a brief glance issue_25 by a brief glance skateboardmag

issue _25

a brief glance

NYJAH HUSTON \ F/S NOSEGRIND \ CHINA \ DARWIN PHOTO

DCSHOES.COM

California spor ts - tel 0 1192 7 794 3 - w w w.californiaspor t.info

Introducing

NYJAH VULC

T O TA L IM PA C T P R O T E C T I O N & E N H A N C E D B O A R D - F E E L . T W O F E AT U R E S N O T U S U A L LY F O U N D IN T H E S A M E S H O E – U N T IL N O W

L.A._Photo_Davide Biondani.

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FEATURING FULLY-FUSED DURACAP REINFORCED CANVAS & VANS PRO VULC LITE CONSTRUCTION, THE CHIMA PRO IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER: TOUGH AS LEATHER AND LIGHT AS A FEATHER.

SKATE.VANS.COM

EDITORIAL_25

photo_davide biondani.

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enjoy skate boarding every day_

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NICA

BLUE SUEDE

CHICO BRENES

Y O U J O I N E D T H E D V S F A M I LY T H E D A Y Y O U S TA R T E D S K AT E B O A R D I N G PA R T I C I PAT E @ D V S S K AT E B O A R D I N G O R D V S S H O E S . C O M / / # N I C A P L E A S E

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ISSUE _25

CONTENTS FRAGMENTS_

the Fallen Tour _ Sardinia 2014_

a conversation with_Samu Karvonen_ the Dickies ESCAPE_

Places_Cuba_

Photographer_Leo Sharp_ the FTC book_ Dusted Off_ Dallas Rockvam_

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JOSEPH BIAIS - BACKSIDE LIPSLIDE - PHOTO: GUILLAME PERIMONY

EDITOR and CONCEPT Davide Biondani.

(davide@abriefglance.com) ASSOCIATE EDITOR Guido Bendotti.

ASSISTANT EDITOR Andrew Zolin. PHOTOGRAPHERS

Leo Sharp, Kévin Mètallier, Nils Svensson,

DVL, Friedjof Fèye, Garric Ray, Riccardo Ceccato, Fabio Montagner, Brian Gaberman, Alan Maag,

Michele Antolini, Silvia Todeschini, Davide Biondani, Carmin Santos, Bertrand Trichet. CONTRIBUTORS

Jonathan Levin, Mario Torre, Francesco Paolo Chielli,

Davide Martinazzo, Jerome Campbell, Samu Karvonen, Mark Baines, Ale Martoriati, Holger von Krosigk, Simone Bertozzi, Niall Neeson. DESIGN

Fake Donkey Lab. www.abriefglance.com

GET ALL THE INFOS at: info@abriefglance.com

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COVER: Raffaele Schirinzi_Fs wallride_Sardinia. Photo_Davide Biondani_

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“I had no idea that place even existed. Enrico Carta brought us there, it’s one of their secret spots. We had to clean it first, so I took the situation in my hands and brought away the tree trunks... there were cockroaches, garbage, etc. hahahaha but it was a dope spot!! I want to go back. I had to ollie into a bank going mach 10 towards this wall, and in order to get at it with the right angle I fucked up my wrist on the flat and the DIY cement... both my hand and my wrist are really swollen. I’ve been off my board for about two weeks now and still have about a month to go for my wrist to get better. Let’s just say I gave my blood, but I had to land the trick!” (Raffaele Schirinzi)

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FRAGMENTS Daniel Pannemann, Wallie Photo_Kévin Mètallier. San Francisco.

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Jake Johnson, Fs feeble grind Photo_DvL. Belgium. a brief glance

FRAGMENTS

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FRAGMENTS

Nikolai Danov, Kickflip. Photo_Davide Biondani. Roma.

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FRAGMENTS

Danny Brady, Ollie up to blunt slide down. Photo_Henry Kingsford. Sicily.

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Sardinia_2014

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the

FALLEN tour_

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Sardegna has one of the best seas on Earth, and going there for the first skateboard tour of the year in the springtime was definitely the best thing we could ask for. In 2014 the Italian Fallen team was almost completely renewed and it was interesting to leave with new people and skate new and old spots. We lost one rider on the day of our departure so the crew was ultimately composed of Raffaele Schirinzi, Ivan Inglese, Jacopo Cervelli, plus TM Danny Galli, myself, and filmer Fede Romanello. We went from the north to the south of the island and back up north again, skating the cities of Olbia, Nuoro, Cagliari, and Sassari, shredding some fresh spots and enjoying the pleasures of skate life. We spent a perfect week, the crewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mood was excellent, the boys were super motivated to skate, and of course we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave Sardegna without taking the first swim of the year in the bluest sea I have ever seen. We have to thank Luca Doneddu, the guys at South Central skate shop, and Enrico Carta for the wonderful hospitality and for showing us some amazing spots. (db)

Photography_Davide Biondani. Interviews_Guido Bendotti.

