Concrete Issue 99 by Concrete Skateboarding Magazine

Issue 99 . April 2009 . Free

Jamie Tancowny. gap to 50-50.

TJ ROGERS RYAN OUGHTON The TheOne-MAN One-MANBoy BoyBand Band

YOUR YOURWORST WORSTNIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE

Issue 99 . April 2009 . Free

Barcelona

a home far from blown

Hotel California Business And Pleasure Fantasy Factory Plaza Chany Jeanguenin Identity Mike McDermott Top 5 Axion Mariano shoe Vault

Rick McCrank, frontside boardslide. Rickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Contract Series Accel TT now available. esfootwear.com timebombtrading.com stickers@timebomb.bc.ca

Rick and Mike, Fall 1999.

LAKAI LIMITED FOOTWEAR 10th ANNIVERSARY

10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITIONS In commemoration of our 10th anniversary, we’re introducing special edition releases of three very significant shoes. Alongside tributary color ways of the Carroll Select and Howard Select, we also present the reemergence of a fan favorite, the Staple OG. All three shoes are adorned with custom 10 - year insignia on the insole / tongue label and completed by an “anniversary edition” embroidery at the medial collar. Here’s looking at 10 years of great memories, and anticipating 10 more. Thanks always for your support.

LAKAI LIMITED FOOTWEAR : THE SHOES WE SKATE LAKAI IS REPRESENTED BY: ERIC KOSTON / MARC JOHNSON / MIKE CARROLL / GUY MARIANO / RICK HOWARD / CAIRO FOSTER / ROB WELSH BRANDON BIEBEL / JEFF LENOCE / JESUS FERNANDEZ / MIKE MO CAPALDI / VINCENT ALVAREZ / THE FRENCH CONNECTION / THE ROYAL FAMILY LAKAI LIMITED FOOTWEAR: 955 Francisco Street, Torrance, CA 90502 / ad #119 / www.lakai.com / www.crailtap.com / www.supradistribution.com / photo by andy mueller

24 The Chopper Shop 28 Configuration 34 Ryan Oughton Interview: Your Worst Nightmare 46 TJ Rogers Interview: The One-Man Boy Band 56 Hotel California: Business And Pleasure 68 Barcelona: A Home Far From Blown 82 Photo Gallery 10 18 92 94 96 100 102 104 106 6

Masthead Youngbloods Dyrdek + New Line = The Fantasy Factory Plaza Video Reviews Inventory Shoe Vaults Axion Mariano The Five Spot Mike McDermott Sound Check Album Reviews Identity Chany Jeanguenin

Concrete skateboarding

Issue 99 April 2009 cover:

Jamie Tancowny, gap to 50-50. [Read “First Timer” on p.10]

photo

Kyle Camarillo

This modern urban interpretation of Snakes and Ladders isn’t necessarily all fun ‘n’ games. Josh Hawkins is about to explore its more sinister side and quickly ponders the bottleneck below while navigating this ollie.

contents:

photo

Deville Nunes Concrete skateboarding

Coming soon.

WWW.PHXAM.COM - APRIL 3-5

Switch heel flip. Denver, CO - circa 2009 PHOTO: BROACH. Featured Product: The all new Tony Tave shoe featuring Primoprotect™. Shown in Black/Royal/Magenta/White. Go to C1RCA.com to see the entire Spring ’09 collection.

PUBLISHER Kevin Harris EDITOR / ART DIRECTOR Kelly Litzenberger kelly@concreteskateboarding.com staff photographer / PHOTO EDITOR Brian Caissie brian@concreteskateboarding.com associate / COPY EDITOR Frank Daniello frank@concreteskateboarding.com Marketing Director Richard Neuman richard@concreteskateboarding.com Marketing Associate Kristin Lamont kristin@concreteskateboarding.com

Pages Found words

Nick Shinner

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Administrator Dave Buhr

brian Caissie

Some web sites might have longevity but they have no physical permanency. Magazines occupy real physical space in the world, no matter how dated an issue is. At the Concrete office, we’ve come to fully realize the merit of this in the last few months. As we work towards producing our mammoth 100th issue, we’ve gathered and chronologically organized every single published Concrete since Kevin Harris started the mag in 1990. The stacks are impressive. Sure, websites have the advantage of staying current more so than a magazine does. But it’s impossible to reproduce the different paper stocks and size formats, or read text and view photos the same way on a computer screen. Online content holds its own special merits, and can serve as a great print companion (visit the recently revamped concreteskateboarding.com), but it usually serves as quick consumption that feeds the short-term memory. This magazine you hold will offer rediscovery entertainment for years to come. While #99 is normally a reference to Wayne Gretzky during his epic playing career, it also stands as the number of the issue you’re holding. We pay an interesting multi-page visit to both the mind and skating of Calgary’s Ryan Oughton [p.34], as well as Whitby’s TJ Rogers and his S Club 7 obsession [p.46]. Both a Los Angeles-based photographer and a Vancouver shutter sniper visiting LA county offer their Hotel California perspectives [p.56]. Barcelona’s blown, you say? Well, that’s far from the truth, and we’ve got the proof [p.68]. New Line’s Kyle Dion sheds some light on his company’s partnership with Rob Dyrdek, as well as their involvement with the skate plaza housed in Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory [p.92]. Dan Watson’s memory is better than yours, and he exemplifies this in his latest Shoe Vaults column featuring 1998’s Axion Mariano [p.100]. Mike McDermott, Winnipeg’s Habitat International Pro, took a breather from a vicious ping-pong sesh to fill out a Five Spot [p.102], and Expedition’s Chany Jeanguenin (spelled right, we checked thrice) cuts out an Identity page for us with his machete [p.106].

Contributing Photographers kyle camarillo, deville nunes joel dufresne, shane hutton brian garson, mike stanfield jeff comber, jody morris rich odam, dan mathieu eric mirbach, owen woytowich tadashi yamaoda, mike blabac matt daughters contributing Writers nick shinner, dustin locke oscar szydlowski, brian garson frank daniello, shane hutton mike stanfield, rich odam Brian Caissie, jordan hoffart ben stoddard, Nathan Tassay dan watson, sarah rowland Distribution Ultimate Skateboard Dist. east 705.749.2998 west 604.279.8408

Explore all that #99 has to offer, then put it down where it can be picked up and explored again. Subscriptions

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Kyle Camarillo

Jamie Tancowny always wants it. There isn’t enough time or spots to satisfy him. After skating all day long, we showed up to this rail around midnight. I actually thought it was too low to gap out to when we first scoped it. The last thing I wanted was someone falling over the side of that thing. But of course, without hesitation, Jamie jumps right on to a 50-50 and rolls away a few tries later, then turns around with a big smile and yells, “That was so fun! Let’s go to the next spot!” So here he is: Jamie Tancowny holding it down for Redwater, Alberta with his first Canadian skate mag cover. 10

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issue 100 - June 13th, 2009

NIKESKATEBOARDING.COM

Classic styling and construction. Better grip and board feel. System G2TM heel gel and STI FoamTM footbed for protection. The RVM. Nostalgia for your feet. etniesskateboarding.com KYLE LEEPER. B/S SMITH GRIND

PHOTO: BARTON

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Now even “Crispier “Crispier!” ------ Photo by “the Rodent”

Are you always “almost” landing tricks? Toy Machine will give you that extra edge to start landing them.

