Volume 9. Number 6

TIMELESS: RICK HOWARD | MATT BEACH | THE HIGH DROPS | SALBA’S POOLS DUSTIN HENRY | $LAVE TEARS UP THE NORTHWEST | SOLITARY ARTS | SLAPPIES folk | pierced arrows | johannesburg | sabastian butt | rose bouthillier | joe tookmanian

a skateboard culture special edition.

BREA

MORE INFO AT LAKAI.COM

CARLO

MORE INFO AT LAKAI.COM

LAK AI LIMIT E D F O OT W E A R THE SHOE S W E S K AT E ALVAREZ / TERSHY / JOHNSON / MARIANO / CARROLL / HOWARD / WELSH BIEBEL / LENOCE / FERNANDEZ / ESPINOZA / HAWK / GILLET / BRADY / JENSEN photo by Jeff Comber / lakai.com + crailtap.com supradistribution.com / lakaistickers@supradistribution.com

PAU L LILLIANI

FA K I E 5 - 0 / FA K I E 3 6 0 F L I P

TOREY PUDWILL

B AC KS IDE SMITH TO BACKSIDE FLIP. SEQUENCE: FERRERO

DVS SHOE COMPANY

955 FRANCISCO ST. TORRANCE, CA 90502

DVS AND PLAN B PRESENT THE

TOREY 2 SHOWN IN BLACK / PLAN B

COLORS ONLINE AT: DVSSHOES.COM

DVSSHOES.COM

CHICO BRENES KENNY HOYLE MARTY MURAWSKI TOREY PUDWILL DAEWON SONG LUIS TOLENTINO JERON WILSON MARK BAINES LUCIEN CLARKE FLO MIRTAIN PAUL SHIER

TOREY 2 SUEDE. SEE MORE STYLES AND

SUPRADISTRIBUTION.COM DVSSTICKERS@SUPRADISTRIBUTION.COM

C1RCA SELECT COLLECTION Presenting the H20 Lurker

Holiday 2011

WWW.C1RCASELECT.COM

no. 6

—

Timeless

“That palpable second chance print gives us to literally hold these moments in our hands.”

A

nyone can take a photo to freeze time but it takes a true creative to effectively transcend it. With unlimited advancements in available technology, suddenly everyone is an expert in photography while it is becoming easier to identify those who truly push the fundamentals; for their ability to tell remarkable stories in a single, thoughtful frame with keen sensibilities to mood, light and popular culture.

With every issue of Color, we attempt to create collectible snapshots; markers of a certain time and place that, when pulled down off the shelf, or uprooted from the bottom of an old box, remind us of where we were, what we were doing, and how we were living. Remember your first show? First trip? First pool you skated? Or how about that old mattress on the floor of the house you and your friends held down for all those years. It’s that immemorial feeling that consumes you when thinking 12

colORMAGAZINE.CA

back on those days, that makes these landmarks so special and a big part of the reason we publish this magazine—that palpable second chance print gives us to literally hold these moments in our hands and deny the ephemeral at every return.

For our final issue of 2011, we reached out to some of our favourite photographers from the past nine volumes, those who persist in remaining unaffected by the passage of time or changes in vogue, and continue to retain that playfulness and untainted passion for this inexplicable obsession we share with our readers. Scattered throughout this special issue are over 20 pages of photos that embody a sense of abandoning all points of reference to time. From abstract to lifestyle to landscape, the photos included here are meant to remind us why simplicity and style are so inspirational.

See you somewhere down the road. —Color

Bradley Sheppard, switch nose manual. nicholasphoto.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

13

no. 6 [ o ] FORMAN

[ o ] MAIA

JANINE PREVOST

TREVOR YDREOS

STEVE ALBA

contributing artist

contributing writer

contributing writer

Janine Prevost (BFA) is a graphic designer, textile designer and artist. Based in Vancouver, she is an outlet for whimsy. A first-rate schemer and reluctant sports fan. Working in fashion and as 1/4 of the rock band World Club. Her dreamy, jewel-coloured aesthetic has been applied to this issue’s fashion story. 68

Trevor Ydreos is a creative and editorial photographer from Toronto with a passion for both film and digital cameras. He is an award-winning lomographer and has contributed to Brick magazine. When Trevor is not involved with photography, music or skateboarding, he spends his spare time working in corporate finance. For this issue, Trevor puts down the camera and picks up the pen to document the not-so-lost art of the slappy. 24

Salba is a living legend with “cult status” in skateboarding’s history. Destroying pools since the 70s, Salba continues his adventures today, searching out and skating concrete not made to be skated. He specializes in finding and sniffing out pools, secret full pipes, and concrete wonderlands.

Oh ya, and he shreds guitar like a mad man, currently with the band Powerflex 5. For this issue, ride shotgun in Salba’s gold Toyota Camry, as he takes us on a rare, personal journey into his timeless world of suburban California pool culture. 78

RHINO

JEHONATHAN POELLNITZ

LUKE JACKSON

contributing photographer

contributing photographer

contributing writer

Rhino is a photographer who lives just north of Tijuana. He works for Thrasher and makes sure the Indy team gets their equipment when needed. When he’s not shooting photos and traveling, he’s either skating Washington St. skatepark and backyard pools, or having a few cold ones with friends. For this issue, Rhino contributed a photo essay of some Indy team riders skating pools to accompany a personal essay from his friend Steven Jerry Alba. “He should know what he is talking about since he has been skating backyard pools for over 35 years.” 78

J-Hon grew up in Vista, California and has been shooting photos for over a decade. It started with him carrying a camera around at all times, documenting skating with friends from sun up to sun down. He studied photography at Palomar College and eventually found a way to get paid and travel. He is inspired by vintage photos, shooting with expired film and cameras that have light leaks.

Money never drove J-Hon to be a photographer, the people that surrounded him did.

Today he shoots product at Black Box and all of the photos for $lave skateboards. Pitch a tent with J-Hon and the $lave team. 110

Luke Jackson is a 24-year-old skateboarder who has been living in the city of Johannesburg for 21 years. He is a graduate of the University of South Africa and has been exploring its inner city streets on a skateboard over the past 10 years. Luke is an active participant in his local skateboarding community and a self-proclaimed authority on Johannesburg skating 35. He works for the South African skate company Familia Skateboards, and is a regular contributor to South Africa’s Session skateboarding magazine. He also co-created a South African skateboarding website.

WORLDCLUB.BANDCAMP.COM

REPROBAIT.COM

14

colORMAGAZINE.CA

no. 6

fashion

—

Columns 12 INTRO 14 CONTRIBUTORS 16 CONTENTS 22 INSPIRATION BOUND 26 CMYK 46 PRODUCT TOSS 158 LAST NITE 160 CREDITS 164 OVER ‘N OUT

68

A TRIBUTE TO SURREALISM

90

Permanent Summer

96

Psychic Hotline

98

Drummer Drama

36

SEBASTIAN BUTT Page 36

118

COLD FLOWS Rose Bouthillier

96 image courtesy of Psychic Ills.

Fashion editor Mila Franovic bends time with these modern takes on the best in philosophical photography. Design by Janine Prevost

music [ o ] NICHOLAS

From skateboards to fretboards, The High Drops keep rollin’ all year-round.

Words by Mish Way

Justin Gradin conducts this interview with Psychic Ills using questions gathered from a flyer he posted in the ‘hood

Pierced Arrows swap their stick swingers to try and keep things fresh.

Interview by a buzzed Ben Phillips

90 art [ o ] IM-R

121 Only the Lonely 121

36 image courtesy of artist.

16

colORMAGAZINE.CA

For the guys of Solitary Arts, a traveling art show is the perfect excuse to drop everything and just skate. By Isaac McKay-Randozzi

110

$lave Drivers Our Isaac McKay-Randozzi has good reason to believe The Chief bugged the $lave team’s tour van. Design by Ben Horton

Matt Mumford, gun smith grind. j-honphoto.

[ o ] THORBURN

skate

58

Shazam!

