“Skateparks could be fun…”

During your time at Skateboarder, was there much competition between you and the other staffers to get the best shots?

“We were a small group of photographers and there was plenty of magazine space for all of us to get coverage and make a decent living.

The competition was generally friendly as far as I was concerned and we pushed each other to be more creative.”

A lot of those amazing images from the late seventies were shot at backyard pools, bowl comps, and demos – where did you feel most comfortable as a photographer?

“I always liked local spots like backyard pools, ditches, drainage pipes, and ramps because of their natural elements.

But skateparks could be fun when there was a cool group of good skaters just having fun without any competitive attitude.”

What was a typical (if there is such a thing!) day like for a photog at Skateboarder Magazine?

“Most days there were at least a few skaters who were free to hit a local skate spot to shoot some photos.

I spent much of my weekdays with pro skaters since they didn’t have to work at regular jobs and were free to skate all the time.

Summers were busier since everyone was out of school. And there were many road trips and contests around the country and internationally which sometimes kept me on the road for weeks at time.

I’d also drive up to SkateBoarder about once a week or so to talk to the guys, drop off my photos and pick up more film.”

[Opposite: Dennis Martinez | Del Mar | Nov 1978]