Contrast + Henry Panza

HENRY PANZA

Text: Lyle Matsuura
Images: Stadler

Independently owned by East Coast Skate Legend Rick Oyola, Philidelpia, PA’s Traffic Skateboards has been known for its underground skate roots since day one. They have always represented the art of true "in the moment style" street skating and have always gotten much respect. I got introduced to Super AM Henry Panza through a mutual friend a few weeks ago. Originally I wanted to learn more about his print shop, but then we got to talking skateboarding and we have been trading emails ever since. Mostly fanboy questions on my part about Ricky and another Traffic Pro by the name of Bobby Puleo. If you know, you know. I found out that Henry not only is a full time AM, but also has a clothing line called Direction East Ltd, and runs one of the best eco-friendly print shops in the country called Pure SP. Henry reps Traffic, Direction East Ltd, and Vox Shoes. Doing it just to do it. Support. The interview is lengthy so I broke it up into two parts.

When you started Direction East Ltd. Clothing 10 years ago you were only like 18 years old. How did you get it going?
Actually I was 14 because I’m now 25. I was about six months into skating and became pretty attached to east coast skating. I originally was going to do “East Coast Society” but didn’t think that name quite fit. Then some of my friends who were pro BMX riders were starting a company and coming up with a name. That motivated me. It came to me that night. I remember it like yesterday.

What’s the daily operation like at Direction East?
Honestly, I don’t maintain this full-time or “everyday” in a sense. I do emails day and night. I work on my website which is always behind. It just depends on the time of year. I recently got a Japanese distributor that is been helping me a lot. They make me actually come out with a product line and catalog and do it before the actual season. They make it possible because they order a decent volume and can put down a deposit. Domestically is so much different and there aren’t a whole lot of shops I really want to sell to either. Sometimes I go into sourcing mode, where as right now I am working on some new 5-panel hats. I spend a lot of time sourcing things or finding loop holes around the expensive cut n sew stuff. Luckily for me I actually print, label, and package everything. I go through design phases and most importantly I need to keep up with skating and further my name and hopefully that can further Direction East.

Super Sick. So you also run one of the best eco-friendly print shops ever, Pure SP. How do you manage skating, clothes, and churning out thousands of soft goods?
I ask myself the same thing. I stress quite often, but one thing I have in me is drive. I am always trying to do better and want better. I have been balancing skating and my clothing for a long time and now two years ago I started Pure Eco Screen-printing. Pure Esp. takes up most my time right now. I have a building, got a ramp in there, a lot of space and a great location. I can just get out and go skate, head nine blocks down the street to One Up Skate Shop (Pittsburg, PA). For real though, it is just a stepping stone to the future business ventures I want to go down, but again I have to balance it all with skating so they are hindered a bit. My skating sometimes get hindered. I don’t get paid to skate except photo incentives, so that is not enough. Living on the East Coast you got to make it happen for yourself. For years living in the city, I would go up to Pennswood mfg and make boards, which I was doing since I was 16. That mostly how I made money when I was younger. I just needed a change and to make moves.

You are also an AM on Traffic Skateboards which is owned by East Coast Skate Legend Ricky Oyola. For those who don’t know can you let them in on what Traffic Skateboards is about.
Well we are small to the masses and underground some may say, but I feel we are the rawest and probably most respected East Coast brand. Traffic is one of the only real street brands. I feel we capture the essence of spot to spot skating or actually skating in the streets, or finding new spots. This is possible because Ricky Oyola paved the way and made such a prominent name for himself. You also have Bobby [Puleo] who has had some amazing video parts and has the most creative eye for skating. Check them out (Infamous, Static 2, etc.) It’s funny how I often look back on how sick the old times were, but really these guys and others were in a world of their own and captured something that may never be captured again. So Traffic is about keeping the lost art alive. Traffic is a struggle, but so is life and when times are bad, when it comes down to it, skating is skating. No matter how much money is involved, no matter how bad you hate watching the new skate videos, no matter who is on the message boards. We do our thing and we live and skate the East Coast still to this day, and we are fortunate to reach some of you out there.

Do you skate with Bobby Puleo often?
I don’t unfortunately. I have been on some trips with him but that is it. I don’t live that far from NYC and he has invited me to come there, and I really want to. I was supposed to go up there this summer but my ride bailed. My hommies went up there about a week before I was suppose to go, they came back with some rad footage and rad spots. All while just skating around, no tour guide, real street style. But Bobby is a riot; to me at least, I love his company. His way of thinking is unlike many others. He is definitely a one of a kind and you just got to get to know him to understand him. But his skating speaks for itself and I would love to skate more with him.

Henry Panza

Skateboarding has been around for a minute now—long enough for some of the older heads to get nostalgic. There has been a lot of talk about what is classic and what is not classic. People have full discussions on certain eras, tricks, lines, video parts, and styles. People always bring up Ricky’s and Bobby Puleo’s name when it comes to East Coast street skating and the two obviously have a big following. It’s like they are underground rappers or punk bands that stayed true after all this time. What was it like growing up watching those guys in videos and then getting on the team with them?
Sometimes I ask myself, was this meant to be, but other times it's like I am use to it. Really, Ricky has been my favorite skater since I was 14. I remember reading a Kareem Campbell interview where he said, “Does Ricky Oyola deserve a pro shoe?” I was like you damn right he does. Anyway, I am a fan of their skating and respect them, but I don't give a fuck who you are and what you have done; if you are not a good person then I won't fuck with you. That is how I break it down. I always look at people as a person before their status. Therefore I am friends with these guys, and probably will long after skating. Being apart of respected people makes you learn more on how important that stuff is. I have always been big on that and I am glad to be apart of it and also help make it more respectable in my ways as well. I feel we have a good balance. I get bummed when people don't appreciate style or essence. They just look at tricks and the new wave of progression. There is a "Great Divide" you could say.

Who are your favorite skaters?
Oyola, Matt Reason, Jake Rupp, Mike Maldonado. I love watching Donny Barely, Quim Cardona, Pete Eldridge and Bobby skate. There are some others. I know that these are all East Coast skaters. It is not a biased thing. It’s just how it is for me. I do like John Cardiel. I'll throw in Strubing too. There we go not biased. Well kinda.

Dude, those Eastern Exposure Videos were life changing. I am glad you can watch some of them on Youtube. What are your favorite skate videos?
Most favorite ever is Eastern Exposure 3. My first video was Scenic Drive and then EE3, so early on I had the privilege of that vid. I really don't watch vids much at all anymore. I like parts from videos more than a video as a whole. Rarely is a video as whole, perfectly executed. I liked Photosynthesis too. I really think the Habitat section was sick as fuck; to this day that is their best shit. The SubZero video Real Life; I always ran that shit.

Word. After doing it for this long, does skateboarding still have the same meaning as it did when you started?
I just thought of that the other day. "You can take my ship, but you will never take the sea in me." I might refine it, but that is it. Skating has given me a life, passion, memories, and more to come. No matter how tied up you get in the industry side of it; I am learning more and more that skating is for me. As much as I would love to show people how I skate or what I like to skate, or a side of skating that I think is out of the box, it comes down to when I want to do it and how I want to go about it. In the end, that quote sums that up. In my mind and heart skating will always be there, even when I am old and crippled.