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Young Mike Bloods Schulze

Age: 19 Lives: Langley, BC Sponsors: C1RCA (flow), Ambient Clothing, Coastal Riders skateshop

Mike “Hashbrown” Schulze pretty much knows what he’s doing on a skateboard. Whether it be bowls, ledges, stairs or handrails, he’s easy to watch – definitely not all over the place. I first met Mike at a skatepark when we were about 14, and he was the heshest kid I’d seen at the time. He grew out of that, and found his place tearing up the Vancouver scene. Every time I see him skate, he has a new trick and he’s always hyping the sesh. There’s only good things to come for Fleetwood’s own Hashbrown. —Dustin Locke 18

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Joel Dufresne photos

Frontside Tailslide Kickflip out.

J O S H T H E

H A R M O N Y

B A L A N C E

O F

O P P O S I T E S

2 6 # ! # / - s T I M E B O M B T R A D I N G . C O M ST I CKERS@T IME BOMB.BC.CA

Young Terence Bloods Goddard

Age: 17 Lives: Newmarket, ON Sponsors: Lakai (flow), Stereo and Hi-Fi (flow), Blue Tile Lounge

Also known as T-God, The Melvinator, and The Damager, you can catch Terence rolling with his frontward wedgie on a regular basis. I used to pick him up at his house when he was 14 to go skate, and I could tell he was going to be really good. Now he looks and skates like a full Man-Am, and I’ve never seen someone snap as many boards as him. I think it’s because of his Thunder highs and always committing to his tricks. He also has his license now, so hopefully he’ll start picking me up to go skate. He owes me a lot of driving hours. —Oscar Szydlowski 20

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Shane Hutton photos

Kickflip.

Young Sam Bloods Lind

Age: 15 Lives: Ottawa, ON Sponsors: Satori Wheels, Top Of The World skateshop

I first started shooting with Sam about three years ago, when he was 12. He was the only kid among a group of skaters that were all five or more years his senior. Lucky for him, they treated him well, kept him out of trouble, and promised him (but never delivered) ice cream to land tricks. They taught him some decency, respect, and how to skate like a champ. I’d often forget Sam was a dozen years younger than myself, but was quickly reminded when he’d slam from 10 feet up, and bounce around like his bones were made of rubber. It’s been great seeing him mature into the ripper that he is today. I look forward to watching his progression in the next couple of years. —Brian Garson 22

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Brian Garson photos

backside 180.

photo: zach nelson skate photos: derick achziger

The Chopper Shop words

Frank Daniello

photos

Brian Caissie

It took a while, but I eventually found the right spot on a low-key side street in East Vancouver. At the door, I’m greeted by “Rasta” Lee Robert and his rather large male pit bull, Bunny Livingston Wailer. “Get off the man!” Lee commands, after the dog honed in on my crotch to cop an identification sniff. Thankfully, the friendly beast responded by scampering off into the dim and dusty depths of the bike garage. “This is Heathen Choppers,” Lee mentions shortly after the canine interruption. The sharp smell of grease grew stronger as we strolled towards a line of stripped-down, classic looking bikes on lifts. “We’ve got some solid builders, and I took the opportunity to get in here and gain some good information on building bikes,” he says. “There’s some jam spaces that help maintain the spot, so there’s always music around and the vibes are good. I’m really lucky to be involved. ” Back in his hometown of Montreal, Lee was exposed to motorcycles throughout his childhood, and even more so in the late ’90s when he started building ramps for indoor skateparks with Dan Vezina and a few other friends. They worked on skatepark projects 24

Concrete skateboarding

like downtown MTL’s original Tazmahal, and eventually South Parc in Brossard. “Our wood shop was right in the middle of all these bikers that were building their Harley-Davidson choppers and stuff. It just so happens that now I’ve got a shop where I can work on building Harleys,” says Lee. “Bikes have always been around me so I guess it’s just meant to be. Now, instead of finding underground parking lots to skate during the winter, I’m trying to build up my bikes so I can ride to the skate spots in the summer – I put my board on the sissy bar, and we’re good to go. It’s sick.” Shortly after Lee moved to Vancouver back in 2001, a small Quebec-based board company called New-Era Movement offered him a Pro model. “Myself and Mike Townsend were the two Pros, and it went well for a few years. But things fell off with the owners and the company was done in 2005,” he explains before adding, “I had my Rasta model with the red, gold, and green.” Over the years, Lee built a solid relationship with his long time employer, Mr. Rooter

Plumbing, and eventually started running their Dig Division. The job provides him with financial freedom, and the chance to employ his fellow skateboarding brethren. “Not only can I help other skaters out, but my job allows me to have fun and buy bikes to work on as a hobby. I bought myself an old Harley and it started from there,” Lee explains. “I’m into old school bikes – if it ain’t older than me, I ain’t riding it. Right now, I’ve got three projects on the go. There’s a 500cc Royal Enfield Bullet that was produced in India; it’s pretty unique, with a single-cylinder called a “Thumper” that has a really cool sound. There’s also a ’75 Harley Ironhead Sportster, and I’m working on a ’69 Harley Shovelhead that I’m going to make a little over the top.” He adds, “The feeling of riding something that you built is incredible. It’s like an extension of my skateboarding – getting creative with spots is how I look at my motorcycle. I incorporate skateboard wheels and bearings as chain tensioners; I use truck washers and bushings for my seat mounts, and as stoppers so my handlebars don’t hit the tank. I’m even working on a kick-start pedal that’s made from old skateboards that I cut and laminated back together.”

“Rasta” Lee Robert. Crooked grind.

Concrete skateboarding

Caissie

Configuration words

Nathan Tassay

There are so many factors to consider in order to reach the cumulative sum of a technical street move. Back when Rodney Mullen was inventing advanced tricks in the early ‘80s, he was known to spin and flip a homemade fingerboard, then figure out how to emulate its movement by connecting his feet to a seemingly uncanny mathematical thought process. As foreign as this idea was, and as much as he was alienated by his precise approach to the loose nature of that era’s skateboarding, Mullen’s past achievements became the basis of future street standards.

bypass thinking altogether – effectively sidelining any neuron-fired emotion or hormone that might obstruct the ultimate result. They barbarically surge towards the immediate future in a possessed state.

Configuring the components of a move lies in the individual’s approach. Ranging from simplistic to complex, it always begins with the mind. A trick is successfully navigated by uniting the mind with its physical reality.

The following motor driven sequences presented here are complimented by verbal accounts, which explain some of the things that occur when assembling the components of a technical street move. However, the organic process of configuration that exists within skateboarding’s detailed root structure is vast, and these pages merely scratch the surface of its highly detailed DNA.

There are skaters who “think too much” in their approach – pondering perfection and worst-case vulnerability scenarios resulting from elements of the surrounding environment, or the effort itself. This can be grounds for waging a heated and continuous internal dispute until the desired roll-away is achieved. Some skaters can seemingly

Concrete skateboarding

Then there are considerations that need to be made based on the rules of engagement the sprawling skate network places on itself. If motion capture devices are applied to the session with the intention of broadcasting moves to a wider audience, the inevitable letters, A-B-D, are called upon in order to tabulate the list of cans and cannots.

Mikendo

{

Lee Yankou

Wallie to frontside late shove-it

“This tree is located in Santa Monica, California, and its roots had pushed the sidewalk up into a perfect kicker. Mikendo brought me there, and I was pretty stoked due to how rare a perfect tree wallie is. Since it’s Southern Cali, where there are so many skaters, even an obscure spot like this has ABDs. There was already a bunch of dents on the tree from it being skated, which kinda made it harder to wallie. I also felt bad about damaging it more, but I had to skate it. I think this trick was one of the only ones left to be done at this bad-ass spot. Wallies and late shoves are fun to do individually, so the combo was pretty hyphy. The tree also kinda leans into the street. I’d be cruising to try the trick, and my hip and ass would just bash into the trunk causing my board to flail away. Also, a couple tries before I landed it, I cracked the top layers of my nose. But overall, it was a good day – the type when all your flat tricks feel right, and you feel at one with your board.”

