At only the age of 19, Filipe’s accomplished quite a bit, and just last weekend, he checked off another goal: turning pro. Having known him for years, I’ve watched him push himself to get where he wants to be. We sat down to catch up about the pro surprise, his process in the streets, and to touch on the sacrifices that both he and his dad have made for him to get where he is today.

Watch MOTA-VATION, then enjoy the conversation below –

🌀: Alright, Filipe. Tell us what city we’re in and what happened last night.

We’re in São Paulo, Brazil, right now. Last night we did my premiere, and I ended up turning pro. It was insane.

🌀: How are you feeling right now? Can you explain your emotions?

I feel great; this is another dream come true. Ever since I started skating, I always wanted to be a pro, you know? It was a special moment for me, my friends, and my family; it was perfect.

🌀: Let’s start with your move to LA. How old were you at the time?

I was 12 years old when I moved to LA. We stayed there for 3 or 4 years in a row; it was a long time without seeing my family back in Brazil, just because of the Visa situation and all that. It was a fun time, but at the same time, kind of tough. I’m glad we did that, though, my dad and I.

🌀: So the original move to LA was just you and your dad, with the rest of your family back in Brazil? And that move was really just to try and pursue skating?

Yeah, just to chase the dream. We knew that all of the best skaters were in LA, and we needed to be there with them.

🌀: How hard was it to be away from so much of your family at such a young age?

It was a little hard to be away from my family, especially my brothers and mom. I was always super close with them, so not seeing them was tough. But, I look back, and everything was worth it.

🌀: It all worked out! Now, let’s look at your history with Primitive. You’re 19 now. How old were you when you started getting flowed boards from them?

I think when I first started getting Primitive boards I was 14, or might’ve turned 15. It was my dream sponsor for so long. I had offers from other companies; they even wanted to get me a Visa and all that. I’d be in a tough spot like “They offered me a Visa, but I could get boards from Primitive, and that’s my dream sponsor.” I just trusted the process; my dad always supported me with whatever I wanted to do, so that made me feel better. So I was like, “I’m gonna just chase my dream. Doesn’t matter how long it takes, I’m getting Primitive boards.”

🌀: You were obviously still pretty young at this time. Did your trust in the process come from your dad?

For sure, I was too young to understand. He was always so supportive, ever since I started skating when I was 6. He would guide me and always give me the best advice. 

🌀: Then by 15, you were officially welcomed to the team with a video part. Were you told that you were being put on the team, or what was that like?

I was filming with them; I had been on trips with them already at that time, and I had some footage. We had the talk, and they were down to announce me. I was really hyped. I was super motivated to do my best and film that video part.

🌀: Just a couple of years later, you opened up DAYDREAM, a part that had a very memorable ender. How did filming for DAYDREAM compare to filming for your pro part that just premiered?

They were definitely different. DAYDREAM we had in our mind for a while, we probably filmed for a whole year for that, and that part has the trick that was the biggest mental battle for me, the Kickflip Front Blunt down Hollywood 16. That’s for sure the craziest trick I’ve done.

The pro part was pretty last-second, I think I filmed it in 2-3 months. It was back-to-back-to-back weekends out filming. I think this one was more stressful, as far as finishing it on time. But, I’m also really hyped on my ender in the pro part because it’s a trick you haven’t seen in the streets before, so that means a lot to me too.

🌀: Let’s chat about the pro part some more. What’s your process like when working on a part? You’re pretty planned out and structured with what you try and when, right?

Yeah, I feel like I’m the type of person who has to make a plan. I’ll have a spot in mind and a specific trick I want to try there, and I go practice that trick (at the park) before we go to the spot. That works pretty good too because I skate a lot of contests, so doing that keeps me ready for the streets too.

🌀: The pro part is amazing. One line I wanted to hear about is the Crook Nollie Flip then Back 180 Nosegrind Switch Flip. What was the process like for that? I think people know that you can kill rails and hubbas, but they might not realize how good you are at ledges as well. It’s cool when you show that side of your skating.

That was one of my favorite clips from the part. Yeah, people might not know that I skate a lot of ledges too, I think I started skating flat when I was really young, and that helped me get better at ledges. They’re really fun and less painful (than rails/hubbas).

For that line, we went to that spot 2 times, I think. The first time we went, I remember not having enough speed after the Crook Nollie Flip, so I’d get to the end on the Back 180 Nosegrind but not be able to flip out. I started doing Crook Nollie Flips at the park going way faster, just to get used to it for the spot, and when we went back, it ended up working. That spot is insane, just 2 perfect ledges back to back.

🌀: It turned out dope! Can you explain what it’s like working on a project with the Primitive crew? From filming with Alex/Alan, shooting with Bailey, Taylor TMing and skating with the squad.

Being on a mission with Primitive seems special; they’re really supportive, and whatever you need, they’re gonna get you right. And everyone there isn’t just people I film with or shoot photos with, they’re actually homies too. Everyone has a really good relationship, I think that’s what makes everything work.

🌀: Yeah, the relationships are important. You’ve had a Thrasher cover, you have a long list of sponsors, why does getting a pro model still mean so much?

When you start skating, and actually understand how it works, you can get on a company, turn pro, film video parts, that’s the first dream you think of, turning pro. I feel like the people who inspire me taught me right. I’m glad that I know how important it is, because nowadays it’s not the same as it used to be.

🌀: You’ve clearly checked a few goals off your list. Now that you’re pro, what’s next?

I’m still processing all of the stuff that’s going on; it doesn’t feel real. I definitely want to keep street skating, going to contests, traveling with the homies, and filming. That’s what got me here: just having fun and believing in myself.

🌀: Obviously, there will be some annoying times, whether that’s not getting a clip or something. What keeps you motivated to keep going?

I feel like every skater has those phases where you don’t feel as good on your board as you normally do. That can be frustrating sometimes, but I have really good people around me, really good friends and family. I’m really open about it all. I talk to them, listen to them, and it makes me understand that everything’s gonna be good at some point.

🌀: That’s solid advice. Congrats on the pro board, you’ve worked so hard & you deserve it. Is there anyone you want to thank?

Thank God, he’s the reason I’m here. I put all my faith in Him to make sure everything works out. My family, my dad, he’s supported me since I was 6 years old. He left everything in Brazil just to come chase my dream, and not just my dream, it was also his dream to see me succeed. And the homies, you, Grant, you’re always there supporting me. Bailey, also Alan and Alex for filming me. I just have the best people around me, you know? I think that’s what’s made me who I am.

🌀: Amazing, thank you for taking the time to do this. Stoked to watch you keep doing your thing!