Fausto Vitello passed away on April 22nd 2006 of a heart attack, but he will always be remembered within the skateboard community as ‘The Don’ and part founder of the legendary Independent Truck Company and Thrasher magazine.
Fausto was an Argentinean immigrant who moved to the Bay Area, San Fransisco, at a young age with the drive to make it no matter what. Teamed up with Rich Novak, Jim Shuirman and Eric Swenson, Fausto used his skills to mould one of the world’s greatest skate trucks ever- the Independent.
But he didn’t stop there; Fausto was also busy setting up Thrasher magazine – a core life line for the scene he loved, promoting skateboarding through the first street contests and backyard jams, and always scouting out new talent. Since then, the man with the moustache has received respect the world over and rightly so!
Crossfire and our passion to start it and keep it going is fuelled very much by Fausto’s outlook and drive for keeping things real. Thrasher Magazine and Independent Trucks are 2 huge influences on our involvement in skateboarding for many years now and this is a huge loss to skateboarding world wide, but what he has left behind is a scene that stretches from country to country that is built on the sheer fun of it.
It’s hard to believe such a strong character of skateboarding has passed… I’ll let Fausto explain himself in his own words, courtesy of ‘Built to Grind‘ (High Speed Productions):
“Throughout the history of Independent, I have always tried to maintain the “fuck off” attitude of the company founders. I’ve never had my partners tell me who to have on the team or how to do the ads; it’s always been easy, and it’s always been about skateboarding.”
Fausto Vitello – Rest In Peace