Concrete skateboarding

Jeff comber

{

Will Marshall

360 ollie kickflip

Concrete skateboarding

“I learned this trick at a skatepark in Cornwall, Ontario, but could never find a street spot for it. These photos are from one of the first days we got to Barcelona. It was the only sheltered spot we could think of, since it was raining, and it’s one of the more famous ones. I did it twice because I landed one before the photographer showed up. I’m hyped on this sequence because I wasn’t getting stressed, and it was my first time shooting with Comber, who’s a fucking sick skater. It’s also the first time I ever did it at a street spot. There were a lot of skaters at this session, which gave it a skatepark feel, so I didn’t really think too much about trying to get the photo. The most difficult part of this trick is that it’s completely blind until you do the 270. The landing here also has a bunch of holes in it from people landing primo. I got stuck in them a couple times.”

Rich Odam

{

Stacy Gabriel

Switch frontside flip manny to backside flip out

“To be honest, I forget the city this spot was in. It’s somewhere between San Diego and Oceanside. Ronson Lambert led us there and mentioned it was sketchy at times ‘cause they have gang meetings in the park – you’ve gotta bounce or they’re going to start shit. There were a couple dudes in the park, but they didn’t seem sketchy to me. The filmer was freakin’ out and drove around back, where this manny pad was, to park away from the hoodlums. At first, I tried a different trick – I think I was trying to heelflip out, but kept landing with my foot in kickflip position. It just made sense to try that instead of adjusting my foot like crazy. We were losing light when I started skating, but I got this just in time. Ronson called us back to see what happened and was shocked ‘cause it’s actually at some kind of Ranger’s Office, so no one has ever been able to skate this spot. I guess the Ranger was out getting donuts or something.”

Concrete skateboarding

Jody Morris

Ryan

Oughton Your Worst Nightmare words

Frank Daniello

It’s hard to give Ryan Oughton’s sense of humour any justice in print. When he talks, it changes up from a quietly mumbled banter to a post-game-toned interview that a charismatic NHL player would give in the locker room. But this all depends on Ryan’s motivation at any given moment. He’ll utter something straight-faced, ridiculous or not, then let out a bit of a telltale laugh at the end to tag the preceding statement as total bullshit. It can be a bit confusing if you don’t know the 23 year old. “I like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” he says, laughing over the phone from Anaheim, California. “It’s probably my favourite movie of all time.” Perhaps that statement – and the fact that C.C.R. and Lil’ Wayne are his musical muses these days – might put things slightly into perspective. Don’t let the title of this interview throw you off. Ryan Oughton won’t pour sugar in your gas tank or attack the high slot of the only working toilet at a crowded house party with a dreaded upper-tanker. Your Worst Nightmare is merely a modern rap trio, of which Oughton is involved, that hasn’t reached much further than “one-hit-wonder” status. These pages will also lightly explore how a past dramatic height change, and a present-day hair length increase, can and will lead to an eternity of multiple reintroductions. 34

Concrete skateboarding

Ryan

Oughton Your Worst Nightmare

In his hometown of Calgary, a small-framed Ryan Oughton contended with his own Leap of Faith ollie back in ‘98. Little did he know, the sheer size of this drop would foreshadow his overall height in the coming years.

I seem to see you randomly in Vancouver, and always hear about you staying in California. but Don’t you live in Calgary?

I remember first meeting you when you were small, then a year later you were over 6 feet, looking me in the eye.

Who’s sending you packages?

I grew a lot in a year or so. It’s just weird because it seemed like I was meeting everyone all over again. I’d have to re-meet everyone I already met when I was smaller. I’d be like, “Hi, I’m Ryan Oughton,” and they’d say, “Oh, I met you back in the day. You grew up!” I’d be like, “Yeah…” Now I’ve got hair down to my chin, so it’s the same sort of thing as when I grew taller. Now I’m re-meeting everyone because I have long hair and they don’t recognize me [laughs].

DC, RDS apparel, and Plan B. The DC and Plan B dudes help me out directly when I’m in California. In Canada, it’s Plan B and RDS through Centre, and DC through Quiksilver.

When you were a little guy, I remember seeing a photo of you ollieing off that massive drop in Calgary.

My family lives in Calgary. When I’m there, I usually stay with my sister. She had a baby a couple years ago and she’s about to have another, so I just stay there and try to help her out. I live in Vancouver for a couple months in the summer, because it’s the best in the summer. In the winter, I just try and go somewhere warm.

You’re one of those dudes that experienced a sudden growth spurt into tall guy mode. How did that work out?

It was a big growth spurt [laughs]. I remember Dylan Doubt being really weirdedout when I hadn’t seen him in a while. I grew a couple feet and he was like, “What is goin’ on here?” It was pretty funny. But when I first started growing or whatever, I had hurt knees – like calcium buildup on your knees. I guess a lot of runners get it, but I forget what it’s called. That hurt for a bit, but growing just took a bit of adjusting and then it was fine. 36

Concrete skateboarding

Yeah, I think you’re talking about City Hall [above]. It was fun at the time – I was like 13 or 14. I guess when you’re older and have more pop, it’s more of an advantage. You can think of different things at different spots, and not have to resort to jumping off buildings when you’re four feet tall [laughs]. You and Sheldon Meleshinski are pretty tight. Don’t you guys have a rap group going on?

Yeah, that’s me, Sheldon, and Sascha Daley from when we were staying in Carlsbad at the Plan B house last winter. Danny Way’s super good at guitar and has his own band,

so there was a recording studio set up at the house. We were amped on making music, but we could never figure out how to work the mics and stuff, so we just recorded onto a laptop. Sascha just started freestyling one night so we made a song out of it. We made a couple songs, and we’ll be posting a music video up on YouTube, coming soon [laughs]. We’re called Your Worst Nightmare, and we’re pretty much a one-hit wonder. Our single’s called “Jerkin’ Off To Porn” – we like to rap about things that are just normal [laughs]. Dr. Dre showed up and, uh, verified it…No. Did Renee Renee oversee any of your stuff?

Oh, he had a guest appearance on one of our songs, but it didn’t turn out. It was called “Guilty Pleasure”. Have you heard the track he did with Jereme Rogers? It’s called “Keep The Faith”.

No, but I heard Jereme Rogers is getting pretty serious with his rap career. We’re not really too serious, but I’d be down for Renee and Jereme to rap on one of our tracks. I mean, Sheldon already retired, and me and Sascha are kinda soft, so I think Your Worst Nightmare is pretty much done [laughs].

Jody Morris

Depending on the sanitary conditions at any given skate house, some may seek a warm soaker tub after a long day of skating. For Ryan, the sun-baked desert floor provides the hardended launchpad for a quick backsmith dip into this abandoned, rusty clawfoot. Concrete skateboarding

Oughton Your Worst Nightmare

Concrete skateboarding

Jody Morris

Ryan

“Ryan has a custom made T-shirt that says ‘Born Drunk’ on the front and ‘Baptized in Whiskey’ on the back. ‘Nuff said.” —Sascha —Sascha Daley Daley

Will knock-off Ray-Ban Wayfarers once again reign as the sunglasses to put on your face in any situation this coming summer? Ryan seems to think so, and dims the shine during this switch ollie so he can realize the immediate bright future that lies moments ahead.

Concrete skateboarding

Jody Morris

In 1991, Public Enemy’s DJ put out an album called Terminator X & The Valley of Jeep Beats. 18 years later, and far, far away from Long Island, Ryan finds the migratory remains of Terminator’s old subs and treats them to a respectful backtail.

Didn’t you drive a car up from Cali a couple summers ago and head straight to the Vancouver plaza to skate?

