Issue 111 March 2011 free
Sascha Daley
Solving the Mystery
Alberta Alberta Premium Premium
Nate Roline
Seattle
in in 72 72 Hours Hours or or Less Less
No No Prob-Llama Prob-Llama
Momentum in Peru Issue 111 March 2011
Identity Rodney Mullen Five Spot Jeremy Wray shoe Vault C1RCA MUSKA Art Blender DON PENDLETON
MIKE O’MEALLY BACK 360 SEQUENCE
INTRODUCING HIS FIRST PRO MODEL SHOE
ANDREW BROPHY
DVS SHOE COMPANY 955 FRANCISCO ST. TORRANCE, CA 90502 DVSSHOES.COM
ZERED BASSETT CHICO BRENES ANDREW BROPHY DANIEL CASTILLO JIMMY CAO NICK GARCIA KERRY GETZ KENNY HOYLE MARTY MURAWSKI TOREY PUDWILL ROBBIE RUSSO DAEWON SONG JERON WILSON MARK BAINES LUCIEN CLARKE FLO MIRTAIN PAUL SHIER
BROPHY
WHITE/BLUE SUEDE
SUPRADISTRIBUTION.COM DVSSTICKERS@SUPRADISTRIBUTION.COM
SEE MORE OF JOSH & THE SQUARE TWO AT éSSKATEBOARDING.COM TIMEBOMBTRADING.COM FACEBOOK.COM/TIMEBOMBTRADING
éS PROUDLY WELCOME JOSH MATTHEWS TO THE TEAM / JOSH SKATES THE SQUARE TWO
SKATEBOARDING STARTS WITH
FOSTER / CAPALDI / JOHNSON / CARROLL / MARIANO / HOWARD / WELSH / BIEBEL / LENOCE / FERNANDEZ / ALVAREZ / ESPINOZA HAWK / TERSHY / GILLET / BRADY / JENSEN / 955 Francisco Street, Torrance, CA 90502 / lakai.com / supradistribution.com lakaistickers@supradistribution.com
LAKA P. ELFLI E HE NOLLI IANI. L LIL . PA U WEAR FOOT ITED I LIM
W S NO R O M COL .CO TER LAKAI S E AT CH MAN OLORS W NE ALL C SEE
sequence by comber
IL AVA
ABL
E.
I S S U E 111 March 2011
No Battle, No War cover photo / contents sequence and caption by
Rich Odam
After spending some time shooting with TJ ROGERS in Toronto last summer, he came out west to keep the ball rolling by working on some more stuff. I invited him on a trip to Vancouver Island and he didn’t wait to get busy at pretty much every spot we went to in Victoria. After the first couple days, word got around and our crew got bigger. We were rolling about 20-deep on this particular day, which kinda adds to the pressure factor because there’s a lot of eyes on you. This NOLLIE KICKFLIP didn’t come easy – he skated the spot alone while fighting the banked landing and the trick itself. “No battle, no war” is something TJ has come to understand very well. Congrats on your first cover, homie. Killing it! Visit concreteskateboarding.com on your desktop or mobile device to check out TJ’s sick cover clip and much more in the Issue 111 commercial.
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Concrete skateboarding
28 Nate Roline Sascha Daley 38 Alberta Premium
Solving the Mystery
Seattle 48
in 72 Hours or Less
64 Momentum in Peru No Prob-Llama
10 14 16 22 24 76 92 100 102 104 106
Rise & Shine Bart JOnes Identity Rodney Mullen Inventory Art Blender DON PENDLETON BA.KU PROPAGANDA the intro Exposure Gallery Young Bloods Video Reviews shoe Vaults C1RCA MUSKA Sound Check Gang Of Four The Five Spot Jeremy Wray
AND THE AL50 C1RCA.COM
SWITCH BACKSIDE BIGSPIN. ROSEVILLE, CA -PHOTO: DAVE CHAMI circa 2010
issue 111
March 2011
Windsor James / frontside flip
chris haslam
Rise & Shine Bart Jones
Lee Yankou / ollie issue 107 - july 2010
All it takes is a quick Google search of “Bart Jones”, and you’ll quickly discover what you’re dealing with – a 30 year-old homeless skate photographer from the Chicago sticks who injects what he refers to as “being a complete weirdo” into any situation. Bart’s homelessness comes from the fact that he’s been “sofa loafin’ for four years now”, but photography-wise he says: “I have OCD, so I try and keep everything kind of organized looking.” Well, he’s been doing a good job seeing how Dave Swift recruited him as a staffer for The Skateboard Mag three years ago, after Bart had previously contributed to Paying In Pain, Concussion, and Lowcard on the zine circuit. More immediately, he made some pictures and insightful captions happen for our No Prob-Llama feature about the Momentum Wheel Co. bros in Peru (p.64). If the not-so-far-fetched day ever comes when Bart gains network approval for his own late-night TV show, he figures it’ll be called How To Blow It. But rest assured, that title ain’t gonna apply to his Concrete #111 efforts. 10
Concrete skateboarding
theskateboardmag.com/blogs/bart-jones
Photo by fellow Pro Toy rider Diego (the Butcher) Bucchieri
distributed by Ultimate
TYLER BLEDSOE F/S FLIP
OLIVER BARTON PHOTO.
etnies.com facebook.com/etnies
timebombtrading.com facebook.com/timebombtrading
Identity
brian caissie
Rodney Mullen
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Most rewarding contest win?
I’ve known Rodney for almost a decade, and have skated with him probably four times. We played a oneletter game of SKATE once – so a game of “S” – and it took both of us like an hour to land our tricks. The other three times I was just basically watching him and trying to convince him to do some of his old freestyle stuff without actually saying anything to him, because he never says yes. Apparently I’m not the Dr. Charles Xavier I thought I was when I was a kid. But when I think about it now, I see that’s just who he is and how he’s always progressed in his career. He turned Pro the year I was born for Christ’s sake. To him, it’s never about what he did in the past, it’s about what he needs to do to get where he wants to be. Who really knows what goes on in Rodney’s head and why he chooses to do things the way he does. I do know he never chooses the easy way, especially when it comes to anything involving his skateboard. Having always been a solid name in the industry – and still producing the kind of stuff he does – shows that whatever the hell he’s doing is working. With 30 years of professional skateboarding under his belt, he can still probably kick my ass at one-letter games of SKATE, unless of course it involves nollie laser heelflips... At least for the time being anyway. —Chris Haslam
The Oasis contest in San Diego, entering Pro as an AM. I think it was in August 1980. I idolized all the riders in the Bones Brigade, and Stacy Peralta called my house that summer asking me to come out for the contest. About a month before that, my father told me I had to quit skating once high school started back up in September. My mom pleaded for me, so he agreed to pay for my flight, calling it “Rodney’s last fling with skateboarding”. Stacy picked me up at the airport, and within days I was competing against all the Pros I had admired ever since I started – such a trippy feeling. I won, and Steve Rocco went around the whole area saying the judges were wrong and he actually won. On the way to LAX to catch my flight home, Stacy gave me the Bones Brigade patch. If this contest never happened, and if Stacy wouldn’t have made his decision, I would have never been able to continue. I think I won about 34 out of 35 Pro contests after that, and hardly any of them even conjure up a good memory. The Oasis contest was probably the best thing that ever happened to me.
Top 3 nicknames people have given you?
When I started skating it was mostly surfers that I hung out with, and “Surf Dog” was the usual slang for them. But since I was just a little shaggy kid with a skateboard, they all called me “Mutt”. It’s crazy how long that stuck with me. My wife calls me “Forrest” [laughs]. As slow as he was, Forrest Gump killed it in pingpong. So she jokes that I have the same glitch with skateboarding.
Dream trips and travel companions?
Haslam is so fun to travel with, especially with the crazy places he goes to. His dad is in Bahrain right now – a small island country in the Persian Gulf – and it would be amazing to go hang out with the Haslams. Though I haven’t traveled much with David Gonzalez, I have the best time hanging out with him. MJ and Daewon are two of my closest friends; going with them to some crazy place where you never really know exactly what’s gonna happen would be awesome, and having Ronnie Creager there would make it even better.
Music that gets you psyched to skate?
More than anything, it would be Sabaton [sabaton.net]. Haslam introduced them to me when we went to Europe last year. Some of my favourite songs are “Jawbreaker”, “Birds of War”, “Hellrider”, “Into the Fire”, “Counterstrike”, “Coat of Arms”, “Attero Dominatus”, and “40:1”. Sabaton isn’t all I listen to, but it’s definitely the music that gets me psyched to skate.
