a brief glance issue_24

issue _24

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INTERNATIONAL MINI-RAMP SKATE CONTEST FRIDAY MAY 9

SATURDAY MAY 10

SUNDAY MAY 11

14:00 - 18:00 Open practice

10:00 - 12:30 Open practice

10:00 - 14:00 Open practice

13:00 - 18:00 18:00 - 20:00 Mini ramp qualifications Mini ramp best trick contest 21:00 - 23:00 & BBQ Live concert

14:00 - 17:00 Mini ramp finals

PRIZE MONEY 15 000â‚Ź - FREE ENTRANCE www.spring-classic.com

17:30 Prize giving

4years

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EDITORIAL_24 You’ve been skateboarding for four years now and you’re hyped, you learn a new trick every day and everything feels new to you. You’re beginning to have a bag of tricks and you’re starting to really understand what skateboarding is all about.

Some of your friends are starting to skate well, while others are already moving on to other things...

You’re stuck in between deciding whether to keep skating or do something else.

You have a feeling you can do more, and at times it works out and at times it doesn’t. At times you think it is just a waste of time, but then you realize you can’t live without it.You have 4 years of skateboarding under your belt and every road is a new road to skate.

We have over 25 years of skateboarding in our bones. a brief glance has 4 years of skateboarding in its veins.

Every day is a new trick.

Happy 4th birthday abg! (guido bendotti)

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THE

/ M O R E I N F O AT L A K A I . C O M

I N S TA : @ L A K A I LT D F B : L A K A I LT D WEB: LAKAI.COM

MAURO CARUSO / FS NOSEGRIND

PHOTO: BIONDANI

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ISSUE _24

CONTENTS

FRAGMENTS_ MUòRICA_

Brian Gaberman_Photographer_ Places_Buenos Aires_ The Ghost Boat_ ART NOW!_ codeczombie_A.RMN.P_Brian Lotti_Olivier Vrancken_ Dusted Off_ Julien Bachelier_

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JOSEPH BIAIS - BACKSIDE LIPSLIDE - PHOTO: GUILLAME PERIMONY

EDITOR and CONCEPT Davide Biondani.

(davide@abriefglance.com) ASSOCIATE EDITOR Guido Bendotti.

ASSISTANT EDITOR Andrew Zolin.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Leo Sharp, Kévin Mètallier, Nils Svensson,

DVL, Friedjof Fèye, Garric Ray, Bear Bridges,

Graham Tait, Fabio Montagner, Brian Gaberman, Alan Maag, Reece Leung , Kazuhiro Terauchi,

Davide Biondani, Carmin Santos, Bertrand Trichet.

CONTRIBUTORS

Jonathan Levin, Francesco Paolo Chielli,

Mauro Caruso, Jerome Campbell, Samu Karvonen,

Neil Smith, Mark Baines, Ale Martoriati, Holger von Krosigk, Simone Bertozzi, Niall Neeson.

DESIGN

Fake Donkey Lab. www.abriefglance.com

GET ALL THE INFOS at: info@abriefglance.com

abrief glance skateboard mag is a bulletin published by fake donkey skateboard asd.

No part of this pubblication may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.

All right reserved.

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COVER: Ale Martoriati_Ollie over his own car_Roma.

Photo_Davide Biondani_

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WORKS FOR ME

Rider: Tom Remillard Photography by Atiba Jefferson

FRAGMENTS

Giorgio Zattoni, Ollie to fakie Photo_Davide Biondani.

Ravenna.

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FRAGMENTS

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Ricky Comini, Ollie over the rail.

Photo_Davide Biondani.

Verona. a brief glance

FRAGMENTS

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Fabio Montagner, Fs noseblunt.

Photo_Davide Biondani.

Treviso.

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FRAGMENTS

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Jonathan Levin, Half cab into the dirt.

Photo_Davide Biondani.