Concrete skateboarding

Caissie

Oh, that was a silver Acura Integra. I bought it in California, but I guess it was stolen sometime before I bought it, so it couldn’t be registered in Canada. They let me across and everything, then they told me I couldn’t register it after I already paid 1500 bucks in duties and taxes. I drove it to Calgary after stopping in Vancouver, and it’s just been sitting in my sister’s driveway collecting dust. I have a Prelude now.

When you’re in Calgary and the weather’s good, do you hit up the Millenium monster?

I go there all the time. We call it “The Beach” [laughs]. You just go there, lie in the grass with a sixer, watch your buddies skate, and hang out in the sun. It’s more of a hangout than anything. It’s like Cheers, where everyone knows your name. Which video did you have the most fun filming for and why?

Probably Skateboard Party. The trips were fun. I don’t think there’ll be another RDS trip like that one where it was all the dudes like Ryan Smith, Paul Machnau, and Moses [Itkonen]. They’re all dudes I grew up watching, and they’re some of my favourite skaters. We had a house in Arizona for two

Ryan seeks his own “Parallel Universe” in the swerving and rampant manmade drainage canals found in the dry southern States. With no black hole in sight, he twists a frontside bigspin.

months – the spot where Paul Trepanier jumped off the roof and into the pool in the video. We did some Canadian trips, too. Kinda like a “Tough Guy Tour,” but not that tough [laughs].

The universe. I’ve been watching a lot of episodes of The Universe. You get really into the planets, the galaxy, and the constellations. Sometimes I’ll just be at the bar and say, “Hey, what’s your favourite planet?” No, I don’t say that, but I like talking about the universe [laughs]. I watched one episode about how the moon was made, another called “Parallel Universe”, and one about black holes.

Rich Odam

What’s your favourite topic of conversation these days?

Concrete skateboarding

Rich Odam

Ryan

Oughton Your Worst Nightmare

Once again, any form of physical growth somehow provides Ryan Oughton with a mask of anonymity. Under a cloak of long hair, he pushes through this switch crook while his friends wonder, “Who’s this sick new kid?”

What’s a funny story that immediately pops into your mind?

Well, there was the time when Ryan Sheckler’s best friend knocked over Jody Morris’ flash. That’s how our rap group, Your Worst Nightmare, got started actually. We were skating this gap in California; I think Ryan’s buddy was supposed to be watching Jody’s flash, but the sprinklers came on and I guess they startled him. The flash got knocked, and it was the most slowly falling flash ever, but he was just kinda looking at it as it fell and broke. Jody was all bummed out because it was probably worth more than what he could sell the photo for. Sascha

Concrete skateboarding

started rappin’ in the van after that, and made fun of Sheckler’s friend a little. Sascha was pretty much on fire that night. He started rapping about socks after a while, and I think one line was: “Masturbation / prime location / meet me in the station / sock is waitin’.” It was a night to remember, and it pretty much sealed our one-hit wonder. Like I said, we tried to make a couple songs, but none of them were as good as the first. Sheldon retired, and the rest is modern history.

Let’s do the typical last thing…

Thanks to my Mom, Dad and the rest of my family. Thanks to Moses Itkonen, Dave Boyce, Sluggo, Danny Marshall, Colin McKay, Sean Hayes, Trevn Sharp, Jimmy Astleford, Jody Morris, Brian Caissie, you, Chris Maitland, Geoff Dermer, Pender Beach, The Judge, Justin Williams, Lyndon Strandquist, all the Red Dragons, and everyone else who’s helped me out.

Jody Morris

Lessons learned from this interview: 1.) Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t knock over Jody Morrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; flash unless you want an impromptu rap group born out of the incident. 2.) Do your fakie ollie switch front boards as smooth as this one.

Concrete skateboarding

ROGERS The One-Man Boy Band

words and photos

Shane Hutton

TJ Rogers is misunderstood. At first glance, he comes off as yet another cocky kid that thinks his ability on a skateboard makes him worth paying attention to. Even though he’s been guilty of the odd beam every now and then, what hides underneath is a great kid who genuinely doesn’t give a crap about what other people think. He hasn’t had the easiest life, and I think that has left him a little guarded. However, once you crack through the Lil’ G facade, he’s nothing but laughs. I’ll let him blast S Club 7 in my car anytime – as long as the windows are rolled up. Concrete skateboarding

England’s Simon Fuller is best known as the man behind the global Idol television phenomenon. His first foray into TV happened when he assembled S Club 7 in 1999. It took 10,000 auditions to form the Brit bubblegum-pop group. TJ’s bump to crooked grind took many, many tries less.

Let’s get some of the formalities out of the way…

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I’m 17 years old, grew up in Whitby, Ontario, and I’ve been skating seven or eight years now. I usually skate with the Power brothers, Bobby De Keyzer, Will Marshall, and I can’t forget Jiggy.

I just always wanted to skate. I started when I was eight or nine, so skating is pretty much all I ever wanted to do. My childhood was kinda crazy. In Grade 9 some people from Children’s Aid showed up on Christmas Eve and brought me to a foster home. It was kinda shitty, but me and my family had problems. Skating has always given me a way to get away from all that. Ever since I got out [of foster care], it seems like I’ve moved every six months. Things are still a bit crazy, but skating with my friends has always been there to help keep me sane.

You recently made some changes in regards to your sponsors. What prompted the change and who’s hooking you up now?

I changed some of my sponsors ‘cause I needed to get out there more. I wanted more support from them. My current sponsors are Blind, Bones wheels, C1RCA, Force trucks, Diamond, Nixon, Red Bull, and Scotties skateshop. They’re all treating me really well. Are you still living in Whitby, or have you moved to the big city?

I’m still in Whitby, but I head down to the city [Toronto] on weekends to hang out with friends, and skate down there.

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Your Facebook page says that your musical tastes involve anything that “isn’t trife.” Now, “trife” isn’t in the dictionary (I checked). do you mind explaining it? And secondly, what music isn’t trife?

Damn. Trife means it just sucks. Like, if it isn’t good then you can say it’s trife. What music isn’t trife? Well, for sure Christina Aguilera, S

Club 7, Cam’ron, Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, Method Man and Redman. S Club 7?

S-Club is the shit. Both my sisters listened to it back in the day, and it just got me pumped. I don’t like their new stuff, though. It’s stupid. I like all that old gangst’ stuff, like S-Club and the Spice Girls. What you’re really saying is you would’ve been hyped to be in a ‘90s boy band?

Yeah, I would probably be down. What do you think of the state of Am skating in Canada? Do you think it’s a little bit off-centre, seeing as the bulk of coverage comes from Toronto and Vancouver?

There are a lot of good skateboarders in the prairies, Quebec, and the east coast, but I guess there just aren’t any photographers to get the shit out there. Being tight with a photographer makes it a lot easier.

Miami 7 was the 1999 TV series featuring S Club. The group played themselves with a plot-line that had them desperate to make it big in Miami. The seriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; viewership numbers were high, and so is the staircount under this heelflip at the SkyDome. Concrete skateboarding

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“Bring It All Back” was S Club 7’s first single, and was also the theme music for Miami 7. It hit top spot in the UK, and cracked the top 10 in Ireland and Sweden, going certified platinum. TJ draws inspiration from its compelling lyrics to bring home this nollie bigspin boardslide to fakie.

While we’re on the topic, who do you think are the most underrated and least covered Ams in Canada?

There are a lot, but Blinger [Matt Sullivan], Koty Brown, and Seb Labbé for sure. Jacob Williams is really good, and definitely J-S Laperierre.

of her friends stole them from me and took a bunch. A couple of hours later, they were both in the hospital and I was talking to the police. I got kicked out of school because they said I gave it to them. Damn…You traveled to Cali and spent part of January down there, right?

