Shawn Mandoli was a prominate figure in skateboarding in the early / mid 90's. Originally from San Jose, he came up skating with many legendary skaters and was a part of that early SF scene that left a lasting impression on many people. In 1998, Shawn decided to stop skating professionally in order to pursue other things including missionary work and college. Even though he was no longer doing it for a living, Shawn continued to skate and remain involved in his own way. The following interview starts with Shawn's Bay Area roots and walks us through his journey up until present day.

Interview By Shawn Whisenant

Whisenant: So you grew up in San Jose, can you tell me a little bit about the skate scene in San Jose back then?

Mandoli: Skating in SJ from the late 80's through the 90's was rad. I grew up around a lot of good skaters. To me skating in Northern California was more than just being good at skating or about making money. Skating was hated by most people back then. Skaters were looked at as weird, and different, so if you wanted to be a skater you knew you'd be hated on. So, everybody was cool with each other that skated for the most part. Another thing about skating in San Jose was that we actually skated. I'd go to other cities and dudes would be at a spot and they would chill, clown on people, and not even skate. I didn't understand that. In San Jose if you didn't skate you'd get clowned on.

Whisenant: Who did you grow up skating with in San Jose?

Mandoli: I grew up skating with some amazing skaters. I ended being good friends with the skaters I looked up to. I went to junior high school with Tim Brauch. He could ollie higher than any one at John Muir Middle School. I ended up skating with him a lot and he actually took me to one of the first street contest I skated in. We both got 2nd in our divisions; we were stoked. I also grew up skating with Edward Devera, Spencer Fujimoto, Salman Agah, Matt Eversole, Tim Brauch, and Jason Adams. All those dudes were rippers. It was cool being around them from when I first started skating.

Whisenant: How did you get involed with skateboarding and do you remember your first board?

Mandoli: My brother Zari started skating in 1986. I looked up to him, so I wanted skate. My first board was a Keith Meek Slasher.

Whisenant: What spots did you guy's skate back then in San jose?

Mandoli: We skated all the classic SJ spots that people know. One of my favoriate spots back then was the Safeway Curb. It was by my house and everybody went there. There were no parks back then, so we had to create spots. I loved those days, it was real street skating.

Whisenant: Was there any skate park's in your area growing up?

Mandoli: There was the indoor San Jose Skatepark, but they didn't know how to create a street course. We'd skate there, but I enjoyed taking the bus to random spots on the streets.

Whisenant: Any Steve Caballero sightings growing up and who was the first professinal skateboarder that you saw in San jose?

Mandoli: Yeah, I saw Cab skating a backyard vert ramp in the late 80's and he was ripping; super smooth, and straight up pro. He made me want to skate for a living.

Whisenat: A lot of great skateboarders came out of San Jose In the early 1990's, who was the one local who really impressed you with their skating during those days?

Mandoli: Crazy Eddie was amazing. I already mentioned the more well-known guys, but Crazy Eddie was sick! He did gnarly rails before anyone in the city. He was rad to skate with cause it was all guts for him. He was sketchy but burly.

Whisenant: What video's did you enjoy growing up?

Mandoli: We go way back to being influenced by Public Domain, Shackle Me not, Soldier's Story, and the Plan B videos. I'd have to say that Video Days was the raddest one of all. Jason Lee's part influenced me a lot. I liked the whole video but J. Lee was ill.

Whisenant: Salman Agah, another great San Jose local, was doing some groundbreaking switch tricks back then, did you ever get a chance to witness Salman skating back then and did you skate with him much?

Mandoli: Yeah, I met Salman when he was fifteen and I was like 12 or 13. He was mean before I got to know him. He was like a tough guy or whatever back then. But once we were homies it was cool showing up to spots, cause he had my back. He got me on Real, and really helped me out with my sponsors and stuff when I was in high school. He hooked me up for sure.

Whisenant: Who was your first sponsor and when did you relize you wanted to persue your skating?

Mandoli: I went to a huge shop sponsor street contest at the Powell Warehouse with Ed Devera and Salman Agah back in 1989 for Sessions skate shop. We won the contest that year so they put me on the team. My first company sponsor was Venture Trucks. Greg Carroll was the team manager and he put me on. I was so stoked to be sponsored by Venture when I was 14. My first board sponsor was Dog Town, and then they transferred me to Think. Greg Carroll did all of that for me. It was a blessing that he just made it happen for me.

Whisenant:  How did you hook up with Real Skateboards?

Mandoli: I was on Think at the time and Salman got me on Real. I quit Think and just chilled on the down low and I eventually got on Real. I was humbled to be on the team at the time. Henry Sanchez, Tony Henry, Salman Agah, Sluggo, and Corey Chrysler were on the team. I was like, "Dang, I'm just a little dude, these guys are on a different level." 

Whisenant: Ever spend much time with James Kelch back then and how was traveling and skating with James back then?

Mandoli: James was cool. I did a few trips with him. James seemed to always be looking out for people. If you were cool with James he had your back.

