WE SKATE TOO: Isabella Campos
Photo by Karina Broden
One might perceive the game of skateboarding as the dude on Instagram with Dickies and a days old Thrasher shirt, shredding a frontside pop shove-it on your block (let’s be real here, I would be fooling myself if I told you I knew the accurate names for these damn tricks). But for Isabella Campos, it was the opposite. In high school, Campos would cruise to the local skateparks to have what she calls, “me time.” Now just shy of eighteen, Campos has grown into someone wise beyond her years and through it all, has stuck with the mindset of not doing shit for anyone else other than yourself. Campos, a half-Portuguese, half-Korean skateboarder, managed to master the craft of intensive technical skill on the board and the ease of letting go of one’s ego in order to master the sport. Her newfound love for meditation has allowed Campos to understand the never-ending flow of cosmic energy and how that transcends into letting go of all fear, on or off the board.
Campos, with over 6k followers on Instagram, discusses her extensive break from social media that has allowed her to detox her life completely. She now finds more time for the things that matter rather than impressing a few people who might scroll through her viral videos. Instead, she finds the simple pleasure of waking up in the morning to a twenty-minute meditation, going for a skate, and enjoying her day for just herself. Campos and I talked over FaceTime for what seemed like hours on her spiritual growth, her new practice that has allowed her to master the game of skate like never before, and how when we truly love something, everything just comes naturally.
Can you discuss how you began your journey with skateboarding?
When I was younger, I always saw my older brother skating and I always thought it was the coolest thing. I remember watching him board and I would always think, “This looks so fun, and I want to have fun too.” I started off with just a plastic toy board when I was super young, but then grabbed my first real board when I was thirteen. I didn’t start learning tricks till I was in the ninth grade, so it’s been about four to five years now.
What made you transition from cruising to a technical skill set?
After a while, cruising just gets boring. I started seeing tricks as super technical and complicated but fun at the same time. You almost have to look at certain angles when landing and getting it down when you do. In a sense, it’s a different kind of art form so when you get it, it’s absolutely satisfying.
Did that transition take awhile for you? You know, when I saw you for the shoot, you were constantly shredding tricks without fear. So how did you get to this point?
Don’t get me wrong, it was frustrating at first but it’s also fun. You basically have to keep trying over and over again until you get hurt. I fucked up my knees so much that at this point I probably have permanent damage, but it's all worth it. But after I got everything done that I wanted to, I started to finally work on unique techniques that I really wanted to learn.
I know you touched on how you started taking skateboarding more seriously when you were a freshman in high school, so who did you look up to at the time and how was your circle in the beginning?
When I first started skating I was going to the park in Westchester a bunch, but I usually just went by myself and I just did what I wanted. It was pretty much my alone time. There were definitely some cool people at the park that would help me out if I was doing a trick wrong or would help me get something down. I wouldn’t intentionally meet people up, I would just make friends as I went.
Photo by Karina Broden
I know certain skaters have been able to gain a bigger fan base due to their social media pages. Do you feel like social media intertwines with the world of boarding? I only ask because I know you have personally been taking a break from Instagram, so has that allowed you to still brand yourself on your own terms?
You know, I sometimes feel that certain people post themselves skating just because everybody else is doing it. They're not skating because they genuinely want to skate. There’s this practice I have been learning in one of my meditations that is called “quiet confidence.” Basically, this practice teaches you that if you truly love what you're doing, then why do you feel the need to blurt it out to the world? Because if you truly love something, you don’t need to show it off. You could love something and it's just beautiful if you share it with only yourself. So I appreciate skating so much more now. I do it because it makes me happy. That's the reason I like to get up in the morning and enjoy the day instead of posting videos for people to validate me because then you don't really love yourself. You have to find self-love on your own. You can't expect others to give that to you because you’re never going to be happy like that.
I know when we met in person, we talked about your spiritual journey. Has your new practice intertwined with skateboarding? Has it allowed you to view skateboarding in a new light?
I definitely know that meditation helps with skateboarding in all aspects. Because it makes you more aware of everything that you're thinking and doing. For me, now when I'm skating, instead of saying I’m going to learn tricks it’s more of me remembering the muscle memory and doing whatever I feel like doing. I ditched the labels and started to just trust myself more. It’s like when you want to paint something, you don’t necessarily think of it technically you just let your hand go and move freely and that’s the most beautiful way to do it. So now that’s what I do with skateboarding, I allow myself to just let go.
What do you feel has been one of your most rewarding accomplishments when it comes to skateboarding or the growth that you've made as a skateboarder and as a spiritual being?
Probably the new perspective that I gained from it. Because the skateboarding community can be fun but it's also dangerous because people can be dangerous as well. Through it all, I learned so many great lessons and that makes me wiser than I ever was before. Now that I'm just turning into an adult, it has given me the ultimate strength with how to move forward in life whether that is with skateboarding or anything else I do. But I’m glad I am learning all this now because it saves me extra work as I get older.
Photo by Karina Broden
Do you mind sharing one of the lessons you have learned through it all?
I have learned so much when it comes to perception and the people I come across. I don’t see people the same, because before I used to think everyone had good intentions and that is not always the case. You have to understand that not everyone you meet will have the best intentions for them and for yourself. Now I’m open but closed off as well, meaning that I don’t allow just anyone into my life. It’s a healthy balance, I'm closed but I let people in when I want. I have also learned how to set boundaries because I used to not be able to say no to anyone which was so unhealthy. But now I can say no to people, and I don’t let situations push me around. So if I’m uncomfortable with anything I say it, I don’t let it slide anymore. It’s made me incredibly happy because I have set these boundaries.
Are there any mentors you have in terms of skateboarding?
It’s not a traditional answer, but for me, it would have to be Steve-O due to his life journey and how he used skating to heal himself through rehab. For him, skateboarding saved him just like skateboarding saved me. He uses it to occupy his time and I really admired that. Skateboarding saved me from so many things too, so I just relate to his journey.
What’s one piece of advice for non-traditional skaters when it comes to skating?
Do not let people run your life for you because if you’re always thinking about what others think of you, you essentially let them dictate your life. Don’t care what people think, do your own thing.
