Vol. 12 No. 4 Winter 2014

Vol.12 No.4, WINTER 2014

JAPAN

Land of the Rising Sun

ANVL's

Take on NYC

NOSTALGIA

Ain’t What It Used to Be

$4.95 CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

C1

WINTER 2014

» CO N T E N T S

16

30 EDITORIAL

66 LAND OF THE RISING SUN

32 LETTERS

80 UNCLE FUNKY’S STYLE SESSIONS 2013

34 NOTEWORTHY

86 LONGBOARD GIRLS CREW

42 360 DEGREES OF AWARENESS

90 LONGBOARD THERAPY

48 BLAST FROM THE PAST

92 ARTIST PROFILE: ANDRE CASTRO

56 A SOLID PUSH FORWARD

94 GOT STEEZ?

60 LONGBOARDING FOR PEACE

97 ROCKIT TALK

62 CZECH 'THANE DAMES

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

THE FINE PRINT I am writing this while I watch the latest episode from the Greener Pastures crew. If you haven't checked out their stunningly beautiful videos, you owe it to yourself to do so. It's truly wonderful to see the ways that longboarders develop more ways to tell their stories and share their passion. Speaking of passion, photography remains a deep passion of mine.

We’ve always set aside one issue per year to really focus on photography. This year I am proud to be publishing Alon Karpman's photos, which are truly a breakthrough. But I am equally proud to showcase the work of Matt Kienzle and his breathtaking tour of Japan, along with the winners of the Style Sessions event in New York. Our cover shot of Jeff Tatum is long overdue. Jeff is a longboard pioneer from the 1970s, and we are just as stoked to show you his truly radical approach to riding. This Fine Print was written as the news is still filled with reports of the crack-smoking mayor of Toronto, the truly outrageous Rob Ford. As most of you know, I am merely a 5minute skate from Toronto. I spent a good many years working and living there. If there is one person who needs to get a little more balance and harmony in his life, it is Rob Ford.

Mr. Mayor, your longboard is waiting. I'd be happy to lend you one from my quiver. Call me! On that note, I wish all of you a great 2014.

Lofti Lamaali takes on the Louvre.

Photo: Anthony Gelot

22

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

» E D I TO R I A L TM

VOL. 12 NO. 4 WINTER 2014 PUBLISHER/EDITOR Michael Brooke | mbrooke@interlog.com

Rider: Alec Austin. Photo: © Jucker Hawaii

ART DIRECTOR Mark Tzerelshtein | MarkintoshDesign.com

SEARCHING FOR THE POT OF GOLD From Off Camera magazine: SAM JONES: So you get with George Powell, and you change the company name to Powell-Peralta, but then skateboarding dies. So at some point are you sitting there in a room looking at each other like, “How are we going to make this work?”

STACY PERALTA: Yeah, it was a really rough time.

From 1981 to 1984, there were times where we almost went out of business. There were times where George had to borrow money from his father to make payroll at the company. I remember driving to the company one time, looking at the stars at night, thinking, “Am I fooling myself thinking that we can make this into a business?” It was slim pickings, man. I was doing something I believed in, but it just didn’t exist. It didn’t exist anymore, and it was scary. But the good news was that we were able to reinvent what we wanted skateboarding to be.

This editorial is directed at anyone who has dreams of one day working in the skateboard business. If you set off trying to find a pot of gold, you might be sadly disappointed. Unless you have a monopoly (like we have with the liquor business here in Ontario, Canada), the skateboard business is fraught with challenges. There’s a great deal of competition, and people have a wide range of choices. Skaters can be very fickle customers.

Yet the skate industry is filled with some of the most talented and creative people you’d ever want to meet.

There is a freedom to do things in the skate world that is truly unprecedented. Unlike the business of making cellphones, the skate industry doesn’t require millions of dollars in start-up costs. While parts of the skate world are corporate, the vast majority of folks are

30

casual. The passion to create great experiences for skateboarders runs deep. It can be found in innovative products, videos and events.

The fact is, however, that skateboarding is a pretty small business compared to things like construction, pharmaceuticals and real estate. But there are opportunities and a number of jobs are posted at malakye.com.

However, many of these jobs require experience. So if your only experience is riding a skateboard, then you might want to channel some of that energy into creating your own skate business. In order for longboarding to thrive, we need small, medium and large-sized companies. As I write this, I know there is someone, somewhere, creating the next big thing in skateboarding. It might be a truck, a wheel or a completely new deck design. But he or she is out there, working tirelessly. It is this spirit of innovation that Concrete Wave wants to celebrate, and if and when you’re ready to share your ideas, we’ll be ready to help spread them.

While the photo above is a great metaphor for longboarding and the search for the pot of gold, the truth is that I see things a little differently. I see this image as one that gives you a glimpse of something truly rare … but possible. With passion, hard work, a little luck and a sense of balance, sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too. The longboarder is enjoying BOTH the ride and the rainbow. The “gold” that I’ve found is loving the job you do and the ability to take time to enjoy the ride.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

All the best for 2014!

Michael Brooke Publisher/Editor

CORRESPONDENT Jim Kuiack I.T. DEPT. HEAD Rick Tetz of CalStreets.com COPY EDITOR Jonathan Harms ASSOCIATE EDITOR Joey Bidner HEAD OFFICE 1136-3 Center Street, Suite 293, Thornhill, Ontario, L4J 3M8 Ph: 905.738.0804 SKATESHOP DISTRIBUTION Buddy Carr Designs PO Box 1895, Carlsbad, CA 92018 tailtapinfo@yahoo.com Ph: 760.722.4111 CONTRIBUTORS (In order of appearance): Dan Bourqui, Nancy Morrison, Anthony Gelot, Jucker Hawaii, Devende Photography, Mark Golter, Alex Mof, Christian Salmon, Alon Karpman, Warren Bolster, Warren Currie, Bill Eppridge, Mike Horelick, Chris Eveliegh, Kent Sherwood, M. Gilmore, Jonathan Strauss, Sam Galus/Everett Herald, Les Robertson, David McCampbell, Kendall Vrana, Grant Shilling, James Gogarty, David Kasparek, Miroslava Jaresova, Matt Kienzle, Jacob Lambert, Jonathan Nuss, Khaleeq Alfred, Lori George, Kyle Thompson, Valeria Kechichian, Alba Pardo, Arian Chamasmany, Kat Augusto, Isaac Farin, Jim Winters, Andre Castro, Kurt Hurley, Chris Bennett.

COVER: Jeff Tatum with a stylish "JT Air." Photo: Dan Bourqui

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.

» LETTERS Kilian Martin with his new bride, Marina, August 4, 2013. Photo: DeVende Photography

MY NAME IS TOM FOLEY. I’ve been riding longboards for two or three years now and your typical popsicle decks since I was 8 years old. My grandmother bought me my first skateboard as a birthday present the year after my biological father passed away, unaware the result would ultimately ruin me and, at the same time, free me. It was a World Industries deck, part of their “Lightweight” series. To be honest, I chose it for the graphic. I was 8 years old, for Christ’s sake, and Flameboy (opposite to Wet Willy) was getting sloshed with a bottle of apple juice. The funny part about that is, my father was a raging alcoholic, and it had even contributed to his death. I rode that deck for years—the better part of a decade, actually. It was waterlogged, warped, razor tail was now an understatement, and the graphic, along with a big chunk of the bottom ply, was gone. After that, I got another World Industries deck, this time with a Wet Willy graphic, and again I thrashed it. This was just a few short years before I started longboarding and got my own longboard, a prototype for a Big Myth Gangsta Logic without a graphic, purchased for me by a good friend who could clearly see my newfound love for bigger decks and bigger, softer wheels.

Now, before everyone jumps the gun and starts asking why they should care or what relevance this has to some sort of bigger picture, I gave that brief history for a few reasons.

First, I wanted to point out a fallacy within the longboard/skateboard community. Performance is not based on gear. Whether you like charging hills, hitting gaps, tearing up rails and curbs or throwing big slides, the only aspect of your gear that really determines what you can do is whether or not you have a kicktail.

It doesn’t matter if your board is the standard trick stick or a behemoth of a board sporting a 30” wheelbase; skateboarding is a plank of wood with some trucks and some wheels, plain and simple. I don’t care if your wheels are 70 mm or 52 mm or whether you’re riding RKPs or TKPs. For the most part, you can do the same thing as your counterpart. So basically, what I’m saying is, it’s not the deck or the trucks or the wheels or the bearings; it’s the rider. How determined are you?

How aware are you of what you can or cannot do? How 32

concerned are you with what other people are doing versus what you are doing?

Second, if you buy a piece of gear, whether it’s your style or not, ride it until it’s dead. Make it fit your style and expand your capabilities a little bit. One thing I’m annoyed with by the longboard/skateboard community is the materialism and the vanity. Most will argue with this statement, but I honestly don’t care. I see and hear about so many people getting rid of bushings, wheels, bearings, decks, etc. because they can’t ride hills with it or skate street with it. That is such a waste, and even more so, a total load of crap (see my previous point). I was once told, “A man truly succeeds only when he’s faced with adversity and rises above.” I’m a firm believer in that statement, and even though it has made a good portion of my life a living hell, it has brought me success in the least likely of places. So what if your graphic has been scratched and scraped off or your kicktail is a little worn? So what if there’s a little bit of noise coming from your board? Does it still move? Can you still ride it and move forward on it?

Ride it ’til it’s dead—’nuff said.

Lastly, I wanted to point out the most important aspect of all things in life. It’s not about money, material things, people or stature. It’s about passion, drive.

If you push yourself hard enough and believe in what you’re doing, the rest will fall into place. There are people who skate just to get sponsored or for the “respect” or for the simple fact of being able to say, “Yeah, I skate.” There are even people who buy the equipment just to have it, like it’s an accessory. To those kinds of people, I would say “F--- you.” Find

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

something that has roots within yourself. Find something that is a part of you, physically or mentally. Find something real. Skate because it’s a simple expression of yourself, speaking through your movements as if you learned that language before you learned English (or whatever language it is that you learned first). I understand wanting to be a part of something, especially wanting to be a part of skateboarding. But don’t go out and buy a brand new chubby, precisions, the new hot DH wheel and a full-face helmet and tell me you’re a skater. Skaters aren’t skaters because they ride a specific board or set of wheels or because they can do a certain trick or go fast. Skaters are skaters because they put in the time and the energy and they let their passion show. Skaters are skaters because the concrete has shown them what kind of person they are and they’re honest enough to acknowledge it.

Now, am I saying I’ve been following these rules myself, that I’m not in some way a hypocrite by having these opinions? Hell, no! I’ve fallen into a materialistic state of mind many times. I’ve sold a deck because I wasn’t riding it as much anymore and “I didn’t like the concave because it didn’t fit my style.” I was a huge kook, and still am a bit. I’ve even lost my passion at one point and tried kissing ass for sponsorships. I’m a total hypocrite by writing and saying these things. But I’m honest enough to admit it. The overall message I want you to take away from this is to learn from your mistakes, find your passion and realize that there is much more to skating than what gear you have and which piece of gear is meant for what purpose. The most complicated part about skating is how simple it really is.

» N OT E W O R T H Y | P RO D U C T S , P E O P L E , E V E N T S

RESTLESS

R.A.D.

MINDLESS

Restless is proud to announce the beginning of a new era.

They have made tremendous progress with their manufacturing process. The new models are all constructed with heat-pressed laminates of hard Canadian maple and triaxial fiberglass. These lighter, more durable and 100% Canadian-made boards will also have the advantage of being competitively priced. They will also shortly be introducing the long-awaited NKD Advanced, built in partnership with Nicolas Desmarais.

Built with a wood and metal core, carbon fiber and a few other secrets, this board is a beast! restlessboards.com

The 70 mm Glide lets you float sideways with ease. With a sideset core and 30 mm contact patch, breaking traction has never been so buttery. The Glide comes with a stone-ground finish, ready to slide right out of the box. At the heart of it all is the Crown Core: With three points and two valleys to separate the wheels into distinct sections, chatter and vibrations are eliminated. The Crown Core doesn’t deform under weight, maximizing your potential roll speed. From the flat ground to the steepest hill, the Glide will ensure a great ride. Available in 78A (white) 80A (red) and 82A (blue). radesigns.com

GRAVITY

SPEED DOCTOR

After 20 years of business, the fire is still burning.

With new boards, new wheels and new ideas coming in 2014, Gravity is excited to keep adding fuel. Introducing three new boards: the 36” Miura, 36” Downhill and 35” Slick Ricker; and the 66 mm/78A Burner wheels. gravityskateboards.com

Don’t replace your bearings—REVIVE them using the Speed Doctor. Speed Shot bearing lubrication, the best oil for your premium skate bearings. The oil is proudly made in the USA using a natural, non-petroleum based, ultra-premium synthetic, low-viscosity formula, so it won’t gunk up and is non-toxic. No need to remove your wheels from your trucks using the Speed Shot applicator. speed-doctor.com

The Talisman is light and strong due to being gravity cast and features Mindless’ unique skull ball pivot and eye-shaped kingpin hole. Fully custom in-house design, tested to the extreme by riders from around the U.K. and Europe. The Cayuga is a Wconcave switch deck with a subtle micro-drop platform. Armed with the mighty Talisman trucks and Kabila wheels, it gives you a fast and aggressive but stable ride. This board has a great deal to offer in terms of specs and looks. Just flip it over to reveal the dark and detailed hand-drawn graphic. The strong, sharp and curvy vine is the perfect representation of what this board has to offer. mindlesslongboards.com

BUSTIN Introducing the Ratarang: the newest offering for all you caped crusaders. This freeriding weapon combines the rocker and elliptical W that has been making waves in some other recent Bustin decks and adds a touch of “rocker-offset” in order to bring the truck mounting back down to 0° to get true performance out of your trucks. Ratman’s weapon of choice when it comes to clearing a fast, wildly rotating path. bustinboards.com/ratarang

34

PHOQUE Establishment in your face?

