Justin / Over the Light / Mtn. Ranch
Ryan Ruder @pavement.pounder / Tilecarve / Mtn. Ranch
Started From The Bottom
Vacaville
I thought I saw that there’s a second park in Vacaville, this one must be the older, still-figuring-it-out cousin to the Davis park (except for this one is actually skatable.) Pro: I’m a fan of any park that supports flow between features, and while everything is small (almost all under 4’) there’s lines to be found across a good variety of transitions and small street area. Cons: Weird bowl in the center that’s way too tight for it’s size, a few critical dead ends in the worst spots. Rating: I’d come back.
🐢🐢🐢⚪⚪
Fairfield Benicia
Back in the very early ‘90s I’d been known to drive 2 hours-plus to the original park next to Taco Bell because it was the only one (aside from Derby, another 2 hours away). Was stoked to see how the city stepped it up with 2.0. Pros: The new park is definitely bigger, with grown-ass vert bowls and an interesting spinestyle series of banks. Flatbars in places that make sense and make lines possible, rather than plopped in as an afterthought. Cons: Huge downside is the new park is miles out into the country on the backside of the ubiquitous ‘municipal athletics complex’ (which, obviously: no free Taco Bell refills.) Rating: In all fairness, I was so burnt at this point in the day I didn’t get to give it a fair chance. If it wasn’t such a pain in the ass I might give it another shot.
🌮🌮🌮⚪⚪
Dixon
Small but somewhat clever (is that even a compliment?) park with wide 6’-ish quarter-pipe complex facing a spine and an adjacent corner element for the Canadian Flyout in you. Pro: It gets hot AF so shout out to the giant oak in the field next door which is more than can be said for a lot of parks. Cons: Bizarre use of space. What seems like over half the square footage is dedicated to a massive (too long and gradual to be useful) bank (think 12-car driveway) topped by a flatground area. Requisite oddball trannies-on-the-ends that should have just been left ledges. Rating: Shitty, but worth breaking up the drive to SF or hitting on the way home when the Causeway backs up.
🌳🌳⚪⚪⚪
Fairfield (RIP?) From what I could see from outside the penitentiary-level fencing, pretty epic. Pro: Huge, likely perfect-in-a-LowerBobs-kinda-way-but-not-DIY park Cons: Closed—hopefully only temporarily for COVID. Rating: Worth rolling the dice on your way through town to see if it’s open.
🔒🔒🔒🔒⚪
continues
Since coming back to skating in 2018, I’ve been looking for ways to stay more involved than my body will give me. I picked up the camera last summer, but this time around it’s been different. I actually took the time to get some basics, then invested in some slaves and a decent short lens. But what matters most, like
I’m probably the last person that should do a photography zine. Even after I bought a DSLR back in like 2007 I gave up on it pretty quickly. I didn't understand any of the technical aspects of it. My professional ego got frustrated by how grainy and dark everything was. My gear sat waiting for this mythical free time I'm supposed to eventually have someday to come back and learn it.
Overexposed Back-50 Battle / Wild Rose
Homie got smoked on this one, called it a day.
Underexposed Back Lip / Sac.Ramp
Other homie landed this one, but shooting into afternoon sun is doomed from the jump. Also noted: thumbprint on the lens is pretty wack.
Ollie Over Into Bank / Lathrop
Heelflip Hardship / Lathrop
Homie landed this one, but I released shutter early and missed it.
