Concrete Skateboarding Issue 124

Issue 124 / 2013 / free

canada’s original skateboard magazine Issue 124 / 2013

shut down mike campbell Art Blender brian baker Sound Check Pissed jeans Five Spot jake donnelly

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issue 124 / 2013

Lights Out

cover photo & caption by

Brian Caissie

Having the opportunity to leave Canada after months of rain, snow and cold is like getting out of jail for a skater.

Arriving in LA with the HUF Canada team was a huge change of scenery for everyone. Usually people do tricks over the rail and off the drop at this parking lot spot, but Calgary’s TYLER WARREN took a different approach. We rubbed rocks and wax on the rail because it had never been skated, but once it was ready he grinded a long 50-50 TRANSFER into the bank before a quick-footed ollie sent him into the parking lot below.

After some high fives we got into the van, which didn’t start because the lights were left on during the session! Luckily we were able to wave someone down at 1 a.m. to help us. See what else Crazy T and the crew got up to in LA by checking out our HUF Canada feature on p.52.

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Concrete skateboarding

CAMEO WILSON VARIAL HEELflip

photo Brian caissie

chad dickson

frontside noseslide photo rich odam

antosh cimoszko

DEPARTMENTS

Rise & Shine – Brandon Alton words matt meadows

Sometimes life just pulls you in the direction it wants, which is exactly what happened to Brandon Alton. The Richmond B.C.-raised photographer finds himself living in Los Angeles and currently occupies his time working as a staff photographer for the Kayo Corp. “I guess I would consider myself somewhat of a workaholic,” he explains. “My spare time is generally spent researching spots, trying to get a trip planned or just the next session.”

With credentials that include an associate’s degree in photography and the mentorship of renowned lensmen such as Matt Daughters and Concrete’s own Brian Caissie, it comes as no surprise that Alton played a role in the development of DGK’s recent hit, Parental Advisory. As for this issue, he took advantage of a visiting Skylar Kehr by shooting the bulk of his interview on p.30. Follow Brandon on Instagram @altonphoto.

issue 124 / 2013 10

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T H E

GREY / YELLOW AVAILABLE NOW

TIMEBOMBTRADING.COM FACEBOOK.COM/TIMEBOMBTRADING

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

So each issue we take a random look at the past…

ISSUE #29 1997

Jason Corbett wallie [o] Derek Kettela

This photo was taken back when the old Empire skateshop was open in Toronto. Everyone would hang out there before sessions, and one day I ran into Derek Kettela, who flew in from Vancouver to visit his old stomping grounds. He wanted to go out shooting, so I suggested a spot on Bay Street that I’d skated by for two years and always thought it would look good in a photo. I wanted to do a wallie off the corner of this pillar that had a drop-off, and Derek decided we should shoot it at dusk. So we met back there later and I was a 12-pack deep [laughs].

I finally got the trick (and sore knees) after 20 to 30 tries, so we decided to call it a night. About a week or so later, I found out that Concrete Powder was going to use the image as a cover shot, which was pretty exciting because I’d been reading the mag for most of my skateboard career. One thing with Derek’s photos: he always makes you look better than you are. And if you check out his site, derekkettela.com, you’ll see that he’s been making models look even better with his fashion photography.

—Jason Corbett

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collection compiled by

casey jones

Expedition one

Syringe Deck Proud Canadian and Ottawa native, Spencer Hamilton has finally turned Pro and his premiere board is an 8.06”, backed

by Kayo’s quality construction and Spenny’s distaste for genetically modified foods.

Follow him on Insta @monsantokills. expedition-one.com

emerica

Romero Troubadour Leo Romero, 2010’s Skater Of The Year, has a new vulc mid-top with a classic blue-collar aesthetic to remind us to get out there and work for it. emerica.com

c1rca x loser machine

AL13 Adrian Lopez’ shoe sponsor and his apparel brand have teamed up to bring you a slimmed-down, quality afterskate AL13 shoe featuring oiled suede and leather laces.

c1rca.com / losermachine.com

dc apparel

Not just a skate shoe company, DC has a solid clothing division. Here’s Mike Mo’s new signature relaxed cords, along with the fast-dry cotton zip hood and raglan from the Principle set. dcshoes.com/skate

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Concrete skateboarding

dvs

Daewon 13 CT That’s right, this is the 13th shoe Daewon has designed and tested for DVS. True to his skating, it’s trimmed down for a snug fit and maximum board feel, while eliminating overlay panels to reduce blowouts. dvsshoes.com

Matix

With years of design and production experience, Matix consistently comes through with goods like the classic Varsity Starter snap-back and Modern Varsity jacket, as well as the perfect-fitting Marc Johnson Gripper jean. matixclothing.com

HUF

The Joey Pepper Pro Joey’s first HUF shoe is a vulc joint stacked with cool details, whether it be the extra toe wrap, reinforced ollie and heel panels, mesh interior lining or gold eyelets. hufworldwide.com

LAKAI

Griffin A highly requested team favourite, the Spring ’13 Griffin is here. It features increased breathability and shock absorption, vulc construction, a clean toe and more. lakai.com

Altamont

The coolness continues with this Altamont Spring ’13 offering, which includes the Fauna deconstructed snap-back hat, the Tabs short sleeve woven and the tailored, loose-fitting Bryan Herman Wilshire jean. altamontapparel.com

GIRL & CHOCOLATE SKATEBOARDS

Pretty Sweet x Art Dump Deck Series Eight unique Pretty Sweet graphics were produced by The Art Dump’s Andy Jenkins, Jeremy Carnahan, Andy Mueller, Christian Morin, Chris Waycott, Eric Anthony, Hershel Baltrotsky and Michael Coleman. Hang ‘em up or make a mess of ‘em—your choice. prettysweetvideo.com / theartdump.com

ART BLENDER

B

rian Baker is one of the most prolific Art Director/Designers in all of skateboarding, and his work for the Carlsbad-based Kayo Corp. has helped guide DGK, Expedition, Organika and Gold Wheels to great success.

After getting his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Oregon State University in Portland, Brian made his way south to San Diego in 2001. From there he was able to meet Troy Morgan, who now stands as Kayo’s president. “Troy offered me a job doing design for Expedition,” Brian explains, “so I left my car in San Diego, flew back to Portland, loaded up a U-Haul and headed back down. I’ve been here since.”