Top movies to watch?
Ghostbusters (1984) is seriously at the top of my list. I never get tired of it. Any Cohen Brothers stuff is awesome, like The Big Lebowski (1998) or Raising Arizona (1987). Men in Black (1997), Jaws (1975), and Happy Gilmore (1996) are right up there on my list, too. I watch Schinder’s List (1993) a lot; the scene where the Jewish workers that Oskar Schindler saved are all saying goodbye to him, and he starts looking at his car and his watch – all the stuff that was being traded for lives during the Holocaust. That crosses my mind more than any scene from any other movie, ever.
Favourite inspirational quote?
Since I was about eight or nine, I’ve read a chapter of the Bible in the morning, and one at night. Colossians 3:23 connected with me from the start and only became more meaningful once I started to gain a little bit of fame. It also encouraged me to skate the way I wanted to skate, no matter what anybody said. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men.”
Favourite flip trick of all-time? I always go back to a pretty basic heelflip primo slide. I’ve done all kinds, which are always fun, but after a while you’re just thankful to make it [laughs]. The feeling and sound of that crazy sideways slide against the axles seriously makes me laugh when I do it sometimes.
Most prized possessions?
In 1982 I got 50 dollars-a-month from Independent. I saved it up for a whole year to buy my first “good” stereo amp, and I’ve had some version of it for about 20 years. I sit on the floor in front of the speakers, turn it up a little louder than I can take, then cover my ears so it feels like the music is pelting my whole body. Even though the speakers don’t quite weigh 200 pounds each, they still move a lot of air. I’ve got awesome neighbours [laughs]. My prized possessions are also my books, hundreds of them. For a lot of years — up until I got married – that’s all I really had was my stereo and books.
First photo in a magazine?
I think 1978 or ’79 in Skateboarder, holding a box of trophies from both slalom and freestyle events – happy as a clam. That was the first time I saw Tony Alva and a concave board.
If you never started skateboarding you’d be _____?
I don’t know exactly what, but I know I’d be far less of the person I am today.
collection compiled by sean miller
inventory
Matix
Asher Brickhouse
This Matix staple has been updated and featured in navy and grey. Whether you’re skating the dry lines at the local park on a sunny winter day or making your way to the underground parkade for a cold weather session, this combojacket will keep you warm while your bushings are frozen stiff. matixclothing.com
KR3W
Terry Kennedy Signature Denim
TK’s latest denim is outfitted with KR3W’s “Klassic” cut in Crosshatch Slub Dark Indigo. The wash features enzyme + hand-brushing + whisker + potassium + resin + tinting + nicking + grinding. Sounds like a trick combo worth a ton of points in Skate 3 (using TK’s character, of course). kr3wdenim.com
C1RCA / S4C / West 49
Chocolate
c1rca.com
wallridecatalog.com/wallride21
C1RCA has produced Skate4Cancer t-shirts sold exclusively at West 49, with 100% of the profits going towards opening Rob Dyer’s Dream Love Cure Centre [dreamlovecure.com] in Toronto. Join in on the potential to raise more than $110,000 for the cause, and stay tuned for Rob’s Skate De France in April.
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skate4cancer.com
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west49.com
Altered Portraits Series
Evan Hecox is a frequent contributor to the Girl family of brands and a core member of The Art Dump [theartdump.com]. He put this Chocolate series together for Spring ’11, and after picking one up you’ll be facing a hard choice: “Do I ride it, put it on the wall, or collect ‘em all?”
J A M E S
H A R D Y
W E L C O M E
T O
A U S T I N C A I R O C O R Y
S T E P H E N S
K E N N E D Y R E Y E S
T E M P L E T O N
J O S H
H A R M O N Y
J U L I A N
D A V I D S O N
K E E G A N K E V I N L E O
S A U D E R
“ S P A N K Y ”
L O N G
R O M E R O
N E S T O R
T H E
T E A M
F O S T E R
D A V I D E D
T H E
J U D K I N S
B A L A N C E
O F
O P P O S I T E S
R V C A . C O M
TIMEB O MB TR A D I NG. C OM FAC EB OOK .C OM/TI MEB OMB TR A D I NG
inventory
Emerica
The Westgate
Westgate turned Pro in 2009, had a full part in Zoo York’s State Of Mind that same year, and followed it up in 2010 with an opening part in Emerica’s Stay Gold. By January 2011 his debut shoe dropped – a mid featuring a double-wrapped vulc sole and STI PU Foam Lite footbed – with yet another sick video part to go along with it. Productive, right? emerica.com/westgate
DVS
Brophy
This is the rookie Pro model built to support the large frame and pop of Australia’s Andrew Brophy. The new and simple low profile cupsole provides board-feel while reducing the chance of getting a nasty heel-bruise. They’re also perfect for your mastery of 3-flips over picnic tables. dvsshoes.com
C1RCA
Hatchet
C1RCA and G&S [gordonandsmith.com] created the Street Legends Collection as a respectful nod to ’60s, ’70s and ’80s skate-history. The Hatchet mirrors the ollie protection and high-top support that dominated skate shoe shelves in the 1980s. And if you break out the Shoe Goo this pair will last you at least a year. c1rca.com
Supra
Antwuan Dixon
The always-entertaining Antwuan Dixon (just check out his Epicly Later’d episodes) has a new Supra Pro model. The shoe may appear really simple, but it boasts a lightweight cupsole with the exclusive SupraFoam midsole that provides impact resistance, optimal flex and board-feel so you can work your way up to some heavy nollie heels like ‘Twuan. suprafootwear.com
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Concrete skateboarding
3+2726 $7,%$ -())(5621
. 5 : ' ( 1 , 0 & 2 & +$ ' 0 86 . $ . 5 : ' ( 1 , 0 & 2 0
distributed by Ultimate
distributed by Ultimate
A R T B L E N D E R // DON PENDLETON
D
on Pendleton doesn’t need much of an introduction to anyone who’s bought a skateboard over the past decade. His slightly menacing characters are unmistakable and instantly distinguishable. After a stint at being a sponsored skateboarder for Steadham Designs, Acme, Gouge Clothing and San Diego Trucks, Don worked towards a degree in Graphic Design from Huntington, West Virginia’s Marshall University, but claims: “My high school art program was better.” He was able to get on with the Dayton, Ohio-based Alien Workshop in 1998, and played a major role in board graphic production and Alien’s overall identity for seven years. His style progressed quickly, producing numerous graphics every couple months that
clockwise from top left:
“One Way Or Another” fundraiser, handpainted decks Juice Design mural, San Francisco Designarium “Natas” deck Alien “Pappalardo Evil Eye Series” deck Alien “Drydek 5 Owl Series” deck Mountain Dew “Green Label Art” Paul Rodriguez can IPATH “Totem” tee The Berrics “Primary Fish” tee 22
Concrete skateboarding
featured the angled, abstracted characters with sharp teeth and knowing eyes from Don’s fragmented but cohesive world. His influence borrows from both the natural and supernatural, along with aspects of classic modern art (cubism, constructivism and futurism). As for Don’s work post-Alien, he did a stint as an artist for Element from 2005 to 2009 while maintaining a well-insulated life from the skateboard industry’s drama by residing in Ohio. During that time Bob Kronbauer released Little Giants – a documentary about Don’s life and influential work, with insight provided from a number of industry notables. Freelancing full-time more recently, Don has worked with brands such as Zero, Heroin, DVS, and Etnies, along with other action-sport
“Don’s been consistently producing things that I love looking at. Often times I’ll look at somebody else’s work and just know it’s been inspired by him; I imagine that kinda sucks for him in a lot of ways, but I also imagine that it is an honour nonetheless.” –Bob Kronbauer // Managing Editor, Vancouver Is Awesome / Club Mumble
related outfits such as Nike 6.0, Gravis, K2, Oakley and Mountain Dew, of which he says: “There’s this stigma about working for bigger companies. But honestly, that’s the most freedom I’d had since AWS.” Skateboarding has just started to catch a glimpse of Don Pendleton’s vision of life. In the near future, hopefully someone will brave the night terror that’s lurking around the bend and implement a skate brand that gives a full view of Don’s world. But until that day, we’ll just have to beware of those slightly dangerous owls and winged demons. —Randy Laybourne elephont.com
“Castle� by Don Pendleton created for Concrete Skateboarding.
visit concreteskateboarding.com to download art blender wallpapers for your computer and iphone.
