Edition 4 - July 2009
Art of Rolling A Glimpse into New York City’s
Skate Park edition
Interviews with Ramelle Knight Trevor Johnson Ninja Chris Cofer Greg Sterino Flatline Skate Shop Featuring: Alex Nunez The Cortez Brothers John Stephens Will Sorto Kevin Cintron Damian Michalski
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l l o R e n f i o z rt aga A M
Uknown- Zero visibility Top Porn
People don’t want to hit this rail because the spikes are too close...
THE SPIKES AREN’T THE PROBLEM IF YOU CAN’T SEE THEM
Cover
Welcome to Issue 4 of Art of Rolling!
Ramelle Knight- Rocket Air
We took it upon ourselves to take a serious look at
Photo by Angelo Ferrer
all the feedback we got over the previous issues, and this is what we’ve created. Enjoy!
Photography Angelo Ferrer
Index
For more info
Interviews
Visit www.angeloferrer.com/artofrolling
Flatline Skate Shop
5
Greg Sterino
7
Stuyvasant Challenge!!!
80
Everything used in this magazine is property of Art
Trevor Johnson
39
of Rolling (NYC) and cannot be used, copied or
NYC LEGEND: Ninja
49
reproduced without permission.
Ramelle Knight
58
Chris Cofer
65
Art of Rolling 2009
Spot Checks: Skatepark Edition Lower East Side Skate Park
15
Rockaway Skate Park
17
Throgs Neck Skate Park
28
Mullaly Skate Park
35
Owls Head Skate Park
37
Forest Park Skate Park
55
A Day With... Hector Rodriguez
19
Kevin Cintron
24
Damian Michalski
29
John Stephens
67
Will Sorto
69
Cortez Brothers
73
Alex Nunez
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Articles New York Scene of Things
3
by Adonis Taylor Credits
82
Index
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Sweatstance / NYC
HYPER MIKE
My name is Hyper Mike. I am a professional rollerblader / freeystyle skater from Harlem, New York and I’ve been skating for over 15 years now. skating here is like skating in no other place; there are so many obstacles and courses within a block that you can spend hours skating just in your neighborhood. That’s what I love about my home; I don’t travel much but I love visiting each borough and having a good session from time to time.
New York Scene of Things
New York is responsible for much of the raw style and talent that helped skating become what it is today. The stories of legends can be heard through the fast paced environment that continues to breed new tales. As an always developing city, our sport is constantly being challenged with spots that cater to all styles and levels of skating. I’ve skated with people from all around the world without ever leaving the city; a true testament to the Big Apple’s powers of attraction. New York has had it all with a few exceptions. Since I began rolling in the late summer of ‘02 I realized that New York lacked a few ingredients to a healthy scene. That is, a sense of community, a common place or skate park that everyone could enjoy & develop this community around, and lastly would be proper media exposure. All of these things go hand in hand to create a stronger, more unified New York especially with our numbers of participants growing each year. However, these flaws of our largely diverse environment are gradually being counteracted with the help of everyone involved. The past year has proven to be very productive and the upcoming season will prove to be even more successful for NY skating with endeavors on every end of the spectrum. Our videographers and photographers are working together to portray the sport with the help of the seasoned and the new. Our entrepreneurs are making it possible so that our competitions and events are several times better with bigger cash prizes and larger sponsors. In conjunction with the city parks department, we’re seeing more and more skate parks flourishing in corners that we’d never be able to reach, and Chelsea Piers is under construction to become the city’s largest concrete skate park. There is a sense of ownership among skaters in NY, many of whom realize that things will change only if they take the initiative. The busy streets are buzzing with rumors of what’s to come and who’s doing what, but you may already know the fruits of their labor. At the moment I can only say that time will tell, as it never lets you down. 3 | A rt
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James Perez is doing a soyale
Alex Nunez doing a Tru Fish
Anthony Soto doing a “yoga-stance� (sweatstance)
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Making history right here in New York City, Flat Line Skate Shop became the first and only skate shop in the Bronx. It’s hard to have the first or be the only one to have done anything in New York City, but these guys have done it. Art of Rolling has had the pleasure of interviewing shop owner Rob and asking him a few questions about his effort in trying to spread rollerblading. He and his shop are also in the process of organizing a skate competition at Alerton Skatepark in the Bronx.
But then what ha What happens th arresting a 13 or
NY FLATLINES 766 Morris Park Avenue Bronx, NY 10462 flatlines@optonline.net
Flatlinesskateshop@yahoo.com DON’T MISS: Summer Heat Contest on July 11th 2009 at the Allerton Skate Park Bronx N.Y. presented by FLAT LINE
Flat Line Skate shop What inspired you to open up a Skate shop? I used to skateboard back when I was young. While growing up in Pelham Parkway and Manhattan, there was one skate shop that was very racial. I used to go there to buy stuff with my friends but we felt out of place; it was like buy your stuff and get out. I felt the vibe at 9 or 10 years-old and figured that when I grew up, I would open up a skate shop and it would never be that kind of environment. That inspired me right there and helped me realize that we need to have something for us. It’s not about your color, your race, who you are, or what you’re about; it’s about what you want to be.
