Words: Oleynik
Photo: Cronan
With the release of his Zoo York Master Division deck last week, it only seemed right to sit down with OG New Yorker, Rodney Torres and discuss his past, present and future. Read the Rodney Torres Retrospective interview below.

What's up Rodney? How are things?
What's up Ben? Things are good.

So you were born and raised in Queens, NYC. What was it like growing up there? What were you into as a kid?
It was fun growing up in Queens. I had a lot of family and friends there that I spent time with. Queens has always been a world of its own, separate from everything around it. I've always appreciated its diversity and have watched it change over time for the better. Before I got into skateboarding as a kid I was into baseball, and I played catcher for the Flushing little league for a few years. I'd like to consider those years, the 'glory years' haha.



How did you get into skating?
I seemed to always have a skateboard growing up, but got really into it when I was 11 years old, and saw a guy from my neighborhood ollie up a curb. That same day he taught me how to do it on his board. After that I begged my parents to buy me a 'real' skateboard, and after that, I would basically be on my block or go to F.M.P to practice with friends almost everyday.

You were coming up in a time that some would consider the "NYC glory days". Skating the Banks all day, Astor Place at night. What were those times like? What would a typical day be like back then?
A typical day for me would be basically what you said, skating the banks all day, everyday. Skating from there to Astor Pl to meet up with more people to skate. Then skate up to midtown and break night. The city was literally our playground. Those times were so epic because NYC was good and dangerous. An adventure around every corner. It was so raw, that’s what made it epic. Nobody gave a fuck and we did whatever we wanted, skated anywhere and anything we could. A lot of the best times weren't ever really documented either, you just had to be there.

Photos: Marcopoulos
Who did you roll with?
Rodney Cooper, Geo Moya, Airto Jackson and Mike Wright were the main guys I would roll with around that time, but I basically skated with everyone, like I do today.

You had a 411 part back in the day? How was filming back then?
I think it was in 1995 when we started filming for the 411 part. RB Umali was always the dude filming the heads back in day and he approached me about working on that Wheels of Fortune for 411. I don’t think filming has changed much over the years, the only thing that's changed is the equipment.



60/40 Buttas!
Haha, I was getting some flow from them around that time so I had to give them a shout out.

How did you get on Rhythm and what was it like riding for them?
Rhythm was my first real experience riding for a big company. I was put on a while after the Genesis video came out when they were revamping their team and I felt fortunate to be a part of that company. It was definitely my favorite company at that time and I appreciate everything they did for me while I rode for them. Felix Arguelles is the man.

You had a Rhythm ad with a frontblunt backside flip on the Pyramid Ledges. That seems really advanced for the time. How did that trick come about?
I don’t know, I practiced that trick at the south street seaport spot called "newport" for a while before I stepped up to the plate at Pyramid ledges. I got worked trying it that day.



Where's the footage?
Well, I didn’t really like the way I landed it. Maybe I'll do it again soon.

What are some other tricks you've seen people do on the Pyramid Ledges that stand out?
Charles Lamb nollie heel tail slid it back in the days and then re-filmed it years later. I'm basically following in his footsteps. That dude is mad good.

Yes, he definitely is. You rode for Osiris back in the day when they got a lot of heat on the East. Did people treat you differently because you were on? What was it like to ride for them?
Nah, I didn’t really get too much heat or treated any differently because I rode for them. I just couldn’t find someone that wanted to film me for the Osiris video 'The Storm'. Riding for them was actually really good. I mean, there were some ups and downs, but overall I have no complaints and was psyched to be a part of the team at that time. I repped it to the fullest and was fortunate enough to see a lot of the world riding a skateboard because of Osiris.



How did it end?
They followed the trends and went from fresh to hesh, and I guess I didn’t fit the bill. I was healing from an injury around that time so I was more focused on healing & getting back on the board. No hard feelings. I appreciate the time I had with Osiris.

Back in the day you really were pushing the level of tech skating people were bringing to handrails. Stuff like 3 flip lip and kickflip crook. When you were trying that stuff, had you seen people do those tricks on rails before?
I think I might have seen Caine Gayle in a Europe contest video or maybe it was a Transword video doing a kickflip crook on a little rail in a skatepark. That’s about it. Props to Caine.

The Skateboard Mag. 2006
What do you think of what kids are doing these days?
I think kids are just taking skateboarding on its natural course and progressing along with it. Every next generation has to push the limits of what was paved.

So you grew up skating Flushings, what are some tricks that you've seen there that stand out? What are some of the best memories?
I've seen so many things go down at F.M.P. I can’t really single any out, everyone's killed it. I can't say I have a personal favorite trick. What I can say is, just showing up at the park, meeting up with the homies and skating all day were some of the best times of my life.

Transworld. 2000
Had you ever done a switch tre crook before the one you did on the step up in that Transworld sequence?
No, it was just something I felt I could do, something I thought of to try that day and it worked out. That was the first day of an Osiris trip that started in New York. I was stoked because I knew it would be almost all demos after that.

You're heavily involved in the NYC skateboard scene with judging contests, documenting skate events for Fuel, etc. Why do you make such an effort to stay so involved?
Skateboarding has given me a lot and it’s only right for me to give back whichever way I can. That's it, period.



The Maloof Cup is coming to Queens and you helped create the course/plaza. After the event, the plaza is staying there. What does that mean for Queens and NYC skaters in general?
It means that it's going to help advance the skill level of the next generation of kids in Queens and NYC by providing an amazing plaza to train on. Thanks to everyone who helped make this possible; Bill Minadeo of California Skate Parks, Paula at Open Road, NYC Parks Department and, of course, Joe Maloof. I can't wait until after the contest to have the plaza all to myself to skate haha.

Who are some kids in NYC who's skating you're hyped on?
There are a lot of kids killing it right now, Dave Willis and Kevin Tierney are on the come up for sure.



What skaters from Canada are you hyped on?
That’s a big list, Canada has always bred amazing skateboarders. I'll name a few off the top; Rick Howard, Colin McKay, Tony Ferguson, Rick McCrank & Wade Desarmo. The Canadian Zoo kids, Dan Redmond and Robbie Pellack are killing it right now too. I was stoked on Robbie's check out I saw on the ZOO blog.

Who do you ride for currently?
Zoo York, DVS, In4mation, Rockstar Bearings and my boy Rob Campbell's new wheel company, Savage Urethane.


Tailslide. Photo: Cronan
You were just added to the Master Division on ZOO YORK and given a Master deck. How did that come about?
Since I was a kid, Zoo York has always been the company I've wanted to be a part of and I'm psyched to be on the program. Within this past year, Seamus (ZOO Brand Manager) approached me about the Master Division and I was honored to be a part of it.

What do you think of your deck? What is the art based on?
It’s based on the 1939 World's Fair which was held at F.M.P. I was intrigued by the memorabilia in the park's museum and was inspired by the central symbols from the 1939 Worlds Fair. The Perisphere and Trylon, which existed on the same grounds where the Unisphere stands now, as well as the opening slogan "Dawn of a New Day" and "The World of Tomorrow". I gotta give props to Brian Mackin (Zoo Art Director) for the dope design.



What's next for you?
The sky's the limit.

Last words. Thank yous?
I want to thank everyone who's every helped me out in skateboarding, my family for their support, my girlfriend for all her help, and you for this interview. Thank you.



For more on Rodney, check out his website.