The first time I met “Pollo” was in 2017 on one of his first trips to Los Angeles. As a matter of fact, I specifically met him at one of my favorite skateparks – Jackie Tatum Harvard Park – and from that moment on I was able to perceive his talent and ability to go around the skatepark without having to stop. He is a very complete skater who can adjust to any terrain, and I think he is the same as a person, able to adjust to any company and be in tune with various social groups. Not long ago he stayed at my house for a few months and I’ve met an admirable person, before I liked him, but having him around (on the sofa) and talking frequently, I noticed his “talent” goes a lot further than what he can do on a skateboard. Pollo is a warrior, of life, not just in skateboarding. He has several qualities (flaws too, like all of us) but I’ll focus on two of them. Discipline – he’s very constant, he doesn’t sit still and actively wants to improve. And the second is his ability to make friend in various social groups, he has the ability to speak with any person and make the person feel comfortable.
Pollo’s style on the skateboard, is to go at thousand miles. The fastest and riskiest possible, is what motivates him. I believe there’s one or two flat ground tricks that I can do that he doesn’t, but he takes several risks that I’ve never taken and will never take. On a handrail he easily get several tricks without a sweat, he goes down stairs and gaps like nothing. In a bowl he goes from one side to the other with speed and a lot of flow, he’s smooth carving the curves and pushes himself to go faster and faster, he does all kinds of grinds, longer and longer every time and gets out from ramps with airs and grabs. He also does wallrides (I’ll never understand this trick) and if you got to do slappies, he’ll do them. Pollo is one of my favorite skaters and I’m proud of how well he represents Colombia. I am glad to be able to call him my friend or “parcero” as we say in Colombia.
Interview by Andres Alfonso
Why do they call you “Pollo”?
Lol, it’s a very funny and strange nickname all over the world but in Colombia is very common, I’ve been called Pollo since I was little kid. I had blonder hair and my eyes were very clear. The friends I hung out with were much older than me and the nickname started as “Chick”, today I am Pollo (Chicken) and aspiring someday to become “Rooster” 😂.
How and when did you start skating?
My first contact with a skateboard was with a friend who was always with me, my best friend at the time (Juan Pablo Becerra Mora) may he rest in peace, great person! We skated for two months but then his dad wouldn’t let us skate because he had heart condition and couldn’t force himself much, so we stopped. Then I moved to Envigado and there was a Skate shop called Pressure, they had rails and boxes, that’s where I really got hooked on skateboarding and started to skate.
What was your first skateboard? Where did you get it?
My first skateboard was one of the ones that was sold in the supermarket “Exito” that we call (Exitosas) my dad gave it to me for Christmas (given by “Santa”), and my first real skateboard I got when I had already been skating for a year and l got it at the same skate shop, the dudes from the skate shop gave it to me, it was used, but good! And I was given a small sponsorship or help since they saw me skating all the time.
How did you learn to skate?
At the skate shop I met many skaters from the Envigado area, there I asked for advice and to be honest there were many who helped me and gave me good energy, one of them that everyone calls Memo, would always give me tasks and tasks to learn new tricks and get excited, I have so many others but won’t say any names, because I’ll for sure forget a few and I don’t want to making anyone feel bad, they know who they are and I’m grateful to them!
Who were your favorite skaters and videos when you started?
When I first had a favorite skater, I had already been skating for about a year and half, that first year and half, I didn’t watch many skateboarding videos at all, it was only skating and skating, but when I had a favorite skater it was Gran Taylor, always been a favorite since I got to know more about skateboarding and I knew what I liked and what I didn’t, I watched his videos all the time and wanted to skate very fast just like he does. I really enjoyed watching the videos of Bru Ray made by Pstone, may he rest in peace, and those gave me the excitement to skate, it was a mix of skaters of all kinds and I liked that they weren’t very edited, the dude would grabbed spare clips that didn’t make the cut of tours with thrasher and many brands of that type and would publish everything that was left, which was what I liked most to see at the time since I was skating bowls all the time.
Being from Medellin, how do you live skateboarding in the city?
Skateboarding in Medallo? Amazing, the climate lends itself to want to skate all the time and there’s a great energy around, everyone is very good vibes and I feel like the majority of skaters get along to compare other cities in Colombia, so much so that even between bikers and skaters we get along lol, the city is full of spots wherever you look and people of the community are normally nice with young people even if we’re skateboarding, that has so many stereotypes, there is talent! And the city is very advanced, public transportation is very effective and from what I’ve seen everyone that goes, wants to stay, or are staying now.
What are your favorite spots in Medellin?
Spots or skateparks? Street spots, to be honest, I don’t have a favorite, and as I say the city has many spots and my favorites are all, you skate around and find spots and find more. I like little neighborhoods, since you can find all types of spots and many with a downhill. Of the skateparks, the 4sur is my favorite, the truth is that there are things that people don’t like about the park, like damages from wear and tear, design errors, and more. But for me is the only one that has ramps big enough that you can fly out without pop and I like that it has mistakes and whatnot, this type of parks is what I like, I’m a big fan of DIY! I also like Niquia a lot when I skate more technical that is not my strong but I enjoy sliding rails a lot and improving my balance more and more.
Who are you inspired by?