Roma. a brief glance

MUòRICA_

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Photography and words_Davide Biondani_

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“Modica is an unexpected wonder... It has a bizzarre, unique effect on people, something so unreal, as if it seen through the deforming prism of dreams, like an immense phantasmagorical edifice of a fairytale, which instead of being made of floors, is made of layers of houses.”

With these words an anonymous traveller skillfully described the city of Modica in the 60’s, also called Muòrica in Sicilian dialect.

It is a fascinating place that captivates you in its labyrinth of tiny alleys and staircases climbing up the steep hills teeming with small houses made of white rock, all piled up atop one another, closing off the valley as if in a crude, but warm hug.

A magical place where we ended up almost “by chance” while on vacation in southern Sicily. Walking down its streets for a few minutes was enough to ignite the idea of doing something special there.

I’ve always loved the idea of skating unusual places, and especially of photographing skateboarding in atypical contexts. Modica immediately struck me as the ideal setting, almost surreal, in which to include skateboarding in an ancient location. Truly astonishing.

In order to achieve this it was necessary to involve a skater that loves to skate strange things and isn’t intimidated by rough grounds. Mauro was the ideal person; curious, motivated, always ready to travel and dive head-first into crazy and interesting projects. The fact that he lives in Sicily and that we had the same idea about how to develop the project made everything even more fun.

The basic idea was that of exploring the city in search of something strange to skate in an ancient setting. And that’s exactly what we did.

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_bs lipslide up_

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Modica is located in the south of Sicily, in the province of Ragusa. It was founded in 1360 B.C., and during its history it has endured various dominations, always being a very lively cultural center. Despite being ravaged by an earthquake in 1693 and by floods in 1833 and 1902, the city has maintained some of the most beautiful architecture in Sicily, in its distinct Sicilian Baroque style that in 2002 earned it recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historical center.

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_ollie_

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_bs smith grind_

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The city is bustling with life, especially during the summer, and is so unique and characteristic that it is often used for movie sets. As a matter of fact, walking down its alleys or observing it by night really does feel like being on a movie set.

One of the most characteristic and well-known typical products from Modica is its famous chocolate, characterized by an ancient and original recipe that gives the chocolate a peculiar grainy texture and aromatic flavor. Chili pepper, cinnamon, and pistachio are just some of the more common and appreciated flavors. It’s impossible not to enter one of the small shops disseminated throughout the city center. Every year Choco Modica takes place, which is an important international homemade chocolate fair. Undoubtedly sweet!

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_fs ollie over to switch downhill_

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_bs nosegrind_

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For the mission we had seen “something” interesting, but it was not so clear what was in store for us and what we would actually find. Of course we were ready to adapt to any situation and skate anything inspiring. Contextualizing skateboarding in such a surreal setting was both difficult and stimulating at the same time, something we knew would be worth the effort.

An aspect that really intrigued us was seeing peoples’ reactions to our unusal presence. The first day at the very first spot a very kind gentleman stopped us to ask what we were doing and why we were filming. The next day while drinking a coffee at a bar, the bartender asked us, “Hey guys how’s the filming going?” Everybody knew of our presence because an article had come out on the local newspaper about a documentary on skateboarding set in Modica. We couldn’t believe it. In just a few hours we had aroused the interest of the local population.

From that day on, we could do anything we wanted to. In fact at one spot the pastry chef came out and offered us a tray of fantastic homemade sweets. He even tried to sell us his used Fiat 500 car that had just been reconditioned, hahaha!

But our favorite local was Pippo, the nicest and most old-school barber in town. We asked him whether we could film Mauro cutting his hair in his shop, and apart from being super nice and letting us do so, he absolutely refused to be paid. To return the favor we brought him to the bar to drink with us.

Fantastic!

