Our First Commercial

Video courtesy of Crystal Sync Productions… Watch it!

Mowglie’s interview with pro skater Ronnie Bertino. 

The year was 1995. I just spent the afternoon on a slab of wood I liked to call H-Street. I was invited over to a friends house to watch a new skate video; Plan-B’s Second Hand Smoke, which turned out to be among the first to contain many of the tricks and styles common among today’s skaters.

At the time I can honestly say it was more in the interest of bumping into his older sister. A hot lil Pomeranian crossed with French Poodle. Cute lil bitch she was.

Then Suddenly the room filled with smoke and the theme music from Charlie Brown. With legends like Rodney Mullen, Danny Way, Pat Duffy and Collin McKay tearin’ shit up on screen , it was the Ronnie Bertino section that stole the show. He ended his part with a nollie 180 to switch crooks and a switch backside lipslide down a handrail, two tricks that are still greatly impressive by today’s standards.

Your favorite Uncle had the honor n’privilege to catch up with one of true legends and innovators of skateboarding,
Ronnie Bertino.

-Mowglie

• Mowglie: Do you ever wake up in the mornin’ and think… Holy shit..I’m Ronnie Bertino?

• Ronnie: I wake up every morning and feel blessed that I am alive and have lived the life I have lived. I am satisfied with who I was and who I have grown up to be. I have never woken up and said yeah I’m Ronnie Bertino but that’s not to say I am not proud of who I am.

• Mowglie: Would you agree that skateboarding was more of a lifestyle than a sport back in the early to mid 90’s? and if so, can you say the same about skating today?

• Ronnie: I would say skating back then had more soul on top of the lifestyle. It wasn’t considered a sport then because we didn’t have these huge contests that are sponsored by some big company’s (that shouldn’t even be involved) but it is what it is, not only has the skating evolved but so has who is involved with it. I don’t think the lifestyle will ever change skaters are gonna be skaters and live how they live regardless.

• Mowglie: Who approached you to ride for Plan B and Blind?

• Ronnie: Danny Way approached me to ride for Plan B. It was an honor, you got a guy that had at the time did so much as far as his skating and even now still doing it (jumping the great wall of china) So it let me know that I was doing something right with my skating to have one of the best then and now ask to be on this team. Thanks Danny .
• And Henry approached me to ride for blind and it was the same feeling I had with Danny. I mean one of the best at the time asking you to ride for the same team he is on. It doesn’t get any better than that.

• Mowglie: If you could take a ride on the way-back train n’ spin the clock back to the 90’s for a skate session, where would you go and who would you be skatin’ with?

• Ronnie: It would be embarcadero in the hay day. It would be me, Matt Hensley, Natas, Kareem and Pat Brennen with everyone else who skated there.

• Mowglie: Do you ever warm up the ol’ VCR and toss in Second Hand Smoke toremind yourself how much you’ve brought to the sport?

• Ronnie: Yeah I watch my old videos every now and then to get a flashback of my days as a full blown skater. It’s great, I will watch a trick and remember everything. Like what I was thinking that day before I got there and how I felt getting the trick and picking up some drinks to celebrate and catch a buzz.

• Mowglie: Does it ever amaze you to see some of these kids these days doing tricks that at one time might have seemed impossible?

• Ronnie:  At this point nothing amazes me, I mean when we were young I can picture the older dudes thinking what more can these kids do to take the  sport to another level and then we did it and now it’s come full circle for us that the new kid’s today are making us say the same shit. The sport is going to reach new levels and aint nothing gonna stop it.

• Mowglie: And what have you been up to these days?

• Ronnie: I have been working over here at ATM, playing music and hanging with my girlfriend my mom and close friends.

• Mowglie: Any advice to the kids and new pro’s?

• Ronnie: Well, as I say in all my interviews pay your damn taxes. Be grateful for what you have and try to keep a level head no matter how far it takes you cause in the end it doesn’t last forever no matter how much you think it will. Cherish every moment and feel blessed because there are a lot of people out there that will never get to experience what you have/are experiencing. Live life to the fullest and wake up being happy about who you are as a person. Treat people how you want to be treated and you should be ok.