Volume 11, Number 1

a skateboard culture quarterly

Finding the marble halfpipe / Matt Berger unpacked

11.1 Spring 2013 Russ Milligan

$7.99 CDN/USD

ISSN 1920-0404 CDN PUBLICATION AGREEMENT #40843627

Video X /Joey Larock / The Worldwide Underground

GRIFFIN MORE INFO AT LAKAI.COM

LAKAI L I M I T E D F OOTWEAR THE S H O E S W E SKATE BIEBEL / JOHNSON / MARIANO / CARROLL / HOWARD / ALVAREZ / GILLET / BRADY / JENSEN SILVAS / FERNANDEZ / TERSHY / ESPINOZA / HAWK / WALKER / PEREZ photo by colen / lakai.com / supradistribution.com / lakaistickers@supradistribution.com

INTRODUCING

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BLABAC PHOTO

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Cover photo by Jared Sherbert

photo by aaron wynia

vol.11, no.1

Russ Milligan, nollie halfcab flip

Intro

Pat O’Rourke and Aaron Watamaniuk, Toronto, ON c.2012

Spring 2013

A magazine isn’t really a publication after just one issue; it’s a thought. And after about a year or so of trying to understand that thought, eventually it becomes an idea.

Soon after the second issue of Color came out, I remember experiencing my first taste of excitement for what everyone involved was able to accomplish. I started to see all that had been pooling around in my subconscious mind, realized in a form I could have and hold in my hands, open and flip through, draw-on, share or tear into pieces. There was plenty of uncertainty, but then, a particular moment of clarity that I never forgot. Nothing significant really, just a brief instance when the right amount of consciousness had me completely present in the moment. I remember the temperature and humidity in the room, and every other minute detail during this flash in time. For a moment I remember thinking: “Wow… I wonder what it would feel like to have three issues out?”

It might seem over dramatic—the lead-in I just gave you—but that’s how it was and something inside of me made a mental bookmark of that moment and put it somewhere far back in my memory bank. It’s there that I find myself traveling to every now and again, even after ten enjoyable (albeit laborious) years.

It’s always been about the content. When we started, we had a lot to say about skateboarding and the culture around it. We cared about quality and carried ourselves with pride—nothing has changed there. But about a year ago now, I had a vision of what this magazine can be and the undying need to push forward in publishing is happening all over again, as is the need to communicate our message of skateboarding. Since this revelation, it’s been a series of refinement exercises and audits of just about everything we do inside and outside the magazine itself. This issue marks the rebirth of Color and an entry into a new age; not one of information, but rather of storytelling for readers that demand adaptation with the ever-changing times.

At ten years, a magazine becomes a magazine.

At least in my experience. We hope you dig the new large format and look forward to interacting with all of you about the new design.

Alessandro Grison / founder

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mike campbell

frontside feeble, Barcelona

photo by jay delaney

volume 11

number 1

Contents Ge n e r al 009 __ Intro 012 __ CONTRIBUTORS 014 __ extra random 024 __ ANTHRAX 118 __ CREDITS 119 __ OVER N’ OUT

Ar t 036 __ Page 36 038 __ SHOW 112 __ inspiration bound

F ash i on 028 __ product toss 050 __ FEATURE

MU SI C 097 __ Ketamines 098 __ Single Mothers 114 __ sound cheque

Film 058 __ THE ALMIGHTY VX 074 __ Goodiepal & VIDEO X 113 __ trailer

Li fe 026 __ next/best 032 __ Quarters 116 __ last nite

Sk ate 018 __ FOTOFEATURE 042 __ Joey LaRock 066 __ Worldwide Underground 084 __ In Search of a Marble Halfpipe 100 __ Matt Berger

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volume 11

spring 2013

number 1

Contributors If you can call them that

Bjorn Olson When Bjorn isn’t running one of Toronto’s most popular adult video rental outlets (you bet people still rent porn), you can find him tipping back an ungodly amount of beer at every local garage or punk show he can weasel his way into. Luckily for him, one of Canada’s best bands (pg. 97) have made the leap to Toronto from their hometown of Lethbridge, Alberta and luckily for us, Bjorn agreed to sit down and chew the fat with the band’s de facto leader and head honcho at the great Mammoth Cave Recording Co. record label.

Twitter: @bjorntorski

Jay Delaney Ever since Jay Delaney sent us a huge batch of photos from a Barcelona trip he went on recently (pg. 84), he’s been calling us and texting us and popping by the office to check in and see how it’s all coming together.

Normally you don’t get contributors who are that hands-on, especially not photographers, but Jay is a special breed who cares deeply about his work. But more than himself, he really cares about all the skaters he shoots and just wants to make sure their story gets told as best it can. Respect. jaydelaneyphotography.com

D.M. Collins We had another writer all lined up to interview Single Mothers (p.98) but then he got sick and sent this guy in to cover for him. I’ve got to admit, when we heard “he’s smart and snappy and writes for the LA Record” the first thing we thought was that the brash small-town Ontario band he was going to interview would see right through this guy and eat him and his California ways for breakfast. But it turned out D.M. actually really broke through with the band and nailed it as our surrogate writer. Justin Maurer, you’ve been replaced. larecord.com

Jai Ball Jai Ball was the perfect guy to interview Joey Larock for this issue (pg. 42) Why you ask? Was it because Joey rides for Jai’s company and therefore, Jai could totally direct the interview to make Studio look really good? No. It was because when we asked around the French-speaking community about Joey, trying to get a sense of who he was, Jai was the first to tell us that Joey comes from a low-income, single-parent household and works his ass off for everything he’s got. Real talk, and exactly the type of honesty we were looking for. studioskateboards.com

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed here are not neccessarily shared by fourcorner publishing inc. or Color Magazine, but by the author credited. Color Magazine reserves the right to make mistakes and will do so on a bi-monthly cycle without liability. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form [print or electronic] without permission from the publisher. The publisher of Color Magazine is not responsible for errors or omissions printed and retains the right to edit all copy. The opinions expressed in the content of this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of Color Magazine. Color Magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising matter which may reflect negatively on the integrity of the magazine. Color welcomes submissions for photo and editorial content, but is not responsible for unsolicited material or liable for any lost and/or damaged material. Please provide a return envelope with postage with your submissions or email submissions@colormagazine.ca for more information. Color Magazine is published by fourcorner publishing inc., printed six times yearly and distributed direct to retailers throughout Canada and to newstands by Disticor Distribution. Subscriptions can may be ordered individually or in bulk by retailers for resale. Subscribe: 6 issues for $39.99 in Canada, $59.99 CND in the United States, $89.99 CND for all other countries. Contact us at 604 873 6699, subscribe@colormagazine.ca with any subscription inquiries or visit us online. Printed in Canada

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GIRL FILMS AND CHOCOLATE CINEMA PRESENT

OUT NOW! OUT NOW! AVAILABLE ON iTUNES & SPECIAL EDITION DVD PACKAGE A Two Disc Set; SD DVD & HD Blu-Ray Disc.

Includes bonus features & footage exclusive to the package.

AVAILABLE ON iTUNES & DELUXE EDITION DVD PACKAGE

STARRING: ALEX OLSON / VINCENT ALVAREZ BRANDON BIEBEL MIKEMODisc.

CAPALDI / BRIAN / CHICO BRENES / SEAN MALTO / CORY KENNEDY A Two/Disc Set; SD DVD & HD/ Blu-Ray Includes bonusANDERSON features & footage exclusive to the package.

Plus digital downloads & a 48 page booklet.

ELIJAH BERLE / MIKE CARROLL / ERIC KOSTON / RAVEN TERSHY / GUY MARIANO / JERON WILSON / JESUS FERNANDEZ / JUSTIN ELDRIDGE STARRING:/ CHRIS ALEX OLSON / VINCENT ALVAREZJOHNSON / BRANDON/BIEBEL / MIKEMO CAPALDI/ STEVIE / BRIAN ANDERSON / CHICOHOWARD BRENES / SEAN MALTOMCCRANK / CORY KENNEDY KENNY ANDERSON ROBERTS / MARC DANIEL CASTILLO PEREZ / RICK / RICK / GINO IANNUCCI ELIJAH BERLE / MIKE CARROLL / ERIC KOSTON / RAVEN TERSHY / GUY MARIANO / JERON WILSON / JESUS FERNANDEZ / JUSTIN ELDRIDGE KENNY ANDERSON / CHRIS ROBERTS / MARC JOHNSON / DANIEL CASTILLO / STEVIE PEREZ / RICK HOWARD / RICK MCCRANK / GINO IANNUCCI

www.prettysweetvideo.com prettysweet w w w .pr e ttys w e e tvi de o .co m # pr # e ttys weet

extra/random

words by dan post

frontside bluntslide

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photo by terry worona

100 Pages of Russ Milligan

“I can’t picture myself just walking away to get a construction job.”

Russ Milligan is a classic Canadian skater, not to mention one of the most prolific. Last year we decided to look back through ten years of Color and tally up which skater had the most pages (ads and editiorial) in our decade of publishing.

Guess who came out on top with over 100 pages of content?

Sure, maybe Russ hasn’t quite reached the exposure level of some of the other big names from the North (Appleyard, Howard, McCrank…) but it doesn’t take away from the fact that he just might be the hardest working skater from Canada, even if he can’t admit it. “I definitely don’t consider myself that,” says Milligan over the phone from his home in S.F. “I still feel like I’m a pretty low key dude, like pretty underground guy, ya know?”

If not for fame and fortune, what then motivates him to consistently put out photos? “I don’t even really think of what pushes me, ya know? It’s just skateboarding, just trying to be out improving and doing new stuff. I basically just push myself. I don’t really feel like I’m out there working too hard.”

It’s no secret that age is a factor in skateboarding, and as he approaches 30, Russ is conscious of his future. “I see a lot of my friends and they’re working other jobs and they make a lot more money than me, so it’s tempting. It’d be nice to make a little more money, but at the end of the day I don’t really care. Unless I found something that I wanted to do that I was as stoked on as skating, I can’t picture myself just walking away to get a construction job.”

We don’t see this happening either Russ, and with this, his 101st photo in Color, we can only hope for 100 more.

To read the full conversation between Color and Milligan, head to colormagazine.ca

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Busenitz ADV

Busenitz edit online now at adidas.com/skateboarding © 2013 ADIDAS AG. ADIDAS, THE TREFOIL LOGO AND THE 3-STRIPES MARK ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE ADIDAS GROUP.

