back to bloem
ETNIES TOUR WESley COERTZEN ADAMS bros IN OMAN
ISSUE 65 | APR/MAY 2015 | RSA R35.00 / OTHER R30.00
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the COVER ___
Flexing in Bloem Evan Binge jumped into a ditch in the middle of town and survived bailing hard into the manky water running across it. Ph: Jansen van Staden
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contents ___ Alan Marola’s been wanting this one for a while. Not an easy spot at all. Crailslide with an inverted invert. Ph: Sam Clark
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brick city ___
Some say he’s the heart of the nation, others say he’s its liver. Some say he has lands of gold, others, that he breeds bricklayers like no other... We go on the mission to meet Mr. Bloemfontein.
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etnies tour ___
They called it the Big Five Tour, but seriously, all those dudes were like 5ft. It should have been called the Small Fry Tour. Either way Dylan retraced a week in the bus with the Etnies team, as they travelled through the country.
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wes my mind? ___
Durban’s favourite long-haired flow master, Wesley Coertzen has grown up feeding off skateboarding. Consuming it as much as he can. His style shows it.
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adams bros in oman ___
Red Bull and Technique teamed up to get the golden brothers over to Oman to open a skatepark, do some demos and hit some spots.
#65
REDIAL
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closet envy
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58 I AM
BIZness
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blackboard
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Meet you at the park.
Threads to shred.
On the come up.
Breaking news.
Video killed the skate star.
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REDIAL
moolman
Brendan Body
the process of change 20 years ago there were a handful of ‘pay’ parks scattered around the country and no matter what was said or done new parks seldom went up, and if they did they lasted only a few months and then closed down.
Sam Khumalo floats like a butterfly, stings like a bellyflop. Yep, another Pool Party reference. We can’t forget it.
Sam Khumalo frontside ollies on some new ‘Steyn City’ crete. Nowadays billionaires are building amazing parks in their housing estates north of Johannesburg. We’re not sure exactly how you get in, but now you know it’s there, find a way to make it happen.
20 years later new parks are popping up everywhere, lucky you!
Editor in Chief / advertising
Photographers:
Brendan Body
Sam Clark, Jansen van Staden, Grant McLachlan, Jono van Rooyen, Warren Stopforth.
brendan@sessionmag.co.za Sub Editor / design
Adrian Henderson
ad@sessionmag.co.za
CONTRIBUTORS:
Web Editor / Finance
Brett Shaw, Dylan Vaughan, Ruan Scott, Joubert van Staden.
Luke Jackson
info@sessionmag.co.za photo Editor
Clint van der Schyf
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Session Skateboarding Magazine is published independently 6 times a year. Session will welcome all letters, e-mails and photos. We will review the contribution and assess whether or not it can be used as print or online content. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the magazine, its owners or its management. Session Skateboarding Magazine is the copyright of Session Magazine cc. Any duplication of this magazine, for any media or sale activity, will result in legal action and a brandy-fuelled bloemfontien being sent after you.
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We’ve partnered with Monster Energy and AV Video Mag to bring you coverage of #OnTheMissionSA. We’re setting out to cover as much of South Africa as we can during 2015. Our first mission saw a crew of skateboarders from Cape Town and a crew from JHB meet up in Bloemfontein, where they spent a few days cruising Brick City with locals like Stuart Walker. The entourage also squeezed in a day trip to the nearby town of Welkom to roll with local Nico Ludek. Local knowledge is invaluable when trying to get to know a place. OG ‘Bloemfonteinian’ Ruan Scott gives us a metrospective of this infamous yet seldom explored South African city. Lookout for an extended #OnTheMissionSA Bloemfontein feature at www.sessionmag.co.za
WORDS: Ruan Scott PHOTOS Jansen van Staden
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Brendan Dyamond - Smith Grind
I know a man named Bloemfontein. He’s Caucasian, male and Afrikaans. He is the kind of man post-Apartheid South Africa loves to hate. At 169 years old he safeguards traditions like rugby, brandy and big bakkies. Bloemfontein is a conservative man. He fears God, shuns the new South Africa to a large extent (even though the ANC was established in his lap in 1912), frowns upon same sex relationships and harbours Christian values.
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loemfontein is somewhat of a late adopter to trends that are set elsewhere. That is if he ever adapts to the changing world around him. Dagga is bad, men don’t have long hair, alcohol is acceptable and skateboarding is probably the biggest social taboo there is. His children are evidence to these rigid moral expectations. Adopt or die. Some oppose these beliefs but most lap that shit up. Those opposed, pack up and leave after school and he (Bloemfontein) is left with a vast void in terms of creativity and skills. The other ‘against the grainers’ that do stay and fight to not become their father eventually give in to the
“
Paving suppliers in Bloemfontein must be stinking rich, everything is paved.
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townhouse, 4-door car, office job and 2.4 kids lifestyle, with all their hopes, dreams and creativity spewed out on a toilet cubicle floor in a franchised night club. There are those few that prosper within this community but they are largely marginalised and shunned by their peers, living in social solitude. So where do skateboarders fit into Bloemfontein’s family tree? Well, nowhere. Kept away from others to be never talked about, the ‘sibling under the stairs’ kind of situation. The skaters that were, are and will be, have left, are on their way out or are keeping it so underground that Bloemfontein will never get wind of their actions.
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Alistair Links - Boardslide Fakie
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loemfontein is not a fan of skateboarding, it never was and probably never will be. You can often hear him shouting at skaters: “This is private property, get away from here with those boards, you are making a noise”. Skateboarders are the ostracised and the scapegoats. It’s a worldwide phenomenon, but in Bloemfontein the act of skateboarding in the streets is a heinous crime against culture. As for his build, Bloemfontein has little to no mercy for skateboarding. ‘Eat shit and die’ was what city planners and architects must have thought while building the city. Brick paving as far as the eyes can see. As Reuben Els commented while we were cruising through Bloem in early December 2014: “Paving suppliers in Bloemfontein must be stinking rich, everything is paved.”
