Alfred “Alfie” Plaza began skateboarding not because of the hit video game Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, but because his uncle influenced him.
“I started skateboarding when I was 9,” Plaza said amid loud bangs and thumps from nearby skateboarders. “He got boards for me, and he showed me everything.”
Once inspired, Plaza knew there would be no end to skating. He made an “instant connection” to the sport with his first push on a board, especially since it was fun. Now, he’s found his niche: skating on the One Way Boardshop team.
“My friend was the team manager at the time, and we would always go out and skateboard,” Plaza recalled. “Then one day, he had told me that there was an opening on the team, and I got sponsored.”
Since then, he’s been skating in competitions and demos. In fact, he’s been finishing in the top three in his competitions, the most recent of which was Monster Jam, held in Arroyo Grande last month. Plaza took second place.
“All of my runs are consistent,” he said, ready to unveil his winning strategy. “I’m very consistent. I make sure that all of my tricks are down, skate a nonstop run, and finish it with a banger.”
The trick that prompted the judges to nod in Plaza’s favor was a trey flip—colloquially known as a “360-flip,” because the board spins all the way around and flips—to a nose revert.
Although competitions are a place to shine in front of peers, Plaza enjoys skating demos most.
“I get motivated by seeing the excitement from kids when I skate,” he said.
This article appears in Jul 8-15, 2010.