Vol. 11 No. 2 Fall 2012

Vol.11 No.2

Worldwide Agreement Number 1.61803399

FALL 2012

$4.95

LONGBOARDING FOR PEACE

East Coaster Drew Hoffman getting his boneless one on in Manhattan Beach, California. Photo: Lance Dalgart

CONTENTS >>

FALL 2012

16 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

30

EDITORIAL

42

NOTEWORTHY

52

OTTAWA LONGBOARDING

59

OASIS: A PUSH TO SUCCEED

64

AN URBAN WILDERNESS

68

RIDER PROFILE: YONI ETTINGER

73

A.SKATE FOUNDATION

74

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO SKATE

78

WHY I DO WHAT I DO: PD OF SKULL SKATES

81

LONGBOARDING FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

90

THE THRILL GENE

94

ARTIST PROFILE: DEVIN STACEY

96

THE DOCTOR AND THE LONGBOARDER

102

THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION

106

ISSA REPORT

108

IGSA REPORT

TM

Vol. 11 No. 2 FALL 2012

SEARCH/SPARK/STOKE

PUBLISHER/EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR ART DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS DOWNHILL EDITOR

Michael Brooke | mbrooke@interlog.com Blair Watson Mark Tzerelshtein | MarkintoshDesign.com Buddy Carr Karl Bornstein Pam Clark Jon Caften

IGSA WORLD CUP EDITOR

Marcus Rietema

SLALOM/FREESTYLE EDITORS

Richy and Maria Carrasco

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS CORRESPONDENT I.T. DEPT. HEAD COPY EDITOR PROBLEM SOLVER HEAD OFFICE

SKATESHOP DISTRIBUTION

Erik Basil Malakai Kingston Jim Kuiack Rick Tetz of CalStreets.com Jonathan Harms Bud Stratford | budstratford@aol.com 1136-3 Center Street, Suite 293 Thornhill, Ontario L4J 3M8 ph: 905.738.0804 Buddy Carr Designs PO Box 1895, Carlsbad, CA 92018 tailtapinfo@yahoo.com ph: 760.722.4111

CONTRIBUTORS (In order of appearance): Guy Shitrit, Lance Dalgart, Jordan Langdon, Alice Martins, Paul Wright, Tim Rafferty, MCC, Jonathan Strauss, Daniel Vogt, Joey Bidner, Margot Paul, Brian D. Knoll, Kayla Marok, Kaelen Walsh, Oasis Skateboard Factory, Dan Schwartz, Sarah Schwartz, Yair Hasidof, Drew Burke, Josh Johnson, Joel Fraser, Emily Kane, Dan Bourqui, Eduardo Massaiuqui Kanashiro, Ryan Ganley, Carola Dottori, Devin Stacey, Joseph Garas, Mark Mulville, Tammy Schueler, Bob Knab, Ben Schofield, Steve Trewhella, Richy and Maria Carrasco, Gustavs Gailitis, Lance Smith, Monique Soderhall, Jani Soderhall, Jani Soderhall, Jon Huey, Dave Kessler, Jeri Becka, Liz Kinnish. concretewavemagazine.com Concrete Wave is published by North of La Jolla Inc. Subscriptions (5 issues) are US$26 FIRST CLASS or CAN$26. Address change? Mag not arriving? Email us... don’t go postal. We can sort it out. mbrooke@interlog.com. We will notify you when your subscription expires. Publisher’s permission is required before reproducing any part of this magazine. The views and opinions expressed in Concrete Wave are not necessarily those of the publisher. We happily accept articles and photos. Please contact the publisher directly at mbrooke@interlog.com before you submit anything. We are looking for a variety of stories and images as long as they are skate-related.

COVER: Yoni Ettinger longboards for peace. Photo: Guy Shitrit OPENING SPREAD: Brian Fiegenwald. Photo: Jordan Langdon FINE PRINT. The photo across from these words was taken somewhere near Ottawa. It is truly a concrete wave — handcrafted by Mother Nature. In an upcoming issue we’ll tell you more about it, but for now, just enjoy the image. It’s been a very busy summer and I can’t really start to conceive of what the fall is going to be like.

There are an endless number of events that hit all disciplines. I estimate that 90% of our readership is within a one-hour drive of a skate event coming up within the next few months. (Have you booked your place for the Broadway Bomb on October 20?) Practically every week my mailbox gets hit with another “We’re going to longboard to raise money/awareness for [X charity].” Go online and you’ll get hit with a barrage of comments about product you’ve never even heard of before. There are new companies, new ideas, new ways of doing things, and it shows no sign of stopping. It can be overwhelming and exciting at the same time. I do this for a living and I can barely keep up. And yet it is what it is. This is what makes the world of longboarding so incredibly fun and intriguing. You have diversity and variety combined with passion. The stoke is high because there is room for all types of ideas and people. And it’s not just one type of demographic. We have young folks and old folks. Males and females are included. This is a dramatic change from where we were 10 years ago. For some, it can be pretty uneventful when it comes to thinking about how things used to be. But sometimes you have to take a moment to let it sink in and realize that we’ve come a long way. This moment of reflection has been brought to you by the Fine Print. See you on the road or at the skatepark!

22 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

SEARCH/SPARK/STOKE

EDITORIAL >>

LONGBOARDING

The 102-degree heat in Jericho did not dampen enthusiasm for longboarding.

Photo: M. Brooke

Arthur Rashkovan teaches in Sderot. Photo: Alice Martins

30 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

FOR PEACE I am composing this editorial on what is our last full day here in Israel. Concrete Wave has spent a full month in the Middle East, spreading the joy of longboarding to communities far and wide. You’ll learn the details of our mission further on in this issue. It was truly an incredible and deeply humbling experience. We are very happy to report that it exceeded our expectations, and plans are under way for more initiatives.

We called our tour “Search/Spark/Stoke,” and that’s exactly what we did. Although I came up with the idea of Longboarding for Peace, I am very much determined that ownership of this idea belong to longboarders worldwide. To that end, there’s no board of directors, and we don’t have any celebrities endorsing our efforts. If you’re reading this magazine, we simply encourage you to start your own initiative that helps promote peace. If you’d like to share what you’re doing with us, we’d be happy to publish it.

When it comes to peace, there are indeed many layers.

There can be peace-building initiatives between nations, between religions and even within communities. I had a hunch that longboards could be used as a way to build relationships and foster peace. I also knew that simply sharing the joy of riding with as many people as I could reach would

add to my overall enjoyment of my visit. Many longboarders would agree that spreading the stoke can be as much fun as the act of riding. The photo above was taken in Jericho – an area most Israelis don’t visit these days. While the politics of the Middle East is highly complex, longboarding proved one of the best ways to simply put a smile on people’s faces.

These kids had never ridden a skateboard before, yet within 15 minutes they were rolling around, having a blast. The sheer exuberance of both the Arab and Israeli kids made me hopeful for the future.

Some might dispute that a deck with two trucks and four wheels could be an instrument of peace. They can’t comprehend or begin to understand the potential that a longboard represents. But we know Concrete Wave readers are different. We know you don’t just see the opportunities that longboarding presents, you act upon them. On many of the beaches in Israel there is a sign written in Hebrew, English and Arabic. It states simply, “Go in peace.” We heartily agree.

Enjoy the issue!

Michael Brooke, Publisher

NOTEWORTHY >> PRODUCTS, PEOPLE, EVENTS RONIN/GMR

Full Circle Distribution is proud to add two new brands to its offerings: Ronin Trucks and GMR Boards. Ronin trucks are machined and assembled in Glendora, California. These bad boys break speed records around the world, including Mischo Erban’s recent Guinness World Record set at 80.74 mph!

Madrid riders Zak Maytum, Max Dubler and Calvin Staub also ride and race on Ronins. fullcircledistribution.com PARIS Introducing the world’s best skate tool from your favorite truck company!

This tool is strong, ultra compact and full of all the vitamins and nutrients your nuts and bolts are looking for. It has sockets in 3/8”, 1/2”, 9/16”, a #2 Phillips and 1/8” Allen L tool. paristruckco.com ARBOR Arbor has a new version of the classic pintail in the skateboard lineup this year.

The Mindstate is a drop-through style skateboard that brings you lower to the ground for the cushiest ride yet.

Four plies of maple and two layers of fiberglass make this board a flexy carver and help to dampen road vibrations. Arbor added big wheel cutouts to the front so you can ride large wheels and roll over anything.

Arbor Skateboards also added two additions to their Icon Downhill Series: the Prodigy and the Cypher. “We are really excited to be delivering high-performance downhill skateboards,” says

42 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

Arbor’s marketing director, Brad Farmer.

“We feel like we nailed it with the Cypher and Prodigy. When designing these skateboards, we looked to our team, and the functionality and performance these decks offer is a direct result of that.” arborcollective.com EARTHWING The new Yoni Ettinger model has just been released. The 8-ply is for serious DH freestyle/sliding and the 7ply for park riding. It has a mild W concave so it feels great charging in and out of turns at speed for DH, and it has a nose and tail made for real street skating. Yoni inspires many, and this is a manifestation of that inspiration. He skates fast, he skates big, and this deck allows him to squeeze just a little more out of skateboarding.

Also new are the Earthwing Griptonics. The core is as large as the contact area, providing the already perfect urethane with the support it needs to wear correctly and perform the right way.

This core was made for Griptonics wheels, and the performance is outstanding for versatile DH skateboarding. earthwingskateboards.com DUBIOUS Here’s a rather unique take on traditional wheels – the 60mm x 44mm CNC-machined aluminum rim and 66-82mm replaceable tires. Dubious Design believes every rider wants a board that makes a statement about who they are. They offer standard and custom rims and tires for whatever kind of board you ride. The aluminum rims provide a durable and lightweight alternative to the typical urethane wheel; customized urethane tires can be made to your exact requirements of durometer and profile. dubiousdesign.com

HOLESOM

FUJITA Photo: Don Sheffler

Freshly minted Holesom team rider Noah Sheffler rides their new deck, the Sexkitten, along with their new pucks.

The Kitten is a scaled-down version of the Sexbomb and measures 36.25 inches long. The pucks are packaged together as one set; green smells like Key Lime pie and orange smells like Dreamsicle. A portion of proceeds supports the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter. holesom.com DIPSTICK The Dipstick is a great new way to propel yourself while longboarding. It can be used in many different ways because of its unique design. The spring-loaded action helps to propel the rider and cushion the blows to the ground, making it rider-friendly. The custom round free-spinning wheel at the tip lets the rider use his/her imagination while riding on many different planes. It can be used to control speed while going downhill and can be deployed as an outrigger when going around corners at high speed. dadipstick.com TAHOE The Pint from Tahoe L o n g b o a rd s was inspired from their love of running ditches in So Cal and week-long romps through New York City’s alleys and construction zones. This true twin-tip board is a great way to make fun out of urban decay. Optional tech slider/pool rider setup also available. The Pint, like all TLB decks, is handmade with pride in California. tahoelongboards.com

At 3.5 ounces, the Fujita Xtreme HD Action video camera is the smallest action camera available. Easy to use with the push of one button. Mount on a helmet or board, bike and more. Three models available: the 5-megapixel Bullet HDLite HD/720; the 12-megapixel Bullet HD2 HD/720; and the 20-megapixel Bullet Pro HD/1080. Features include fisheye lens and built-in microphone. Includes all accessories. fujitaxtreme.com SWERVE Swerve builds longboards using Baltic birch and a variety of presses to give any shape you desire. Their boards are completely handmade and are completely customizable.

Swerve Longboards was founded in 2012 in West Lafayette, Indiana, and hopes to see you bombing some hills very soon. swerveboards.com LIGHT BOHRD

Light Bohrd longboards feature patentpending LED technology to activate LED lights to illuminate the board’s graphics.

The technology is embedded in the board, charges wirelessly and turns on by the board’s motion. It will stay lit for six hours. In daylight their standard and ProSeries freeride and cruiser models stand out with resilient graphics holding up to wear and tear. At night, illuminated graphics look cool and provide for a unique and exhilarating experience. lightbohrd.com

CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

RIDE, RUN N RECORD

A new app allows you to record your route and see your stats: top speed, average speed, distance and time. Drop pins show you the details within a few feet of your route on a Google Maps layout to keep track of where you were. With the Comparison Button, overlay your newest run on top of yours or a competitor’s last run to help you improve. Upload your route and find new places using the online feature – see others’ favorite spots and their stats.

Just open the app, name the run, lock the phone and go! Available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, iOS 4.2 or later.

GOPRO

GoPro has just made it easier for people to capture professional-quality content during any activity. The company has officially released its Wi-Fi BacPac™ + Wi-Fi Remote Combo Kit, allowing people to control multiple GoPro cameras at a time using either a smartphone, tablet or the included waterproof Wi-Fi Remote. Additional features include live streaming video from GoPro cameras to smartphones, tablets and directly to the Web. The waterproof and wearable Wi-Fi Remote can control up to 50 GoPro cameras at a time from a range of 600 feet (180 m). gopro.com

MONSTER PAINT

beryard plywood), glue and high-density foam, plus – finally! – drastically cheaper shipping rates to their USA customers! roarockit.com

Monster Paint is an easy-to-apply aerosol spray that seals and protects your deck. It means that artwork stays beautiful while you’re able to have some actual grip on your deck. It takes up to 24 hours to cure and one can grips up to five decks. Distributors include vkskate.com and litezpeed.com.

AIRFLOW

TRACKER Artist and animator John Lamb created the first surfing animated cartoon, “Secret Spot,” in 1973, and also the first skateboarding animated cartoon, “High Drive,” shown in Spinn’in Wheels (1975). John went on to win an Academy Award in 1980 for Scientific & Technical Achievement in Animation. John was also placed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011 with his cel from the Tom Waits video “Tom Waits for No One.” John created the art on this vintage retro line of early ’70s Tracker skateboards, pulling from his archive of images created back in the day. Tracker’s line of vintage retro skateboards are built with the highest quality aerospace aluminum and space-age heattreated hardware. trackertrucks.com ROAROCKIT The Roarockit S k a te b o a rd Company has recently expanded to meet the needs of independent board builders and classrooms around the world. From the new RockitRuler (used to find the center line and align truck holes) to their popular Summer Camps and spacious new workspace in Toronto, Roarockit continues to be the leader in the DIY skate/longboard community. Also recently introduced is their 1/16” solid birch veneers (not your lum-

songs of that era, including all record details, a review of each band/record/song, plus scans of the record covers and labels. vintageskaterock.de Balance Master is designed by threetime Downhill Skateboard World Champion Martin Siegrist and consists of a rubber ball and a board. In contrast to most other products on the market, the Balance Master uses a ball, hence it rolls freely in all directions. The deck features a unique triple core with a flat bottom and a concave standing platform for proper board feel when balancing. Six replaceable cushions eliminate noise when falling off the ball and avoid scratches on flooring. Riding a Balance Master will take your balance to the next level and strengthens feet, ankles, knees and core. airflow-skateboards.com JELLY

LONGBOARDING FOR PEACE Jeremy Wray, one of the Strategic Concepts roster of artists, created this brand new logo for Concrete Wave’s l a t e st ve n t u re . st co i n . co m and indiegogo.com/longboardingforpeace BABY ON (LOADED) BOARD Congrats to Diane and Pablo Castro of Loaded Boards on the birth of their second son, Danilo, who was born July 1.

REGNIER HONORED

Jelly Skateboards possess a tremendous flexing ability, which is made possible by using high-impact engineering-grade materials. By using cutting-edge materials they are able to create a rather unique riding experience. The result: The flex of a snowboard meets the flow of a surfboard. jellyskateboards.com VINTAGE SKATEROCK Vintage Skaterock covers every piece of music written, performed and/or waxed from 1960 to 1979 with any connection to skateboarding. The book comes with a complete discography of all Skaterock

Congrats to Claude Regnier, who was inducted into the Cornwall Sports Hall of Fame on August 11, 2012. Also, in June 2012, Ottawa’s Dovercourt Recreation Centre named its skatepark after Claude.

FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 43

NOTEWORTHY >> PRODUCTS, PEOPLE, EVENTS BRITANNIA CLASSIC Kyle Martin Photo: Paul Wright

The 5th Annual Britannia Dillon Jacobson leads Jordan Perrett.

Photo: Paul Wright Classic presented by Hawgs Wheels was a tremendous success. The event was held May 25-27 in British Columbia, Canada, and had a $5,000 cash podium. One hundred sixty top international riders shredded for three days in dry, sunny weather and enjoyed our half-freeride and half-race weekend format. The downhill track is described by some as “the best we have.”

Rebounding from his broken ankle at the 2011 Britannia Classic, Kevin “K-Rimes” Reimer Women’s Division easily beat out defending 2011 champ 1. Charlie Daigneault Patrick Switzer for the win. The big sur2. Elena Corrigall prise of the weekend was 16-year-old 3. Nadine Fontaine Byron Essert of California taking third place in his first visit to Canada. Big Juniors 14-17 yrs thanks go out to Switchback Longboards, 1. Jonas Richter Landyachtz Skateboards and all our 2. Spencer Smith amazing volunteers for all their support.

3 Aidan Lynds Please check out our three-minute video filmed by Hemstock Films and Sea to Sky Super Grom Cable Cam. 1. Quinn Dubois 2. Kennan Macartney Open Division 3. Jack Craddock 1. Kevin Reimer 2. Patrick Switzer Young Masters (Age 30+) 3. Byron Essert 1.Jeff Budro 4. Dillon Stephens 2. Lee Cation 5. Nick Breton 3. Jose El Loco

44 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

I LOVE DOWNHILL RACE June 23-24, 2012, Windham, N.Y. Finally, a Pro Race in the Northeast!

By Tim Rafferty “Are you cold?” I ask young Daniel as we stand outside the Cave Mountain Brew Pub in Windham, New York.

“No,” he responds, despite the mild air taking over the night. “This,” he states, pointing to a half-drunk 16-ounce bottle of Pepsi, but mocking the “gives me the chills” motion of shivering. We all chuckle.

Daniel is 16 years old and from Guadalajara, Mexico. The climate where he’s from is summer always, hence my curiosity. He is here racing for Rayne Longboards and informs me it is his second trip to America.

There were plenty of thrills and spills, smokin’ sneakers and lots of action into the hay bales. The nighttime slide jam was a raucous event MC’d by Noel Korman of the Shralpers Union. The crowds lined the street, cheering all the sliders on. Everyone had an awesome time soaking up the scene. Luke Ayata took a close first place ahead of Brian Bishop. The crowd did the judging (loudest cheer).

The weather was perfect for the event and everyone in attendance was ready for the action. The street luge races proved to be quite the action we were all craving. I had never seen a race in person before, and it was absolutely insane to witness the action of the riders screaming by, handling the corners, braking and bracing for the finish line: 1. David Dean • 2. Justin Crenshaw 3. Christian Conaway The Am race was on, and it was thrilling to see the fun these folks were having. All took on the course with great admiration and gusto. A few minor technical difficulties changed things up a bit, but none of us seemed to mind, and the results for the Ams were as follows:

1. Nathan Ryan • 2. Alexis Labrecq 3. Avery Wilcox Women’s Division 1. Cordelia Welch • 2. Monika Restrepo 3. Nayhomi Cruz Ramos The Pros were up next, and it was so incredible to see these folks race. All the fans were really cheering them on and giving them all the support they could. A few early eliminations left Patrick Switzer and Mischo Erban out.

The final race was down to James Kelly, Alex Tongue, Benjamin Dubreuil and Charles Ouimet. Tongue proved to keep his strength and concentration up for the final leg of the race and took the win. Kelly finished second and Dubreuil third.

All podium riders were rewarded with a trophy and a custom Bustin board with SurfRodz trucks. James Kelly proved why he is indeed the American Dream. Upon having the board handed to him, he seemed a bit confused and said, “Really? Uh … OK …”

Then he looked out into the crowd and asked, “Anyone want a skateboard?” A 16year-old kid in front of me started jumping up and down and yelling “ME, ME!” So Kelly quickly handed him the board. The kid was psyched. Very classy move, James!

The raffle generated $800 for the Adaptive Action Sports Foundation. Massive amounts of hails and praise must go out to all the sponsors for their raffle prizes, time, dedication and money. Thanks to Windham Mountain for their exceptional hosting duties, and extra special thanks to Marc Dean for organizing this race and finally giving the Northeast what it has been so desperately waiting for. All plans point to another run next year, and we all talked about how great it would be if we could have more of these events at some of the other major ski areas in New England. (Pay attention, Vermont – you’re on the radar!)

