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Steve Berra started street skating
before anything else. But when he got
sponsored he went home and rode vert
all winter. Now, as an all-terrain power
house, Berra is hanging out in SD skat
ing whenever and wherever.
When did you start? I moved to Omaha from St.
Louis in the seventh grade. I got a skateboard
because everyone in the neighborhood had one.
My family moved back to St. Louis in the eighth
grade and all my friends were skating so I got my
board and all we did was skate this big hill by our
house. I suppose I've been skating for five years.
What did you do before skating? I played soc-
cer and baseball. I quit soccer in tenth grade when
I moved back to Omaha
because nobody liked me
and I didn't like anybody
that played. Everyone was
too cool and they weren't
even that good at soccer..
Why is vert out? I never
thought vert was out. Vert is
still skateboarding. I don't
understand why kids don't
see that. To me there is no
separation. Certain tricks
are harder to do on a vert ramp than on street. If
someone does a heelflip varial on street, it's rad,
but pretty basic for the average street pro. If
someone does a heelflip varial to fakie on a vert
ramp, it's great. It goes both ways. If somebody
does an opposite-foot heelflip big spin down seven
stairs, it's the greatest thing ever. If somebody
does a backside air on a vert ramp, it's basic. It
works both ways, if someone does a hard trick it
should be acknowledged.
Who are some of your favorite skaters? Joel
Petersen, Matt Cole, Koston, Mayer, Alf, Way,
Congeliere, Tom Boyle, Lee, Chatman, Gonz,
Rick, Bucky, Vallely, Klein and the master, Hawk.
What tricks are you working on now? On
street, noseslide heelflips and double nollie
heelflips. On vert, 360° indy air to nose tap.
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What do you think of the industry? It's totally
gay that some people want to put other people
out of business. I also hate how everybody tries
to act too cool for everyone else. It's just like high
school. Some people don't hang out with each
other because of the companies they ride for.
Flatland scene? I don't mind flatland, there's no
risk whatsoever in freestyle. Now take someone
like Koston, Salman, Willy or Carroll, they can do
every flip there is, but down big steps. That's tal-
ent and risk. I'd much rather see that.
World View: Pro-choice, not that I'm really into
the subject of abortion, but I'm just not into any-
body telling me what I can and cannot do. Those
people should concentrate on the other human
Vert is still
skateboarding.
beings already on this earth suffering, hungry
and homeless on the very same corner that
those people are picketing.
Music: Curious George, PiL, Curve, Dinosaur
Jr., 411.
Food: Grilled cheese, chips, Gatorade. I don't
eat exotic foods.
Who is at the forefront of skating? Koston,
Santos, Howard, Salman, Conklin and Carroll.
Future plans: Quit skating and maybe join a
more respectable sport like snowboarding
because I can still do the same tricks that skate-
boarders made, and call them the gay names
that snowboarders give them.
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