There's not a whole lot that I know about Oscar Meza other than what is in this interview. I know that he is a genuine guy who is super thankful for what he has, he is an incredible skater and I know that I am jealous that he is friends with Arto Saari and I'm not. But other than that, he is sort of a mystery. With a new video part that dropped on his 21st birthday, October 8th, it's obvious you'll be seeing and hearing a lot more about Oscar Meza.
ESPN.com: How old are you Oscar?
Meza: I am going to be 21 the day that my new part comes out.
Wow really? That's pretty sick. Is that why it comes out that day?
It's funny, Andrew Shusterman (Flip Skateboards team manager) randomly picked that day. He said he wanted the part to come out in October on one of the Mondays. So when he emailed me saying he wanted it to come out on the 8th I asked if he planned to have it come out on my birthday and he had no idea that was it. He was trippin' out. I am stoked though, it has more meaning to me because of it.
Is this going to be your first full length part?
I've worked on other things before but this is my first real part that has come out through a company. So yes, my first full length meaningful part (laughs).
And having it come out for Flip is certainly not a bad thing!
I know. A year ago I couldn't even imagine riding for Flip because they are top of the line so it means a lot to be able to put it out through those guys. I'm so stoked to be riding for them.
How did you get on Flip in the first place?
Pretty much just skating with Arto [Saari] and being around the whole squad. They didn't give me boards for a while though, I was just skating with everyone and feeling the team vibe. They were super welcoming and once Arto said everyone was down for me there was no way I couldn't do it. It just came together naturally.
How does one end up just becoming friends with a legend like Arto?
He rides for Destructo so they introduced us at a trade show. Then he saw an online part of mine and randomly asked me if I wanted to cruise out on a session and that's how the epic journey began (laughs).
Who is your favorite all time Flip rider? (Oscar proceeded to list skaters when I responded he was only able to pick one.)
My favorite ONE is Arto -- because he's one of my really good friends and I love hanging out with him on and off my skateboard.
Perfect! Was that so hard? How about favorite Flip video to date?
Dude, did you see David's [Gonzalez] part? Are you kidding me? David Gonzalez is a maniac. That was my favorite part.
That leads me right into my next question, how do you compete with that? (Laughs).
Are you really going to come at me like everyone else and compare my part with David's?! There is no way my part could ever compare to his (laughs). He is a freak of nature.
Did you guys go filming together at all while working on your parts?
No, he always went on his own sessions and so did I. I was there for a few of the clips but it was a total surprise for me at the premiere.
So is Flip doing all of their parts online now?
I'm not really sure. I just had never had a welcome ad or anything so I brought it to their attention that I was filming and would love to put something out through them. But I am not sure what the plans are for the future.
You had an Autobahn Wheel commercial come out recently -- is that leftovers or just a taste of what's to come?
(Laughs) Thanks man. There are a clip or two that I put aside for that but most of it was stuff that got bumped out of the new part. I usually think in my head while I'm filming what clips will get set aside for what.
Growing up in southern California, who inspired you as a skater?
I was kind of in my own little zone with my homies but I remember watching videos with my friends and stuff. When I was young I was really into Foundation, like Corey Duffel and Gareth Stehr. But it changed throughout the years. I wasn't the kid getting the new mags every month so it was pretty much whatever my friends were showing me. I remember Paulo Diaz taught this after school program for a few weeks before he got fired, but he was always around. A bunch of dudes, I just always liked skateboarding.
Are their any other new sponsors helping you out?
Well, nothing really official yet but WESC has been sending me stuff and Scuba over at Nike has been helping me out but you never know. I'm just stoked these guys are looking out for me right now.
