NIKITA CLOTHING #FORGIRLSWHORIDE WITH Marisa Garcia

Our spotlight this month is settling on Marisa Garcia; a video-game loving, sewing-machine operating, kitty cat holding, skateboarding creative who quietly slays everything she takes on. With old skool style and new skool attitude, this Texas native is an anomaly we can't get enough of. 

What’s your name and where are you from? Where do you live now?

I was born in San Antonio, Texas and I now reside in Austin! 

When did you start skateboarding and how did you get into it?

I started skating in 2013 around April!  I got into skateboarding in college when I realized a skate park was 5 minutes away from campus.  I had always wanted to skateboard growing up but never had the opportunity, support, or ideal situation for it.  As hard as I tried, skateboarding was not an option for me when I was younger, so I made it my opportunity after being in college for a few years and summoning up the courage to actually go to the park with borrowed boards and friends that knew how to skate. 

Why have you stuck with it? What hooked you?

I’ve wanted to skateboard my whole life and within these last couple years, I finally had the opportunity to; it brings about an unexplainable happiness and I can’t imagine a life without skating.  There are a lot more reasons, some obvious and some more personal but in short, skateboarding lit a fire within me that nothing else compared to.  I’ve hurt myself skating in ways that will leave me in pain for the rest of my life, but I’ve never for a moment questioned why I keep skating.  I just step on my board, forget about everything, and let that inner fire and passion take me to places I never thought possible. 

You’re passionate about other things too- what are they?

I love drawing and painting a lot!  It’s another form of creativity and skateboarding has actually really inspired a lot of the art that I make.  I’m also pretty passionate about playing video games!  Whether it’s on my consoles at home or in the arcade, games are a great stress reliever and of course, super fun.  Fight games are some of my favorites; if I could, I would buy the Killer Instinct II arcade game/cabinet from the main arcade I frequent! 

When did you start making art? 

I’ve been making art since I was little, but as far as the art that I make now, I started that when I also started skating.  Growing up, I drew some skateboarding art (since that was as close to skateboarding as I could get) but I mostly drew comics and little anime characters.  In 2014, I started making the art that I do now; definitely adopted a darker twist on things along with my main ghoul guy that I always draw as well.  

What’s your favorite thing to draw right now?

Ghouls!  I really love making little creepy monsters with tons of eyes, skeleton or muscle bodies, and goopy features.  Dark style has a lot of possibilities when drawing and you can get inspiration from so many different things.

What are your favorite mediums to work with?

Ink and watercolor!  I absolutely love mixing harsh, black lines with vivid watercolors. 

Does your art tie into your skateboarding? Or vice-versa? Do you think they’re connected?

Oh absolutely!  I tend to draw people that inspire me or skate spots that that scare me.  Sometimes painting what I’m scared of actually helps my skating; it makes it less scary and more approachable like the art in front of me.  Skateboarding is an art and art requires creativity; the two involve an “outside of the box” approach to get to a desired final outcome, so they are most definitely connected and go hand in hand in my opinion!  

What’s something you love about the Texas skate scene that we don’t know?

The support that is given in the Texas scene is unbelievable.  Everyone has so much talent and passion in how they skate and they love to share the happiness skating brings with others.  There will always be people that are sticks in the mud, but I can proudly say that in Texas, all of the awesome experiences and rad people that I’ve met have helped encourage everyone and also helped get me to where I am today.  We have a huge network of skaters that are also just amazing individuals; friends are everywhere and Texas skaters just want to shred and get stoked!

What’s your favorite trick right now?

Oh gosh that’s a hard one!  I’d have to say on vert it’s backside airs and in bowls it’s front smiths and monty grinds/back smiths! 

What’s your favorite piece from the Nikita FW1718 collection?

It’s so hard to choose, but my favorite piece is still the Starward Jacket!  Texas is finally cooling off and I love the jacket because it’s warm, fashionable, and the hood reminds me of Assassins Creed.  Design lines and fabric make this jacket a staple piece that will never go out of style.    I feel like a badass video game character in it and just love wearing this jacket!  

Who do you ride with regularly? Who’s your crew?

I skate with so many people but my main crew is my boyfriend and my vert friends!  We all love skating the vert ramp together as well as some of the other gnarly parks in Texas.  A lot of us share the same interests as well so after skating we go to the arcade or to shows!  In Austin, we also have an all girls crew called Rip Riot and I love skating and getting inspired by those ladies! 

Who do you look up to and who inspires you?

Nora Vasconcellos inspires me so much!  She’s my favorite skater and absolutely shreds; not to mention seeing her go pro on Welcome was a huge deal.  It’s hard not to get inspired by someone like her!  In addition to that, Darren Navarette is another huge inspiration in my skating; he skates vert like a mad man and his style is something I definitely look up to.  My friend Sandy Peraza is also a huge inspiration to me not only in her shredding, but in her art as well!  She is a true skateboarder and an amazing artist that has her very own style.  She might be a thousand miles away from me, but she keeps me stoked even from states away!  

What are you working on right now (in skating, in life, in general- whatever!)?

I’m currently working on some denim apparel designs specifically made for skating and a few wedding dress designs as well for some of my friends that might potentially be tying the knot in the next few years!  Besides trying to draw as often as I can and move some skate tricks up to vert, I’m pretty much enjoying life and taking each day as it comes!  Oh and beating Zelda Breath of the Wild!  I don’t even want to look at how many hours I’ve put into exploring every corner and mountain in that game!