Phoque it! Phoque Skateboards is entering the market with topquality Street, Park and Backyard Survival Gear along with Cruiser and Pinner Transport Devices.

Bash ’em, slash ’em or cruise ’em, these decks are for serious skateboarders who want serious, high-performance gear. 100% North American hard rock maple, and 100% dedicated to the Return of Fun and Death of Dumb. “Phoque?” Yeah, that’s how it’s pronounced, but relax, it’s French. Now, take a deep breath, get on your board, and Just Phoque’n Skate! phoqueskateboards.com

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

NORDIK

NordiK was developed in Chico, California, as a serious, product-driven longboard brand that focuses on quality products at reasonable prices. We are longboarders, and we know how important it is to buy a product that is worth its price. Over the years, you will see us release new products. It may take time before certain products are released, but that is because we want and need the products to be perfect for our customers. nordbords.com

RAYNE FUTURE KILLER

You can’t just give the Mona Lisa a little blush, right?

Well, Rayne didn’t just put a glossy new graphic on a

Killswitch either; they went for a full reconstructive surgery! Since ’09, the Killswitch has been one of the winningest boards in downhill. Length: 37.75”. Width: 9.75”. Wheelbase: 29”/29.5”/30”/30.5”. raynelongboards.com HIGH SOCIETY SLIDE GLOVES These reinforced leather gloves are made to look sleek, fit tight and help you get away with murder. Each set of gloves comes with a superdurable Rayne poured Delrin slide puck and an air freshener.

ments, the Cantellated Tesseract offers a lighter and more compact alternative for those who love to shred and ollie with unidirectional style, while the Truncated Tesseract is a pared-down platform for canyon-carving and downhill-racing geeks. All three boards feature symmetrical rocker, pronounced wheel well flares, wide and tall W concave and multiple wheelbase options. loadedboards.com

ORANGATANG LUST WHEELS Earlier this year Rayne released a wheel series with some familiar shapes—all of them necessary, but not a sufficient lineup to support a competitive team of skaters. They poured out Rayne thane into one of the industry’s classic shapes, with a big, supportive, centerset core. raynelongboards.com

VICIOUS GRIPTAPE—NEW TEAM MANAGER Vicious Grip is stoked to announce a new team and marketing manager, Cameron Frazier. After riding for Vicious and helping support their events for the past few years, Cam has showed he gets it done and puts the community first in life every day. viciousgrip.com

MADRID Thirty-eight years in the making, the Madrid 2014 line is here, with more than 40 new boards designed, pressed and cut in Huntington Beach, California. Highlights include new downhill designs from our pro team, a variety of new concaves and four legendary freeride boards making up the Madrid Mountain Legends Series. Check out the entire line at madridskateboards.com.

LOADED Loaded is proud to now offer single-kick (Cantellated) and no-kick (Truncated) variations of the Tesseract in addition to their double-kick originator. Inspired by Loaded ambassadors’ DIY deck-chopping experi-

Orangatang introduces their new lineup of centerset freeride wheels: the Cage (73 mm), the Kilmer (69 mm) and the Keanu (66 mm).

All of these wheels feature gently beveled sidewalls, rounded edges and stone-ground contact surfaces. A newly designed 38 mm x 38 mm core with a deep, “valley”-shaped cross-section keeps the lips firmly supported like a burly Botox injection, promoting smooth, consistent slides and even wear. The centersets are poured in Orangatang’s new Peachy Thane formula in 80A, 83A and 86A. Slightly grippier than Euphorethane yet slipperier than Happy Thane, Peachy Thane offers a balanced blend of buttery speed control, long slides and a cush ride. orangatangwheels.com

The second annual Turkey Slide Jam took place on November 30, 2013, near San Clemente, California.

Thanks to all who helped the event go down, including Sector 9, Muir Skate, R.A.D., Vicious Grip and Handplant Skateshop. Rider: Daniel Luna. Photo: Mark Golter

SURF-RODZ

Surf-Rodz GRIND (TKPs) now in all colors and sizes.

The TKPs have been an extremely popular choice among street, park and freestyle skaters because they are responsive and grind-friendly. TKPs have also been gaining a significant following in the longboarding world because the amount of lean/turn they provide is great for sliding, slalom, cruising and freeriding. surf-rodz.com

CUSTOMSZ Surf-Rodz founder and owner Wayne Gallipoli has always pursued building skateboards in his garage and mixing a range of materials with unique deck shapes. Wayne is back at it again and working on a line of custom one-of-akind completes. For more information, contact wayne@surf-rodz.com.

BRADEN

Whether you’re pushing your limits reaching insanely high speeds or throwing 180-foot standies, this downhill/freeride machine has all the curves you need. The Enigma features a 0.5” radial drop with 0.562” concave that extends all the way into the drop. Mild W concave starts on the inside of the foot platform, providing both comfort and rigidity. With wheelbases of 31.5” and 29.375”, the Enigma is ready to assist you in your sideways pursuit. bradenboards.com

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

35

» N OT E W O R T H Y | P RO D U C T S , P E O P L E , E V E N T S

ROJAS

BADLANDS

Rojas trucks feature a patent-pending technology that combines the attributes of precision, rebound, stability, fluidity and control. Symmetrical Tension TechnologyTM creates a truck with a lot of turn and a very strong center point. The High-Impact Resilient Hanger features a design that increases strength and durability. This equates to a precision truck with a precise geometry, allowing riders to rapidly gain confidence. The future of longboarding is here and now. Rojas Hybrids: Engineered for progression. bradenboards.com

Badlands Skateboards, the legendary brand established in 1975 by father and son Roy and Tay Hunt, lives on with release of a limited-edition deck series. The Shredder (33” x 9.25”) and the Pro Hog (32” x 9.5”) are some of the last batches designed and produced by Badlands before the passing of Roy Hunt in 2012. These highly collectible decks are hand-numbered and signed by original Badlanders Tay Hunt and Harvey Hawks.

Available while supply lasts exclusively through sk8kings.com.

GEAUX MEESHELL

HARFANG

All boards are all individually pressed and shaped

by Geaux Meeshell himself. In a humble shop filled with tools and processes that Geaux has developed for crafting skateboard/longboard decks, stock graphics are hand-painted or digitally printed on fiberglass from Ohio artists. But it’s your board, your style; want a picture of your dog on your board? No problem. Customized cuts, veneers to make your own or an uncut blank are all available at geauxmeeshell.com.

Harfang Wheels headquarters are located in Montreal, Canada, where the weather can turn bad and the roads even worse. DRY, RAIN or ALL-TERRAIN, Harfang will supercharge any skateboard/longboard wheels for some serious action! Get the maximum of your equipment for any road and weather condition by adding grooves, modifying the profile or shape of your wheels. Harfang is also secretly developing their own wheel. Stay tuned! harfangwheels.com

NATURAL LOG The Roots model is designed and crafted as a versatile, high-performance cruiser. This board is perfect for daily commutes, city cruising or a session in the park.

The Roots 29” features a wide nose and is shaped to have a hint of flex. This deck provides you a stable, cushioned ride, as well as the possibility for modern technical skating. Natural Log boards are 100% handcrafted in California and airbrushed by hand. naturallogskate.com

36

BULT Introducing the world’s first actionsport helmet with an integrated HD camera. Featuring a built-in control interface and 60 minutes of record and store time, capturing a first-person perspective of your most memorable rides has never been easier. Snap photo stills with the push of a button. Charge on the go with USB connectivity. Welcome to the most adept way to sharing your adventures, forever. bulthelmets.com

DEVILLE Deville is stoked to release their very first slide gloves!

They’ve been developing puck urethane

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

formulas and researching the highest-quality raw materials providers for almost two years. The result: two styles of gloves that are functional, stylish and won’t break the bank. The Racing Gloves (shown here) feature 100% leather, Deville HDPE pucks, leather wrapped knuckle guards and 2 mm of vibration foam, plus Kevlar-reinforced fingers and thumb. These gloves have been tested by our riders through the toughest terrain, including Pikes Peak and Maryhill, and are built to last! skatedeville.com

NORK The Nork One downhill racing helmet is the first racing helmet to be launched by Nork. It combines aero design, aggressive styling and the highest international safety standards. Nork Helmet Company is dedicated to designing performance-oriented helmets. norkhelmets.com

CONCRETE SURFER Concrete Surfer Skateboards of Amsterdam new models for 2014 include Scotty Senatore’s new pool and park model, a 9” x 32” oldschool model with a 14.75” WB, designed by the inventor of the Turning Point Ramp and hardcore skate legend Scotty Senatore. Larissa Sampaio, Brazilian longboard downhill slide champion, will also have her own signature model with CSS. The deck is 9” x 40”. Nilo Peçanha, one of Brazil’s top vert skaters, comes to CSS also. His model is 8.5” x 32”. Nilo is the first professional skateboarder to join the CSS team.

Also new is a modified version of their popular Chris Yandall model. All new models are made in the USA, using the best possible materials. concretesurfer.com

DUSTERS Fifty years ago Bruce Brown, his 16mm camera and world-class surfers Robert August and Mike Hynson chased summer around the world filming the most iconic surf movie of all time, The Endless Summer.

» N OT E W O R T H Y | P RO D U C T S , P E O P L E , E V E N T S

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the film, Dusters California is stoked to announce the release of the Endless Summer cruiser and longboard. Both feature original Endless Summer art by John Van Hamersveld, Slant trucks, Dusters wheels, ABEC-7 bearings, inlaid bottle opener and laser-etched logo. dusterscalifornia.com

learn new moves and improve your skateboarding skills to land sick combos. Play with your friends using the new online multiplayer mode or challenge skaters from all over the world using the online leaderboards. Complete achievements, gain experience and upgrade your favorite skater. Concrete Wave is proud to be one of the brands featured in the game. ratrodstudios.com

INFINITY ZERO Infinity Zero is back with a brand new bearing cleaner! This new, more travel-sized cleaner promises to removes rust from bearings and increase speed with no soaking required. The cleaner can be purchased in retail stores or online at infinityzero.us.

THIRD KIND

Light up your board with Third Kind. Third Kind skate lights is an ultra-bright LED kit that easily mounts to any skateboard. Rugged, water-resistant, rechargeable and safe, its compact design is shredder-proofed for all skating, whether cruising, bombing, airing or boardsliding. Third Kind is designed by skaters for skaters to blaze a new trail in skateboarding. The kit comes complete with battery, charger and your choice of red, green, blue or pink 20” LED strip, cuttable every 2”. thirdkindbeyond.com

SKATEBOARD PARTY 2

SKATE THE CAPE SHRED FESTIVAL 2 Faceplant Boardriders Longboard Company and WheelRZ Longboard Wheel Company hosted their second annual Skate the Cape Shred Festival on November 9-10, 2013, in the scenic and historic Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware. This unique event made use of the paved paths that run throughout the park’s World War forts, ammo bunkers and artillery.

Skate the Cape is an event meant to bring riders together from all over to compete, push each other and hang out overnight on the State Park’s campgrounds, making for good vibes all around. Red Bull and Liquid Boardshop of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, helped out to make this two-day event run smoothly, and Idyllic Clothing helped out with the event logo and T-shirts.

Day one was the 2.75 Enduro Push Race that went around the park’s path, with ups and downs, twists and turns through the pines and dunes. That afternoon’s downhill event had a hard right that kept riders in check when they were cruising down the main dune from Fort Miles. Day two started with the slalom race, which was followed by the slide jam, in which riders had to showcase serious style in order to make it to the spectator-judged finals. Skate the Cape truly brings out the best in its riders, and the groms especially were throwing down in the slide jam this year. Be sure to make it to the Skate the Cape Shred Festival 3 in November 2014, as it is planned to be bigger and better.

CLUTCH Clutch has put together a team in Southern California. They also found a guy with a camera. With Elias Angulos filming Alex Newton, Ben Arcia, Joe Gutkowski, Steven Prall and Chris Buono, they will be showcasing their wealthy plebe style of skating and living. Check out the Clutch Skateboards Team page on YouTube.

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN King of the Photo: Alex Mof Mountain turned out to be one of eastern Canada’s larger longboard festivals this year. Despite the cold weather on Halloween weekend, riders traveled from as far as Penticton, BC and Halifax to camp out and jam out for the weekend of madness.

The event was hosted at Camp Fortune ski resort in Chelsea, Quebec. If two days of racing on a closed road of more than 75 km/h weren't enough, the lodge was rented all weekend for the after-party, and the venue also had an indoor mini ramp, onsite camping and bonfires. Read the full recap on our CW blog, and be sure to check out the event next year.

