Focus Skateboarding Magazine # 50 - Jul/Aug '13

Table//Contents

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forewords The Mistakes of Discovering Gold

12

guest editor Rodney Smith

18

hammertime TRICK OF THE MONTH

20

fresh find Brian Delaney

22

fresh find Dan Peindl

24

fresh find Paul Collins

26

behind the lens Sean Cronan

34 Get Outta Town

28

neighborhood watch Paine’s Park

30

shop stop o1ne skateshop

38 Jump off a bridge

30

rap sheet Gentle Jones

40

shop contest democracy showdown

46 Liam McCabe

humble bragging

humble bragging

small talk

48 Kevin Phelps

small talk

50 Wells Shaw

small talk

54 Incentives

photo section

Table Of Contents July/augusT 2013 VoLUME nine ISSUE four

on The cover: ricky geiger [backside flip into bank] photography :: ZanDer TakeToMo conTenTs: Ty Brown [backside crook] photography :: ricky Mccorkle

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- Þ Ê/ ÛiÀÊÉÉÊ Ãi« V * Ì ÊÉÉÊ-Ìi« i Ê" Ûi À>

p.o. BoX 31628 phILaDELphIa, pa 19147 215.310.9677

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co-owner / Mike MaZur eDiTorial DirecTor mazur@focusskatemag.com co-owner / JusTin heisTer arT DirecTor justin@focusskatemag.com eDiTorial assisTanT / ZanDer Take T ToMo senior PhoTograPher zandert@focusskatemag.com weB / online sTePhen oliveira conTenT Manager stephen@focusskatemag.com weB suPPorT MaTT a kosoy aTT gonzo@focusskatemag.com coPy eDiTor JaMes williaM conTriBuTing PhoTograPhers MIKE BELLEME, DaNIEL BLECKLEy, roB CoLLINS, SEaN CroNaN, LUKE DarIgaN, aNDy ENoS, ryaN gEE, NICK ghoBaShI, KarIM ghoNEM, MIKE hEIKKILa, JaSoN hENry, BrIaN KELLEy, BEN KILpatrICK, StEphEN KNIght, SCott KraMEr, rIChIE McCorKLE, ChrIS McDoNaLD, StEphEN oLIVEIra, aLEX papKE, DaVID StUCK, XENo tSarNaS, aLLEN yINg, DaN ZaSLaVSKy

conTriBuTing wriTers BUDDy BLECKLEy, aNDrEW CaNNoN, ryaN gEE, LUKE DarIgaN, SoMa FULLEr, CLaIrE LaVEr, ChrIS NIEratKo, StEphEN oLIVEIra, aLEX papKE, ZaNDEr taKEtoMo, XENo tSarNaS Interested in advertising and Supporting your Local Scene?

call 215.310.9677 for more info Want to submit photos, editorial, or hate mail?

send submissions to info@focusskatemag.com or via snail mail to the address above Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/focusskateMag Join us on t twitter at twitter.com/focusskateMag Join us on you y tube at youtube.com/focusskateMag Join us on Instagram at @focusskateMag

NEW read full issues online at issuu.com/focusskateMag Focus Skateboarding Magazine is published bi-monthly, six times a year

by Focus Skateboarding Magazine Inc. all contents are copyrighted by Focus Skateboarding Magazine Inc. 2013. reproduction of any material requires the written consent from the publishers. all letters, photos, editorial contributions, and advertisements are accepted upon the representation that they are original materials by the author and/or advertiser. the author and/or advertiser accept full responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of their ads and/or editorial contributions. opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author and may not reflect the views and opinions of the editor, staff, or advertisers of Focus Skateboarding Magazine. any similarities between persons or places mentioned or alluded to in the fiction and real places or persons living or dead are purely coincidental. advertisers assume full responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of their advertisements. the author and/or advertisers also will indemnify and save Focus Skateboarding Magazine harmless from any legal claims. Now either read this magazine, or go skate!

Tim Snyder

Fore//Words

With only a couple missteps prior, Brandon Bonner struck gold with this backside smith at a local train station in Fredericksburg, VA.

The Mistakes of Discovering Gold WORDS :: Mazur

focusskatemag.com

Wow! This is the 50th issue of Focus? I can’t believe that. I definitely didn’t think we’d make it to this. Or maybe I did, but didn’t realize it would come about so fast. I swear it seems like only yesterday when Justin and I sat around, throwing names against a wall, trying to come up with what we thought would best represent the East Coast skateboarding scene. There was even a moment, brief, but a moment, when we couldn’t agree upon a name and the finely cellulose pulp of materials pressed together that make up the pages of Focus you hold in front of you almost never came to see the light of day. I mean last issue was our 8th year anniversary issue. Without even realizing it, ‘til weeks after that issue dropped, it finally dawned on us that THIS issue is the 50th issue we’ve printed. Both the 8-year mark and 50th issue mark are a huge personal success for us. Aside from skating, I don’t think there is anything else either of us has stuck with for this long.

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It’s funny to think about it… How looking back, I might tell myself to do things differently. I guess it’s only natural too, that I probably wouldn’t have listened to my elder-self anyway. As youth we never listen to our elder and wiser generations. I mean, doing that would only make for life to be much easier, and who wants that?

Personally, I think making mistakes is what makes us the people we are. If I had listened and avoided every pitfall, mistake, and fuck up I’ve ever done, I just wouldn’t be the same person. In fact, I’d probably be quite dull and lifeless, I think.

Sometimes the missteps we make aren’t missteps at all. Sometimes they’re the silver linings to better things… By messing up and making a fool of yourself, you learn. You might learn what not to do, but you also might learn something about yourself you never knew before. I’m not a believer in fate either; so don’t twist what I’m writing in that sense. The idea that your life is pre destined, to me, just sounds silly.

Missteps in life can easily be related to the lifestyle of skateboarding.

Think about how you go about learning a new trick. I mean, it’s pretty rare to just have that natural talent to go out and just, BAM, 360 shuv crook a step up ledge first-try, right? It takes time. It takes making a thousand mistakes before even sticking that first landed new trick. And sometimes, you might be trying really hard to learn a particular trick, only to mess up and bring about a new trick you never thought of, or even thought was a possibility.