For the many graphics that span Kayo’s brands, humour plays a big role in Brian’s diverse style. Whether the topics are smoking weed, drinking booze or getting with fine ladies, some of his designs push the limits. One example that comes to mind is the DGK Censored Series that needed to be sold with black bags.

Since his mediums include decks, wheels, clothing and other products, Brian designs with varied applications in mind: “Some graphics only work on decks, or are so personal to the rider that they don’t translate to shirt graphics.”

To be at the same skate company for 12 years and counting, Brian is a testament to the true family nature of the Kayo Corp.

It’s good to know that someone is working so hard at supplying us with entertaining graphics and art that keep us laughing ‘till our lungs give out. —Randy Laybourne thekayocorp.com

“Baker has been called a genius by his peers for as long as I’ve known him, and I agree with that statement. The work he’s done for Kayo over the past decade is truly amazing, to say the least, and he’s remained the same genuine person as the first day I met him. For all the Canadians reading this, Baker also watches and enjoys hockey. Now you know he’s a great guy.” —Wade Desarmo starting top left: DGK “G-Shock SJ-R” watch collab Gold “DGK Faded” Desarmo wheels DGK “Hustle Hard” deck DGK “Keep Calm” Kalis deck DGK “Life Is DGK” deck DGK “Pigeons” Williams deck DGK “Rated” Desarmo deck DGK “The Game All Day” tee DGK “Maui Wowi” hat Organika “What You Eat” deck Organika “Smokin’ Mad Trees” deck Organika “Green Power” deck 18

Concrete skateboarding

brian baker

“Pyramid of Life� by Brian Baker. Created exclusively for Concrete Skateboarding. visit concreteskateboarding.com to download art blender wallpapers for your computer & mobile device.

OSCARMEZA Fakie Flip Into Bank > Photo Henry Kingsford

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THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF TJ Rogers

intro

Matt Meadows

stills and captions

TJ ROGERS

Anyone who has spent a modicum of time in Ontario can attest to the fact that winters in the central province are not the most hospitable. Like many session-starved skaters growing up in the Greater Toronto Area, Whitby’s TJ Rogers did what he had to do to find skatespots that were sheltered from the snow and cold. Underground parking lots, indoor skateparks and even the odd mall session were all fair game to the GTA’s skate community, and TJ would make full use of any dry location he could find.

Today, with a little help from his sponsors and friends, TJ has been fortunate enough to live more of a snowbird lifestyle. Since the beginning of 2013 the Blind AM has been flying around the United States spending time in both Southern California and Georgia. As his two-month sabbatical was drawing to a close, I caught up with TJ on the phone about his stint in California. Eager to explain his reasons for leaving Ontario just after the New Year began, TJ said: “It’s pretty sick! It’s been an amazing vacation, just skating and filming every day. I didn’t want to be stuck in Ontario during the winter when all I want to do is skate, you know?”

Throughout his Pan American travels, TJ has been capturing snippets of everyday life with his iPhone 4, using the Camera+ app to modify the colour in his photos. He was hyped to showcase the sights and antics that kept him laughing, so without further ado here’s the iPhoneography of TJ Rogers.

Varial Heelflip Photo: Joe Krolick Photo: Mike Blabac

Sir Lutzka

Checking In

“I was playing pool and shooting the shit with my friend Landon at Greg Lutzka’s house in Mission Viejo on Super Bowl weekend.

Greg’s got some amazing stuff in his place; the guitar on the wall is from the West 49 Open or something like that. The ‘G.L.’ on the pool table is also on his boards and around his house. He’s such a chill dude.”

“C1RCA Canada’s Elliot Heintzman is the shit! He’s been my team manager since I was 14. He was just calling me one day on FaceTime, and took a screen shot of his face as he was trying to get through.”

State-Side Irony

“This sign was at a skate spot and I was just really stoked on it.

It’s at a park in Tarzana, California, near this gap-to-ledge that everybody skates. I thought it was a cool saying, but it’s definitely ironic given the healthcare system down there.”

@sloberto

“Vancouver’s Robert Jasiorkowski will make you laugh harder than anyone. Just search for @sloberto on Instagram. I shot this in Skylar Kehr’s van at a secret wallride spot in Orange County.

Robert’s just sitting there killin’ life. ‘Doin’ it for tha garls!’”

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Hollywood Redemption

“I don’t want to spoil it, but I was really stoked I got a clip at the Hollywood 16 for the new Blind video, Damn..., which is coming out on May 27th. I ended up hitting my head and got three staples the first time I went to that spot. Three days later I went back with the staples in my head still and got it eighth or ninth try.

This was definitely a celebration photo.”

Hoops Relief

“Hoops, yes! He is the man—a gentleman and a scholar. He’s the Plan B filmer and pretty much stacks footage of everyone that’s well known in California. Hoops is so full of energy, and as you can see he has the horns up while taking a piss [laughs]. I love that guy!”

Crazy Money

“Me and John Hanlon just killin’ it [laughs]. We were both staying at Ryan Decenzo’s place in Huntington Beach, and went out skating with all these dudes from Texas one day. One of our homies, Josh Love, wanted to take a photo of us and our ‘crazy money,’ since he’d never seen it before. He was amazed at how the new twenties don’t rip!”

front feeble Photo: Joe Krolick

Mean Muggin’

“We were skating this spot in Compton—a fire hydrant everyone skates in the DGK video. Morgan Smith was filming CJ Tambornino doing a line while Bill [Weiss] was getting some rest ‘cause he was sick.

Morg’s mean mug in this photo is hilarious; it cracks me up every time.”

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Secret Spot

Back Scratcher

“I heard Jordan Hoffart made this spot in the O.C. I ended up hanging out with Skylar Kehr, Drew Summersides and a whole crew from Vancouver for a good week, and this was the first spot we met up at. Skylar shot a photo there, which you’ll find in his Concrete interview (p.30).”

“This is my back after skating the 14 in Diamond Bar with the Blind crew. I kept landing on my trick and wheel biting, which sucked! But I’ve gotta say I was pretty stoked when I got the nollie flip that’s in this article.”

