issue issue
41
46
VA N S . CO M
“L east amount of work to move” WORN BY ISHOD
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NIKESB.COM
TRUE TO FORM
DUNK DECONSTRUCTED
Nico Giordano, Fs nollie heelflip. Madrid, Spain.
COVER
Photo Davide Biondani.
46 Nico’s skateboarding means style and smoothness.
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C A L I F O R N I A S P O R T S - T E L 0 1 1 9 2 7 7 9 4 3 - W W W. C A L I F O R N I A S P O R T. I N F O
WESKREMER HEEL SHUV BLABAC PHOTO
46 EDITORIAL
ne of the best things about skateboarding is going to another country and meeting two friends of yours from the other side of the world completely by chance. This is fantastic.
Kevin Coakley & Jon Nguyen Madrid 2017 Photo Davide Biondani.
a brief glance
a brief glance’s BOOK Vol. 001
224 pages. Hard cover. 24 x 17 cm. Quality print.
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TO ORDER YOUR COPY WE LOVE GOOD NEWS is the first book from a brief glance skateboardmag. The best photos, articles, interviews and special features we have released during the first six months of 2017 on the web editions of our magazine.
PHIL ZWIJSEN – OLLIE • PHOTO: GUILLAUME PÉRIMONY
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CONTENTS 46
Fragments ยกHola Madrid! Autumn in Paris Feel welcome in Moscow Tales from France Places Cuba
a brief glance
a brief glance | year VII _n° 46
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, Giulia Romano, Kirill Korobkov, Robert Christ, Cameron Markin, Clément Le Gall, Reece Leung, Marcel Velmdan, Freidjof Feye, Sebastiano Bartoloni, Ale Martoriati, Sergio Pontillo, Fred Mortagne, Joel Peck, Henry Kingsford. CONTRIBUTORS_ Francesco Paolo Chielli, Mario Torre, Giulio Repetto Mark Baines, Giorgio Zattoni. DESIGN_ M. Bod Ciceri {Question Mark, ink!#?}
GET ALL THE INFO at: info@abriefglance.com a brief glance skateboard mag is a bulletin published by Fake Donkey Skateboard asd. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. All right reserved.
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Thanks to Canon Italia for the support.
Levi Brown. Portrait Davide Biondani.
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Raffaele Pola Kickflip transfer Lodi, Italy Photo Davide Biondani
Mattia Turco Ollie shifty Torino, Italy Photo Davide Biondani
Mattia Marangon 360 flip Napoli, Italy Photo Davide Biondani
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Efrem Sapienza Boardslide Salerno, Italy Photo Davide Biondani
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DC ITALY IN THE SPANISH CAPITAL
Photography & words_Davide Biondani / Canon.
pain is always a good destination for a skateboard trip and this year the Italian DC Shoes team chose Madrid for their annual tour abroad. It immediately seemed interesting. The outward flight was fun by itself since we spent the whole time filming and taking photos of Fede (the DC Team Manager) who is really really terrified of flying and suffered for two good hours, continuously repeating that he wanted to return home by train on the way back. Not bad. Once in Madrid, and once we got the van and left our stuff at the house, we realized that our tour guide had stopped answering his phone three days before the trip… so we drove to the city centre to check some random spots. The first stop was at the Congress, one of the most known spots in the city. Here we met Johnny, who is the place’s OG local and the mind and soul behind the “From Congress With Love” project. He already knew that we were going to be around and explained to us that Marco, who was supposed to be our guide, had lost his phone a few days earlier, and he was nice enough to call another friend, El Cholo, who out of the blue became our new tour guide for the whole week. El Cholo is actually one of the most active filmers in Madrid, and since he knows all the skate and food spots and how to move around, he definitely made our mission way easier and productive. Thanks El Cholo!
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NICO GIORDANO // Fs crooks.
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KEVIN DUMAN // Bs smith grind.
