INTERVIEWING ORLY VAZQUEZ

Orly Vazquez is originally from Miami, Fl but he opened up a skateshop called, "Phaze One" in Tallahassee in 1992. He opened the store in order to bring the skateboarding community closer together in Tallahassee and encourage others to take up the sport.

Amanda Arana: When did you begin skateboarding?

Orly Vazquez: : I started skateboarding in 1978.

A: What sparked your passion for skateboarding?

O: Watching my front door neighbors just rolling down the street is what got me into skateboarding. They looked like they were enjoying the themselves, trying to innovate new “maneuvers” and just being able to leave the neighborhood was thrilling. Shortly after that I saw Alva’s air in a pool and was totally floored that the was even possible.

A: How has skateboarding changed through the years?

O: It continually progresses. It’s gone from just rolling around to extremely technical and bigger obstacles to perform tricks that in the early days where impressive to see them done by

themselves on flat ground. Now kids combine these tricks and do them in a line or on transition.

A: What is the hardest part of skateboarding for you?

O: The hardest part of skateboarding for me is getting old and not healing from injury as quickly. You have to come to terms that you just can’t skate how you use to and feeling limited in something with so many possibilities is hard to accept.

A: How do you view women that skateboard?

O: Women have always been part of skateboarding, but I tend to think of girls who skate as tougher than the average girl. There is a lot of falling down and getting hurt so when I see a girl get back up undeterred and try again, I respect it like I would any other skater.

A: Do you have a favorite male/female skater and if so what makes them your favorite?
O: Too many favorites but if I had to choose one that encompasses everything that is good about skateboarding is Mark Gonzales. He had so much style and made everything aspect of his skating, on any terrain, look fluid and easy.

A: Why did you open up a skate shop in Tallahassee?

O: I actually opened the shop up with 2 other friends and one of their friends said we should carry boards again because the local shop at the time was a surf shop in Tallahassee that was still stuck in the 80’s mentality of surf and skate. They were not really keeping up nor understanding in which direction skateboarding was headed. Skateboarding was becoming its own thing and not the little brother of surfing any longer. The DIY/ Punk Rock ethos was in full effect and East coast companies/skaters were doing their own thing. They brought a new rawness and edge that skateboarding was lacking in the late 80’s.

A: How often do you see girl skateboarders come into your store?

O: I see 6-12 girls a week. They are mainly long boarders but there are a couple of girls that buy short boards and gear at the shop. I think it’s awesome because stepping into a place that is basically all dudes can be intimidating for anyone just starting.

A: Are you affiliated with any of the skate parks in Tallahassee?

O: : Yes. We had the Mike Blankenship park built through years of hard work and petitioning. I think it is the first public park of Florida.

A: How often do you go to the skateparks here? Do you see girls there often?

O: : I don’t really skate at the park anymore because of injury and risk of more injury but I know there are girls going out there. My friends that skateboard there often tell me there’s usually a few girls there every day.

A:Are any of your Phaze One skate members girls?

O: Not anymore. We’ve had 2 girls on there and they truly deserved it. It wasn’t like we had them on there as a novelty.

ANALYSIS

I was impressed upon hearing that Orly has been skating for about 40 years and thought he would be able to provide me with a good insight into the skateboarding community as a whole. He has seen how the sport has developed and witnessed increasing numbers of girls beginning to skate.The first few questions in this interview pertain directly to Orly so that people have a better understanding of who he is and why I chose to interview him. As the questions go on I try and direct it more specifically to female skateboarders. As he owns a skate shop I felt that I must ask him how many girls he sees coming into his store and I was expecting him to say only 2-3 a week (as every time I have entered the store I was the only girl there) but was surprised when that number was far more. He made it clear that these girls were not buying skateboards though, they were rather buying longboards which are better suited for cruising and skating on streets. This means that the buyers of these boards would never be seen at a skatepark, trying to go down ramps or land tricks. Orly briefly mentioned that friends of his go to the Mike Blankenship skatepark and see a few girls there a week. I have gone to this skatepark about 3-4 times a week for the past two months and I have never seen any other girl there besides the only other girl in my group of friends that is learning to skate. It may have to do with the time that I go but I would really like to be at the skatepark and witness a female skater be able to do what all the other men around the park are doing. As I just started skating I can not do much besides propel myself forward by pushing with one foot on the ground but I would like to one day be able to improve my skills. The Phaze One store has a skate team in which they sponsor with skateboards and clothing from the store and I was hoping Orly would be able to tell me that one of these members was a girl. He made it clear to me that they used to have two members that were girls and that they truly deserved it. I think the fact that he said they did not have them there as a novelty says a lot. He is implying that some people may just endorse girls in order to show that they are endorsing female and male athletes rather than endorsing them for their skill as he did.