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Dodgy flat bars and sketchy kick ramps that filled suburban streets were commonplace.
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Much like the fat brandy-drinking skater haters that roam his streets in their 2 ton bakkies, Bloemfontein’s build is also flat and wide. Dotted with suburbs from end to end and riddled with small strip malls. The relief and contours don’t stray much from the horizontal, thus not allowing for too many opportunities to skate interesting architecture.
To keep him safe, the God-fearing man (Bloemfontein) has invested in (ironically enough) something called ‘Devil’s fork’. Every house and every commercial property is surrounded with fatally sharp, metal spear-like poles, usually painted green or oxidised red. Devil’s fork will cut you fucked up if you don’t make it over safely and these spiked bodyguards of property have ruined so many of the little skate spots around the city.
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AD Henderson - Wallride
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he bastard children Bloemfontein loves to hate have been rolling his streets since the late 80s. It started with dudes like Wouter, Tim, John and Hilton. They skated the mini ramp built by Oupa Coetzee and the then empty Loch Logan drains. See the insert written by Tim Moolman on early Bloem skateboarding. In the second half of the 90s riders Wesley and Desmond along with bmxers like Tobi and Shaun appeared on the scene. Cruising the streets, city centre and shopping mall parking lots like North Ridge Mall looking for spots to turn a trick. There are rumours of a half pipe that was erected there in the early part of the 90s but I am yet to see concrete evidence of this. Roll in the 2000s and Bloemfontein had his hands full trying to keep his streets clear of the satanic, weedsmoking and trouble-making skateboarding youth he
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“
...bruised faces from fights at the skatepark with the neighbouring motorcycle club were nurtured.
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had somehow spawned in the new millennium. Every neighbourhood had its crew. Dodgy flat bars and sketchy
kick ramps that filled suburban streets were commonplace and Saturday mornings were spent in large numbers, exploring the inner city for spots. Guys like Anton, Renico, Stefan, Phillip, Dries, Riaan ‘Baboon’ Stuart and Dolfie (to name a few) hit spots like ‘The Water Gap’ or the marble ledges at the Sand Du Plessis Theatre. In the early years of the naughties, CMC (Christian Motorcycle Church) took it upon themselves to build Bloem a proper skate park. The park, all metal surfaced and cramped into 10m x 10m of space, provided solace for skaters. A refuge and proving ground. The number of riders increased and the level of skateboarding upped, skaters from across the country pulled in and the first demos and competitions were being held. In the same breath it provided a place for misfits and troublemakers to hang out. Weed smoking and sneaky drinking by nonskaters who came to hang out at the park lead to its ultimate closure in 2004. It was a church after all.
Brendan Dyamond - Boneless Bluntslide
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Stuart Walker - Backside Smith
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round the same time, Tobi (Bloem legendary bmxer) had scraped together his pennies and built a prime indoor ‘all wooden’ park in the industrial area. Smooth, solid and open till late. Bands, demos, competitions and general mayhem. The Rocket Ramp Club, as it was called, propelled the scene into the next gear. More demos meant more exposure and more skaters from across the country pulled through. The park took a dip due to its location and an increasing lack of interest which led to its closure shortly after. The scene shrivelled. Skaters were finishing school and going to varsity, Saturday sessions where replaced by hangovers and commitment was dwindling. There were still a few die hard riders like Anton, Dolfie, Louie and some bmxers going on street missions, but for the most part old man Bloemfontein got his way and was overcoming the skateboard scum that was so prevalent in years gone by.
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“ What that day
and the closure of that park did for the scene was invaluable. A blessing in disguise.
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What seemed to be the last stretch of interest into the scene was taken on by two bmx brothers and their parents. God bless their souls. All the old ramps from parks prior were collected and placed on a crusty tennis court. Two oversized and sketchy as hell quarter pipes rose like Mount Doom on either ends of the park. It’s around this time that Session Skateboarding Magazine came to visit Bloemfontein. This era also marks the death and the most embarrassing day in Bloemfontein’s skateboard history. A rusty nail in the metal quarter pipe coffin of the scene. Anton was set to jump from a dingy two-man helicopter into one of the quarter pipes. Bloems’ very own Danny Way. Long story short, he never did the jump. The chopper flew dangerously close to overhanging electrical wires and all the drunk youths were inches away from disaster. The scene dissipated soon after. Interest was lost, heads were buried in the sand, bruised faces from fights at the skatepark with the neighbouring motorcycle club were nurtured.
AD Henderson - Boneless
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Stuart Walker - Frontside Flip
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...and pushed the few remaining skaters back to where they belonged the streets.
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Alistair Links - Frontside Bluntslide
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W
hat that day and the closure of that park did for the scene was invaluable. A blessing in disguise. It showed the touring skaters the few more street spots that Bloem had to offer as the park was by now a pile of rusting shit and pushed the few remaining skaters back to where they belonged - the streets. Spots like the 15 stair rail at the Sand Du Plessis Theatre and the rails at the University, spots that have been put on the map by the late JP du Preez, Alan Morola and Moses Adams. Bloemfontein, the haggard old man, seems to have alienated most of the skateboarders. What he doesn’t know is that they still roll. Stew, Dolfie, Hardus and other kids still
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“
...the haggard old man, seems to have alienated most of the skateboarders
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skate the outskirts of the city, the odd places where it’s least expected and under the cover of darkness. Sand Du Plessis is still being skated and the University is still one of the ‘go to’ spots until the ‘rent-a-cops’ pull in. Another hap-hazard park has been erected far outside the city. A DIY or DIE setup headed by old hand Louie Mans. Again there is a church connection but they seem to let the kids do what they want. The DIY ethic is something old man Bloemfontein has passed onto his bastard skateboarding children. There is a strong sense of “if we don’t have it, let’s make it and skate the shit out of it”. If you hook up with local roller, Stew, he just might take you to some good DIY spots that he is working on.