BarRi er kult / The Range Of Propaganda chapter 1: an introduction
it seems like a paradox to consider the mysterious and cloaked Deer Man Of Dark Woods as “well-known”, but he’s often considered the face of the globally popular and equally feared Barrier Kult Horde. D.M.O.D.W. first emerged on the pages of Concrete in Issue 98 of 2009 to explain the BA.KU movement, and his personal mandate (check out the feature online at concreteskateboarding.com/?p=766). The magazine was eventually granted an exclusive cover shoot with Deer Man nocturnally skating a barrier in the west coast forest landscape for the retrospective 100th Issue. The Barrier Kult has undoubtedly swelled in its official membership over time, and this segmented feature will profile a different BA.KU entity in each issue throughout the year. But first, an official introduction… —Frank Daniello
The Barrier Kult has been approached for a Canadian propaganda program that is insured to promote blackened terror – something from the snow-filled range of epic visage after the Kult has been risen, fallen, then risen again through the hills and the mountains of the interior, and thus powerfully falling into the ocean abyssal plain. The horrific adventure tales of writer Algernon Blackwood are pontificated through the language of BA.KU as the kult reaches the mountains of violence and secure obsession. Again, as the Kult now reaches the ocean and its coastal depth, the knife violence of barrier scraping has begun to be looked at from the ocean – the rock faces that stretch into the abyss that acts as the stage for the Kulting members as they watch the barriers of ritual magic act as voyages of ascension. The verse above signifies the tangible dark arts that BA.KU has manifested through the concrete scraping and blood scraping knife violence of obsessive and militant jersey barrier skateboarding (or “knife stabbing” – as Kultists title the act of violent barrier skateboarding now and forever). From the fire swept, rock and witches wood of the British Columbian Interior has come the very early days of BA.KU. Select members that began the militance via barrier violence; the “shallow end of a pool” that is ready-made and common. The Interior B.C. originators of the violent plague – Depth Leviathan Dweller (named after Ogopogo, shark, and ocean depth obsession), Deer Man Of Dark Woods (named from the awe and fear promoted from the dark Okanagan woods), Vlad Mountain Impaler (named after the violence stemming from the snow-covered black Interior mountains of the Kootenay region, and the acts of Dracul in those hills and then to the ocean-side).
D.M.O.D.W. - transfer photo judah oakes
1
Legend
2
Algernon Blackwood (1869-1951) = a writer from England, and one of the most prolific in the ghost story genre’s history. Knife = skateboard Violence = the act of a skateboard hitting and ascending a tight (“violent”) transition. Violent plague = BA.KU’s dark propaganda machine. Ogopogo = a serpent-like creature that allegedly dwells in the Okanagan Lake of British Columbia. It’s also referred to in Salish as Naitaka (lake demon) by the area’s First Nations people. Seylynn = a North Vancouver snakerun built in 1978; it stands as the oldest active concrete park in Canada. China Creek = an East Vancouver concrete tub and teacup
built in 1979.
BA.KU online = thebarrierkult.blogspot.com Altars = barriers; the chosen obstacles of worship.
These three ritual Kultists made the wooded trek westward through the ranges of awe and madness to fall upon the health and bloodlines of the Lower Mainland in the late 1990s and early 2000s. echoed by the live influence of the Northern Okanagan’s “Dead Men” and already possessed by the ’80s cult of black-and-white Skull Skates worship – the diehard, the horse, the upper-section Seylynn rituals, and China Creek violence – The founding Barrier Kult members slowly built a mandate of followers after early print manifestos and militant barrier knife scraping through the dark areas of Vancouver. These fellow Kultists also follow the themes of tight transition violence via barrier skateboarding – ascension through skateboarding deconstruction, and the death of the creative “self”. The blood scraping and pacts were built upon the mania and the dark arts of barrier knife culture obsession. BA.KU has now constructed a group – a mastery of plague-ridden individuals – sick from the militance and the starving dark rich rainforest soil majesty of the Vancouver mountain realm. These titled Kultists of the B.C. Lower Mainland (that again, feature the epic horror visage of the mountains, and horrific darkness of the oceans) are Black Glove Of Internal Combustion, Hammerer Of Roots, Muskellunge Of Dark Island, Vertical Cliffs Of Eastern Shores, Black Plague Flock Herder, Finger Pointing To Oblivion, Statue Of The Black Crow, Crusade Templar Horse Skeleton, and Beast Of Gevaudan. With this opportunity to spread further paper image and text-plague madness, the Barrier Kult will be writing verses of propaganda in chapters to cover the whole violent capacity and characters of plague that knife stab the tight transition altars. They shall be exposed to the Canadian readers in repeated verse ritual. —Depth Leviathan Dweller
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top row [left to right]: Statue of the Black Crow / Vlad Mountain Impaler / Deer Man of Dark Woods / Black Glove of Internal Combustion / Muskellunge of Dark Island / Hammerer of Roots / Beast of Gevaudan front row [left to right]: Finger Pointing to Oblivion / Depth Leviathan Dweller / Black Plague Flock Herder missing from photo: Crusade Templar Horse Skeleton / Vertical Cliffs of the Eastern Shores
photo dylan doubt
salasphoto
Alberta Premium Nate Roline Photos Brian Caissie Interview Keith Henry
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I first met Nate-Dog back in Edmonton years ago through our mutual friend, Glenn Suggitt. I rode for Sugg’s shop, Plush/Famous, and he would always end up bringing out these little groms who were way better than me. When I first saw Nate skate, he reminded me of a young Travis Stenger. I was just like, “Where is Suggitt finding these kids?!” Nate’s got an effortless style – one that definitely suits his laid back personality – with a package of tricks no chongo like myself dare challenge. He always wants to skate – rain, snow or shine – and has even asked me to hit the streets when it was minus-five and snowing; I don’t think I even gave him an answer. Nate never stresses too much and even though us Northern Albertans like to talk some ruthless shit, he’ll always act like he’s caught
off-guard and say with a laugh: “Whoa, Chorn. You’re outta control!” But I know deep down he loves it. Don’t let this soft spoken 23 year-old fool you, because he’s more than down to get buck on or off a board. After seeing Nate get better and better over time and me unable to keep pace with him, I found myself chasing my dreams at the bottom of an Alberta Premium whiskey bottle while he constantly progresses and gets interviews in multiple magazines. So enjoy what you’re about to see here, and what you will see from my homie Nathan Roline in the years to come. —Justin Chorney
bigspin fakie 5-0 pop out
How old were you when you started skating? Probably about eight, I’d say. Remember that store called San Francisco in West Edmonton Mall? My mom bought my brother and I skateboards from there and they were neon green and bright purple, or something like that. We were so stoked we shit ourselves [laughs]. I mean, when you’re eight what are you doing? Lurking at home, playing Nintendo. We were so psyched, we used the shit out of those boards for sure.
What were your biggest influences? I just watched a lot of skate videos: Menikmati, Yeah Right!, and the Flip Sorry videos. All of those were a huge influence, for sure.
Who did you skate with growing up? When I was younger, I didn’t really have anyone to skate with in Edmonton, but I was always psyched on skating. Kids would buttboard, but were never really serious about it. It wasn’t until Junior High that I met some of the friends I still skate with to this day – Timmy Oberg, Kellan Chillibeck, Kelly Day, and the list goes on.
Edmonton has some pretty unforgiving winters. What’s the coldest weather you’ve ever skated in? Oh, man. E-town is brutal for sure, and the wind-chill can get crazy. My friends and I would be so desperate to skate, and for a long time we had no indoor parks. So we’d try to street skate at a school near my house by shovelling the walks really well so they’d dry. It was sick, and we skated in minus-20 or maybe even colder [laughs].
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Wouldn’t you watch skate videos in slo-mo? No, man! Well, when DVDs came out, yeah. But whatever. I’m a geek, dude. I just love skating. I was hyped on the dudes that made it look good, like Appleyard. I was always stoked on his parts.
frontside nollie 180 heelflip off flat
Who are you hyped on from Edmonton? Is anyone killing it out there? Definitely Mitch Phillips. He’s sick as fuck. Timmy Oberg for sure, and Kelly Day is killing it. Basically all my homies I grew up with. They’re all so good at skating. Do you have any good Plush Stories? Anything you want to say about Glenn Suggitt? I just have to say that Suggitt is a good time, man. You have to experience it for yourself. If you’re fortunate enough to party with him it’s always a good time, dude. You had the nickname “Gator” as a kid. how did you acquire that? I have no idea how you or anyone could know about that [laughs]. My mom gave me that nickname, and to this day I don’t have a damn clue why.