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_kickflip shuffle_

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_ollie over_

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Every morning we left the house with a precise objective in mind: inspect a corner of the city in search

of something skateable. Up and down the steep alleys we went, searching in the most remote corners for

what were obviously “non-spots” with impossible run-ups, rough grounds, and holes on the landings, but that was what we were expecting and what we were looking for after all. Just finding something to skate was a trick in itself, but the search is part of the game, and is often as fun as skating the spot.

One of the most incredible things was seeing Mauro do tricks in a line going downhill at full speed

through the narrow alleys that have 500-year old pavements... totally senseless. Every trick cost us effort and hard work. The fs ollie over the rail was the most difficult trick to land, not so much for the height

of the rail, but for the run-up which was so rough it looked like a minefield. Mauro and Giuliano had to come back more than once to get the footage for the video, and Mauro filmed some of the tricks twice, just to be sure! Ha ha ha.

The most exciting thing was the absurd context we were skating in and photographing. It felt like being suspended in time in a world light-years away from the total chaos we’re used to experiencing daily in the cities we live in. It was like being catapulted into another age and dimension.

It was like skating on a film set in rural Sicily at the beginning of the 1900’s, with that magical light you can only find on this island, amidst the silence of the alleys down which countless generations of people

have lived and walked. Places to visit that deserve respect, and in which the sound of our ollies now echoed.

And when the sun goes down over Modica and the yellow lights go on, the scenario becomes even more incredible, almost fairy-like. It feels like seeing a painting of the past, but it is simply reality.

Finally you can lay down your skateboard, sit in one of the squares in the center and enjoy the city’s

magnificence, marveling once more about the incredible places and infinite possibilities that this stupid board with wheels can offer you if you are a dreamer like us.

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_ollie shifty to downhill_

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_fs ollie over_

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Brian Gaberman_

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If you ask ten skateboard photographers who their favorite skatephotographers are, eight out of ten will probably mention Brian Gaberman.

His Wheels Of Fortune on 411 VM issue 19, when he skated for ATM, came out in 1996, and that was the year he started publishing his first photos on Slap and later on Skateboarder Mag. For years I bought Skateboarder just to look at his photos, and as soon as I got home from the newspaper stand I would avidly skim through the pages looking for his articles and enjoying his images for hours.

Photographs with a superior flavor and fascination... the details, the shades of color, the sharpness and quality of the hand-printed black and whites... images that made you dream.

Silas Baxter Neal’s interview in 2007 and the article of the Emerica team skating the Lake Forrest Park under the full moon, represent two gems in the history of skateboard-publications.

Brian has been working for Element for some years now, and the printing of the book “A Life in Transition,” which is a collection of his work with the team from 2006 to 2013, was a chance for us to exchange a few words with him.

Thanks Brian for your photographs and for your inspiration over all these years. (davide biondani)

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Interview Davide Biondani and Guido Bendotti_

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Bail by moon_

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Hi Brian, can you still do wallrides above rail and stairs as you did in your Wheels Of Fortune on 411 issue19? The nollie fs heel in the concrete park is sick!!!

Ha! That’s a good question. I can certainly still do wallrides, but I’m not so sure I can above a rail anymore. Maybe a very low rail...

Were you skating for ATM at the time? Did you have a pro model? I have this image in my mind of a board with your name on it.. but I’m not sure if I’m making it up or whether I saw it for real… hahaha…

I was skating for ATM at the time, but I never had a pro model.

There was talk about me turning pro, but Mike Manzoori left the company and so did I. I didn’t want to be involved with it if he wasn’t there, and I was becoming more and more interested in photography at the same time.

It was 1996... the mid 90’s (‘94 to ‘98) were a good time for skateboarding… a lot of energy after the small wheels era… Who were the skaters you liked the most at the time, and what is your favorite time in skateboarding?

That was a really great time in skateboarding. Fred Gall, Chris Senn, Strubing, Drehobl, Rusczyk, Matt Reason, Manzoori, Ricky Oyola... so many people were doing so much amazing skating at that time. Lots and lots of creativity. That is one of my favorite times for sure.

