a skateboard culture special edition.
THIS IS NOT THE AWARDS ISSUE Paul Trep Matt Berger Gone Trippin’ III Jessica Eaton Glasser 10 Most Tattered of 2010 Chris Pfanner’s Austria Josh Evin remembered $7.99 CND/USD
a skateboard culture special edition.
THIS IS NOT THE AWARDS ISSUE Paul Trep Matt Berger Gone Trippin’ III Jessica Eaton Glasser 10 Most Tattered of 2010 Chris Pfanner’s Austria Josh Evin remembered $7.99 CND/USD
a skateboard culture special edition.
THIS IS NOT THE AWARDS ISSUE Paul Trep Matt Berger Gone Trippin’ III Jessica Eaton Glasser 10 Most Tattered of 2010 Chris Pfanner’s Austria Josh Evin remembered $7.99 CND/USD
photos by colen
E. TSLID BLUN R. IN TROD UCIN G RI LEY H AWK. I LIM ITED FOOT WEA LAKA
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“These awards will sing for the unsung heroes, for the people who would’ve done it anyway, and for who will do it again and again, because they want to.”
E
verybody knows that awards are arbitrary, horribly subjective, ultimately meaningless, and, in the end, say more about who is giving them than who is getting them. They also propagate the false assumption that the winner is now stamped and certified as the best (they won, didn’t they?), which is a frightening idea, especially when you consider that there are people who actually think that the winner of American Idol is the best singer (or even, best musician!?) in the land. Awards can also foster a culture where artists and athletes live only for these occasional pats on the head, like dogs all sitting up and begging for treats, so much that they are no longer creating or doing for their own reasons, but only to impress others and polish their resumes.
Conlan Killen, Noseblunt drop-in. doubtphoto.
We know there is nothing worse in the world than the beamer: the dude who looks right at you after he lands a difficult trick, just to see if you saw, greedily checking if you were impressed or not. Or the more sneaky version of the beamer, who says offhandedly in the car after a session, in a shameless ploy for a hit of cheap recognition, “Yeah, that cab-flip down that 13-stair was pretty sketchy,” when everybody knows that they’d done the trick perfectly. Yet even though awards can be so corrupting and ridiculous, they continue to fascinate us. Why? Because they do draw attention, they do offer recognition, they do swing the spotlight in the direction of something new, and can draw a whole new audience to a deserving person or work of art that never would have found it otherwise. And perhaps because awards are always hotly contested, they are not supposed to end arguments about who is the best, but, more importantly, begin them. Just fire up a best skater or best video of all time discussion with your homies over a few brews if you want to see the gloves come off and blood on the floor in no time flat.
So how to give awards without blowing it, as so many others do? Well, we can start by refusing to claim that our winners are the absolute best, and simply assert that these are people and works of art that get us stoked, period. These are artists and athletes who are, on their own terms, killing it. By this we mean they seem to be doing what they need to do, doing what they love. Another way to avoid blowing it is to aim to pick people who aren’t even trying to win awards in the first place, people who couldn’t give a shit if they’d won the award or not, because they’re so busy doing what they’re doing they’d probably never find out they’d won anyway. Actually, we love this idea. So to announce our upcoming awards, in this issue we’re giving you the heads up on some of the categories that we’re going to be doling out awards in. These awards will sing for the unsung heroes, for the people who would’ve done it anyway, and for who will do it again and again, because they want to, because they have to, because they couldn’t even imagine doing otherwise. —mike christie, senior editor
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FAKIE SWITCH CROOK / WIN THE KELLEN JAMES SQUARE TWO VS SK8MAFIA @ FACEBOOK.COM/éSSKATEBOARDING TIMEBOMBTRADING.COM FACEBOOK.COM/TIMEBOMBTRADING
KELLEN JAMES / SQUARE TWO + SK8MAFIA MAROON/WHITE
SKATEBOARDING STARTS WITH
issue 6
[ o ] ITAIT
— Awarded In Words
100 skate
78 98 60
124 126 129 122
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THE CHARACTER AWARD best performance*
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best new pro
Best Team** video of the year* Best Trick*
Chequed In From groundbreaking maneuvers at Am Getting Paid, to flowing tricks at Lord Of The Lines. Nobody made more noise in the contest circuit this past summer than Kamloops native Matt Berger. The only question is, where does he store all those giant cheques?
Excellence in Innovation
*in a skateboard video, **Canadian shop
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SKATE STARTERS
62 Sixside (Victoria, BC), Burnside (Portland, OR) and your local barrier spot. The D.I.Y ethos pours back into skateboarding in 2010.
[ o ] PESUT
Another year has past bringing more fine quality skateboarding in the streets of Canada, including D.I.Y spots, traveling all over the world and in videos, bringing the skate world sometimes literally to your backyard. We at Color felt it was about time somebody recognized this. So these may be our favourites at the moment, but there’s still time before the awards panel weighs in. This is your insiders guide to what to expect and we hope it gets you fired up for the big event in Vancouver, September 2011!
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PAUL TREP
DC King Of Montreal* by Matt Meadows
GONE TRIPPIN’ On The Road to Nowhere*
Gordon Nicholas (above), Sheldon Meleshinski, Bradley Sheppard, Alien, Colin Nogue, Brett Stobbart, Colin Lambert, Ryan Oughton, Jess Atmore and Torey Goodall.
fashion
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FASHION FEATURE
Paper Dolls:
The timeless tradition of print and the young people today pressing on. photographed by Hana Pesut
issue 6
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Contents
114
INTRO contents contributors cmyk anthrax PRODUCT TOSS
56 132 144 151 156 157
inspiration bound fotofeature SOUNDCHEQUE LAST NITE credits over ‘N out
[ o ] MCCOURT
08 14 22 28 38 47
THE SHAPE OF LIGHT
An interview with artist Jessica Eaton
154
image courtesy of the artist.
lifestyle
arts
58
Faces N’ Spaces* Montreal’s No Damn Good
142
Josh evin* 1981-2010
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XPAT Jordan Hoffart
146
CV* Geoff Dermer
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Schlepping it in Montréal with skatepark, shop, now clothing brand proprietor, Gabe Laduke.
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[ o ] MORFORD
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CITY Chris Pfanner’s Bregenz
As seen through the lens of Landon Stirling with recommendations from the skater himself.
154
Not too many people still shrelping the streets of Vancouver can say they lived through the golden-era of skateboarding there.
TATTERED In twenty 10
Some say blondes have more fun, we say skateboarders do.
JACOB WHIBLEY
By Leah Turner
WALKING, SQUARE, CYLINDER, PLANE
Eli Bronowsky at the Western Front, reviewed by Jenn Jackson.
COVERS 8.6 newsstands
subscribers
music
CULTS Today’s Secret, Tomorrow’s Stars By Shawn Lennon
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BIG FREEDIA’s hard Bounce
84
Dream Cycle
By Natasha Lands
Glasser’s sound-world is unlike any other photographed by Jody Rogac.
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[ o ] ROGAC
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16
When one of our own leaves the nest to pursue things abroad (or in most cases, California) it gets increasingly harder to stay in touch. This column was created too keep a steady tab on those Canadian skaters making waves in places with foreign currency.
A celebration of a life who touched so many others and the barbecue/skate jam that followed.
THE THANKS YOU GET / THE THANKS YOU DON'T “You're gonna get yourself killed.” Anyone who spends their time rolling in the streets are going to hear it from onlookers. It goes with the territory. But in reality, you could be anywhere, doing anything and accidents can happen. For local everyman skater Trevor Martin, it was as simple as crossing the street, but still he continues to bomb hills and skate staircases without worry and without the extra push from any sponsor. nicholasphoto. Others such as professional skater Jamie Tancowny it's a life choice that also happens to pay the bills, but every job has its downfalls. camarillophoto.
PHOTO_ PHOTO_
P 1 - J A S O N L A Y O U T
L E E
P A R R Y
2010MAR_ 2010MAR_
C O L O R A D S
INFO@THECOMUNE.COM WWW.THECOMUNE.COM
COPYRIGHT © 2010 949 574 9142
Stehr
Gareth
Leave Behind V2
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COMUNE’s Leave Behind V2 is online now and available to view at www. thecomune.com. Check out coverage on Prison Run, BLKHLZINVZFS and new contributor Peter Raffin. Keep up with what has been going on around the COMUNE and join the mailing list for future events and happenings.
Taken from Gareth Don’t Surf
COM_A2010dec-LEAVEcolor
Jason Lee Parry
www.jasonleeparry.com
2
Jason Lee Parry is a 30 year old photographer who currently lives in Los Angeles, California. As a child, he lived in over fifteen states. The constant visual stimulus as a young child was the result of the endless traveling and he needed an outlet to express his creativity. He first picked up a camera when he was fifteen and since then has not stopped creating images that evoke undiluted sexiness mixed with a feeling of youthful freedom. With his specific artistic style, he offers something different to the world. These days it seems that just anyone can snap a picture and call themselves a photographer, but Jason has a talent for telling a story and capturing an authentic response of any kind from his audience. He is self taught and originally from Portland, Oregon.
Purpose // Function
Something Better Change
www.thecomune.com info@thecomune.com
2139 Placentia Avenue Costa Mesa CA 92627
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Drop City was introduced to attract like–minded creative people to the comune artist community and collaboarte on special projects through COMUNE’S clothing brand. With participating artists including Corey Smith, Hunter Longe, Jason Lee Parry, Noah and Nathan Rice, Shelby Menzel, Jimmy Fontaine and Gareth Stehr over time Drop City will continue to evolve its’ community, creative platform and influence.
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Distributed By Wickwinder
FUNCTION COMUNE was formed from the idea that there will always be people out there who not only embrace the rawness and imperfections of everyday life but use it to creatively push the boundaries of what’s possible in skateboarding, fashion, art, and music their own way, with
www.thecomune.com comune@wickwinder.com T 604 276 9425
complete disregard of the consequences.
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PURPOSE Our goal is to provide clothing that reflects this lifestyle of carefree idealism and to support the people that choose to live it.
MARC JOHNSON MATIXCLOTHING.COM
SUPRADISTRIBUTION.COM
|
MATIXSTICKERS@SUPRADISTRIBUTION.COM
[L IF E A F TER S K ATE]
2011
We A c ti v i sts SHOT BY C H E RY L D U N N w w w. w e sc . c o m
issue 6
JENN JACKSON
RICH ODAM
ALEX HARO
contributing writer
contributing photographer
contributing writer
Jenn Jackson is a Vancouver based artist, writer and curator. She completed her undergraduate study in Critical and Cultural Practices at Emily Carr University and studied General Fine Arts at The Cooper Union in New York. Her interests include, thoughts, feelings, ideas and things. In a past life she systematically organized the universe into a continuity of palindromic poems, but in this one she was recruited to review an exhibition for our Show column. 52
Born in Peru, Richard moved to Toronto in his late teens where he picked up his first camera for a course in high school he enrolled in just to get enough credits to graduate. After jumping that first hurdle, he went to Humber College for Industrial Design where he found photography again and never looked back. Currently residing in Vancouver, Rich’s work has appeared in Color since its beginnings while also shooting snowboarding and skateboarding for a number of other titles. 64 / 80
Alex Haro is a Victoria based writer with big dreams and little drive, he’s currently chasing a diploma in Communications, the vaguest and least impressive of all diplomas. If you don’t like Pilsner, he doesn’t like you, and genuinely believes that if you want it bad enough, you can get it. He spends most of his time with his dog and main squeeze, both of whom are better at skateboarding than he is. Maybe his last given interview, Josh Evin’s voice can be heard through the transcribed interview (now on our website) Haro conducted prior to the accident that took Evin’s life. 142
ODAMPHOTO.COm
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[ o ] IRWIN
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LANDON STIRLING
NATASHA LANDS
LINDA OUNAPUU
THE DARK
contributing photographer
contributing writer
operations manager
contributing artist
Canadian born and raised and never one to embrace the cold, Landon found refuge for a number of years throughout the Caribbean. After success as a photographer in the Cayman Islands, Landon married and settled in Austria where he contributed to the European skateboard scene. Recently returning to Vancouver after twelve years away, Landon is currently growing his contacts in the Canadian skateboard industry, continuing to contribute to European publications, and reuniting with old friends along the way. Other than skateboard photography, Landon is down for tall cans, tropical waters, and travel anywhere anytime.
Local DJ and photographer with a vested interest in contributing to Vancouver’s cultural diversity, Natasha Lands has acted as director/curator for many unique art & music related events in the city. After attaining her BFA in photography at Emily Carr, she was awarded a scholarship to attend London College of Fashion where she worked alongside photographers on projects for ID Magazine and Vivienne Westwood. She has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally, as well as photographed many notable musicians and events. 58
Born in Helsinki with Estonian blood in her veins, Linda Ounapuu recently made moves from Toronto for new adventures on the west coast. All around optimistic human being, summer enthusiast, comfortable being uncomfortable, love for vintage furniture & historical fiction, and rolls 60/40 in the cats vs. dogs debate. Throw on a good record and offer her a ride on your bike and you’ll be instant buds! As the newest addition to Color’s in-house staff, this is the first issue she has overseen as Operations Manager... and we have to say, we like the way she operates!
The dark is a Vancouver artist working in many disciplines. He has shown nationally and internationally and has been featured in many publications. His work can also be found on many dumpsters, bathroom walls and construction hoardings. There are many reasons for everything. We will buy your dreams! The hauntingly gritty illustration the dark contributed to ‘Inspiration Bound’ will leave you wanting more... 56
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L E O AUSTIN STEPHENS
CAIRO FOSTER
JULIAN DAVIDSON
R O M E R O
CORY KENNEDY
KEEGAN SAUDER
DAVID REYES
K E V I N “ S PA N K Y ” LO N G
ED TEMPLETON LEO ROMERO
JOSH HARMONY
NESTOR JUDKINS
T H E
B A L A N C E
O F
O P P O S I T E S
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volume 8 issue 6
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CHRIS HASLAM kickflip 5-0 180 [ o ] scurich.
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MICKY PAPA backside 360 [ o ] odam.
SPENCER HAMILTON fakie bigspin flip [ o ] odam.
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DUSTIN DOLLIN boardslide [ o ] peters.
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timebombtrading.com facebook.com/timebombtrading
Photo: Gordon Nicholas
volume 8 issue 6
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Jacob Whibley images courtesy of the artist.
wordsby leah turner
B
y collaging together bits and pieces of found paper ephemera discontinued paper stock, envelopes, and IBM punch cards are but some examples Jacob Whibley transforms mundane materials, which he thinks of as matter of unfulfilled purpose, into seductive, cryptic, and visually complex art objects. His collages are at once abstract, diagrammatic, and richly illustrative. One-fifth of Toronto-based art collective known as Team Macho, Whibley’s solo practice wields conceptual richness and rigor. Drawing on the visual language of early modernism (Russian constructivism and Bauhaus are clear influences), Whibley’s referential work demonstrates a deep engagement with histories of art and design. Departing from the more conventional 2D format of his earlier collages towards a more sculptural direction, with Nodal Points Whibley collaged from the outside inwards, letting each subsequent ring inform the design of the next until reaching the centre point, a structured process of working through spatial and compositional problems. As a medium, collage necessarily reverberates with time and presence, and the hand of the artist. For Whibley, the unfulfilled potentials and purposes of his materials are palpable and extractable. Here, history is in the minutia.