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ur original guide was in reality Marco Rivera, who is an amazing skater who skates for DC Spain and who joined us for the rest of the trip. It was an important week for Spain, socially and politically, since it was when Barcelona claimed its independence from Madrid through a referendum. There were a lot of police in the city center, and permanent TV crews in the square in front of the Congress building where politicians were giving interviews, flags of Spain were hanging out of the windows and were being waved by people walking in the streets. On Sunday there was a national event for the country’s unification with thousands of people who invaded the city. This was a good occasion for us to go skate other towns in the province. There are so many good spots to skate in the area that you would need at least two full weeks to see all of them, and you can find all sorts of things to skate to please every taste.
FABIO COLOMBO // Kickflip over.
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LORENZO UBINO // Bs lipslide.
KEVIN DUMAN // Nosegrind.
MARCO RIVERA // Switch bs nosegrind.
El Cholo took us to skate some Madrid’s classics and to some new things in the middle of nowhere. Being him from Peru, besides pumping some some cool Peruviam music in the van, he took us to a Peruvian restaurant to taste some original dishes. What an epic dinner! The DC Italian team had two new entries in 2017; Nico Giordano and Kevin Duman, who teamed up for this mission with long-time DC riders Fabio Colombo and Lorenzo Ubino, while other guys of the team were busy with other trips. Nico brought a big dose of style to the crew, while Kevin a large amount of tricks, since he skated like a manica t every spot we went. Unfortunately he got sick on the third day and we took him two times to the emergency room because of very strong stomach pains that forced him in bed suffering for the rest of the tour. He spent some says at the hospital after he returned home in Italy. Apart for Kevin, it was a fun tour with new friends and new spots to skate, and everybod enjoyed the city and wanted to come back. The only one who got real stressed on the last day was Fede, when he realized he would have to get on a plane again the next morning ha ha.
NICO GIORDANO // Kickflip in.
FABIO COLOMBO // Nollie heel flip in.
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Photography Leo Sharp. Words Morgan Campbell. .
LEO VALLS [ nollie back lip ]
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t was like our family holiday tripped over and suffered a quick bout of disorientation and unintentionally became a two-day skate trip. Various friends and family had converged in Paris for a myriad of reasons including 80th birthdays and art exhibitions but on one unsuspecting weekend in early November we hit the streets. Motivational super nova Leo Sharp was in town with his immediate family - his partner Kirsty Smith and their 7 year old daughter Baylin. It was Baylin’s first time in Paris and it was impossible not to view the city from her perspective. The city is so breathtakingly beautiful it can bring out the child in anyone. But, Baylin’s reaction to the assortment of sites and views was truly contagious. In autumn the city is filled with magic.
he sun is much softer than what we are used to back home in Australia. You never have to squint in Paris. When the sun is out, and it was out most of the days while we were there, the light literally drips off the buildings leaving even the whitest of whites somewhat golden. The trees and streets were of course lined with every imaginable shade of yellow and orange. Restaurants, bars and attractions lacked the queues seen in the fast fading summer days. The locals have returned from their own summer holidays and the approaching winter is instantaneously forgotten by all with a splash of that divine light. The city was clearly alive, healthy but not in the slightest bit strangled.
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ow no one can dwarf the largest of LowePro backpacks quite like Leo can, but I did notice it on his back when we left the apartment on Saturday morning. I was inquisitive. “Planning on shooting some photos today Leo?” “We are going to get a photo today for sure Morgsy.” This was news to me. Kirsty chimed in: “He takes it absolutely everywhere with him. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
s we enter the metro, Baylin guides us through the inner workings of the ticket machine and shows us which train we have to catch to get to the Tour Eiffel. She is literally exploding with anticipation. As we cross the Seine we are faced with the most breathtaking view of the tower. It was bigger than I remembered from my youth. Baylin is glued to the window. “I have been waiting to see this my whole life,” she says. To her of course, life has been eternal but once you are in your 40’s, seven years seems to flutter by in a couple of weeks.
