At Frank 151, it’s always special when we get to welcome someone new into the fold. This time, we’re stoked to introduce Humberto, better known to his fam and friends as Berto. A lifelong skater and artist, Berto has been shaping skate culture for decades—whether through his work with brands, his artwork, or simply living the skateboarding life. He’s exactly the type of creative cat we want at the mag.
He’ll be diving into skate-related stories, interviews, and whatever else we can dream up. So let’s get to know him.
Stats
“My name’s Humberto, but everyone calls me Berto. I’m living in San Diego, Califas now, but I’m originally from Jackson Heights, Queens. My family bounced out to SoCal (and even Vegas for a while) because my parents weren’t about those New York winters. Still, I get back to NYC whenever I can.”
Living the Life
“Fo sho! My beautiful wifey Dena has had my back since day one—supporting both my skating and my art. My daughter Brittany is killing it as a graphic designer, married to her amazing husband Ian, and they gave us the blessing of our granddaughter Abigail. Yeah, I’m an older cat, but I’m young at heart. And yo, I challenge anybody when it comes to spot searching—I’m ALWAYS on the hunt. LOL.”
On Writing
“Definitely. I’m not as active as I used to be, but I’ve always been supportive of the culture. Writers like Brisk, Persue, Wane, Ces, Plain 1, Force1—those are some of my personal faves. I still catch tags and throwies sometimes—it never leaves you. I also get blessed with commissions here and there on canvas or boards, and I love messing around with Illustrator.”
Skateboarding
“Every chance I get. And no, it’s never enough. But that’s life, right? Never was pro, but I get just as hyped as anybody else. Skateboarding means the world to me—but so do familia and friends. My day job keeps me creative too.”
Day Job
“I work for the US Navy as a manager. Before that, I was in uniform as a Marine. Altogether, I’ve spent more than half my life serving my country—and I’m proud of that.”
First Order of Business at Frank 151
“Pro interviews—gotta get rolling right away. Any pros interested in a write-up, hit me up. Let’s do this!”
Find Berto
Catch him on Instagram: @bertosworld68.
“The name came from my brova Kevin Taylor. He once posted a flick of a blackbook piece I did for him in an Axion catalog I worked on with Plain. He hashtagged #bertosworld, I added my birth year, and I just ran with it. Gracias, Kevin!”
Shoutouts
“So many! First and foremost: God and mi familia. My mentor Steve Randel—a godfather of San Diego skateboarding. My brotha Mirko Mangum at Opus. The San Diego Slappy Sunday Crew, always inspiring me. Jason Houk and the Grandeur crew. Julio at Ragtop. Mark Johnson at Local. Brian Kelly at Overload. Tommy Zam and Carl Carpentier at TSMedia. Blair Alley at TWS. Dave Bachinsky.
My Philly fam: Mark Brandstetter, Kevin Taylor, Mike Maldonado, Nelly Mundo, Greg Ballantine. Ivan Olds and Franklin Atkin up in the Bay. Todd Millspaugh at Money Ruins Everything.
LA fam: Felix Arguelles, Diego Najera, Furby, Pete Eldridge, Jason Martinez, Manny Santiago. Aaron and the crew at SML Wheels. Chris at Programme. Jake Mednik. Phil Ladjanski.
Canada: Perry Gladstone, Barry Walsh, Marc Tison.
Australia: Andrew Tebb at Fast Times, Greg Harris, Anthony Mapstone.
NY fam: Adrian at RockStar, Ben Oleynik, Alyasha Owerka-Moore, Harry Jumonji, Alex Corporan.
Special shout to my dude Dylan Allard—I started skating because of him. Everybody I know now, I met through skating. That’s a blessing.
And of course, my wifey—I met her through a dear friend Jonathan Pekar (back in the Hosoi days). Forever grateful, mano.”
Final Words
“Massive thanks to Niel, Will, and Alex for giving me this opportunity. To be part of Frank 151 is a dream come true. I’m humbled and grateful to help carry on the magazine’s legacy, which is deeply ingrained in the cultures of creativity. Let’s get to it! Tu Sabes?”