a brief glance issue _38

e _38

issue _38

F EATURING VANS WAFFL E CUP â„¢ , UNR EAL SUPPORT AND BOA RDFE E L .

VA NS . C OM

KYLE WALK ER

WELCOME TO

ISSUE 38

Photo // Davide Biondani.

Bs smith grind / Brescia_ITALY.

COVER STORY

This spot is called CAB. In the 90s we use to skate it every weekend, taking the train from Verona to Brescia, exiting the station from the back and pushing to the place. Endless covered hallways with brown marble flatground and different sized ledges.

Every Saturday and Sunday it was crowded with skaters from all over Northern Italy. At the beginning of the 2000s if was fenced off and became off-limits.

On a rainy day during a recent tour we tried to find shelter and took the train from Milano to Brescia, exited the train station from the back, pushed to the spot, were lucky enough to find the gates open... and skated it.

After a few hours a pale sun peeked through from in between the clouds and we had the chance to skate this rail where Sean did a bs smith grind two or three times.

What a flashback !

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38 abg a brief glance

FELIPE GUSTAVO COLOR-WAY

T HE N E W JAC K

WITH

CALIFORNIA SPORTS - TEL 0119277943 - WWW.CALIFORNIASPORT.INFO FELIPE GUSTAVO \ SWITCH FLIP \ BLABAC PHOTO DCSHOES.COM

“Skateboarding is

rough�

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DANE BRADY – BOARDSLIDE • PHOTO: ALEXANDRE PIRES

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Fragments Blast! In’ L’Aquila From Paris & NYC to Milano_Cons in Italy.

A Taste of Vietnam Curren Caples

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Places_LA

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a brief glance | year VI_ n° 38

EDITOR and CONCEPT_ Davide Biondani. {davide@abriefglance.com} ASSOCIATE EDITOR_ Guido Bendotti. {guido@abriefglance.com} ASSISTANT EDITOR_ Andrew Zolin.

TRANSLATIONS_ Jonathan Levin.

PHOTOGRAPHERS_ Leo Sharp, Jonathan Mehring, DVL, Craig Dodds, Brian Gaberman, Marcello Guardigli, Davide Biondani, Marcel Veldman, Giulia Romano, Reece Leung, Robert Christ, Sebastiano Bartoloni, Alberto Chimenti Dezani, Fed Mortagne.

CONTRIBUTORS_ Mario Torre, Francesco Paolo Chielli, Fake Allbeeno, Luca Basilico, Mark Baines.

DESIGN_ M. Bod Ciceri {Question Mark, ink!#?} GET ALL THE INFOS at: info@abriefglance.com a brief 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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Photo_Davide Biondani. a brief glance

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Nicolas Josserand Nollie heel flip Photo_Sebastiano Bartoloni Annecy, France.

FRAGMENTS

Bobby Worrest Noseslide Photo_Craig Dodds Bangor, Northern Ireland. a brief glance

FRAGMENTS

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FRAGMENTS Alessandro Cesario, Nollie Photo_ Davide Biondani Athens, Greece.

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FRAGMENTS

Martin Schiffl, Fs boardslide Photo_ Robert Christ Schweinfurt, Germany. a brief glance

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in

tour

with_

photography&words_

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Icaro

Nardi

Davide

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Ivan

Biondani

Inglese

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Filippo

Cilia

videography_

/

Indro

Nicolò

Martinenghi

Novali

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ON THE NIGHT OF APRIL 6, 2009 AT 3:32 A.M. the city of Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Aquila was hit by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale that leveled the city center, including various neighborhoods and surrounding towns, and caused 309 casualties. Seven years later, the city is still a construction site and its historic center is still largely uninhabited. The recent construction of a concrete skatepark has given new hope to the local skaters as well as a reference point to many young people.

We spent seven days skating in Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Aquila with the Blast! Skateboarding team.

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bs noseblu to bs out _ a brief glance

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gap to smith grind _

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he idea behind this project was to go and skate the city. We had received some photos of the spots from the locals, but apart from that we had no idea what to expect, what there was to skate, and above all, in what state the city center would be in.

The impact was shocking: the historic center is a huge constrution site, 98% of the houses are shored up and held together by metal cages on the outside and supports on the inside.

Seeing the historic center completely uninhabited was upsetting, except for a few rare cases where shops, bars, and restaurants, that were closed.

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A huge, gigantic work site, from which workers can be seen exiting its many alleys in dirty overalls at 6 pm, ready to leave L’Aquila to return the next morning.

The most striking thing while walking through the streets of the “red zone” is the smell of fresh cement...

The smell of the work site. It is definitely the thing that impressed me the most.

Even more absurd is seeing nearby neighborhoods with collapsed buildings inside which, still to this day, seven years later, it is possible to see rooms exactly as they were when they were hastily abandoned... everyday objects, clothes, open closets, and bedrooms. It causes a sense of embarassment, like sticking your nose into other peoples’ intimacy.

It just slams in your face the real scale of the tragedy, a feeling that no TV footage will ever be able to fully convey.

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Yes, because as “close” as a dramatic event can feel, as long as you watch it on TV, it will never appear in all its crude reality until you’ve seen it with your own eyes, touched it with your own hands, and smelled it firsthand.

Seven years have gone by, and this helps you to grasp how long it takes to rebuild and return to some sort of normality. However, looking at L’Aquila from the outside, you can see dozens of cranes making up its skyline, and this gives some sense of hope that they are working towards the reconstruction of the city.