78

DRAINED

126

NEW SPOT

132

FOTOFEATURE

Ten years from now Dustin Henry might dig up this interview by Dan Post and wonder what happened to that innocent kid he once was

Legendary ripper Steve Alba discovers The Snowman in SoCal and Rhino photographs a new generation of pool skaters

Terry Fox at B.C. Place — Vancouver

[ o ] DOUBT

58

126

To celebrate the timeless art of skateboard photography, we spread 20 full pages of memorable photos throughout this special edition. Breath ‘em in, frame ‘em up, or pin ‘em to your wall — they’re yours now colORMAGAZINE.CA

17

no. 6

life

[ o ] HLAVECEK

52 helter shelter It might be kinda gnarly, but hey, it’s home. John Rattray pays homage to all of the atrocities that make The Skate House such a cherished tradition film [ o ] JEGGLE

[ o ] HUMPHRIES

24

35 [ o ] GROSS

124

124

154

18

Dangerous Delusion

Find out what evils befall John Rattray on his trip to Paranoid Park

TRAILER

Powell-Peralta’s 6 classic vids set the standard, allowing Shake Junt to call a video Chicken Bone Nowison, Sk8Mafia to wear those outfits and Foundation to know WTF! is up

colORMAGAZINE.CA

156

35 66 76 93 156

Slappy sundays

The red curb has long been one of California’s proudest mainstays.

This past summer though, the red curb made its debut in the backstreets of Toronto. Words by Trevor Ydreos

JOHANNESBURG City XPAT Rick Howard FACES ‘N SPACES Folk Mfg. NEXT/BEST Matt Beach TATTERED TEN Joe Tookmanian

Tombo & Took FROM THE COVER

HOUR HANDS* 1. angela boatwright 2. benjamin deberdt 3. j-hon 4&5. alana paterson 6. isaac mckay-randozzi 7. jeff comber 8. jonathan mehring 9. jody rogac 10. gordon nicholas. * HOUR HANDS is a collection of photos curated by Brayden Olson and Gordon Nicholas and put together by Color for exhibition in Vancouver and New York. For more information about the show visit us online at colormagazine.ca

chocolatestickers@supradistribution.com supradistribution.com

www.chocolateskateboards.com www.crailtap.com

vol. 9 no. 6

—

Zines!

Someone who doesn’t experience or understand pleasure

(self-published, vancouver)

jacob wren & jp king (paper pusher, toronto)

DJ Memoirs: Choose Your Own Adventure

KC Pop serves up a saucer full of sarcasm with a series of ‘zines that turn our own anonymous internet stupidity back onto ourselves in the form of hand-bound and illustrated transcriptions from YouTube cat videos with views in the multi-millions. KC Pop’s mission to convert digital pop culture back into print holds us all accountable for the random comments we’ve left on the Nyan cat video or the sheer amount of time we’ve wasted trying to figure out if that crazy e-harmony cat woman is legit. “I can’t hug every cat, but I want to!” —dan post

JP King’s latest project, The Future Gymnasium Department, is an ongoing series of handmade booklets anthologizing a personally selected roster of artists and writers. Formatted synchronistically with salvaged paper and soy ink, the publication covets a nostalgic beauty. The fifth of the ongoing series, Someone... poetically expounds upon the personal as problematic.

A solely textual work, the narratives take politics, hangovers, and fluffy towels into a realm of polar gradients colloquially embracing disappointment within the dream.

“D.J. Two letters that conjure up the noise of a million sighs,” states DJ Kenny a la Fu on the opening page.

I Love Cats

—jenn jackson KCPOP.COM

DOGS kissing DOGS

Coke Float

Dogs love to kiss. They’re always doing it with their tongues. It’s an accepted model of affection that all dog lovers anticipate.

Christine Hale’s recent self-published ‘zine is a witty look into the passion of such love.

A 10/10, these pages exhibit cuddly dogs kissing ten various things. From remote controls to raindrops these whimsical illustrations are certain to inspire a smile.

Kurtis Wilson’s Coke Float personifies the qualities of its namesake; a sugary concoction of two separate entities, ice cream/pop & pictures/gloss, brought together with a refreshingly fizzy after bite.

A photo book of juxtaposed encounters, this ‘zine narrates a succinct gesture of happenstance. Ordered with idiosyncratic taste, Wilson has pictured an allotment of divergent spaces that generously investigate the possibilities for personal occupation, both real and imaginary. —jenn jackson

christina hale (a toast on jam, montreal)

—jenn jackson

22

colORMAGAZINE.CA

kurtis wilson (self-published, vancouver)

a la fu vava records

This high-end ‘zine comes complete with two discs containing more than eight hours of music. One: a straight mix. The other: a data CD containing playlist info that corresponds to the various scenarios described throughout Kenny’s maze-like tale. Each playlist has an underlying narrative based on a particular gig Kenny has either endured with grit or sailed through as captain of the starship.

As a whole it is an unabashed account of Kenny’s idealistic, sometimes naive, urge to push boundaries and open ears and minds to broader musical experiences. It’s a tale that will resonate with anyone who’s pursued the creative path and found themselves having to compromise with the bottom line.

Note: If your idea of what constitutes good music begins with Zeppelin and ends with GnR, then this labyrinthine sonic odyssey is not for you. But if you are willing to search for the secrets contained in the collective musical sub-conscious of humankind in the 21st century, and all its disgusting, beautiful, decaying technological filth and fury, then please order a copy. —john rattray VAVARECORDS.COM/DJ-MEMOIRS.HTML

K E E G A N

A U S T I N C A I R O C O R Y

S T E P H E N S F O S T E R

K E N N E D Y

D A V I D E D

R E Y E S

T E M P L E T O N

J A M E S J O S H

H A R D Y H A R M O N Y

J U L I A N K E V I N L E O

D A V I D S O N “ S P A N K Y ”

L O N G

R O M E R O

N E S T O R

T H E

S A U D E R

J U D K I N S

B A L A N C E

O F

O P P O S I T E S

R V C A . C O M T I M E B O M B T R A D I N G . C O M F A C E B O O K . C O M / T I M E B O M B T R A D I N G

no. 6

—

Skate or D.I.Y.

wordsby trevor ydreos

O

photosby jeff comber

ld school, new school, no school.

When it comes to slappies, nobody cares and nobody complains.

When Lyndsay Westfall decided to throw together an impromptu “Slappy Sunday” event in Toronto, she set out armed with some red paint and a little wax, and started to scope out suitable spots for a hostile skater takeover. A relatively quiet through street was chosen amidst artist lofts, a chocolate factory and some industrial buildings. Minutes after the paint started to dry, several crews of skaters showed up from all over the GTA. The likes of Justin Bokma, Jesse Landon, Rob Poyner and Scott Macdonald left their usual stomping grounds (Hamilton, St. Catharines, Vanderhoof, Dun Bat, Ashbridges) to throw down some slappies on these freshly painted sidewalk curbs. Whether it was frontside, backside or switch, everyone was trying to learn or re-learn the art of the slappy. It was like going back in time to your first day of skating with your friends.

Trevor Ydreos

“It was like going back in time to your first day of skating with your friends.”

Week by week the sessions progressed with more beer, more people and even prizes courtesy of Jacob Jurkiewicz and Lewis Cruise skateboards. Toward the end, slappy sessions had evolved into DIY spot-building missions around the original red curbs which became both a meeting spot and place to skate before/after the sessions. However, between “super citizens”, nervous landlords, and the City of Toronto, the DIY obstacles were all demolished… but the red curbs still remain.

Jesse Landen

24

colORMAGAZINE.CA

Slash your way over to colormagazine.ca to see even more photos from Slappy Sundays.

vol. 9 no. 6

26

colORMAGAZINE.CA

PHIL MCKNIGHT frontside boardslide shove-it [ o ] allan.

27

28

CAMEO WILSON kickflip backside lipslide [ o ] odam.

LEE YANKOU ollie impossible tailgrab [ o ] zaslavsky.

29

30

BEN RAYBOURN backside 360 nosegrab [ o ] j-hon.

timebombtrading.com facebook.com/timebombtrading

THIS IS SKATEBOARDING.

