87. Rick Bata Jr.

January 20, 2023
January 20, 2023 Will Mackie

Welcome back to Comacan Questions, this week we are joined by a guest who also interviews people to share stories about them! We found our guest online and we are happy to help spread the word, please enjoy this weeks interview with Rick Bata Jr, Host of his own podcast, but we will let him tell you about that.

You host a podcast, what is the name of the podcast?
The name of my show is the No Mongo Podcast.


What kind of things do you discuss with your podcast? 
I discuss all things skateboarding, in addition to, any current events that might seem appropriate.

What inspired you to start a podcast?
I started my show right around the time The Nine Club was gaining some serious momentum. A friend of mine told me to check it out. I did and immediately knew that I wanted to create a show about skateboarding as well.

This led me to discover other shows like Mostly Skateboarding and Skatosis which helped motivate me to take the first step.

What does skateboarding mean to you?
It means so much to me.

Skateboarding created the person I am today. It helped my self-esteem tremendously while growing up and the confidence it has given me over time is priceless.

It’s something that I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving. I always joke that I’m going to be that cool grandpa watching skate videos on my phone (or whatever device we all have) in the future.

How did you get into skateboarding?
All I know is that I was given a Variflex cruiser or “penny” board as they call them now many, many years ago. From the moment I started rolling around on my knees I was hooked.

I can still remember the feeling I had when I finally learned how to stand up on my board. Such an amazing memory.

The rest is history.

Do you have any dream interviews for your podcast?
That’s a great question.

I’ve already interviewed some amazing guests. So, anything from here is more like icing on the cake.

I do have a pretty nice mental wish list going and I know for a fact that Tom Penny is on there.

Other than that, I’d love to talk with as many people who have contributed to skateboarding as possible.

There are so many stories out there that deserve some shine. I’m glad that I get to help out in some way.

Are you involved in any other projects?
I’m always starting and stopping many other projects, but between work, being a father/husband, and the podcast, I don’t have as much extra time as I’d like to.

But then again, nothing won’t change until I change so I guess I will have to make up the time. It’s on me to make it all work.

I’d love to add a video option to the show. That way the listeners can see the clips or tricks I talk about. We’ll see how the rest of the year goes.

Anyone you’d like to thank?
Thanks to you guys for the time. Thanks to my wife and kids for all the continued support. And most importantly, thanks to everyone out there who is supporting what I do. I really do appreciate it!

,