WENTZLE RUML Wentzle Ruml

18 years old, rides for Town & Country/Z-Flex

Wentzle Ruml is a man of few words with a heavy rep. Stacy Peralta credits Wentzle with pioneering the 360 slide. Tony Alva says Ruml was the first to execute the elusive 180 lip slide into a 360 roundhouse and back into a 180. The following interview was conducted in the kitchen of Wentzle’s North Shore home while he cooked Swanson beef pot pies and listened to Hank Wilson. The crying country crooner, on the stereo. It appears in the unadulterated question and answer format because Ruml insisted on no embellishments- "just give em the facts."

Hometown- "Dogtown."

Skating experience- "Six years."

Favorite type- "Pools, bowls, banks."

Equipment- "For pools, 30" slightly kicked ½" ash (very light) with Bennett’s and 4’s; for freestyle, 28", ½" ash square tail with moderate kick and full plan shape, mounted with Bennett’s and 4’s; for banks, original Z-Flex with Bennett Pro’s and 6’s with open bearings."

Style and goals- "A smooth but radical style flow. Always try to go further, always try to make it harder than before, to keep pushing it beyond the extreme limits."

Favorite skaters- "My friends. . .you know who they are."

Up and coming skaters- "Jay Schien-he drives his VW to all the local spots and rips."

Favorite Spots- "Mainland-Skatopia, Bellagio, Kenter, Canyon Pool, B-Pool, Manhole, Highland, La Costa, Islands- Wallos, Kammies Drain, Master Blaster, Uluwatu and Spreckels Ditch."

Favorite musicians- "Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Bros., Gabby Pahinui- see’em as often as possible."

Contest experience- "Placed second in freestyle at 1975 hang Ten World Pro-Am."

Comments on contests- "Getting there wasn’t half the fun. . .it was the only fun. Definitely not into organization; am waiting for more money in pool and bowl action."

Brushes with the law- "Six citations for various skating infractions."

Safety equipment- "Possess all pads."

Injuries incurred- "Lost three teeth, received sixteen stitches in lip, dislocated elbow-had equipment on, but it didn’t prevent these. . .it could have been worse. ‘

Surfing equipment- "kneeboards: 5’3" by 19" square tail winger, and a thin 5’6" x 18" winger swallow. Both are Dean Edwards shapes with airbrush by Chris Cahill."

The future of skateboarding- "What is that question. . .tomorrow is the future of skateboarding."

Advice- "Break out the stick and giveee-um."

High point of career- "Being discovered by Skip Engblom doing berts under the Ocean Park bus at the Third Street stop." Engblom’s comment: "He always missed the rear wheels, so I picked him up for the team. I had a feeling that we had to get him off the street if he was gonna last much longer."

Future plans- "None of the above."

JOHN SMYTHE
SkateBoarder Magazine
Vol. 4, #1
August, 1977

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