When did you find yourself grabbing your photo camera more than your board at the spot?

It was probably about 1996 when I felt like the tricks I was doing were getting sort of repetitive and I would reach for the camera more and more. It was tough, trying to do both full on, and eventually I realized that I was having even more fun taking pictures. It was a very natural transition.

Alex Olson_Kickflip_ from the Lake Forest Park shooting under the full moon_

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Julian Davidson_ 360 flip_

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Silas Baxter-Neal_switch fs wallride_ from Skateboarder Magazine, 2007_

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Do you find time to skate lately?

Yes, I always wish it was more, but I get to skate with my two sons pretty regularly. We have a good skatepark in our town. When I’m on the road I get to skate a tiny bit, but I almost always have a camera in my hand so it’s a lot harder.

Are you jealous of Gabe Morford who had a pro model for Real?

Ha ha jockin’...

Gabe is one of the greatest of all time. He deserves a lifetime legend pro model. No jealousy there, just mountains of respect and admiration. He’s earned it.

Do you remember the first skate photo you ever had published in a mag?

My first photo was a full page in SLAP Magazine in 1996 I believe. It was of my friend Hari Wheeler doing an ollie in Santa Rosa.

Hari is now a mailman in my town and I see him all the time. So cool.

How did you start working for the skateboard mags?

I just started sending in my crappy photos every month. Mostly to SLAP back then. They would reject them over and over again.

One day I got really lucky and Lance Dawes used one of them.

That changed my life forever.

You worked for Slap for many years, what was your role, apart from being one of the staff photographers? Slap was one of the most real and innovative mags at the time. It should have been an interesting and a very formative experience being part of the staff… Was there a lot of energy around the mag? What were your feelings when it became digital only and became something different from what it was?

When I worked at SLAP I had many roles: Staff photographer, film ordering, bulk film loading, sorting film and incoming submissions, writing, sending back photos to photographers, Jake Phelps’ punching bag. You name it, I did it. The magazine was amazing and had the best staff of creative people with strong ideas. I learned tons at that time and it absolutely made me the photographer I am today. Mostly because of Lance Dawes. By the time it went digital it was already a completely different magazine. I actually thought they did a good job trying to deal with the transition to digital, but that still seems to be a very tough one to make succeed.

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Then you became staff photographer for Skateboarder. It has always been my favorite skateboard mag, and I use to buy it in order to see your photos. How was working for Skateboarder like? If you should choose 3 photos or an article you shot for them that you were very satisfied of… which one would it be?

Skateboarder was my favorite magazine to work for as well. The staff was top notch and they really just let me do exactly what I wanted. They always supported me. I remember being pretty happy with my Pop War New York article and the one with the Emerica team skating the Lake Forest park under the full moon.

I forget all that I did there. I remember one article where I shot a skate photo, then went back to the spot another day with a print of it, and shot a bunch of polaroids with my 4x5 view camera of the surroundings and collaged them together. Kind of a David Hockney type of thing. I have a terrible memory, I’d have to go back and look at the old issues to even know what I did anymore.

Then you “left” skateboarding for a few years… and in 2002 you started publishing on skateboard mags again. How was leaving “the skateboard world” to do different things like? Personally I think skateboarding is too hard and too complicated and you can’t fake it… if you skate or if you shoot photos… if you don’t feel it you don’t feel it….

I agree. You can’t fake a love for skateboarding. It shows. I was having a hard time working with the magazines around that time and was spending more time working on my personal photography. My wife wanted to move to Louisville, Kentucky so we just packed up and went. I had no work while I was there and spent the whole time focusing on personal photography. I skated with my friends every day but just didn’t take skate photos. After being there for about a year, I was getting pretty eager to get back to work so I started working on some black and white photos of all my friends in Louisville. It was the first time I took my personal photography approach and applied it to skateboarding. I was happy with the results, sent them to Transworld, and quickly moved back to California to get back to work. It was a good break and I was a very different person when I returned.

