So tell us, what is Ruben Najera all about?
Ruben “NAR” Najera is all about skateboarding! Skateboarding is everything I have ever known. It’s what I will do for the rest of my life. Even when I can’t skate I find myself doing something related to skateboarding. I think it will always be like that. Skateboarding is my life. It’s my way of life.
What are you doing these days? Are you spending all your time repping Struggle Skateboards or you still skating for other companies?
Dude, I am no doubt repping all of my sponsors! They are what I am all about. I go balls out for them. They got my back for sure! Huge shout out to NSS footwear, Destructo trucks, Speed Metal bearings, Freestyle watch company, Black Fly sunglasses, Scoff skatelaces, Grip Gum, Olliepop, Elyzium board shop, Ogio backpacks, Peter Grimm headwear, Taildevil, Thiesnuts Hardware, Cali Board Wear, and Struggle Skateboards.
I hear you grew up in El Centro in the Imperial Valley. What’s the skate scene like out there?
We don’t have a skate park so the streets are our battle grounds. We skate the city basically. All of us locals shred it all up together. Everybody knows everybody down here and we are a tight knit group of skateboarders. Brothers from different mothers you know!
I hear the cops are extra ruthless in your town. What’s the deal and how have you guys adapted?
Oh man they are brutal down here. Kicking us out sometimes before we can even begin skateboarding the spot. Some people here are whack too- they will park their car right in front of your skate spot or some lame shit like that. The cops bully everyone down here too; they suck massive donkey nuts. There is this mini mall down here that we skate called the Valley Plaza and a few months ago there was a shooting in the grocery store. Some guy walked in and shot the person at the register and then killed himself. Also one of the security guards that works there stabbed his wife to death a few weeks later. Pretty intense stuff that goes down there and the cops have the nerve to go hassle us for skateboarding. It’s like where were they when all the other intense shit was going on? When that shooting went down they were on the other side of town kicking skateboarders out from skating a curb. It’s pretty ridiculous.
Growing up, who were the guys that you looked up to?
As far as skateboarding goes I would have to say the guys I watched in videos. I would study every move in slow motion and every trick to figure out their foot placement and movement. Then I would try to do it myself. In person, locally though I would have to say this one guy they called “Q”. He had a gnarly tre flip, massive ollies, and super good balance. Watching that dude really influenced me a lot to learn all those things.
Who would you say has had the biggest influence on your style?
My atmosphere is really what has influenced my style. Growing up skateboarding and what was around me. No skate parks and a lack of spots made me get my balance down on manual pads. I learned a lot of my flatground tricks because of that too. That is a huge advantage we have here locally. A lot of the skateboarders here I notice get their tricks down to the point. Since there are no skate parks or tranny, the skateboarders get the basics down first. Some of the locals could obliterate an outsider in a game of skate.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I know where I would like to see myself. And that is fully professionally skateboarding for a living. Skateboarding around the world repping all of my sponsors. Living the dream you know? Well off and stationed in a massive house with my beautiful lady Sheyla somewhere in southern California.
As you know, First Stoke is all about supporting the up and coming athletes and brands. What is your advice to the kids coming up who have yet to score their first sponsor?
Oh man well first off, I can’t express this enough. Skateboarding must be fun. If you’re killing yourself for a trick to the point where you aren’t having fun any more, then you’re doing something wrong. If you are having fun filming getting yourself out there, then things will come. Do what you love. Don’t toss yourself on some 20 stair rail just because you have to. Excel at what you like to do most. Strengthen your strong points. If you are ripping and having fun, then it will come to you. First get sponsored by your local shop; that would help a lot. If not, then make a short but sweet ‘sponsor me’ video to send out. But most importantly make sure you are having fun!
Editor's note: Be sure to come out to El Centro this Saturday (11/17) to the Struggle Showdown and compete in a game of S.K.A.T.E. and the Highest Ollie Contest. For more info, go to The Struggle Skateboards Site.
Check out Ruben's Profile.
