5 Greats: Leo Romero

Louie 5 Greats Header 2000Photo: Burnett

Few are more committed to the game than Leo. And fewer still have stayed in top shape longer. The kid from Fontana has been in the biggest videos, traveled the world, got the only award that matters and he’s still grinding the rail at both ends. With his new Skater part out in the world, it’s time to rifle through some lists with our guy. As seen in the April ‘23 mag.


Nothing but pure commitment on every clip, Leo's Skater is a testament to life given in service of groundbreaking skateboarding


TEMPSTER TIMES
  • When he shouts “Deannaaa!!” at Deanna for her to deliver him film or water immediately
  • When he would rip demos
  • When I would go eat dinner with him and Deanna on tour
  • When he’s down for whatever graphics the team wants
  • When he helps get the heat-transfer machine plugged in. Thanks again for everything, Temps!
SONS OF BITCHES
  • Cops
  • Politicians
  • Restaurants that only seat you if your full party is there
  • People who bring their little kids to R-rated movies
  • People who don’t use turn signals
SLAMS
  • Every time I get a clip I try a flip trick on flatground and always miss it and slam super hard
  • I smacked my temple on the right side of my head so hard once that I wasn’t myself for three weeks. I still might not be myself
  • Bruised my butthole trying to grind up a handrail
  • Breaking my right ankle on a four-foot disaster
  • My most recent foot injury that took me out for four months

HUMBLING MOMENTS
  • Directly after eating a McGriddle
  • After talking to Jon Miner for three-plus hours on the phone
  • Being in the middle of nowhere on a motorcycle
  • Wiping the floor with new up-and-coming hot shot Braden Hoban in a game of SKATE after not skating for three months
  • Watching Shawn Morones play guitar

LeoRomero KickflipGrind PasedenaCA KyleSeidler DZ Kickflip 50-50 on a McGriddle-free morning     photo: Seidler

SKATE SHOES
  • Tosh Townend 1s
  • Reynolds 2s
  • HK 1s
  • My first shoe
  • My new shoe coming out
COMBOS
  • Pizookie and bros
  • Jon Allie and kickflips
  • Dinner and after-dinner Js
  • Demo and signing
  • Lucy and Ricky

Leo Romero Noseslide 750Head-high noseslide, get this man a pizookie!

THRASHER COVERS
  • Jeremy Wray, Nov. 1997—That photo is one of the most iconic in skateboarding—the footage, the photo, everything about it, really. Thanks, Jeremy Wray
  • Marc Johnson, Sept. 1998—This was the first Thrasher I saw. Thanks, MJ
  • Arto Saari, July 2000—On the cover it says “The sickest photos ever.” That statement rings true to this day. Thanks, Arto Saari
  • Jaws, March 2016—I’ve had the privilege of seeing Jaws skate. It’s the most unique and gnarliest skating I’ve ever witnessed
  • Tyshawn Jones, Nov. 2021—In a time of 15-second attention spans, oversaturation of content and forgettable video parts, Tyshawn’s skating is one of the things that reminds us to sit down and pay attention. Thanks, Tyshawn
ROAD TRIPS
  • From womb to world
  • First trip through Europe at age 16
  • All the RVCA and Eswic trips
  • Trips with my band
  • Every trip I ever went on

LeoRomero BS50 Aguilar DZ Leo grinds more pipe before 10 am than most pros will their entire lives     photo: Aguilar

FILMERS
  • Jon Miner—he’s been a great friend for years and doesn’t let that get in the way when he has to shoot me straight.
  • Jason Hernandez—I really liked skating and spending time with him; not sure if the feeling was mutual
  • Jevans—He’s more Zero than Zero
  • Michael Cukr—He’s my beast
  • Dan Schulz—A very kind and gracious man with a calming, deep voice. He took Dakota and me in and showed us the wonders Berlin had to offer. Thanks again for your generosity, Dan
THRILL SEEKERS
  • Nyjah—He’s the best there is
  • HK—I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for his thrill seeking
  • Pat Duffy—It all started with him
  • Dakota Servold—I let him win in games of SKATE so he can be in a good mood to rip and inspire me to be as gnarly as he is
  • Geoff Rowley—He’s such a thrill seeker that street spots aren’t enough for him—he’s out fucking with mountain lions, bears and shit. He tamed street spots now he’s off to tame the animal kingdom
TRENDS YOU WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN
  • Believing everything you hear
  • Game of Thrones
  • Getting fat
  • Starting a family
  • Baggy pants
ROOMMATES OVER THE YEARS
  • Jimmy Arrighi
  • Dakota Servold
  • CJ Collins
  • Cricket
  • Harvey Foster