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JACOPO CERVELLI_Switch Kickflip.

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Ivan, this was your first Fallen tour, what was it like to ride in the van with new guys? It was really cool because I had never skated with Schiro who I knew from contests and similar occasions, and Jacopo who I didn’t know at all but we got along fine right away, so it was dope. This wasn’t your first tour, but compared to the other tours you’ve been on, how was this one different? No, it wasn’t my first tour, I’ve been on tour with Blast Distribution. A plus on this tour was the fact that we were just a few dudes so everybody skated everything and we produced a lot every single day. The whole trip was awesome! What’s it like to skate in situations like this, where you don’t have all the time in the world to make a trick and you can’t go back to try it again? In these situations it’s cooler because you have more adrenalin while doing a trick because you know what other people have done there, so you try something better right away . Was this your first time in Sardinia? What impressed you apart from the spots? The sea was beautiful, and I also didn’t expect to see so many skaters there. The scene there is bigger than I thought. What was it like skating with guys like Schiro, Galli, and the new jack Jacopo? I got to know them during this tour, they’re nice guys and they definitely made me laugh. Do you feel like going on tour again? I feel like leaving for tours all the time!!!

IVAN INGLESE_Fs 50-50 Grind.

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RAFFAELE SCHIRINZI_Ollie Up To Ollie Over To Fs Boardslide.

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Hi Jacopo, this is your first Fallen tour. What was it like to skate and ride in the van with new people? Skating and sharing a trip with people I didn’t know was a nice experience. What’s it like to skate in situations like this, where you don’t have all the time in the world to make a trick and you can’t go back to try it again? Not being able to go back to the spot at first is kind of demotivating because you have such little time to land the trick, but at the same time it gives you that extra drive to bring home the trick at any cost, and pushes you to actually land it. Best moment of the tour? Was it your first time in Sardinia? Best moments of the tour: the dinners, the homeless lunches with the whole crew, going out at night, and deciding what spots to skate the next day, and then killing them the next day. What else impressed you other than the spots? What impressed me about Sardinia were the landscapes and the warm hospitality of the local skaters. Do you feel like going on tour again? There’s no need to ask, I’d like to be on tour all the time. Tell me one thing that must be present on a tour? What should never be missing on a tour is good organization, a good vibe among the riders, sticking to the plan, cracking good jokes, and smoking joints. You’re a new jack on the Italian skate scene, what’s it like going on tour with the likes of Schiro and Danny Galli? Being your first tour, did you take a beating? Going on tour with heavy dudes like Danny Galli and Raffaele Schirinzi is a total motivation! It’s like filming with the pros. Being my first tour, yeah I definitely took a beating, but I feel like I could’ve done better! We’ll see how it goes next time.

JACOPO CERVELLI_Fs Pop Shove-It Off.

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IVAN INGLESE_Kickflip Up.

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You’ve been riding for Fallen for many years now, and you’re the only one left from the original team. How are your new teammates? What’s it like to skate with them? Yeah, I’ve been riding for Fallen for ten years, and I’m the only one left from the original team. Now I’m the veteran who pushes the younger guys, even though I don’t really need to push them. Actually, they’re the ones who push me to try stuff. Do you ever think you’re getting too old for this shit? No waaay... never!!! ha ha ha. Who impressed you the most on this tour? To be honest Ivan had just got over an injury and still killed it. He has a super pop and jumps down all kinds of stuff with style. Cervelli is technical, his switch flip is better than his regular one, and he skates like a beast. They both impressed me. The new generation is impressive. Ivan’s style is more classic, while Cervelli has this newer generation style, like steezy 360 shoves. Oh yeah, every now and again I’ll give them skate history lessons, like Gianni Zattoni who was doing all these tricks twenty years ago and was new school before everybody else... ha ha ha. How was the tour? It went well, there was a good vibe even though it was the first time we skated together. It was one of the most productive tours, and definitely the best place I’ve been to with the Fallen team over the past few years; especially regarding the organization, spots, food, and hospitality... we were treated like gentlemen everywhere we went, so it was hard for us not to kill it. I kinda took care of everything. Ok, we had sandwiches for lunch, but in the evening I wanted to eat at restaurants... like real athletes hahaha. Every now and again Dave and I have little disagreements, while Romanello (the filmer) is very strange (ya know). Danny Galli as usual is on top of everything when it comes to organizing things. Best spot of the tour? The best spot of the whole tour was skating that pool. In September you’re becoming a father, how do you feel about it? I already want to go on tour again!!! hahahahaha. I’m super happy, it’s gonna be a male, and I’ll bring him up as a surfer or a skater... over the next few years I’ll definitely be more present... as a skate-dad ha ha ha ha!

RAFFAELE SCHIRINZI_Bs Ollie Into The Small Bank.