Open: Francis Coté-Tremblay Niko Desmarais Dexter Manning David Despatie Ladies: Amateur: Cassandra Duchesne Alexis Bernier Kalie Racine Gabriel Lagueux Mioche Michelle Ryan Mckey Amie-Anne Sheppard Samuel Blais Brianna Drodge

HAMBORG ON TV MIDS

Skateboard Party 2 brings all the fun of skateboarding to your mobile device, allowing you to ride in eight completely unique locations. Jump on your board,

38

Over a month of hard partying and even harder skating, Team Mids is crowdsourcing funds and kicking off the tour at the Burke Family Picnic in Vermont and making our way down the East Coast to Asheville, then across the country and into Canada to get bricked in your local bars and slay your favorite mountain roads. midsforlife.com

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

Congratulations to Pete Hamborg of Hamboards, who wound up on both Shark Tank and The Queen Latifah Show. From left: Four of the five Hamborg brothers, Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank, Queen Latifah, Pete Hamborg and his wife, Kathy.

» N OT E W O R T H Y | P RO D U C T S , P E O P L E , E V E N T S HYDROFLEX SKATEBOARDS What is this technology?

Rich Ciesco—CEO: Our technology has been developed off our surfboards, where we use a 3D bond to laminate our boards … [this] multiplies the bond between the layers, making them much stronger than a standard 2D layup that surfboards and even skateboards are typically made of.

What makes it so different?

First and the most obvious is the fact that our board are not made of wood. They are 100% composite. There are other boards on the market made of full composite, but these boards are made with a completely different manufacturing process and with a different type of core. And the look of our boards is so unique and eyecatching that wood decks just don’t have.

What are some of the key benefits?

One of the benefits is the spring and pop of the board is transferred directly through the core to the bottom side of the deck when you lay up a board in this manner.

Also, working with composites, we have the ability to really dial in the flex patterns of our boards. Standard boards are all made of maple. Well, the only way to make a maple board stiffer is to add more layers, or make the layers thicker. With composites we don’t have to add more material to change the flex. Just by using a different fiberglass, or even carbon fiber, we can completely change the flex of the board without having to add more material and make the board heavier. Each of our models has different flex characteristics based on how it will be used. So our cruisers have some flex and our downhill model is extremely stiff.

What’s been the feedback so far?

The feedback has been great. Right now we can’t produce boards fast enough to meet the demand—which is a huge problem in itself, but I would rather have this problem than the alternative.

We wanted to do something completely different that would disrupt the standard quo. Coming from surfboard making, we work with completely different types of material that could be applied to the skateboard market, and that is what we are doing.

We don’t want to do what others do, and hopefully the market will respond to this.

40

What are some of your future plans?

For sure we will be expanding the shapes that we have. We have new cores and even completely new constructions that we are testing and want to release down the road. For us the problem is staying focused and not moving too fast in a market we are just entering, but we are excited to get into it and see where it takes us.

CW: Of all the countries, races and travels to South America, what was the highlight?

Will: The whole time down there was a blast! One moment that stands out for me was this side trip I took to Medellin in Colombia. We stayed with the Cannalivio guys on the top of this insanely steep mountain. You needed a 4-wheel-drive to make it up the road to their house. It ended up being one of the steepest roads I have ever skated. Also, the city has an abundance of beautiful women. I want to live there.

CATCHING UP WITH WILL ROYCE Gullwing rider Will Royce has been in South America terrorizing the skate scene and shredding everything in his path. We got a chance to catch up with Will about his travels.

CW: We all know when traveling abroad you can always count on locals to show you around and help in many ways. Anyone you would like to thank who helped you along the way in South America?

Will: Yes. The people I know and meet are how I manage to survive on my budget. Christian Salmon in Peru—hella homie. Camilo Cespedes and the Cannalivio crew in Colombia—great adventures. Thiago Duarte, Jonas Richter and Vinicius D’Oliveira in Brazil—can’t thank them enough. Staying at your friends’ houses is way better than hotels.

Photo: Christian Salmon

CW: Will, you traveled to South America for about a month or two at the end of 2013. What were you doing down there?

Will: I was skateboarding the IDF World Cup circuit in Peru, Colombia and Brazil. I competed in races such as Festival de la Bajada in Colombia, [and] Teutônia and the other IGSA races in Brazil.

CW: You managed to take a win at a DH race in Brazil and received a little heat during the award ceremony.

Can you tell us a little bit about what happened?

Will: It was part of a three-week series ending with Teutônia: first Guaiba, second Jeronimo and third Teutônia. I placed fourth at Guaiba and managed to win Jeronimo the following week. I was the only North American at the race, and Brazil is very competitive, to say the least. They have a tradition of playfully kicking the winner’s ass. Well I, the only North American, won the race and had no one to protect me, so when I was called to the podium it was a bonanza of these hay bales being thrown at me. I got knocked to the ground and was jerked up by my hair. Then I just started throwing stuff back at them. It was insane! It went on for about a minute. I posted a video of it on my YouTube channel.

What you don’t see in the video is after the podium, I’m walking to my ride and I get a hay bale dropped on my head with such serious force it knocked me to the ground. I was so dazed and confused I got up and tried to fight the guy! This turns into a huge ordeal with a crowd of people holding us both back from going at it.

Eventually they calmed me down, got me into the car and we got the hell out of there!

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

CORRECTION In the November issue, photos for the Rider Profile were from TeamNanny and Les Images d’ACTION BOB Photos.

360

DEGREES OF AWARENESS WORDS: MICHAEL BROOKE | PHOTOS: ALON KARPMAN

WE ALL LIKE TO THINK we are fully aware when we ride. We try our best to soak in the sights and sounds and enjoy the moment. But sometimes, in the rush of life, we need to be reminded. If you’re not fully engaged, you just might miss something important.

I first met Alon Karpman a few years ago. Alon lives, works and skates in the cultural cornucopia of New York City, where anything can happen at a moment’s notice.

He’s always tinkering with new ideas. From skateboards to skate shoes, Alon is continually thinking differently.

His latest idea is a complete redesign of the longboard.

The result of his efforts is called the Hanzo, produced by ANVL Boards.. “[It] was forged from the desire to have a drop-through board with a fully functioning kicktail for the city streets,” Alon says. It got quite a lot of attention when I put it up on the Concrete Wave Facebook page. >>

42

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

Riding in New York City is an all-encompassing experience that makes demands on both equipment and awareness.

Skater/designer Alon Karpman is always looking for ways to enhance both. Heading across the Brooklyn Bridge into the vortex that is Manhattan.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

43

If you make this ride, make sure you have big, soft wheels. It's a bumpy ride.

44

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

Steven Sanchez landing a switch boneless in the Flatiron District.

From Brooklyn to Manhattan with the Elby skate shoe.

Diego Muñoz kickflipping the Hanzo in Times Square.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

45

As editor, I am sent a huge number of photos. Over the past 15 years, I must have received thousands of submissions. Some lead to covers, and others lead to the “future pile.” But most don’t get published.

In the fall of 2013, Alon sent me a rather odd photo.

At first it was difficult to really discern what I was viewing. I took a brief look and wrote to Alon, “That’s cool, kind of trippy—maybe you used some sort of panoramic effect or something.”

Alon emailed me back and urged me to take another look. When I did, I soon realized that he had created something truly unique: The cameras Alon used created a 360-degree viewpoint. But I had missed seeing it the first time around. Maybe I wasn’t fully engaged.

Alon says, and many others would confirm, “You need to be fully aware when riding in New York.

You could say it requires 360 degrees of awareness.” Alon’s goal in these photos was to “capture the intensity of riding in NYC along with the magic.” I think he’s done just that.

We sincerely hope you enjoy this visual feast!

46

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

Stoking a new generation.

Steven Sanchez was happy to provide some support to a new rider. Little Sylvie couldn't get enough and even cried when we had to go.

Another viewpoint of Steven switching it up in the Flatiron District.

Some self-reflection time at Battery Park.

The Statue of Liberty snakes our board in Times Square.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

47

BLAST FROM THE PAST …OR NOSTALGIA AIN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE

T

he cover of the first issue of Concrete Wave had a tagline of “BLAST FROM THE PAST.” This was back in 2002, and our editorial page espoused the idea “to take you back and move you forward.”

That latter phrase was dreamt up by Mike Moore, the Texas illustrator responsible for the Skategeezer Homepage, founded in 1995. Looking back, I think it captures the essence of the magazine.

Like a wave, skateboarding constantly changes. It builds on its past and evolves. From a participatory

48

BY MICHAEL BROOKE and financial perspective, it hits peaks and valleys.

As a rider you have the freedom to take skateboarding wherever you wish.

Over the past decade the skateboard world has indeed dipped into its past and moved itself forward.

Longboarding has progressed to heights most people would have thought unimaginable. Then again, it’s hard to believe that plastic mini cruisers re-emerged from a 35-year dormancy and have become a runaway success. As the French say, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

Steve Cathey enjoys La Costa's fresh asphalt, 1975.

Photo: Warren Bolster

If you look at who reads most skateboard magazines, you’ll find that there is a huge population of folks under the age of 20. With Concrete Wave, almost 50% of our readership is over 20. But no matter how you look at demographics, each generation of skaters leaves its mark on skateboarding. Although we might pine for the way things used to be, time marches on.

We cannot undo what’s been done. But it can be fun to reflect on things. This article examines nostalgia and skateboarding. As they say, “What’s remembered is strictly up to you.”

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF NOSTALGIA The word nostalgia was conceived in 1688 by a Swiss medical student named Johannes Hofer. He brought together two Greek words: nostos, meaning “returning home,” and algos, meaning “pain” or “longing”. Homesickness is often used as a synonym for nostalgia. For almost two centuries, the medical community treated nostalgia as an actual disease.

Nowadays, nostalgia is often experienced as a longing for what has disappeared. But studies also show that at the same time people are upset, they also experience warm, positive feelings as they recall the happy times. It is estimated that 80% of people feel nostalgic at least once a week.

Constantine Sedikides, a social psychologist originally from Greece but with roots in the USA, has studied nostalgia extensively, and has also noted its effects in his own life. When he moved to England in 1999, he told The New York Times, he experienced nos-

talgic feelings for his previous life in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

“Nostalgia made me feel that my life had roots and continuity,” he said. “It made me feel good about myself and my relationships. It provided a texture to my life and gave me strength to move forward.”

According to researchers in the Netherlands, music can be a quick way to induce nostalgia. Scientists have found that listening to songs can make people feel nostalgic but warmer physically. At the University of Surrey in the U.K., researchers found that nostalgia levels tend to be high among young adults, then fall in middle age and increase during old age. “Nostalgia helps us deal with transitions,” Erica Hepper, one of the psychologists at University of Surrey, told The New York Times. “The young adults are just moving away from home and or starting their first jobs, so they fall back on memories of family Christmases, pets and friends in school.”

In other words, says Dr. Sedikides, “Nostalgia makes us a bit more human.”

An unidentified skater gets a chance to try out the snake run at Anaheim's Concrete Wave, 1976.

Photo: Warren Bolster

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

49

DAD I recall the first time making the steepest hill in my hometown in 6th grade … Two years later, on a trip to California in ’77, my dad let us blow off Disneyland so my brother and I could ride The Concrete Wave, Boogie Bowl, Skatepark Montebello, Carlsbad, and Upland skateparks! On our way home my dad took us to Disneyland anyway. Thanks, dad!

JUNK DAY Growing up in New Jersey, my friends and I would froth at the mouths when the annual “junk day” would come around. Once a year our neighborhood would have a big garbage pickup day where anything, it seemed, was fair game to leave on one’s driveway to be hauled away. We used to find the most wonderful things to build home-made ramps out of. Ping-Pong tables became fly boxes, television sets became teetertotter bonk ledges with devastating consequences, and anything remotely metal would find itself wedged wherever it would sit solid enough to be grinded. We used to begin by skating up the final bits of our hill to the houses at the top, and luging our treasures back down to our own driveway. Then everything below us on the hill was fair game, and was muscled back to our home as well. We would skate our ridiculous contraptions until they broke, and then leave them out for the garbage men to take away.

LITTLE OLD LADY I was bombing a hill to friend’s house at 2 a.m. with a backpack full of whiskey and overtook a little Ford Fiesta. I soon realized that the old lady driving didn’t like the idea of being overtaken — or that it was by a

GREAT MEMORIES “Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: You find the present tense, and the past perfect!”

— Owens Lee Pomeroy We know that each day you’re out there creating new memories. But nostalgia can play a role in wellbeing, so we wanted to mine the past a little bit. We asked skaters from many different generations about some of their favorite skate memories. (For a much larger compilation of skaters’ memories, be sure to check out Jack Smith’s 2009 book Lives on Board. You can even get it on iTunes.)

50

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

skateboarder. Lights flashing and horn blaring, she catches up and tries to run me down whilst giving me the finger! Speed wobbles while facing backwards with my hands on the car hood was f---ing sketchy to say the least, but I managed to push myself to the driver’s side and push off into the opposite lane. Crazy old lady wound down her window and flipped the birdie one more time as she took off down the road. Luckily my deck, whiskey and myself made it! Could have gone horribly wrong, but the boarder won.

“SPONSOR ME” SPEED MESSAGE In creating this feature, I wanted to share one of my own cherished mementos from the 1970s skate era.

