Vol. 13 No. 2 Fall 2014

KODY NOBLE NORTHERN EXPOSURE EXCLUSIVE TONY ALVA INTERVIEW

“The best skateboarders are the ones skating everything”

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PHOTOGRAPHERCHRISTOPHER VANDERYAJT RIDERJOHN KREUTTER

FALL 2014

REGULARS:

30 EDITORIAL - In Hindsight

46 THE BRIDGE - An Exclusive Interview with Tony Alva

72 ARTIST PROFILE - Templeton Grey

74 NOTEWORTHY - Stuff You Should Know About

78 EDITOR’S CHOICE - A Curated Collection of Stuff

80 MANUFACTURING PROFILE - Quincy Woodwrights

82 SWEAT EQUITY - Make Your Own Mold

84 LONGBOARDING FOR PEACE UPDATELeonard Peltier, United Kingdom & The Amesbury Project

FEATURES:

32 FAREWELL

Tragically, we lost two skate legends recently - a tribute to Shogo Kubo & Jay Adams.

A photo essay on San Diego’s vert paradise.

50 NORTHERN EXPOSURE

Kody Noble spent some time on Vancouver Island with our team. This well-rounded skater has no problem taking on all terrain.

Hailing from Kelowna, British Columbia, Anthony doesn’t let the heat or cops get in the way of his skating!

A new documentary looks at the roots of downhill racing.

The Loaded Team hit Europe for three intense weeks.

Kody Noble catches air without grabbing!

Maryhill 2014

Photo by Jordan Langdon

Photo by Tracy Molinar

photos: budro

SIGHT

Nomatter what part of the world you live in, there is no escaping the shackles of September. If you live up north, your summer of freedom is stripped from you, with a foreseeable 6 months of barren cold winter ahead. Even if you live in the southern hemisphere, you can’t run from the start of a school year to strap you down to responsibility. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic, but I think we can agree that our lifestyle is certain to change and we are all left looking at the past summer like an unreachable view through a window. Memories of events or regrets of ones missed. Bruises from bails that knocked some sense into you, and footage of your most memorable skate trips. All of this compiles to be your summer of skate 2014. Growing up, I actually began to cherish this time of year. The sudden change in lifestyle forced me to look at where I came from and where I wanted to go; making concrete plans for the next season in order to make the most of the fleeting sense of freedom that the short window of summer offers.

This idea of looking back to move forward not only relates to our own experience on a skateboard, but the deeper we dig into where skateboarding came from, the better idea we can have of where we want to take it. So look back to your roots. It’s a tragedy that two of our legends passed away during the making of this issue, so pour out a little for Shogo Kubo and Jay Adams, and take some time to learn about their significance. Listen to what Tony Alva has to say about where he sees skateboarding today, and how surfing influenced his skating. Dive into the story of Signal Hill and discover how the very first downhill Skateboarding event took place and talk to Kody Noble to see how his roots have influenced where he is today. Learn from your experiences and listen to those who have practiced it before you to make the most of your life on a skateboard.

PUBLISHER/EDITOR

MICHAEL BROOKE | mbrooke@interlog.com

ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER

Stacy Lowery

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Joey Bidner

PHOTO/COPY EDITOR

Jordan Langdon

I.T. Department Head

Rick Tetz of CalStreets.com

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 Buddycarrdesign@gmail.com

Canadian Distribution

Inward Supply 514-996-7138

Landyachtz 778-785-6855

CONTRIBUTORS (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)

Tracy Molinar,Warren Bolster, Mark Nisbet, Kurt Hurley, Ryan Bregante, Kyle Smith, Leo Hetzel,Mike Horelick, Jon Carnoy, Chuck Saccio, Jim O’Mahoney, Quincy Woodrights, Chris Bennett, Daniel Fissmer, Gordon Timpen, Rick Tetz.

Concrete Wave is published by North of La Jolla Inc. Subscriptions (6 issues) are US$26 FIRST CLASS or CAN$26. Address change? Mag not arriving? Contact us - don’t go postal. We can sort it out. mbrooke@interlog.com.

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. Printed in the USA.

Skateboarding

, just like everything that grows from one generation to another, is based on accretion. A gradual and continual growth based on the continual input of new layers. This process tends to be slow, yet always moving forward. There are contributors, however, who move the bar so far forward that we can only stop and stare as they add their indelible mark, cementing themselves in the role of pioneers and originals. If we can see farther, if we have a clearer idea of what epitomizes artistic expression on a board, it is strictly because of the vantage point afforded by their invaluable additions.

Shogo Kubo 1959-2014

Warren Bolster photo

Jay Adams and Shogo Kubo gave us that form of contribution. As a community, we owe them a debt of gratitude that we can only hope to account for by keeping them in our hearts and minds, and not taking a single day for granted.

On behalf of Concrete Wave, and skateboarders everywhere, thank you.

The Shogo Kubo Memorial Fund has been set up in support of his family. Pay pal donations can be made to shotak4@gmail.com

Jay Adams 1961-2014

Warren Bolster photo

WHY MORE THAN ONE DUSTERS? BECAUSE THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO RIDE A BOARD.

You’re looking at three skateboards from the 2015 Dusters line-up. You’ll feel the performance the moment you first step on them. Built to exact specifications in our own premium woodshop, the construction is second to none. These completes come equipped with Slant trucks along the new and improved version of the classic Kryptonics Star Trac wheels.

Each complete in the series is designed and setup with a specific function in mind; The Keen is paired with the 78A Red Star Tracs for a smooth soft and fast ride. The Flashback with the 82A Blue Star Tracs offers a

balance between a boardwalk cruiser and a pool board. Finally, the Cazh uses the 86A Green Star Trac wheels making it a full on pool/park old school ripper. Whatever your age, size, ability or skating preference, there is a Dusters that is just right for you. Beyond your own skateboarding skills and time spent riding, the equipment you choose is the most important factor in progressive, high performance skating.

Check out the complete line of Dusters skateboards for yourself at reputable dealers worldwide, or visit us online at www.dusterscalifornia.com.

Mike Owen.

San Diego has a reputation for some of the nicest weather in the country, amazing beaches, sick surf spots, plenty of beautiful women, but one thing that really stands out is the endless amount of skate spots and parks. The YMCA Skatepark is one of the oldest skateparks in San Diego, opening its doors under the 805 freeway in the early ‘90s. It later was moved to its current location in Clairemont where the Krause family funded its opening in 2002. In 2006, after the X-Games were over, Andy MacDonald helped secure the vert ramp for donation to the skatepark later that year.

Cory Juneau. Backside Air.

Rich Lopez. One Foot Invert.

Rich Lopez. Japan Air.

Bryson Farill. Frontside Boneless One.

