HEADS RICHARD PAEZI
H
OW OLD ARE YOU, RICHARD?
21.
Where do you reside?
I live in Southern California,
in the heart of the Valley.
Who do you live with?
My mom, both my sisters, my little girl,
and my grandma.
I hear you have a dog. What's his name?
His name is Cain.
Is he tough?
I don't know yet. He's too little to know.
Where are some of your favorite places
to skate?
It depends on the mood I'm in. I haven't
touched down on too many spots. I like
backyard ramps, cool cement parks, pools.
AKA HAMBURGER JR
Who are some of your favorite
sports teams?
The Dallas Cowboys. In basketball, the Los
Angeles Lakers, 'cause that's where I'm
from. I haven't really watched soccer or
hockey, but I'm sure they have their thrills.
And what are your favorite music
groups, besides Suicidal Tendencies
and Motörhead?
Whatever gets me pumped and sounds
good. I like rap music, all the Bay Area shit.
I like Hank Williams Jr too.
What do you think of the Visalia park?
It looks like it's going off right now.
It's sick, but there are a lot of fucking
kids. They're so young; it's kind of hard to
get really into skating when you look
a while. Other than that, just the usual.
Partying or just hanging out with
your homies?
Both, man. Barbecues, whatever. I'm down
with it all.
So how was Culver City before you
came to Visalia when you were 11?
It was cool. Childhood was great; I had no
responsibilities. All I did was play, skate, and
ride bikes. When I moved to Visalia I started
really getting into skateboarding.
Why did you move?
My mom says she just wanted to get us.
out of the area where we lived. She did-
n't want to raise us there; it wasn't the
worst place in the world, but it wasn't
the safest either. She was looking out for
Left to right:
Makeshift pivot. Jail-style
tats. Richard likes virgins.
Backside disaster on the
ghetto-style extension.
Whatever's around.
Have you skated Lincoln City, and did
you like it?
Yeah, I've skated it. It was hella cool.
It's super smooth, and fast, and pretty
fuckin' crazy.
Who do you ride for?
Consolidated skateboards, Indy, Spitfire,
Volcom, Puma, and Roughneck. What's
up, Johnny?
Who do you like to skate with?
The heads, man. My brother, you, my
homies from Visalia, Karma, Alan. Anyone
who's down to skate.
What do you like to do besides
skateboard?
I like to watch sports; I like basketball,
football, and all that shit. Listening to
music and playing pool or ping-pong are
good too.
around and it looks like recess. But I guess
we're all young.
What are your plans for the summer?
I'm going to Austria, Spain, and France
at the end of June, so I'm looking forward
to that.
What are your plans for the future, for
later on in life?
I just hope to make it through today, and
then whatever happens after that is great.
Do you plan on skating for a couple
more years, or for the rest of your life?
I'm going to skate for the rest of my life.
I'm going to skate until there's no possible.
way I can anymore, whether that's from
injuries or being locked up or whatever.
Have you had any serious injuries?
I broke my ankle and had some pins and
screws put in it. Both my wrists are perma-
nently fucked, and they've been like that for
us, and I'm stoked she did that. Right
on, Mom.
Do you plan to stay here in Visalia or
are you looking to get out?
I definitely want to move eventually, but
I'm sure my mom will always be a home
base here for me.
Have you lived anywhere else?
No.
What are some of your favorite drinks?
Water, dude.
Any women in your life?
My mom and my sisters.
What kind of setup do you ride?
126 Indys, 53mm Spitfires, and my board's
a little over 7 1/2".
Any last words for anybody out there?
Just live, man. Let that be good enough.
Skate. Nothing more, nothing less.
-Dale Blackmon
ASHER