THIS IS TREVOR COLDEN. Welcome to the team. Stay Gold.

seHO11 - 2yr

20

// 11

1300 Factory Place Suite 208 // Los Angeles 90013 // CA Wick Winder Dist. // 604 276 9425 WWW.THECOMUNE.COM WWW.THE-CHANGE.TUMBLR.COM INFO@THECOMUNE.COM

vol. 9 no. 6

wordsby luke jackson

photoby rudi jeggle

J —

Johannesburg

ohannesburg is the engine room of South Africa’s economy. It’s a city of complete contrasts where immense wealth exists alongside abject poverty. Life is fastpaced and conditions are tough. Come the weekend, businesses in the downtown area close and this vast labyrinth becomes a playground for skateboarders, market-goers, music aficionados and art enthusiasts alike. When people embrace their differences anything can happen in this city.

Skate.

Eat.

Shop.

Sleep.

Angle Banks/Slopes Corner Fox Street & Loveday Street, Downtown This is the most well-known spot but weekend-only. The sidewalk is covered with smooth granite tiles and a plethora of sloping granite banks. You have to try your luck with security, but some days you can get hours without a hassle. Jason Dill has a line here in the DVS video.

Post 70 Juta Street, Braamfontein This centrally located cafe is a good place to grab a bite to eat and possibly the best coffee in town.

On Saturday mornings there is a popular market just across the road.

Oriental Plaza Corner Bree Street & Malherbe Street, Fordsburg The plaza is a hub for the Indian and Pakistani community. Bargains on all types of clothing, shoes and quality eastern food. After month-end paydays the place gets packed!

12 Decades Art Hotel 286 Fox Street, City & Suburban, Maboneng Precinct Situated towards the eastern side of downtown, this hotel is part of a trendy new complex which contains art exhibits, restaurants and even an independent cinema, not to mention views across the city from the rooftop bar.

Library Gardens Corner Fraser Street & Market Street, Downtown The busiest in town, it’s covered in brick paving but bust free. There are a range of blocks, manny pads and gaps. It’s a bit rough but it’s the hangout spot where you can chill all day with the local skate rats.

Fresh Earth 103 Komatie Road, Emmarentia If you are vegan or vegetarian, this is the place to eat. The Johannesburg Botanical Gardens are just down the road.

Party.

The Woods 66 Carr Street, Newtown This downtown nightlife hotspot brings out all the hipsters and homies.

Revolution Skate Shop Festival Mall, corner Kelvin Street & CR Swart Drive, Kempton Park The most legit skate goods you can find at any Johannesburg retail store and it’s connected to an indoor skate park. Wednesday night sessions get busy.

Wildcard.

Lion Park Corner Malibongwe Drive & R114, Lanseria This place is by no means a reflection of a true African safari because it’s not in the wilderness but there are not many places in the world where you can go and play with lion cubs and feed giraffes by hand, within city limits. colORMAGAZINE.CA

35

vol. 9 no. 6

—

Sebastian Butt

wordsby anna kovler

I

images courtesy of the artist.

n 2010, Jason Schwartzman appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live wearing what appeared to be a Cheeto on his lapel. Stuck to his flat suit jacket was that highly processed, bumpy, near-neon, crunchy snack that leaves indulgent fingers covered in a sticky orange. Sebastian Butt, the artist behind this absurd accessory, excels at playfully creating shifting contexts for this everyday object. Transforming the Cheeto from utilitarian (an after-school snack) to aesthetic (an artwork) echoes back to ready-mades, Fluxus, and Andy Warhol’s Brillo Boxes. Butt confuses viewers and prompts them to wonder about what is real or not, endowing a joke with philosophical depth. The same degree of humour and pathos defines CN Tower Liquidation, the Toronto-based creative trio of Sebastian Butt, Xan Hawes, and Charlie Murray.

As a “service-oriented company,” CNTL specializes in “the dematerialization and reconstitution of customers cherished objects into archival cubes,” which come in three sizes and can be cast in three different materials, either concrete, plaster, or clear-cast resin. The cubes offer a kind of emotional release while playing on the Modernist tropes of ideal form, reduction, and repetition. CNTL has yet to cube a Cheeto.

Dreamcatcher, 2011 sculpture

36

colORMAGAZINE.CA

no. 6

INSTAGRAM’ED Get a glimpse into the real life of Color through Instagram! Follow colormagazine for photos of behind the scenes action in the office, staff shreddin’, product shoots, pickle shots, road trips, more, more, more. Plus we wanna see what gnarly shit you’re skating (or eating for lunch). More good news: the app is gonna launch for Android sometime in early 2012. Ace! instagr.am

National Cronies Mexican Vacation

[ o ] POST

As we go to print with this issue, our Photo Editor Gordon Nicholas has landed in Mexico City to blaze a trail of skate carnage with a posse of some of our country’s finest young gentlemen, including Sheldon Meleshinski, Dane Pryds, Geoff Strelow, and Nate LaCoste amongst others. Keep an eye out for photos and details from this ballsout 10-day adventure online and in the mag coming soon.

Let’s Get Digital, Digital Our best-selling issue this past year was one that we all loved, 9.3 The Collector’s Issue.

Fiending for more? Our digital version has additional pages of Charlie Roberts’ artwork and previously unpublished interview content, an extended fashion editorial, plus all our usual web edition enhanced content including animated CMYK sequences, second angles, video links and more! Click the Zinio link on our subscribe page to get ‘er going. zinio.com/colormagazine

Poisonous Products DVD now available NOW IN THE CORNER STORE: a film by Jeremy Elkin shot exclusively in the streets of New York City with N.Y. hip-hop. Starring skaters Joseph Delgado, Leo Gutman, Daniel Kim, Akira Mowatt, Kevin Tierney, Rob Campbell, Aaron Herrington, Kevin Lowry, Seb Labbe, Cory Wilson + many more. After you purchase your copy of Poisonous Products at colormagzine.ca (while supplies last), post about it on our FB fanpage (facebook. com/colormagazine) and we’ll send you a FREE copy of Color 9.5.

DROP US A LINE Got something to say?

Wanna send us some quality goods to roll in… er, review? Hit us up at info@colormagazine.ca or snail mail to 105-321 Railway St., Vancouver, BC V6A 1A4 Canada

38

colORMAGAZINE.CA

Amendment The photo of Ethan Kilgour doing a power smith grind in S.F. (page 18 - Color 9.5) was incorrectly credited. The image was actually captured by the ever-talented Mr. Alex Hart. We also miscredited the sequence (page 65). The series was captured by our boy Jeff Comber.

willow

varial heel / paris, france etnies.com

timebombtrading.com facebook.com/timebombtrading

no. 6

—

Flannel Love

Brixton x Spitfire

The worst thing about winter is a coat that makes you feel like that kid from A Christmas Story while you’re out for a cold weather session. Thank the flannel gods, as Spitfire & Brixton have teamed up to create this classic, heavyweight flannel with Sherpa lining that’ll keep you toasty and looking fresh, without any added bulk so you can still shred with flow on those rare dry days we live for this time of year.

Anthrax

brixton.com/spitfire.html

A Classic Hunt Imitated by just about everyone in the skate game, Vans has been making some of the most functional and stylish silhouettes over the past 30 years. The Syndicate line has long paid homage to the original and classic designs and does so again with this new collaboration with Greg Hunt. Currently working with the Vans team, his history on the board and behind the viewfinder is over a decade deep. Choosing two of their most classic designs, the Sk8 Low and Era Pro 46, Mr. Hunt’s subtle and timeless style is reflected in these shoes.

Greg Hunt for Vans Syndicate

vanssyndicatezine.com

Big City, Big Spaces

Auckland, N.Z. [ o ] LENNON

The right to use the public architecture of their city is an age-old problem that faces urban skateboarders. N.Z.’s Johnny Agnew recently produced a short film, Skateboarding VS Architecture: A Study of Public Space and Materiality, on skateboarding in urban environments.

