Angel is number one at life. He comes from the sketchiest area. And you’d think that he’d be a scary dude, but he’s the greatest guy ever. He’ll never do you wrong. Angel also rips so hard on a skateboard. – Mike Taylor

A friend of mine recently mentioned how crazy it would be to work on one of those oil rigs out in the ocean and I instantly brought up Angel who had. Not only is he one of the most exciting skateboarders I've ever seen but he's like those living legends on a beer commercial; "the world's most interesting man." He will fix anything in your house, wrestle a bear, and film and edit your next video part. He can do anything he wants and you can't help but be psyched when you hear a new story of Angel doing something amazing. Someone needs to write a book about him at some point. Angel is the best and I'm sure everyone who knows him agrees. "Hell yeah, doggy." – Benny Maglinao

Angel Saucedo’s life revolves around skateboarding. Angel plumbs during the day so he can skate at night; and on any given weekend it’s not unusual to hear that Angel is up in San Francisco or down in San Diego—on trips he funds himself so he can hit up some new spots. What’s refreshing about Angel is that nothing gets him down. If he’s taking some slams, that’s okay. The more Angel struggles with a trick the more he seems to enjoy skateboarding. I’ve skated with Angel when it’s too dark to film and he’ll keep trying whatever undoubtedly gnarly trick he was working on. And while he’s certainly not against filming—Angel is in fact an excellent filmer—the bottom line is Angel skates solely for his own personal enjoyment. You may not be familiar with Angel, but both his skating and attitude are incredible. He’s a true skateboarder.

Interview by Ryan Leach

Ryan: When did you start skating, Angel?

Angel: In seventh or eighth grade. So that would have been 1999 or 2000. From then on that’s all I’ve done, fool.

Ryan: You were telling me that you started skating around the time the West Park Skatepark opened up in Ventura.

Angel: Yeah. The little skatepark off of the Avenue.

Ryan: You’re from the Avenue (in Ventura). Have you always lived there?

Angel: Yeah, man. I grew up there. I’ve lived in the same pad my whole life. Born and raised in Ventura.

Ryan: How would you describe the Avenue to people?

Angel: Ventura is a small town. People who skate in Ventura—they all know each other. So it’s a tiny place that’s mellow. The beach is nearby. It’s a nice place to live.

Ryan: We were talking about that earlier—about how skaters in Ventura all know each other. Your crew in Ventura reminds me a lot of the Newbury Park crew that I skated with back in the mid ‘90s. Generally speaking, there was a greater sense of community in skateboarding a little over a decade ago because it was so much smaller. Skating with you guys recently reminded me of the days when skateboarding was really hated on; when it was very illegal. Last time we skated West Park, we saw a high-speed police chase and kids throwing firecrackers at middle-aged women; people brown bagging it without anyone giving them dirty looks.

Angel: The Avenue can get a little rugged. But you’ve got to hold your own. If you respect people, you get respect back. It’s all in your attitude. That’s the Avenue, dog.

Ryan: Who did you grow up skating with? I know you skate with Mike Anderson and Little Justin a lot.

Angel: Yeah, I skate with Mike a lot. I skate with my homey John John and some of the other dudes from the projects near my pad. I also skate with some of the guys from the East End—Jordan Hill and Ruben. From there, I just met more and more people—Mikey Taylor and skateboarders from Thousand Oaks.

Ryan: Most people who know of your skating have seen your part in Benny’s (Maglinao) Yeah Brother video. How did that come about?

Angel: Benny moved out from Arizona to California a few years ago. He was going to Brooks Institute. In the meantime he was filming skaters from Ventura. He eventually wanted to make a video. Yeah Brother was just a bunch of skaters from Ventura.

Ryan: It’s a great video. It’s a homey video but with incredible filming and editing.

Angel: Yeah. Benny got down. The video is sick as fuck.

Ryan: It ended up being a really good video for him. Benny has been filming a lot for Alien Workshop and Etnies.

Angel: Hell yeah. I’m so proud of Benny. He just came out from Tucson and made it happen.

Ryan: You made a good point earlier about Ventura having a really tight-knit skate scene. I think a key factor in that is Five Points Skate Shop. It’s really refreshing to have a locally owned skate shop run by skateboarders. They do a lot for the skate community—more than what any chain store could do.

Angel: Five Points has been around forever. That’s a shop that has been there for us who skate. We all appreciate Five Points. They kick us down with little discounts when they can. Five Points has been putting it down—strictly skateboarding. They’re sick as fuck. Skating would be so much different in Ventura without them—that’s for sure.

Ryan: What I like most about your skating, Angel, is your attitude. Your passion for skating is conspicuous. Whereas most people feel pressured to try gnarly stuff, you get down just because you want to. With that in mind, how in the hell did you ante up to a nollie k-grind down Rincon? I know you didn’t pull it, but I heard you stomped a few of them.

Angel: It’s not too bad. The impact is sketchy; it makes your body rumble. It’s all in your head: You have to decide whether you want to jump down Rincon or you don’t. If you don’t, then don’t do it. If you’re scared, you’re going to get hurt. It’s all in the mindset. I didn’t get the nollie k-grind in the end. I’m bummed on that. But I’ll get it. That rail is always there.

Ryan: I read somewhere that even Chris Cole admitted being somewhat intimidated by that spot. Rincon is gnarly!

Angel: It’s pretty fucked. It’s nutty. There’s a gap and a huge drop. It’s intense. But it’s just another spot, dog.

Ryan: What’s also cool about you, Angel, is that you don’t stress about skating. I’ve seen you get pretty broke off, but it doesn’t seem to bother you: “No problem, dog. I’ll get the next one.” In fact, it seems like working for a trick just gets you more psyched—even if you have to go back.

Angel: It’s just a rush, dog. It’s like I get in a zone. My adrenalin kicks in. I love the rush. But once I stop, like an hour later, I feel the slams!

Ryan: You’re in Long Beach, filming for a new video right now. Tell me about it.

Angel: Yeah. I’m at my friend’s house chillin’. We were filming this weekend for the new Tactical Manual video. I made a trip down to Long Beach to hit up some spots. But then I’ve got to go back to work tomorrow.

Ryan: What do you do for a job?

Angel: Plumbing! (laughs)

Ryan: Like me, you’re holding it down in the construction trades.

Angel: Hell yeah, dog. It keeps some dough in my pocket.

Ryan: And you go to school at nights, right?

Angel: Yeah, two nights per week. I go so I can become a journeyman. I take care of what I have to so I can get by.

Ryan: Is there anyone you’d like to thank? I know Scuba Steve has been helping you out over at eS.

Angel: Hell yeah. Thanks to Scuba Steve. I also want to thank my family and everyone else who is down to earth and down for skating.