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(from top) Nodal Point (Teade) 2010 wood and paper ephemera 9" diameter, 1" deep Nodal Point 2010 wood and paper ephemera 9" diameter, 1" deep
HANG TIME fenchurch.com supradistribution.com fenchurchstickers@supradistribution.com soul stealer cameronsmithphoto.com/
C1RCA SLASHER CONTEST WINNER! BLOOD, GUTS, ZOMBIES... this was what we were asking from our readers for the C1RCA Slasher poster design contest held this fall. Dustin Pakosh was our lucky winner, who received $500 worth of gear from C1RCA and a subscription to Color for designing this spine-tingling poster. After recently getting into graphic arts and spending hours watching Big Trouble in Little China, Pakosh felt the need to get his creative juices flowin. He was also inspired by “A Terminator poster I saw that was in Japanese, which looked way cooler than the English version. So I thought it would be cool to try and recreate a classic Japanese movie poster, but in a slasher horror movie style.” Congrats Dustin! And many thanks to all the dark-hearted readers who submitted. C1RCA.COM
THIS BOARD’S GOIN’ PLACES In a nod of appreciation to the hard work Rob Dyer has put into skate4cancer over the past six years, Element has released a signature Rob Dyer board, the EZ Strata. Skating across Canada, the United States, and overseas to raise money and awareness for cancer research, Rob and his adventurous spirit are matched well by this board’s free-flowin’ design. Proceeds from the board will benefit skate4cancer, a good deed and a rad board all rolled into one. ELEMENTSKATEBOARDS.COM
VANS FANCY FOOTWORK Easy on the eyes, the Vans California Era 45 Tortoise from the Vans Holiday 2010 collection are the perfect balance of all things nice, sugar, and spice. This low-top sneaker comes in three colorways, each featuring a bi-tonal premium leather upper combined with tumbled leather panels all tied together with gum soles. These sneakers will have you looking sharp in any weather that’s heading your way this winter. VANS.COM
DEAD REASONS
Here comes another stylish collaboration from Welcome to East Van x Blvd Skateshop x Proper Design. This limited edition t-shirt pays homage to the many iconic skateparks of Vancouver. Available at Blvd Skateshop now, get one hot of the press while quantities last so you can rep your favourite spots in Van City.
“It’s a place where reason goes to die,” was how Ed Templeton described the title of his new book The Cemetery of Reason. The book accompanied a spring 2010 exhibition in Ghent, Belgium at the S.M.A.K. (Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst ), his biggest museum exhibition to date. The exhibition included over 1200 pieces coming from various locations worldwide. Outside skateboarding, Ed is known for his work coediting ANP Quarterly (published by RCVA) as well as his featured work in Beautiful Losers, he now brings us the most extensive overview of his work available today with this large format coffee table book that provides page after page of Templeton’s classic black and white photography and bright coloured paintings. Besides the wildly vibrant display of Templeton’s work, The Cemetery of Reason includes essays from Arty Nelson, Jean-Francois Chevrier, Carlo McCormick, Phillippe Van Cauteren, and an interview by Thomas Caron.
WELCOMETOEASTVAN.COM
SMAK.BE
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
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issue 6
LAUREN GRAHAM This past fall, writer and stylist Ariana Preece, along with photographer Robin Black, had the pleasure of working with Lauren Graham, a Canadian-born Los Angelestrained filmmaker. We are featuring the story online along with other great additions in the website content. COLORMAGAZINE.CA/FEATURES
FOTO CONTEST Having been pushed to new heights, especially in the past few years, skateboard photography has made progress in leaps and bounds when compared with other styles of image taking. In order to up the ante and really test those photographers we enjoy, we’ve turned our 8.6 Foto Feature into a winner-take-all contest. We’re leaving it up to our readers to make the call on who gets the oversized cheque; with the winner getting the whole cash pot and the losers nothing. It’s up to you to cast your vote at www.colormagazine.ca and crown the best photograph of 8.6. COLORMAGAZINE.CA/FEATURES
CRUISE ON OVER TO THE CORNER STORE Missing back issues of Color? Looking for some classic skate vids? Or maybe even a piece of art to add some steez to your humble abode? We’ve got ya covered! Head to the Corner Store section of our website to pick up all these, plus way more good stuff that you never even knew you wanted. Super easy, and no random salesperson breathin’ down your neck as you look around! COLORMAGAZINE.CA/STORE
ELEPHANT DIRECT BONUS! Behind every good video lies a good b-roll. And if the fifty-some-odd teasers leaked through out last year weren’t enough, Elephant ‘Directors’ Jeremy Elkin and Jason Auger put together one last blow to the blogosphere with their bonus montage available just in time for Christmas. COLORMAGAZINE.CA/VIDEOS
PHOTO: RHINO
POPS GOT POP
WELCOME TO THE TEAM BIG SHEFF. SEE SEAN SHEFFEY OLLIE HIS SON AGAIN, GO TO BLINDSKATEBOARDS.COM
issue 6
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Anthrax
DARK ARTS
THE UNCOMMON (SOCK) THREAD Who hasn’t griped about their socks at one point or another? Holes after two wears, loose and on the move, or just plain ugly… now you can quit your complaining. Stance has come out with their Gripper Cush line, durable socks that won’t slide around while you skate. Watch out for a number of artist collaborations with the likes of Russ Pope, Andy Howell, and Steven Harrington, for keeping your feet nice & steezy. STANCE.COM
When the weather’s got you inside flickin’ channels, get inspired by the Vans online series, Time & Space. Giving you an inside look into artists at work, the first season features Brooklyn-based artist Dennis McNett cranking out hand-cut wood-carved prints in the countdown to a solo show and parade in NYC. With two full-sized Viking ships and a performance by metal band Natur, this is a far cry from when art class consisted of your dashiki-clad teacher making you carve stamps out of potatoes.
DON’T GET BURNED We always like to give props to the underdog, and this independent Canadian film is no exception. Play With Fire was written, directed, and produced by Soren Johnson with the help of his buddy Michael Babiarz, using natural light, non-actors, and a minimal set-up. All these seemingly large handicaps actually work in the film’s favour to add authenticity and realism to the story, and helped earn them Best Cinematography at the ReelHeART International Film Festival last year. Keep your eyes peeled for an appearance by the late great Josh Evin as he recounts views on life itself.
OFFTHEWALL.TV
PLAYWITHFIREMOVIE.COM
BAD HABITS, NO REGRETS Lots of good things coming out of Ottawa these days, including these limited edition pieces from Bad Habits. Laser-carved logo necklaces available in your choice of wood and made in limited numbers, so nab one while you can. And check out their t-shirts featuring our favorite balaclava balloon, they’ll keep you fresh, and ready to “Be Lifted Every Minute.”
GREENER THAN GREEN…THESE KICKS ARE EMERALD! Element drops yet another fine line: Element’s Emerald collection of eco-friendly light steppers are out now. Most of these shoes are made with bamboo fibre, one of the world’s most sustainable resources. There are a variety of these puppies available, from the simple Shaloin slip-on to the boat shoe-style Hampton. This line is stacked with everything you’ll need to get through the desert, jump on a boat, or hit the big city streets. ELEMENTSKATEBOARDS.COM
BRUXE x DC x OTH DC approached Montreal-based artist and Bruxe to create a capsule collection that they’ve dubbed the ‘Dead Rat Pack’. Featuring this durable, heavy-waxed canvas and pebble leather pack, the collection is focused on life in the city. Launched at Montreal streetwear shop Off The Hook at the end of November, it’s now available at selected shops across the globe.
AMENDMENT
Three industry heavyweights have joined forces to create The Sustainability Collective, which will aim to set industry standards for best practices in environmental and sustainability issues. Sole Tech, Quiksilver, and Volcom will all be pooling their green resources to get more done—as three heads are better then one. Stay tuned for more to come from the Collective this year. Fingers crossed that more companies will join this leafy bandwagon.
Apologies to Glen E. Friedman and his fans who we made the mistake of misinforming in last issue’s Over n’ Out. While Friedman does have a photo of Alva in the permanent collection at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, it’s not that particular shot shown of Tony at the Dog Bowl (c.1977). It is in fact the photo shown here, “Tony Alva, Trespassing in Beverly Hills” (c.1977).
FILM FATTIES 2 The second installment of the Film Fatties series from filmmakers Hunter Wood and Peter Hadfield premiered in Vancouver to a full theatre and ultra-stoked audience. Everyone left the theatre with a smile on their face. With some hot new West Coast talent as well as cameos from across the country including but not limited to: Rory Fulber, AJ McCallister, Nelson Conway, Corey Klim, Nick Moore, Glenn Rebic, Tyler Gaucher, and Nickey Reu. Videos should be at your local skate shop soon. FILMFATTIES.COM
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[ o ] FRIEDMAN
DCSHOES.COM
GREEN SCENE
TYLER BLEDSOE F/S FLIP
OLIVER BARTON PHOTO.
etnies.com facebook.com/etnies timebombtrading.com/facebook.com
salasphoto
volume 8 issue 6
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[ o ] NICHOLAS
Trophy Girl
For the girl who rules at everything but doesn’t want to broadcast it, we’ve assembled a collection of low-key items that will suit her winning spirit without blowing her cover. A girl of this caliber must be careful to tread softly on those fragile male egos, because some dudes can’t handle a lady with a fully stocked trophy shelf. But for those who can, treat her like the champ she is, and give her the gift of subtle radness. (clockwise from top left)
Girl mccrank blair stanley deck and og wax • VANS old school high • INSIGHT vacancy bustier top • MATIX i control top RVCA i want to be a cowboy belt and belladonna bra • WESC eve japanese selvage denim • MATix bulkhead headphones • NIKITA jewelery • sitka cougar wallet
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Champ
[ o ] NICHOLAS
No, the world isn’t fair and ZZ Top were right: the sharp-dressed dude usually lands himself the lady in the end. But we say if you can’t beat him, join him! So quit your bellyaching and supercharge your game with this collection of always classy but never over-the-top swag. Like he’s rubber and you’re glue, maybe she’ll just take her eyes off him and stick them to you.
(clockwise from top left)
HUF carolina hat • matix descendant belt • WESC nate belt • CONVERSE papalardo shoe • flip rodrigo tx diamond collabo deck FENCHURCH costner polo • QUIET LIFE socks • QUIKSILVER justin brock pants • SITKA just shoot me camera pouch • matix wallephant wallet G-SHOCK g-9000 mx • VENTURE classic trucks • C1RCA aditi duffel
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Gabby Maiden Dodo Top, Dienstag Shirt, Soul denim skirt, Valentina Leggings
Heiða Dienstag Shirt
“My life is a mixture of snow/skate/surf & design. My clothing is a bridge between boardsports & fashion.”
Laura Hadar Karmagirl Hoodie, Calabash Leggings
Micha Thyge Lucy Top, Simone Leggings
FALL/WINTER 2010-2011 WWW.NIKITACLOTHING.COM
Founder/head designer
volume 8 issue 6
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Legendary
(clockwise from top left)
És pub woven • comune camden blazer • Almost rodney mullen super uber light deck • BAKER 24 karat brick wax • INCASE book jacket ipad case DVS sandbar rico ct shoe • comune manchester belt • CASIO 1572 stainless steal watch • wesc x super moose sunglasses and oboe headphones spacecraft drifter beanie • GIRL banner wheels 50mm • C1rCA cheyenne woven • comune harold socks • ENJOI churro camera case sector 9 abec 9 stainless steel bearings • rvca stu key chain and this charming man suede wallet • altamont wilshire slouch fit denim
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[ o ] NICHOLAS
Whether you are building an empire or just building a really sweet playlist, both are better done in the presence of some really high-quality items, preferably dipped in gold. These are some of Color’s picks of legendary, golden-ticket items, such as Altamont denim and WeSC headphones. You’ll feel so rad good that you’ll have the Midas touch, and we aren’t talking mufflers.
M AT I XC l OT h I N g .C O M /g I R l S
SU P R A D I S T R I B U T I O N .C O M M AT I X S T I C K E R S @ S U P R A D I S T R I B U T I O N .C O M
volume 8 issue 6
wordsby jenn jackson
photosby scott massey
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pon entering Walking, Square, Cylinder, Plane I am filled with an overwhelming anxiety. The exhibition title repeats in my mind cyclically, a rhythmic poem of seven syllables. I circumnavigate the gallery quietly with great concentration. Six paintings, oil on canvas, are hung sequentially down the length of the gallery, three to the left and three to the right. At the end of the space, almost as an after thought, stands a vitrine, its contents systematically assembled. Fourteen watercolour drawings on paper are placed two by seven. Each column and row is separated by a framework of painted balsa wood, emphasizing an involved yet illusive structure.
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Eli Bornowsky at the Western Front 52
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While decoding the vitrine I can’t help but wonder if it holds the key to understanding the paintings that are now behind me. I turn and begin the cyclical journey again. This continues for an indeterminate amount of time. I do my best to track the repetitious characters of each work. For example, each of the six paintings is composed of two. That is, a larger painting with a smaller hovering above. Assured by the list of works that the mechanics of the installation is dependent upon this dual configuration, I accept
the symbiotic relationship. Gradually I note that the smaller paintings are one of four primary components recited within each work. The other three being a black and white field of illustrative marks, a figure on top of this field, and a strip of colour. The satisfaction gained from this revelation quickly dissolves as the paintings willfully whirl me around for another go. The unveiling of the Western Front’s newly renovated space is transfixed by Bornowsky’s instal-
“The unveiling of the Western Front’s newly renovated space is transfixed by Bornowsky’s installation.”
Walkings, 2010 oil on canvas, 82" x 60"
Vertical and Horizontal, 2010 oil on canvas, 79" x 60"
lation. The hall-like gallery structure, rectangular in form, is bounded by a wall to the east, one to the west, and a door at each end. I mention the configurations of the exhibition room in part due to its recent remodeling, but with particular symbolic referent to the exhibition itself. The space of entrance, an open doorway, is parallel to the formal conditions with which one can approach Bornowsky’s work. The closed door at the opposing end encompasses infinite possibility that is the marking of idiosyncrasy or personal reading. The pull or balance that is reverberated between these two methods is a constant character within Bornowsky’s work. As mentioned, the east and west wall imply a mirrored effect. Each wall faces its opposition with a field of congruence. From one end to the other there is a continued sense of being inbetween. The exhibition requires a voyage from
one place to another and of course demands a subsequent return back again. While occupying one area of vision it is imperative to reflect this experience upon the last, inciting the activation of memory. This effect does not only occur within each work but also between each work.1 There is a definitive pulling, a movement, and a magnetism that narrates navigation through the space and, as with all planer progressions, the in-between is intuitively skewed into a multitude of perceptual trajectories.
[ o ] FORD
Installation view of Walking, Square, Cylinder, Plane.
1 Note: I refer to Bornowsky’s exhibition components as ‘works’ as a specific denotation. Although the materialized property of the hanging works is well within the parameters of what one would traditionally reference as painting the structure of the works denotes explicit characterization.