Mike Owen. Frontside Nosegrind Tail Grab.

by Kurt Hurley

Skateboarding has been around for a very long time now. With very little effort, you can find skaters ranging from 5 to 55 years old ripping at almost any skate park, bombing hills, doing freestyle, or simply cruising to get somewhere. For the older skaters this has been a very long, interesting trip from where it all started. In the early days most people thought skating was a fad, and not long after that, it was actually announced in the media that skateboarding was dead altogether. It wasn’t. In fact, through all of the ups and downs, skateboarding continues to grow even today. Riding a board with four wheels is skateboarding, and that will never change, or go away. “The Bridge” aspires to fill in the gaps between eras, delve into the reasons that skating grew at times, and also into the times when it was stagnant. Through all of this I hope to offer key insights from some of the most colorful players in skateboarding history. Ultimately the goal of this piece is to tie together the different genres of skateboarding, how they all came about, and how they are all interconnected.

The Ubiquitous

In the mid ‘70s, skateboarding was still considered a fad by the vast majority of people. Little did they know that there was a subculture emerging for all time. A lifestyle that would evolve, take shape, and grow into a multi million dollar industry. It is well documented that a group of guys from the Venice, California, area changed the perception of skateboarding around the world. One particular character stood out as the game changer. The one whose style would still be prevalent, and compared to, after 40 years. That person is Tony Alva. Most people know that prior to the “Dogtown days”, most boards were solid wood with little shape. They had trucks that were narrow to fit the narrow boards, and the wheels were either clay or steel. Skateboarding at this time really was street surfing. Frank Nasworthy’s Cadillac wheels made of urethane were the game changers. The catalyst for the paradigm shift about to take place. Urethane wheels made it possible to go faster, grip better and to control slides. The results were created by the rippers of the mid to late ‘70s. Tony Alva was, for sure, one of the greats to come out of this time period. The following is Tony’s take on those days; and how they are connected to skateboarding today.

Sadly, as well as ironically, this interview took place the afternoon before Jay Adams passed away! I will dedicate it to Jay. The boy wonder.

Tony Alva 2014 - photo by Mark Nisbet

In the early days, skateboarding was all about going down hills, and just mobbing everywhere on your board. Was that true for you?

We all grew up in a pretty hilly neighborhood. We were surfers first, and if you wanted to get to the beach you had to know how to ride your skateboard down hills. You’d be embarrassed if you couldn’t make it down the hill to the beach. We would always try to time the lights so that we didn’t have to stop. As a result, how far you got dictated how fast you were going. Basically, we had to learn how to ride hills because it was part of our environment.

Where was this?

Marine Street in Santa Monica. All the way to Pacific Ocean Park. We would slalom the top, tuck the middle, and slowdown somehow at the bottom.

What kind of boards were you riding?

Wood boards, always wood, and as the wheels got better, we got better. We went through all the progression of trucks too, from roller skate trucks, to Bennett’s, to Trackers. Through all of this it is important to know that skateboarding came second. Surfing was our first love.

How did sliding figure into your style and approach to skating?

If we did slides, they were Bertleman’s, but I have to take the credit away from Bertleman and give it to Jay (Adams), cause he was doing ‘em first. Bertleman influenced us more after we knew he was a superstar, but we were light years ahead of surfing. We were way more aggressive, mostly because the stuff we were doing is harder to do in the water. But Jay’s style was functional, and he wasn’t trying to be fashionable. He had a different style and approach to riding down hills, and we got all of that from him. When we came out with the Z Boys style, hell, they didn’t even know how to judge us.

There have been many eras of skateboarding. Today longboarding and downhill skateboarding is experiencing huge growth and participation. What do you think about this?

What Joe Lehm is doing in New Mexico with the All Around Challenge and his competition where you have to skate pools, parks, slalom, street, and downhill, that Is progression. That is pushing the limits. The skaters there were good. They were core, they rode different boards, and they had a lot of stoke with a good vibe. Way better than the street and vert contests these days. I dig that.

It seems like there is a very real movement toward riding different kinds of boards and terrain. Do you see this as well?

The kids are ripping these days. Sure, they have funky styles and they’re stink buggin’, but they’re having so much fun that it doesn’t matter. The girls are too! Back in the day we skated places like Bel Air Reservoir, The Toilet Bowl, and the Viper Bowl on little boards. What I saw go down in New Mexico is a good example. They were riding all kinds of boards. It was insane. They have the best

Backside Carve - photo by Warren Bolster

Alva on Surfing:

The best surfers are still the guys with the most style. Like Slater.

Alva on Skateboarding:

The best skateboarders are the ones skating everything like parks, pools, downhill, and street. In surfboards, if you can make a board with a combination of design elements, that is when you start to get boards that are interesting. Then you can push to limits of what’s possible. That creative process is like abstract art! Surfers are way more open minded to this, and in general, skaters are not. A lot of them just ride popsicle sticks. It seems like they don’t want to experiment, and, in this way, they won’t make progress. You have to be experimental to push to the next level in skating or surfing

Backside kickturn on extension -

photo by Warren Bolster

Tony - photo by Mark Nisbet

ditches in the world, and if you can find a 36” board that will work; something with length, width, and a nice concave, that’s where you’ll find progression in skateboarding. Skating that kind of terrain teaches you how to skate all ways. That’s what’s up. Also, quivers are important, everybody needs to have one. It’s always been that way in surfing, I just think a lot of skaters seem to be stuck in a “Quagmire of coolness”.

What about the segregation of different genre’s of skateboarding? Or maybe I should ask you if you think it exists? Yes, people are opinionated, that’s human nature. But,what can you do? The best way to teach kids is to condition them into being open minded. It’s like Frank Zappa said, “Minds are like parachutes, they don’t work unless they’re open.” In New Mexico, what I saw was kids trying to ride different things. That’s where it’s at, that’s being open minded. You gotta ride everything. Back in the day, Hackett and I used to bomb hills, and at the bottom we would hit ramps. We would 5-0, or pivot the coping.

Of all of your homies, who do you think was the sickest at riding hills?

There is no question, it was Bob Biniak by far! He was the fastest, the most

stylish. He was scary fast, and that’s why he got the nickname “Bullet”.

I go to a lot of downhill races and freerides, parks, pools and ramps. I still see a lot of skaters that emulate the classic “Alva” style. Do you see it, and how does it make you feel?

My style is surf style, I have a tuck knee style geared to upper body comfort. That

way my lower body is ready for anything. How does it make me feel? It makes me feel grateful! When I was younger I would be egotistical about it. Now, I’m grateful.

“...I just think a lot of skaters seem to be stuck in a “Quagmire of coolness”.

The Wallowsphoto by Warren Bolster

When watching somebody skate, it’s easy to form an opinion by looking at what they do. You might say that Kody Noble is a great skateboarder because he is so well rounded, touching everything from street to downhill, paired with great style. However, during a week spent touring Vancouver Island with Kody, I began to understand that it’s not what he does that makes him a special skateboarder, but how he does it and his attitude regarding where he is going. Kody is not just a well-rounded skateboarder, he is a well-rounded individual; and it’s a combination of the two that allow his skating to speak.

