Concrete Skateboarding Issue 119 - July 2012

Issue 119 July 2012 free

BORDER CITIES A LEG TO STAND ON WINDSOR & DETROIT

MITCH BARRETTE, WILL MARSHALL & FRIENDS IN FLA

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ Issue 119 july 2012

MICKY PAPA, MATT BERGER & DEREK SWAIM

ANTISOCIAL TURNS 10 • WAITING FOR LIGHTNING Five Spot josh kalis & keith hufnagel Sound Check andre nickatina Art Blender ed templeton

INTRODUCING

PICO XLK MORE INFO AT LAKAI.COM

L A K A I L I M I T E D F O O T W EAR T H E S H O E S WE S K AT E JOHNSON / MARIANO / CARROLL / HOWARD / WELSH / BIEBEL / LENOCE / WALKER / ALVAREZ / TERSHY FERNANDEZ / ESPINOZA / HAWK / GILLET / BRADY / JENSEN / photo by Yoon Sul / ad #156 / lakai.com + crailtap.com supradistribution.com / lakaistickers@supradistribution.com

SEBO WALKER

SWITCH FRONTSIDE FLIP

issue 119 • july 2012

FEATURES

ALLEYSIDE WHAT GARAGES ARE REALLY FOR 28 10 YEARS OF BEING ANTISOCIAL 36 BORDER CITIES 24

A GUIDE TO WINDSOR & DETROIT

46 A LEG TO STAND ON

AUSTIN FYFE, CHARLIE BOWINS, MITCH BARRETTE & WILL MARSHALL IN FLORIDA

56 CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’

MICKY PAPA, MATT BERGER & DEREK SWAIM

76 WAITING FOR LIGHTNING

WITH DANNY WAY

First Timer cover photo & caption by

Rich Odam

After MICKY PAPA and I arrived at Black Ice, we walked to the edge of the run-up and looked down at the very last step of the famous downtown Vancouver double. Not sure what it is, but this thing looks bigger every time. I asked if he had tried anything there, to which he mentioned: “I’ve never skated this thing before.” Not even an ollie. Micky opted for the corner-across-the-street start up line, which leaves you dealing with traffic and pedestrians before a quick carve-in to the black concrete, kind of like a high stakes game of “Peekaboo, here’s the set!” On three landing attempts his board shot out because of the sheer speed, but within a couple more tries he landed a VARIAL HEELFLIP in such a way that made the huge six-flat-five look more like a five-stair. And that’s the short story of how Micky got his very first cover.

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visit concreteskateboarding com on your desktop or mobile device for the issue 119 extras.

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Concrete skateboarding

Chris HaslaM Feeble to front foot impossible 180 ouT photos

Sergio Alvarez

Jordan Hoffart Backside smithgrind photo

Deville Nunes

issue 119 • july 2012

DEPARTMENTS 8

PAST BLAST ISSUE #53 MAY 2001 12/14 INVENTORY 16/92 FIVE SPOT

JOSH KALIS / KEITH HUFNAGEL

20

ART BLENDER ED TEMPLETON 68 EXPOSURE GALLERY 78 YOUNG BLOODS

LINTAMAN / HACKER / KLEIN / THOMAS

88

VIDEO LINKS 90 SOUND CHECK ANDRE NICKATINA 4

Concrete skateboarding

Rise & Shine – Dylan Doubt words & photo

jeff thorburn

Need to find the best sandwich in White Rock, the best beer in Montreal, the best espresso in San Francisco or the best of anything, anywhere at all? Forget your brilliant phone, just ask Dylan Doubt. He’s the greatest appreciator of life’s smallest yet finest offerings that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Seeing the beauty in minute details has made Dylan one of Canada’s most notable skateboard photographers. I’ve seen him get more excited about where a guy’s leading hand is on a frontside air than he would likely ever get about the amount of stairs someone is blasting down. So who better to have than a guy like Dylan digging through his old photos? On p.28 he gives us a retrospective look over the last ten years of what might be the world’s greatest skateboard shop.

dylandoubt.com

ryan sheckler

switch frontside bigspin heelflip / melbourne, australia etnies.com

Sheckler 6 timebombtrading.com facebook.com/timebombtrading

KAUAI, HI | BLABAC PHOTO

DCSHOES.COM/SKATEBOARDING

Existing as Canada’s longest-running skate magazine has its advantages, one being a deep archive that spans back to 1990.

So each issue we’ll take a random look at our past…

ISSUE #53 May 2001

Russ Milligan kickflip noseslide [o] kyle shura

I got this sequence out at the University of British Columbia when I was 17 or 18. Kyle Shura was rad to skate with; he always had some strange idea for me that he was so hyped to shoot. It was motivating.

I was fresh out of high school, skating every day with Kyle and Jeremy Pettit, and I starting to film for the RDS/FSU/2002 video.

I was just getting into the swing of shooting photos and filming, and this was actually one of the first photos I had published. UBC was really good to skate and that ledge was kind of a hot spot back then. People were out there skating it every weekend, and we were missioning out there from North Van a lot.

I was pretty shocked when I found out this made it on the cover. I think Brian Caissie told me beforehand, but I didn’t really believe it until I saw a copy. I never expected a cover, especially a sequence cover. Shooting 35mm sequences was so different.

Every try cost a few bucks, so there was big pressure. I’m pretty sure Kyle had a pile of used film lying beside him and it came right down to the last tries before he ran out.

— Russ Milligan

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VINCENT ALVAREZ / DARYL ANGEL / MIKE MO CAPALDI / MIKE CARROLL / JUSTIN ELDRIDGE / DANIEL ESPINOZA JESUS FERNANDEZ / AUSTYN GILLETTE / JERRY HSU / CORY KENNEDY / WES KREMER / GUY MARIANO JOHN MOTTA / JOSE ROJO / MILES SILVAS / JERON WILSON / WWW.ROYALSKATEBOARDTRUCK.COM SUPRADISTRIBUTION.COM / ROYALSTICKERS@SUPRADISTRIBUTION.COM

Photo by: RODENT

follow all your favourite brands at: ultimateskateboarddist.com facebook.com/ultimatedistribution instagram: @ultimatedist

Portrait Photo by: Kevin Barnett

KROOKED

SHMOO SUPER PACK

HUF

TWILL BASEBALL SHIRT

Looking for fresh pieces, I did the usual—surf around to sites and ask various PR and marketing contacts what’s good. I looked at Page 1 of the HUF Summer ’12 catalogue and immediately stopped at this vintagelooking baseball-style shirt with a military twist. Find one and keep it for years, then hand it down to your best bud. He’ll thank you for it, same with his girl at the time.

It’s no secret, Gonz is legend-status on and off the board. We know that. But we like to remind you of that, and we’re stoked to be able to showcase what Krooked has going on trinket-wise, including the “Diamond” headphones and wallet, “Eyes” 2-finger ring, “Shmoo” necklace and the “Awry” snapback. Now you can seriously get Shmoofaced. Wear it loud and proud, just don’t wear it all together at once. dlxsf.com

collection compiled by casey jones

hufworldwide.com

REAL x 4Q

LIMITED EDITION Deck

ETNIES

CALLOWAY COLLECTION

Devine Calloway has great taste, and all of his Etnies pieces are proof of that. Crisp, classic Americana style. The “Madera” tank, “Bakersfield” woven and Calloway pant are no exception. The tank pops for summer, and the light twill bottoms can be tweaked however you want. That classic plaid long sleeve button-up is perfect for those amazing summer nights. Skate or après-skate friendly. etnies.com/skate

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Concrete skateboarding

Max Schaaf has his own Oakland, California-based motorcycle “custom conditioning shop” called 4Q, and REAL teamed up with him and artist Chris Wright to create this custom graphic. A bright-coloured, black light, ’70s retro joint with a wicked “born free” vibe. Keep checking our site for a giveaway featuring this limited-edition deck, along with an amazing 23 x 29” velvetflocked black light poster of the graphic. dlxsf.com / 4qconditioning.blogspot.ca / statigr.am/seldomwright

Bo ReiD follow all your favourite brands at: ultimateskateboarddist.com facebook.com/ultimatedistribution instagram: @ultimatedist

a TruE LEgenD...

