A few months back I interviewed Ernie Torres and Clint Walker for an article about growing up skateboarding in Oklahoma. The article was originally intended for Jenkem, but things did not end up working out.

Here are the interviews in their full glory.

Enjoy.

Ernie Torres:

What were your experiences like growing up and skateboarding in Oklahoma?

Really tight, lots of flat bars and loading docks and fun boxes really, but then occasionally some handrails and gaps 

What are the best things about skateboarding in Oklahoma compared to other places?

We never really got messed with by cops, lots of people were hyped to see us skate. I had a couple teachers in my middle school watch me skate the spots at our school after school was out!

Any suggestions for out-of-town skateboarders to do if they decide to take a skate trip to the state? Besides bring booze??!

Umm.. Skate as many churches and schools as you can as well as apartment complexes, and after skating be sure to hit Taco Bueno or Oklahoma Joes.

Was it nice to grow up skateboarding in a state that was far away from the skateboard industry?

Yes and no. On one hand it made me appreciate everything I had with my skate life as far as I never complained about my set-up, no matter how bad it was, and I had the tightest homies, so I just had so much love for skateboarding as a whole. But on the other hand I didn’t grow up with a skatepark really till I was 4 years into skating like my friends in California did, skateparks were like daycares for a lot of my friends in California, and they got to skate to school and have their boards there and Oklahoma wouldn’t even allow a board on campus. If we skated to school we had to hide our boards! So there is definitely an advantage to growing up with perfect parks in your town, but that’s no excuse for anyone cause if you want it bad enough you’ll shred anything in your sight! So I had a huge respect and still do for kids that make it in skating or even make it on a trip or two that come from the middle of America like I did (via Mexico!).

 

Clint Walker:

What were your experiences like growing up and skateboarding in Oklahoma?

I think it was pretty generally accepted where I grew up, there was only a few kids who skated in the school where I went, but I don’t think it was really cool or uncool to skate. Skating wise, I definitely think it made you look harder and think a little different about skateboarding. I used to/still do go to all the little towns around the area and drive up n down streets looking for spots.

What are the best things about skateboarding in Oklahoma compared to other places?

Spots. They aren’t as plentiful as in California probably but they are different, and memorable. I think a rad southern or Midwestern spot is easily noticeable and memorable in a part, versus just the normal ledge stair and rail combo in California. I prefer Oklahoma spots for sure.

You used to take a lot of road trips to random small towns with your crew, do you think there is a lot of unknown and un-skated areas?

I still do take trips. Definitely, it’s crazy you can find spots in these tiny towns that no one has ever even thought of skating. No one there even owns a skateboard, or if they do they haven’t actually tried to learn how to skate, so it’s really easy to find never been skated spots that look so rad. Spot searching is one of my favorite things to do when I’m hurt.

Any suggestions for out-of-town skateboarders to do if they decide to take a skate trip to the state?

Yeah, don’t come to Oklahoma. There’s little towns and rad spots everywhere, find your own shit!
– Clint