Charlie Bowins, hurricane photo by josh hotz

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Patrick Ryan

frontside air

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photo by ryan allan

Drew Merriman

wallie feeble

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Tyler Warren

frontside tailslide

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photos by gordon nicholas

Ian Twa

50/50 gap out

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photo by gordon nicholas

INSPIRED BY KOSTON

vol. 11

Anthrax human resources

#AmateurHour

Ear Gear Have you ever actually read the packaging that comes on those little orange construction earplugs? It’s all about reaching over your head from the opposite side and pulling your ear forward while inserting the earplugs, to keep them from falling out. Scandinavian outfit, Urbanears, figured out a better way of keeping your headphones in while you skate without making you look like an idiot. Head over to their website to learn more about EarClick Construction. urbanears.com

Car Park I’ll never forget the time a friend of mine was practicing stationary kickflips in his garage and somehow managed to shoot the board straight up on end and impale his junk. We laughed at the time, but he ended up having to get surgery and nobody was ever really sure if he lost that nut or not. Hopefully this doesn’t happen to you when you visit The Garage in Everett, Washington—a new indoor park for the Pacific Northwest courtesy of Jordan Sanchez and a successful Kickstarter campaign. Can you say: indoor bump-to-bar?

Jordan Sanchez, 50/50 photo by Andy Froberg

How often have you been listening to Radiohead and thought to yourself: ‘What the hell is going on inside Thom Yorke’s head?’ Thanks to Sophia Ahmed sharing this illustration with us on Facebook, now we know. Part of a larger series titled Of Flesh and Bone, Sophia has this to say about the works: “Science has given us the ability to understand our own minds and bodies. Art has given us the ability to communicate these findings with others.” Wait, so our fans are science and Facebook is art? allied-art.ca

‘Stroll Forever’

The Howard

Phone Book

Spring is here, the bite is just about gone from the air and the rains are starting to dissipate.

The days are getting longer and weekday evening sessions are coming together more on the regs.

Just in time are the new Howard’s from Lakai with the XLK cup sole. They’ve got excellent grip and stamina and they keep their shape while still being quite flexible. No frills or complications, just like Mr. Howard’s classic style and smooth lines. Hook up a session, grab a few cold ones and make with the fun. lakai.com

So this woman approaches me and says, “Have you heard about The Good Book?” and already I’m backing up, my Jehovah’s Witness defense kicking in.

But then she pulls out this leather iPhone wallet and hands it to me. It’s real quality leather and there’s a little sketchbook tucked in there too (not directions to the Gates of the Kingdom). A blank sketchbook tucked inside a nice leather phone wallet—all the things you need in one spot. Go check out all the other quality handmade goods made in Portland by Red Clouds Collective. redcloudscollective.com

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Our Instagram followers have spoken: a record number of comments on this photo of a baby carriage parked next to a ledge at The Plaza, shot and ‘gram’d one morning en route to the office. One of our favourites came from @TommyGuerrero who happened to write a rather suitable caption. Fun fact: As of right now, our most liked photo is two raccoons caught doing it on Valentines Day. @colormagazine

spring 2013

no.1

Nothing Left to Lose We shot two fashion stories for this issue: one for page 50 and the other for online, because we have a website too, and it’s not just a place where we dump extra stuff, but a place where we can publish really great fashion features like this one shot by Scott Pommier. Take a break from Skateline and Gary Rogers’ broke-ass suits, and stare at some good-looking women, in some good-looking clothes, shot by a damn fine photographer. scottpommier.com colormagazine.ca

Flight Light So, you can get a lamp in the mail now. In a 11”x17” envelope.

Farewell giant boxes full of packing peanuts like that leg lamp à la A Christmas Story. No, this simple little design marvel called The Flight Lamp, is the handiwork of Vancouver artist D Calen Knauf and is made with super light, super thin materials to minimize shipping costs and maximize aesthetic. He fell just short of his crowdfundung campaign, but Knauf would probably still make you one if you ask nicely enough. Go check out the video then kick yourself for not being so fucking clever. calenknauf.com

Who Wants a Moustache Ride?

Pooling Resources.

Boutique Montreal establishment, Off The Hook, has teamed up with DC for their third collaboration together, this time drawing inspiration from the neighbourhood. A Limited Edition Pool model shoe comes in brick-red and stuffed full with candy-coated socks. Throw in this proper polo and 5-panel camp hat and you’ve got one classy 6-piece collection from two of Canada’s finest. othboutique.com dcshoes.com

Concrete Creations Have something you need surfaced with concrete, by artisan hands? The name’s Bond, Paul Bond. He took what he learned from helping design and build Seattle’s Marginal Way and applied that DIY process to just about every aspect of his life. Bond started CCCP in the latter half of 2011, and has since moved on from ‘creting coffee cups to collaborating on and creating any custom project you’re into. Desks, stages, countertops, water bottles… basically anything with a boring surface will undergo a metamorphosis when you employ a guy who loves working with concrete more than anything in this world. Help keep DIY spirit alive and cop a Concrete Coffee Cup. concretecoffeecups.com

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They say when it comes to wheels, what goes around comes around. No really, that’s what they say, the guys at Purveyor Wheel Co. But what if that didn’t happen?

What if what goes around didn’t come around? You wouldn’t be able to skateboard because your wheels wouldn’t work.

But the plus side is you’d never get sick, because whatever bug was going around, would never come around. Anyways, we give these wheels two giant middle fingers up (in a good way) plus they’re made in Toronto (in a good way). You can find them at a bunch of fine Toronto retailers, like Adrift and Blue Tile, or buy them online. purveyorwheel.co

vol. 11

no. 1

photo by brian caissie

Next Best Spencer Hamilton

Biodynamics, conspiracies, weed and cheap beer. Join the “brotherhood” and find out what makes Spenny one of the brightest, most diverse skateboarders in Canada.

Trip

Trick

Nickname

Job

City

Beer

Soundtrack

Pro

Instagram feed

Video

Shoe

Food

Filmer

Purchase

Social movement

Activist

Transportation

Conspiracy theory

Another planet, dimension / Supra Asia Tour 2012

Open my own café / Pro skater

Three flip / Frontside no comply 360

Hollywood / Barcelona

Beast of the Southern Wild / Ali

Supra Asia tour / Anything hijinx

Cameo Wilson / John Cardiel

Cuban colourway / Cuban

Alan Hannon / Beagle

Bloody Mary from Bandidas / Trippy Stix

Tracy Ramsay / Marc Emery

Teleport / Skateboard

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Monsanto / Reptile

Hells Gate / Anything on draft

@methdonna / @monsantokills

local growers / fresh, biodynamic

Occupy yourself / buying local goods

Falsified alien encounter / the term “Conspiracy Theory”

– MARC JOHNSON –

@ M AT I XC L O T H I N G

– M AT I XC LOT H I N G .CO M –

FA C EB O O K .C O M / M AT I X

Product Toss smoke ‘em if you got ‘em

BLIND bad habits complete, GIRL simple backpack ENJOI sink or swim belt, SITKA x COLOR field notes book TENSOR brezinsky vex 10 reg trucks, SPITFIRE big head wheels SK8OLOGY carabiner skate tool, GIRL koston recovery deck DVS rico x cadence fantom shoes

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Product Toss glossy funlovers

QUIET LIFE speck hat , ENJOI keytard jose rojo deck CONVERSE ct pro skate shoe, FOURSTAR carroll signature short sleeve top GLASSY pretty sweet sunhaters, ALMOST bananas hollow core 51mm wheels DIAMOND supply co. ashtray, ANTIHERO skate ski deck CLICHÉ wine opener, ALIEN WORKSHOP soap on a rope VENTURE always on the grind trucks

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photos courtesy of the artist

words by sandro grison

life

Quarters The modern workshop of Mike Hill Think of a skateboard company that has been around for over 20 years and you likely picture a giant warehouse with offices in Southern California: executive chairs, boardrooms and awkward conversation next to the water cooler. For Mike Hill, Art Director and co-founder of Alien Workshop, this couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Like Dayton, Ohio farther.

“In the backyard we had a vert ramp, and so I always knew that I wanted to get involved in skateboarding.”

Designed

Jeff Overberg jeffoverberg@zoomtown.com (513) 314-1049

Self Portrait, 2013 in-studio addition complete with exposed original brick interior, walnut wood/tile flooring and collection of artifacts including paintings by Charlie Harper. skateboard wheel track-sliding doors with custom patterned etched glass Artist’s own shoes, 2013 Original inspiration. Materials, eyelit feature, moccasin-toe and the pull-strap in the back of the Sk8-Hi came from the boots Hill is known to wear almost exclsuively when he is making artwork. Originally the bottom waffle was to be inverted to give tread but they opted to keep the shoe skatable in the end.

Northwest view of steel panel studio addition, including membrane roof with solar panel hot water system Chair cover/snuggy

CAD drawing by Jeff Overberg for Schafer Design

Date

Project Information

Designed

John Shafer Shafer Design

Hill House Addition 15115 Farmersville Gratis Road Farmersville, OH - Jackson

Ohio is known for its manufacturing plants and blue-collar lifestyle. Before you decided to pursue art and graphic design would that have been the natural option for you; to work in one of those factories?

There’s a big airforce base here and [my dad] worked there so I think he wanted me to go work for the newspaper layout department at the base. But that’s when I moved to California.

Most everybody out here from the 80s that were involved in that MESS [Mid East Skate Series] contest scene, they all eventually moved out there. Like Britt Parrot and GSD and all those…

Carter and Joe Bowers; all those people who ended up working in the industry in the late 80s/ early 90s. For a while there was a huge grip of Midwesterners out there and I would travel out to visit. Then, when I got done with Community College, I went out there…[but] the opportunity to try to do something like your own brand—it made sense to do it back here instead of the high rent of Southern California.

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Drawn Revised

BY

SCALE SEE

SHEET ID

SHEET #

Applicable on Arch B Paper

10/19/2010 DATE

Framing Overview

Is this a new home for you or have you been there awhile?

This is the only house I’ve ever had. I got it in ‘96 and it’s an old farmhouse [from the 1820s] on 104 acres so it’s a legitimate farm. I always wanted to build one of those geodesic domes and got the kits for it and everything, but I couldn’t find any interesting land. I found that place and it has a lot of woods and a stream going through it so I kinda put up with this old house.

What was there before this addition?

There was an older, smaller addition the previous owner added during the 70s. It was built wrong and the foundation was starting to crack and sink so it was all ripped out. During the demolition and construction I lived out of a back bedroom, dorm room-style without a kitchen for a year.

I’m not a foodie so it didn’t bother me; lots of peanut butter and crackers. They found an old car that had been used as fill and buried under the old foundation, and a bunch of snakes in

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“If I put the boots on, then I’m going to work, and when I’m off work, then I wear Authentics…”

Morgan Lightbird, 1993 paper maché, paint, pastels Turner Stabbing 1993 paper maché, paint / Drake Floating Pig 1993 paper maché, paint / on display for Mike Hill “S” shoe release, January, 2013 Electric Owl, Vancouver with works by Jay Croft The Authentic Pro and Sk8-Hi Boot “S” feature premium materials synonymous with Vans Syndicate. Exclusive sock liner art, reinforced uppers for durability and a custom sect logo on the heel tab.

