EMBASSY
‘I see brands that just have a cookie cutter mentality on graphics and that’s BORING!’
Lee Leal
November 2025
Can you tell us something about Texas that no one knows?
Texas is the wild wild west. There are a few kept secrets amongst the heads, but what happens in Texas,STAYS in Texas.
On your IG account it says ‘Girl Dad, Husband, Father, Friend, Photographer’. What do you like being most?
I wear all 5 hats with equal balance. I love’em all, but it is kinda crazy navigating through all the madness.
Which one are you best at?
Well, I’m a girl dad so that’s a tricky one. I’ve been married for 34 years to my beautiful wife GiGi. You must have balance in everything you do. It’s the law of “Yin Yang”.
How did you get into skateboarding?
I was introduced to a Variflex in the 70’s.
You started Embassy in 2009 with Texas first pro skater John ‘TEX’ Gibson. What triggered the idea?
America was in a recession. The timing was right. I wanted to create a brand that would acknowledge the “Old School” and pay tribute to the “OG’s”. Along with enlightening a whole new generation of rippers. “Keep the vibe alive” you might say.
Your mission statement says that you want to ‘continue the Texas brand ‘Skate Tuff’ attitude in skateboarding. What makes the local skate community to ‘Skate Tuff’?
That’s basically the terminology for “Skaters are tuff as nails”. We all fall down and get back up. Skateboarding can determine the path you take in life. It’s about being creative, thinking outside the box, falling down, getting back up and doing again. For those of us that got back up…well it changed our lives.
Is there another board co that you follow?
I follow a lot of the other board companies/brands. I grew up with Zorlac,Alva,Skull Skates. In the 80’s when all the “homies” were sponsored or “Pro”, those brands were Sims, G&S, Alva. All those crews were rad. Those are the O.G. brands. Nowadays it’s the core brands I can appreciate. I like a brand to represent the vibe. I like a brand to give the rider an input on the art direction of his or her “Pro” model. I see brands that just have a cookie cutter mentality on graphics and that’s BORING!
‘My wife just yelled out “international distribution”.’
You are also a skate photographer. Any proud moments you can share with us?
The photo of Tony Hawk in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC is my photo from the “80’s ALL DAY” in Orlando, FLA 2011. It’s displayed in the “Pop Culture” section of the museum next to the Farrah Fawcett poster and Eddie Van Halen’s guitar. So that’s pretty special. I’m blessed to get the opportunity to travel with the Embassy crew. I find myself sometimes in “the spot” to get the classic photo and situation. Just last month at the Van’s Combi I got the clip of Greyson Fletcher doing the Kick-Flip of the Duncan. I have some special photos that are true to my heart. I have a picture of Rune Glifberg at Bondi Bowl in Australia. It was raining most of the day, and our Airbnb was literally across the street from the bowl. Rune was visiting and suggested we try to go get in a session. We dried off the bowl just in time for the sunset shot. He did a huge frontside air in the deep end with a gnarly looking sky.
What is the local skate community most proud of?
We have a vibrant scene in some arenas. The vert scene is kinda dead. The HVR “Houston Vert Ramp” is no longer. Cheers to Scott for keeping that torch lit and also Southside Skatepark has a new vert ramp. We do have a cool brotherhood amongst us all.
Which city would you consider the skate capital of Texas?
That’s always going to be debatable. In the ‘80’s it was always a Dallas vs Houston thing. Texas is a big place,with a skatepark in every major crevice and time zone. In other words, it’s who you ask, but I am going to say since we did have the biggest skatepark in the world, (before Des Moine) I’m favorite to H-Town. It’s a brotherhood amongst us.
‘For those of us that got back up…well it changed our lives.’
I think I know the answer but who would you call the godfather and godmother of Texas skateboarding?
Vicki Vickers for female, Phillips for pure power and innovation and John “Tex” Gibson for style.
If you could sign up any skater for Embassy, who would it be?
Greyson Fletcher.
Why do you think? How did you end up signing up Steven Pineiro from Puerto Rico as pro skater?
I first met Steven at a World Cup event in Oregon, I believe it was in 2009. We started sponsoring him and his brother Juan. They were little groms busting out different variations of 540’s like nothing and had mad style. Steven has been with Embassy for a long time.
You seem to have lots going on. What is still on your wish list?
Ahh,my wife just yelled out “international distribution”.
Last Question. If you could interview any person in the world, who would it be?
Jay Adams. I’d like to ask him the secret to surfing Puerto Escondido in Mexico.