So while it might seem shitty of me to break the unwritten rule of not publishing bail shots, it’s not about passing off something as more than it is. Instead it illustrates my point* Process Matters. Embracing failure isn’t a popular This issue’s Trial & Error theme “chose me.” choice, incompatible with 'fake it ’til you make After the first issue, I liked the loose structure it' culture. Fronting perfection denies the of getting pics each month, then publishing satisfaction in having them in groups of gone for it, even if you three. Naturally, right “Most failures are things we can learn never rode away clean. out of the gate and from. The list (of failures) goes on, but January became a without them, there is so much less Participation is the mix of false starts, that I would know about myself and only way to get anylockdowns, rain days, the world.” where, especially when — Ian Lynam, GOAT and crap outs. After you don’t give dick all six missions I still had about the destination. I’ve been doing more, nothing all that usable to print. and having a much better time of things, since I stopped worrying so much about Rather than give up before getoutside validation. I'm hyped that, despite ting started, I chose instead to the struggle to get anything over the past 4 accept that blowing it is kinda part of the deal. Slams and bails, months, I also managed to snag that photo of Gavin near the back. It’s likely the best overexposures and out-of-foimage I've captured to date. And it wouldn’t cus, they’re all one-in-the-same. exist without the GBs of dogshit I've brought Each issue of Songs is a My War home. edit—the bail sequences leading up to one modest make. *And only this point. Not making a habit of it.
with skating itself, is that I'm trying. This is something I want to do for myself rather than feeling like I have to.
Fuckin’ hell this is blurrier than I remember it being.
PROPER BACKSIDE
Geronimo S. @veganskatenerd / Inward Heel / Mather
Elk Grove “Del Sur” (aka Derr-Okamato, aka Mainline) Drop-down bank into a 6-8’ combi-bowl, lumpy twinkie feature, mini-enduro section above a long ledge, tiered ledge/manny setup, sundial feature and curved 3’ quarter on the far end that almost allows for flow. Slappy curbs. Pros: Crew is generally chill with less cool-guy bullshit than a lot of places. Good chance a BMXer will make/break your day. Public bathrooms are open and clean. Cons: The flatground section smack dab in the middle is a bit wack but manageable. On this trip, multiple moms sitting on ledges and/ or running interference for their helmeted Razr kids. Rating: My new local.
☯☯☯☯⚪
Stockton Glorified wallrides going close to vert within a foot or two before blobbing over at around 5’. The Indian Grinding Rock/kiddie pool in the middle of another tranny is a new one. Pros: The two locals there just skated the manual pad, which says a lot. Cons: Blinding white lumps, brutal seams, two of the steepest pyramids ever. I’m sure plenty of Rating: dudes can skate this (Aidan Fuller dropped an IG clip here) but it’s a literal hot mess.
🎱⚪⚪⚪⚪
Lathrop
Tale of The Tape Scooter Kids sans park etiquette
20
Tank-topped Dad in a Helmet
1
Rollerbladers who should know better
3
On-trend Faded Blue Tommy Jeans
4
Little Girls Skateboarding
3
Inappropriately-positioned Moms
7
Small, but space used well. Bigger bowl with bonus features, small peanutycapsule with a slightly larger pocket. Wellspaced stairs’n’hubba combo along with a three-block. Two taco-looking sandshark things that I’m not sure are skatable or just art. Pros: Great snake run with an elbow corner offers transfer options and a rail leading into the smallest pyramid ever built. Cons: Not really a con, but weird that families choose to picnic in the middle of it all. Rating: Worth the hour drive from Sac.
🧘🧘🧘🧘⚪
Mark Gonzalez Rick Winsor
Tommy Guerrero
Gene Hrubi @elgeno75 / Smith / Swingset Miniramp
Cebolla Méndez @quiverworld Fisheye or Long-lens? Fisheye
First board? Powell Peralta Welinder
Prefer to Shoot: Wherever I'm skating. … to Skate: Love slappies but transition feels right.
First camera? Minolta (film), Canon Rebel Tx (DSLR) Years Skating? 7+ … Shooting? 25+
Erik Bibelheimer @beeblefakie / Smith / Beebelbowl
Friends Section
Jason Hansen @bloodpudding76 / Boardslide / Live Oak
Friends Section
H.J. Camargo @mexichron / Lien-to-tail / Chico
Curtis Davis @raspapat / Judo Tailblock / Chico
Colin Barton @co1in.bart0n / FSO / Beebelbowl
Friends Section
Jerry Barton @Irejbartonondrums / Shallow-end Frontal / Beebelbowl
(S)ender 86’D #3 Proper Thick / Perfect Bound / Full Color Offset / Ads Wolfgang Brardt
Mission Beach Big Wednesday photoessay is killer, as is the interview with artist Andrew Schoultz —who I didn’t know skated, let alone rips, in his 40s. (SactoFYI: Check his mural across from Memorial Auditorium.) Love that the Homies section has some of the best flicks in the book.
