A rising name in the New York scene, Augusto Castillo transplanted from Florida to New York City in the Summer of 2014. Working daytime as a staff gemologist, the precision of his 9-5 craft certainly translates in his skating, not to mention his capabilities as a videographer.
In his time thus far in NYC, Castillo has carved out his niche of blading into the community, continuously producing content that attest to his incredible abilities and distinctive style, both in front of and behind the lens. With sections in Sean Grossman‘s Caprice and Mike Torres’ One for the Road, he rightfully obtained a spot with Rollerblade. Juggling a handful of projects on the horizon, it was fitting to check in with Augusto and see what he’s got underneath his feet.
Introduction & Photography: Ryan Loewy
Boot: Rollerblade Metroblade
Wheels: Rollerblade Hydrogen 110/85A
Liner: Stock
Bearings: Twincam ILQ – 9 Classic Plus
Frames: Stock 3WD Frames
Cuff: No cuff.
Buckle: Straps.
Soul Plates: Sliders 🙂
Tell us about your setup.
I’m lazy when it comes to customizing my skates. I usually stick to the stock setup, or if I do change something it’s just one or two things at most. I ride the Metroblades just as they come out of the box. I also skate the Solo Teams when I’m “core” blading. For those, I swap out the stock liners for V2 Intuition liners and change the wheels for something larger with a narrower profile. Pretty simple. But, the real secret sauce is in the pants 😉 (g-form pro-x compression shorts to protect dat ass.)
What parts do you wear through the quickest?
Wheels. The streets here are the worst. I think I go through a set of wheels every two months.
What part do you break most often?
I don’t really break things on my skates that often. I don’t usually do any big gaps or anything of that nature. Do my pants count?
Which parts are you paranoid about breaking?
My wheels, bearrings or anything else that might make me come to an unexpected stop while I’m carving a bowl.
What spares/tools do you keep in your backpack?
Wax, allen key, bag of misc. axels and a carabiner clip.
Where do your parts go once you are done with them?
If they are not completely trashed I usually give them away.
Anything you plan to change on your current setup?
I have Symmetric frames sitting on my shelf. I’m just waiting to finish filming with Torres to switch them out and give flat a try.
Do you skate different setups for different terrains?
I ride my Solo Team’s when I’m skating a park or street skating, which adds up to usually once or twice a week. And then, I ride the Metroblades pretty much every day. It’s how I get to work, get around the city to take care of errands, meet-up with people, etc. It’s my favorite way to get around (suck it MTA).
Augusto Castillo – One For The Road from Mike Torres on Vimeo.