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volume 8 issue 6
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Michael Christie’s Beggar’s Garden reviewedby isaac mckay-randozzi
Dominion of the Damned by ‘the dark’ oil pastel on panel, 48" x 48"
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or the record, the author of the book works for this magazine. But I don’t know the guy and it does you and us no good to pull any punches or whitewash what indeed could be a large pile of literary crap. If his shit stinks, it stinks. That said, I enjoyed this book and each story brought something new to the familiar territory of human drama. It is no small wonder why Harper Collins is publishing this book and has Mr. Christie (that’s a girl’s name) working on his first novel. I am looking forward to getting my hands on that.
“Tender moments of human connection that come across so genuine you wonder if the author witnessed similar events.”
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In some ways writing a good story (fiction or non) can be compared to painting a picture. As with layers of paint, the plot and character development has to be proportioned so that it is consistent with the theme throughout the piece. Careful construction and little details can make or break the work. Overlaps are sloppy and in plot lines potentially confusing if not done well. Like the visual arts, you can tell a bad one as soon as you start looking hard at it. Each of Michael Christie’s short stories are finely crafted works that treat the reader with intelligence but also keeps it accessible to those who might not know the great city of Vancouver. The stories could easily play out in any major city, but the unique characteristics of the city comes through in each. Christie’s ability to see through the eyes of his characters is a rare talent indeed. Giving each individual enough characteristics to provide the reader with ample information without overkill. Writers like to show off and sometimes they can overwhelm the simple things with extraordinary detail. The description of crackhead’s room in Goodbye Porkpie Hat lets us know exactly
how squalid it is and sets the scene for the unfolding hilarity of Robert J. Oppenheimer’s visit, introduction to crack and the starting point to a Bukowski-esque binge. The specter of sadness makes his appearance in each tale. Sometimes more pronounced in one than another its underlying presence is unmistakable, whether the root cause of the drama played out on the pages or as the background of a character. The unambiguous gray mist fogs the pages. Keeping the stories focused on the city’s dark Eastside and the immediate connotations it holds in our brains set the scenes. Before opening the book you have a fairly good idea that there will be some funky shit going on. Without the slightest hint of judgment or distain of any character’s lifestyles the openness of the stories let the reader draw their own independent conclusions on the morality of the characters. Among the moments of depravity, crack smoking, violence, cruelty and other traits of the darker side of humanity there are tender moments of human connection that come across so genuine you wonder if the author witnessed similar events. He may very well have, he worked in a homeless shelter in East Vancouver and most likely ran across folks as he skated the streets. City skaters see differently than others, our level has been relegated to the petty criminal for so long that we have the instincts and quick eyes that come with being on the streets looking for things in back alleys. This perspective comes through in his choice of material. His characters of varied social status and diversity in background hint that Mike Christie could have a familiarity with them on a personal level. His perspective is fresh and he does what a good writer should do, make you care about the people on the pages.
volume 8 issue 6
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No Damn Good Skate Park
wordsby shawn lennon
photosby kasey andrews
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inter in Montreal is anything but ideal for skateboarding—so is Canada in general when you think about it. Even the most convenient of places, like Vancouver, offer many obstacles like rain or short days that can restrict our skate time. Add transit, work, and average adult responsibilities to the equation, and the chances of skating on a daily basis are next to none anyway, even before any climatic restraints. For those in warmer places, all you need is a roof and a light to skate in January, but DIY takes a whole different meaning when you have to heat a building against freezing temperatures for six months of the year. Someone has to pay the rent. So in the same way one of Montreal’s depanneurs spring up, supply must meet demand, and the No Damn Good skate park and skate shop was born. It is a simple project, formed from opportunity, necessity, and a whole lot of innovative use of space.
“This was just supposed to be a mini ramp somewhere, but it turned into a bit of a monster.” This is how coowner Rob Barnes sums up NDG from his office beside the shop and the L-shaped wooden bowl. “I was really tired of schlepping it.” The 3000-square-foot building has taken on a life of its own, spawning various ventures from every corner and crevasse, meanwhile documented by a blog that rivals any other for consistent and original content. Rob trades stocks from his office, Jean Philllipe Beausejour runs a full sewing and silkscreen shop in the back where the Soldier Brand, NDG and Scum clothing lines are produced. They’ve also crammed in as much transition per square foot as possible, and found room for a street section, skateshop, and cafeteria. “It seems like we’re already running out of space. I guess I have too many ideas,” says Gabe, the other owner, who is no stranger to the skatepark game. He was co-owner of Orkus skatepark, a 30,000-squarefoot facility with everything from a vert ramp to a plaza. Understandably, it might take some time for him to adjust to the size constraints of this new endeavor. Although space may be an issue, Gabe recognizes the importance of location. The park has found cover below the noise of the train tracks just blocks from the Metro Vendome. If location is everything for a small business, NDG has already won the greatest battle. It seems much of the park’s survival stems from creating revenue
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Gabe Laduke
“This was just supposed to be a mini ramp somewhere, but it turned into a bit of a monster.” anywhere they can, and keeping costs down by doing everything themselves, from the ramp to the shirts and decks. Also, if it means letting some kids skate for free, knowing you’ll get some hot dog money out of them later, so be it. As long as the doors stay open. The place carries an air of necessity, when it only supplies the bare essentials for skateboarding, and only asks for the same in return: that you come and skate. Admittedly an issue for many veterans to skateboarding, NDG refrains from being overrun by kids. “It’s a good atmosphere,” Rob explains, “because we’re not run by the city, we’re definitely catering to an older crowd. I mean I totally want to make it pleasant for the kids, but that wasn’t our original goal. We built a bowl. Otherwise, if we wanted to target the kids we would have built a really little mini ramp and some street obstacles.” As well as deterring swarms of kids, the short flat bottoms and tight transition in no way accommodate rollerblades or bikes, two things that are commonplace at Montreal’s other indoor parks. But NDG hasn’t evaded controversy. A graffiti contest last year where artists covered the building with skaterelated art brought some heat to the establishment when a religious nut became extremely distraught over a “Possessed to Skate” pentagram adorning the outside walls. Explaining that it had nothing to do with Satan, but rather Suicidal Tendencies likely wouldn’t have helped the situation. Unfortunately this fussy neighbour managed to cause the park’s zoning to come under review. However, Gabe and Rob have no fear and don’t foresee any amount of red tape threatening their right to exist. Canada needs more places like NDG, the reasons why are pretty obvious Why not cater to skateboarding by providing a place to skate as well as offering accessories, clothes, and boards? There is a certain amount of risk involved with having ramps in shops but the reward in this case is one of the best things going in Canadian skateboarding. Even as the skaters for the Vans Backyard Contest rolled in to Montreal, it was NDG’s party they all went to the night before the comp. It was also NDG’s blog that displayed one of them passed out in front of a pile of puke. It’s an amazing thing for business and skateboarding to find a perfect synergy, and NDG is offering as much in return as it takes, which makes their business model something to be admired, and replicated.
(upper left) Get all your scum swag on here but you gotta buy online, city rules bitches.
(upper right) NDG skatepark, 2105 Old Orchard… As always, ladies welcome.
When I heard Bob Lasalle was back in town I knew he would be “The Dude”… 5-0 fakie, right after a double down/poutine combo at KFC
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A Year Unmasked
volume 8 issue 6
wordsby mike christie
photosby dylan doubt
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n an EA Skate commercial, Mark Gonzales described art and skateboarding as “A way of conquering boredom”, which sounds to us like the best distillation of skateboarding’s essence that we’ve ever heard. So it is in this spirit of boredom banishment that we present the Excellence in Innovation Cateory.
(opposite) MUSKELLUNGE OF DARK ISLAND Layback. DEERMAN OF DARKWOODS Blunt bigspin.
Like a zombie that keeps clawing its way out of its grave, skateboarding just refuses to die. And this constant regeneration is because of those very people who continue to push skakeboarding’s limits, who discover, rediscover, invent, and re-invent all those tricks and styles and aesthetics that we love so much. And they don’t just talk about them, they do them. These innovators are those who pump skateboarding’s heart and fill its lungs with the fresh, clean air of progression. Actually, it may not be going bigger, or getting more tech; it may even be going smaller, or simpler—really it’s just doing whatever stokes you at the moment and staying true to that. So we’d like to acknowledge those innovators who remind us that everything hasn’t already been done, that there is still lots left, that is if we’re brave enough to find it.
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volume 8 issue 6
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The Skate-Starter wordsby mike christie
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he war between skateboarders and skate-proofing architects has been raging for many years, with no end it sight. But we all have to admit: we’ve taken some heavy casualties. Love Park, EMB, New Spot, the list goes on. Many an amazing spot has been lost forever to the skate-stopper, the ledge notch, or the well-placed planter. So in this category we’re setting out to salute those who have quit their complaining, taken up their weapons (in this case the bag of concrete or the portable grinder) and fought back. It could be that they’ve rendered something previously unskateable skateable, or it could be that they’ve built a new spot entirely from scratch like Leeside, or Burnside. Hell, it could be completely separate from spots, because when you are doing it yourself, it doesn’t really matter what it is, as long as it gets done, and as long as it gets you stoked. The award could go to one person, or a whole community of people, as long as they are responsible for taking matters into their own hands. We have’re keeping an extra eye out for those small town skaters, because to build something where there is nothing is best of all.
No stranger to Leeside having been there since the early days, Keegan Sauder makes use of some of the newer terrain with a wallride above and beyond. doubtphoto.
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Matt Berger
volume 8 issue 6
wordsby mike christie
O
n some days, for whatever reason—Planets aligning? The perfect breakfast?—something inside a person can just click, and everything they want to do just happens, almost effortlessly. In this state the person couldn’t lose if they tried. Michael Jordan once described that when this happened to him that the rim seemed like a hula-hoop and the other players seemed like they were toddlers who could barely walk. We all know this happens in skateboarding, too. There are days that feel like you can do any trick you try, that your board is being controlled through some temporary magical connection with your mind. It’s a thrilling experience. These are the stoking days that keep us coming back, certainly more so than the days where you discover that you’ve somehow lost kickflips, after just a week off the board. When you are really good, it seems this serendipity can last longer than a day. A skater can just goes on a permanent tear, killing whatever lays in their path, which can be pretty lucrative if it happens when they’re entering lots of contests. Remember Rick McCrank’s all-terrain consistency of the early 2000? Or Bastien’s cab-flip mayem? Or Koston’s precise contest domination? Not to mention Lutzka’s regrettable reign of 270 nosebluntslide terror? Yes, everybody likes a winner, and contests are maybe the only place where there is a clear one (Afghanistan anyone?). So in this category we’re going to be honouring the most winningest winner of the year with yet another win. The dude with the most wins, highest standings, and biggest stack of loot will take this one. How’s that for fair? Nope, it’s not. It’s a cruel, competitive world, and the winners keep winning, but don’t worry, there are plenty of other categories for the rest of us losers. And losing is pretty fun too when you think about it.
(opposite) Next time you see Matt at the club get him to buy you a round with one of the many oversized cheques in his wallet. Frontside bluntside fakie across the gap. caissiephoto. He must have been inspired by all the coins he’s been spinning to learn this trick. Kickflip late shove-it. odamphoto.
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volume 8 issue 6
[ o ] DUFRESNE
wordsby matthew meadows
S
ince the beginning of time, kings have quested to expand their respective kingdoms. Unruly conquerors from far off lands often posed a significant threat to the local peasantry. Wars were fought, lives were lost, and mothers left without their sons. The battle for King of Montreal that took place this summer was no doubt one for the history books. And while no lives were lost, it was a massacre nonetheless.
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Tuck yourselves in kids, ‘cause this is no fairytale. Not unlike his colonial and ancient predecessors, the soon to be king also came from a far off land. If he were William the Conqueror or Genghis Khan, the king would have probably just wandered into town with his entourage and lopped off everyone’s heads. Luckily, the newly crowned King of Montreal, Paul Trep, is a little more refined than that. So listen one and all as I tell the story of how a man coming from as far west as where the mountains meet the sky and born in the land of Mackenzie King came to become the King of Montreal. Tuck yourselves in kids, cause this is no fairy tale.
Our story begins with a young man named Paul Trep. A man who like many before him ventured from a small town (Aylmer, Quebec) on the outskirts of Canada’s capital, to forge a new life in the wild wilderness of Vancouver. After some time, this once big fish in a small pond, this young skate pilgrim, was now making waves in the Pacific Ocean. And while he acclimatized well to his new surroundings, he never forgot his roots. “Vancouver feels like home because I have lived here for about 5 years,” Paul said. “I still go back to Aylmer once a year though. I would probably live out east if the winters weren’t so long. I mean … I grew up out there so every time I go back I just want to skate shit.”
(opposite) Up over and around; 5-0 360 shove-it. Vancouver, BC. dufresnephoto.
[ o ] ODAM
(top) Follow the purple kush road; Switch frontside nose slide. Montreal, QC. caissiephoto.
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(left) Paul makes sure his manuals allow ample time for his homies to roll one up in the meantime; switch heelflip nose manual shove-it. Ottawa, ON. caissiephoto. (opposite) Grinding longer than Snooki from Jersey Shore; switch backside 5-0. Hamilton, ON. caissiephoto.
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As for the team, I am still down for all of the guys. It was not that hard once I made the decision though
With no board sponsor the King was forced to fend for himself and make due with what others provided for him. And while times were tough, and he was still friends with all his old teammates, he knew that he had made the right
decision. Paul remembers his transitional time, “ It wasn’t that big of a deal to me [leaving Darkstar]. But it was tough cause I thought I was going to have to work because the paychecks helped a lot. As for the team, I am still down for all of the guys. It was not that hard once I made the decision though.” While there was a period of uncertainty, it was not long until his home country began to provide for him. Trep quickly found a new home on Canadian brand Redstar Skateboards with friends and fellow teammates Paul Machnau, Grant Patterson, and Chad Dickson, which seemed to reenergize Trep, who simply notes, “The boards are good and everyone on the team kills it.” With the summer of 2010 now over , and “Bring on The Hate”, his first tour with his new sponsor under his belt, the
[ o ] ODAM
Everything seemed to be falling into place for our hero until the dark cloud of the recession hit his U.S. board sponsor. It was then that Paul had to rethink his relationship with his longtime sponsor and supporter Darkstar. Eventually realizing his unhappiness with his current situation, Paul was forced to call Darkstar owner and founder Chet Thomas and quit. Paul states, “Yeah, I was [unhappy] with Darkstar for a while. I was not getting paid much, but I was happy with what I got, and to be skating and getting free boards. Then the recession hit and Chet hit me up and let me know that I wouldn’t be getting paid anymore. I did not quit until about two months later.”
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soon to be crowned king was in peak shape for DC’s King of Montreal contest. Health became a focal point for Paul and he soon realized that he had to make some changes if his mental state was going to match his physical state. A man who has always enjoyed the finer things in life, a drink here and a smoke there, Trep knew that if he was going to skate the way he wanted to, the smoking had to go. His mantra then became simple and his lungs became pure, “I just went to these contest and skated. Just doing my thing. I quit smoking cigarettes for a bit and that also helped a lot. I had way more stamina. You have to be having fun skating to be motivated though.” And motivated Trep was. So with the support of his American DC brethren (Matt Miller and Marquise Henry) looking
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on, Paul brought his A-game. And even though there was speculation as to who was going to take the title, from the onset of the competition it was clear that Paul was going to be a force to be reckoned with. The first battle took place on the Peace Park Ledges, and while hometown favorite Antoine Asselin was blazing along the ledges into first place, Paul Trep was not far behind receiving second. The second battle was fought on the Pointe a Calliere rail section. Once again with Brandon Del Bianco receiving first and Paul Trep second, it only seemed to light a fire under the future king, leading him to win the Pointe A Calliere best trick with a staggering switch flip to back lip followed by a switch flip to back fifty.