And the winners are: Alex Tongue (1st), James Kelly (2nd) and Ben Dubreuil (3rd). Photo: Ryan Ganley

CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

NOTEWORTHY >> PRODUCTS, PEOPLE, EVENTS EL SALVADOR LONGBOARDING Photo courtesy of MCC

The Guachipilin Classic Downhill, a longboard event held on El Salvador’s Longitudinal del Norte Highway in July, helped showcase El Salvador’s best skaters competing on the country’s newest stretch of highway. The adrenaline-fueled event was part of a larger effort by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. Government foreign assistance agency, to help Salvadorans achieve a long-standing dream of opening up the poorer Northern Zone and connecting it with the rest of the country.

The competition drew hundreds to the region to watch more than 45 skaters from El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and the United States attain speeds of 50 mph as they competed in open, novice and junior categories. American professionals Ross Druckrey and Micah Green highlighted the event, which saw skaters compete on a three-kilometer stretch of newly paved road. Participants and spectators enjoyed shaved ice, traditional pupusas and other food in between heats.

The course – nestled in the green mountains of northern El Salvador – is a small portion of the 220 kilometers of road and 23 bridges built or rehabilitated

by MCC. The new and improved roads will help spur regional trade and business activity throughout the region, helping raise incomes for almost 800,000 people over the next 20 years. Events like the Guachipilin Classic Downhill are designed to boost tourism to the region. “Before, there was a total disconnect [between the Northern Zone and other parts of the country], and it took over 12 hours to travel from the east to the west of the country,” said Jose Angel Quiros, the CEO

46 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

BAREKNUCKLE

of MCC’s El Salvador implementing agency. “Now we can do that in six hours.”

The competition, held prior to the road opening to the public, provided spectators with an exhilarating and unique introduction to MCC’s accomplishments in northern El Salvador as its five-year, $460.9 million development compact nears completion. mcc.gov IDSA IN SOUTH AMERICA

By Jonathan Strauss South America’s first push race sanctioned by the International Distance Skateboard Association (IDSA) was a huge success, with more than 150 skateboarders, men and women, from all over Colombia in pursuit of a top prize of 1.5 million Colombian Pesos ($800 US dollars).

Manuel E. Rivera, longtime skateboarder and organizer of Push Colombia, managed to receive the support of the mayor of Bogota and his program of healthy living, the Institute of Recreation and Sport (IDRD) and its program DUNT for Urban Sports. Longboard Colombia included the race as part of the annual Festival del Verano (Summer Fest).

This race brought skateboarders from all over Colombia for a chance to be a part of history, as the sport is really booming – the community has tripled in the last year.

The race was totally dominated, however, by the 26-year-old they call “Yellow,” a.k.a. Angelo Zapata, who won by nearly lapping every single competitor on his locally sponsored Sector 9 deck.

Yellow not only has huge experience with long treks on skateboards and bicycles

Angelo "Yellow" Zapata leads the way.

throughout all of Colombia, he is a huge advocate of adventure and outdoors. The clincher of the weekend is that Yellow was able to pay for his last semester of college with the victory. As soon as he is done with school, he wants to join the worldwide circuit in Push and Downhill.

Already approved for next year’s Festival del Verano is an IDSA-sanctioned half-marathon skateboard race, which will take place in the first two weeks of August.

RESULTS Open: 1. Angelo “Yellow” Zapata 2. Esteban Riaño 3. Felipe Lopez Women: 1. Paula Catalina Fonseca 2. Camila Avella 3. Sandra Kabas

The 2012 Yungas from Bareknuckle Longboards is a fun board designed for aggressive streetstyle longboarding. Short wheelbase, wide cutouts, topmount setup, mellow concave and camber turn the board into a fun machine with vivid riding behavior. The 2012 “On Fire” edition comes with handmade wooden intarsia graphics and is available in soft and hard flex core design. bareknucklelongboards.com POGO

The Titanal-Kevlar construction makes the new Impala durable and stiff while giving it a vivid feel when being pushed hard. The Impala comes with an endless amount of wheelbase options ranging from 25.6" to 31.3" with an overall length of 38". The mellow concave combined with a 1/2" rocker feels just perfect and makes it a pleasure when you ride it barefoot. Longdistance pumpers' choice number one! pogo.biz

CORRECTIONS In our previous issue, LiquidEmotion was the light-kit manufacturer used to light the boards in the night shot, not Light Bohrd.

In our previous issue, the photo captioned as Vincent Kitzhoefer actually showed another young skater, Milos Salsbach.

Vincent Kitzhoefer Photo: Daniel Vogt

More than 150 skaters competed for the 1.5 million Colombian Pesos prize.

CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 49

SKATEBOARD SHOPS LIST ARIZONA Sidewalk Surfer 2602 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale 480.994.1017 admin@sidewalksurfer.com • www.sidewalksurfer.com CALIFORNIA IFYI Inc 1083 Bedmar Street Carson Board Gallery 3333 Newport Boulevard Newport Beach 714.902.3769 Cellular Skate 6787 Carnelian Street Alta Loma 909.941.1004 Mike McGills Skate Shop 335 First Street Suite #S Encinitas 760.943.7730 Ollie Angel 235 Palm Avenue, Imperial Beach 619.575.7357 Mike’s Bike Shop 5507 West Pico Blvd. Los Angeles 323.935.4338 Viva Skateboards 1709 Howard Road Madera 559.664.8997 Bill’s Wheels Skateshop 1240 Soquel Avenue Santa Cruz 831.469.0904 Purple Skunk Purpleskunk.com 5820 Geary Blvd. San Francisco 415.668.7905 CCMF/Toyland 1260 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 805-801-6653 ccmfjay@yahoo.com The Trading Post 622 Upham Street San Luis Obispo 805.801.6653 ccmfjay@yahoo.com Sonoma Old School Skate and Surf 1001 Broadway Sonoma 707.938.5500 skatesos.com Cellular Skate 287 Mountain Ave Upland Tel: 909.981.8856 cellskate@verizon.net Maui and Sons 1415 Ocean Front Walk Venice Beach mauiandsons.com COLORADO All Board Sports 1750 30th Street Boulder 303.415.1600 Diabolical Boardshop 4255 S.Broadway, Englewood CONNECTICUT Skate Pusher 57 McIntosh Drive Bristol 860.593.4550 Skate Valencia 68 Leonard Street, Bristol 203.524.4675 GEORGIA Feral 190 Park Avenue, Athens 706.369.1084 Skate Madness 13800 Hwy. 9 N., Ste. D 145 Alpharetta 770.410.3456 skatemadness.com Woody’s Halfpipe 6135 Peachtree Parkway Suite # 603 Norcross LOUSIANA Board Lords Mall of Louisiana, 6401 Bluebonnet Blvd.

Suite # 2044, Baton Rouge, 225.769.1222 MASSACHUSETTS Boardroom 6 Armory Street Northhampton 413.586.8857 MICHIGAN Ollies Skate Shop 120 ½ E Maumee Adrian 517.265.2031 Dubz Bikes and Boards 14 North Washington,Suite A, Oxford, MI 48371

50 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

Want to know where to find Concrete Wave мagazine? Would you like to find all the amazing skate gear you see in these pages? Look no further than our shop list. If you’d like to have your shop listed here, it’s easy. Simply send a check for $115 to Indaba Group PO Box 1895 Carlsbad California 92018 or PayPal tailtapinfo@yahoo.com, ph: 760-722-4111. You’ll get 10 copies of 5 issues mailed out along with this complete listing. For international rates, please email us. Yes, shipping is included. If you think your local shop or park should be carrying Concrete Wave, email mbrooke@interlog.com.

MINNESOTA Old School Skaters 1119 NW 2nd Street Faribault 612.578.3326 www.oldschoolskaters.net MISSOURI Genesis Skateboarding 13 NW Barry Rd. #147 Kansas City 816.456.1307 genesisskateboarding.com MONTANA Wheaton’s 214 1st Avenue West Kalispell 406.257.5808 wheatonscycle.com BlackTop Surfshop 176 5th Avenue West North Kalispell 406-752-6006 NEW JERSEY Black Diamond Skatepark 400 Route 38 Unit 1610 Moorestown NEW MEXICO Koa Nalu Surf Shop 8254 Menaul Blvd NE Albuquerque 505-332-SURF koanalu.com Timeship Raicing 825 Early Street Suite H Sante Fe 505.474.0074 timeshipracing.com NORTH CAROLINA Soul Ride Skatepark 6049 Victory Lane Concord 704.454.7433 soulrideskates.com We’re Board Inc Skatepark and Shop 1423 North Church Street, Ste 104 Burlington NC 27217 OHIO Old Skool Skateboards 19E College Avenue, Westerville roxtar55@hotmail.com OREGON The Uprise 1110 NW Van Buren Ave, Corvallis 541.754.4257 541.480.4254 thelongboardstore.com The Longboard Store 1238 SW Wheeler Place Bend 541.480.4254 thelongboardstore.com Daddies Board Shop 7126 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland 503.281.5123 daddiesboardshop.com Gorge Performance 7400 Southwest Macadam Avenue Portland 503.246.6646 The Mountain Shop 628 NE Broadway Portland Rip City Skate 1510 NE 37th Ave. Portland PENNSYLVANIA Rayzor Tattoos 4 South Front Street Steeltown RHODE ISLAND Seven.Ply 3 Canal Street Westerly 401.348.0656 TENNESSEE Planet Sk8 7024 East Church Street Suite 2 Brentwood 615.377.1947 Sk8sations Skate Shop 3032 N.John B.Dennis Hwy. Kingsport 423.245.0994 tbec@charter.net VIRGINIA EastCoast Boardco. 10358 Fairfax Blvd. Fairfax 703.352.4600 x:8 213 25th Street Va Beach Black Cat Skateshop 1325 A West Main Street, Charlottesville 434.244.0014

WASHINGTON Gravity Sports 126 Rainier Ave South Renton 425.255.1874 Mountain Goat Outfitters 12 W. Sprague Avenue Spokane Motion Boardshop 8316 Aurora Ave N., Seattle, 206.372.5268 motionboardshop.com ALBERTA Avenue Skateparks 9030.118 Avenue NW Edmonton 780.477.2149 Easy Rider 4211.106 St., #153 Edmonton 780.413.4554 Pipeline Surf Co 780.421.1575 Comasports 10B-200 Barclay Parade SW 403.233.8841 powerinmotion.ca Royal Board Shop, 814 Edmonton Trail N.E., Calgary, Alberta 403-277-3601 Royalboardshop.com BRITISH COLUMBIA Area 51 191 Station Street Duncan 250.746.8869 a51.ca Raven Skate Shop 411 Campbell Street Tofino 250.725.1280 ravenskateshop.ca Salton Rides Saltholidays Island, BC 250.537.4984 saltonskate@canada.com Switchback Longboards 4385B Boban Dr. Nanaimo 250.751. 7625 ONTARIO Hammer Skate Shop 2225 Queen Street East Toronto, 416.698.0005 Hogtown 401 King Street West, Toronto 416.598.4192 McPhails 98 King Street North, Waterloo 519.886.4340 QUEBEC DLX/Deluxe 2480, chemin Ste.Foy Ste.Foy 418.653.0783 dlxdeluxe.com OVERSEAS AUSTRALIA Boardshop Australia — boardshop.com.au 04 15883371 — friendlyfolks@boardshop.com.au Cre8ive Sk8 — 95 Anne Street Aitkenvale, Queensland, 4814 Australia BRAZIL Ultra Series Skate Shop Tel.:55(41)3023-2480 — ultraseriesskate.blogspot.com FRANCE hawaiisurf.com GERMANY seasondistribution.com, concretewave.de Hackbrett Longskates Im Wechselfeld — 12 St. Peter hack@customlongskates.com longboarders.de — Gustavstrasse 49 90762 Furth kontakt@longboarders.de — Tel: 0911 9772500

JAPAN Y & T Fussa Fussa — 2348 Fussa Fussa City — Tokyo — 1970011 Clover Skateboard Shop — 1-21-3-1201 Befu Jyounan Fukuoka 8140104 — Japan ITALY The Skateshop via A. Grossich 11, 20131 Milano Italy theskateshopmc@gmail.com ph: 0039 (02) 706 019 71 Turtle Surf Shop via Mazzini,1 , 17051 Andora (SV), ITALY NETHERLANDS Sickboards Marcelisstraat 80b, 2586RX Scheveningen, The Netherlands, 31-70-7533548. Sickboards.nl NEW ZEALAND Serenity Island Surf & Skate Café 202a Wainui Road — Gisborne — serenityisland.com Ultimate Boards 7 Wagener Place, St. Lukes, Auckland, 1025, New Zealand ultimateboards.co.nz UK octanesport.com skateboardsofchoice.co.uk Bath, United Kingdom — Tel: + 44 1249 715811 Sk8s Go — General Juan Cano 40 — Colony San Miguel Chapultepec — Mexico, D.F 52-55-58132448 Soul dh Alameda Picaflores — 245 San Borja — Lima 41 — Peru Skate of the Nation — Unit 6 GYY Building # 1 Tomas Morato 1100 — Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines Indiana Sports GmbH — Elbestrasse 14 — Wald, 8636 Switzerland — Contact: Christof Peller ON.LINE RETAILERS allboardsports.com daddiesboardshop.com ffashop.com genesisskateboarding.com longboardskater.com longboardshop.de longboardstore.com longboardskater.com motionboardshop.com muirskate.com oldschoolskates.net pressuredroplongboards.com sickboards.nl sidewalksurfer.com sk8supply.com socalskateshop.com tactissk8.com tailtap.com vslboardshop.com

FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 51

Ottawa Longboarding:

TURNING COMMUNITY INTO CULTURE

BY JOEY BIDNER

52 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

With the amount of attention Toronto receives, you might think it is the capital of Canada.

However, I can assure you it is not.

The capital city of Canada is in fact Ottawa, and as you will soon discover, it’s a truly incredible place to longboard. Concrete Wave spent a weekend getting to know a little bit about this remarkable place. We hung out at a slide jam and participated in a 20-km race around the city. We can’t say enough great things about this place and its very hospitable longboarders. – Ed. THE OTTAWA LONGBOARD COMMUNITY The Ottawa longboard community has a vibrant and dynamic culture. We not only have a great group of riders with a wide selection of hills and spots to skate, but over the years we have worked together to promote a culture based on positively spreading the stoke of the sport. This includes how to keep a spot from getting blown out, how to appropriately deal with cops and authority and how to positively and peacefully fight for our right to skate where we deserve. Every community deserves a longboard culture like this. We hope our example inspires you to form your community into a culture.

HOW IT STARTED

Major's Hill bomb spot is not only epic and scenic; it also has a bouldering wall. What more could a longboarder want? Leading the pack here are Alex Charpentier, Alex Parent, Joey Bidner, Dale Buchana, Andreas Janse and Alex Harper. Photo: Margot Strangemaggie Paul

The start of our community began in the summer of 2009 when a group of us in Ottawa realized that one aspect was missing from the equation to turn our groups into a culture. At the time the only way local longboarders got together was via the “Who wants to ride on Saturday” thread on Ontario Longboard Forum.

This was OK, but for the newcomer, it was a bit intimidating to approach what seemed to be a buddy session.

We realized that we needed a consistent weekly session that would be organized for the best interest of the whole community, not just a part of it. This meant not just doing sessions that catered to our own ride styles, but making time for every ride style. We created a Facebook page called “Sunday Ottawa longboard sessions,” which over time turned into the group “Ottawa Longboard Community.” On this page, we would organize beginner sessions, push cruises, DH, dancing, freeride, freestyle, longboard garbage cleanups, late-night sessions, parking garage rides, photo shoots and annual races. We took the time to find a place for everybody and anybody. This is what began the open longboard community we have today.

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The Ottawa community after an annual outlaw race. Photo: Kayla Marok

Ottawa's 9-year-old Tristan Bell at Maryhill with Mischo Erban. Photo: Brian D. Kroll

TURNING A COMMUNITY INTO A CULTURE The definition of a culture is “a system of shared beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another.” Turning a community into a culture is the ultimate goal. Becoming part of a culture is not something you can fabricate; it calls for appropriate timing, the appropriate people and ideals in mind created by your situation and surroundings. Once the community begins to work together in shaping the local and global scene, a culture is born.

Bringing people together and developing our culture is something that happened quite spontaneously for us in Ottawa. The first piece of this important puzzle goes back six years, around the time I started my longboard company, Bohdana Longboards. Soon this passion for building boards turned into a passion for building a community. (The two really go hand in hand. Anybody starting a small local brand should seriously try to become a vital part of their community.) Having a company organizing the sessions gave the more serious riders motivation to join a session and keep coming back. Coming to a session meant more than just riding; each person could test boards, give feedback and spit ideas. This sprouted the feeling of being part of something.

Even though I may not have used every idea, I always encouraged people within the community to speak their mind about my boards and the industry we were in. Motivating people is what a community is really about. Through the company, people found their voice and a place in the scene. This was the catalyst in the equation that brought our community together and that would result in the beginning of a culture. A community turns into a culture when the people within it have a helping hand in shaping and changing their community and surroundings.

Once we were established as a community, we found that there were issues within our society in accepting longboarding. Tackling these issues is where our community really came together and turned into something much more than just riding as a group.

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TURNING CONFLICT POSITIVE It is no secret that longboarding is still not socially accepted. Every day you hear about longboarders getting ticketed, disrespected and banned from places to ride. From the public’s eye, it’s pretty obvious why we might not be accepted. We seem unpredictable; we have no visible brakes and no visible signals. Of course we do have ways to brake and signal, but the public often isn’t aware of them.

It takes mutual understanding, respect and communication for our sport to become accepted for what it really is. This is something we voice to the community at every session. It’s been amazing to see not only the transformation of the individuals within the community, but also the response from our society.

Getting longboarding accepted in your city is something you can do every day when you ride. First, it begins with how you handle yourself in a conflict situation. Not everybody understands what we are doing, and this is why pedestrians and cops might give us flak. Our first instinct might be to lash back, say “f-- the system” and take a defensive stand. This is absolutely the wrong approach. If you forever want to be in conflict with the system, by all means go ahead and satisfy your ego, but if you honestly want to see longboarding move up and be seen as a real alternative, respect is the first step. All it takes is a bit of kindness to that person telling you off, and their minds can instantly become changed about our sport entirely.

Eric Chernushenko, an 18-year-old Ottawa longboarder, explains his experience with this concept: “I’ve learned just how much of a difference being polite and courteous to other people makes,” he says. “Many people don’t understand our sport, so we are often approached by people in a hostile manner. By simply smiling and waving, I’ve seen many people’s faces go

from indignant rage to surprise and curiosity. Because of our polite attitude, we often find ourselves being watched by dozens of curious pedestrians and homeowners. Sometimes they even take out cameras and ask us if they can take pictures!”

The results of this approach have been amazing to see. There were many spots in Ottawa that we were constantly getting kicked out of. Once we started leaving respectfully with smiles while waving to the cops to have a nice day, they began to lighten up and actually allowed us to skate! The word moved around, and eventually cops all over the city were taking our sport much more lightly and respectfully.

The effect was not lost on the riders, either. Cole Cooper, 13, who recently joined our community, says he has benefited from riding in our group: “I have learned safety and how to respect the roads and people as I skate,” he says. “More importantly, I have learned how to deal with police politely and how to not blow out a spot.”

DON’T FIGHT THE SYSTEM – USE IT! The next step was how to get through to the system about really changing laws about our sport. We already had a big community of levelheaded individuals on the same page about positively promoting our sport; all we needed was a little bit of organization to really make the much-needed positive change.

Not too long ago, the city banned longboarding at our most cherished spot, “Major’s Hill,” because of the insane amount of activity on the downtown section of the bike path. This really kicked us into gear to get the spot back. Upon first hearing about the ban, many longboarders were angry; they raised their fists to go protest to fight for our spot back.

But with a lot of reasoning, I managed to talk the community out of this approach. Meeting such a situa-

“ tion with anger never resolves anything – just as telling off a security officer who has no say in making the rules does absolutely nothing but worsen the situation.

Rather, we first had to realize why the city closed the spot to us. It was not because of injuries; there never were any. It was simply because they didn’t know and understand the culture we have. The city officials were not aware that for years we have been working as a group to teach longboarders how to respectfully handle themselves on the road. Rather, they saw us as rogue longboarders riding as individuals, taking advantage of a sweet spot. Miguel Olivier, one of our community organizers, says the misunderstanding between authorities and longboarding stems from “the lack of society’s education on the sport.”