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Through your skate shop, how do you feel you have influenced the youth in rollerblading out here? First off, being the first official skate shop in the Bronx says a lot right there, you know. I honestly am trying to get involved with the skate community here and trying to throw a huge skate competition soon. I hope to get Razor down, Brian Aragon to judge, and I’m also dealing with the Bronx assembly lady, Naomi Rivera, who is trying to extend the Alerton skate park. As far as inspiring goes, I hope I am inspiring the youth more. The way I see it, I hope they’re looking at it like “Wow, this is what we got; we don’t have to go to the streets or to shops that are far away, we got this.” This skate shop is someplace they
appens in the winter, where do these kids go? hen? The kids risk getting arrested; now you’re 14 year-old.
can conjugate, talk and learn; that’s inspiring to me. What can a skate company do to help make skates affordable to kids? Out at the Bitter Cold competition I spoke to the manufacturers and I have been going to the events and showrooms, talking to them. What they need to do is to step up to the plate and come out with a commercial. They have to at least give something back, its not just about selling skates, they’re expecting small skate shops to promote their skates to the kids but, it’s not going to happen. The companies are not coming together to make one commercial of the best of the best. That’s what we need.
How do you think the city can accommodate the NYC skaters? Support us you know, get politicians to extend the parks and throw events or even get us an indoor park. We have skate parks, but they are built to city standards. When you build above certain heights, you then need supervision. But then what happens in the winter, where do these kids go? I’ve spoken to some politicians and they were stuck when I said that, so I said “They’re going to skate your personal property and their going to get caught in city areas where they don’t have any place being at.” What happens then? The kids risk getting arrested; now you’re arresting a 13 or 14 year-old. They looked at me like I had 3 ears, ha ha. F lat L ine S kate S hop | 4
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Greg Sterino ao mizou
360 mute 7 | G reg S terino
gap to wall ride
Greg Sterino’s interest in skating began at the age of eight. His initial love was with hockey which then progressed into roller hockey. Eventually Greg became interested in aggressive skating when he would watch other skaters gap stairs. With a new interest in aggressive skating, Greg took the initiative to seek advice from Brian Lewis, a known old school skater. The interest quickly turned into a passion when he was sponsored by AGE. However, being so young had its negative affects; he was easily influenced by others and began to lose interest in skating when others quit. Eventually, Greg also quit skating and found a new interest in cars. Greg returned to skating in the summer of 2008 with the help of some of his friends who gave him a pair of skates; since then he has reclaimed his love of skating.
180 gap G reg S terino | 8
What was your first pair of skates? TRS Lightnings with Cosmo wheels and pinkys. How did you first become sponsored? USD scouted me out. A skate shop owner talked about me to a USD representative who showed up at a competition and spoke with me and my mom about a sponsorship. It was amazing. The guy asked me who my favorite skater was and I replied, “Jake Elliot.� He just picked up his phone and let me speak to him. After that I met everyone! Why did you stop skating? I quit when everyone stopped skating. I cracked my shin open one day at George Washington transfer rails. I just took my skates off and walked all the way home. I told myself I was never going to skate again. I was 15 years old; after that I was heavily into cars. 9 | G reg S terino
gap to cab driver
When did you start skating again? It took me 8 years to pick it back up again. I started again in 2008 when one of my boys also got back into it. I got a pair of USDs from roller warehouse which didn’t fit too well so I got me a pair of Razors. What tricks were hard then and are still hard now? Tru top porn. Kids today are insane so there is a lot of competition. A lot of people throw hard tricks but only a few people can make them look good. What keeps you in the game? When I first came back people doubted, me that’s why I stayed with it.
sweatstance
Who do you usually skate with? I skate a lot with Ramelle, Andy, Ricky, and Navin. G S | 10 reg
terino
What have you done for the young skaters here in NYC? I always give out all my old parts because I want more people to skate. If you give someone a pair of skates, you’ve just given them a medium to join you.
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fishbrain in the rain
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Adonis Taylor Backside Royale
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_ _ _ _ k _ _ c _ e _ _ The _ h _ _ C _ _ o_ _ t _ p _ S _-_
Lower East Side Skate Park
This skate park is definitely one of New York´s City´s unique areas to skate. Located on 12th street between First Avenue d Avenue A in Manhattan, this skate park serves as a site for gym class for many of the students at East Side Community High School. Although it is predominantly a skateboarding park, many rollerbladers can be seen skating alongside skateboarders. It is great to see that there is an abundance of young rollerbladers who skate this park regularly and are sprinkled among the skaters. For a free skate park located near various different street spots, the Lower East Side skate park is your best bet to warm up before a session.
