Nyom Nyom. Really happy to share this deeply honest conversation with skateboarder, rad photographer and art lover Fifer of Mexico City fame. He tells us about longboarding in his new home, Japan, and the early days bombing Ajusco. Lots of feels!
Good evening Fifer, how are you?
I’m happy! Ayumi and I are getting ready to have some killer BBQ. Also a little bit nervous, I’m a very shy and reserved person.
What’s different about Japanese BBQ?
They grill more veggies than meat, less time to relax also.
What is your biggest fear in the world?
Immigration officers, racism.
Killer mutant penguins?
Sounds gnarly! Maybe not scary at all, but in Fifer’s world there’s only rainbows and flowers, that kind of stuff, no mutants.
No chubby unicorns?
A lot of unicorns, all kinds: chubbies and mini ones.
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in the south of Mexico City.
What was it like growing up there?
It was great! Mexico city has given me some interesting tools for my live. I learned how to survive and be aware of my surroundings every time. Its hard to have a typical routine in Mexico city, every day is different and full of surrealism. I’m totally a city rat.
What’s the most surreal experience of your life so far?
Starting college, I was contacted by an ex-NASA researcher by mistake. She told me there were no mistakes in the life and that our encounter was meant to be. She was into UFO and alien life investigation. I made my research about her, and found some film documentaries and books by her in my school library, she sounded legit.
She was someone very interesting to talk to, pretty smart. After 6 months of heavy communication, and a lot of weird coincidences or signals, I was invited to be part of a project -Men and Women of the Future – which consisted on living in a commune where we were going to expect -the come- of some kind of extraterrestrial form of life for our salvation from this planet, some kind of End of the Millennium Cult, scary! It was pretty surreal.
Wait. What? Are you human?
Well, I have some ancestors from Melmac.
How did you find skateboarding?
I found skateboarding when I was 7 years old. My older brother introduced me, he was introduced by his friends.
Have you stayed in the game since then?
In and out. When I started skating, half pipes (verts) and ramps were the ultimate thing, Bones brigade times! My parents were very supportive of my skateboarding, for the first time I’d found an activity where I was sincerely happy and focused. They used to pay a guy who looked like Hosoi to give me some vert classes after school. That was my life for around 2 and a half years, then the half pipes and skate shops started to close. It was the end of an era. I was out for a couple years, then tried the street skating, felt very sloggy compared to the vert feeling, I didn’t like it as much.
There have always been some skateboards in my home just to goof and cruise around on. When longboards appeared in my life, they instantly gave me a super boost, I felt I was back to my childhood. Weird deck shapes and bigger wheels were back in the game! For the 20 years I’ve been in this culture, maybe I am the worst skilled skater ever.
You clearly haven’t met the skateboarding turtle!
No! What I am missing? I have to search!
He’s the oldest life form on a in wheelie board. Sadly, after 34 years, he still pushes mongo!
Haha mongo and mall grab can be convenient, not a problem for me. I don’t discriminate.
What sort of skateboarding gives you the biggest smile?
Downhill with good friends in a full grip and no worries hill.
When did you discover fast skating?
In 2007, I gave Daniel my little brother a 33 inch Sector nine Native as a b’day present. He didn’t like skateboarding at all, just surfing. Before buying his present, I had never ridden a longboard, it was something weird. I thought that maybe giving him a skate that feels more like surfing would change his idea. Well, it not only changed his idea about skateboarding, I instantly fell in love with the soft wheels and the speed feeling.
How has skateboarding impacted your relationship?
We have been always very close as family. But skateboarding made a huge bond in us. I have been always interested in some kind of girly stuff, and he has always been very macho – in a good way, so, skateboarding became a gold link between us. I admire him a lot, his natural ability and how from a young age he had discover a big passion for action sports. He is my biggest inspiration.
What adventures did you have together in the early days?
Longboarding arrived at a perfect time in our lives. Our parents were broke, I had to leave college because there was not money at all at home and also they didn’t have too much time to spend with my brother, so every free time we had together, we went to look for some hills and he spent all day trying to learn speedboarding. I used to took pictures and videos of him, and sometimes ride and try to not fall off my board. No big adventures, maybe just some quality time together.