(below) Surely this isn’t an all switch interview, close but no cigar; Frontside crooked grind. Vancouver, BC. caissiephoto. (opposite) OG two paper spliff; switch double heelflip. Vancouver, BC. caissiephoto.
I just went to these contest and skated. Just doing my thing, I quit smoking cigarettes for a bit and that also helped a lot. .paultrep
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[ o ] ODAM
Once the dust settled, bodies were strewn about the lay of the land. The course obviously had taken its toll on the cavalry, and it became evident that only a true contender would walk away with the last ‘King Of’ title. It was then that the announcement was made. Rising up from the ashes was Paul Trep, the last King. Reflecting on the occasion Paul the humble King responded, “I was pretty happy to take it., I honestly didn’t think I would get first. It’s crazy.” So now with another victorious battle under his belt, what is next for the newly crowned king? Retirement? Living off his bounty? Hardly! With his money safely invested (after celebratory purchases made of course) and no one particular queen to speak of, Paul is left to pursue his career as aggressively as possible. So, like all good snowbirds, Trep has decided fly south again for the winter. “I will be in L.A. in a couple of days. I have been skating like once a week, not even sometimes cause the weather is so bad. I can’t wait to be down south and skating regularly.” And even though the King has left his castle, you can be sure that he will be back to defend it in the battles to come.
Too high to fly, too drunk to fuck; Switch kickflip. Vancouver, BC. dufresnephoto.
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November 19, 2009 - Oceanside, Cali fornia
timebombtrading.com facebook.com/timeb ombtrading
volume 8 issue 6
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Riley Boland wordsby mike christie
I
f you consider that a group of people as completely different from each other as Lennie Kirk, Brian Lotti, Antwan Dixon, and Kenny Anderson are (or were) all professional skateboarders, it becomes instantly clear that there is no personality requirement in skateboarding, no way you are supposed to be. Skateboarding welcomes all comers. The weirdos, the screw-ups, the nice kids, the maniacs and the math geeks. Every so often a person comes along and they seem instantly familiar to us, almost as though we’d always expected they’d show up one day, and we wonder how we ever got along without them. We’ve coined this category to recognize not necessarily the best skateboarder of the year in terms of tricks, but more as a total package. What they say, what they do, how they carry themselves. Because skateboarding isn’t just about skateboarding is it?
For those that didn't know, Riley Boland consumes nothing but skim milk and blue live wires. How else would he come up with the squirrely tricks he's renowned for. Bean plant to frontside 180. doubtphoto.
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volume 8 issue 6
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Jordan Hoffart
wordsby isaac mckay-randozzi
“Location, location, location…” not only the mantra of every real estate agent the world over, this is a deciding factor for the careers of those who pursue the life as a sponsored skateboarder. California, the state that can’t do math, has long been the hub of the skate world. With most of the major companies and magazines located in the Sunshine State, there is no shortage of history—just think of all those spots that we’ve seen in videos for years. For years, ambitious Canadian skateboarders have needed to move to Southern California or San Francisco to continue their pursuit of making a living with their
“I’m coming to understand that I am one of the very few people who is actually living their dream.”
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skating. One of which is the young Mr. Jordan Hoffart. Following in the footsteps of fellow Canadians Rick Howard, Colin McKay, Ryan Smith, Keegan Sauder and others, Jordan has taken up residence in the Golden State. Not one to shy from hard work, he created a place for himself in the new Powell Peralta. With the release of the Fun video, and with all the follow-up coverage, Jordan had no choice but to move to Southern California in 2009. With a new year on the horizon we’ll be seeing more of him and on a new shoe team since Adio has recently cut its shoe team.
Color: Aside from not seeing your friends and family, what’s that hardest part about being in the US? JH: Not fitting in entirely... in the sense of up-bringing. I don’t have any life-long memories with the surrounding people here. They are great people, amazing friends, and I’m grateful to have them in my life, but it’s just not the same. I know new memories will be created and it takes time, but still when I go back home and see everyone, a part of me comes to life again, a part that sort of dies when I’m absent. I mean I’ve only lived in two places in Southern California, so maybe I just haven’t found my niche yet? I’m not sure. But that’s definitely the part I
think about the most. I find it’s harder to get motivated day in and day out without that family reinforcement, encouraging words and like-mindedness. I start to feel alone, which gets kind of scary. At this moment, has it been worth it? Oh yeah, definitely, without a doubt. The people I have met and the opportunities I’ve been given are the most amazing experiences and memories of my life. Its like a perma-road trip–slashvacation–slash-good time. If I take a real “vacation,” I’m aggravated in just a couple days because I haven’t been on my skateboard. I’m coming to understand that I am one of the very few
Hoffart hustles like no other, day in and day out. This frontside shove-it is no joke, going full throttle, he clears the gap up and over the flat bar to a head-high-drop on the other side. odamphoto.
people who is actually living their dream. And that makes me kind of sad to know this isn’t normal. I feel like the pressures of society put a time limit on us to reach our goals, and if we get to a certain age without doing so, then whatever striving we do after that becomes foolish or immature. But I find the really strongwilled people are the only ones who eventually defy the “norm” or the odds, and as we get older those people have to have thick skin. I’ve noticed that a lot of people tend to beat you down and try to strip you of your dream —often unknowingly. I think it makes them feel better that they haven’t achieved theirs.
distributed by Ultimate
volume 8 issue 6
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Cults: Todays Secret Tomorrow’s Stars words and photoby shawn lennon
I
t was a different experience to have to physically find an artist in order to learn anything about them. With Cults recent signing to Columbia Records, information on them will be far less scarce, but please know that there was a time when all the Internet had to offer on Cults was a bandcamp account and a video with a bunch of balloons popping around lead singer, Madeline Follin. I tried to contact them to arrange an interview but they weren’t returning my e-mails and their booking agent only replied that they weren’t into interviews. My only option was to wait at the entrance of the VIP section at their show in New York City and hit them up for a few words in person. I didn’t know what to expect, and imagined various reasons for their avoidance of the media. They could be pretentious and snobby, wasted and burnt out, or maybe self righteous and narcissistic? Nope, none of the above. They were sweet, humble and apologetic. “We’re really bad with emails,” explained Madelline Follin over the wire fence that separated the VIP section from the rest of the club. “We’re really sorry.” Gladly, they agreed to finally shed some light on the New York based duo responsible for the dreamy, 1960s-reminiscent pop EP that stormed the web and quickly garnished rave reviews from the Internet’s more authoritative music publications. After their set during New York’s CMJ music and film marathon, the show wrapping up their fall tour, Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion took the time to share a little info about their start, their inspiration, and what to expect from their upcoming full-length with producer Shane Stoneback, set to release this spring. Color: How did you meet? Madeline: He was tour-managing my brother’s band and I was staying in San Diego for the summer because that’s where my dad lives and we were up at my brother’s show in San Diego, and we started dating. Brian: We were both 20 years old and I snuck her into the show and then, much to her brother’s chagrin, we started dating quickly afterwards. Where are you guys from? M: Originally from San Diego, now based in New York. B: We’ve both lived in New York for a while. Have you had any previous projects? M: I was in my stepdad’s band when I was nine years old, and... B: She sang on a bunch of punk records with Dee Dee Ramone and stuff when she was a kid ’cause her stepdad was a big part of the 80s New York punk goth scene, and I’ve been in a bunch of bands before this, but nothing really notable. Who was your stepdad? M: My step dad is Paul Kostabi. He’s one of the founding members of White Zombie. I guess that explains explains your influences? M: Yeah. What inspired you to play music? I guess your stepdad? M: Yeah, he would just be making music and he would be setting up a microphone and I’d start yelling in it, and he’d be like, “Yell angrier.” It’s just so funny listening back to it because I sounded so punk and I was this nine-year-old little girl who loved pink. So yeah, it was definitely my stepdad.
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B: I started playing music when I lived in Atlanta because there was just nothing else to do if you were a kid. I got over sports quickly and started smoking pot, so guitar is your only option to have anything that accounts for anything. I started playing music in high school. So what was the inspiration behind this project? B: It was really natural, you know. When we met, one of the first things we did was drive up from San Diego to move her [Madeline] out of her house in San Francisco, and the whole way up we were listening non-stop to these Leslie Gore CDs, which Madeline does all the time, but I wasn’t really acquainted with that kind of music. When I heard it I fell in love completely, and when I went back and kinda started writing songs like that for my own solo beats, I would listen to like the Shangrilas, Leslie Gore, The Ronnettes. Then Madeline would kinda sing it around the house and I was like, “That’s what it needs to be,” and she helped me make the songs better. And then we made our EP. The EP spread across the web pretty quickly, did you do anything to promote it? M: Absolutely not, that’s what’s the most insane things about is. I would send it to my friends or family and be like, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” I’d be so embarrassed, and then we had the bandcamp and it ended up that somebody found it and sent it to Gorilla vs. Bear. And Gorilla vs. Bear wrote about it and then two hours later Pitchfork wrote an article about it, and since then it’s just been insane. How about the instrumentation on the first EP, was that just the two of you?
“It’s probably our least favourite thing about this whole process, having to talk about ourselves.” B: That was all stuff that we recorded ourselves in my apartment with various keyboards and guitars and sequence drums and stuff. I was studying was sound for film so I was pretty well-versed in recording arts and how stuff goes down, so it was really natural and no big deal to put everything down and make the songs. It was a combination of real and electronic instruments to bring everything together.
about ourselves. I think by the way we presented ourselves and the way that our band works we’ve tried to kinda stay away from a lot of really transparent attitudes, but I’ll never turn down a question in person. You know I think it takes away some of the mystery of music, like what people think about it, when you really lay it out for them and make it all a pretty little package for them to consume.
And with the full-length you kept sort of the same instrumentation? M: The same thing, yeah, basically. B: Whenever we write a song we open up a template of like 16 instruments, and as far as we’re concerned that’s like the Cults band, like timpanis, synths, guitars, drums, and when we write a song it’s like: How can we make these instruments play? You know what I mean? It’s just the two of us but we’re writing for an ensemble and that’s something we hopefully try to translate live as well, that feeling. There may only be six of us on stage but it sounds like sixteen.
You have some favourite new bands out right now? B: Yeah, probably the bands we’ve toured with. M: Morning Benders, Best Coast, Twin Sister. B: I connect a lot more to music when I know the people who make it. I listen to lots of stuff and love it, but when I actually get to meet people and play with them, tour with them, I start to love their songs so much.
What’s some of the best stuff you’ve read about the EP, maybe being compared to someone? M: Someone told me I dance like Lindsey Weir from Freaks and Geeks, I really enjoyed that. Your press agent told me you weren’t that into interviews. B: It’s probably our least favourite thing about this whole process, having to talk
We’re a skate magazine, do any of you guys skate? M: Absolutely (sarcastically speaking of herself). B: I grew up skating and our guitar player Richie is a sick skater. We never go on tour without like three or four skateboards. It’s just our number one outlet for like, “Okay sound check is over,” let’s cruise the city and like see what this place has got. Without skateboards it’d be impossible to see anything.
wordsby natasha lands
photoby jen osborne
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ounce, a niche form of urban music that has remained mostly underground for the past twelve years, grew out of New Orleans [Louisiana]’ street culture and inner city housing projects. It’s a style of music based on call and response, a unique dance style, highly sexualized stage performances, and tons of explosive energy, all set to party anthem tracks that incorporate the free-for-all attitude that is the foundation of New Orleans Mardi Gras culture. A derivative of bounce music, known as sissy bounce, is a form of hypersexual drag-rap, featuring gay and cross-dressing musicians who perform their own version of bounce, adding another layer to what makes bounce music so unique: its ability to thrive underground, its ability to push boundaries as a style of urban music, and by incorporating all colors, genders, and sexualities.
“more strength, more energy—more bangs and more booms.” Probably the best-known bounce artist getting recognition this year both mainstream and internationally is Big Freedia, a sissy bounce artist who has been on the scene since it started. She has produced two bounce albums, An Ha, Oh Yeah (1999) and Queen Diva (2003), and is currently working on a third album, due out early next year. Recently, on an extensive tour which included stops in Canada, Big Freedia performed at the Fortune Sound Club in Vancouver. Big Freedia, a six-foot-plus tall “sissy” rapper with her own unique fashion style took to the stage with her booty dancers and tour deejay, Rusty Lazer, for an explosive live performance to a crowd of fans, all of whom where chanting the lyrics to her highly sexualized party tracks such as “Azz everywhere “ and “I’ve Got That Gin In My System.” Breaking away from the norm of hard rap music about women, cars, and money, instead, Freedia raps about boyfriends, drinking, having fun, and most importantly, being your self. Having worked to create and maintain the style and culture of bounce music in her hometown New Orleans for the past twelve years, Big Freedia is ready and on her grind to share with the rest of the world what makes this form of urban music so well-beloved to so many. Color: Introduce yourself, who you are and where you’re from. Big Freedia: I’m Big Freedia, the Queen Diva. I’m all the way from New Orleans, Louisiana. How and when did you first get into music? Well, I’ve been musically inclined all my life. I started singing in church choirs when I was really small, but with my bounce career I started about twelve years ago doing background vocals for my friend, Katey Red.
How did you meet up with Katey Red? Katey Red was the first trans-gendered male to come out in New Orleans with bounce music. And being his best friend you know, we were best friends two or three years prior to that, so when he started he needed some support and I was there to background him. I did that for about a year, year and a half, until me and him decided to do it together. Can you explain the production of bounce music? Well, the sound came from way back when. It started with the Triggerman beat, and the Brown Beat, and those beats have been transformed a million different ways over the years. That was the start¾like the foundation of the beats¾but then from there they started adding all different types of samples and sounds to make all different types of new songs. They started making R&B mixes and, you know, putting the beat under it. The beat has been around for the last twenty years, it has travelled throughout each and every song just about, some type of piece or form of it, you know? Throughout a song, not even if it’s the whole beat, but a piece of one of those beats is definitely in your song if it’s considered bounce music. And it’s very unique and different how we make bounce music with just those two beats. You perform at least six times a week. Where are you performing and why that often? I’ve been doing that for about the last eight to ten years. The venues that I work at are really into the shows, and I’ve been just keeping them going for all those years, and that’s just the way it is. I’ve been working non-stop for my whole music career, and it’s just important for me to keep on working, because that’s how I eat, and what I love to do.
Is there any segregation between the bounce community and with ‘sissies’ performing bounce, or is it all community? It’s almost a community, but of course with anything that you do you’re gonna have your haters. Somebody gonna hate on you one way or another. Who are you collaborating with for your album? Well locally, two or three artists from home, and I’m still working on getting some more local collaborations. I also did a collaboration with Spank Rock, one of my friends from New York. I’m probably doing a collaboration with Santogold, and hopefully with Diplo, and a few other artists, but I’m not gonna do too many collaborations. So not too many, but just enough to get a little buzz on the album. What’s the feel of the album? Definitely bounce, but a little different. I’m going harder this time, so just more strength, more energy, you know, more bangs and more booms. What are some of the artists outside of the bounce music scene that you are feeling? I mean I listen to all of them you know: Lady Gaga, I love Lil’ Wayne, and I love R&B, and the Beyonce’s and the Jayz’s, and Drake, and I listen to it all. I don’t listen to bounce music in my car at all.
