5 Greats: Louie Lopez


Louie 5 Greats Header 2000
We've seen him grow up on screen and in the mag. He's been interviewed enough times to fill a Britannica volume. So on the occasion of his standout year and a new killer Cons part, we're giving you a stack of bite-sized lists from pet peeves to Rowley memories and weird places to take a dump. As seen in our December '22 mag.


Great-looking skating that's hard as hell too? Impossible, you say?! Let Louie show you the way

CAT LA SKATERS 2000
  • Guy Mariano
  • Paulo Diaz
  • Antwuan Dixon
  • Kevin Bradley
  • Paul Rodriguez
CAT SOTYS 2000
  • Mason
  • Cardiel
  • AVE
  • GT
  • Ishod
CAT DEMO TRICKS 2000
  • Phat frontside flip
  • Spin it to win it
  • Some sort of tech shit
  • One-foot tail grab
  • Biggie heel
CAT LA FILMERS 2000
  • Ryan Lee
  • Ben Chadourne
  • Benny Maglinao
  • Ant Travis
  • Ewan Bowman

Louielopez WallieFive0 PhotoCoulthard DSC 8263 DZWallie to 5-0, always great    Photo: Coulthard

CAT RYANLEE ISMS 2000
  • Ryman
  • LFG!
  • Spot king
  • Ultimate brother
  • Absolute legend. I’m forever thankful for our friendship and his energy that goes into skateboarding. Love you forever!
CAT VERT SKATERS 2000
  • Bob Burnquist
  • Gonz
  • Jimmy Wilkins
  • Pedro Barros
  • Remy Stratton

IN LA YOUVE GOT TO GET TO SPOTS QUICK 2000
Louie Lopez fs shove BURNETT DSC 3476 DZDodging rain in Philly with a front shove in the subway     Photo: Burnett

QUALITIES IN A FRIEND CAT 2000
  • Loyalty
  • Caring about other people
  • Being down for whatever
  • Ambition
  • Being animated
ROWLEY MEMORIES CAT 2000
  • The first time I met Geoff was when I was 12. He and Ewan picked me up in the Flip van. They were both chain smoking and Ewan had a Thomas Guide marked with spots (this was pre-Smart phone). The stoke of being there is something I’ll never forget. We skated a bump over gap and both got clips
  • Staying at his house in Arizona with the crew skating all day and night
  • Seeing the dynamic of how those guys filmed projects is something I hold with me to this day
  • He got me on Yeti. Shoutout, Geoff and Yeti! Looking out since day one

LOUIE 180 Crooks 5 750Ricky Oyola ollied this in SLAP. Frontside 180 switch crooks 30 years later    Photo: Burnett

WOMEN SKATERS CAT 2000
  • Elissa Steamer
  • Alexis Sablone
  • Marissa Dal Santo
  • Jaime Reyes
  • Tania Cruz
PLACES TP FALL ASLEEP CAT 2000

  • Car
  • Restaurant
  • Airplane
  • Park
  • Spot
VOLCOM TEAM CAT 2000
  • Ben Raemers
  • Grant Taylor
  • Collin Provost
  • Alec Majerus
  • Dennis Busenitz
REASONS TO JUST LAND IT CAT 2000
  • Say it’s for a loved one who’s no longer with us and you have to try your hardest
  • The joy of rolling away
  • Gotta get this part done
  • In LA you’ve got to get to the new spots quick!
  • I mean, we’re here

Louie Lopez ollie up 180 BURNETT DSC 3978 DZOllie up to 180 blaster, Louie makes his mark on the Ivy League     Photo: Burnett

BEVS CAT 2000
  • Orange Juice
  • Tolago Hard Seltzer
  • S.Pellegrino
  • Green juice
  • Ginger shot
SKATE TRIPS CAT 2000
  • Marseille for Purple
  • Any trip with Raemers
  • First time out of the country—Cayman Islands
  • Paris, 2022
  • Mexico pro-shoe trip

Louie Lopez wallrdie BURNETT DSC 3046 DZLouie meets all obstacles with grace and determination. Bar hop to wallride, ollie out past the vent      Photo: Burnett

HOBBIES CAT 2000
  • Cycling
  • Eating
  • Hanging with loved ones
  • Need to…
  • …pick up a new one
FUNNIEST FOOLS CAT 2000
  • Jando
  • Amos
  • Bryant
  • Cody Green
  • Theotis
QUOTE ID RATHER SKATE THAN WORK A NINE TO FIVE
LouieLopez BsSmithBs180 PhotoCoulthard DSC 5352 DZBack Smith back 180     Photo: Coulthard