“In the cities, we usually spend our lives indoors; at home, school, coffee shops, offices, supermarkets, in cars, malls &always spending money. Skateboarding gave me the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. The ability to stop worrying about time and enjoy small details that give you happiness; like feeling the wind on your body.”
Hugs. How did skateboarding help you through those tough situations?
Thanks for the hugs! In the cities, we usually spend our life indoors; at home, the school, coffee shops, offices, supermarkets, inside the car, malls, always spending money. Skateboarding gave me the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. The ability to stop worrying about time and enjoy small details that give you happiness; like feeling the wind on your body. It made me so happy just to laugh and shout with my brother. I realized that we were made for sharing special moments, like contemplating the city lights after a long day of skate shenanigans.
Pablo Honey pic
I have gender identity dysphoria and since I was a kid I thought I was a girI. When I realized I wasn’t one, it was shocking. Since then I have been very introverted and always had a big internal struggle with myself. I asked to my parents for girl related activities like rhythmic gymnastics or ballet, but they insisted on putting me in some karate classes, it was hell for me. We both gave up. When I started skating and they supported it, it was great. Even though Skateboarding is a male dominated culture it was very appealing to me as a kid. I feel so good when I’m on a skateboard. Its relieving. When I am skating I stop that internal dialogue with myself and just live in the moment where I become ageless and genderless, just a creative flow full of energy and fun.
“When I am skating, I stop that internal dialogue with myself and just live in the moment where I become ageless and genderless, just a creative flow full of energy and fun.”
How can skating help other people struggling with their internal dialogues?
Any activity where you can focus your energy towards understanding your body, improving yourself through practice and being in contact with nature and socialize with similar others is perfect for a healing process. Skateboarding has all this elements to reach this freedom where internal dialogue stops and your mind becomes comfortably numb.
Was anyone else skating around you?
It was 2007, there were some loaded boards around Mexico city. But the people riding them were just trying to look cool, more as a fashion statement, they didn’t usually skate hills.
At our usual spot, CU (university city) we got some interesting riders, most of them had a surf or artistic background. They were there only for a year or less. Everybody we met back then, disappeared from the scene. They were in their late 20s, maybe they were too busy to keep on pushing. The only one rider we usually hang out with from that time is Emilio Valdes, he is rad as a person and also a super talented artist.
Emilio who?
Multitalented, cinematographer, actor, painter, japanese food junkie, pool and vert addict but not a longboarder anymore, that is Emilio Valdes.
When did the community start to grow?
End of 2009 and 2010 was the year when the Mexico city scene start to solidify and get bigger. Just freestyle, freeride and mellow speed runs at CU. I wasn’t present when this happened; I had a 9 to 7 office job. I started to mash Mexico city streets with a fixed gear. It was the easiest and funnest way to commute. Not much free time to get wild with a skate.
The downhill scene in Mexico city started from August of 2011, that’s when we started going to the Wednesday Ajusco sessions. Ajusco is a volcano and its the highest point in the city. Essentially it is the most longboard friendly mountain run near us. It has a perfect grippy pavement and is fast as funk. It has sections where you can easily reach more than 90 km. Also it has some killer food for the after sesh.
In the beginning, we were a small but very fun group: Jose Luis Romero, Daniel Figueroa, Daniel Favela, Punk rocker, Valeria Figueroa, Donovan Dassaiev, Daniel Ruiz, Ivan Urias, Joako and El finísimo Jarritos.
Is Valeria your sister?
We share a rad last name, she is a traveler too. We both have encountered a new meaning of life through longboarding. She has an awesome brother. Hi Diego! Valeria has been a very important part for my skating, we took our first runs at Ajusco together. I enjoyed having her vibe around when skating, since then she has been my downhill sister.
“If there is something more important than the act of skateboarding itself, it’s the bond you make with people through skateboarding.”
How important are the people to longboarding?
If there is something more important than the act of skateboarding itself, its the bond you make with people through skateboarding. We are here to share our stories! Especially in the longboard community. I love using the word ‘community’ to define us. There is something very special here. The way we are connecting each individual with others in a global level is impressive. We are little shiny dots connecting and making a big strong web full of love, light and stoke. The role social networking is playing has been essential. I’m really thankful for having the opportunity to meet so many incredible people through longboarding .