Mike Hill for Syndicate is available now at your local Vans Syndicate dealer.

Be on the lookout for the Alien Workshop pro series coming this Fall and other products for AWS and Mike Hill as they expand upon their mantra ‘Limitless By Design.’

hibernation. I’ve had snakes in the house on multiple occasions so it wasn’t that shocking.

Who was involved in the design?

I kind of got started on it and then I wasn’t ready to really pull the trigger. There was a bunch of different ideas and plans and some of them just got kinda too out there. John Schafer, who did the construction on it, his son Mac is a local skater I met through mutual friends and he was a fan of AWS. Later he interned for us and Nike and we did a KTC board with him. It was rad to work with him on the design of it. His sister Claire too. She was finishing up architect school at University of Cincinnati and helped with the design ideas and how to make them work.

How is it possible that you’ve never had an art show until recently in Vancouver?

I’ve always thought of everything that I do as not really my own, more as it’s Alien Workshop. In my mind, AWS is the Queen Bee and all of us are like the worker bees. AWS is the ultimate creator if you will... and that went on for a long long time.

The show really came about because of the Vans Syndicate thing where they had asked me to do a shoe. In the past, we had done collabs for the Workshop with other shoe brands tied to teamriders and what not. This time they were like, ‘This would be your shoe,’ and that’s pretty much why

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it’s the first time I’ve sort of been broken out from the brand as an individual. Obviously I was just really grateful and sort of humbled, so I felt like, ‘okay, I’ll put together things and put myself out there for the first time.’

There seems to be a correlation between your home/studio and the work you do. What was your inspiration for choosing the materials that went into your Syndicate shoes?

Basically, the Authentic was based on this pair that I had from the early 90s that were mint green colour and they were all thrashed ‘cause I wore them forever. I never really saw those again. And then I have these boots that I always wear. That’s what the hightop is based off of.

They’re actually a hunting boot, they have the moccasin toe and the dark forest-green, almost black leather. When they first approached me I thought of it in terms of, ‘If I put the boots on, then I’m going to work, and when I’m off work, then I wear Authentics…’ it’s kind of a segmented way of looking at things. My boots are kind of ridiculous, but I pitched it to Neil Shoemaker and all those guys at Vans. I was kind of blown away at how open they were to ideas and what the project would be. It was so smooth and kind of inspiring to work with those guys—Trevor Hill, Justin Regan and all of them. I think I know better now how far things can be taken.

art

words by jenn jackson

Page 36 Lindsay Wells

Lindsay Wells’ paintings spell out confidence. Carefree and indulgent, with an undercurrent of dark humour, they exclaim rules, only to break them. They mime academia. They are cliché with honest intent and like their maker, the works say what they mean when they mean it.

Le Canard, 2012 oil on canvas 48” x 36”

Lindsay has an ‘anything goes’ approach to painting. Her work materializes through an indulgent application of layers, often opaque and occasionally transparent; the consistency of one too many coats of nail polish. She believes in playful spontaneity. With her most recent body of work, rather than using letters to spell out her thoughts, Wells employs patterns. A bit of this and a bit of that: mallard duck wall paper, a bold pineapple print smock and a devil head ghost face. The nonsensical design repeats over and over in the background like a yummy pop song many would be too embarrassed to admit they liked.

She moves from subject to subject with an inconsistent pace; a timeline that belongs to an internal compass of idiosyncrasy. Wells finds potential in the most unassuming of places. It comes as no surprise that her current studio is in a space once occupied by a children’s daycare.

The building is connected to an adjacent church and every Sunday the sound of the service makes its way down the hallway to her studio. This (and the miniature baby toilets around her ramshackle space) parallels the youthful mischievousness of Wells’ own ambition.

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Once completed, Lindsay’s paintings find residence within random storage spots, friend’s living spaces and many of the houses she no longer occupies. They are as nomadic as the ideas in her head. They are equivalent to perfect guests, the kind that you warm up to with each passing day when character flaws become endearing and loud and boisterous personalities, charming. They emit a haze of happiness, a spirited self-awareness, and once you depart from them, it is never goodbye, rather a relaxed so long with the confidence that your paths will soon cross again.

images courtesy of AGA

words by peta rake

art

Show The 2013 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art The News From Here: The 2013 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art seeks to re-route regionalism to its “post” form, centering the problematic in the exhibition. Guest curator Nancy Tousley states that the work in the show, “bears witness to a renewed interest in the character and specifics of place, which can be defined most simply as a meaningful location that people construct through their practices.” Often regional biennials are plagued with a distinct and complicated relationship to place, and this one is no different. Regionalism—whether or not it is intrinsic to exhibitions that are specifically about a place—is all-encompassing and remains a significant point of departure for artists working in locations separate from the larger urban centres.

The News From Here The Art Gallery of Alberta Jan. 26-May 5

Laura St. Pierre 06.21, 2012 inkjet print of self-adhesive vinyl 240x700cm courtesy the artist Sarah Fuller Experiment in Landscape, No.1, 2012 hd video running time: 8’9” dimensions variable courtesy the artist Jason de Haan and Miruna Dragan The Wood and Wave Each Other Know, 2011 hd video installation running time: 38’9” dimensions variable courtesy the artist & clint roenisch gallery

Jason de Haan and Miruna Dragan’s The Wood and Wave Each Other Know (2011) is a stunning film featuring a cellist playing in a wildfire watchtower at an undisclosed location. The cabin becomes a resonant chamber with notes echoing against the walls. The films meditative gestures suggest a quiet displacement and connection to site as a way to speak to larger themes of ecology, time, solitude and transcendence Laura St. Pierre constructs installations from found and disused objects in the desolate industrial surroundings of Grand Prairie. St. Pierre’s work replaces abandoned sites with life, creating temporary living structures or small ecosystems of tiny hydroponic greenhouses. Utilizing discarded corrugated pipes in 06.21 (2012) St. Pierre creates a thoughtful network of greenhouses lit from inside, which she then photographs at dusk. This small act of urban renewal seeks to reinvigorate instances of blight and questions uses of landscape. Furthermore, it speaks to the common problem of waste on the edges of most of our cities; thresholds between the spaces we live and the natural wilderness that is pushed to the margins.

Gabrielle Paré’s inclusion is a photo-etching series that features several examples of the Chine-collé technique. Investigating interior sites, Paré’s On The Precipice, The Pulling Body and The Slow Creep of Repercussion (all 2011) are ghostly images of figures in what appears to be hotel rooms. The banality intrinsic in rented rooms, and the way in which Paré has created these images with the reworking of medium, transforms the mundane into beautifully contemplated works of figure study.

Sarah Fuller’s video Experiment in Landscape, No.1 (2012) is an arresting and powerful piece that I had seen previously in Fuller’s studio in larger format. This video features a mountain lit by full moon and a figure who walks into the snowy foreground futilely attempting a handstand. The figure finally succeeds at the handstand and it

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becomes an act where the inverted body seems to feel the weight of the mountain in the background. This piece is soundless, other than the intense white noise of the landscape that lulls the viewer into a kind of solitary and considered contemplation. It speaks to the way in which the corporeal is intrinsically linked to notions of site and nature.

Other works of note were Eric Moschopedis & Mia Rushton’s collaborative and ongoing project Hunter, Gatherer, Purveyor (2013), which brings together civic responsibility and notions of craft and performance; Robyn Moody’s Wave Interference (2012), an undulating column of fluorescent lights controlled through a piano score, and Kristopher Karklin’s hyper-real photo works Jack & Jill Room (morning), Jack & Jill Room (evening) and Ping Pong Room (all 2011). Besides these, Nancy Tousley’s “news report,” as stated in the wall text, features works that frankly, don’t speak strongly to the curatorial mandate. Donna White’s Despair Wallpaper (2012) is a puzzling addition, as is Taras Polataiko’s uninspiring Pissing Into the Wind (from the Self-Portrait series) (2010) featuring a literal interpretation of the title. DaveandJenn’s –TheBlindingLine— (2012), a monolith resin and wood sculpture work, is aesthetically dubious not to mention poorly positioned in a room where it has an insidious presence near the other works.

The inclusion of such works only reiterates a sense of regionalism that Tousley was trying so hard to supersede. The ‘post-regionalist’ in this version is iterated truthfully by a smattering of works that speak intensely and thoughtfully to place, while not becoming embroiled in the regionalist debate, ostensibly becoming neo-regionalist. While many of these works are strong and stand alone, on the whole the proportion of the pieces exhibited do not consider a nuanced take on regionalism and echoes a short-sighted provincialism that is neither considered nor problematized.

event photos by pat o’rourke + david waldman

words by aidan johnston

art

Show First Try to Last Call For every trick that goes down, there is a session, and for every session, there are friends. You never just remember the moment you landed something, you remember everything about that day: the missed calls, the dodgy lunch, the playlist in the car, the yells of “this try” and the taste of the first drink afterwards. In most cases, the trick in the photo is just the beginning of the story and thankfully there are people with cameras who are dedicated to making sure the whole experience is documented.

Oz Studios, Toronto February 21-28

From portraits to landscapes, tomfoolery to fast times, photographers Jeff Comber, Darryl Smith, Aaron Wynia and Will Jivcoff deliver a giddily candid look at what happens in between landing tricks and breaking boards, reminding the viewer that through the right lens, even the most languid summer days are something to hold onto.

NYC Manual

by Jeff Comber Gothika

by Aaron Wynia Hallway

by Will Jivcoff JS & Josh

by Darrell Smith

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portraits by nathan ĂŠthier-myette

words by jai ball

Joey

Larock

When I got into skating in the early 90s, it seemed like all the kids attracted to skateboarding came from broken homes or possessed some sort of misfit quality. Skateboarding functioned as an extended family that accepted you regardless of your background. That sense of belonging was empowering and made you feel you could do something positive with your time and effort. Joey Larock reminds me of that once again. (translated from french)

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frontside feeble / photo babas

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Seequence backside tailslide kickflip fakie photos gordon nicholas switch bs tailslide

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“I had

Two

Sides

The Good Kid & The Bad Kid Doing Graffiti.”

Here is a kid who is fully aware that skateboarding has given him a chance to shine and as with many things in life, you get what you give. With a maturity far beyond his years, Mr. Larock is firmly in control of his future. I couldn’t be prouder to have him representing Studio and I only hope I can continue to be part of that extended family he so richly deserves.

frontside crook fakie / photo geoff clifford

So how old are you and where were you born?