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JACOPO CERVELLI_Gap To Bs Tailslide.

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IVAN INGLESE_Ollie Up To Ollie Melon Transfer.

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RAFFAELE SCHIRINZI_Fakie Fs Half Cab From The Top Ledge Into The Bank.

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JACOPO CERVELLI_Switch Heelflip.

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a conversation with_

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SAMU KARVONEN

Interview_Mario Torre. Photos_Davide Biondani.

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_Bluntslide_

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In 2013 I planned my first tour in Italy with Antiz Skateboards. My duty was first to go from Naples to Milan and pick up Samu Karvonen and Julien Bachelier. I had never met Samu before, just saw some videoparts on internet, nothing else. We skated Milano Centrale that afternoon and he was so fucking clean on a skateboard, best style in a while. He destroyed the spot! We went all the way to Naples in the Antiz van, and talking to Samu was a good experience. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a 100% skate rat but also someone you can talk to about anything. After that tour I became a big fan of him, both as a person and as a skater. By observing him I realized the real difference between a pro skateboarder and a â&#x20AC;&#x153;skateboard star.â&#x20AC;? (m.t.)

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Hi Samu how are you doing? Let’s start off with the basics, name, age, etc. All good buddy, enjoying the Finnish summer. The season is pretty short and is just slightly less snowy. I was named Samu-Pekka Mikael Karvonen, 27 years, 7 months and one day ago. I live in Helsinki, Finland and I’ve lured myself into a position where Antiz, Adidas Finland, Lamina.fi and ITÄ give me products and love in exchange for some brave maneuvers and hard labour. Been getting some help regarding my current gear crisis from Carhartt too. I feel in debt to these supporters. Why do they call you “princess”? Ah ah ah ah... I guess it’s because I tend to get cranky when I’m hungry or tired and start bitchin’ about things not moving towards me... such as food or rest. It’s a shortcoming of mine and I’m working on it. Carrying snack-bars and bananas with me and shit. I’m a big fan of European skateboarding, what’s life like for a professional European skateboarder? And why haven’t you ever gone for the American dream? I did live a few golden years of the wealthy Euro pro life. But just like for many others, that lifestyle was cut short due to the recession and big companies pulling the plugs. No hard feelings, that’s just life. I’m thankful for every second it lasted though. Now my “pro life” just involves a lot of different things other than just skating. To my knowledge, most of the companies that were paying European riders enough to fully get by have closed their offices or cut their teams to a bare minimum. There are a few exceptions, but trying to live from skating in Europe is not an easy task. You need a lot of connections, some talent, shit loads of good luck, and non skate-related sponsors. Another way to make it out here is to have one foot in the States and the other back in Europe. I think that about 10 years ago it was either or, but now U.S. TMs are starting to be ok with having euro Ams and Pros on their teams. The American Dream? I never really pursued it, but if I had

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gone there, I would have tried it out to see what it was like. I was shown a slim possibility to try it when I rode for Blind, but just at the critical moment I made the worst decision of my life and started riding for Antiz. It was all downhill from there. The beginning of the end ;) How’s it like skating for Antiz? The team is solid and it seems you are all friends more than a team. During the tour we were in together the mood was always positive... Do you guys have plans for the summer? Are you working on a new video? Yeah, Antiz is a family thing. We’re a huge crew of dirtbags living with what we got and enjoying it 150%. The whole year is gonna be filled with tours. We just came back from an Eastern Europe mission, and now another bunch of us is going to travel around France. Next month we’re going to Russia, and in August the whole of Europe will gather in Helsinki for The Helsinki HookUP competition. And yeah, we’re working on a video… or two. Won’t spoil the surprise, but as usual we got some really stupid ideas for it. What do you think about Alien Workshop shutting down? Haven’t really been following it too much, but in general, when someone who doesn’t have roots in the company that he/them/it is financing, it means that when there are a lot of minuses in the monthly reports, something has to go, and usually it’s skateboarding because it’s never really a good business. You always need to give more than you get. When there is no love or connection, then the thing dies when somebody pulls the plug. Just like what happened to Alien and Habitat I think. Though I heard the Habitat guys are sticking together and cooking up something. That’s the love. You can burn down everything, but the spirit will remain and things will keep moving along. When something dies, something else is born in its place. It’s a natural cycle, nothing is forever. Now there is “Fucking Awesome” for example.

Antiz is a family thing. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a huge crew of dirtbags living with what we got and enjoying it 150%

_Ollie over_

I made the worst decision of my life and started riding for Antiz. It was all downhill from there. The beginning of the end ;)

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_Switch nosegrind_

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I know I can be a little princess every now and then, but you know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re chilling too hard and not concentrating on getting shit doneâ&#x20AC;Ś

_Feeble grind_

If you think the whole industry has become rotten, then go press your own boards and pursue happiness that way.