15 | L ower E ast S ide S kate P ark
L ower E ast S ide S kate P ark | 16
17 | R ockaway B each S kate P ark
___________ -Spot Check-_ __________
Rockaway Beach skate park
One skate park that has tons of flow and incredibly unique obstacles is the Rockaway skate park in Far Rockaway, Queens. This skate park marks the monumental progress that the skate scene is achieving in New York City, allowing skaters a place to skate in a safe environment that is off the streets. With the funding of City Councilman Joseph Addabbo and the input from the parks department and neighborhood skaters, NYC was able to built its first permanent public skate park. Although at first glance it may seem small, in reality every ramp is placed in just the right position. This allows skaters to get the most out of the park by giving them the opportunity to skate from one ramp to the other, utilizing the park for its unique lines and cruising possibilities. One of the perks to this skate park is that it is next to the beach, making it possible for you to feel and smell the sea air as you skate. Unfortunately, when they first built the skate park, many riders came in and made tons of noise until late at night, making the Parks Department take action to close the park early. Although it is possible to hop over the fence into the park during after hours, it will leave a 50 % chance for skaters to get kicked out by patrol cars that frequently pass the boardwalk. Another downside to this park would be that due to its close location to the coast, it has endured a tremendous amount of weathering, making many of the ramps rusted and hard on the skates. Although the mini-ramp has a pure rusted coping, the transition is by far the best in New York City. With over 6ft plus ramps this $600,000 skate park is definitely worth the trip; it’s fun, FREE and next to the beach!
R ockaway B each S kate P ark | 18
A DAY WITH...
Hector Rodriguez in the
BRONX
19 | H ector R odriguez
Backslide pivot AO pornstar
H ector R odriguez | 20
Gap Royale 540
21 | H ector R odriguez
H ector R odriguez | 22
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Kevin Cintron
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gap to street
Kevin Cintron is a shining Bronx native who has been skating for less than 6 years. He is a perfect example of the up-and-coming skills that thrive and are spreading throughout NYC. It is easy to see when rolling with Kevin what makes him unique; he’s young and full of energy landing 99% of the stunts he attempts. Balancing the skating lifestyle with academics, he attends school 5 days a week and manages to be an A student. When he’s not skating or in school, he’s helping his younger brother with his skating skills. After all is said and done, Kevin is an ideal representation of the new school generation showing that the future of NYC is bright. In this particular section, we met up with Kevin at Riverside skate park only to find that the newly enforced rule that everyone must be fully padded to enter, prevented him from skating the park. With no form of transportation, we set out on a mission to see what skate spots we could find lingering around the area. What we came up with was a bunch of randomly scattered spots hidden across Manhattan which proved Kevin’s on-the-spot diversity of skills in that he was able to throw down tricks given any obstacle he was faced with. Here is what 15 year-old Kevin Cin- tron has to offer to the NYC skate scene.
K evin C intron | 24
traffic bs royale
top porn 25 | K evin C intron
porn
nstar
fast plant to soul 180 out savannah
top acid
K evin C intron | 26
__________ -Spot Check__________ Throgs Neck SkatePark
Throgs Neck Skatepark, T-Neck, Babypark, or whatever name you may happen to call it, is still one of the stepping stones to the skating world. Located in the Bronx, right over the Whitestone bridge, behind Middle School 100, it’s in a prime location to introduce all types of extreme sports to young growing minds who might not fit into the everyday norm of organized sports. During any given time its not unlikely to find such people like Ramelle Knight, John Stephens, Rafael Herrera or Kevin Cintron just hanging out on a breezy summer night or even a brisk winter afternoon.
Babypark got its name because of the size of the ramps. According to certain legislation, the park is designated as unsupervised, eliminating the requirement for any protective gear, and limiting the size of the ramps to under 4 feet. Its seen its fair share of injuries but everyone is surprising responsible. Due to its small size and close quarters , problems between the bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers, and even scooterers are almost unheard of. The environment is very friendly and caters to skaters new and old.
T hrogs N eck S kate P ark | 28
A stroll around NYC with
29 |D amian M ichalski
My name is Damian Michalski. I live on Staten Island but was raised in Brooklyn. I’m 16 years old and I’ve been skating for 4 ½ years. Skating is really fun to me; going out with your friends and just messing around is even enough. I grew up skating with skaters such as Yannes Sootes, Dave Ngo, Jon M. ( little John) and of course my brother Sebastian. I’ve always been trying to one up him, I guess, but truly he has inspired me to progress over the years. I really love that I started skating in New York; there’s no other place really like it and the vibe you get off the late night sessions in the city is amazing. Also every boro has a lot of different things to offer, it’s really refreshing to skate something new all the time.
back tourqe
top soul D amian M ichalski | 30
180 safety grab
31 |D amian M ichalski
Some of the best sessions and memorable skate moments consist of no car, a metro card, and a day in the city skating. These are the times where your skating skills are tested with all the different obstacles you might face around the city.