“We can gain acceptance and understanding with community outreach, open discussions with the local governing bodies and constant education about safety to our riders,” Miguel says, and his words have come true.

Just recently we had the final meeting with the NCC, and they are allowing us to ride Major’s Hill again! This proves that with patience and understanding it is possible to change how people see and accept our sport.

Here is the tip of the day to get the ball rolling: When discussing these issues with government bodies, they love to see that you have made a “risk management analysis” dealing with your current situation and put in place a “code of conduct” to solve the issues. You would not believe how helpful it is to know the proper terminology when showing your ideas.

Joey Bidner, Bohdana Longboards owner and Ottawa community organizer, hard at work.

Photo: Jordan Langdon

IT TAKES MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, RESPECT AND COMMUNICATION FOR OUR SPORT TO BECOME ACCEPTED FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS.

You may ask, is it worth it to follow the rules and be a part of the system? Many of us chose longboarding because of its freedom. But no matter how we choose to express ourselves, we cannot turn our back on our society and system; we must work with them. This way we can find our own ways to be ourselves within them.

I’m not saying you have to become a “granny driver” on a longboard. We all know the sport is about expression, so when the street is empty we must slide across it and take control of the urban jungle!

OTTAWA’S HOT SPOTS

So our first move was to educate them. We began the process of registering our group as a not-forprofit organization, to give us some legitimacy to step into a place of professionalism and speak our mind.

We then contacted the officials of the National Capital Commission (NCC) and set up a meeting to discuss our situation and how we wanted to use our group to voice the rules of riding in the streets to longboarders.

This alliance has dropped laws against longboarders and the result is smarter, safer longboarders. So everybody wins.

RULES OF THE ROAD! An easy way you can positively promote your sport every day is to respect the rules of the road. Drivers seeing you signal and stop at stop signs will then be able to gain trust in driving alongside longboarders. We need to accept that we can get a ticket just like a person in a car or on a bike can. This is part of the respect that we are talking about – respecting that we are a part of the rule system. Just as people in cars need to wear a seat belt, longboarders need to wear a helmet. Cars need to signal and stop at stop signs; so do we.

We’re quite blessed in Ottawa to have a real variety of pristine longboard terrain. We are situated on the Canadian Shield, one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges.

With 570 million years of erosion, they are not the tall towers they used to be, but they still have the wisdom and experience any old legend would. We’re not only lucky to have the hills, but Ottawa is one of Canada’s best bike cities. This means we’re plastered with amazing bike paths and, for the most part, understanding drivers.

The city also closes full roads on Sunday for cyclists and longboarders to enjoy the open road.

One of our greatest treasures is Gatineau Park.

Ottawa is just a step away from the Quebec border, and only 20 minutes from downtown is the home of our biggest DH in this natural conservation park. The hills are big, perfectly paved and closed to cars every Sunday for cyclists and longboarders to enjoy! They are also closed to cars full time from October to May. This leaves a bit of time before and after the snow to go crazy. Alex Charpentier, 18, says, “The hills are really scenic. You’re in the middle of nature with nothing but these big, sweeping hills. It’s like the scariest bliss you can find yourself in.”

We used to get busted out of the Gatineau park because, like many, they didn’t understand where we were coming from. So we organized a meeting with the NCC of the park to explain our group and how we wanted to work together in voicing the concerns of the park to the longboarders . In turn, we could ride in harmony with everybody in the park, resulting in a shared environment. We took the responsibility to voice the concerns of the park to the longboard community and asked for everybody to respect them. From then on, we have been blessed to be able to ride the park every Saturday and Sunday morning while it is closed to cars.

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SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? FIND YOUR COMMUNITY AND BECOME A VOICE WITHIN IT. The NCC is so happy with our cooperation that they’re allowing us to have a full DH race in the park on the fastest section. This is a big step for our scene. This kind of cooperation means more than just a race. The NCC of the Gatineau park is looking to help longboarding gain recognition in the area by having these events. Each year we will work toward making a bigger and better event to spread the word of our sport and our cooperation with official organizations. This kind of cooperation with government bodies is truly a step forward in longboard culture. We hope to take this approach in dealing with many other issues relating to the acceptance of longboarding in our society. The Gatineau Park DH race will be held November 3, so be sure to add it to your list of official events to hit this season.

Ottawa freestyle genius Jordan Montoya.

Photo: Kaelen Walsh

HOW TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY VIBRANT

Every week our community hits new and different spots, but we are lucky to have a handful of iconic stable spots. Major’s Hill is one of them. This amazingly steep hill sits right downtown across from Parliament, overlooking the Ottawa River, and is the home of a session almost every day of the week. At any time, longboarders can post on the Facebook group wall that they are going to ride Major’s, and people are bound to show. It is an epic spot with beautiful scenery, easy to get to, and even has a natural bouldering wall! What more could a longboarder ask for!

Ottawa is filled with small residential neighborhoods plastered with hills. These areas are ideal because of low traffic and unique terrain. Many of the roads in these residential areas don’t follow the typical grid pattern of urban layout; thus they give you sweeping turns, hairpins and C-driveways. If you’re in Ottawa, check out neighborhoods like Rockcliffe, Orleans, Gloucester or Sandy Hill. You won’t regret it.

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Keeping a strong and balanced community can be hard work. Often a scene can become introverted. Much like a high school clique, newcomers may feel intimidated by a tight-knit social group. This is an important issue to remember when becoming part of a community because it happens completely unintentionally. Just organizing unique sessions is not enough to make newcomers truly feel welcome. It is up to each individual within the community to constantly invite and motivate the new longboarders.

When somebody new comes to a session, it’s important not only to introduce him or her to everybody, but if they’re of a lower skill level, to mentor them for a session or two. It can be intimidating for a newcomer to see the whole group hike to the top of a hill when he or she might not be able to. Having somebody to start halfway up the hill with them will boost their confidence and help them feel like they are really being accepted by the group. Carlos Lascoutx, a vibrant community member, says, “People are very friendly in the Ottawa scene. They are willing to help out and teach each other. Every time we meet up with a longboarder, we ask them, ‘Hey, do you want to come out riding?’”

Hannah Sykes, 13, says she’s experienced that kind of welcoming attitude: “I love how everyone is so nice. I remember when I was at a session in Chelsea; a lot of people were trying to help me do a 180 Coleman slide.

It was so great to have people that were helping me.”

The responsibility also falls on the session organizer. Every community has its regulars, and the regulars often want to ride the same style of sessions, pushing their own limits. This pressure is inevitable; but it is important to keep in mind those who are not yet in the scene and to continue organizing sessions that appeal to newcomers, like beginner clinics or a push cruise.

This is the only way for the door to stay open.

LOCAL SHOPS It’s essential for every scene to have supportive shops.

Some of us are lucky enough to have skate shops that reach out to the community. Most core skate shops have been so devoted to the skate industry that there is actually a lot at risk when looking to become involved with the longboard scene. It sounds odd, but there is still some tension between skaters and longboarders, and shop owners are worried about tarnishing their “core” skate vibe by supporting the longboard movement. In Ottawa we are lucky to have a really supportive skate shop, Top of the World. They sponsor just about every race we set up, they stock locally built boards as well as a lot of core gear, and they help promote events and sessions.

If you are not so fortunate as to have such supportive shops in your community, it’s up to you to gain their attention! Anybody within their longboard community can turn the minds of shop owners to start working with the community. This will not only bring recognition in the community, it will stoke the community up by

Louis David Plouffe, Ben Phillips and Jeff Reich at a Sunday morning session at Gatineau Park. Photo: Margot Strangemaggie Paul

about what makes the place so special. “You can really enjoy all kinds of skateboarding,” he says, adding, “We are so close to the Quebec border – it’s a 10-minute skate.” Ottawa is a fully bilingual city (English and French), and the diversity of skating you’ll find here seems to mirror the city’s rich history and culture.

A tight group of riders gets ready to rail a left-hander on Major's Hill with Parliament in the background.

Photo: Margot Strangemaggie Paul

knowing they’re supported by something tangible.

Eric Dionne, one of the owners at Top of the World, agrees. “Longboarding is the fastest-growing category in skateboarding over the past couple of years,” he says.

“Longboards have opened up skateboarding to a whole new demographic that wasn’t necessarily into doing tricks and rippin’ a skatepark. At Top, we have recognized this demand and have opened our doors to this community. Even though some ‘core’ skate shops are not embracing the demand for longboards, we recognize skateboarding on every level. The longboard community is very involved, organized and demands many different products for cruising, freeriding and downhill. Because of the demand, we have expanded our longboard shop and continue to learn and grow with the sport. Top plans on continuing to grow with the sport and to continue being more and more involved directly with the longboard community with events, sponsorship and social media.”

THE GODFATHER If there is one person who can claim he was there at the beginning, it’s Claude Regnier. Claude has been active in the Ottawa skate scene since the 1980s, and he’s always been proud to represent Canada and especially Ottawa. He’s competed in countless slalom competitions, run summer skate programs and even operated a number of skateparks. Now that the scene is evolving and longboarding is carving its own path, I asked him

show him or her to how to progress safely. All it takes is one bail and that kid’s parent may never let their kid ride with the group again! Hannah Sykes says such sessions have helped her: “I’ve learned to focus on my own longboard skills and not be unhappy just because some people are better than me. I love it no matter what!”

THE GROMS An important piece of a community is the involvement of the younger generation of riders. Because longboarding is in general more accessible than skateboarding, you find more young riders getting into the sport. We noticed right from the start that the groms have all the potential in the world due to their fearless nature, but many were still a bit intimidated to join group rides. So it was really important for us to make beginner sessions and slide clinics for these young guns to feel like the sesh was made for them. Having a community and some mentors is vital for these young riders. As Cole Cooper says, “Being in the group helps me set goals and learn new tricks. It makes me feel more connected to the people around the city I normally wouldn’t be friends with.”

Most often, however, it’s the parents who are nervous about leaving their kids with a bunch of older skaters to take their golden children into the streets. So we always warmly invite parents to join the sesh, or simply reassure them that their kids are in good hands and that we take that responsibility seriously. Justin Bell’s 9-year old son, Tristan “Bellaboy” Bell, is currently racing on the IGSA circuit, and Justin says he appreciates the help and support that people in the Ottawa longboard community have shown Tristan: “Without all of this, my son would not have had the guidance to be where he is today,” Justin says. “With the group in place, it also gave me the security as a parent that my son was in good hands.”

When a grom comes to a sesh for the first time, it is really important to be his or her mentor and to

FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY The longboard community cannot stop at your city limits. It is important to do what you can to inspire communities all over the world. A year ago I created a longboard spot-finder app to help bring communities and longboarders together. This free iPhone, Android and Web app allows longboarders to post spots based on rider type, difficulty level, pavement conditions and traffic level. This allows longboarders to explore in their areas to find new hills that cater to the style they’re looking to ride.

The main feature of the app that helps organize sessions is that you can link any spot or event in an external Web page. So if you are creating a session on your local forum or Facebook page, simply copy/paste the link the app provides; when users click the link, whether they’re on their computer or their phone, they will be brought to your spot on the app. No more using Google Maps to reference your spot!

You can also post your community. In a “community spot,” you can add the link to your community’s organizational forum or Facebook page. This will allow longboarders who are not aware of the community to get in touch with it.

And if you are worried too many longboarders are going to find your secret spots and you want to just bring your buddies together, you can post a private spot that only your Facebook friends can see. Download the “Longboard Spot Finder” on iPhone or Android, or use it online at longboardcommunity.org. CW

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FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 63

An Urban

BY DAN SCHWARTZ

W

Hoping for an early thaw, JP Preuss scans the horizon in Idaho.

Photo: Dan Schwartz

64 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

hen I left the West for the East Coast, I was convinced I’d left anything shocking or significant 2,500 miles away, torn and bitter like a bad breakup. What was I doing: Idaho for Providence? Peaks for parking meters? Skiing for … what?

It wasn’t an easy trade-off. The past five years, I’d been in training as a wilderness guide. In Vermont, during the earlier years, I met the cold — that type of temperature that crawls up your frame and rattles your jaw loose. When you’re skiing in it, on those bitter days, your teeth stick together, and when you’re climbing in it, your hands turn to blocks of wood. That was my classroom for most of my education.

Then I left for Idaho, and that’s when I met the mountains. They were big, far bigger than anything I was used to. On their peaks, the world seemed so far away. Skiing down those suckers sometimes took hours. And in a storm, a whiteout, you often felt like you were in space. In those conditions, you’d wobble on your skis, drunk from vertigo.

And you quickly got into trouble. The threshold between thrill and kill was so thin. But all of it was so important to me. All that pain and fear and beauty — it stripped the fat from my life. It validated my existence.

Now I’m in Providence, sitting at my computer, telling you our story – well, mostly theirs. I suppose I should start with Alex. He’s my younger brother.

We grew up just across the Providence, R.I., border in Rehoboth, Mass., a small, semi-rural town.

Really, a rather bland place, so as kids we often played in the woods. During that time, neither of us were addicts; Alex hadn’t found longboarding, and I hadn’t really found skiing.

But when Alex was 15, I came home one summer from Vermont. He was doing something strange in our driveway. He had this long board with trucks and wheels, and he was crossing his feet

Alex Schwartz takes time to contemplate.

Photo: Sarah Schwartz

Alex (green flannel), Sam Douglass and Cooper Darquea charging in Rehoboth, Mass. Photo: Sarah Schwartz

over from bow to stern, stern to bow as he rolled up and down the driveway. He called it dancing.

But it didn’t really start for them, Alex said, until early that fall. Alex, Sam Douglass and Cooper Darquea — the three of them inseparable when they were that age — were bored over vacation, the kind of boredom that often dragged them to the Xbox or to the woods to do things the parents didn’t like.

One day, Alex showed up with the neighbor’s longboard, and the three of them took it to the nearest development. One would take the board down a hill; the other two would watch. They did this for a few weeks.

Also around this time, they discovered the Adam Colton/Adam Stokowski videos. When I was up in Vermont, Alex would send me an inbox full of them.

And when I came home that summer, Alex sat me in front of my dad’s computer, and we’d watch handfuls of these videos in single sittings.

Perhaps it was that vicarious tug from the videos, or maybe it was having to share that one board; but several months later, both Alex and Sam got their own longboards — and not long after that, Cooper got his.

After that winter and into that summer, they lost their interest in the Rehoboth developments. They just weren’t enough. The three were growing up, and Rehoboth pavement was becoming golden summer memories. So they took to Providence, the closest city — their next obvious option. If it weren’t for Providence, Alex said, they’d still just be little kids poking around on their longboards on rural streets.

And to me that makes sense. My fourth and last summer in Vermont was the same way. That winter I’d torn my ACL skiing a stupid cliff line, and being crutch-bound, hobbling through deep snow accelerated my urgent desire to get the hell out. I knew I’d outgrown Vermont.

So three months after the surgery, I started training hard. Six months after that, I left for my own expedition to Alaska.

There, bouncing around base camps in the company of six other climbers for a month, I found my Providence. It was an austere place, glacial and blue and jagged and violent. At night, the mountains would spit down rock and ice. Death from above, we called it. It was a big deal.

Moving base camp one day, we were headed to grab the last load of our old camp. We were roped together in teams of three and four, eight arm spans between the climbers in each team (the idea being if anyone fell into a crevasse — a people-eating cleft in the glacier – the other two or three in the rope team would catch them before they fell too far to recover).

Tied together like that, you’re not very agile. And when climbing up a steep field of scree and boulders with dirt as the only mortar, things tend to loosen

Alex and Cooper slip and grip through a 90-degree bend.

Photo: Dan Schwartz

FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 65

up, especially in Alaska. Death from above, remember.

So I was noodling my way up at the end of the team, my new ACL screaming at me, when the head of the team slipped and backed up against a boulder.

He began screaming.

“Rock! Rock! Rock!” he yelled. “Big rock!”

My helmet was cocked across my eyes, so I had to crane my head and lean back away from the mountain to see it. It was airborne and it was big, the size of a mini-fridge, just seconds above me, floating off the face of a cliff. Around it orbited a galaxy of smaller rocks. I felt like a meteor was bearing down on me.

Before it touched down, I rolled behind a sloped rock wall. The big boulder tore down past me, the ground thundered with violence and little stones ricocheted off my helmet and back.

When I returned to Vermont, my friend Kayla said she could see the mountains in my eyes — said she saw some sort of change in my face. Perhaps she saw the way I looked through things back in Vermont. Maybe she saw in me what I’d seen in Alaska: a world much greater than me, a community much larger than me, a force that nearly consumed me.

In May, Cooper left for his own expedition to California, where he skated with some of the Loaded and Orangatang team.

When he returned, when I was back home from Idaho, there was a look in his face that reminded me of that boulder. He’d seen it, too.

“A lot of people would just say [it’s about] chasing adrenaline,” said Cooper.

“To me, it’s a whole lot more than that because it’s the people, it’s the community, it’s everyone that you meet.

It wouldn’t be the same if it was just skateboarding.”

But still, a lot of people look at them as if they’re crazy. “People just constantly say, ‘Oh, it’s dangerous.’

But so is everything else in the world,” he said. “It’s all calculated risks.”

I told him the same was true for my side of it. I said, “I get that with skiing and climbing. ‘Why are you going out there?’ people say; ‘There’s a couch and a TV at home for you.’”

But how can they know if they haven’t seen? And how can they see if their cable package doesn’t show them?

But of course it’s not on the TV. It’s in the eyes of your friends; it’s how they carry themselves after it, how they compose their faces, how things are so small afterwards. And Cooper knows that.

“I’m a whole lot better at finding a mutual connection between human beings,” he said, “even if they’re not a

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skateboarder. I’ve found something that resonates between us.”

Sometimes this can create a rift, however. In early June, the three of them graduated from high school, and the night before graduation, the school held a dinner. It was a preppy thing at a snooty country club, and nearly everyone wore jackets and dresses. Late into the dinner, Alex and Cooper and several other students were called up to the head of the room.

A small speech was to be said about each of them.

As Cooper was being anointed by his speech — trivial and domesticated little things from his childhood — I watched him. He was out of place. This wasn’t him. He was being pulled from another direction. Everything in the room seemed so contrary to who he was becoming.

And the same was true for Alex, though he’s headed in another direction. In late August, he’s leaving for college.

So is Sam; though he’s long since been pulled off his board

everyone waiting outside for their bus knew it. They were three kids with longboards outside a bus tunnel – what the heck else were they there to do?

When the bus finally came, everyone loaded on to it except those three. When it pulled into the mouth of the tunnel, the three pulled in after it, away from all that street light and Friday nightlife. Inside the tunnel, the bus rolled away until its red, glaring eyes faded. It was just the three of them.

The deeper they went, the quieter it became; it even muffled their slides. And it was dim. They’d splash through orbs of light from the ceiling and oil and grime on the pavement. “We were in our own little bubble,” Alex said.

Just before they shot out the end, the tunnel started growling behind them. Headlights followed, and then they were out on the sidewalk in the cool night air. Then the monster ripped out by them and into the city.

Alex downplays the act’s significance, but he did say that since then, he’s much more comfortable skating in traffic. He’s very modest, anyway.

Cooper’s most defining memory was at 4 a.m. one morning in Providence, when that blue pre-dawn hue was starting to creep into the sky. It had been on his mind for a few weeks — that hill on Angel St. — and pushing there from his house only took him eight minutes.

It was an eerie time, he said, when the city wasn’t a city. There were no cars, and the birds were just waking.

Only the drunk and nefarious were out on the streets, but still, they stayed away from Angel. That morning, Angel was entirely Cooper’s.

Alex and Cooper hit the grave“Scientists say that when you yard run. Photo: Sarah Schwartz have a really adrenaline-filled moment, and you try and come by the complexities and tragedies of his late teenage years, back to it, you think of it in slow motion,” said Cooper, and that has pulled him from the Providence Crew. and that’s how he recalled it.

Cooper, though, is probably headed to California.

“I can remember every moment,” he says: those first Already he skates for Loaded Boards, Orangatang few botched and bashful runs, then standing up top one last Wheels and Clutch Skateboards. time and pushing off. He remembers snapping through that It’s a tender and transient time in their lives. They’re intersection –40 mph — thundering over the bricks that line leaving each other — and they’re leaving the streets that the crosswalk there; he was floating. It was sublime, he said. taught them fear and beauty and community. Soon, all that “Since then,” said Cooper, “I’ve felt that I’ve just been will be left are those warm summer memories that they getting better and better at skateboarding. That was the made between high school classes and summer vacation. key that opened up a lot of doors.”