Interview

I began our discussion with a really old video of Kody skating from his high school days. I wanted to hear about the back story, and who he was skating with. Your can find this video on Youtube, titled: “Kody 50 50 rail run near trailswest.avi”, channel: Skate 138.

Oh, this is old. I was straight out of high school here, or maybe even still in high school, I’m not quite sure. I lived in the apartment buildings in the background there.

Who were you skating with?

This was a crew I was skating with called skate 138.

Tell me about the importance of the home town crew. Well it goes back before this, there was a shop called Infinity skateboard supply out of St. Louis, Missouri, and they were the first shop that was helping me out. The owner, Justin Kinoki, was one of the biggest influences I have ever had. Before he opened his shop he would come down from St. Louis to skate with us in Farmington. We started skating every day. He would

pick me up from school and we would stay out late and skate tennis courts till the lights came on. Even in the winter we would break the ice up and skate these two little boxes we made.

You guys were hungry, I love seeing that in young riders, now that we’re older it’s so easy to make excuses to stay inside and wait for the sun to come out.

Ya, for sure. Justin was just a heavy motivator, which I was so lucky to be around at a young age. Soon after all this, he started his shop, you could see he was just doing all this for the fun of it. But yeah, he would drive an hour each day just to skate with us. It was really cool, a great time for me.

by Joey Bidner

Photos by Jordan Langdon

Frontside Blunt Transfer

I guess Justin was a bit of a mentor for you, how important was it for you to have this relationship at that time?

Oh for sure, Justin was definitely an important mentor you could say. I also have my parents to thank, they supported it. They thought it was kind of weird I was hanging with an older dude, but they met him and were cool with it. He put me on the team and all other guys were smoking and drinking but I was 15 at the time and Justin was straight edge and was really good about saying “if you want to skate for the team, no smoking, no drinking, just skating.” He taught me the name of the tricks, what switch was, what fakie was. They kept me in check with what I was doing on a skateboard. I was pushing mongo, so they called me mongoloid, ha ha. They taught me all those things, and not a lot of people have that, so I’m grateful I had it growing up. If it wasn’t for that dude I wouldn’t have continued skateboarding.

When did you get into downhill skateboarding?

I moved to New Mexico and started teaching skateboarding at Time Ship Skate School. Most of the guys there had a huge downhill background but I did not know much about it. They host this event every year called ditch slap and the week I started working there was the week the event was happening so I got turned onto it pretty quick. From there Dave Price took me under his wing and taught me a lot. I started going to races and thought racing was what I wanted to do.

Tell me about when he took you out the Newton’s Play Ground for the first time.

Well, I had only been downhill skateboarding for about 6 months with Dave, and there was this race, Newton’s Play Ground, in New Zealand, and at the time was apparently the hardest and fastest race going on. It wasn’t just that, I really wanted to check out New Zealand and Australia. So, Dave and I pushed to go out

“We were literally just eating and breathing downhill skateboarding”

#campvibes

Dirt Tracking

Backside Tuck Indian River

there. It was super fun, but I definitely was not prepared for it, ha ha. I ate a lot of shit. I ate it more than actually making it down the hill. I was really pushing it, and trying to go fast. I did surprisingly decent for my first big race, I think I was in top 20 qualifiers.

What was the decision maker to move to California?

I just wanted to skate, I did not really know what I was doing. I meant to move out with my cousin, but when I got out there, he decided to move to San Francisco. I happened to meet up with the guys from skate house and we were skating every day, they were doing a lot of cool stuff so I felt it was the place for me to be. It really helped me out a lot. Louis Pilloni taught me a lot about editing videos and stuff.

What was it like living on the couch for a full year?

Well, I had kind of a make shift room with sheets tied to a book shelf, it wasn’t too bad.

How did you manage to bring chicks home?

Well, Louis was working at sector 9 and was only home on weekends, so for the whole week I pretty much had his room.

Did he know what you were up to in there?

Oh ya, we had a thing worked out where I just had to wash the sheets it was all good to bring chicks home. I mean, it didn’t happen as much as I would like but there were a couple instances. I didn’t try to bring girls home too often because our house was disgusting, and I did not want them knowing I lived on a couch. To be honest, during that time, I wasn’t really focusing so much on partying and picking up chicks. I had just broken up with my girl of 5 years, we were literally just eating and breathing downhill skateboarding.

It must have been a really potent time for you to cultivate your skating; being surrounded by such a devoted crew. Ya, you’re totally right, but to be honest, it might be kind of why right now I’m sort of burned out on downhill. I mean I’m still stoked on it, but I find myself having more fun just kind of cruising hills, I’m not trying to bomb it right now.

I guess that kind of puts you in a pinch, there is this notion that if you want to get noticed in the industry you really need to push the envelope in downhill skating by going faster and faster; constantly putting yourself on the line. How are you balancing this right now, to still stay relevant while staying true to what you genuinely want to do? I find a major part of anything you do as a skateboarder comes down to how you do it. Keeping things looking good.

Like, get your style down before trying to do something crazy. Style, to me, is everything right now, because everybody can already do what everybody else is doing, it’s just how can you make it look different and natural. I’m not to stressed about being the fastest.

Since then, how as your skating changed?

Well when I was living at the skate house I was fully surrounded by downhill

skateboarding, so that’s all I did. Now that I’m on my own I have more choice to what I want to do. I find it’s a lot easier to just go push around and find things to skate around my house. Getting back to what is more accessible. Since then I kind of fell out of the whole racing scene. I loved skating downhill but racing is something else entirely, it’s for a particular type of person and I’m not like that. I like to have fun, but my mind is not really on winning. I find there is a different mentality behind racing. It can be more looked at as a sport, where I see skateboarding more as an art.

Now that you are out of the race world, what are you doing to build a life around skateboarding?

I’m working on building media. Creating videos and building content for the companies I ride for. I make an effort to go on skate trips, film and Instagram my life away, ha ha.

How does it make you feel forced into this social media beast and putting your life online?

I have mixed feelings about it, I think it’s cool that you can check out what other people are doing, but it’s also kind of a drag that skateboarding has turned into such a media thing. It’s sad that it’s more about social media than it is about skating. It’s not about being good on your skateboard, as long as you can make it look good on Instagram.

It’s not like it used to be where you could just skate all year with your team, working closely on a video. I guess it is about keeping a constant stream out. Yea exactly, you gotta just constantly put out shit that might not be as quality. I mean, there are still people taking time to put out quality things, but I would like to see things out there more art driven and style influenced. I think right now there is a pattern of what downhill is supposed to be, and people are not looking past that. There are a lot of the top dudes in the industry that are calling the shots, saying what’s kooky, or what you can or can’t do. I’d say fuck all those rules and do your own thing.

What’s something you have seen recently that has influenced you?

I have been skating with skip from Turnco. He refurbishes skateboards, cuts them out into funky surf shapes and

Ollie over the bar into the bank

Ollie up, Frontside Nosegrind off

“...a major part of anything you do as a skateboarder comes down to how you do it.”

paints them all wicked. I have been watching what that dude does and it’s so sick, he is just super happy with the little things that he is doing. It’s hands on, and it’s art, but it’s skateboarding. I think that is unique. He’s just doing what he does, he is not copying anybody or worrying what anybody else thinks.