The most beautiful thing was seeing the strength of the people, that with no compromise personally put themselves on the front line in order to make sure things worked out, confronting and by-passing the institutions and the slowness of the bureaucratic machine when necessary, in order to face the emergency and make sure things were done properly.

The biggest respect goes to them.

One such example is the story behind the Maurane Fraty skatepark. Once they obtained the OK for the construction of the skatepark, the locals discovered that the approved project was a basic park, surely not what they desired. Also because once itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completed thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no way to change it.

After having explained their motives of the uselessness of realizing an endeavor of this type to

the authorities, and after having received the classic negative responses... they decided not to submit to the illogicity of the bureaucracy and went to the city hall, and with no half-measures they imposed their ideas, rightly expecting that the skatepark be built according to their plans.

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After a difficult confrontation they were able to obtain permission to operate.

Through friends they contacted Cody Lockwood, involved him in the project, flew him to L’Aquila, and began building the cement park.The local skaters worked together with Cody and the construction company, to whom they imposed all modifications in situ in order to optimize even the smallest details.

They fought without compromise, worked their asses off, and managed to build a perfect cement skatepark. The park was almost completely financed by a gathering of funds initiated by the Ultras of the local soccer team, the Red Blue Eagles L’Aquila 1978, that as unusual as it may sound, were on the front line together with the skaters to support and make this project happen.

Apart from showing infinite love for their land, these guys also demonstrated a very uncommon farsightedness in giving life to a concrete reality that is distant from their world, but that could offer the younger generation with a place to spend their time positively, staying out of trouble.

These are gestures from below, from the people, and that testify to the will to be reborn. The Maurane Fraty skatepark has indeed become a reference point for the whole city, for the skaters, families, and everybody in general. The

determination to rebuild that some people have shown, more for future generations than for themselves, is something worth reflecting on.

In itself, the tour was awesome: the search for spots was compelling, and thanks to the invaluable help from Giuseppe “Orzo” Gasbarri and Paolo Olivieri, we skated several interesting things. As well as the classic barbecues, that are a Blast! tour trademark, and that accompanied us for the whole week, making the evenings under the stars at the Case Matte more enjoyable.

Case Matte is where we slept, and its story represents another significant aspect of that which the people of L’Aquila had to endure in the months following the earthquake.

As our friend Orzo explained to us, the birth of Case Matte is the result of the refusal to hospitalize the local population after the seismic event. After a first phase during which the population was “deported” en masse to the coast and housed in hotels, residences, or tents, there was a gradual return to the area, and people were lodged in prefabricated houses.

“During this phase we found ourselves with constant assistance on the part of volunteers that arrived in the city, on one hand it was appreciated, but on the other it felt suffocating, as if having

been traumatized, we were not able to do anything ourselves, not even clear the table where we ate!

and where several well-known spaghetti westerns were filmed, among which many Bud Spencer films.

When in reality for two years we had tremendous physical and mental stamina, we were like cyborgs!

At a certain point, with a group of friends we decided to do something for ourselves...

Seeing the canyon where the famous scene where they eat beans from pots was almost touching, ha ha ha! But the real purpose of our mission up there was to taste the fantastic “arrosticini,” sheep’s meat skewers we bought at the butcher shop and cooked on special BBQs. Red wine and grilled meat at an altitude of 2000 meters in an enchanting scenario with the company of good friends is priceless.

so we occupied a small chalet under a grove of trees that had been disused for years inside the old psychiatric hospital, and we gave birth to the Case Matte project, where apart from organizing lots of events, still to this day, we physically lived for more than 3 years.” Today, aside from the original housing unit, Case Matte is equipped with a rehearsal room, BBQ area, bar, and also an indoor miniramp.

A must of Blast! tours are the “days off” to do something characteristic of the area we are in, and that’s when the fun happens!

In fact, we spent an entire day at the Gran Sasso National Park, just after Campo Imperatore.

A green plain 2000 meters above sea level, surrounded by majestic mountain peaks made of white rock that stand out from the blue sky. An incredible scenario where many car adverts are shot

Just this was worth the whole tour.

Thanks to Blast! Thanks to the local skaters and Go L’Aquila!

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ollie over to smith grind _

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ollie off to fs boardslide _

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fs lipslide

to firecracker out.

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fs 50-50 grind up _

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Icaro, how was this Blast! tour to L’Aquila? What’s your most vivid memory from this experience?

HI

01

This Blast! tour to L’Aquila was really cool in every sense, the situation we found ourselves in... it was a tour but also and foremost a trip with good friends and fat barbecues in the evening, telling each other stories, drinking beer, and laughing all together.

People sleeping in sleeping bags, on the couch, on the ground, and the luckiest on comfortable mattresses. In fact, the most vivid memory I have of this tour was the place we stayed at, “Case Matte,” not a hotel or a hostel, nor a friend’s

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house, but these little houses that were previously designated as lodging during the period immediately following the earthquake, and that are now taken over by a cultural association that occupied them, creating a bar, a rehearsal room, and even an indoor miniramp!

What impression did seeing the destroyed city have on you? I mean having the chance of experiencing it from the inside, what struck you the most?

02

Saying it impressed me may seem granted, but in reality this is the effect that seeing the city with its torn buildings had on me. It materializes the thought that from one moment to the next everything may just collapse, and in that moment you may lose not only your home, but everything; from people dearest

Another shocking thing was how the local population reacted; despite the fact that their city was completely destroyed and their houses didn’t exist any longer, they had the strength to get up and put themselves to the test, helping and supporting each other mutually, regardless of the catastrophe that hit them and the horror they experienced that they will hardly be able to forget.