The exact year was 1978, and I recall diligently writing “sponsor me” letters to my favorite companies. There were no such things as sponsor-me videos back then.

So I dutifully typed out my pleas and sent them out in the mail. Some companies didn’t reply at all. A few others sent back stickers or price sheets. I was extremely grateful for these goodies, but they didn’t really answer my question about sponsorship. But someone at Gordon & Smith Skateboards took the time to actually write a memo – and enclose three stickers. So, although I was saddened that they weren’t planning on sponsoring a “G&S Canadian team,” I was completely stoked that they had taken the time to actually write. It was their personal touch that I never forgot. Now, more than 35 years later, the spirit of this letter has remained with me, and I try my hardest to answer all emails and inquiries personally.

Photos: Warren Currie

NHS HITS 40 YEARS This past year, NHS, the company behind Santa Cruz, Independent, Road Rider, Creature and many other brands, turned 40. They were right there at the beginning of skateboarding’s second boom. Considering all the boom-and-bust cycles since then, it’s truly incredible they’ve not only survived, but thrived.

THINGS SKATERS MISS “Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.”

— Marcel Proust Most of us tend to forget the bad stuff and remember only the good. Skate gear today is a lot different, and better, than what was available 15 years ago, let alone 30 years ago. But technology is only part of the equation.

Whatever era you come from, there are things you’re bound to miss, as these readers’ responses show:

I healed faster back then. The sense of freedom, letting all the BS of the day escape my mind like air from a balloon. The pure joy of like-minded kids (friends or enemies) enjoying pure stoke. The speed, and when I hit the coping on the halfpipe for the first time.

The ground seems softer when you weigh around 100 lbs. versus 200 lbs.

I miss the “restricted” freedom one had when the board was the only mode of transportation. Being too young for either a car or a license lent itself to adventures of discovery and excitement as you hunted down every last, tiny skateable object across town. No parking block was too

mellow, no stair set was too small to ollie, just as long as they were new.

Bombing about with friends, most [of whom] now don’t even own a deck! I’m now 28 and still going strong, even after getting married, having two kids and an ankle operation. Just meeting up with friends and just hitting spots all day long … there was nothing like it!

I always think back to when skating was simple: try something two or three times before stompin’ it. The excitement when you got a new deck, or even just new bearings! Rushing to set them up and break them in.

I miss … the innocence of it all.

Downhill legends at La Costa in the summer of 1976.

Photo: Warren Bolster

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

51

Riding in style in New York City's Central Park, 1965.

Photo: Bill Eppridge, Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

NRC Nate, Bill, ExAxRxL of Rip City Skates, Santa Monica.

Photo: Mike Horelick

THE MAGAZINES With so many media choices today, it’s hard to believe that during the mid-1970s, skaters would wait up to two months before seeing something in print. Having no Internet and no videos meant you’d wait patiently for the mail to arrive or for the magazines to be on the newsstands. I remember when SkateBoarder magazine went from bimonthly to monthly. The magazine was the bible for riders everywhere. But what you might not know is that a number of people who worked in the 1970s have expressed regret on the decision to move SkateBoarder to a monthly edition. It made sense in 1977, but increasing the ad budget by 100% played havoc with cash flow when demand started to wane a few years later.

Quite a few skate books were published during that time, but they weren’t enough to satiate skaters’ demand. Skateboarding equipment and maneuvers were developing so rapidly that many books were outdated before they even got published. Still, many of us devoured them anyway. About five years ago, I was lucky enough to purchase more than 30 different skate books from the 1970s and 1980s. Someone had diligently collected and wrapped them. The price? About $750. Don’t ask me what I will sell them for – they are going in my will. Same with my SkateBoarder mags.

Even catching skateboarding on television was rare in the 1970s. Thankfully, if you want to see Tony Alva battle Henry Hester on Wide World of Sports, we now have YouTube. Prices of vintage decks seem to have come down a little bit, but back issues of magazines remain a very hot market. You’ll want to put some money aside should you wish to purchase the first issues of certain iconic mags. Last time I checked eBay, TransWorld Skateboarding Vol. 1 No. 1 was at $500.

THE LOCAL SKATE SHOP Before there were actual skate shops, surf shops were the place to go to buy skateboard products. Then, as the 1970s skate craze progressed, bike shops started carrying skate gear. Eventually, skate shops came about and spread throughout the world. Only a handful of the original skate shops from the 1970s and ’80s are left. Rip City Skates in Santa Monica is one of them. It started up in 1978. The shop is crammed to the rafters, and the vibe is exactly what you’d expect a 35year-old independent skate shop to have.

What you may not know is that Zumiez (originally named “Above the Belt”) was also founded that same year, at the Northgate Mall in Seattle. Zumiez hit revenues of more than $710 million in 2012. It’s a safe

assumption that Rip City probably did a little less than that. Actually, it’s a pretty safe assumption that Zumiez accounts for a huge amount of the skate business.

When Sector 9 came out with their product, they found that surf shops were the first to embrace it. As longboarding progressed in popularity and new companies emerged, customers found it difficult to find the specific longboard product they wanted at their local skate shop. This is why a number of people in the skate industry were puzzled by the explosive growth of longboarding. Customers migrated to the Web to order their specific product. Of course, things have since expanded, and more skate shops carry large inventories of longboards. But, in a strange twist of fate, a number of bike shops now carry longboards too.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

53

BRAND RESURRECTION Don’t throw the past away You might need it some rainy day Dreams can come true again When everything old is new again — Peter Allen So, is there a market for nostalgia? Is everything old truly new again? Well, that depends. A quick look over my 14 years of publishing skateboard magazines shows that some old brands can be, and have been, resurrected. Others haven’t fared as well. In truth, it can be tricky bringing back a brand.

One of the first advertisers ever to come on board (in early 1999) was Larry Gordon of Gordon & Smith.

The FibreFlex brand seemed destined to be a big part of longboarding. For a time, it looked like things were rolling. But things change quickly in the skate industry, and success eluded the brand.

A few years later, if you wanted the Rolls-Royce of slalom setups, nothing beat a Turner SummerSki with Radikal trucks. Both brands were resurrected, and while they helped to breathe life back into slalom, neither brand was able to fully capitalize on the rebirth.

At one point, Bahne Skateboards enjoyed an enormous market share. But that was back in 1974. The company was brought back in 2001 and wasn’t able to exploit its original success. Bennett Trucks were relaunched in 2006 to a great deal of fanfare. Despite the trucks being super-responsive (with a baseplate that didn’t break!), they also suffered a similar fate, and the brand moved into the shadows.

Despite these disappointing relaunches, there have been some bright spots. Tunnel was founded by Mitch Haake in 1975. Thirty years later, the brand was relaunched and has achieved a modest level of success. Madrid Skateboards had a strong presence in the 1980s and even marketed longboards along with vert

Jay Adams with a smooth bert.

Photo: Kent Sherwood

54

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

Hang Ten Brand Manager Ben Young enjoys the '70s vibe.

Photo: Cliff Eveliegh

Jerry Madrid Photo Courtesy Madrid

In our November issue, we brought you the story of how Kryptonics wheels are coming back. And now, Hang Ten, a brand that had quite a large presence in the ’70s, has re-entered the skate scene in the USA. It enjoyed a very positive reaction at the recent Outdoor Retailer show. Brand manager Ben Young says that “Hang Ten is about fun. It’s a friendly brand.” Also, Young says, “We had a number of retailers doing double takes. They’d say that Hang Ten was one of their first skateboards.” Interestingly enough, Hang Ten has continued to have a huge following in Asia and South America. “It’s still a core brand in Brazil,” Young says.

If we’re going to get nostalgic here, a special mention should be given to Tracker Trucks. Tracker will also hit the big Four-O in 2015. While that’s a huge milestone, it’s not the only reason I am mentioning them. In 1983, Tracker founder Larry Balma, along with Peggy Cozens, founded TransWorld Skateboarding magazine. In 1997, it was sold to Times Mirror. Five years later, in the spring of 2002, Tracker Trucks took out the back cover ad in the first issue of Concrete Wave.

Thanks to their support, the magazine took flight and I was able to get to press. Longtime Tracker rider and employee Buddy Carr even sold a pair of magnesium trucks to help pay for the ad.

Rick Tetz at Robson Square, Vancouver, late '70s.

Photo: M. Gilmore

FINAL THOUGHTS

Mike Horelick (left) with Mitch Haake, founder of Tunnel.

decks. They have built on their reputation to become a large presence within longboarding.

Z-Flex is another brand with a lengthy history. It grew out of the Zephyr company that was founded in 1975. Although it’s had a number of different owners and several resurrections, these days, it seems to have its footing – much like its prized rider, Jay Adams. The company just released a limited-edition fiberglass deck.

Powell Skateboards will celebrate its 40th anniversary in two years. Like NHS, George Powell’s company has never left skateboarding, but it’s been a tumultuous ride. Thousands of fans worldwide were ecstatic about the return of Stacy Peralta and the rejuvenation of the Powell-Peralta brand. They were equally delighted with the recent Bones Brigade documentary.

The company’s move to develop These Wheels for longboarders has only fueled the fire and created a new generation of followers.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this small trip down memory lane. But no matter where nostalgia takes you, it’s important not to get too obsessed about the past. So, on to the future!

While it is enjoyable to reflect on great memories, I more greatly believe in progress and hope to never see the industry stagnate in its own history the way I feel it has for the past several years. A truly fresh and new identity for the sport needs to emerge.

It would be nice if more skaters cared about the history of skateboarding. I still have a lot to learn myself. But I’m tired of some skaters knocking longboards or not knowing about Makaha or other forerunners, commercial AND noncommercial. Nostalgia indicates a level of appreciation.

Skaters slamming other skaters based on type of skateboard, shape of skateboard or skateboard components just shows a lack of appreciation for skateboarding itself.

Skateboarding is timeless. It’ll never die, but it will always change/evolve. Can’t wait to see where it is when my future children get into it.

When I took over Tunnel years back from Mitch Haake, I knew it was not something I could take lightly.

Tunnel was not just a brand. It had an awesome team and great products, and most importantly, it was big part of the culture that goes with skateboarding. Tunnel Skateboards was weaved through the memories of many hard-core skateboarders. I’ve tried to carry on the tradition, and the feeling of skaters competing in downhill IGSA events on Tunnel wheels years after the Signal Hill Speed Run is a testament to the Tunnel name.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

55

A SOLID

PUSH FORWARD

YEAR TWO OF THE INTERNATIONAL DISTANCE SKATEBOARD ASSOCIATION

BY JONATHAN STRAUSS 2013 was a great year for distance skateboarding. New athletes were found with a small 12-event schedule that crowned a king and queen of PUSH. Congrats to male and female Skaters of the Year Paul Kent and Colleen Pelech! The future is bright, with passionate young skaters like Anton McCampbell and Julian Rodriguez. The sport is changing and evolving, new styles of push are being created and boards are being tweaked and improved specifically for the alternative transport segment.

FINAL RANKINGS FOR 2013

FEMALE

56

1. Colleen Pelech ..............................40 2. Anna O’Neill...................................33 3. Cami Best........................................31 4. Sarah Rassieur...............................22 5. Jordi Ensign....................................22 6. Melanie Castro..............................20 7. Leah Martin....................................18 8. Kayla Anderson..............................15 9. Sidra Boyer.....................................14 10. Blair Butterworth...........................11

MALE 1. Paul Kent ........................................72 2. Robin McGuirk..............................49 3. Brandon DesJarlais .......................39 4. William Frank.................................37 5. Eric Palmer.....................................36 6. Andrew Andras .............................34 7. Rick Shorr.......................................23 8. Jared Seifert ..................................20 9. Leo Segura......................................17 10. Andrew Brown...............................16

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

A LOOK AHEAD TO 2014 The 2014 IDSA race schedule brings a lot of life and action to the sport, with more than 20 events already confirmed and committed. The IDSA will be visiting cities across the USA including New York City, Miami, Portland, Seattle, Buffalo, Charlotte, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Tulsa and Branson, to name a few.

From Paul Kent and Robin McGuirk battling in the Northwest to Andy Andras blowing people away at the 24-hour UltraSkate at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, the year was filled with plenty of excitement.

The bar has been raised for 2014. Now let’s take a look at the top three male and female contenders for the upcoming season.

Robin "The Leg" McGuirk.

Photo: Sam Galus, Everett Herald

Photo: Les Robertson

Photo: Les Robertson

PAUL KENT Age: 32 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Ride: Rayne Sponsors: Rayne, Long Treks, Orangatang, Royal Boardshop Paul is the best long-distance skater in Canada and arguably the world. At any race, Paul will usually be the winner for the longest distance being contested.

In 2013 he was able to tackle wins at the 20-km R.O.G.U.E. race in Edmonton and the 188-mile Chief Ladiga Silver Comet Sk8 Challenge. There is no doubt that Paul will be a top contender in 2014.

