in the crowd
EDDIE ELGUERA
Interview and photos by Bryce Kanights
El Gato is back. Professional vertical veteran Eddie Elguera has been absent from vertical com-
petition for over six years. He's now proving that he can still contend with today's crop of vertical
pros and have fun doing it.
During the later years of the "skatepark era" (circa 1978-80), Eddie was on top of the competi-
tion. Being a creative technician, El Gato invented many tricks that set new standards for the hot,
upcoming amateurs. During the 1979 Hester Pro Bowl Series, Eddie introduced new moves at each
contest that left the spectators and competitors in awe. In fact, his skating was so advanced and
creative that Eddie took top honors as professional male vertical skater at the annual Skateboarder
poll and banquet in 1979.
Today, Eddie is still the mild-mannered mad man that he always was. His skating is once again
nothing short of explosive. B.K. caught up with Eddie in Toronto for a short chat about his current
thoughts and comments on skating.
Above: Eddie mugs it
up in a "I'm so stoked"
manner. Opposite page:
Showing legendary form,
Eddie teeters on a full-
fledged frontal invert at
Toronto.
80
dr
FX
just for fun. Soon I decided to get
back into competition.
What were you doing in your
absence from the realms of
skateboarding?
First off, I went to Mexico, where my
grandfather had given me some pro-
perty. I lived there for about a year
or so. Then I came back to Southern
California and got married. My wife's
name is Donna. I have a son named
Malachi who is a year and a half old.
My wife and I are expecting another
child in a couple of weeks. I'm pretty
much the family man now. I was also
into freestyle skiing and surfing dur-
ing those years.
Does your wife support your return
to the competitive ranks of profes-
sional skateboarding?
She's quite supportive. She never
really knew how skating was and row
she's getting more into it.
Where do you currently skate?
skate at a friend's ramp in Fontana,
CA, known as the Herman ramp. I've
also gone to Chris Robison's Ramp
several times. I try to skate wherever
it's possible.
How would you compare the
maneuvers in vertical skating to-
day to those performed in the late
70's?
The way that skating has progress.
ed it's hard to say. I feel that it was
harder back in the 70's; we had to
think up a majority of tricks off the
top of our heads. Many of the tricks
today are variations of tricks that we
established back then.
You've been credited for the in-
novations of many tricks in vertical
skating such as the fakle ollie,
frontside rock'n roll, frontside in-
vert, Elguerial, etc. Have you come
up with anything new since your
come back?
Well, at the last two contests I pulled
out an Andrecht flip. It's like a Miller
flip, but you grab as if you were do-
ing an Andrecht. I actually did it at
the Gold Cup Contest that was held
at Oasis Skatepark in 1980. Since I
did it really low back then, I never
really pursued it any further. Nobody
has really picked it up, so I've brought
it out again.
What are your thoughts and com-
ments on the current trends in ver-
tical skating?
I think the way it's going now is hot.
There's a definite flow of maneuvers
and high airs. The skating is really
creative, powerful, and consistent.
That's what I need to pick up again,
'cause I've been out of it for seven
years. I've got to get my consistency
back. Then I'll feel on it again.
What are your future plans?
B.K: First of all Eddie, what I want to get back into the industry.
brought you back to skating I'll skate competitively for awhile.
after your 7-year retirement? then work with future skaters as a
E.E: I went to check out the coach/representative. You can't take
the skating out of your soul. It will
Action Sports show in Long
Beach last September and Closing comments?
Christian Hosoi flowed me a Skate. Do your best, keep a positive
complete board. I didn't even outlook, and most of all, have fun.
own a board. I started to skate We're all out there to have fun.
always be there.
THRUNGHER