I have many, each one of them has good things and others that don’t inspire me so much to be honest lol, I’m not someone who has many idols, but those that inspire me I try to hold on to what I like and what I don’t, ignore, some inspire me to skate and others inspire me as a person, among these are: Gustav Tonnesen, Wes Kremer, ¡¡ GT !! and several more.
Where skating rails and doing high risk tricks come from?
I’m not sure, I remember that since I started skating I was like that, within my first month skating I would launch myself down big gaps without even knowing how to Ollie properly, all speed and doing a manual down things will work, lol, as a matter of fact is more having a taste for adrenaline and not feeling afraid of pain.
Street or bowl? What does each one have?
Mmm, that’s a question that I get a lot and it’s very difficult to answer or I don’t answer actually lol. I don’t have a preference for one in particular, the bowl is something I like more in the sense that I flow and I feel like a fish in water as the saying goes, now on the street is where I feel I have to use my concentration and technique to achieve certain tricks, demanding it and bettering myself both physically and mentally, I like that a lot.
When do you start traveling and how important is it for you?
My first trip was with the first Skateshop that sponsored and believed in me in fact, Rodeo skateboard, that I’m still with them, we went to Manizales to (skate) and actually it was a festival called Manizales Grita Rock (Manizales Screams Rock), is amazing and they bring many bands of Metal, Punk, etc, anyway, in this trip I felt that I made a lot of progress, even in this short time, apart from that it was a great experience full of learning that I wanted to repeat and from repeating and repeating I felt like I became a skater traveler, when I spend more than 4 or 5 months in my comfort zone, my body and mind, make me want to have another experience and if it’s important? I don’t know, it depends on what you want to do with skateboarding, if the goal is to progress, is 100 % important, because traveling opens much your mind and helps put on a higher goal, seeing skaters from other countries is incredible and a great example.
How do you feel when you comeback from a trip (domestic or international)?
It feels incredible to return to the place where you’re from, everyone receives you with affection and respect that is very overwhelming after being in a place where you’re essentially unknown, apart from that you arrive with a chip in your brain, like checkout what I learned over there, progress is very noticeable and everyone can see it, not only with me, but with every skater that returns from a tour, the mind changes and so much is reflected at the time of skating and acting like person
You’re a part of the new generation of Colombian skaters who are constantly learning and improving. Publishing really good tricks and with real opportunity to live from skateboarding, what advice would you give to the generation coming after you?
Skate for fun and if you want to reach a high level, travel a lot and always be humble, don’t believe yourself too much because you go down from the cloud in 1-2-3, if you want to be the best, that’s cool but my advise is to help others and let those who want to advice you, help you, analyze what they say you and ignore whatever is not useful, don’t be problematic and even less hold grudges, skateboarding is pure love…
How is the skate scene in Colombia?
It seems to me that it is bigger and it grows more and more, I like the vibe of many skaters and there are many people getting on with their own brands, the scene has potential even though the economic situation is very difficult.
Now with the Olympics, you were part of the first Colombian skateboarding team, how did the possibility arise and how was the experience?
To be hones at first I didn’t like those kind of ideals and I didn’t want to be part of that team, in the first team I didn’t participate because I didn’t compete in the first national competition, but as time passed and I saw my friends travel and compete in contests with people who are on another level, it encourage me and enter the team (competing) to be able to share and live those experiences that I knew could help me to progress and enjoy.
Are you still part of the team? How does it work?
Yes, as long as I compete in the nationals and maintain a good score, I’ll be a part of it. That’s the idea and I hope that they can support us in a better way, more unconditionally to help us get to that next level, sometimes I feel like they wait until you reach that next level to really support you, it would be amazing if it was the other way around. But at the same is a good motivation for all of us to progress and reach the level that they want to see and then receive support (athlete excellence is what they call it).
What does Colombia need to keep improving the level and compete directly with the rest of the world?
Top level skateparks, better facilities for skaters to have better products and amenities for skating and for brands to value the skaters more, I feel that most brands do not value them as they should, on the contrary, many you see around they think they’re just giving free things to the skaters without taking into account that the skaters are breaking themselves and are helping their brand grow.
How did you get your first sponsor?
I didn’t get it, it came to me and I won it, as I said before, my first sponsor is a Skateshop called Rodeo, the owners are skaters and they did it to be able to help, the reason why there’s also this one, they want to help and it came thanks to me always skating with enthusiasm and out of no where I was part of the crew, better said, it wasn’t an offer, it just happened.
Who are your sponsors?
I have several lol!! Is funny, the same thing that happened with Rodeo, happened with two more skate shops, one is Brooklyn Projects from Los Angeles, USA and the other is Venero BCN Skateshop from Barcelona Spain, in my travels I met the owner and this time I did get a proposal, but I think even without one things would have worked out. I’m also sponsored by a Colombian clothing brand that is called Cloud ten, a Mexican skateboard brand that is called Border Skateboards, Destructo Trucks, Cannalivio Medicinal that is an ointment for pain and I’m also a part of a crew that I grew up skating with that’s called Bowlratt.
Why do you keep skating?
I started skating in December 2012, soon to be 10 years.
Why I keep skating, why wouldn’t I keep skating? Without skateboarding, life is more boring.
Last words?
I already talked too much lol, Skate for life.
Follow Pollo on Instagram @polloraw