If not for the choices and missteps I made prior to the start of Focus, I doubt it would have ever came to be. Which, as I mentioned before, is why the idea of fate is just stupid to me. And even with this GOLDEN edition 50th issue of the magazine we still grow and learn, issue by issue, new ways to approach the obstacles put in front of us. I just can’t wait to get to that Platinum 100th edition of Focus Skateboarding Magazine… Man, to think of all the things I will learn by then.

BRANDON WESTGATE, SMITH 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SOUTH AMERICA TOUR

EMMET DUFFY SWITCH BACK HEEL

TEAMICECREAM.COM

JAMEL & ANDRE “DON’T FREEZE UP”

WorDS :: roDney sMiTh

Let’s start off with giving Focus two thumbs up and a shout-out for staying the course in the tough world of the skateboarding magazine business. their commitment cannot go uncelebrated in the global skateboard community; this is a giant feat in itself.

Documenting raw East Coast skateboarding is an honorable pursuit that gives skaters a visual of how influential East Coast skateboarding is at the core. going against the grain of a wellestablished magazine industry that holds firm from a status quo point of view is straight up punk rock.

aLLEN yINg

GuesT//ediTor

easT coasT influence

When Focus asked me to be the guest editor I was honored. as I am to be one component of a strong movement (for over 30 years) of dedicated people from the east that have helped keep skateboarding’s national and international appeal alive in the eyes of aspiring skateboarders and fans alike. For me this is a testament to what it means to be from the East Coast of the United States. Specifically, from the central hub states of New york, y philly, New Jersey, DC etc… and any and all East Coast states that have adverse weather conditions.

Don’t get this twisted Carolinas, georgia and Florida… you’ve got it good down there. I’ll be one of the first people to y say I love hanging and skating in warm weather. I’m always down for a quick escape from the bone-chillingly cold winters we experience. From this angle, there is something real to being rooted to a location you feel completely at home in.

While not wanting to live anywhere else – coupled with being a skater from an adverse seasonal weather state – surviving and progressing toward advancements in skateboarding could seem a little unattainable from a (warm weather state) industry/skaters perspective. this fact has been around since skateboarding’s inception, through to an organized and cohesive skateboard culture.

focusskatemag.com

there was a time I struggled with this notion (as a competitive street skater in the early 80’s) as well as any other perceivably unattainable achievements back then – like how to get sponsored with photos only, not having video cameras.

Not to mention not being from California. as an aspiring newcomer to skateboarding back in the 70’s, I started to recognize through skate magazines the difference between New Jersey, Florida and California. It didn’t add up for me.

Back then California and Florida had the weather to support outdoor skate parks and yet we really only had oNE properly professionally built indoor park; Cherry hill, N.J. between the late 70’s & early 80’s. obviously better weather renders more time to skate. the same applied to most other countries that had a go at building private skate parks back in the day.

I guess the attitude about skateboards was that they were toys and or trendy contraptions in the realm of fads. there was little chance for business success with this approach.

What’s wrong with this picture? Is a part of history repeating itself with the public parks and community throwing skaters a bone? the, “It’s just the way it is.” approach is pure nonsense, but don’t get me started on those subjects. the last thing we need is for skateboarding in the streets to become illegal, like California experienced starting in the 80’s. Not to say this stopped us from skating, but you get the picture. But to my point…

14

all this leads me to highlight one of the most important factors when speaking about national and international skateboarding: there are more adverse weather states and countries with strong skate scenes than there are warm/dry ones. With the U.S. being the birthplace for organized/ cohesive skateboarding and California being the mecca in some peoples’ minds, I am a true believer that it’s the East Coast skate perspective that has been the reality check-in for many European and beyond skaters for support. hey, if it weren’t for urethane wheels (made by an East Coaster) and the vert ollie (Florida’s alan gelfand) who knows where skateboarding would be.

roDney sMiTh [tail block]

HaMMer//TiMe

Joseph DelgaDo

focusskatemag.com

ChrIS McDoNaLD

360 PoP-shuv crooks WorDS :: MaZur

For those of you that haven’t been to Flushing to skate, this ledge is a lot more intimidating than photos and videos would lead you to believe. When this flick of Joseph Delgado came through last second, and just days before print, I pulled the Hammertime we had and ran with this. I mean, I’ve seen plenty of regular pop-shuv crooks, but a 360-shuv crook is just bonkers. I feel like it’s an even harder move to pull off than say a tre flip crook anyway, since the board wants to naturally flip and rotate. For that reason, and Joseph Delgado’s awesome board control, you get this for this month’s Hammertime. Enjoy!

18

~Kevin R. Susienka Ready Amongst Willing LLC

Brian Delaney focusskatemag.com

BackTail against the glass

20

Hometown: Barnstable, MA Sponsors: RAW, Supra (flow), Bolts Premium Hardware, Concepts, Boarding House Favorite Trick: Front Shuv Trick You Just Suck At: Nollie 360 Flip Favorite Non-Skateboarding Activity: Being with good friends.

Last Words/Shout Outs: Thank you Steve Costello and Kevin Susienka at RAW, and Dave Ashley for everything. Chris Brown, Spungie, and Lee Madden. My family and friends on Cape Cod, the Whole Eggs Crew, and the great city of Boston.

Sean Michon

FRESH//FIND

“Brian ‘Dutchmaster’ Delaney is the definition of a true skate rat. His sessions in the city of Boston start in the early morning and last until the early morning, in temperatures from 100 plus degrees to below 0 with the wind chill factor. For those of you who are not from New England, the wind chill factor is the difference between being cold and freezing your ass off from November until March every year. That being said, Dutchy has put in a ton of hours of his skateboard. When that type of work ethic is combined with years of studying what great skateboarding looks like, the result is a talented skateboarder with impeccable style and a proper trick selection.”

37)4#( 34!.#% &//4 0,!.4

4%!- 2)$%2 2/..)% '/2$/.

0(/4/ 3#/44 0!42)#%,,)

Alex Papke

FRESH//FIND

“There aren’t too many skaters left like Danger. In the internet age of skateboarding, images of the glory and fame of being pro are everywhere, but do not matter to him at all. He is a skater who finds a lot of spots in Pittsburgh and kills it on the daily. Not much talking and a whole lot of skating is not common these days, but that pretty much explains Dan.” ~Greg Pasquarella Owner, OneUp Skateshop

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Dan Peindl 22

Frontside 5-0

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA Sponsors: OneUp Skateshop, Scumco & Sons Favorite Trick: The ones I can do Trick You Just Suck At: Body-turning flipping ones Favorite Non-Skateboarding Activity: Beer and urban exploration Last Words/Shout Outs: Eric Calfo, Rob Starr, Dan Sotak, Greg, Drew Windon, Nick and Ben at Scumco, Nick Panza, and the rest of the Fuck Yinz clique.

