Killeen Gonzalez is a member of the Friends of Charlton Public Library group. Gonzalez is a freelance writer and marketing consultant with a history of publishing articles on Yahoo! verticals. In honor of Throwback Thursday, we’ll be sharing some of her old articles. This first one was a interview she did with skateboarding legend, Craig Stecyk . We hope that you enjoy the walk down memory lane.)

There are times in this life when we are granted phenomenal opportunities and I was recently blessed with several. Among them was the opportunity to interview skateboarding’s own venerable Craig Stecyk. The interview opportunity came about because people working with Mr. Stecyk saw my skateboarding articles on Yahoo! Sports. After reading the articles they decided to contact me and offer interview access to Craig Stecyk and several of skateboarding’s other legendary figures. I was deeply honored, humbled and ecstatic at the prospect of being given such access. What you are about to read is a transcript of my interview with him:

Gonzalez: You have often been referred to as the “Godfather of Skateboarding.” How do you feel about that title? Is it a title you would have chosen for yourself and if not, what title would you have chosen if any?

Stecyk: I’m utterly ambivalent towards such statements, and I’m not even certain how that particular one got started. If you work in a public milieu you will receive all sorts of commentaries, evaluations, praises, slurs and appellations. The artist’s choice is to enter into the fray; the audience determines everything else. Once you execute a piece of artwork you are out of the equation. You’ve surrendered it and the piece or event belongs to the world.

Gonzalez: What are your feelings on the current state of the skateboarding as a whole and the push to include skateboarding in the Olympics?

Stecyk: Skateboarding is an incredibly adaptive performance form of functional transport. If civilization collapsed completely skaters would thrive riding on the ruins. I’m obsessed with the primary activity while being only mildly interested in the social and commercial manifestations of same. Skateboarding is a complex and difficult sport that is widely practiced on a global level and would be a relevant addition to the Olympics in that sense.

Gonzalez: What emerging trends are you seeing in skateboard art?

Stecyk: The intrinsic artistic aspects of skateboarding are rooted in the act itself. There is a resident art form in the graphics on the boards and the rider’s typical adornment and modification of them. The riding of skateboards can also can be equated to modern dance and performance art. Numerous artists have come into prominence that have had or maintain genuinely significant involvements with skating. The Art in the Streets (AITS) show at MOCA features a number of them. In recent years there has also been a proliferation of art being done on skateboards by non-riders. Having recognized artistic types such as Jeff Koons, Damian Hirst, Andy Warhol, Marilyn Minter, John Baldessari, Robert Longo, George Condo and Takashi Murakami doing pieces on boards also demonstrates the pervasive influence of skateboarding on the haute arte world.

Gonzalez: Do you have any other exhibits planned and if so where and when?

Stecyk: Yes, over the next couple months…“Venice in Venice” at Palazzo Contarini Dagli Scrini on the Grand Canal. Biennale di Venezia event organized by Foundation 2021. “Public Domaine-Underground,” La Gaite, Paris, France. “30 Years of Thrasher Art & Photography,” Red Bull Space, New York, New York. “Project Disaster,” Fine Arts Gallery, California State University, Northridge. “Backyard Oasis: The Swimming Pool in Southern California Photography, 1945-1980, Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980,” at the Palm Springs Art Museum in conjunction with the Getty Foundation.

Gonzalez: What words of advice would you offer aspiring, skateboard graphic artists of today?

Stecyk: The proliferation of communication channels allows everyone the opportunity of getting their art seen. Keep things real and maintain an FSU posture. You can succeed around the world regardless of however remote your scene of origination is. There are no more monopolies surrounding the distribution of information and imagery. Integrity persuades as it pervades.

Gonzalez: What words of advice would you offer aspiring photographers in regards to capturing the perfect skateboarding, action shot?

Stecyk: Persevere. It is all about being in the right spot, with the perfect rider, having the optimal optics, shutter speed and aperture, being at the correct angle and distance, with proper lighting at the decisive moment. There’s an element of luck to it, but if you put in the time and effort it will come. Pre-visualize, know what you are looking for in advance and go out and get it. Once you have achieved that image, start improvising, because that’s when it starts to get really interesting.

Gonzalez: If you could be remembered for just one thing, what would that be?

Stecyk: Being absolutely forgettable.

How You Can Meet Craig Stecyk for Yourself

Skateboarding fans who would like to meet the venerable duo of Craig Stecyk and Felipe Lima may do so at the June 5th Meet the Artists event to be held at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA on North Central in Los Angeles. The event will kick off at 3 p.m. at the museum in the Levis Film Workshop. There is no admission charge and pre-registration is recommended. Those interested in attending the event may RSVP online through the Levis Film Workshop website.