Did it have any relation to your mullet? To be honest, I had a mullet for way too long – probably until I was about six [laughs]. Is that a Canadian thing? No, it was definitely a mama Roline thing. She claimed all the cool kids had mullets and so she eventually cut ‘em. I need to get those photos, they’re hilarious. How many text messages do you send in a day? Who are you getting your information from? It’s definitely true that I’m bad. But what can ya do, eh? [laughs] I have my sources, but would you say it’s in the hundreds? I don’t know, I’d say 50. I never keep track and I don’t think I’d wanna know how many I actually send [laughs].
tailslide frontside heelflip
Okay, so you have this “Taco Tuesdays” fetish. I remember every time we’d skate the plaza, you always wanted to hit up Taco Time. Dude, I just love Mexican food. I fucking love it. You have to challenge Timmy Oberg for the title... Naw, dude. I just love Mexican food, I have a strong desire for it. There are no Taco Bells here in Vancouver though, and it’s the most upsetting thing ever. It’s a staple in Edmonton.
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I hear you have quite the interesting taste in movies, owning such titles as Michael, starring John Travolta. Please explain yourself. I did it. I watched Michael. It happened. This was back in my blazing days and at night I just couldn’t fall asleep, so I had to watch something. I threw in Michael because it was lurking at my house. The cover of this movie is so ridiculous: it’s got John Travolta with a floating feather and a little Jack Russell just chillin’. It’s such a ridiculous movie. So retarded. So yeah, I watched it and had
frontside noseslide bigspin
the movie cover chilling in my room. Kelly Day came over and he never let me hear the end of it [laughs]. “Michael? Really?!” I was embarrassed. But again, what can ya do, eh? Your YouTube videos get a lot of hits, and there’s been a lot of questions about Rolineday specifically. Was that filmed in one session? Yeah, it was. We filmed the whole thing in a day.
How long was the session? I don’t know, I’d say probably two hours. That was a while back though, in 2006. I was skating lots with the crew I had, and my close friends were down to film. I just went to Kask (Kaskitayo skatepark) in Edmonton one day, and it was just casual. My buddy was like, “Are you down to film some stuff?” That’s how it all came about. It wasn’t meant to be anything special.
keith henry
kickflip
Alberta Premium Nate Roline
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Concrete skateboarding
So you rode for Model Skateboards for a while, then for Mystery, and you’re now riding for Element. How was the transition going from company to company? Model was run by my two good homies Eric Tan and the late Nathan Matthews. When I was on Mystery, C1RCA flew me down to Black Box in San Diego in 2006, and I was honoured. It was honestly the craziest shit; definitely a memorable moment in my life. I just sort of felt the pressure when I was down there because everyone on Mystery was so buck and would just ruin themselves for clips. I couldn’t handle it, and I wasn’t sure if I could live up to it. In 2007 I got an offer from Element that I decided to take.
fakie 360 flip to manual
What’s life like now that you’re living in Vancouver? I work lots, unfortunately, so it’s hard to find time to do what I want to do. If I could shoot photos and film all day, I would for sure. I try to on my days off and any other time I have off. We have a good crew out here. A lot of my best friends from Edmonton are here now, so we just all skate together. Are you filming for anything upcoming? Not really, just stacking footage and saving up for whatever comes along. I’ve been filming with my homies, and Kelly Day’s got a website up called Bundadodi [bundadodi.blogspot.com].
What the hell does that name mean? I asked Kelly that question, and his exact response was, “I just couldn’t think of a name, and sometimes I’d ask someone if they wanted to blaze by saying: ‘Wanna bun-da-dodi?’” Does your crew have a name? It’s PDL. I can’t tell you what that is, but the real people know what’s up [laughs]... It stands for Prairie Dog Locs. Who would you like to thank? Glenn Suggitt, Nathan Matthews, Eric Tan, all the photographers and filmers I’ve shot with and the ones I continue to shoot with. Thanks to all my friends and family, and my sponsors – Plush and Famous out of Edmonton, Element skateboards and clothing, and C1RCA footwear.
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joey shigeo
Solving The Mystery words
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Concrete skateboarding
Frank Daniello
For Sascha Daley, it’s been a long and interesting journey to the beginning, if that makes any sense. The Vancouver Island-raised, North Van-on-the-mainland resident, and frequent winter flier to Carlsbad in SoCal might even be considered as a symbolic Sherlock Holmes of sorts. Sascha not only cracked the real-deal Mystery roster by stacking clips that vigorously stirred web traffic in late-November 2010, he got there by coming to terms with the rare opportunity that lay in front of him rather than at the bottom of a bottle. Don’t be mistaken, Sascha didn’t need to check-in with Betty Ford, but he did get caught up in the “partying phase”, as he puts it, like a stoked, flow-sponsored skater in his early-20s sometimes falls into. But refined clarity struck at the perfect moment, which ultimately led to a goal-oriented approach to completing the aforementioned all-HD Mystery Color Theory intro part that solidified his AM-status amongst an elite squad. And it didn’t come easy – injury setbacks and the cringe-inducing red-flag news from border officials shaved Sascha’s time in front of the video camera to a mere three months. “He was just so focused while we were filming,” mentions Mike Gilbert, the Video Productions Manager at Black Box Distribution. “He was in Cali, knew what he wanted to do, and made it happen. No bullshit, no antics, just straight up commitment and determination.”
Frontide 180 Up, Fakie Flip Down
brian caissie
“That’s the only Vancouver footage and one of the two lines in my Mystery part [laughs]. There was barely enough light to film it. It was a last-minute clip on the last night David Reyes, Mike Gilbert and Ryan Bobier were in Van, when I shot the video’s intro and stuff. It was hard when they came up here because there was deadline pressure and it was a cold November – I hadn’t skated in the Canadian winter for so long.”
mike blabac joey shigeo
Gap To 5-0 “This was one of the first things I filmed specifically for the part. Jake Duncombe gap-to-crooked grinded the same thing in one of those United By Fate videos. Even though fisheye doesn’t give it much justice, getting this trick got me fuckin’ fired up. I went there with Jimmy Carlin – it was one of the first days I got to go out with a team dude, Mike Gilbert and Joey Shigeo.”
The seed that eventually grew into Sascha’s current reality was loosely planted back in 2007, when he was 19, and initially sprouted the realization of where he really wanted to be. “At the time I was staying with Ryan Smith in California a lot, and skating the Black Box park with him,” Sascha recalls. “That’s how I met Drake Jones, who was the Mystery Team Manager at the time. He gave me the opportunity to get some boards and I went street skating with the dudes, which I was so psyched on. It seemed like there was a future with Mystery because I felt that someone wanted me to be a part of the company, which was cool.” Once Sascha got on the Mystery flow-train, he was given the green light to stay at the Black Box barracks whenever he was in Carlsbad in order to really be a part of the producin’-program with the rest of the teamsters. “You wake up there and walk down the hallway into this massive park,” he says, “and there’d be sessions ‘till 5 in the morning. I’ll
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Concrete skateboarding
Frontside Half-Cab Flip “I love skating handrails and huge shit because I think it’s fun, and exciting to watch – like a fuckin’ logger cutting down a huge tree while fighting a cougar [laughs]. This was just a little filler while I was out with Carlin, Blabac and Shigeo. Jimmy laser heeled it, and all I got was a frontside half-cab flip [laughs]. But it was another amazing day skating with those dudes.”
never stop thinking about how lucky we were to have that park, which is gone now but getting replaced with a new one. Summer 2010 was pretty crazy there because it was a full house. There’s the ‘flow trash room’ [laughs], where I always stayed for the first three or so years, then there’s the nicer room that’s more chilled out; I had my own corner in that room for the first time last year, and got to sleep on a double bed the whole time. No bunk beds. Before I’d be like, ‘I’m staying in the flow room? Sick! All the homies are in there!’ But this time I was really trying to stay focused on that Mystery part.” Sascha’s coming-of-age struggles came prior to 2010, and it wasn’t a matter of him raging all the time and not skating. The controlledbattering-ram style he’s known for was still intact, but it needed to be honed. It needed some direction. “In the past I was slightly confused and a little misguided from the partying and stuff, but I really wanted to work towards getting a proper AM spot on the team,” Sascha admits. “I’d been skating a bunch and sent Jamie Thomas some footage in November 2009 –
basically all the stuff I stockpiled that ended up in my Mag Minute. I thanked him for the support and let him know I would keep on doing whatever I needed to do, and that I was planning on going back down to Cali.” But even the best intentions suffer from a thwarting misstep, especially in the variable-filled skateboard game. And so the hurdles began to stack… “In January 2010 I ended up rolling my ankle in Oregon on the fourth day of a 14-day road trip with Riley Boland, Colin Nogue, Ian Twa and a bunch of guys,” Sascha explains. “The whole plan was to stay on the trip and get dropped off in San Diego to stay at Black Box. I saw Jamie in his office when I got there and told him about how I fucked up my ankle real bad and had already sub-leased my place in North Van for five months thinking I’d be staying Cali. He suggested I go back home to get physiotherapy for a lot cheaper, then come back when it’s good. So I lived on my own couch in Van because I subleased my room [laughs].”