MORGAN CAMPBELL [ feeble ]
Selfies with lions at République Since the remodelling of the Place de la République was completed in 2013 the space has been popping off. After the January 2015 attacks, an estimated 1.6 million people congregated around République to create the largest Parisian demonstration in modern history. Images of protestors on every tier of the fountain reached every corner of the world. Skaters worldwide are all too familiar with the square, in recent times Paris has become heavily sessioned and most visiting crews would at least begin their days at République. Due to the sheer number of rippers that have visited the spot it is hard to find a new line there. Enter Manchester’s Tyrone O’Hanrahan - currently living in Paris. After making brave late night plans over a beer the night prior, he and Leo set out to shoot a pre-breakfast nosebluntslide on the edge of the fountain. This was out of character for both of them. Leo rarely does anything without a giant breakfast in his belly and I highly doubt Tyrone pops onto thigh high ledges before midday. Tyrone spent most of his time waiting for people to take selfies with the lions. Once the pop and landing zones were clear he had his way with Gabriel Davioud’s 150-yearold fountain despite his soaking wet griptape.
TYRONE O’HANRAHAN [ noseblunt ]
LEO VALLS [ noseslide to 50-50 ]
Skating on Fish Guts in Bastille You would be hard done finding a spot drizzled in more history than the Bastille ledges on Boulevard Richard-Lenoir. Not only did the storming of the Bastille prison take place just metres away, back in 1789, these ledges are also a mainstay in Parisian skateboarding. They would no doubt have seen some serious EMB-looking get ups back in the early 90s. Aside from the truckloads of autumnal debris, signifying that summer was indeed history, there was also the proof that the market had just closed for the day. We were pretty much aqua gliding around on a film of fish scales and raw guts. The process of cleaning the spot was methodical and also rather noisy. A crew of guys looking like they could handle a radioactive disaster navigated the legs of marquees tents and blasted the scraps into the street with a high-pressure hose. Meanwhile we frolicked on the ledge. The pedestrian strip along the Boulevard was soaked in no time but they admirably detoured from their path and left our little section dry. After they were through soaking, a few guys came through with leaf blowers and cleaned up our section for us. We were all buzzing from an incredible Parisian Sunday brunch at super hosts James and Amilie’s, and at one point Leo Valls got tubed in a tunnel of scattered leaves. One of the air blasters introduced the 1980 French skateboard champion who was a part of their crew. This slalom god or whatever he may have been, might have hooked up our immaculate treatment at the spot.
La Madre Secular II
Some of the world’s most treasured skate cities are not actually that fun to skate the A to B in. However, Paris is amazing for the skating between spots. The footpaths are often quite wide and are much smoother than most of their European counterparts. The smooth surfaces are punctuated with the odd bit of cobbles or rough patches. But that’s what makes it feel like real city skating. Constant scanning for cracks and holes, dodging yappy dogs and swerving around kamikaze scooters. On the Saturday we were headed from Place de Italie down to the Seine. The mellow Boulevard Vincent-Auriol hill was long and gratifying. A little over half way and I skidded to a stop. I had seen the smallest NQP (Natural Quarter Pipe) ever. This was straight out of Neil Blender’s dreams. One foot of tranny with maybe one inch of vert. Perfect. Given most people’s taste in quarter pipes, this might not have been up your alley, but what may be somewhat irrelevant for a skate tourist, is actually a must see on a street art tour. Just above the spot was a truly epic mural by Chilean artist: Inti Castro. “La Madre Secular II” depicts the Madonna with Newton’s apple rather than the typical biblical one - science bleeding through religious iconography. In 2017 we are seeing a trend in smaller
quarterpipes
counterbalanced
with
a move towards bigger murals.