Do you see yourself physically doing more art soon?

Well, when I say art, I mean it more as a way of living, I love the lifestyle skip lives. I definitely do want to make more art related stuff; like lately I have been having fun making skate racks. I made a few for flat Spot Skateshop in Vancouver. It feels good to work with my hands. I’m actually working on making a movie.

Not just a skate video. For me this is all a way to hopefully bring downhill skateboarding and skateboarding together. I’m hoping to collaborate the scenes a little bit with this movie. I’m also working on my own skate part now.

It was great talking with you! Do you have any final thoughts or people you would like to thank?

I wanna thank my mom and dad for all the support, and my brother for getting me on a skateboard. Also, a big thanks to Riviera Skateboards, Paris TruckCo, Etnies Shoes for all the help!

Life is good man! I just finished school. Pretty hyped about that.

How old are you, and where are you from?

I am 22 years old and born and raised in Lake Country, BC, just outside of Kelowna.

I hear it is hot as hell in Kelowna. Ya, it is hot as hell. It’s usually above 30 degrees every single day, so it makes it

hard to skate during the day.

Damn, that is hot. Soo.. babes in bikinis everywhere?

Everywhere! But I avoid the beaches.

Is it because you are married? Haha, nah, they just get super busy.

How is married life at your age?

It’s awesome! I’ve been married for a year now. It helps that she is super rad.

Front smith with a DIY ramp assist

I guess that means she is super down with you skating all the time and breaking yourself.

Oh ya! I was basically skating every single day before we met, and I’m still pretty much skating every single day now, so nothing has changed. She even comes and watches me skate all the time!

Does she make you watch The Notebook with her?

Haha nope! I have still never seen that movie, thankfully.

I think you got a good thing going then! I heard a story about the cops almost letting dogs after you at a spot. What happened?

Damn, ya, that was a close call. Me and a buddy were trying to get a photo at this in-ground pool that was above ground and on its side. It made a super sick transition. So, five cops show up with dogs because they thought we were trying to rob the place when really we were just skating. They realized quickly that we were just skating, but they made us delete the photo, which was brutal!

Man, that sucks! At least they didn’t send out the hounds. We all know the level of skateboarding in Vancouver, but what is it like skating in the BC interior?

It’s sick! There are a ton of rippers still, and everyone knows each other here, which is rad. It’s a small community, but we are all friends. Unfortunately, there

are not that many tranny skateboarders out this way.

With dudes like Matt Berger, Skylar Kehr, and Drew Summersides all being BC locals, who is your favorite Canadian skateboarder right now? Oh man, definitely Adam Hopkins. He is an all around ripper, destroys every bowl and skates big rails.

I hear you made it down to the Z-flex / Jay Adams bowl jam contest this year in Venice Beach. How did that go? It was fun. It was a big eye opener at the level of skating that goes on down there in California. I was just stoked to skate actual pool coping, haha.

California is a long way from home. Did your sponsors send you down? Haha, I guess you could say that. Jeff Ferner is the man! He paid for basically the entire trip so I could go down and skate.

Wow that is awesome! This Jeff Ferner, does he skate, or is he just a big fan? He is a Kelowna skate Legend, and a good friend!

Well, since you just got back from Cali, which is the capital of skateboarding, what do you think are the best trends in skateboarding right now?

Hmm, that is tough. I am just kinda down for everything. It’s really cool seeing people do whatever they want and not caring what others think.

Worst trend in skateboarding?

I am not really down with dudes painting their nails, but whatever, haha.

Should we expect a video part soon?

Ya, hopefully! The boneheads Crew is dropping their video soon.

Thank you for the interview! Any shout outs?

Ya, Jeff Ferner, he is the man! All the dudes at One Boardshop who are hooking me up. My wife Sarah for putting up with me skating all the time, and thank you man for shooting all these photos and making things happen!

SIGNALSPEEDHILLRUN

Guy Grundy, 1975 - Leo Hetzel photo

Why is Signal Hill important in the history of skateboarding?

Signal Hill was the first downhill skateboard race, and pretty much every aspect of current downhill skateboarding started at that race. A short list of innovations from Signal Hill would include air braking, the Hut Tuck (developed by John Hutson and Michael Goldman,) the first women’s downhill skateboard race, the first street luge in a race, the first skatecar, the first sliding gloves, and many more.

And remember that skateboarding was a different world back then. Everybody who was anybody in skateboarding came out to that race. The first woman to win, Leslie Jo Ritzma, rode Tunnel Rocks down that hill. John Hutson won in 1978 while on a brand-new truck called Independent. It was a crazy time of every aspect of inventing, where people worked up the courage to throw themselves over the steep precipice at almost 60 miles an hour.

It was half-race, half-spectacle.

Skateboard legend Skip Engblom attended the 1977 race and described it as similar to the French Revolution;“The crowd really wanted to see blood!”, and they weren’t disappointed. The race was filled with crazy accidents and spectacular crashes.

How did this documentary come about?

While working on the history of Tunnel, we uncovered many beautiful photographs of skateboarding from the 1970s. Among those were some great shots by Bobby Smith of The Signal Hill Speed Run, the world’s first downhill skateboard race. These inspired Mike to write an article, Board Out of Their Minds, for the Los Angeles Times. It also served as a basis for the feature-length documentary.

The project started as a simple discussion. We realized that this was such an amazing story, it would be a gripping short documentary film. With our background as filmmakers, we started putting gears into motion. Before long, the City of Signal Hill became involved, helping support the film. We dug deeper and deeper into the story of

“Everybody who was anybody in skateboarding came out to that race”

Michael McCreary - Chuck Saccio photo

Interview with Mike Horelick and Jon Carnoy - creators of the documentary

this event. That’s when we realized this was not a short film but a feature-length film.

As for our narrator, there we were sitting in the legendary Rip City Skate Shop in Santa Monica, when who came in but Ben Harper, who besides being an amazing musician, is a huge skateboarder. We worked up the courage to show him a couple rough clips from the project, and he loved it. He remembered reading about the races back in the day as a skateboarding kid. Ben brings an enthusiasm for the project that you can’t fake.

He serves as the storyteller of this amazing tale, and exceeded our expectations only by about a thousand times.

What were some of the most surprising things you found about the race?

There were definitely a lot of surprises when covering this race, which was run annually from 1975 to 1978. It grew every year, starting with 100 spectators or so in 1975 and only two racers, to a large event in 1978 with a crowd over 5,000 and several divisions for racers. It had grown so large that Sports Illustrated covered the ill-fated 1978 race. Every year had unusual twists, such as the Big Wheel racer in 1976 who conquered the steep drop on the kids’ plastic toy wearing only a swimming suit. The first race on Signal Hill wasn’t a skateboard race but an antique car race. Named The Model T Hill Climb, racers chugged up the steep hill in their Fords.

