El Gato Classic in Palm Springs, CA

This past weekend I got the chance to hang out at the El Gato Classic in Palm Springs.  This is a killer event for anyone who is into skateboarding!  So many of the old school guys were there, skating the pool at the skate park and on day two still killing it on the vert ramp.  I felt like I was watching old skate videos with my friends as I was able to see Christian Hosoi and Tony Hawk on the same ramp again!

Eddie Elguera, the host of the event and who it is named after, is a seriously nice guy and just wants to give back.  As I watched this event from a journalistic point of view, I saw Eddie himself being a fan!  Taking photos of the bands, the other skaters and always making time for the fans!  All of the skaters were happy to sign skateboards and t-shirts and just hang out with the crowd.

This was a fun, family friendly event open to all and it didn’t feel like I was a bystander.  These skaters and everyone who was part of the event treated everyone like family.  I would hear someone talking to a skater about a video they saw them in or a ramp or pool where they skated together back in the day and no matter who it was they loved to hear and share their stories.

I had a blast and can’t wait for next year! Here are some photos I shot.  This event brought back such nostalgia for me that I really wanted to shoot it the way I remembered seeing images in the magazines 25+ years ago!