video still - mystery skateboards
By April 2010, Sascha sent an e-mail to Jamie Thomas letting him know that the ankle was mending nicely, and he was poised to head back down to Black Box. “I was so psyched because he hit me back that same day to let me know the Mystery video plans had changed from waiting until everyone had enough stuff for a full video, to releasing individual Color Theory parts online, and ads to go with them. Jamie’s e-mail ended with: ‘It’s up to you, see you soon’.” Remember those damn hurdles? Well, they struck again in the form of the confusing calendar-year mathematics provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. “I go to cross in May 2010, and got denied because I overstayed my six months by four days [laughs],” Sascha begins describing the ordeal. “I learned that the way they calculate how long you stay in a 12-month period starts from whenever you went on your first trip to the States after you’ve been back in Canada for six months. I went in February ’09 for five months, but then I went back in December ’09, and again in January 2010, which also counted even though I thought the slate was wiped clean for the new year. I was red-flagged.” After spending a month getting all that pain-in-the-ass bordercrossing credentials together, Sascha received an invite to skate the June 2010 Maloof contest in NYC. “I let Jamie know I’d be heading there, then down to the Box to try and film as much as I could with Mike Gilbert. His reply was: ‘Cool that you’re going to Maloof, I personally asked them to put you on the invite list. See you in New York’.”
“Funny side-story: Stanley Park is massive, and Mike Gilbert was asking if there was an old cement strip anywhere to shoot the video’s intro. I remember hearing that gay dudes would lurk in a certain area of the park to hook up or whatever, but I had no idea where that was. It was raining, and the path we found ended up being in that spot of all places [laughs]. To make it even weirder, there was like 12 dudes lurking in the bushes. I was concerned about Mike’s $10,000 HD setup, so I’d skate back and forth for the shot, looking out to make sure no one was jumping him [laughs].”
Not bad. After dipping back home to Vancouver for July, he regrouped and got back on the filming program in Cali for August and September – heading out on a trip with Ryan Bobier and David Reyes to stay at Pete Eldridge’s house in Denver. Sascha also came up $2,500 at the highly-attended late-summer Crossroads Best Trick in San Diego, and rather than drowning his liver in endless celebratory Stilettos (Crown and Amaretto on the rocks) with the earnings, he stayed true to the task of solving the Mystery and treated his body as a temple. “For the remainder of the time I was filming I ate only organic food, took shark cartilage supplements and this crazy leaf-source supplement for your immune system, joints, and daily energy. I took salmon oil, and was eating tons of bananas and almonds. I was stretching every day and using the balance board. All I would do is dream about finishing this part and being on Mystery.” With nearly all the clips in place on the Final Cut timeline, Sascha got one last bit of advice from The Chief before this project would be exposed to the Internet masses on November 23rd, 2010. “He said: ‘I want you to watch it to see if it’s better than you think it could be’,” Sascha relays. “I didn’t take things lightly because I knew a lot of people were going to see this video. Basically, I’ve gotta give a major shout-out to Jamie, Mike Gilbert, Joey Shigeo and everybody at Black Box who helped me out and believed in me,” he continues before adding: “Through all the partying madness I’ve gone through, in the back of my mind this is what I’ve always wanted. It seems so crazy to actually be on Mystery. I feel very fortunate every day, but I’m still hungry and can’t wait to film a full part where people can see me film lines, and evolve as a skateboarder and a person.” blackboxdist.com/introducing_sascha_daley.php
Solving The Mystery 42
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Kickflip “The last three tricks in the part – this kickflip, the big ollie and the backside flip – were from the same day at the same school in San Diego. Mike Blabac came out to shoot the backside flip for the SBC Photo Annual cover, and he asked Josh Kalis to come hang out. It was sick to have him there for inspiration. After I did the backside flip, we saw this fiveblock that no one had done anything down yet, so I was like, ‘I could probably kickflip it...’. Then, as a joke, Kalis said, ‘Ollie that thing’, pointing at the five sets of three stairs. The first time I ollied it I landed on the last set, firecrackered it, and almost rolled away [laughs].”
mike blabac
VENTURETRUCKS.NET/MILLIGAN
ILLIGAN R USS MSW NOSEGRIND
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ROYAL/WHITE FEATURING GRADE 8 KINGPINS
photos by captions by
P
icture leaving your house and driving for a mere three hours, then arriving at a major metropolitan city that’s three times the size of Vancouver. Everyone knows that skating in your own city gets stale, which sometimes makes it difficult to stay motivated when you see the same spots each day. Seattle has been an amazing skate-city for as long as I can remember. Almost nothing is capped, and unique-looking spots stem from the older architecture. The presence of Seattle’s deeply rooted history of good music is also immediately noticeable. There’s plenty of Hendrix, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam memorabilia around town in the form of statues and street names. And if you love coffee as much as I do, there’s no shortage of the good stuff in Washington’s largest city, seeing as caffeine juggernaut Starbucks opened its first location there in 1971 (which is still open at Pike Place Market). Ezell’s, which makes the best fried chicken in the world, is usually my first stop. It’s so good that Oprah Winfrey apparently gets it flown to her house in Chicago when she gets a craving. Each time I drove down to shoot for this feature I brought a few different people, and met lots of new ones. Seattle hasn’t even come close to becoming stale. I’ll be back soon…
—Brian Caissie // Vancouver, BC
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Concrete skateboarding
Brian Caissie Kyle Steneide
G
orditos’ infant-sized burritoes, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and greasy burgers from Dick’s Drive-In tend to occupy the diet of a Canadian skateboarder visiting Seattle. It’s become a tradition to end up at one or all of these places at some point throughout the day, and I was reminded of it when photographer Brian Caissie called me up to say he was bringing some people down to Seattle for the last visit of the season. I’d met mostly everyone on this trip previously, besides John Hanlon, Bryan Wherry and Ian Twa – all of whom, I soon discovered, also enjoy the American luxury of the three aforementioned dining locations. But enough about their food preferences. Every Canadian skateboarder I’ve met seems to be somewhat of a perfectionist. Or maybe they just don’t know how to land sketchy. Either way, they always exceed my expectations by far, and my mind is boggled every time. Since I was their guide and filmer on this last Seattle mission before winter struck, it gave me the privilege of witnessing these tricks first-hand. Have a look through and please let the pictures do the talking rather than my terrible captioning skills.
—Kyle Steneide // Seattle, WA
W
hen we’d drive from spot-to-spot, SEAN MacALISTER would always want to skate the crustiest spots he’d see on the side of the road. Ending up at this guardrail flatbar was no exception. He took advantage of catching a rare traffic-free moment with this FEEBLE GRIND POP-OUT. I don’t even think he was bothered by the rugged ground or how unusually high the guardrail was, but I soon noticed that’s how Sean handles things. Very subtle, making it look far too easy.
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Concrete skateboarding
S
TACY GABRIEL got talked into riding on top of this skinny ledge towards a BACKSIDE TAILSLIDE three times with the combined efforts of Brian Caissie and myself. Landing the first for the photo and the other two for video, Stacy nearly killed himself during one attempt when he caught a sticky spot on the ledge and flew backwards; he almost impaled his spine on the corner of the ledge while barely avoiding the neck landing that would’ve likely happened once he finally hit the ground. I was in shock, but he walked up for another try before I could even check if he was okay.
“Seattle is the shit. It’s like a less blown-out branch of Vancouver or something.” —Stacy Gabriel
M
will fisher
y roommate JOE ANDREWS never fails to impress me, and this BACKSIDE FLIP was one of the tricks he checked off the list during the All City Showdown [allcityshowdown. com]. While having eight hours to gather as much footage as possible from around the city for the contest, we made a quick stop at this gap we’d spotted before. The landing is a downhill driveway, so it’s hard not to shoot out. But he got it after testing the waters a few times. Not bad for only being there about ten minutes.
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Concrete skateboarding
W
e picked up my buddy JOSH ANDERSON on the way over to the small farm town of Duvall, about 25 miles northeast of Seattle. This spot is absolutely perfect. The bank is short and steep, but trying to pop off of it isn’t as easy as you’d think. The funny thing is, this FRONTSIDE SUGARCANE wasn’t hard for Josh at all. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a warmup trick look so good.