gap to fishbrain
gap to negative acid gap D amian M ichalski | 32
stall to topsoul
___________ -Spot Check-_ __________
Mullaly Skate Park
By: Angelo Ferrer
In 1988, Mullaly skatepark opened its gates as New York’s first skate park and provided a safe zone for skateboarders, BMXers and inliners to enjoy their sports. In fact, the youth enjoyed the park so much that years of abuse by extreme sports took its toll on the very playground they cherished. It wasn’t until 10 years later that the first renovation was done in preparation for a BMX competition. The major sponsor, Mountain Dew, supplied the cast and turned the decayed skate park into a brand new arena. Along with the new skate park came a ton of new kids who sought to develop their skills at the new facility. Over the next couple of years the skate park met the same fate it had met almost a decade before. According to a New York Times article in 1995, the park was “rusted and rundown;” the ramps were starting to fall apart with next to zero maintenance. With 2 inch splinters being the least of your problems, you could find nails sticking out of the ramps with the majority of the ramps having holes on the jumps and the landings. Due to these dangerous conditions skaters stopped going to Muallay’s, leading it to become one of New York’s forgotten gems. Fortunately on Friday, September 12, 2003, 120 volunteers from Snapple, 30 Marines from the Weapons Company 2nd Battalion 25th Marine Corps, and community members rebuilt Mullaly Skate Park in a single day. The New York Yankees also donated $5,000 to match a community grant to support the park’s upkeep. Despite all these actions to keep the park alive, it is still in jeopardy. The up-and-coming Yankee Stadium is soon to consume much of what was Macombs Dam Park; the north side of the new stadium is 164th St. , directly across the street from the Mullaly skate park. If the condition of the skate park continues to decline again, will the city decide it no longer wants a scruffy skate park next to the new Yankee Stadium? When I went to take pictures of Mulally’s, I was reminded of how much this place has changed. When I first went there during the early 90s the ramps were huge, red and full of danger. It was overwhelming how years later this park has seen so many talents and has help spring a bunch of well known athletes to our rollerblading scene. The first couple of pictures that I took were great as they showed huge ramps with tons of space to get speed. At a closer glance I was instantly
“ The youth enjoyed the park so much that years of abuse by extreme sports took it’s toll on the very playground they cherished.”
distracted; I noticed that the skate park was on the verge of being disgusting again. For a biker or a skateboarder the ramps may be fine, but for a rollerblader a 3 inch nail sticking out the ramp on the way up could lead to many problems. Many of the coping on the quarter pipes were either misaligned or completely missing, holes in the ramps still existed, and
the sheet metal was sticking out at corners sharp enough to cause some damage. When all said is done, at least there is a place for the kids to play. Somewhere along the line someone would have to speak up for this park and make it a strict responsibility to change it so it can be a place for the youth in NYC to learn to skate and prosper into great skaters. If you can say you’re a Muallay’s skater, then you can pretty much say your a tough skater who can deal with any kind of ramp thrown at you. Word has it that the city is planning on tearing down the current Mullaly’s skate park in order to build a new and improved skate park with better ramps and safer conditions. History has it that it is not the builders of Mullally’s skate park ramps that are at fault for it’s condition, it is the lack of upkeep for the park. Let’s help to preserve the Mullaly’s skate park and maintain its condition to provide a safer environment for NYC’s youth!
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__________ -Spot Check__________
owls head Skate Park
After a long and hard political struggle with skate park was created in Northern Bay Ridge, hillside, this concrete outdoor skate park has attracted over the world. Fortunately for NYC residents, Owls all summer. Included in the park is an interesting launch box, quarter pipes, etc. There is also a bowl the park featuring one deep bowl with pool coping coping. The only factor that skaters normally complain lation that requires all skaters to wear their helmets
37 | O wls H ead S kate P ark
NYC’s Art Commission, Owls Head Brooklyn . Located on a 27 acre many extreme athletes from all Head skatepark is free and open street course equipped with a section located in the back of and another larger one with regular about is the mandatory helmet reguduring skating.
Despite the great service that this park is providing to New York City’s youth, the Art Commission gave politicians a run for their money when it came to approving this concrete skate park. Many residents and commission members expressed concern for encouraging young children to partake in dangerous sports, and others expressed their opposition to the plan due to aesthetics. During the hearings for Owl’s Head skate park’s approval, many residents posted fliers stating “Do you want Owls Head Park to remain a quiet, beautiful space for our community or an overcrowded, noisy meeting place for skateboarders and dirt bikers?’’ Others complained that they did not want the skatepark built due to the possible “eyesore” that it may cause to the “natural” look of Owls Head park. Eventually the Art commission compromised with the plan and required that a majority of the $650,000 budget be spent on a wrought-iron fence to enclose the area, as well as planting trees as camouflage to conceal the area to those who are “enjoying nature.” Today, Owls Head skatepark facilitates more than 100 skaters a day and provides a safe and effective place for rollerbladers to push their skills and progress in their skating.
