Vanessa Torres

Thrasher Magazine, Jan, 2005 by Michael Burnett

WHILE BOYS THE WORLD OVER are grinding quadruple kinks and hardflipping off the house for their sponsor-me tapes, Vanessa Torres has racked up a list of dream sponsors by effortlessly cruising the courses of the almost-underground girl's contest circuit. On the surface, her success might be seen as a gimmick or some sort of cross-over marketing ploy--that is, until you see her in person. The girl rips. And if this interview is any indication, her time in the Gravity Games athletes' lounge could soon be taking a back seat to the raw streets.

Since a lot of people may not know much about you, let's get some of the basics out of the way. Where do you live?

I live in Oceanside, California.

Is that where you grew up?

No. I grew up in the ghetto part of LA county, parts no one has heard of like Buena Park and stuff.

So how long have you lived in Oceanside?

Probably about six months now. I live with my roommate Aurora. I met her through this other girl who skates that I met in Australia who lives in Vista, California. I met her sister, so her sister's reliable so I got a place with her.

How old are you now?

I turned 18 in July.

You should probably rattle through all your sponsors so they don't get their feelings hurt.

Yeah, yeah. I ride for Element boards and apparel, Globe shoes, Boost Mobile and Villa Villa Cola.

So you don't ride for Gallaz, you ride for Globe proper?

Yeah. Make that very clear. Capitalize that shit. I used to ride for Gallaz, then it got to the point where I couldn't really wear the shoes. I needed different shoes so I told them, "I'd really rather ride for Globe. I don't skate like a fucking chick!" I don't hate chicks--but I don't skate things that normal chicks would skate. I told them and they put me on Globe officially. I was in a three-year contract so I really couldn't go anywhere else.

What's your earliest skate memory?

I just remember winning a contest when I was younger and that's when everything started happening for me.

Yeah, but before that. What was your first exposure to skateboarding?

You know what? I think it's when you go to friends' houses and the kids don't skate but they have a skateboard and you play around on it. My dad used to kind of skate around when I was younger.

So how old were you when you got serious about it?

Thirteen.

When did you first find out about skate videos and tricks and all that?

Probably when I was 14. I was riding around, but I really didn't know the serious part of skateboarding. I didn't know what it was all about.

Did you graduate?

No, I didn't graduate.

When did you stop going to school?

I finished my sophomore year, then I didn't go back for my junior year. I was 15. Then I moved out of my house.

That wouldn't have flown at my house growing up. What was the situation where you're quitting school and moving out at 15?

Well, I was starting to travel a lot. It just kind of got in the way of what my morn wanted. She wanted to mother me and have me in the house at a certain hour and all that. I kind of just realized that I was making a little money and I needed to move out.

You were making money at 15?

Yeah. Not a lot, but enough to pay for food and stuff. I was couch surfing and there were people who would let me take showers. I had enough money to eat and give them a little for letting me stay with them. It all kind of worked out.

Is there any part of school that you miss?

No. Nothing. Not at all.

What was your school like?

I was moving all the time. I'd go to school for one year, then I moved up north. I was living in Modesto for awhile and I had to get out of there.

What's your schedule like these days?

My schedule is pretty much open. They inform me about trips and stuff. Besides that, I kind of just cruise around, shop and surf.

Pretty carefree?

Yeah. I just got off a couple tours, so now it's kind of time for me to take a little break and be at home.

Something different about the way you have come up is that it's been largely due to contests. What was the first contest you went to?

It was in San Diego at Skateboard Heaven. I was skating amateur, or the lower division or whatever. That was my first contest. I think I was 14 or so. I skated that and I got first. I think that was how Gallaz picked me up.

Yeah, that's how it used to be in the '80s. You'd win the contest and get sponsored. That kind of got phased out with videos, though. Are contests easy for you?

I'd say so. But contests are a lot different than skating out in the streets. I didn't really have a way to get out to spots so I had mostly just skated at my local skatepark. So contests were pretty much just like skating at a park.

What's the most money you've ever won? The money's pretty decent, huh?

I don't know. I guess that depends on what's decent to you. In comparison to the male skaters, the females are getting maybe 15 percent of what the males are getting for winning the competition.

Is that fucked?

Yeah. Not because of the money, exactly, but just what it says about girls skating. I'm not there for the money; I'm there to represent.