I heard you got a Sheckler-esque tattoo, except instead of “Sheckler” you got “Rogers” from shoulder-toshoulder. I take it you don’t give a rat’s ass about how much Sheckler gets made fun of for that tattoo?

Jared Lucas (Bones TM) let me stay at his house for almost a month, and we skated everyday. We went all over the place in LA and spent some time in San Diego and Santa Monica as well.

Nah, don’t care. I got it for the Rogers family. There are a couple of people in my family that have cancer – get better Grandma, Uncle Rob and Dad.

Did you get to skate with any of the guys on Bones, and did you fan-out a bit when you met them?

Do you have any haters and, if so, have you ever fought anyone to protect the honour of your good name?

I’ve got some haters – people hating on my style ‘cause I look like a “Canadian skateboarder,” telling me I want to be Grant [Patterson] or Wade [Desarmo]. I don’t really give a damn what the haters have to say. I’ve never fought anyone for stupid crap like that. What’s the five-year plan?

I just got my G1 license, so I want to get a car and travel everywhere I can. I’d love to become a Pro skateboarder and buy a house. But mostly, I just want to finish high school. This is my last year, I gotta get this one. How do you balance school with all your travel?

My principal and I are really tight. As long as I go to school when I’m in town and stay out of trouble, I’m good. I definitely can’t get suspended anymore… Do you have any good suspension stories?

When I was in younger, me and my friends thought we were pretty cool, so I have lots of suspension stories. In Grade 5, one of my buddies took Ritalin and, for some reason, I had them in my pocket. My girlfriend and one

I skated with Kevin Romar, Dallas Rockvam and all the guys from Long Beach. I didn’t really fan-out ‘cause they were just chill guys. It was my first time in Cali, and I was really hyped by how cool everyone was. I met up with a photographer named Chris Ortiz and shot a couple of photos. Surprisingly, there was way less hate down there than back home. Do you have any other trips planned for the next little while?

Hopefully Arizona for the Phoenix Am [April 4-5]. I’m going to try and head back to Cali soon. I have a couple of contests I want to hit this summer, like the DC Nationals and the Winnipeg one [WAM]. I take it you’re not a huge fan of winter?

Hell no! You can’t skate at all. I’m banned from one of the indoors here called The Rail [Toronto], so I don’t have many options when it’s cold out other than sitting at home and playing Nintendo 64.

Despite the accumulated fan fare of “Bring It All Back” across the pond, it failed to make a real impact in North America despite Miami 7’s success in the US. However, the single later became #1 on TJ’s chart so why not celebrate with a 360 flip?

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After the 2003 release of S Club 7’s fourth studio album, Seeing Double, the group disbanded. Three members reunited as S Club 3 and toured British nightclubs in 2008. That same year, TJ Rogers formed S Club 1 and performed a nosegrind nollie flip during his first show at Bickford.

How do you get banned from the indoor park?

It’s not the best story. I was at the park one day with a fresh board, and I broke it five minutes into the sesh. I asked the owner of the park if there was an old board lying around I could have. He said no, so I asked around the park and one of my friends gave me a really old board he had. After a couple of hours skating, that piece of junk broke as well and there were bits of board all over the

place. The owner of the park just lost it. He yelled at me and we got into it a bit. After cleaning up the mess he pretty much just told me I wasn’t welcome at the park anymore. Anything you want to add that we might have missed?

Yeah, I’d love to thank Bill Weiss at Blind, Jared Lucas and Rob Washburn at Bones, Justin Williams at Force, and Joey Suriel at Diamond. Also, Dominique Morrisette and

Elliot Heintzman at C1RCA Canada, Paul Machnau, Scott from Scotties, Thomas Webb and B. White, and Andrew Sayer at Red Bull. Obviously, I’d like to thank my Pops and my second families: The De Keyzers and the Powers. Thanks to Will Marshall, Koty Brown, Kevin Romar, B.C.O.J., Mike Imposimato, Phil Doyle, Mikey Scott, and Concrete for hooking this up. Also, thanks to Yellow House Pizza and Sam’s Kitchen in Whitby, and all my teachers for putting up with my bullshit. Concrete skateboarding

Mikendo photos this page

Hotel California Business and Pleasure Housing is a paramount element to any trip, whether you’ve arranged to stay on a skate comrade’s dank couch or you nomadically seek evening refuge at the nearest Motel 6. In this case, Mikendo (a Los Angeles-based photographer) and Rich Odam (a Vancouverbased photographer) sound off with their perspectives on providing housing, and being housed, during the annual Canadian winter skate-pilgrimage down to Southern California.

“Over the course of the last eight years, my old couch has been the destination for many skateboarders worldwide. Those seat cushions have had more visitors than the bed bugs that reside inside them. I suppose it’s because I live in one of the best places in the world to skateboard, Los Angeles, but I’d like to think it’s because everyone wants to hang out with me. To most, my house is probably known as Hotel California. Perhaps I should start a skate hostel. Come to think of it, I’m off to a good start since the house is kinda roach infested, and the carpet has more stains than a baby’s bib. Most ignore the bathroom ceiling covered in mold, the stained tub, and the rotting vinyl floor. But the residence does have some

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of the finer amenities. I recently obtained a Red Bull fridge that is always stocked with the most popular energy drink around, but I actually had to lock ‘someone’ out of it because they were drinking four cans per morning. There’s a nice big backyard, which doubles as the barbeque party zone and the common smoking area. The local 7-11 is about a block away and is usually frequented by the guests for cigarettes, candy, and tall cans. Lastly, I have quite a vast collection of skateboard videos, which can either absorb a lot of time or hype up the crew for a session. At any rate, when the weather is bad in any seasonal part of the world, including Canada, the couch gets booked.” —Mikendo

Rich Odam photos this page

“It’s no news that Canada is not the best place to skate during the winter months. The east is crazy cold and snowy, and the west is pretty wet. However, our neighbours far south possess the weather and skate spots we wish we had in Canada. Put two and two together. This basic math equation adds to a simple answer: Go to Cali in the winter. Many Canucks head down there to keep the rust off their tricks, visit their sponsors, and enjoy the sunny weather. With some bad winter storms hitting Vancouver, I decided to follow suit. Things change pretty quickly once you make it down to California. Neon light fast food restaurants sit on practically every corner, and offer a quick meal when you’re on the

road. Speaking of the road, driving is a huge part of skateboarding in California. I think it has to do with the fact that there’s so many skaters in the region, and a lot of the close spots get blown out, so the need to venture further is a necessity to keep things fresh. But I noticed that it’s not always an hour drive to go skate since there’s a lot of spots around if you look hard enough. As Canadians, we see spots in a different way and find things that the locals might’ve overlooked. The couch at a homie’s place is the first accommodation choice for most since it’s good times, and the costs associated with paying to stay somewhere for long periods of time can run high. I decided to stay at different Motel 6 locations because I was

constantly traveling around to meet up with different crews and explore a variety of spots in Southern California. I picked Motel 6 because they’re cheap, basic, and they offer wireless Internet and laundry. It’s funny how the same establishment varies so much depending on the location. You can stay a block away from the beach in some of the nicest rooms in San Diego. But when you hit the Motel 6 in certain areas of LA, people are slamming doors, yelling, shooting guns, and the rooms are rotting and moldy. Those bad motels make staying on your homie’s couch sound that much better.” —Rich Odam

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Mikendo

Odam

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Whenever th ere’s a rainy day in Califor the more priv nia, ileged guys h ave access to indoor trainin g facilities if their sponso have one, or rs if they know someone on the inside. St acy had acc ess to the Etni indoor park. es This thing is something el the layout a se – nd design of the place is amazing, with just many feature s customizab to your liking. le It’s the perfec t place to wa up before hea rm ding out for a night shoot. —Odam