Joubert van Staden - Backside Flip in Welkom
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Brendan Dyamond - Pivot Fakie
Skateboarding might be dead in Bloem or skateboarding might be dead to Bloem. Perhaps Bloem might be dead to skateboarding, it might have never even lived there. Whichever way you look at it there are skaters there and one thing is
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“
There is a strong sense of ‘if we don’t have it, let’s make it and skate the shit out of it’.
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certain, the few skateboarders that roll his city streets, live to grind and grind to live. As one old dog said while I was traveling through, “we skate because Fuck you!”
Einde
Daniel Miltiadou - Texas Plant
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The worst part about this trip was the day I arrived back home. I found myself sitting in my room that Monday evening, replaying the theme songs of the trip in my mind, trying to recollect as many memories as possible. Palmdale – Afroman was my only choice next to Rihanna and Miley making multiple appearances on DJ Dave’s playlist. I couldn’t sit still, so I ended up leaving my house at 21:30 that evening just to have a drink in Cape Town. My mind was still fully in ‘tour mode’ and I did not want it to be any other way. WORDS: Dylan Vaughan PHOTOS: Sam Clark
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RIGHT: Albert Nyberg. Flip Wallride. BELOW: Silvester Eduardo. Frontside Nosegrind in Cape Town.
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he first day started off with us going to the little street quarter underneath the block of flats in Seapoint, which you would know is a nice warm up spot to start the day off. Going there with that intention put my mind at ease, so I got straight out the van and messed around on the little tranny with five foreign but very familiar faces. After about 10 minutes I found myself sitting on the curb watching some of the most ridiculous street skating I had ever witnessed. Axel was charging over the barrier to lipslide down the ‘death-drop-below / car fatality’ ledge running along the bank. My mouth was open, Jamie was asking me why I wasn’t skating and I could not defend myself. That set the standard for the type of skating that went down every single day of the trip, and left me over-awed.
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Of course, seeing their talent and open mindedness made me self-conscious, and it took a while for me to forget
...some of the most ridiculous street skating I had ever witnessed.
about all my insecurities and simply just hang out and skate. For the most part, smoking helped. David would call for ‘entjie time’ every half hour or so, and it was a great way to talk shit and realise that these five dudes are human beings like the rest of us. Like us, they sometimes take a while to land a trick. Sometimes they wake up in a bad mood and skate kak for the rest of the day. Sometimes they get scared when they are about to skate a handrail (except I’ll get scared on an 8 stair rail, while they will be eyeing out an 18), but that is beside the point. The one attribute all of them share is positivity. They ooze it, and I was fortunate enough to scrape up a handful.
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David Reyes. Frontside Nosegrind. bloemfontein. Photo: Sam Clark
LEFT: Brandon Valjalo. Frontside Bluntslide in Sea Point, CPT. RIGHT: Axel Cruysberghs. Alley-oop Frontside 270.
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realised after the first day that the trip was going to be ten shitloads of fun, and I let it take its course. The rest of the week was dedicated to skating Cape Town spots and surrounding areas, and all these guys from different parts of the world adapted in their own way. Albert the Swede, with his unique approach to skateboarding allowing him to creatively destroy everything. Silvester comes from the crusty East coast of America, making him adapt to our rough spots with ease. Axel just kills everything, with super speed. Barney has a big bag of tricks and an even bigger bag of pop. And of course David, the shortest guy on the trip, who could get onto just about any handrail. It was the perfect crew, with everyone so down to earth, there was never a dull moment.
Wednesday 18 February was the Casting Call at the Mill Street skate park. The idea was that the top five skaters
Axel just kills everything, with super speed. from the competition would roll with the 5 Etnies dudes for the weekend, and an edit would be made of all the finalists. It is yet to go up to public vote, and the person with the most votes gets a year’s supply of shoes. That
seemed like motivation enough, and the guys were hyped as shit. So from that Friday onward we had Josh Chisholm, Theo Setsetse, Enwin Gelant, Shuaib Philander and Toufeeq Raubenheimer tagging along. The concept of this ‘competition’ is something I believe should be brought into all contests. Sure, winning cash or products is great, but to get to skate with overseas rippers for a whole weekend (and just maybe winning a year’s supply of shoes) is something I find way more motivating. It was also obvious in everyone’s attitude. It didn’t seem like anyone was competing for supremacy. We were all together for a good old fashioned skate session in town, and correct me if I’m wrong, the shoes were the second best thing in mind. But in light of the contest, I’d keep two eyes open for the clips that Enwin stacked. sessionmag.co.za | 35
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unday was the last day to be spent in Cape Town before heading up the Garden Route to Johannesburg, and the last day for the guys to film for the Casting Call. By late afternoon, everyone had gotten their last clips and we were to end off the day by watching an ocean sunset on Signal Hill. However, on the way back from UWC, David was reminded of the glass handrail he saw the day he arrived in town, and was keen to hit it. I wasn’t there, but I saw the photo, and what I saw was someone in bs overcrook position, and his front truck was grinding a piece of glass. Not only that. There are in fact two pieces of glass going down the length of the stair, so he had to Ollie the gap over the first piece of glass, and bs overcrook the further length of glass. Glass! He grinded a piece of fucking glass. We all met up on the roof of the abandoned building on Signal Hill, and I was informed of David’s tomfoolery.
have never set foot in the George Park sober, with the annual ‘Fuck the Buck’ competition always bringing out the worst in me, but I wasn’t surprised at how tricky the park was to skate. The ramps are old and it’s some tough terrain to get used to. But that wasn’t stopping Axel and Albert from launching 10 feet into the air and putting on a crazy show for onlookers. The demo was short and sweet, and it was time to hit one more spot before heading to the backpackers in Wilderness. The short drive gave Jamie and me the opportunity to listen to our mixtape, and we were shocked to hear something similar to a Bump compilation. We gave it a chance though and listened to the whole CD and after which, checking if it would work as a frisbee. Unfortunately (or fortunately) it never made its way back into the car.
we were shocked to hear something similar to a Bump compilation.