A
side from being one of the nicest dudes I’ve met in person, MAGNUS HANSON has the ability to make a trick this gnarly seem possible for the rest of us. I was blown away, to say the least. Having never skated this flatbar before, he charged it like it’s been his go-to spot for years. The rail is super unsturdy, and while a crook pop-over seems to be a popular trick here, Magnus takes the never-been-done path and rolls away with a picture(s) perfect FEEBLE KICKFLIP OUT. Just look at the last frame; he didn’t even have to try.
I
f you’re thinking: “This ledge looks so perfect”, you’re wrong. I’ve seen my fair share of skaters getting their carcasses tossed like a ragdoll at this spot. The ledge is tall, rounded on the edges, and chunky in between each brick you grind through. Luckily, IAN TWA didn’t seem to mind these imperfections and rolled away from this balanced FRONTSIDE NOSEGRIND unharmed.
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F
irst off, this spot is way harder to skate than it looks. The run-up consists of a rock-infested street on the way to a vicious manhole you have to dodge right before you weave towards the short bank at an angle. Going ridiculously fast also has to be taken into consideration here. Despite all of this, CORY WILSON seemed to have no problem threading the needle for this 270 FRONTSIDE FLIP. Unsatisfied with the first one, he left us all in awe when he rolled away perfectly a few tries later to wrap up the session. 56
Concrete skateboarding
T
his was my first impression of JOHN HANLON’s abilities on a skateboard. After spot-searching for a while, somehow we ended up at this rail. He seemed unbothered by the short downhill run-up and the infamously terrible Washington ground. If you look closely at the steps you’ll see what I mean. A few roll-ups later, John just hopped right onto this BACKSIDE NOSEBLUNT without hesitation. No warm-up tricks or anything. I don’t even think he stepped on his board all day before this.
I “Seattle’s got sick spots, and sicker locals!” —Bryan Wherry
noticed right away that BRYAN WHERRY is capable of making any trick look good, even at the roughest of spots (this one was torn down just days after this sequence). There’s this patch of concrete right where you land that resembles a crater on the moon, but Bryan still managed to roll away from this SWITCH FRONTSIDE FLIP, snapping his tail after he put it down.
Concrete skateboarding
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No Prob-Llama Momentum in Peru Bart Jones Brian Caissie
skate photos extras
“Since we heard it might be shut down to the public soon, we all felt lucky to visit Machu Picchu – one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Jim the TM lost us and hiked to the tip of that mountain you see in the distance; Caissie the filmer hiked in the opposite direction; Morgan and Magnus got left behind; Haslam and Jose fell asleep once we got up there. An amazing experience nevertheless.”—Bart Jones
intro
Brian Caissie
It’s
funny how one negative rumour can travel so fast. If you make a harsh comment about something, one person will quickly further its reach to many people, who also multiply it, before it gradually goes stale over time. Ironically, something positive barely gets mentioned to a few people. That being said, after mentioning to a few people that I’d be traveling to Peru, the responses were mostly negative – mainly due to the robbery story of the éS team being held up at gunpoint in Lima back in 2009. I guess having expensive camera gear and driving rental vans can draw a lot of attention in certain countries. As for people with negative opinions about Peru without ever going there? I’ve learned from past experience not to listen to everything you hear...
Jim Fenton, the former Team and Brand Manager for the Momentum Wheel Co. [momentumskate.com] envisioned going somewhere interesting – a place that’s good for skating and easy on the wallet. After some organizational e-mails to possible guides and people who have traveled there to skate in the past, South America’s Lima, Peru became the choice. Another deciding factor for Jim was the opportunity to visit the worldfamous “Lost City of the Incas” – Machu Picchu – which was built in the 15th century and is located high in the mountains above the Urubamba Valley. Things got exciting once the trip’s roster was confirmed. Momentum’s Chris Haslam, Jose Rojo, Morgan Smith and Magnus Hanson, along with myself filming and the alwaysentertaining Bart Jones shooting photos and acting as mascot. Our friend Peter Chlebowski, who was the guide to many teams before us, was the man in charge. Spots, restaurants, clubs, hotels – everything was filtered through him to ensure we had the best time possible. And let me tell you, it worked! We had one demo to do after a few days worth of street missions and playing games of SKATE down by the beach (Morgan took that title, big surprise). Since Lima doesn’t see too many demos, the city of nearly nine million was very excited. Some kids even told us they drove 15 hours, so the team skated hard to please the crowd. Just to give you an idea how much they enjoyed it, Chris Haslam had to be escorted off the course by a bodyguard holding each of his arms while a motorcycle in front of them plowed through the kid-crowd to create a path. We then proceeded to drive to dinner while carloads followed us for one last autograph. Aside from all the partying and consumption of Pisco – a national liquor distilled from grapes – the real focus for us was the skating and the long trek to see Machu Picchu, which is not some easily accessible tourist site. First we flew from Lima to Cuzco (about two hours) at five in the morning, then we took a bus to the train station (another two hours). After that, a four-hour train ride brought us through the mountains to the base-town of Aguas Calientes. At that point, we only spent a few hours in the hotel before having to start our ascent to the top of the mountain at 2:45am. You have to hike with headlamps for about two hours so you can be first in line to see the ruins, since they limit the amount of visitors per day. Some of us puked from the altitude sickness, and those who didn’t got flu-like symptoms. Most of us enjoyed the local mate de coca – a tea made from the leaves used in cocaine production – to help adjust to the nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. It takes a full day to explore the elaborate ruins of the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, and I can honestly say it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
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Chris Haslam // backside noseblunt
gabriel quiroz
“This demo was insane, and the locals told me it was mellow compared to some in the past that had to be shut down by the Policia. The Peruvians rushed Haslam not too long after he landed this, taking his beanie and trying to rip strands of his beautiful hair out. Not because they hate him, but more because they love him so much. I had never seen anything like it.”—Bart Jones
1. 1. “This was our driver Eric. He was a complete maniac with AKAs such as ‘Eddie Munster’, ‘Epic Eric’ and ‘Crazy Eddie’.”—B. Jones 2. “Jose and I went the wrong way up the trail to Machu Picchu so many times, for like an hour each way. We know what this is like.” —Chris Haslam
3. “I tried to take a photo like this one, but all I got was Bart’s face. Machu Picchu at an ungodly hour of the morning.”—Haslam 4.
“Don’t look at me, look at Bart. Spit at Bart!”—Haslam
2.
4.
3.
Chris Haslam // 540
“This was the skatepark where we’d usually warm up our Pisco-soaked bodies in the morning while we were staying in Lima. Taking advantage of this Peruvian flyout zone, Haslam took warm-ups to the next level.” —Bart Jones
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1.
“Machu Picchu has around 3,000 visitors-a-day, mostly European for some reason.”—Bart Jones
Jose Rojo // smithgrind
“We spotted this flatrail off the side of the road in front of a corner store. The owners were super cool about us skating there, probably because we spent over a hundred solas (about $35 US) while lurking there.”—B. Jones
brian caissie
1.
2. “This woman is from Cuzco, the city we flew into to start our trek to Machu Picchu. The oxygen is a lot thinner because of the altitude, so most people in Cuzco chew on coca leaves, claiming it gives you energy and makes up for the lack of oxygen.”—B. Jones 3. “This is Morgan at our hotel in Lima, which was absolutely insane – shaped like a maze with old antique furniture and the paintings, among other things, were very strange.”—B. Jones 4. “I was skeptical about going to Peru in the first place after hearing about tourists getting their arms macheted just for their camera or whatever. Luckily we had good guides and mostly stayed in better areas. Most Peruvians I spoke with have never even been to this area though, and said they wouldn’t be caught dead there.”—B. Jones
2.
3.
Morgan Smith // switch flip
“Since I hadn’t skated a double-set this size for a while, I basically wrote it off and expected everyone else would, too. Apparently I forgot who I was on tour with. Morgan switch flipped this like it was nothing while I stood in the background remembering times when I wasn’t totally worthless at double-set skating.”—Chris Haslam
4. Concrete skateboarding
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Jose Rojo // frontside nosegrind “This was another one of those days when the energy was getting low because we were getting kicked out of everywhere. Good thing Jose saved some of those coca leaves. He sucked on a few and hero’d it.” —Chris Haslam
1.