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Hardflip

John Hanlon –

with me. wn to California do e ov dr on nl Ha e roads tting snow on th Due to fear of hi een south ntain pass betw through the mou I made a, ni ern Califor Oregon and north e fourth ng ki ta cision of the executive de Hwy 101. tal drive down hour-longer coas ing – az tal route is am The Oregon coas huge ith w s he the beac ape the cliff views of sc nd la y ck ro e on th to the waves crashing n io nt rd to pay atte eras m make it really ha ca r ou d hn and I ha w road ahead. Jo do n. e during the drive running overtim —Odam

Rich Odam

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Mikendo

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Mikendo

e 5-0 Frontsid – o z n e ec ying Scott D te of fl mal rou , and went r o n e h d t LA ass bypasse otel’ in pped his y at my ‘h Scooter lo g p in y e a h t s e m r d e e n h a s w n clo dow Diego But if I Scoot to San B team. e n in straight g la a P im e can e to th hard, I on som right on ink real ing out n h n t o o z d ’ n d in a n ch a eyes , sipp my cou pped up llar pizza n o r o p g t in e t e sit s, f e-do be ard video r his on skatebo aiting fo ller-bag would w d n a s o s r d e u h is s t cold ven. H is clo to in the o er with half h y k r o t o c ’d to corn ver we e e n h e t h in ld W thrown ter wou d e of it. n, Scoo d outsid or scattere xt skate sessio nd not say a w a ne n’t s e r s h e e t o ld d n pla shou , and rug his o skate t h s s t t n s a ju w he just because e. r e h w e ar really c o d n e ik M —

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flip nt nollie – Noseblu rd a p p e h Bradley S s just ie flip wa radley ll o n t n eblu r B This nos k of the foot fo ick ic asy to fl fl e k s a ic u ’t q n a s a e w u o it my h s , but ho live in Sheppard w gs r u o b f dirt him off the and left e his skin d into night, Brad t a y e h t – rs rne te quarte en day tu dead. Wh ur separa o im h in d e n b a uld fice and I wo in the of e use (me o though w h h n e h ve t e d n of a ), e m from ac ng roo eet away f in the livi 10 t s on u o h ab versation were bot ntire con e ve a h e’d other, w he night. ughout t MSN thro —Mikendo Concrete skateboarding

Issue 100

19 years of Skateboarding June 13th 2009

BRAYDON SZAFRANSKI

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KEELAN DADD

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Barcelona A Home Far From Blown

words and photos

Brian Caissie

After locking down plans and booking a flight, the common question I heard leading up to this year’s Euro adventure was: “Why are going back to Barcelona again?” In the minds of many, this beautiful Spanish city is an increasingly blown out skateboard mecca – an over-photographed frontier. However, most of the people who carry this opinion have never actually been there themselves. Some of the skaters who appear in this feature have been coming here chronologically for the last five years, with no plans of slowing down. Combining skate-work with a vacation from February’s frigid Canadian winter atmosphere is why Barcelona was my home-away-from-home last year, this year, and into the future for that matter. The obvious reasons are the simplest to relay. To start, it’s beautiful there, with above-freezing winter weather in the double digits. The marble spots are security-free, and there are thousands of secret spots left to be found. Barcelona’s beautiful women are inspirational, and make you want to get married right then and there. And finally, skate pals from across Canada congregate there and provide the familiarity of home. This year, the count of Canadians on Spanish soil varied between 40 and 60. I knew it was going to be an exciting trip, and a busy one. One of my favourite things about being a part of the Canadian scene is that most skaters from every city seem to get along well with each other. I got to shoot with all sorts of crews from Toronto, Vancouver, and the Maritimes as well. After doing a little research

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into our accommodations – which ended up being located a few train stops from downtown Barcelona – I was pretty excited since our place was a block away from the famous Antoni Gaudi-designed, La Sagrada Familia church. The construction of it started in 1882, and still continues today. This structure is the most photographed of all the landmarks in Barcelona, and it’s easy to see why. Every morning we walked around this masterpiece, drank coffee, and played pingpong in the park. But it wasn’t all fun and games. Trying to organize a 20-person crew every day with no phone or email in the house can be quite exhausting. After being in Barcelona for 11 days, the worst thing happened to me – my digital camera gear got stolen. After all the stories I’d heard of visiting skaters getting robbed over the years, it was my turn. While my camera bag was at my feet, I lifted my head to sip on my Spanish coffee. During the short time I was enjoying that delicious moment, I looked down to see my gear was gone. That’s how stealth it went down, and my gear was never to be seen again. To all you photographers out there: get insurance on your camera. Thankfully I did. So with a week left and just my film setup, I met up with my parents who flew in from Halifax. We did the tourist thing and clocked over 15 kilometers-a-day walking around the sprawling city. Some of these spots might look familiar to you, and some of them won’t. If you play your cards right, next year you won’t be skating in your frozen garage. Start planning a Barcy trip, and I’ll see you at La Turka’s for a falafel and a cold one next winter.

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Barcelona A Home Far From Blown

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Barcelona A Home Far From Blown

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Dan Mathieu

Alex Gavin / ice ollie

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Dyrdek + New Line = The Fantasy Factory Plaza words

Frank Daniello

photos

Mike Blabac

Rob Dyrdek. Backside nosegrind backside 180 out.

Prior to a working relationship developing between Rob Dyrdek and New Line Skateparks, it’s doubtful that Kyle Dion ever thought his park design skills would eventually find their way onto the set of Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory – MTV’s second series featuring the DC Pro. Dyrdek’s alignment with the Metro Vancouver-based skatepark outfit began when his initial push to get quality skate plazas built in the US exposed him to some of New Line’s advanced projects in Canada. “It started when Rob came up to skate the Vancouver plaza just after the Kettering, Ohio plaza had opened,” explains Dion, President of New Line Skateparks Inc. “Kettering was marked as the first skate plaza, which was great for the movement, but the Vancouver one was actually done about a year before that, in 2003. He’d also heard about The Forks in Winnipeg after it just opened in 2006, because all these Pros were talking about it.” Dyrdek was able to spend a lot of time developing the Kettering design, and he wanted the whole plaza movement to evolve further. However, once he got involved with MTV’s Rob & Big, he couldn’t balance the full-time commitment that being a skatepark designer requires. In 2006, Dyrdek was doing some consulting on a large-scale plaza in Sunland Park, New Mexico – a project that called upon New Line’s design expertise. “We just came in and made it completely skateable,” says Dion. “After that process, Rob was pretty sold on us and it led to another plaza project in Santiago, Chile. DC distributors from around the world started contacting DC and asking about this plaza foundation [Rob Dyrdek/DC Shoes Skate Plaza Foundation]. The way the foundation works is the municipality raises money for the project locally, and the foundation provides a New Line design for the project. We’re helping to push the vision of the plaza outside of the foundation as well, and they’re helping to push us. It’s a pretty good relationship.” 92

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With a collaborative partnership in place and some successful skatepark projects already established, there was a natural inclination for Dyrdek to involve Dion and Trevor Morgan (Vice President of New Line) when the Fantasy Factory’s development timeline reached the hyper-speed levels of “T-Rex” – Dyrdek’s three-wheeled superbike. “The idea for the show was that Rob wanted to create a place where he was basically like Willy Wonka and makes all his dreams come true. We started talking in September ’08,” Dion explains. “I literally flew down to LA, and we locked ourselves in a room for 14 hours to work out a design. Construction on the concrete plaza started like a week later and California Skateparks got involved. Probably from when Rob and I had the initial discussion, they were filming four weeks later. It was crazy. His office structure in the Fantasy Factory was actually designed by a production person from MTV, so we kind of worked off that. The plaza has integrated landscaping, and the colours and textures that were chosen turned out really well. Since the floor is concrete, we built the plaza up on these big styrofoam blocks. Rob’s office is raised since it has a garage underneath for his T-Rex car thing, and a spiral staircase leads up. He also wanted to be able to skate directly out of his office, so the plaza flows out from there.” mtv.ca/fantasyfactory

VideoReviews Jordan Hoffart is no stranger to Concrete’s pages and soon won’t be a stranger to the skateboarding public’s DVD collection once his anticipated full part in Powell’s FUN! drops. Jordan gladly took a mammoth swig of this issue’s high-test guest review lager in order to present us with his thoughts on Fourstar’s North Of Everything/A Tribe Called Mapquest tour DVD.