On The Mend

“This is Ryan Decenzo getting his cast off after surgery. I was staying at his house in Huntington for the six weeks I was in California. He broke his ankle the day before I got there, so I did my best to help him by making dinners, bringing him to physio and stuff. We became really good friends through it, too. The Canadians stick together!”

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Concrete skateboarding

Free American Healthcare

“After Ryan got his cast taken off, this guy was helpful enough to rip out the staples in my head from the Hollywood 16 slam. I was fucking stoked ‘cause I didn’t have to go through insurance.”

Nollie kickflip Photos: Jeremy Adams

3h shanoinsano Somewhere I’m not supposed to be...

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photos: jon steele

665 likes shanoinsano No light at the end of this tunnel. #darkholes #beerisfood #wait4thevidtodrop #myfacehurtz #silverbullet #givingblood view all 104 comments palmerspool did you loop it? tyler_martin Crazy man = Crazy skater billyinhawaii Look out for the train, bra!!! summyunguy Your full pipe looks huge.

Story Time With

words David Ehrenreich photos Brandon Alton design Meep Creative

I

showed up at Skylar Kehr’s house, just off Commercial Drive in Vancouver, and was instantly drawn to the massive jungle wall installment—a floor-to-ceiling printout of a tropical rainforest that’s 30 feet long, with a life-sized Miley Cyrus and midget Justin Bieber added in. Skylar brushed it off and proceeded with the full house tour: a spare room that doubled as a communal storage closet; a basement full of previous tenants’ junk; a house weapon collection complete with a machete and an axe. We finally ended up in the living room where roommates Chase (in head-to-toe camo) and Robert (with a “Call Me Maybe” tattoo poking out of his shirt) paused their video game to give us some silence.

I know Skylar well, but was blown away to learn that his first skate videos were on DVD, and that he’s only 20 years old. When I tried to steer our interview towards more serious subject matter,

our conversation became sparse. So we kept it fun.

I think Skylar is a smart and considerate guy, who takes no precautions in hiding facts. For the next couple hours, with a little help from his friends, he told me wild stories, and I recorded them. When we finally stopped I had enough to fill the whole magazine. So I drove them all down to the London Pub for chicken and waffles as a gesture of gratitude for including Concrete in Skylar’s story time.

As a further lead-in, Briggs Ogloff had this to say: “When I met Skylar in 2007, he was a short-haired, four-eyed nerd who loved his all-over print hoodies.

He might have since grown out of his wardrobe (and maybe his shower), but he’s the same kid when it comes down to it—loves technology, going fast, and drinking beer. He’s truly a skater’s skater and the most dedicated dude I know. Oh, and did I mention he loves beer?”

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Frontside wallride

“ I wasn’t living in a van.

But I didn’t have a home. ” Did you go to Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles a lot when you were in LA?

We love Roscoe’s, it’s so good! No one could ever finish a full meal except for Robert [Jasiorkowski]. That’s how he became fat. My top meal is Scoe’s #1, white meat—the best.

Were you living out of your van while you were down there?

I was in LA for three months, and I wasn’t living in a van. But I didn’t have a home. For the first couple months I didn’t have a car or any idea where I was staying. I knew a couple people, crashed on their couches, but after a week all my connections fell through. From then on I was just meeting people as I went and couch surfing.

You just ran it like that the whole time?

The last month-and-a-half I met this chick and she let me stay for a while.

Then a whole posse of Canadians showed up. With a stroke of luck she was moving out of her apartment; she had five days left but already had her new place, so she let six random Canadians she didn’t know stay at the old spot [laughs]. Then, being so awesome, she called her landlord and extended her old lease for another 10 days so everyone had a place to stay while we were there. All six of us were in a tiny bachelor apartment for two weeks.

What area were you in?

It was near Echo Park, just off Temple Street. It looks a little ghetto and there’s some gangs around—you always see “TST” tags, which stands for Temple Street Terrorists. There were new ones thrown up all the time, but I never had a problem with anyone or anything.

andrew norton

Noseblunt pull-in

What were your impressions of LA after living there for a couple months?

shot most of my interview, and we did it in a couple weeks. I didn’t have many people to skate with while I was down there.

I wouldn’t want to live there in general; it kind of sucks with all the traffic and driving. It’s great for skating, and the city is rad, but it’s just so dirty and you’re not supposed to drink the tap water. Overall, it was a great experience, but after three months I was over it. It’s nice to be back.

Has Briggs Ogloff filmed all of your skating since your first part in his 2009 video, Love Bolts?

According to Facebook your favourite music, movie, TV, game, athlete, sport, activity and interest are all listed as “beer.” So what’s your favourite beer?

Yeah, I try to film just with him if I can. We all live in Vancouver now, but we’re older and there’s everything that goes along with that; we have jobs for the most part, so it makes things harder. Briggs and I used to just go out every day. I was in school but didn’t go to school, so all we did was skate.

While I was in LA he wasn’t around, so I just didn’t film. Brandon [Alton]

I don’t want to botch this one, this is very important… a sensitive question.

Well, being in the States I was drinking cheap 40-ouncers—$2.25 out the door. But Coors Original is my top pick. Hyped on those. Vented wide mouth, they look cool. Just feels better.

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bluntslide to fakie

“ I thought it would be Really funny to see how high Above a toilet I could go. ” Completely unrelated, I’ve read a Keegan Sauder interview that says he’s really into the aqua dump. I’ve heard you have a similar interest, but it’s pooping from high altitudes instead. Why is that?

Sky poo! I don’t know, it started a few years ago in Arizona and I thought it would be really funny to see how high above a toilet I could go. It’s usually only on trips, but I’m very serious about it. I did it off an elementary school once, that’s the highest so far. Soon I’ll beat it.

You’re quite the chef, right?

I’m not sure about that. Sometimes I’ll make the house meals. I watch the Food Network a lot and get inspired. I get stoked to try and cook things; look it up and try to make it. I’ve made ravioli from scratch before and was pretty hyped on that.

Tell me about entering a snowboard contest without boots?