Although focused on Auckland, skaters around the world can relate and continue challenging ideas of socio-spatial architecture as not a space itself, but the perceived perception of a space. Flip to 126 to read how the new Terry Fox monument in Vancouver has generated renewed interest in this city’s urban skate development. vimeo.com/31136828

BNEETH.COM

Montréal, QC

A Time Machine, Of Sorts Color Editor-in-Chief Sandro Grison has been selected among many of our country’s movers and shakers to contribute to Bneeth’s Time Capsule, a project that aims to be the first blog-in-print over the course of the next year. This nu-wave time capsule project showcases the life and times of professional photographers, videographers, and writers from across North America, and will give groms in 2067 a clear idea of what Canadian action sports and art fans were up to the year the Apocalypse was slated to happen. bneeth.com

40

colORMAGAZINE.CA

The Big Move The foremen for Broccolini Construction weren’t the only ones overseeing the relocation of this Montreal skate spot featured in our last issue, Color 9.5. Longtime skaters, caretakers, and emissaries of the park, Marc Tison and Barry Walsh, were there among a handful of others as the 17-tonne concrete whistle was hoisted up on wheels and gently rolled to its new location. Saved for the second time, the Big O’s new home is sanctioned for skateboarding and safe from the threat of demolition forever.

Keeping it Real Fiber lambs, Teflon Don plies, hemp rugs and bamboo planks are just some of the things that have been sandwiched in between layers of good Canadian hard rock maple by board makers. It seems as if everyone is trying to reinvent the wheel instead of doing something with thought and patience. Using a bit of physics, water resistant glue, and 20 years of accumulated deck construction knowledge, Deluxe by Real has produced the Low Pro concave. With a center point concave it feels different than your regular deck — in the right way. The pop is quicker and feels stronger than a standard 7-ply and the tougher glue means it’ll hold up to the abuse longer. Coupled with the fact that Real doesn’t fuck around when it comes to making boards, you know it’s legit! realskateboards.com

over crooks

keelan dadd i s pr o u d t o skat e i n t h e su pr a skY t o p i i i g r e y s u e d e / c h a d m u s k a s i g n atur e m odel suprafootwear.com

colORMAGAZINE.CA

[ o ] GROSS

Neen Williams / Color 9.2

vol. 9

—

Anthrax School of hard knocks Shoelace belts & snapbacks are to skaters what leather is to greasers—classic and not going anywhere. Montreal’s Kruger is knocking out original snapbacks giving nod to the city’s université’s and lacebelts inspired by the skate scene around the world. Nab these online or in select skateshops in the City of Saints. krugerknockemdead.com

MARK APPLEYARD FOR BTL Things have been poppin’ over at BTL headquarters recently with the launch of their brand new online store. Our closet was looking a bit slim, so we did a bit of browsing and came across this sick Mark Appleyard joint collaboration baseball tee. Featuring Mark’s own hand-drawn take on the OG Blue Jay’s logo, nab this limited edition tee with a couple clicks of the ol’ mouse. shop.bluetilelounge.ca

5th annual Harold Hunter Day In remembrance of the charismatic skateboarder who loved New York and influenced skaters around the world, November 12th marked the fifth annual Harold Hunter Day in N.Y.C. Hundreds flocked to L.E.S. park under the Manhattan Bridge to jam and continue Hunter’s legacy by supporting the HH Foundation, a non-profit organization that gives inner-city kids positive opportunities & experiences through skateboarding. Yo! We all over it! haroldhunter.org

Lakai Linden It may be a new release (Jan. ‘12) but the classic lines and shape of the Linden are familiar. Minimal stitching and quality material means they will last you session after session without looking beat to hell.

Tried and true elements, from the XLK sole to the high placement of the shoe laces, each aspect is designed for performance and a timeless look. With over 13 years of experience, Lakai knows how to make a shoe that stands the test of time.

Lakai.com

Blanket Wheels If you live in Canada, the most iconic set of colours you’ll come across are the stripes of the historic Hudson Bay blanket — green, red, yellow, indigo (black). Set on a white background, these colours were easily reproduced with dyes available at the time, during the heyday of fur trading in the 18th & 19th centuries. Give a nod to our heritage with these 51mm wheels from Toronto’s Pin Wheels Co. featuring the timeless colour combo. pinwheelsco.com colORMAGAZINE.CA

43

44

hourhands.

vol. 9 no. 6

—

See Thee Rise Denim is the marble ledge of leg layers.

Tough and polished or buttery smooth, this woven cotton twill is classy enough to wear to dinner and flexible enough to skate in afterwards.

[ o ] NICHOLAS

(top to bottom) KR3W jack COMUNE taryn womens C1RCA staple slim MATIX marrow ÉS forge VANS skinny indigo rinse womens 46

colORMAGAZINE.CA

12.10.2011

NIKE SKATEB OARDING PRESENTS THE FIRST FILM IN THE “SB CHRONICLES” SERIES FE ATURING:

Youness

Chet

Clark

Stefan

Lewis

Daniel

Grant

Wiege r Van

AMRANI

CHILDRES S

HAS SLER

JANOSKI

MARNELL

SHIMIZU

TAYLOR

WAGENINGEN

I N T E R A C T I V E P R E M I E R E S A T U R D A Y , D E C E M B E R 3RD A T 7PM E S T O N N I K E S K A T E B O A R D I N G .C O M / S B C H RO N I C L E S R S V P A T F A C E B O O K .C O M / N I K E S K A T E B O A R D I N G

vol. 9 no. 6

—

Sunny Dials [ o ] NICHOLAS

The shadow from your trucks can tell you what time it is, but why not get flashy with these fashionable timepieces.

Besides, an iPhone just doesn’t look the same strapped to your wrists.

(top to bottom l-r) GSHOCK 6900 QUIKSILVER short circuit CASIO pathfinder VESTAL restrictor NIXON the beemer ROYAL mid 4 trucks MOMENTUM vaulk nut wheels POWELL g-bones wheels VENTURE 5.0 trucks

48

colORMAGAZINE.CA

salasphotos

jon steele

He does what you only think about. He’s a party mammal. He’ll occupy easy street. He beats to his own drum circle.

vol. 9 no. 6

—

Northern Exposure True blue, buffalo plaids and pastel versions of the effortless and eternal layer of flannel. We wanted to bring you this season’s alternatives to the classic, for all you lumberjacks and cholos alike.

50

colORMAGAZINE.CA

[ o ] NICHOLAS

(top to bottom) LRG underground generation SITKA calvert EMERICA hsu youth ADIDAS flannel RVCA rodriguez bros FOURSTAR shaver

distributed by Ultimate

vol. 9 no. 6

[ o ] PATERSON

wordsby john rattray

T —

The Skate House 52

colORMAGAZINE.CA

illustrationsby ben tour

here’s no single skate house that is timeless.

Each perfect example has its rise to infamy and its inevitable decline (think: Warner Ave, 6 Newell, Pender Beach). These places are the stuff of local legend. Each could be heaven or hell depending where your head’s at. Each could be a laugh-a-second or a chamber of torture. Every one is slightly different but amongst them are some common threads (besides skate videos, Top Ramen and pre-made pizza), that weave their way through the sordid tapestry that is, quintessentially, The Skate House.

[ o ] NICHOLAS

“Is this puke or just old soup under here?”

A State of Disrepair Whether it’s a window patched up with an Emerica shoe box, a toilet seat that doubles as a balance board or an old leather chair, reclaimed from an alley and stitched up with shoelaces, the skate house is a place where dilapidation is just a part of the natural order of things.

Wall of Stoke Every month the skate world brings some still or sequence, be it ad or editorial, that feels timeless; that blows everyone’s mind.

This might well end up pinned, taped or straight glued to the wall of stoke, where it will serve as a source of inspiration for the house crew and anyone else who stops by before heading out to hit the streets.

Wall of Shame Of course for every timeless nugget of inspiration we can find the opposite item: the pro advertising the hair color product or the latest incarnation of canned energy, the ‘double pits to chesties’, the ugly frame pulled from the tech sequence in the lip gloss ad. These are the artifacts that provide essential comic relief while serving to remind the house that the road to whackness is paved with dollars.

What Lieth Beneath?

Bearings, bolts, bras and boxers, these are the most pleasant items you might pull out from the dark recesses of the skate house couch should you be brave enough, or crazy enough, to face the challenge of plunging your hand into the squalid netherworld that lies beneath the cushions. colORMAGAZINE.CA

53

Couch Surfer The couch transient might change season to season, moon to moon, week to week or day to day. Either way they are most recurrent aspect of the skate house, whose tenure hinges on an ability to stay tidy, be a useful member of the household, contribute some epicness to the ongoing production of the perennial homie vid project and/or serve as ongoing entertainment for the key-holders.