FRESH//FIND

Paul Collins

Boneless into Bank

Hometown: Longmeadow, MA Sponsors: Theory Skateshop Favorite Trick: No Comply to Shifty Trick You Just Suck At: Any given flip trick Favorite Non-Skateboarding Activity: Sleeping Last Words/Shout Outs: My brother, Rob Collins, without a doubt! Mi Madre, Dan and Frank at Theory, Greg Sanocki, Mikey P, Jobin, Stevie, Sticks, Dan Z and Mola, footplants, board-grabs and all the concrete of the world!

“I must say, I never thought I’d be writing about Paul for a skateboard magazine.

Years ago I was forcing Paul to come skate with me in our driveway skatepark. Fastforward 8 years and Paul has grown into a mature, and quite talented, skateboarder.

As a photographer it’s easy to admire Paul’s ability to always find a way to skate a spot differently than everyone else. I’m stoked to call Paul not only my brother, but also one of my best friends.”

focusskatemag.com

Rob Collins

~Rob Collins Brother/Photographer

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RICKY GEIGER

Behind//Lens

Brandon Westgate [backside flip]

Sean Cronan

WORDS :: Stephen Oliveira PHOTOGRAPHY :: Sean Cronan Here’s the classic “Behind the Lens” question: How’d you first get into photography?

I started doing a ‘zine (Rage) when I was in junior high, and would shoot photos of my friends. It wasn’t until 1992, or ’93, I think, that my buddy Tim Upson turned pro for Black Label and asked me if I could shoot a photo for his first ad. The photo ran as an ad, and I have been shooting skating ever since.

What was your first setup?

It was a little plastic point and shoot with a plastic lens.

It was awful. Then I started borrowing my dad’s Mamiya. I found a screw on fisheye lens that went in front of the normal 50mm lens. It was terrible, but I couldn’t afford a real fisheye at the time.

Years later, what’s your current setup?

I shoot mostly with the Canon 5D Mark III. In an old video interview of yours you said that you use Canon bodies. Why is that? Have you ever shot with a Nikon body?

I shot Nikon and Hasselblad before I made the switch to digital. The only reason I switched was because Canon came out with the 1D, which could shoot sequences at 8 frames a second. Nikon didn’t have anything like that at the time. I would much rather shoot with my Hasselblad, or Leica but a lot of the stuff that I shoot now is time sensitive. I don’t have any allegiance to Canon other than I own a bunch of lenses.

focusskatemag.com

Being a photographer myself, I know that it all depends on the spot and trick, but do you enjoy shooting fisheye or long lens more?

It really does depend, but I would have to say a really well composed long lens photo is great.

26

When it comes down to it, would you rather shoot digital or film?

If I could, I would shoot film with my Hasselblad, and Leica. I used to love not knowing if I got the shot or not.

The anticipation of going to the lab, or developing the film yourself is something that I miss. It’s not uncommon nowadays for myself and other photographers to take a photo of the screen on our camera with our phone, and text the photo to an art director or photo editor while still at the spot. It’s crazy to think how fast things happen nowadays.

Out of every photo you’ve ever shot, is there one that you can confidently label as your favorite?

There are a few that I like, although technically they wouldn’t be considered the greatest photos. Westgate’s backside flip into a double set bank that was a Zoo ad

a few years back, Kris Markovich’s ollie photo that was the infamous “floating wheel” cover of Big Brother years ago, and Bobby Puleo’s kickflip from bank-tobank at Grand and Graham that we shot around ‘99.

How about the most fun photo to shoot?

Anything of my son.

Whether it’s tapping their board before attempting a trick or fixing their hat between tries, what’s one thing you’ve seen somebody do throughout your years of shooting that sticks out in your mind?

I’ve seen a lot of that over the years. No boards with red, or orange ply’s, jumping over the top 2 steps on a set of stairs, asking me and the filmer twice if we’re ready before every attempt, ultra complicated handshakes and fist bumps in between tries, pacing, puking, not being able to step on a crack, the list goes on, and on...

What’s the most memorable Zoo York era for you?

Probably when I first started shooting for them in 2004.

It was a good group of guys, and we had a lot of fun.

Do you prefer shooting skateboarding more than

other things? I saw some killer cityscape photos on your site, along with those Zoo York cityscape boards you’ve shot.

Thanks. Yeah, I really like shooting skateboarding the most. The cityscapes are fun to shoot. It’s nice to take a break from shooting skating every once in awhile and just lurk around the city and see what I come up with.

That Zoo York Yankees Stadium video was sick...

Did you shoot anything during that session?

How’d you feel about that session in general? It was a solid video. I’m sure being there was even better.

Yeah, I shot the behind the scenes photos. The session was great. The Yankees were really accommodating and let the guys skate pretty much everything they wanted. It was a good time.

Do you have any big plans for the remainder of ‘13?

It’s the 20th Anniversary for Zoo York, so I have been shooting a bunch of projects to coincide with that.

Shooting with the Zoo guys as much as possible.

Any last words before we wrap this up?

Thanks to all the different skaters that have let me photograph them over the years.

Bobby Puleo [kickflip]

Jay KLotZ

neiGHborHood//WaTCH

kevin Taylor

[backside ollie]

open paine’s park!

WorDS :: nick orso photography :: gary scheMPP

chris cole [backside flip] In my experience, I have found skateboarders to be some of the most innovative and industrious people you will ever come across. the very essence of skateboarding is to use this piece of wood and four wheels to transcend the normalcy of walking the manscape around us. Every skateboarder at heart does it because there is no other feeling like it. a beneficial side effect is the persistence and dedication learned as you fall and get up again and again, not stopping until you get what you sought out for. It takes discipline and mental prowess – nothing is impossible if you can visualize it through.