SLANG THATNEEDS TO DIE CAT 2000
  • Bet
  • Slay
  • Brute
  • Bruh
  • Saying “like” every sentence
SHIT JAKE MAKES FUN CAT 2000
  • Random purchases
  • Girls
  • Moving away from him in Ventura
  • Call of Duty game play
  • Hanging out with anyone else more than him
THINGS JAKE YELLS CAT 2000
  • “Homaaay!”
  • “Where ya’ been?!”
  • “Are you fucking kidding me?!”
  • “My man!”
  • “Oh my God!”
AREAS FOR PERSONAL IMPROVEMENTS CAT 2000
  • Cook more
  • Stay healthy
  • Appreciate the now and don’t stress on the future too hard
  • Less time on the phone
  • Be happy

Louie Lopez gap to boardslide BURNETT DSC 4450 DZBig gap to board in the South Bay. Wonder if that Matix shirt still fits?     Photo: Burnett

INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE CAT 2000
  • Mom
  • Dad
  • Sister
  • Grammy
  • Tyler
QUESTIONS YOU GET ASKED CAT 2000
  • Do you speak Spanish?
  • Why did you cut your hair?
  • Why did you leave Flip?
  • Do you smoke?
  • Are you related to George Lopez?
EXCELLENT PET NAMES CAT 2000
  • Iggy (my iguana - RIP)
  • Shadow (gnarly dog)
  • Any bland name is funny (like Steve)
  • Santos
  • Jasper
CONS SHOE CAT 2000
  • LL Pro
  • LL Pro Mid
  • LL Pro
  • LL Pro Mid
  • LL Pro
PET PEEVES CAT 2000
  • Getting snaked exiting the plane
  • Door not being shut
  • Mistaking kindness for weakness
  • Coughing without covering your mouth
  • People not saying thank you after a kind gesture
HILL BOMBERS CAT 2000
  • Pablo
  • Sean Greene
  • Gerwer
  • Milton
  • Tommy G
EURO SKATERS CAT 2000
  • Penny
  • Arto
  • Raemers
  • Tom Knox
  • Gustav
MOTIVATIONS TO GO SKATE CAT 2000
  • Ain’t shit else to do
  • I’d rather skate than work a nine-to-five
  • Enjoying the younger years while the body is still itching to get after it
  • The feeling of rolling away from something you are hyped on and proud of is indescribable
  • For those who can’t

QUOTE ENJOYING THE YOUNGER YEARS WHILE THE BODY IS STILL ITCHING TO GET AFTER IT 2000
DSC 0554 BURNETT DZPhoto: Burnett

ANIMALS CAT 2000
  • My
  • Bulldogs
  • I miss
  • You
  • RIP, Bruno, BB and Bo Bo
WEIRD PLACES DUMP CAT 2000
  • Side of freeway
  • Church parking lot
  • Ditch
  • School
  • Plastic bag—inside of car
SKATEPARKS CAT 2000
  • Back Smith
  • Salad
  • Sugarcane
  • Frontside nosegrind
  • Primo drop in
THINGS YOU REMEMBER FROM SCHOOL CAT 2000 LOUIE GRAPHICS
  • Fourth grade—acting like I needed to be tutored just to hang with a crush
  • Breaking my arm on a slide trying to impress friends
  • Going to elementary in DTLA
  • Getting kicked out for missing too many days
  • Going to the school where my mom worked
BIZARRE ENCOUNTERS CAT 2000
  • Chris Troy once threw my board at a best-trick contest
  • Ben Schroeder hit on my mom
  • Meeting Phelper for the first time in the Cayman Islands when I was 12
  • I used to wear a Daewon Matix shirt that had his name on it when I’d skate with him
  • Sitting in front of Dollin and Duncombe in the van and them not letting me look back at the madness they were doing
VACAYS CAT 2000
  • Traveling around the world with my mom and dad on skate trips when I was under 18. I used to hate that my mom would make me go to museums and do touristy things while being on a skate trip, but looking back on it I’m thankful for those memories and opportunities with my parents—precious moments. So I’ll consider that a vacation!
  • Swimming in the Dead Sea in Israel
  • Hawaii
  • Costa Rica
  • CPH/Mallorca
WAYS TO CUSTOMIZE CAT 2000
  • If you’re in between sizes like me, just get a size up and cut the shirt to your length, then wash it. That does the trick!
  • Don’t like your shoe colorway? Just spray paint ’em
  • I usually shrink my hats due to my small dome—wash and dry in hot water
  • Find a tailor
  • A Sharpie can hide some logos if you’re a plain kind of person
HOPES FOR CAT 2000
  • Good health
  • Happy life
  • Staying productive
  • Growth
  • A family of my own
LouieLopez FsFlip PhotoCoulthard DSC 3372 DZHe’s no Muska, but by the looks of this frontside flip that might be a good thing     Photo: Coulthard