It’s my life you know, I feed it, I live with it, I wake up with it, I rap it all day, so I definitely don’t listen to it. Big Freedia is currently working on her third album as well as a seperate project with Saigon, both due out in early 2011. You can watch Big Freedia on the HBO series Treme in March 2011 where she plays herself in the series [by the creators The Wire] about New Orleans culture, music, jazz, and of course, bounce.
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volume 8 issue 6
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Glasser’s Sound-World is Unlike Any Other
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“ I sort of had these illusions that there were snakes everywhere... I was sort of tortured in the dark.”
wordsby jackie linton
photoby jody rogac
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ver several weeks in 2009, Glasser (aka Cameron Mesirow) came to broad attention with her daily Auerglass performances in the now-defunct Deitch Projects gallery in New York by playing a custom-built bifurcated pump organ built in tandem with visual artist Tauba Auerbach. The collaboration displayed the interdependence the two share as close friends—the organ could not be played by one person alone, and required that both players pump wind for the other’s notes. As Glasser, Mesirow’s musical output over the last three years has been deeply personal. With Ring, her first solo release, she speaks to her relationship with her own instability, or rather her difficulty in separating her reality from her dreams, her identity and her selves, from her music. By creating the record with interstitials at the end of each song, it is intended to play as an uninterrupted and continuous loop, with no beginning, middle or end. Ring also circles around a range of diverse sounds, as her blend of electronic pop music intermixes syncopated tropical rhythms, unusual instrumentation, tribal chanting, and swirling, melodic harmonies. It has the earthy charm of Joni Mitchell alongside the quirky avant-gardism of her en vogue contemporaries like Bat For Lashes and Fever Ray (whose producers Van Rivers and the Subliminal Kid both make appearances on Ring). In person, Cameron Mesirow is warm and bohemian. With many sold-out shows and rising acclaim over the intimate, hypnotic, and almost soothing appeal of Ring, she remains lucid, relaxed, and centered, so far free of labels or excessive media attention—though that’s not likely to last long. With such a connected and confident personality, it was a pleasure to speak with Glasser about her self and her art. Color: Are you named after psychologist William Glasser? I thought it was relevant that his subject of study focuses on people being haunted by their past... Cameron: No, but I appreciate his quotes! I love something he said once: “People may have been traumatized by the past, but their future can be free of trauma if they so choose.” That’s so wonderful—I’m sure it’s very difficult, but can be very liberating to consider. Would you say that you’ve been haunted by your past dreams? Your dream life comes up often in your press; you cite the frequent blending of your dreams into your real life. I had a hard time of letting go of comforts when I was growing up as a child. I was a scared kid. And I sort of had these illusions that there were snakes everywhere...I was sort of tortured in the dark. And I listened to music at night a lot. My dad would make me mixtapes to help calm me down...but I don’t know if my past dreams have traumatized me or if I’ve traumatized my dream life. You know, you can kind of never tell if external things or internal things are creating trouble for you. It’s nice that music plays a grounding role between the internal and external. Can you explain Ring for us? Well, having nothing to do with sleep, Ring is sort of a subconscious effort. There are obviously things about my sleeping that has affected my songwriting—that is something that everyone seems to touch on. But Ring is the result of me not wanting to make a record really, but more of a piece of ‘art’. Creating a space, or a piece, you know...there are so many loops in my songs, and I thought, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to make my record one big loop?” But then I started to realize there was a lot of symmetry in the songs, too—I realized all the songs but one were about instability. And they all had thematic partners,
and worked in pairs. There is a pair of songs that are about thinking things are solid that then turned to liquid. Or the lack of reliability in things, despite how society sets things up. Aspects of family, or being married… Why are so many of your songs about instability? Because it took so long [for me] to agree that it’s a factor that I have to reckon with. I think it’s something people run from so much—and you have to live with it. It’s just here no matter what. But we have false illusions about things being stable. And I realize the only things in my life that are stable are feelings I have for those that I love, or a certain memory, which is also such an unreliable, unsteady thing. But it gives a feeling, and that feeling can last forever if you remember it. How do you feel about performing? Is Glasser a way to unleash a quirkier side of you? Is it an alternate persona? Well, I love performing, I really love singing. I think that’s what I love the most, is that it feels so good to sing. But, yeah, I have a little bit of a tricky time with my personality as a social artist. I really like speaking to people and making jokes, but as an artist working on my craft, on my own, I feel like a serious person with all sorts of serious ideas and ponderings. And it’s a little funny when the two meet onstage. Because I am so eager. My social self is so eager to make people comfortable, but I think the art I’ve made is uncomfortable. Sometimes people ask me about the yelping and I think it makes people uncomfortable because I could easily sound like Sarah McLachlan on the whole record, but I don’t. But so often female artists are concerned about pleasing their audience by being super feminine. Or the alternative ones that opt towards something ‘weird.’ Or the women like Kathleen Hanna that are
unapologetic about being so ultra-feminine in a bratty way, and being off-putting to men. Her whole career is making the point, “This other side exists.” We have many creative selves and expressions to bear. In terms of the producers you used on this record, what was it like to work with Van Rivers and the Subliminal Kid? Well, another producer I worked with was Ariel Rechtshaid, he actually did two-thirds of the record. A lot of people have been paying a lot of attention to Van Rivers and Subliminal Kid, because they’re awesome, and they’ve done work with Fever Ray and Blonde Redhead, but Ariel did a lot of the record. And it was great to work with him, because he’s an old friend of mine. And I felt really comfortable because he knows me in a social context as well as a creative one. I felt like I could be myself. Had I been working with them first, I probably would have made a much different record. I didn’t know them before I started. And when I started working with them, I had a pretty solid foundation of what the record would sound like. It was a bit tricky to work with them, because it’s so personal, but in a way, it’s quite freeing to have that anonymity to just do whatever you feel, without the past looking in on you. So it was great to have that balance between the two kinds of process. About the Auerglass, the bifurcated organ you constructed with artist Tauba Auerbach, where is it now? Oh! It’s in storage. The organ, I mean. “Auerglass” is the name of our joint collaboration, and the organ was the first project we did. And we’re about to start working on our second project—which I’m very, very excited about. Can you tell me about it? No, I can’t tell you! No, I can’t tell you ... because it doesn’t exist. Yet. But it’s going to be something very different, that I can say. And what new things can we expect from Glasser? Well, right now I’m working on a lot of my stage stuff. Right now it’s so bare bones—just my voice and my music. But I’d like to make it something more. Add more instrumentation, and really expand on that. Really this music isn’t meant for these club venues ... these places sort of compromise me and my work when there are so many drunk people around. Would you rather play in a gallery again? Like, in a nice theatre would be great, where people are watching and not clinking their glasses and talking and stuff, ideally. I mean, you know—and that’s not their fault, that’s what clubs are for—but I wasn’t drunk when I wrote the music, either. Glasser’s Ring is out now on true Panther Sounds. For tour dates and more info, check myspace.com/glasssser.
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[ o ] MORFORD
Bregenz, Austria
wordsby chris pfanner
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photosby landon stirling
regenz is a small, cosy city by the lake of Constance, which borders Switzerland and Germany. It’s surrounded by a lot of beautiful nature and is incredibly clean and quiet. Bregenz itself has a few skate spots to offer, which might not be mind-blowing, but there are definitely a couple of gems in the surrounding regions. Just drop by the Yama skate shop, where you will always find one of the locals, who will be keen to have a session in Hard (local town) or just to have a beer at the lake and welcome you to Yama country.
(opposite) Moduler skate fun, rough ground, vert, what more could you ask for.
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NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS.
EATS.
BARS.
Milchpilz Inselstraße; 6900 Bregenz Mommy’s boy place for milk shakes.
Pizza König Kebab Rathausstraße 6; 6900 Bregenz Always good for a late night snack after the bars close.
Cafe Cito Opposite of the Wohnzimmer; close to Leutbühel This tiny relaxed café offers soya milk something, out of the ordinary for our town. It’s the only place to satisfy a bohemian’s needs.
Heidelberger Fass Kirchstraße 30; 6900 Bregenz It’s one of Bregenz’s plenty Pizzerias. Special price for take away (5 Euro for any pasta or pizza)!
Wohnzimmer Leutbühel 3; 6900 Bregenz One of a handful of bars that Bregenz has to offer. You may be surprised to only get a small beer!
Gösser Anton-Schneider-Straße 1; 6900 Bregenz A traditional Austrian guesthouse. Drink and eat our Austrian classic farmer’s food.
Uwe’s Beer Bar Kirchstraße 25; 6900 Bregenz Right next door to Wohnzimmer. Truly a beer bar. Enjoy plenty of different beers in any size you want. Music is heavy rock or thrash metal!
Berg Isel (rest in peace) Berg-Isel Weg 1; 6900 Bregenz For sure the best location to go out since the 1960s or something. A hang-out for a chilled beer in the forests of Bregenz’s mountain and a good party location. Unfortunately, it closed three years ago. But it’s still worth the walk up to enjoy a beautiful view and a cool brew. And if you are lucky it might be re-opened by the time you hit town.
Stadt Kebab Montfortstraße 9; 6900 Bregenz Best donair in town for a reasonable price. Nam Viet Kornmarktstraße 4; 6900 Bregenz A tiny Vietnamese restaurant. Delicious food, located downtown.
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Pipeline (or Mili) (Follow the railways next to the lake and you will find the place to hang out.) Is not a bar, but a nice option to a bar in the summer. Just go get a couple of beers at the gas station, make a fire and watch the sun set over the lake.
SKATE.
ACCOMODATIONS.
Hard Skatepark A big, smooth concrete bowl park located directly beside the lake.
Youth Hostel Bregenz Mehrerauerstraße 5; 6900 Bregenz (near the skatepark) It’s cheap and close to the Skatepark of Bregenz.
Remise (Close to the youth hostel in Bregenz) Bregenz’s downtown skate park offers just plastic shit, but we are planning its reconstruction to satisfy the dreams of any alternative concrete lover.
Hard Skatepark (Camping) Seestraße; 6971 Hard Bring your sleeping bag with you and sleep right at the skatepark of Hard. No one will ever disturb you. No showers but you can take a swim in the lake. Its free!
Molo New curb spot located in front of the port of Bregenz. There are always lots of people. The best time to skate it is in the evening sun.
Youth Hostel Hard Allmendstraße 87; 6971 Hard If it starts raining or you are a mama’s boy, you can knock on the door of the youth hostel near the skatepark.
Fluh - Downhill Take the streets up towards the mountain. When you get up there, step onto your board and trash your wheels!
Alex, Yama Skateboards.
The Hard Skatepark.
Ante Aeillo, A great host, friend, spot destroyer
Berg Isel R.I.P.
Juli. One of the many hospitable skater folk.
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paper
DOLLS
PHOTOGRAPHY HANA PESUT
fashion editor MILA FRANOVIC FASHION ASSISTANT MELISSA NOAK PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT NATASHA LANDS SHOT AT SUGAR STUDIOS
volume 8 issue 6
Craig David Long // (Montecristo) / SITKA top, models own jacket, CHEAP MONDAY jeans, COLE HAAN shoes Tyler Quarels // (Ion Magazine) / VOLCOM t-shirt and INSIGHT top Melissa Noak // (Color Magazine) / NIKITA suit and SITKA shirt colORMAGAZINE.CA
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Niall Hamill // (Factory Magazine) / FENCHURCH shirt, WESC pants, COMMON PROJECTS shoes at Gravity Pope, STANCE socks Craig David Long // (Montecristo) / INSIGHT top Renee Power // (The Lab Magazine) / MATIX blouse, her own skirt .paperdolls
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Darcy Smith // (The Block Magazine) / RVCA top, WESC pants, ALDO shoes, vintage belt Scotty Macdonald // (King Shit Magazine) / SITKA shirt, COMUNE jacket, his own toque courtesy of Krista Starr Owen Parrott // (Inventory Magazine) / NVERALLAN toque for INVENTORY items, FOURSTAR shirt, COMUNE sweater colORMAGAZINE.CA
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“Best is usually best determined by each person individually, but some parts shine above the rest.�
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Leo certainly didn't need any Cialis to keep his video standards up high. This gap to frontside 5-0 shows he can still go the distance. smithphoto.
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Best Performance in a Skate Video wordsby isaac mckay-randozzi
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hat was once thought impossible is now standard. Remember when back nose blunting a rail was the shit? Now it’s a stock trick for most sponsored ams. What was once acceptable would now be considered marginal at best. In our activity (calling it a sport seems too formal), progression is marked by constantly one-upping oneself. This goes from the regular skater going out with friends to the ams and pros in the mags pushing themselves to land something better and bigger. Andrew Reynolds does this with every part, and his Stay Gold effort was no different. The same can be said with Leo Romero’s part. In a video full of stand out and even legendary parts, Mr. Romero does what few can do. Since we’re on the subject of Emerica’s latest, Brandon Westgate came through with one of the top three talked about parts in the video.
As with all things relating to skateboarding, each individual has their own tastes and preferences. One part this past year that could be described as more of an acquired taste was Chewy Cannon’s part in Blueprint’s latest video radness, Make Friends with the Color Blue. Gritty British spots and a high-speed attack, Chewy and the rest of the Blueprint team for that matter have a mid to late ’90s approach to their skating. In Habitat’s Origin, Austin Gillette shined like a crazy leg-twisting diamond. Back and frontside 180s into 50-50s the hard way in a line with a style so easy and casual you would let him take your 16 year-old sister on a trip to Vegas. In the inaugural offering by Miami’s MIA shop, Brian Delatorre shows why he is one of the most slept on ams out there. From the hills of SF to the cellar doors of NYC, he can skate it all. His part-ending nollie flip over a rail into a bank has to be one of the best ever documented. Pontus Alv, not only one of the strangest personalities in skating, but is also one of the hidden gems of Europe, as his part in his own video In Search of the Miraculous shows. ‘Best’ is usually best determined by each person individually, but some parts shine above the rest.
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volume 8 issue 6
Gone Trippin’ III words and photosby gordon nicholas
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or this year’s Gone Trippin’ tour (this now being the 3 rd annual) a 15-man vessel built for speed and destruction was outfitted to transport myself, Bradley Sheppard, Alien, Sheldon Meleshinski, Colin Nogue, Brett Stobbart, Colin Lambert, Ryan Oughton, Jess Atmore, Torey Goodall, and filmmaker Kynan Tait to Winnipeg and back—or at the very least, there. Stops along the way included Salmon Arm, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, and Kelowna. So now that we’ve taken care of the logistics of things, I’m sure you’re waiting for some insight into the all-around mind melt that this year’s trip became.
.tour 101
Further.
Pilsner love
(opening spread) Brett Stobbart This rail is the entrance to the Strip Club in Salmon Arm, ample encouragement for Alien to frontside boardslide it.
