Interview by: Berto
From young buck on G&S to today—with multiple hustles—Willy Santos has been deep in skateboarding for many moons. A true lifer. An amazing human and a genuine inspiration—not just to his Filipino people (and he reps that proudly), but to skaters everywhere. He’s always been the type to help out a youngin coming up, passing along trick tips and knowledge without hesitation. The stoke is real with Willy. Always has been. Always will be. Let him tell you the rest. 🛹
FRANK 151: Yo Willy! What’s good?
WILLY SANTOS: Well… I appreciate you coming to me for this interview for Frank 151. We’re just going! I’m 50 years old and I’m still loving skateboarding and being involved with it. Just moving forward with it.
FRANK 151: First off I gotta say—your boy can ball! I used to hoop before I started skating. He’s got a deadly jumper, he’s really on it. Did you play before you started skating, or did he get those skills from Mama Santos?
WILLY SANTOS: No. (laughs) Junior was watching the NBA All-Star Game—he was probably about 8 years old—and he was glued to the TV. That’s where it all started, and he’s just kept going with it. Now he’s 17. Me personally growing up, I played soccer. But since he started playing, I’ve been playing a bunch too. I used to beat him when he was smaller, but now he’s bigger than me and there’s no way I can get past him. He loves it, and I enjoy every minute of it—going to the games and watching him play. My daughter Phelisha is in cheer too, so sometimes she’s cheering at the games. It’s pretty nice.
FRANK 151: When you were on G&S back in the day, you were very young. As a young buck, what was going through your mind when you took that big step being sponsored?
WILLY SANTOS: You know, I’m just grateful for all of that happening. It’s crazy trying to think back as a kid—everything going on with G&S and then eventually Birdhouse. It was definitely a wild ride just living in the moment. This was long before social networks, and with a lot of that skating, things were just happening. It wasn’t like “Press record!” and capture everything. We were just going. It was a great time. A really great time living through all that.
FRANK 151: Then you turned pro. What was that feeling like?
WILLY SANTOS: I turned pro when I was 15 for G&S. And there was no big party or anything like that. It was just like, “Oh, here’s your board.” And I was like, whoa! Because at that time skateboarding kind of goes like a yo-yo. When I turned pro, skating was at a low point. But somehow—not intentionally—I happened to be there when the wave started coming back up. I’m really grateful for that, and for Tony Hawk giving me an opportunity to be part of the company he was starting—he didn’t even know what it was going to be called yet. Eventually it became Birdhouse Projects.
I remember coming home from school one day and my dad said Tony Hawk had called. And… the rest is history.
I’ve gotta tell you a funny coincidence too. When my family and I were in Paris for the Olympics, we stayed at my buddy Marc Haziza’s house. In his garage he still has this big collage of magazine clippings, and there was a picture of me when I was 15—like my second or third ad for G&S. I was blown away, because I looked at my son and thought, I was your age in this photo. He was 15 right then, looking at it. I have the photo somewhere on my phone. It just tripped me out—like, what the heck! So rad that it was still there.
FRANK 151: In between G&S and Birdhouse you showed a lot of loyalty to G&S. As I understand it, you had a chance to get on Alien Workshop when it first started. Looking back 20–30 years later, do you have any regrets? Or are you good with your decision?
WILLY SANTOS: No regrets—but there’s always that little “what if?” Because there was also a photo of me riding for World Industries too. I remember recently when we were filming one of our Skate Warz with Edward Devera and Shawn Mandoli, and Daniel Castillo brought it up. We were talking about it like—man, if I would’ve been riding for World… Daewon was on, Kareem Campbell… are you kidding me?
That would’ve been amazing.
Frank 151: I remember your shop. I visited several times.
Willy Santos: Yes! Willy’s Workshop, yes.
Frank 151: Now is Willy’s Workshop a type of homage to your chance at being on the original Alien?