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Nick Garcia_fs rock_

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Evan Smith_ kickflip wallride_

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The late 90’s to the early 2000’s has probably been the most interesting and lively time for skateboarding photography… involving the use of medium format cameras, flashes, and super expensive lenses… What do you remember about that time period? Do you still shoot on Hasselblad?

I haven’t shot on a Hasselblad for a very long time. There was a lot of great photography happening at that time, particularly from Atiba, but once everybody got a Hasselblad, it all started to look the same. I think that’s what really pushed me to experiment more and more. I just couldn’t bare to look at the magazines anymore.

For me, it doesn’t get much better than 35mm tri-x and natural light. I try to use my lighting gear as little as possible.

You being very into film photography and printing… what was your approach to digital photography like? What do you like the most about digital photography and what less?

I had a really hard time switching my commercial work to digital.

I fought it as long as I could. My approach has always been that I only use Photoshop to do something if I know how to do that same thing in the darkroom. Otherwise, you can get too carried away and the photos start to look silly. I like digital photography because when I go home at night, I know if the photo turned out good or not. I dislike it for a lot of reasons though. It takes a lot of maintenance to make sure you don’t lose your whole photo archive from a bad hard drive. I shoot too many pictures, I can’t stand sitting in front of a computer, and it’s hard to put my finger on, but it still feels different when I click the shutter. Nothing feels better than the “click” of my old Nikon FM2.

After so many years and thousands of images we see everyday, does it still happen that a skateboard photo really moves you?

When was the last time?

It happens less and less these days. But it does still happen. I can’t think of one off the top of my head, but it was probably shot by Mike O’Meally or Fred Mortagne.

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Levi Brown_nollie fs nose slide transfer_

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Brent Atchley_lien grab_

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Shooting skateboarding is not so “safe”… the trick has to be landed, you risk being kicked out, the rain, and so on… sometimes it can be a nightmare and really frustrating if you do it as a job. Have you ever thought: “I’m over it!”? And how do you feel about the age-gap with the new skaters you shoot with?

I used to feel like that a lot. Then one day I realized that the uncertainty of it all is what makes it so exciting and special. When a studio photographer goes in to work, he knows he’s going to get the shot he wants. On the other hand, I never know if it’s going to work out, anything can happen. It’s always an adventure. I love that about it now. I’m getting older, but I still really enjoy hanging out with skaters of all ages, I think it keeps you feeling and thinking young. I’ll never grow up.

Your approach to photography is very artistic, did you ever have to sacrifice your vision of the image for the trick? While framing which comes first, the trick or the composition?

No matter what, as long as the trick is good, the trick always has to come first. Once I figure out the best way to show how hard the trick is, I then begin to look at the possibilities for making the picture more interesting through composition. I actually prefer to shoot people doing simple tricks because it gives me more freedom to experiment with making a more interesting composition.

You have been working for Element since 2006, it’s been a long time now. On a personal level, what is your greatest satisfaction working with them?

It is such an amazing group of people to work with. I love all of them and we’re all tight friends. We have a lot of similar interests and that makes working together never feel like work. Element’s ethics are very in line with my own and it has always felt like a perfect fit.

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Tunnel_

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Karsten Kleppan_Arctic ollie_

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Bow and Harrow_

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Are you happy with the book? I’ve heard you were not down for the book, and Thomas Campbell had to convince you. Why is that? (Thank you for listening to Thomas!) ha ha.

I’m very happy with the book. It’s true, I didn’t want to make a skateboard book and Thomas convinced me I’d be a fool to pass up the chance to do it. He was right, he usually is... I’m very cautious about adding anything to the heaps and heaps of imagery out there in the world, and I really just didn’t think anybody would want to look at my book. I was pleasantly surprised that people actually were interested.

