Michael Penhale
How did you first get into skateboarding and tattoos, respectively?
My dad got me a board when I was about 7 and would drop me off at parks all the time. And my mom worked across from Denver park so I spent most my time there growing up.
For tattoos, I had a mentor Brock Fetch who is heavily tattooed and the second I could get one he pointed me in the right direction and I was instantly sparked.
What was it about American Traditional that attracted you over than any other style out there?
It was just what a lot of the homies had and when I was being apprenticed it was treated like something you had to know before diving into Japanese, black and grey, and fine line stuff.
Which do you think comes more naturally to you, skateboarding or tattooing?
I would say skateboarding. I never did art classes or anything or drew much growing up so when I started tattooing it definitely felt more challenging than being on the board.
How much of a challenge was it to manage the tattoo shop and run a skatepark at the same time?
It actually wasn’t too difficult because all I wanted to do was skate and be in the shop. I had a team of about 5 kids that I’ve known for a real long time working the park. They really ran curbside, they knew how they wanted their park to be and knew the community. I don’t think I worked a shift for the last four years because they just had it handled. Because of all that it made my tattooing responsibilities easy to focus on.
What does your daily routine at Lucky Rose look like nowadays?
It’s pretty fun man. I show up before noon and get situated and tattoo, paint, or draw from 12-8pm. But I’ll probably be drawing at home in the evening and prepping for appointments in the morning here and there.
What’s a lesson you’ve learned over the years that applies to both the skate and tattoo worlds?
Prioritizing people and treating them with love and respect goes a long way. Life is way better when you have a loving community around you.
Got any future plans to share?
Right now I’m just enjoying life being a tattooer now that we closed the park. I plan on doing a handful of guest spots throughout 2025, spend some time tattooing out in Barcelona, and just smellin the flowers.
Originally published in Issue 6 - July 2025