I didn’t really enter it [laughs]. We went to Mount Seymour in North Van because our friend was filming a contest. I was really drunk, saw some friends of mine and borrowed a snowboard. I didn’t have boots or anything, but I decided to take my shirt off and put on a balaclava. I was just trying to go down the hill during the contest but couldn’t even ride far enough to hit any jumps. When I walked back up, I’d use the stairs in the middle of the park while people were trying to hit the rails and hubbas. Just completely in the way, in shoes, without a shirt on. Later that night, back in the city, random people recognized me from the contest and invited me to their party.

Frontside Willy grind to fakie

Do you look at skateboarding as a career option, or a pastime until you find something that will make you money?

Of course skating as a job would be the best. I think anyone who skateboards would love that. But I’m down for whatever, really. Just skating and seeing what happens.

What do you think a suitable career alternative would be?

While we were on a trip around BC and Alberta, it seemed like everywhere we went you knew people.

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Kelowna, moved to Lethbridge, AB, for two years, and then moved to Strathmore, which is 20 minutes east of Calgary. Then, in Grade 10, moved back to the Okanagan, to Penticton. Now I live in Vancouver, but Penticton and the Okanagan still feels like my home. It’s the best place to be, full of memories from being a tiny kid and a teenager.

Probably being one of the Jersey Shore dudes. You’re paid to party all the time and be the worst person on the planet, but everyone loves you for it. I don’t actually want to be one of them, but to get paid to be anything I want, with complete freedom, would be rad.

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“ Getting to sneak into a Trinidad James and Juicy J concert in Hollywood was super fun. �

Fakie bigspin

Tell me about the most memorable night you’ve had?

I want to answer this with something good but there are so many. I went to the DGK premiere in LA, and it was actually fucked. Too Short was just there chilling, and it was a really weird scene for a skate video premiere, but so awesome. Outside there was a celebrity line and a skater line, and I was waiting with the twins Pierce and Chris Brunner in the skate line, hoping they could get me in somehow.

Did it pan out?

The lineup was huge, like two blocks, so I was walking up and down eyeing up this one fence that didn’t look guarded or even have barbed wire. So

before the liquid courage wore off, I ran up this fence and jumped over. It led me into some weird VIP red carpet hallway. Ran through there and ended up in someone’s VIP booth, then jumped out of the booth and into the crowd. I made it just in time to see the video and then Trinidad James open for Juicy J. It doesn’t sound too crazy but getting to sneak into a Trinidad James and Juicy J concert in Hollywood was super fun.

Are you sponsored?

Yeah, by Emerica, Altamont and InStance through Timebomb; Zero and Independent through Centre; Bones and Happy Hour through Ultimate; Pentagon Boardshop, and Shake Junt through Mehrathon… I hope.

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SKATE SHOPS

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

words

dane collison

photos

brian caissie

Planning a trip to Southern California crosses most Canadians’ minds during the winter season—it’s a fairly cheap getaway that almost guarantees sun day after day. However, planning a long weekend skate journey to SoCal with some friends and planning a 10-day trip to Los Angeles to shoot a full article are completely different stories. Let’s face it: L.A. County has been thoroughly beaten up by skateboards for decades. Nearly everyone who’s made it, or tried to, in the United States and across the globe has either visited or wound up calling the Los Angeles area home. Having an average of about 330 days of sunshine per year, this city doesn’t see much downtime in terms of skateboarding.

Taking all of this into consideration, you’re left wondering: How the hell can a crew of Canadians roll through and get some unique coverage in a skate city rife with welldocumented ABDs and history? A tough question, indeed.

About two years ago, Bryan Wherry started handpicking the first Canadian team to represent HUF Footwear. Over time it’s grown into a very solid squad, featuring the likes of Wherry, Mike Vince, Tyler Warren, Brett Gifford, Mike Fyfe and Zander Mitchell. In this case, they took it upon themselves to leave the frigid Canadian winter behind to try and find a different take on the “City of Dreams.” The following stack of pages consists of this amazing group of guys partaking in HUF Canada’s first out-of-country trip.

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SKATE, SLEEP, BURRITO

The daily planner for this trip was simple: get up, eat, go skate, sleep. Pepper in a burrito or two, some beers to end the day, and that’s the trip in a nutshell. The effects of the schedule translated into a whole lot of time spent skating.

None of us had ever spent much time in L.A., yet we knew what to expect, and in some cases we had spots and tricks already in mind; this made for a good feeling hopping in the van right off the plane. I could tell that the energy was high and it was going to be an adventure.

ZANDER’S THE MAN

Zander Mitchell started this trip (insert sarcastic tone here) “on a great note.” As Bryan Wherry mentions: “This guy is not responsible at all. Sometimes I think he’s from another planet, but he makes up for it with his skateboarding every time.”

Zander arrived late for his flight in Montreal only to find out he couldn’t board the plane.

From this point on, the rest of the day resulted in stressful scenarios to get him safely to our hotel in L.A. For those of you unfamiliar with the Nova Scotia native’s skating, he is a machine. Not in a robotic way, but he just doesn’t stop. And his trick selection is on point.

Zander Mitchell back smith to front shuv

“Zander’s the man,” says Tyler Warren.

“He’s always sparkin’ lumbers right when everyone’s getting in the van to leave, but he will always get a trick at every spot and it will always be the best.”

mike Fyfe switch crook

SWINGERS

Hollywood is an interesting place. It’s one of the few cities in the world where people have a predetermined thought or feeling about it long before they go there.

We were happily set up at the Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel, right off Beverly and Fairfax. Attached to this hotel is a place called Swingers—a little diner-style restaurant with a good enough menu to hit every day or two and not get sick of it. With the moderate pricing and not-so-private dining, I wouldn’t have thought this was a place where you would run into a grip of random TV and film stars, as well as professional skateboarders.

I guess that’s Hollywood.

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CRAZY T

Calgary’s Tyler Warren claimed the cover this issue, and the most nicknames on the trip. I’d say five-to-one compared to his teammates. Let’s make a quick list of some notable ones: Crazy T, Conscious T, Personali T, Big T, T Money… the list can go on. @kookfag (as he’s known on Instagram) is a character. He would hype up the van during the dullest of moments, and was quick to put on some new crazy rap that he knew every word to. Funny thing was, the only other person who knew every song he would play was Wherry, who was the oldest while Tyler was the youngest.