What also impressed me were the local football supporters (the Ultras from the local soccer team) thanks to whom the cement skatepark was built.

They demonstrated a love for their land and friends who perished in the earthquake.

L’Aquila is still being rebuilt... what did you expect to find spot-wise, and what did you actually find that was interesting to skate?

03

The fact that it is being rebuilt offers lots of possibilities that new spots will appear, because it is more probable that newer, more modern marble structures will be built instead of metal ones, thus more skateable. In reality you can find a spot anywhere, as long as you’ve got the imagination to see it.

The spot I found most interesting was the university campus, with its different types of terrain; from ledges to downhill rails, to manual pads and big gaps.

5 QUESTIONS

to you, to personal belongings like clothes, or even the most insignificant object like a magnet on the fridge that was maybe a souvenir from a trip, or your favorite book. It’s really scary.

What was the funnest moment, and the most interesting one?

04

The funnest moment was seeing Indro wandering around the center of L’Aquila dressed like a clown with a pot of pasta with tomato sauce and a fork in his hands, and seeing the astounded reaction of the locals, hahaha!

The most interesting moment was when we went to the Gran Sasso mountain for a barbecue in the middle of its fields. Beautiful!

What was the best trick of the tour?

05

The trick I liked the most was Cili’s wallie back tail because he created the spot with a piece of railing and metal board, really gnarly, congrats Cili!

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CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL VIDEO EDIT

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photography_words _Davide Biondani

CONS IN ITALY

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PARIS

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MILANO

This trip to Milano with Cons was part of a bigger project called “The Relay,” that took the team first to Italy and then to Germany.

We had the pleasure to document the Italian leg of the tour for one week.

There were 3 skaters from NYC,

BEN KADOW, SAGE ELSESSER and SEAN PABLO; 4 skaters from Paris,

KEVIN RODRIGUES, GREG CUADRADO, PAUL GRUND & ROMAN GONZALEZ; & KENNY ANDERSON from LA.

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PARIS

from paris and

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york city

milano

cons in italy

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MILANO

Weather-wise, this was not the luckiest week, since it rained almost every day. We had to travel back and forth between Milano and Brescia to escape the black clouds, and our plan to spend 3 days in Milano and 4 days in Roma failed.

We skated mostly at Milano Centrale train station, which may sound a bit boring for those who have skated it for a long time, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually a sick spot when you see it for the first time, where you can stay for hours without being kicked out and enjoy the white marble ledges and smooth flatground.

It was fun to get to know all the guys and observe their different personalities, and also meet old friends like Kenny.

At every spot we went to, all the kids were super hyped to see them skating, and since no one knew we were in the city it was super fun to see the kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; faces when they saw some of their favorite pros arriving at their own spot! Some looked on from far away, a bit intimidated, while others were super loud and out of control, but all of them asked Sean, Ben, and Sage for a selfie together, that of course went straight to the insta, ha ha ha!

Enjoy the photo report.

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BS SMITH GRIND

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KICKFLIP BS TAILSLIDE

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Y

You were born and raised in L.A., and now you‘re living in New York. It’s a big change.

Y

I’ve been residing in New York for the past 8 months, it’s a big change for me. I’ve been visiting there since I was very little and I’ve always wanted to live there, even before I’d ever been there, I know that N.Y. is my city.

Now I have a place there and it’s pretty cool.

You’re a Californian skater, are the East Coast’s harsh winters a big problem for you?

Well, I just got there, so I don’t know… it’s May now, so Springtime is perfect in N.Y.

W

What do you miss about L.A.?

H

I guess... well, it’s pretty boring, but I miss my friends, and I know where everything is in L.A., so well...

How’s growing up in Los Angeles, as a skater and as a kid?

Mmm... it’s pretty cool, there’s a lot of stuff to skate, but I think it’s easy to be forgotten, ‘cause there are so many skaters, so it’s easy to just skate and not really get noticed. If you go to the skatepark, you’ll find 20 kids that basically all look the same. It’s easy to get caught up I think.

B W

Was Supreme your first sponsor?

I guess I was sponsored before Supreme, but nothing that serious, just some flow stuff.

It seems that New York is so influential right now in skateboarding, just like in the 90’s during the Eastern Exposure era. Why is N.Y. skateboarding so interesting?

But you got noticed as a skater…

I guess, just hanging around with Sage, ‘cause he lives near Supreme, so we went there together a lot, and we just got noticed by the Supreme heads. Everything started from there I think.

I mean, the way the spots look is the first thing that crosses my mind. In New York what’s most important is how you do the tricks, ‘cause spots are never perfect. You have to think more creatively, and find a way to properly do your tricks, where to pop and land, ‘cause the ground is rough, and curbs are not perfect... you’re not in an L.A. schoolyard. Everything you’re doing on a skateboard in New York is way more special.

But I think that can’t go so far, basically it’s the same thing everywhere, in L.A. everybody knows how to do an ollie or a wallie, there’s just too many kids that skate in California.

Y S Y T

You skate with Sage Elsesser and Ben Kadow a lot, right?

How’s skating with them, and how are they as friends?

They’ve been my friends for a while, so I don’t think about them as team mates, but just as friends.

Something that we don’t know about them?

Ehmmmm … some secrets? Ahhahahaha.

You’re very famous at a very young age… inside and outside skateboarding...

Well, I don’t wanna say that, I’m just a skater.

Don’t you feel the pressure to be “Sean Pablo?” Because you get a lot of attention. Well, I don’t know why somebody can be interested in me. I don’t care, I’m just myself.