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Interview
Frontside tourqe 39 | T revor J ohnson
What is your full name? Trevor Collin Johnson. You can call me Trev-or-Johnson either one, ha ha, aka Tre-Joe aka TJ. How long have you been skating? I started when I was 10 years old, so I’ll say approximately 13 years. Wow I’m old, ha ha. What ways do you train yourself in skating? I try to skate everyday and learn something new everyday. What’s the hardest trick you’ve done to date? Wow, I don’t know. Probably some ledge trick combo, nothing specific.
T revor J ohnson | 40
41 | T revor J ohnson
What tricks do you have switch? All of my natural tricks, almost ha ha! Before I hurt my knee when I was about 16 I used to skate all lefty, but after surgery I started skating righty. So I learned both ways on most tricks but some are tricky still. What would you change about NYC skating? The separated group skating scene; I would have all the skaters skate together and have big hype sessions with intense skating and people pushing each other constantly. I try to skate with anyone who wants to skate but it’s funny how certain people only skate within their little click. This is rollerblading and you have the choice to do whatever you wish so why skate with the same click all the time. But yeah, I like big sessions so I’d like to see more unity, no pun intended. If rollerblading could pay your weekly pay check, how much should you be making ? A million dollars a week haha! No, but seriously it would be sick to just be able to skate and do nothing else. So, I would accept making decent enough money to pay the bills and live a decent lifestyle. I wouldn’t ask for much if I could skate for a job.
What other sports have you been actively involved in throughout your life? I was on my way to becoming a professional baseball player (or so I thought ha ha). Nah but I was very seriously into baseball throughout my high school life and college life, but I kind of got sick of putting in the time and not being able to skate and do other things. What injuries have you acquired over your skating career? I’ve probably broken all my fingers, both my wrists, my arm, pulled groin, broken collar bone, concussion, and 3 knee surgeries. I’ve taken my fair share of falls and I’m sure there will be more to come. What can NYC do to better ensure that our youth has a place to skate and gain the skills you’ve acquired over 13 years? I’d say keep a level head and don’t be too cool to skate with a younger or less talented kid. Show them the fun in skating and take them to a park or a contest. Show them how to make fun of security guards and how to con 5 minutes more at a spot ha ha. Nah, just show some younger kids the fun in skating.
T revor J ohnson | 42
AO soul
A blind date with TWO women or ONE free weekend at Camp Woodward? Definitely the woman if they are hot?
BS tourqe
180 gap soul 43 | T revor J ohnson
What level do you think skating would progress to after this era of spins and switch-ups? Well, I can see skating moving into a cleaner style i.e. lines, gaps, illusion spins, grabs, and an overall solidness. What are some things we don’t know about your skating career? All the kids I started with stopped and I kept skating. I’ve been arrested a few times for skating and gotten tickets, etc. I started skating because of my older brother and his friends and I’ve been hooked ever since. I guess no one would know that. Who are some of your sponsors? Denial, Genre, Able Where can we find your skating online? Youtube, Vimeo, Be mag, Rollernews and you can just google my name I guess.
AO top soyale T revor J ohnson | 44
makio stall
Who are some of your favorite skaters? The all-time Aaron Feinberg and Roadhouse Randy Spizer. Nowadays it’s probably Sal Zaso, AV, SOTO, Broskow, Haffey, Aragon, Colin and Sean Kelso , Jon Jon, Mike Dempsey, Ryan Parker and too many others to name. How many hours a day would you say that you put towards skating? Maybe on average 5-6 hours ha ha. Some days I don’t skate and some days I skate for like 10 hours. What are some things that you liked about skating back in the days? What are some things you like about skating nowadays? Back in the day it was more rebellious and fun for some reason, maybe I was just young. But nowadays I like skating because it still gives me a good feeling when I do it. I love challenging myself and just the whole vibe of being out, stress free with all your boys. 45 | T revor J ohnson
What are some competitions you’ve ranked or won in New York? Last Man Standing I won one of them and placed in a few, and also won the BX comp. While winning all of the competitions in New York for the past couple of years, do you feel that you have been granted enough exposure or recognition for your skill? It’s really not about the recognition, I would answer yes because I’ve had people come up to me and give me props or tell me I killed it, and if one kid thinks my skating or tricks were ill that’s all I care about....Finally I’d like to shout out! Shouts to You Angelo and Layla for making this sick NY mag and I wish the best of luck with it. Shouts to my sponsors, Killgore wuttup, Majette wuttup, hi mom and dad and my bros Kyle and Eddie who skate too! Maybe they will get a pic in this mag soon........PEACE!
“Its really not about the recognition... if one kid thinks my skating or tricks were ill, that’s all I care about.”
