Engineering and Skateboarding? Curious? To me yes! Today I invite you to enjoy this interview with ‘Autoctono’, a beautiful project that has been manufacturing skateboards with an original touch for more than 20 years.
Astrid: Tell us, what is the objective of this project?
Carlos: Promote and encourage skateboarding, as a tool for life.
Astrid: When was it created and who makes it up?
Carlos: Autochthonous was born in 1997, on the initiative of Carlos Romero when he was studying engineering, and it is maintained thanks to the invaluable support of all the skateboarders who support in one and a thousand ways to keep this afloat.
Astrid: Have you had or participated in events related to Skateboarding?
Carlos: Most skateboarding events in Venezuela are made and promoted by the skaters themselves, or at least, those are the ones we like to participate in. We have done events and we also participate in those organized by friends.
Astrid: Is the project an original idea or was there any reference or influence?
Carlos: The influence or greatest reference of autochthonous is engineering. Engineering: The art and technique of applying scientific knowledge to the invention, design, improvement, and handling of new procedures in industry and other scientific fields of application. Then Autochthonous begins with a genuine idea of an engineering student, in wanting to apply that knowledge he was receiving, in the production of a couple of skate trucks, and since then we have remained the same, where our greatest reference is the application of scientific principles to design and build machines and tools for the local production of skateboard accessories.
Astrid: Where in Venezuela are they located?
Carlos: Autochthonous was born in Barquisimeto, and developed between Barquisimeto and Caracas. Venezuela.
Astrid: How do you think this work influences society?
Carlos: In addition to providing multiple physical and psychological benefits, skateboarding is a powerful tool for social transformation and a training activity. It is a powerful tool for strengthening social ties and relations, and promotes strong and solid ideals of peace, fraternity, solidarity, tolerance and justice.
Astrid: Any short-term and long-term goals for this project?
Carlos: The short-term goal is to try not to go bankrupt again hahahahahaha, the goal has always been and will be, keep skating and contributing to the skateboard <3.
Astrid: What kind of boards do you manufacture and what materials do you use mostly?
Carlos: We make skateboards, with maximum lengths of 35″, made with Hard Rock Maple.
Astrid: Any message for adults, young people and children who want to start and maybe do not do it yet because of taboos or lack of support?
Carlos: I feel skateboarding is an invaluable tool for life, it teaches us that progress is achieved with effort and dedication, it teaches us to deal with defeats and frustrations, to get up and try again until the trick falls. With regard to the Taboo, the word taboo designates moral or unacceptable conduct for a society, individual, human group or religion. It is the prohibition of something supposedly strange or incorrect (in some societies), and precisely I think that is what hooked many of us in skateboarding, a supposedly strange, incorrect, misunderstood activity, what made skateboarding really special, nowadays skateboarding I no longer think it is taboo, it is even in the Olympics, but personally I liked skateboarding more when it was not cool, hahahahahahahahaj, so our idea is not to massify, we just want to show that skateboarding is a beautiful tool to survive in this cruel world hehehej, and achieve a healthy and respectful life in this chaotic and corrupt environment, and how it has worked for us, We only intend to be able to offer this beautiful activity, to those who want it or need to know it.
Astrid: Would ‘Autochthonous’ do this for life?
Carlos: Until the body endures!!!!
Thanks to Carlos Romero for telling us about this wonderful project, I invite you to follow them on their social networks.
Social media:
Instragam: @autoctono.ve