There’s tons of rumors around you, which is the dumbest one you’ve ever heard?

“Oh, he skates like Dylan Rieder, he just copies his style,” and so on, ha ha ha.

I’m not Dylan Rieder, he’s one of the best skaters ever, I’m not on the same level and I don’t try to emulate him. I’m influenced by him, but I don’t copy him.

T

The way you guys are skating, the way you dress, you’re influencing a generation like, for the Muska did in the 90’s (except the Muska pants).

Do you think it’s strange that a lot of people are emulating you. Like the guy that was skating the spots today?

Y

It’s really strange sometimes. Sometimes on Instagram I find kids dressed exactly like Ben Kadow! I don’t know, it’s crazy. I appreciate it, but to me, it’s crazy.

You have a lot of interests outside of skateboarding. You shoot pictures, you have a fanzine, and a clothing line… is it your creative outlet? Something to do because you have a lot of free time?

C

I like to take pictures of my friends and I’ve saved a bunch of these pictures at home, so I put them together and did a little book... nothing special.

Can you describe your clothing company Paradis3?

Let me think… I guess I started Paradis3 because I never went to a normal high school, I took an alternative route, so I have to keep my parents happy, and I started it just to tell them, “Hey look, I’m working on this.” Ha ha ha ha!

I have to do something with my time, so I just started it for fun, you know, shooting pictures, designing t-shirts. My girlfriend was wearing these little shirts that I was making, and after a while it became... whatever company. It’s not even really a company, it’s just something I do. I don’t know how, but it’s going pretty well. We sell a lot of t-shirts.

W

What are your influences when you design the line?

Uhm, I don’t really do graphic t-shirts, so if I see something that’s cool, I’m saving it, to remember it.

People like it so it’s cool, whatever.

I’m not into fashion that much. I like to see old photos of models, old fashion stuff… so I don’t really know what’s happening right now, I prefer old stuff, vintage stuff that I like to buy.

AVE is a very direct person, very straight, are you ever scared to tell him that you don’t like something, or that you have a different idea?

I used to be intimidated by him,‘cause I was inspired by him and his skateboarding growing up. But he’s really chill.

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W

Why are Supreme and FA so “hot” right now?

I don’t know, there’s good people doing it, there’s smart people that direct Supreme and FA. I think it’s just the fact that they sponsor a bunch of young skaters, and it just creates something new and puts life into the companies.

We have some OG dudes, but they’re the best so everybody is loving it.

What’s next for you?

W

Ehm, I don’t know... hang out in N.Y., skate, try to skate as much as I can.

I’m filming for my friend’s Logan video, that is coming out at the end of the year.

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it seems you are traveling a lot lately, how many 1 HitripsKenny, have you been on until now this year?

I was actually at home healing for the first half of the year. As soon as I felt good enough to skate I met up with the Cons guys in Italy and then Berlin. It was nice to surround myself with such amazing skaters and start conditioning myself back into skating.

How have been this Cons trip to Italy?

2 How was coming back to Milan?

The Cons trip was fun… Everyone on that tour was so unique. It was interesting to watch them all skate Centrale in so many different ways.

I always love visiting Milan.. I met a lot of the locals over the past 12 years and they’ve all become my family. So it’s always good to see all of them.

What does it feel like to be the oldest guy on the team? And what’s

it like to be on tour with Ben, Sage, Sean Pablo, and the Blobys? Are

3

you starting to feel the age gap? Ha ha ha…

I don’t really feel a gap. I guess that’s what skateboarding has always done... it bridges gaps. I’ve traveled with Sage and Sean before and skated a little with the rest. It was actually really inspiring to learn more about everyone. We had time to sit and have deep talks just as much as skating and messing around. That’s just me though… maybe they all look at me like uncle Kenny. Ha ha... we’re all just balls of energy having fun and skating. were an OG Cons rider back in the days, then you skated 4 You for Adio for some years when Bam Margera was on... in some videos you guys were flying on private planes… what

do you remember from those times? Being in the loop with the Adio thing with Bam and co...

Off the top of my head…

Autograph signings that turned into riots, girls hyperventilating, police escorts, private jets, kids asking Bam to slap them and kick them in the nuts and Bam doing it, Sumner and I discussing God and Buddha, Nate Broussard jumping a train track and breaking his ankle, me being known to most of the kids because I was on one episode of Viva La Bam or The Kenny V1, Ed Selego vs. Ernie Torres, PC, CT, LT, Danny Montoya Fan Club, Steve Nesser pop shuving his way on, in awe of J. Wray, MTV movie awards, Josh Stewart drinking a carafe of OJ, sleeveless Curren, Dompierre being just as strong as he is now, conversation with Farah Fawcett, Markovich throwing up, BELTON! I can keep going…

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BS NOSEBLUNT

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you went back to Cons. How was 5 Then Cons back then compared to now?

a strategic point of view it 7 From seems like the marketing heads found a place for every big shoe brand to

You have been dealing with Cons both before

thrive... Nike is performance, Adidas is classy,

that this acquisition was pivotal in gearing up the

intentional?

and after Nike acquired the brand. Do you think brand for penetration in skateboarding?

Cons is creative, Vans is rebel. Do you see this as

I think everyone’s perception is different. I can only The acquisition supported it… but, I think it was

speak on behalf of Converse and they are all about

about hiring the right people. People that already

supporting the creative spirit of people..

knew skateboarding and can support and give back to skateboarding as much as they can.

who they really are. I guess that shows with the team that was formed.