Willy Santos: Oh no, it was just called Willy’s Workshop. I remember talking to Rob Dyrdek about it and he was like, “Oh, Workshop?” But it was no big deal, yeah. It was just all putting everything together. Workshop now is a brand that I do. Same with Couch Curbs.
Frank 151: Games of Skate have gone on forever. What hipped you to doing Curb Warz and who else is involved with it?
Willy Santos: I was trying to figure out a place because I was trying to pump out YouTube content and then—we were skating curbs anyway—why don’t we just do like a battle? And that’s how it came about. Then we were doing other content of skate spots that I skated, like stories, which I will get back to eventually.
I even did like a trick-tips thing on my YouTube paying homage to my trick-tips video from TransWorld like 25 years ago! LOL!
My buddy Sam Yago does all the editing for me. I have a couple guys that I work with—Cameron Franco and his girlfriend Gabrielle Sanchez. Jim Kappel was filming for 411 back in the day, he also helps out. Efraim Manuel, he does stuff for Brandon Turner and will film, and his brother Yul. Kevin Strick, another 411 guy. Daniel Goycoolea from Slappy’s Garage. It all depends on whoever is available as well.
What’s amazing is seeing the comments that come in on the videos that we do. It’s heartwarming. It’s really cool.
Frank 151: It shows that you are putting out stuff that people are interested in. It’s gotta ignite a fire in you.
Willy Santos: Yeah! A lot of the times there’s like… we said Edward Devera. That battle will be out by the time this interview comes out. And MacDonald, Collin Graham. I mean Andy Macdonald? Are you kidding me? That’s a lot of history right there. And that was cool because that was a Vert Warz.
We did another Vert Warz with Noe Montagard from France and Egoitz Bijueska from Spain. So it’s rad—we’re expanding on things.
Eventually we’re gonna do a Kain Tayo Day Game of Skate too. We’ll do that on April 11th. We’re doing an event over at Fall Brewery—thanks to David Lively! Kain Tayo Day is a celebration of the Filipino spirit. It’s the sharing of food with one another. I don’t know the contenders yet, but by the time this comes out—we should know.
Frank151: Curb Warz is a great show. I’ve watched many episodes. Who’s on your wishlist for an episode?
Willy Santos: Are you kidding me? It would be rad to get… they’ve shown up to the battles… Ronnie Creager and Daewon Song. Oh my goodness! Ronnie has told me personally that there’s a lot of content on YouTube, but when Curb Warz pops up, he stops and watches it. So cool!
Frank 151: What’s in store for 2026?
Willy Santos: I am blessed. I’m a skate coach. I’m under the flag of Team France, and I have other clients that I work with as I go forward.
Frank 151: Was it through Vincent Milou?
Willy Santos: Vincent Milou has definitely ignited that it was possible—because I’ve been working with France the last two years as well—but now it’s official where I am going to the events wearing France T-shirts. Laughter.
And also working with Bryce Wettstein—she’s Team USA. Also Kiko Francisco and Maisel Paris on Team Philippines. Maisel’s ability is just insane. Every time I work with her it is mind-boggling. Like with Bryce, not only does she have her skateboarding, she’s also an insane musician and character!
Frank 151: Shoutouts?
Willy Santos: My shoutouts? Thank you Berto right here! Also to Frank151 for having me be interviewed. My wife Shalihe and my kids Willy Jr. and Phelisha. I know I’m hard on you sometimes—but please wash the dishes when you can! Laughter.
Thank you to everyone supporting Skate Warz and Willy’s Workshop.
To Rhino at Independent. Jaime Hart at Vans. Mob Griptape. Bones Bearings and Wheels. Couch Curbz. Preston’s Ginger Beer. Valerio’s 1979. Stacks family. Sakura Yosozumi (she won the first Olympics in Park).
And a thank you to all the folks tuning in on the Willy’s Workshop YouTube Channel…
Let’s keep it rolling.