The Element team is wide and varied, who are the funniest guys to go around with and what are your secrets to motivate them to try a trick? ha ha ha They are all completely funny in their own ways. I’ve never laughed so hard as I do around those guys. I never give up my secrets...(guilt, lying?)

Did you ever happen to think: “OMG I’m shooting with Ray Barbee”?! Ha ha...

Not really. I just see most people as people. We all live and we all die and everything else in between is just our story. If anything, I may have once said “Oh my god, Ray is playing my favorite guitar.” What an honor.

In an era where the industry seem to be more and more focused on Instagram and “web clip of the day”, is there still space for skateboard magazines and professional photographers who spend the day lying in the dirt to get a good photo?

So it seems. I still have a job... :) Ah ha ha, thanks Brian.

Thank you.

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Legs_

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PLACES_Buenos Aires.

Photos_Carmin Santos_

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The ghost boat_

Photography_Davide Biondani_Words_Guido Bendotti_

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Ale Martoriati_fs ollie to pivot_

Legend, style, and tricks. Look at his composure on a basic trick like this. Wouldn’t you want to have the control and elegance Ale has on the board? I definitely would.

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The best thing about skateboarding is the variety, creativity, and adaptability of skateboarders at spots.

In a world full of perfect skateparks it is way too easy to retreat within four fences and try a bs tailslide over and over again on a metal-edged ledge, or find the perfect balance on a smith grind without waving your arms too much, where the landing is on a tranny that maintains your speed for the next trick.

We’re all looking for the perfect spot for our tricks, and we all tend to adapt to comfortable situations where we can skate without having to worry about the rough ground or fucked-up tranny. By nature, humans tend to find their little comfy corner where they can express themselves.

But skateboarding doesn’t necessarily have to be comfortable nor easy. Skateboarding is dirty, difficult, and a pain in the ass, and we are definitely not soccer players for whom they test different types of soccer balls or synthetic grasses in order to increase their performance. We are not 100-meter dash runners trying to gain one thousandth of a second. We are not comfy people, we are people who must constantly put ourselves to the test.

The perfect ledge does exist, but on a perfect ledge you just keep on repeating your usual routine, and every now and again you have to do some slams in the shittiest and most difficult spot, because if it is unskateable, even the simplest trick can make you smile...

Adapting, evolving, slamming your ass on the ground, and searching for the next spot. That’s what skateboarding is all about.

The ghost boat is one of those spots that makes you want to travel hundreds of kilometers just to try a trick in an unusual place, a spot where even a simple 5-0 becomes legendary. One of those spots you’ve seen on Thrasher for years and always thought: “How can you skate such a spot?” Now you know, now you’ve skated it as well.

Real skaters don’t ease down, they adapt.

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Luca Crestani_kickflip to fakie_

“Adapting, evolving, slamming your ass on the ground, and searching for the next spot. That’s what skateboarding is all about.”

Even if he now skates a gnarly bowl that he helped build at the shop where he works, Crest is still one of the best street skaters out there. How can you take the street out of a guy like that? You just can’t. You can only watch as he pops kickflips to fakie like this at the most unlikely spot of the last few years. The street is like a life mentor.

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“Andrea, do you feel like trying a fs blunt?”... “I don’t know how to do fs blunts!”... “Well then try one!”

He landed it in less than 10 tries, boasting one of the biggest smiles of the day. Just for the record, the hole in the flat is right on the landing of this trick.

Andrea Casasanta_blunt fs out_

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Take a living legend like Ale Martoriati for example, who has been bringing forward the rawest skateboarding on the roughest surfaces of the Italian capital forever; born as a street skater of the first generation of real Italian street skaters (we’re talking late 80’s here), he has always had a rare style and composure that he has brought over to his tranny-skating. He is not a skater that goes out to skate the usual boring ledge, he needs challenges. Twenty-five years of real skateboarding need constant stimulation, and when he finds it get ready for the show.