For Alex, there was one night on Thayer St. that Those are the memories that define a place. When he won’t forget. It was a Friday, 11:30 p.m., and he Alex and Sam leave for college, and if Cooper makes it was with Sam and Cooper. They were biding their out to California, those are the things that will float in time observing the strange, hipster nightlife that fes- their minds when they are lonely and scared. Those are ters on Thayer St. the things they know as home.

Then they picked up and left for the mouth of the And for me, though I’ve spent more time in the mounEast Side Trolley Tunnel, a bus tunnel that winds tains than I have the streets, hearing their stories made beneath the city. They were about to do something real. me realize that we all share this home together because, It was an act of premeditated mischief, Alex said; after all, they’re all made up of the same things. CW

RIDER PROFILE >>

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Backside air at the Tel Aviv Skatepark.

Yoni Ettinger

BY MICHAEL BROOKE | PHOTOS: YAIR HASIDOF remember when Brian Petrie of Earthwing Skateboards sent me the email. “I have seen the future,” he wrote, “and his name is Yoni Ettinger.” I was intrigued and wondered what the future might be. When I took a peek at some of the shots and videos of Yoni on his 40” longboard, I soon realized that Yoni Ettinger, based in Tel Aviv, Israel, more than 7,500 miles from Huntington Beach, could indeed be the future of longboarding.

“I’ve been skating street for over 20 years,” Yoni says. “Last year I happened to be on YouTube and watched a video of Sector 9’s Jeremy Peckham. He got me hooked and inspired me to blend street skating with longboards.” Israel does not have a huge number of shops selling longboards, so it took some time to locate an appropriate deck.

Yoni finally found a site and received his product. In a strange twist of fate, he broke one of the two boards he had purchased and wound up trying to contact Earthwing directly. “I called Brian directly and asked if had more decks. He then viewed my video and was amazed.” Within a few weeks, Yoni was a pro rider for Earthwing.

“From the start, I was always a technical skater. I have done very well in games of SKATE,” says Yoni. “But taking tech moves and doing them on a longboard is very challenging. However, I feel like a kid again.” Yoni is a powerful, fluid skater who combines style with tech. At 35, he looks like he could pass for 25. When we toured the various skateparks of Israel together, it was amazing to see how many folks knew him. He was always ready to lend a hand and share the stoke with everyone.

Still, bringing street moves to longboarding was not as smooth a transition as one might think. “At first people were laughing,” Yoni recalls. “My body took some time to adjust to things. Eventually people realized that it was just as core as street skating.”

Yoni realizes it can be hard for skaters to get outside of the boxes they put themselves in, but says, “I know why I do this. For me, it has reignited the passion I have for skateboarding.” As time has progressed, Yoni’s skating style has gained both acceptance and a passionate following.

“I’ve been teaching skateboarding for 12 years and seen what skateboarding can do for hyperactive kids,” he says. “There is a big movement here in Israel to give Ritalin to kids who appear hyperactive. I’ve seen very hyper kids take to skateboarding. It gives them focus and allows them to thrive. That’s better than any drug!”

Yoni has created a number of how-to videos on YouTube, which are proving to be quite popular. “My plan is to continue doing these videos,” he says. “I also want get to the California coast within the next six months.”

Yoni is continuously looking for skate spots while pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved on a longboard. He is grateful for his sponsor’s support, saying, “I know that Brian of Earthwing believes in me and this pushes me forward.” His 40” deck is now available. The graphic was done by his wife, Tally, who plays a huge part in his life – and perhaps an even bigger one soon. As Yoni says, “I hope one day in the near future to have two kids and a wife that skates!” CW

I

Launch over what looks like a torture device for angry motorists who dislike skaters.

Yoni says that longboarding has reignited his passion for skateboarding.

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FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 71

A.Skate founder Crys Worley with Avery Cork.

72 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

BY A.SKATE FOUNDATION PHOTOS: DREW BURKE

S

kateboarding has always been counterculture. Even as it edges closer to the mainstream, skateboarding remains on the fringe. It’s still an emblem of rebellion, still a little outlaw. Skaters don’t follow the herd. They’re often thought of as different. Those of us who skate view skateboarding as an outlet to express our individuality and creativity. What better sport to represent kids who are too often thought of as outsiders?

Autism, as defined by the autism science and advocacy organization Autism Speaks, is “a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD).” Basically, it’s like a switch is flipped in the brain and suddenly the child is unable to develop or communicate in a traditional way. The statistics on autism are staggering: • 1 out of 58 boys is diagnosed with autism.

• 1 out of 252 girls is diagnosed with autism.

• 1 out of 88 children is diagnosed with autism.

• It’s more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS, combined.

• It is a growing epidemic. No one knows what causes it. And there’s no cure, genetic link, or real explanation yet for why kids have autism.

The goal of A.skate is simple: Teach kids with autism to skateboard, and teach awareness to a demographic that might not otherwise know about autism. We believe that skateboarding and board sports are a good fit for children with autism because they are not social beings and are often sensory-seeking individuals. Skateboarding does not require a coach, rules or the need to be a team player. The movement of riding or rolling around gives persons with autism the same comfort from stress and anxiety as it does for persons who are typical and choose skateboarding as their outlet source for therapy.

WHY A.SKATE WAS STARTED When Crys Worley’s son, Sasha, hopped on his board at the age of 5, there was a magical connection between the two. Sasha could roll back and forth in the hallway, up and down the driveway, and all over

Sasha hits the ramp.

Crys with Carrie and Josh Armstrong (center) and Peter Karvonen.

SEARCH/SPARK/STOKE

for hours and be the calmest he had ever been in his life. As he progressed, friends helped build a 20-footwide halfpipe in Sasha’s backyard, where he learned to drop in and skate more independently. With the closest skatepark an hour away and not exactly suitable for beginners, this option allowed Sasha to run out the back door when he was feeling angry, anxious, or just wanted some alone time to skate.

Because of his autism, it was really difficult for Sasha to have a brotherly connection with his younger sibling, Fallon. Through skateboarding Sasha has been able to make that connection because it’s not competitive at this point and allows them to parallel play without too much interaction that could lead to meltdowns and fights. Crys held get-togethers with friends and their children after seeing the benefits skateboarding had on Sasha.

HOW A.SKATE WAS STARTED Crys Worley started A.skate basically in parking lots in Alabama, then by traveling throughout the Southeast when visiting friends or family and using social networking and autism message boards to find participants.

Within a few months it was clear that there was an urgent need and a huge demand, leading to the formation of A.skate Foundation as a not-for-profit organization.

A.skate has grown so big throughout the world that it has been difficult to meet the demands of every city that requests events. A.skate searches areas that have supporters who can become involved and help fundraise to be able to reach out to more children when an event is held.

Currently clinics serve approximately 60-80 children with autism at each event. Getting the local community involved helps spark the autism community’s interest by connecting families with an activity that allows their child to be active, and it sparks the skateboard community to be a part of something positive and to learn about a widespread and misunderstood disorder – one that, even if they're not connected with it now, they more than likely will be in the near future, if the current statistics are any indication. We teach compassion and understanding.

A few things that A.skate offers to children on the autism spectrum: • Skateboarding clinics in a sensory and autismfriendly environment with one-on-one instruction • No cost to the participant • Grants for skateboarding and safety equipment Volunteers and participants are on a STOKE high when leaving A.skate events! We constantly hear stories from parents of how their child rarely smiles or speaks, but a volunteer is able to witness full-on conversations between them and the people around them; the kids talking to kids about their experience, and the parents having a bonding moment with their children. There’s so much opportunity for good things to happen, and it’s limitless. CW

You can help! For more information or to volunteer: askate.org • 205-862-6822 • facebook.com/askatefoundation • twitter.com/askaters FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 73

YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT ...

TO SKATE!

BY JOSH JOHNSON

ur battle for the right to skate is dawning, and for this fight our troops are ready. For some time now many cities and towns touched by the influence of skateboarding have been held back from fully being able to reach their board-culture potential. Often this is because of the communities’ overall legal stance on the use of skateboards, including longboards, as a reasonable means of transportation on their streets and roadways.

Some skaters are have been lucky enough to have their hometowns react positively, or at least neutrally question the use of skateboards, hopefully leaving the thrashing locals with some help to build the scene and skate culture. Unfortunately, for others the collective decision from the non-skate communities is far grimmer, and the simple act of enjoying four wheels and a piece of wood has been determined illegal in any place not privately owned (and used with consent) or at a city- or township-designated skateboarding park or spot. Many smaller cities addressed this issue for the first time in the 1990s (my city in 1991), if not far earlier

O

Josh Johnson, proud owner of Thin City skate shop.

during one of the skate popularity high points — unfortunately meaning the deck-wielding generations to follow lost the chance to freely cruise the streets for any reason, without the threat of a fine or possible board confiscation (if they can catch you).

This type of reaction to skateboarding has caused massive damage to local skate scenes, leaving some bored and disoriented youth to find some other means of entertainment in their downtime — youth that otherwise may have had a clear-set path and future in skateboarding.

These people could have been contributing members of the local and

Thin City team manager Cory Kemp

possibly even global scene. The number of lost and stunted street slayers in places like this is uncountable; where there could be a utopian home for skaters, there are instead skater wastelands. Sure, there is always a skater presence, but establishing a group of hardcore local skaters becomes far more frustrating and difficult. Over the years the local skate elders slowly begin to die off, and there are few new young guns to replenish the ranks.

Longboarding took some years to fully reach my hometown of Peterborough, Ontario. Peterborough is on the smaller side of a “metropolis” and has a fairly large retirement population, so it typically takes on newer trends and lifestyles slower and more conservatively than larger, more diverse nearby urban activity hubs such as Toronto. Skateboarding had taken its time establishing itself throughout the ’80s but suffered a considerable drop in public interest as it progressed toward the ’90s. With the rapid growth in the skateboarding populace in its first introduction to Peterborough, the city began to fear the worst, and in 1991 the city council enacted a “bylaw” effectively banning skateboarding from its streets. This left the devoted local skaters with no place to roam.

But in 2000, the local skate shop and skateboard distributor went to great lengths to have the Bonnerworth Skate Park built just outside of the downtown area, establishing a haven for all skateboarders around the community and for visitors rolling through — a safe place free from the “fuzz.” The park could not have been better received, and it was the talk of the town in communities throughout the Kawarthas.

Not long after, the park’s popularity earned it a “phase two” extension, and the city’s skate population developed a certain ease with the bylaw because of the skatepark offering. It remained as a small BandAid on the relationship between skaters and citizens for some time. As skating’s popularity began to descend from its high point, the tensions started to be forgotten as the skateboarding “problem” seemed to have solved itself for the city.

The one thing the city’s bylaw was not able to predict was that longboarding, skateboarding’s younger brother, was growing stronger year by year in the shadows. There were traces of the presence of the sport or leisure activity of longboarding in Peterborough, though not enough yet to have any truly established longboard locals. When longboards really began grow, the conflict between longboarders and the ban on skateboarding flared up again like wildfire. uring my childhood, before my first push on a skateboard, I can fondly remember encountering groups of local skaters — most of the time flying past me on the sidewalk, but occasionally sessioning a stair set or curb. Once I finally jumped onto my first skateboard, I took a few years rocking it as quick transportation to school, which was downhill from home. I also thrashed it driveway-style until I had the confidence to attempt the skatepark. My career of park skating was very short at best, as I was not as coordinated as I’d hoped.

But this didn’t stop me from showing up at the park every second I wasn’t in school for the next several years. After going through the hazing of being the “new guy,” I found my place in the park family.

Finally I was accepted by the established local skaters, finding my niche at the edges of the park. I could be spotted hustling custom grip graphics with a binder full of homemade stencils and a backpack of

spray-paint cans. Every character at the park had its place in the personality/style collage that made park life, in our minds, the only life worth living.

As the years passed, however, the motley crew of misfits began to deteriorate. Some skaters entered the work force; others started families. At the skatepark, the feeling of being a family had passed. And eventually even our local skate shop closed. The park became a ghost town, and the flame of passion for board culture had been dampened.

D

Breaking the (current) law in Peterborough. Pressure from a coalition of local skaters has prompted the city to review its anti-skateboarding bylaw.

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The Peterborough skate scene is strong and the local park is a favorite place to hang out.

Sure, they can try to ban skateboarding, but they'll never ban T-shirt giveaways!

Because of my typical location at the skatepark at the side stairs, I decided there might be a better style of board to fit my personal needs.

I wanted a ride that was better for bombing hills and shooting across town with ease. Sometime before the local shop closed, I asked if they would order me a longboard; because I was very specific about the setup I wanted, the shop owner made sure I got hooked up properly.

But it was an unusual order for the shop, and when I asked if there were many other longboarders in town to cruise with, there was no real answer, as I had been one of the first ever to ask for one.

For a while, the sight of the lone longboarder was a rarity at best. As the years progressed, the skateboarding scene remained at an unfortunate plateau. The beloved local skate shop eventually closed, in the wake of a large skate boutique-style mall chain, and there was no driving force to push up the stoke in skaters. Most quit skateboarding altogether or made the choice to search for their gear online or in other neighboring cities’ shops.

This led some to their first introductions to another category of skateboarding with a range of different styles. Longboarding offered some things not as focused on in the conventional skate world, such as the utility and sheer comfort of travel using a larger deck and wheels.

Because of the hit-or-miss quality of the city’s streets, longboarding became an attractive option for urban travel. Longboarding has enough simplicity and uses to quickly attract some groups, typically outside of

76 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

conventional skateboarding’s range. Once longboards hit the streets, their popularity caught on like wildfire. All this amounted to the formation of different types of longboarding groups in Peterborough, the humble beginnings of a true local board culture to be proud of.

As the sight of longboards on the streets of the city became more frequent, the number of riders in the skatepark began to creep slowly upwards again. Some of the boarders hosted small annual events around the city, and skaters hoped for the occasional competition hosted by the retailers carrying skateboard goods.

But skating anywhere outside the park was still illegal. Never before had the plea been so great for a better skate and board-culture hub, a place that would exist to provide the community with an outlet devoted to the love of skateboarding; a place with experienced staff; a place that would host various events throughout the skateable season — and a place that would also stand as a collective voice for the board-culture community, particularly when dealing with issues of keeping up the interests of our boarders and skaters alike. Whenever a group of skaters is motivated or threatened within the city for any reason, there would be no question of where to head for help. With the spirit of our fallen elders at heart, I opened Thin City Longboard skate shop.

Located in the heart of the city’s downtown, Thin City stands for the sole purpose of spreading the pure enjoyment of skateboarding and longboarding and is the epicenter of local stoke.

As longboards came into the community at an increasing rate of speed, sharing streets with longboarders was becoming a daily occurrence for motorists. Thus the new populace of boarders soon also ran into fines for using the streets. Some longboarders jumped into action, sending letters to the city council to voice their concerns and opinions.

Others, like me, thought it best to gain media attention, which we did with a series of articles on the subject of the city’s stance on the growing sport and hobby of longboarding. Together we brought the issue before the eyes of the entire community.

After a considerable amount of publicity, and pressure from the different boarding groups of Peterborough, the city announced our first breakthrough; the city council agreed to review the 1991 anti-skateboarding laws to determine whether they had become outdated and could use amendments. This subject has become a recurring one with the local papers and news station. Reporters have interviewed boarders from around the city for their opinions; several times I have been lucky enough to be one of those boarders. The winds of change could soon be shifting in our favor.

The longboarding movement has helped the skateboarding scene take several obvious breaths of revival. Thin City has planned and hosted some annual events, with help from some other allied businesses and from companies both inside and outside the skate world. We are steadily rolling toward a bright future of realizing the full potential of a sustainable and physical activity that at its essence is a simply a fun way to enjoy our paved homes. Someday the skateboard family will be rebuilt, and the dawning longboarding community will push in its elders’ thane lines. As we rebuild we can still cruise, knowing that the love has never died; it is growing, and the world has noticed. CW Josh Johnson is the owner of Thin City Longboard skate shop in Peterborough, Ontario.

FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 77

I DO WHAT I DO

BY PETE “PD” DUCOMMUN

I

n 1974 I lived in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. My brother Rick was 10 years older than me and had skated in the ’60s. He set me up with my first board.

At that time you could not buy a complete skateboard where I lived; this was about a year after the first urethane wheels came out. We went to a toy shop in the mall called Toys and Wheels. They had a plastic tray under the counter with little compartments; each one had a different skate component, like baseplates, cushions, hangers, cone nuts, loose bearings – and, of course, early clear/amber urethane wheels. The deck was cut out all fast and excited and definitely had a crooked nose shape. When we got to attaching the trucks and wheels onto the board with wood screws my brother said, “I’m not exactly sure which way the trucks go on; it’s been a while.” So we took our best guess and went to the large, smoothly inclined parking lot behind a dentist’s office downtown.

You never forget that first cherry-popping ride, and in my case it was particularly memorable. I pushed off, got some momentum, leaned to the right, and the board veered to the left and bucked me into my first impact shoulder roll. Sketched and bummed, I looked back up the incline to see my brother rolling on the ground with laughter. “I guess the trucks don’t go on that way!” he said. Nothing like eating s--t and getting laughed at your first time out!

My brother was selling those ’70s iron-on T-shirts at the time – you know, Charlie’s Angles and Disco Chic, stuff like that. The more I got into skateboarding, the more I realized that the equipment was limiting progress. Just as today, skate equipment was always being improved and developing. My brother was making a couple of trips a year to California to pick up the latest T-shirt stuff, and it wasn’t long before he was returning with precision-bearing wheels and more advanced decks and trucks, keeping my quiver up to date. By 1976 I was getting to know other skaters in my town. They caught wind of the California connection, and soon I was getting lists of stuff people wanted picked up for them. The light bulb went on pretty quick when we found out there were people in Canada that wanted good skate equipment but there was nowhere to get it, and that’s how PD’s Hot Shop got started. At first we were selling to local kids and then began to offer mail-order service across Canada.

We sold strictly California-based brands like G&S, Logan Earth Ski, Sims, Haut and Alva for the first couple of years. It wasn’t until 1978 that I had the flash that I could design boards that would be more functional and

78 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

PD: "The actual act of riding a skateboard remains as great as it's ever been, regardless of the corporate interference."

Photo: Joel Fraser

“

It was PD and the Skull Skates community graveyard race that changed my life [and] that helped change the world of downhill after that! A longboarding cruise to a graveyard, then a race! Seeing my first ever community of riders. It was the Skull Skates community that got together that day that f—-in’ really fired me up. PD and Skull Skates had a huge part in Coast Longboarding. PD being like my mentor, whether he knew that or not. I was young AND inspired. The ultimate honor I ever experienced in my life was to be offered my own board. — Bricin “Striker” Lyons

“

Skull Skates – skateboarding’s great defender of the North.

Tried, true and there since the beginning, the Skull Skates machine has held it down for skateboarding since the late ’70s. What is great about the Skull is it’s one of the few brands that covers all areas of skateboarding and has done so since the beginning. — Andrew Mercado, Gullwing Team Manager

suited to my own preference. Originally the motivation was not to make money but to have the opportunity to skate my own designs. Also there was a connection in Canada to Wee Willi Winkels, who is credited with manufacturing the first laminated maple skate decks, and he was already producing for Sims and other USAbased companies. We approached Willi and had him do some small runs of the first G.N.C. (Great North Country) Skateboards. That’s what our brand was called at first, and the early products had what’s now known as the Skull Skates logo with a tiny “GNC” on the left side of the logo before the word “Skates.”

Eventually we opened our first retail shop in an old, red brick building somewhere in the dusty back streets of Regina where the rent was cheap. The mail order was really starting to pick up by then, as skaters across the country were discovering we stocked a lot of killer skate stuff that you just couldn’t get anywhere else. This was before the Internet, when the only way to promote was to advertise in SkateBoarder magazine or the local newspaper or by putting on events like demos. Communication was done through the telephone and snail mail.

That’s when an interesting thing happened. We started getting letters from people addressed to “Skull Skates” and not GNC. We realized then that our company was in fact called Skull Skates and not GNC Skates.

Goodbye, Great North Country – hello, Hollywood.

Well, gradually my brother began moving away from the T-shirt and skateboard businesses and toward stand-up comedy, which eventually led him to become a writer and actor. Somewhere around 1983 or 1984, Rick moved to Los Angeles to immerse himself into show business. Shortly after we agreed that L.A. was not only the center of the entertainment industry but also ground zero for the skateboard industry. It wasn’t long before I also moved to California and we established a Skull Skates warehouse in Van Nuys in the San Bernardino Valley, not far from where we were living in the Hollywood Hills. That’s when Skull moved out of our strictly Canadian identity and started to become more recognized on a worldwide scale.