Who organised those Wednesday sessions?
There was no principal actor or organizer at all. Maybe just timing, it was a natural step where everybody was involved. Daniel Favela had just returned from Canada and wanted to keep on skating more downhill. Fabian Gutierrez Roa aka Punk Rocker, was getting more involved in downhill he and my brother had been skating Ajusco by themselves for sometime before. Daniel Ruiz, Jose Luis, Donovan and Valeria were progressing very fast and they were super stoked and ready to step up their skating from the hills to the mountains. It just became a habit.
What’s your favourite food after skating?
Beer and taquitos al pastor! (Spiced pork tacos with a slice of pineapple, they are prepared and served in a very similar way to shawarmas).
How important is Ajusco to the skater you are today?
VERY! Thanks to Ajusco, I started to get over my fears, learned to relax my body and enjoy the speed. I had the most sincere and fun moments of skating with friends in the Wednesday sessions. Also, Ajusco showed me to never get over confident. Just weeks before I moved to Japan, I had a crash where I ended up in the other side traffic lane, very close to a fast coming truck. At the end nothing bad happened, just the bruises and the bad experience. Since then I lost a lot of my skate confidence to skate open roads, I lost my skate mojo.
Have you done any skating outside Mexico city?
Some cruising in Vancouver in 2008. At that time there were the Saturday sessions with Mike Benda, I went three Saturdays in a row to the meeting point in Lonsdale Quay, but I was too shy to join. I went to the Darkside outlaw race in Guadalajara in 2012, Mt. Tabor challenge in Portland 2012, Maryhill FOS 2012 and 2013, Heavens Gate 2013 near Manila in Philippines, VLT 2014 in Cebu, Philippines and also Japan.
How did you do in the races?
I’m the worst racer, I get so nervous before the race, I don’t even enjoy the practice runs. I like having closed roads, but I have been in some races where you can only have a couple of practice runs before you start competing, and then I’m out at the first bracket. Its not worth paying for an expensive race in open category and just skate 3 runs in a weekend. Maybe local races could be the solution, but there are no races in Japan where I live now. The real fun part for me it’s outside the race course.
JAPAN? Why?
Love.
What do you love about Japan?
Japan has a lot of values I share as a person. Value to the silence, respect to the others and your surroundings, value to the nature, value to cuteness, value to details, there is a high sense of aesthetic and art everywhere. I love Tokyo, its the perfect upgrade if you came from a megapolis as Mexico city. I love Japan outdoors, one day you can be enjoying a nice beach break and the next day you can be snowboarding in fresh powder. If you are introvert and don’t like to talk or interact with people a lot, Japan its perfect, no one will mess with you. There is no tip culture and there is great costumer service. There’s always good food, but specially what I love the most from Japan is Ayumi.
Is your love of silence and solitude carried over to skating?
Yep, totally! I always feel overwhelmed when skating with people I don’t know, it can take me a long time to get confident to skate with others. I have been in complete skate sessions where I’m just staring, holding my board firmly, not moving, planted like a tree, just thinking if I’ll be able to skate with all these people. I’m just realizing, I miss a lot my friends in Mexico, they made me feel comfortable very easily. My skating is so different when I’m alone, its flawless and more expressive.
How important is cuteness?
Wow cuteness, hard to explain it how it works. What I’m sure is that the so called -kawaii culture-, as they are trying to sell it now, it’s not cute at all. You cannot buy cuteness just by putting yourself in a pink frilly dress. Real cuteness is being pure at heart and not letting any preconception of the world affect your vision of it; its always having your senses and emotions open and intact as a child would do it. There’s a lot of people in Japan who still have that innocence in their souls and its a value. Kawaii ne! I’d rather stay cute than be cool.
“I’d rather stay cute than be cool.”
When did you first meet Ayumi?
I met Ayumi in September of 2005. She was starting a full year scholarship in Mexico. We had some Japanese friends in common. Ayumi and I started hanging out with the idea of creating a bi-cultural art magazine showing young emerging artists from Mexico and Japan.