Luca Crestani is an absolute certainty, in that you know he can skate anything at any moment and with rare elegance. We’re all waiting for the day when he’ll get tired of skating so much and so well, so that we’ll all feel a little better about ourselves for not skating like him.

It’s really dope to see two new kids on the block from the Roman scene, Andrea “Gummy” Casasanta, and Milo Marra get excited to skate such a crazy and unique spot...

Milo is a silent guy whose powerful and determined skating adapts perfectly to the boat’s unusual transition.

Andrea, also known as Gummy, is a real animal on vert. Skateboarding comes naturally to him, you can bring him to any spot and you won’t be dealing with a boring, bratty sixteen-year old, but a fun, clever dude. He also plays rugby, and apart from being a beast on trannies as I have already said, he also kicks ass in street skating.

And with such a varied group of skaters and such a senseless spot what else can you do but sit back and enjoy the show?

The ghost boat is a dream spot. It is one of those places that makes you understand why you love skateboarding so much.

Skateboarding is synonymous with adaptability and creativity.

Fuck perfect ledges, give me a ghost boat every day!

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Tweaked fs airs? No problem. Run-up, landing, flat, no platform? No problem. Kids wanna fly... and Milo has style even where style is a luxury.

“Fuck perfect ledges, give me a ghost boat every day!.”

Milo Marra_tweaked fs air off _

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Andrea Casasanta_fs stale fish_

Fs stalefish is one of the most stylish tricks ever, kinda like bs smith grinds, they are two evergreens of style. Andrea delights us effortlessly. Good on son!

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ARTNOW!

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For the fourth birthday of a brief glance we asked four of the artists featured on abg/ARTNOW! over the past few years to create a piece dedicated to abg.We have the pleasure and honor of presenting you the works of Codeczombie, Brian Lotti, A.RMN.P and Olivier Vrancken.

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Artist: Codeczombie_ Title: “O�_ Details: Digital clay_

www.codeczombie.com

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www.brianlotti.com

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Artist: Brian Lotti_ Title: “Fax Romana”_ Details: Still life w/ maquette for a DIY sculpture_

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Artist: A.RMN.P_ Title: “Dirt in the brain�_ Details: Digital paint_

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www.oliviervrancken.com

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Artist: Olivier Vrancken_ Title: “The run�_ Details: collage of salvaged wood & acrylics_

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Dusted_Off

Julien Bachelier_2009_

Photos and words_Davide Biondani_

During the spring of 2009 I spent a few days in Lyon, France, to meet with the Clichè guys and visit the city. One day we were pushing around the city and we met Julien Bachelier and Julian Dykmans by chance, and we spent the whole afternoon skating from spot to spot together. At the end of the day Juju asked me if I wanted to shoot a photo in a spot he knew.

We walked through the old city center until we reached the place. It was a very steep and narrow alley, sandwiched between two rows of houses, and the ground was super rough and full of holes. And if that wasn’t enough the smell of shit and piss was so disgusting I was about to vomit more than once.

There was no more light but luckily I had my flashes with me... inside a heavy bag I had been carrying around with me since the morning... The hardest part of the trick was to find the way to avoid the holes in the pavement. While the hardest part of the shooting was to find a good framing and the right lighting in just 3 minutes. Basically there was no space to put the flashes.

Juju was super motivated to skate this spot, while Julian watched out for my flash on the street, and I stood at the top of the steep hill trying to shoot the photo. I don’t know how Juju did it but he rolled away from this wallride in near complete darkness. I was very happy with how the pictures came out. I have to thank Juju for asking me to shoot it. The photo was published in “The Skateboarder’s Agenda” a calendar I published at

the end of the year as a personal project, a few months before starting a brief glance

skateboardmag.

a brief glance

tre flip_

_wallride_

a brief glance

a brief glance

Modica by night_Sicilia_

photo_davide biondani

a brief glance

issue _24