WELCOME RAFAEL GOMES

Rafael has traveled the world with his skateboard, being highly respected everywhere he went.

“Synonymous with solid and stylish technical skateboarding, Rafael Gomes is a reference for generations of Brazilian skateboarders.
An icon from Paraná that was recognized by 5Boro, a respected brand from New York that launched its pro-model of shape internationally, distributed in several countries.

Born in Maringá, Rafael Gomes travels from an early age to skate in the US, mainly to the east coast, where he cut his skateboard in rustic no-frills peaks, with a great desire to maneuver whatever came his way.

In 2010 he was elected Skater of the Year by CemporcentoSKATE magazine. A title that demonstrates a fraction of what this skater deserves and represents for Brazilian skateboarding, despite his humble personality not giving clues that he is a legend.”

photo by Fernando Gomes

What year did you start skating and where did you ride the most when you started?

I started skating around 1992 influenced by my two brothers, Neto and Léo, in Campo Mourão. I have memories of skating a lot on the street at home, even the neighbors fighting over the obstacles we used to do... Lol
As Campo Mourão didn't have a skating rink at the time, we went walking down the street, but I don't remember having a classic peak for sessions at the beginning.

What are your inspirations since you started to walk and who do you inspire yourself nowadays?

My inspirations since I started were my brothers, who always encouraged me a lot, my friends, Trakz, Strawberry, Fer, Gerdal, Narciso and several other friends of the time and I was also influenced by skateboarders from outside Brazil, such as Guy Mariano, Koston... Nowadays I'm very inspired by my close friends of the new generation, hanging out with Wilton, Pedro, Felipinho and some others is a big motivation. For me it's also very inspiring to hang out with my friends who are over 40 years old, like Juninho, Sapinho, Coelho, Gian and other brothers who have been skateboarding for a long time and still manage to transmit the joy that skateboarding provides.

You became a professional in 2000 and have always been a big influence on Brazilian skateboarding, many years have passed since your professionalization, what do you think has changed from there to here in skateboarding?

A lot changed, when I went to Pro the reality was very different from the current one, the printed magazines and the videos were the way for us to make the “runs” of Skate, we had to go straight to São Paulo or find a way to travel with the photographers and videographers to produce, send the footage to videos. Today the media has changed, with social networks, people have instant exposure around the world, even with regard to sponsorships, events, the structure today is different. It was a whole process and I am very grateful to the generations of skaters who made it happen back then, even without any structure for me to be able to make a living off Skate and for skateboarding to reach the level it is today here in Brazil.

You always had a different skateboard, always filmed and produced on the street, won skater of the year awards only producing on the street, competing in championships was never your focus, even though in the past it was a great source to stand out. Tell the guys about 3 coolest memories of all that filming and photo production on the street that you most enjoyed doing.

There are so many memorable moments and journeys that it's hard to say 3, but doing the Cityzen part was very remarkable for being a totally different project, there were several funny situations and some tense ones in the company of Gui Guimarães, one of them we stuck in the morning in a very area. In the bustling neighborhood of Liberdade, I was making a line when I went to take a turn and hit a stroke on a guy who was passing by on the street and I hadn't seen it, I apologized from afar and continued down the slope. hahaa

 

photo by Murilo Apenas Gosto

What are your activities outside of Skateboarding, what do you like to do when you are not riding?

When I'm not skating, I'm always at Retta and at Pluslife Café, which is the coffee shop that was born during the pandemic and is an extension of the Pluslife Store, a store that my wife has owned for 14 years. Specialty coffee is a new universe for me and there's a whole culture that I'm really enjoying learning. Another thing that I prioritize a lot is being with my family.

And what about the Retta Skate Shop store, when how did it start and what inspired you at the time to start the store project, tell us some troubles because it is never easy to undertake in Brazil?