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What about this new trend of “trying to keep skateboarding to skateboarders” when everyone is riding for big corporations? Yeah, I find myself in this very same dilemma. I’m kinda against these bigger corporations and how they buy their street cred, but then I’m still promoting Adidas like it was a core company. I work with different drink sponsors to organize events or to finance our DIY projects. If they didn’t pay for it, we might not have the Helsinki Hookups, or our Suvilahti DIY park would still be in its early stage. So would it be better to keep them out of skateboarding and stand against them? I don’t know. It’s a never-ending topic. Maybe one day when energy drinks will be manufacturing boards and running down all the other brands I’ll admit that we blew it by taking their money, but I will still reminisce all the good times that went down with their “support”. In the end the truth is that no one can ever take skateboarding away from us. Everyone decides for themselves. If somebody is willing to give you money and you’re ok to do what they ask you for, then do it. It’s your life, fuck the rest. If you think the whole industry has become rotten, then go press your own boards and pursue happiness that way. I have shared 10 days of tour with you. You are so “clean” and definitely not trendy when it comes to skateboarding. Do you think skateboarding is still about the tricks/personality or is it all about the latest trend? Trends are a healthy part of the process. You see a new trick or your favorite skaters wearing a funky color beanie and you get inspired by that and try it yourself, and maybe create something new out of it. We share skating with each other and enjoy it together and that’s how skating and its fashion moves forward, changes and evolves. There are so many “branches” in skateboarding that you can

never really say what’s going on. Gino wouldn’t score too many points in Street League, but half the world would still say he won... In the end skateboarding is all about yourself and what you like. Do you think videos like Cherry are more or less “interesting” for the skateboarding world than an underground video like A Happy Medium? Skating is as “pure” as you make it yourself. There are no rules in skateboarding. Everything is allowed. If you feel that “mainstream” skating is going in the wrong direction, stop following it and keep doing what you feel is right. If a lot of people do the same, you’ll eventually create the new mainstream. It’s funny that it’s kinda mainstream to be different, so in the end everyone tries to be different and ends up being the same. The more different from the mainstream you try to be, the more mainstream you become. I’ve come to the conclusion that being yourself and not thinking about these things is the best option. But about the videos you mentioned, I think Cherry was amazing. A piece of art. I think it captured today’s or actually tomorrow’s trends perfectly by setting a new course for some people to follow and get inspired. It has crazy good skating in it too. Same as A Happy Medium which just has a different kind of approach to skating. They’re both good in their own way. Over the last few years I’ve been more into the Finnish skate scene, you have so many things going on there; companies, contests, etc. How is it possible to have a skate career when you have snow for six months at a time? It’s not, ha ha ha ha. The only way to maintain a career here is by not being here :).

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Are you still working for Lamina? What exactly do you take care of for the company? Ha ha ha, it’s funny that people still ask me this question. I worked in the warehouse of my shop sponsor Lamina for about 4 years here and there. But that was 2 years ago. My good pal Pete is the head of the office and together we make ITÄ for instance, and since Lamina is my sponsor I’m pretty aware of what goes on there. Basically I have nothing to do with taking care of the company, but since it gives us the possibility to fuck around and do ITÄ, I do try to help to maintain the mother ship. How is ITÄ griptape going? It started in 2007 from a joke and a blog (www.ita-blogi. blogspot.com) and ended up as a product producing crew/

company. Like I said it’s mostly Pete and I who keep things running with ITÄ. For Pete it’s a part of his job and for me it’s a hobby. ITÄ is a group of friends producing videos, boards, grip, balaclavas, t-shirts etc. Outside of Finland people know us as a griptape company, but in Finland we’re more of a crew or a board company. As long as everyone involved stays happy, we’re doing good. You working in the skate industry and also being a team rider for one of the main European skateboard companies, you must have a 360° point of view about things. How can the needs of skateboarders and what the industry gives them match? Sometimes riders expect more than what board companies can give them, and sometimes corporate brands tend not to give skateboarders who risk their asses at the spot the recognition they deserve... what do you think? In general I think it is pretty balanced in Europe. You’re a fool if you ride for a big clothing, shoe or non skate-related company and ask nothing in return, and you’re in the wrong place if you ride for a skateboard company only for the money. Is fun still a part of skateboarding nowadays? Where do you see it? You see it in the mirror if you’re doing it for the right rea-

