Gabriel-
Rodriguez
I tried to do the interview in a conversational style for the first tape. Rudy Johnson and Paulo Diaz
helped with the questions (Rudy has the higher voice). Paulo came in with a sitar and a small ukulele
type instrument with an armadillo for a body. I'm not sure what you'll get from it. On the second one
I tried to fire some questions off because I didn't think the conversational style was working. -Natas
Tell us about the Powell days.
G: That was bad. It was cool for a long
time. There was just some bullshit going
on that I found out. Fuck it.
How'd they treat you?
G: They'd send us on budget tours and
shit. We went through California twice.
They wouldn't send us anywhere else.
What else did they do for you guys?
G: One thing that was weak was when
we were coming back and Stacy told us
to dress scummy. He's all, "I'm trying to
get the LA look. Whatever.
So what happened?
G: He just quit, so I was like, "Damn."
Then I started kickin' it with him again
and you were starting something so I
was just like, "I'm out of here." They
tried to keep me away from Rudy and
Guy because they didn't want me to
quit. That doesn't make sense, man.
42
Did you start skating with Rudy and
Guy before you were on Powell?
G: Way before that, a couple years.
R: Me and him started skating like in the
same month.
G: Yeah, we got our boards the same
month. Rudy had a Santa Cruz Special
Edition and I had a Mark Gonzales.
What happened to you Paulo? You
stayed on Powell for a long time.
P: Yeah, because I fully quit skating a lot
of times. I'd get the boards and sell
them and just party because I started
hanging out with musicians. I didn't skate
for a long time and I got hurt for a while.
What did you hurt?
P: My knee, so I had to quit skating for a
long time.
Are you skating with Rudy again?
G: Yeah, I only have fun skating with my
friends.
Do you see Guy anymore?
G: I don't know what is up. I haven't
talked to him and I haven't skated with
him for a long time.
Where have you been riding at?
G: Just Hollywood or wherever. I like to
go to Lockwood. Lockwood is bad.
I heard cameras were getting nabbed.
G: Yeah, see, they're cool with us. When
fools rolled in there with cameras and
shit, they got jacked.
P: Some dude on a bike took Soc's cam-
era and then Soc jumped on him and got
the camera back.
R: They have guns inside the school.
G: This one dude was talking to us
because he knew us, he was trying to kill
Paulo and Gabriel (above) rest their weary
bones in between spots. This high planter box
(right) is eager to accept Gabriel's fakie back-
side tailslide fakie. Photos by Hank Schwaba.