 Cardiel and Stranger first met at an amateur skateboarder contest that was held at the Powell skateboards warehouse—the contest was held around 1990/1991.In the fall 2012 catalogue release of AntiHero, Cardiel's signature skateboard decks are included in the same series as the currently active riders.Cardiel listed his top skateboarding influences of all time in an interview with the "Transworld Skateboarding" magazine