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sons. If it’s not there, take a break or do something else. I’ve noticed you are more and more into photography... What do you like to shoot the most? Tell us something about your blog... Ha ha ha, yeah I’m a crazy blogger. I fill the internet with nonsense. That’s why I use the name “Webfiller.” (webfiller. blogspot.com. My mom is a photographer and works with cameras a lot, so there have always been cameras hanging around in my family. I’ve shot plenty of film photos, but a few years ago I went through all my old negatives, scanned them and learned a lot about my own photos and kinda got sparked again. There was a period when I had some random pocket cams, but the photos never had any meaning to me. They were just filling my hard drives and I wasn’t even interested in checking them. This is when I realized it was

the actual process of taking a picture that was important to me. The more time I needed to spend taking a photo, the more meaningful the pictures were. But I knew I didn’t want to go through the crazy scanning mission again, so I bought a digital camera that was as close to my old film camera as possible, and lately I’ve been shooting more photos than ever. My blog is just a place to put them for my friends to see. I think pictures are meant to be shared. I shoot what interests me, which is mostly skating. I skate with awesome people and not always is there a photographer during our sessions, so I kinda have a perfect platform to learn and shoot some crazy tricks without any pressure since I’m not strictly there to take the photo. I’m there to skate and I just happen to carry a camera. I shoot less when I’m home and shoot more on the road, but that’s natural I guess. Ok Samu any shout outs? I want to give a shout out to the Eskimos and to the submarines. Also to my dear friends, family, and supporters for keeping up with me. I know I can be a little princess every now and then, but you know it’s because you’re chilling too hard and not concentrating on getting shit done… And here I go again. Cheers to Mario for these questions and to Davide for making these wonderful glances. Hopefully the flow will take me back to Napoli sometime in the future to see you guys and eat some Bufalas!

The more different from the mainstream you try to be, the more mainstream you become. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come to the conclusion that being yourself and not thinking about these things is the best option.

Gino wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t score too many points in Street League, but half the world would still say he won... In the end skateboarding is all about yourself and what you like.

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_Fs bluntslide_

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the Dickies

ESCAPE Being with your friends is the best feeling. If you are also able to create something together with them, then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone full-circle. The Dickies italian team happens to match what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just said. Three skaters with three different attitudes and skateboarding styles. Three different ages, personal aspirations, and projects in mind. All three always ready to challenge new terrain and deal with the asphalt. Nothing more. Nothing less. Bucolic landscapes, blue skies, and a house sitting in the hills was the setting for our first trip together.

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Photography_Riccardo Ceccato. Words_Davide Martinazzo.

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Aref. a brief glance

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Aref Koushesh has Iranian blood flowing through his veins. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the real crazy horse. Be it transition, ledge, rail, or even walls, this guy will skate everything, and he isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afraid of experimenting either.

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Luca Crestani, the man with the chillest vibe. He knows what he wants to skate and how he wants to skate it. Switch backside 180 down the gap we found on the seafront.

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Crest.

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Monty.

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the Dickies

ESCAPE

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Fabio Montagner is solid as usual, and makes good use of the guardrail right below his house. We definitely enjoy both his frontside smith and the Marchigian hills.

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_CUBA

PLACES

Photos_Michele Antolini_Silvia Todeschini.

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_CUBA

PLACES

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photographer_

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interview_

Leo Sharp _PHOTOGRAPHER

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photo_davide biondani_

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What can I say about Sharpy that people don’t know already? Well, his skate photography speaks for itself, and he has pretty much taken pictures of every UK skateboarder I can think of, as well as a wide range of international riders. I’ve had the honor of working along side this man mountain during skate trips and I can’t think of a nicer guy to be around, his positivity while shooting brings out the best in people’s skating. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a happy guy to shoot with unless he’s hungry! He needs regular feeds or he gets a bit cranky, ha ha ha! When he’s not taking insanely good photos and being a rad dad to his daughter Baylin, Leo can be found lecturing his fine lens skills with his partner Kirsty at Falmouth University. Leo will always be one of my favorite photographers to shoot with, and I’m hyped that a brief glance skateboardmag has made this article about him, because he deserves all the recognition he gets. (Jody Smith)

all photos_Leo Sharp.

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NYC_1997 a brief glance

NIKE SB UK TEAM (AND MORGS)_MELBOURNE 2006

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MIKE ANDERSON TAILDROP_MALLORCA 2008

BILLY ROHAN OLLIE UP TO KICKFLIP_NYC 2003

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Hi Leo, when did you start skating? I started skating in 1985 when I was 10 years old. That was when I got my first skinny plastic board, a “Jupiter skateboard.” We used to bomb the hill through the local graveyard on our knees. From there I got a “Variflex Diablo” about a year later, then my first pro set-up on my 11th birthday. I can still see it now, leaning against my bedroom wall – a Santa Cruz Rob Roskopp multi-face, Indys, Bullet 66s and lime green grip tape. After so many years spent skating and living around skateboarding, how much do you think skateboarding has influenced your life and the choices you made? What are your feelings if you think about it? Skateboarding has and will always be important to me.