LAKAI

CARROLL 5

You want to be like Mike, and this colourway makes it more fun. As part of their Summer ’12 drop, Lakai came bright with this blue and silver combo. The Carroll 5 also comes straight with a tacky gum rubber outsole, molded shock absorbing PU insole and a flexible vulcanized outsole. Get reminded about how Mike introduced Andre Nickatina to the skate world on p.90, then lace these up. lakai.com

C1RCA x UNIVERSE VALEO

C1RCA, Push.ca and Concrete teamed up for Store Wars 2011, a contest that challenged Canadian shops to submit team videos for a chance to win $10,000 in electronics, coverage in both the mag and online, and access to customizing a C1RCA shoe of their choice. Universe Boardshop from Repentigny, QC, emerged as the champs and utilized the clean and stylish Valeo. Check out our Riding High feature about their win in Issue 117, which you can find in full at concreteskateboarding.com. c1rca.com / universeboardshop.com

ETNIES

BLEDSOE LOW

We were psyched to be able to showcase a follow-up Pro shoe for another wonder kid, Tyler Bledsoe. It’s chopped down in height this time and features double-wrapped vulc, like his first one, for increased durability during the longer summer skate days. The shoe also features a unique lace-locking system, which allows you to pop the tongue while keeping the right amount of pressure on the top of your foot for control. etnies.com/skate

DVS

TOREY 2

The ledge destroyer went slim and low with his latest shoe, which is a radical departure from his first Pro shoe–a mid. T-Puds is coming in contemporary with this one, going thinner and staying vulcanized for increased board feel. A lacing system that won’t interfere with your flick and a molded EVA footbed make them even more pleasurable to get up on things. dvsshoes.com/skate

14 Concrete skateboarding

distributed by Ultimate

Josh kalis Kalis is a unique dude. Not many people have done it so well for so long. One of the coolest things is how he still brings the same energy and passion to skating that seemed to be everywhere as kids. Josh is a true OG in the game and it really doesn’t seem like he has ever slowed down for injuries or anything else in the 20-plus years he’s been doing it.

mike blabac

Josh has given his life to skating, the progression of skating, and the correct way to do a fuckin’ tre flip. He will always be held as a standard for what real street skating is.

—Colin McKay

Albums

Skate Homies

HellaClips Brick Layers

1. Nas: Illmatic 2. Metallica: Master of Puppets 3. Fugazi: 13 Songs 4. Gang Starr: Hard to Earn 5. KRS-One: Return of the Boom Bap

1. All the late night crew in Chicago 2. My DGK dudes 3. My SoCal guys: Duffy, Miller, Kremer, Vaughn 4. Island Mob up in Sucka Free 5. The L.A. Love JKwon Homies

1. Matt Hensley: Hokus Pokus (H-Street, 1989) 2. Natas Kaupas: Streets On Fire (Santa Cruz, 1989) 3. Gino Iannucci: Snuff (101, 1993) 4. Pat Duffy: Questionable (Plan B, 1992) 5. Danny Way: Questionable

Websites

Instagrammers

Barcy Spots

1. hellaclips.com 2. slapmagazine.com 3. lateral-g.net 4. youtube.com 5. speedsociety.com

1. Mike Blabac @blabacphoto 2. Sid and Thurm Sewell @theatltwins 3. Jamie Thomas @jamiethomas 4. DGK @dgk 5. Jim Thiebaud @jimt43

1. MACBA 2. Sants 3. Old Fondo 4. Anything on the Red Line 5. Anything on the Yellow Line

Canadian Skaters

Dream Cars

Off-Board Activities

1. Morgan Smith… Damn, Morgan Smith!

2. Colin McKay 3. Rick Howard 4. Mark Appleyard 5. Justin Bokma and Bill Weiss

1. McLaren F1 2. Ferrari F40 3. Pagani Zonda R 4. Ferrari FXX 5. Ferrari 250 GTB

1. Kick it with my Jae Jae shorty rock 2. Kickin’ it with my Lila shorty rock 3. Getting it good with Olivia 4. Driving the shit out of my Camaro 5. Fixing my Camaro

Love Park Alumni

Videos You’re In

Movies

1. Stevie Williams 2. Ricky Oyola 3. Fred Gall 4. Matt Reason 5. Fat Bill

1. Zoo York: Peep This (1999) 2. Uprise Skateshop: Chicago’s Finest (2006) 3. TWS: The Sixth Sense (1998) 4. 411 #30: The Industry - Alien Workshop (1998) 5. Alien Workshop: Photosynthesis (2000)

1. Heat (1995) 2. Carlito’s Way (1993) 3. City of God (2002) 4. Clockers (1995) 5. New Jack City (1991)

16 Concrete skateboarding

& VIDEO CLIPS BLACKLABEL SKATES | NEVER BE BOUGHT NEVER BE SOLD | CHECK THE BLACK LABEL SITE FOR THE LATEST PRODUCTS BLACKLABELSKATES distributed by Ultimate .CO

M

distributed by Ultimate

We re working on it.

ed templeton A rt i s t - ph oto g r a ph e r - De s ig n e r - p r o f e s s i o na l s k at e b oa r d e r - B r a n d M a nag e r -

T

here is unlikely any skateboarder from the past 20 years who doesn’t know Huntington Beach, California’s Ed Templeton, whether it be for his skateboarding, photos or art. Ed has been consistent with his output in all of those areas and has incorporated them into products and advertising for Toy Machine, Emerica and other brands he collaborates with and is sponsored by. It all started when he created the graphics for his first New Deal Pro model in 1990, featuring the iconic cat graphic (see the Toy Machine reissue of it below).

The evolution of Ed’s style hasn’t been a dramatic one, but has grown more subtle and nuanced over time. His characters have come to life and seem to have their own secrets and twisted suburban stories.

Ed chooses to stay in Huntington Beach, which is well known for skateboarding but not as a fine art hotbed, unless you consider tribal tattoos a form of creative expression. Even in the post-war suburban tract housing of H.B., Ed is able to take from and document teenage angst and boredom, along with a larger view of the world through his constant travels

for skateboarding and art. On the fine art side of things, Ed has gallery representation by Roberts & Tilton, based in Los Angeles, and keeps himself busy with a solo show almost every year and numerous group shows worldwide.

It’s not difficult for all grade school skaters with a knack for drawing to be inspired by Ed’s proven ability to mesh all his disciplines.

—Randy Laybourne toymachine.com/ed

clockwise from top left:

“In a world where everything seems to look the same, Ed has been navigating his own unique approach to art and design for nearly two decades. Whether it be humour or awkwardness, I love how his art always evokes emotion.”

—Jamie Thomas 20

Concrete skateboarding

Toy Machine “Cat” deck Toy Machine “Ed Brain Stab deck Toy Machine “Marks Match” deck Toy Machine “Provost Punk” deck Toy Machine “Diego” deck Toy Machine “Girl’s Face” deck Toy Machine “Lurkfest” deck Toy Machine “Cruiser” wheel Toy Machine Good & Evil DVD Toy Machine “Stairway” tee Toy Machine “Sect” sock Emerica “Tempster” shoe Emerica “China Flats” shoe Toy Machine “Turtle Boy” sock Toy Machine “Sock Monsters”

“Cross Out� by Ed Templeton. Created exclusively for Concrete Skateboarding.

visit concreteskateboarding.com to download art blender wallpapers for your computer / iphone / ipad.

Y TRUCKS DARD ALLO

* THAN STAN

BE DUNCOMM APSTONE FEEBLE KS.COM THEEVETRUC

distributed by Ultimate

FO URSTARSTI CKE RS@SUP RADI S T R I B U T I O N . C O M / W W W. S U P R A D I S T R I B U T I O N . C O M

words & photos

owen woytowich

After a full day of work, wouldn’t it be nice to have something to come home and skate—any day of the year?

Instead of just wondering what it’d be like, Edmonton’s Matt Mastrovito decided to put his carpentry skills to use and create himself a skate spot in his tight 360 square foot garage—a project he has appropriately named “Alleyside” in honour of the iconic DIY park in Portland.

“This whole thing started after I got home from Burnside and was inspired to build,” Matt mentions. “It just made sense because I wanted to learn how to do it and have somewhere to skate until the snow was gone.”