“I could spend a lifetime writing a biography on him and it would likely fall short of capturing the essence that is Tyler Warren,” Mike Vince accurately explains. “I just couldn’t stop laughing at him, and occasionally with him.”

FYFE’S WORLD

Prior to going on this trip, I had never met Mike Fyfe before, but knowing his brother Wade, I had a little bit of an idea of what to expect. That is until I talked to Wherry about Mike, and he told me about his first team manager encounter, which resulted in having to put Mike in a full nelson.

“He’s usually keeping it really chill in his own world,” Crazy T says of Mike. “But you always wonder what he’s thinking under all that hair, and he will only tell you after you give him some beers.”

Mike hosts a striking resemblance to Wade in many ways, with a similar calm, subtle humour that perfectly accompanies his skateboarding.

Tyler Warren 50-50

THE GIFF

Brett Gifford is raw with everything he does. He’s got no problem draining a few 24-ounce cans of Coors before bed, and retires later than anyone.

“He is always awake,” Mike Vince confirms. “He doesn’t go to sleep, which I find a tad odd. Brett, does insomnia help with one’s flick?” Wherry adds: “He would still get up and skate hard every day, though. He also showed up with the worst haircut [laughs].”

Brett usually gets up to a smoke and coffee before he eats anything normal.

Judging by his track record on this trip, he bleeds at least once-a-day, and I think he wore the same clothes pretty much every day. All of these aforementioned personality traits got me hyped after seeing them grow from a one-day thing into his daily routine.

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Brett Gifford frontside kickflip

THE REALIST

Let me start off by saying that Bryan Wherry is a fucking G. He’s quick to let you know what’s on his mind and almost everything the guy says is pure comedy, unless he makes you aware that he’s being real. He dubbed himself as the Suge Knight of skateboard team management, and I recall times where he would shamelessly tell his talent what he thought about their ideas for moves, or moves they’ve pulled in the past.

“Bryan is the realist tiger,” says Tyler Warren. “He’s always dropping some knowledge, and isn’t afraid to call a sucker out. He knows what he likes and he’s honest—that’s why his shit is always so proper. Conscious mothafucka!”

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Bryan Wherry switch kickflip

Zander Mitchell Varial Heelflip

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TRESPASSING

The weekends in Los Angeles open up a huge window of street skating opportunities. It was great to have fellow Canadian Spencer Hamilton down for the first few days; he directed us to a schoolyard just east of downtown with some classic spots.

There we were, like a bunch of kids outside of a candy store, except this particular store had a large sign that read: “Absolutely NO Trespassing - Trespassers are subject to a $500 fine and 6 months in jail, or BOTH!” Just as the warning sunk in, boards started flying over fences and camera bags were getting passed like an assembly line. We were in there, cruising dense, smooth asphalt that can’t be found in Canada, with picnic benches as tall as my knees. Weekend heaven.

Brett Gifford backside tailslide

Massimo Cavedoni

frontside pivot grind 180 out

MR. PROPER

Mike Vince is proper. I think Tyler Warren explains it best: “He knows the difference between basic, solid trick selection and over-stylish milking it. His only flaw is that he thinks Winnipeg is sick and he hates Calgary.”

This was Mike’s first time back to the “City of Lost Angels” since he lived in the area with his father back when he was in grade school. Our first day or two on the trip, Mike took it slow and mentioned to me that he was waiting for his spot to pop up. This is where L.A. schoolyards come into play. If you’ve ever seen Mike skate in person, you could imagine what kind of hurting he would put on a toddler picnic table sitting atop some ultrasmooth asphalt. After a long day, you could bet your dollar bills that Vince was the first guy showered and in a fresh kit that looked fully ironed.

Mike Vince

backside kickflip

GANG RELATED

Being the main man in charge of driving on the trip, I had to pay attention to road signs, whether they were exits off freeways or main streets running east to west and north to south. While driving around the downtown area you notice all these familiar names like Crenshaw, Wilshire, Rosecrans and Compton, and you get a feeling like you almost know the place. Now, we’ve all seen our fair share of classic L.A. gangster flicks, and we’ve heard N.W.A. and other ground-breaking West Coast gangster rap that’s shaped the whole genre of music. Being from Canada, though, we might not see the lifestyle this music portrays, nor acknowledge the fact that it does exist. Filming at a spot in what appeared to be a peaceful neighbourhood just east of downtown made it seem as though we were free to do whatever. That is, until a young 6’3” man covered in tattoos approached our crew, not liking how we were hanging out in his ‘hood. He proceeded to tell me the way he felt about us, and if I remember correctly it went something like: “Get the fuck out of my ‘hood you fucking white boy.” I almost

thought he was joking until he started throwing up gang signs and told us he’s calling the homies to sort us out. I think we all just shared our first time getting kicked out of a spot by a Mexican gangbanger.

When it comes down to it, you never really know what you’re getting into when you travel to a new city to skate. Thanks to the folks at HUF, we were able to connect with Tyler Cichy, the American TM. We rolled around with him, some HUF employees and flow riders, like Massimo Cavedoni, in their big tour van for a few days. Without these guys, we wouldn’t have been able to see half the things we did on the trip. Until next time…

#HUFCANADALA

hufworldwide.com

Concrete skateboarding

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TYLER MUMMA TYLER MUMMA | PAID IN BLOOD | PHOTO: JOHN LUCERO

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1

with

mike campbell words and photos

2

3

Brian caissie

One spot. One session. Three serious moves with sequential evidence as proof.

This Vancouver spot has been around for a long time and has seen a lot of coverage over the years. The difference this time is a big blue dumpster was placed in the landing to stop skaters, but little did they know this was a bonus for us. We just turned it sideways and got right to grinding it. This particular session was stacked: Wade Desarmo, Arno Botha, Conlan Killeen, Magnus Hanson and Mike Campbell, with Ty James filming. Needless to say, I had a feeling we’d get a few tricks on it as long as we didn’t get kicked out.

Since the winter sun went down at 4:30 p.m., the window of opportunity to get tricks before the dark cold settled in was small. Mike started off the session with a nollie backside 5-0 1 , before moving on to a heelflip 5-0 2 .