ANDREW ANDRAS Age: 37 Nickname: La Máquina Location: Miami, Florida Ride: “La Máquina” Subsonic board, Seismic Speed Vent wheels, Tekton bearings, Dont-Trip “Poppy” LDP trucks, RipTide bushings Sponsors: Subsonic, Tekton, Dont-Trip

ROBIN MCGUIRK Age: 36 Nickname: The Leg Location: Portland, Oregon Ride: Eastside Blazer drop-through with Aera trucks and Orangatang Kegel wheels Sponsors: Daddies Board Shop, Eastside Longboards, TimeShip Racing, Push Culture Apparel

Andy’s jaw-dropping performance at the 24-hour UltraSkate at the Homestead-Miami Speedway— skating 261.8 miles in 24 hours and setting a Guinness World Record in the process—earned him the nickname La Máquina (“the machine” in Spanish). He also placed seventh at Chief Ladiga and second at the Port St. Lucie (Florida) Skateboard Marathon. Andy continues to push his body and expertise to the limits and will only do bigger things in 2014.

Robin “The Leg” McGuirk’s name is synonymous with elite distance skaters, especially those in the longboarding hotbed of the Pacific Northwest, and that’s where he left his biggest mark in 2013. The IDSA brought two events to the PNW: Push in the Woods and the Centennial Trail Push. Robin was able to place second in the 5k and 10k at Push in the Woods and first in the mile and 5k and second in the halfmarathon at the Centennial. “The Leg” will be coming for any and all challengers in 2014!

Photo: Peter Henderlite

COLLEEN PELECH Age: 22 Location: Brooklyn, New York Ride: Blue Sky Beefy pool board, Seismic Bootlegs, Tekton bearings, RipTide Street Series bushings in regular skate trucks Sponsors: Blue Sky Longboards, Seismic Skate Systems, REY Trucks, Shralpers Union, Ghostskate Colleen may be the best-kept secret in the longboarding world. She has become a dominant force for the females. She placed first at the Morro Bay Mile, Chief Ladiga and Ultraskate in 2013 and second at the Ian Tillman Foundation 5k and 10k skates. There’s no question she can handle herself on a board. She also managed to become one of the first females to skate across the country on Jack Smith’s “A Push to Remember.” Look for Colleen to wake up the skate world in 2014.

CAMI BEST Age: 27 Nickname: The Beast Location: New York, New York Ride: Push/Flatground—Bustin Maestro Pro, REY trucks, RipTide bushings, Orangatang wheels, RockStar bearings; DH—Bustin EQ or Mekanik, REY trucks, RipTide bushings, Orangatang wheels, RockStar bearings; Freeride—Bustin Yoface 35, Independent TKPs, RipTide Street Series, Orangatang wheels, RockStar bearings Sponsors: Orangatang Wheels, Bustin Boards, Triple Eight, REY Trucks, RockStar Bearings, Polaroid Action Cams, Longboard Girls Crew, Sneaker Report, 69 Slam, Ghostskate Cami Best is just what her nickname proclaims: The Beast. In 2013 she was able to win the 5k and 10k races at Clermont (Florida) and placed third at the UltraSkate, overcoming a terrible asthma attack in the process. Her name has long been associated with the best female skaters in the world, and it should continue to be in 2014, as long as she remains healthy.

SIDRA BOYER Age: 22 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Ride: Rayne Nemesis, Death-REYs, Abec 11 Flywheels, Vibrams Sponsors: Ian Tilmann Foundation Sidra is another huge up-and-comer for 2014. She was able to win the Port St. Lucie marathon and the Avalon Skate Fest 10k and placed third at Clermont in both the 5k and 10k. “Seadge” is just beginning to tap her potential. Look for her to really break out in 2014.

With these six, the stage is set for an epic 2014 season for the IDSA. Some sleepers to look at include Will Frank and Aidan Lynds for the men, along with young up-and-comers Julian Rodriguez, Anton McCampbell and Adrian Rodriguez. On the female side, Melanie Castro should not be discounted as well. There will be more events than ever in the upcoming season and the excitement is building to see who the top contenders will be, who is out to prove people wrong and who is going to come out of nowhere to shock the push scene.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

57

Jeff Vyain cruises as he tests the roads at the Homestead Miami Speedway at the 24-Hour UltraSkate. Photo: Jim Winters

INTRODUCING THE INTERNATIONAL DISTANCE SKATEBOARD ASSOCIATION (IDSA) www.theidsa.org

Racers head for home at Michigan's Holland Half Marathon. Photo: Alex Bolen Group shot after the Holland Half. Photo: Alex Bolen

Rising star, 8-year-old Anton McCampbell. Photo: David McCampbell

RUNNING AN OUTLAW EVENT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK. IT’S JUST AS COST-EFFECTIVE, MORE EFFICIENT AND MUCH SAFER TO ORGANIZE A SANCTIONED RACE. The IDSA’s mission is to act as the global governing body to ensure the safety of skateboarders by ensuring that route inspection, age grouping and event insurance needs are met; to grow international awareness and participation by demonstrating skateboarding’s benefits toward a healthy and positive lifestyle; and to ultimately infuse new energy into skateboarding as a viable and legal mode of trans-

58

portation. At the IDSA, we are committed to spreading stoke safely and in an organized fashion. The IDSA is here to stop the ban on skateboards and promote the sport as racing and as a viable source of alternative transportation. The IDSA is here to help with logistics for your next event, clinic, training session or skateshop ride. The IDSA is committed to figure out ways to stimulate the industry and find more participants for the skateboard industry.

The IDSA can help to access liability insurance and provide participant accident insurance through Mutual of Omaha with every membership as long as a short set of guidelines is followed and enforced. The

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

IDSA is dedicated to ensuring that a standardized set of rules and regulations are set for safe participation in the sport worldwide, as well as helping to provide insurance for both events and skateboarders, and lobbying to inform the public that skateboarding is a viable source of alternative transportation. As skateboarders, we all know that skateboarding for transportation is safer than cycling.

The IDSA has created an event operations checklist and a race action-plan schematic that will help passionate individuals, race organizers, municipalities and event producers to organize and execute an extremely successful skateboard race. It delivers examples of how to develop a plan, how to solicit sponsorships, how to find volunteers, what to look for when designing appropriate courses and how to approach municipal officials to receive authorized permission to use parks, trails, roadways, theme parks, racetracks or other venues.

The Checklist for Event Operations provides a detailed approach for a six-month plan to organize your first event and ensure success. Why reinvent the wheel when the IDSA has already created a formula for every kind of race? Sanctioning an event only costs a couple hundred dollars and initiates full support from the IDSA. The IDSA has helped create events as low cost as $800 and as expensive as $85,000, which means there is an opportunity to create an IDSA Sanctioned Event as long as 40 participants are willing to contribute $20 to make a safe race happen.

The IDSA is a membership-based organization.

Contributions from passionate skateboarders will continue to help grow the sport, subsidize insurance for skateboarders, provide accident insurance for commuting skateboarders and solicit grant funding for all events to receive a guaranteed success.

In the works at the IDSA is a program to begin to certify coaches of our sport and ensure that the network provides not only skill instruction to participants but also safety awareness to protect the longevity of the sport. Within the next six months, a coaching manual will be launched and available to the general public for review and additional contributions.

The IDSA will also launch a collegiate participation platform, which will allow for college funding toward an official College Skateboarding League. The IDSA is working to involve all disciplines of skateboarding, not just the distance or push culture.

The IDSA is also working diligently to create a movement for longboarding that will involve as many industry leaders as possible to create sustainability within the industry via a collaborative safety and advocacy program that will help increase the number of participants in longboarding.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

59

LONGBOARDING FOR PEACE UPDATE RETURN TO AHOUSAHT FIRST LONGBOARD BUILDING NATION

KIDSPEACE & LONGBOARDING FOR PEACE TEAM UP

By Kendall Vrana For two years Brian Fitch has been a facilities coordinator at KidsPeace Residential Treatment Facility in N. Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. KidsPeace is a safe haven for kids in a variety of different crises that works to rebuild their futures. His role includes organizing events and activities for the kids. Brian is also a team member of the Faceplant Boardriders.

In the spring of 2012 Brian started a “Learn to Longboard” program with a group of the most practiced applicants. It was an immediate success, and the kids loved it, leaving the sessions each week asking what they were going to learn and where they were going to ride next! These sessions provide a constructive outlet and teach important “coping skills” that help the kids deal with a variety of issues for which they are receiving treatment.

In May 2013, KidsPeace held the first Faceplant Boardriders “Skate for Peace” charity event on campus. The event was a resounding success and had a great turnout, raising $1,400 for program equipment. Looking to stretch the budget and expand the program as much as possible, Brian discovered Longboarding for Peace. Triple Eight donated 10 helmets, Riviera sent three completes and Landyachtz sent seven completes.

Longboarding is based on progression, and Longboarding for Peace has definitely given KidsPeace and Brian a strong push! The donated equipment has been an invaluable asset for the program and all kids involved.

Story and Photos by Grant Shilling The spray-paint outlines of longboard decks mark a concrete playground by the sea in the shape of the desire for something better— something right here: a skatepark.

Following up on our wish to build a lasting relationship with the people of Ahousaht, the Landyachtz crew of Mike Perreten, Liam McKenzie, Wolfgang Coleman, Nuu-chahnulth outreach worker Beth Luchies and I arrive by boat on a sunny spring day at remote Flores Island on the west coast of Vancouver Island. As documented in Concrete Wave, we had come here in the fall of 2012 to offer longboarding lessons and leave some boards and helmets behind. We had told the kids we’d be back to build boards, and here we are, with a boatload of decks, wheels, trucks, grip tape, power tools, art supplies and an adventuresome spirit. We load a pickup truck on the wharf at Ahousaht with decks, trucks and wheels that will be drawn on, designed and assembled by the kids of Ahousaht.

The kids were ready for us.

A girl with a sharp pair of glasses and a ready and enchanting smile earnestly asks, “Who are we building the boards for?”

“You get to build your own board.”

“Really?” she asks in disbelief as her face lights up.

We throw down bed sheets and paints, paper plates and brushes on a concrete pad by the sea. It takes some time for ideas to percolate and designs to appear. Liam demonstrates with masking tape how to make abstract patterns on the decks, Wolf makes up a simple stencil with the word Ahousaht on it. One of the kids makes a cross on her board with the masking tape; several others follow. Given the complex, often troubled history of the

BLOOD FROM BOARDERS Longboarding for Peace teamed up with Restless Longboards in Montreal, Quebec, for our Blood from Boarders initiative. Hema Quebec were thrilled with the response, and plans are under way to do a full month of blood donation in 2014.

Photos: Alex Mof

60

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

church’s interactions with the First Nations people, we are all a bit surprised.

The years of the church have left their mark here in all sorts of facets beyond and including residential school. The recovery centers are often Christian-run, and offer one of the few times children get to see their parents sober, explains an Ahousaht worker.

In addition to crosses, NBA team logos are celebrated; basketball is huge here. Several boards act as memorials to the dead. In Ahousaht there were 105 attempted suicides last year. The kids’ involvement with this project is a shot at hope.

It occurs to Landyachtz co-founder Mike Perreten that a halfpipe could be built here. Isolation will work to the kids’ advantage, he figures. There will be lots of time to practice. Something to do. F-U-N. Good clean fun. To skate well you have to skate with a clear mind.

Some very talented skate professionals will emerge from Ahousaht, and their example will encourage others, is the hope.

The kids end up designing and assembling more than 30 boards. Once again we plan our return with the dream of a skatepark. The spray-paint outlines of longboard decks give shape to that dream.

TRIPLE EIGHT A huge note of thanks to Triple Eight, who stepped up and donated additional safety gear that will be used by at-risk youth in San Diego County.

SANCTION SKATE SHOP Pierre Moati (pictured on the left) is a longtime reader of Concrete Wave. He decided he wanted to step up and help someone in need this past Christmas. At his place of work he volunteered to take care of a present for a child from a needy family. Pierre visited his local skate shop, Sanction, and arranged for a gift. He met up with Charles Javier, co-owner of Sanction, and together, their act of generosity made one boy very happy indeed.

48-MONTH WORLD TOUR BY LONGBOARD Imagine a four-year world tour by longboard. Well, for Giovanni Barbazza, such a tour is no dream; it’s a reality, starting this spring. The tour will raise money for SOS Children. LFP is thrilled to be on board. We will be supplying Giovanni with LFP pins and stickers, and we’ll be covering his progress with each issue.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A RIVALRY!

MALAYSIA, THE NETHERLANDS AND AUSTRALIA

REWARDS AT AMESBURY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Our movement keeps growing internationally. Joey Bidner, our associate editor, spent a month in Malaysia. We will have a full report in an upcoming issue. Flavio Badenes has stepped up for the Netherlands, and things are starting to happen in Australia too.

Thanks to the generosity of Landyachtz, 10 completes were donated to Amesbury students. Those students who showed the most progress this past semester were rewarded with a complete longboard.

The school is located in Toronto and has really embraced the Longboarding for Peace program.

RAT ROD STUDIOS Longboarding for Peace has joined up with Ottawabased Rat Rod Studios for a brand new skateboard game. Developed for iPhone, the first edition of the game was downloaded more than 10 million times.

Look for several of our logos throughout the game.

Tom Edstrand of Landyachtz

CTV NEWS A huge thanks to CTV news reporter Brent Gilbert, who did a very nice piece on the movement. You can watch it here: bit.ly/IHCa7q

Team NoBull Longboarders is hosting “A Battle for Peace” in Houston, Texas, on January 18, 2014.

Wait a minute. A battle? For peace? Let us explain.

Longboarding encompasses many disciplines.