LeoRomero FS5 2000One push and straight down on a 5-0     photo: Aguilar

CHILDHOOD HEROES
  • Antonio Banderas in Desperado
  • Batman
  • Spider-Man
  • Rocky Balboa
  • Robocop
PRIZED POSESSIONS
  • Skateboard
  • Guitar
  • Canteen full of cold water
  • Kill bag
  • Sight Unseen on DVD
QUALITIES IN A WOMAN
  • Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound
  • Good sense of humor
  • Loves to eat good food
  • Likes Arnold Schwarzenegger movies
  • Finds Ken Burns sexy
SHIT YOU DONT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT
  • What anyone has to say at the gym
  • The price of eggs
  • The Simpsons after season ten
  • TikTok
  • People at the airport

LeoRomero GapBSLip Aguilar DZ Dreaming of death, or maybe just The Flame Broiler—gap to back lip    photo: Aguilar

RECORDS
  • Randy Newman—Live
  • Bob Dylan—Rough and Rowdy Ways
  • T. Rex—Electric Warrior
  • Neil Young—Tonight’s the Night
  • Sierra Ferrell—Long Time Coming
FLIP TRICKS
  • Kickflip
  • Switch flip
  • Nollie heel
  • Switch heel
  • Nollie backside 360 heel
INSTRUMENTS
  • Guitar
  • Violin
  • Piano
  • Drums
  • Skin flute
SKATE VIDEOS
  • Zero—Misled Youth
  • Transworld—Sight Unseen
  • Flip—Sorry
  • éS—Menikmati
  • Habitat—Mosaic

LeoRomero NollieFlip Aguilar DZNollie flip? Trust us!     photo: Aguilar

DAYDREAMS
  • Skate spots
  • Getting clips
  • Coming up with lyrics
  • Delicious food
  • Death
IE SKATERS
  • Mitchell Grier, super gnarly
  • Tim Aguilar, super buff and gnarly
  • Forest Edwards, super-duper and gnarly
  • Jeremy Leabres, super hot and gnarly
  • Braxton Powers, super good at pool and gnarly

POSSUM TIME

BIG PINK ISMS
  • “’Preciate the pins”
  • “Possum time!”
  • “The budget’s fucked!”
  • “Too many goddamn questions!”
  • “Keep ’em comin’”
ROLE MODELS
  • Denzel Washington
  • Neen Williams
  • Marisa Dal Santo
  • Crackerfarm
  • Batman

LeoRomero FS50 Aguilar NO FILMER DZThere will be pipe! Super far, then way, way down    photo: Aguilar

BULLYING TACTICS
  • Pick on the person picking on everyone
  • Pick on the person that acts smarter than everyone
  • Pick on the person with the biggest ego
  • Pick on the person that thinks they’re too cool for school
  • Pick on everyone because we’re all the worst
MISTAKES
  • Procrastinating on completing this list
  • Not grinding every handrail I’ve ever been to
  • Flying too close to the sun
  • Trusting the right people at the wrong time
  • Eating In-N-Out after midnight

TRUSTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE WRONG TIME

Leo Romero Switch FLip Manny 750Think it's all rails? Nah, Leo does it all. Switch flip nose manny

MUSIC VENUES
  • Booze Bros in Vista, CA
  • Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN—dream venue to play at
  • Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR
  • Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, CA
  • The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa, CA
JLAY MOMENTS
  • Watching him limp as if he’s unable to walk, then go on to destroy a skate demo with ease, then go right back to limping
  • Going to the strip clubs with him. He’s a great time and he gives you stripper per diem
  • Watching him actually try at a skate spot. He’s such a talented skater
  • Going over to his house. Hard to explain, but if you know you know
  • The first time we met at this ten-stair rail in his hometown

LeoRomero GapLip Aguilar NO FILMER DZGap to lip, ya jerky     photo: Aguilar

HEATH K MEMORIES
  • When I first met him and we shared a hotel room. It was scary and funny
  • On my first Emerica Wild Ride tour, I followed HK and Ben Gilley and they rode like bats out of hell. This was before smart phones with maps, so I had to stay on them or else I’d be lost in Milwaukee.
  • Skating demos with him
  • Seeing him walk out of a hotel room naked
  • He would some times grab a VX and film me on old Emerica trips It was pretty fucking dope
JIMMYU ARRIGHI ISMS
  • When he calls everyone “Jerkys”
  • Looks at me in the rear-view mirror in the van when someone says something he doesn’t care for (usually the skate media)
  • Anytime he’s whistling to an Elvis song
  • When he says, “Oh yeah, bro!”
  • Everything he says is pretty much gold

I GET EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE

TIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A GROWN UP
  • When I go to the post office
  • When I get excited about going to the grocery store
  • When I have to do taxes
  • When everyone in my house is playing video games
  • When someone leaves a light on in the house
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK YOU
  • What do you want to eat?
  • What’s the next spot?
  • What you thinking on this?
  • Where should we go on our next trip?
  • Is that Bryan Betz?

