What Youth: Fairly Normal - Leo Romero

Leo Romero was Thrasher Magazine’s Skater of the Year in 2010. And he’s been one of our favorite skaters since Emerica’s 2003 vid This is Skateboarding. His view of the skate world is one of the more interesting one’s we’ve come across and it isn’t easy to pin him down. But we managed to spend a lot of time with Leo - his band Travesura played our Issue 12 release party and they killed it, we followed him to his original hometown of Fontana - a place he doesn’t have the fondest memories for aside from it being where he has some of his earliest skateboarding memories. We also checked out his new haunts in Long Beach, CA, and throughout the process we discovered a raw, unfiltered, but very thoughtful dude who’s skating does most of his talking.
Filmed by Michael Cukr & Blake Myers
Edited by Blake Myers & Michael Cukr

[@EASkateTV]

Definitely right on Skateboarding today. So many people represent it and don't even push on a board.

[@amarillorica]

I see kids on scooters with thrasher shirts now

[@frenchmetalhead1196]

Ker Plunk that shit is getting me sad...

[@torinlandyn1228]

Instablaster

[@billymadison8061]

"it aint as genuine as it use to be" aint that the truth brother

[@BooferMcGavin]

loved watching this. miss growing up watching these dudes

[@quinclay1874]

the edits & cinematography on this video were killer!

[@stevefrancog.8426]

my favorite skateboarder!

[@StankPlanks]

Cheers, love Romero's skating!

[@michaelmastro9382]

I went to elementary and middle school with this dude. sequoia middle. he would Ollie over backpacks outside of the school dances Fontana wasn't as he described it though.

[@chrisccicero]

been waiting so long for any new footage from this dude

[@daniellee1324]

ayre fontana represent 💖

[@strawberryjpeg6000]

this dude is so chill

[@hannibal1319ify]

Yeah once you see rihanna rocking thrasher it's over

[@filmbuff4]

2:00 - I used to work by that spot when i was younger and that rail is insane. i always wondered if anyone would ever skate it, and now i know.

[@alexzegarra3171]

Yea I did it was walgitIgot lol lol ot Igot lol ol ago cdays purple a a justs

[@DylanHartDerp]

dat vibe

[@kaseywoods652]

Love the land cruiser

[@citteral5409]

I love how most of the people who commented are Spanish. Shows how people just relate to skaters rather than being hyped on them purely for there skating. No hate just saying.

[@ouncy]

I see pricks in my area who would talk shit about skaters wearing pairs of Romero's now.

[@meman24]

+ouncy weeeeak. I skated the same model of cup sole romeros for like 2.5 years !!

[@colerasmussen5511]

Those shoes are the shit. The hks and the old templetons and even Leo's first shoe are timeless

[@oopsydaizi3s824]

They probably wear dunks and polar big boys if they even still skate anymore

[@ethanhogan523]

WHAT was this shot on? At around 5:45 at the gas station I noticed how film-like this looked, pretty amazing. The look gave me a Place Beyond the Pines vibe.

[@JackFHerrera]

5:22 "That was the worst set we played in a long time" lmao ah that cracked me up pretty good.

[@danvostretsov]

tell me please what kind of shot on the camera?

[@moballardful]

So rad.

[@nocerealmonday]

what song leo sing at the last ?

[@reasonkills48]

I stay With Romero's' my last name Duh. Romero's 2 were dope .

[@Billionberry_]

But does he really know how dope he is!!? Influential global one here one there kinda everywhere

[@Mordorer]

what a life.

[@thefirstglokage9224]

saw him at village skatepark on saturday

[@bloodfeast123]

Leo is the best.

[@brandoncollins6644]

Really wanna know what the song is at 4:20

[@maciekomis]

his band sounds like Mt. Egypt. Are there any recordings of these?

[@trevorneil3954]

subsect represent baby!

[@Adversitiv]

What camera is used to film this?

[@xXLeAkErXx]

+Office Redwall Pretty sure it's a black magic cinema camera. Lurked on the filmer's youtube cause i was curious myself.

[@xXLeAkErXx]

what camera was used for this?

[@Jack_makes808]

+Nads It almost looks like film?

[@xXLeAkErXx]

+Jack Lewis Looks damn good.

[@romanizaboss6641]

word!

[@josephtitus4086]

HOLY CRAP THEY USED BECK!!!

[@supakidgalaxy]

Best

[@quickbake]

looks like a pretty straight up dude

[@alexramsell4904]

Stop shaking me Rambo!

[@donaldwood7449]

I skate like Leo sings

[@froschein]

I forgot about that guy

[@robbglow]

"Mom found a board one day" ... Leo would be cooler if he didn't think he was so cool, haha

[@mikehawk457]

what word from that sentence makes it seem like hes full of himself? his mom found a board on the street .

[@robbglow]

+cesar martinez she just, found a board? idk I'm wrong. Doesn't sound like a real story, haha. Much love Leo lol

[@oxstorm644]

+robbglow you saw the guy pushing the trolley full of crap right? i grew up in a shitty neighbourhood and the first "board" i got was found in a ditch with handle bars on it - who knows why that was a thing... scooter-skateboard hybrids

[@joaquinbanuelos6046]

robbglow found could mean at a garage sale, at a thrift shop, but even finding a shitty one in an alley is not that unbelievable. He didn't tell an elaborate story...the gist of it is that his mom acquired a board for him i.e. She found a board. I normally wouldn't call you dense but you're hating on this dude while sounding dumb af yourself.

[@migs6294]

Damn, my favorite skater hates my county 😳

[@Shreddiespaghetti]

leonard rosemary lol leo romero, love how he goes up shit.

[@newyardleysinclair9960]

The DITL of where hes silent the whole time made him seem like such a dbag

[@sponger-qo9wf]

i’m a musician and a artist..

[@nayfee5683]

How do you not like Orange County wtf

[@AdrianoFerreira2010]

\;;;/ foda

[@arturoruiz2727]

A true skater, not Nyjah. Skate for life with friends, no for money to get friends.

[@Thisisdarkdata]

+Arturo Ruiz stop trying to define whats a "true skateboarder" or not. you may not like nyjah but if you think they're both not true skateboarders then you're whats wrong with skateboarding.

[@zachhale7281]

+Arturo Ruiz Nyjah may be a "corporate skateboarder" to many, but that doesn't mean that he isn't one of the most talented skaters of all time. Many incredibly good skateboarders fall into that category, Malto, PRod, Sheckler at one time. They're all insanely talented skaters, so you can't say anything negative about them.

[@arturoruiz2727]

+Zach Hale and I'm agree with that. He is te Best pro skater, as the other guy says in the "corporate skater" sense, and i understand that without the skate industry there would not be the competition, level and chances to make being a skater a job and lifestyle. As any pro athlete, if you are the best mostrar of times you have to make a sacrifice in the name of perform your talent and abilities. No chance to have the definitive word in the topic...

[@Jeremiah11Tech]

+Arturo Ruiz If you can do what you love AND make hella money doing it whats the problem? It would be a waste if someone as good as nyjah couldn't make money skating. Matter of fact I hope he makes even more guap skating.

[@christopherwilliams802]

nah Nyjah is cold blooded Leo is much like a dylan reider except with leo he is better at rails... both dylan and leo place emphasis on style rather than bag loads of tricks

[@dannyboygreysky8963]

skatings hasnt had the same vibe for ages. every since that lame magazine thrasher came out try too revamp the vibe ive been less and less hyped on that vibe, jean vests suck.

[@billymadison8061]

alright leo idk about you singin...the band doesnt sound too bad if your into that music but maybe pass the vocals on

[@michaelmastro9382]

it was worse