Hardbodys at that rate?
Nah, nah. Hardbodys are hardbody. But the crazy thing – I set up a brand new non-Hardbody board today while waiting for some to come in and it broke first day. No shade, it can happen to any board. I don’t think it happens to everyone the same as me.

You skate some big stuff – does it break on that or just anything?
It really depends. It could just be anything.

How do you pick what you want to skate, especially film?
Damn, I don’t know. I guess just what I think is sick. I like to skate a lot of stuff, even if I’m not necessarily going to use the clip. Ideally, I want to be stoked enough that I’m thinking I’m going to use the clip, but even if I’m not quite sure, I think it’s still worth doing it. And then maybe upgrade it or something. It’s fun. If you’re going out to skate, you’re skating more. I’m sure I’m influenced and see things that I want to learn.

Do you pay attention to any Jersey skate history?
Well, right now I’ve been skating a lot in Jersey. I find some spots randomly being around but I’m bad with spots dude. Usually it’s my filmers. The ones I’m filming with in Jersey – right now Steve Mastorelli and Matty Hilzenrath – they have so many spots man. I like skating with them and their homies. Look out for that new Steve video!

What’s it like skating and filming with EJ and everyone on Hardbody? You have heavy clips with Antonio, Hjalte, and everyone else in both OD and the new joint with your names.
Honestly, what can I even say, you know? It’s hard to find the words. They’re inspirational, for real. I love skating with them. Emilio, Eze, Victor, and all the guys. It’s different than skating in Jersey, definitely.

What’s different about it?
Well, it’s not only in Jersey (laughs). So depending, you know. Traveling is sick because it’s more of a crunch so it’s kind of helpful to do this now or not. 

You’re good at doing things now and going for it. What made you just send it like that?
Shout out my sister – she’s an ex-gymnast and now a rock climber and guide. She’s making a film project about climbing Mount Kenya and leading an expedition to the top. It’s super sick. So I had been skating a little bit and I had already been thinking of myself as pretty hesh and we went to this cliff diving spot. She just was so much more composed than me and jumped in all chill with perfect form. I kind of got stuck up there like “Fuck!” and they had to count me down. I jumped obviously but was yelling in the air and flailing around. And I asked her, “Yo, how did you just do that?” I thought I was about it, and I got there and she just had it. She told me to just go for it as soon as it makes sense to go for it. There’s nothing to wait for – you’re only going to get more scared if you hesitate. If you’ve already established that you’re good to do it, and you’re gonna do it, and you’re clear to do it – do it. It was great advice.

Who are your top 3 New Jerseyans all time?
Dude this is so hard. Can I say Tony Soprano?

That’s so sick, he’s not even a real person. We grew up ten minutes from the Soprano home. 
I know! He’s an icon for sure. Honestly it’s harder to think of real people. There’s so many talented Jerseyans. Shaq. Danny DeVito and Frank Sinatra. No, Bruce Springsteen.

I think Danny and Bruce are both on mine. You’re right, though, there’s too many. New Jerseyans are visionaries. What do you do outside of skating?
When I’m not skating I’m usually at work – I deliver for a Chinese spot and I garden at this flower garden in town when it’s nice out, you probably know it – the Iris Gardens.

Of course. Right there. That’s next to the sledding hill across from the pool.
Yeah, it’s nice. I’ve picked up a bit at this point. Mostly I maintain the beds, a lot of weeding and trimming.

Do you do any personal gardening?
I used to, maybe I will again. It’s worth it, probably. Since I already do it for work, I get my gardening in, you know?

I feel you! Like when some people say that when skating becomes more serious with sponsorship, it’s less fun. Is that something you experience?
There’s layers to it. It’s hard to say, because I’ve always really been pushing myself. Yesterday I was trying a trick and not making it and my friend was telling me to just have fun. After he said that, I tried to have fun and had a really good try. That’s not exactly my personal philosophy – to just have fun – but even if it’s not, it’s sort of my free will. If I want to do it, even if it’s not fun or “too fun” at the moment, I’m going to try to get it. Sometimes it’s worth it.

Who are your other sponsors, and what’s next?
There’s Hardbody and then Nike SB, Venture Trucks, and NJ Skateshop. I guess just keep progressing in skating. I’m trying to diversify my skills outside of skating a bit. We’ll see what that looks like.

You think you’re gonna stay in New Jersey?
I’ll give you a really open-ended answer: I love New Jersey. That’s what I’ll answer. I love New Jersey, but who knows. 

Thanks for doing this, Ross.