Soyale
Makio
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Back farf top acid gap back royale
AO fishbrain
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nYC LEGEND: NINJA Eddie, also known as Ninja, is one of NYC’s most unique legends. Crowned Ninja for his martial arts and gymnastic background, Eddie passes on his diverse skills into his rollerblading. He is best known in New York City as an old school skater who will throw any flip on any gap or obstacle. Seen in some of the earliest videos that featured New York City skating, Eddie has been permanently engraved into the New York City rollerblading culture. As the years have passed, the media has overlooked his skills, but Eddie has continued to maintain a positive attitude and has continued to pursue skating with his pure passion for the sport. We are incredibly lucky to be able to capture and bring to you some of his skating. Feel honored as you set your eyes on one of New York’s iconic rollerblading veterans. N inja | 50
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What is it like being an NYC skater? Being a New York City skater feels good. Back in the day I was a skateboarder and a lot of people used to freak out on me. What videos have you been featured in throughout your skating career? Hoax 4, Some Free Advice 2, VG 3 and some other videos I can’t remember off the top of my dome. Where do you think NYC skating is going in the future? It’s going good and in a good direction. I’m just mad they took rollerblading out of the X-Games; like they say, nothing is easy when it comes to rollerblading.
“Skaters see that I’m old school and they try to play me like if I’m not good enough. It doesn’t matter to me, I laugh at that.” How do you get hyped to skate? I listen to rock and roll, Cold Play and Ministry. Just one track will pump me up to skate hard. Do you have any advice to give to the young skaters in NYC? To the little kids I would say to keep working at it, nothing is ever going to be easy but just keep doing it and you’ll eventually get where you want to be.
Would you consider yourself underrated? It depends; sometimes it depends on what kind of crowd I come across. Skaters see that I’m old school and they try to play me like if I’m not good enough. It doesn’t matter to me, I laugh at that. What are your favorite things to skate? Some of my favorite skate parks are Mulally’s and Owls Head. I used to like the Chelsea Piers skate park
ninja
until they tore it down. Honestly, I hate falling on concrete skate parks and Stuyvesant rail is defiantly the scariest in NYC.
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What are your plans for the future? In the future I plan on working on owning my own skate company and having kids involved in other sports like Nerf guns. I’m a big fan of Nerf guns; I have a large box at home that comes with 100 bullets. I try to do something for the kids, ha ha, and I love backyard wrestling; I’ve always wanted to be a wrestler.
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What are some injuries that you have endured over your skating career? I’ve had two concussions and water in my knees. That’s about it. Shouts outs? Chris Edwards, PJ who died a couple years ago, Arlo Esinberg, my girlfriend, and my mom because she has always been supportive to me.
Negative mistrial
Royale
New York is blowing up once again and it is due to the passion that each and every skater carries in his or her heart during every session, every grind, every spin and every event. Ne York is about to take over rolling once again if it continues up this amazing path. Lets just hope that we are all here to see it. -Lord Brian
k r a P t s Fore k r a P e t Ska
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_________ -Spot Check _________
Due to the recent explosion in popularity of extreme sports, there have been a few skate parks that have been built in the greater New York area. One park that has been part of the Parks Department since 2002 is Forest Park skate park located in Queens, NYC. After a very recent renovation, the park now consists of a predominantly street style course along with
a mini to complement the needs of skaters. Be fore its renovation,the park only contained one ramp with rail, one mini half pipe and a quarter pipe to allow skaters to get some speed.
__ After its renovation, various new ramps were installed in ork-der to make up the new and improved Forest Park skate park. The __ only complaint that skaters have when going to this park is the
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height of the ramps. Due to the condition that ramps cannot be higher then 3 feet in an unsupervised park, the constructors of these ramps made it
their duty to give the youth in Queens an exceptional skate park. Today, you can find this skate park packed with kids trying to skate the ramps without bumping into one another and having a blast in their new facility.
What is your full name? Ramelle Knight Sr. How long have you been skating? 9 or 10 years. Why do you love skating? I use to love skating. I think I’m beyond that. I AM skating. Tis is what I do. Skating has saved my life and kept me out of harms way a lot of times. I’m thankful for having this in my life.
makio
Being one of the best in NYC, can you tell us how future kids can step up to the plate and become as successful as you are in skating? It’s all about being dedicated. Skate good but also be a good person. Work hard so you can play hard.
