Notes from the vert

MANILA, Philippines - I hear Guerilla Radio and something about the song allows me to pull off an Ollie 360 –– on my Nintendo, at least. Tony Hawk Pro Skater was one of my favorite games because it made me feel cool. This was back in the ‘90s when summers were spent at home playing videogames in between cutting up issues of Teen Beat and Bop. The game introduced me to the likes of Bob Burnquist, Buck Lasek, Kareem Campbell, and my favorite player, Rune Glifberg. That’s the closest I –– and the whole of Manila –– has ever come to the scene as it is meant to be seen until now. On May 25, Fil-Am skateboarding legend Willy Santos, one of the pioneering members of Tony Hawk’s Birdhouse Skateboards who even has his own HBO movie, East of Main Street, will be coming to Manila with Tony Hawk’s son, professional skateboarder Riley Hawk, for CircuitFest 2013: Music and Skate, the first-ever music festival and skateboarding event in Circuit Makati. In an interview with the STAR, Willy Santos talks about riding with the Birdhouse boys, starring in his own HBO movie and trading tricks with good friend Tony Hawk.

PHILIPPINE STAR: How excited are you for the Philippines? We are going to have a legit skate ramp.

WILLY SANTOS: I’m really excited for the Philippines. The skate ramp being built for Circuit Makati… it’s going to be amazing. First off, it’s going to be built by living skateboarding legend Eddie Reategui of the Daggers from the United States. They have a huge resume of building ramps and skate parks, and most important of all, (Reategui) is a skateboarder. The ramp is going to be Dagger-built and approved –– four feet high by 32 feet wide of awesomeness.  

You turned pro at age 15. (Willy is now 38.) What was the scene like back then and how different is it now? 

Yes, I did turn pro at 15 for a company called Gordon & Smith aka (G&S) in 1991 and a year later, Tony Hawk asked me to ride for Birdhouse Skateboards. I’ve been with Birdhouse ever since. Tony and I are the original team riders –– since day one. As far as the scene, I would say skateboarding is more accepted around the world –– as you can see, skate parks and skate plazas being built across the world.  The only draw back with all these skate parks and plaza’s is that this makes it harder to skate the real streets. The public and authorities will just say, “Go to the skate parks.” It’s fun skating out on the streets and that will never change. We skateboarders will ride anywhere as long as there’s pavement and something creative to ride on.  

Would you say it’s more difficult or easier for say, a Filipino, to go as far as you have as a pro skater today?

I would say Filipino’s do have the skills, dedication and heart to go as far as me and even surpass me. I honestly didn’t make it a goal to one day say I’m going to be a pro skater. I simply knew I enjoyed skating and kept at it, sponsored or not. You could be just doing a simple flatland trick, hucking yourself down some stairs, skating a bowl, mini ramp or bombing down a hill and you get so much joy from it. Only a true skateboarder knows the type satisfaction I’m talking about. I think that is the most important thing.  Skating with friends that are positive motivation can certainly help as well for your progression. With all the skate parks being built and DIY spots, the progression will be always there. It’s just up to them on how much they want to push themselves.

How did you get into skateboarding and at what point did you say, “I’m going to do this for real”?

When I moved back from the Philippines to San Diego, California going into the 5th grade, I was really into B-boying (break dancing) and soccer, too. A bunch of my friends got me into BMX. It was awesome riding on dirt jumps and going really fast. Eventually I saw some of the guys on skateboards at my elementary school doing a boardslide on a double-side curb and I thought that was one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed and I wanted to learn how to do it.

There was a point that I would carry my skateboard and ride my BMX depending on who I was hanging out with or whatever terrain was in front of me. I would session with my friends or do it solo. Eventually, skateboarding took over my heart.

The point I thought I was going to do this for real was the very next day from graduating high school. I was already pro while I was in high school and skating was all that was on my mind.

What was it like filming East of Main Street? That’s major. How did you feel about being recognized in this particular platform, HBO?