Once the sun started going down, Mike rolled up and landed a nollie heel backside 50-50 3 to shut down the session. We pushed our luck the next day by going back for more, but got kicked out in a matter of minutes. Luck of the draw in the streets, I guess. You just never know.

Concrete skateboarding

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kilian martin

kilianclothing.com facebook.com/kilianclothing

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ON THE RADAR

CHAD WILSON

T

words

jordan guzyk

photos

matt stetson

he first time I met Chad Wilson was on a trip to Barcelona in 2011.

Prior to this I only knew two things: he rips and he likes to smoke

weed. He later reaffirmed these speculations during our one-month Barcelona excursion by logging clips daily and smoking a “few” blunts. Fast-forward two years and nothing much has changed. The 20-year-old from Peterborough, Ontario, has been creeping his way in to the Canadian scene with Vans Canada, JSLV, Bones Wheels, SK8MAFIA, Happy Hour Shades, and InStance fueling his ambition. Most recently, he had a part in Erick Valentic’s video, State Your Name, where he subtly showcased his raw ability to skate handrails and stairs that are a chore to walk down. Welcome to the first installment of On The Radar; flip through the next few pages to feast your eyes on the beast that is Chad Wilson.

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wallride

hurricane

How long have you been skating?

Half my life now. Ten years would be how long I’ve been skating for. My cousin gave me my first board, an Alien Workshop, and I’d just go out skating with him. Ended up liking it and wanted to learn more, so I just stuck with it.

Where are your favourite places to roll?

I haven’t traveled too much, so I would say my favourite place to skate would be Barcelona. I wouldn’t want to go back there and expect to have the same amount of fun I had last time, you know? My favourite hangout spot would be my park here in Peterborough… just skating with the homies, or getting out to spots around the GTA. When you’re in Peterborough, what do you get up to when you’re not skating?

There’s not much to do here when you’re not skating, but I try to pass the

time by hanging out with my girlfriend, smoking a lot of herb, and drinking beers with the homies. There’s a couple laid-back bars here in Peterborough I like to get out to and stuff, but I’m pretty much just thinking about skating when I’m not skating.

You’ve got a few tattoos and I’m sure some of them have a story. Which one was your first and what’s the story behind it?

I’ve actually got quite a few tattoos now. I’m starting to get covered, but I got my first one when I was 14. My mom brought me in to the shop to get it done; she signed for it, and it was for my best friend, Mitch Plunkett, who passed away. He got hit by a van on the highway when I was younger, and it was just in memory of him—all the good times I had with him growing up. After I got that first tattoo I couldn’t stop, just like everyone says. I kept getting more and more and more...

Instead of the leprechaun coming out of a big pot of coins, he’s coming out of a big pot of weed nugs. I call him the “leprechron.”

back smith

What about your leprechaun tattoo?

I got that one in February. Instead of the leprechaun coming out of a big pot of coins, he’s coming out of a big pot of weed nugs. I call him the “leprechron” [laughs].

How about the “Funky Dank” tattoo? What’s the deal with that one?

Yeah, I did that myself not too long ago. It took me about 15 hours to do it with a sewing needle and ink from a craft store [laughs].

You like to cook, so if you were going to make a meal to impress someone, what would it be?

Well, everybody loves chicken. So it’d have to be chicken and veggies with some potatoes or something like that. A classy, nice meal. Laid back.

What was the deal with all those Facebook status updates that read: “FREE CHAD WILSON”?

That was because of the Toronto premiere I was at for State Your Name; me and a bunch of friends had parts in it. We drank a bunch and were on our way back to the hotel when a guy on the subway ended up grabbing me. We fought, and it turned in to me getting arrested and going to jail for a couple nights until my mom bailed me out. Nothing I want to do again in the future.

Do you ever think of packing up your things and moving out of Peterborough?

I think about it every day. I want to get down to Toronto and skate with all the friends this summer; do a lot more with skating in the city, and possibly go back to school for a sports marketing program. So that’s what I’m planning on doing, just getting to Toronto to skate, live life, and have fun while working on a fallback plan so I can still do something involving skating for the rest of my life, you know?

Concrete skateboarding

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distributed by ultimate

JAMIE PALMORE - SWITCH CROOKS - SAN DIEGO, CA.

SK8MAFIA4LIFE.COM - INSTA.GRAM:@THEREALSK8MAFIA #SK8MAFIA - TWITTER:@SK8MAFIA4LIFE PHOTO: CONNELLY

photos brandon alton

Andrew Classon

lives: White Rock , BC age: 18 rs ne, Filmbot Grip, Coastal Ride sponsors: Red Star , Vans, Daki

Front Blunt Shuv Out

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meeting him at the Tsawwassen Andrew is the man. I remember first being amazed that he was killing it skatepark when I was around 15 and wanted to do was skate and it was I all time that At age. at such a young hitting downtown Vancouver all the ed the same with him, so we just start Stoked for you, Big Dawn! time. From then he’s only progressed. —Hayden Kelly

© 2 0 1 3 J S LV C O R P. | D I S T R I B U T E D B Y U LT I M AT E

W W W. J S LV C O R P. C O M

KELL E N JA M E S

IT’S NOW OR NEVER

photos steve marentette

Ty Peterson

lives: Edmonton, AB age: 15 Wheel Co., Theeve, West 49 sponsors: Blind, Globe, Four

Frontside 5-0

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e that he’s a 25-year-old trapped Upon first meeting Ty you slowly realiz consistency on rails makes it look in a 15-year-old’s body. His style and lus years. Never taking life too 10-p for s trick these g like he’s been doin to shoot with. Pay attention to treat a is seriously and always humble, Ty of Canada’s finest. this kid, he’s on his way to being one —Steve Marentette

photos jay delaney

Conlan Killeen

lives: Vancouver, BC age: 23 Bones Wheels, Theeve, sponsors: Lakai, Foundation, BLVD Skateshop