The problem with a total mind melt, or with any good tour for that matter, is that nobody outside the trip can hope to decipher just what the hell is going on inside the trip. And for those on the trip, myself included, they more or less become engrossed in a void of mischief, debauchery, and all-around general indescribable behaviour, which even those present at the time can’t quite comprehend, nor would wish to admit. By the time it was all said and done, we had removed our brains and left them on the side of the highway. So for everyone’s sake, let’s just let the photos do most of the talking here. As the old saying goes, what happens on the road … Let’s just start with what I can divulge. By some miraculous stroke of luck, we were able to wrangle the help of Pilsner to satisfy the heavy thirst we were expecting to encounter on our voyage over the Rockies, across the Great Plains, and into the heart of Canada. We had heard rumours of freak Dinosaur attacks throughout the badlands and had to make sure our bodies would be at peak strength and our minds clear if we were to survive. Post-departure, it didn’t take long for the electrified Kool-Aid to flow
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and this caused our thirst for beer to grow. A pit stop was needed. In anticipation of making camp shortly, we stopped in Salmon Arm to grab ice to chill our frothy brews. We had an ongoing rule that van stops were to be quick, one smoke and back we go; this one started off no differently. But as rules go, they never last. And as soon as we had stopped, Jess took off on his board down the street, no doubt caught in some elliptical mind circus. Before anyone had a chance to butt their cigarettes, Jess had begun flipping his board in a way only he could understand. And with a simple flick accompanied by a solid jump, we were rollin’ out, with both ice, and a 360-flip hippie jump in hand. There’s something funny that happens when you’re in a tour van, time in the outside world stands still. It’s as though we were placed in a time capsule travelling at a hundred km/h, while the masses on the outside awaited our arrival. It may have been because of this time warp in which we found ourselves trapped that we realized it was 4:00 am, 104 ontheroad.
Torey Goodall
still driving, and only a couple hours outside of Calgary. Naturally, we opted to press on, now in sight of comfortable accommodations at La Chateau Nogue (Colin’s, that is). Beds were quickly snagged and everyone made sure to get a little sleep before our first ‘real’ day on tour began. Camping would have to wait. After a night on the town we got back on the road empty-handed, except for our hangovers. The fish simply weren’t biting, but we could have simply had the wrong bait, and we made sure to re-supply. The highlight of the city was simply sizzling at Millennium park for a couple hours where we were able to witness the kookiness of some of the locals to its fullest. With our bellies full of breakfast chocolates, we piled back into the van after one too many fights broke out at the park and put the pedal to the metal heading East. Come dusk we found ourselves crisscrossing through the hoo-doo countryside of Drumheller. As we pulled into town alongside a long narrow downhill path, we knew we had to jump overboard and bomb into town in order to make a worthy entrance.
Jess Atmore
Once we had refilled our coolers with enough sustenance for the evening, we set out to find a safe camp for the night. We’d heard rumours of several spots, but in the end decided to head back to the hill bomb where earlier we had caught glimpses of what appeared to be a sufficient location. This spot turned out to be far more epic than we had first imagined. Not only were we smack in the middle of desolation, but there was a perfect rounded hoo-doo, which we referred to as ‘the moon rock’, for us to set up on and drop in. As the hours wore on, bodies began to retreat into their tents, and as the sun rose, only myself, Kynan, and Alien were left standing to defend our fortress. Having devoured anything and everything even resembling food in our kits, the three of us commandeered the van and headed back into town in search of breakfast. While it was nothing to write home about, we found what we were looking for at Dino’s Diner. With food in our bellies we scoured the city of Drumheller for dinosaur tails to skate. Instead we found the Puma Club. Now be forewarned, these girls (and there were three of them) were trained puma assassins. According to them they had been up all night, not unlike ourselves, tracking pumas; I don’t believe they ever found one. Scared for our safety, we quickly escaped and returned to camp. Surprisingly, both Jess and Torey had been sound asleep in the back of the van for the entirety of our three-hour sojourn through the banal’s of Drumheller and remained
I remember running from the cops and dodging bullets. Double 50-50 grind by Bradley Sheppard.
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Bradley Sheppard
asleep until we put on the parking brake back at camp. Neither had any idea of what they had just participated in. Still on no sleep, us three rabble-rousers shook everyone out of their comas and forced them back onto the road. This van had a mission and we intended to fulfill it. According to ‘the future’ (GPS for the technologically deficient), Saskatoon remained a mere six hours from our current location and we were determined to get some skateboarding in before the sun set again. With an early start at our backs, we lost ourselves once again along the seemingly never-ending Trans-Canada highway. With the usual hourly pee, the smoke breaks, and the occasional overheating engine of the van being the only other thing slowing us down, we were well on our way through the Great Plains. All we needed now were obstacles upon which to unleash our skateboarding demons; or at least a local watering hole for us to fish. As any skateboarder knows, cramped in a van for half a day never facilitates an easy transition into skating street spots, so to the park we went with high hopes of limbering up, or at least dropping in. Unfortunately, or thankfully, depending on who you
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were asking at the time, the clouds rolled in and decided our fate for us. There was to be no street skateboarding in Saskatoon this time around. To the local pond we went (I believe the locals referred to it as the Yard & Flaggen Tavern). Naturally someone had to make a scene, and with Alien wearing nothing more than a few scraps of what used to be his pants and shirt (let’s just say he and Bradley had a scuffle in the van resulting in the forceful tearing off of Alien’s clothing—he is never one to disappoint). He quickly tied what rags he had left and came inside. Burgers in our bellies and beer filling our goggles, we closed the tavern down and decided to call it a night in hopes of sunnier skies the following day. We were not rewarded. Thankfully we met up with locals Jason Gordon and Owen Woytowich who were kind enough to house some of our aching bodies as well as guide us through the city. On what happened to be Ryan Oughton’s 25th birthday we went for a quick skate at a quaint private indoor park that Jason knew of. But what about Ryan’s birthday you may ask? Well, from what I remember, or at least what the pictures have shown me, there was whiskey, plenty of shotgunned beers, and karaoke; the rest I’ll leave up to your imagination.
The bugs are thicker than muck in Winnipeg, but with the amount of whiskey in our bloodstream they quickly started to drop dead drunk after the first bite. Ryan Oughton switch ollie
Before we knew it, we were forcing ourselves awake as early as possible; we had a long day ahead of us, heading east again to what would be the pinnacle of our journey, Winnipeg. If you didn’t know, Winnipeg is the capital of Slurpees in Canada and we made sure to gorge on this natural resource. With brothers Colin and Cain Lambert to guide us along, we spent an enjoyable three days in the city, with a one night stop in Selkirk, consisting of guns, moonshine, and off-roading. After a casual brawl at the local peelers there wasn’t much else to write home about. “Moonshine is actually so good in the morning,” proclaimed Bradley; everyone shared his sentiment. I believe it was our last night there in the city there that really blew my mind. Colin [Lambert] had set up an after party for our demo at the local Windsor Hotel, a really classy establishment if
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you know what I mean, not filled with the usual scumbags one would expect at such a location. And so, naturally, we fit right in. It was strange, everyone was keeping it pretty mellow, trying to reel in a mudshark or two. When all of a sudden something snapped inside all of us. Maybe it was the girls, the whiskey, the sleep deprivation, or even the remnants of some early morning moonshine creeping back into our systems, but out of nowhere the dance floor morphed into a total circus, chairs were flying, crowds were surfing—it’s a miracle we didn’t get thrown out of there. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any crazier, this entire circus moved into the parking lot and continued jumping up and down yelling and screaming like a pack of wild baboons. Maybe there really was something strange in that moonshine … Next stop: demo at Wakefest. For those of you who don’t know already, or can’t get the hint from the name alone, Wakefest can be described as the mecca of awesome. Well, that is of course if you like being tugged behind a boat in boardshorts whilst an infinite wall of orange-skinned platinum blondes cheer you on from the comfort of the beach and the refreshment of light beer. Allow me to simply say: these were not our people. However, here we were, and we were determined to make
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Alien
Colin Lambert
Bruised buns.
We stopped to get ice, and left with an acidic 360 flip hippie jump from Jess Atmore.
the best of it. And what do you know, the RDS team flew in to back us up. We knew we had to take measures into our own hands if we weren’t going to allow the Dragons to steal the show. We wanted to look and skate our best. So naturally we got good and drunk on our trusty supply of Pilsner, which at this point was nearly exhausted. A flury of “How’s that grab ya?” (the line of the trip) was yelled into the crowd as bodies sailed down the makeshift double set. Bodies flew, and some tricks were landed (we didn’t want to show up the Dragons too much). Upon fleeing this monstrosity of an event, we hit the skatepark for a hot minute before venturing to basically Regina’s only spot. After a naked Alien grinded it down, we knew we had to vacate the area asap! Unfortunately, we weren’t fast enough as the police were hot on our trail, and within minutes we were pulled over (mind you, a van rigged with ramming horns and a large ‘Hell Tours’ sticker on its rear meant we weren’t hard to spot). The first thing I remember the officer saying after he approached the van was, “All right, who is the naked one?” Followed quickly by, “Well did you have a sock on it?” After some explaining the officers lightened up and even had a chuckle or two at Alien’s expense. Mainly they were wondering what would have happened had he fallen. And so with the officers telling us to leave town as fast as possible, we got back on the road for what would be our longest drive yet; Regina to Calgary straight. With a ferocious thunderstorm the only thing slowing down our
journey, we dropped off Ryan and Jess who had to leave the trip early and made one last stop at the beer mart and grocery store before venturing into the Rockies to find a safe spot to sleep for the night. We found it somewhere between three and four AM on some desolate highway pullout. Beers were cracked as we watched the sun rise alongside the riverbed; sleep could wait. Initially our plan was to return to Vancouver via Kaslo. However, somewhere on the road home between Regina and Calgary, one of our geniuses figured out that if we did, not only would we not have enough money for gasoline, but we would most likely starve to death. Thankfully Michelle at Antisocial had our backs and quickly wired us enough to crawl home. But even with this newly acquired funding, we would not be able to make it home through Kaslo, and reluctantly the decision was made to take the shorter route through Kelowna. In the end this decision turned out for the best as both Bradley and Sheldon left town with a trick each. It must have been somewhere around 2:00 am when we finally pulled into our spot (timing was never our strong suit). I had long known about this secret location nestled alongside the Coquihalla highway, but had yet to fully experience it. This being our last night we were determined to make the best of it. And with everyone’s consumables out on the table, we made sure to deplete our stockpile fully. From what I remember, only one tent was set up as the rest
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Moonshine, guns, brawls and dinosaurs; Sheldon Meleshinski frontside boardslide.
of us decided to take our chances under the stars with the wolves. There was Sheldon and Alien who were clotheslining the massive Douglas Firs around our site with smaller dead wood, which soon turned into pole vaulting and sword fighting exercises. Bradley passed out early and we made sure to punish his weakness by filling his palm with ketchup and tickling his chin until well… you know. Colin Lambert’s tent was lassoed and dragged through the woods, with him inside of course. Alien lit his own hair on fire during a game of coals mishap (which is basically hot potato with a coal from the campfire) while Stobbart, as always, supplied the soundtrack for our debauchery on his trusty six string. Next thing I knew, I was waking up with my face in the dirt, a truly unforgettable night, yet totally forgettable night in another sense. And so, somehow, against all odds, we found ourselves pulling back into Vancouver, alive, for the most part. Thanks to everyone who made this trip possible yet again: Emerica, Zero, Altamont, Independent, Antisocial, Momentum and Pilsner! Couldn’t have done it without you. Be sure to hit up colormagazine.ca for an extended web feature and upcoming video documentary of our journey. Until next year…
Colin Nogue
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JOSÉ ROJO FRONT NOSE
distributed by Ultimate photo: Jeff Landi
The Tin Toy Series - artwork by Andrew Pommier www.momentumskate.com
volume 8 issue 6
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Jessica Eaton wordsby leah turner
J [ o ] JANSEN
essica Eaton’s photographs will stop you in your tracks. Optically complex, and starkly, stunningly beautiful; they’re also inscrutable. On the heels of Strata, her remarkable solo exhibition at Toronto’s Red Bull 381 Projects, the artist talks to Color Magazine about her intensive, experimental studio practice, analogue photography, and the ever-enduring cube.
installation at Red Bull 381 Projects (opposite) cfaal (mb rbg) 18, 2010 archival pigment print, 32" x 40"
Color: At first glance, your photographs defy deciphering. Can you explain how these images come into being? Jessica: My processes vary, I usually work with a 4x5 view camera and I shoot film. I tend to start with a strategy. I might start with a set of technical criteria or limitations, a fixed subject or a metaphor for something else I’ve experienced. For a number of projects I’ve been working on, there’s been a lot of work to do before I go to camera, building props or camera accessories or planning mathematical procedures for exposure. I will also digitally sketch pictures. Then practical experiments and testing. The testing never actually stops and what I exhibit is just where I’m at in the process at that point in time. Lately this process has been in the studio, but it doesn’t have to be. My film is processed in a darkroom, but after that everything that used to happen in the darkroom now happens with a computer and scanner, and the prints are made with ink from digital files. I will however revisit a black and white darkroom in the near future. I try to stick to using digital process only in ways that are also possible
in a darkroom. This isn’t because I hold some type of purist idea about the medium. It has to do with keeping the relationships that are the result of an in-camera process intact. The film’s properties act as a fixed variable, it shows the results of my processes. I don’t want to overpower what actually happened. It’s the things I didn’t preconceive or have direct control over which I find the most intriguing. It’s surprising to discover that such compositionally complex images originate within an analogue process. Your work seems to contain a complex interplay between digital and analogue modes of technology. Many of course would ask the question, why not just create your images digitally? Yes, I have definitely been asked that before. It’s a stupid question really. Why paint or draw when there’s Illustrator? Why have a band or a symphony when you can sample? Unfortunately in photography there seems to be a consensus that the digital revolution ought to just replace all analogue methods. Photography is still a relatively new medium, and therefore still has a lot of potential perhaps .artistfeature 115
(below) cfaal (mb rgb) 35, 2010 archival pigment print, 32" x 40" (right) cfaal 74, 2010 archival pigment print, 32" x 40" (opposite) cfaal 78, 2010 archival pigment print, 32" x 40"
images courtesy of the artist.
“I’m interested in what compels other artists, and how they’ve framed their production.”
never considered. The thing about most of my works is that I can’t make them digitally. Once I’ve worked out a process for a series of photographs I could certainly make a reasonable version digitally, but the essence of the photographs that I exhibit are born out of the process. Even when my photographs work out really close to what I imagined, there is always some detail, some result I didn’t preconceive. It’s these surprises that I will then start to focus on and push to speak louder in the image; they speak to something inherent in the medium. If I were to simply construct the entire image using primarily a digital method, I would simply make exactly what is in my head, which to me is boring. I already live with what is in my head—I ask that my photography show me more. There is a lot of dialogue going on with digital methods in my work. One position I’ve taken is to act out on film various actions that are common to digital imaging, things like multiple exposure tactics, creating an image out of many layers, compositing and masking. I’m not interested in using these techniques for a specific aesthetic result, as you would with Photoshop, but what I am interested in is how these processes react in real time and space. Your most recent series, Cubes for Albers and Lewitt, uses the cube as subject. What is it about the subject, and its role within the lineage of modernism, that continues to fascinate you? 116 jessicaeaton.