How and why did you start skating? I started skating because of my mom. My mom and I would go to the skating rinks and ride the quad skates. My mom was so amazing on the skates I use to always want to skate with her. She would skate fast, sometimes dance and just throw out so much swag, you had to stop and watch. One day, I decided to buy a pair of rollerblades because my basketball coach at the time told me to. He said it would help me strengthen my legs more so I gave it a try. I use to just skate around all day with my skates on, it was great. Then one day, I skated past Mullaly park; it was the first time I’d ever seen a skate park. Dudes were catching huge airs and throwing sick spins and flips that it caught my eye instantly. That was the day me and skating fell in love with one another. Who are your sponsors? G.K., Dipskate, B Unique, 50-50 Frames, Deshi, Blue Wallace Skate Shop, Mountain Dew and Skull Candy Hooks me up. Shout outs to Stall & Dean for the Fitted caps and jackets & Fi-Hi for the backpacks. 59 | R amelle K night
Which type of spots are your favorite to skate in NYC? I use to be a handicap rail beast. That’s all I wanted to skate before. But now I’m into down step rails, ledges and skate spots that are unique. In terms of rollerblading, in what ways have you given back to the youth in NYC? One thing my mom and grandmother preach to me is that it’s better to give than to receive. Whenever I have an extra pair of skates or parts and a kid is in need of them, I give them away.
x grind
What are some things people may not know about your skills outside of skating? I know a lot of people won’t care for what I do outside of skating but I’m a recording artist (Fetty), a Director of film and a designer. I don’t want to go in on all the things I do but those three are my strong crafts.
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What are some of your achievements in skating? I’ve had a lot of achievements in skating but some stick in my mind the most. One was when I won the ECTSC in New York City. I was so excited about that win I actually cried. Being a skater allowed me to travel all around the world and I know if I wasn’t a skater, I would’ve never been to those places. Another one was the Freestyle Rolling Mountain Dew tour. That was crazy! We went to 33 states and represented what we love to do. I mean, everything I’ve done I consider an achievement. From the first down rail to my first True Spin. rocket air
sweatstance
How does NYC compare to all the places you’ve visited and skated? NYC is fast, fast living. I feel like 24 hours is not enough in New York. One thing though I feel is that if you’re born and raised in New York, you can go anywhere and adapt. I love to visit other places and skate as well. I love to meet new skaters from other states or countries and just kick it with them and see how they live, but NYC is my home. I love the late night street sessions, or the spot hunting days. I remember when we use to skitch on cars through the city going like 50 miles per hour. NYC is just a great place where there’s great skating and great skaters.
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What direction would you like to take your skating in the years to come? I’ve been working on how my skating looks. I’ve been learning new tricks and making everything I’ve acquired over the years look proper when skating. I’m also going to be opening a skate school as well. What are some injuries you have acquired over the years skating? I’m thankful for not breaking any bones but I’ve had my share of pain. I dislocated both of my shoulders, I damaged my meniscus in my left knee, and I have ankles that always pop even when I’m not skating.
my best friend Rafael Herrera there, I met Josh Petty there when I first started skating. So much went on there. We use to climb in late nights to session but we would be shook because so many people use to get robbed in there. But like I said before, that was a second home. Skating in Mullaly park was a training ground and that’s one thing I will never forget. Mullaly park helped me improve my skating big time. What does it mean to be a NYC street skater? I never thought about that. NYC street skaters stand out. They don’t care what you think of them, they come out and represent who and what they are to the fullest no matter what. NYC skaters are tech, they swag everything out.
What are some of the hardest spots to skate in NYC? I don’t know a lot of spots that are hard to skate but one is Stuyvesant Kink rail. Its super fast with a slight turn then it kinks. Many people don’t know you are a great park skater, how do you think you have acquired such skills? I use to practice a lot. I prefer to be an all around skater. Some skaters choose street and some choose park or vert, I like to skate everything. I started out in the park and every time I was upset and just not feeling good about things going on, I use to skate the park in my hood. I use to be there a lot. My skill really came from watching how the pros were doing it. I use to watch a lot of Santiago Azpurua, Blake Dennis, Shawn Robertson, and Sven Boekhorst when I started. Thanks to those guys for helping me acquire some skill. Describe what Mullaly skatepark has meant to you and your skating career? Mullays was a second home to me. Growing up skating there was crazy. So many memories! I met
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Fishbrain @ Autum Bowl
The Mountain Dew tour went super national and public beyond many rollerblading events. Can you give us a description of how it was to be down with such a historic tour? It was great. Thirty three states showing the people what we love to do, amazing! What was even more great about it was even though we were with the Ex
AND 1 team, most of their crowds stopped watching them and would watch what we were doing. We met a lot of great people and saw a lot of great places. We represented in such a positive way, Mountain Dew wants to do another tour with us soon. Instead of doing just 33 states, I want to do an international tour so everyone can get a taste of what we have going on. I want to thank everyone that made that possible and every skater that came out to kick it with us and session. Describe a perfect day of skating to you? The perfect day would have everyone from the
Bronx that I grew up with being on time and meeting at a good spot to session. I’m not picky on what is necessary to make a perfect day, it’s just NYC skaters are always late! What words do you have to say to the youth pertaining to juggling academic achievement with rollerblading? Don’t juggle academics with rollerblading. Go to school, then skate! A lot of skaters are not making real money off skating. You don’t want to end up like some of these guys still living at home with mommy thinking skating is going to make them rich. Always have other things to fall back on. Have fun with skating. Be serious about your studies. If you level both out properly, you will have everything you want in life. Much Love to all the skaters out there. Keep doing your thing and stay positive with everything you do. Bless.