Disagreements Whose turn it is to buy toilet paper? Did everyone put in for this utility bill? Whoever pissed in this cupboard better get scrubbing.

Is this puke or just old soup under here?

54

theskatehouse.

Old Porn Never be surprised to find a back issue of Hairy Girls, Cougar Monthly or American Bear Magazine that someone brought home from a skate trip. That mag was comedy gold in the tour van but your sense of horror is rapidly growing now that you realize the centerfold is un-peeling with that hideous, sinister stickiness.

[ o ] HLAVACEK [ o ] NICHOLAS

[ o ] HLAVACEK

“Never be surprised to find a back issue of Hairy Girls, Cougar Monthly or American Bear Magazine.”

[ o ] HLAVACEK

The List Occupants and their rating as house-guests.

Jimmy R - He’s a good lad, he washed the dishes.

Adrian M - Weird dude. Blocked the toilet and kept it secret. Failed to plunge.

Bobby G - Funny dude. Blocked the toilet and announced it to the whole house. Heroic plunger.

Jeremy R - Bought beer and got it on with Lisa.

Randy B - Bought beer. Needs therapy after hearing Jeremy R get it on with Lisa. colORMAGAZINE.CA

55

56

hourhands.

Photo: Trinh

vol. 9 no. 6

wordsby dan post

portraitsby jeff thorburn

Y

ou just turned 18, high school is finally over, and you are skating better than ever before.

The world is your oyster. There’s no limit to what you can do; where you can go. This is pure possibility, a blank canvas. But it’s also a bit frightening. You’re staring down that endless void, and all of the long, winding roads ahead. Where will they take you? What will you face along the way?

Untold, unbounded, possibility; this is the limitless young world of Dustin Henry.

Even I knew nothing about Dustin as I headed into our interview. Sure I’d seen all the great clips that have been piling up this past year, and I’d heard tale of this nice kid from Calgary who’s been tearing up skate trips around North America, but other than that, the only piece of information I had going into our phone conversation was that he and I are separated by nearly a decade in age. Ten years of skating, living and learning. Countless successes and failures. So many ups and downs, so many stories, so many ‘what ifs?’

As I learned more about Dustin’s home life, I pried at him for personal insights into his future; an idea of what he imagines the next ten years of his own life might look like. He could barely tell me what he was gonna do tomorrow morning.

Then I thought, with everything moving so quickly for this 18 year-old up and comer, what if the very thing young Dusty needs is to lock away this moment in time, something to look back in ten years, for a good laugh, or maybe even, to try and understand what went wrong? The older we get, the more we look back at our pasts. We pour through old photographs, old notebooks, ticket stubs, love notes; anything we at one point deemed important enough to carry on with us on our journey.

Small tokens become hallmarks of a certain time and place, of milestones and memories we hope never to forget, but just in case we do, they’re locked away somewhere. Once upon a time it was a shoebox, stuffed onto the top shelf of a closet, or slid underneath our beds, but now, with digital ‘shoeboxes’ like Facebook, Instagram etc… these memories, these touchstones of our lives tend to get lost out there in cyber space, floating around with no real sense of a greater picture.

Somehow, it just doesn’t quite work the same as dumping out the contents of a shoebox onto your bed.

Between his infectious personality, good-guy persona and evolving skills on a skateboard, there’s little doubt that Dustin won’t be still killin’ in ten years. But for now, with a world of possibility still on the horizon, this is Dustin Henry as he is today. This is his time capsule.

58

colORMAGAZINE.CA

Balance makes perfect, 50-50 to the end in Fort Worth Texas. nicholasphoto.

Dust this! This tailslide is no short order. nicholasphoto.

Color: How old are you Dustin?

Dustin Henry: I just actually turned 18. I’m finished school and stuff and I’m super psyched on that. This is like, my first year off.

What’s home life like for you?

I’m living with my mom right now, like, in Calgary. My brother got the basement. He got first call ‘cause he’s a year older than me. [laughs] What’s a typical day in the life of Dustin Henry look like?

First things first, get a bowl of Froot Loops.

Then I’ll hit up my friends and see what there up to while watching some skate videos with my brother. Go skate all day.

60

shazam.

After that I’ll probably end up at my friend Bacon’s house and we’ll end the night watching some Seinfeld.

You got any plans for more school, or you just gonna give it a go at skating full time?

Well, I’m for sure gonna take a couple years off, because you can always go to school when you’re like older and stuff, so I might just do that.

If you do go back, what do you think you’d like to get into?

Uh, I’m not sure yet. I’ll look more into it when I’m at that point, ya know? But for now, I’m just gonna relax, live life, have fun.

What do you got planned for your first full year off?

Just skatin’ man. Like, doing as much as I can, trying to go on as many trips as I can.

It’s been a crazy year for you, you’ve been on so many already. Tell me about the latest trip you just got back from.

Ya, I just got back from Arizona. I was there with, like, Drew Merriman — his parents have a place out there. And like, ya, he just invited me, and I was like, ‘for sure.

Arizona’s so sick’ and it was my second time going. So I was super psyched on going. It was me, Bob Lasalle, Daryl Laboi (he films for the Dimestore), and Geoff Clifford.

Is he a hesh dog or a tech dog? What’s in between.

Backside 180 switch manual as the sun sets.

nicholasphoto.

So was it just homies filming? Anything in particular or just getting footy?

Ya pretty much just skating, having fun.

Enjoying the weather.

What’s the weather like there right now?

Dude, it was like the complete opposite of here. Like, here in Calgary right now, it’s minus 20 and there it was like plus 20 everyday.

It must be quite a shock to come back to Calgary.

Ya, but I mean, it’s nice to come home, ‘cause you can just like, relax, hang out, party with your friends.

What’s skating like there in Calgary during the winter?

Oh, it’s horrible, like, there’s pretty much nowhere to skate. We just chill, like chill hard. I dunno. Like, there’s two places you can skate. One is my friend Shane, he has a ramp in his garage. It’s like, super fun, but it’s once a week. And then, there’s another one on Tuesday called Skate Church. But it’s like, pretty small. It’s in a church’s gymnasium. It’s always packed.

So many people in this little gymnasium. It kinda gets crazy.

Getting back to the trips, do you have a favourite from 2011?

Quiksilver for sure.

What was the best part about that trip?

I dunno, it was just like, all the people, you get along with all the people super good.

Like, they’re all sick. And just being in BC and Alberta in the summer is so fun. Like, everyone on Quiksilver is rad.

Who’s your closest homie on the team right now?

I dunno, I got lots of homies. They’re all my homies.

Are you usually the youngest one on those trips?

Umm, ya, usually. Well when I went to Texas with C1rca, there’s like me and Will [Blakely] and we’re the same age, so that was sick to have another person that was .dustinhenry

61

“Decadence is a difficult word to use since it has become little more than a term of abuse applied by critics to anything they do not yet understand or which seems to differ from their moral concepts.” —erik brunetti Up up and away. Wallride in a Calgary wasteland. marantettephoto.

young, like the same age as me so we could just chill. And on the Quiksilver one, there’s like me and Zander chillin’.

What’s life like in the van? Because you’re the youngest, are dudes always trying to get you do shit or do people leave you alone?

Naw, no one ever pressures me to do anything. It’s pretty mellow.

You got any good stories from any of these trips?

Okay, so last September I was in Montreal with C1rca and this pretty crazy thing

62

dustinhenry.

happened one morning. So everyone’s kicking it and I think it was Cory [Wilson] who walked in from outside and right behind him was this chick that followed him in. So she’s just standing inside our place looking at everyone speaking to us in French and everyone’s like ‘who are you?’

So we told her to get out and lead her to the door. So she leaves our apartment and goes upstairs to the people that are living above us. 5 minutes later they’re kicking her out of their place and she came back down to our place. She went back and forth like three times, she just wouldn’t leave. It was so bizarre and you could tell

that she was on something too. Grinding her teeth away while wandering around our place. It was crazy.

You’ve had a pretty big year. How has your life changed, say, from the year before?

It hasn’t changed much, just like, I get a lot more love from the companies I ride for, but other than that it’s been pretty much the same.

Has anything changed with your relationship to your friends back home?

