Dominic Prietto Interview

Interview Conducted By SkimOnline.com Correspondent Rick Sawyer
Check out his website:  Third Coast Skim Crew

Dominic Prietto started out the summer as an amateur skimboarder but ended as a professional after taking first place in the prestigious 18-21 division at the Victoria World Championships.  Just barely old enough to vote, this skimboarder's skill extends beyond his years.

     - SkimOnline.com

How was your summer? Get a lot of skimming in?

Yes, plenty, I just wish there was consistent swell all the time.

Now your back at school? What school are you going to?

I currently attend Saddleback Community College.

What was it like growing up as a grom in Laguna? Did you ever get hassled or anything? Confrontations? 

Well  I was born in SoLag, across from 10th St. but moved inland to El Toro when I was about 4 where I currently reside today. Yeah, I've gotten into my fair share of confrontations, but the one that sticks out the most in my head happened at 10th St. when I was about 13 or 14.  I remember it was a nice high tide evening glass with a good sized south.  I was skimming the primaries right in the tight corner between the rock and the wall with Nick Hernandez.  I walked down the beach a few yards to skim the secondaries.  Some time later a dope A-frame secondary booster set up while Nick-I was wading right in the zone.  I charged the wave and lifted a 3 foot backside 180 right into Nick-I's lap!  He started yelling in his deep scratchy voice and maybe even threw my board.  Come to think of it, he might have still had long hair..I dunno, maybe.  It just really stuck out in my memory.  I look back and chuckle at that time.  I worked it out with Nick a few days later after he had time to cool down.  I've enjoyed so many great days of skimming with Nick ever since then.  

Who is your inspiration to skim every time you step foot onto the beach? 

Geez, I've never thought of it like that. I just usually go down to skim to  improve my physical and mental skimming skills or just enjoy doing what I love.  I guess you could say that I skim for those who don't have the ability to for whatever reason it may be.  I go down to really appreciate what I have and how lucky I am to skim the beautiful Cali coastline. 

How about that first place at the Vic contest...impressive!  Were you expecting that?  How was the competition?  What did you do that the others didn't?

To tell you the truth, I  was kinda expecting it. I told Tex and Brad Dickey (Vic team manager) that I really wanted to win the amateur event this year before I turned pro and also because this contest was the 25^th annual.  Perseverance and training paid off.  I'm just thankful we had good waves for the contest this year and that all my main competition had already gone pro.  I guess what I did to win was pulling off a wide variety of maneuvers and tricks.  I tried to catch the largest waves possible that rolled through in my heats.

How do you feel the competition has been this year? What comps have you entered?

We had great conditions at the Todos Santos and Vic contest... Nice big shore pound.  I also went to the US Open contest at Huntington.  It was total flatland trickery, but fun.  I was stoked on the results of the final...my cousin Paulo taking 1st, Sears second, Miles 3rd, and myself taking 4th.  We had a great time.  The Slotstik contest was cool too, except the fact that I ripped my toenail off on a rock just an hour after my first heat on Saturday!  It was a good move to change the sight to Mugu, I'm kinda hoping its held there next year.  The waves and beach were kinda like Aliso.  

How hard has it been to find time to skim while attending college fulltime and working?  

It's rough because I have a total schedule now.  My work is pretty lenient on my hours.  My boss knows that I skim and have school.  I can skim everyday if I want except Sunday, it's not too bad.  Plus I see Grady Archbold and Jesse Westgaard at school doing the same thing, so I know I'm not alone.  

Who do you think is the best up and coming grom?

I can't name just one. In my book a Grom is anyone that's too young to drive.  There are so many little rippers.  I gotta name a few.  Morgan Just... An older "grom" has great tech skills and a good layback style as long as he keeps his speed up.  Nate Zoller... I've seen this mini grom hit waves and make the drop that are twice his size.  This kid is  so fast and will go pro sooner than we think.  James (Jaime) Lovett ... This Cabo grom is 15 and already pro but looks like he's my age.  I was impressed with how he skimmed at the slotty.  He's got such a raw style. Yeah JAIME, yer still a GROM!  Tyler Stanaland... Mike's nephew, who's such a good kid and got a lot going for him with skimming.  I've watched his style and skill improve over the years down at Victoria Beach.  

Do you believe that Laguna still holds the best groms in the world?

Absolutely, it's where the heart of our sport is at.  There are so many groms out there that rip that I didn't mention... Sam, Ryah, little Zack, my little cousins and all the groms I didn't mention.  You know who you are.  The older guys watch you, and you all rip!

What is one of your best skim adventures?

Everyone has Cabo stories... I could write a book about Cabo.  I accidentally twisted  around my Spanish and called a Mexican in Todos Santos a "pendejo" while  we were getting beer. My best adventure and one of my most memorable sessions was the day at The Wedge that is in "Chapter 11".  It was like my 3rd or 4th time riding there and it was huge.  Paulo and I were so stoked to be skimming perfect conditions with skimboardings best riders.  Billy and Geo did such a great job capturing the feeling and mood of that epic session on their movie.  Everyone that was there that day will never forget it.  Also I always like the adventure of walking from Victoria to south TI (short for Treasure Island = North Aliso -ed) along the coast especially at high tide.  Its so beautiful and calming, but not for long.  It sux that the whole area of South TI is doomed.