“Apparently, the coca leaves had a different effect on everyone, including Bart.”—Chris Haslam
Magnus Hanson // backside noseblunt
“This spot is insane – an abandoned mansion with stuff to skate in front, inside, and out back. Too bad we spent most of our time there breaking shit and writing on the walls.”—Bart Jones
2.
3. “There was construction everywhere by our hotel in Cuzco. No barriers or flag people – nothing to indicate construction at all. This toddler was crawling around the rubble with dangers all around while his mom was about 20 feet away selling drinks on the street.”—Brian Caissie
1. brian caissie
“Immediately when we got into Machu Picchu I started getting really close to the Llamas, trying to pet them, and later on learning I could have been bitten or spit on. Lucked out, I guess.”—B. Jones
4.
“Jose was a big help in Peru since he speaks good Spanish. I pretty much needed his assistance with any and all verbal interactions throughout the day.”—B. Jones
4.
3.
2. Concrete skateboarding
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1.
2.
3.
“Below Machu Picchu is the town of Aguas Calientes. Before we went there I heard that it was a shitty touristy area, but I actually liked it quite a bit. It’s like some sort of tropical village with a river running through it.”—Bart Jones
2. “To get to Machu Picchu was quite the mission, but it really wasn’t too bad with views like this during the train ride to Aguas Calientes.”—B. Jones 3. “I have no idea what these little old-fashioned Smart Carlooking things are for, but Haslam was digging them.”—B. Jones
brian caissie
1.
Magnus Hanson // backside tailslide kickflip out
Magnus Hanson // frontside bluntslide
“This is at a ledge spot on the coast down the street from our hotel in Lima. I’m pretty sure that Magnus and Morgan had probably done about 300 tricks at this spot every morning before the rest of us were even up.”—Bart Jones
“We all had high hopes for this spot. Jose and I just ended up nollie heelflipping to nose-stall on a ledge for an hour while our driver Eric was on another planet trying to 180 off a three-stair and breaking his and Jim’s boards. Jim was sulking about that for like three hours while Morgan did every flatground trick possible. Magnus was the only one that came through here, as you can tell.”—Chris Haslam
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brian caissie
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Exposure
Micky Papa
360 flip to noseslide photos brian caissie
76
Concrete skateboarding
Mark Appleyard
alley-oop backside flip disaster photos anthony mapstone
Exposure
Ethan Kilgour
kickflip to fakie photo sean fanning
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Ryan Decenzo
nollie kickflip lipslide photo shelby grimnes
Exposure
Drew Merriman
wallride to feeble grind photo jeff thorburn
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81
Exposure
Jay Brown nosegrind
photo ryan allan
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Chris St-Cyr
ollie over to noseblunt photos geoff clifford
Exposure
Brandon Del Bianco switch heelflip over rail photo sam fidlin
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Antoine Asselin
frontblunt transfer photo geoff clifford
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Ian Gauthier wallie
photo josh hotz
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Arte Lew
nollie 360 flip manual to ollie photos andrew koronovich
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Cameo Wilson
front shuv over double rail photo brian caissie
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Concrete skateboarding
Youngbloods
photos matt macleod
backside heelflip
age:
22
sponsors:
lives:
Victoria, BC Instrumental Skateboards, C1rca footwear (flow), Coastline Boardshop (Victoria)
Brandan is the most well-rounded skater I’ve ever had the pleasure of rolling with. From seshing in the streets to contest consistency, or just sippin’ beers at a casual mini-ramp sesh, Brandan’s board abilities are untouchable. This dog lover was raised by a great family in Nanaimo, BC, and he’s a top-shelf friend who will always have your back. A word of advice: don’t skate against him in a contest! —Jamie Collins 92
Concrete skateboarding
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Youngbloods
age:
20
sponsors:
lives:
Prince George, BC RDS APPAREL (flow), Ruins Boardshop (Prince George)
Hailing from the ‘hoods of PG, “Wely” is making himself heard all over. When he showed up at the skatepark to meet me for the first time, he instantly grew a steady mob of 20 homies before I could even acquaint myself. He’s an easy-to-like person. Despite being so chill, bring Welygan to any spot and it’s homicide – he’ll be getting tricks no matter what. His style is straight G, and that’s not just on his board. —Chase Hamilton 94
Concrete skateboarding
photos chase hamilton
varial heelflip over rail
eric dunlop
Youngbloods
james morley
feeble grind
age:
17
sponsors:
lives:
Peterborough, On Sk8mafia (flow), Bones Wheels, JSLV clothing (flow), Vans Shoes (flow)
If you combined Cypress Hill, a high tolerance for pain and a snowboarder, the result would be Chad Wilson. This may not make much sense, but the kid listens to some gang’st music and skates rails that only snowboarders would consider. However, I think the best aspect of Chad’s skating is how he just goes for broke. It doesn’t matter if he’s got a fresh heel bruise or any other skateinhibiting injury, his love for getting bangers just keeps him going. —James Morley 96
Concrete skateboarding
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contributing Writers Frank Daniello, Randy laybourne dan watson, jenny charlesworth bart jones, chris haslam, Brian Caissie depth leviathan dweller, Justin Chorney keith henry, kyle steneide, jamie collins chase hamilton, james morley, David Ehrenreich Ben Stoddard, Hunter Wood
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NEXT ISSUE: issue 112 // April 15th, 2011
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Video Vancouver’s HUNTER WOOD is a skater who also has a passion for overcoming the challenges associated with organizing, filming and editing multi-part videos. Most recently, the 23 year-old completed the soon-to-be-DVD-released Film Fatties 2, which was featured in Concrete #110 (to view the article and exclusive bonus video, click on the Film Fatties 2 side-banner at concreteskateboarding.com). When Hunter isn’t chasing a deep roster of elusive ‘Couver skaters with his Canon 7D, he assists in the editing department for History Television’s Ice Pilots. And thanks to him, a hard-to-find Hi-8 classic from the’90s got dusted off and reviewed this issue’s “Past Blast”.
THE BÖNES VIDEO BONES WHEELS “Bones made a full-length skateboard video?” That’s the first thing I thought when this DVD was dropped on my desk. I guess when you have one of the biggest teams in all of skateboarding, it’s kind of a no-brainer to whip something up in order to promote the brand and its quality urethane formulas. To tell you the truth, I went into this video thinking it was going to be garbage. I assumed it would all be throwaway footage from the Pros, with the “A-shots” coming from a bunch of lesser-known AMs. But that was not the case in this mix of street and park footage. Expect the following: nearly full-parts from big-name Pros like Jake Duncombe, Chad Bartie, David Gravette, Sierra Fellers, and an ender-slot featuring North Delta, BC’s Ryan Decenzo and the pride of Maple Ridge – Jordan Hoffart. Canadians Sascha Daley (see p.38), Matt Berger, Chad Wilson and Concrete cover-kid TJ Rogers also have a few clips, and there’s stocked sections featuring more dudes from Bones’ long list of AMs; guys like Jimmy Cao, Kevin Romar and Felipe Gustavo. As a fan of skateboarding, The Bönes Video is worth the watch. It’s definitely not perfect, but neither is skateboarding and that’s one of the best things about it. —Ben Stoddard For more from the Bones team, check out their Greater Toronto trip feature – “Hook, Line & Sinker” – in Concrete #110/ December 2010 by clicking the “Online Mag” tab at concreteskateboarding.com.
MADNESS EXPEDITION-ONE Expedition has a history of producing good, quick videos – the 18-minute run-time of Madness is a continuation of that style. The video’s first half is made up of two packed montages where all the riders are allotted a democratic portion of screen time. It’s an exciting watch, stocked full of guys you want to see. No one really has to prove themselves, it’s more of a reassurance that they’re out there killing it. Chany Jeanguenin has innovative bank moves; Richard Angelides has a career-long dedication to the shell-toe, and Enrique Lorenzo is still pushing the boundaries of tech. Ryan Gallant is back from knee surgery, done with “super teams”, and looking sharper than ever while Rob Welsh trumps his Fully Flared footage and pops out of his tricks to the delight of fans everywhere. My personal highlight of the video’s first half is Joey Pepper – fast, smooth, and shocking. As for the second half, Canadians everywhere can watch like proud parents as Spencer Hamilton brings his unique, stylish tricks that casually push boundaries. He’s doing for fakie bigspins what Brian Anderson did for the varial flip, more or less making everyone else’s look fucking horrible. Kenny Hoyle turns Pro and also closes out the video; I’m happy to report he deserves both. Madness is great because these guys are all having fun together and it makes you want to go out and do the same. —David Ehrenreich Watch Madness on KAYO TV: thekayocorp.com/KAYOTV/expedition-one-presents-madness.
