Issue Date: 11/7/05
Punk Rock Ambition
With a little bit of money and a vision, Palomar College student Wayne Acciacca's dream of owning a skateboard company has finally come true.
Acciacca and his business partner and longtime friend Enrique Lazaro recently created Muerto Skateboards
"We're on a punk rock budget," Acciacca said. "You know, do-it-yourself, Xerox fliers and put them out there."
Acciacca and Lazaro have known each other since childhood. Acciacca said he and Lazaro made skateboards in their high school woodshop class and were two of only five skateboarders in the town of Tucson, Ariz.
Acciacca said it wasn't until he recently inherited a small amount of money that they were able to get serious about starting up a company.
"This is the first company I've ever started and it's definitely a learning experience," Acciacca said. "It's something we've always dreamt about."
Lazaro was born in Mexico and is the artist for Muerto Skateboards. He said his main influences and inspiration come from the Mexican culture.
"I think what stayed with me was the 'day of the dead' type stuff because we always had that stuff in our household," Lazaro said.
Acciacca said the company draws its name from the Mexican holiday 'Dia de los Muertos,' or 'day of the dead.'
Acciacca works at Siemens administrating their web site, and computers have always been a hobby of his.
"I have an IT background," Acciacca said. "Enrique supplied me with all the art work and I did all the web site - putting the shopping cart together, getting web hosting - and that saved us a lot of money."
The company has had their web site running and skateboards available since July. Just two months after establishment, Muerto Skateboards debuted at a skate park in Denver.
Acciacca said they gave away free decks and shirts and signed dozens of people up for mailing lists.
"We're both really in it for the same reason, and that's to put something out there for people to enjoy," Lazaro said.
Acciacca and his business partner and longtime friend Enrique Lazaro recently created Muerto Skateboards
"We're on a punk rock budget," Acciacca said. "You know, do-it-yourself, Xerox fliers and put them out there."
Acciacca and Lazaro have known each other since childhood. Acciacca said he and Lazaro made skateboards in their high school woodshop class and were two of only five skateboarders in the town of Tucson, Ariz.
Acciacca said it wasn't until he recently inherited a small amount of money that they were able to get serious about starting up a company.
"This is the first company I've ever started and it's definitely a learning experience," Acciacca said. "It's something we've always dreamt about."
Lazaro was born in Mexico and is the artist for Muerto Skateboards. He said his main influences and inspiration come from the Mexican culture.
"I think what stayed with me was the 'day of the dead' type stuff because we always had that stuff in our household," Lazaro said.
Acciacca said the company draws its name from the Mexican holiday 'Dia de los Muertos,' or 'day of the dead.'
Acciacca works at Siemens administrating their web site, and computers have always been a hobby of his.
"I have an IT background," Acciacca said. "Enrique supplied me with all the art work and I did all the web site - putting the shopping cart together, getting web hosting - and that saved us a lot of money."
The company has had their web site running and skateboards available since July. Just two months after establishment, Muerto Skateboards debuted at a skate park in Denver.
Acciacca said they gave away free decks and shirts and signed dozens of people up for mailing lists.
"We're both really in it for the same reason, and that's to put something out there for people to enjoy," Lazaro said.