The sunset behind the ocean was beautiful and we could conclude the week in proper romance. We departed the next morning after some car rental problems and took a slow drive to George. Jamie and I convoyed the van, and realised after we had exhausted all conversation that we had no CDs. We decided to make a competition of our own, where the person in George to make us the best mix would win a pair of shoes. Upon arrival, there was one kid standing in the parking lot of Skate Lab Park with a blank disc containing his favourite tunes, and we gladly handed him a pair of kicks. After receiving our music with great enthusiasm, the Big Five were ready for a quick park session. I personally
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Next town on the hit list was Jeffreys Bay. We spent the whole day driving, with our longest stop being at the Bloukrans bridge bungee. As soon as Barney got out the van he was adding words to his facial expression that went something like: “Oh God mate, I can’t believe I’m fuckin’ doing this!” Sam on the other hand wasn’t saying anything and when I asked him if he was going to jump, he said: “I don’t do this type of thing.” It ended up being Sam, Dave, Jamie and I who opted to watch the expensive camera gear while everyone else jumped off a bridge. Raised eyebrows and still red faces showed a definite hype when they got back, and it looked like skating wasn’t going to match the bungee adrenaline, so we took a mellow drive to Jeffreys Bay and stayed in a surf mansion for the night.
Silvester Eduardo. Frontside Flip in Port Elizabeth.
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A
fter a day of relaxing, everyone was more than ready to hop in the van and hit up Port Elizabeth. I’m pretty sure the only spots we skated in PE were two variations of bumps. We started at the bumps under the highway bridge, with self-appointed traffic cops from our crew telling us when the road was clear from imminent death. It took a while for everyone to get what they wanted because of the intervals between turns that we all know about too well. The next bump spot was outside the liquor store. This bump is gnarly. Not because of the three palm trees you have to dodge. Not because of the gap being the longest thing you’ve ever ollied. Not because the stones covering the gap are sharp and pointing straight at you. I think mostly because of the main road you have to land straight into. But despite all that, 38 | sessionmag.co.za
Albert glided through all the obstacles and made it look smoother than the back of a Lindt chocolate.
I’m pretty sure the only spots we skated in PE were two variations of bumps. Most of our long distance driving was done during the night, and we have Oli and Jamie to thank for getting us
to Bloemfontein safely, straight after Albert’s bottle store bump. After a late sleep we were headed to the University of the Free State, with the intention of seeing how David would destroy the 12 stair handrail, and that he surely did. It started off with him glancing at the rail briefly, and then a casual 50-50 first try. Followed by a 5-0 first try. And then a front crook and no sooner after that, a nose grind. Before that day I had never really seen people skate rails, so I was treated to an average day of David’s carnage. Maybe he was trying to tell us something with Miley Cyrus on repeat every day. Maybe you need to picture yourself as a wrecking ball to skate a rail like that, but who knows. After no busts, we left the university at free will to quickly check out Bloemfontein city, and we were back on the road again, thankfully for the final night drive.
Axel Cruysberghs. Frontside Walljam in George.
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B
y the time we reached Johannesburg, everyone had already done their ‘enders’ so to speak. This gave us time to work on getting some lines with Oli and Jamie wielding their soul snatchers. Everyone got some great footage which we can expect in an online edit at some point or another. The first line spot of choice was Wits University, where we found the newly built benches. Once again, Albert came through with his sorcery and I saw the most technical skating of
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Maybe he was trying to tell us something with Miley Cyrus on repeat every day.
my life done in under 10 minutes. With not much time left before another demo, we were off to Menlyn Skate Park (PTA), which was swiftly destroyed, and then we were invited to Puddy’s ramp so that our foreign friends could taste their first braai. I sat on a bench facing the ramp with a couple of beverages in me and watched once again how these guys just destroyed the ramp. Even 41 year old team manager Oli Buergin shredded the thing to pieces.
LEFT: Axel Cruysberghs. Frontside 50-50 in Green Point, CPT. RIGHT: Barney Page. Slappy Crooks in Paarden Eiland, CPT.
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he following two days were a natural comedown, which allowed us to to play with Lions and enjoy sunsets behind the busy city. The thought of everything coming to an end soon began to register, but it was a fair compromise. I was fortunate to have spent two weeks with the dudes that I see on the internet every day, killing it in real time. And as
For the sake of doing what we love, and for your own mental health... LEFT: Dylan Vaughan. Ollie Late Shuv in Joburg.
I sat in my room that Monday evening after the trip, I kept thinking of one key idea that you all need to know. It might sound cliché, and I’ve seen it in countless skate articles, but it is true. For the sake of doing what we love, and for your own mental health - go on a skate trip. Sacrifice a weekend of your drinking habits, save cash and make a small skate mission with friends. It’s been a month since the Big Five tour, and I’m still juiced.
RIGHT: Barney Page. Backside Noseblunt in Centurion.
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‘Wes’ My Mind? Wes Coertzen Interview
How old are you and where in Durban are you from? I’m 20 and I grew up in Mount Edgecombe, it’s like a 5 minute drive from Umhlanga. Who was in your crew? Mike Sparrow, Nkosi Dlamini, Khulu Dlamini, Dlamini Dlamini, Peru Pillay and Keanu Robson. Then on weekends, we’d link up with G Mac, Ping, Wong, Prince and the rest of the 266. Sometimes I’d also go on missions with Brett Shaw and the rest of the Murth crew.
He’s always supported me. I don’t think there was ever really any pressure; he was just happy to see me have fun.
Does he still support your skateboarding, now that you’re older, at a time when you’re usually expected to find job and start a career? Yeah, whenever I show him new pictures, he probably gets the most stoked out of anyone!
whenever I show him new pictures, he probably gets the most stoked out of anyone!
Since the early days of the Gateway park you have been well known for having a super supportive Dad. Did you initially take to skateboarding yourself and he was just getting behind you or were there ever times where you felt like he put you under a lot of pressure to perform?