Tailslide Kickflip Out

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passionate skateboarder I’ve come Conlan is by far the most aggressive, d he’s laid back and polite, but when to know over the years. Off the boar clip, he takes on a completely or o phot a for down it’s time to lay it perfection is unacceptable for him than different persona. Anything less ration. But when the trick is had, and bleeds through as anger and frust to know his process. ng getti ure pleas he’s all roses. It’s been a ey Delan y —Ja

Ph. Wagner Ph. Rodent

supradistribution.com habitatstickers@supradistribution.com

Cheap beer, great music, good friends and #AFUCKINGMINIRAMPINTHEBAR! That’s what Vancouver’s Thrashin’ Thursday is all about. Since January 17th, BLVD Skateshop, Supra Distribution, Concrete and Cariboo Brewing provided the skate scene with a dry spot to hang out, watch a few vids and skate a fun 3-foot u-pipe. Resident ramp champs Adam Hopkins and his hometown Thunder Bay broheem Max Bayko handled the set-up and tear-down duties like pros, while a rotating cast of DJs that skate took care of the music. March 21st was the final Thrashin’ Thursday at the Whiskey Bar in Gastown, but we’ve got rad ideas for future installments. So get off the couch, unplug the vaporizer and come check it out sometime soon!

—Kevin Kelly

blvdskateshop.com supradistribution.com concreteskateboarding.com cariboobrewing.com

Adam Hopkins front blunt

photo Louis Feller

Party Pics clockwise: Jorden Murray, James Chan [o] Caissie

Matt Soder, Kevin McCoubrey, Tyler Holm [o] Feller

girls, girls, girls [o] Feller The Tubuloids [o] Feller

Jeff Muirhead frontside ollie

photo Brian Caissie

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Kevin Lowry ollie

photo steve marentette

concrete Est. 1990: Canada’s original skateboard magazine

PRINTED IN CANADA

skateboarding.com view issues on your desktop & mobile device for free

PUBLISHER Kevin Harris EDITOR-in-chief Frank daniello

frank@concreteskateboarding.com

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

ART DIRECTOR Dave Keras

davek@concreteskateboarding.com

Ad Sales Manager Casey Jones

casey@concreteskateboarding.com

associate designers Randy Laybourne meep creative Video Specialist David Ehrenreich

dave@justdontsleep.com

copy editor Stephanie lake Administration Dave Buhr social media thor mediA

Contributing Photographers rich odam, antosh cimoszko tj rogers, joe krolick jeremy adams, brandon alton andrew norton, steve marentette michael burnett, james morley matt stetson, jay delaney louis feller, sasha morgan gabe morford Contributing Writers matt meadows, jason corbett casey jones, randy laybourne david ehrenreich, dane collison jordan guzyk, hayden kelly steve marentette, jay delaney kevin kelly, john lucas darin howard 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.

Instagram @concreteskatemag facebook @concreteskateboarding twitter @concreteskate vimeo concreteskate tumblr concreteskateboarding 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

sasha morgan words

John Lucas

Matt Korvette’s musical identity was shaped by the steady diet of punk and hardcore he grew up on, but don’t hold your breath waiting for him to write the definitive smash-the-state anthem for his band, Pissed Jeans. Over a caustic but weirdly approachable wall of punk noise constructed by his bandmates (guitarist Bradley Fry, bassist Randy Huth, and drummer Sean McGuinness), Korvette can work himself up into a righteous fury, as a listen to Pissed Jeans’ fourth album, Honeys, reveals.

On tracks like the Black Flag-indebted slow grinder “Male Gaze” and the adrenaline-charged thrasher “Health Plan” you might pick up on the fact that the former song is Korvette’s public apology for being a drooling lecher, and the latter is about his aversion to doctors’ offices. If these seem like mundane concerns compared to, say, the political sloganeering found on the latest Rise Against record, Korvette makes no apologies for that.

“I feel like being the singer in a band that some people have heard of is kind of like a real lucky break,” he says over the phone from his home in Philadelphia. “I don’t want to just waste it by going back to seeing what everyone else has written about for the past 30 years, and just kind of altering those slightly so we have lyrics that exist and are uncompletely unimportant, but no

one’s going to get angry at them or notice them.

That just bores me, because there’s nothing being said, actually. I have an opportunity to give you my spin on things that are annoying, so I feel like I want to do that and be true to things that I actually think about every day.”

Most of what Korvette ponders on a daily basis is relatable to the average listener because, although the band is signed to Sub Pop, Pissed Jeans isn’t keeping a roof over anyone’s head. The group’s members all have day jobs, including Korvette’s 9-to-5 gig as an insurance claims adjuster. Office politics don’t usually make for compelling song fodder, but “Cafeteria Food” is an exception to the rule. In that one, a cubicle dweller fantasizes about the death of a hated project manager.

“I was actually a bit nervous about that one,” the singer admits. “You know, I felt really good writing it, but after it was written I was like, ‘Oh, man. Did I go a bit too far?’ Having a little pang of ‘I hope my boss doesn’t hear this song,’ but I don’t think he did.”

The brilliant thing about “Cafeteria Food” is that its protagonist doesn’t dream up some elaborate plot to assassinate his nemesis; he simply imagines how satisfied he would feel upon hearing of the man’s demise: “Inside I’ll be

laughing because you’re dead/You died/And I’m wishing I had my tap shoes on.”

“I feel like I’m not a unique flower,” Korvette offers. “Probably a lot of the things that I’m dealing with, other people have thought about or just have not even realized that they deal with all the time, and they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, that happens to me, too.’ Which might be more potent than ‘I hate cops.’”

Of course, songs about hating cops can be perfectly relevant. If you’re a young black man in Compton, and it happens to be 1988, then “Fuck tha Police” is a powerful call to arms. That, however, is not where Korvette is coming from, and he has no interest in making believe he’s something that he’s not.