They had a solid program and we traveled the world, but it was completely different with

There have been a lot of big name pros that have

direction and product. When they offered me a

showed interest throughout the years… You just

shoe, I fought so hard to have a version of a Chuck.

have to use instinct and know who is really down.

Instead I got some sort of a slipper shoe that fit

I’m happy with the direction we are going and who

inside of another shoe. Back then they did exactly

we are supporting. So in that sense, yes… who we

what they wanted with their product.

are supporting, what we are doing and why we are doing what we do, all are very intentional.

They wanted the lightest shoe, so they put helium about photography and 8 Talking skateboarding. It really seems like

in it. Haha. Everything Chany, Felix, and I wanted to do with product in the late 90’s is happening

video killed skateboard photography.

now. It’s really cool to see that happening and a lot of skaters supporting that.

Kids are far more interested in minute-long, weak There is one guy that still works there from back then. I love seeing him. It reminds me of that time

mutual riders with brands like Supreme

Do you think this phenomenon is going to affect the aesthetics of skateboarding as we move

in my life.

The brand has a lot of connections and

skateboard clips than still images.

6

and Polar...

forward?

Alan Watts said, “The best way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it,

Polar played an important role in making Cons so

move with it and join the dance.

do you agree?

”I think“move with it” means to create your own

popular among skateboarders…

movement within. If you feel something is missing Yes, of course. There were a lot of conversations

then create whatever you want to exist.

about who to support. Polar is a unique vision and I think the timing was perfect for both to help each

Maybe the majority of kids will always want to re-

other grow.

watch life happening as opposed to a still image of it...

Same with Sage, Sean and Ben with Supreme and Al and Dela with habitat and Baca, Zered, Eli, Tom,

but that doesn’t mean they’re not just as interested

Manderson, Jason Jessee etc… Everyone on the

in the still image. I feel it has always been that

team played a crucial role in developing Cons.

way. We just have a lot more of it now. Everyone is

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shooting photos and videos more than ever before and they have access to decades of photography at their fingertips for inspiration.

I think moving forward weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to see more unique approaches to both video and photography. Just like we are seeing in skating right now.

Skateboarding, photography, and video are all forms of art and they should be explored as such.

I encourage everyone to experiment and express themselves in new waysâ&#x20AC;Ś whatever leads you closer to being comfortable with yourself.

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FOOTPLANT

On tour you lost your film camera!!!

How long have you had it? Have you

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already bought another one?

Yes.. I did.

I skated away and left it... just sitting there… all alone. I had that camera for a little over 20 years.

A Nikon FM2. My favorite camera. I still can’t believe somebody took it.

I was more bummed about losing the roll of film inside though. I haven’t bought a new camera yet.

I have a bunch of cameras at home so I’ve been shooting with some random ones.

I brought this 1970’s Konica with me to Berlin. That was fun to shoot. No expectations.

0

While on tour, the news came out

about Marc Johnson leaving Lakai for Adidas and getting kicked off

Chocolate… you are close friends with Marc, Carroll, and Howard. How was being in the

middle of that? I remember you spent a lot of time on the phone those days...

Yeah… It was definitely emotional and a little harder to focus… but it was all good, the Cons crew got me feeling good again.

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From your “privileged” or

“uncomfortable” position, what’s your point of view about it? And after all

I’m not sure how much they care, but guaranteed

the things that happened and were said in the

they have an opinion. That topic is always popping

following days, is the mood a bit softer now

up and there are so many skater-owned companies

between them?

that have been starting up.

I am sure the mood has softened. They have a lot

There are more and more interviews and posts

of history together and it’s between them, so it will

expressing their opinions about both of them.

be handled however they choose.

I think it is really important to speak up about

Do you think that 16-year old kids out

there really have an opinion or care about this skater-owned vs. corporate-owned

fight? Will the next generation of skaters really even think about it? a brief glance

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experiences so that everyone can learn more.

Most of the time it goes deeper than just skater vs. corporate.

There are good and bad in both and with more information we can make more conscious decisions

BS LIPSLIDE TO 5-0

on who we support. That will all affect the next generation. Hopefully we are all thinking about it and taking responsibility by aligning our values with our actions…

happening at Crailtap? What about Lakai, Girl, and Chocolate? Everybody knows about the

team changes and the new investor... but what happened and what should we expect for the future of Girl and Chocolate?

in and out of skateboarding. We are all a part of this revolution happening right now…

Girl and Chocolate are 100% owned by Rick, Mike, and Meg right now. In the future…

the art of skateboarding is flourishing and the love

maybe new fabric on the Crail Couch, definitely

for skateboarding will sustain itself.

more chunks of Chocolate, more laughing, more of our favorite skaters from all generations, amazing

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And now the question every

skateboarder in the world over 35 years old would ask you: what’s

art, fun tours...

I guess, more of what we’ve always done, along with new ideas and new team riders. a brief glance

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When Koston first, then Guy Mariano, then all the other guys left…

it seemed like the whole OG lineup

was going to leave. What went through your mind when you saw everybody leaving?

It was a surprise. I just felt that there must be a really good reason why they are leaving. I asked questions and I understood it more.

I stayed because I am backing what we’ve all built for so many years there and I love that we can continue to support skateboarding the way we always have.

You have three kids, how do you

combine the pro skater life with the commitments of being a dad?

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What’s your opinion about the politics behind skateboarding and your perspective on life in general?

It definitely slowed me down a bit on spontaneous sessions. I just had to adjust to my new reality and structure my time better. I can’t describe the kind or amount of energy that I receive from my own children.