What was you worst skim injury?

Besides the numerous shinners and occasional "credit card", my most memorable injury happened when I was skimming "2 rocks" down at Victoria beach. I remember it thoroughly because Geo was down that day and I was amazed by the backside liner to shuv-it rail grab barrel that he got. It was pretty innovative for the early 90s. I was probably 11or 12. My board hit the back of my head, but I kept skimming.  It hurt really bad though.  About 5 minutes after it happened my mom walked down the beach and told me to walk back with her... she was mad at me for something.  As we were walking, the lifeguard approached us, asking me if I was ok. I said "yeah, why?".  He was like "Dude, there's blood on your shoulder."  I ended up getting like 3 or 4 stitches from Tex's dad Doc Haines.  He did it with no Novocain.  I was bummed because I couldn't skim for a week.

Do you plan on staying in the skim industry once you graduate?

Absolutely. Wherever my life takes me, I plan on taking skimboarding with in one way or another.  Describe your perfect "magic" board? The board I ride right now works magic for me. Its a medium Vic with very light carbon fiber cloth, epoxy bottom, and Divinycell core. Minus grip and wax it weighs less than 4 lbs. Its the 3rd board I've had like this and I totally love it. A perfect board has got to be light and have very sharp precise rails, slightly dulling as it approaches the nose. For the conditions I ride in Laguna and Newport, it works perfect...sidewash, airs, floaters, and tight turns.  Paulo and Mike Stanaland ride very similar boards.  Paul Wade first turned me on to the light epoxy/carbon boards.  

If you had a chance to take a trip to anywhere in the world just to explore for skim where would you go?  

Well, lets see.  I can't wait to explore Hawaii. I guess I would like to explore all of the rocky coastlines in the world in search of sidewash.  I've heard Conley Ware speak of interesting breaks on the channel islands off of California.  I've also heard of crazy shorebreak off of mainland Mexico.  I wish I could have explored Santa Cruz more this summer.  The coastline has a lot of potential up there.

Do you think that one day the skim industry will be similar to the surf industry, sending kids all around the world in search for breaks?

I sure hope so.  My dream is for skimming to be in the X-games if not the Olympics.  I would love to see this sport get much larger than it already is.  

Who is your favorite person to skim with?

Anyone that's down to charge, but mainly people that are at the same level that I'm at if not better.  I like to skim with people that are stepping up the sport to new levels, its very encouraging.  Its fun skimming Aliso on big days when there are plenty of waves for everyone. Anyone that can hype it up is fun to ride with.  

Your whole family has touched the skim industry it seems...what has it been like to grow up in a skimming family?

Its cool.  I have really fond memories of my cousins and I getting really long sand slides on the long flats at Victoria. Skimming was always a large part of my family's activities in the summer time along with bodysurfing. 

Skip McCullough-Prietto...youngest competitor in the Vic contest this year...? (If he is your little brother which I think he is) Do you skim with your lil bro? How is he progressing?

Actually, that was the first time I ever saw the kid! Skip is actually a 3rd cousin.  His grandparents are my dad's cousin.  His mom's last name is Prietto.

Your Dad, Martin Prietto, affected the skim industry a lot...especially in Laguna. How did he affect your take on skimming?

Well, since we're this far, don't change the question, but you're talking about two different people.  My dad, Peter , was Tex's original partner in Victoria Skimboards.  He co-owned it with Tex until about 1979 or 80.  He then gave up on it (good thing Tex didn't). My dad taught me how to skim. He got me to start going front side when I was younger.  He always entered me in the Vic contest when I was a mini-grom .  I owe him a great deal for teaching  me  and taking me to 10th and west for my first times, escaping Victoria so that I could try other breaks. The other person you are speaking of is my cousin and Paulo's older brother, the late Martin (pronounced Mar-teen) Prietto. Martin was such a smooth fluid skimmer with a style similar to his brother. The first time I ever caught a sidewave was with Martin.  I will never forget the memorable times I had with him. He was and is a huge influence on a lot of the Victoria skimmers including Paulo and myself.  He will never be forgotten.

Any words of inspiration for all the readers out there?

STEP it UP. Be creative. For those who can't take advantage of pounding  waves but still love skimming, get as creative as you can. Flatland sand skimming is cool too. We need to bring the freestyle competition back to skimming kind of like BMX has freestyle. The cool thing is that you don't have to have an ocean to do it. For  those who can ride sidewaves or shorebreak, step it up with style and technical tricks. Pull off crazy stuff in the gnarliest sections and stomp it!...NO PAIN, NO GAIN!  Go ahead...represent your click!  Much props to my main crew Mikey and Paulo- I love everyday that I skim with you guys.  Tex, thank you for helping me out over the years and giving me awesome boards.  You are a surrogate father to many who skim. All who learned to skim at Victoria Beach and the whole Vic beach-bum crew where it all started.  Big thanx to VON ZIPPER sunglasses.  VZ makes the dopest shades.  If you haven't heard of them or seen 'em yet, check 'em out.  Also MAJI clothing, thanx Mario for all the nice threads you kick down.  I also just got picked up by BALLS DEEP boxer shorts. Balls deep supports hardcore sports like skimming, so support them. Keep it real, skim hard, and go huge or go home!