I’m nineteen and I was born in Cowansville, about an hour outside of Montreal.

We moved to the city when I was around three, then we moved to St. Michel.

Was it always just you and your mom?

She had boyfriends here and there but usually it was just me and her. I used to drive her pretty crazy when I was a kid. Having no dad around, I was kind of a little shit. I mean I had two sides: the good kid and the bad kid doing graffiti, messing around.

Do you ever see your dad?

I only saw him once when I was fifteen. I think my aunt had seen him somewhere and recognized him. I guess she asked him if he wanted to meet me and he said yes. I got home from school one day and I had no idea he was going to be there. I didn’t even know what to say to him. They ate in the kitchen and I just stayed in my room.

I wasn’t stoked to see him, I ended up just going to a friend’s house. The whole thing was sketchy.

Damn. How do you feel about it now that you’re almost twenty?

Honestly, it never really bothered me because I never knew him. I don’t really think about it.

So how did you get into skating?

On my ninth birthday. I don’t know how I heard about skating, but I got a Canadian Tire board and was fucking down with it. I would skate in the driveway and then I found the skate park and it went from there. It took awhile before I got a real board from the shop; I had like four Canadian Tire boards first.

I’ve heard from people that meet you for the first time that you seem pretty serious for a young guy. Where does that seriousness come from?

In one way I am and in others I’m really not. I’m just doing my thing. I guess when it comes to skating I want to do the best I can, you know? I’ve got pride in what I do and I don’t want to blow it. I never want to end up in the street and I’m never going to go hungry, so I give it everything.

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I know you help your mom with bills; most kids your age don’t have that type of responsibility. Do you think that helps drive your skating?

I wish I never had to worry about money and had more time to skate, but it’s actually skating that motivates me to do the rest.

I mean if skating wasn’t going anywhere and I had to pay for all my gear, I’d be working more.

I noticed from the beginning, when you got on Studio, that you understood the importance of being self-motivated and having a good work ethic. It was impressive for a kid your age, where does that motivation come from?

I guess when I started skating I always had older people around, like cousins and my friends’ older brothers, who skated and they would get stoked on my skating and support me. They would tell me about other kids that were really good and I was like, “I can be that good!” [laughs]. I wasn’t really competitive but I just wanted to be the best I could. I’ve always loved skating.

I just dedicate myself to it.

backside kickflip fakie nose manual revert / photo nathan éthier-myette

“I JUST DON’t WANT TO WASTE ANY TIME.”

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“I never want to end up in the street and I’m never going to go hungry, so I give it everything.”

nosegrind / photo babas le vrai

There are so many accepted skate styles now and the all-around skater seems to be the big thing. Where do you see yourself in all of these styles?

I guess I’ve just always gone towards what I’m good at and liked doing. I discovered I had a decent pop when I was young so I’ve always liked jumping on high things, ledges. I’m not the guy who’s just going to throw himself, I mean I can do bigger stuff, but I don’t really like just rails and stairs, sometimes I like things that are just hard to skate. I just don’t want to do what everyone else is doing.

Do you take the aesthetic of a spot into consideration when you’re trying something?

Yeah, I mean it depends. Not all the time, but If I see a spot that looks really good by just doing a simple trick, I’ll definitely go for it. But even if there’s some spot that’s all grey and boring, but it’s a good spot, I’m gonna skate that too.

I remember Brian Wherry trippin’ because you said: “I never don’t try a trick for real.”

For an 18-year-old kid to say that was pretty impressive. You’re either going for it 100 percent or not at all.

Well it wasn’t always like that, like when I was a kid it would take me time to get confident and really go for my trick, but then I realized there’s no point in choking on a trick because then you just have more of a chance to get hurt. Now when I’m filming I just go for it right away. You never know, you could get it first try.

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Vintage top

SITKA shorts

ADIDAS samba shoes

Holler photographer MATTHEW BURDITT styled by MILA FRANOVIC models SHANNON and WILL from radkids hair and makeup by SHANNON REYNOLDS

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RAEN optics arkin sunglasses SITKA crochet dress ACNE jeans 051

vintage flannel from duchess vintage FOURSTAR top LEVI’S jeans VANS shoes (model’s own)

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QUIET LIFE top INSIGHT leggings

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INSIGHT top APC jeans NIKE koston 2 shoes model’s own military jacket

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SITKA bikini top DC button up QUIKSILVER women’s skirt DEENA & OZZY shoes

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POOL LE | POLO SHIRT | SOCKS | FIVE PANEL HAT

OFF THE HOOK X DC AVAILABLE SPRING 2013

film

words by gordon nicholas

photo by alana paterson

Extra Random The Almighty VX

The true craftsmen, who put the energy and time into learning and understanding their medium— working in a darkroom, mixing chemicals, working with a colorist on a Telecine machine—I think these things all help make a better filmmaker or photographer because it teaches one to appreciate the process, not just the end result. And it is that race toward immediate results that I think is the ultimate downfall of the trend in technology. Everyone is missing out on the process and that’s what, in my opinion, makes an experienced, legit photographer who not only cares about their craft, they bleed for it. —Josh Stewart “I wonder why people want their skateboard footage to look like the Discovery Channel, a Brad Pitt flick or a Crest toothpaste commercial.”

—Jeremy Elkin

Above Zach Barton 360 flip photo gordon nicholas

While it may be impossible to nail down the exact moment skateboard filming was forever changed, I’m saying it was when Dan Wolfe shot Jeremy Wray’s frontside 360 at Venice Beach using a VX-1000. Shortly after that, all the videographers of the day adopted the signature VX aesthetic, including Josh Friedberg, Chris Ortiz and the other founders of 411VM, who may have a had an even bigger impact than you think: “We recommended that camera to all our filmers from day one,” says Friedberg. “I think that pretty much established it as the industry standard.”

I’ve always had a strong affinity for VX footy; the videos I grew up on and still love to watch today were shot with that camera. Perhaps I’m just an old dog stuck in the glory days, but HD just doesn’t do it for me. Skateboarding, the Death Lens and the VX-1000 simply go hand in hand.

The aspect ratio, the colours, the distortion and the sound of that camera are what make skateboarding look good—it’s supposed to be dirty and unpolished after all. I don’t want videos to match the detritus of cable television. I want the lo-fi grime of the VX. I asked Josh Stewart, the videographer behind the classic street series Static, why does VX footy just look better? For him it’s an intangible that only the eye and the heart can

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detect: “All you have to do is watch a properly filmed VX piece next to a properly filmed HD piece and it would answer that question.”

The VX was threatened during the mid 00s when steady tech advances made the move for more readily available pro-consumer digital editing tools, but thanks to the purists out there, the VX just might be more relevant today than ever before. Since filming Lo Def [2009], Jeremy Elkin has yet to put down his VX, with his most recent offering Poisonous Products [2012] a shining example. Here he sums up why, on a technical level, it just makes sense: “The real problem with high definition is that skateboarders are vertical and HD is horizontal. It’s like trying to shoot a giraffe with a panoramic lens.”

Skateboarding was never meant to look so clean. Granted, HD does have its benefits, but more important than anything is the need to use the right tool for the job, or in this case, the right camera. The simplicity and cost-saving effect of using HD cameras with memory sticks instead of mini-DV tapes is a huge factor to be considered, especially when filming a full-length video. But just remember, it also means carrying around about 100 lbs of gear. How are you going to run from the cops with that?

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photos courtesy sitka

words by dan post

The Few & Far Between a Sitka legend

Cities would fall at The End of the World, that’s what they said. So we left and headed into the thicket.

Years ago…

Dane Pryds nosegrind photo by gordon nicholas Todd Meyers portrait by rene gauthier Fabian & Colin portrait by gordon nicholas Matt Howell resting photo by gauthier Colin Nogue frontside ollie photo by kynan tait Owen, Dane & Luke portrait by nicholas

We built new homes and imagined new ways of living. We focused on the simple things. We embraced the silence of the woods, the cooler air in our lungs. Moss gave us a soft spot to rest our heads.

We built a meeting place: a symbol for our new world. A halfpipe, we decided, embodied it all: a perpetual pace, everyone moving in rhythm, back and forth between the future and the past. The session was our dogma; this new era would be guided by feeling, by a raw moment of clarity that comes only from taking time to enjoy it.

By the time news trickled out to us in the woods that The End had not come, so many had already decided they weren’t going back, but I was torn by what I’d left behind. I stood on the deck of the ramp, a suitcase in my hand, and wished them all farewell. Nobody held me back.

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Matt Howell frontside feeble photo by mike pepperdine photo by rene gauthier

Years pass…

Opposite Chris Haslam invert photo by pepperdine Haslam frontside flip Matt Howell tree thruster photos by pepperdine

The heat sits on the City of Glass like a scalding crown. Year after year it gets hotter and hotter.

Climate change warnings came far too late. Now, it is simply too hot to do anything. What is left of skateboard culture is driven back underground, under bridges; part of the myth of recreation.

A young man finds an old suitcase inside his grandfather’s house. He shows his grandfather the contents: a skateboard and a map. The fog in the old man’s eyes is like mist in a towering old growth forest. The old man tells the young man a story passed down for generations. He talks about folk who made skateboards and people who gathered around ramps.

The next morning, the young man leaves at dawn with the suitcase and heads west, towards the last fleeting patch of green. He avoids detection from the armed men who guard the sacred resource and finds his way into the woods with the skateboard and the map.

He might circle that spot a thousand times, cursing the stories of a foolish old man if not for a

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timely woodpecker missing its mark and sending the uncommon ring of a bell echoing into the air. “Look for it in the trees…” his grandfather had said, but the young man hadn’t thought to look up.

For something that is by all accounts hundreds of years old, the ramp remains in immaculate condition. He wastes no time dropping in, and for the first time ever feels wood under wheels.

Again he hears his grandfather’s voice: “The ringing bell draws them near.” Three sharp notes from the bell ring out into the woods and a few strangers emerge from the thicket. It doesn’t matter that he’s the first city person they’ve seen in decades; they are woven by a common thread.

Skateboarding is the language they all speak.

The night lasts forever but passes in the blink of an eye. The young man must head back to the city that calls him. They hand him his suitcase with a wink. He’s taking something else back with him.

He leaves the forest and returns to the city with a message. He waits for the bell to call him back.

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Chris Haslam kickflip fakie

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photo by mike pepperdine

YTDistribution.com

words by isaac mckay-randozzi

photos by sam ashley

Worldwide Undergound Skateboarding and the surging sovereign movement

In the past few years, a new wave of skater-owned brands has breached the wall of the status quo and flooded the streets with their unique styles. These skaters are replenishing the waters and uniting others around the world through the most interesting side of skateboarding—the side that is alive, raw and free.

