Photograph by Heidi Lemmon
JULZ was one of many lady skateboarders to grace the cover of Coping Block Skateboarding Magazine! She rips and always has some interesting perspective on skateboarding and life. Big ups to this lady ripper!
JULZ, how did you get into skateboarding and what has kept you hooked on it?
Skateboarding started because I honestly felt awkward riding roller skates and wanted to ride a skateboard like everyone else! I knew I could ride a skateboard because I grew up on snowboarding and surfing being born in Big Bear, and raised on the beach in Santa Ana. My dad would put me between his legs when we would skate our pit-bull around the block.
When I first tried to drop in, it was natural for me. I started competing in amateur competition and won the first contest I entered. The feeling of riding my board and progression gave me an invigorating feeling of stoke. I raced dirt bikes prior to skateboarding and I still didn't get the same adrenaline rush. Riding that board with my two feet and body made me feel like I was an alive human being that could create. I felt unstoppable with a board. It's my weapon, safety, and shield! I knew that if I was holding that board I had the wand in my hand. No matter where I was in the world I could use that board to keep myself alive! Skateboarding made me feel strong. There's no such word as bored in my vocabulary unless it's Board!
Did you skate with a crew when you started or by yourself?
When I first started skateboarding, I was mainly with family or any female skateboarder I met out at the parks. I skated with a lot of my dads friends once I was able to carve pools.
Julz ripping Kona's Pool photograph by Cleo Coney Jr.
JULZ, how does skateboarding make you feel?
Skateboarding makes me feel like an alien from the future... Any form of shredding is real living. If you can shred; you better believe you're at least an 80% alive being. The mental aspect of things is a whole other avenue to master to be more alive and in tune with your board!
What's your favorite bowl?
My favorite bowl would have to be the bowl I grew up with in my backyard in Santa Ana, CA. The hips are perfectly set up to boost over. The shallow is four foot, the mid is six, and the deep is eight. The pool coping is penrose, personally its my "favorite feeling" pool block for grinds. The bowls are round in the shallow with one mid flat wall that wraps the corner of the house. The deep end is like a long Mickey Mouse ear, quite relevant to the street its location is on (West St.) the same road that connects to Disneyland. The bowl is tight and fast. The transitions are perfect. I've never skated a bowl like it. I pay respects to my grandparents every time I'm there. My brothers skate the bowl every once in a while now. Since I moved out of the house years ago, the bowl has minimal activity these days from what I hear.
Is there anyone skater that you really admire and why?
I have always had a skate admiration for many of the older generation skaters. Picking one specifically, I would have to say Steve Alba. He has been dedicated to pool skateboarding and knows every in and out as far as lines and material go. You have a light, love seat, ladder, box and cake. Three pockets Salba will give you at least 100 hundred different lines. He's the most creative transition skater to live in my opinion. I mean who goes frontside in the shallow to backside? Only Steve. He has Jay Adams Spirit alive in his skateboarding and eyes. When I was younger Steve would always be hard on me making sure I got runs. He would push me harder than any of the skateboarders in the scene besides Bucky. As I got older Steve started accepting me more and invited me out on pool missions in the real "Badlands." I got to see him play a couple shows and loved the music, he plays Surf Skate Punk!
Julz and Gale Webb
You kicked off your own skateboard company, are you excited? How can someone get one of your decks?
Yes indeed! I'm super stoked to be a part of the skateboard game running my own company. Things are just getting started and already the international demand is booming. I never imagined it would start so successfully, but that's why I was dedicated to making a name for myself to use in the future! I started with decks, shirts, crewneck sweatshirts, hats and stickers. It's a lot of responsibility and making sure everything is running on the website. It's definitely a major step up the ladder. I've been dreaming of the day I could check this off the bucket list and I'm so ecstatic to see where the future leads for "JULZ" Skateboards and Julz Inc. If you are searching for more information about the company or how to buy product, you can go to julzinc.com.
Is there any combinations of tricks that you love to put together?