Retta started in 2009 with my brothers Neto and Léo and our friend Sidney Arakaki, what inspired us was the possibility of making a project that we could contribute to the Skate culture. We realized that Skate was all over Brazil and many places without access to quality parts and products. We started with the online store, the stock was in the wardrobe of my mother's house in Campo Mourão, where each one did a function in different cities, because we all had side projects, after a while the stock went to Londrina , where my brother Neto lived. In 2015, with the entry of Kaique Arita, we moved the entire operation to Maringá, which was when we opened our first physical store, which has always been our dream since the beginning. In 2017, Morimoto arrived to add up and we were able to return to Londrina as a physical store.
There were several perrengues, from fraud in online sales, loans after loans and that rushes from selling to raise money to pay the bills of the day.
Retta is a family in which all employees live skateboarding and it is very gratifying to see the love everyone has for the project.
Thanks to God and a lot of dedication from all who are part of it, things are happening, there will always be troubles, but we have to run to overcome it.

About food, what have you been looking for lately that makes you feel better and makes you better prepared for the sessions?

I am focused on taking care of my health so that I can skate for many, many years with a better quality of life. Today we have several references on how these cares make a difference, just looking at Fabio Cristiano, it's inspiring to see the footprint he skates. Food is very important, I also strengthen and now I'm also part of the Hirata Institute,  a project by Dr Luciano Hirata, he knows a lot, he is a specialist in Chinese medicine and is helping me a lot in the recovery of this injury that I am and also in the prevention of future, is a work focused on the body and mind.

You were a gringa brand in NYC, traveled the world producing and met a lot of people. What have you always seen as positive in gringo brands and how much can Brazil still improve here in this regard?

During the time I had the opportunity to walk to 5Boro and live with a crowd there, it was an experience Daora, Tombo, who at the time was the team manager, was always concerned with the well being of the skaters, when I went there he always asked before what I needed and when it arrived everything was already in the plan.
In Brazil I see that there are brands that are doing a nice job, today I am grateful for being part of projects that are made by skaters who take this care.
But in the skateboarding market, there are many brands that use skateboards but they don't do the least for our culture, brands that were created and stood up and that don't pay attention to those who are there on a daily basis wearing the shirt and helping to build the brand . The brands are made by people, I've seen several cool projects in which the people who made the difference left and those who entered had no feeling for the Skate to end. That's why it's important for skaters to train themselves so that brands have skaters ahead of projects that make a difference for Skateboarding.
It is important that skaters and consumers become aware and support brands and stores that really do for Skate.

 

Photo by Amauri Junior

What places have you been to that you feel like walking and never been to? A remarkable journey with Skate? And say there 3 places that you dream of one day walking and getting to know?

xxx! There are several places, but two I've never been to and I want to go back is to Japan and Barcelona, ​​I miss my friends there.
A remarkable trip with Skate was in 2010 with my brother Renato Custódio, there were 40 days of skateboarding in New Jersey and New York, and several stories to tell.
My dream is to go around the world hahahah I really want to get to know Thailand, China and various places in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil.

You are considered a legend for us and for many people here and abroad, tell us the secret of giving any maneuver and having this master skill, when we see a line of yours or a simple maneuver it is very stylish to see and review.
Tell us this secret hehehe.

Hehhehehe the loco, I have to walk a lot and do a lot to reach this level of legend. But I am very grateful for your consideration!! I love skating and it made me soooo well, it keeps me inspired, that could be the secret hehhehe

What projects are you currently participating in and when should these projects come out?

There are currently several cool projects going on, such as Tupode's video, Video by ÖUS, there is also Retta's which is in the editing phase, soon there will also be the second Chancla video I was recently in Portugal. Lots of cool things happening, even though I don't have my knee 100%, I'm focused on improving so I can contribute to these projects! Tupode's will come out this year, the others in the first half of 2022.

About the TUPODE brand, what did you notice that was different and what most caught your attention to want to be part of it, and what do you hope to accomplish with us?

Before joining the team, I already liked Tupode a lot, even for being a skateboarder's brand, following the clothes and the quality of the products, making the differentiated and clean items the way I like it, I even bought some pants from Tupode at Retta, when I was invited to participate in the project, I started to enjoy it even more, because I saw Cleverson's commitment to our culture up close, always committed to making video projects, willing to add to the personal projects of the team's skaters, has the qualities a skateboarding brand needs!