He must have spent hours recording videos of you, where is all that footage and has it ever been edited? Haha, that stuff is classic! In retrospect, I think it’s kind of cool to have. It’s never really been released, but sometimes I put up old pics on Instagram.
It seems like the Gateway facility helped to breed a lot of talented skateboarders who are regarded as some of the best in the country today, do you think you’d still be skating today if that park never existed? I’d like to think so. But I mean having something cool to skate, which was right by my house, definitely helped to keep me on the board. How long have you been in CT? I moved down in 2013, just after I finished Matric.
INTERVIEW Luke Jackson PHOTOS Grant McLachlan
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LEFT: Nosegrind Pop in. BELOW: Frontside Tailslide.
clark
we bought our one friend 19 Tequilas at Fiction for his 19th birthday; he surfaced like 3 days later.
What are you studying and where? I’m studying Economics & Finance at UCT. Do you skate on campus? Yeah, when I was in res, during exams I used to go skate the tunnel late at night. After studying all day, there’s nothing like puting on your headphones, listening to Biggie and just skating around. Tell us an interesting story about living in res? Res was crazy! I lived with such a cool group of people (C Flat). Last year, we bought our one friend 19 Tequilas at Fiction for his 19th birthday; he surfaced like 3 days later. I don’t even think Khulu would have survived. Visiting C4 was also always an experience.
Do you have a girlfriend at the moment - there can’t be a shortage of young ladies around UCT on a daily basis? I’m single. But yeah, there are a lot of good looking girls on campus. There’s a lot of crazy ones too!
the instructor if I could get out of the car and walk around because my clutch foot was shaking so much!
Have you been to Tiger Tiger yet and do you know if they will let you in if you’re wearing skate shoes? Haha!! I went after Donovyn suggested it to me when I first got to Cape Town. Yeah, they’ll let you wear skate shoes, but only if they’re Dylan Rieder/Ben Nordberg approved.
You grew your hair really long, what was the story behind that? In school, I used to always try and grow my hair long. Then one day during finals (2012) a friend of mine asked, “Since we’re finishing school, when are you going to get your next haircut?” I told him 2014 as a joke but then I landed up following through with it. It was the best two years of my life.
Did you pass your Driver’s License test first try? Yeah, I got it first go but I really don’t know how. Like, I was so nervous and it was raining. At one point, I asked
How would you compare skateboarding in Cape Town versus Durban, what are the pros and cons of being a skateboarder in each city?
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LEFT: Gap Crooks. RIGHT: Backside Smith on campus at UCT.
I have the Instagram account details, so I don’t think they really had a choice.
There are a lot of different aspects that make each city really good to skate. In Durban, it’s always sunny, so you can skate the whole year round and not have to worry about the weather. In terms of spots, Cape Town is definitely rougher. However, I think there’s a lot more potential to get creative. There’s always something skate related going on in CT, it’s kind of like the skate hub of South Africa. Although, I still love going back home and skating with my Durban friends.
Yeah, they made an exception for me. I have the Instagram account details, so I don’t think they really had a choice.
Do you think you’ll move back to Durban after your studies, where do you see yourself long term? Once I graduate, I really want to travel and explore the world. I have a British passport, so I definitely want to make use of it.
Who is the next up-and-comer in the crew that we should keep an eye out for? Eddie Galassi, Suhail Kader and Luis Mateus are the young guns in the crew. They’ve all been killing it lately! Suzy just crooked the ICC rail and Eddie is the biggest skate addict you’ll ever meet. Personally, I really like the way Luis skates. He’s so smooth on the board and his trick selection is flawless. We kind of see skateboarding through the same lens.
You’re part of the Cloudy Brothers crew, who seem to be keeping some sort of a legit skate scene alive in Durban. Are you still allowed to be in the crew if you’ve moved away?
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Do you have to smoke herb if you’re in the crew? Nah, you just have to come in hot at KDC. I’m pretty sure Sparrow got MVP last year. In 2013, we got DJ Lutzka to rap for us! Chinner filmed it; I still can’t believe it happened.
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There was a stage when I was 16 and I was pretty much the biggest skate nerd. At one point Durban seemed like the place to live in terms of local skateboarding. There were parks all over the place, brands hooking guys up, new faces popping up all the time and everyone wanting to visit. The Durban scene took a bit of a knock in recent years, it seems like a lot of people moved away, parks closed and people quit skating. What do you think it’ll take to reignite the scene in Durban? A guy like Jay Besaans is exactly what Durban needs. He’s really motivated and driven. I’ve gone filming with Jay until 2 am before. At the moment, he’s busy filming a full length VX video. It’s going to be a good one for sure! With all the distractions out there and expectations of life, what motivates you to keep on skateboarding? The whole online platform is probably the biggest influence for me. I think I’ve watched like every single Curren Caples video ever released. There was a stage when I was 16 and I was pretty much the biggest skate nerd. I think I like watching skateboarding just as much as I like to ride my skateboard. We’ve been meaning to do an interview with you for quite some time now, what’s been going on? Yeah, Bod and I have probably been talking about my interview for the last 4 years now. About 2 weeks ago, he phoned me and asked if I could finish an article in the next 10 days. At the time, I had like 3 photos and 3 tests coming up. I didn’t really know what to think, but I guess, it all kind of worked out in the end. What was it like shooting with Grant in the last minute hustle? It was really sick! He’s the most chilled person to shoot with. I think that because he skates, he understands that a good trick takes time. What else have you been up to, any plans for the rest of the year? At the moment, I’m busy filming a part with Joubert for AV. It’s been really fun, especially with guys like Dennis, Spice, Maassen and Mitchell always on the mission! Last words? Yeah, we out here!
Full Pipe Frontside Ollie.