From my point of view on the inside, Skull extends far beyond the ’80s; otherwise there is no way we could have survived this long in what can be a very cutthroat and competitive industry that is constantly changing. I think that’s a really big part of what keeps it interesting for all of us, though – not knowing where skateboarding will go next.

Somewhere around 1989 or 90, the shakedown was on for sure, and I returned to Vancouver to pick up running our shop there, which had stayed open during the

entire time I was based in L.A. My partner Feedus stayed in California and continued to produce boards and other products, but things were not the same; orders got smaller, and Skull Skates scaled back its operations considerably. Eventually I relocated PD’s Hot Shop to downtown Vancouver.

Even though I did not personally participate in the technical street revolution, I always had respect and admiration for those kids. As a result I became pretty tight with the then newly formed Red Dragons skate crew, who took part in spearheading the street movement. What really saved us in the ’90s was snowboarding. I had snowboarded since the early ’80s, and Vancouver’s proximity to local mountains made it a natural thing to do. We designed, produced and released several snowboards onto the market between 1983 and 1998, many of them being very innovative in design, construction and graphic application.

I feel longboards have always been an important part of the mix in skateboarding going way back. As specialized styles have continued to progress in various directions, longboarding has kept the very basic and raw essence of skateboarding intact, whether it be cruising, carving, commuting or bombing hills. It has also been great to see styles develop more recently in longboarding specifically, such as racing techniques and downhill sliding advances. The equipment has developed as well, although in some ways it seems somewhat counterproductive, especially when people release nonfunctional designs onto the market. I am and always have been down for progress, but only if it’s functional. Some of the longboard designers are either unaware of designs already tried and proven to be poor in previous decades or are just creating basically wack equipment with bugged-out things.

Prior to the new millennium, there had been, generally speaking, a single style of skating that dominated each decade. In the last 10-15 years or so, there really has been a movement toward many different styles and directions happening at the same time – which I think is great. We have people of all ages coming through the shop that have their standard street or transition setup and also have a board for cruising, commuting or bombing hills. Some people, especially younger skaters, have several boards and are pursuing many styles; it’s been the return of the quiver in skating. I think many of us have realized that the broader our horizons in skating, the more opportunity we have to experience the challenge and feel the stoke of mastering new skills.

The crappy thing, though, has been all the media hype and general acceptance of skateboarding, which

has attracted the big, greedy shoe companies, poisonous energy drinks and other corporate interests swooping down on skating like a vulture to a corpse. I guess in my heart I wish we cared enough to know the difference between something that is sincere and something that is just hyped-up junk; but maybe the marketing machine is just too strong to resist. I feel it is somewhat of a shame, though, because it only serves to dilute the culture while reducing skateboarding to just another way to make a quick buck. At the end of the day, a greedy kook is still a greedy kook by any other name. Thankfully, though, the actual act of riding a skateboard remains as great as it’s ever been, regardless of the corporate interference.

I really have no idea; we have never had a business plan, and I feel that’s what has helped us to last this long.

Skateboarding is very unpredictable, and so can business be. We have always run things in a very hand-to-mouth style, which lets us stay flexible. Skateboarding is full of all these great life lessons like when you fall down, get back up, and if you want the satisfaction of achievement you have to be willing to put in concentrated effort and dedication. The short cuts are few, and that’s kind of how life is, so that’s the course we are following.

In skateboarding we mentor our groms and learn from the legends who drafted the blueprints before us.

We are at a point now where we are more than five decades deep with skateboarding culture, so there is much to draw from and build upon. Kids are always ready to step up and take it to their own new level. I think people outside of skating will never fully understand the drive that pushes skaters to do what we do – “Why would you want to fall down and hurt yourself all the time?” It’s the stoke, the sense of accomplishment and mastery arrived at on our own terms, that is incomparable and keeps us coming back for more. CW

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“THIS WAS A UNIQUE PEACE-BUILDING INITIATIVE THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US, AND IT TIED IN PERFECTLY WITH THE KINDS OF THINGS WE WANTED TO PARTICIPATE IN.” Matt Olsen guides a freshly minted skater in East Jerusalem. Photo: Alice Martins 80 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

LONGBOARDING

FOR PEACE in the

Middle east

BY MICHAEL BROOKE

T

he roots of how Longboarding for Peace came about start with a not-for-profit skateboard organization called Skateistan.

Inspired by the fantastic work that Oliver Percovich is doing in Afghanistan, I thought, “Well, I could do something like that ... but rather than build a park, I’ll bring the longboards to the kids and see what happens.” I just didn’t know exactly what kids and where exactly I would do it.

One day in the winter of 2012, an idea just sprang out of my mind: Longboarding for Peace. I decided I wanted to bring longboarding to one of the world’s most conflicted areas: Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

I contacted my friend Abraham Paskowitz, sales manager at Carver Skateboards, for some advice. The Paskowitz family are surfing royalty and have deep roots in Israel; I figured that Abraham must have some contacts there.

My hunch and Abraham’s help led me to Arthur Rashkovan, who is one of Israel’s top surfers and one of the co-founders of a program called Surfing 4 Peace (along with Abraham’s brother David, their father, Dorian

“Doc” Paskowitz, and surfing mega-star Kelly Slater).

As I suspected, the idea made total sense to Arthur.

“We have made great gains in building ties between surfers across political and cultural borders in the past few years,” he told me. “Expanding our programming to include longboarding was a natural progression. We can include more people, and longboard when there are no waves.”

I decided to call the tour “Search/Spark/Stoke” and soon found myself teamed up with Matt Olsen, the director of Explore Corps, a not-for-profit organization devoted to youth-focused projects in outdoor education, recreation and the arts. “This was a unique peacebuilding initiative that was presented to us, and it tied in perfectly with the kinds of things we wanted to participate in,” Matt said.

Of course you can’t just show up in a place with some longboards and hope that things will work out. You also need solid contacts and careful planning. Thankfully, Surfing 4 Peace works with the Peres Center for Peace, a not-for profit organization based in Jaffa that promotes peace-building between Israel and its Arab

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neighbors. Tami Hay-Sagiv, director of the Peres Center Sport Department, and project manager Sivan Hendel worked hard to ensure the demos all came together. I am very grateful for their hard work.

Putting together this tour required a fair amount of cross-continental logistics. Concrete Wave is based in Toronto and Explore Corps is in Baltimore, Maryland.

With Arthur and the Peres Center seven hours ahead, it took some time to coordinate things. The most stressful piece of the initiative was ensuring the timely delivery of the longboards and helmets. Nine boxes were carefully packed by Buddy Carr at his Oceanside, California, warehouse. We had huge support from Mapcargo International, who helped subsidize the shipment. But once it got to Israel ... well, let’s just say we got tangled in red tape on a number of occasions.

Fortunately, Arthur has experience with getting surfboards into Israel, and the gear landed just a few days before our first demo in Jaffa.

More than a dozen skateboard companies graciously provided product. Concrete Wave has some truly amazing advertisers who understood the impact that the Search/Spark/Stoke Tour could have. I am so very grateful for their support. All 30 longboards and 30 helmets will be left with the Peres Center for future events.

Documenting the proceedings were two photographers and one videographer. Yair Hasidof regularly shoots skateboarding and is based in Tel Aviv. Alice Martins is a Brazilian who works with Surfing 4 Peace and has photographed extensively in Gaza. Uri Richter is an American-born Israeli who is creating a short documentary of the tour. All three captured some incredible moments. Within hours of Yair’s and Alice’s images being posted on Facebook, tens of thousands of people had seen them and numerous people had left many positive comments.

The first demo was held at the Peres Center in Jaffa and took place on July 5. Jaffa is a mixed town, i.e. it has both Jews and Arabs living together. The team assembled an hour before the demo to unload the car and coordinate things. The demo featured a local martial arts club performing first. The kids sat patiently watching the kung fu moves but were pretty excited to get on the boards. Joining the club were about 15 Jaffa locals. It was extraordinary to see the children interact with their Tel Aviv neighbors. Normally, these kids would not run into each other, and yet here they were having a great time rolling around

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One small push for peace in Jericho.

Photo: Alice Martins

Instructions on what to do next provided by Yoni Ettinger, Mickey Kook and Arthur Rashkovan at the Jaffa demo. Photo: Yair Hasidof

The stunningly beautiful Peres Center for Peace located in Jaffa. Photo: Alice Martins

THE SIGHTS Israel is small but packs in a huge amount of diverse terrain and tourist attractions. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are just bustling with all kinds of activities. Jerusalem is deeply religious and spiritual; Tel Aviv is pure adrenaline, and you can get up to all kinds of shenanigans.

Up north are incredible waterfalls and hikes. The beaches of Israel are simply beautiful. While the waves may not be on a par with Huntington or Hawaii, surfers are just as passionate. If you need to take a break from skating or surfing, there are literally dozens of museums dotted everywhere. Be sure to float in the Dead Sea.

Mickey instructs a Jaffa local. Photo: Yair Hasidof

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Yoni kickflips on a Sderot bomb shelter. Photo: Yair Hasidof 84 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

Taking a break in Sderot. Photo: Alice Martins

joyfully on longboards. Yoni Ettinger, a pro longboarder for Earthwing Skateboards, explained the basics of skateboarding, and the kids followed his direction – most of the time! Once they felt somewhat balanced, they immediately started rolling faster. “I have been teaching skateboarding for many years, but most times, I have taught people who have at least some experience,” Yoni said. “Watching these pure beginners learn quickly was wonderful. Seeing them so stoked was like a gift for me.”

As each minute passed, the kids grew more and more passionate about riding. Mickey Kook of Surfing 4 Peace found the experience truly transformative. “It is so easy to get caught up in what the media choose to show us, [but] reality always has a way of surprising us, [to] change and open our minds,” he said. “I can definitely tell you that many minds were opened.”

I knew after the Jaffa demo that we had achieved something magical. The kids there skated for more than two hours and were hounding the Peres staff about when the next session would be. The question was, what would things be like in an environment like

Arthur is not only a great surfer, he rips on a skateboard too! Sderot skatepark.

Photo: Alice Martins

East Jerusalem and the Palestinian city of Jericho?

With our first session under our belts, we felt energized but cautious, as our next event was to be held in the town of Sderot, which is located one kilometer from the Gaza Strip and had been bombed just a week before the team arrived. Before the demo got underway, care was taken to locate the closest bomb shelter.

Sderot is the kind of place that you only hear about in the news but rarely visit. Yet with more than 40 children and their parents enjoying the pure energy of longboarding, there is no doubt that the tour brought some much-needed smiles.

“Sderot was an absolutely incredible experience and truly emotional for everyone,” said Tami Hay-Sagiv. As the demo finished up, one young child from a fairly impoverished family would not let go of the board that Tami was holding.

“I will never forget the look in his eyes,” she said.

THE DRIVING Gas costs about $7.00 per gallon in Israel. Cars that would sell for about $15,000 in North America (like a Toyota Yaris) can cost almost double. For these reasons alone, we feel that longboarding as a way to commute will catch on in Israel.

However, a word of warning: People drive like maniacs in Israel. Signaling to change lanes seems to be a rarity; getting cut off is par for the course. Highways are good, but the traffic jams during rush hour rival those in Southern California; traffic can just crawl.

Having a ball in Sderot. Photo: Michael Brooke

Matt Olsen of Explore Corps (left) and Arthur Rashkovan of Surfing 4 Peace load up the van for our journey to East Jerusalem and Jericho.

Photo: Michael Brooke

Yoni lends a hand to a young Palestinian at the Shuafat refugee camp. Photo: Yair Hasidof

This was her first time on a longboard, but that didn’t stop her one bit! Photo: Michael Brooke

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The following day, Thursday, July 12, began early. We assembled at 8 a.m., and thanks to the generosity of the Peres Center, we had a chartered tour bus for our day’s travels. With all permits and paperwork being handled by the Peres Center, the group took to contemplating the opportunity that lay before them. As most readers are aware, the political situation is very complex in the Middle East. Geography plays a huge rule in where people feel safe to go. Most Israelis don’t visit East Jerusalem, and getting into Jericho requires special permits. The tour picked up our local guide at the East Jerusalem border crossing, and as the bus plunged into what was for many uncharted waters, we all just went with the flow.

“I was nervous about going to Palestinian territories,” Yoni said. “I figured I was going to look like an alien to these people. But what I quickly discovered was that we had a bond, and that bond was longboarding.”

Upon entrance to the school, located in the Shuafat Refugee Camp of East Jerusalem, we were greeted by the sights and sounds of a puppet show. About 45 minutes later, the skate session was under way. While the boys took to the longboards as one would expect, it was truly exceptional to watch young Palestinian girls and women hop onto the longboards too. I kept marveling at how surreal the whole thing was. I was smiling as I realized we were creating something you probably don’t see every day. But changing perceptions can only come when people are given opportunities to experience something different. I am quite sure these women never expected to be riding skateboards that morning, but I also think they probably were not expecting to meet up with Israelis and interact so closely with them. It was a mixture of surrealism and pure stoke.

Yoni says the East Jerusalem demo was the highlight of the trip. “I held the hands of a middle-aged Palestinian women who needed me for balance,” he said. “I could feel how happy she was, and that, in turn, made me very happy.”

THE FOOD & DRINK Israel seems to have mastered the art of fast food to go. Pita with falafel balls and veggies can be picked up for about $5; if you want shawarma, prepare to pay at least $9. Humus winds up on pretty much everything here. If you crave fresh fruit and veggies, Israel is a delight. As meat is expensive, folks eat a lot of cheese. Eating in restaurants can get expensive. Beer is relatively cheap but other forms of alcohol are pricey. Yoni Ettinger introduced me to a knock-off of Jägermeister that wasn’t too bad.

L to R: Sivan Hendel (Peres Center), Anwar Zeidan (our guide) and Miriam Jacobs (Peres Center) at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Photo: Yair Hasidof

As the demo wrapped up, we prepared for a tour of Jerusalem via the Arab Quarter. Anwar, the local contact for the Peres Center, and our translator, took us to one of the best shawarma places in all of Israel. The group bonded over delicious food and took in the beauty of Jerusalem. Yoni was unable to get his longboard through the security at the Wailing Wall, but quickly skated and met up with the group for their journey to Jericho.

Before entering Jericho, the bus picked up a journalist and photographer from the Ma’ariv newspaper. Jericho was recently handed back to the Palestinian Authority. The city sits at an extremely low point and has been inhabited for more

Thanks to the generosity of S-One and Triple 8, all the kids had helmets. Fortunately, they could accommodate all sizes! East Jerusalem demo. Photo: Yair Hasidof

than 10,000 years. We were waved through without any hassle. As the bus entered the city, the group got a clear view of the Oasis Casino. The casino used to be a popular tourist attraction but now lies dormant and desolate. It is next to a five-star hotel, giving the visitor a rather odd juxtaposition. Before the demo, we took a trip on the gondola that takes you to the top of Jericho. The view is spectacular, but there were few tourists that day.

As the heat of Jericho is pretty intense (it regularly hits over 100° F), the demo took place in the early evening. The boards and helmets were unloaded and a simultaneous translation began. The 25 kids took to longboarding quickly. They were fresh off a soccer practice, and some removed their soccer cleats to get a better footing on the board. Over the course of an hour, a bond developed between Arabs, Israelis and those from North America. Even the Ma’ariv folks could be seen rolling around on a board.

“This truly was an amazing experience,” said Mickey Kook. “The energy the crew had was unreal. It was filled with unforgettable moments that will last a lifetime.”

Sivan Hendel also echoed those feelings. “This tour came together as a strong and empowering experience for the children,” she said. “I know they felt the impact of everyone on the team.”

Photographer Yair Hasidof said he was very glad he got to participate. “No matter which child I photographed, all children had the same facial expression of pure happiness,” he said. “I felt for that moment the conflict was laid aside and everyone could enjoy longboarding. It was a rare and very special moment.”

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Sivan makes sure riders' helmets fit snugly.

Photo: Yair Hasidof

Pure stoke in East Jerusalem.

Photo: Yair Hasidof

The almost-ready skatepark at Modi’in.

When this baby is completed, people will travel from all over Israel to skate it.

Photo: Michael Brooke

THE SKATE SCENE Since Israel is located in a very sunny climate, it’s pretty much year-round skating. Sure, it can rain like crazy in the winter months, but most of the time it’s warm, and it has several very good skateparks that appeal to both street and transition skaters. We were very impressed with the Herzliya and Kfar Saba parks. The downtown Tel Aviv park is big and has a constant stream of traffic. Although we did spot two or three poor parks, the new skatepark in Modi’in (just 45 minutes from Tel Aviv) will more than make up for them.

The longboard scene is growing like crazy in Israel. Ben Kaufman and Alon Meiri head up DaSilva Boards. We met up with them in their Tel Aviv manufacturing plant. They are seeing an increased demand for their decks and are starting to export in larger quantities with each passing month.

Ben and Alon introduced me to Shlomi Eini of the Galim Surf School at Dolphinarium Beach in Tel Aviv. We had three surf/skate sessions at Galim and they were packed with kids.

Shlomi is an incredibly generous guy, and I highly recommend you search out the school if you find yourself in Tel Aviv.

We also met up with Tomer Ifrach, owner of Slik Surf/Skate in Herzliya. Slik is known as the longboard shop for Israel and the locals are very proud of the scene they are creating.

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The magnificently laid out skatepark at Kfar Saba.

This park was a highlight of the trip and featured some incredible lines.

We went back three times! Photo: Michael Brooke

Slik Skate S Ifrach (R) st

For Arthur Rashkovan, the various events produced many incredible memories. “I remember the kid in Jaffa who just didn’t want to leave,” he said. “I remember in Sderot the very proud girl who kept shouting at her mom to watch her skate for the first time. I’ll never forget the image of the one kid in Shuafat who ate a pita and skated at the same time. But most of all, it is the memory of one skater in Jericho who wouldn’t let me go – he kept calling me and shouting ‘More! More!’”

After the success of our four demos, I was eager to do more. I received an email from a longboarder in Haifa named Elan who wanted to put together a demo, and we were able to do one there. Elan’s house was located right by the sea, and soon the locals gathered for both a skate session and drum circle. It was a truly wonderful night.

Everyone involved with the Longboarding for Peace experience understood the message of “Search/Spark/Stoke” and decided to act accordingly. When I first told people in Canada that I was planning to go to the Pales-

tinian Territories, they honestly thought I was insane. There was serious concern for my well-being. But I can assure everyone that with the help of Surfing 4 Peace/Explore Corps and the support of the Peres Center for Peace, our trip was safe and accomplished something truly significant. We got people to think differently about themselves and the world around them. I see this as an important first step in opening minds and creating a climate for change and eventually peace.

Tami Hay-Sagiv of the Peres Center says it was amazing to see kids from the most shy to the most confident all rushing to the skateboards, keen to start exploring and trying out different moves. “Everyone felt included,” she said, “both boys and girls, old and young, Hebrew speakers and Arabic speakers.” She said Longboarding for Peace made everyone feel young, rejuvenated and free from the heavy conflict that surrounds people there. “This was an inspiring experience for all of us! It made us all realize again how powerful sport is, especially when you utilize it in the service of peace.” CW

. Owner Tomer Brooke s in longboards ael Shop specializebrother Omer. Photo: Mich tands with his

Happy camper in Jericho.

Photo: Yair Hasidof Group shot at Galim Surf School. We had a great time with the staff

and kids.

Photo: Michael Brooke

i of DaSilva Boards.

Ben Kaufman (L) and Alon Meir o: Michael Brooke Phot

OUR SPONSORS We gratefully acknowledge the support from the following companies: • Abec 11 • Bear Trucks • Carver Skateboards • Earthwing Skateboards • Go Skateboarding.ca • Hawgs Wheels • Honey Skateboards • Landyachtz Skateboards • Loaded Longboards • Mapcargo International Ltd. • Never Summer • Orangatang Wheels • S-One Helmets • RPG Trucks • Tech Deck • Triple 8 Helmets

Gili Levi, the proud owner of Israel’s longestrunning skate shop. Pho to: Michael Brooke

Tal Saporta, a top female Israeli surfer.

Photo: Yair Hasidof

Shlomi Eini of Galim Surf School displays his water-gun technique.