The idea isn’t new: take the founders of Blockhead, Foundation, Girl and Real as examples of multi-skilled skaters who have paved the way. But the emergence of Magenta, Polar, Palace, Studio, Welcome and Kitsch (among others) is something new, for a skateboard culture that is teetering on the brink of banality. These idealists are pulling on a common thread that runs back to the spare bedrooms and garages of the 80s and 90s, when brands were inspiring people on and off the board, not looking at the bottom line and doing whatever they wanted with quality and style.

One of the companies contributing to this growing movement is Magenta, thanks in part to their wanderlust, prolific team and organic approach to the roots of skating. “What we enjoy in skateboarding is freedom, expressing creativity and individuality, and we want to push the potential of this amazing tool,” explains Vivien Feil, Magenta co-owner and pro. “We want skateboarders and non-skateboarders to look at skateboarding differently. Not just as a sport or a mere pasttime for kids and adults who refuse to grow up. A skateboard is nothing without a brain that uses it for a purpose, and since skateboarding is such a powerful tool, you can choose that purpose to be creating art.” By investing themselves into a shared idea and collaborating with each other, the skaters at Magenta have created an entity that expresses what they think a board company should be. This has helped push them from the south of France into skate shops all over the world.

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The new wave is a universal phenomenon that started small with each brand reflecting their local scene. Canada’s deep history on both coasts (and proximity to fresh lumber) helped to spawn many of these brands. For Jai Ball, owner of Studio Skateboards, being genuine about your message means representing your location as a source of inspiration: “As kids we were always stoked on N.Y.C., Philly and Washington. Those cities had scenes and a vibe we related to. In terms of the team and skating, it seemed Canada was typically represented a certain way and if you didn’t fit that handrail, stair-skating mold you weren’t gonna go too far. At least that’s how I always felt. I wanted Studio to be for the other skaters, the guys who interpret the city they’re from with some sort of style and originality, be it Montreal, Vancouver or wherever.”

Because they are scattered across the globe, independent brands rely on the Internet as an effective (and cheap) way to share their goods.

But they are wise not to oversaturate the web, saving the best footage for DVDs or high quality edits, selectively released. Lev Tanju of Palace explains their stance on web vs. DVD projects: “It helps to get the footage out while it’s fresh.

It takes a long time to make real good videos especially a full-length, so it’s always good to drop stuff to keep people hyped. It’s cool for us because the [full-length] video is a London thing, so everywhere we travel goes on the Internet.”

Spreading the word on a grassroots level is an important characteristic of these companies who have taken to the roads and skies to get

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Pontus Alv fs wallride

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Opposite Kyle MacDonald kickflip photo by jeff comber Nolan Johnson boneless photo by ali yaqubian

footage, make connections and explore new terrain. But as Geoff Dermer of Kitsch Skateboards explains, sometimes things have to be done out of pocket: money to travel around the world, finding spots to skate together.“ From their first tour to Portugal, to sleeping on floors in Montana, spending a month in China or driving 36 hours to skate ditches in Arizona, as Geoff says, “It’s all been to find new spots that don’t exist in Canada and an effort to push our skating further and to meet skaters in other parts of the world.”

The desire to revive and share the initial spirit that first attracted them to skating is what drives many of the new guard. For Pontus Alv, owner

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of Polar Skate Co. out of Sweden, this means not only producing quality goods but also building their local scene and inspiring others. “The biggest time in skateboarding for me is between ’87 and ’94,” admits Pontus. “The golden age, and I lived and skated through it. It was so inspiring on all levels and so much rad stuff went down during those years. People just started to explore the streets, artwork and whatever else—a really creative experimental time in skateboarding. All I do everyday is to try to re-create a modern version of that time and pass that cultural heritage onto the next generations so we can see some rad shit go down in the future, whenever we are all old and retired.”

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Lucien Clarke nollie flip / photo by sam ashley

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Above Leo Valls, bs powerslide in S.F. photo by I-MR Below Leo, Vivien Feil & Soy Panday photo by guillaume anselin Torey Goodall backside kickflip

Welcome’s unique boards arrived from Southern California when the quiver in most U.S. shops had little diversity. With shapes that recall a different era, they are a merger of genres that embraces all aspects of rolling fun. Skaters have responded with an ever-growing appetite for the boards and a cult-like affinity for the riders. Demonstrating a key quality of today’s independent company, the Welcome team grew from a shared aesthetic.

The conjurer behind the scenes, the self-avowed Minister of Majic, spoke about assembling and crafting the team. “I think we have a group of

friends who feel the same way I do about how stale and jockish the skateboard industry has become. I don’t think any of them care about being ‘sponccerdz’ and I didn’t pick any of them because I thought it was going to help us sell skateboards. I just wanted all my favourite skaters to ride for Welcome and I didn’t care if the magazines didn’t know who they were.”

We skate because we love the feeling. That same spirit drives these pros and artists to put their lives into the decks they make and express their own interpretation of fun. This new surge

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of independent brands proves that stoke is international, inclusive and mutual. Take Solitary Arts (CA), ScumCo and Sons (PA), Urban Ambush and ULC (Quebec) as alternate examples. Will this wave subside? How long before the larger companies shift marketing strategies to package it and slick it up? These questions remain to be answered, but as long as there are people with vision and heart involved, skating will never lose its independent soul.

photo by jared will goodiepal portrait by robertas narkus

When Mike McDermott asked Ryan McGuigan to move back to Winnipeg and help him shapeshift Green Apple* from an audio/visual entity to a retail business, an obligatory shop video was on the horizon. But Ryan, jaded by the skateboard video world after his supposed “last” video, needed to offer something not of this world. Little did he know how out of this world he was about to get.

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and radical computer music words by Ryan McGuigan

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Goodiepal in live-in bicycle photo by Henrik Plenge Jakobsen Justin portrait by jared will Russ, Ryan, & Paul with Mercedes photo by oscar szydlowski

Justin Bassett frontside blunt Comber photo

*Green Apple started in 1992 as a cult video series filmed and edited by Roan Barrion inspired by a discount store named Red Apple and in response to a rival skate gang already bearing that moniker.

Green Apple videos came out at the end of every summer and featured the underground talents of Winnipeg’s more stylish conscious skateboarders.

In 1998, Ryan McGuigan took the reins when the original creative force moved on to things he could actually survive on.

McGuigan’s first Green Apple product was a collaborative effort with Roan titled Street Magic [2000] and featured Mike McDermott, Rod Ferens and Paul Spencer. The video won “Best Director” at the NSI Film Festival in Winnipeg.

In 2001, McDermott and McGuigan took a Greyhound to Vancouver to pursue their dreams.

There they moved into the now-famous skate house, The Chateau, and got started on Modern Love [2005]. Later, McGuigan moved in with Nate Evans and began filming him alongside Mitch Charron, Dylan Thorstensen, Bryan Wherry and the usual Green Apple crew. The end result was Supper’s Ready [2007] After Supper’s Ready, McDermott got the idea to open a shop in Winnipeg and asked Ryan to be a part of it. Next thing he knew, Ryan was back on a Greyhound pulling into Winnipeg. They spent a year working with Joe Castrucci on the logo creation that has since graced: Three DVS collabo shoes, several Habitat shop decks, plus thousands of stickers and shirts around the globe. VIDEO X [2012] is just the latest chapter in the story.

“Goodiepal was the radical gardener who planted some seeds and sprinkled stardust on the video.”

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It all started when we decided on the title, VIDEO X. I had been watching a lot of Planet X/Nibiru documentaries and because the supposed ‘end’ was around the corner, it seemed like a nice fit. Coincidentally, it was to be the 10th Green Apple video and that just added another layer to the strangeness. I had always wanted to make a video showing the decline of civilization and had been hunting for all the depressing shit happening on earth.

For the soundtrack, I decided to contact DJ HVAD at the controversial hack-heavy record label out of Denmark: SYGNOK (translated as “sick enough”). I had stumbled upon SYGNOK in 2007 when editing Supper’s Ready [2007] and found their art direction and radical ideas meshed well with what I was trying to do. I ended up using one of their tracks for Wade Fyfe’s part in the video. This time though, SYGNOK put me in

touch with a strange man called Goodiepal, and it was like a gift from the gods.

At first glance, Goodiepal (aka Parl Kristian Bjorn Vester) looks like that nutty professor you used to make fun of because he spoke about creating music for an alternative intelligence. After a bit of research on the guy I learned he was that professor you used to make fun of because he spoke about creating music for an alternative intelligence.

After the Royal Academy of Music tossed him out for teaching his “radical computer music,” Goodiepal declared academic warfare on the school. With the help of Albertslund Terror Korps, they broke in and stole the famous Eventide H8000 Sampler (the world’s most expensive digital multi-effect processor) then expanded, outdrilled, upgraded and modified it with a red button that, when pressed, played one

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of Goodiepal’s wild lectures. The authorities were notified and Goodiepal disappeared.

From a series of online videos that included interviews and some of those lectures**, I also learned: Goodiepal borrowed $90,000 from the Ukraine mafia to give away for free inside one of his LPs, received death threats from white pride hooligans, had a bottle smashed over his face by the enemy (hence the monocle) and had constructed a singing mechanical bird that became a hit at live events around Europe. He also broke several copyright laws when he released The Hacker Pack—a collection of six DVDRs consisting of assorted sound libraries, programs, UFO files, conspiracy theories and Goodiepal’s jingles that he had recorded for companies such as Carlsberg, Nokia, Chupa Chups and Hitachi.

Paul Liliani Ollie up, five-o Comber photo

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Devon Welter no comply wallie Devin Guiney, Justin Bassett, Mike McDermott photos by jared will

“following young men around the city with a video camera and making them look better at skating than they actually are.”

I didn’t know right away how this was all going to work for VIDEO X, but I did know Goodiepal was the only artist I was aware of that was completely mind blowing, both in his lectures and his music. I tried to keep his radical ideas in my head while I was filming and editing the video. I already had a rough vision of VIDEO X, but Goodiepal was the radical gardener who planted some seeds and sprinkled stardust on the video. I knew I wanted to use both Goodiepal and SYGNOK in scoring the video, the only problem was, most of his music was rare and hard to find. So I just asked him directly and he sent it.

(Let that be a lesson to all: never be afraid to ask anyone for anything, you never know what you might get). Goodiepal sent me numerous gigabytes of sounds to choose from—sounds for an extremely open mind. A lot of people didn’t get it at first, thinking it was too strange, but the whole idea of a skateboard video is a little strange: following young men around the city with a video camera.

artwork courtesy goodiepal

**While working on the DVD menu with Goodiepal via Skype one day, Goodipeal gained access to Ryan’s computer and embedded a secret play button on the menu that links to a Goodiepal lecture in Portland from 2009. Can you find it?