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red bull content pool
The Adams Brothers ~ tour to Oman ~
Back to the city of Muscat, this time with the Adams brothers. Taking them out to the Sultanate of Oman for a filming trip was a great idea from the start. Here’s a brief catch-up on the trip but you’ll have to wait for their respective parts to see what really went down. We thought we’d use the opportunity to get to know a bit more about the Arab country we’re seeing so much of, from Technique Founder Warren Stopforth. PHOTOS Warren Stopforth Interview bod & Luke
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The city is literally only 40 years old and still under construction. Allan Kickflip.
Why did the brothers travel to Oman? After Jean Marc’s visit last year on the Local Hero Tour, Red Bull approached me to project drive and build the new skate park for the event. I heard Moses recently got hooked up with Red Bull so it was a great opportunity to bring some of our SA skaters to Oman. Technique Skateboard Co sponsored the event and we brought Allan Adams to join Moses, to stack some clips in Muscat. It was inevitable that the Adams family had to come. What was the event like - there can’t be too many skate events over there? The event itself was very ‘entry level’ and fun for everyone as skateboarding is quite young here and people are still getting used to it. A lot of expat skateboarders have come and gone over the last 10 years and have built the scene slightly over here, however there are few local skaters that really put it down. I would say there are about 30 to 40 committed skaters. Over the last 4 years most events have been sponsored by Oman Skate and Technique, we’re trying to progress skateboarding. What sort of area did you cover, did you just cruise
around Muscat or did you venture further? After the event we had 4 days to hit some street spots, we travelled and skated through Muscat and the Muttrah Corniche, hitting up some new spots we’ve been eyeing out. A lot of the Arabian architecture is perfect for skating because everything is built out of marble. Moses and Allan can basically skate anything so we ended stacking clips at every spot. We always hear stories about crazy heat over there, what was it like during this trip? Fortunately we planned this event (and most tours) in the winter, where it averages at around 25 Celsius for about 5 months of the year. However, the summers can be hot and clock in at 55 degrees maximum with extreme humidity. We mainly skateboard at night during the summer as it cools down to about 35. They say that you get used to it, but I’m still waiting. There is all this amazing granite / marble, what is the bust factor like and can you get tickets? The bust factor is starting to pick up as we have been having a lot of tours and pros passing through
here, but most spots are pretty good and you should be able to get a session with no one bothering you, it just depends on what time of day or night. What is the general public’s perception of skateboarding like in Oman? Extreme sport stunts haha. Most people just stop and stare, sometimes we get a legit crowd that cheers you on, especially when you bring out the camera and lights. Most people like it and accept it, however we have had our moments with the authorities. Is the scene growing over there? Yeah, most definitely, we have a lot of Arab skateboarders taking interest, definitely a next generation skateboarder brewing out here. Is there a lot of development going on, are new spots popping up? Yes, there are so many spots that pop up everywhere, the infrastructure is so new and still under development. The city is literally only 40 years old and still under construction. Development is moving fast.
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Moses Backside Tailslide.
It was only the second time Allan has left the country, what was his reaction like? Allan and I have been talking about him coming to Oman for a while, he was super stoked to see the plans come together. As the quiet guy that he is, he let his skateboarding do the talking. It was good to see him get some international exposure. All siblings have their own dynamic. What is the vibe like with Moses and Allan, are they competitive with one another or do they back each other up in a more supportive way? It was good to see how they differ in the tricks they do, they definitely feed off one another. I wouldn’t say that there is competition because Moses as the older brother has Allan under his wing and it’s more like brothers
just looking out for each other, telling each other what tricks would be cool to do at different spots. Moses has so much power in his skating and Allan is more light-footed, but both of them have that effortless style. With insane technical ability between them, who usually wins when they’re in a game of SKATE? Wow, that’s a tough question. Both are ridiculously on another level when it comes to SKATE. However, although Moses went to The Berrics my money is still on Allan as he is part of that new generation of bionic skater, where everything has to have an extra flip in it. Any interesting stories about the missions you were on during this trip? Moses and Andrew missed their flight home due to engine failure issues and they then had to find their way to my
house from the airport, with a taxi driver that doesn’t speak English. They finally arrived on my doorstep at 4AM. What was the gnarliest thing you saw? Previous tours passed through here namely, the Euro Volcom team and Patrik Wallner and the crew, all the pros that pass through here have passed up this gnarly double set and this steep rail down 16. We took Moses to these spots and he ollied the double set second try, without flinching an eye. He also landed the 16 stair 50-50 fourth try. You’ve got to see this footage. I was starting to think that the double set was impossible. Damn, someone take Moses to El Toro and we might actually see a backside flip get landed. Allan Adams never fails to impress and stuck a nollie bigspin double heelflip down 9 stairs, his tech is on another level. Where will we be able to see the video footage? Moses’ footage will be going into his Red Bull part, soon to be released. Allan’s footage will be kept for his part in the video that Technique is currently working on, however you may see some teasers on Facebook here and there. Any plans for more skate trips to Oman in the near future? Yeah most definitely, Technique Skateboards riders will be up here to stack clips for the video that is in progress. We definitely want to take advantage of some of these unexposed places and skate spots. We are busy making a plan for a second trip and will keep you all posted.
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He also landed the 16 stair 50-50 fourth try.
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CLOSET ENVY Threads for shred
slappy skate co
oakley sliver matte brown tortoise
etnies hoodie
VANs GRInd gear
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technique skateboards
oakley sliver matte black & grey
etnies crew
VANs kick n push
real
Von Zipper Howl
altamont classic tee
VANs Paint patch
anti-hero
Von Zipper elmore
independent grind black
element backpack
Emerica the romero
Emerica the figueroa
Emerica westgate
ETNIES marana
cons breakpoint
cons aero s
Etnies the highlight
Etnies jameson 2
etnies the scout
adidas silas pro
adidas busenitz adv
adidas busenitz pro
DC council mid
adidas stan smith vulc
dc matt miller
dc n2
dc lynx prestige
vans half cab pro
vans old school
vans old school reissue
adidas silas pro
I AM
Young Flex!