It hasn’t been an overnight project by any means. Matt spent countless hours perfecting his little skate haven, including testing the progression as it happened. What started on New Year’s Day in 2011 as a simple quarter-pipe that was about two-feet tall has now grown.

“I needed more of a challenge, so on the anniversary date of the original quarter being built, I decided it was time to expand with a three-anda-half-foot radius corner first,” he explains. “Then I rebuilt the original quarter a little taller and tighter with an extension to mix it up. After that was completed, I poured the second eight-foot-wide quarter with a pool-style hip at the end. The entire expansion project was completed in a month only working on weekends. And the garage is still functional; I still have enough room to park my full-size pickup in there.”

You can’t help but be astonished by the craftsmanship in it either. Not really a huge surprise when you consider the owner is a journeyman carpenter, I suppose. Thanks to that, Matt blended his many years of skating transition with his trade work and the attention to detail that goes along with it. Of course, if you’re going to replicate a pool, you should incorporate a pool light to grind over, right? So, being true to form, Matt dug one out of an old abandoned pool and installed the piece.

Then came the Tedder Stone pool coping he picked up in Montana.

It seems as if he’s been putting together a cement puzzle in his garage, created from nearly 90 bags of hand-mixed and troweled Quikrete.

“To me, building this was just as much fun as getting to skate it,” he says.

“You really feel the reward for all the hard work and time invested when your friends come over to session. Alleyside has reconnected me with a lot of friends that I don’t usually get to skate with, and has helped show all of them that you can make it happen if you want it bad enough.”

How can you have something similar to skate when you get home at night? Matt would tell you that all you need is some DIY attitude, a place to put it, soft wheels to reduce noise, a lot of hard-working friends willing to help out, and one really understanding wife. The rest boils down to using your imagination and wanting to have a lot of fun.

—Matt Mastrovito

Cory Forster backside tailslide

Matt Mastrovito 5-0 nose grab Jamie Tancowny backside noseblunt

Concrete skateboarding

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Rick McCrank Mordor, NZ - 2009

words

JEFF THORBURN

photos & captions

DYLAN DOUBT

A

“ ntisocial does not exist to empty your wallet and sell you the hottest item, and it never has. Be it a meet-up spot before a skate session, a place to check out a band or some art, or just a place to go and chat while you’re walking by, Antisocial is for the people,” says Rick McCrank, coowner of the much-loved Vancouver skateboard shop on 2337 Main Street that’s celebrating its tenth year in existence.

Antisocial gained international notoriety right away, thanks to the involvement of McCrank, the shop’s Michael Leon-designed logo, as well as the store’s somewhat bare bones look. No flashy displays, no sunglasses, no longboards, no snowboards—just products made by skateboarders, for skateboarders.

“The shop is very curated,” says Mike Christie, team rider and friend from Day 1, “and people like that. I think it’s the same reason some skate companies are always going to be cool; they’re skater-owned and controlled, and they’re dedicated to doing what’s best for skateboarding, not necessarily what’s going to generate the most cash.”

Keegan Sauder, also a team rider from the beginning, backs that up: “Michelle [Pezel, co-owner] doesn’t seem to mind not making money!

And she cares about the Vancouver skateboard scene.”

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Michelle Pezel - 2012

KEEGAN SAUDER BACKSMITH ANTISOCIAL GALLERY PARK - 2006

brian caissie

The “Until We Get Leeside” art installation by Seb Templer ran for two months in the winter during this era of shop/gallery/skatepark. Stopping by to say hello or get grip would turn into epic raging sessions with the likes of Mr. Sauder destroying the flatbottomless U-pipe. But, of course, nothing golden ever stays…

KEEGAN SAUDER FRONTSIDE LIPSLIDE VANCOUVER, BC - 2005 Shortly after opening its doors, the self-titled Antisocial Video was released in 2004, the shop’s first and only full-length to date. “Videos are very much about timing,” says Christie, “and I think the Antisocial Video is varied enough that nobody’s part gets monotonous. We knew that we had an eclectic team, which at the time was more unusual, so we decided to just embrace that. The video has a particular visual aesthetic, and it isn’t about the tricks as much as the feelings in each person’s part.

And remember, it was edited by the creative genius behind Poler, Benji Wager, and he put serious brooding and thought into how it was all put together. It’s very subtly crafted, and people like that. There are some edits in Quinn Starr’s part that still make me tremble with joy.”

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Within minutes of the roll away, Keegan was on the phone with The Chief letting him know that he had come through with a photo for his first Pro ad. I’m sure the next step was to fuck off into the woods for a week or so, eating nothing but fruit and shitting only in the ocean. The man is forever an inspiration.

QUINN STARR BACKSIDE NOSEGRIND ANTISOCIAL SHOP RAMP - 2008

The second incarnation of the shop as a skatepark hosted many a good session including the notorious “3 Is The Magic Number” team contest. Quinn was and always will be a major component of any good session and adventure. Shed a tear for all the fallen ramps of yesteryear, and scheme about those of tomorrow...

JESSE BOOI BACKSIDE TAILSLIDE VANCOUVER, BC - 2002

The black flamingo is a rare breed. One of many nocturnal missions during a time when he and Trevor Dunnett were finding, building and fixing everything in sight. Not always with such success as this, but rarely anything short of a good time.

MICHAEL McDERMOTT SWITCH OLLIE BURNABY, BC - 2005

When McD has something in mind, you know that he is going to bloody well do his best. Despite his non-stop rocking in the van, he is a pleasure to have on any trip. Well, except for any time that he isn’t getting tricks and turns sour, but we will forgive him that. That’s what family does.

Another eclectic member of the team from the shop’s earliest days is Mike McDermott. He had a standout part in the video, and a few years later turned Pro for Habitat Skateboards International.

“We all had large appetites to get some recognition out of skateboarding,” he says. “We were all so different but had a great dynamic. We were proud and ripping!”

In 2009, Mike took some of the lessons he learned from Antisocial, returned to his hometown of Winnipeg, and opened the Green Apple Skateboard Shop. “The most important thing I learned from Antisocial, which I now apply to Green Apple, is to stay humble and give a fuck about skateboarding.”

Despite now running his own shop with his own team, Mike assures that his bond is still strong with Antisocial: “I’m still on, bro. Quote me.”

From the kid buying his first board, to the young person working so they can constantly buy boards, to Pros looking for a place to set up a board and shoot the breeze, Antisocial offers a home base to every skateboarder that stops in.

MIKE CHRISTIE KICKFLIP 50-50 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - 2004

Without Mike, the poor team would have been stuck with only one father, and likely a grumpy one at that. Forever occupying shotgun on the road, creating a rotating CD playlist, keeping the kids happy and opening some minds. Or taking the wheel on the long overnight legs, sweating and smoking furiously.

RICK McCRANK, FRONTSIDE OLLIE MELBOURNE, AU - 2007

Hoping to capitalize on the epic good times that the Antisocial team had experienced the year before, Rick and I planned a return to Melbourne to shoot his interview. But without the likes of Stoby Dick, Mitch, Fyfe et al, it was proving to be no small task. We still got it done, but our plans of wrapping it up in the first week and spending the rest of the trip at the beach and in the mountains would not be realized.

While filming for the Antisocial Video, Keegan Sauder moved through the ranks of turning Pro for Zero, and spent those early days working at Foundation—a popular restaurant just down the street from the shop. As he recalls: “Thinking of skate tricks while in a dish pit, and then scoring free grip at the shop was sick!”

Antisocial is a successful shop because it exists for skateboarders. It has been around for 10 years and will continue to be around for many more. My son will need a job when he’s a teenager, and I can think of no better gig than gripping boards at Antisocial for the summer.

I’ll leave you with these words from McCrank: “I think I get a lot of credit for Antisocial, when my contribution is only a speck compared to Michelle’s. She is the heart and soul of Antisocial and deserves that credit.” From everyone that has been supported by Antisocial over these past 10 years: thank you, Michelle. antisocialshop.com

Concrete skateboarding

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photo: brian fick

SO GOOD

GUILTY

7.5-7.75 x 31.5

8.0-8.25 x 32.0

Windsor AND

Detroit T h e

B o r d e r

C i t i e s

G u i d e

words and photos by Will Jivcoff design by Kelly Litzenberger

O

ver the course of my journey through the Windsor-Detroit border cities it became evident that skating here is different from the rest of Southern Ontario. Not only are both cities difficult to skate, but the vibe and attitudes from the locals are unique. It’s no secret that through the eyes of a skateboarder, the grey concrete jungle becomes a playground and this new world was no exception.