LeoRomero Ollie Aguilar DZThe endless skate tour always delivers. Ollie the thing in Nowheresville    photo: Aguilar

MOVIES
  • There Will Be Blood—Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Fences—Denzel Washington
  • Dumb and Dumber—The Farrelly Brothers
  • No Direction Home—Martin Scorsese
  • Baby Boy—John Singleton
NOSEGRINDS
  • Rick McCrank
  • Matt Allen
  • Cairo Foster
  • Shane Cross
  • Josh Harmony
PERSONAL GOALS
  • Get buff
  • Grind handrails
  • Skate
  • Write songs
  • Film video parts
HATS
  • The Folklore Hat Co.
  • Paterson Hat Co.
  • Seager Co. (whitewater nylon mesh snapback black)
  • Foundation Super Co. (old star and moon hat)
  • Cowboy hat

Leo Romero Crooked Grind 750Who starts a line with a double-kink crooked grind? Only the best

VAN RULES
  • Be at the van at 10 AM
  • Do not destroy other’s realms
  • Don’t mess with my tools
  • Be careful with the door
  • Don’t cross
COMPANIES YOU MISS
  • The Flame Broiler that used to be by my house
  • Shorty’s
  • Fox Coffee that used to be by my house
  • Eswic
  • Babe’s Kitchen

YOU CANT CONTROL WHAT PEOPLE SAY OR DO

SUCCESSORIES
  • Leaf blower
  • Hedge trimmer
  • Grinder
  • Bondo
  • Curb ramp
REASONS FOR OPTIMISM
  • Nothing matters
  • Nobody cares
  • You’ll die and be forgotten
  • You can’t control what people say or do
  • It all ends the same way for everyone

LeoRomero Nosegrind IrvineCA KyleSeidler DZAbsolutely shredding at 36, Leo defies trends with straight-ahead radical skateboarding     photo: Seidler
  • January 1989

    January 1989
    Cover: Jay Adams – Grind Photo: Hudson Inside This Mag: Thrash-A-Thon in San Luis Obispo and what skateboarding is all about in 1989Also In This Issue: An overview of contests, demos and other skate-intrusions in '88, pool skating in Cambridge and some snowboarding actionMusic Articles: The Sugar Cubes, Igor's record collection, Suicidal Tendencies and Eek-A-Mouse  
  • Winter 1988

    Winter 1988
    Cover: Tony AlvaPhoto: Kevin ThatcherInside: Best Of Thrasher: Our first 13th issue. Interviews with Mullen, Hosoi, Blender, and Smith.
  • December 1988

    December 1988
    Cover: Lance Mountain – Sad PlantPhoto: Ogden Inside This Mag Capitol Burnout in Sacramento with Lance Mountain, Micke Alba, Eric Dressen, Jason Jesse, Mark Gonzales, Steve Caballero and Ben Schroeder and skating in Germany Also In This Issue: Spotlight on skating in Boise, IDMusic Articles: Social Distortion and Guns 'n' Roses
  • November 1988

    November 1988
    Cover: Bod Boyle – Back Lip Photo: Kanights Inside This Mag: Jaks team in Santa Barbara and the World Cup '88 in MunsterAlso In This Issue: Metro D.C. skate report, the "Gotcha Grind" in Seattle and the O'Boy/Thrasherland/TNT Skate Shop series finaleMusic Articles: The Hard-Ons and Social Distortion
  • October 1988

    October 1988
     Cover: Dave Hackett – Frontside Grind Photo: Katz Inside This Mag: The Tracker Bluegrass Aggression Session at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY, skating in Albuquerque and a photospread of skating at a New Zealand canalAlso In This Issue: Pool sharks and gnarly skate injuriesMusic Articles: The Accused and happening bands from the East Coast featuring Living Colour, Soul Asylum, H.R. from Bad Brains, White Zombie, Gwar, Danzig and more