Theo setsetse
MCLACHLAN
360 Flip
Yo Theo, let’s start with your age? I´m actually 24 but I was released in 1998. Where do you come from and where do you live now? I come from Gaborone, Botswana and currently I live everywhere. How did you get into skateboarding and how long have you been rolling? I used to watch videos on the internet and I was stoked but never pictured myself as the “skater boy” type until I saw one of my friends do a kickflip in reality and I was like, “What? That’s possible?” Since that day I was all up in it. I started skating when I was 12 years old. Got any sponsors? I haven´t signed any contracts but my homies usually keep me rolling. Shout out to Martin Kotze for the fresh Act of Boredom clothing. Where do you skate on a regular basis and who do you usually roll with? You´ll find me at your local ditch spot but if not I´m at the Mill Street skate park in Cape Town with everyone else that’s skating there at that moment. The 20sk8 brasse are also always down to sesh! List 5 skate videos or video parts that best represent the aesthetic that most appeals to you in skateboarding? Can´t forget the first proper video I watched which was Lakai’s Fully Flared in the BW Shop!!! I really dig Torey 58 | sessionmag.co.za
Pudwill’s ‘Big Bang’’. Wes Kremer in the SK8mafia Am video. Jerry Hsu’s part in Stay Gold was bomb.com! Marc Johnson’s part in Pretty Sweet - OMG. Why does style matter? Would you rather watch someone battle a robotic switch flip backtail 270 heelflip out or watch a dude cruise around and do all the simple tricks but make them look so edible that you´d recommend that style to your local family restaurant? Dude, watch Luan Oliveira ride his skateboard and tell me style doesn´t matter.
until I saw one of my friends do a kickflip in reality and I was like, “What? That’s possible?” What motivates you to keep on riding a skateboard? Lucas Puig! Haha just kidding. Endless progress man. When I first started skating, I had no clue why I was doing it but it just felt right. Remember that first kickflip
you could barely do on flat? 2 years later you can all of a sudden do it down 8 stairs. It´s crazy to think how much you can grow, not only on the skateboard but in real life if you really want to, because of this plank on axles. My main goal in skateboarding is to travel the world. I know that I´m not going to be here forever so while I´m here I´d like to meet new people, see different places and skate different things! Anything else you’d like to add? I would firstly like to thank my mother, Magdeline, for everything she has done for me. Thanks to Grant Mclachlan for taking this picture and to Session Skate Mag for making this possible. Shout out to Shuaib Philander and the 20sk8 brasse, the SSS goons, Wasted crew and the Ve´g crew. Thank you to Thabiso ´Maverick´ Gulubane for holding it down in the Botswana skate scene and for being an influence on who I am today. Mike Chinner for the guidance and motivation. Pieter Retief, Jamie O´brien, Allan Adams, David Reyes, Axel Cruysberghs, Luke Jackson, Anti-BHVR, Martin Kotze, Sturgess family, Jonas Skulstam Murstam, Tumelo Modise, SME4_e and pretty much everybody who has helped me get to this point and anybody who is down to take me further! Peace. Follow me on instagram @treotisbeastly to keep up to date with my journey.
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bizness
A meander through the latest facts and fiction. AD Henderson
van staden
Chinnerella gets loose with a Rock to Switch Fakie.
I
have no idea what the deal is with the floral prints and topless male model photos Baseline have been putting out. It’s apparently a board graphic or maybe it’s the Yann Horowitz pro model we’ve been hearing about? Element Make It Count is happening again in PE this month and Moses is probably going to win it. (This just in, he did.) At least the PE skaters will get to hang with all the dudes for the weekend. Which is probably even radder than the trip the winner will take to skate in the international Make It Count contest in the states. Despite my expectations, Ultimate X was not at all full of sex. It was a hell of a show however. We’ve come a long way since blatantly hating on the extreme event. Now there’s a bigger picture involved. And it’s in a casino so… We’re headed to Noordhoek again for the second Superbowl Saturday. This time we’re getting some extensions, some dedicated areas and possibly an open invitation to the public to join us. What was that? Why yes, I guess it will be a house party with skating in the backyard. The Shred is seriously a big space. We stopped by there recently and got the low down from Biscuit about fixing roofs, breaking walls and endlessly looking for tools. The new home of Cape Town skateboarding is shaping up nicely. But the raddest things there are Biscuit’s old cars. As seen in this issue’s Redial, there’s a new bowl that’s popped up in Steyn City. I have no idea where that is or what it means but more ‘crete is never a bad thing. If you watched Desolated’s Dirty Wednesdays 07 you’d know Daniel Miltiadou will be looking to skate it. “I wanna go to the park dawg. There’s ramps there.” I’ll bet some people have changed sponsors and done industry stuff but one never knows what’s public knowledge or not around here. It’s dumb and I’m bad with remembering what to keep secret, so I’ll just relay a little of what I’ve heard lately. Evan Binge has parted with Vans, possibly because he’s a dirtbag. Which is kind of ‘his thing’. Like you know what you’re getting, he’s going to rip shit to pieces and get covers, then he’s going to tell you you’re a dipshit and why. But we’ll leave Evan to fall in the water under that bridge. Some shit’s going down with Nike. Apparently. And no it’s not about being Free. Or is it about being free? Has
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I’m pretty sure he stretches all the time to stay limber for his pole dancing routine at Kim By Night. someone been freed? Has everyone been freed? Has everyone been fired? Could I get some jogging shorts with those new P-Rods? Jean-Marc Johannes is working on some photos for an upcoming interview in which we’ll finally get to understand how he manages to stay at the top of technical tomfoolery. It’s going to be tough for him without his wings but hey, maybe Score or Iron Bok want to start a skate program. Iron Bok would be the best sponsor ever. No wait, Super Juice is the best sponsor ever. And Jive. Someone still needs to get a Jive sponsor. Speaking of interviews, Khulu Dlamini is still trying to get the interview done that we’ve been talking about for 2 years. Maybe he’ll have grown a beard by then… Nah, not a chance. That man couldn’t grow hair on his face if his sleeping arrangements depended on it. Actually, no wait, I’m pretty sure he could if he had to. Khulu almost has his masters in squatting. The other Dlamini – not the normal one still in Durban – the squared one, is currently over in states again. DD didn’t need to win Make it Count this year, he BEEN winning. Hopefully this trip out will produce another bunch of coverage for Dlamini and his donkeys. In the age of dying videos, Vans are dropping what looks to be one for the collection... Propeller screenings are happening nationwide soon so make an effort to check them out. I doubt you will be disappointed. (CPT 14th MAY; DBN 15th MAY; JHB 16th MAY.)