What is it about the grime and ruggedness of a city that causes us to fall in love with it though? If a city is considered so dangerous, so sketchy, why is it that we only see freedom and opportunity? Enter the Windsor-Detroit border cities where, after weaving through the various hoods and sifting through the dirt and grime, lie two cities full of adventure and uncharted skate territory. Here you’ll find locals whose skating is ever changing, and to whom the sponsor list need not apply. Even for the well-traveled, the “Armpit” and the “Dirty D” always seem to reel them back home to their warm-hearted locals and tight-knit scenes. I’ve been making steady skate adventures to the two border cities for about four years and, while I can’t quite put my finger on the charisma that is Windsor and Detroit, I’ve enlisted the help of Windsor originals Lee Saunders, Hill Sulpher, Jamie Jeffery and Detroit inhabitant Jim Tumey to make sure you understand why.

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Hill Sulpher Backside Kickflip Windsor

This is a perfect example of a grimy Windsor spot that also happens to be one of Hill’s favourites. Prostitute and junkie sightings are the regular around these parts and on this day Jim Tumey watched a meth’d out chick crash her bike into his parked car.

Windsor, Ontario Changing landscapes on the drive into Windsor reveal flat farmland and the roughness of the city begins to show itself well before you jump on your board. Be it the worn, blue collar attitudes of the citizens or the different styles in the way each skater attacks a spot, the ruggedness permeates through the streets, the buildings and the people. Of all the skaters in the area, Jamie Jeffery would know best.

“I’ve lived in Windsor my whole life and have been skating the area for almost 22 years. Windsor isn’t the biggest city so you have to get creative and adapt your skating with the spots.”

Having been skating the same spots for so long, Jamie learned to take a more positive approach. “It’s good when things get boring, it forces you to look at things a bit differently. It challenges you to approach your skating

and your spots in new ways. When all else fails, we have Detroit at our fingertips to go mess around with, too.”

We know it doesn’t matter whether you’re in your small town or southern California, your hometown spots can go stale. How does one maintain stoke while staying within the confines of Windsor? As Jamie says, “It comes down to the scene, man. I’ve seen people come and go around here but in the end it’s about whoever’s sticking around because they’re out there for the love and the fun. It’s not hard to go skate, to push and progress yourself as long as you’re with friends and having a good time. Skateboarding is always changing whether it’s the tricks or the spot, so I think that’s why I’ve been able to skate here for so damn long. I feel like the longer you keep skating the more creative you prove yourself to be too.”

Jamie Jeffery Crook fakie into bank Windsor

Originally we were checking out the other end of this spot when Jamie’s wild mind started clicking and working a different way. After a little wax, some leaps and some bounds he was handing out high fives to the crew 15 minutes later.

Taking a different approach to skateboarding than his friend, Hill Sulpher has bounced around the Canadian skate scene from living in the nicest of cities then moving back to a somewhat scummier, cozier Windsor. “I’ve lived and had fun in Vancouver and Toronto, but in the end, I came back to Windsor for the family and friends. From the people, the scene, the skateboarding—everything here is a more tightly knit and we all stick together because of that.”

It appears that because the skaters are so detached from the big city scene that sponsors really have no care for Windsor. If you’re in the area take a mental note of the gear everyone is pushing around on. “Dude, we don’t even have a legit local shop, everyone just skates hand-me-downs,” says Hill.

For some of the kids who show up at the park, seeing Hill can be kind of like Christmas. “I saw a kid riding one of my hand-me-down boards after it had been passed down through three other people. It’s awesome, man. The Windsor skate scene is one giant crew; everyone is a homie and everyone looks out for each other.”

Citing his past big city experiences, “You don’t really feel the same type of love in those areas like you do down here. Sometimes it seems like those dudes will get their sponsors, get their monthly photo in a magazine and be done with it. That shit doesn’t happen here, dude. If you’re skating around these parts it’s because you love it, not because a team manager is telling you to. Everyone here just builds off each other and that’s what makes the Windsor scene so tight.”

Concrete skateboarding

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Lee Saunders Ollie Detroit

As we all know, when a sick spot is beckoning you, whether it be in a sketchy hood or not, you just can’t ignore its call. As the light was dimming and there was a little pressure, Lee blasted just as the fiends started making their way into the streets.

Justin Bohl Backside 180 Nosegrind Detroit

Justin hails from Birmingham, Michigan and will go to the scummiest depths of Detroit to skate something awesome. If you’re wondering how the hell the combo of a skateboard and a boat even happens, you’ll have to check out the abandoned 3.5 million square foot Packard Automotive Plant to find out for yourself.

Detroit, Michigan Heading over Stateside and venturing into Detroit, the amount of decay can be startling. “Man, Detroit is so underrated, it gets nothing but a bad rap.”

Lee Saunders tells me as we spoke on the phone one night. “People think of it as one giant slum. All you hear about is how ghetto it is and how it’s the murder capital, and they instantly assume it’s the worst place on Earth.”

He’s right. The reactions I’ve seen from people when I first tell them I’m exploring the Detroit area are nothing but pure disgust. Lee carries on, “Once you go though, you get it. You meet the locals that are on the street level, you feel the warmth from them and you instantly fall in love with the city.”

If you’re skating a spot you’ll notice how fast someone walking by on the street whips out their phone and starts filming you. Why? Because everyone is stoked on skateboarders. Even when that blacked-out Escalade on 22

inchers pulls up looking really ominous, the only intention of the girl inside is to heckle you a little bit and ask when it’s going to be on YouTube.

Lee continues, “The architecture downtown is something else too, man. All those buildings are super old and rich in history. You don’t even need to be a Detroit citizen to know that it’s all about the roots for them. It’s not like Toronto or Vancouver where they look at an old building and say, ‘Hey, let’s bulldoze this history piece so we can modernize our city with more condos!’

Nah, man. Detroit is really adamant about preserving their history and it gives the city so much character.”

While you’re skating through the streets of The D you can’t help but wonder how a city so big is so desolate. I talked to Jim Tumey, a resident filmer and skater in Detroit to get an idea of what life is like in Detroit.

Mike Krok Nollie Nosegrind Detroit

Being from a city called Wolverine Lake, Michigan, Mike is no stranger being versatile under harsher skate conditions. While warming up at this rail he broke his board then hopped on mine and went straight to business, no modifications necessary.

Going on what Lee said about the love in Detroit, “Everyone is really supportive of people doing their own thing, and they want them to succeed.

I feel like if you’re in a larger city, you don’t really get that. Here, as long as you’re doing your thing for Detroit, locals will back it 110 per cent.”

There’s something to be said about skateboarders and what they’re willing to put up with just for the chance to skate something new and exciting. Jim continues, “The freedom in the streets of Detroit is great. The city itself is huge—bigger than San Francisco and New York City—so if you’re willing to look around you’ll find that there’s always something new to discover.”

Jim speaks the truth. Each time I come down there’s always a handful of new spots to check out and skate. “Venturing out of your typical skate routine is definitely necessary,” he continues. “When you find an insane spot, which does happen pretty often, it makes you want to try that much harder next time because you know there’s something better waiting for you out there.”

Unlike some of the big city spot-blocking attitudes that you run into from time to time, Jim encourages coming to skate Detroit. “For the first timers, they’ll be blown away, you know?”

With collapsed storefronts, burnt out houses and the rest of the old city that’s been left to rot, it’s hard not to think that you’ve suddenly stepped into another world. Jim is no stranger to this mentality, “In a lot of ways, Detroit is totally misunderstood. It’s hard to think otherwise, unless you have somebody around to help you understand it. Skating or not, I love showing people just how much our city has to offer.”

Fellow skate rats, there you have it. Next time you’re looking for an adventure, take a trip off the beaten path to check out the Armpit and Dirty Detroit. It’s a playground waiting to be discovered and shralped, and I hope you now know what it is about these charismatic border cities that’ll have you planning your next trip.

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If you’re at a Detroit spot and the situation appears to be getting sketchy, leave. Keep an eye out for lurkers or anyone that’s hanging around the spot. Just remember: anything goes in the streets, especially if you’re in a bad area.