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A day with the Cortez Brothers June 2009 73 | C ortez B rothers
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Alex N unez
My name is Mr. Nunez and I’m from Flushing, Queens. I’ve been rolling since 1996, around the time the NISS was here at Flushing Meadows Park. I used to play many sports alongside skating, but I knew back then that I would be rolling for a long time. My parents didn’t approve much of me rollerblading because of the high risk injuries. I’ve been through many hospital visits to the point where doctors and nurses in the emergency room would remember my name; even so, I still kept it going. I’ve never been more dedicated to anything else in my life than rolling. Rolling in NYC, and other parts of the U.S. has been a beautiful experience for me; especially rolling with people who love the sport as much as I do. I wouldn’t stop this great hobby for anything. I’m proud to naturally express my Art of Rolling.
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Calling all skaters!!! Next month Art of Rolling Magazine will be hosting an exclusive Stuyvesant rail challenge. This challenge will consist of 10 qualified skaters who dare to test their skills and attempt to clear New York City’s toughest skate spot for a best trick reward of 100. This challenge will not be open to any spectators due to issues that may occur with security however, the challenge will be filmed and photographed by Art of Rolling Mag, Skeptic Media and Evotek Media. Coverage of this event will be available in Issue 5 of Art of Rolling Magazine and at various other sites after Issue 5 drops. The admission date to submit your request will start on July 15, 2009 which would follow a prompt reply by one of our staff once we have evaluated that you have fulfilled our requirements. Put this date on your calendar, this event will be FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE!
Requirements:
1) Must be within the first 10 qualified skaters who contact us 2) Must prove your skills by submitting a clip of any drop rail that you have cleared in the past 2 months (photographs are also acceptable). 3) Must fill and sign a waiver before the challenge starts (18 and over requirement) 4) Must be a native New York rollerblader If you fit all of the above requirements get your submissions in. This event is FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE!!! A rt
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Prizes:
-$50 to the first skater to clear the rail - $100 for the best trick - Bragging rights This event will be sponsored by: Art of Rolling Magazine IROLLNY Wheels In Motion Skeptic Media EvoTek…and more.
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Contributors
Skater Artwork
Brian Perry aka Lord Brian skater illustration page 38
Daniel Lambert
danlambert_11@hotmail.co.uk Rolling Bear/ Porn star page 54
Edwin Urena
edwin@edthirteen.com Otherground studio Comic page 23
Gregory Preston
Remelle Knight Portrait page 58
Samuel Crusson
www.samuelcrusson.free.fr www.abequesette.blogspot.com/ Disaster Royale Illustration page 57
Layouts Denis Dokiæ
doksa_22@yahoo.com Lower East Side Skate Park page 15, 16
Dustin Jamieson
www.dustinjamieson.com Rockaway skate park/ Montage/ Ninja pages 17, 18, 13, 14, 49-53,
Layla Quinones
www.angeloferrer.com/artofrolling pages 1, 5-11, 19-22, 24-26, 2932, 35-47, 55, 56, 58-64, 73-81
Luuk Eerens
flarexii@gmail.com Index/ New York Scene of Things/ NYC Originals pages cover, 2, 3, 4
Navin Hardyal
SkepticMedia™ http://www.SkepticMedia.com http://www.Vimeo.com/SkepticMedia Throgs Neck Skate Park page 28
Nicolas Dorel
zeblah2@yahoo.com Chris Cofer page 65,66
Rory Noonan
RoR’s Rolling Reviews rorrolls@yahoo.com Montage/ John Stephens/ Will Sorto pages 67-72
Writers
Adonis Taylor
EvoTeck Media Group, LLC The New York Scene of Things page 3 D
Angelo Ferrer
page 15, 18, 24, 35, 36, 50
Layla Quinones
www.angeloferrer.com/artofrolling pages 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 37, 38, 55, 56,82, 83
Navin Hardyal
http://www.SkepticMedia.com Throgs Neck Skate Park page 28
Editors
Angelo Ferrer Jaqueline Ferrer Layla Quinones
Photography by: Angelo Ferrer
www.angeloferrer.com www.angeloferrer.com/artofrolling www.flickr.com/photos/ newyorkskating nyrolling@yahoo.com We would like to give a tremendous thanks to those who have helped us along the way. In order to bring you a high quality display of content we reached far and wide for help. A few people came through for us and made it possible to present to you New York City’s skate scene. Without them, this issue would not haven been possible. For those of you who has helped us, we thank you for your help, enthusiasm, dedication and contributions. To the skaters, we thank them as well for putting their bodies on the line to accurately present the talent we have here in New York. You guys make it possible for our rollerblading scene to continue to progress. This issue is dedicated to Sharon E. Edwards. We will always love you!
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Ninja- Back Flip