Due to the in-your-face-ness of SYGNOK, I needed variety so everyone’s brains wouldn’t meltdown. In the end, I used several different artists in the video that Goodiepal had helped me discover like: NOCHEXXX from the UK, Eric Copeland and Gamers In Exile. I did end up using Goodiepal’s sounds in the credits and over his narrative and because Goodiepal is a certified master storyteller with an interesting voice and vocabulary, I also proposed that he introduce everyone’s parts.

Goodiepal’s ideas and music are very challenging and misunderstood by most until you get your head wrapped around it (if your brain is capable of it). I’m still working on it. I think most of the skaters thought it was cool that we were collaborating with a gang in Denmark but I don’t think they really understood everything Goodiepal was saying.

I’m not too sure how many people who see VIDEO X will understand what I was trying to do, but as long it can stand a bit of laughter and test itself to destruction, I’m a happy camper.

Jeremy Gelfant backside flip - Comber photo 080

“He borrowed $90,000 from the Ukraine mafia to give away for free inside one of his LPs”

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kevin friesen / crooked grind Comber photo

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“There’s always new tricks for these old spots. For the skater it could be the perfect place to learn a new one or do the one you’ve done at your local park for years.”

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All great adventures, whether it be hitchhiking across the country, sun tanning at an all-inclusive resort or, in our case, skateboarding in Barcelona, begins with a vision: the perfect scenario that drives the adventure forward. Together, we had a collective vision to leave this cold country in search of any of the amazing spots we’d all seen in magazines and videos, but individually, members of our massive crew were on their own personal mission to seek out the one perfect spot that would fit their unique styles. Somewhere in Spain was their own perfect terrain, their own ideal spot—their own “marble halfpipe.”

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It wasn’t always roses being a group of 12 without phones, living in three different flats and lacking internet, but for one month we scoured the streets and alleys of Spain on a mission. Some of us found what we were looking for, while others searched for days only to come up just short, succumbing to injury. We may have been on individual quests on this trip, but the search for the “marble halfpipe” was the unifying symbol for a journey that became more important than the individual.

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was on a mission like no other. Not only did he roll away from this trip satisfied to have completed what he set out for, but the terrain he left in his wake trembled with his might. (previous) frontside bigspin

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seemed to start out faster than anyone. He had studied in advance and was prepared with a few clues for finding what might be his spot. We got a lot of work done in a short period of time but the quest had taken its toll and by the time Jamie found his “marble halfpipe,” he was injured and could only stare it down, telling it to be ready for him next time.

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“When you’re on the other side of the world, money doesn’t feel real, more like FunLand tokens… Barc is a theme park for skateboarding.”

Jamie Maley, boarslide.

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Conlan Killeen, noseblunt to 50

Incidentals photos by Stacy Gabriel

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Trooped through injury and hardship right from the start. He brought nothing but a good time, bananas and a smile on his face. As soon as he was ready to skate and continue his search, many of us sat and watched how quick, stylish and powerful his skating was. It was good luck for all of us to have him join us on this journey.

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gave us all a continuous stream of laughter throughout the trip. Of course there were tough times in his specific search, but through it all he did it with a smile on his face. In the end I’m pretty sure he found his “marble halfpipe.” It was Spain. wallie

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was no stranger to adversity. While filming a trick one day, his keys, iPhone and hoodie were stolen, but then he stopped to ask himself: ‘What are most important things in this world… is it a phone, some clothes, safety?’ No, Mike shook it off like it never happened and continued his search until the day he left.

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idea of the marble halfpipe had always been one that the whole group could collectively enjoy.

He was constantly looking to find the spot for everyone. Ironically, it was by chance one day during a long solitary walk that he found a spot just for him.

“The amount of skateboarding that happens on any given day in Barcelona is my favorite part about it.

It’s the energy of the place that has drawn me back four times now, and even though I only left a week

Kyle Nolan, Wallride

Geoff Dermer, halfcab blunt 360

Mike Campbell, ollie

ago, I’m already looking forward to going back.”

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“The marble halfpipe is all about the journey, and at the end of the day we got to experience it with everyone on the trip. It was way more than just getting tricks and photos, it was about the friendships made, grown stronger, cheering each other on, getting pissed at spots, laughing and loving.”

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had his eyes set on Barcelona since he first put wheels to pavement. For him, his constant smile was proof enough that every spot and every day of this trip was his “marble halfpipe.”

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R E V U O C N V With all searches, journeys and travels, there is an inevitable end, but often that end is a new beginning. Coming home to Vancouver— Canada’s mecca for skating—was for us just that. In skateboarding there is always a quest to find the marble halfpipe and just because we are home now doesn’t mean that we are done. Our mission as skateboarders is to find that place, that feeling, that moment of perfection (or as close as we can get). So with a fresh state of mind that only travel can bring, we have momentum and desire anew. There are always spots to find; the “marble halfpipe” is out there somewhere.

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Arto Saari

photo by jeremy jansen

words by bjorn olson

music

Ketamines Behind the scenes

“I’m little more than a secretary who has capital to make records.”

About five years ago, the dry, grey hamlet of Lethbridge, Alberta enjoyed an impressive explosion of hard-working gritty rock bands willing to tour and spread the party gospel. But in time, like any small scene, it began to fracture as musicians moved on to the promise of the metropolis. Paul Lawton saw it all with his label Mammoth Cave; HQ for much of the gunky fun Lethbridge had to offer. Lawton has since relocated to Toronto and spoke to Color about his current garage-psych project The Ketamines.

How did Ketamines begin?

When I was in high school my band needed a drummer. We’d heard about this little kid in the 8th grade, James Leroy, so we tracked his family down in a Pizza Hut. Not only did this little kid play drums, he was the fastest, tightest drummer any of us had ever seen. James and I just never left each other’s lives since then. We’ve publicly released maybe 30 songs since we started writing together in the late 90s, but we’ve got a library of over 300 that are just vaulted because we can’t agree whether they are good songs or not.

By 2010 it seemed like we were really starting to hit our stride and the songs were getting more complex. I sent some stuff around, but got no response. One day we just changed the name to The Ketamines and suddenly HoZac wanted to do a 7” single. The only piece of advice I ever give bands now is: if no one wants to put out a record, keep changing the name until something works.

You moved from Lethbridge to the giant melting pot of Toronto, recruiting an entirely new band along the way. What were the immediate differences you felt when you arrived?

Lethbridge was really close and tight-knit, but it really unraveled once we lost any place to play.

Plus it is a college town, so your pool of available talent or support for music really ebbs and flows.

I was kind of at a point where I was a big fish in a relatively small pond. When I got to Toronto last fall, it was a culture shock for sure, but musically I think we already fit into a niche. There’s no shortage of places to play and there are a dozen Lethbridge-sized cities to play only an hour away.

What are the challenges of running a music label these days?

Managing expectations, mostly. You have to keep your passion level up at all times. It’s really stressful and annoying most of the time. We have a

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great number of supporters and people who buy everything and we are excited to keep doing it, but there was a long period after I moved to Toronto where I hated every aspect of running the label. It started out, as most things do, as a passionate hobby, but then life became really hectic and crazy and things fell off the tracks for a bit. When you are in the middle of this stuff the stakes seem really high, when the truth is that I’m little more than a secretary who has capital to make records. Yet we are putting out three new 7” records next month that I’m really excited about. Damage done, move on.

The Ketamines’ second full-length LP, You Can’t Serve Two Masters, will be issued on Southpaw and Mammoth Cave in June.

music

words by d.m. collins

photo by kynan tait

Single Mothers Not giving a shit meets caring too much

“It isn’t something we’re used to, but it’s something we love.”

Big Game Lodge Studios in Van Nuys, California, where Single Mothers have been eating, sleeping, and recording their debut album for days on end, is a little moth-eaten, but far from the worst crash pad this bombastic punk band from London, Ontario has ever seen. Once, in New Orleans, “we stayed in what we like to call a meth den,” boasts guitarist Mike Peterson. “The house had recently seen a domestic dispute, so there was blood everywhere, and bugs everywhere, and money all over the floor.”

Drew Thomson (lead singer and only original member) recalls even bleaker days early on, playing the small-town bar scene. “We’d play a live show to 20 people and I’d throw my Telecaster against the wall until it broke. I never realized I don’t have money to buy another. No one would lend me gear, because they thought I would break it. We broke other bands’ gear.”

I’m almost incredulous. Could this be the same driven professional who, in 2012, led his band on successful tours with the likes of Quicksand and Title Fight? Though he’s smaller than me, and full of “thank yous,” I’m intimidated by Drew’s frank demeanor, his busted front tooth and his raw voice. He speaks slowly, choosing his words with care.

You can almost hear the contradictions grinding inside of Drew; it’s this same uneasy friction that makes his intense vocal style turn so many heads. Unique among hardcore-inspired bands, Drew sings with a thrashy cadence (think Megadeth’s “Peace Sells,” or Refused with eight times the words), and lyrics that spill all over the place. It’s “literary in a sense,” Peterson says of Drew’s verbal style. “This whole not giving a shit meets, like, caring too much.” Bassist Evan

Redsky clarifies: “The strongest thing about our band is Drew; his fucking narrative vocal style.

When we pare it back, it gives him more room to breathe and really tell his story.”

Of course, paring it back, simplifying their arrangements, may be the only option they have at this point. Just days ago, Single Mothers signed to two huge labels back to back: Dine Alone in Canada and Hot Charity (an XL subsidiary) worldwide. Now, in this nondescript studio in a remote office park far from the Sunset Strip, the band needs to write and record a meaningful, visceral debut album, as fast possible, with almost nothing prepared.

Most bands, Drew laments, would have rehearsed for months prior to a recording opportunity like this. “We practiced four days before we came here,” he admits. Lesser musicians might snap from that kind of pressure, and in fact, just 18 hours ago, longtime drummer Matt Bouchard turned in his sticks, becoming one of fourteen members who have passed through Single Mothers in the past four years. “Nothing really fell apart,” says Redsky of the various splits. “Things just got to a point where, you know, like any band, there’s certain choices

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everybody has to make and they don’t take that step.”

With no preparation and Mike filling in on drums, the trio has had to work from 9am ‘till 3am some days. “It isn’t something we’re used to,” says Drew, “but it’s something we love doing and something we don’t get the opportunity to do very often. I think they’re the most honest [songs] we’ve ever written, because there was no time to bullshit.”

There’s not really time in their recording schedule for an interview either and I should just leave them to it. But as I look around me— foam soundproofing peeling from the walls and sad-looking gold albums hanging in cheap frames—I wonder: what if this moment now is the pinnacle of their career? Aren’t they worried that in their haste they might fall flat on their asses? There’s no time for me to bullshit either.