Windsor nightlife is a sure bet for anyone trying to get loose. From casinos, strip clubs and the bars downtown, your night isn’t going to be a mellow one. A must-see is the strip club Slivers, they’ve got wooden poles.

Due to huge budget cuts, the Detroit police force has been cut down a considerable size. Take it as you will but this can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, you know they won’t be showing up to kick skaters out of a spot. On the other, robberies are somewhat common so they won’t exactly be rushing to your rescue.

Detroit’s Mexican district is essential to filling your stomach on the cheaps with amazing food. If you’re in a rush, the taco booth at the La Mexicana grocery store on 3923 West Vernor is the best bang for your buck, or you can keep it classy at the sit down spot called El Zocalo on 3400 Bagley Street.

Windsor is a pizza connoisseur’s heaven. Bullseye Pizza is a definite spot to hit with the whole crew after a long day of skating. Check them out at 214 Lauzon Road.

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Jamie Jeffery Ollie over to lipslide, frontside flip out Windsor

This is one of Windsor’s newest spots on the waterfront. After a couple beers and some messing around at sunset, Jamie had a new one in the bag. The saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” does not apply to this man.

Jeff Srnec Backside 50-50 Detroit

Jeff is a really quiet, unsuspecting dude who barges spots. With a wood roll-in, duct tape over dirt and a sign for the crack, this hungry Windsor local went full bore on the basement 15 rail at Hart Plaza that’s often been passed off as impossible by Detroiters.

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When I arrived in Miami, Austin had already tweaked his ankle. Due to his time of employment working at Lululemon, he knew all the proper stretches and remedies so he could get back on the board quickly. Austin loved to indulge in the mellowing post-skate brew and blunt regime, and as a product of this, he was always the first to pass out. Notable locations of this phenomenon were upright on the couch, drenching his lower half with the beer he was holding in his hand; also the floor beside a political poster, bearing the slogan “I’m Dead... serious.” This routine seemed to work in his favour, because he was able to deal with all the shit we put on his plate day in and day out. He was one of the most quiet and laidback dudes on the trip—even when getting caught in the crossfire from a dirty broom war in the van, and getting snaked on his seat shotguns put him in the trunk more times than not. I’m sure everyone else was grateful for that. All things considered, he never complained and was able to keep his energetic, positive attitude afloat. We all put up with a lot of hi-jinx on this trip, but Austin really didn’t let any of it get to his head. I’m sure this approach probably helped get his mind past the potential fatality of this storey-high kickflip.

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Out of everyone on the trip, Charlie consumed the most coffee and cigarettes. Being in the utopia of new cig brands, different kinds were experimented with at every opportunity. His favourite became the classic Newport regulars, and he made it known that all should steer away from the Newport Reds. I had never traveled much with Charlie, but what became clear to me is that when this dude gets gnarly, it just doesn’t stop.

Get him a beer after the sesh, and he’ll end up in the bar at 5 a.m. trying to find the after-party. He was usually successful in this endeavour, which meant he wouldn’t come back to our home base. Crashing with some random homies of our filmer and host Jack, we’d wait for his call in the morning to figure out

where the hell he was. With just our luck, almost every morning commute meant driving 20 minutes in the opposite direction to pick up the mess known as Charlie. He even brought the van keys with him one night, leaving us totally stranded and wasting a day. However, when Charlie isn’t getting loose he’s getting everyone hyped at the spot. Yelling out 40s, packs of cigs and blunts for the land, he’s even hella generous with the rebates. He definitely dished out the most for the homies—a true motivational genius. I guess the good karma came back to him, and he was able to cop this backside hurricane.

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He’s always pounding the most beers and drinking the most whiskey on any given night. He still managed to get a trick at almost every spot, whether Jack was filming or not. His energy doesn’t stop there, he was the initiator of the “Caravan Crossfire” events, and definitely the most persistent at keeping them going. Not to mention he’s the party animal

of the pack; during Tampa AM at one of the notorious hotel parties, he managed to send himself into a front flip off the first storey balcony, right at the feet of homie JS Lapierre who was trying to pick up a couple chicks. Mitch got up instantly as if nothing even happened. This dangerous fall didn’t affect his skating one bit for the rest of the trip; his hardheadedness helped him stay patient enough to get this backside 180 nosegrind, even after waiting for the man that called the run-up “home” to wash his front porch.

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On the first leg of the trip, the homies competed in Tampa AM. Taking advantage of the free tattoo session, Will decided to get the well-known “Skate and Destroy” ink. He lived up to his new permanent motto, and copped the most on this trip. Will is a rare breed of nocturnal human, so he was pretty motivated when we decided to get some lights at Wal-Mart so we could skate through the ip together for the lights, split five ways, reassured by the fact kflpitch Kictheir night. Everyone scrounged we’d be getting every penny back after we returned them at the end of the trip. The cashier must’ve had a sixth sense, because she was onto our little plan without us saying anything. On this 5 a.m. night sesh, Charlie was trying to sleep off a hangover, but woke up to beckon Will with a “26er of Patron and a blunt for this try, baby!” Will backed that up by rolling away from this nollie front nose. That took quite the blow to Charlie’s pocket, but luckily for him Will was feeling generous and sparked the next rager by sharing the whole thing.

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california dreamin' Micky Papa • Matt Berger • Derek Swaim

Words Matt Meadows • Photos Rich Odam • Design Randy Laybourne

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California dreamin’, there isn’t a Canadian alive who doesn’t do it. As a young and talented AM in this country, a single winter can mean the difference between worldwide industry recognition and another year playing in the minors. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that there is a regular migratory pattern headed southbound.

But undertaking this journey is not for the faint of heart and can be filled with various pitfalls and perils. That’s right, you can’t be fooled by the relative familiarity of life south of the border. For a wandering lonely Canuck it can quickly go from a skate paradise to selling hot dogs on Venice Beach just to get by. So to help you navigate your way as a stranger in a strange land, I have prepared a guide based on the successful experiences of three of our own legends-to-be.

Derek Swaim kickflip front noseslide

Numero Uno: Have a Plan Thankfully, our world of technological advancements has made house hunting fairly easy. Long gone are the days of sleeping at skate spots in the hopes of finding someone to take pity on you and offer up their couch; everything you need in order to find a roof over your head is just a click away! After logging on and navigating beyond “questionable” sites it should be simple enough to find a place. In the case of our three examples, after a few emails and phone calls, Micky Papa and Matt Berger were able to land a residence in Torrance, California.

“We basically got it off this website that does long-term stays for out-of-country travelers,” Matt remembers. “You just rent a house, but you have to tell them how long you want to stay—obviously. So we asked for two months and everything worked out. I mean, there was a few different places that we looked into but they were either booked or they weren’t too into having skaters stay there. But all in all, it wasn’t too tough to find.”

The situation was ideal for the group as it offered a skateable school directly across the road. It also put Matt within close proximity of his board sponsor, Flip, and Chocolate/ Fourstar rider (via Supra Dist.) Derek Swaim five minutes away from the Girl Park.

So with everything set up, all that remained was to organize a move, a skill that is not lost on Micky: “I guess everyone’s circumstances growing up kind of make them who they are. For me, I’ve had to really look out for myself quite a bit and help out with things, so I kind of had to grow up fast.

Whether that meant being responsible and mature, having that background helped out with setting some guidelines for the house.

For example: getting the move coordinated nicely and making sure there weren’t too many problems. It all came together well ’cause everyone had the right mentality about it.”

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Photos: Brandon Alton

Micky Papa smith frontside flip out

Stay on the right side of the law A new city often means new customs and cultural expectations, even if you do speak the native tongue. Surprisingly, sometimes the most commonly accepted occurrences or practices end up being completely intolerable in your temporary California abode. For example, ordering mayonnaise with your fries may seem OK up North, but such a societal faux pas may have you laughed out of many fine-eating establishments down South. Or, in the case of Micky, simply skating a school could land you in the Big House.

“I was going out with Nigel [a.k.a. NKA, a.k.a.

Nigel K. Alexander] filming a lot at the time and asked if he ever went out night filming.

He said no but that he would set me up with someone who did. So the first time I went night skating with these guys they were like, ‘Meet us at the skatepark then we’ll go out and show you some stuff.’ So we met up and headed to a spot where we had to jump a fence. It was just a regular gated schoolyard.