Skateboarders are adaptive, resourceful, and impressive in taking it upon themselves to create what they enjoy in the true philadelphia fashion. Look at FDr, look at 9th and parrish under the SEpta pta line, look at the Delaware river barrier. We will do what we have to in order to get what we want. Skateboarding is that good. and on May 22, the city of philadelphia got a pristine 75,000 sq. ft. of space that was designed specifically with skateboarding in mind.

focusskatemag.com

after almost thirteen years of working to educate and influence, strategize, fundraise, and construct, paine’s park is here and while I am biased, I think it is amazing. the location, the mix of people, the lines, it’s all there. What I truly love about it, and what I think makes it stand out among any skatepark I have ever been to – is that the very idea of it was founded in keen observations of how public space, architecture and urban planning work, and how skateboarding happened to weave through them all here in the city of brotherly love.

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the 90’s were a golden era in philadelphia skateboarding. I moved to philadelphia in 1997 at the height of the scene that was portrayed in iconic East Coast videos like the Sub Zero video and the Eastern Exposure series. Love park was the defacto spot where skateboarding could always be found. It was reassuring. It was like a dream come true for someone like me who grew up in a small rural town a state over where there were only three of us. But it was short lived.

For whatever reason, and just as the X games generated lots of money for the city, skateboarding began to be the subject of increased fines and attention from the police department. FDr was cited as the place to sweep us to, but it was it’s own animal and it lacked the centrality and importance that Love park offered. there were people who recognized the vibrancy skateboarding brought to center city. Love park was pretty seedy in the 80s. Skateboarders took some ownership of the space and made it safe again for the work fleets and anyone who had to walk through at night.

We did a study along the way in 2011 to correlate the number of basketball courts and tennis courts around the city to the number of their respective users and it was on the scale of 1:200 (1 space to 200 users). the number for public spaces designated for skateboarding? about 1:15,000. this fast-growing sport, this creative and impressive culture I had been a part of for so long, that shaped so much of who I was, that brought me all my friends, that forever changed how I looked at the world - was woefully underserved.

While the Street administration would not give up on the Love park issue, they did recognize the bigger picture and in 2003 gave us the approximately 2.5-acre site that the park sits on today. We couldn’t believe it. that beautiful space directly on the Schuylkill river, adjacent to the art Museum and on the Benjamin Franklin parkway?

We had to pinch ourselves. then the fundraising began. So imagine a handful of 20somethings organizing under a newly formed nonprofit organization, Franklin’s paine Skatepark Fund, charged with raising what was estimated to cost almost $7M at that time. Now you’ve thought up this grandiose idea – make it happen suckers.

Well, we did, we got a kick-ass board of directors and we raised over $4.5M. I am proud to say that I wrote the 75-page grant application for the first million of that way back when. I have to admit, it really is surreal to be able to skate up the river trail to the park and have a session with my friends without hassle whenever I want. and with the skyline in full view and the buzz of the city surrounding you, it really doesn’t get much better.

odds//ends

shop sTop rap sheeT shee WorDS :: TiM achille

O1NE • NC 333 w. tRadE St. • Unit 1 C/d • ChaRLottE, nC 704.910.4465

focusskatemag.com

WorDS :: Mike las

o1ne skaTeshoP

the concept of o1NE for a brand/store had been an idea in Satish Cherian’s head since 2004, well before the shop opened it’s first location in Charlotte, NC back in 2009. Satish has a keen eye for design, so being able to build out the first store from scratch was huge deal. I know he had envisioned the store to have a boutique-style flow, gallery-like board wall and custom fixtures. the selection in the shop is diverse to say the least. there is a great mix of skate and streetwear brands, from 10.Deep to Crooks to InCase to gShock, Diamond, hUF and so on.

Satish’s objective with o1NE was to bring to life his vision of what he wanted a brand/store to be and to simply make a mark in the industry. two years later and itching to open something up back home in Jersey, Small Empire’s old location presented itself. at first I remember Satish telling me he wasn’t that into it, but he remembered having so many good times there he figured he could bring that back. So, in 2011 o1NE’s 2nd location was officially opened.

Both shops share a similar look have the best vibes. they’re very chill, laid back and real. the skate team ranges from NJ/NyC to philly, NC and La, definitely making the rounds. o1NE has got an amazing team working in both stores; so when you walk into either shop expect to be greeted with a sincere smile and helpful, knowledgeable staff. always trying to have a great time in everything they do, from skate demos to music events, or just daily shop stuff and helping customers, they always give it their all!

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genTle Jones

It takes a lot of courage to step outside of what most people call their realm, but for Bill Ferrell, also known as Gentle Jones, it’s an everyday thing. Not only has he sang for an Oi band (The Barons) and a ska band (The Bullbuckers) but he is one of today’s most versatile and creative artists out there. I’m not going to say, “He’s in the game.” I’m not sure what game he’s playing. But I can assure you this, nobody is gonna figure it out for a while. His musical influences will keep you guessing, wondering, loving or straight hating.

His new album that’s getting ready to drop this summer has the fans wondering, “What’s he going to do next?” You’ll have to hear it to find out. what’s good man?

Man, I am having a great summer so far. We just got back from pass and Stow records in philly where I got to hang around with h.r. from Bad Brains and hear some unreleased music from his new “project Livity” album. Very chill music and it was wonderful to see h.r. and hear some of his newest work. h.r.? Man, that dude still owes me a show! you have to tell me that story sometime. In this y business some stuff just doesn’t happen. I was supposed to do a show with KrS oNE, it didn’t happen. another time I was supposed to do a show with Beans from anti pop Consortium. I was supposed to do a show with rakim that didn’t go down. y you just have to keep it moving, nothing is promised in this world. what the fuck is a Pass and stow? isn’t that the dude who carved the liberty Bell? pass and Stow is a record store in philly right across from Johnny Brenda’s. It’s run by DJ Stress, whose done production for gym Class heroes and Freddy Madball. he’s down with DMS. great guy, great shop. so, what’s your new record, and when is it gonna drop?

My new album is called “Murderkill hundred,” which is an old name from the 1600’s that refers to the area around Dover, the capital of Delaware. We are talking a full century before the United States existed this area was named Murderkill. Everything for the album is recorded and right now it’s in the mix down stage. It will be out this summer. the singles that have already come out did really well, the videos got a good response online and the title track is already on local top 40 r & B radio, which is a first for me. I am thrilled. the album came together amazingly.

thematically, this is sort of Cowboys versus aliens.