Whatever I’m doing, it’s always in my thoughts. It has been responsible for some of the happiest times in my life and some of the lowest too. It has given me the best times, allowed me to travel to far off places and experience things that I probably would otherwise never have seen. Skateboarding has blessed me with amazing friends, made me laugh until I literally pissed myself, cursed me with an addiction to motorway services food and endowed me with levels of patience I previously thought impossible. Because of skateboarding I can go anywhere in the world and have mates to hang out with and a place to stay. Skating gave me the best job in the world. I will always be a skateboarder and I’m proud of that. Do you remember the first time you picked up a photo camera and what pushed you to do so? I got a Ricoh rangefinder for my 7th birthday. I remember the first photo I ever took with it. It was my best friend sitting on a garden bench. I attempted a vertical grip (why start conventionally?) and managed a shot at a diagonal angle. Cameras have fascinated me ever since. Many skateboarding photographers are skaters who started shooting photos of their friends at the spot and then fell in love with photography, was it the same for you? Yes, pretty much. I wanted to document what was going on in our scene in Milton Keynes as I was growing up. There wasn’t much coverage of any skateboarding outside London in the UK at that time. My parents bought me a Minolta X300s for my 16th Birthday. All that summer I shot photos

of my friends skating the rad spots in our home town. Later that year, RAD magazine ran an article on our scene! Do you remember your first photo published in a skateboard magazine? What was it and in which mag? It was in the Milton Keynes article in RAD magazine in 1991. There were a few photos that I shot and a couple of me too! How long have you been working for Sidewalk? Which mags have you worked for over the years? Sidewalk magazine since the beginning in 1995, RAD magazine, System magazine, Kingpin, Big Brother, Skateboarder, The Skateboarders Journal (Australian mag), Slam (Australian mag), Australian Skateboarding magazine, Flipside (Greek mag), North skate mag, Grey skate mag, Adrenalin mag, Color magazine (Canadian skate mag), SBC (Canadian skate mag), Concrete (Canadian skate mag), Monster skate mag, Sugar, Soma, Beach Brother, Freestyler,Chill, Dogway, Manual (New Zealand skate mag), New Zealand skateboarder. The Journal,Front magazine, a brief glance skateboardmag.

You documented the UK scene for so many years and travelled the world shooting with a lot of professional skateboarders, if you were to tell us your “favorite mission” which one would it be? Also, among the articles you shot over the years, which is the one you are most proud of? That is a difficult question to answer. There definitely isn’t a single trip that stands out as my “favorite,” but a fun one was the 1999 UK Sole Tech trip to France. We drove the A4 distribution Renault Espace from Warrington in the north of England to Nantes in Bretagne for a skate comp, then on to Marseille to skate the park. The crew was Rodney Clarke, Dave Allen, Howard Cooke, Garry Woodward, Pete Hellicar and Neil Chester on filming duties. Even though there were a few setbacks (losing the keys for the roof box before we left the UK and having the van broken into as soon as we got to Marseille) we didn’t stop laughing for the whole trip. We drove all day from Nantes straight to the Marseille skatepark to have a skate before we’d even checked into our hotel. We had no idea how sketchy it is in Marseille. I remember Howard uttering the immortal words - “THERE’S SOMEONE IN THE VAN” from his vantage point atop a fence at the skatepark.

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We all ran back to the van to see all of our bags on the road about to be nicked by a couple of ultra sketchy dudes. We chased them away and one of them dropped his mobile phone. Needless to say we rinsed that phone into oblivion that night, calling everyone we knew all around the world. We were so very close to having everything we owned stolen. That didn’t stop us from having a laugh for the rest of the trip, even when the van got broken into across the road from where we were sitting at McDonalds one night, later in the trip. I remember Hellicar chasing the guy all the way down the road. He got away, but not without utterly shitting himself first! The UK skateboard scene seems to be one of the most active over the last few years; a lot of new amazing skateboarders are coming out, many big brands use skateparks to promote their image and London seems to be “the right place” to organize the best events. Also, the UK is one of the most attractive markets in terms of sales… Why is this, in your opinion? It’s funny isn’t it? I guess the UK is positioned in the right location globally, plus it seems to be where a lot of skate/fashion trends start. I think a few of the more mainstream brands have noticed this and are putting marketing budget into UK events. As far as new talent, I think the UK has always produced amazing skaters, but with the advent of the internet there’s more of a platform for everyone. Years ago you could have been the best dude to ever set foot on a skateboard, but if you lived in the middle of nowhere you had no chance of getting noticed. Look at Barney Page for instance. He’s from a town called Exeter in the South West of England. Not on the skate world’s radar at all. But with a few online clips going around plus a little word of mouth, “check this kid out...” and the rest is history. If Barney had come along 10 years earlier, maybe the opportunity would have passed him by.