Photo: Michael Brooke

Alon and Ben of DaSilva Boards present a boy named Erez with his first longboard. To say he was stoked beyon d belief is an understatement. His sister was very jealous indeed . Photo: Michael Brooke

Wonderful waves of cement at the Herzliya skatep ark,

about 10 minutes from Tel Aviv. Photo: Michae l Brooke

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THE

THRILL GENE

HOW YOUR GENES AFFECT YOUR SKATE DECISIONS

BY EMILY KANE

E

ver wonder why some of your friends can’t get into longboarding? Or any thrill seeking at all? There must be something that sets us apart from one another to define how we react to more-risky situations. Whether it’s bombing a hill on your longboard or taking a dicey gamble in Vegas, you may rise to the challenge while some of your friends back down from the uncertainty. Well, now you can tell them to blame their parents. Recent research links the personality trait for “thrill seeking,” also known as sensation seeking, to your genetics.

Cynthia Thomson, a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia, is at the helm of this research. In one study, she compared people’s genetics with their scores on a series of personality tests related to thrill seeking and found a significant association between a particular gene and thrill-seeking behavior.

Thomson’s study focused on skiers and snowboarders, but it may relate to other forms of risk taking as well, and thus may also help others; the same genetic link that applies to thrill seeking also has a relationship with drug usage. While some people take up longboarding and other sports to satisfy their sensation-seeking cravings, others may turn to drugs to attain the same gratification. Knowing this connection can help us better understand how to treat addictions.

In some cases addicts continue to relapse, but the type of treatment used may not be effective due to their need to sensation-seek. Placing addicts in rehabilitation programs that incorporate thrill-seeking sport could decrease their likelihood of relapsing in the

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Guto Lamera. Photo: Dan Bourqui

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Julio Cesar Rates. Photo: Eduardo Massaiuqui Kanashiro

future. This can also benefit at-risk populations, so exposing youth to extreme sport may prevent them from using drugs as an outlet in the first place.

So how does genetics influence us to thrill-seek?

Not exactly an easy answer, but the main culprit is a neurotransmitter called dopamine. A neurotransmitter is a substance meant to target a specific cell operating as a messenger to turn it “on” or “off,” and dopamine is the precursor of adrenaline. It is essential for normal functioning of the central nervous system and is responsible for many brain activities such as movement and emotions. One of its more important roles in the brain is in motivation and reward, by activating pleasure centers in the brain that make us want to do things. This trait is part of our basic instinct, dating back to a time when it was necessary for our survival to hunt and gather. Thrill seeking in the past made it possible for early man to hunt big game and achieve big rewards.

Today we live in a relatively “safe” world, yet we still seek that evolutionary need that longboarding can satiate. How dopamine specifically affects this behavior

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lies in what’s known as a gene variant, the specific form of a gene that can determine anything from eye color to blood type. The variant to thrill-seek is probably more common than you think; about 40% of the population have that change in their dopamine receptor. This change in the receptor may cause dopamine to act differently. The variant affects a process known as DNA transcription; these regulatory mechanisms determine which genes are turned “on” or “off.” In other words, they control gene expression, which can result in an increase or decrease in someone’s need to seek thrills. In this case, there are more dopamine receptors being made due to the impact of the gene variant on transcription.

We now know the science behind it, but how does it really affect longboarding or thrill seeking in general?

People longboard for many different reasons, but it seems like almost everyone has a preference with their individual style. Overall this preference separates longboarders into two categories: downhill and carving.

Two theories attempt to explain how people react to

more thrilling activities: “set point” theory and “arousal” theory.

The set point theory believes that everyone has an optimum level of arousal when it comes to getting that rush from thrill seeking. If the rush of dopamine is too much for the person, it can push them beyond their limits, which causes them to recoil; the person withdraws due to the sick-like feeling that the rush of dopamine can provoke. This theory says that the same sick-like feeling that causes one person to recoil may leave a thrill seeker wanting more. It’s speculated that thrill seekers like that feeling, reinforcing them to do it again or upping the ante to get that next big thrill. For longboarding, this may mean that if you and a friend are bombing the same hill, afterwards your buddy may react with “F—- that, I’m never doing that again,” while you’re already walking back up for another go.

The second theory suggests that thrill seekers are in a constant state of underarousal, so they are constantly craving that rush. This could explain why when we’re at work, school or anywhere, we find ourselves thinking

Dopamine receptors be damned! Photo: Ryan Ganley

Nicholas Portugal is only 3 years old and is already a pro at assessing risk vs. reward. Photo: Carola Dottori

about longboarding. Some people get that rush from doing less-intense activities, such as watching an action movie, but those who are underaroused need more sensation to feel the same way. Looking back on when you first started longboarding, you probably thought that first hill you bombed was pretty gnar, but if you went back to that same hill now, it probably wouldn’t give you that same thrill anymore. That satisfaction in doing something less intense is the same idea for someone who doesn’t have a constant state of underarousal. Being in this state of underarousal could also account for why thrill seekers are always looking to step up their game.

One key point for both theories is that risk is relative, meaning that the thrill you’re getting is based on your own perception, not the perception of an outside observer.

There’s a stronger link to one gender in the research, but it may not be the one you’re thinking of.

One study found that females actually have a stronger relationship with the gene variant involved in thrill

seeking than males do. This leads us to wonder why more girls don’t dominate in the world of extreme sports. A girl who has the gene variant may be more likely to thrill-seek, but society and our environment also play a role in whether she’ll participate or not. Guys in our society are pushed toward thrill-seeking sports while girls are generally edged into more “safe” forms of activity. Lacking friends who do the same sport can also impact whether a girl will participate; since not as many girls are being pushed to thrill-seek, there is less of a chance of getting friends involved as well. Let’s face it; longboarding is more fun when you’ve got your friends around to cruise with you. On the flip side, guys who don’t have the genetic predisposition may be pressured by society to “man up” and seek thrills even when they feel overwhelmed by the rush.

The role of life experiences vs. genetics is always a big debate, so let’s clear up any doubt. Although environment does play an important role in thrill seeking and other personality traits, the ability to sensation-seek has been noted as early as 6 years old. In that research,

children possessing the gene variant for thrill seeking were more willing to walk on higher balance beams, leading us to believe it’s an inherent trait regardless of experience. Kids at that age haven’t had much of an environmental influence, therefore genetics must be acting as the major contributor to thrill seeking.

If you’re wondering where the research has advanced to today, Thomson’s Ph.D. has taken her to Chamonix, France. She’s currently comparing really high-risk athletes involved in BASE jumping to participants in lower-risk individual sports like running and swimming. She hopes to find a stronger relationship between the gene variant for the higher-risk sports to further support her research.

Now you know that your quest for seeking out thrills may not just be a personality quirk after all; genetics helped shaped your love for longboarding, and probably for some of your other hobbies too. So the next time your mom lectures you about bombing hills on your board, you’ll be sure to thank her for the genes to do it. CW

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ARTIST PROFILE >>

Devin Stacey Most kids grow up playing sports, skateboarding and getting into trouble. For some reason I’ve read many artist bios that start this way and end with, “Then there was me – I spent my time drawing, painting and creating.” I guess in retrospect that probably makes for a lot of amazing artists, and saves huge on hospital bills and first-aid kits. I was never that type of artist, nor did I stay away from any chance to get outside and partake in every sport and activity known to man. Whatever I was into is what fueled my drive to create and draw on all the rainy days and far past my bedtime. Sport culture is absolutely packed with art. Growing up skateboarding probably had the biggest influence on my goals in illustration as I always struggled to thrash my new decks, clinging to that graphic as long as I could. I am so happy to now have a part in creating those graphics and am so grateful for such an awesome job. CW

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AND

R E D R A O B G N O L THE

GILLOGLY

BY KEITH

T

he road runs past a gas station, stretches underneath a traffic light and curves gently along its tree-lined backdrop. It is a mundane, winding road, connecting side streets and pockets of houses in a quiet, suburban corner of Buffalo, N.Y. But on a clear day, a portion of the road glistens in the sun-filled morning. Stuffed teddy bears, colorful ladybugs, a cross and flowers of all types line the sidewalk. The adjacent guardrail lies wrapped in pink ribbon and handwritten messages of love and remembrance. This is the site where 18-year-old longboarder Alexandria “Alix” Rice was struck and killed by a drunk driver while longboarding home from work the night of July 8, 2011. It is a meeting ground for those who’ve come to mourn and to recollect. It is a place to leave tokens of remembrance for the girl who was family, a friend or just someone who made them smile.

Photo: Keith Gillogly FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 97

Dr. James Corasanti – Illustration by Talli Peled

Alix’s death was mourned by her community and by longboarders across the country. Yet the circumstances of her death also sparked anger: The driver who hit her, James Corasanti, was a prominent area doctor; the accident was a hit-and-run. After a lengthy criminal trial – the outcome of which created more controversy and resentment – more details of that night emerged, but Alix’s memory persisted. Her loved ones, her community and longboarders from all around grieved for her. She was the girl whose smile could turn around a bad day, whose personality flourished, who carried her longboard everywhere like a child toting her favorite teddy bear. Longboarding was her passion – in those final minutes, it was the last thing she did on earth. Alix was also a longboarder in the purest sense: She rode her board to get around and to simply have fun, and in this regard, her life was relatable to all longboarders.

While her death came too soon, her life, and the way she lived it, was an inspiration.

When Alix saw people riding skateboards or longboards, she had a tendency to stop – to stop and watch.

It didn’t matter who they were; if they rode by, she’d ask, hey, can I ride? That’s how Alix first met her friend Dez Little. Dez was skating a gap across from Alix’s high school, a spot where getting kicked out was common, but that day he was undisturbed. Soon, the familiar rhythms of skateboarding set in: trying a trick, falling, getting back up and trying again. Frustration crept in just as a longboarder, Alix, came passing by. As was her instinct around skateboarding, she stopped to watch.

Dez kept trying his trick, and Alix began cheering him on. “She was like, ‘Snap out of it. You’re going to get it,’” Dez recalls.

Their chance meeting led them to become friends, as both ended up working at the same local pizza shop, Bocce Club Pizza. Looking back on that day and remembering Alix’s constant optimism, her alwayspositive attitude became a trait that Dez admired. It’s

98 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

The car that hit and killed Alix Rice. Photo: Mark Mulville

something he remembers even when skating, or just plain life, gets tough. When he’s skating now, he can still picture Alix there cheering him on. All he has to do is glance down at the colorful bracelet bearing Alix’s name that he wears in her memory. “If I’m stressed out – it could be from skateboarding or during life – I just look at this bracelet and think, what would Alix do?” he says. “What would she like me to do? … She made me realize things aren’t as tough as you make them seem.”

Of all the destinations Alix’s longboard took her to, the Bocce pizzeria was a frequent stop, even before she started working there. She’d stop in for a bite, and soon the girl with the wide smile, pretty eyes and big mop of dark hair caught the attention of one of the pizzeria’s workers, Dan Loomis. When Dan describes Alix, the first thing he mentions is that smile. On a warm night in May, he’s finishing up his shift as the pizzeria’s ovens emit a steady curtain of hot air. His dark hair hides beads of sweat along his forehead, and his work clothes carry the day’s flour and pizza sauce stains. From the counter he’s now standing behind, he had often seen Alix come into the pizza shop, until one day he figured it was time to go ahead and ask her out on a date. As it turns out, that was the same day she’d asked for a job application there.

One of the first times Dan and Alix hung out together, Dan, who is also an artist, painted a portrait of her. Alix was always making little sketches of people or fashion designs or whatever came to her mind, and Dan and Alix’s mutual interest in art proved a real way to connect.

Alix’s first job at the pizzeria involved the backbone of all restaurant work: washing dishes. She didn’t perform this task with drudgery, however. Instead, she sang about it. There she was, the new girl on the job, belting away with full volume and gusto and little care as to the opinion of her co-workers – her singing just made them laugh, anyway. A radio played in the background, but Alix sang right over it; singing was actually another of Alix’s

talents and hobbies. Quirky songs about cleaning the cheese machine or whatever her current task involved became the new workday soundtrack.

On Friday nights, Alix focused more on dancing than singing. The crew would turn up the radio and blast cheesy pop music while everyone, especially Alix, danced. She’d spin around and shake to the beat in her bright, tie-dyed shirts, mismatched socks and everpopular checkered Vans slip-ons or Converse sneakers. The goofy girl who rode regular-foot quickly became a friend and bundle of admired energy. Her triangle-shaped pizzas and other funny antics made her co-workers laugh, but they respected her for more than her vigor. “She was the kind of person who didn’t care what you think,” Dez says. If something was getting him down, Alix put her day on hold to listen. Be it a bad day or relationship troubles, she was the first one to tell him that hey, it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. In Dan’s eyes, Alix possessed an enviable sense of adventure and even bravery; she’d speed around everywhere on her longboard and take buses alone throughout the city. “She was tougher than me,” he recalls.

The only thing that seemed to make her upset, Dan remembers, was when others referred to her chosen activity as skateboarding. Alix was a longboarder, and that’s what she wanted to be called. Dan says, “She would get mad at the kids who would make fun of her because she rode a longboard and not a skateboard, and then months later she would see them on a longboard.”

Break time at work meant time for an extra longboarding session for Alix. She and Dez would cruise around the pizza place’s back parking lot. Often they’d switch off boards; she’d ride his short board, and he’d ride her longboard. Sure, Alix loved her longboard – a worn-looking Sector 9 she named Rupert – but all types of boards drew her curiosity. And when there was time, she’d ride over to a nearby store to pick up and bring back candy to share with everyone else.

Photo courtesy of Tammy Schueler

Photo: Keith Gillogly

Alix and Dan normally worked the Friday night closing shift together, and Dan often gave Alix a ride home afterward. On the night of July 8, though, Dan was out of town, selling some of his paintings at an art festival in Rochester, N.Y. Alix stayed late at the pizzeria to help clean up, because that’s just the kind of person she was, Dan says.

Sometimes Alix would longboard to a bus stop nearby to catch a ride home, but not that night. “I work every Friday, and that was the one Friday I wasn’t here. I was out of town,” Dan recalls. Alix finally finished up and stepped onto her longboard. She had wished Dan luck before he left for the art show. It was the last time they’d speak.

I

t’s early evening when Dr. James Corasanti arrives at the Transit Valley Country Club in East Amherst, N.Y. He’s come right from the Buffalo hospital where he works, after a long day spent seeing 18 patients, according to The Buffalo News. Tonight is couples’ golf night at the country club. Corasanti, his wife and some other couples prepare for a friendly competition. Before heading to the course, Corasanti orders his first drink: a rum and diet cola. He golfs well tonight, making par multiple times, and has a second rum and cola midgame. Afterward, Corasanti and the other couples grab a table. He orders a $100 bottle of wine and some champagne for the table and a couple more drinks for himself.

It’s a relaxing night after the lengthy day, and at 11:12 p.m., Corasanti finally heads home. The incident, the awful tragedy, is still 10 minutes and four miles away.

Alix Rice has traveled only around a mile on her longboard on her way home from work. The blue BMW cuts through the dark night. Then, the collision, the damning split second, the 4,800 pounds of car against her 5-foot 5-inch frame. It hurls her body into the air before skidding her across the pavement. She dies instantly, her neck severely broken. The crash knocks her out of her shoes.

Photo: Keith Gillogly

But the BMW does not stop, does not turn around, does not slow down. Corasanti later says he felt his car run over something, but that he didn’t hear, see or feel anything enough to prompt him to stop or pull over.

When a passing motorist hears the horrendous sound of the impact, he stops to call 911 and begins searching for Alix; her broken longboard and shoes lie in a roadside heap. When her body is found, she has no pulse. Even if Corasanti had stopped to help her, there would have been nothing he could have done.

Corasanti’s cellphone records also show that he was sending and receiving text messages while driving that night. At the trial, the prosecution said Corasanti was texting right up until the minutes before the accident occurred. He later deleted some of these text messages, resulting in a charge of tampering with evidence.

Corasanti’s car motors on, a large gash in its right front side. Less than a mile away, he gets home and pulls the car into the garage. He examines the car’s front and is taken aback by the extent of the damage.

He notices red spots that look like blood, along with a small piece of tissue. He wipes away the piece of tissue, an action that would later prompt another charge of tampering with evidence. Here, he says, he begins to worry about what he struck; full comprehension, the dawning of what just happened, has not yet sunk in. His wife examines the car as well, and now she drives her automobile back to the scene to try to figure out what happened. When she arrives, she discovers that police have blocked off the road – and sees, up ahead, the telltale flashing of ambulance lights: Now it’s clear that a person was struck – that it was Alix.

Corasanti’s wife returns home, frantic. She tells Corasanti what she saw. In a panic, he dashes from his house, running at first and then slowing to a dazed walk.

Some of his neighbors catch up to him; one would later testify that the doctor seemed frantic and spoke in a quick ramble, and when he became apprised of the situation,

he urged Corasanti, “You have to do the right thing.”

One of the biggest questions Corasanti later faced was a simple one: Why didn’t he call 911? To this, he says he just panicked and didn’t know what to do.

As Corasanti continues his walk around the neighborhood, another neighbor phones a police officer and puts Corasanti on the line. The officer tells the doctor to go to a nearby gas station. When Corasanti arrives there, he’s taken into police custody, 91 minutes after the crash. From the back of a police car, he asks about Alix’s condition and is told she’s dead.

H

ad Alix been a jogger or bicyclist, her death would have been no less tragic. But she was a longboarder, and longboarding is still growing, still evolving, especially in the mainstream’s eye. Skateboarding and longboarding are still often viewed as dangerous or reckless activities, and the accident heightened this perception. When the news of what happened the night of July 8 spread, all were struck by the tragedy; some, however, were quick to speculate blame – not all of it on Corasanti. Before all the details of that horrible night surfaced, they questioned the role Alix’s mode of transportation might have played.

Bob Knab, owner of the local skateboard and longboard shop, Phatman Boardshop, who lives only a few streets from where the tragedy occurred, says he remembers the initial public perception. It could have been the girl’s fault, Knab says he recalls hearing; she was probably zigzagging in the street, others said. “People painted that picture the first day that that happened,” he says. “I was getting all kinds of comments made to me [like] ‘Oh, you see that skateboarding’s not really too safe.’”

Still others suggested that Knab and the local longboarding community do something in remembrance of Alix, and he agreed. The general community had been hit hard by Alix’s passing, but for the skate and longboarding community, they had lost one of their own. Like

FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 99

Rockin' For Rice. Photo: Bob Knab

Alix, Knab was also a longboarder; when he was a teenager, long before Alix had even been born, he’d built his own longboards out of slalom water skis and Road Rider wheels. His sons and his wife are all board-sport enthusiasts. And as the owner of a shop whose customers included safety-concerned parents, he didn’t want the danger mentality of longboarding to win over.

Knab’s connection to Alix ran even deeper. His own son would ride his longboard to Bocce’s to pick up pizza, and Alix had been in Knab's skate shop only several days before she passed. After Alix died, Bob wanted to organize a longboarding-focused event in her memory.

“I had thought about doing some kind of event but didn’t really know how to go about it,” he says.

The answer came when he was contacted by a local community- and youth-centered organization, the Amherst Youth Foundation. The result was an event in memory of Alix that raffled off longboards and raised money for the Donate Life Foundation, which raises awareness about organ donation. Alix was an organ donor who strongly supported this cause. For the local kids in attendance, they had a chance to ride longboards and receive lessons, too, because, after all, longboarding was what Alix loved.

On the sidewalk at Alix’s memorial, chalk-written messages remind all who pass by how much Alix is still missed. In blue chalk, “I still think about you every day.”

In pink chalk, “Look in on your mom. She needs you.”

And so many of the marker-written messages dotting the guardrail describe missing that bright smile.

When the trial of James Corasanti ended, however, new messages soon appeared. As much as the site served to preserve happy memories, it now reflected searing anger: “This is an injustice!” “Burn in hell, Corasanti!” and other such vitriol now marked the memorial. Alix was gone, and those mourning received not closure but a reemergence of pain. The trial had concluded and the verdict had been delivered: Second-degree manslaughter: not guilty. Second-degree

100 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2012

Photo courtesy of Tammy Schueler

vehicular manslaughter: not guilty. Leaving the scene of the incident: not guilty. Two counts of tampering with physical evidence: not guilty. All felony charges were acquitted; jurors found Corasanti guilty only of driving while intoxicated, a less severe misdemeanor offense that carries up to a year in prison. Corasanti could have faced more than 20 years in prison if convicted of the felony charges. To reach the outcome that seemed incomprehensible to most, what exactly happened on the night of July 8 came under intense observation and scrutiny.