Other parents know. At first I was so fulfilled that I didn’t care about anything else.

Then they helped me deeply connect with myself, which led to more clarity, thinking about the necessities of life, and skating a lot better.

When I’m out skating it reminds me of being a little kid and having fun, and when I’m with my kids I turn into a 10-year old.

Every video part you put out had some special

gems inside… (like the bs power slide in Pretty Sweet or a super stylish bs ollie in an old Adio

promo, the one with the Stevie Wonder song).

My life as a skateboarder is a huge part of being a Dad. They know and understand that I make a living and can support them by doing something that I truly love to do.

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We want more Kenny footage, are you still motivated to film? Are

you working on something at the moment? What’s next for you?

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Thank you! That means a lot…

OLLIE TRANSFER

I’ve had a long injury and I’m feeling better than ever. I am having a lot of fun riding my skateboard right now. I am working on a few fun life projects and a possible video that I’m not supposed to talk about. I’m sure you’ll see everything on instagram tomorrow.

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FEEBLE

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SAGE ELSESSER

OLLIE

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OLLIE FS GRAB OVER THE BAR

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90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GALORE FAKIE OLLIE SWITCH FS CROOKS IN MC

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FS SMITH GRIND

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FS NOSESLIDE TO FS CROOKS FAKIE

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KICKFLIP IN THE RAIN

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MELON

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FS WALLRIDE

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from

and

new

york city

cons in italy

Interview Guido Bendotti_Portraits Davide Biondani.

curren

a conversation with_

CAPLES a brief glance

S a brief glance

How are you?

I’m good, I can’t skate ‘cause I landed with my foot on a stair… I don’t know if it’s dislocated or broken.

Oh... that sucks!

Yeah… I wanna skate this park, but I can’t.

I’m sorry for you Curren… well, so you have more time for this interview!

Ha ha ha... yes, let’s do it!

Can we skip the “California kid” question?

You were born in Ohio, can you imagine what your life would be like if you had been raised in Ohio?

I really can’t imagine it, maybe if I had been raised in Ohio I’d be playing baseball right now. I played in the “minor league” when I was younger. Well, I think that at some point or another I would have started skating.

My parents didn’t put me on a skateboard, I chose to skateboard. So it doesn’t really matter where you live, maybe you’ll start skateboarding anyway. But who knows?

Your father is a surfer.

Were your parents supportive of your passion for skateboarding?

Well, my father is a pro surfer, they’re very supportive for sure. They drive me to the skateparks all over California, take me to all the contests and stuff like that… very supportive.

You got your very first coverage during those years: you had a picture in Thrasher in the Something Else column.

Yeah, I was like 7 years old, I was riding for Termite (a company that during the late 90s and early 2000s supported really small kids… they made a couple videos too, search for them), they shot the photo in the Volcom park

during the Damn AM contest. I was doing fs airs on that big vert ramp.

Were you skating in the contest?

Well, I don’t remember. Actually, I was skating during practice for sure.

I know you surf too, and I know that surfing is a big influence on the way you skate.

Do you think that surfing is your outlet or escape from skateboarding when things get too hectic?

For sure, I see it the same way.

There are definitely times when I have nothing to do, but I don’t wanna go home, so surfing definitely helps me not to get bored. When I’m surfing, I’m not worried about anything, I just charge the waves and have fun and relax. So, yes, it’s my escape! No pressure at all, just fun.

Do you think you can be a pro surfer someday?

I don’t think so, I mean, I didn’t grow up focusing on surfing, I grew up focusing on skateboarding, and surfing is just a thing that I do for fun. But no, I don’t think I can be a pro surfer, I just camp out, catch waves, and enjoy it.

You started skateboarding at a really young age, and you’ve been sponsored pretty much all your life.

Well, my dad owns a skateshop, but my first real sponsor was Hurley clothing, then Termite skateboards.

So you’ve never payed for a skateboard!

Not really, ha ha ha ha, I mean, I’ve bought something when I needed it, but basically I’ve always been sponsored… lots of free stuff pretty much all my life.

Lucky you, eheheh. You’ve been riding for Flip forever!

Uhmmm, I got on when I was 11 or 12, so it’s been almost ten years. I’m 20 now.

Do you remember your first trips with the Flip guys?

Well, on the first trip I was with my dad, I was skating the contest in Amsterdam, the Amsterdam AM, and Flip asked me to come on tour with them, and my dad came too ‘cause I was so young. It was the last leg of Flip’s party mode. I jumped in the van and there were porn mags everywhere, and Tom (Penny) was in there, blowing weed smoke onto the back of my head. It was pretty crazy.

You grew up faster, ha ha ha.

Yeah, hahaha, I mean, from that young I knew that I was never gonna be a partier. I was new to those things, but I already knew that that’s not my way. It was a big learning experience to be around skateboarding when I was so young.

You said that Geoff Rowley is one of your big inspirations in skateboarding. What’s going on with Flip now that he quit?

It’s still the same company, I mean, Geoff has been doing his own thing for a long time, he wasn’t going on trips anymore, so basically to me nothing has changed. I saw him every now and then over the last years, so, to me, nothing has changed. But definitely, Geoff is a big part of Flip skateboards, so it’s kind of a bummer, and I know he wants to start his own thing, so I’m happy for him.

You skate a lot of contests, and I really like the way your skating is different from all the others skaters.

I don’t plan out the tricks I wanna do, I’m not the type of skater that wants to grind longer

and louder than everyone, or somebody who tries to get more air than everybody else.

Probably I’m more laid back, I don’t plan my runs, I just drop in and see what happens.