SAMMY WINTER CRAIL VOLCANO HOP_LYON 2007

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What photo camera do you use the most to shoot skateboarding? At the moment a Canon 1DX. And what do you prefer to shoot with in general? The same one, but only for cheapness/ease of use. If I could, I’d still love to shoot with my Hasselblad all the time. If you were to choose one of these only: natural light or flashes? Flash. Black and white or color? Colour with Flash, Black and White without. Film or digital? Both. Last year you started teaching photography at a university… How did the chance arise and what is it about? Do you like to teach? I started doing a few part time workshops in the photography degree course that my girlfriend teaches. Eventually, a full time position came up and I applied for it. I found that I really enjoyed doing it, “seeing the light bulb come on” when a student learns something, then shows you some great work using the new technique. The course is called Fashion Photography and it’s at Falmouth University. The job is interesting but the course is probably not one I’d like to teach forever. I love skateboarding too much for that. I’d love to teach an action sports photography course.

CHIMA FERGUSON SWITCH FS BOARDSLIDE_SYDNEY 2002

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CAPETOWN_SOUTH AFRICA 2002

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HAVANA_CUBA 2009

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CHRIS OLIVER FS 180_CUBA 2009

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Is it harder to deal with crazy skateboarders on the road or with students in the class? Ah ha ha. Ha ha. They’re probably not that different when it comes down to it. You end up waiting around for both. So with the new job you have less time to travel and shoot skateboarding… what do you miss the most about this? Obviously, I miss shooting photos everyday, but the main thing is just hanging out and having a laugh. There is nothing like skating, travelling, and seeing new places with new people and just having fun. There can be so much that goes into shooting a good skate photo. Some days you’ll go out, drive around to 10 spots all day, get rained out, kicked out, broken off, and leave empty handed. On another day everything will fall into place and you’ll come home with 5 rad photos. But you have to go through the shit days to really appreciate the good ones. I miss all of the above. Was “leaving skateboarding” to start a new job a difficult decision to make? Now that you’re more involved in different fields of photography, what is your opinion about skateboarding photography? I don’t feel that I’ve “left skateboarding.” I definitely shoot less but I’m still out most weekends and quite a few week nights after work. If anything, I have more of a hunger to shoot as I have had a break from doing it all the time. My opinion of skate photography has never changed. I still think it’s the most exciting, fun and rewarding thing to shoot. I am a skateboarder and a photographer. I haven’t found another form of photography yet that comes close to the excitement I get from shooting skating.

ANDREW BROPHY SWITCH OLLIE_ST PETERSBURG 2006

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What do you like the most about skateboarding photography? How do you face the “frustration factor” about spending a lot of time to get one photo and the risk of a non-landing, rain, or getting kicked out of the spot? There’s nothing like the feeling of shooting a photo that you’re stoked on. When you’ve had to go back to a spot multiple times for all those reasons and you finally get the trick, it’s even better. I think some people can be a bit dismissive of photos sometimes without knowing the amount of hard work that went into getting the shot. Being a grown up, do you feel the age gap when you go on tour with 15 year old skaters? ha ha ha… In your opinion is there an age when you have to stop shooting young kids causing trouble on the streets with their skateboards? ha ha ha... I used to worry a bit about that. But I’ve realized it doesn’t matter at all. Why should I stop shooting photos of good skateboarding just because the kid doing the trick is a bit younger? My daughter is nearly 4 years old, who’s to say she won’t end up skating? What are your thoughts about the speed with which everything becomes old the next day? It makes me laugh. A good stylish trick, line, or video part holds its value forever. Look at Keenan’s switch flip over the picnic table at Lockwood, or John Rattray’s part in Waiting For The World. I’m not saying that some things on the internet aren’t instantly forgettable, but something with true worth stands the test of time.

Anthony Mapstone for the hookup) and shooting photos for The Skateboarders Journal (thanks to Sean Holland). We couldn’t afford to stay there in the end, as we weren’t citizens it may have cost us a fortune to have a baby if there were complications during the birth. In short, we came back home to the good old British National Health Service so Kirsty could give birth, and we just ended up staying. It definitely wasn’t the right time to go to Australia, and it made me realize how momentous leaving behind friends and family on the other side of the world actually is. Never say never though - there’s always time to go back. When was the last time you got hyped looking at a skateboard photo? Dave Chami’s heated up/burned transparencies in Transworld. Pretty much anything that Brian Gaberman does. Ollie Barton’s amazing Hasselblad mastery - he is still shooting film all the time. Sam Ashley’s photography. There are so many inspiring skate photographers. What are you working on at the moment and what are your plans for the next few months? I’m trying to skate and travel as much as my job at the uni allows. My daughter is young and in nursery school and I want to be around for her as much as possible. When she gets a bit older I’d like to go back on the road a bit more. I feel like there’s still so much unskated terrain to see out there and a lot more laughs to be had.