Within that circle of disciplines are two that are very far apart on the spectrum: long distance pushing/pumping, aka “LDP,” and garage riding. Both of these longboarding groups are fiercely proud of their skills and endurance, but they often look upon each other with a loving disdain. To say it’s a rivalry would be understating it.

Team NoBull Longboarders is looking to bring these two disciplines together for a peaceful battle benefiting Longboarding for Peace to settle the ageold question: Who is better—the Long Distance Pusher or the Garage Rider? There will be two races to answer the question: an LDP of 14 miles throughout the city of Houston during the day, followed by a midnight outlaw garage race with both disciplines competing against each other.

Beyond the amazing flyer designed by Team NoBull rider and Texas longboarding scene artist Jay Cronin, a “who’s who” of longboarding companies is supporting this Longboarding for Peace event: Bombsquad Longboarding; Carve Skate Shop; Waterloo Wheel Design; Evins Skateboards; Riot Boardsports; Revolver Board Company; Insanity Boardshop; Dave’s Hippy Oil; Cheetah Oil; Crossroads Longboards; AuthentiK Longboards; Big Myth Skateboards; Magic Bearings; Iliffe Truck Company; RipTide Bushings; Texas Skate Shop; Seismic Skate Systems; and Abec 11.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

61

CZECH ’THANE DAMES A SEASON WITH THE LONGBOARDING GIRLS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

By JAMES GOGARTY

t’s April 28, 2013, and a group of 25 or so anxious girls is waiting around with a collection of pintail and freeride decks at one of the main entrances to Prague’s largest park, Stromovka. The weather has slightly improved after an unusually long winter, with bits of sunshine making an appearance in the otherwise chilly overcast spring day. While winters can be harsh in Central Europe, this past season was one of the bleakest and snowiest in years. In fact, winter’s frigid arm stretched over the Czech Republic from late October to early April. It was depressing and limiting for many, but perhaps none more than the growing legions of Czech longboarders.

From a distance, a girl with a bright neon logo emblazoned across her hoodie, striking red hair and a face straight out of 1950s Hollywood rolls in, contrasting with the leafless trees and pallid grass.

Daniela Gaislerová, 21, is here to promote the sport of longboarding among local girls at an event aptly named “Back to Boards,” under the auspices of the Longboard Girls Crew (LGC), Czech Republic. After a few introductions and words about helmet safety, Daniela (Dani) leads the girls, and even a few boys— one dressed in drag for the occasion—on a long warm-up lap around the hilly park. Like a colorful serpent, the girls wind their way through the park, drawing many a glance and stare. And so the 2013 season starts, a bit belatedly but with no less enthusiasm, for a small but determined group of Czech girls who have a passion for the longboard.

I

Hana Jiroušková. Photo: David Kasparek

62

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

With her outrageous style and intricate tattoos, her free spirit and intensity on the asphalt, Dani embodies the longboarding lifestyle. What had started out as a summer replacement for snowboarding soon became a passion, and she began traveling around Europe entering as many freerides and downhill races as possible. She eventually gained sponsorships by Fibretec, Rey Trucks and CTD Pucks, as well as by Netherlands-based Sickboards, Europe’s largest longboard retailer, where she currently works.

By the end of the 2012 season, Dani was ranked 10th in Europe and 20th worldwide by the International Gravity Sports Association.

Dani was a natural choice for LGC. She met Jacky Madenfrost, founder and team manager of LGC, at ISPO earlier this year in Munich, Germany, and they got to talking about the Czech scene. Madenfrost asked Dani if she would like to be an LGC ambassador to the Czech Republic.

Dani takes the role seriously, yet with a sort of rebel grit. “I hope the girl community continues to grow,” she says. “We are always supporting each other, and LGC is a great way to show that GIRLS CAN RIDE, DUDES!” With the help of fellow members Valérie Vitoušová and Miša Sucha, the LGC Czech Republic’s first group ride went down without a hitch.

In addition to the LGC, the Czech Gravity Sports Association (CGSA) has also helped foster the girls’ scene with their many well-organized events and inclusive nature. Officially founded in 2007, CGSA currently has 19 girls registered and more joining after each event. “We basically count them as one of the guys,” says CGSA chairman Jan Profous. “We are making the same jokes whether they are on site or not, and I think the girls know that they are our equals. You know, we are all missing the same part of the brain. That is why we love bombing hills; we are all on board.”

Although only one girl, Michaela Karásková, could be found at CGSA’s Freeride in Hradiště in early June, she negotiated the wonderfully windy forested road in the Ore Mountains on the border with Germany with the guidance of several of the male skaters. “The boys have always been very supportive,” Michaela says. “We are a family.” Like a close-knit clan stranded on outlying hills, they banded together to set up camp and brave the descent even through heavy downpours.

The female attendance would be much greater just a few weeks later at CGSA Slivenec, with nine girls racing on an infamous stretch of road on the periphery of Prague. This seven-bend hill, which dangerously bottlenecks at one point, is only minutes from the capital’s center. Like a lot of old European cities, Prague’s borders have grown through time to encompass many small villages and towns. So what may look

Slivenec. Photo: James Gogarty

like a small village with quiet roads in the countryside is actually part of the country’s largest city. This attracts a lot of urban spectators on race day, thus ensuring plenty of hoots and whistles as riders careen down the course.

Among those girls being cheered were some of the top downhillers in the country and even in Europe. Currently ranked No. 3 in the country, Hana Jiroušková, 23, with her purple-and-black leathers and braided pigtails flowing out from behind her helmet, raced the hill with zeal. An energetic girl with a warm smile and friendly demeanor, Jiroušková got into longboarding about five years ago after a friend returned from England with a newfound love for the sport.

Hana is no dilettante. She used to play volleyball professionally and has been skiing since she was 3, as well as dabbling in snowboarding, windsurfing and bouldering—and it shows through in her confidence on the board. Another girl with an athletic gift is Lenka Salačová, a current star of the Czech downhill circuit.

Lenka played volleyball competitively for 12 years, only to be forced to stop abruptly due to an illness. But lucky for us, upon recovering, she picked up a longboard and hasn’t looked back.

For such a small nation—about the size of the U.S. state of South Carolina—the Czech Republic has a disproportionately large representation in world sports.

From tennis and track and field to hockey and football (soccer), the country has produced no shortage of top athletes. Perhaps it is due to a nation of sports fanatics and a well-organized infrastructure of sports clubs, organizations and leagues for all ages and sexes. With her almost uncanny skill at drawing smooth lines at incredible speeds and an intense focus on the hill, Lenka, 25, carries on this athletic legacy with an impressive list of rankings. At the end of 2012, she was ranked second in Europe and No. 8 in the world, according to IGSA, as well as continuing to dominate the Czech scene.

Although Lenka takes competition very seriously, she prefers the simplicity, freedom and camaraderie of freeriding. “Freeride events are way more friendly. We don’t have to wait for qualification runs, for technical inspections, etc.,” Lenka says. “Freerides aren’t as stressful as races; you can do what you want. They are about having fun, friends and parties, not about being the winner of a race and picking up points toward world rankings.” That aside, she remains one of the Czech Republic’s main contenders internationally.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

63

Slivenec. Photo: James Gogarty

LGC Camp. Photo: James Gogarty

64

At the end of a scorching and competitive race day at CGSA Slivenec, Hana and Lenka would place sixth and first, respectively.

There is a local saying that Czechs possess golden hands, that they have the ability to build or mend anything by themselves. During the communist era, a high level of DIY spirit was required; if you wanted something, often the only way to get it was to make it with whatever materials you could get your hands on, which led to some fine examples of ingenuity and inventiveness. While capitalism has replaced socialism since 1989, many products, especially sports equipment, remain limited, and if they are available, they command a high price. This is why Hana, proving the old adage correct, decided to make her own decks.

Her first attempt was simply a pintail cut out of plywood. Later, she started working with veneer and two-component glue, and molded the contours in her own presses, often finishing with a fiberglass or carbon layer.

“I made boards from plywood and other materials that I either bought or found around the house,” Hana says. “I had to kind of test it—what material to use, which glue, how much fiberglass and so on. Of course, I didn’t do everything myself; my dad and boyfriend helped me when I needed it.” Like her latest downhill deck made from plywood and carbon, the results are stunning and hard to tell apart from professional models.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

These “golden hands” can also be seen at work in Eva Vesela’s school project. A student at the Faculty of Arts in Brno (the Czech Republic’s second-largest city), Eva, 25, decided to combine her newfound passion with her studies in the form of a design-centric, Czech-language longboarding magazine, Sexy Asfalt.

“Basically, I wanted to work on something that is close to me and what I like,” Eva says. “I first discovered longboarding during my year abroad in England. It inspired me so much that I had to jump on this piece of wood myself. This ‘art/sport’ wasn’t so well known in my home country at the time, but now the Czech LB scene is growing fast, so that’s why I wanted to work on this topic and put it all into one complex bundle.”

Wanting to resist the Web’s pervasive presence, Eva says, “I chose the printed medium on purpose, since we are currently seeing it being swallowed up by the Internet.” The wonderfully named Sexy Asfalt is pocket-sized with a clever layout, including a map in front displaying skate spots around the country and a parts guide for beginners. It also showcases events and individuals making a difference in the Czech longboard scene. Launched in late May 2013, Sexy Asfalt is currently being distributed and is available in a few longboard shops in Prague, but in true DIY fashion, Eva prefers to travel to races and events and offer it in person. The future of the magazine is uncertain. If she can’t find the appropriate partner to help edit future editions, Eva says the magazine may evolve into a

yearbook looking back at the previous year in Czech longboarding. Either way, it is a welcome publication in a land just starting to pick up speed in the longboarding world.

By late June, the local chapter of the Longboard Girls Crew could be found back in Stromovka hosting a two-day camp. The park was just recovering from devastating floods that hit Prague earlier that month, and much of the grounds were closed and scattered with debris. Luckily, the prime longboarding spots had just recently been reopened to the public. Once again, Dani and Valérie, along with some skillful male instructors, were there to teach everything from the basics to dancing and sliding. Twenty eager girls were in attendance, and after introductions, they were split into groups according to skill level. On the flats, Dani and Valérie, as well as one of the boys, worked with the girls on dancing and slalom, while up on the hill another male skater helped the girls master their slides. After several scuffed bottoms, many of the girls were pulling Coleman slides with ease and style.

The next day, the camp met near Strahov Stadium, the second-largest sports facility worldwide (after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway), overlooking Prague’s historical center. As the group was now in a single common area, the girls practiced the disciplines together, culminating in the afternoon with three competitions: slides, slalom and dancing. The lucky winners, as well as the girl deemed Most Improved, received trucks, wheels, gloves, grip, etc. from sponsors Sickboards and Snowpanic, while all went home with good memories, new skills and a sense of community.

While happy with the way things went at the LGC camp, Valérie said she sees room for improvement.

“The Czech scene is not unified,” she says. “There are no clear borders of who is in the LGC group and who is not. There are some groups of girls who ride for their own local crews, and that’s it. I would love to unify these girls.”

The grandest longboarding event in the Czech Republic, known around the world, is the Kozákov Challenge, an IDF World Cup Race. From upon the Kozákov peak, a 4-6 million-year-old volcano that towers over the surrounding landscape on the JeštědKozákov Ridge in north Bohemia near the Polish border, the panorama is magnificent. While the volcano may be long extinct, from July 23-27 this year, the hill was on fire with some of the best speedboarders in the world. The 3-km course, known for its technical difficulty, with four hairpin turns in the first half, sees speeds of up to 90 km/h and incredible drifts.

Compared with last year, when rain forced organizers to shorten the track, the week was bone-dry with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104

Valérie Vitoušová. Photo: Miroslava Jaresova.

Fahrenheit). Under the relentless sun, Dani, Valérie, Hana, Lenka and Eva all found themselves at Kozákov for different reasons. The ever-diligent Eva peddled her Sexy Asfalt while watching the races and mingling with new friends and old at the campsite and 24-hour party tent. Media studies graduate Valérie had teamed up with CGSA and IDF to act as their PR manager for the event, sending out online daily reports and helping people with inquiries. As a struggling student, Hana could not afford the 150-Euro registration fee but was there to root on her friends and enjoy the atmosphere. And Dani and Lenka were there to compete against 13 other girls from around the world.

Having had a good year racing around Europe, Dani was poised to place well at Kozákov. She arrived early in the week to take advantage of the freerides and practice runs, only to injure herself on her third run on Tuesday afternoon. “I was speed-checking before the second corner and misplaced my foot back onto the board,” Dani recalls. “Then the speed wobbles started, and I couldn’t recover, causing me to smack my back right knee onto the asphalt before slamming into the hay bales.” Dani was treated by the onsite ambulance and was later driven to a local hospital by a friend. While nothing was broken, she suffered internal hemorrhaging and unfortunately had to pull out of the race.

This left Lenka as the Czechs’ only hope for a top female ranking. With some great runs on Friday, encouraged by the enthusiastic cheers of a large group of spectators, she made it through to the semifinals.

With long push strides, she powerfully left the starting line and tucked into the hill around the first bend at the start of her final race on Saturday afternoon.

Expectations ran high, Lenka rolled hard, and corners came fast, but in the end victory was not to be hers.

Lenka came in fifth, while the French rider Marie Bougourd took the gold.