Naw. They’re super supportive of me.

And what about your family, do they feel about your skate career?

My mom backs me 100%. Like, my mom’s the best. Like she’ll back me for skating as long as I am. My mom and my dad. They both, like, are really stoked on my skating So they’re confident you can make a career out of skating?

Aww, I dunno, I’m just chilling, having fun, seeing where it goes.

People tend to say you’re a really nice guy. Is that how you see yourself, as the nice guy?

I dunno, everyone that I’ve met seems super rad. I’ve met like a lot of people

through skating over this last year, and that’s pretty awesome.

I dunno, but he doesn’t know that. He’s gonna find out now I guess.

Like industry people or skaters you looked up to?

Ya mostly, Canadian skaters. Like before I met Magnus [Hanson], I used to look up to him so much when I was younger [laughs].

And now I’ve, like, gone on a lot of trips with him now and he’s super rad.

Well it seems from what I’ve heard that you get people hyped to skate. Is this something you try to do?

Well thanks for pointing that out, but, I dunno. I just try to stay super positive.

Does he know that you used to look up to him?

No [laughs].

Alright, well since this is the Timeless issue, and I thought you might be looking back on this someday, I thought we could do like a time capsule thing that you can look back on.

Alright, cool.

What do you think he’d say if you told him?

Ever see this one before? Doubting it.

Bluntslide to crooked grind fakie in Texas.

nicholasphoto.

.shazam

63

What’s the best trick in your bag right now?

I dunno. [laughs] Ollies. Keep it simple.

What’s the best place you’ve visited on tour?

Hmm, I’d say Montreal. Ya, Montreal for sure.

Who gets you stoked to skate?

My friends and my brother.

What are you listening to right now?

I listen to, like, a big variety of music. Like rap, then just like classic stuff like Sabbath.

What’s one place you’d like to visit and skate that you haven’t yet?

Australia. I’ve just seen lots of videos on it, looks super sweet.

Where do you see yourself with skateboarding in 5 years?

Hopefully, just still skating [laughs] I dunno.

Hopefully, like, move somewhere else. Like Montreal, or Vancouver. I dunno, I don’t really know what I wanna do. It’s definitely up in the air.

If you ever got your own board graphic, what would it be?

An Oh Henry chocolate bar. [laughs] What do you predict for the future of skateboarding?

A lot more Torey Pudwill’s and Paul Rodriguez’s.

What’s one thing about skating that will never change?

Oh, just like, how fun it is. It’ll like always be fun.

Like always.

Shout outs?

Mom and Dad, my brother Tristan, Bacon, Tyler, Ben, Spencer, Drew Merriman, Kevin Lowry, Geoff Clifford, Geoff Strelow, Gordon Nicholas, Jeff Thorburn, Bernie and Mike Kozan, Elliot from C1rca, Cam and Craig from Ultimate, Dario from Quiksilver, The Source and anyone else thats ever helped me out - Thank you.

3 THINGS DUSTIN WOULD PUT IN A TIME CAPSULE: A skateboard A toque Box of Froot Loops

Dust Mite may be small but he still bucks with the big boys. Frontside flip in the Lower East Side.

nicholasphoto.

64

shazam.

Watch Dustin and the C1rca Canada team skate while they navigate the highway system of Texas. colORMAGAZINE.CA

65

vol. 9 no. 6

—

Rick Howard

wordsby isaac mckay-randozzi

photoby eric anthony

V

ancouver-born Rick Howard unknowingly blazed a trail for generations of skateboarders, by being one of the first Canadians to acquire California sponsors and make the move down south. He was first picked up by Blockhead in the late 80s, then he made a well-known switch to a new company which meant that travel for demos, contests and filming trips made the road his home more than anywhere else. From Splendid Eye Torture in ’89 through to now, Rick’s parts have been nothing short of inspirational.

Always pushing the boundaries of skating with a smooth and unique style his collective video parts exemplify a natural progression that is unforced and instinctive. He holds it down though for his homeland, as Canadian footage consistently appears in his parts (Fully Flared being the only exception).

Rick Howard has always been dedicated in his pursuits.

In the early years of Girl, he would skip trips due to lack of staff in the shipping department causing him to spend more time behind the desk than his other skating partners.

But, he has always managed to juggle his schedule and make enough time to film and shoot photos like every other pro. Mr. Howard may not create the graphics or design the clothing, but through his oversight and staffing decisions, he has grown Girl to the mega company it is now. From the strength of the teams and the respect earned by 15+ years of consistently solid videos and art direction, Howard’s unseen fingerprints have been on it all. Color caught up with Rick during some rare downtime (he’s nursing a back injury) to answer a few questions about his life in the U.S. of A.

When was your first visit to the U.S. and what impression did it leave on you as a young skater?

Right after birth. Left a dental impression; knocked my two front teeth out kneeboarding on a banana board.

Where did you visit more, S.F. or L.A.?

Greyhound bus rides to S.F. Had to — Sick Boys video.

How long after that trip did you move down?

A few years later, Dave Bergthold put me up at the Blockhead house.

66

colORMAGAZINE.CA

“Knocked my two front teeth out knee-boarding on a banana board.”

How often do you go back home and where is it?

I try to get up there as much as I can. It’s been once a year lately. Not enough. Family lives [in] downtown Vancouver.

Are there any spots that you miss from back home?

Downtown. No driving. Push around everywhere.

The close proximity to the U.S. would seem an advantage to Canadian skaters getting sponsors and coverage, yet it seems that Canada might as well be in the middle of Europe. Why do you

think it is still hard for Canadians to get American sponsors?

America saw what we did with curling and they’re scared. I’ll just leave it at that.

You’re probably sick of this question but, when is the Chocolate video coming out?

We’re shooting for the end of this year. We’ll take a look at it and see how it feels. When it’s ready, 2027.

If you could add a pro from any time period to Girl, who would it be?

Mark Gonzales. Heath Kirchart.

vol. 9 no. 6

68

colORMAGAZINE.CA

PHOTOGRAPHY MILA FRANOVIC

ART DIRECTION JANINE PREVOST hair and Make-up SHANNON REYNOLDS Models BRONTE at LIZBELL models

(opposite) QUIKSILVER blanket ALEXANDER WANG boots available at Gravity Pope Tailored Goods jewelry by SITKA

QUIET LIFE hat EMERICA top

70

surrealia.

(right) MATIX top QUIKSILVER skirt (below) MATIX sweater

colORMAGAZINE.CA

71

72

colORMAGAZINE.CA

FOURSTAR flannel RVCA dress CACHAREL boots

73

boots available at Gravity Pope Tailored Goods

Fabian Merino

{ sitka } Available online and at fine retailers across the universe

{ sitka } Available online and at fine retailers across the universe

photo Dylan Doubt

.hourhands

75

vol. 9 no. 6

—

Folk Skateboards

words and photosby alana paterson

W

oodworking is one the first known trades of man.

When mud and rocks just weren’t cutting it, humans picked up wood and began to shape it.

With all kinds of needs arising, wood was bent, woven, and joined together with glue made from animal hide. Soon after, entrances to caves were sheltered. Then they wanted to make their investment last, so oils and fats we’re rubbed in to stop waterlogging. Fast forward a few thousand years and Folk Skateboards is born. Here, a young Andy Dobson works at his craft; the art of making custom skateboards.

Your needs are met. Your cruiser awaits you.

76

colORMAGAZINE.CA

“Long live the plank, long live the craft, long live the shred!”

From what I understand, Folk was created because Andy was a finicky son of a bitch and could never find the perfect shape of board. So, like any real man, he didn’t complain, but rather he moved from Scotland to Canada, bought some presses, a boring machine, heat transfer machine, sander and screen print set up, then rented a shop space, skimmed through a book on dust control and went to work. He’s now filling orders for the likes of Antisocial and the deadly Manwolfs.

Andy’s making shapes many of us didn’t know existed but can’t wait to get our hands on: whale tail,

watermelon, popsicle stick, diamond nose, shovel nose, no nose, and tapered cruiser to name a few.

The handsome, specialty boards include laser-cut graphics and oak finish top sheets.