I mean, I didn’t think it was a big deal at all. So we walked in and checked out this rail, then all of a sudden this spotlight from above was on me. I just looked and saw a helicopter. So of course, I start waiving like and idiot.”

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Micky continues: “This guy with us tells me I should probably step outside the schoolyard.

I asked if he thought the helicopter was for us and he said he didn’t think so but better to get out anyways. As soon as we walked out five cop cars met us! There were 10 officers! So they put me in two sets of handcuffs and had me on the ground.

The guy I was with thought I was going to get deported ‘cause my ID happened to be in the car and they had just left to go get gasoline for the generators. So it was a ridiculous predicament; they thought we might be trying to break into the school and were asking us for receipts for our gear. The cops were trying to put words in our mouths by saying that we knew we were trespassing.

We told them it was a historic skate spot and that we just wanted to check it out. We talked to them for so long and they ended up letting us go, no tickets or nothing. But as if they needed to put two sets of handcuffs on me! Like I’m going to break out of one of them!”

Needless to say, getting the lowdown from the locals as to where to skate can be a bust, unless you are a quick talker like our aforementioned protagonist.

Matt Berger frontside feeble

“They put me in two sets of handcuffs and had me on the ground.”

—Micky Papa

Micky Papa kickflip front tailslide

Secure food any way possible As an obvious necessity for survival, securing food is always at the top of anyone’s list.

While the fast food in Southern California may seem tempting, it does not always agree with our sensitive northern stomachs so alternatives have to be sought out. When locating some much-needed vitamins, risks may have to be taken and rules broken.

“The Nightly Harvest,” as coined by our three central figures, may be the only option.

Thought to be nestled in a cradle of safety provided by their neighbour’s yard, the crew would often pick oranges from a tree next door late into the night. Matt clarifies: “You could go buy oranges at the grocery store or you could go to your neighbours’ and pick oranges at one or two in the morning. Rich Odam and I would wear sweaters and just pick them. I felt bad but they were really good oranges [laughs].”

“I would just like to state for the record that I never took part in any thieving of oranges,” noted Micky with a laugh. “I remember skating out front one day and watching the lady pick oranges for over a half-hour. She was using this special orange picker to get the high ones without bruising them. I was thinking: ‘I wonder if she’s thinking there’s less than the usual amount.” Later that day she came over and gave us a bag of them.

The bag actually only lasted a few days then the guys were right back to picking them at night. I thought maybe she was only giving them to us so we would stay out of her yard in the early mornings. Who knows.”

But if you’re stuck in a place that doesn’t have the abundance of free fruit as our crew did, taking in the local flavours is still an option. While in Cali, Derek found a real passion for the local fare: “I ate a little bit of fast food, but more Mexican food. The Peruvian restaurant was amazing as well. It was just like the huge-ass American portions, but Peruvian food. I also went out and tried a bunch of random restaurants.”

Find solid roommates, even if they’re messier than you There is always the debate about moving in with friends, even if it’s just temporary.

Sometimes unexpectedly, the closest of buddies can get on each other’s nerves from time to time. So it’s always important to choose your roommates wisely. For Micky, Matt and Derek, there was never any question whether the dynamic would work.

With everyone focused on skating every day and gathering footage, there was little time to party and make a mess of the place. Although not to anyone’s surprise, while lumping dudes into a small space, cleanliness can become an issue. “I would say out of anyone, I blew it the hardest,” Matt laughs. “I guess it was just because it was my first time moving out and stuff. I would sometimes get lazy, and just forget about little shit, you know? Like not cleaning up after myself or whatever… I think I may have caught Micky’s attention but it’s all good and it’s all about learning.”

Backing up Matt’s rather humorous suspicions, Micky confirmed that he himself may have enjoyed the place being a little cleaner. Even he noted that it really all just boiled down to personal preference. “I think we found the right people to go down with for sure, it was great. I mean, there was a little discrepancy over the cleanliness of the place but that’s just me. I’m a neat freak.”

Sleeping arrangements were also shared.

Derek remembers: “As far as the roommate situation, it was a small house but it worked.

Matt and I shared bunk beds for a bit but when my girlfriend came to visit Micky gave up the master bedroom. Matt didn’t really fight for it but I’m sure if he wanted to he could have had it as well.”

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Don’t overstay your welcome As one sunny day blends into another, it’s easy to lose track of time in SoCal. Yet one cannot dismiss the laws of the land and while NAFTA may look good on paper, it has done little to extend our skate vacays. Panicstricken one evening, Micky realized he was frighteningly close to shutting the door on the California lifestyle permanently.

“Well, what happened was I got on the phone with Sascha [Daley] and he was telling me about how it worked and that the six-month grace period didn’t restart in the new year. I just assumed since it rolled over to 2012, I had a fresh six months to stay. But as I started adding up the days I was like, ‘Oh my God! I need to go right now otherwise I’ll get banned from the States!’ To be honest, I don’t even really know if I made the cutoff, but I tried to make sure so I left two days after that phone call. I talked to Colin [McKay] as well and he just said: ‘Whatever you do just don’t go over that six months,’ so I was gone.”

Round Two? So after undergoing their first experience as roomies the question now stands: What advice would this group of now-migratory veterans have for young AMs making the trip, and would they do it again?

“I would say it’s a good trip to make for sure,” says Micky. “Sadly, it’s like out of sight, out of mind if you’re up here in Canada. They may not pay as much attention to you up here as they would if you’re down there. That way they get to skate with you, hang with you and get to know who you are. So it does help to be down there for sure.”

Matt felt the same and went further to explain that for him it’s also about the time spent among his friends: “It was just all

about the experience. I mean, I’ve grown up skating with Derek in Kamloops, BC, since I was like eight years old; Micky and I go back to the RDS indoor days when we first met.

So it was a really tight crew down there, it was super rad. I would for sure live with them again—they were great roommates.”

As for Derek, his advice was to be prepared and to choose the right companions. “It was a good experience, for sure. But I would say make sure you have a car down there. Find good friends to go with; people you trust and you can depend on. I think that’s what makes it work.”

Don’t think I could have put it better myself.

Derek Swaim fakie 360 flip

“It was just all about the experience.”

—Matt Berger

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P H O T O : Z A S L AV S K Y

A THINK SKAT E BO A R D S F I LM

B A C K S I D E LI P B A C K S I D E F LI P O U T distributed by Ultimate

thinkskateboards.com facebook.com/thinkskateboards

frank daniello mike blabac

brian caissie

words

photos

W

e all know that Danny Way turned pro at 15 and evolved into an all-terrain powerhouse. We’ve seen the epic bomb-drops both out of a helicopter and off the Vegas Hard Rock Hotel’s giant Fender Stratocaster. We’re well aware that he pioneered MegaRamp skating, and through it all he’s pushed his body well beyond fathomable limits.

His Plan B teammate Paul Rodriguez summed it up best: “He’s literally given every fibre of his being to skateboarding.”

Among his list of world records, Danny brought the MegaRamp to the world stage in 2005 when he conquered a 60-foot gap over the Great Wall of China. It’s this feat that provides the framework for Waiting For Lightning—a documentary about the man himself.

Despite some complications along the way, this film has been a fullspeed-ahead project for the past two years. It seems only fitting that Jacob Rosenberg was involved as a producer and director, given the fact that he served as the primary filmer and editor for influential beginning ’90s Plan B titles such as Questionable and Virtual Reality. Not only are Jacob and Danny old friends, they share an important influence.

“Jake has lived a lot of the experiences in the movie with me and has also been mentored by Mike Ternasky,” Danny mentioned while he was in Vancouver for the first Canadian screening of WFL on April 14th.

“Jake found his place with the camera, and that became his life. Right before Mike died, he sent Jake to film school and gave him the money to do that. This was an opportunity to show what he’s capable of now and pay homage back to the mentor. The movie means so much to us for so many other reasons than just my story.”

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Concrete skateboarding

While Danny’s flight over the Great Wall is quite the substantial storyline on its own, Waiting For Lighting provides well-executed flashbacks that explore the extended timeline of experiences leading to the towering roll-in just outside of Beijing. Coming from a broken home with father figures entering and tragically exiting, Danny looked at exposing sensitive areas of his personal life through the documentary as a way of healing injuries that are far different than the numerous physical ones he’s suffered and overcome during his career.