Did the magazine ever come to life?
The concept of the magazine evolved. After spending some time making the interviews with the artists, we decided it would be better to make an art agency, Unnico Art agency! Giving an opportunity to emerging Mexican artists to exhibit their work in Japan was our first step. Our goal was to have a physical space in the future – Unnico Art gallery- and keep on being a killer art agency.
We had good art connections in Japan, support from the Mexican embassy, and a great artist list from Mexico. We wanted to be part of the major leagues of Art and not just a coffee-bar shop making bi monthly expos of ”young talents”. Reality was harsh, to be in the real art business you have to be fierce and merciless. You will be surrounded by horrible ‘’cool’’ people, really horrible. It was the mecca of smugness and snobbism. As any business, you need great abilities to sell yourself and your product. We sucked at that. We also didn’t want to be part of that rotten system and treat art and artists like just a product to sell. We had a couple of expos in Japan, we couldn’t sell anything, we just threw our passion and work there. What hurt the most in that process, was losing close friends.
Do you have any avenues to be creative today?
Im learning how to take action shots, skateboard photography! I’m liking it a lot. Ayumi and I have been thinking for a while how to connect our passion to skateboarding and art. We are baking a graphic and audio visual project called Nyom nyom, we will focus on promoting a ‘’Skate smart’’ way of life, with a quirky, creative and shredelicious taste. Before promoting longboarding to a new public in Japan, first we want to have a solid growth in our small community.
What can we do to support Nyom nyom?
Just scream it! Let’s have a shredelicious day, nyom nyom. You are already supporting it, promotion is the clue, we will need a way to get viral. But it is still in the baking process. Expect to see nyom nyom very soon.
“We got married in early 2013, it was something personal, a natural step in our relationship. There was no wedding ceremony, no rings, no social acts, not even a fancy diner. It was just a nice blue sky winter day where we went to skate all day, just the two of us.”
How has your relationship evolved in the last decade?
We spent most of those years in a long distance relationship. Since we met, we have been super close, there is a special energy between us, our personalities expand and glow when we are together. We are meant to be always together, a combo. We are best girlfriends, we are lovers, we are party, we are a work team, we are creativity, we are pure love. With the time saying goodbye at the airports became unbearable, it was heartbreaking. So finally we are living together and enjoying every minute of it. We also got married in early 2013, but it was something personal, a natural step of our relationship, there was no wedding ceremony, no rings, no social acts, not even a fancy diner. It was just a nice blue sky winter day where we went to skate all day, just the two of us.
What part did/does skating play in your life pact?
Skating has become the spinal cord in our lifestyle as a couple. It has defined the way we live today. We live for skating. We have a very simple way of life and we love it. We know that our free days will be for skating, our money we can save will be for a skate trip.
“We live for skating. We have a very simple way of life and we love it. We know that our free days will be for skating and any money we can save will be for a skate trip.”
Skateboarding lifestyle can be awesome, as any board sports, our nature is nomadic, there’s always a need for a search; the search for the perfect spot. There’s a lot of adventure involved. Travel, camping, parties, driving, shredding, its awesome specially when you have the perfect partner to share it. Before feeling the stoke and our love for longboarding, we used to live for traveling, but now traveling has become even more interesting.
What do you enjoy about photography?
I like freezing an instant and making it timeless. I like it’s accessibility for everybody.
Is shooting skaters different?
Its very difficult for me shooting skaters, it’s not easy to find a balance with the light, the focus and having a good composition. It’s a good challenge.
What is your weapon of choice?
Canon 7d, and still working with the zoom kit lenses… oops. I hope to upgrade my optical set in the near future.
How is your year going?
We started the year moving to a new place, we are living in a old style japanese home. We are happy to have more space and anxious to receive some visits. You should come to Japan! We have traveled a little bit through Japan to meet riders not only from the Tokyo area. We went back to the Philippines, now to the Visayas area, to VLT, Visayan longboarding Trilogy.
How was the VLT?
VLT is a dream, a longboard paradise. VLT is about traveling and enjoying the best spots to ride with awesome people. Sharing our life stories, chilling, having good food and letting yourself go through the filipino way of life. Smile.
