Alex Krastev

Years in the game? Starting with the Jason Jesse that I redrew on a Made in Taiwan blank and I traded after to another kid as on OG Santa Cruz…I was 12 years old. After that it took me 20 years to realize that this was my passion and a dream. I did a few boards for the Montreal Surf66 skate shop, then Madrid, a few sketches for Hosoi and Eddie Reategui, then Riviera. These days I do skate art just as a hobby and pleasure due to my daily job as an in-house artist for Quiksilver.

In your opinion, the most influential or culturally significant artist(s) of the last 75 years? For the skate industry Jim Phillips,VCJ. For Surf inspired art: Rick Griffin, Jim Evans,Victor Moscoso, Bill Ogden, Rick Rietveld, Phill Roberts, Roy Gonzales, Thomas Campbell and some other that I can’t think of.

Oil, acrylic, aerosols, ink, lead? I like to use Microns, Speed Ball ink and a craw quill, Black Gesso, Acrylic, Watercolor, photoshop and illustrator.

Do you ride a skateboard? If so, for how long? Yes, I do it non stop since I was 8. Now I ride my Riviera mini cruiser every day from my car to my desk, and even in the building between the offices. The best is down the Trestles trail. I got my first skate at age of 8. My dad hand made everything: the deck with a kick tail, the trucks out of zinc and aluminum, the wheels out of pvc. He made a sample for everything out of resin and than gave it to small factory so they can make a mold and poor aluminum or zinc. Everything looked authentic. I hate talking about that , because a few years after that, I traded it for a Natas…and I regret now.

Do you ride a surfboard? If so, for how long? I surf every day! I started to surf at age of 16 I guess in Morocco, the spot where I learned to surf is called Anchor Point. It’s like J-bay and Kirra together. It gets really big there! My small board was a 6’8″…the best waves and conditions ever!

How did your involvement with Riviera Skateboards develop? I had my art exposed at Bear Flag Fish Tacos on the peninsula in Newport Beach, Then Solomon gave me a call …and I did a few boards since then.

If you had to choose between starring on a reality TV show or being married to a reality TV show star, which would you choose? The first option. Why? I just got married to the most beautiful and supportive wife!

Budweiser, Dos Equis, Corona, Stella, Pabst? Corona and Pilsner.

What’s on the horizon with your art? I have a few ideas and projects at this moment that hopefully will see the light in the next years. But for now, maybe a few art shows in the local surf shops.