So You’re Having A Mid-Life Crisis #1 40pp / Stapled / Color Cover / No Ads Greg Conroy
Funny parody of a little kids’ activity book plus fake ads and cartoons. Not a ton of skate photos but that’s not really the point. Part of a growing ‘pandemic project’ that also includes video (Serious Adult on YouTube) and a frustratingly unavailable-outside-the-UK clothing line. Be rad to see where these dudes take it.
Anomaly #4 96pp / Perfect Bound / Full Color Offset / No ads Kevin Horn
Good mix of BTS/lifestyle, artful B&W trick photos. Interesting bits with Patrick from Mostly Skateboarding podcast, filmmaker Travis Wood, and comedian Graham Wallace. Design might be a nod to early Skateboarder/ Transworld ‘80s style? Color images oversaturated and dark, which can happen with digital printing. Growing pains I’m sure.
Curb Culture: Gronigen
Cemental #12
40pp / Stapled / Full Color / No Ads Adam Hopkin
36pp / Stapled / B&W / No Ads Tyler Hopkins
Cool insight into ‘the worst place to skate in the Netherlands.’ Street-heavy, yet definitely not looking for the trick-collector mainstream. Nice use of analog collage on many spreads.
Can’t rightly have a pool-centric skate zine in 2021 without putting J. Worth on both front and back covers. Good mix of known rulers and homies. As good as a photocopied zine can get: clean images, full-bleed, etc.
Lifers #3 40pp / Stapled / Full Color / Ads Joe Sherman-Williams
Sac/local focus. Both main stories are the events I shot for Songs #1, but he done better. Dodgy print quality is a bummer but look forward to what’s next.
Thank You Skateboarding 62pp / Perfect Bound / Color Cover Ricky Roberts III
A mid-life perspective on the ways skateboarding improves your life, ordered by individual benefits. It’s dope. Read it.
Stoops #7
Willow #5
68pp / Perfect Bound / Full Color Offset / Ads Eby Ghafarian w/ Bianca Sia
60pp / Stapled / B&W / Ads Ari Morris
This is the skate mag I wish I could make. Mason Silva, Pfanner, Lizzie, Elijah Berle, Kirby, Tiago … I don’t know how they’re doing it — especially out of South Carolina — but it’s sick. This could become the “Stateside Vague” I refer to below.
The most “zine” of the batch. Willow knows what it is and is really good at it. Good mix of handwritten text and solid variety of skate terrain/styles.
Vague #19 Proper Thick / Perfect Bound / Full Color Offset / Ads Guy Jones & Reece Leung
This mag feels like it picks up where the late-great Canadian Color left off by combining skateboarding, art, and creativity. Always interesting artists-that-
From Top Left: Cemental, Vague, Curb Culture, Anomaly, Lifers, 86'd, Thank You Skateboarding, Willow, So You’re Having A Mid-Life Crisis, Stoops.
skate feature and full-on gallery section. They opt to profile Rianne Evans and Dead Dave rather than the hordes of Tom Knox-alikes I’m sure would fuel a more direct line to success. Most issues make some tough calls in the layout department to keep it fresh. Regardless, stoked this sort of magazine exists as a counterbalance to the more mass-market way of doing things. Be even more stoked if someone brings that vibe stateside.
Textbook Stand-Up / Power Inn
Rayann Brower-Aishanna @lil_rayskates18 / Layback Slide’n’Roll Revert Transfer / Power Inn
Ender
Gavin Mendez / FSO / Pop-Out 5 at Power Inn
B
mallgrab. IG: @ songs.zine
OCULA R IN
MONOVISION