What’s happening down at Folk is fine woodworking and craftsmanship, not just a factory with a dude on smoke break while machines crank out 100 boards with knots and delams waiting to happen. At Folk there is one guy, with one machine, making one rad board at a time. And to that I say, ‘Long live the plank, long live the craft, long live the shred!’ colORMAGAZINE.CA

77

vol. 9 no. 6

wordsby steve alba

O

photosby rhino

nce I’ve skated a pool, I never forget it. That is what separates me from all the others. I have been skateboarding in the Badlands for 38 years now, and through all the cities, and all the backyard pools I have ridden, somehow I have retained a mental map of them all. When I drive the grid searching, certain things will trip my memory: a specific house, a street, a cul-desac. This is how I came to rediscover The Snowman.

78

colORMAGAZINE.CA

Salba keeping up with the new tricks, backside nose grind over deathbox.

Fifteen years ago, half the skateparks in SoCal did not exist and at that time there were the three pools in Orange County everybody knew about. So, if a pool popped up and was special, I definitely remembered it!

Such was the case with The Snowman. But somehow, over time, this one had slipped out of my life. One day I was back in an old neighbourhood I used to frequent and lo and behold there was this old gem sitting right in front of me. My heart was pounding with excitement.

That adrenaline rush I once had here was returning.

The first thing I did was walk up the driveway of the abandoned house and straight to the front door where an eviction notice from past-due mortgage payments was posted. It read, “No entering the premises. You have 10 days to claim your belongings. To gain entry you must call 800-XXX-XX78.” The piece of paper meant that the bank was in the process of foreclosure and that nobody lived there. To me, it meant open season.

So I scope out the place through the windows and see all kinds of belongings still in the empty house: clothes, shoes, kids games, scattered dishes on the tile counter in the kitchen. I wander to the side of the house and see that the fence is unlocked. I walk into the backyard trying to be quiet remembering still the huge Doberman who once occupied the other side of the fence. I walk along the fence line and then I see the pool is empty. Picture a snowman lying on his back. The deep-end bowl is so round you can triple carve it. First over the side stairs, then over the light, then a swing into and over the death box. A hectic line indeed. And then I wondered: Could I still do what I used to do fifteen years ago?

I called the troops. I told them to bring my gas pump, four 4-gallon buckets, a shovel and a broom. Oh, and five or six guys to help clean the three feet of dirty pond scum that remained in the deep end of the pool. I really could not believe my good fortune.

After the crew arrived, we had the pool empty in about 40 minutes of slogging smelly ass water out of her beautiful splendors.

Ozzie and I were the guys who rode this beauty in the old days, but now the tiles were chipping off and some of the coping was slightly tweaked, other than that the plaster was still supreme! One of the smoothest pools you’ll ever ride, the carve was like skating on marble. Fast and grippy, the boys started dialing in the lines: Frontside grinds, side stairs, and the deathbox.

The shallow was pretty good and Lil’ Michael was grinding the shit out of it! It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and it was just as good as I remembered her.

Dropping into The Snowman that day reminded me of dropping in on a wave – something the Dogtown guys to tried to tell me long ago. The combination of this day’s classic elements sparked a fire I once had and awakened me to that timeless feel. New pools or old pools, the thrill is the same. Pure adrenaline. I get it now guys. Thanks.

Mike’s pool was a good one, Josh Borden tosses up an andrecht in the deep.

80

drainyou.

—

Rhino photos

“NEW POOLS OR OLD POOLS, THE THRILL IS THE SAME. PURE ADRENALINE.”

colORMAGAZINE.CA

81

“I TOLD THEM TO BRING MY GAS PUMP, FOUR 4-GALLON BUCKETS, A SHOVEL AND A BROOM.”

Arizona pools are hit and miss, this was a hit. Angel Ramirez nosegrab tailslide in the heat.

.drainyou

83

Peter Hewitt stands up through the corner of the Whale pool. Frontside 5-0.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

85

“WE HAD THE POOL EMPTY IN ABOUT 40 MINUTES OF SLOGGING SMELLY ASS WATER OUT OF HER BEAUTIFUL SPLENDORS.”

Willy Akers backside smith’s coast to coast over the death box.

.drainyou

87

Josh Borden somewhere deep outside The Cruz, frontside air over the channel.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

89

vol. 9 no. 6

wordsby mish way

photosby gordon nicholas

T

he High Drops started off with little musical knowledge, but that didn’t stop them from quickly gathering a local fan base. After all, who can resist the kind of rock ‘n roll perfectly fit for long, summer car drives? Steady, simple drums beats, bouncing bass lines and drawling vocal melodies that glue the sprite guitars in place, The High Drops have “permanent summer” dialed in to the last ring-out.

“We had a Spinal Tap thing going on.”

Alexis Baris (vocals/guitars) and Mitch Charron (guitars) were long-time skateboarding buddies before they dreamed of forming a garage band. In 2010, they dropped the boards, picked up some guitars and asked Jen Smyth (Baris’ girlfriend of three years) to join. She agreed, but on one condition: she did not want to sing.

Smyth had performed in The Cinch and Sun Arise, always using light-weight percussion while behind the microphone, but this time around she had her heart set on learning the drums at any cost.

She scored a cheap, durable kit from Craigslist and got to work.

“A friend of mine showed me an instructional drumming book from a man named Carmen Appice,” says Smyth. “[The book] teaches you how to drum as though you are a two-year-old. I read the first page, got behind the kit and figured it out from there.”

Practicing as often as they could, The High Drops soon recorded a five-song EP that was released on Green Burrito Cassettes and had local listeners infected by the catchy pop hooks. They wrote with multiple bass players, but finally landed on Max Osburn. “We had a Spinal Tap thing going on,” says Smyth. “We’re on our third [bass player], but it’s jelling really well.”

Recently, Under the Gun Records in Los Angeles got ahold of their tracks and offered to turn their tape into vinyl. Although The High Drops have yet to play outside their hometown of Vancouver, they have plans to tour down to California in the summer. Fresh from the studio, recording tracks for both a full length album and split 7-inch with fellow Vancouver band Bummer High, The High Drops have one goal in mind.

“Getting a reaction from the audience is all I want,” says Smyth with a smile. “If we’re making someone dance, that’s all I really care about.”

90

colORMAGAZINE.CA

distributed by Ultimate

vol. 9 no. 6

MATT BEACH introby isaac mckay-randozzi

photoby sandro grison

S

ponsored at 12, pro by 16, Mr. Beach was a veteran of the skate world by the time he was 20. He spent a good portion of his career under the wings of Tony Hawk and Lance Mountain, which helped Matt become the classic skater that he is and had the added benefit of grounding him as an individual. Stylish yet humble, Matt’s modesty towards his extensive bag of tricks is refreshing.

Now catching his second-wind in his career, Matt’s casual attitude and skating still continues to win people over.

One of the true “skater’s skaters,” there are few who could watch his footage and not get stoked. Somebody once said, “The only winner in skating is the guy who has the most fun.” Mr. Beach is definitely winning.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

93

NIKE SHOE

AM

— Air Jordan boots / Omar 2

— Tim Zom / Ishod Wair

ELECTRONIC PURCHASE

DRAFT CIDER

— TV remote / iPhone

PLATE OF HOT FOOD

— Rat Bastard / Spire Cider

VACATION PLACE

— Oven-baked pizza / Plate of BBQ

— Skate Mental Arizona trip / Mexico

VIDEO PART

HOBBY

— Grant Taylor part / Anything Natas, Sheffey or Cardiel

SCHOOL TO DO DEMO AT

— Remote control helicopter / Arrow head collecting

CURB

— No demos / At the school my mom taught at.

— Zoobomb blue curb / Hazeldale Elementary 2 stair

UPS DELIVERY

WAY TO RELAX

— Nike box / My first box (G&S Blender board, shirts etc.)

HAPPY PLACE

— Watch a movie / Go skate, then go home and pet the cat

BOOK

— The forest when it’s raining a lot / Snorkeling on the Australian beach

— Something on the pyramids of the world/ The Book of Hebrews from the Bible

SESSION WITH LANCE M.