Delaware has a lot of farmland and country, and down in Southern Delaware it’s very rural. But up North, like in Wilmington, it’s entirely urban and modern. the Mason Dixon line runs right near my house, so this album I tried to show that range.

I have some hip-hop songs which hit hard, but also I do a couple of country numbers, and then also some stuff which is in a brand new style which is all my own. how awesome is it living in, “Delaware, home of no taxes?”

Delaware is the finest state in the Union.

It’s gorgeous. We have great history. It’s right next to everything in the Mid-atlantic, so we are always aware of what is going on in the music scene.

I think our local music scene is world-class.

We have some killer acts. all the emcees on this project are from Delaware, like traum Mega from Dover and Marchitect from Newark. y you’ve been doing music for a minute, tell these young dudes what oi and ska is. oi and ska music are genres that I learned about from hanging around skinheads. oi is kind of stripped down punk rock, its a music from England, a no nonsense style. Ska is from Jamaica and is basically what there was in the 1960s just before reggae. In Delaware there are still bands that play both those styles of music. I love so many types of music, which I credit to the underground music I heard growing up. It really opened my mind to stuff you wouldn’t ever hear on the radio or see on tV. last words?

“Murderkill hundred” is my most Delaware-centric project to date. Follow me on twitter @gentlejones and be the first to hear it this summer when I drop the album for free.

ever hear of that stoner rock band from Philly called, “Murder kill 100?” They were good. i’m not sure what happened to them...

Never heard of them. the name is definitely a Delaware reference. the hundreds are like counties out here: Brandywine hundred, Seaford hundred, Broadkill hundred. In fact, in 1867 Murderkill hundred was split into North and South, right now I am sitting in North Murderkill hundred.

O1NE • NJ 1004 Rt. 46 E. • Unit 3 • LEdgEwood, nJ 973.970.9700

so, what influences were you able to sneak on this album?

Before he was earning checks on the mic, Bill was earning trophies on his skateboard.

NIKESBAPP.COM P R O G R E SS . CONNECT. RES PECT.

I M PAC T R E A DY 360째 OF IMPAC T PROTEC TION

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focusskatemag.com

Humble/Bragging

Trevor Biggs [boneless]

Get outta

Town WORDS and PHOTOGRAPHY :: Tomasz Low

I had found a great deal for some darkroom equipment on Craigslist and was pretty set on trying to go to Asheville to check it out. After a couple of emails with the seller, I decided to hit the road and head out there. I called up Trevor (Biggs) and couple of other people, but it turned out to be only him and myself in the car that day. The only thing I had to do there was pick up the equipment, leaving the rest of the day open to skate. We headed out fairly early, and got to Asheville at around 12pm. It was pretty cold at that time, so we decided to head over to the seller’s house to pick the gear up and to run the clock little. Along the way, we found this spot on the side of the road at a KIA dealership and decided to stop by and try to skate it. It turned out that the roof was really soft, making this trick even harder to land without sinking into it. It took him a couple of tries, but Trevor was finally able to roll away from one when the cops rolled by.

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Humble//Bragging

Jump Off Bridge A WORDS and PHOTOGRAPHY :: Alex Papke

There are very few people who can do a 50-50 grind on a three and a half foot tall ledge with no problems, let alone land one with a 100-foot drop on the other side. However, it is people like Nick Panza that make insane spots like these possible to skate. The day that Nick brought me to this particular spot, he’d mentioned that he had a good idea for a photo, but he didn’t elaborate on it much.

Although I was curious about what his idea entailed, I had a good feeling that Nick was going to do something crazy.

The first thing I saw when we arrived at the spot was a waist-high, teal ledge along the side of a bridge. I thought the ledge looked cool, but at first glance I failed to realize what was on the other side. The plunging 100-foot drop-off was definitely not fun to look at. If something were to go wrong with the 50-50 that Nick intended to try, he would have easily been tossed over the side, on to the train tracks below him.

focusskatemag.com

Immediately attempting the trick as soon as the car was parked, Nick didn’t even think twice about the drop on the other side of the bridge. He went for it just as he would have for any other ordinary tall ledge. During his first attempt he managed to make it to the top of the ledge without trouble, but was unable to lock into 50-50. Standing on the train tracks 100 feet below shooting the photo, my heart missed a beat every time that he would not lock into the grind properly. Everyone who was there watching knew that there was an extreme possibility that he would accidently fall off of the narrow ledge on to the tracks that lay beneath him. It was one thing to watch him try the trick from the top of the bridge; but my perspective from the tracks under him verified that this was a trick that no one would want to risk messing up.

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Thankfully enough for Nick, the ledge was no problem for him to skate. Within about four tries he had made it up to the top of the ledge, properly locked into his grind, and was able to pop off like it was nothing. Looking at my LCD screen after he had landed, I was pretty amazed by what I had just captured. Once he had confidently landed the first 50-50, Nick was able to do the trick three or four more times, allowing me to take photos form several different angles so that we had a variety of photos to choose from.

As we walked back to the car afterwards looking at the photos, it’s needless to say that we were all pretty blown away with what had just happened.

Nick Panza [frontside 50-50]

sHop//ConTesT

shop DeMocracy

showDown WorDS :: MaZur

Welcome readers, to the first annual ¼ page Shop Democracy Showdown. this will be a new annual competition where shops will be shaking hands and kissing babies to win over your vote, and reign supreme as the inaugural president of the ¼ page shop advertising campaign in Focus Skateboarding Magazine.

We meet at a time of great uncertainty in the brick and motor world of skate shops across america. Many shops are closing their doors because the skateboarding community has lost its way, gotten out of hand if you will. the power has shifted from the hardworking locally skater-owned and operated shop, to the wealthy money-hungry and well-connected chain mega-shops of the world. this has been a long, slow, process that has been going on for too long, and we need to do something about it! these Wal-Marts of the skate world are destroying everything in their path and leaving in their wake of destruction virtually no room for the hard working core-shops… the ones that do it for the love of skateboarding. the ones that pay to keep their doors open through blood, sweat and tears. the shops that give younger kids their first-ever jobs, sponsorships and eye-opening glimpses into the wonderful world of skating. and why? Why should this go by the wayside without any official voting? this is america, damn it! We vote as a team on who will lead the pack.