FRONTSIDE FLIPS CAT 2000
  • Dylan Rieder
  • Penny
  • Reynolds
  • Taylor Smith
  • Muska
LESSONS FROM DAD CAT 2000
  • In life, you’ll always want more. Take a second and appreciate the now
  • Seeing the positive in negative situations
  • Being a people person
  • Patience
  • Sense of humor
REASONS TO LAY OFF CAT 2000
  • No hangovers
  • Consistent rest—having a lot of energy
  • Learning about yourself
  • Being focused
  • Staying healthy
FRUITS CAT 2000
  • Orange
  • Banana
  • Mango
  • Any kind of berry
  • Watermelon

COMP DZ FlatLouie takes the ride-on trend up a notch with a back tail shove into a weird fountain thing in Guadalajara     Photo: Burnett

FOOD THAT MAKES YOU CAT 2000
  • Anything in Mexico with tap water in it. Beware of the Montezuma!
  • Dairy
  • Gluten
  • Apples
  • Anything chili cheese
FLIP VIDEO TRICKS CAT 2000
  • Arto, fakie flip – MACBA
  • Arto, backlip – Frost double kink
  • Penny, everything
  • Bastien, kickflip front board – huge rail
  • Appleyard, nollie flip backside 50-50 – Clipper

Louie Lopez ollie 2 BURNETT DZBarbed wire on one side, Jesus on the other? Louie makes the only logical choice and jumps off a cliff     Photo: Burnett

SHIT TO WORRY ABOUT CATS 2000
  • What I would do if I couldn’t skate anymore
  • Getting older
  • How to keep progressing
  • Crazy people
  • Red tops
THRASHER COVERS CAT 2000
  • Tyshawn, ollie – January 2019
  • Rowley, backside 360 – April 2005
  • BA SOTY – April 2000
  • Cardiel SOTY – April 1993
  • Phil Shao, 5-0 at Miley – July 1996

QUOTE SEEING THE POSITIVE IN NEGATIVE SITUATIONS 2000
LouieLopez Five0Transfer PhotoCoulthard DSC 7197 DZ 5-0 grind into the bank—big thrills, happy life!     Photo: Coulthard
  • January 1989

    January 1989
    Cover: Jay Adams – Grind Photo: Hudson Inside This Mag: Thrash-A-Thon in San Luis Obispo and what skateboarding is all about in 1989Also In This Issue: An overview of contests, demos and other skate-intrusions in '88, pool skating in Cambridge and some snowboarding actionMusic Articles: The Sugar Cubes, Igor's record collection, Suicidal Tendencies and Eek-A-Mouse  
  • Winter 1988

    Winter 1988
    Cover: Tony AlvaPhoto: Kevin ThatcherInside: Best Of Thrasher: Our first 13th issue. Interviews with Mullen, Hosoi, Blender, and Smith.
  • December 1988

    December 1988
    Cover: Lance Mountain – Sad PlantPhoto: Ogden Inside This Mag Capitol Burnout in Sacramento with Lance Mountain, Micke Alba, Eric Dressen, Jason Jesse, Mark Gonzales, Steve Caballero and Ben Schroeder and skating in Germany Also In This Issue: Spotlight on skating in Boise, IDMusic Articles: Social Distortion and Guns 'n' Roses
  • November 1988

    November 1988
    Cover: Bod Boyle – Back Lip Photo: Kanights Inside This Mag: Jaks team in Santa Barbara and the World Cup '88 in MunsterAlso In This Issue: Metro D.C. skate report, the "Gotcha Grind" in Seattle and the O'Boy/Thrasherland/TNT Skate Shop series finaleMusic Articles: The Hard-Ons and Social Distortion
  • October 1988

    October 1988
     Cover: Dave Hackett – Frontside Grind Photo: Katz Inside This Mag: The Tracker Bluegrass Aggression Session at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY, skating in Albuquerque and a photospread of skating at a New Zealand canalAlso In This Issue: Pool sharks and gnarly skate injuriesMusic Articles: The Accused and happening bands from the East Coast featuring Living Colour, Soul Asylum, H.R. from Bad Brains, White Zombie, Gwar, Danzig and more