NORTH OF EVERYTHING/A TRIBE CALLED MAPQUEST – FOURSTAR Fourstar’s North of Everything summer ’08 tour was a magical ride across our great nation where the crew killed every demo, and still had plenty left for the streets. They fucked up Vancouver in just a few days, and played with some of our spots like it was a walk in the park. Koston plays his role in this tour video by keeping the happy vibes flowin’ with his antics, casual style, and not-so-casual tricks. A Tribe Called Mapquest is the video evidence from their 2008 “Fall Haul” in the US. The new generation is coming in hot! Sean Malto, Andrew Brophy, Tyler Bledsoe, and Lucas Puig consistently prove why they’re on the team. From the shittiest metal spine ramps to a flawless pool, I really like how the crew skated everything and anything on this tour. Malto signs off with a total Mission Impossible ender. Kid’s got skills. I did notice a shitload of noseblunts in this video – probably enough to play a drinking game while watching it. Shotgun! I found the bonus features equally as entertaining as the tour segments. Tasteful HD with a chill soundtrack and an all-star line up definitely makes for easy viewing. From the Pink Motel pool montage to the New York and SF “catalogue shoots,” this DVD is super entertaining to watch. An easy four stars (out of four) for Fourstar. —Jordan Hoffart

Mind Field – AWS Filmworks All part-shuffling commentary from the peanut gallery aside, Greg Hunt’s high birth-weight baby, Mind Field, is a masterpiece. Out of the gates, Alien immediately nods to their long-time musical influence, Dinosaur Jr. The band’s frontman, J. Mascis, also lent a hand by providing some original music for the movie, as did Alien Pro alumnist, Duane Pitre. As for the skating, Omar Salazar is a true work ethic roller and his opening efforts shine. Jake Johnson could’ve ran a solid appearance with those two heavy wallride clips alone, and Arto Saari’s anticipated part pounds with a mounting audio backdrop featuring “Atlas” by Battles. Dylan Rieder produces large-scale flick from his skinny frame, and Dyrdek has been loyal part of the Dayton, Ohio Sect since ‘91’s Memory Screen, so we’ll let the MTV celebrity’s brief appearance slide. It’s also great to see some high-speed Steve outside of The Berrics’ barracks. Kalis holds a PhD in 360 Flip Aesthetics, and Atlanta’s gangly Grant Taylor is a full-on street goblin with elastic transition tweaks. Dill runs some brow raising ride-to-grinds, and Lil’ Tyler Bledsoe’s part is, well, fucking good. Mikey Taylor pulls through with multiple minutes worth of moves, including one hell of a 50 to dirt ride. Sweating to The Adolescents’ “Kids Of The Black Hole”, AVE comes out swingin’ with the most satisfying part in this video, and Heath Kirchart manhandles the much-respect curtains to the passive-aggressive sounds of Morrissey. Alien stands as one of the most consistent board brands out there, and the art direction in Mind Field furthers that testimony with its technicoloured, tripped-out interludes. This DVD (packaged with a 60-page photo outtakes book and a “B-roll” marathon in the extras) is indeed purchase worthy. A rip ‘n’ burn just won’t do, chum. —Frank Daniello

clé – Cliché Skateboards A Cliché DVD and the average American skate video have the same differences as French and Hollywood films. Hollywood films are straight to the point, follow a certain formula, and hit a huge demographic. French cinema is grittier, more experimental, and has a smaller loyal following. It’s not going too far out on a limb to say that Cliché does whatever they want to do with their video projects. Many find that they drag on a bit long and wonder why some sections aren’t reserved for the “bonus” menu. But for some, they’re a treat to the eye because they offer a palatable look that strays away from the video norms of the industry. What I enjoyed most about this video was the Pro debut of Australia’s Andrew Brophy, and the international flow section showcasing Canada’s own Bryan Wherry. These guys have both paid dues in their respective native lands, and definitely deserve to be seen. Clé also serves as a comeback of sorts for Cale Nuske after multiple skaterelated surgeries, and it seems that his ability to flip into anything hasn’t been affected one bit. Joey Brezinski brings the manuals, Javier Mendizabal skates dream spots, and both JB Gillet and Lucas Puig offer way more than Fully Flared leftovers. Whether you’re a certified Cinephile searching for every last Godard film or you’re a Tuesday night blockbuster guy, you’ll find something to enjoy in this movie. —Ben Stoddard 94

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The One Lightmare

Shoe vaultsAxion Mariano Dan Watson

shoe photo Owen Woytowich

words

Under the World Industries umbrella, Kareem Campbell started up Axion Footwear in 1997. This new shoe brand was stepping up against big names like DC – which had been ruling the skate shoe scene for quite some time – and was also being challenged by a young éS Footwear. However, Axion had several things going for them to help ensure their early success. With a trio of LA schoolyard tech masters (Kareem, Guy Mariano, and Gino Iannucci) it was assumed that the company could move units with any shoe designs they chose.

’90s when tear-away track pants and swishy jersey shirts were in. During this era, having a shoe that was influenced by designs from outside skateboarding was definitely appealing to the fashion conscious skater. This was also Guy Mariano’s first Pro shoe, and it was extremely sought-after due to his long-term status as one of the best street skaters ever. The notable colourways of the Axion Mariano were the first three: the black suede, the navy suede and mesh, and the white leather with navy mesh and a rubber toe.

The original Axion line had extremely fresh designs with an athletic-influenced emphasis while still keeping the shoes skateable. With this direction, they seemed to instantly take over the footwear market with shoes such as the Elite, the Sport, and Kareem’s Pro model. By spring ’98, the Axion Mariano was released to jump-start the brand’s second year on the market.

Ironically, around the same time Mariano’s first Pro model dropped, he also started dropping out of the skate scene. For this reason, it’s pretty rare to see photographs or video clips of Mariano actually skating the shoe. As time went on, Axion released a few more Pro models for Mariano, including the heavily athletic but less skateable Aries, followed up by the Recon – an all-around dud. On a larger scale, it seemed as though Axion’s progress with their shoes followed the same trajectory as the declining Mariano Pro models. Concentrating more and more on tech design rather than skateability, the designs eventually ended up failing in both

The first time I saw a pair of Axion Marianos, I thought to myself, “Damn, this is a tennis shoe!” For some people, the resemblance of a skate shoe to a tennis shoe may be a bad thing. But remember, this was the late 100

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the aesthetics and function departments. To be fair, this seemed to be the general trend of skateboard footwear during the late ’90s. However, some companies were able to pull out of this crash course and revamp their lines. Axion wasn’t able to make that comeback. Within a few years into the new millennium, they were off the skateboard world’s radar and relegated to big-box discount stores. With the recent resurgence of bringing back brands and shoes from what many consider skateboarding’s glory days, it looks as though Axion will once again step up and try to take on the major players in the footwear market. With the rights to the name being purchased by Four Star Distribution (the creators of C1RCA), Axion will soon be hitting shelves again with a new team. Will the new Axion re-release any of the company’s popular styles from their past, such as the first Mariano design? Will the company give in to the current low-tech vulcanized trend, or stay true to its tech roots? Most importantly, will the Axion reincarnation be able to avoid burning bright and fading away quickly like it did in the past? Only time (and the fickle skateboard public) will tell.