CHUCK [ 180 fakie 5-0 to fakie ]
NB MORGAN CAMPBELL [ fs blunt ]
Chuck and the Chrome Domed Firemen Have you ever seen a fire drill in Paris? Man these guys take it seriously. Devo-esque firemen topped with the shiniest chrome helmets you have ever laid your eyes on. They came down from the main street on the slip road: Quai d’Austerlitz. When they got down to the river they started to reverse. This is when things got spicy. Six of them hopped out and went into a strange kind of synchronised dance routine. They took their gestures more seriously than a member of the Michael Jackson dance troop. They ushered the truck backwards, parallel to the Seine, no one mistimed a step, their silver domes glistened. We had no idea what was going on by the way. Once they had completed one hundred metres of reversing they reached for a fat hose. They pulled the elephant-trunk-thick hose off the roof of the truck and lowered the end into the river. Lo and behold they filled up their tanks with river water to douse any fires. Imagine that, not only does your apartment get burnt, but if they do manage to save some of it, it will be doused in the filthiest of liquids. We weren’t so much down there to sample the water of the river but to session the white marble banks. The banks are perfect. The ground however is shocking. We had all skated cobbles smoother than the slate pavers down there. You couldn’t really push on the ground so the run up involved a sprint with a throw down just before the bank. Everyone seemed to manage pretty well but it was Marseille’s Chuck ‘aka’ Antoine Jouguet who stole the show with a 180 fakie 5-0 to fakie. Chuck is a lovely cat and he skates with a superb strength. If you have ever seen him on the hills, you will never forget it. Those full tilt switch backside powerslides are engraved into my eyeballs forever. I can’t believe all this and more happened in just two days! We spent two to three weeks there! Since returning, every single member of my Australian family is entertaining the idea of moving to Paris one day. Massive thanks to Leo and his family along with all those people who cushioned the landing in what could have been an intimidating destination.
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WELCOME in
MOSCOW
v ko pin ob La or ey l K lex ril A Ki hy ds rap or g W oto Ph
To me, skateboarding has never been about competition but about cooperation. I work as a team manager for Vans Russia and when it comes to the organization of the next skate trip or mission I always try to get foreign skaters involved. Having an international crew is always a good experience because it provides you with new friends from all around the world, a fresh perspective on skate spots, that extra motivation on a board, and besides all this, it improves your English language skills (or any other international language skills). Last summer the Vans Russia boys hosted a few British and French colleagues in Moscow, Samara, Voronezh, and Kazan. Here are some of my thoughts about why a policy of open borders will always be better for skateboarding.
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When you invite foreign skaters to skate your country you not only show them around skate spots, but also give them a taste of your culture, history, and traditions. I find it interesting to help people to discover Russia. Quite often the actual stay leaves a way better impression of the country than you had before the visit. Russia is a unique country between Europe and Asia where Soviet and Russian style and architecture are mixed with truly amazing nature. The Russian population is composed of very many national minorities of different religions and backgrounds. I find it fun to see people getting excited about their Russian experience.
Touring with a mixed crew helps to give you a better understanding of your own country and culture as well. Paying attention to what foreigners ask about, what they talk about, and what kinds of things they shoot allows you to mention many small details that shape the portrait of your country. You tend to miss or forget such moments and details in the routine of everyday life. Sometimes, things that seem to be normal and usual to you are what actually make your country special and different, and you can feel this more intensely when you have friends from abroad traveling with you.
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Yura Renov // KICKFLIP IN.
D SL ID E. O AR /B Vo va Pa vlo v/
It’s good to have an international crew for skateboarding itself. Usually, people try harder and keep skating longer when there are new guys around. It’s easier to get sparked to skate with new guys compared to the crew you skate with every day. Also, quite often people from different countries have different styles and approaches to tricks and spots and this kind of exchange is always useful. Together you might have a better eye for new spots. Sometimes, contacts you make during the trip last for many years and turn into proper friendships. This is always a possibility for the next trip or mutual project. Even if there is no trip it’s pretty cool to have someone in a different country that is ready to show you around and host you when you go visit him. Skateboarding has a strong social network function and joint trips really help to develop it. Vans has many different national teams and the main European team, so there is a big potential for all kinds of cooperation in the future.
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Jo sh
Yo un g/ /O
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Dima Shatalov // BS KICKFLIP.