I don’t’ wanna change my style just for one contest. Since I was a kid, I’ve really liked tweaking out airs and putting some style into the tricks. I’ve never learned the 540, everybody can do it. I mean, I like it, I wanna learn it, I know I can do it but I don’t wanna change the way I skate for a contest. I skate the way I skate and maybe it works.

Well, in my opinion it works! Do you think you’ve expressed your maximum potential in skateboarding?

I wouldn’t say that I’ve skated to the top level of my potential. I’ve learned a lot of stuff growing up in skateboarding, but I don’t skate that much when I’m at home, so it’s hard to progress ‘cause I travel so much, and when I’m at home I just wanna chill a bit. It’s hard, ‘cause when I was a kid, I used to learn a ton of tricks all the time, ‘cause all I was doing was skating!

It’s kinda hard when you start traveling, you don’t really progress that much. These years have been pretty crazy for me, with a lot of traveling… but after all these trips, I’m gonna go back home and focus on skateboarding, I’ll try to progress and learn new things, try to be more professional. Skateboarding is gonna be in the Olympics, so every kid now is trying to come up, I have to be prepared ‘cause the kids are so good right now.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153; I want to be comfortable with the people Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m gonna travel with, so money is not a big thing for me.

I have to be happy to skate for somebody.â&#x20AC;?

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What do you think about the Olympics?

I think it’s gonna be good!

I have a different point of view than other skaters. A lot of people think that skateboarding at the Olympics is gonna suck.

Well, I think that maybe this is gonna help skateboarding to grow, to be more accepted, and stuff like that. The Olympics won’t ruin small brands, skateboarding is gonna be the same, the core dudes… the Olympics are gonna involve more people in skateboarding, so to me, that’s cool.

Strong point of view. Are there any tricks that you “can’t” do?

There’s a lot of tricks, but basically my switch flip sucks, hahahahaha!

Seriously?

Yeah, it’s my biggest enemy, hahaha. I can do it but I don’t like it. I started trying it when I was like 16, and I still have a mental block. I can’t flick my foot the right way.

Style is a way to express yourself in skateboarding, and you have a natural style.

What do you think about people that try to skate with a “fake” style.

There are a lot of skaters that do little things while skating that are forced!! I don’t like it at all. I never try to do that. When you start skating, you copy a lot of things from the other skaters, but I try to express myself every time I skate.

Talking about style… if you had to design a shoe for Vans, how would it be?

I don’t really know. I mean, I skate the thinnest shoes I can find, I’d have to sit down and try to design it, but it’s pretty tough!

Maybe I’ll try to make it a little more fashionable… or try to find a compromise between price and quality. But it’s not gonna happen anytime soon, so it’s not a problem, ha ha ha.

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You’re very loyal to your sponsors, and that’s something I really appreciate.

I want to be comfortable with the people I’m gonna travel with, so money is not a big thing for me. I have to be happy to skate for somebody. I used to ride for Redbull, and I rode for them just because the team manager was a friend of my father’s. I got on Redbull and then he left, so I just quit. I was riding for them just because of him.

Your Propeller video part was dope, big stuff with a clean style. But I’ve heard that you’re not satisfied.

Well, I don’t know, but Propeller was kinda weird. I’m stoked to be part of it, ‘cause they told me that I wasn’t gonna be in the video or have a part at all, so I’m definitely psyched to have a part in Propeller, but I had a lot more footage that was really useable for it, but that didn’t get used. I’m stoked anyway. Right now I’m working on this Push project for the Berrics.

After that I want to film some stuff for a video part. Take my time and not have a deadline. I wanna see what’s gonna happen by doing my own thing.

If you had to choose just one thing to skate, something that really makes you happy, just for your satisfaction, what would it be?

A flat bar.

Seriously??

I like to skate really long rails, and when I find them I’m really stoked to skate them.

That’s surprising, I thought that you’d choose a miniramp!

I don’t like miniramps at all! I have a miniramp in my backyard, but it has a little corner, so it doesn’t feel like a miniramp. I don’t like to go back and forth. So no miniramps for me, ha ha Can you skate in shorts?

Ha ha ha ha, hell no!!

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A TASTE OF VIETNAM Photography & Words / Marcello Guardigli.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been to an Asian country before this trip. I had no idea what to expect at all. Not regarding skateboarding, because there are good skate spots all around the world, but regarding their culture.

I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know much about Vietnam, I just heard good things from friends who went there in the past and they told me it was an amazing place to visit.

Dennis Durrant // Bs smith.

I did a bit of research on the Internet; a lot of information and pictures came out. It looked stunning and interesting but as usual the net shows you only the pretty side of it and not exactly what you are going to experience in real life. Especially when you are on a skate trip that puts you in direct and constant contact with the local people. You spend entire days in the streets; you have to adapt to their mentality and routine.

It wasn’t a very long flight from Melbourne. Only 10 hours including a quick stop over in Singapore.

When I landed it was already dark, I didn’t have to wait too long for the Visa or for the luggage, either. The airport was clean, shiny and the air conditioning was working very well. Once I stepped outside, the heat and humidity hit me straight away. It was difficult to breath, it wasn’t pleasant and it wasn’t what I expected at 10 pm.

I was the second last of the crew to land; Jimmy was still on his way. While we were waiting I bought a sim card for the phone and we also had time for some beers just next to the terminal exit.

Maxim Habanek // Fs lipslide.

Everyone was very exited, there was an awesome vibe and it was very promising.