K N U R D 1 #

SKATER!! N I T S DU DOLLIN

TO BE ABLE L U O S IS HE SOLD H AND SKATE FOREVER!! TO DRINK

I THINK HE HAS A DRINKING PROBLEM... !”

US O T N O I T N E “DON’T PAY ATT

brian caissie

THE Five Spot

Mike

McDermott

Video Parts

Winnipeggers

Beverages

Videos You Appear In

Places To Chill

Essential Foods

Possessions

Skate Destinations

Bands

1. AVE – Photosynthesis 2. AVE – Mind Field 3. Rick Howard – Virtual Reality 4. Gino Iannucci – Snuff 5. Danny Renaud – Mosaic

1. Day Dream – Green Apple 2. Port Moody Blues – North 2 3. Modern Love – Green Apple 4. Supper’s Ready – Green Apple 5. The Antisocial Video

1. Sight 2. Hearing 3. Taste 4. Touch 5. Smell

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1. Carly Norris 2. Johnny Skater 3. Jason Crolly 4. Stefan Goulet 5. Ryan McGuigan

1. Café Olympico – Montreal 2. Bar Italia – Winnipeg 3. Plaza at the Forks – Winnipeg 4. “The Mansion” for Ping Pong – Winnipeg 5. The Mall – NOT!

1. Barcelona 2. Winnipeg 3. Montreal 4. New York 5. Texas

1. Club Beer 2. Lucky Lager 3. Dude Beer 4. Olde English 5. Tap Juice (water)

1. Cheese 2. Chocolate 3. Ice Cream 4. Sausages 5. Bacon

1. The Beatles 2. Neil Young 3. The Animals 4. Judas Priest 5. Iron Maiden

SoundCheck albumreviews words

Sarah Rowland

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz! (Interscope) To all the gay hairdressers on coke of the world, rejoice! Thanks to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, you have a brand new party anthem and it’s coming to a dance floor near you. It’s called “Heads Will Roll” and you can find it on the band’s most fully realized album to date. With insanely catchy lyrical hooks like, “Off with your head/Dance ‘till you’re dead”, there’s not a self-respecting DJ out there who won’t want to mash the crap out of this killer track. But there’s so much more to It’s Blitz! than disco hits for the stylin’ scissor set. There’s a little something here for everyone. For the day dreaming lover of all things Irish and Scottish, there’s “Skeletons” – a genre-melding standout that swirls the listener into a Celtic-synth euphoria. For the grimy rocker, there’s “Dull Life” – a guitarheavy throwback to the NYC trio’s garage-indebted beginnings. And what Yeah Yeah Yeahs LP would be complete without an art-school breakup song? None, I tells ya, because few singers can rock an avant-punk ballad quite like Karen O. “Maps” anyone? Well, this time ‘round we have “Runaway”, another genuine heartbreaker without a hint of cheese. Nicely done, Miss O.

Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Beware (drag City) Some critics have accused Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie “Prince” Billy) of being cheerful and almost, dare we say, optimistic on this album – which is basically the kiss of death for a hillbilly heartbreaker like Oldham. See, people have come to expect the Louisville singer/songwriter to serve up the kind of Kentucky fried ballads that weigh heavy on your soul long after the last note is played. They want doomed relationships, moonshine misery, and a reason to end it all. Not gonna happen this time. That’s not to say listening to Beware will make your spirits soar with pure unadulterated joy. Bonnie “Prince” Billy still delivers the downer goods by walking the fine line between eccentric outsider musicianship and beautifully executed Appalachian punk. One of these bright-dark spots is “There is Something I Have to Say”, in which Billy despondently warbles his way through a sad, indefinite goodbye – diehard fans will totally appreciate this one. Having said that, the overall message of the album seems to be: there’s a light at the end of that there tunnel. So is this the end of his career? Possibly. I mean, what’s the point of carrying on if there’s hope?

N.A.S.A. – The Spirit of Apollo (Anti-) If Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon were going for a “hip-hop without borders” vibe on this collaborative flow-fest, mission accomplished. The LA-based producers left no eclectic stone unturned when it came to inviting musicians to their international jam session. The result is an all-star post-Obama throw-down that’s full of righteousness, unity, and bitchin’ Brazilian beats. We have Chuck D and David Bryne, the Talking Heads legend, warning about the evils of chasing the almighty dollar in the funked-up track, “Money”. Then there’s Kool Keith weaving his rhymes around Tom Waits monstrous growls in “Spacious Thoughts”. As well, Philly’s Spank Rock and Britain’s M.I.A. hook up for the electro club-kid special, “Whachadoin?”. Kanye West and Lykke Li, Sweden’s indie pop darling, come together for “Gifted”, which is also one of the many unsurprising adjectives Kanye uses to surface his ego on this track. Considering all these unlikely collaborations, The Spirit of Apollo is not a hodgepodge of disconnected songs. The album is a fluid, united front against predictability from beginning to end...yo.

Junior Boys – Begone Dull Care (Domino) Normally when I think Ontario steel town, I don’t think sexy. But then I heard Begone Dull Care, the latest release from Hamilton’s Junior Boys. This album is so subtly hot that if I were an indie electro-pop kid, I would totally download several tracks for my copulation compilation. It’s the perfect music to make that all-important transition from dance floor skirt-screwing to post-club bedroom grinding – when you’re still amped from the night out, and in the mood for something a little more energetic than a sensitive, slow jam. The first song I’d use is “Hazel”, a highly danceable jean creamer for the synthesized set. The second song I’d pilfer for my fornication folder would either be “Work” – where lead singer Jeremy Greenspan urges the listener to “Work it, baby, work it” – or the album’s first song, “Parallel Lines”. This layered, moodier ditty proves these boys from the Hammer are so much more than video game bleeps. And finally, I’d have to include the somewhat sedate “Sneak a Picture”, just so I’d have a little something-something to spoon to.

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8B79A B?FI ?7D IJ$ F; ZEP WEARING: THE

J>; P;F CASE: STAINLESS STEEL 52MM WIDE BAND: 3 LINK 24MM WIDE BUCKLE: BUTTERFLY DEPLOYANT CRYSTAL: SOLID MINERAL MOVEMENT: CHRONOGRAPH WATER RESISTANCE: 10 ATM / 100 METERS Wick Winder Distribution 604-276-9425

Jeanguenin

Favourite places you’ve traveled to? Hawaii, Australia, Switzerland

Favourite skaters of all time? Koston, Danny Way, and Cardiel

Things to do before you die? Have a kid, and jump out of an airplane

Worst habit? Procrastination

Best advice you’ve heard? “Be water, my friend.”—Bruce Lee

Favourite beverages? Newcastle Brown Ale, and Chai tea

Things you can’t live without? A skateboard, the Internet, and friends

Strangest nickname you’ve been given? “Money Sack”

What would you spend your last $5 on? Reese’s Big Cups

Last book you read? Artist of Life by Bruce Lee

Things you miss most about Switzerland? My family, the mountains, the lifestyle, and the food

Have you ever tried a McTwist?

It’s been a long time, but I used to do them in my vert days

People you skate the most with?

Kenny Hoyle, Ryan Gallant, Kyle Leeper, Big Heinz, and Tim Tom

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Matt Daughters

IDENTITY

Chany

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