I wouldn’t say that I’m fascinated with modernism, or even really think about it. I’m interested in making interesting photographs, and I’ll leave the critics and theorists to determine how they fit into some type of art movement or label. I’m interested in what compels other artists, and how they’ve framed their production. In terms of the title for this series, I had been working with red, green, and blue colour separation for some time and I was interested in working out a model that was more controlled to further understand how I could work with additive colours in photography creatively. I wanted to study more clearly how this colour theory functions. Josef Albers is a really good model in terms of how he approached a study of subtractive colour in his Homage to the Square series. Lewitt interests me for his thoughts about strategies for modular methods of art production. The use of the cube for these works is somewhat arbitrary, I needed something to photograph that I could use over and over again. Obviously the cube or the square has a huge history within art, and I really like the idea that such a basic form acting as subject can still be used to express new things. Another element that drew me to the cube is that it functions well as a metaphor for a pixel. What has become the most important quality to me since starting this series is how a cube reflects light? When the cube is side-lit you get three different reflective values, the lit side being
“I like the idea that even once my process has been reduced to the representation I have put on the wall, one can still pick up a variety of threads.”
(opposite) cfaal 65, 2010 archival pigment print, 32" x 40" (left) Interpolation Dramatization 4, 2010 (below) cfaal 59, 2010 archival pigment print, 32" x 40"
the brightest, the top in the middle while the unlit side is quite dark. Because of this I’m often getting three versions of additive mixing within one photograph—it’s really illustrating to see how different lighting conditions effect colour. If you look at the centre cube in cfaal 65, you’ll see how on the dark side the three primaries mix to show the subject’s nearly correct shade of grey, but it is still quite magenta on the light side. If you’ve worked in a colour darkroom you know how changes in exposure time or bulb brightness cause colour shifts, the same principal is at work here. Your work has been referred to as “abstract photography.” Is this an accurate description? Yes and no. In many ways my work fits into a definition of abstraction, but it defies the most common use of the word within fine art. Typically abstraction in art refers to works that have no regard for representing the real world. I make large format photographs, so there is always a representation of a type of reality. When you get down to it though, all photographs are abstractions of reality. Like my thoughts about modernism I think I’d rather leave this discussion up to the critics and theorists. Abstraction, or abstract painting in particular, appeals to me for its unique ability to necessitate a manner of close attention—optical, sensory and spatial—a type of engagement that is becoming increasingly rare. How do you intend your work to be encountered and experienced? Ideally my work would be experienced in a variety of ways depending on the viewer. The more possible readings the better. I like the idea that even once my process has been reduced to the representation I have put on the wall, one can still pick up a variety of threads. I also like to think that my photographs are good and interesting to look at regardless of how they were made. I get a lot of questions about how I did things and a lot of comments about the work being more interesting with the understanding of its means of production. I both understand this and am bothered by it. I look
at a lot of photography and I feel my prints can stand on their own, as art objects independent of their production. It is too difficult to really try to explain metaphysical goals within my work except to say that they are there. I can’t tell you what key a symphony is in or understand what it takes to play that music as the first violin player who has studied since they were three years old can, but I can still take a lot from the experience. Understanding the means of production is not necessary to construct meaning. I also can’t tell you how Rothko undertook his painting, but I know that the first time I saw one in real life I felt something. It would be pretty amazing if what I made simply were an experience. I’ve read that you are influenced by algorithmic or aleatoric music, John Cage for instance, can you elaborate? I’m very interested in strategies and ways to work with both chance and intention, for which music provides a number of models. Musical theories are great because they’re abstract to me. I don’t practice music myself so if I research various theories within the medium, something like twelve tone or counterpoint for example, I have little concern for implications musically, rather I frame that study with ideas of how a musical theory might have applications visually. Strategy games in general are a huge influence. My studio work is often a lot like a strategy game, the “end” is the developed piece of film—before developing you have x amount of exposure potential within the silvers, which you sort of go on a quest to utilize in certain ways. On each sheet of film you try to “level up” from the last. In their construction, the cube photographs are a bit like playing blind Tetris. Can you speak to the tension between experimentation and chance that seems to underlie your work? There is a great TED talk by the author Elizabeth Gilbert where she speaks about the third hand in any artist’s practice. I often feel like I structure my work so that it includes a giant invitation for forces beyond me to take part. colORMAGAZINE.CA
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RAYMOND MOLINAR
volume 8 issue 6
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Jamie Tancowny wordsby isaac mckay-randozzi
C
urrently, with the level of skating so high and the economy like bombing a hill in the rain: sketchy at best, most reputable companies can’t afford to turn someone pro unless they are going to be in it for the long haul. Longevity is something new to the pro ranks and the industry is adapting. This past year saw an amazingly talented group of young pros get their first boards. While the keyboard complainers have their bones with some of the rookies, most have paid their dues over the years. Some, like Jamie Tancowny, seemed to blow up in a matter of months. With two full video parts, interviews, web clips and editorial photos in just about every magazine you can think of (and a few you’ve never heard of), this year has seen young Mr. Tancowny rack up a couple of years worth of coveragejust this. Others like Andrew McGraw, James Brock, Chima Ferguson, Cody MacEntire, Keegan Sauder, Wade Fyfe and Matt Miller have been on a steady road to the pro ranks for a long time. Vincent Alverez has yet to have a full part come out from any of his sponsors, but it quickly became clear that this was his year. With multiple web clips, Beauty and the Beast footage and coverage in the major publications, it’s no wonder that Chocolate and Lakai are releasing gear with his name on them. In the years to come I’m sure some of these guys will move on to things outside of skateboarding, but for all of them, it seems that will be many years down the line.
Jamie Tancowny ain't no 'Baby Jamie' anymore. Backside 5-0 on a hubba most grown men would cower at. doubtphoto.
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volume 8 issue 6
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We’re looking for the shop team—and shopkeeper— doing the best with what they’ve got. We’re looking for the team that is the hungriest, the most stoked, the most productive, and the most inspiring. Because as long as kids dream of riding for their local shop, skateboarding is alive and kicking.
In Canada wordsby mike christie
T
he Source, Tiki Room, Blue Tile Lounge, Underworld, Antisocial, Green Apple. Shops are probably the best thing about skateboarding. They are where the products and the graphics and the whole culture descends from the pages of the videos and the magazines and touches down, right in your town, right near your house, unbelievably, in your world. This is where you learn to believe it is possible that you can learn to skate. Where you look at boards and study other skaters. And the best core shops know that they absolutely must have a team, even if they can’t offer their riders very deep discounts or give them free stuff, they know that they have to pick some dudes that they’re backing. It gives the other kids something to shoot for. It creates a healthy skate culture in the town. This is how shops give back. Ask any pro who their first shop sponsor was and you will see them light up at the memory of their first team and the homies they came up with. You can see why we created this category, to recognize and reward those shop teams that inspire not only us, but the kids coming up in that town.
You know the old saying, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. Well in the case of Paul Liliani, and Green Apple shop in Winnipeg, MB it isn’t so. frontside kickflip. comberphoto.
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volume 8 issue 6
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Stay Gold, Origin, Krook3d Brainwash, Elephant Direct, MIA wordsby isaac mckay-randozzi
2
010 was another year where videos got better, the level of skating rose, editing was smoother, more thought out, and more fun to watch. Each video provided something different, not only in the approach, but in their general feel. They all did what a good skate flick is supposed to do: inspire us to grab our boards and go skate.
(opposite) Daryl Angel Overcrooks. zaslavskyphoto. (above) Jon Miner brookphoto. (left) Jeremy Elkin andrewsphoto.
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Twenty ten may go down as the last year of the big budget skate videos. Companies all across the game have felt the pinch of the stagnant economy and bargain basement prices of discount stores and websites. Jon Miner’s prediction that Stay Gold will be the last of its kind may ring true if these economic trends continue. With documented team trips to China, Australia, and Europe, as well as multiple smaller US missions, including the use of film cameras added a hefty price tag of the production. The range of skaters in the Emerica roster, while heavy on the rail and gap side, still shows a variety of styles and types of skating, and the footage proves they took advantage of their time spent in those exotic locations. As the year progressed we saw smaller production videos come out, Krooked’s Krook3d was one of them. Shot in various cities, it has a more informal feel to it despite the 3D effects. Constructed around sessions in cities rather than formal parts, it enjoys more of an everyday appeal than the epic parts of Stay Gold or Origin. The added benefit to Deluxe, who teamed up with éS for this one, was the relatively smaller budget for
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sending the Krooked team to US cities to film. Toy Machine as well felt the budgetary pinch and put out a short but solid video in Brainwash, shot mainly in the US. With a new batch of talented ams, Templeton is clearly stacking his roster for the future. Habitat looked back at its 10 years of existence with a new (with a dash of old) video. Highlighting the histories of their current riders in the opening montage, while looking to the future with super AM Austin Gillette and the “where the hell did he come from?” kid Mark Suciu, they saved the spotlight for the newer additions to the team. Included was a montage of past riders and old footage of some of the best and most remembered clips. Elephant Direct brought a different approach not only visually but in its production. Made without the befit of one backer, trips were more selective, and the crew, while not a team per se, was still a tight-knit group of like-minded skaters and friends. On the shop side of things, the recent MIA (Miami, Florida) release helmed by the able Josh Stewart is quickly making skaters far and wide stoked on the dangling dick of a state that is Florida.
“The footage proves they took advantage of their time spent in those exotic locations.” Dan Lutheran Smith grind. smithphoto.
volume 8 issue 6
Cameo Wilson sets the bar to beat high with this fast paced drop in to kickflip backside lipslide. doubtphoto.
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volume 8 issue 6
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BRETT STOBBART kickflip [ o ] doubt. 133
SASCHA DALEY smith grind [ o ] nicholas. 135
136 EVAN SINCLAIR backside feeble [ o ] brown.
HUGO BALEK gap to backside 5-0 [ o ] comber. 137
JUSTIN FIGUEROA 50/50 transfer [ o ] brook. 139
ANTE AEILLO shifty flip [ o ] stirling. 141
volume 8 issue 6
Josh Evin’s Celebration of Life wordsby alex haro
photosby gordan nicholas
The photos before you were shot on-location at Hastings Bowl in Vancouver on August 14th, 2010 where skaters far and wide came to celebrate the life of “the Black Russian”, skateboarder Josh Evin.
K
ootenay legend Josh Evin died in a motorcycle accident in the early morning hours of June 13th. On a Nelson, B.C. back road, he lost control of his motorcycle, missed a corner, struck a guardrail, and was launched into a canal. Even as authorities searched for him, the community gathered together on the banks of the Kootenay Canal, hoping against hope that he would be found alive. He wasn’t.
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[ o ] MORRIS
—
Nugget
Travis Mullen, Wild Bill, & Ben Marvin
Codeman
[ o ] FELLER
Over and under Jamie Maley and Sluggo (right) Eugene Voykin, Airwalk.
Every time someone dies, one can’t help but wonder whether the outpouring of love and grief is genuine or based on some kind of group mourning instinct. There’s a collective unspoken rule that forbids any smack-talk of someone who has recently passed away. But still, I wonder what kind of person they were before they died and everyone sang their praises. I don’t wonder about all that stuff in Josh’s case. I know what kind of person he was. He had more grace and compassion than almost everyone I’ve ever met combined. People sang his praises long before his accident. He had a smile that would charm a nun out of her habit. Josh was the kind of guy that, no matter how long you’d known him, you’d leave a conversation feeling like you just talked to a friend you’ve known since you were crapping in your diapers and smearing pureed peas on the kitchen table.
“He was an all-star person first, and an all-star skateboarder second. He treated everyone with respect, and in turn, was and still is, much respected.”
Hollywood, Ryan Oughton, Alien, Sheldon Meleshinski, & Swell.
—shawn morris (friend and photograher)
He was also one of the best skateboarders I’ve ever seen. He skated way faster than you. He bullied his skateboard into staying under his feet over seemingly impossible gaps. He bombed hills with a kind of reckless abandon that was evident not only in his skateboarding, but in his daily life. He skated fast, fell hard, and loved harder. You can show your respects by buying Josh’s memorial deck from Premium that features an iconic photo of the dude himself; five dollars from each deck goes to his fiancée Tia.
Boys, boys, boys.
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volume 8 issue 6
White Fence
Fergus and Geronimo
is growing faith (woodsist)
Less than a year after his debut LP for Make A Mess Records, California’s White Fence returns for another quick refill of lo-fi psych-pop. Tim Presley, the man behind White Fence and also busy moonlighting in the Strange Boys and Darker My Love, hasn’t messed with the formula that much on record number two. The songs range from gentle psych-folk that stirs up the moody ghosts of Skip Spence and Syd Barrett, while others are wild and warbled fuzz pop that would’ve slipped easily next to your Olivia Tremor Control or Apples In Stereo singles. What will draw listeners back, despite no new ground paved, is Presley’s knack for a great melody that’s wrapped in timeless production and oozes a sincerity that is lacking in so many of the artists that attempt the same style of bedroom pop. While Presley has achieved wider success with his other bands, White Fence is an excellent outlet for a man who’s clearly not short on ideas or inspiration. —mark richardson
Games
unlearn (hardly art)
Denton, Texas has been a bit of a garage rock hot spot over the last couple years, which is quite a surprise considering how small it is. Nonetheless, last year a compilation record entitled Denton, USA was created to document the town’s musical fertility. On this album, alongside Wax Museums, Teenage Cool Kids, and the up-and-coming Fungi Girls, Fergus and Geronimo made one of their first appearances, which was soon followed up by a handful of seven-inches, including one on the great Woodsist label. Hardly Art, Sub Pop’s new limited-run subsidiary, has stepped up and issued their debut long player. Unlike their more straight-forward garage rock Dentonites, Fergus and Geronimo are all over the musical map here, strumming out upbeat pop numbers with influences ranging from doo-wop and soul to psychedelia and new wave. They paint it all with their own brush and come out with a great record that’s sure to see them break out of Denton and on to your record player.
