Words: Dante Ross
Photo: Nina Mouritzen
I have known Harry Jumanji since 1982, when we hooked up on a cold winter afternoon in Washington Square Park via a mutual friend of ours, a great skater named Ian Frahm. At this point in NYC, there were about five skateboarders left standing, as older cats like Andy Kessler and Puppet Head were on temporary hiatus and wet noses like me were few and far between. Skateboarding might have been at its all time low interest-wise in NYC and without Jumanji and people like Ian Frahm, Bruno Musso and later Jeremy Henderson, skating might have completely died a permanent death in the Rotten Apple. Instead, Jumanji, as he’s known, went on to inspire many to get down and rip with his flamboyant style and amazing energy. Harry’s life has been one of tragedy and redemption as he has lost way too many years to the so-called justice system and his battle with the ongoing disease called drug addiction. Harry, if you know him, has a heart of gold, the energy of a superstar and his story is one full of style, heartbreak, glory and hope. He simply is one of the most natural skaters ever— end of story. To see him skate is to truly see physical poetry in its purest form. The guy was made to skate! This is one for the record books and the hardest interview I have ever done for the mag, considering the trial and tribulations Jumanji and me have gone thru in our 25 year friendship. I have seen Harry at his best and his worst, and watching it all hasn’t been easy. Anyone that knows Harry roots for him time and time again. He’s one of a kind, a total original and his skating style and story are one of the cornerstones of NYC skating history. Read on and listen to the man’s words as he can tell his story better than I ever will be able to.
How did you start skating?
In Brazil I started surfing very young, around eight years old. Once I saw pictures of people skating, I traded in my surfboard for a skateboard when I was about nine and never looked back. I guess that’s why I always had a surf-influenced style, unlike a lot of street skaters.
When did you come to NYC?
In 1982. Me, my father and brother came to NYC from Brazil. My father took us and didn’t tell my mother. We left her and I never got to see her again before she passed away from AIDS. That’s one of my biggest regrets, that I never got to see her again. She was on drugs, but had been clean for five years when she passed away.
Where did you first skate when you came to NYC?
First I skated in Central Park and met Andy Kessler right away. He introduced me to Ian Frahm and I started to skate downtown in Washington Square almost everyday with him and Pepe Santiago, Steve Quinn and you. A little while later Bruno Musso, who started Shut, showed up and then we met Jeremy Henderson and Jules Gayton. That was about the only people skating in NYC at that time. It was funny when you saw someone with a skateboard back then you would get excited ’cause it was so rare. If someone had a board you instantly bonded.
I remember you going back and forth to Cali a lot back then.
I first went in ’83. This was the skatepark golden years. I went to the San Diego area and skated Del Mar where I met legendary skaters Neil Blender, Billy Ruff, Reese Simpson, Gator, Lester Kasai and a real young Tony Hawk. It was an awesome time. I skated with legends, got better at skating vert and got to see some of the best vert skating ever.
Then you came back to NYC?
I came back in ’84 for the first time. I was in Washington Square Park everyday, skating the Brooklyn Bridge banks with Jeremy Henderson, Ian Frahm, Pepe Santiago. We were planting the seeds for Supreme, Zoo York and all of that—we didn’t know it, we were just having fun.
When did you go back to Cali again?
Winter ’86, I think. I entered the Las Vegas amateur NSA contest and beat Ray Barbee, who was unbeatable at the time. After the contest, my favorite skater, Christian Hosoi asked me to skate for him, as did Dogtown and Vision. I decided to ride for Christian Hosoi and as an amateur was treated better than a lot of pros at the time.
You came back to NYC again, why?
I was actually going to turn pro in ’87, but I tweaked my ankle real bad and didn’t end up going pro because of the injury. I decided to come back to NYC and see what was up. I came home and started ripping up the streets out here again. Bruno Musso had started Shut Skates and the energy was amazing.
Yeah, I remember seeing you and stuff, but we didn’t get to hang that much then, we were both doing our own things I guess.
I went back [to Cali] and was living with Christian Hosoi around ’88 to ’89 and I had already started dabbling with drugs. Coke/crack has always been my downfall. I’m in Venice skating with Natas, Scott Oster and Christian and all of a sudden I see the skate industry fall apart right in front of me. Hosoi’s company’s going through problems and I was broke. I ended up fucked up on drugs, being around the wrong people. I ended up going to jail in Cali after I had run from a charge in NYC with a case pending. I got popped selling crack. I was strung out, fucking up, not even skating too much anymore.
So what happened?
I got sentenced to a year in jail but only did six months. This was the first time I did any real time and it sucked. I got out and went back to San Diego where I was clean for a while. I was skating with Sal Barbier, John Reeves and Donger, living life. Then one day I went to the gas station and guys were selling rocks, I thought I could just get high one time. Next thing you know, I got strung-out again. I ended up catching a serious charge for possession and intent to sell and catching almost three years in Cali. After I got out, I came back to NYC and started to skate again. I got a job, I was doing well but my demons lead me astray. I caught my first New York charge and it was serious. I got a three year sentence.
So you got out in ’98?
Yeah and I got a Levi’s ad right away. I also got a part in the Lauryn Hill video, a Santana video and was clean and sober for almost a year at this point. I was having fun and skating again. I came into some money from the Levi’s ad and ended up locked up one more time. This cycle continued for the next seven years—me just going in and out basically.
How important has skating been in your life?
Through it all, I always thought about skating, whether I was locked up or getting high—the one thing I could reflect on that was positive was skating. I have lost almost 10 years of my life to jail and all of it was from drugs. I’m not a criminal; I’m not a thug. I’m an addict. If I didn’t have this addiction I might have gone pro, I might have a family, a wife, who knows what I would have accomplished. I know this, skating always gives me the glimmer of hope I need to get by.
Do you have regrets?
Yes many: Never getting to see my mom again, disappointing people, not taking skating further. Losing so much time to addiction and jail. Beyond that, disappointing myself is a tough thing to deal with. I’m trying to get beyond that these days and enjoy the sunshine, the freedom and sobriety. I get up, I go to work, I get an honest paycheck. I’m proud of myself right now. I try to take it one day at a time and just enjoy the little things that life sends my way like getting to skate with Kessler, hanging with you, doing a long day’s work and seeing how my sobriety makes those around me happy.