“What does success look like for you?” I ask.

“If everything goes well, if all of the things that are happening now, all the opportunities, fall into place, what would be the thing that would make you say, ‘Hey, we did it?’”

Drew hesitates, but only for a moment.

“We’re already here, doing it.”

50-50 PHOTO: DAVE CHAMI

PROUDLY WELCOMES

photos by rich odam

portraits by alana paterson

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“I liked that he was humble, from B.C. and you could tell straight away that he was driven to progress. Happy-go-lucky attitude, friendly, well-spoken and well rounded on the street, tech and the gnar! A skate rat at heart.”–Geoff Rowley

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Words by Dan Post

15 hours on a plane followed by 6 hours on a bus—Guangzhou, China to Kamloops, British Columbia. Matt Berger arrives at his parents’ house at the end of a long trip; memories of the Far East mixing with the familiarities of home.

For the most part, skateboarding is all this 19-year-old has ever known, but skating has also taken him farther from his hometown than most of his own family has ever been. Much has been said of Matt’s physical growth over the past few years, but until now, little has been said about his personal growth. When I spoke with him the other day, it was clear to me that Matt is having the time of his life and that all this globetrotting has made him a more diverse and balanced person.

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How long are you going to be back in Kamloops for?

I think I’m going to be here for three weeks and then I’m coming out to Vancouver and then I’m going to Peru.

Is anyone else in your family as well-traveled as you?

I’m the only one really, man.

There’s not a ton of money in my family so I guess I’m the lucky one to travel a fair amount.

Just traveling the world, living the dream.

Fuck, I don’t know, I guess so. I don’t know what the dream is these days but I’m enjoying it for sure.

Do you currently make a living from skateboarding?

Yeah I’m getting by now, which is cool.

So when you get home, are you just sitting around the kitchen table, telling stories?

Yeah, pretty much. It’s pretty classic, you know: sit down and have dinner with the family. My English grandparents live with us now.

They’re both in their 80s, so it’s kind of funny coming back from a month-long trip in Bangkok with all these dudes doing all this crazy shit and then you sit down with the family and it’s like, back to square one.

“I’ve been lucky enough to travel and see what is beyond the bubble of Kamloops”

How far do you want to take all this, Matt? How far do you see yourself going?

I have no idea, man. I’m just skating and doing what I’ve always wanted to do, which is like, the coolest part.

I guess just keep doing what I’ve been doing and working hard and see where it ends up.

Do you have any role models or guys you look up to for advice?

Absolutely. With spending so much time in the States, I’ve been able to have a few cool chats with people. I’ve talked to Wade [Desarmo] about it multiple times, about how it kind of is in the industry. I just got back from a trip with Scott DeCenzo, Sascha Daley and Jordan Hoffart and all those dudes are in the industry as well, so you definitely learn from them for sure.

I’m the rookie on trips with them, always learning, which is cool.

What’s one lesson from those guys that has stuck with you?

Do You. It’s like: don’t concern yourself with everyone else in the entire industry. Just be yourself… just Do You.

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At what point did you start to see how it went from having fun without much responsibility, to being a part of “The Industry?”

It was all really gradual, there wasn’t like a day where it was just, ‘Oh okay, I have all these responsibilities now.’ I guess I have a lot of responsibilities when it comes to skating, but at the end of the day it never feels like a job. Never will.

The last month I spent in Asia, I guess you could say I went out to work, but it just felt like a vacation to me.

So what’s at stake for you then?

You say your family doesn’t come from a lot of money, so what’s at stake for you in this whole thing?

I don’t know, man. I guess your common stable future and that’s a question every skater asks themselves, especially when they’re trying to make something happen with their skateboarding. Honestly, I try not to put so much thought into it because there’s only so much that you can actually control when it comes to stuff like that. I just go with the flow and work hard.

And how hard are you prepared to work?

However hard I need to work.

These days it seems that in order to go pro you need to be more than good at skateboarding; you also have to be a good person or contribute something else to the world. Have you ever skated with guys like that?

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Absolutely. Just spending more time in L.A. I’ve gotten to know some skaters more than others and you definitely start to understand why some of the people are where the are in the industry. Of course they are amazing skateboarders, but then they are also awesome human beings, they can handle themselves and they have more to present to the world than just some crazy flip-in flip-out trick on their skateboard. I think a lot of kids forget about that and think that it’s all about tricks and they forget about a lot of things with skateboarding, you know, the style factor and the personality factor.

What’s one thing that you think you can give back to skateboarding?

I don’t know… I obviously haven’t put that much thought into something like that, you know? I’m always psyched to give away stuff.

I know a lot of skaters sell their product, I just usually give it away to homies and to kids and stuff, and I guess that’s kind of my way of giving back, for now. Maybe it’ll get more complex in the future, but for now I’m keeping it pretty basic, just hooking up kids here and there and giving away boards when I can.

What do you expect for Peru?

I have no idea man. It’s going to be so next level. Rich Odam is shooting the trip and he actually grew up in Peru and moved to Canada when he was 18 so he’s pretty much a fullblown local. He’s definitely going to be showing us some cool shit.

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When we’re in Lima, we’re going to fly to Machu Pichu. That’s been something I’ve wanted to go and see for years now. It’s fucked; an ancient city that’s built like 14,000 feet above sea level, and it’s so high up you’ve got to drink cocoa leaf tea in order to not puke. Just everything about it attracts me. It’s just so foreign. There’s just no comparable contrast to Kamloops than Machu Pichu and Peru, you know? Because growing up in Kamloops, a lot of people I went to high school with haven’t really had the chance to leave the city, they’re kind of stuck, locked down here working, living a really average life, and I’ve been lucky enough to travel and see what is beyond the bubble of Kamloops and when you come home and see the contrast of things, it’s a pretty crazy thing to think about.

How do you think that has changed you?

I’m definitely a lot more open to everything. Whether it’s trying new things, or simply meeting different types of human beings and what they’re general interests are, I don’t shun them away immediately just because of the way they look. I’m really open to everything. That’s kinda what travelling has really done for me in the past few years. I’ve been open to do and try anything.

To me it’s all about the experience.

When you go home, do you find it hard to share your experiences with people?

There’s definitely a lot of friends I’ve had throughout high school that I’ve talked to about the crazy experience I’ve had in China and

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then they’ll respond: “Don’t know how you fucking do it. I’m never fucking leaving this place. This is my home here.” They don’t really care to know what it’s like in China.

But you know, if that’s how they live, then that’s how they live and I have to respect that, but it’s just disappointing. I guess that’s the way I feel a lot of times when I talk to people like that.

What’s your first memory of seeing pros at a demo?

The very first one I actually fanned out was this one demo—and this was the old Kamloops park, so it’s the worst fucking park ever built—and I was so hyped to go there and see them skate it [but] it ended up raining that day and I was so bummed.

I think Geoff Dermer was the one I was psyched to see the most and he was skating the manny pad in the rain [laughs]. So fucking hyped.

It’s funny because I didn’t even know who he was, I was just so psyched because skaters were rolling through. The first really gnarly one was when Tony Hawk did a tour through Canada and he hit up Kamloops park and the local skate shop built ramps for them to put in the skatepark because the skatepark was so fucking shitty. They actually told us that the Kamloops park was the worst park they ever skated [laughs]. But just that fanning experience is so essential for someone growing up and skating; it just drives you to make you wanna skate more. It’s one thing I always cherished growing up skating.

Do you realize there’s probably a bunch of kids out there who

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feel the same way about you right now?

I guess so. It definitely doesn’t feel like that, but I guess I’m somewhat in that position now. It’s crazy how something so simple can create so much for someone. It’s fucking amazing. It’s the best.

If you weren’t skating, what would you be doing?

I honestly have no fucking clue man.

Because skateboarding virtually took over my life at such a young age, I have no idea. I first started skating when I was five-years-old and by the time I was 6, I was skating everyday; two hours at least, every single day, all day. I don’t have many memories of not skating, so I have no idea what I’d do.

Does that scare you at all?

[Laughs] Yeah, absolutely. I mean…

I guess not “scares me” but it definitely makes you wonder.

Does it motivate you to do the most you can with skating?

Absolutely. There’s no doubt about it. I know for a fact that for the rest of my life I’m going to be involved with skateboarding, no matter what, whether it’s working in the industry, or skating in the industry… this feels like it’s my home. It’s my comfort zone.

Does everything you do get filmed or photographed?

I’ve never gone out street skating and not filmed. That’s the thing, whenever I went street skating when I was younger, I’d always go out with a camera. I’d go skate the park, get my tricks down, then

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hit the streets and go film. So no, I don’t have one specific trick that I’ve done that I wish I filmed.

Speaking of filming, how psyched were you that your team won the 12HR Film Competition last year?

[Laughs] Dude, that was one of the funnest days in a long time. Some days, filming can be so stressful and you get so angry, but that day was just complete pure fucking fun. It isn’t even the fact that we won.

Seeing the finished product, that was the best feeling. You could tell how much fucking fun we had in the edit. That was the definition of a fun contest, ‘cause you know, when I go and skate a contest, it’s obviously really fun but there’s also this level of stress and anxiety you get when you’re about to do your run.

But that was the most unique skate contest I’ve ever skated in. It didn’t feel like a skate contest at all, it was just having fun with the homies and coming up with this crazy-ass idea, then putting it to work.

“It’s crazy how something so simple can create so much for someone.”

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words by john doe

photo by jane doe

Inspiration Bound The predatory word

Gulls of North America, Europe and Asia Olsen and Larsson Princeton University Press 2004

As members of the living, it is our job to nurture wonder and help reveal the total splendour of nature. By this I mean all of nature; gulls, thorns, viruses, longboards— the whole thing. There are a number of books that can help us do this (Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene [1975] and Vonnegut’s Galapagos [1985] to name a few) but the Gulls of North America, Europe and Asia [2004] is an obsessively researched and meticulously organized book and the world-leading text on gull identification.

The Gull Bible of the northern hemisphere.

Gulls of North America… is definitely more on the reference end of the book rainbow but it is precisely illustrated by Hans Larsson, and Klaus Malling Olsen is very effective in clarifying the fact that gulls might well present, “the most difficult subject in modern field identification.” Gull

trENDy WENDy

Why DoEs thE WorlD Exist:

species are distinguished based on: flight action, voice, size, wing length, bill length, bill depth at gonys, length of tarsus, leg colour, wingtip patterns, range and mantle colour. 47 distinct species are discussed.

Olsen describes every plumage and racial variation, hybrids, leucism and albinism.

Each gull’s maturation is broken down into eight distinct developmental stages.

The work involved here is pretty mind-blowing and Olsen still concedes that many distinctions can be so subtle, “no-one will ever be able to identify every large gull.” I wonder how often he runs into people who say, “come on, they’re only seagulls,” and if those are the same people who look at a bench and see nothing more than something to sit on?

