I Skate, Therefore I Am: Happy Birthday Allysha Bergado!

Allysha Bergado in "Children of the Revolution"

Allysha Bergado started Skateboarding when she was only 7 years old. She lives in El Segundo but was born in Torrance on June 25th, 1996. As of today she has already made history in the skateboard business as one of the raddest up and coming young female skateboarders in the U.S. : She was featured in the Osiris Kids Video called "Children of the Revolution-The Osiris Youth Movement" and she was the youngest competitor in the 2008 X-Games and Pro-Tec Pool Party. She returned to her second X Games in 2009 with a judicious attitude, as well as ten pounds heavier, which definitely helps in getting more speed in the deep pools. She has entered a multitude of contests, including taking 2nd overall place at the Tim Brauch Memorial Bowl contest that took place in 2009, she landed 7th X Games 2010 SKB Vert, she was already 7th in 2009. She finished 4th in 2009 at Rock the Cradle, Houston, in Houston and 2nd at the girls Protec Pool Party at Vans in 2011. She rides “because skateboarding is a thrill. Because I love going fast and doing huge airs! Skateboarding puts me in a whole new world every time I step on my skateboard”. She lists her interests as: skateboarding, guitar, piano, school, listening to music, reading, snowboarding, tennis, basketball, drums, hanging out with friends, and playing on the computer. At least skateboard is #1 on the list. Her favorite videos are: “Animal Chin” and “Feed The Need”. Oh, and she has a blog.

She's a local at Vans at the block. Photo Unknown

The following is an excerpt of an interview that Allysha gave to isTia in April 2010. Curiously, the interview was first supposed to be held at Vans skatepark way before they started the resurfacing of the combi. But, because I don’t like Vans background (it does not look nice on the pictures), I decided to cancel it and go to another place to do the interview and the photo shoot. At one time, it seemed that the Montclair skatepark was the best place especially because she lives close to it. But it seems that she has not been at Montclair skatepark for some time now. She is a busy gal and has a hectic schedule: between the video shoots, the demos at San Diego , the skate sessions (and the above list), I am even wondering: Does she have time to sleep? But, we finally managed to arrange the interview at Vans skatepark.

BTW, in one of her old post on Facebook, in 2010, she wrote: “I have skated the Combi Pool 3.0 so many times since it opened, and I am still drawn to skate it again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and AGAIN!”. (Original emphasis) No wonder the Vans combi-pool was Allysha’s first choice for the interview!

ISTIA - Do you skate a lot at Vans? Allysha Bergado: - Yes. I try to come up here every week, but when they redid the pool I could not come here because I could not skate the pool. All you could skate was the mini-ramp and the street, so because of that I mostly went to The Cove Skatepark. But now I will come here again because they redid the pool.

ISTIA - I saw a lot of pictures of you with Christian Hosoi, Lester Kasai, Lonny Hiramoto, Lance Mountain, etc… those guys are considered masters. How is it to regularly skate with masters? Allysha Bergado: - I think it’s pretty cool. It’s really cool to get to know those guys because they are amazing people who happen to be very talented skaters; and they are very inspirational. You get the chance to learn tricks from them and that is very cool.

ISTIA - Do they teach you? Allysha Bergado: - Yes, when I ask them, they show me how; like they try to help me out when I’m trying to learn a new trick.

ISTIA - With whom do you skate most? Allysha Bergado: - I have been skating a lot with Tony Mag who has been my mentor. And I love having the chance to skate with the Pros when they come out to skate and practice for Pro-Tec. Also, whenever I see some of the girl skaters, I try to hang out with them because I don’t see a lot of girls skaters out there.

ISTIA - Who got you into skateboarding? Allysha Bergado: - My dad and my uncle. When I was six, I saw them in front of my house and they were riding on their own skateboards. It looked kinda fun to me and on my following birthday I asked for a skateboard, so they got me one and from then, I just started skating.

X Games History

Year	Sport	Discipline	Finish
X Games 2010	SKB	Vert	7
X Games 2009	SKB	Vert	7
X Games 2008	SKB	Vert	7

Competitive History

Year	Event	Sport	Discipline	Finish
2009	Rock the Cradle, Houston, TX	SKB	BOWL	4
2009	Tim Brauch Bowl, Scotts Valley, AZ	SKB	BOWL	2
2009	DEW TOUR, BOSTON, MA	SKB	VERT	6
2009	World Cup Skateboarding, Year End Ranking	SKB	VERT	5
2008	S3 SUPERGIRL, HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA	SKB	Vert Best Trick	5
2008	S3 SUPERGIRL, HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA	SKB	BOWL JAM	5
2008	WCS RANKINGS, YEAR END	SKB	VERT	6