What’s good? I’m back with the lastest edition of “who he DOT be”. Gather around because today we need to shed some light on a homie that brings good vibes where ever your skating at, who ever your skating with, and just knows how to kick it proper. Welcome Koki Loaiza to the DOT! I met Koki, while mashing up some blocks last summer, he had just came in from Washington D.C., and looked kinda star struck just arriving in NYC. I guess that’s what New York City can do to you when you’ve never actually had a nice big gulp of it. Well, anyway here’s a little interview on Koki, to let you know “who he DOT be?”
Koki Crooks
photo - Scott Kramer
So homie, I gotta ask, where does your name come from?
My real name is Kiolkuin, so it’s kind of self explanitory. People get comfortable with Koki right after I tell them that.
Tell me about your family life. Where are you from originally?
I’m originally from Homestead, Florida (FLA) City area. Basically as southern as it gets without being in the keys. My moms moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan like 3 or 4 years ago, and my pops and sister, on his side, live in the Washington DC area. My abuela (grandmother) and fam kick it in the south though. When I was young, like 6 or 7 years old, hurricane Andrew blew through the keys and Homestead. The hurricane destroyed this place and the army had to come in. There was nothing but flooding, and bodies of immigrants and stuff. All that was really standing was this one publix.
Everything was flooded, debri everywhere, and no power for a while. I just remember everyone being lost and sad.
Homestead and FLA City are made up of basically immigrants and or haitians and mexicans… Back in the day it was mainly farmlife and little neighborhoods here and there. Hurricane Andrew came out of nowhere. No one was warned so most of that group of people ran right back to their sheds, or knocked on doors till someone opened. Most didn’t open. I was lucky to be in my grandma’s bathroom, with 5 other family members (my bro, gmaw, step father, mom, and uncle franky). Everything was flooded, debri everywhere, and no power for a while. I just remember everyone being lost and sad.
Can you tell me, what was it that got you into skateboarding, do you remember?
When I was 14, I worked at publix supermarket for 3 years. When I was 15, this wild cat I worked with Jereme, was burnin’ herb with me behind the store. He also skated there and one day I was like “let me hit this shit up”. I pushed mongo and he spit knowledge. After that I got a Walmart board and didn’t let go of it. It’s always been about lookin’ for spots to me, even then, so naturally I checked out all the schools and met up with some ghetto ass skaters behind my old elementary school. (Baby Joe, Lalo, Brian Cox, Roach) The spot was one long, big, blue curb. That time in my life is like a dream to me. The world was literally ours!
Koki Crailslide
photo - Scott Kramer
How did you make skateboarding survive for yourself, did you run out of shit to skate, was there a time you got bored with it? What’s the skateboard scene like there?
I had the chance to go to DC and Virginia back and forth since my pops stayed over there. There was literally only two ledges to skate in my town at that time, so I went there for a year, and I fell in love with marble. Coming from Homestead, DC was madness. Kids could just skate raw and fast there, and in traffic. Just be the traffic. I knew nothing else in the world could give me this type of appreciation for the world we live in.
Every club VIP, with two girls a piece and free drinks. The entire time I was in NYC, it felt like there was nowhere else in the world I should have been.
Any dope trip you really loved?
Any trip with Jimmy Lannon, Yonnie Cruz or Kevrick Evans is epic. The NYC trip was super spontaneous though. I was in Washington DC to see my sister and I found out I could get to NYC for only 40 bucks. So I caught the first bus there, and it happend to be when “Back to the Banks” and everything was going on. I met Nolan Lee a year or so before this, back during christmas. We basically spent it drinking heavily, gettin’ the blunt kicked out of me, and skating this park I helped to build in his home town of Gainesville, Florida. He told me to hit him up if I ever came to NYC. I crashed in the streets the first night. and then somehow got to Nolan’s, and from that moment on he hooked me up with everything… I met amazing homies like Vince, DJ, Sammy Baptista, Alex Carolino, Flo Marfaing, Rodrigo Ardent, Amrit Jain, James McGuiness, Stevie Williams, and sooo many more. Every club VIP, with two girls a piece and free drinks. The entire time I was in NYC, it felt like there was nowhere else in the world I should have been. Thanks Nolan.
Word, tell me about life today and how you get going, how are you making ends?
I’m working at this shirt printing warehouse. It’s all skater homies, we drink and burn all day coming up with funny ideas, its great. Reppin’ SIXDOLLARSHIRTS.COM. My girlfreind is the illest, she always holds down the spot and graduated from UF (University of Florida) this December. She is going to be working for the victims advocate unit in Daytona, FL.
Who are some of the homies up there, who you skate with?
I skate a lot with Jimmy Lannon, Kevrick and Coleman Evans, Dante Deboise, Carlos Jaramillo, Sean Conover is in town, Montana Cypress, JATTA, Matt Town…
Is there anyone you’re really hyped on, in general, skaters, artists, fill us in.. what pushes Koki?
Goodie Mobs got me trippin’… Seeing Yonnie Cruz and Jimmy Lannon droppin’ shits in your local alley ways, across the east coast just makes me hyped to know I’m part of this east coast shit we got brewin’. INCOG.
Are there any projects that people can catch you in… to really get the full understanding of what it [dot] be and who you dot be?
“INCOGNITO”, a video by Mike Atwood is up in the air… “Dango Is Dead” for Westside Skateshop just premeired at the Tampa AM contest also. Hopefully I put something else together worth watching soon. Haaa.
Any sponsors Koki?
Only sponsors I have is Jimmy Lannon homie flow. And I also rep the homies at WESTSIDE! Shout out to James Coleman and Montana Cypress.
If you could ride on any company, who would you ride for?
5boro, Girl, or Chocolate.
Thats what up. So what’s the setup now, what’s the homie flow setup?
Darrell Stanton 8.o, indie hand me downs, hand me down wheels from Richie Zuczek, and hand me down bearings from Mike Espinosa, shit… I got mad love.
I would rather give more knowledge to the young skaters and teach them about real skateboarding. Like Gino, Mike Carroll, Chico…
Ha ha, that’s whats good… yeah homies sometimes got to hold us down. One more thing, what would be the one thing you’d like to change about skateboarding?
That’s a good one. I wouldn’t change anything about the act of skateboarding. I would rather give more knowledge to the young skaters and teach them about real skateboarding. Like Gino, Mike Carroll, Chico, Tony Ferguson, Flo, and Alex Carolino. Word. You know, people with culture in their skateboarding.
Yea I feel you on that, I’m hyped you know what’s up, that’s why you on the DOT homie!!! Lastly, who would you like to thank for holding you together, and down?
Jimmy and Kiki Lannon, for giving me knowledge, Megan Daly, Richie Zuczek, Kevrick Evans, my Abuela, Mom, Mike Atwood, Jon Montesi, DJ, Nolan Lee, Jason Henry, Jake Mednik, Scott Kramer, and sooo many more……
oh oh, and before I forget, Jimmy and I are having a part in the “MANDIBLE CLAW” too !!!
Koki Homies
photo - Kirk Hallinan LooKatYourSeLF.cOm