After coming down from the hill, the girls carried on their separate ways. Some continued in the race circuit from Grim Mountain in the northwest of the Czech Republic to Peyragudes in France, while others honed their skills at the KnK Longboard Camp in Slovenia or simply enjoyed the freedom of cruising in their hometowns. But all continued to feel the stoke. Unfortunately, the season is all too short in the heart of Europe, but with the commitment and passion of many of the Czech girls, the well-organized longboarding infrastructure (from crews and slide jams to freerides and races) and local longboarding stars that cast their light upon fresh faces, the longboarďačky will continue to weather the storm and push the sport come rain or shine—or snow, for that matter.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

65

LAND of the

R I S I N G

SUN

BY MATT KIENZLE | PHOTOS BY JACOB LAMBERT EVER SINCE THE DAY GOOGLE MAPS introduced the terrain selection to their website, Japan has been on my explore list. It’s easy to imagine that islands formed by volcanoes will provide an overabundance of amazing downhill runs, and Japan’s iconic images of volcanoes have been pulling me. With no event, no corporate hype, not even an invitation to go sign autographs at some flung-off store, I put together a crew to just go skate, nothing else.

Benjamin Dubreuil, Gabriel Gwynne, Jacob Lambert and I adventured into this unknown. We only had a hotel for the last night of our adventure and a rental car for two weeks of the trip. Our goal was to meet up with Amane Kishida and Yoshinori Takuma and skate down some steep and deep Japanese pavement.

Ben made sure we hooked up with his fellow Kebbek pro rider Amane (pronounced Ah-MON-ay) Kishida. He is one of the most talented and stylish skateboarders I’ve ever met. Amane will shred anything in his path but is a bank skater first and foremost. He attacks a bank like it was the tip of a barrel, giving it everything he has. That style is refreshing because a lot of downhill skateboarders nowadays are clearly trying to skate as laid back as they can. Amane has been skating banks for years, and it shows. I don’t know if it’s because skateboarding is illegal in Japan (except in skateparks), but it seems Amane has encyclopedic knowledge of where every hidden bank in Japan is located.

Beyond Japan’s volcanic region, three-fourths of the country is mountainous, lovingly referred to as the Japanese Alps, and for good reason; steep inclines are everywhere. Our first day of downhill skateboarding

66

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

Amane Kishida reveling in the cherry blossoms.

was when Amane brought us to Fujiyama. On the way we skated the biggest bank I’ve ever seen, and then we were taken to a straight hill on one of the many paved slopes of Mt. Fuji. The 12,388-foot-high mountain is a sacred place and offers plenty of downhill terrain to play on. I’m not sure if Amane brought us to the mostly straight hill first because it’s what they usually skate, or if it was because of the congregation that had assembled when we all met at the bank spot. We had gathered a crew with a wide array of skateboard types; there were people with Carveboards, boards with Gullwing Sidewinders and some with those weirdly riding Carver trucks. The descent was not very steep, and it had a long runout. The result was a fun session filled

68

with playful pack runs and some switch tucking that maxed out at around 35 mph.

On the way there we saw some squiggly lines on our GPS that went on for miles with more than 50 turns. After we had taken a handful of runs on the inline-incline, we convinced the group to come check out the squiggly road with us. We found a run with perfect pavement that had no end in sight. Most of the locals could not believe that we dropped in at the top of the hill without even seeing the run, but Kishida followed us and shredded it to bits.

At the bottom he told us it was the best hill he had ever skated in Japan. Discovering such a sick hill right at the beginning of our trip left us all anticipating that we were going to have a really good time.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

After the runs, Kohei Shioya invited us to his surf store and bar called Raiden. Good times with the locals, although a lot of our interactions were lost in translation.

Japanese isn’t an easy language to pick up. It is an agglutinative language with many honorifics; basically you have one word in English and 10 words in Japanese for the same thing, depending on whom you are talking to and when, or where you might be. It is especially composed of different ways to show respect to one another and to reflect the hierarchy of Japanese society. You will notice this if you ask for help in any situation. The Japanese are the most polite human beings you’ll ever meet.

TOP: At higher elevations, the roads were lined with snow everywhere. Matt K, inside line, Hakuba.

RIGHT: The diversity of skate terrain in Japan will forever call me back. The number of roads we found by chance was a major reality check. OPPOSITE: The first hill of the trip, and we found it by mistake. There was something magical about this hill, but none of us could put a finger on it, even after camping around it for four days. Gabe Gwynne.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

69

Yoshinori Takuma, team leader of the Downhill Skateboard Wired Crew, invited us to a skate session at their local “practice” hill. Yoshinori told me it was one of Flavien Vidal’s favorite runs. Flavien is a fellow Montreal downhill skateboarder who helped me get in touch with the few riders in Japan. He has traveled to Japan at least once a year over the past couple of years and has told me inspiring tales of never-ending runs in the land of the rising sun. Flavien had taught Yoshinori the tricks of the trade in years past, and it was awesome to see the resemblance in style.

Yoshinori and his brother Satoru, as well as fluent English speakers Noriyuki Tamura and Keisuke Kogawa, were eager to show us their practice hill. When Yoshinori brought us there, Keisuke had been cleaning the road for hours. The steep, windy road had turns with varying degrees of radius, all of them under 180 but over 90, which made it a fun and surprising first-time descent— and a safe one, too; the others would relay if the

RIGHT: Here lies what many would consider to be the perfect road: 28 hairpins of constant variation, one-way downhill, playful banks, a loop road back to the top and, as Matt K demonstrates, traction in both wet and dry. ABOVE: Textbook repeaters in Nikko.

70

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

71

72

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

OPPOSITE TOP: The only sign we saw of American civilization outside of Tokyo was this "Merry Christmas" store near Yokohama.

BOTTOM: (Amane skatepark grab)

LEFT: The Shinto shrines we visited always had amazing roads leading up to them.

Gabe Gwynne. OPPOSITE TOP: The only sign we saw of American civilization outside of Tokyo was this "Merry Christmas" store near Yokohama. BOTTOM: Kishida boosts a boneless at his local skatepark, tucked neatly under a bridge.

road was clear before we even skated down.

Safest skateboarding I’ve ever taken part in.

Yoshinori would thank us constantly for visiting Japan and skating with their crew. I would like to thank them tenfold for letting us skate in their downhill paradise.

This Japanese approach to downhill skateboarding is quite different than mine. I appreciate first descents the most, and in Japan we had tons. The first run down a hill you’ve never seen is by far the most thrilling and valuable, in my opinion. When we were on our own in the northern Japanese Alps, morning on-site runs were how we got things rolling. We would drive up the gnarliest road we could find the night before and set up camp. Most of the time we would be camping next to snow. We’d rise in the morning to an amazing view that we could neither see nor understand the night before— wake up and bomb until we were back into a town that had coffee.

We would only skate this way when we were on our own, adventuring and finding hills the old-fashioned way. With information gathered through Amane and my French Canadian acquaintance, we traveled through as many prefectures as we could. We set out to skate every descent that had at least a couple of hairpins down the map. We would map out runs by elevation drop and seek out the ones with the most unique turns. Pavement condition was something we would find out once on location.

Concrete, perfect pavement, chunder asphalt or some of that Montreal-style grit; it was a roll of the dice, and we would only know once we were there. We would spend three to eight days camping in the wilderness and then return to Shizuoka for an Onsen (traditional Japanese spa) session. Each time we returned to Amane we made sure we had a gift from our travels to bring

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

73

back to him. This tradition is called omiyagé and is very important in Japan. We should adopt this established practice for the Skatehouse. (Read: Next time you mooches show up, bring us a gift!)

Traveling with these guys was a drastically different plan of attack to say the least—going a week without showering, then arriving at a Japanese household where you must wash your feet as you enter. You quickly realize that you’re on a different wavelength. Cleanliness is very important in Japan. Trash is nowhere to be found. The Japanese are extremely conscientious of how they impact their surroundings. There are surgical masks on every person that might be sick in the slightest; you just don’t pass your cold on in Japan. Everyone is helpful and very respectful. When we were lost in Nagano, the clerk at the convenience store took time and helped us program the Japanese-only GPS to get us back toward Tokyo.

People have lived in Japan without outside influence for more than 10,000 years. For many centuries Japan was ruled by a shogun, a supreme military leader of the samurai. A strict regimen has been instilled in Japanese culture. These roots run deep. Notably, if something isn’t socially correct, it will not be what the population is drawn to do.

Skateboarding on streets or roads is illegal in Nippon. I think that’s one of the main reasons why

ABOVE: Ben always likes to try new things. Here is an example outside of Mt. Fuji at “Big Bank.” RIGHT: Highways on highways—a sign not only of Japan’s density but also of Japanese engineering prowess. OPPOSITE: The switchbacks are often so tight you can skip them. Ben Dubreuil takes the shortcut.

74

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

76

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

LEFT: 40 km/h suggestions were always ignored.

downhill skateboarding is having a late bloom there; breaking the rules is something that most Japanese people wouldn’t even consider. But with a profusion of roads, there are always distant areas with little to no traffic. The locals usually only skate these kind of spots and would shake their heads when we would talk about highway bombing or skating through people near Harajuku Station in Tokyo. Locals would worry and tell us certain roads were too dangerous, but I think it’s because skating an open road where we could startle people in their car is considered too disrespectful. We were told that when a fight breaks loose in a bar in Tokyo, the police immediately arrest the tourist first because they assume that no Japanese person would ever start something so negligent. Disciplined is the word I would use to describe the Japanese.

Our “Tent City”-style camp in the middle of a parking lot in Tokyo would easily have been seen as objectionable in the eyes of the locals. Luckily, we were sheltered behind two strategically placed automobiles.

Being white in Japan is like being from Mars; it’s as if many of them have never seen a white person before. We would get looks from everyone, but it wasn’t anything negative. We didn’t see another Caucasian until the very end of our trip. Regards would escalate from time to time depending on Ben’s chosen clothes. At one point he was wearing a kimono intended for married women. About 95% of men and women would turn their heads, because it isn’t socially correct for men to wear such clothing outside of their own home.

Japan is incredible to say the least. Between sushi, train sessions and hot coffee vending machines on every other corner, we were skating and camping on the longest winding roads I’ve ever seen. The longboard community might only be a handful of people, but their stoke is incredibly high. The downhill skateboarders in Japan are some of the most positive and respectful people I’ve had the pleasure to meet.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

77

78

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

79

LONGBOARD GIRLS CREW:

STOKE

BY VALERIA KECHICHIAN

EVERYWHERE I HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT AFTER shooting OPEN, some of the craziness would stop. It never did—and I’m so stoked for that. So many amazing things have happened this summer in every part of the world that our stoke level never went down, and that’s freak-tons of stoke.

Everybody is stoked about the ladies and the projects and the gatherings and the races. Elena Corrigall was proclaimed IDF Women’s World Champion after a killer season. Georgia Bontorin, Marie “Spoky Woky” Bougourd, Tamara Prader, Anna O’Neill, Jolanda Vogler, Victoria Waddington, Marisa Nuñez, Amanda Powell, Katie Neilson, Maga McWhinnie, Sonso Masia, Magda Blanc, Valeria Fuentes, Rachel Rayne, Annemieke Wenting (just to mention a few) all f---ing killed it and took female longboarding one step further in the racing world, in number of competitors and speeds reached.

Lots of ladies who are not in the spotlight or simply can’t afford travels or competition fees are killing it going downhill, freeriding, freestyling or just spreading the stoke. Our aim is for the brands to commit with the ladies as much as they commit with the boys. Investing in female longboarding can’t go wrong.

AROUND THE WORLD Longboard Girls Crews worldwide have been working hard on spreading some longboard love. Our Vietnamese ambassador Anna-Selina Kager has been spreading the stoke in Vietnam, helping create the community, and is currently creating the first National Longboard Crew called Viet Shred.

OPEN rider and Longboard Girls Crew Panama ambassador Gina Mendez recently hosted the Festival Santa Rosa near Capira with great success.

86

Valeria Kechichian (white helmet) spreading some longboard love during the Women in Board & Action Sports annual conference in Saas Fee, Switzerland. Photo: Alba Pardo

Longboard Girls Crew France organized five longboard initiation gatherings in five different cities with an amazing attendance success: Lille, 60 people; Nantes, 60 people; Toulouse, 40 people; Lyon, 70 people; and Rouen, 15 people.

Longboard Girls Crew Peru organized with the local board community the first 6K Push Race around Lima, and Italian ambassador Francesca Trallallero organized a Girls Meet in Rome.

Longboard Girls Crew Argentina gathered in Copina, Cordoba, for the Copina SheRide. Pam EverGreen, Vicky Stonem, Cami Pucheta, Juli Arletaz and Tamy Manson did an amazing job putting together the

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

event and making sure everything was the way it should be.