The skate cars were pretty unusual…what are your thoughts?

The skatecars are probably the most unique aspect of The Signal Hill Speed Run. Created solely for the Signal Hill Speed Run (although later also raced at Derby Downs in Ohio,) they had lean steering like a skateboard and used skateboard wheels, but also shared design elements with motorcycles and Formula One cars.

“This is a story of the brave men and women who risked it all to conquer Signal Hill”

Unknown Rider, 1977 - Chuck Saccio photo

To this day, there exists a debate. Are skatecars skateboards, cars, or something in between? As filmmakers, our view would be that these vehicles are in a class of their own, and hopefully this film will bring recognition to the skatecar racers as well as the designers and crews that produced the speed darts. These were not production cars but one of a king, with innovations that would make Leonardo Da Vinci jealous!

What is the one thing you’d like the current generation of downhill skaters to take away from this film?

We were lucky to have short interviews with some current downhill skaters like Mischo Erban and James Kelly, as well as footage of others like Douglas Dalua. These modern downhill stars all realized that the roots of the sport came from this annual race from over 30 years ago. We look at this as the greatest story that has not been told, until now. Every current longboarder should definitely see this film! But this is not to say that this is a film solely for skateboarders. We have been asked many times, “I am not a skateboarder. Why would I want to see this film?” We always answer the same. Do you have to be a mountain climber to see a documentary about scaling Mt. Everest? Of course not.

This is a story of the brave men and women who risked it all to conquer Signal Hill, trying to win a prize that wouldn’t even cover medical expenses.

Where can people see this film or purchase the DVD?

We are currently in talks to distribute The Signal Hill Speed Run. It will definitely be available on iTunes in the near future. All news about the film is posted on our Facebook page; The Signal Hill Speed Run 1975-1978.

Nick Leonard

Chuck Saccio photo

By Jordan Langdon

Templeton

How are you?

I’m well, also in a constant state of feeling like I’m behind!

Where does that name come from?

I was born in 1984, year of the rat, Templeton was a rat. I’ve always liked Ed Templeton, and I wanted to use a person’s name as opposed to a band name for longevity reasons, hoping I won’t get sick of it, plus band names become redundant over time. It’s an opportunity for me to create an identity over and over again.

How important is the relationship between music and skating for you?

I’ve learned about most of my favorite musicians from skateboard movies, and I’ve learned to play guitar mostly from having so many injuries due to the board. So I suppose by default they are more conjunctive then I’m able to understand. What I love most about both of them is how impossible they are, they are both so elusive; where you are always unclear about how they will be received, it creates a perpetual challenge.

Any correlation between your learning/growing process in music and skating?

They both involve a lot of practice and maintenance. They both demand you put yourself out there. They both build on themselves, where you want to emulate other people you’ve seen or heard, not because you feel you can do better or even do it differently, simple because you would like to take part, and just being part of something that is so involved gives life meaning.

What’s on the horizon?

“they are both so elusive; where you always unclear about how they will be received, it creates perpetual challenge.”

The 3rd album is in the works, recording with some new people, simply maintaining a forward direction. Staying positive, more disciplined, and remembering what I want. Lots of live dates coming up too.

Who deserves thanks?

You, Jordo, for putting this together. My girl Nadia, for putting up with nonsense ‘artist’ behavior. Daniel Miles Kane, for the job, and for getting me into real good music. Marv. All the people who have recorded with me can’t be thanked enough, they my bring my basic ideas to life. Liam, Clara, Omar, James, Neil, Mike. My family and friends are an infinite source of inspiration and support. All my love to you.

Templeton Grey

so you are about creates a challenge.”

NOTEWORTHY

GORILLA RUGGED GEAR

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THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

BUSTIN BOARDS

Gorilla Palms are made with 100% American leather and urethanes in Los Angeles. The product was developed when Justin Mitchell was traveling in Australia back in 2006. “I would skate for transportation as well as skate the parks, and I was mashing up my right palm and wrist all the time”, explains Justin. “It made it hard for me to work my night job as a bartender, so I thought it would be cool to be able to eliminate the daily swollen and sore wrist and palm.” Justin says he wanted something much smaller than a wrist guard so it could fit it in his back pocket all day and could be worn when needed. gorillapalms.com

LANDYACHTZ

The Pink Arrows and Eagle Dinghy are a limited release only available in the doors of your local boardshop. You won’t find these boards online so give your local Skateshop a call and cruise on down to check them out. landyachtz.com

Jonas Richter’s HydroPRO and Bruno Sirera’s new BrunoPRO are the latest addition to the Bustin lineup. The HydroPRO ThermoCarbon is a feather-light, downhill and freeride machine, with Flux-Cave concave technology and a radial Micro-kick tail. The BrunoPRO shape was crafted to fit Bruno’s undeniable “skate everything” style. This new 34” high-flying, tech savvy shape is ready to crush the pool or paint the hill with steez bustinboards.com

CADILLAC

The new Gropers are poured with the same THC ‘thane as the Swingers and Sugar Mamas, but in a smaller 59mm shape. These wheels are great for double kicks and hybrid boards. They leave lots of ‘thane and slide for days. No doubt the most fun you’ll have on a wheel under 60mm. cadillacskate.com

KRYPTONICS ASPHALT NOMADEN

While at ISPO this past year, we came across this company with some very unique designs. Asphaltnomaden is another company that hails from Germany. They are creating some classic longboards with timeless designs. Each step of the longboard production is carried out in house. asphaltnomaden.com

The new 55mm wheel is manufactured with their proprietary high rebound formulation. They are lightweight with quick acceleration. Use the red 78A formula on your daily cruiser, the blue 82A excels in ditches as well as parks and the green 86A is the thane of choice for a fast, smooth roll in skateparks, or for laying down some long thane lines. kryptonics.com

SURF RODZ

ALTERNATIVE

Hailing from Poland, Alternative Longboards was founded in 2011. From the beginning they have been producing vertical lamination boards. Their biggest pride is the special method of pressing boards in high temperature they call HPL, and V-tech; a type of connection between wooden strips in core. Graphics are being designed by Sebastian Skrobol, a renowned Polish comics designer and illustrator.

alternativelongboards.com

Surf-Rodz launches its new HYBRIDSZ RKP 100% machined skateboard truck. This sculpted design reduces weight, lowers ride height, maintains strength, and is interchangeable with all current SZ RKP products and accessories. HybridSZ are versatile, covering a full range of riding disciplines. surfrodz.com

HOLESOM

These gloves are fabricated with corduroy and suede and are fully lined with 31 air vent holes (18 backside, 13 palm-side) to keep you comfortable and cool. They also feature a padded palm, Kevlar finger tips and come with Holesom Pucks. holesom.com

Luxe Lighting Formula bearings enter the market with style and quality. The high viscosity oil prevents corrosion and displaces water while inner and outer rubber shields make for easy cleaning. As an added bonus luxery, each set of bearings is packaged in an Iphone 5 phone case with spacers. luxetruckco.com

