As You Wish: Louie Lopez and Erik Herrera

 The film, filmed and directed by Ryan Lee presented the legendary Los Angeles native Louie Lopez, who has been a sponsored skater since he was no less than seven years old. Alongside Lopez, and the CONS team, the film presented a part with Erik Herrera's — the young, rising force in the skate world who was surprised at the screening with the title of "pro". Over tacos, Lee, Lopez and Herrera — gangly, excited, maybe a bit nervous — spent some time with me the night of the film's debut, chatting about the yearlong process of creating the film, the tricks they landed, the ones they didn't, friendship, escargot and Parisian rails.

Anna Zanes— Louie, what was your first memory of skating?

Louie Lopez— My first memory of skateboarding is pretty classic story, but my older cousin had a skateboard, it was a plastic everything and barely even rolled, but I was just like, "Oh, what's that?" And if my older cousin's doing it, I was like, "I'm doing whatever he's doing." And I remember we just would go watch X Games, stuff like that. You'd see Tony Hawk and it just caught my eye. So I'd say that's where my first memory of skating comes from.

AZ— How old were you?

LL— Five. I was five when I started skating. So yeah, it's been a while. 27 now.

AZ— How do you feel your relationship with the skate park has changed since then? Since your first time going onto a skate park.

LL— Yeah, when you're younger and you're going into a skate park, it's actually pretty funny because I remember I was scared to step foot into a skate park just because I was like... Luckily my mom would film me with a camera or whatever and I could watch footage and I'd just have a helmet, a Hot Wheels helmet. Huge pads and you're just intimidated to step foot when you don't really know what you're doing. And I remember it just took one kid coming out because I would always skate outside by myself, and it just took one kid coming out to just be like, "Yo, come inside, I'll teach you." And I remember that like it was yesterday.

AZ— Do you try to do that with kids now?

LL— Yeah, the skate park's such an interesting place because you get people from all over. People that have been skating forever, people that have just picked up a board. And like anything, if you go in somewhere that people are experienced, you get intimidated. So I think if you are at a high level of skating, it means a lot to go up to a kid and just be cool with him.

AZ— Can you talk about the relationships that you like performing, making this? It's just the team, right?

LL— I'd say for this video, what separates it a bit from some of the other Converse videos, there's some new guys on the team, they're a little younger, they're newer to the scene and it's just cool to be able to just be on the road with them and have that fresh energy. A lot of them, it's their first time doing a lot of stuff like that. So that was refreshing and helped me and you feel like the big brother in a way. Although they're taller than me or whatever, but in a way.

AZ— Okay, Erik, so when did you start skating?

Erik Herrera— Since I was a baby, pretty much. But I stopped in middle school, for the whole middle school and then got back into it in high school.

AZ— How do you feel like your relationship with skating and the experience of being in skateparks has changed since you were a kid?

EH— It's changed a lot, because there was not that many skate parks back then. And it was... I don't know, more core, but now it's like everyone's filming on the phones. And it's for Instagram, TikTok, and all this. But back then, it just felt much more natural. Like a little cooler. But kids are getting super good now, since there's so many skate parks all around the world.

AZ— What's it been like for you personally? Your journey and your experience, as a skater, since then? Has it become something more serious? Has your passion about it changed?

EH— I mean, now since it's more of a job, not really, but it is, I don't know, it just makes it a little more stressful. Skating and filming a park, you don't really go out and have fun really. You're focused on what you want to do next, what tricks you want to do. But other than that, if you're not filming for anything, then it's still fun.

AZ— What was the process of this project like for you?

EH— Super fun. Just traveling everywhere for a year and just hanging out, meeting the new team because I'm pretty new to Converse.

AZ— Yeah. What was the best part of it for you? What was the best moment?

EH— I'd say maybe in Paris, just hanging out with the European people and the skaters over there, and just hanging out and skating, eating good food.

AZ— So, tell me about the process for As You Wish on your end, as the filmer.

Ryan Lee— It was hard. I don't know. There's so much footage and trying to whittle it down into a three minute song or whatever. So, I don't know. I guess just for me, it's how to cut it up and show what's important and also highlight the skaters. And also just the past month, I was like, it's not really about me. It's about highlighting these guys. So I was like, "I have this shot that looks awesome," but I was like, "It doesn't make sense.”

AZ— That's what it's like for me being an editor.

RL— Okay, that's pretty cool to hear. In what way?

AZ— If I'm editing my own writing, whether it’s an interview or profile I have to challenge that desire to have a my writing and my insight be what’s shaping the narrative, and remember it’s not about me. It’s not about creating the best piece of writing by Anna Zanes. It's putting forth the best, most focused highlight of the the person I'm talking to or talking about. Without losing your own voice.

RL— Exactly. That a good way to put it. Well, this was my first time of trying that. And I don't know. I'm content with it.

AZ— Are you a good skater? What’s your relationship with skating?

RL— I don't know if they told you. I'm like, every time I step on the board to skate, I definitely get smoked. Maybe after this I'll take it back up.

AZ— Skating is a lot about the culture though. I mean, obviously not to detract from the fact that it's a sport. It's so much about the culture.

RL— Yeah, it is for sure. It's just hanging out with friends and stuff and not quite about just... This is a different realm, though, of pushing yourself really hard. Street skating, what they do. You don't have to have all your friends around with you. It definitely helps, but it's more about trying for hours. That's what they did, you know? They did it really well, so I'm happy for them.