Democracy of it all… the next few pages before you contain the ads of core shops making a difference. they’ve each placed ads, not only to help support Focus, not only to help expose themselves to you, but to also hope to become the winner of this election. the election I speak of is this contest in which these shops need your help. as the readers of Focus we ask you to be the judge and vote for your favorite ¼ page shop ad! the contest is to be judged on the shop’s ad’s overall design, its message, how well it stands out, its call-to-action, and everything else that makes for a successful ad campaign.

Voting will take place in the form of a poll on: http://www.focusskatemag.com/2013/06/shop-ad-contest or scan the Qr code to the left to visit the page.

We ask you to please visit this page on our site, and in the form of a comment, state which shop you think has the best ad! So, get off your Facebook pages and head over to our site to cast your vote for your new leader in the world of ¼ page shop advertising campaign. While you may think it’s a small job, its not, and literally every vote counts! these are the shops that put everything in to what they believe in, to keep their doors open for you guys. they put on demos, contests, barbeques; they host events, build parks and support your local scenes. here is your turn to show your gratitude. t keep things fair, there will be two series to the voting process: the popular vote, to which will be decided by all of you, the loyal readers and followers of Focus. and the Electoral College vote… In which a winner will be chosen by the awesome sponsors of this contest and staff of Focus. Each tier will win a separate prize.

Prizes: it’s a win-win-win! the presidential winner, and winner of the Electoral College vote will be receiving a handsome amount of product from each sponsor to help stock their store.

In addition, they will also receive a year’s worth of ¼ page ads in Focus to help promote their shop and help pave the way for local shops to take back the streets. the winner of the popular vote will receive $200 in Focus gear to help give the shop a bit of a jumpstart back towards greater economic times, as well as a ¼ page ad in the next issue of Focus. and readers, we haven’t forgotten you! For taking on this challenge, and taking the time to vote, your name will be entered into a drawing where one lucky winner will get a killer prize package from Focus!

focusskatemag.com

Proudly sponsored By:

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®- / - "* 1760 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY • 718.815.9766

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I am C op to stome ter shices o a cu t s e l b a pr da I am ot finrom. Theirustomer ill n c You w our gear fand their buy y antastic omenal. re - Pier are f ce is phen i v . r e s s ad.. r thi o f e e d my f waive PS. I

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Scott Criv // Will Watson

because skateboarding needs a future This is Will. Will loves to skateboard. Will loves to skateboard so much that he’s at the park almost every day. When Will is at the park he rides harder than everyone else. That’s why even though Will is only 6 years old, he can shred our 12 foot vert ramp like a man.

Will is the future of skateboarding, and he rides at Rye Airfiled

www.RYEAIRFIELD.com 603.964.2800

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Joe Hammeke

Small//Talk

Liam McCabe

Hey Liam, how’s it going? Where are you right now?

What are you doing out there?

I’m currently in Barcelona right now with my friend Billy.

We are exploring and skating, it’s amazing out here.

I don’t want to go back to the U.S. Everything is so much different here. I have yet to get kicked out of a skate spot, and every spot seems perfect compared to what I am used to on the East Coast.

Who is hooking you up with gear right now?

I am currently getting stuff from Powell Peralta, Bones, DC Shoes and Ergo Clothing.

focusskatemag.com

Where are you from, how old are you, and where do you normally skate?

I am 18 years old and from Central Jersey, by the shore, in a town called Rumson. It’s a pretty preppy area, and me and my group of friends are the only ones that skate in this town. I usually skate at Long Branch Skatepark, which is 15 minutes from where I live. It’s a skatepark right on the beach, so it is pretty awesome in the summer time.

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Are there any projects that you are currently filming for?

I just put out a part in a video filmed and edited by my friend Dylan Holderness called, “Continuum.”

We filmed it all VX1000 but his camera broke right at the end of filming and he got a new HD camera.

We have been filming for the past couple months HD, and I think Dylan is going to make “Continuum 2” probably sometime by the end of this year. So, I am just going to keep filming and working on that.

Which pro and AM skaters are you liking the most these days?

WORDS and PHOTOGRAPHY :: Luke Darigan

I’ve really been liking Marc Suciu recently, and he recently turned pro. I am so entertained with any footage he puts out. An AM I really like is Jack Olson, from Minnesota. Whenever I see him skate at contests he just kills it so hard and is so consistent.

What’s favorite place to skate?

I would say my favorite place to skate is New York City. I live like an hour away by train, and my friend Sachi has an apartment right in Manhattan that I can stay in.

What’s the deal with the sweatpants? Do you skate in them a lot?

Ha-ha! Yeah I always get ripped on for wearing ridiculous clothes. When I was younger I would always skate contests in a floral bathing suit because I thought it was good luck. I would never film in sweatpants, but if I was lazy and just messing around at the skatepark I might wear a pair.

You do a lot of really tech stuff. Does it come easy for you or do you have to work long and hard for it?

It depends. I always think of ideas for ledge tricks to try and I will practice each part of the trick individually which sometimes makes it come a little easier, but when it comes to weirder tricks it definitely takes time and work. I always try to think of an original trick that I haven’t seen anyone else do, but to actually go out and do it is always a huge challenge. But it’s the best feeling if you pull it off.

Did you just graduate? What’s next for you?

I’m currently doing an online high school program and I’m going to graduate in September. I think I’m going to take some time off from school and see how skating

works out. And if it doesn’t, I will probably go to college in a year or two.

How long have you been playing piano? Do you still play much? I heard you’re pretty good.

I’ve been playing piano since I was 7 and play almost every day.

Are you a closet-case videogamer?

Ha-ha! Hell yeah. I have a weird obsession with the Legend of Zelda. I’ve played and beat every Zelda game and can play all the of the Zelda songs on piano.

We shot this kickflip back smith on a Florida trip.

Are there any memories that stand out from that week down South?

That trip was so much fun. Some memories definitely include blasting Ke$ha to get us hyped, and Matt Militano’s wallie blunt kickflip he did on this bank to ledge spot. That got me so hyped. We went with a fun crew, and Miami is sick.

What’s Joe Hammeke like on trips? Any good stories with him as the Ergo TM? Hammeke is awesome. He took care of, and managed, everything on the Ergo trip from last summer. He did all the driving, which was from Rhode Island to Florida and back, and still had the energy to shoot every trick going down and tell funny stories.

Any last shout-outs?

