Javier Mendizabal
Where are you originally from?
I am from Leioa, a small town close to Algorta in the Basque country, north of Spain.
How and when did you start skating?
I started when I was 12 years old (that’s a long time ago) because there were some surfers from my neighborhood skating down the hill and doing some other crazy stuff and I wanted to do the same.
Do you remember what kind of board it was?
It was a Santa Cruz Claus Grabke, the one with all these watches on it. I ordered the deck from the States by mail and it took me a month to get it. Then I skated it for one year.
Did you start out skating in the streets or at a skatepark?
The streets because there was just one skatepark and it was far away from my house. Then I met some older skaters and they started to take me to the skateparks.
Who were you skating with at first?
My neighbors.
Were there any early influences on your skating? Who did you look up to?
There was a local surf magazine with a few skate pages on it. They used to publish photos of the skaters in Algorta (Txus, Eduardo Saenz, Ferdi...) some of the first ones in Spain. That was the first and the only influence until I got the first Thrasher and Transworld mags. Then everything was about Matt Hensley and Jason lee.
Do you enjoy skating in contests and demos?
I don’t like contests at all and demos are sometimes fun to skate.
How could contests be improved?
I have no idea!
What do you like about being able to make some money from skating? What’s not so cool?
It’s not so bad to get paid for something that you would do without any money; you would do it anyway just because you love it. There is pressure sometimes.
What do you think of skate videos these days?
Skate videos are crazy these days. Everybody is filming everyday, non-stop. The level of skating and the quality of editing is growing and growing, but I think we need something fresh. Everybody is looking at each other and doing kind of the same thing.
Do you enjoy filming video parts yourself?
I like to film but not with everybody and not all the time.
Do you skate vert ramps or bowls much?
When I am back at home in Barcelona I only skate street but if I am in the Basque country I skate transition most of the time. When I am traveling, I skate whatever I find on the way.
What do you think of the skateparks in Europe?
They are getting better and better, there is already some really good parks in Europe, like the one in Malmo or (Kortrik? – Belgium), there is a new one in the Basque country (Leioa) too that is really, really good. It is not easy to design and build a good skatepark. It takes time to learn, but there is already some Europeans doing a really good job. Real skaters, building real skateparks. I am talking about concrete skateparks. I don’t like wooden parks.
Should skateparks copy real street spots like MACBA or have more
trannies?
This is just my opinion, but I would keep the street skating in the streets.
What do you like about etnies?
I like the team a lot, they are really good skaters and really good people and the fact that etnies is a huge company but they take care of me on a really personal way and they let me go my own way is cool.
Which etnies shoe do you like? Why?
The Faction is my favorite one. I like the design. It’s pretty simple. I like the feeling when I skate them.
Who do you skate with now?
Different people all the time because I am traveling a lot lately, but when I am in Barcelona I skate with my roommate Quentin de Briey or my friend Ivan and at the Basque country with Juan, Palo, Txus and alone sometimes.
Who are your favorite skaters of all time?
There are many, but there is one who was just special and many kids these days don’t know about him. He is Phil Shao. Other names are: Dan Drehobl,
Geoff Rowley, Chris Senn and yes Mark Gonzales.
What have been the highlights of your skateboarding career?
¿?
Skateboarding professionally also means a lot of traveling! What
does that mean to you?
It means to be on the road most of the time, but for me that’s the best part of this deal. It’s the greatest opportunity to travel around the world, not just to skate different spots and meet different skaters all the time. It’s to discover new countries, new cultures, food and music. I travel as much as I can, I am always thinking about new destinations and organizing trips to here or there.
What do you enjoy besides skating?
I love to travel and sometimes I like to travel without my skateboard to far away countries. I am really in to photography also. I’ve been taking photos for more than ten years. Nature is my other big hobby. I love to climb mountains, walk up the rivers, swim in the ocean, ride my mountain bicycle, make fire and music! I try to play guitar sometimes!
What are your future goals?
