Omar Hassan.

"HEY! WHAT'S COOL?" you ask. Omar replies back: "Oh, nothing," because he doesn't know what's cool and he doesn't care. What he does care about is skateboarding. And also punk rock, hip-hop, baggy pants, little wheels, launch ramps and street plants. Skateboarding has been through a lot of trends since Omar stepped foot on a board, and he's outlasted them all. How? Pure and simple--he just skates and doesn't really worry about what others think. Promar, Bromar, Snomar--whatever you want to call him, he takes the criticism in stride and thinks for himself. Whether it's a skatepark, pool or street spot, take him there and watch him rip.

When did you start skating?

I started skating when I was 11 or 12, just pushing around on my knees. My older brother had an Alva from the Orange County swap meet. It was another year or so before I started to understand it and started to skate a lot. I was following my older brother's footsteps. Whatever he was into--punk rock and skateboarding.

Have you lived in Southern California all your life?

Same spot. Costa Mesa/Newport Beach area.

Which parks did you ride back in the day?

I grew up skating Upland--I was probably 13--with my older brother and his friends. The back bowls. I live right by Vision skateboards and they always had ramps around there.

What do you think of all these concrete parks being built now?

For a while skating had lost its heart and soul, and these parks are bringing it back. Concrete is coming back. Times have changed. Now these parks are fun to ride, not just props and terrain. The Oregon parks are good.

Favorite place to visit?

I had a good time in Australia last year with Chet, Tony and Cardiel. So many options, and the parks are old and have been around since the early '70s. Those combined with the new parks make for a good variety.

Do you have time to take in the culture on these skate trips?

It depends on who you're with and how much time you have, but you're always on a mission. Driving from point A to B is where you see the most culture. Skate missions tend to try to hit the most spots possible. Driving park-to-park sometimes results in seeing more of New Zealand than someone who went by the brochure sees. Plus you can meet people and drink beers along the way.

First sponsor?

Blockhead skateboards in '86 or so. I just met Jim Gray skating the local parks. He introduced me to Dave Bergthold.

Blockhead days?

Originally it was Sam Cunningham, Keith Cochrane, Jim Gray, and as it started getting bigger we got Rick Howard, Steve Berra. So many good riders on the team ... Jason Dill. Dave Bergthold was really cool and let us be ourselves, didn't really regulate the way we acted.

What happened after Blockhead?

After Blockhead I ended up riding for Acme skateboards. I didn't really care about the politics, and Jim had his view--skateboarding should be about no pro models. It was a time in skateboarding where a lot of new companies were coming about and it was hard to stand out. After that I started Formula One and tried to break off. I felt that pros should have models. Me, Lincoln Ueda and Daniel Shimizu, we just got to a point where other companies looked better. Sometimes you can't do things yourself, so I went to Black Label. Lincoln went to New Deal and Daniel to Foundation. I would always see Lucero and Ricky Barnes, Mike Lohrman. Ricky used to pick on me; "You gotta ride Label." I was super honored when I got on the team. Label has always had cool stuff going on.

I recently read that Label retired your pro model.

It wasn't anything that I would take offense to. I'm always stoked on skating and Label. It was done in a sense to change things. Me, Wade, Salman, and Hensley all had our models pulled. Black Label is pushing the younger guys. John decided that since we've been doing it a long time, each of us still deserve a pro model. So he gave us our own thing--a side division called Classics. The boards are geared to our age group, kind of like what Red Kross is for Olson and Duane. He's giving us another route.

The lean years? How did you get by? Any odd jobs?

I turned pro when I was 16. It was never about making money. Fortunately I have only had to skate all the time. I'm really appreciative of that. I never really had to get a job; it's always been through skateboarding.

You're one of the all-terrain guys--street, parks, pools and vert. Which do you prefer?

There's no preference. It's one of those things like when your friends call and say, "Let's go skate." I don't ask where, I just go. And have fun with it.

You seem to be able to come through on a moment's notice. Like you filmed your part for the Black Out in a matter of days, and the majority of it at Upland in one session. What's your approach when you get to a new spot?

I just get super psyched. I travel to a lot of spots and might not get a chance to come back soon, so I try to do as much as possible while I am there. I hate leaving wishing I could have done something else--I try to ride to my potential without getting hurt.

Do you set out to get footage and photos?

