By Hobey Echlin
Katy Rodriguez and Tony Alva are L.A.'s O.G. creative power couple. Both evolved from street culture roots into West Coast cultural icons - - Alva as the Godfather of vert skateboarding as immortalized in Lords of Dogtown, and Rodriguez as the innovator of vintage boutique Resurrection. Alva founded his own company 30 years ago, with which he has designed and sold his own skateboards ever since, while his eponymous skate and surf shop on Fairfax turned three years old last December. Rodriguez parlayed her deep feel for fashion history into her her Resurrection-inspired eponymous line, now in its fourth year, designing intelligently glam women's wear. The two met seven years ago, in high L.A. style, at a Gucci party for Ron Galella's book, The Photographs of Ron Galella, 1965-1989, but neither is much for going out. The Virgos (who share the same birthday, by the way) prefer to play with their three chihuahuas and watch Lakers games at home in Beverly Hills. Rodriguez doesn't cook, which is fine, she says, because "Tony can turn anything into a taco." Alva explains: "The secret is having a gourmet tortilla and salsa, then adding an avocado. The filling doesn't matter that much with those elements." The same could be said of them in life and in love -- all killer, no filler.
Where's your favorite spot to get it on in L.A.?
No
Comment.
Where's your favorite place to go when you just want to really
feel each other -- be romantic, private, alone?
Kathy:
The beach.
Tony: La Piedra, in Malibu.
What do you like the most about your mate?
Kathy:
He's very spontaneous and pretty fearless
Tony: Her
eyes.
What annoys you more than anything else?
Kathy:
That he gets up at 5 a.m. every morning to go surfing and wakes me up.
Tony: Her time on the computer.
What model car do you drive?
Kathy: I drive a
1957 Porsche 356A. Tony always gets us there.
Tony: I drive
a Mercedes E55 AMG Sportwagon. I always drive.
What's the most L.A. thing you've ever done as a couple?
Kathy: This interview.
Tony: We went to the
Lords of Dogtown premiere at Grauman's Theatre.
If L.A. slid into the ocean, where would you move?
Kathy: Somewhere in Central or South America.
Tony:
Pasadena, because the ocean would probably stop right before the
mountain, so it would be the next closest place.
What is the toughest thing about being a private couple in a city
that thrives on the anti-private?
Kathy: We rarely
participate in the whole L.A.-Hollywood scene. Tony is such an L.A.
icon, and most of the time people are pretty respectful of him here,
besides occasional overzealous fans.
Tony: Drunk and
obnoxious fans with booze on their breath.
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