“I’ve definitely matured enough to be able to look back at things I’m not proud of,” he said. “It’s real easy to get into some mischief as a kid when your friends become your family, and you have a little bit of money from skateboarding. There are also things that happened when I was a kid that were out of my control; I like talking about those things because it’s a little easier to process versus keeping it all bottled up.”

Now 38, Danny makes no bones about using this film as a platform to make a dream come true—a new Mega project on the land he’s owned in Kauai, Hawaii, for nearly seven years.

“If you look at the end of the movie, some shit got built,” Danny said with a laugh. “I’m not gonna sit here and lie, my main intention for doing this project was to get an opportunity to skate something crazy and new.

I couldn’t just have retro footage, not leaving everyone confident that I was still inspired at the highest level. I haven’t had any decline in my motivation to skate, but it’s hard to get inspired to skate the same things.

Once you have a taste of progressing on that level it’s hard to just be complacent. I’ve got it back to where I can actually enjoy what I do.”

“I HAD TO BE BLUNT AND SAY, ‘THERE’S NO WAY THIS FILM IS COMING OUT UNLESS I END IT WITH SOMETHING FRESH.’” —DANNY WAY

waitingforlightningthemovie.com

BOMB DROP

BACKSIDE 360

OLLIE OUT TO 50-50

age:

23

sponsors:

lives:

Victoria, BC Coastline Boardshop, Lakai (flow), Fourstar (flow)

Working his way through the ranks, Dan has now reached the pinnacle of his success. The talent runs deep in Vic West where Dan currently resides, maybe because it’s also the location of Vee-Dub—one of the nicest skateparks in the country. Despite the stiff competition, Dan leads the pack while the rest are left slipping on the banana peels he leaves behind. While many are content sticking to the simple spots, Dan can always be found getting gnarly in the Special Cup. If you ever see him rolling around, make sure to toss a shell at him, he could use a challenge.

—Luke Connor 78

Concrete skateboarding

photos luke connor

Switch heel

photos brandon alton

age:

17

sponsors:

lives:

Ajax, ON Switch Skate & Snow, Ehliens

Cole is one lanky alien-looking dude. He tends to face the brunt of a lot of jokes, but that doesn’t stop this kid from trying his hardest at what he loves most. I recently put Cole on the Switch team, as I figured he’d be a good addition to the new team and he’s been supporting the shop since Day 1. I’ve watched him grow from Tarzan into the Ehlien shredder he is today. Cole’s bag of tricks is growing just as fast as he is, so I’m sure this won’t be the last time you see him.

— Jordan Moss 80

Concrete skateboarding

jordan moss

halfcab feeble 180

age:

23

sponsors:

lives:

Ottawa, ON S3 Boardshop, Vans (flow)

You can always count on Klein to bring good vibes to a sesh. With his well-balanced yet questionable sense of humour, you’re guaranteed a laugh every time you skate with this guy. Klein stands out with his unique choice in trick and spot selection. It’s insane to watch him get tricks at the sketchiest spots, while usually skating them alone since no one else will touch them. This is what he enjoys the most about skating, so all the power to him.

—Josh Hotz

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Concrete skateboarding

photos josh hotz

frontslide flip

age:

19

sponsors:

lives:

Winnipeg, MB Sk8 Skates, Thunder (flow), Spitfire (flow)

I don’t know if he sleeps at night, or maybe he sleeps on Jason Crolly’s floor? What I do know is that he spends his days destroying shit on a skateboard with no hesitation. You got a rail in your town that needs grinding? Let him know. Just make sure it’s not across the border.

—Tyler Geurts I have yet to solve the riddle that is Austin. He lives his life the way he skateboards, without fear.

—Colin Lambert 84

Concrete skateboarding

photos brian caissie

smithgrind

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PHIL LAJEUNESSE

Instagram @concreteskatemag facebook @concreteskateboarding twitter @concreteskate

KICKFLIP INTO BANK

photo

NATHAN ETHIER-MYETTE

Est. 1990: Canada’s original skateboard magazine

PUBLISHER Kevin Harris EDITOR-in-chief Frank daniello

frank@concreteskateboarding.com

Ad Sales Manager Casey Jones

PHOTO EDITOR / staff photographer Brian Caissie brian@concreteskateboarding.com

ART DIRECTOR Dave Keras

davek@concreteskateboarding.com

casey@concreteskateboarding.com

dave@justdontsleep.com

Video Specialist David Ehrenreich

associate designers Randy Laybourne Kelly Litzenberger

copy editor Stephanie lake

Administration Dave Buhr

social media thor media designs

Contributing Photographers

rich odam, sergio alvarez, deville nunes, jeff thorburn mike blabac, owen woytowich, dylan doubt, will jivcoff josh hotz, brandon alton, james morley, keith oshiro bart jones, johnny martinez, luke connor, jordan moss nathan ethier-myette, mike o’meally

Contributing Writers

rich odam, jeff thorburn, russ milligan, casey jones colin mckay, randy laybourne, owen woytowich, dylan doubt will jivcoff, josh hotz, matt meadows, luke connor jordan moss, tyler geurts, colin lambert, david ehrenreich jenny charlesworth, jim thiebaud

Concrete skateboarding is Distributed 6 times annually by Ultimate Skateboard Distributors inc. // east: 705.749.2998 // west: 604.279.8408 Subscriptions: 1 Year for $19.95 (includes shipping / taxes) – 6 issues including The Photo Annual subscribe online at concreteskateboarding.com or send cheque / money order to: Concrete Skateboarding Subscriptions | 150 - 11780 River Rd. | Richmond, BC | V6X 1Z7 concrete accepts unsolicited submissions, but is not responsible if such materials are lost or damaged. submissions sent via letter-mail must include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return sending. for further submission inquiries, contact submissions@concreteskateboarding.com. for retailer inquiries in regards to carrying concrete, please contact info@concreteskateboarding.com.

NEXT ISSUE: photo annual // August 13, 2012

2012 PHOTO ANNUAL

brian caissie

ARRIVING IN AUGUST

JOIN OUR Instagram HASHTAG PROJECT Tag your skate related photos; our favourites will be published in the 2012 Photo Annual.

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curated and written by

David Ehrenreich

For the first time during my history with this page, each video in question has something Canadian involved. From Magnus Hanson and Brandon Del Bianco’s tricks in Future Nature to Studio’s freshman full-length. From Kevin Lowry’s clips in The Cinematographer Project to Russ Milligan and Lee Yankou’s San Francisco destruction for Think. In fact, the common themes for this issue’s Video Links are Canucks and Wu-Tang. Neither are going anywhere.

Bus i n es s As Us ua l

The Cinematographer Proj ec t

y o u tu. b e / n 7 n U - wwWM cw

bit.ly / K fehkw

Think’s roots are deeply ingrained in skate history, and the brand boasts legendary alumni including Pat Duffy, Dan Drehobl, Wade Speyer and the late Phil Shao, to name but a few. After City Skateboard’s demise and team-merger, San Francisco’s Think is back with a solid team and an amazing video. Dave Bachinsky excluded, the riders put forward the best parts of their careers in Business As Usual. Highlights include everything Josh Matthews does, Adrian Williams acquiring 99 per cent of his current fan base, and Russ Milligan making Canadians proud by keeping it smooth and classy with great trick selection. Speaking of proud, Lee Yankou deservedly ends this video with a scorcher. He skates on par with the best, and a new Canadian Pro can only be just around the corner. When it all boils down, San Francisco is a tremendously difficult and amazing place to go skateboarding. I’d highly recommend it.

For over a decade the notion of reviewing a TransWorld video rated only slightly higher than talking 411’s in the ’90s. Though quite brash, it’s not meant to degrade the work either parties put into those projects. But you know exactly what you’re getting into when you press play. This, along with Chris Ray being acquired by DC, is likely the reason TransWorld Media switched modus operandi and revisited the format of its 1997 hit Cinematographer. Along with the awesome concept for its latest, TransWorld launched a web contest as well. A happy surprise ensued when Vancouver local Mike Graveline made the Top 10 and found himself featured on the TWS site with the entry of his short, Living The Dream. So, was The Cinematographer Project a success? With Gonz, Busenitz, Dill, Alex Olson, Chewy Cannon, Jake Johnson and some Wu-Tang all wrapped in one plus more, I’d say yes.