Once Mr. Cao arrived we left the airport straight away and on the way to our accommodation, we stopped at this little restaurant to get some food. They had so many things that I had never seen or heard about before. I stayed on the safe side and had a delightful Phở, which was one of the few Vietnamese dishes I knew and it was very similar to what you can find in Australia.

The first hotel we stayed at was located in the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh. It looked like a pretty quiet area but we could hear people partying every night till 5 in the morning. A few days later we were told that when someone dies they celebrate for 3 nights in a row and they have the funeral on the morning after the last night of partying. More than a funeral it looked like a wedding. The coffin was carried inside the back of a van with decorations of golden dragons; they played music and constantly threw fake money. They also had a photographer and videographer to document the event. The people from the surrounding areas joined the ceremony; the street was completely packed for a good 2 hours. I was so curious that morning, that I watched the whole thing till they left to go bury the body. It’s always hard to say goodbye to a loved one and theirs is probably a good way to do so.

The plan was to drive from Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang and stop at some other cities on the way. Our vehicle was a 9-seat van with a designated driver called Phang.

What a character that dude. He couldn’t speak any English at all; he was smoking 100 ciggies per day and some weird bongs with tobacco. When Jimmy or Cootie weren’t around it was pretty much impossible to explain anything. I reckon the first 3 days were the hardest and bit-by-bit we found out how to communicate and he knew what we were doing and our routine. Spots, drinks, food, spots, spots, food, and hotel. A lot of times he helped us out by explaining to the locals what we were doing and most of the time they allowed us to have our session without being kicked out. He was a funny dude and when he left to go back to the south we missed him. I’m pretty sure he missed us too.

Daryl Dominguez // Bean plant.

Jimmy Cao // Switch kickflip.

Dennis Durrant // Bs ollie fakie 5-0.

One afternoon during our stay in Ho Chi Minh, we went to visit the Vietnam War museum. It was one of the saddest places Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever been to. A massive 3-storey building where you can see pretty much everything that was used during the war; tanks, airplanes, weapons, gas masks, guns, bombs. The worst part was the photographic documentation and the words explaining what the U.S. did during the war. There are pictures of Yankees treating Asians like animals, one picture that stood in my mind the most was the one with a couple of marines holding the skull of a Vietnamese like a trophy. Other horrifying photographs are those showing the devastating effects of Agent Orange on the Vietnamese soil and its people.

After a few hours we left the museum and none of us had a smile or any words.

For a while we barely talked for the sorrow and sadness of what that country went through for the sake of power.

Driving in Vietnam is not easy and apparently, Western people are not allowed to hire a car or van without the driver. The traffic is really messed up. There are no rules, at any intersection or roundabout everyone just honks and keeps going, nobody ever stops unless there is a red traffic light. On the freeways, that in part are still dirty roads, you can see people on motorbikes transporting all kinds of loads, and also people walking cows down the middle of them. One of the most impressive things was seeing a whole family on a motor-scooter, of course with no helmet. We spent so much time in that van, that sometimes the rides were endless. The distances we had to drive werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enormous; the main problem was the speed limit that is 50-70km/h, depending on the area. During the whole trip I saw only 3 accidents; in one, a bus hit another bus in the back, and the other 2 involved scooters touching each other, eating shit, getting up, and leaving like nothing happened. Pretty amazing for the amount of cars and motorbikes that are on the road and the way they drive.

Maxim Habanek // Ollie.

Security is not bad at all. I think we got kicked out once during the first day. We had more problems with random people that for some reason didn’t like us and did anything to prevent us from doing our job. When we were in Da-Lat we skated this rail at the bus station. Security didn’t complain but when a tile of the floor broke they stopped us. We had to pack up our bags and leave. It was funny because they helped me to put my flashes and camera gear in the cases. The only side of Vietnam I didn’t appreciate is the rubbish. The way they don’t care about keeping places clean and respecting the environment was pretty upsetting. The amount of plastic they use is unbelievable. For anything you buy they give you a plastic bag even for an iced coffee to take away. One night, in Na-Trang we had some street food at the beach. There were people everywhere having food and when most of them left we realized they had also left their rubbish on the sand.

Apparently they let the tide come and take the rubbish away. Of course 90% of it was plastic.

The food in Vietnam is simple, just like their lives. The main ingredient is rice, in any form. They eat pretty much all parts of the animals. They don’t waste anything, chicken feet, interiors, nor brains. Their bakery is amazing and they also have some French style of stews because back in the days they were a French colony.

Probably the fruit is the best thing I had. They have particular fruit like Durians and Lychees, but Dragon fruit was my favourite by far. Sugar cane juice is also one of the best beverages you can have during a hot day. We had a lot of street meals and we were pretty lucky though. Dennis and Alex were the least lucky. They had a few rough days. Daryl and Maxim had some problems one night, I think it’s normal when you eat 10 eggs in one day.

Vietnamese people live a simple life. It looks like they don’t need too much to be happy. Especially in some little countryside villages, you can admire people that have nothing but with the biggest smile ever on their faces. I remember 3 episodes in particular, one was a teenage girl walking a cow, one was an old man who was maintaining a park, and the other one involved two kids helping their mum to collect firewood. I was impressed because you could see happiness showing through their eyes by doing something that no one from Western countries would ever do. I immediately compared our lifestyle with theirs, and I don’t think Western kids who own any kind of games or technology will ever have that happiness and serenity. What’s wrong with our culture? Probably less is more, stay pure, stay poor.

Alex Lawton // Fs boardslide.

PLACES_

LOS ANGELES

Photography // Alberto Chimenti Dezani

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issue _38