Eric Ricks is a quiet boy of eighteen years who comes
from the ghetto called Hawthorne, CA. He may not say
much, but he lets his skateboarding do the talking.
How long have you been skating?
About four-and-a-half years.
Where do you skate?
Mostly around my house.
What is the gang scene like in your
neighborhood?
It's not as bad now. Most of the gangsters
are in jail, but I don't go and skate at night or
anything like that. Yes, there was a drive-by
next to my house. There are still bullet holes
in the fence and across the street where the
people in the house shot back. It was kind of
like a shoot-out.
Who do you skate with?
Mostly my friends John, Bert, Dive, Melo,
Eiser and Crown.
Who are your favorites?
Bertino, Markovich, Kareem, Hirata, Dyrdek,
Carroll, Santos, and Tim Gavin.
What about contests?
I hate contests. I always get nervous and
freak-out, but I like watching everybody skate.
How many fights did you get into in 1992?
Not too many. Only like one or two. I don't
like fighting.
What are your plans for 1993?
I want to just skate, save money, hang-out
and have fun. I also want to do better in
contests.
Do you rave?
I hate raves, raves suck.
Who's a dick?
This one back-stabbing, shit-talking,
no good, punk-ass chump who will chap his
lips on anybody's ass to get products from
them, you know who you are.
What about the industry?
It's kind of crazy. There's too many vibes.
too many attitudes. I try not to think about
what happens.
What was your reason for leaving Powell?
I left because me and Todd got into a little
argument. Plus, I really didn't feel like I was
going anywhere, but Fitzpatrick was there and
he stuck by my side.
What do you do when you aren't skating?
I go to Reanna's house everyday. She's my
girlfriend and I hang out with her.
What was the raddest thing you ever did
while you were in school?
I was pretty quiet in school. There are a few
things. One time when I was in the second or
third grade, this girl sat next to me and she put
her hand on my thigh and at the same time,
she kissed my cheek. At this time, boys didn't
like girls, so I got scared and pissed my pants.
I jumped up and ran out of class with a wet
stain on my jar tang!