SMOKIN STREET SLAYERS

Mach 65’s are 65mm/85A durometer, created for holding out long standies and doing fast 360’s. These wheels feature rounded edges and stone-ground contact surfaces. Slightly sideset, the Mach 65’s allow for long, controlled slides with an extremely consistent feel. From technical flat ground sessions, to hitting the steepest slopes, the Mach 65’s will ensure a great riding experience under any conditions.

cycloneskateboards.com

When Smokin Street Slayers designed the 9.5” x 40.5” Funktion they chose to get closer to their roots and bridge the gap between traditional skateboarding and longboarding. The deck has functional nose and tail kicks, plenty of concave and a true twin shape with 5/8” drop down. It combines wood with dual layers of glass and even sidewall protectors. This cross over board can handle all aspects of skateboarding, from hills to vert. smokinsnowboards.com

FLO Footstops are the next level in footstop function and performance. Whether you’re racing downhill or doing huge stand-up slides, a FLO will give you more leverage and increased steering input without sacrificing any type of freedom. The O.G. FLO provides maximum foot lock-in for any discipline. The Moflo, with a slightly smaller lip grabbing the top of your shoe’s rand, provides an even more magical “on when you want it, off when you don’t” feel. flofootsteps.com

LUXE

FLO FOOTSTEPS CYCLONE

LOKTON GRIPTAPE

BUDDY BUDDY

Based in Dresden, Germany, Buddy Buddy is utilizing some very different technology to manufacture decks. Their focus is on being as environmentally friendly as possible. They use locally grown wood along with locally sourced fiberglass. Their proprietary AncorCore Technology ensures a dynamic ride with efficient dampening and excellent durability Buddybuddy.eu

Developed with a high-end abrasives manufactured over the course of 18 months, Seismic’s new 36-grit Lokton™ griptape features a special grain never seen before in skateboarding – noticeably sharper, tougher, and grippier than the aluminum oxide and silicon carbide grains seen on other griptapes. Praise from test riders is unanimous. Not only the sharpness and added grip, but also more durable, heat-resistant, and water-resistant, with outstanding adhesion to decks. Available in packs of three (3) 11x11-inch sheets, as well as 60-foot rolls. Honeycomb and metal plate hole patterns decrease weight by up to 40%, while hole edges increase grip. info@seismicskate.com

DUSTERS

Freestyle legend Russ Howell has a new model out that serves as a fitting tribute to his over four and half decades of skating. The 7.5? x 32? deck features a wood burned bottom along with split maple veneers and clear grip. dusterscalifornia.com

MADRID

The Havoc is back and more apt for widespread carnage of any obstacles you may encounter along the path of shred! The Havok 2.0 is designed with ‘skate everything’ in mind. They modified the first design to strengthen the wheel wells and flares for longer durability. There is also more rocker for comfort and control Madridskateboards.com

FREESTYLE ROUNDUP

The 3rd Annual Freestyle round up took place in May of this year and brought riders from as far as China and Japan to compete for the title in Cloverdale B.C. The four day event narrows down the world’s top freestyle talent, and with a $10,000 prize purse you can image it got pretty heated. Watch full recap videos at theworldroundup.com

Guenter MokulysRick Tetz photo

A CURATED COLLECTION OF PRODUCTS WITH AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS AND REVIEW.

BY JOEY BIDNER AND JORDAN LANGDON

Camping on a skate trip is not like going out with your parents when you were a kid. Staying at a campground or hostel is typically out the window because of a blown-out budget. Usually you’ll find yourself behind a church or ducking into the city forest with your fingers crossed, hoping to not get busted. It helps to have a few tools and tricks up your sleeve to not get noticed. Here are a few items to help with the situation and make for a solid skate trip.

LEATHERMAN GRIND & JAM + STYLE PS

Packing lean and light is key on any camp trip, and it sucks to have a big clunky skate tool in your back pocket all day. Leatherman paired up with Arto Saari to develop two tools to help you out. The Grind is built simple, light and thin. Have you ever landed on your skate tool in your pocket while skating? It sucks, this tool certainly won’t be as cumbersome to carry on you. Although the Jam Style PS is missing an allan key, it has a utility tool with a set of pliers which come in handy when you need to open up a locked spigot behind a school to grab water or wash your clothes.

POLER CAMERA COOLER

A skate trip is not complete without somebody behind the lens to tell the story. The padded dividers will keep your gear safe, and the 3 way strap will let you push around from spot to spot on your board without the bag flopping all over the place. When you get back to camp after a long day, turn the bag into a cooler and keep your drinks cold. It’s not exactly water proof, but it’s insulated with a plastic liner to throw some ice in.

TRANGIA STOVE

This little stove has a lot going for it. There are stoves that can boil a cup of water faster, but none of those can boast zero moving parts. It costs $15. This thing weighs in at under 4 ounces and is made of brass. It’s an alcohol stove which means fuel is super accessible even when no outdoor shops are around. Denatured spirits are available at gas stations and hardware stores and cost pennies. An ounce of alcohol will bring 2 cups of water to a boil no problem. No lines to clog, no threads to strip and no O-rings to lose. Bombproof.

Continuing on the value tip, this bivy can be had from anywhere between $80-20 depending on new to used conditions. It is the outer cover that comes with the full military sleep system, which includes summer and winter sleeping bags that nest inside it. It is 3 layer Gore-Tex, and is fully seam sealed. If you’re trying to keep a low profile and want to ax out all setup time that would be associated with a tent, this thing is the ticket. It is 100% water and wind proof and will get you through the worst weather.

HENNESSY HAMMOCK EXPLORER DELUXE ZIP

Tent killer. This hammock is a game changer. Unless you’re in the desert or above the tree line, there is always a place to hang it. You can forget looking for level, root and rock free ground, none of that matters. As long as you can find two things under 20 feet apart to tie off to, it’s on. It has a full coverage rain fly, and a full bug net complete with a ridge line to max out inside space. It’s cut asymmetrically so you’re meant to sleep very diagonally across the center line. This takes out that banana, back killing hammock feeling and leaves you lying flat. Most comfortable sleeps ever. There are silnylon ‘snake skins’ that slide over to cover the hammock so the rain fly can be deployed before the hammock is, keeping everything dry. It weighs under 3 lbs and packs up the size of a football.

USGI BIVY BAG

Can you tell us a little bit about your skate background?

My brothers and I have grown up skating and surfing. We moved around a lot as kids but skating was something we always did together. No matter where we were in the world skateboarding was always our home. My mom brought home The Hamlyn Book of Skateboarding and an orange Thunder Valley plastic banana board when I was 6 years old. We’ve been in love with it ever since. I literally keep that very book on my desk just to remember how lucky we are that my Mom brought that home to us. It literally set the trajectory for everything for us.