On a hot day in June, Alix’s mother, Tammy Schueler, sits thumbing through some old photos of Alix. Tammy’s dark, shoulder-length hair rests against her white shirt, and next to her lies a small stack of napkins to wipe away the tears that she knows will soon well up. She pauses at a photo of little Alix at a museum. A stuffed, life-size bear peers out from a display case as a panicstricken Alix pretends to run away. Tammy chuckles at the photo, at her daughter’s goofy antics that were always part of her personality. She is still able to look back and smile, even laugh, but the pain, the hardship, persists. When you’ve lost your daughter, your only child, there’s little alternative: You must be strong. Alix and Tammy were very close. When Alix first started longboarding around three years before she was killed, she’d ride around a local park as Tammy bicycled alongside her. Alix hardly had to work through a learning curve when she started longboarding. “She’s a natural,” Tammy recalls. “She just picked up to it like a duck to water.” The pair traveled extensively together too. It was during a trip to California, to the skate haven of Venice Beach, that Alix purchased her cherished longboard.

Tammy says it’s the traveling they did together that fueled Alix’s sense of adventure.

As fun as longboarding was to Alix, it was also quite literally a vehicle for exploration. If Alix could have had her way, she probably would have spent her days living the West Coast longboarding life. “She was the happiest when she was out boarding in California,” Alix’s cousin Corrina

Price says. “She was in her element.” Yet as long as there’s smooth ground to ride, no matter which coast, there’s longboarding to be had. Most days Alix rode her longboard to class, wedging it (or him, rather, as she always referred to her longboard as “he,” not “it”) in her locker until the day’s end and it was time to longboard home.

Longboarding is not always fun – falling, succumbing to speed wobbles, or just taking a turn too fast have results opposite of fun. Any seasoned longboarder has taken enough falls to appreciate that speed, freedom and fun sometimes come at a price. One night when Tammy was working, she received a call. Alix had come upon a patch of gravel while longboarding; a man called to tell Tammy that he’d found her collapsed outside of his house. Alix was taken by ambulance to the emergency room, and when Tammy met her there, paramedics said they thought Alix might’ve broken a hip. Luckily, it turned out she was only badly bruised.

Riding the same road where a hard bail or wipeout occurred takes resilience. For some, a trip to the hospital is reason enough to retire the longboard to a dusty garage corner. As soon as Alix was back in shape, though, she was back on her longboard. The hospital experience was but a minor hitch, more of an inconvenience than a scare.

When Alix wasn’t longboarding with friends and just riding around, she’d longboard alone, going wherever it was she needed to go. Longboarding as a means of transportation brings independence: from cars, from traffic, from conformity. As a female longboarder in an activity that’s – steadily less – predominantly male, longboarding fostered a different type of independence. Shortly before Alix was killed, she had her name, “Alexandria Mae,” tattooed across her side. While she always called herself “Alix,” marking her full name was a way of saying “This is me, and this is always who I’m going to be,” her cousin Corrina says. Being independent and being unique – if not downright eccentric at times – was who Alix was. After she finished high school, Alix had begun taking fashion design classes. Along with

The roadside memorial to Alix. Photo: Joseph Garas

her sketches of clothing, her fashion carried its own creative flair. She’d don a dress with a long leopard jacket and hightop Converse sneakers. “And she pulled it off,” Corrina says.

“I think she wanted to show people that you don’t have to do what everybody else is doing to look good.”

Not following everyone else made longboarding perfect for Alix. Longboarding and skateboarding will always focus on independence – no coaches and, best of all, no rules. Yet for Alix, being so willing to be her own person came at a cost, her mother says. Alix tended not to care what others thought of her quirkiness, but she also faced some taunting from peers while growing up.

Still, Alix always expressed an awareness and concern for others. When she was eight years old, Corrina, as the older cousin, used to babysit Alix. One of Corrina’s friends had recently passed away, and little Alix was left trying to cheer Corrina up and offered Corrina one of her own teddy bears. Corrina told Alix it was hers and that she should keep it. Later, when Corrina got home, she found the bear stuffed in her bag. She still has it today, as a reminder and reflection of the type of person Alix was, even from a young age.

“Alix would give you anything if she thought you needed it,” Tammy says. “She would do anything to make you smile.” She takes a sip of her coffee. Her speaking slows. The tears well up. “I’m a better person because every day I feel I owe it to Alix to make her proud of me,” she continues. “And I have to be a better person in order to do that. I find myself being more Alix-like, being kinder to people; that’s what I strive for – to be more like her.”

O

n a gray morning in May, James Corasanti enters the courthouse in downtown Buffalo. He walks slowly past a couple of TV news cameras and the throng of observers who’ve come to watch his trial. With one of his defense lawyers at his side, Corasanti proceeds down a short hallway. His gaze shifts neither left nor right. His suit is gray. His hair is gray. The creases on his expressionless face run deep. In the courtroom

Alix's cousin Corrina Price (second from right) and others lend a hand at the Rockin' for Rice event in Amherst, N.Y. Photo: Bob Knab

are 12 people – seven men and five women – who make up the jury, the ones who will decide his fate. They were the ones who heard from dozens of witnesses, the audience to an onslaught of legal rhetoric hoping to push or pull them toward one of two conclusions: what happened that night was criminal, or what happened that night was an accident. The jury attempted to filter out emotion and just look at the facts. But regardless of the facts, the ruling left a bitter taste amid Alix’s stunned community. Corasanti was a wealthy doctor, a gastroenterologist to be exact. Alix was a teenage longboarder. Their opposite roles shaped immensely the perception of the trial. Corasanti could afford a topnotch legal defense team, and the results paid off.

The jury members came to their conclusion based on a simple yet particular aspect of law: reasonable doubt.

James Corasanti was drinking that night. Legally, or otherwise, he should not have been driving. The jury recognized that, but they found doubt in believing that it was his drinking that directly caused the collision. The defense repeatedly noted that Alix was likely crouched down on her longboard at the time of impact, and, with the exception of her lime-green shirt, was wearing darker clothing. Alix was not swerving in the street or longboarding recklessly when the worst came upon her; both the prosecution and defense had witnesses attempt to explain Alix’s exact placement on the road, and the jury believed she might have been near where the shoulder meets the road, as one witness testified. In the courtroom, the crumpled hood and front fender of Corasanti’s car sat displayed before the jury. The deep gashes and bent metal provoked a simple question: How could such damage not prompt the driver to get out and check?

Here, the defense used the car’s mechanics to explain.

As a top-of-the-line vehicle, the aluminum frame absorbs impact, minimizing what the driver feels. The car also has a soundproofed interior, the defense said. Prosecutors said Corasanti was speeding that night. The speed limit where the collision occurred on Heim Road is

35 miles per hour. Police estimated the BMW’s speed at 46 to 52 miles per hour that night. However, an accidentreconstruction expert later testified that the car’s speed was only about 40 miles per hour – a calculation the jury believed to be correct. As for Corasanti’s drunkenness, he refused to submit to an alcohol breath test after being taken into police custody – an action that jurors can infer as an attempt to hide guilt. Later, Corasanti’s blood was drawn on a judge’s order. The blood-alcohol reading measured .10 percent – .02 over the legal driving limit – several hours after the accident.

The public outcry over the ruling has caused questioning – doubt, really – of the justice system. The legal community, of course, also followed the court case. To Buffalo-area criminal defense attorney Barry Covert, the case made an impression, but how it might impact future cases remains to be seen. “I think that these cases are all case-by-case analysis by the jury,” he says, “and I don’t think that a jury is necessarily in the future going to look back at this case and say, ‘Well, because they held him not guilty in that case, we have to find this current defendant not guilty.’ It’s going to be a situation where every set of facts is going to be reviewed independently.”

Whether or not the trial establishes a precedent, Alix leaves a legacy of her own. Hours were spent in the courtroom trying to piece together what happened that broken night, yet the minds of Alix’s loved ones drift back farther; they remember the happy, humorous times. These are a different set of facts, ones that require no courtroom, no ruling. They say: We lost a beautiful person, a longboarder, someone who inspired others in life, and now, in death.

“She was beautiful,” Alix’s mother says. “To take that personality with the looks and talent that she had, it’s like the world got robbed. It really did.” CW This year's Broadway Bomb race in New York City will be held in memory of Alix. Bob Knab and others in Alix’s community hope to have a concrete skatepark built in her memory. To raise money for the park, donations can be made at alixrice.com

FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 101

BY BEN SCHOFIELD | PHOTOS: STEVE TREWHELLA

THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION

A SON LONGBOARDS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HIS FATHER’S HEADSTONE

The Rise and Fall

For the first 10 years of my life, my dad, Alan Schofield, was my idol. He was the man who gave his family everything to make sure we were happy: holidays, nice cars, boats and an amazing family home. It was truly a fantastic upbringing. I remember going along with him to his helicopter shows as his mascot, a 5-year-old wannabe of my father with the same leather pilot jacket on.

What I’m going to write now is going make my dad sound like a bit of an arse, to be honest, but he was still my dad, and deep down I loved him no matter what. I watched my dad change throughout my life, but not being able to help him.

Being the youngest of four boys, I was perfect for practicing wrestling moves on and sent by my parents to spy on my brothers when they would have girlfriends over; now my brothers are the ones spying on me when I have a female over.

I watched my parents build up a very successful print business. I literally grew up within the industry, sitting in the office watching everything going on. I can remember my dad buying me my first skateboard. I brought it home and I couldn’t leave it alone. Then, once I found out what girls were, and homework, exams, etc., the skateboard slowly got put to the back of the cupboard.

I can always remember my dad being the guy who worked his arse off to make sure us kids had everything we wanted; we always said he was stingy with his cash, even though he made a fair bit. But we never went without anything. My twin brothers got their mopeds, and my eldest brother got his first car and university fees paid for. We had a boat, holidays and nice cars.

The print industry was gradually changed. Printing businesses all around the country were shutting down due to customers and clients being able to print their own stuff digitally and cost-effectively without the need for large printing machines. My dad was forced to close his business. With this we lost a lot as a family: our family home, friends, and most of all our alpha male of the house – the workhorse he was, our dad.

My dad had choices, and unlike most people, he chose to turn to alcohol. He would consume maybe 1-2 liters of whiskey a day. And we grew apart. Fights would break out between him and the twins because they were so alike. Eventually the house would end up being trashed, and the police called for someone to be taken away and kept in a cell overnight to calm down; the next day, when dad had sobered up, he would think everything was normal and not remember the night before.

Then he’d start to drink again. My mum was the rock in our home at this time. She was out working a new job, trying to keep a roof over our heads while my dad drank his life away. To begin with it was crocodile tears, and

we could all see what he was going through and we would be there to care for him. But the drinking got increasingly worse and there was nothing we could do.

My brothers had all moved out and it was just myself and mum at home with Dad, and there would be occasions where I would come home from school and not be able to get into the house because he would be passed out on the sofa, wasted. So I’d have to wait around outside till Mum got home. Luckily I had my skateboard and would then spend hours a day out skating. If it weren’t for my skateboard, I’d have had no escape.

My dad became more and more violent. One night sticks in my mind more than anything else. I was 14 at the time. My parents had been arguing, and I could start to see what my dad had turned into. By then I’d begun trying to defend my mum. I can remember wrestling my dad to the floor to try to calm him down and he ended up sitting on me, pinning me to the floor with his hand tightly around my throat. Inside I knew this wasn’t my dad – just some drunk guy.

While lying on the floor pinned down, I remember turning my head to the right and seeing my eldest brother Steve walk through the door. Steve was the university graduate in business studies and sports studies, but he also competed nationally in karate. Steve was living about 10 minutes away, and he would always be the person to call if dad was going off on one if he was drunk. I thought, “My hero has heard me calling,” and he came in to lift my dad off me and restrain him. Steve’s next few words were “NO, Cassie, that’s not constructive,” as he also had to stop my sister-in-law Cassie from having a go at my dad as she tried to protect us.

These sorts of events continued for a couple of years, until Mum and Dad separated. Mum and I moved into rented accommodation, and Dad went into rehab. He came out of rehab and I remember him being clean for a couple of weeks, until we started to find empty bottles of whiskey around the house. Again, he had chosen the bottle over us.

Fast-forward a few years, and it’s 2005. After his second time in rehab, Dad came out clean, got himself a new job and started to work as a driving instructor. We could see a real change in him, and it looked for the good. Mum and Dad started to meet again, and he eventually came home. It was so good to have him back. We started to go on holidays again and do things as a family.

Mum and Dad moved back in together and bought a new house at the end of 2006. By now Dad was working as carrier person driving trucks. Then one day he said he had hurt his back. With this he couldn’t work again, and after a while he started to lose a lot of weight. We sent him to the doctor. Straight away the doc said, “We’re sending you to hospital!”

In 2007 I was getting ready to take my GCSEs at school. I was 16 and remember getting a text from my mum to say she was coming to pick me up from school with my brother Marc, which I thought was weird, as I usually walked or got the bus. As I got in the car I could

see the faces on my mum and Marc (one of the twins) weren’t too positive.

My dad, a recovered alcoholic of about eight years, whom I had just gotten back, had now been diagnosed with terminal cancer. I had no idea what it could really do. His doctors said he had weeks rather than months to live, unless he decided to have chemotherapy; it might give him six months.

He decided to take the chemo so he could see the summer in. During that time I was trying to get ready for my exams. The school helped me a lot through the ordeal, allowing me to leave lessons to go see the school care person. I didn’t want to have this as an excuse, and the school said they’d have a word with the exam board to tell them to give me some leeway. I said no, I don’t want this to affect anything; I’m going to get on with it.

Throughout the last 12 years or so, I never showed emotions. I never cried. My mum was worried about how I would cope with all that I had endured in a short space of time and being so young. But I was fine. I had my longboard. I’d just go out and skate and get the fresh air. It allowed me to escape.

While my dad was going through his chemo, he was living at home and would have nurses turning up constantly. Mum and I also became his caregivers.

Eventually he was unable to walk and he got a mobility scooter, which rocked – 15 mph of pure tire-screeching excitement. I remember driving it and taking it around a corner and rolling it on top of me. I was then banned from driving it.

It’s August 2007. I’ve finished my exams and am waiting patiently for my results. Dad’s getting increasingly worse now as his chemo has finished. He’s got no hair and is now bed-bound. The next few days are crucial. And we’re told it’s not long till he leaves us. I can remember days where I would just sit beside him holding his hand, talking to him, trying to keep him awake.

It’s now August 24 – “D-Day.” Today my dad was really bad. And everyone was over at our house. I had been up to school to get my results. I came home to tell him and all I can remember him mumbling to me, “At least you did better than Steve.” It made me smile but wasn’t entirely true as Steve had received all A’s and B’s, I think – something geeky. With that, Steve and I went down to the seafront where we lived to get lunch – omelet it was – when we got the call we’d been waiting for. It had happened. My dad had taken his last breath. My mum had been sitting at his bedside when it happened.

My dad once said that when he died, he would be taken by train to somewhere new. However, my mum said that at 1:20 p.m., as my dad turned to look at her for

FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 103

Photo courtesy Ben Schofield

Part One:

the last time and then up to the ceiling, the ferry that goes to France sounded its horn to say it was leaving the port.

So it wasn’t a train in the end but the ferry to France.

“What do we do now?” I wondered. I remember walking into the bathroom and getting into an empty bath and breaking down. I then took my longboard and skated down to the seafront to be free and think.

A few years passed and things were extremely tight at home with money for Mum and me. She made enough to keep the house and pay the bills, and I tried my hardest to give her money toward them. But my work was seasonal, so it was difficult at times. All I thought about since my dad’s passing was leaving the U.K. to live and create a new life for myself in California; I’d always said I was born in the wrong country and should be a Cali boy. We had not been able to afford to get my dad a headstone and were still paying the funeral costs. I’d go visit his grave and feel sick that there wasn’t a headstone there for him, something to remember him by. It was just a bare grave with the rotting wooden cross you get given. And some bare flowers.

Ben Schofield: "I’d always said I was born in the wrong country and should be a Cali boy."

Part Two: The French Connection

I realized I needed to do something. So I came up with “2 Paris with Wheels,” a fundraising event I would create to raise enough money to be able to get my dad the headstone he deserved. I don’t remember the drunk guy; rather I remember the strong, charismatic, determined, family man that was my dad.

I stayed up until early morning creating and planning the event. I messaged friends to see who would want to join me. Andrew Ryan Vickers and I decided to longboard to Paris from Le Havre, a 140-mile trip through towns, cities and countryside, sleeping in tents, eating baguettes of cheese and ham and whatever else we could buy along the way. The trip would see us longboarding 50 miles a day for the first two days, then 28 miles on the last day into Paris.

When I got the maps, I sat like a kid in my tent in the back garden, going over the route and other routes we could take. We would be filming and documenting our trip from then until we reached Paris. My aim was to try to raise around £1,200 (approximately $1,900 US) to cover the cost of the headstone.

I also wanted to raise awareness for Surfers Against Sewage, a nonprofit organization that helps to protect our seas, oceans, marine life, rivers and shores from raw sewage, and to help protect some of the best U.K. wave spots.

I was absolutely stoked to do this and couldn’t wait to go – freeriding our way down to Paris, where we would be greeted by a party of longboarders organized by Christopher Vallender. For the skate I chose an Original

Freeride 41, Paris trucks and Orangatang In Heats – an odd choice for long distance, some would say, but I still wanted to be able to freeride along the way. And yes, I knew I probably would cry throughout the trip, and definitely when I got to the end of it in Paris.

Part Three: The Start

We woke up early and full of excitement. Andy’s dad chauffeured us up to the Portsmouth ferry. It gave us time to get ourselves in a mental state before the trip.

We stepped off the ferry onto a very overcast and damp French port and some very wet tarmac. I wanted to get as far as we could before any more rain fell. Following signs out of Le Havre wasn’t quite as easy as first hoped, and we managed to get lost.

Thanks to some helpful locals, we eventually found our way. But things got rather crazy when we wound up on a motorway. We jumped off the road and walked along the edge of the marshland; it wasn’t long till we had been stopped and approached by some security. “What are you

doing? Where are you going?” they asked. “You not allowed on the motorway.” We told them we were going to Paris. Fortunately, they replied only, “Oh, OK, good luck,” and let us go. They even provided us with more directions.

Just as things were going well, we encountered a heavy downpour. We encountered another detour and our clothes soaked right through to our boxers. Truck drivers beeped and nodded their heads to us in respect.

Car drivers would just blank us.

Eventually we arrived at an insane-looking bridge crossing the Porte de Normandie. We crossed amid howling winds, rain as hard as nails and trucks inches away from us spraying up rain water. It was by far the best part of the first day.

Part Four: Busted

We arrived into a little town that we thought was Rouen – but it wasn’t. Out of nowhere the gendarmerie (police) pulled us over. Out stepped an old guy and two younger men. They told us we couldn’t skate on the roads because

“apparently” it’s illegal in France. We were left talking to the two younger coppers while the older one took our driving licenses to the car and spoke to someone on the radio. Communication was difficult between us, so we ended up talking about football and how we were skating to Paris for charity. Then they seemed to relent and even wished us good luck, saying, “Stay off the motorways, and [we’ll pretend] we have not seen you.” What good guys they were. So we waited until they had driven out of sight before we started skating again.

We rode a long, smooth, windy road, passing through several little towns, until we figured Rouen was only about five minutes away. However, after a good examining of the maps, we realized we still had a good couple of hours’ worth of skating ahead of us before we hit our first night’s stopover. By this point it was about 5 p.m. and school traffic had started, increasing the number of cars and buses on the road. We came across a little hotel on the outskirts of Rouen and booked a room for the night. We were drenched and exhausted.

Part Five: Rouen to Vernon Waking up early, we quickly got our gear together, packed and out of the hotel room. We followed the main road out of the city. This time we did find the side road that we needed to take, and from the start it was an incredibly steep incline to the top. But we dragged ourselves up it because we knew at some point it had to come back down. We came across some incredible views over the city and far beyond. As the road started to level out we started rolling a bit easier. We were sweating already within the first half hour; it was going to get hot today. We hoped for some downhill, but all we encountered were long flat, gradual declines.

As we were following signs to Les Andelys, a small riverside village, we turned left and stumbled across a brand new, pitch-black long straight. We picked up the speed and started carving, cross-stepping and checksliding our way down this long gradual piece of heaven.