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N ik ita
Se kh
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FE E
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PO P
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An international crew is also better for media coverage of the project. More skate magazines and websites will be interested in your story if you have people from different countries. You have better chances for the article and a bigger audience for the video clip when there are people from all over the place. That’s another reason for everyone to open up. Even for the locals kids it’s more interesting and memorable to meet someone from outside or from a different country. If you do a marketing tour with demos and signings you will attract more attention. World history barely knows any examples when isolation did lead to success, and skateboarding is definitely not an exception. In this age of very fast exchanges of information and cultures there is no reason not to remain cosmopolitan and worldly. Nowadays, skateboarding is very international and everyone will win if we all travel more. Visit us in Russia next year. I guess Alexey’s photos speak for themselves about how good it can be. Everyone is welcome!
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WELCOME in MOSCOW
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Words & Photography_ClĂŠment Le Gall.
ANTHONY BOUDARD: Nose slide pop / NANTES
Nantes’s City Library was THE spot back in the 2000s. I don’t know why, but one day, skateboarding was forbidden, and since then you can be sure a security guy will show up at the first clatter of a deck. We then decided on a strategic plan to allow us to quickly get the mission done, which included a quick warm up and a flash set up right outside. However, the dedicated guard showed up right before Anthony could even give it a first shot. Not ready to give up that easily and convinced of our strong negotiation skills, we started with all the most compelling arguments we could think of. The guard ended up giving us five generous minutes, not enough for anthony to land the trick though. But it’s exactly when the guard gave us the nod that our time was over that Anthony, pressured to get it done, ended up sticking that noseslide on those blocks which had never been skated that way before.
VINCENT MILOU: Frontside Feeble / CAPBRETON
Ah, this good old rail at Capbreton stadium! Not many people find the motivation to skate it, and when you actually see the spot you quickly understand why. You need to first set up a plank on the steps, roll for 2 meters, jump onto a high and short rail, and if you miss, you get a guaranteed ass pizza! Nevertheless, Vincent seemed to find it to his taste because he had already landed 3 or 4 tricks there before this time around, so he decided to get 3 more. Front smith first try, while the front feeble required 4 tries. He got stuck on the hurricane, and the asphalt got the last word... that is, until next time!
JAKE COLLINS: Wallie /MARSEILLES
It sometimes happens that for the good of a video part or an interview, a skater finds himself all alone facing both a photo camera and a video camera. That was Jake’s case during the week spent in Marseilles, amidst a full video deadline and just back from a few trips in a row. So to start off slowly, we had the great idea to go to the famous DIY spot called “The Cave,” which they actually should have called “Hell on Earth.” You know the kind of spot that pretty much breaks both of your legs for the rest of the week?? I’ll leave it up to you to picture how much Jake had to fight to finally get this wallie after 2 days, which killed all the power in both his legs, but thankfully without a broken elbow. Cheers Mate!
JEROME CHEVALLIER: Ollie nosetap to fakie / ST JEAN DE LUZ
This full pipe near Saint Jean de Luz was recently discovered by some young local skaters. When someone first told me about it I was actually with Jerome Chevallier, pretty much the perfect person for a photo mission such as this one. As we got there, we quickly realized that this pipe was a lot smaller that what we thought. It has a steep radius and a few cracks to avoid here and there, but nothing that would stop Jerome, who only needed a few carves to get the hang of the pipe. We didn’t really know which trick to catch on film until he did an ollie to fakie higher than anyone else with the nose in the oververt, such class! Slightly frightened after his board landed on his head after a few loops, thankfully with no injury to report, he landed the trick a second time and even higher than the first one, and there you have it.
OLIVIER DUROU: Wallride Melon / BORDEAUX
Lifting up a manhole cover to make a bump has become a classic for a while now. All you have to do is watch any recent skate video or magazine to know that much. Besides the trend, it is clear that it gives you access to certain spots that wouldn’t be skateable otherwise, like right there in Bordeaux where Olivier Durou and his colleagues are rediscovering the city they thought they knew by heart. The business district called Meriadeck where we thought we’d seen all it could offer, now presents new possibilities, and that’s far from making us unhappy.
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Photos_ Giulia Romano
a brief glance
a brief glance
a brief glance
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