Whisenant: What year did you turn pro and what was your first board graphic?

Mandoli: I turned pro the summer after I graduated from high school in 1993. My first graphic was a metal dude with a plate of spaghetti on it. Kevin Ancell drew it. I think DLX got sued for that graphic. Kevin used a graphic that we didn't have the rights to use. I was stoked on the graphic though.

Whisenant: Real had amazing graphics back then,did you ever have any say so in your graphics and which one was your favorite graphic?

Mandoli: Yeah, Thiebaud was cool about that. I became a Christian before I turned pro, so my experience with God affected every part of who I was. I wanted to do graphics that were a part of me. So Jim let me do pretty much what I wanted. I used Bible stories and scriptures a lot because that's what influenced me as an individual. I did a David and Goliath graphic where David chopped off Goliath's head and was holding it in his hand. We also did a cartoon-like Giant series where our graphics were giants of us. Huf was a giant in New York or whatever and I was a giant reaching into a satanic arena concert and I was crushing a pentagram. I had fun with graphics.

Whisenant: Do you have any of your old board's still?

Mandoli: I have a few, but I had family members on drugs and they stole them to buy some meth - so I only have three left.

Whisenant: Did you spend much time in San Francisco during those days?

Mandoli: All my sponsors were in the City so I went there a lot. I liked going there and skating the hills, brown marble, black rock, and EMB. Those guys in the City had the raddest style. There were great skaters there back then.

Whisenant: What are your first memories of skating SF?

Mandoli: The first time I went we went to EMB. I went with Jason Adams and we skated Fort Mily and EMB. I met Karl Watson and he was super nice.

Whisenant: You have a great photo of yourself, Coco Santiago, James Kelch, Ben Liversedge in a van on an old Deluxe tour, can you tell me a little bit about that photo?

Mandoli: We were on tour in the mid nineties. We were at a demo just chillin and Julien shot the photo. He always had a camera on him. Everybody has a camera now, but back then Julien always had a cool little camera on him. He mailed it to me after he developed it. He used to mail photos he shot as post cards, I'd be stoked to get those in the mail.

Whisenant: Where have you traveled with your skating and what is your favorite place that  you've been?

Mandoli: I've been all over the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Egypt, etc. My favorite? I like it all. I really enjoyed Japan back in 1995 because I was on tour with Kelly Bird, Salman, Julien, and Huf. That was a rad tour. We skated a lot and it was just cool being in Japan for the first time.

Whisenant: When did you retire from skateboarding and what lead to that decision?

Mandoli: I called Jim Thiebaud in the summer of 1998 and told him I quit skating for Real. I was 23 years old and just wanted to do Ministry at the time. I was living in Oceanside and didn't want to move back up to the Bay Area. I was enjoying doing ministry for the Lord, and it took a lot of time to do it. I had to choose one or the other. I quit getting paid by Real, but I never quite skating.

Whisenant: What did you do after skating?

Mandoli: After being pro I got a Bachelors Degree in Biblical Studies and an Associates Degree in Accounting. I did a lot of preaching and ministry work. I did ministry work in Germany, Guatemala, and throughout the US. I did some demos too, but they were all ministry based, meaning we'd skate and then tell stories about how we encountered God. I also organized local street contests in Oceanside. It was so fun organizing these contests, we had a huge nine stair, street contest, and a Game of Skate. We called it Raw Talent because anyone could enter. Local kids were killin' it.

Whisenant: So You never quit skating - just skating professionally.

Mandoli: I can't quit skating. I actually was at the Vans park this week skating the mini ramp and there is actually a new street spot in Long Beach I want to check out this week. I love skating.

Whisenant: Do you ever get a chance to watch any new skate videos?

Mandoli: I really like the Alien Workshop Video. It's amazing skating but it's rad to see what Greg Hunt did. We skated and traveled a lot together when he rode for Stereo so it's rad to see what he's doing now.

Whisenant: What are you up to these days and what are your plans for the future?

Mandoli: I am the Administrative Pastor at The Sanctuary Church. I love what I do there. I enjoy preaching the gospel there and doing the day to day business stuff as well. I also enjoy it because there are a lot of skaters there. Our Pastor, Jay Haizlip, was a pro skater from the 70s. Pastor Christian Hosoi is there and he is on fire for God. Brian Sumner is in leadeship, and Josh Harmony is in the mix too. It's great being around people first and foremost because they love God, but they also skate, which is a plus.

Whisenant: Shout outs and thank you's?

Mandoli: Thanks Shawn Whisenant for the interview. I appreciate it. I always gotta give a shout out to Jesus Christ. I didn't grow up in a Christian home. My step dad gave me weed to smoke, alcohol to drink, and pornographic magazines when I was 6 years old. My step dad was crazy, and it messed me up as a kid. I'm thankful that the Bible says in 2Cor. 5:17  "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold;  all things have become new." So yeah, I'm thankful that Jesus made me a new creation from the inside out.