We ended up moving to Brazil years later and our interest in skating translated into surfing. Those 2 cultures got us into music and the whole D.I.Y culture. Family was our first priority, and something about the whole skate/surf/music worlds just fit our ideals so perfectly. They were freethinking and creative. They were things we could all do together as brothers no matter where we were, or even what stage in life we were going through. Most importantly, they were things you had to work to be good at. The pursuit of being, doing, making something excellent is what makes us tick. We absolutely loved the idea of putting in work to get really good. We have carried that philosophy into the heart of our business here at Quincy. We are never satisfied. It can always be done better. We want to be the best. We owe so much to skateboarding, it deserves nothing less.

A conversation with Dayton Hicks from Quincy, by Michael Brooke. Photos courtesy of Quincy Woodwrights

Who else has joined you on this journey?

We started this business with our longtime homies and partners JayCon and Beefy. We got Jay and his wife Acon to move over from Hawaii and post up here in San Diego. Beefy pretty much handles the majority of the operations on the factory side up in the north country. It’s pretty amazing how we just lucked into all coming together.

What prompted you start up a manufacturing plant in Michigan?

We set up some proprietary things from a manufacturing standpoint in the area. There are some secrets that make our wood so sick, and we are going to keep those secrets to ourselves. We also knew that the area really needed some job growth. We are 100% behind creating new American jobs where they are needed most. The amazing part is that everyone in our factory is a skateboarder. They understand the magic of what they are making. They get to be involved with what they love on a level that they can directly effect skating and also make a good living in a rad area. The dudes on the floor are amazing guys. We wouldn’t have anything without those guys. Alex has been key in getting everything dialed and the homie Anders has been a rock. We’ve known him since he was a young pup and he has been so loyal to us. He even has Pug and Tammy’s 3-year-old son’s art work tattooed on his leg. We are so grateful for all those dudes.

What are some of your plans with new manufacturing plant?

We are actually in the process of renovating our “new” manufacturing plant which we are looking to have completed by this fall. We say “new” because the building itself was built in the early 1900’s. It was originally constructed as a warehouse for a local mining company but was later used to service locomotives. The train tracks are still running through the warehouse floor, its rad! We are actually working on a few things that have never been done in the skate industry before. You’ll hear about it in the next two years.

How would you describe your business philosophy? Do something that matters and do it to be the best. Your contributions in life will outlive you so we don’t bother pulling any punches. We do everything here in the US so we can legitimately stand behind our product. We can vouch for our quality because it’s made in OUR factory. We can vouch for the fact that we KNOW and CARE DEARLY for our employees. We can vouch for how important a skateboard is because of all it has graced us with in life. This business has given us some real beatings, but holy hell is it fun.

What are some things that you feel the skate world needs right now?

Less “hey kid here’s this months purple snap back hat with a cobra on it” and more “hey kid go skate this wood because we’ve worked harder than the next guy to make your next session your best yet”. We aren’t really disillusioned with what’s going on in the skate world because we are so focused on making the best wood we possibly can. The industry as a whole can do what it wants. We want to be the gold standard; when people skate a QUINCY made deck we want them to know they are skating the best. On the North Shore you see this sticker that says “Defend Hawaii” with a machine gun underneath it, I like to think of Quincy in those same term; ”DEFEND SKATEBOARDING”.

By Chris Bennett from the Roarockit Skateboard Company

Building a foam Mold

Designing your own mold is a fun and effective way to create your own custom skateboard. With Roarockit’s Thin Air Press vacuum bag technology, a builder only needs to design/shape one side of the mold. This makes the process a lot easier and more affordable than having to perfectly match a male and female side of a standard concrete or wood mold, and is ideal for prototyping designs. The mold can be made out of foam, mdf or other stable and shape-able materials. The denser the material, the more it will hold up over multiple pressings, but the harder it will be to shape.

STEP 2

STEP 1

Planning out your mold is one of the most important parts of the process. Take time in laying out each aspect of your mold. Before touching the foam, know the parameters of what you will soon shape. Plan everything from concave, kick tails, nose, drops, etc

Cut your foam to the size of the veneer you will be pressing and mark your center line along with the rest of the features with a black marker and ruler. Once you have laid out the features on your mold you are ready to shape the foam to your three-dimensional design.

Use the drywall saw to rough cut any areas where a lot of material needs to be removed. When the bulk of material has been removed, you can start to fine tune the shape of your mold.

STEP 4 STEP 5

S

Using a hand held surform tool you can start to remove the remaining foam and shape the mold closer to the feature lines you have laid out. Make sure to not go past your lines and do your best to keep everything flat and level. Once the mold is shaped close to your feature lines you can use a large flat sanding block to smooth the foam to your final shape.

S

With your three-dimensional mold completed, cover the entire surface in clear packing tape. This will help increase the life of your mold and prevent any glue from drying to the foam and altering your shape for its next use.

The best part about this process is being able to change your mold design easily if you want to experiment with different shapes. For example, if you want to increase the angle of your kick tail, simply remove more material from that area of the mold, press another board and see how it feels!

For more information and a video tutorial on mold building visit, www.youtube.com/Roarockit

Leonard Peltier

One of the most amazing things about Longboarding for Peace is that it connects people in some truly remarkable ways. For example, I had no way of knowing that my idea about using skateboard graphics would morph into such a unique story.

BACK STORY:

Leonard Peltier is a Native American man who has been imprisoned for over 35 years, despite evidence that supports his being wrongfully convicted. He is a writer, an artist, a father, a grandfather and a warrior for human rights, peace and freedom. He is a man who stood up to protect innocent people within the Oglala Lakota community during a time of violence, lawlessness, and intimidation on their reservation. The case has become one of the most controversial in United States legal history and the focus of numerous books and Hollywood films. The story of Leonard Peltier encapsulates the story of generations of Native American people fighting for their basic civil and human rights and the survival of their culture. It plays out during a time in American history when standing up for freedom and truth was ignited in the hearts of people of all races; and took the form of protests and occupations, both violent and non-violent alike. Sadly, the stage set for those who stood for truth, justice and freedom was often violent and with tragic outcome.

In 1975, traditionalist members of the Oglala Lakota community on the Pine Ridge Reservation asked if the American Indian Movement; an organization which upholds Native American rights, would come to protect them from members of their own tribal government who were carrying out terrorist activity against the community. A heated confrontation between the FBI and AIM members broke out, and two FBI agents and a young Native American man were shot and killed. Leonard Peltier, a member of AIM, was convicted of murdering the agents in 1977. Leonard has never denied that he was at the shoot out on Pine Ridge, however, he has always maintained he did not kill the agents. Since then, the fight for Leonard’s freedom has continued. There is no clear reason why the U.S. government has refused leniency to Leonard Peltier. Even after another AIM member, who was legally protected and could not be charged, confessed to the killing in 2004, and even after the US government stated they could not prove Leonard killed the agents.

Amnesty International considers Leonard Peltier a political prisoner of the United States, he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize multiple times and his supporters range from the Dalai Lama, to Nobel Laureates, and Queen Elizabeth II.