I would like to shout out to Dylan Holderness and Sachi Bahra for always filming me and helping me out.

Also shout-out to Andrew Cannon for helping me get a good flow program from Bones and Powell and for putting a good word in for me. That guy’s is the man.

“I had the privilege of going on tour with Liam last summer when we did an East Coast trip for ERGO. If you’ve never met him, he has a good sense of humor and the two of us nerded-out together and watched Ace Ventura together in the van.

After a particularly long stint on the road I remember turning around and noticing that he had ripped out pictures from different magazines and taped them to the wall.

Why? He thought it was funny that Paul Rodriguez had 3 different switch varial heels out at once. It may sound cliché, but Liam is probably one of the best skateboarders I’ve ever seen in person.

With a somewhat Pudwill squatty-style and a knack for making absurd tricks happen first try, he may move from one of my favorite up-and-comers to one of my most fierce opponents... Just kidding, he’s better than me and a majority of skateboarders already. Give ‘em hell kid!” ~Andrew Cannon Friend/Teammate

Liam McCabe [kickflip back smith]

Small//Talk

Kevin Phelps

Karim Ghonem

WORDS :: Mazur PHOTOGRAPHY :: James Reres

focusskatemag.com

“I met Kevin Phelps at the Groton, CT skate park years ago.

He might have been 12. He’s been a permanent fixture at the park since day one. One summer I was doing a weeklong camp, seeing that he wanted to skate so bad I let him join in as my helper. His company was great!

He would go on these li’l comedy spats often. Kinda mocking life, and just being randomly tweaked, but hilarious! I’m pretty sure that freedom came from his Mountain Dew and candy addiction. The next summer I started flowing him boards. I was just stoked on his whole deal, and at the time he was learning everything super quick. It was so awesome to see it go down. Since then he’s evolved into a total freak on his board, laughing and goofing his way through the stages of skateboard progression. You’ll be seeing tons more of Kevin, no doubt about it!”

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~Donny Barley Friend/Mentor

Kevin Phelps [nollie backside bigspin]

Explain to me the deal with you flipping-off your hands when you bail?

I don’t really know why I started doing that. I don’t do it every time, but I do it quite a bit. I was skating this 14-stair rail in Hartford and bailed out early, my feet hit the ground to where I should have slammed, but I flipped instead.

The footy came out sick. It happened a lot at the courthouse bank in NY, luckily. It’s funny to see how people react to it.

People walking down the street get hyped.

we went on a little filming mission to New Londen.

At that time he started hooking me up with Zoo York and was just wicked supportive... Always pushing me to film gnarlier shit, different ways to skate places, and now we’re good homies. That guy is like an uncle. I even got that big brother phone call after I got arrested for the first time. Definitely rad to have a legend like that dude supporting me. Always there for his family and friends.

Donny is family for sure.

Okay, now that we got that attention grabber for the readers outta the way, how old are you, where’s your hometown, what’s your favorite ice cream, and who’s your favorite MMA fighter?

I’m 20, hometown is Groton, CT, and ice cream… Dude, mint is sick! My favorite MMA fighter is Jose Aldo, that guy is wicked fucking good. I would rather get knocked out then get kicked in the leg by Aldo. His kicks will literally break you. Wicked fast, just an animal.

Why do you eat like a little kid? Like, why such bad, shitty, food?

I’m actually eating Skittles with Sprite right now; I just have a sweet tooth dude. Its bad. I’ve had 7 root canals.

Pretty stupid. I love steak and burgers, stuff like that, but I just feel like whenever I go to a gas station, I have to get something. So, I’m fucked.

So, how did skateboarding begin for you?

I saw a lot of older kids skating on my street and I started obsessing over how fun it looked, so my dad brought some old board home for me with the big tail and grind rails on the bottom. Shit was so fun right from the beginning. I was completely in love with skateboarding after that. My mom and dad have helped so much with my skating. Thanks mom and dad.

How did you link up with Donny Barley? What was that like getting help from such a legend?

I grew up in Groton, same town as him, right next to the skate park that he put a lot of effort into being made.

He would visit the park and stuff, and one time he was there, I was trying to kickflip off the bowl. I think I was like 13. I guess he thought it was cool, so shortly after

Are you still in school?

No, I dropped out freshmen year. I didn’t sleep at all around then. I was going to school, working, filming, and doing MMA, and I had insomnia, so I just couldn’t do it.

I took the easy way out. I regret not finishing school, but I’m still happy.

So I guess college isn’t in the plans.

Ha-ha…

Tell me the story about the hookers and stuff down in Tampa.

Well, me and some friends stayed at this sketchy hotel in Tampa for Tampa Am. We were hanging out in front of our door and we hear this chick just crying and screaming and shit in the next room. Eventually she stumbles out of the room walking against the wall because she’s way too wasted to walk straight. She grabs me by my shirt

and starts telling me I’m cute and that I look like her son, saying, “Come home with me, come home,” pulling me to our room. I was like fuck that, I don’t know you. So she runs in our room and locks us out. So now we’re like shit, we have to go tell her dude that his chick is in our room.

We told him what happened, and he goes, “I thought she was with you guys.” So we were like, these people are just fucking kooks, and then he says he picked her up, and will take her home. They ended up leaving in his truck, but we all had the weird vibe that this dude was some serial killer. Just kooky.

Do you get a lot of peer pressure to drink and/or smoke from friends?

It’s weird, I thought people would pressure me to smoke and shit, but they all think it’s sick. I’ve had one person actually tell me he couldn’t be my friend because I don’t get fucked up. But other than that, people are either confused, or think its good that I’m putting all my time and focus into skating. I don’t hate on it or tell people, “smoking is bad,” it’s nothing like that, do whatever makes you happy. Fuck it.

Do you have any words of wisdom, Kevin?

Make yourself happy and appreciate your friends and family.

That’s sound advice. And is there anyone you’d like to thank and/or shout out?

Thank you Mom and Dad, and all my friends from CT who continue to support me everyday… Love you guys.

Thank you Donny Barley for all the inspiration and support throughout the years. Thank you Reres for the sequence. Thank you Mazur, and Focus, for putting me in the mag. And thanks to all my sponsors for your help.