A few years back you moved to sunny OZ for a few months… any plans of going back? Fate works in mysterious ways. We spent 3 years getting our residency visa for OZ sorted out. We sold our house, we both quit our jobs and shipped all our worldly belongings in a container to Australia. We spent 7 weeks over there but had to move back because my girlfriend was pregnant with our daughter, Baylin. I was working in a skate shop called Fast Times in Melbourne (thanks to

ALAN PETERSEN FS OLLIE_MARSIELLE 2000

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the FTC BOOK Why is this book so significant to skateboarding? If

managed to have three shoe sponsors at once (and two

you really think about it, nothing is absolutely neces-

ads from two different companies), or James Kelch ex-

sary until it is created, and this is true in skateboarding

plaining the ins and outs of who was allowed to skate

as well. What if boards were initially 8-ply instead

at EMB and who wasn’t.

of 7-ply? Would anything have changed? What if

It’s nice to read about guys like Ben Sanchez (that I

urethane had never been invented, how would we be

really digged) who practically disappeared from the

able to do powerslides? This book for skate-nerds like

scene and is into other things, or knowing how the

us is necessary just like the 7-ply and urethane wheels

first FTC videos came about that influenced our

are to skateboarding, because it gives us a glimpse

whole generation.

into that shop we have admired for years, and helps us to understand how things got done back in the days

But the thing I really couldn’t wait to read about was

when skateboarding was not mainstream and when we

the famous Black Book where ALL the pro skaters

all dreamed of flying to San Francisco to go skate with

wrote down the product they took from the shop and

Carroll and Sanchez at EMB.

the trading that took place... Basically, that genius of Kent created a parallel market (profiting from it too)

Were you not born yet? Were you still pissing in your

in a place that was full of pros, and therefore any skater

bed at night? The FTC book may help you to under-

could find anything he needed directly at the spot.

stand what skateboarding was like in the 90’s mecca, featuring well-done interviews of characters you may

This book is definitely a must have on your coffee ta-

never have heard of, but who definitely created what

ble, so flip through it and enjoy all the memories from

skateboarding is today.

the past, trying to relive those moments through the

I won’t give away too much of the book, it isn’t a novel

eyes of those who created modern-day skateboarding.

anyways, but I sure never heard Carroll talk so much

Actually, now that I’ve just flipped through it again...

in an interview, or Jovontae Turner recounting how he

I’m goin’ skating. See ya! (Guido Bendotti)

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“Our first team was four guys: Mikey and Greg Carroll, a filippino guy named Rick Ibaseta, and Jovantae Turner. Henry Sanchez was the next guy. Talk about melting pot…”_Kent Uyehara (FTC owner).

“My two favorite skaters of all time called me up, you know what I’m saying? Wow. How could it get any better than that?”_Jovantae Turner

“I think everybody has style in them but a lot of people hold back from being who they are. Style is who you are, you know what I mean? So you don’t fall into that fucking robot thing”_Jovantae Turner

“Embarcadero was the best time of my life. Looking back, I’m grateful to have been part of the EMB scene. I wouldn’t take it back for anything”._Chico Brenes

“That’s probably why the FTC Videos became so successful, it truly wasn’t about making a ton of money, it was just videos from an era, ad a solid crew of skaters”_Scott Johnston

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“After that day, my goal was to get a page in the tab book. I didn’t want to wear an FTC hat until I got a page in that book. That was my ultimate goal.”_Josh Kalis

“Embarcadero was a grown up atmosphere, like a pool hall, but out in the open. I told myself I’d go back only after I knew how to kickflip.”_ Lavar McBride

Rob Welsh: We’d bomb the hill, take the train by Safeway, and just skate the rest of the way. Skating to FTC was pretty much a daily thing, you know?”_Rob Welsh

“I really didn’t have any footage of him, but I wanted Kelch to be in there in some way. With his history with FTC, I felt he shoud be included.”_Aaron Meza

“I think he talk to us in a more mature way and help guide us. When you’re young, you don’t listen too much, but not like we were defiant. It was more in one ear out the other, like “Sure, sounds cool, whatever”. I think he did, though, just by having everyone’s back. I mean, he helped me set up my first bank account. I remember going to Bank of America on Van Ness with Kent. That was cool.”_Mike Carroll about Kent

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Dusted_Off

Dallas Rockvam_2008_

Photos and words_Davide Biondani_

During the spring of 2008 I had the chance to follow a Bones tour for a few days. The

team consisted of Dallas Rockvam, Jordan Hoffart, Jimmy Cao, and John Motta. It was a demo/signing trip, but we found a small window of time in our schedule and stopped

at what was a hot spot in Milan at the time. Many pros have skated this bank, and a lot of tricks have been done on it. Guy Mariano had a cover on The Skateboard Mag with a switch bs tailslide on the twin bank on the other side of the square. After resting in

the shade for a few minutes, Dallas found his trick for the spot... a perfectly executed fs 180 to fakie 5-0 grind fs out into the bigger bank. Shortly after this tour Dallas moved

to Europe and started riding for Antiz, and a few months ago he started Frank, his new board project. Good luck Dallas, we wish you all the best!

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Fs 180 to fakie 5-0 grind to fs out_

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issue _25