-John Rattray

For you, thE trAvEllEr: A humAN GuiDE to thE WorlD

Walter Scott self-published (2012)

An Existential Detective Story Jim Holt W.W. Norton & Company (2012)

Nabil Sabio Azadi self-published, (2012)

Check out Walter Scott’s Trendy Wendy: a wry look at the life of a young female artist with similar deadpan humour as the others in the series.

Sardonic and sentimental, the story of Wendy captures the contemporary art world through the eyes of a naïve unpaid arts intern. Wendy is a cliché companion book to making it amongst the drugs, alcohol, parties and casual sex that accompanies any youth-induced scene. One can’t help relating to the highs and lows of Wendy’s ambitious intent or admire her shortcomings and sordid affairs for their self-aware slacker style.-JJ

Jim Holt and a cast of today’s brightest philosophical minds tackle the greatest question in the history of humanity: Why is there something rather than nothing? Hitting it from all angles, these geniuses talk you in circles for pages, but then, just when you think they’ve lost you with their metaphysical language the author lays down a sentence so clear and soul-shaking that everything else—all the physical “realities” your mind has constructed—falls away and you are left floating in a sea of nothing, like some cosmic baby sucking on the great thumb of life. -DP

For You the Traveler is like a relic from a time when you could still get truly lost. This guidebook

by Iranian/New Zealand artist Nabil Sabio Azadi breaks the mold of traditional travelogues by offering an index of people rather than places.

Within its meticulously hand-written pages, you’ll find intimate stories of kind strangers who Nabil has encountered around the world, plus illustrated maps of the places they inhabit and their phone numbers. With participants spread across five continents, it’s like you’ve stumbled upon Marco Polo’s address book. -AJ

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volume 11

number 1

Trailer Videos reviewed

dece vid

Rob Harris (green diamond) Rob Harris (the master at arms behind the ever popular Green Diamond website and “Diamond Days” web clips out of N.Y.C.) has finally been so kind as to give us as close to a full-length feature as I think we’ll ever see. In addition to our favourite Canadian-atlarge Torey Goodall, stand out parts include: Nick Boserio, Alex Olson, Dave Willis and Yaje Popson who certainly learns Black Hubba a thing or two. Coupled with a deadly soundtrack and all the gimmicks you’d expect from the city, these folk sure are having a good time throughout the boroughs. Watch this video!

— Gordon Nicholas www.thegreendiamond.com

pretty sWeet

All-city shoWdoWN

pAreNtAl Advisory

Ty Evans, Spike Jonze, Cory Weincheque (girl/chocolate)

Ben Kaplan (35th north)

Randall Kirk II (dgk)

Although there are three listed directors, the hand of Ty Evans is heavily felt here. We now know that this was Ty’s last project with Crailtap and he really went for it. From the cinematic long intro (shot via helicopter) to the interesting mix of music, Evans employed all the bells and whistles in Final Cut. While some parts have the feel of a rap video, the quality of skating and filming cuts through the superfluous and featured pros and AMs come through with some of their best footage to date. While the montages satiated our need for certain skaters, it also made us salivate for those we wanted more from (looking at you, Canadian Ricks). Good thing the extras disc has an hour’s worth of footage.

Few companies have had the depth of riders or history as Girl/Chocolate and Pretty Sweet is a continuation of that ground they laid, but is also, in many ways, a passing of the torch to the next generation of rippers. In the end it does what a video is supposed to do: inspire us to go have fun.

— Isaac McKay-Randozzi

Every year, the gnarliest slosh-bucklers the Northwest has to offer converge in the streets of Seattle to partake in the All City Showdown: a contest framed in blood, demanding of sweat and almost always ending in tears. Crews of skaters band together to get as much footage as possible in eight hours in the hopes of winning money and pseudo stature by tapping the gnar-gnar. The carcass huckers, the cargo short wearers and the ex-crack addicts all have a chance to bask in the glory of citywide stardom if they can just focus their post-grunge vigor long enough to just land… that… one… trick. This year (no different than any other), feelings got hurt, people broke femurs, kickflips were caught and the spoils went to the victors. Do yourself a favour and check out the full video to witness contemporary skateboarding at its best and to find out why Kurt Cobain really killed himself. All hail SK8RATS!!! All hail VIC’S MARKET!!! All hail Seattle!!!

— Noel Sinclair Boyt

Smoking weed, stealing cars, paintball drive-bys, graffiti, theft and all other sorts of malfeasance that would make your mama cry and your dad kick your ass to the curb. In a lot of ways, Parental Advisory is what a skate video should be: a representation of a culture and the company it depicts. In this sense, it’s DGK all day. With a production value that may have even surpassed Pretty Sweet, the sections between parts are full of cameos, extras and pretty ladies behaving the way you’d expect from a DGK video. The music and style of editing might not stoke out every skater, but the raw talent and depth of the team will make just about anyone wish for as much steez as Wade D., board control as Rodrigo TX and power as Marcus McBride.

Get stoked, go skate and stay out of jail.

— Isaac McKay-Randozzi

www.35thnorth.com

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vol. 11

no. 1

Sound Cheque Put an extra spring in your step

The Men

The Go

happy JaWbone FaMily band

New Moon

Fiesta

Tastes The Broom

(Sacred Bones)

(Burger)

(Mexican Summer)

In just over three years, N.Y.C’s The Men have managed to go from raging hardcore band to country-tinged rock and roll with ease. The punk and hardcore sides of the band have been sidelined for now, and here it works to their benefit. You notice something is different right from the start of the LP, which opens with an upbeat piano melody and is backed by lightly plucked acoustic guitar and a warm slide guitar. Don’t despair, it turns out that the intro is as mellow as the group gets and the tempo picks up throughout.—MR

Since 1999, Detroit’s The Go have remained on the fringes of garage rock. Long-time supporters, Burger Records, dish their first double LP for the band, which continues down the lineage of no frills, free and easy, groovin’ rock and roll that they’ve been effortlessly servin’ up for the last decade and a half.

The band crawls out from the 60s-inspired garage of the past and move up into the hipshakin’ 70s. Fiesta probably won’t be the one that brings them to the masses, but us fans of the band kinda’ like it that way.—MR

In just a few years, Happy Jawbone Family Band (one of the best kept secrets in contemporary indie rock) has released a smattering of records across all formats. Now Mexican Summer has compiled an excellent primer of this ramshackle and mysterious group.

Multiple guitars pluck out of time, unknowable things chime and whir in the background, vocals are charmingly off-key and the group plods through the songs in a rickety fashion, all of which bring to mind the warped psychedelia of Elephant 6 bands. —MR

Parquet Courts Light Up Gold (What’s Your Rupture?)

Every once in a while you hear a record that reaffirms your faith in a genre, namely the overused and abused “indie rock”—a tag added to just about any group with at least one bearded member and half an ounce of quirk. Enter Parquet Courts, a trio based out of N.Y.C.-via-Texas who make the kind of no frills indie rock that yer daddy used to flail around to. Quick and catchy rock ‘n roll played with just enough competence and usually at a punk tempo, though the band know when to slow it down here and there. -MR

Freak heaT Waves

arboureTuM

Colleen Green

Self-Titled

Coming Out Of The Fog

Sock It To Me

(Self-Released)

(Thrill Jockey)

(Hardly Art)

Initial comparisons to Women are warranted (the album was produced by the late Chris Reimer) but unfair, as the band escapes their influence without sounding overly derivative.

Listeners will hear traces of the best motorik beats from the early-70s krautrock, fused with angular, repetitive guitar riffs: a driving repetition at the heart of the ‘rock’ songs on this album. Ambient passages of effected guitars fill the space between a few songs and are a welcome pause from the terseness of the rest of the album. -Evan McDowell

This is one of those records that is made for people that like to read, by people who like to read. Pure, intellectual windsurfing, troll dance music of the inner ear. There are times on this album when you actually think they just recorded singer Dave Heumann sitting at his home reading a book out loud, and were just like, “Fuck, there it is! Let’s bottle that magic and turn it into the tears of a thousand teenage girls at private school, and the golden dreams of fifty old men that still act like they are pre-teen baseball stars.”–Bobby Lawn

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“Colleen Green is long hair and getting high,” so says her one-sheet. I have long hair and I love getting high. So I cooked up a couple of points of China White heroin and jammed the needle into a large vein on my dick (everyone has their spot!). I put Colleen’s debut record on and was automatically tingling all over, floating on a cloud of used gum. Straight up pop songs with a drum machine and her voice has a Young Marble Giants vibe. Then the door smashed open and my girlfriend came in and started yelling at me. –Bobby Lawn

Left to right adam hopkins - backside lien air (antosh photo) / trevn sharp + jordan hoffart / brooklyn wright + brittany simpson / bdubs, micky papa / fortune mamas / charity, effy + jorden murray / magnus hanson + myrosha daley / sascha daley / ramp lurking / you go, I go, we all go to know show! (crowle photos)

it was class meets crass when we set up a ramp inside Vancouver Urban Winery for a Quiksilver KNoW ShoW after-party. All i can say is: wine on tap.

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spring 2013 photos by gordon nicholas life

Last Nite

Wine & Cheese skateboard party

back

words by john doe

photo by jane doe

Credits Quality human beings friends

Founder / Creative direCtor Sandro Grison

redesign / art direCtion Wedge & Lever

photo editor / senior photographer Gordon Nicholas

managing editor Dan Post

arts editor Jenn Jackson

musiC editor Mark Richardson

Fashion editor Mila Franovic

saLes direCtor Jonathan Mattice 604 789 3819

media manager Benny Zenga

advertising info@colormagazine.ca / 604 873 6699

Contributing photographers Aaron Wynia, Alana Paterson, Andrew Norton, Andy Forberg, Antosh Cimoszko, Babas Levrai, Ben Karpinski, Brian Caissie, David Waldman, Geoff Clifford, Henrik Plenge Jakobsen, Isaac McKay-Randozzi Jared Sherbert, Jared Will, Jay Delaney, Jeff Comber, Jeremy R. Jensen, Joey Crowle, Kynan Tait, Matthew Burditt, Mike Peperdine, Mike Stanfield, Nathan Éthier-Myette, Oscar Szdlowski, Pat O’rourke, Rene Gauthier, Rich Odam, Robertas Narkus,Ryan Allan, Sam Ashley, Stacy Gabriel, Will Jivcoff

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Contributing editors Aidan Johnston, Bjorn Olson, D.M. Collins, Isaac McKay-Randozzi, Jai Ball, Jay Delaney, John Rattray, Noel Sinclair-Boyt, Peta Rake, Ryan Mcguigan

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