Erick Winkowski is a professional skateboarder from San Diego, California. Born in 1995, he turned pro in 2017 and is known for his unique tricks and style. Sponsored by major brands like Santa Cruz, Erick has been featured in top skateboarding magazines and videos, making a significant mark in the skateboarding community.
OGRT: I greatly appreciate you doing this Erick. What’s new in your world?
EW: Rieka my 1-year-old Malnois/Shepherd, she keeps me really busy.
OGRT: How did you get your start in skateboarding?
EW: I was 10 years old, and my dad and brother came home with an extra skateboard and told me the city had just built a skatepark a mile away (Paradise Hills Park). My dad took us there and dropped us off, and after that, we went there every day.
OGRT: Who were some of the pros you looked up to?
EW: Jeff Phillips, Frankie Hill, Tommy Sandoval
OGRT: Who were your first sponsors?
EW: Unfortunately, Welcome Skateboards. The owner of that company is like a toxic girlfriend that only added stress to my life. After I quit that company everything good lined up for me, starting with OJ Wheels then soon NHS hooked me up with Santa Cruz boards. Now I feel like I’m where I belong.
OGRT: You eventually turned pro for Santa Cruz in 2017, how has that changed your life?
EW: Completely changed things for the better, I was struggling badly with money before that and didn’t feel like I was ever going to make any real money in skateboarding, I was a dishwasher and I was really close to selling drugs because I saw the people around me who were doing it and it seemed like easy money at the time, but now I look at all those people and they are either in jail or not here anymore, probably where I’d be. Skateboarding saved my life, I was getting heavy into drinking at the time, and once I went pro I decided to put the bottle down because I’m in love with skateboarding more than anything and alcohol was pulling me away from it.
OGRT: Let’s talk about your deck graphics. What is the inspiration behind them and do you have a favorite?
EW: I like to draw a lot and most of my graphics concepts are from my notebook. The Dope Planet graphic was cool to see go down because I had drawn the original artwork for it in 2013 before I rode for anyone. My favorite graphic is the one of my Georgia on it but after that, I really like the raccoon graphic too.
OGRT: You ride a shaped deck, which is pretty unusual for a younger pro, why?
EW: In 2014 I skated with some friends from Seattle, WA to Tijuana, MX. The whole 101-day trip I skated a flat Ray Bones Powell board and got used to it. After that, I kept riding similar boards and now it’s all I feel like riding. I started off riding normal boards but I’ve always enjoyed shaped boards more.
OGRT: You have a huge bag of tricks with a lot of old-school influence, how did that come about?
EW: I started off skating street looking up to local SD skaters like Tommy Sandoval, then I started getting heel bruises all the time jumping off big shit. My first time visiting Seattle I knew that’s where I needed to be, all my friends up there were building ramps and emptying/ skating pools every day. I moved up there and had a ramp in the backyard so I was skating that thing every day watching Jeff Phillips videos and crusty demons of dirt.
OGRT: Did you ever do gymnastics? You have some of the craziest inverts, how did you get so good at them?
EW: Practice practice practice, never been in gymnastics, I’ve spent a lot of time falling every way you can think of, one of the worst was learning to ho ho’s my board would fall off my feet and one time I got trucked in the head another time landed primo on my hand, and my board ain’t light. I spent months falling before landing my first hoho or Phillips 66.
OGRT: You’ve had your fair share of significant injuries over the years. Do you do anything for injury prevention? What do you do to pass the time when you can’t skate?
EW: Nothing you can do to prevent injury when you are skateboarding all the time, learning how to get through them is the real battle. It’s depressing but it’s important to stay away from alcohol when your body is healing. I just try to eat healthy and get a lot of rest, I like to be outside so anything that gets me outside on my road to recovery usually sets me good. A couple of things I really enjoy are gardening, taking my dogs places they have never been, and also been enjoying golf without the goofy golf clothes haha I feel like Happy Gilmore on the course.
OGRT: What do you think of the progression of skateboarding?
EW: It’s insane, it just keeps getting crazier and crazier. Seeing some of these guys get down in person is a real treat to watch. Watching Henry Gartland skateboard was one of the most special things I’ve ever been blessed to witness. He was on another level and was one of those guys that pushed skateboarding to the limits.
OGRT: Who are some of the current rippers you like to watch and why?
EW: A few people I enjoy watching are: Milton Martinez, Chris Cope, Chris Russell, Lukas Miller, Willis Kimbel, Mark Red Scott, Jamie Foy, and Omar Hassan. There’s more but these are a few off the top of my head. I like it when someone can naturally be themselves on their board.
OGRT: Talk about your setup, deck, trucks, wheels, and bearings. Are there specific things you do to your setup?
EW: Santa Cruz deck size is 10.34″, 159 Indys, 58-60mm OJs, any Bronson bearings, Mob Grip. I don’t do anything specific, other than use 3 riser pads so I don’t wheel-bite
OGRT: What’s next for Erick Winkowski?
EW: I am currently working on putting out a part at the beginning of next year and then filming all next year to release another by the end hopefully. Also, I have been looking for some property in the mountains, I want to build my own house/ramp. I would love to own some horses and grow a huge garden of my own.
Again, thank you so much, Erick!
Old Guys Rip Too