I just skate, and if someone is there to document I will do it. The majority of the time, I just try to have a fun session. I never try to do the same trick as someone or hit the same spots as others. I just try to do my own thing. In '94/'95 I'd get heckled for skating pools, but now skating is more accepting to the type of stuff I do. I don't ever think of skating as going out to film or document, because for a while there my style of riding wasn't in demand.

I just saw you on MTV's 3-way Threat. What was your impression of that event?

Commercialized contest on steroids. I'm glad they had some cool stuff to skate and represent skateboarding. The event as a whole is not what skateboarding is all about, and probably won't be understood by most skateboarders. Surfing, snowboarding and skating are things I've done my whole life.

Your team won! What did you do with all that money, $25,000?

I'm not the flashy person who goes out and buys a new car. I just pay my rent. I just put it away. When I win money it all goes into something; I don't spend it on material things. I like to spend it on traveling or little skate trips. And the IRS gets their cut.

Do you enjoy contests?

Not necessarily the whole part leading up to it. But you do get to hang out with people you don't usually see. Most contests lack fun stuff and are formulated to be the same. When they start building better courses, contests will be fun again. I wish they would progress and make something more natural or different instead of the typical pyramid. They seem to be formatted for TV. The Marseille one is fun because it's a different format.

Who skates Marseille the best?

I think Tony Trujillo and Wade skate it the best, and properly. Their styles make it look cool. Wade and Tony are the best. Cardiel is good, too. Those three guys. They all three have different styles and sporadic lines that are made for that place.

What about riding for Ford trucks? Do you get a free truck? Did you have to send them a sponsor-me video? How did that come about?

Ford talked to Melissa Murphy, the team manager for Vans at the time. They approached her and my name came up. The first year I got a truck, and the last two years they just paid me the value of a truck. Each year it comes up and they calculate what I'm worth. I'm stoked. At least Ford is Ford, an all-American truck company, something I would go out and buy anyway.

Who are a few of your favorite skaters?

Danny Way, Hosoi, Tony T, Cardiel.

What makes you stoked on them?

I feel like they all skate everything in a sense. I strive to do what they do. They skate transition, rails, etc. You have to give those guys respect. No one else is at their level. To see someone like Danny Way progress like that and keep it going is amazing.

Next month is our Skater of the Year issue. Who deserves it this year?

I'm kind of biased toward my type of skateboarding. As far as this year goes, Danny Way had the killer video part. Trujillo had a really good year as well. Since it has to go to someone who hasn't had it, I would say Appleyard.

What's your relationship with Phelps?

Phelps is one of those guys who I've seen skating since I was 16; Bryce's ramp in SF. Jake has always been rad. I was intimidated back then and Jake was the older guy. He was always yelling stuff like "Do a mute to fakie." I have a lot of respect for him. He gives criticism. You can take it two ways: he's bagging on you, or he knows your potential and he's pushing you. Some people don't know how to take it. I hope when I'm his age I'm still progressing like he is.

Any injuries over the years?

I did my ankle at Charleston hanger in '93, and then at Tampa Pro in '96. I hit the pole with my knee and tore my ACL. After that, hitting my chin here and there.

Do you have any interests or hobbies outside of skateboarding?

Yeah, I like surfing a lot. I go all the time. Traveling is part of skateboarding. I have my girlfriend and my dog.

Favorite trick?

I've done about 10 million 5-0s to fakie. Grinding and going fast; nothing in particular.

Most memorable tour?

Australia 2000 Vans tour with John Cardiel, Tony Trujillo, Chet Childress, Jason Adams, Drehobl, and Jim Gagne. I had never been there before, and we hit all the concrete parks and spots we could. Now with all the new parks, touring is a lot more fun. I've been sent to lots of places. Like in '94 we got sent to a demo with just a box in a parking lot.

Future plans?

I don't really have any plans after skating. I have some ideas, but I'll always be a skateboarder. I look at a guy like Salba and will always be a skater no matter what else I do. That's what I enjoy in life. I look at all my elders that are still ripping ... Mark Gonzales.

Is there anything you want to be remembered for in skateboarding?

A skateboarder. I don't want there to be one type of person. I don't want people to think about what's marketable in skating--no matter if it's a vert ramp or a set of stairs, it's all skateboarding. I don't want to be categorized as anything other than a skateboarder. Skateboarding is about a feeling and a fun thing. It's not something to do for a company or for someone else. I want to be known for my skateboarding, not the kind of clothes I wore. I've never been one to follow the trends.