Matt Miller

Small//Talk

Wells Shaw WORDS and PHOTOGRAPHY :: Luke McKaye

focusskatemag.com

“Wells is a local celebrity in Wilmington, yet he is a humble, quiet, killer. A smooth, natural, talent on a skateboard, Wells seems to progress every time he skates. His skills don’t just stop on the board either. He’s got a mean jump shot and he can shred on guitar. Wells is a simple man, carefree and modest. When he slams, he gets right back up with this fire in his eyes and you can tell he wants it. As natural as he is, he puts in some serious work for his tricks if they don’t come easy. He is always surprising, and I think I speak for everyone when I say I look forward to seeing what comes next.”

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~Matt Miller Filmer/Another Skate Shop

What’s the standard info Wells? Age, location, years skating, sponsors…

I’m 22 years old, born and raised in Wilmington, NC. I started riding skateboards when I was about 7, but didn’t get really into it ‘til I was about 12. From then on it’s been nothing but skating. I ride for Another Skate Shop, Matix Clothing, Creation Skateboards, and Satori Wheels.

I’ve seen a handful of full-length parts from you over the last couple years. How many parts have you put out?

I really don’t know the exact count on the parts I’ve had. I can tell you the first one I made was in 2003, or something, for a video we called “Carolina Chaos.” It was a knock off of our favorite video at the time, “Carolina Love.” That is pretty much what got us into it, and ever since then we’ve just continued to film and make parts, edits, montages…

Whatever. Just for the pure fun of it.

Do you feel pressured to put out footage? Does it ever feel like work and make you miss the days of just practicing flip tricks in the driveway?

Nah, getting footage is easy, it definitely doesn’t feel like work. Although I guess sometimes it can feel like a job you gotta get done. The days of skating flat ground out in the street; for my driveway is made of pine straw, are not over for me. I actually skate flat ground late at night very frequently at this spot right up the street from me... With a homie, by myself, it doesn’t matter. Flip tricks are addicting. I’ll do the same ones over and over and not build up a tolerance.

What’s the skateboarding like in Wilmington? If someone has never been there, is it worth visiting? Doesn’t Kenny Hughes still live there?

Skateboarding in Wilmington is growing more and more each year. It seems like every day there is some new random kid stepping shit up. The talent in the younger kids blows my mind. Definitely gonna be some upcoming young guns in the next couple years. About Kenny... I’m not sure if he’s living here in Wilmington, but I’m sure he’s posted up somewhere in North Carolina. Wilmington is alright, spot-wise, but if you’re visiting North Carolina I recommend crusin’ through Raleigh for street skating.

Wells Shaw [kickflip frontboard]

The first season of “East Bound and Down” was filmed there. Have ever watched that show and seen a local spot in the background?

East Bound and Down is one of my favorite shows. A lot of the first season was actually filmed at the high school I went to. The scene where Kenny slam-dunks the lunch tray into the trash was in my cafeteria. Also some of the most recent season was shot in Carolina Beach!

There’s a movie studio there. Didn’t you work on the set of “One Tree Hill” or something like that?

Yeah I work at the studio. I never put in hours on One Tree Hill though. My Pop worked on it the whole time it was running, he’s how I got into it. I’ve built sets for a bunch of movies though, like Journey 2, The Conjuring, Nights in Rodanthe, and Iron Man 3.

I’m currently working on a series called, “Under The Dome,” based off a Steven King book. It’s a sick-ass job, but leaves you no time for anything with 12 hour shifts 5 days a week. Luckily, I’m a day player most of the time, so I get by only working the days they need extra help.

Can you remember the first skate video you ever saw?

Yeah, the first skate video I ever saw/owned was Birdhouse’s “The End.” I would watch it every day at the time.

Do you have a favorite video part of all-time?

Andrew Reynolds had one of the first parts in that video, and I guess I’d say that’s my all time favorite.

What’s up with this summer? Any crazy trips planned?

I’ll probably spend summer here in Wilmington working and saving up some cash, and come October I’m headed out to the West Coast for as long as I can.

Here’s something I’ve witnessed a handful of times, and I’m sure people that skate with you every day see it all the time. You start off in a great mood, just the normal super-nice Wells that everyone knows. Then you start filming a trick or a line. Usually it’s a line. If it doesn’t happen fairly quickly, this entirely different person comes out. Next thing you know, the gnarliest shit is coming out of your mouth and you have bloody knuckles from punching your board. Then you land your trick and go right back to being the calm and friendly Wells that everyone knows and loves. What happens? Can you break down the process for me?

Ha-ha-ha! Na, it’s not a regular thing for me. I think its more of an impatience thing only when filming. It’s hard to film a line with one filmer when there are 5 dudes trying to get lines. The in-between time throws me off sometimes. I’m very passionate about skateboarding, and when things ain’t working out when I know what I’m capable of, its only a matter of time before it will frustrate me. I love breaking things, and I love fighting my skateboard. If you’re lucky enough to catch me on one of those days, don’t think I’m not thoroughly enjoying every bit of anger pouring out of me. And it’s probably best just to leave me be, I don’t like to talk when trying to get a trick.

Do you want to give some shout-outs? Who’s really killing it in NC right now?

Yes. Shout out to Dan Cunningham, Mike and Jenny from the shop. They have done so much for me and the rest of the team. John Hill, from South Cacka has been ripping lately, go watch his most recent part. Gotta shout out to him. The Post 22 dudes in Raleigh have always be killin’ it! My closest homies, Gary Bolos, Alec Chambers, Will Smith, Trent Reed, Matt Miller, Zach Riggs, Jon Finucan. You should definitely check all these dudes out. Oh and be on the lookout for Adam Meyer. Special thanks to Gabe Clement for taking care of me over the past few years with shoes and gear, Travis Knapp-Prasek with Satori has made some good things happen for me as well.

It’s all appreciated to the fullest. Most importantly I’d be nowhere if I didn’t have the most supporting parents and family. Thanks to all!

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craftsmen of high-quality skateboards

Zander Taketomo

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Chris Mathis [wallie backtail]

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PHOTO

I N C E N TIVES

Stephen Knight

TJ Harris [nosegrind]

James Reres

focusskatemag.com

Frankie Spears [frontside 50-50]

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Devin Abreu [kickflip]

focusskatemag.com

Stephen Knight

Nolan Lee [backside nosegrind]

Ricardo Napoli

focusskatemag.com

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DAN PLUNKETT

H U F W O R L DW I D E .C O M