I love going into a line like the unknown. Feeling the wall and how much speed I have. I think about the amount of speed and what tricks I can do that would flow best together. Combining different invert and hand plant variations back to back is fun but tends to make me dizzy beings upside down so much to be honest. I also like combining different frontside tricks. Smith, crail, stand up, slob air, lean air, lean to tail, stand ups grinds always feel awesome! Carve grinds are the best feeling in the world just laying into chunky coping and slashing through it feeling your trucks on every little hang, light on your feet and getting heavy again as you push through the end. Seriously incredible energy! Almost as if you could slow down time while grinding...
Julz frontside air Skate Park of Tampa photograph by Cleo Coney Jr.
How do you keep your body in skate shape?
Skate Shape! I'm always using body weight training with basic exercise and cardio. I will do anything from a step aerobics combined with kickboxing. I like to go on runs or long distance skates. I like to go hiking and use urban terrain for my work out routines. I also snowboard, surf, moto, and recently got into snow skating. I'm always trying to combine diet and keep a healthy balance. Being a full time traveler it can be difficult to keep the healthy diet so as long as I keep the balance of exercise, vitamins, and herbs I stay healthy. Also, I make herbal tea remedies for all sorts of specific targeted injuries and health weaknesses.
Any new Tatts?
Always... My artist is Opie Ortiz. He's the most awesome artist I've had the blessing of do my art. Ink is very spiritual to me and I'm so thankful to all the artist who have helped make the ink dream come true. Ohana Organics makes amazing organic tattoo and Shea butter for after tattoo care product. Ink is my third addiction. Something about pain is so healing :)
Julz ripping at Exposure a few years back. Photograph by Heidi Lemmon.
Any shout outs or thanks?
Definitely! Big shout out to all the people involved with the start of Julz Inc and Julz Skateboards. Thank you Matt Gaudio for the wood and distribution. Thank you Cholo from Scum Skates for being the most consistent awesome boards, apparel, and sticker screening. Thank you too Ace Trucks for being loose and saving my life! The bowl is epic! Thank you Black Flys Eyewear, Fly Girls, and House of Flys for supporting me and being the wind for wings. Best Family I could ever ask for. Crazy, artistic, wise crew of amazing individuals! Thank you to Vox Shoes for letting me join your Kult. I would suggest your shoes over Vans any day! Seriously if you have to get out of the box and try Vox! (Ancient Chris Miller Secret: microwave your skate shoes for thirty seconds when fresh. Place feet in after taking shoes out of the microwave. Jump five times and they're ready to skate!) Thank you Paradox Grip for the amazing technology that keeps my feet on my board in the sketchiest of ride aways. The most technologically advanced grip tape in the industry with out a doubt! Thank you to Skater Socs for the many varieties of different colored, extra warm, tube socks! Thank you Ohana Organics for all the Aloha spirit and tattoo after care. The famine salve is the most awesome natural healing product for cuts and bruises. The perfume oils smell so beautiful and tropical. Thank you Harley Davidson San Marcos CA for working with me on riding the dream motorcycle! Thank you WuGoo and Speakeasy. 710 for keeping my vibes uplifted and positive with quality product that is truly legit! Thank you Hard Luck for the super fast bearings! Thank you to all of the family, friends, and people keeping the dream alive! Thank you to all my shredder girls for being the positive support system! Last but what I give most thanks to, SKATEBOARDING! I'm so thankful I stayed true to my passion and can still shred, harder now than ever before. I know it's only the beginning! I will be 25 next year and I can't believe how stoked I am to still be riding my skateboard! Skateboarding is bliss! Thank you too my body for hanging in there and giving me life to be able to accomplish and make my dreams come true! Special thanks to the homies in Colorado for being the most influential people in helping my progression through womanhood. Where would I be with out all those people all over the world that believed in me? Thank you universe for creating such a beautiful universe with such unique individuals! May Skateboarding live on forever! Stay blessed everyone! Shred with all your heart. Screw what anyone thinks. Be individual, don't follow the crowd! Be unique in an age where imagination is lost to media control!