Rey Ruins Skateboarding
Words by Adam Abada
The recent offering from There Skateboards, Ruining Skateboarding, is just about an hour in length. It’s been out for about four months now; many parts segmented out, many interviews conducted. The video really is so full of delights, though, and warrants repeat viewings. When I found how much (very much) of this video was filmed by Reina Choto, AKA Rey, I was excited to get their perspective on the video. All of it —the process, skateboarding, and life itself, and to use these dog days to dig back into the video and Rey’s work.
Where are you from and how’d you start skating, Rey?
I’m from the Seattle area. I grew up in Puyallup, Washington about an hour south of Seattle, and then I moved back to Seattle in my 20s. I started skating through a friend and someone mentioned the Skate Like a Girl program, so I started going to their meetups once a week in 2018 and met more people. That was a really fun time.
Were you filming anything at the time?
I was mainly into photography at the time. I was shooting events and music stuff just for fun with my friends and whatnot, doing photo shots. Kristin Ebeling got me into sharing my skate photos at events. At the 2019 Wheels of Fortune event for Skate Like a Girl, she asked if I had any videos I wanted to share, so I made my first edit for that event and it took off from there.
How did you then start incorporating your filming and art further into skating?
I was deciding between if I want to take the photography route or if I want to take the video route. I was told that there weren’t as many filmers as there were photographers around — especially women or non-binary filmers. And then Credits came out and I was super inspired by Shari White [who made Credits]. That was the route.
How would you describe your filming style?
Essentially, it’s me skating with my friends. I’ll film any ability or anyone who’s around, but I want to really highlight people who aren’t usually shown in skate media. I was using Hi-8 and now I shifted to HD, so my style has shifted a bit. When I’m filming a skater, if it's one of my edits — the stuff I post on @wetnegatives YouTube — I have full range and control. I hit up people and bring them out skating and if someone gets something it’s sick and if not, then it’s whatever. We were hanging out and having fun.
When I do other projects for brands it’s a little bit more intense, in a way. It isn’t bad, it just adds more pressure and I’m a bit more impatient and making sure I’m catering to the skater more versus just hanging out. Before my last trip with NHS I wanted to make sure I put a clip out before I went on that and did something creative for myself before filming for 10 days for a different project.
Sounds like a good sense of balance.
Oh God, I have to keep myself balanced. And I really love doing it!
How do you meet all the sick skaters you’re filming?
When it comes to involving my friends who are always down to film and aren’t on a team, that just comes pretty organically and regularly. Then I’ll hit up some other people to skate when we’re going out. I’ll mention to friends who know I’m out that I’m out there and I’ll see if they’re down. And then that builds.
You called out your YouTube. I love YouTube. Why keep posting personal YouTube edits?
My friends are the kind of people that like to watch full length videos. Even though I don’t go on YouTube that much — just for music videos and certain full length videos — I heard from my friends that they do, so I wanted to do it for people like them. I used to put things on IGTV but Instagram has changed a lot. YouTube has kind of always been the same.
What tells you it's time to make another edit?
That depends…I feel like it’s when I remember it and think “Damn, that was really fun!” and I want to make another one. Or a skate video will come out and I’ll get inspired. That’s pretty much it. Or if I’m super busy with work and feel overwhelmed it helps me bring it down.
What’s work now?
It’s just filming. It’s a lot for There - Jeff’s super supportive. Alex White (Krux Brand Manager) hits me up for other projects and is also super supportive. I just kind of started letting people know I was freelance and reaching out and telling them I’m available and going out and I’m good with people.
What were you doing before?
I’ve done a lot of different things. I’ve worked in coffee. I’ve worked at a flower shop for a little bit. Not too long ago I was nannying for extra cash on the weekends. I’ve done random photo skate model stuff that helps out sometimes. What else can I do? I’m really just super grateful that I’m filming with my community. That’s the best part.
Staying fresh on OG spots is tough, but not for Marbie. Frontside 5-0 fingerflip out.
Would you tell me a bit about the process of filming for There Skateboards’ Ruining Skateboarding?
After the team started filming on a 2020 Europe trip, I went on two trips in October and November 2020. That was the first time that I was really filming with everyone and working with the HD camera. Since I’m based in Oakland and so are Jeff and Gabe (of There Skateboards), people were always coming into town to film. After the pandemic happened and the video got pushed back. Sometimes we’d have a big squad with a lot of filmers and sometimes it was me and one of the skaters driving around trying to get stuff. Pretty typical. Pretty cool.
What was the vibe with everyone while working on Ruining Skateboarding?
It definitely felt different than other projects. It was a lot of people’s first video. There were so many emotions around it. It was a lot. In the best way, I feel like I got to know a lot of people on the team and know how they operate when they’re filming — especially when people are traveling and feeling the pressure to film for certain amounts of days. But there are a lot of friends on the team and everyone is really passionate and they love skateboarding and what they’re doing and the community, so that helped a lot.
How are you feeling about the video now that it’s been out a while?
It feels good! It feels like we’re already wanting to put something else out. That’s good. On the last trip I was on, I was downstairs and I heard people upstairs watching Marbie’s part, so that was really sick that people are still watching it.
How’d you keep track of all the filming for such a long video?
I had timelines of everyone and everyone had screen records of their tricks and stuff. It wasn’t until the last 4 or 5 months that it was crunch time. If there were any other tricks that people wanted, that was the time to get it. I’m not sure if that was the best way to do it (laughs).
This seems like a crunch time trick, but we cannot confirm that. Chandler backside flips the blocks in San Francisco.
What does Ruining Skateboarding mean to you?
What it says is what it means. A bunch of queer people fucking it up! Watch the video, read the title. What has skateboarding been all these years?
How do you incorporate that idea of ‘ruining skateboarding’ into your work?
When people come to hire me I feel like they’re going to know the videos I’ve made, the people I’ve worked with, and who I’ve filmed. That’s going to show what I can contribute to them. If I was filming a cis-white pro skater, I’ll probably want to incorporate other people into that project. I’m going to have an opinion. I know myself enough to turn things down because I wouldn’t enjoy myself or I feel taken advantage of. I chose my companies and brands accordingly.
Rey made the video but they also rip. You love to see it. Frontside shove-it to backside 50-50.
What if the money is really, really good?
That’s a good question (laughs). It’s like any other job ever. You weigh out your work/life balance. If it’s a big chunk of change, will I still have time to live my life? Will it take energy out of me? You have to make a pros and cons list. I feel like I have a really good community that backs me and have had mentors from my past that I can reach out to, people who know about the industry whose opinions I respect. I ask them what they think.
Are you hyped to get out on the new There boards?
Yeah! I was at Rock Ridge two days ago and someone had one of the new There boards and I was like “Oh damn!” I hadn’t even seen one yet.