Filming for HBO’s East of Main Street: Asian Heritage was a really cool experience. I am proud do to be Filipino. The director, Jonathan Yi, presented what the show was going to be about. He told me there was a list of potential people for the show and I was chosen to be one of the three people for the series. I know Aple de Ap of the Black Eyed Peas was in it too. It was quite an honor to be part of the project, especially since it was for Asian Heritage Month. It was all filmed in one day and it is still being shown on HBO.

Where in the Philippines were you born? Do you get to visit the Philippines often?

I was born in Subic Bay on the US Navy base Olongopo City. My dad Wilferdo G. Santos was enlisted in the US Navy.  I try to go back as often as I can. Since 1998 up until 2008, I would go at least once or twice a year. Since then it has been more difficult to come out since I started a family. But I was just in the Philippines last March for Gawad Kalinga’s “Bayani Challenge” and of course I brought my skateboard. 

It was really cool to show some of the kids how to skateboard. You should have seen their faces, filled with excitement and happiness. I encourage people who want to come to the Philippines for vacation to somehow be part of Gawad Kalinga or simply just visit a village for the day and see the difference they are making for our country.

How did you meet Tony Hawk and how did you end up with Birdhouse? 

The first time I really met Tony and talked for a bit was when he came to a schoolyard that I skated at in San Diego. He was there shooting a Tracker Truck advertisement. He was doing a Frontside 5.0 grind on a handrail. I remember I was super excited to see him skate. After he was done doing his thing –– not on purpose or to show off, I skated too. After all we were all there to skate and I guess he had been watching me. Before he took off, he gave me a contact info in case I wanted to ride or get flowed by Powell Peralta. I was riding for G&S and was happy and grateful to be on G&S so I never actually called Powell Peralta at all. It was honestly just cool that Tony even talked to me. I think I was 13 years old. I eventually turned pro for G&S in 1991 and back then the whole skateboarding industry was shrinking.

One day after high school my dad told me Tony Hawk called. I called him back and he said he was going to leave Powell and start a new company. He actually didn’t even have a name for it just yet. I think I might have thought it over for like two weeks or so. He even came over to my parents’ house to have dinner with us to talk.  Steve Rocco and Rodney Mullen were also trying to get me to ride for one of their companies too. Both Tony Hawk and Steve Rocco were offering a cars and money… I went with Tony for less money and a used car.
It was the best decision of my life. I’ve been with Birdhouse for over 22 years. The original Birdhouse team started with Tony Hawk, Jeremy Klein, Steve Berra and I.

Tell us about Riley Hawk. You’ve been with Birdhouse for a long time. How has he evolved as a skater?

Riley is a really good kid. The first time I went to Japan in 1995 or 1996 was with Riley and Tony. Riley was probably only four or five years old. He was such a skate rat then too. He always wanted to skate the demos with us and everywhere else we skated. Also, at the Tony Hawk Gigantic Skatepark Tours in the early 2000’s, he was the little ripper. Ever since the Birdhouse video “The Beginning” in 2007, he’s skyrocketed to who he is today. It’s a truly amazing thing to witness.

What is one of the most important things that you learned from Tony Hawk? 

One of the most important things I’ve learned from him to is take things in stride. And when you’re at a demo, leave a good impression with the kids because most of them will remember it for the rest of their lives.  

What do you think has he learned from you?

Ha! I’ve taught him a couple tricks on the mini ramp and the streets. I’ve given him ideas as well on the vert ramp.

Willy encourages kids to have fun skateboarding and hang with positive friends. “Just keep pushing and get yourself out there. Enter the contest scene, work on getting some footage with your friends and present it to your local skate shop to get your foot in the door with skateboard companies. Be creative,” he says. “Skateboarding is great exercise,” he adds, “I think the local scene needs the support of the government. There’s a need to build skate parks and plazas for the community and I think it can keep kids out of trouble.”