By far it has been my favorite event and also Pilipinas has become my favorite place to travel.
Why should people/skaters visit Japan?
For being a first world country, I’m sure Japan is the only country where you won’t find a lot of English speakers. As a visitor you will instantly feel lost in translation, that’s awesome! Japan is a sensorial pleasure, so much visual information, colours, sounds, tastes. As a traveler there is no better feeling than going outside of your comfort zone and confront yourself with your real abilities. Japan will take you out of your comfort zone for sure. As a rider my tip would be, bring your snowboard. Powder, powder and powder. You can float in the best and deepest powder in the world here in Japow!
“As a rider my tip would be: bring your snowboard. Powder, powder and powder. You can float in the best and deepest powder in the world here in Japow!”
What’s the scene there like?
The Japanese scene is very mature from an age perspective. Most of the riders are older than 30 years. Its a super talented freeride scene, but no more than 10 riders are really into downhill. Downhill is not accessible in Japan. There could be tons of good looking roads, but most of them are not skateable. Not because of its technical difficulty, but we respect people who live around them and the drivers and especially because we want don’t want any kind of public exposure. We never do chasing runs with a car, keeping downhill ninja.
How does Japan fit into the ADC?
Japan has been one of the latest pieces to join to the ADC. The last skate jam we organized was the Japan debut in the ADC. Making the first downhill race in Japan has been a longtime goal for Ayumi and me, but meanwhile there is not a solid downhill scene, its far from possible. Making a longboard event doesn’t have to always involve a race or a slide jam. The next and more real step would be organizing a downhill clinic, like the Mango clinic in Oslob. Bringing some of the top riders from Asia and some pro riders to teach the Japanese community will be a good way to fit in perfectly in the ADC. Having the help of the Mango clinic organizers would be so sweet. Patrick, Dandoy, Pedro, Epos we need a Mango clinic in Japan. Sashimi clinic!
Tell us a secret you’ve found in Japan!
I found a little store in Tokyo where you can find the biggest collection of original goods of Powell Peralta from the 80′s. Rat bones sweatpants, they have a signed Ray Underhill t-shirt, a Ray Underhill 2” board still wrapped, a Ray Barbee board signed, Steve Saiz and Mike Valley’s boards but not the reissues, the originals and a lot of almost new original old boards, a couple of them still intact. Its my paradise, but its a secret, right? Only if you come, I’ll show it to you.
I’ll come if there’s bacon in Yokohama!
YAY! There is Bacon!
Do you have any big plans for the future?
Travel! We want to travel more with our boards, first of all inside Japan. We want to connect more with the Japanese community, especially from other islands. Next step will be Asia; Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. We like the vibe in the emergent longboard communities. Its super interesting to see how they are growing. The bond between Asian communities has to be stronger, we want to collaborate with it.
What do you do when you’re not skating?
Maybe just eating something, I’m always hungry. I’m a longboard otaku, I consume a lot of longboard media. I love reading the interviews in Thane magazine. For real. Also I watch a lot of films. Movie addict. And last but not least, I love getting lost in Tokyo, walking without any plan.
Pick 3 numbers between 1-20.
13, 9, 5
13 – what happens when a zombie bites a shark?
Aaaah, this goes beyond my world.. zombie… aaaaaaaaaa.
9 – what would you choose as your last meal?
BBQ! Some thick steaks and some world champion bbq ribs.
5 – what’s the scariest thing that’s happened to you?
In Mexico city I have been assaulted twice with a gun to my head, but being harassed for hours by Canadian immigration officers has been the scariest thing that happened to me.
Nyom nyom. Watashi wa stoked desu! Happy we got to have this chat with you. Thanks for sharing your story and pictures. See you in the land of the rising sun!
Thank you Gbemi for your work. Its admirable the way you manage your interviews, always squeezing the most from your interviewee, having a deep personal perspective. Your are giving a more human approach to the community. I appreciate it a lot. You have the best interviews in the longboard media.
I would love to see Gbemi being interviewed, I would love to hear your story.
Links.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123468464@N08/