Past Blast:
COLOR (1993) COLOR SKATEBOARDS
Skateboard videos have come a long way since this one was released when I was seven, and today’s digital technology makes it way easier and more accessible in comparison. While watching this Color video from the early ‘90s, I was really impressed with what they were able to accomplish considering the lack of control when dealing with linear tape-to-tape editing. I couldn’t imagine having to work with that myself, not to mention shooting with the unreliable Hi-8 and a makeshift tunnel vision fisheye like Mark Oblow did in this one. Aside from the technology, this video has a lot going for it. For starters, there’s a good diverse soundtrack featuring the likes of Booker T, Cream, Sabbath and Hendrix. The skating holds its own as well, with Caine Gayle filling the ’90s baggy pants quota, Kris Markovich putting together some all around high-speed shredding, and Jeremy Wray (see p.106) filming timeless tricks that are gnarly even by today’s high standards. With the onslaught of HD these days, this video – and others from the era – are a good reminder to just keep things simple and make sure the most important part of skateboarding remains intact: having fun! –Hunter Wood 100
Concrete skateboarding
November 19, 2009 - Oceanside, Calif ornia timebombtrading.com facebook.com/ti mebombtrading
S h o e va u lt s
words
Dan Watson
When looking back at the myriad of skate shoes that have been produced over the years, some of them are memorable because of unparalleled style or performance, and some of them are memorable for completely different reasons. One shoe belonging to the latter category is the CM901, better known as the C1RCA CHAD MUSKA. In the late ’90s Muska [themuska.com] was easily one of the most popular professional skateboarders – a straight-up superstar. Pretty much everything he touched turned to gold, and kids worldwide were copying his signature kit – the army pants, wife beater and visor-beanie. He singlehandedly made Shorty’s Skateboards the huge success it was, and he had a very popular Pro model with éS Footwear. With that kind of success driving him, Muska decided to leave éS and head up the newly formed C1RCA in 1999. The CM901, his first Pro shoe with the brand, was in fact the first shoe they produced. Surrounded by what was probably the most hype and anticipation for any shoe, ads for C1RCA and for Muska’s upcoming model started running in magazines long before pictures of the shoe even existed. The ads featured either Muska in head-to-toe swishy outfits, or a photo of him doing a 50-50 on one of the biggest rails that anyone had ever seen grinded before. When the photos of the actual shoe were released, they were equally as shocking as the giant handrail photo. Always a trailblazer, Muska has never been one to shy away from skate-fashion innovation, and this became very evident when the CM901 was released in late ’99. Basically, if you could imagine the craziest technological features a shoe could possibly have, the 901 had them all: mesh air vent panels, a two-tone rubber toe piece, rubber eyelet covers, hidden lace loops, heel and tongue pull-tabs, elastic tongue straps, hidden tongue stash-pocket, EVA foam midsole and air bags. The 901 actually featured two different air bags, one in the heel and one in the forefront of the sole, each with its own PSI levels. 102
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If you’re thinking, “All of this technology sounds expensive”, you’re thinking right. As well as being the most technologically advanced skate shoe up to that point, the 901 also carried the distinction of being the most expensive skate shoe to ever hit the market. Retailing at a whopping $160 in Canada, style and price-wise this shoe was a far cry from the cheap and simple vulcs that are preferred nowadays. However, the high retail tag definitely didn’t deter sales – the shoe was sold-out at many skateshops nationwide. In fact, it sold so well that C1RCA continued producing it until Spring 2002. Despite its three-year run, most people remember the shoe in its original colourway: grey with white and red accents. The entire original ad campaign during C1RCAs inception was based around that first colour-combo, and there was even an entire outfit produced to match the shoes. So it wasn’t uncommon to see kids wearing rolled-up grey swishy windpants to match their Muskas. Although the 901 may be Muska’s most remembered C1RCA model, he continued to release shoes with the brand up until his departure in 2005. Believe it or not, some of the designs got even crazier than the 901. But maybe that’s not too surprising because after he left C1RCA, the Muskabeatz producer went to Supra and created the well-known Skytop. Regardless of how you might feel about Chad Muska, one thing that cannot be denied is the fact that the man and his shoes have definitely left their mark on the world of skateboarding. And although the 901’s design might make a few people slap their foreheads and say, “I can’t believe I had those things!”, they were a highly influential pair of shoes that helped launch C1RCA – a brand that’s still going strong today. c1rca.com
Sound Check
Gang Of Four words
Jenny Charlesworth
photo
Mike Gullic
At first blush, it sounds like a stunt Marilyn Manson would pull. Aside from the cross-dressing freak show, who would offer up his blood to salivating fans like it was something as run-of-the-mill as an exclusive download code? Turns out, Gang of Four’s co-founders – guitarist Andy Gill and singer Jon King – have similarly warped sensibilities. And in honour of their new record, C O N T E N T, they’ve decided to treat folks to this ghoulish keepsake.
“We wanted to do something that people can’t download, that people can’t file-share,” Gill explains. “So it’s a real thing. It’s got authenticity; it’s an object with its own kind of integrity and its own physicality – something that’s so rare in the current Internet age. When we start talking about this sort of stuff, we get carried away with all sorts of ridiculous stuff,” he continues with a laugh, “and then we have to do it, which is the problem.”
“We just went into a clinic,” Gill says so nonchalantly that you forget he’s talking about drawing blood to fill vials found in the album’s limited-edition box set dubbed The Ultimate C O N T E N T Can. The rocker/producer speaks so matter-of-factly about the, uh, specimens on display in the Blood Book (one of the many eccentric curiosities featured in the highly-collectable tin) that you’d swear he’s describing everyday merch; nothing to get up-in-arms about, just another way for people to get intimate with their idols.
Indeed, coordinating their schedules for this current project – which was largely financed through direct-to-fan site PledgeMusic.com – proved to be a minor headache. But beyond a delayed release date due to aligning with Yep Roc Records late in the game, the musicians survived the process relatively unscathed.
It’s clear that Gill doesn’t have any reservations about this evernarrowing divide. Whether it’s Gang of Four fanatics or a journalist calling from Canada, the English stalwart from Leeds isn’t overly concerned about keeping his distance. And if he were, he would never have spoken to Concrete from his bathtub. While Gill insists doing business in the buff isn’t the norm, you would never know that from how little he hesitates before inviting a perfect stranger into his private world, even if you’re only there via the phone. “In mine and Jon’s conversations – or conversations with anyone really – I don’t think anybody ever said, ‘It’s been a long time, let’s do something really special’,” Gill says, with “special” being a bit of an understatement when it comes to the band’s latest endeavour – their first new material in nearly 16 years. Not only has the seminal outfit churned out another platter of spirited but stripped-down post-punk anthems, Gang of Four has again brazenly undermined the status quo by taking a shot at the reigning digital climate with their imaginative box set. 104
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“Over the last year-and-a-half or so, I feel like we’ve been reinventing the wheel,” says Gill, who admits that working outside of the traditional major label structure continues to be a learning process. Business practices may have changed since Gang of Four issued their celebrated 1979 debut, Entertainment!, but thankfully the band’s aesthetic hasn’t received the same dramatic overhaul. While recording C O N T E N T, Gill remained true-to-form, adamant that the disc should be a “synthesizer-free zone”. “This had to be simple, energized and direct. And there was no question of any kind: we wanted to avoid any sort of cosmetics on it.” Even without the batches of blood, the scratch-and-sniff booklet, or the ceramic tiles painted with images of world events like The Killing Fields in Cambodia (yes, The Ultimate C O N T E N T Can offers all that and more), Gang of Four’s latest opus is sure to remind you why the now-legendary band stopped the music world in its tracks nearly 32 years ago. gangoffour.co.uk
After a career-starter on Blockhead, Jeremy Wray had a breakout year in 1993 with a part in Color Skateboards’ selftitled video (see p.100) and the very first “Pro Files” part in 411VM Issue 1. While proudly running the big pants and small wheels of the time, Jeremy definitely didn’t partake in low-flying trickery; his powerful pop and solid style was far ahead of the curve. After a stint with Color, he went over to Plan B and produced explosive parts in Second Hand Smoke and The Revolution before riding for Element – the board brand he’s been a part of since the late ’90s. Let’s not forget that Jeremy has created his own board graphics throughout his career, and in December 2010 he illustrated (and appeared in) “Hook, Line & Sinker” – a Bones Wheels tour feature in Concrete #110. And now, a Fiver... —Kelly Litzenberger
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randy laybourne
the five spot
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