The last Pit Party is scheduled for the 30th May. After all the ‘who can skate, who can’t skate’ issues, and after a hundred skateboarder related fiascos, it might finally be the end of The Pit as we know it... and we feel fine (It’s time we had some time alone). Newbies on the block Slappy Skate Co have a board graphic competition on the go where you could win 2 boards for your design entry. Hand-printed boards mean they have a vast amount of flexibility. Like Chinner. He’s also super flexible. Just watch the Bloem OTM edit in AV26 to see just how flexible he really is… Best bail I’ve witnessed in ages. The stretching is definitely helping him although I’m pretty sure he stretches all the time to stay limber for his pole dancing routine at Kim By Night. I must say thank you to Jay Besaans for putting out some Simon footage recently. I asked the skate gods and they delivered. Go watch S.U.A and enjoy that Stipcich madness. Well, skate madness. Thankfully Simon got help for his other madness. Just don’t go turning to deitie’s Simon. And speaking of madness, Kuifie Kruger has been coming out of the woodwork a lot recently. So good to see old faces charging again… And did someone say Christi Wiehahn is planning a comeback? Backed by Coca Cola and Investec’s Gavin Scott? Does Gav tell his colleagues he skates? Is he living the Grinder App trailer in real life? Closet skateboarding is a real problem. If you need someone to talk to, if you feel like no one understands, visit vimeo.com/102435682 and set yourself free... Now that winter is coming all over our good skate days, we all have a bit more time to talk shit online. SkateCritic Reborn has stepped in to attempt to fill the boots of the original SC. There’s some funny shit but he’s lacking the hard edge of wit his predecessor possessed. SCR might I suggest you download some antagonistic rap videos, watch a few roasts (NOT the Justin Bieber one), maybe listen to some British parliament recordings and definitely consume as much SkateLine as possible. Those will help make you more of an asshole, then you just need to do a bit more research into what’s happening in skateboarding. It’s hard being unknown, we know, but don’t worry, there comes a time when everyone will know who you are. Just try make sure it’s for something you did and not something you didn’t do… Like jump out of a helicopter.
BLACKBOARD Brett Shaw
skateboard ‘flieks’ In the 90s I remember going into a small skate shop in Virginia Beach on the east coast of the USA and they were blasting the new Fugazi album (In on the Kill Taker) real loud while I scavenged through the discount box.
van rooyen
I had just found a used set of 40mm Green Hornet wheels when the world went quiet and it changed forever. Nkosi Dlamini curtains kickflip in the latest Durban offering S.U.A. by Jay Besaans
T
he dude behind the counter turned the music off midsong, put a VHS tape into the machine and that iconic 411 video magazine intro tune started. It was August of 1993 and as a 19-year-old kid I stood mesmerized for almost 2 hours (with 5 strangers) while we watched 411 VM Issue 1 and all our minds were blown. I skated straight to the Greyhound bus station and bought a ticket to San Francisco so that I could go and skate Embarcadero. It was on and the only thing I cared about in the whole world was skateboarding. 24 years later that fire just gets stronger. The closest to that feeling I have ever gotten again was at the Familia ‘Bang Chong’ premiere in JHB on the 31st of March 2007, 14 years later. Being in a room with your skateboard family on that one night after everyone had been living all over the world for a long time and then celebrating your friends’ achievements and vision is as close to a religious experience as most skaters will get. It’s all about the journey and documenting our lives is a major part of a skateboarder’s life, whether you like it or not. Skateboard movies started on 16mm film, like ‘Future Primitive’. It progressed to 8mm, Hi8, VHS, SD and then HD. Damn, these days you can film a part and edit it on your smartphone. In South Africa it’s always been insanely hard to get skate movies. I remember taking
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my VHS machine to Adrian’s house so that I could copy ‘Love Child’, using my ghetto blaster to record the ‘Hokus Pokus’ soundtrack onto a tape. Ripping the ‘Fully Flared’ DVD with pirate software so we could make DVD copies,
Skaters spend years filming parts and we watch their parts while we drop a turd in the morning... it’s all about progression and we have adapted. Now we live in an instant world with daily parts and personal insight into our favorite pros, we’ve all become a bit greedy and jaded. Skaters spend years filming parts and we watch
their parts while we drop a turd in the morning and we miss 7 tricks while we wipe, flush and spray. Some dude went back to a spot 9 times and has a loose bone in his right foot but we missed it because we were wiping stale fish with 2 ply. Waiting for ‘Yeah Right’ to come out was like waiting for a kurinji plant to bloom, the ‘Sorry’ videos were even worse. Now we wait for Cliché to release the new ‘Gypsy tour’, Grosso’s ‘Love Letters’, BATB 8 and the new AV. ‘Propeller’ the 1st ever VANS video is almost here, almost is good because sometimes the anticipation or hype of an upcoming skate flick is the best part, knowing that something insane is coming keeps us amped. Are skate movies dead? NO there is hope, they may live out in the cyber world and not in your bookshelf but they will always be a big part of skateboarding. ‘Cherry’ was killer and raw. I never got into Supreme to see it because it was too full but I was outside and there was a buzz in LA. William Strobeck has somehow managed to put skateboarding back in the gutter where it belongs. So the future smells bright.