“I’m coming from a very specific place of middleclass, white male privilege,” he acknowledges. “I haven’t had much serious struggle in my life, so I think that probably shines through. I’m not a guy that was homeless at some point and had to really struggle or sleep in a car for weeks. And I’m not trying to pretend that I am, either. I don’t think that I’m better because I had all these privileges, and I don’t think I’m worse. I’m just trying to say: ‘Here’s what I am.’”

subpop.com/artists/pissed_jeans

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curated and written by

David Ehrenreich

With so many videos dropping each week our main challenge with this page has become variety. New York City’s Rob Harris has been previously featured here, and to the delight of fans across the globe he released DECE VID (vimeo.com/57763698) in January as a follow-up to 2009’s Rich Mahogany. Grant Yansura (youtube.com/ yendoggg) put out Cosmic Vomit 2 towards the end of 2012, which is a more serious older brother to his hilarious Weekendtage series. But our heavy bias to Canadian content led us to these solid Video Links selects…

NEW GROUND

FIST FULL OF LOONIES

Bones Wheels, arguably the largest wheel producer in skateboarding, is not sitting on its thumbs biding time. The release of New Ground marks its second full-length video production in three years, and this tight turnaround has been made possible by the obvious dedication of TM/filmer Jared Lucas and his immense talent pool of riders. Speaking of pools, the doubles line during the intro is one of the most exciting clips of the video. I hope this isn’t the last we see of Jared Huss, and Ben Raybourn takes the cake. There are some negatives to this production, but I think it mostly stems from trying to showcase such a huge team. My only real complaints were the tunes and how Jordan Hoffart’s part was split up from his ender. Aside from that, the entire video is filled with crazy skating and it’s available as a free download.

Toronto’s Blue Tile Lounge made a really good video this year. In fact, I was blown away. Fist Full Of Loonies utilized a great format—the first half is Standard Def (VX, etc.) and the second half is HD. For the most part, each rider has two sections, and the second half of the video mirrors the first; for example, Morgan Smith has the last SD part and first HD part. Speaking of Morgan, this is my favourite part he’s ever released. The whole video boasts a high level of skating, and my other personal favourite standouts are Jay Brown, Phil McKnight, Pat O’Rourke and Nick Moore. Rob Lane even utilized a Fisher-Price PXL-2000 to shoot the intro, which is a camera that’s close to my heart. What I’m really getting at here is a lot of time, energy and love went into the making of and overall aesthetic of this video. It’s a must watch.

LIFE JACKET

TIMEBOMB TRADING

I used to quietly wonder when the mechanical organs of the last VX on Earth would finally fail. But then I saw this page’s author put something together called SUPLEX (vimeo.com/52252499) around the same time as Life Jacket by Windsor’s Chris Quick, and became re-inspired by the dated yet steadfast VX approach.

Most importantly, this video serves as a solid reminder that the journey is one hell of a fun, painful, hilarious, intoxicating and amazing experience—enough to keep Quick’s fire stoked once the delirium struck from staring into Final Cut’s long-term glare. Aside from entertaining clips and interlude footy from tons of known and unknown homies, Life Jacket features some of my favourite bluecollar Southern Ontario rippers: Jamie Jeffery, Hill Sulpher, Beaster and Mitch Pryma (with additional solid stunting by Jeff Srnec, Mikey Plantus and Dillon Moore). Hit up the video’s FB page and cop a copy. —Frank Daniello

Burnaby, BC’s Timebomb Trading—Canada’s distributor of etnies, Emerica, Altamont, RVCA, InStance, LRG and more recently the Kayo Corp’s stable of brands—has a long history involvement in Canadian skateboarding. Pros like Paul Machnau, Jordan Hoffart and Nate Lacoste got their start through Timebomb’s support. Continuing with its rich history of promoting local talent, the distro has been producing a series of video parts, aptly named as Timebomb Files. Digging through their Vimeo channel you can find such parts from Matt Berger and Derek Swaim, Cory Wilson, Deer Man Of Dark Woods, Skylar Kehr, Drew Summersides and more. A recent notable video they’ve uploaded is Jake Kuzyk’s edit welcoming Tyler Gaucher to the Emerica and Altamont Canada teams. Keep Timebomb’s channel bookmarked, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by some good local skating.

b one s . com /b on e s -video- n ew- g r oun d/ d o w n l oa dno w

f ac e b o ok .com/ l if ej ack e t video

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fi s tful l ofl o onie s .com

v i meo.com /u se r8981838

crailtap.com - chocolateskateboards.com - supradistribution.com - chocolatestickers@supradistribution.com

gabe morford

I thought there was a cap on how high obstacles could be in order to still be deemed skateable. Over the years we’d be on trips and find some ledge or some rail that was sick, but too high, so we’d just drive away.

That all changed one day in Buffalo, NY. We rolled up to a handicap rail in the parking lot of a bank; it had been cut down so it was a skateable flat bar, but the rail that accompanied it stood tall and untouched.

What happened on that rail forever changed what I thought was possible. Jake Donnelly has a lot of pop, but dig deeper and you’ll find a man who was raised in the woods and is prepared for anything. He relishes the opportunities life puts in front of him.

—Darin Howard

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Buffalo’s Finest

Video Parts

Jakes

1. T. Huff 2. E-Unit 3. Rick James 4. The Bills!

5. The essence: Dan Plunkett

1. Adrian Lopez, Misled Youth 2. Leo Romero, First Love 3. Andrew Reynolds, The End 4. Dan Plunkett, Live 5. Everyone in Since Day One

1. Johnson 2. Phelps 3. Brown 4. Duncombe 5. Rupp

Canadians

Skate Destinations

Things to shoot

1. E’ry 2. Day 3. I’m 4. Asselin 5. Asselin

1. SF 2. Florida 3. Phoenix 4. NYC 5. Atlanta

1. The shit 2. Deer 3. Beer cans 4. Squirrels 5. Turkeys

Bad habits

Websites

Must-haves

1. Eating too fast 2. Bad mouth 3. Grocery shopping at 7-Eleven 4. Smoking 5. Hanging out with Robbie Brockel

1. dlxsf.com 2. thrashermagazine.com 3. google.com 4. theberrics.com 5. hellaclips.com

1. Water 2. Beers 3. Spliffs 4. Board 5. Bros

Beverages

Rappers

Real Alumni

1. Stella Artois 2. Water 3. Modelo 4. Water 5. Budweiser

1. 2 Chainz 2. Rick Ross 3. Cam’ron 4. Juicy J 5. Weezy

1. Jim Thiebaud 2. Tommy Guerrero 3. Mickey Reyes 4. Max Schaaf 5. Salman Agah

Concrete skateboarding

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

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