U.K. ambassador Helena Bee is working hard on getting more girls into the English scene. And we finally opened Longboard Girls Crew Israel. After meeting all the ladies while shooting OPEN, Jacky Madenfrost arranged the details with our now Israeli ambassadors Margot Large and Katya Krasner, and we’re stoked on having them on board. They already organized a dancing workshop in Yaffo and are getting a lot of attention by the media due to the up-growing scene in the country. Apparently some local kids from the neighborhood were intrigued by what they were

weather, the beaches and the sessions, but also for the people. It’s always the people. I keep saying that cities are the people you meet and share moments with, and I was one lucky girl. Everyone is there and fun is assured. I was a bit shocked by the “celebrity status” some skaters live on, but I guess that’s the system America uses to create classes and make the “lower” ones aspire to be more like the “higher” by buying their products. I won’t even go there—I’ll just say that this is still a small scene and we should be nice to each other, no matter your skills, sponsors, level or years in the community. I’m not talking about me; everyone was really, truly nice to me. I’ll just put it in Adlai Stevenson’s words: “My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular.”

Cross-stepping with longboard workshop participants at the WIB annual conference.

Photo: Alba Pardo

Valeria Kechichian enjoying California's finest.

Photo: Arian Chamasmany

doing and got excited when the girls let them try the boards. Recruiting from a young age worldwide!

New winds are blowing in Longboard Girls Crew Austria, and new ambassadors are on board including lovely Glori Küpsch, who, among others, is coaching the other ambassadors how to go downhill. So stoked on this.

Canadian ambassador and OPEN rider Cindy Zhou, along with Toronto Girls Longboarding, threw the annual FUBU (For Us By Us) event in Toronto, and they all had a blast.

Last but not least, Longboard Girls Crew Philippines has been doing an outstanding job in helping relieve the typhoon victims. We’ve been posting updates every week, but one of our Philippine ambassadors, Kat Augusto, will tell firsthand the whole involvement and experience (on the following pages).

If you don’t get involved in this, you’re not doing it right.

together women in all board sports, and the inspiring movement Ride for Shift, which proclaims a change in the industry’s focus and going back to the enjoyment and companionship. We can’t keep riding, working or living just for ourselves; winds of change are blowing, and the time is now. Happily, there are several companies in the longboard industry who truly care; I’ve seen it and experienced it firsthand. That’s our path.

OPEN The official premiere date in Monday, January 27, 2014, during the ISPO trade show in Munich. Director Daniel Etura is working hard on the edit, Matt K is working on some new teasers for SkateHouse Media, and we’re working on the distribution and film festivals. A lot of premieres are happening in different cities around the world after January, so stay tuned to check if there is one near you. Support your local female riders and female projects!

MORE CONNECTIONS

SHOP

During the summer I was also witness to the female movement in the general board-sports industry. I was invited to be a speaker at the Women in Board & Action Sports (WIB) annual conference in Saas Fee, Switzerland. This year’s topic was “How to Achieve a Goal.” We also did workshops, including one on longboarding.

Women of all ages skated for the first time ever, and it was a huge success. The stoke level was sky-high, and once again the power a board has to create bonds was proven. Even Donna Carpenter grabbed my arm that night and told me I have inspired her, as she loved her first longboarding experience so much! All the attendees made a truly strong connection, and we even shared an amazing snowboard session on a glacier on the last day.

Amazing new movements are rising, like Tanja Angst’s Chixxs on Boards, which aims to bring

We’ve launched our online shop. Boys’ and girls’ T-shirts, trucker hats and sticker packs now available.

The shipping is worldwide so you can get them everywhere. We will be adding items constantly.

You can access the shop through our website, LongboardGirlsCrew.com/store, or through our Facebook fan page. Get some swag, yo!

SKATE ADVENTURES I spent the other part of the summer traveling through the U.S. As I mentioned in the last column, I attended the Broadway Bomb and was heading west to spend some days in Cali. Amanda “Commander” Powell, Dane Webber, Adam Stokowski and Arian Chamasmany hosted me during some ridiculous days in L.A. Of all the places I’ve been so far, I can say undoubtedly that Cali is our Disneyland—not only for the roads, the

I was stoked to get a tour around the Loaded and Orangatang HQ in L.A., the Resource Distribution (Riviera Boards, Paris Trucks, Divine Wheels) HQ in Costa Mesa and the Sector 9 HQ and factory in San Diego. I witnessed firsthand how they all truly care about the sport and support the female scene. Thumbs up for them. (Matt K, damn you and your catchy phrases!)

As tradition commands, I’m writing this column in a plane heading to the Canary Islands to skate and shoot with my Bastl Boards teammates. We’re gonna greener pasture the whole thing.

As I said, stay tuned for OPEN news. Premieres are happening everywhere, and I wouldn’t want to miss them. Support your local female riders, spread the stoke and get some LGC swag!

You can follow us daily at LongboardGirlsCrew.com facebook.com/LongboardGC twitter.com/LongboardGirls Instagram: @LongboardGirlsCrew

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

87

TYPHOON HAIYAN MAY HAVE BEEN STRONG,

BUT MANKIND IS STRONGER!

BY KAT AUGUSTO | LGC PHILIPPINES

The Longboard Girls crew pulled together to deliver aid directly.

88

FILIPINOS NEEDED IMMEDIATE HELP in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan (known as Yolanda in the Philippines). It was the most powerful and deadliest typhoon ever to hit the Philippines and the strongest storm that ever made landfall in recorded history. On November 8, 2013, it made landfall in our country, plowing through the Eastern Visayas and killing many Filipinos along its way. The country was placed under a state of national calamity, and Yolanda left nothing but traumatic experiences for the survivors.

Trina Risos, one of the Longboard Girls Crew Philippines ambassadors, is from Tacloban City in the province of Leyte, the city worst hit by the typhoon.

Her family and thousands of others sought to evacuate because of the dwindling supplies of food, water and medicine. There was rampant violence on the streets, with many people desperate to get something to eat.

The Girls planned on how we could extend our help to the survivors. We printed Longboard Girls Crew T-shirts and decided to sell them. In less than an hour, they were already sold out. We never thought that so many people would help out. We suggested posting a photo on the LGC Philippines fan page that said, “Longboard Girls Crew Philippines Needs Your Help.” Just from sharing the photo, many people from

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

all over the world sent us messages of love, care, prayers and encouragement to cheer up the survivors. We didn’t expect this much concern and help from the community.

After hearing our call, many were willing to help, gathering donations such as food, medicine and clothing. Relief efforts began after receiving the donations, funds and purchased goods; from there we repacked the goods for distribution, and they were later distributed to the various communities. Tarpaulins were also given to provide temporary shelter. We focused on towns and other areas that had not yet been reached by relief goods. (It’s just weird that on TV we saw so much relief food being distributed from all over the world, yet when we asked the survivors, they said they’d barely received any. We gave relief and assistance directly to the people so we could be assured that they received help. We don’t have room or tolerance for dirty politics, which have been major factors of the slow relief operations. #nopolitics) Now we are doing whatever we can do, whichever way we can, to help our fellow people here in the Philippines as their lives go on. Filipinos are truly a resilient people. We love to sing and laugh all our aches and pain away.

cone, Ryan Tan and Juan Duazo of Driftwood Local Enterprise. Thanks to all the girls who gave their time and work to make these relief operations possible.

Again, from the bottom of our hearts: On behalf of Longboard Girls Crew Philippines and the Filipino people, Daghan Salamat! (Thank you so much!)

“We Filipinos will never forget this.”

The local kids take a moment to smile.

Filipinos, people from all corners of the world and people from the longboard community have joined and reached out to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan at a time we Filipinos needed it most. We’re overwhelmed by the help you have given to the Philippines. To the Longboard Girls Crew Sisters from all over the world who extended their love: No words can express the gratitude we have for the love and support everyone showed us. Thank you so much.

Big thanks, Longboard Girls Crew, for coming to our aid. Thanks to everyone who purchased the LGC shirts: Florian Kastell; Longboard Girls Crew Thailand; Nan Nuansamorn; our brothers and sisters from Luzon, Philippines; to a guy from Belgium who opted to stay anonymous; and to everyone who donated to LGC Philippines. Thanks, of course, to our constant companions throughout the relief operations, our friends from Tanauan Listo and Grupo Nopo, and Epos Fal-

Filipinos are truly a resilient people.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

89

LONGBOARD THERAPY:

ANDY “LA MÁQUINA” ANDRAS AND THE 3-STEP PROCESS

BY ISAAC FARIN, LMFT

LEADING UP TO THE INTERNATIONAL Distance Skating Association (IDSA)’s annual event—the Homestead-Miami Speedway 24-hour UltraSkate in Homestead, Florida—Andy “La Máquina” Andras, the Guinness World Record holder for 24-hour distance longboarding, carries himself in a most humble manner. Throughout my conversation with him, he gave credit to Paul Kent, the man who previously set the record, and whom he sees as the biggest obstacle in the way of breaking his own record. Andy remains realistic about how difficult and grueling the event can be. He said he understands he is not getting any younger, and there are many younger skaters who can also make their presence felt. However, he remains confident in himself and his training regime. I asked Andy many questions about how he is able to skate for 24 hours at such a high level of endurance, and I was particularly intrigued with the mind-body aspect of it all.

Andy kindly shared with me what he calls his “ThreeStep Process,” which consists of Body, Mind and a Solid Plan.

BODY: Andy’s body-training plan consists of weight training and making sure he rides 100 miles every week leading up to the race. This ensures that he is in good enough shape to stand upright for 24 hours and perform at a high level. It also helps him develop his physical fitness and maintain a certain pace, which is imperative in this type of race. “In a healthy way, extend the amount of time you are riding prior to the race without injuring yourself,” he said.

MIND: The mental aspect of skating throughout the entire 24 hours is important, too. “You can’t look at the race as 24 hours,” Andy said. “Break it down for every mile. Skate the next mile, one mile at a time. … There are ups and downs, happy times and times when you want to be left alone.”

Andy told me that throughout the race, he enters different meditative and trancelike flow states in which he does not think about much at all. Sometimes he listens to music, and other times he chooses to be in silence. “At times, my brain tells me that I wish I wasn’t out there, as I begin to question why I am putting my body through such pain,” he said. “The mind and body think of any excuse to get you to stop. For example, a voice within screams, ‘This is ridiculous! It’s not humanly possible. You need to stop!’”

90

Andy “La Máquina” Andras. Photo: Jim Winters

Pushing past such thoughts and skating through the normal human sleep cycles that begin to activate during the nighttime part of the race is extremely challenging. “[It takes] your heart and soul to overcome your pains and your animalistic sides,” Andy said.

“Listen to your soul and push past the pain.” To do so, Andy offered a mindfulness approach. “You need to learn to coexist with the pain rather than trying to make it go away,” he said. “This is your reality and life for the time being, so you have to embrace it.”

SOLID PLAN: Andy’s solid plan consists of dieting, nutrition and pace. He recommended engaging in a trial-and-error process prior to the race. Although he did acknowledge that “nothing can fully prepare you for a race like this,” Andy explained that if a racer implements the plan as best as possible before the race, it will ensure that a similar plan can be carried out during the race.

As a psychotherapist and the co-developer of Longboard Therapy, I am intrigued by the similarities between the Solution Informed Mindfulness Therapy (SIMT) approach I use with clients during Longboard Therapy and Andy’s descriptions of his three-step plan. In particular, three parallels stood out to me:

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

• The year before he broke the Guinness World Record, Andy rode the 24-hour UltraSkate for 230 miles. Last year he rode for 261.8, breaking the record. He explained that his previous attempt taught him much about what he could do differently in his next race. In my work with clients, we constantly talk about using the past as an opportunity to learn and to be able to discover solutions for the present and the future. Learning from the past without judgment is imperative for making positive changes in our lives.

• Andy suggested taking the race one mile at a time, rather than dwelling on the entire 24-hour bigger picture. This reminds me of how important it is to make one small change at a time in working toward accomplishing goals. The famous quote by Lao Tzu, “The journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step,” reminds me very much of Andy’s approach.

• Andy mentioned that rather than try to make the pain go away, skaters should focus on “coexisting” with the pain. From a mindfulness perspective, this is consistent with the idea that we must have awareness, acceptance and non-judgment in the present moment to be able to fully appreciate the present experience. When I asked Andy what happens after he coexists with the pain, he answered, “It goes away.” I have also seen this type of experience while working with clients who are trying to manage their pain more effectively. Douglas Flemons, Ph.D., a well-known and respected psychotherapist and hypnotherapist in the field of family therapy, once told me: “When you turn toward something that you normally turn away from, this facilitates change.” I can surely see the direct parallel between Andy’s and Flemons’ ideas.

Lastly, I asked Andy to describe why longboarding is so important to him. He replied: • Longboarding helps me balance my universe.

• The human body needs exercise, spirituality and meditation. Longboarding encompasses all three for me.

• Everyone needs alone time.

• I am gliding two inches above the world on a board, feeling free and relishing the moment.

• It makes me feel good and happy.

Thank you, Andy! And best of luck to all the contestants in the 2014 24-hour UltraSkate at Homestead Miami Speedway!

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

91

» ARTIST PROFILE

ANDRE CASTRO

92

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

BORN IN MEXICO CITY, I AM A GRAPHIC DESIGNER, ILLUSTRATOR AND PAINTER, based in Toronto since 2006. My work is a mix of psychedelic, abstract, pop and visionary art, expressed mainly through ink, acrylics, watercolors, spray paint and markers.

Some of my biggest influences are Alex Grey, Mario Martinez (Mars-1), Raul Casillas and others, and as a result I strive to inspire many more.

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

93

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

95

96

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014 >> CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

CONCRETE WAVE WINTER 2014

97