During the first skateboard boom of the ‘60s, skateboard graphics were generally a logo on the bottom of the board. It wasn’t until the 1978 when Dogtown started to showcase Wes Humpston’s artwork that skaters started to understand the power of graphics under a deck. Things started to get very intriguing once politics were fused with skate graphics. A new book from Seb Carayol called Agents-Provocateur: The 100 Most Subversive Skateboard Graphics of All Time has just been published. It traces the history of board graphics and delves into the political and social implications behind the art.

As our movement of peace, balance and justice continues to move forward, I thought it might be appropriate to work with an artist to highlight a specific political issue that related to justice. It wasn’t long before I came upon the story of Leonard Peltier. His tribulations through the justice system might be unfamiliar to some readers but they are of vital significance. Quite coincidently, the moment I decided to feature Peltier’s story, an acquaintance emailed me to ask if I would be interested in working with an artist looking to get into skateboard graphics. This artist turned out to be Rachel Tribble, and what I didn’t realize was that she was quite connected to the plight of Native Americans. It was as if the stars had aligned.

Rachel’s connection to the Native American world was formed when a friend invited her to a sweat lodge a number of years ago; “I was pretty sure I wouldn’t connect with the sweat lodge; but my friend persisted and one cold winter night I went; and life was never the same” explains Rachel. “I found myself among proud people, surviving in a society that had been at war with them for hundreds of years.”

As Rachel listened to the stories of survival, she learned about AIM; the American Indian Movement. This was a group of Native American activists who had originally organized in the late 1960’s in response to horrific brutality inflicted upon Native people by the Minneapolis police.

Living in Minnesota, Rachel’s awe and respect for the Native people, their community and their ceremonies, grew. She was invited to a prayer ceremony on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation in northern Wisconsin. Gangs had started to infiltrate the youth on the Reservation and a young man had been killed. “A call had gone throughout the community for help and I decided I wanted to go pray” recalls Rachel.

There was a man there who spoke strongly of Native rights and the importance of standing up for the people. “I was horrified as I learned of the broken treaties and going to jail because a man went fishing. The ceremonies I attended and languages I heard had been illegal until the 1970’s!”

Over a few years Rachel became friendly with the man who had been speaking in that house, and as they grew closer he introduced her to his family. “His grandparents, his mother, his father and his uncle; they were loving people and had been some of the original members of AIM.”

By the mid-1990’s Rachel had given up working as an artist and had fully dedicated herself to the Native American community. She went onto marry the man who had been speaking in that house.

In 1998 Rachel attended the Honor the Earth Pow Wow. It was the first time she had ever met the founding members of AIM or heard them speak; and it was the first time she heard about Leonard Peltier. Now, fast-forward 16 years later, and Rachel has created this artwork as a tribute to Leonard.

To sign the petition to free Leonard Peltier, please visit www. leanardpeltier.info

Rachel Tribble photo - Thomas Winter

Board graphics by Rachel Tribble - photo Thomas Winter

In June, we completed a full year at Amesbury Middle School in Toronto. In the previous school year there had been 129 suspensions. With the introduction of the Longboarding for Peace Program, suspensions fell to 32. Thanks to the generosity of Landyachtz, we have given away 30 completes. To give you an idea of the kind of impact this program is having, we are proud to publish part of a letter from a student who received a Landyachtz complete.

DEAR LANDYACHTZ:

When I first heard that I was getting a longboard I was so happy, I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to buy a longboard a few months ago but even if I had the money my parents wouldn’t let me buy it. They really don’t understand why it is so great to ride it. They just think that it is a piece of wood with wheels. Now that I have my own longboard they start to understand how happy I am and that it makes me feel very good to ride it. Longboarding teaches you about balance in life because when you are riding it you have to keep balance so you don’t fall off. In life, just like in longboarding, you have to take turns and make choices. Longboarding is a perfect example of peace and balance. I am so proud and happy to be part of Longboarding For Peace. I promised my teacher and myself to be a good example for other students who want to join this “army”.

Yours truly, Hayyan

LFP UK’s first year is continuing to go from strength to strength with the addition of a new UK branch that specializes in landpaddling, along with the Southwest branch returning for another year at local schools as well as many charity events. longboardingforpeaceuk.webs.com

LFP JOINS UP WITH THREE ORGANIZATIONS

The Swiss-based Non-Violence Project and LFP announced in July that we would partner together to help spread a message of peace. NVP’s mission is to inspire, motivate and engage young people to understand how to solve conflicts peacefully. Over the past twenty years, they have reached over 6 million students. Nonviolence.com

Spread the Stoke is a new non-profit that puts skating equipment into the hands of under-privileged and at-risk children. It matches them up with riders from the local communities, and provides a mentor to teach them how to ride safe and responsibly. facebook.com/spreadingstoke

Justice is a pillar of LFP, and October 2 is Wrongful Conviction Day. The Association in Defense of the Wrongly Convicted (AIDWYC) is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to identifying, advocating for, and exonerating individuals convicted of a crime that they did not commit. In honor of the work that AIDWYC is doing, artist Beto Janz created this image. Aidwyc.org

COLLABS

We had a chance to meet the good folks from Idyllic Clothing in April of this year at the Comet Skate Jam in Ithaca, New York. Pick up a shirt at their website idyllicclothing.com

XS Helmets are making unique and well designed helmets for the women’s action sports market. The company has teamed up with Cindy Whitehead of Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word to do a signature collab helmet. The “Classic Skate” helmet comes in matte black, with gold lettering on the side, Cindy’s personal motto and signature is on the back as well as our logo to help promote awareness.

XShelmets.com

In 2013 we kicked off a national blood giving week in Canada. This year we’ve decided to expand to the entire month of October, and go worldwide. If you’re a skater and are over the age of 17, we are asking you to register at your nearest blood bank.

Beverly Flood -

Photo Ian Logan

Three weeks, three countries, skateboarding, fantastic food, more skateboarding; when it rains it pours. The longboarding community has always been one to impress me with its endless generosity, compassion, and love. It baffles me sometimes how a plank of wood with four wheels attached to it can bring a group of people so close together, but that is why the skateboarding community is so beautiful and alluring.

by Daniel Fissmer photos by Gordon Timpen

Longtime friends and team riders, Adam Colton, Ethan Cochard, and myself, trekked through Germany, Spain, and France, skating in some of the most beautiful, architecturally astounding, and culturally rich cities in the world. It was incredible and humbling to meet the skaters in each city that Loaded and other companies have directly affected over the years. Whether they were thanking us for inspiring them to skate, or hearing their personal stories, it was truly a wondrous experience to get the chance to teach and skate with these cool cats.

The skaters in Germany, Spain, and France have built up some very strong communities and we look forward to watching them continue to grow. I thank each city for the enormous amount of love we received and cannot wait to return again to skate with our brothers and sisters in arms.

Volker Dietrich

64mm x 78a

1 of 4 new wheels from Free Wheel Co.

Rider: Steven Suhama

Photo: Sam Galus

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Michael Silva