The hill kept on going down, and at the end was the most beautiful left-hand hairpin. The view of the valley, Les Andelys and the river was spectacular.

By now we were in a part of France where locals don’t see many tourists. We had to keep pushing on, though, because time was ticking, and we needed to get to Vernon before dark. We were just heading into a place called Gaillon, only to find the traffic had built up next behind us. Normally cars would just pull out, signal and overtake us, but one car wouldn’t go past, so we stopped to allow it to go by.

Out of nowhere some moron in a silver Audi cut me off and tried to drive into me on purpose. He turned his wheel toward me and stopped suddenly; I smacked the back of his car with my fist and shouted at him. He had children in the car, which made the whole situation worse.

Part Six: Vernon to Paris

Again we were up at the crack of dawn, showered and packed. Time to get on the road for hopefully the final time, an 80-km trip into Paris. Our first stop of the day would be Mantes-la-Jolie. The section of the route was one long road all the way to Mantes. As we were following the river, it meant we had to climb numerous valleys, a long way to the top. We came across a long, mellow right-hander that trucks were screaming around, slamming on their brakes to make sure they didn’t go off the end. Next to it was a huge poppy field.

The sun was out and it looked great. Once we reached the top of this hill, it was a long, flat ride to the tiny hamlet of La Roche-Guyon. The locals there definitely hadn’t seen longboards before. The weather was lovely, sunny, with a little breeze – perfect! We consumed liters of peach ice tea and felt good.

At about midday, Paris was still about 40 to 50 km away. We rode on, though we realized we wouldn’t arrive until late at night. However, eventually the police stopped us again and said that we couldn’t carry on any further. If we did, the route we’d planned would have taken us through some of the harshest, most dangerous estates in Europe. They advised us to go back to Mantes and jump on the train into Paris.

As much as we were committed to longboard to Paris, I also didn’t want to go home in pieces or in a bag.

So we headed to the train station and bought a single ticket to Paris, a two-hour journey into the city center.

From there we would still have to find our way to the Eiffel Tower.

On the road and breaking free.

Two hours later we arrived at the Porte de Champerret – the end-of-the-line stop. We got off and found our way out into the streets. We just picked a road and jumped straight onto our boards, skating down the city roads and cycle lanes, carving our way through Paris.

Then POW! The Champs-Élysées by mistake! We ended up on the busiest and most well-known street in Europe. At the top of the road stood the Arc de Triomphe, one of the most iconic landmarks in the world.

Our mission: To skate across the roundabout without being run down.

We skated across the road to the middle. I felt invincible. So for the final piece of the official skate, we made our way down to the Eiffel Tower. With Andy’s knowledge of Paris, we skated down the sidewalk of the ChampsÉlysées. We were weaving and missing people’s toes by millimeters, but I didn’t care what people thought. I was there to reach my goal: to reach the tower and to celebrate my dad’s life.

We stood at the top of the Palais de Chaillot with the Eiffel Tower in front of us. It was amazing. We skated right down to the iconic tower, skating right underneath it, through the crowds of people. We had done it.

Once there, I lay on the ground and gazed straight up, looking at the tower. The tears came streaming out of my eyes. Although my legs and feet hurt, I was in full glory of what I had just achieved. I turned to Andy and asked, “What now?”

We headed toward the public greenspace of the Champ de Mars, where we came across a family from North England, so went and chatted to them. After we left them, we headed onto the grass and collapsed with exhaustion. We looked at one another and patted each other on the back, giving each other congratulations.

We ended up going back to the Champs-Élysées and finding a Starbucks. We connected with our families to let them know we had arrived and tried to find a hostel for the next couple of nights.

Over the next day or two we had in Paris, we slept in and skated. On the Champs-Élysées we spotted two little kids on a Tan Tien and a Dervish. They saw us too and turned around and chased after us. We stopped to chat and discovered that one of them was originally from Canterbury but his parents had moved to Paris.

The kids guided us around Paris to some sick little spots, including some incredible banks.

As we got in the plane to return home, I had a good window seat in front of the engine so I could watch the props spinning. As we got airborne, I looked up into the sky and began thinking about the whole trip. It started to bring tears to my eyes, knowing I was the closest I had been to my dad in five years. I stuck the headphones in and shut my eyes with a massive smile on my face. I finally felt like I had done my dad proud and he had nothing to moan at me for.

A big thanks to my mum, my brothers and all my friends who have supported me over the last five or so years with everything that I’ve been through with Dad. A massive thank you to Josh at 19ninetyone Design, Surfers Against Sewage and Paddy at Vortex. Andy, thank you for joining me on this trip. CW Editor’s note: Ben was able to raise enough money to buy his father’s headstone. Delivery is expected in October.

FALL 2012 CONCRETE WAVE 105

REPORT

By RICHY and MARIA CARRASCO

SEISMIC

U.S. OPEN

MCLAREN WINS 3 EVENTS ON HISTORIC HILL

T

he Seismic U.S. Open at Oceanside went off July 14-15 with racers killing the venue at Loretta Street! Some big names raced and the start list featured four of last season’s world champions. Being in the skate mecca of Southern California, many legends were on hand to witness the racing like the Logan Bros, John Hughes, Chuy Madrigal, Larry Balma, Lance Smith and others.

Loretta has a reputation for being big and steep with a lot of old, inconsistent road surface, the kind of stuff you wouldn’t want to crash on. Henry Hester tested his skatecar on this very hill back in the ’70s, probably on the same asphalt. This year’s race had a high ranking for season points, and thus more importance to the racers. That had the skaters going all out on every run.

The first event was a fast and flowing dual hybrid that had many finish line charges! Joe McLaren came out on top, John Ravitch won the Masters division and Lynn Kramer won the Women’s division after battling former world champions Judi Oyama and Keli Benko.

After a quick break the racers regrouped and the tight slalom event was on. The TS was run with each racer taking two runs, single-lane style with the A and B courses set up next to each other. The highlight of the day was seeing David Hackett be the first rider to run the nearly impossible A course without hitting a cone and grabbing $100 cash! Joe McLaren won the A group after winning the hybrid earlier in the day, setting himself up for yet another trifecta. It was awesome to hear “Bad H” Henry Hester behind the mic and watching him have a blast out there with all the racers.

The second day featured the giant slalom and later the skatercross. Richy Carrasco surprised everyone by winning the GS event and capturing the trophy. The skatercross was won by Quebec’s Louis Ricard, who had to overtake David Hackett at the finish of the final run. Overall for the weekend was last year’s champ Joe McLaren, Richy Carrasco in second and Louis Ricard in third. Hackett won the Masters overall and Kramer the Women’s overall.

Special thanks to Lynn Kramer, who worked tirelessly to make sure the timing, sound system and general race organization were working great, and on top of all that won the overall Women’s division! There was even a big screen showing the results for the racers.

Pat and Arlene Brickner from the Grind Skate Shop,

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Lynn Kramer, overall women's champ. Photo: Lance Smith

Masters hybrid slalom winner John Ravitch. Photo: Lance Smith

Richy Carrasco powered his way to a GS win. Photo: Lance Smith

Maria Carrasco from Sk8Kings and Chris Yandall all worked hard to get this event together. Brock Dennis ran the timer, working with Bad H behind the mic. Prize money and swag were donated by many sponsors: Seismic Skate, Sk8Kings, BLR, Khiro Skateboard Prod-

Joe McLaren, men's overall winner.

Photo: Lance Smith

ucts, Gravity/Randal, Tracker Trucks, Oust Bearings, RipTide, Bennett, Vitaminwater (who provided beverages all weekend), Powell, Abec 11 and BambooSK8. Volunteers came from the San Diego Ski Club and the Grind Skate Shop. Thanks, and see you next year! CW

Dominik Kowalski on his way to winning the giant slalom and his fifth consecutive overall European Championship. Photo: Monique Soderhall

Kathrin Sehl's three podium finishes earned her the women's overall championship.

Photo: Monique Soderhall.

EUROPEAN

Hybrid slalom champ Janis Kuzmins. Photo: Jani Soderhall

By GUSTAVS GAILITIS

CHAMPIONSHIPS

KOWALSKI AND SEHL TAKE OVERALL TITLES

T

he fastest slalom riders from all over Europe came to Latvia July 14-15 for the European Championships. Fifteen of the world’s top 20 ranked riders live in Europe, and most of them attended, so the results would serve as a good measuring stick for the upcoming world championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

The first day’s racing was held 100 km from capital city of Riga at the Priekuli biathlon center, a beautiful location in the middle of the forest with really nice and fast hills. Unfortunately, the potential of the fast, twisting course was spoiled by rain. The race was delayed many times and riders had to wait while the course dried up. In the end it was decided to race a shorter course, so at least there would be some results.

In a mixture between GS and hybrid slalom, Dominik Kowalski was unstoppable and won – what an excellent comeback for the 2010 World and 2011 European champion! Kowalski’s dominance left the fastest Latvians just behind: Janis Kuzmins was second and Gustavs Gailitis third. Sadly, the No. 1 rider for 2012, Viking Hadestrand, was unable to compete; he spent

the weekend in a hospital in Riga because of stomach problems that flared up just before the race.

In the women’s division, Latvia’s Lienite Skaraine and Germany’s Kathrin Sehl, the two ladies with the most titles in Europe, fought it out. Skaraine ended up faster by .06 seconds to take the win. In third was the emerging star from Russia, Olesya Naumchik.

The junior group was a battle between the best young Czech and Latvian slalomers. This time 2010 junior world champion Edijs Jermacenko won by 0.02 seconds, leaving the fastest Czech junior, Petr Matous, in second and another Latvian, Toms Dreiblats, in third.

The second day was also held indoors because it was raining again. Neither the organizers nor the racers were happy at all, but they decided it was better to race indoors, even on a drastically shorter course, than cancel the race. So the racing was moved to Monster Skatepark in Riga. An S-shaped 19-cone course was set for hybrid slalom and a straight 18-cone course for tight. Times were in the 5- to 6-second range. Turn and burn, baby!

In the men’s hybrid, Kuzmins finished just 0.01 seconds ahead of Mikael Hadestrand to take the win.

Kowalski was third, .07 seconds behind Kuzmins. In the women’s group, Naumchik was the winner and left the rest of the podium to the much more experienced Sehl and Skaraine. In the Juniors, Czechs had their full revenge by taking both top spots – Matous took first and Vojta Valena second. Dreiblats again grabbed the third spot.

In the straight slalom, Kowalski got another welldeserved win and took the overall honors, becoming the European overall champion for the fifth (!!!) time in a row. Mikael Hadestrand again finished second and Kuzmins was third. For ladies, Sehl won, leaving second for Naumchik and third for blonde Finnish slalomer Hanna Jaakola. The Junior title again went to Policka city to the fastest European junior – Matous!

Dreiblats got second and Valena third.

This was third time in the history of slalom skateboarding that the European championships have been held in Latvia (previous in 1995 and 2006). The organizers would like to thank everyone who participated and hope that this year’s awful weather won’t frighten international riders to come again next year for some awesome racing with the fastest guys in the world! CW

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IGSA REPORT >>

By MARCUS RIETEMA

MARYHILL

FESTIVAL OF SPEED Patrick Switzer rode a perfect race en route to victory.

Photo: Jon Huey

hill champion from Boulder, Colorado, used a slalom board to slice his way down the 2.2-mile (3.5-km) course and post a time of 3:05.523. His effort enabled him to jump up nine grid positions while every other skater in the top six was unable to improve on his Friday time. The remainder of the top five was Silva in second, Tongue third, Switzer fourth and Newton’s Nation winner Mischo Erban in fifth.

The weather conditions were perfect for Sunday’s big race. A 96-rider bracket with heats of six was used for the main event. After a hard day of racing, the final lined up with top four qualifiers Maytum, Silva, Switzer and Tongue joined by two-time world champion Reimer and last year’s third-place finisher, Billy Meiners. All six riders were eager to get a good start in what they knew would be a tactical battle to the finish. Off the start Meiners veered into Reimer while they were still pushing, causing both riders to go down. Silva used his legendary push to jump out into the lead, followed by Switzer, Maytum and Tongue. Reimer dusted himself off and went in hot pursuit of the leaders. As they worked their way down the top third of the course, Silva retained a narrow lead, with Tongue and Maytum moving up and dropping Switzer to fourth.

A long straightaway at approximately the halfway point leads into the tight Edge Boardshop Corner. Silva still maintained the narrowest of leads on the straight while Maytum and Tongue were close in a double draft with Switzer lurking just behind. Tongue used the draft to perfection and was able to pass Silva for the lead on the inside of Edge Corner. Silva attempted to move quickly into Tongue’s wake but misjudged the timing of

fter the two opening Australian rounds of the 2012 season, the IGSA World Cup Series moved to the United States for the Maryhill Festival of Speed June 27-July 1. Maryhill has firmly established itself as the premier downhill race in America, and although the race course is not the most demanding or technical, riders’ skills are pushed to the limits in a high-speed game of cat and mouse.

The first qualifying run was held on Friday. Douglas Silva had the fastest qualifying time with a 3:05.662, breaking the existing track record of 3:06.424 set by Kevin Reimer in 2010. Silva had started the season off strong with third- and second-place finishes at Mt. Keira and Newton’s Nation, respectively. Mt. Keira winner Alex Tongue was second, while reigning World Cup Series champion Patrick Switzer was third.

Saturday’s final qualifying session saw Zak Maytum take the No. 1 qualifying position away from Silva and set a new Switzer leads Zak Maytum and Alex Tongue in the final. track record in the Photo: Jon Huey process. The 2010 Mary-

A

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his maneuver and ran into the back of Alex’s board.

Silva crashed hard and Tongue was lucky not to be taken out as well by the errant move.

Tongue, Maytum and Switzer were now running nose to tail as they raced toward the infamous Seismic Cowzer Corner. At this point, Switzer (also on a slalom deck) played his hand to perfection, getting a run on Maytum and passing him on the outside! Then Tongue made a mistake that can only be attributed to inexperience. He drifted wide on the exit of Cowzer’s, opening up the inside (and quicker) line down the last long straightaway. Switzer dove to the inside and his momentum shot him into the lead. Maytum followed suit, dropping Tongue to third. At the line, the finish order was Switzer, Maytum and Tongue. Reimer battled back from his disastrous start to finish fourth, Silva was fifth and Meiners sixth.

Switzer celebrates his second Maryhill victory.

Photo: Jon Huey

MARYHILL FESTIVAL OF SPEED TOP 10 FINAL RESULTS 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Patrick Switzer, Canada Zak Maytum, United States Alex Tongue, United States Kevin Reimer, Canada Douglas Silva, Brazil Billy Meiners, United States Felipe Malaga, Peru Niko Desmarais, Canada Dillon Stephens, Canada Max Wippermann, United States

KOZAKOV CHALLENGE fter dominating the 2011 Kozakov Challenge and earning his first World Cup victory of the 2012 season at Maryhill, Patrick Switzer came into Kozakov as the favorite. Switzer set the fastest time on the first day of qualifying on a track that still had a few wet patches from an overnight rainstorm.

A

Zen Shikaze was stoked to finish second in his European debut. Photo: Dave Kessler

four World Cups contested so far this year. With the enormous rise in talent throughout the downhill skateboarding world, a great deal of parity has also evolved in 2012. Douglas Silva has been the most consistent so far, but he’s still failed to earn a victory this year. It doesn’t look like anybody can put together a four-race win streak like Switzer did in 2011. Who will win the World Cup Series Championship in 2012? It’s anybody’s guess.

Kevin Bouaich surprised many with his Kozakov win.

Photo: Jeri Becka

Sebastian Hertler earned his first World Cup podium finish. Photo: Dave Kessler

The following day, conditions were perfect for the second qualifying run, and on average the times were three seconds faster. 2010 Kozakov winner Christoph Batt posted a time of 2:24.914 that sent him to the top of the timesheets. Switzer crashed out on his second qualifying attempt and dropped all the way down to 19th. Douglas Silva showed the consistency he’s displayed all year to qualify second. Nicolas Robert was third, James Kelly fourth and Kevin Bouaich was fifth, making it three Swiss skaters in the top five.

Rain was the big story on race day. Prior to the semifinals, a torrential downpour soaked the track. The extremely high speeds of the top and bottom sections of Kozakov make it too dangerous to run in the rain. A decision was made to shorten the course by moving the start lower and the finish higher. When the riders were called to the line for the semifinals, Switzer could not be found, so the semi’s were run without him. He turned up a few minutes later and explained that he

was switching back to dry wheels. Switzer came back for the Consolation Final where he won and was credited with fifth place.

Kevin Bouaich from Switzerland scored a surprising victory in the final. Zen Shikaze from Canada finished second and was elated to earn a podium finish on his first European tour. Sebastian Hertler from Germany scored his first World Cup podium by finishing third.

Canadian Dillon Stephens was fourth. The victory was the first for Bouaich at the World Cup level. He has shown great speed in the past but has never been able to convert that speed into a victory.

Bouaich is now the fourth different winner in the

KOZAKOV CHALLENGE TOP 10 FINAL RESULTS 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Kevin Bouaich, Switzerland Zen Shikaze, Canada Sebastian Hertler, Germany Dillon Stephens, Canada Patrick Switzer, Canada Zak Maytum, United States Chip Wood, United States Adam Persson, Sweden Thiago Gomes Lessa, Brazil Calvin Staub, United States

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IGSA REPORT >>

By MARCUS RIETEMA

PADOVA

GRAND PRIX t seems inconceivable that James Kelly was winless in IGSA World Cup races going into the Padova Grand Prix. James is known as one of the best all-around longboarders on the face of the earth. He makes it to the finals on a regular basis and has numerous podium finishes, but somehow the top step of the podium has eluded him.

James told me at the beginning of the season that he was focusing on racing this year and to expect better results.

But after starting the season off strong with fourth-and fifth-place finishes in

I

Kelly, Silva and a surprising Luke Melo, who had made his way into the final despite starting from the 15th position. Off the line and down the high-speed top straightaway, Silva took the lead followed

by Kelly, Königshausen and Melo. Going into the first hard left, both Silva and Kelly were carrying too much speed. Silva crashed hard into the bales and bounced back onto the course where he collided with Königshausen, causing him to crash. Kelly slid wide, losing most of his speed but remaining upright. This enabled Melo, the only rider to make it

James Kelly (second from right) threads the needle in Teolo.

Photo: Liz Kinnish

Australia, his results at Maryhill and Kozakov had been dismal.

Going into the race he felt confident that a good result could come in Italy.

During Friday’s first qualifying run, Kelly set a new track record of 1:57.857 that eclipsed the two-year-old course record of 1:57.888 established by Ramón Königshausen. Saturday’s second qualifying run saw Königshausen take the No. 1 qualifying position with an amazing 1:57.146 that broke Kelly’s dayold track record. Both Kelly and Patrick Switzer were unable to improve on their Friday efforts but were able to hang on to second and third, respectively. Mischo Erban would start fourth and Douglas Silva fifth.

After working through a 64-rider bracket with heats of four, the final lined up on the start. It featured Königshausen,

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Douglas Silva was using the “Swiss Brake” technique in Italy. Photo: Dave Kessler

through the turn cleanly, to pass Kelly and move into the lead. He held the lead for five more hairpins with Kelly breathing down his neck.

The pressure must have become too much for Melo, because he slid out and nearly came to a complete stop. Kelly rolled on by and went unchallenged all the way to the finish to score his maiden World Cup victory. Melo recovered to

Luke Melo was stoked to finish second.

Photo: Dave Kessler

finish second and earn his first World Cup podium. Silva and Königshausen both got up after their crashes and battled all the way to the finish. In the end Silva narrowly beat Königshausen to the line for the final podium position.

James Kelly thus became the fifth different winner of the five World Cup races held so far in 2012. The level of competition is greater than ever, and we still haven’t seen perennial contenders like Silva and Kevin Reimer reach the top step of the podium. We have nearly reached the halfway point in the season and the title is still up for grabs. Switzer

and Silva are leading in the points, but Kelly, Alex Tongue and Dillon Stephens aren’t far behind. It will be interesting to see how Peyragudes and Calgary shake up the points..

PADOVA GRAND PRIX TOP 10 FINAL RESULTS 1. James Kelly, United States 2. Luke Melo, Canada 3. Douglas Silva, Brazil 4. Ramón Königshausen, Switzerland 5. Patrick Switzer, Canada 6. Adam Persson, Sweden 7. Dillon Stephens, Canada 8. Erik Lundberg, Sweden 9. Nicolas Robert, Switzerland 10. Zen Shikaze, Canada

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