WHAT'S HAPPENIN' | ISH CEPEDA

OCTOBER 15,2020

Photo: Heikkila

Yo Ish, what’s happenin? Congrats on your part.

Oh man, I’m hyped. Shit was a lot of hard work. I’m glad that people fucked with it. So far people have been giving me a lot of good responses.

Check out the Ish Cepeda DC Part

Where were you born and raised and how was it growing up skating there?

I was born in Saint Kroy, US Virgin Islands and I was raised in Florida - right outside of Orlando in a little city called Palm Bay. It’s called the space coast, that’s why my area code is called 321. Growing up out there was kind of boring, honestly. I didn’t really know much cause I didn’t really start traveling until I was like 19 or 20.

Tell me what it was like moving from Florida to California to pursue skating?

A lot of people that do that say they’re really scared, but honestly I wasn’t even scared. I’m so laid back about shit, so I was like, “Fuck it, I’m about to just go out there and see what happens.” I bought a one-way flight and just never really went back. Luckily things worked out.

What advice do you have for the kid at the skatepark in Florida looking to get to where you’re at today?

Everyone says this, but just keep skating and like, be you. Cause people are gonna fuck with you for you. Don’t try and be somebody else. That’s basically it, just be yourself. Just skate, stay motivated, and get better at skating.

Sounds like your part that just dropped is only a taste of what’s to come, I heard you got a bunch of stuff in the works?

I’m working on a video with my friend Davonte Jolly called “Godspeed.” It has myself and a bunch of my other homies in it like, Alex Midler, Ishod, Nakel, Zach Sarceno, Kevin White - all my homies. I’m pretty sure I have a part or I’m gonna be sharing a part with somebody. I’m also working on an April part right now for the new April video. Godspeed comes out on Christmas. We’re gonna have a lil’ video premiere before. A little drive in theatre with some friends and family. The April video, I’m not sure when that comes out. We’re gonna do a team edit and then I’ma try and start working on a part for April. We’ll see, not sure exactly when. Maybe the end of the year, maybe early next year.

Outside of skateboarding, what are some things that interest you?

Basketball and space shit. And animals. I be watching National Geographic all the time and anything about space. I like podcasts about astronauts talking about their experiences cause when I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut. I wish I could find my lil notebook I had in like 2nd grade. I think I wrote I wanted to be an astronaut in there. That things prolly long gone though.

You’ve always struck me as an introspective person. What are some things that occupy your mind about our world/universe?

Time and different universes and shit. Just existing is crazy. The fact that we exist is fucked up cause we could have been a rat or some shit, but we’re humans and luckily we’re not a rat (laughs). That shit is crazy to me.

As someone who loves space and nature so much. How do you think we can improve on this planet?

Shit, every car needs to be a fuckin’ Tesla. Every car. (Laughs) That’s a huge thing. Also, people need to quit littering. I literally hate littering so much. If I do litter, it fucks my day up. I think about it all day like, “I wish I didn’t do that.” Sometimes my hands are full though and there’s no trashcan around and I’m like, “Bruh, I gotta litter.” I’m sorry earth. It sucks, I hate doing it.

Skating and life, what are some dreams you hope to achieve one day?

Definitely own some properties. Invest my money in the right places. And just continue to travel and just be happy. I just wanna make sure I can be happy as much as I can be. My goal is just to remain happy. Fuck feeling bad.

I back that. Thanks for catching up Ish, you got any shout outs?

Man, shout out my family. Shout out DC. Shout out April and everyone that supports me. All my homies man. A lot of my homies were there for the tricks and the part and I was wanting to give up, but they were like, “Nah you got it, keep it going.” So shout out the homies, I wouldn’t have been able to do that part without them. Big shout outs to DC.