La Sera
that we can play ep (hippos in tanks)
Is it too much to call Daniel Lopatin the hypnagogic Daniel Dumile? Like the masked DOOM, Lopatin records under a rotating cast of aliases: KGB Man, Dania Shapes, Skyramps, and most commonly as Oneohtrix Point Never. Games is a collaboration with Joel Ford of Tigercity, although the outfit will have to find yet another name after incurring some legal trouble. Ironic for the mercurial Lopatin to catch heat over the name of the group, given his history of unchecked sampling, although on That We Can Play it’s hard to tell if the music is sample-based or if Lopatin and co. have finally reached some perfect zenith of nostalgic reinterpretation. That is to say the music here is successfully pastiche, hazily reminiscent of 80s niche genre production techniques, a gauzy synth hodgepodge all at once sounding like yacht rock, early techno, and sleazy R&B. Unadulterated fun in the remembrance of things past. —rj basinillo
s/t (hardly art)
Straying far from the Vivian Girls’ rushed and effortless take on garage rock, La Sera, the new vehicle of the Vivian’s redheaded bass player and crush-object Kickball Katy, is more in line with the lazy dream pop of Mazzy Star or Slumber Party. There is also an attraction to Phil Spector-inspired production that’s most notable in the recording of Katy’s multilayered vocal harmonies, which form the base of most of the songs. After hearing La Sera it’s now clear that her backup vocals and feather-light delivery are a major part of the Vivian Girls’ appeal, and they are exploited to the fullest here. While these songs don’t wiggle into your brain as easily as her other band, the point of the record is locked into a general vibe rather than immediacy. There isn’t even a discernible single on the album, the entire record just melts out of the speakers, radiating like a dream-like halo around the listener’s gently cradled skull. —mark richardson
—mark richardson
Ducktails
iii: arcade dynamics (woodsist)
While Matt Mondanile has garnered most of his recent media attention with his dream-pop outfit Real Estate, he’s been under the radar and steadily releasing kraut-tinged and beach-ready bedroom psych for the past four years under his Ducktails moniker. After a pile of blinkedand-you-missed-them cassettes, CDRs, and seven inches, not to mention a few limited full-lengths on labels like Not Not Fun and Olde English Spelling Bee, Mondanile has released his most accessible record to date via the Woodsist label. III contains his most fully realized material and also shows Mondanile stepping away from the lo-fi recordings that characterized his early releases, though he still manages to capture the warm summertime warble that has slowly won him a cult of fans. Alongside his trademark layered watery guitar lines and drum machine, Mondanile has stepped out from behind his 8-track and added vocals to many of the tracks here. The result is an album that actually bridges the divide between Ducktails and Real Estate, and will surely win over some fans of his better-known band. —mark richardson
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Destroyer kaputt (merge)
Anyone who was intrigued by the left turn that Dan Bejar took into drummachine disco and spaced-out synths on last year’s Bay of Pigs 12” is going to find a lot to love in Kaputt, Destroyer’s ninth full-length. Everyone else, however, should be forewarned. Mercurial and obtuse as ever, Bejar has fully embraced a soft-rock aesthetic replete with saxophone and muted trumpet, limpid funk guitar (courtesy of longtime axeman Nic Bragg), and canned dance beats. Most striking, however, is the addition of R&B/ gospel backup vocals from Sibel Thrasher, a 65 year-old veteran who has toured with the likes of Roy Ayers and The Platters, and whose sultry vox gives Kaputt a decadent crooner vibe in the mode of Leonard Cohen’s I’m Your Man. Despite the striking and sure-to-be-divisive production and arrangement choices, the main strength of the album is (as usual), Bejar’s spectacularly cryptic and elliptical lyrics and songcraft, which remain as poetic and self-referential as ever. After you get past all the provocative departures from Destroyer’s usual style, Kaputt starts to emerge as one of the band’s most masterfully-crafted albums, every element calibrated for maximum impact and durability. —saelan twerdy
Sic Alps
Lia Ices
napa asylum (drag city)
Napa Asylum, Sic Alps’ third album (and lengthiest at twenty-two tracks spread over a full two LPs) is a bit of a detour from their very last release, the mighty catchy and polished L. Mansion single that appeared on Slumberland over a year ago. After the recent success of their double-LP singles compilation and the heaps of praise that were lauded upon their last full length, US EZ, Sic Alps have made a strange move by reverting back to the shorter, more feedback-and-noise-riddled songs of past releases like Pleasures and Treasures. Though this initially comes off as an attempt to keep an impending widespread acclaim at arm’s length, the brevity of the songs (most are well under three minutes) saves the album from becoming too grating. Sic Alps’ early albums almost entirely eschewed discernible melodies, but Napa Asylum has combined the band’s past gritty underproduction with their more recent knack for a great hook. Sure, those hooks are buried a little deeper than normal, but brave listeners will be rewarded upon repeat listens. —mark richardson
grown unknown (jagjaguwar)
I’m pretty sure that Lia Ices is going to blow up in 2011. Either that or she’ll remain an extremely fetishized secret. She “studied experimental theater at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before putting her talents to songwriting,” and that quote is from Vogue, who wrote about her when her debut, Necima, dropped in 2008. Good eye, fashion people. Necima was great, but Grown Unknown is even better. Ices plays a kind of art-folk while mostly ignoring typical indie band formulas in favour of more experimental arrangements. The title track floats on a rhythm of insistent handclaps and sparsely plucked guitar until an energetic string section leaps in to carry the song to its coda. Other songs make creative use of a chamber orchestra and multiple layers of Ices’ airy, malleable voice. As a chanteuse, she’s got just the right combination of wispy mystery and assertive originality (Joanna Newsom, Kate Bush, and Sibylle Baier all come to mind) to make all the young ladies go crazy—and men too, obviously. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s gorgeous. Just sayin’. —saelan twerdy
Nicki Minaj
Cee Lo
pink friday (young money)
Nicki Minaj is a very skilled rapper. Kanye West’s “Monster” lives up to its name, and her single “Massive Attack” moves butts, because of her devastating verses and shapeshifting flow. Her first full-length album missteps, however, in turning her into a larger-than-life pop personality. The gambit pays off for the immaculate “Your Love,” in which the heroine falls head-over-heels for a wealthy ex-con, over a carefree beat perfect for the roller rink. But the album as a whole suffers from commercial overcalculation. Songs are ornamented with guests trendy (will.i.am), mismatched (Eminem), or feeble (Drake); verses are flawed with lazy “hashtag” punchlines like “You used to be here but now you gone: Nair”; rough-and-tumble throwdowns like “Did it [Shitted] On Them” are paired with maudlin groaners like “Save Me.” Nicki Minaj may be the next great rap diva, but for now she is beholden to Young Money’s most boring template for success: Drake. —chris dingwall
the lady killer (elektra)
Cee Lo’s transformation from oddball rapper to marketable neo-soul playboy is complete. No longer the weirdest rapper from Atlanta, the epicenter of the weirdest of weird Southern rap, the former Goodie Mob crooner has made a gleaming and crowd-pleasing R&B album—the already-ubiquitous “Fuck You!” is nominated for four Grammys—that unfortunately smoothes over his rough edges. Of course, Cee Lo is not the first rapper to fancy himself as a soul man: Ghostface and Andre 3000 have rekindled the gritty urban realism of Curtis Mayfield and carnal intimacy of Isaac Hayes in ways that make both hiphop and soul sound startlingly unfamiliar. Cee Lo, however, concocts an almost excessively palatable mix of ridiculous romantic one-liners and over-the-top orchestration of Soul Train disco lines and James Bond themes. From the exuberant and synth-heavy “Bright Lights Bigger City” to the perfectly cheesy “Love Gun,” The Lady Killer serves up soul’s most exciting parts, without any of the danger.
Kanye West
Lukid
my beautiful dark twisted fantasy (def jam/roc-afella) Five Mics. 5 Stars. XXL. A+. 10.0. With Kanye you need to scratch the hypotheticals: anything is possible, even those who’ve been living underneath rocks have gotten wind of his Twisted Fantasy. The scores of perfect scores and the spectacle of it all have reverberated across the pop landscape in a way unseen since Prince, a more worthy analog of Kanye’s self-imposed pop kingship than Jacko. Like Purple Rainera Prince, Kanye has created an avantpop album of both serious introspection and craftsmanship. The production is overwhelming, an exercise in excess, and he relishes in his own crassness and egotism. He toasts douchebags, marries pornstars, reupholsters pudenda and claims monstrosity. If art’s goal is to hold a mirror up to society, what is it that Kanye helps us see? If the way we bought into the spectacle is any indication, it’s our own twisted fantasy—the unyielding desire to keep feeding our monsters. —rj basinillo
chord (werk)
Despite releasing two fantastic fulllength LPs on the mighty Werk records, Luke Blair remains criminally underrated—though he probably wouldn’t have it any other way. A noted fan of Salinger, his productions hint at a detached cool—minimal, low-slung beats that fit somewhere in between the atomized hip-hop of the Brainfeeder collective and the lush dub techno of Manchester’s Modern Love stable. Lukid seems to turn down the color of the most vivid aspects of each, locating the grayscale mezzanine of the furthermost thinking strains of beat music, or something like Theo Parrish with a tea-and-crackers sensibility. It’s smart stuff, bite-sized drums arranged in classic 4/4, muted synth tones hang in the air and whirlpool, wilting samples stretch and fill out like nylon stockings. And as beat music ossifies into stricter techno and hip-hop slants, Lukid remains indifferent and elevated. —rj basinillo
—chris dingwall
The Soft Boys a can of bees/ underwater moonlight (yep roc)
I’d seen the album cover for Underwater Moonlight floating around for years, and heard a Soft Boys song or two—mainly the sublime “I Wanna Destroy You”— without ever really quite figuring out what their story was. Now, thanks to these new reissues of the band’s only two proper albums from 1979 and 1980, my ignorance has been remedied. If, like me, you didn’t know the band, it’s probably because they don’t fit easily into any particular chronology. Formed in Cambridge, England in 1976, they were living through the explosive birth of punk and incorporated some of its raw energy and lurching aggression, but the Soft Boys were mainly interested in the 60s psychedelia and folk-rock that was sliding out of fashion at the end of the 70s. Their solution was a brilliant and bizarre hybrid of Byrds-esque jangle, Syd Barrett’s absurdist whimsy, and the tense, angular attack of postpunk. A Can of Bees, their debut, is heavier and jammier than the more refined Underwater Moonlight, but both are consistently stellar and will afford you the pleasure of a few epiphanies about where your favourite bands got their ideas. —saelan twerdy
Tyvek
nothing fits (in the red)
After a string of collectable seven inches and their debut LP on Siltbreeze, Tyvek issue their most focused and hookladen recording yet. Up until Nothing Fits, Tyvek had always straddled a fine line between garage rock and a classic punk stance, though they’ve mostly been embraced by fans of the former. Nothing Fits pushes the band more towards the hardcore end of punk, and firmly away from the garage aspect. Some of their early releases were so poorly recorded that they kept all but the most ardent fan of lo-fi away, though there were hooks buried under the mess for those who cared to brave the noise. Nothing Fits is propelled by chunky hardcore riffs and a forceful rhythm section, but the main draw and what separates the band from so many punk bands treading worn paths is the distinctly agitated vocal delivery of guitarist and founder Kevin Boyer. Rife with shout-along refrains and fist-pumping anthems, Nothing Fits ultimately stands out due to Boyer’s ability to add to the pantheon of great punk choruses. —mark richardson
Smith Westerns
Chain & the Gang
dye it blonde (fat possum)
Why don’t I start with the first thing that this record hits you with: a couple seconds of seasick piano-whirl followed by a sinuous barrage of the most luscious glam-rock guitar licks I’ve heard in years. This very young band (I’m pretty sure they’re all barely drinking age in the US) showed a lot of promise on their debut album for HoZac last year, on which they ably crossed some familiar strains of T. Rex-ish swagger and heartsick Smiths jangle, but nothing on that record prepared me for Dye It Blonde. For one thing, they’ve vastly stepped up their production values—this album is slick in the best sense—and their way around a hook has jumped up pretty dramatically, too. The basic format is the same: whooshing, pillowy keyboards, frontman Cullen Omori’s fey, breathy vocals, and a boatload of guitar action, but where they used to sound like the ragtag band of teens that they are, they suddenly sound like a big deal. The subject matter is all pretty trad—adolescent frustration, young love, twee feelings—but if you don’t get totally stoked when you hear this busting out of your speakers, you probably just aren’t much into teenage rock n’ roll. —saelan twerdy
music’s not for everyone (k) The title of Chain and the Gang’s latest record might as well have been “Production is Not For Everyone.” The lack of polish shouldn’t come as a surprise, as frontman Ian Svenonius has been vocal about how much he loves the trashy, tossed-off sound of early American rock and roll. Fortunately for Svenonius— better known as the mouthpiece of seminal DC hardcore outfit The Nation of Ulysses, as well as more recent bands like The Make-Up, Weird War, and The Scene Creamers—he’s got the charisma to sell a collection of songs that sound like they were recorded not so much in a garage but in a garbage can. His conversational, stream of consciousness delivery buoys tracks like “Why Not?” and “Can’t Get Away,” both of which recall the softer moments of The Sonics. Longtime Svenonius converts may be surprised to find that political themes are mostly absent from the record, popping up only during the subtly scathing “I’ve Got Privilege.” Still, Svenonius’ decision to let politics take a back seat suggests that he may finally be comfortable letting his finely-honed aesthetic do the talking. —luke simcoe
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volume 8 issue 6 [ o ] DUFRESNE
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INTERESTS & ACTIVITI Halfcab boardslide fakie 5-0 shove-it. dufresnephoto.
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[ o ] COMBER
Alex Olson
colORMAGAZINE.CA
volume 8 issue 6
T
he changing of the seasons has come and gone for the major Canadian cities who had their share in last issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s release party festivities and it calls for a lot more indoor activities. In Toronto, we were lucky enough to team up with local photographer Arkan Zakharov who showcased a great body of new work in field of skateboard photography. Other places (Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver) had the pleasure of watching Carhartt Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s video export by Pontus Alv.
Beaster & Wes Loates
Suzie Gletzer & Christian Whiticar
Ladies of the night
Wes Loates & Justin Czank
Ian Murray-Lawson
Friend with Glencoe Hogle The Third
Adam Mancini
Gordon Nicholas & David Ko
Beaster, Paul Otvos, & Friend
Jamie Maley & Kane Hopkins
Arkan Zakaharov, Juan David Osario, & Jeff Comber
Corey Sheppard & Tina
Cam Reid & Chad
Niggie & Friend
Mike Jensen & Moser
josh anderson & brother
Beans
Harvey from Baja
Trevor Martin & Joe Barnge
Cephas Benson & Noah Tynes
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javier mendizabal / gravisskateboarding.com
javi
volume 8 issue 6
[ o ] MORFORD
[ o ] PAPADAS
“Im kinda a big deal.” —chris connolly
“I know you have you're own version of the squirrel suit, but its not...” —peter hewitt
“Last time I was in Miami, Freddy got kicked out of Mokai for being underdressed. Went back in disguised as some model dude. Wore a wig and everything, didn’t break character once. Still ended up getting kicked out for dancing on the speakers numerous times. Funniest shit ever!” —brian delatorre [ o ] DUFRESNE
[ o ] GROSS
[ o ] GROSS
“I love rolling weed on a silver platter. Makes me feel like a baller.” —bryan herman
[ o ] NICHOLAS
“I truly wish I had it all on film for everyone else to see!” —dustin montie
[ o ] DUFRESNE
wordsby isaac mckay-randozzi
[ o ] NICHOLAS
“Brett Gifford is the Pauly Shore of skateboarding.” —jetski
[ o ] MCOURT
“Can someone please cue me up another gunny?!” —torey goodall
“I remember Mortal drunk out of his mind after going to the Bovine Sex Club chasing a longboarder down Queen Street trying to practice his karate moves then trying to focus his longboard, just to learn that they were too flexible and didn’t break like skateboards did.” —russian
“I’m just tryin to get hyped on other fools, man.” —spencer hamilton
154 colORMAGAZINE.CA
[ o ] GROSS
T
here is something to be said about those who push the boundaries, drawn into lifestyle compromised by late night consumption. Skaters are thrill seekers as a rule, adding a little extra excitement/liquid courage to the equation is the norm for more than a few folks. Tales of drunken excess have been around since the Z-Boys and since there have been a certain portion of the skate population who choose to defy and define what it means to live the lifestyle of a skater. They are able to turn a Monday night into Friday night at the first post session drink. Revelry and recovery, the hangover may be bad but the night was worth it. Now let’s go skate.
“I was 16; it said ‘Dirty Business.’” —sammy baca
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