Fut u r e N at u r e

M ood Lighting

b i t. ly /K 2 7 3 AW

studioskateboar ds.com

Due in part to its massive success, Element seems to really irk some skateboarders, myself included. It’s a little hard to put a finger on. Branded “High Ollie” bars aside, I think the hippy/self-empowerment motif is really what it all boils down to. But the real conundrum is that this video rules. Element’s TRIO before this was good, too.

The team is amazing and the brand supports a quiver of skaters, photographers and artists I respect. Future Nature, though lacking in good tunes and lines, is one hell of a video. Where TRIO (and QUATTRO) featured Pros, Future Nature is a video for the AMs, and Nick Garcia, Evan Smith, Julian Davidson and Boo Johnson come out swinging. They even managed a concept with skits, something that has exclusively worked for Girl and Chocolate. Paul Shier, your narration skills are second only to David Attenborough... and Morgan Freeman, of course.

Studio Skateboards from Montreal released their first DVD, Mood Lighting, at the end of April. It’s a quick and concise documentation of their skating and lifestyle, set to good tunes and split up with sweet Law & Order-esque title screens and photos. It’s no easy task to produce and finance a feature video, so Studio took its sweet-ass time and all the hard work paid off. All riders are well represented and four of them have full parts. I was biting my nails at the Vancouver premiere, hoping veterans Wade Fyfe and Studio owner Jai Ball would pull through, and they did with great stuff. The other two standouts are much-hyped new recruits Kyle MacDonald and Joey Larock, who open and close the video respectively. You can see Studio’s positive influence on their skating, and I look forward to seeing what they do next.

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Concrete skateboarding

brian caissie words

Jenny Charlesworth

To those who follow the Bay Area hip-hop scene, Andre Nickatina is a luminary. He’s been in the game for over 20 years, first as Dre Dog then the infamous Nickatina character, with a slew of R-rated cuts timelining his career. While he won’t ever be posthumously hologrammed into a massive music festival a la Tupac, his street cred in the West Coast underground is more than enviable.

So how does a man survive two decades of spitting out rhymes and riding the rails of the tour circuit? “A ‘lil weed, a ‘lil Hennessy and no fake groupie bitches,” Nickatina tells Concrete en route to his first Canadian show ever at Fortune Sound Club in Vancouver on April 27th.

On his new mixtape, which is available as a free download on his site, Nickatina forgoes the blow, the booty and the bullets to ask the everyman question: Where’s My Money? He’s not the kind of cat who self-censors, but Nickatina isn’t talking when it comes to his bad luck making bank. So listeners will have to come up with their own theories as to what inspired the title.

If there is any bad blood, it’ll be hard for fans to pinpoint. Beyond a quick jab at over-hyped rappers, Nickatina steers clear of starting any

beefs. “I respect any rapper—old or new,” he says, before giving a shout-out to one of his own from the Bay. “IAMSU! sticks out.”

“I’ve always been by myself—no crew or rapper’s help. I look ahead,” he says matter of factly. “And I sleep at the right time.”

But the shout-outs don’t end there. On Where’s My Money?, Nickatina gives props to a ’90s relic, a retro dance diva and even the Material Girl. “It’s old beats from other artists over Andre Nicky songs,” he explains. “I’ve got no favourites.” But his fans might.

There’s no harm in a little nostalgia, especially when it comes to the first time many skaters outside of the Bay got turned on to the rapper.

In 1999, Nickatina and the bullet flavour he spits landed on the holy grail of VHS tapes, The Chocolate Tour. While Mike Carroll made fanboys out of everyone, Nickatina flexed his swagger with his razor… sharp “Crack Raider Razor” track.

This audio appearance served Nickatina well, earning him a vast allegiance in the skate world.

Nickatina’s revamp of Mark Morrison’s ringtoneready “Return of the Mack” will raise the roof just about anywhere. Dubbed “Jellybean Colored Suits (Return of the Mack),” the track proves why Nickatina’s a frontrunner. He drops deadly rhymes about blowing weed, wearing Louis Vuitton and the holy Quran while the iconic beat bounces along.

His flow on Where’s My Money? is so tight in fact that Nickatina’s Diana Ross remake, “Bitch (Upside Down),” becomes an unstoppable headbobber—even to those who aren’t exactly down with lady-dissing lyrics.

As a rapper who came up in the heyday of hiphop, Nickatina has hustled to keep up his rep; 20 years is a long time to hold onto your throne.

“Thrasher mag is in the Bay so my skate tie probably comes from that,” says Nickatina, who actually launched his own skate apparel company, ShereKhan Macheo, a few years back.

So a Nickatina cut paired with Carroll’s part is no big stretch, but Nickatina heard on American Idol?

That’s a whole other batch of WTF. According to message board chatter, a Nickatina snippet somehow aired on the show. Obviously he isn’t copping to this, but the rumour adds to his mystique. It’s not quite being hologrammed into Coachella this year, but for an underground rapper it’s a start. andrenickatina.com

90 Concrete skateboarding

Keith Hufnagel In a world of noise, sometimes it’s the ones who aren’t trying to be the loudest whose voices are heard above the rest. Keith is the epitome of someone who has always let his actions do the talking rather than getting caught up in a shouting match.

His history speaks for itself. From growing up and staying true to his East Coast skateboarding roots, all the way through to creating and building his own fiercely independent brand—it’s always been about doing great stuff rather than talking about it.

Actions truly are louder than words, and throughout the 20-plus years I have known Keith, his actions both on and off a skateboard are some of the loudest out there.

mike o’meally

To this day he remains one of the most solid, dedicated and (believe it or not) loudest people I have ever met, yet I’ve never heard him yell to be heard... yet.

—Jim Thiebaud

REAL Videos

Beers

Websites

1. The Real Video (1993) 2. Real To Reel (2001) 3. Kicked Out Of Everywhere (1999) 4. Since Day One (2011) 5. Non-Fiction (1997)

1. Budweiser 2. Scrimshaw Pilsner 3. BitBurger 4. Trumer Pilsner 5. Baudelaire Saison

1. hypebeast.com 2. ignoredprayers.blogspot.com 3. statigr.am/viewer.php 4. google.com 5. hellaclips.com

HUF Collabs

Dirt Bag Crew Members

’90s Decks

1. Barry McGee 2. DQM 3. Nike HUF Quake 4. HAZE 5. Haroshi

1. The person reading this 2. The person next to you 3. Your best friend 4. Your friend’s friend 5. Me

1. Jason Lee, Blind: Gun, beer, bible, TV 2. Jason Lee, Blind: David Bowie 3. Jason Lee, Blind: Burger King 4. Mark Gonzales, Blind: Four people standing 5. Mike Carroll, Plan B: Nambla

NYC OGs

All-Time Spots

Canadian Cities

1. Harold Hunter 2. Jeremy Henderson 3. Keenan Milton 4. Sean Sheffey 5. Gino Iannucci

1. Brooklyn Banks, NYC 2. Universitat Station, Barcelona 3. Love Park, Philadelphia 4. EMB, San Francisco 5. Brown Marble, San Francisco

1. Vancouver 2. Toronto 3. Calgary 4. Montreal 5. Edmonton

Albums

SF Establishments

Unused HUF “Plant Life” ideas

1. Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers 2. Guns N’ Roses: Appetite for Destruction 3. Nirvana: Nevermind 4. Michael Jackson: Thriller 5. Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill

1. Blue Bottle Coffee (various locations) 2. Puerto Alegre (546 Valencia St.) 3. Minx a.k.a. The Red Room (827 Sutter St.) 4. Lusty Lady (1033 Kearny St.) 5. Patxi’s Chicago Pizza (various locations)

1. Condoms 2. Rollerblades 3. Razor scooters 4. Socks you can smoke 5. Car wraps

92 Concrete skateboarding

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HERMAN Î FIGGY Î DUSTIN Î BRAYDON C H I M A Î TA N C O W N Y Î R O M A R

Î

NUGE

JON DIXON, THOMAS BONILLA, TREVOR COLDEN, PAT RUMNEY

HA PP YH OU RS HA DE

S

.C OM

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