PERSON TO SKATE WITH

ROAD TRIP WITH FRIENDS

WORKING WITH BRAD STABA

— Hopefully sooner than later / 2001, went to a park with a full pipe and he was feeling it

— Riding motorcycles and camping / Up to central Washington camping with my dad

SKATE MENTAL GRAPHIC — Graveyard with a UFO getting stuck by lightning / My first graphic, Mental Beach.

Matt Beach, lien grab to tail. rayphoto.

— Homeless dude on the corner I see everyday / Any old friend I’ve known a long time

— Arizona trip in January / Skating his backyard quarter pipe

BOARD SIZE

— 8.1 / Something big and wide, maybe with a tri-tail that makes me feel like a kid again

colORMAGAZINE.CA

95

vol. 9 no. 6 images courtesy of Psychic Ills.

“I don’t know.

Maybe we should make more records.”

wordsby justin gradin

P

sychic Ills hail from Brooklyn, New York, and have been pumping out their brand of experimental, drone, electronic-centered improv music since the good ol’ days of 2003. As I prepared for this interview with guitarist Tres Warren, (a man whom Aldus Huxley would likely call a phanerothyme rocker), I encountered many of the same questions I’d heard them answer over and over again. So, I decided to see what anybody would want to ask the band, and not just me, a scumbag music writer.

I posted flyers all around my neighborhood, and some in record stores, that read, “I am interviewing Psychic Ills. If you have any questions for them please call or text (xxx) xxx-xxxx. Submission deadline is November 11th at 1pm.” I received many texts (some real, and some just telling me to “fuck off”), from all types of people ranging from prostitutes to friendly sports guys who like kindness and sharing.

Some of these questions might seem a little arbitrary, or dumb, but this is what the people wanna know!

Color: What is a psychic ill?

Tres Warren: I think it refers to like, a psychic illness or something. I read it somewhere.

Where is the furthest place you’ve traveled without your shoes?

Without my shoes…man, that’s a good question. I don’t know?

What about you?

I think I rode a horse inside a microwave once when I was eleven.

I mean, like, in New York City you don’t really wanna go too many places without your shoes.

96

colORMAGAZINE.CA

You know what I mean? I’ve been traveling with them on the physical plane lately.

On your new record you have a song called “That’s Alright.”

What colour would you say this song represents?

What colour? [Long pause] Purple.

What do Psychic Ills hate, and what do Psychic Ills love?

What do we hate…man, I don’t know. We love playing music.

Okay, this one’s from a girl.

‘I’m a stripper, if you could

have someone strip to one of you songs, what song would it be and why?’

[Laughs] I don’t know, she should just choose it don’t you think? Lemme think about it.

Maybe, “That’s Alright.”

Have you ever seen an animal and known that deep down, that animal was really you?

Not yet. Have you?

I saw a poodle once that I thought could have been me.

[Laughs] When I hear your new record I think about what it must be like to be the curtains in someone’s house. Always being touched and opened, and having people secretly wipe stuff on you. What kind of headspace do you get in to write your songs?

Just the regular headspace.

I noticed on the last record you guys were improvy, did you guys try not to make songs and just make everything up on the spot?

That was definitely an intention, to not write a song, to have sort of like this thing happening on the edge of a song, but not ever turn into a song.

And now you are writing songs. Did you guys just get bored of that style?

Yeah, I think we just wanted to do it. I think we maybe got tired of doing that.

Is it sort of a more uncomfortable feeling to write songs as opposed to jamming them out? I don’t know, it’s weird. It seems like doing improv kinda stuff would be easier, but I feel like in some ways that it’s kind of harder. But, then again, writing a song is the same way.

I don’t know. I go back and forth on it I guess.

Back to the people’s questions. You guys used Fluxus artist Wolf Vostell’s work on the cover of your first record Dins. Is there a strong connection between visual art and psychedelic music?

I think there’s just a connection between visual art and all kinds of music. Some music has a visual aspect to it. I just saw that painting a long time ago and liked it. And when it came time to do that record we were able to get his son to let us use it.

One more. Would you rather change your name to TIT SCARF or start playing ska?

Uh…maybe flip a coin.

vol. 9 no. 6

wordsby ben phillips

photosby ben marvin

S

itting in my room, listening to the song “Keep Pushin’” from the newest Pierced Arrows 45”, I can’t help but feel inspired. This song is awesome. It sounds just as desperate and intense as anything they’ve ever done. I can almost feel the bass line of this song working its way through my spine and I know this song is going to come to mind every time I’m feeling frustrated and pushed around. It’s just so goddamn catchy.

Without touching on the mythology or history of Fred and Tutti Cole, I would say that both their earlier bands, The Rat’s and Dead Moon, are considered by many (myself included), as two of the most essential bands of our time. Their music contains traces of the entire lineage of late-twentieth century rock and roll without sounding, in any way, stuck in one era or genre.

When I sat down to speak with them I was struck by how much their characters resonate with their music: sincere, outspoken, uncompromising in their opinions and somehow, immediately personal.

98

colORMAGAZINE.CA

Color: A lot of people know you through your work as Dead Moon. Why did you feel it was important to rename yourselves after Andrew [Loomis] left the band?

Toody: WHY ’D YOU CHANGE THE BAND NAME? [yelling into Fred’s ear] Fred: Oh why? Cause we changed drummers. I mean, we had this thing with Andrew when we started out. After 20 years it got so personal, there was just no way that we could get on stage with somebody else and call it Dead Moon. I was feelin’ kinda stale with what we were doin’ at the end of Dead Moon so it was like, I just needed a new input, drum-wise, and just energy-wise.

T: And for people to expect that it’s gonna be something a little bit different and that you’re not gonna go back and just play nothin’ but the same 30 songs for the next 15- 20 years [laughs].

F: That’s why we pretty much made it a point to play nothing but Pierced Arrows stuff, y’know, brand new stuff.

T: I understand for the audience that they would be happy as hell for the next 50 years to hear the same damn songs, but for the band it gets, y’know…

How has playing with Kelly (Halliburton) been different?

T: Kelly, just because he’s quite a bit younger, has added a lot of

energy and he’s still, y’know… hungry [laughter]; which is really cool, I mean, I like that he’s very um… he’s very ambitious and he’s very business-oriented, which Andrew never was.

Andrew would just get on stage and play music. That was it.

F: For Andrew it was more of a party every night. Kelly’s a lot more serious, a lot more ambitious.

T: I think they both love music to death, in their own ways.

It’s been a really good working situation, it’s kinda, in a lot of ways, the best of both worlds.

You can’t get a complete package in anybody, y’know, that’s just the way it is.

Yeah, sure, any relationship always comes with its own difficulties.

T: Yeah, shit, we’ve gotten older as well so we’ve gotten a bit more serious and down to business about it than 20 years ago when it was just, y’know, fun first times here and there, and it was, y’know, awesome and that, but uh… a different situation. It’s working out really well.

Ok, about your recordings.

For me, they always convey a sense of immediacy, or spontaneity and I was wondering how much you rehearse before you record.

How much of your recording is done live and how much is overdubbed?

F: Pretty much the whole thing is done live and then we do scratch vocals and all that stuff, and we use some of the stuff that’s just right off the floor, and then some of it we go back over and re-do.

F: I figure if you can’t do something… I mean, in the past, in… y’know 1954 and stuff, I mean, we’re talkin’, on cut.

on the way your recordings sound to me, I mean, they might be a bit more clear sounding.

feet away, you would never see anybody singing... I was like ‘Oh My God’, y’know. I feel like I’m watching karaoke, mother fucker.

T: … and not only that. Half the time direct-to-disk.

T: We’ve kind of been messing with the combination of recording on tape then whoever’s mixing it. [Stan Wright] has been using Pro Tools or that kind of thing, to do the mixing and that’s kind of ended up being a cool combination between old school, analog and what’s available, technology-wise. No samplers, no this, no that. Pretty much just straight bare bones.

We haven’t changed what we wanna do, especially what Fred wants to do. At this point, I mean there’s so many bands that just get into recording and sampling and this and that and using all

Do you always record at Fresh Tracks?

F: That’s what I’m talkin’ about, just one microphone in the middle of the room.

T: You’re cuttin’ the record as you’re playin’ it. He (Fred) doesn’t have the patience to really spend a ridiculous amount of time recording, so consequently, yeah, everything does sound immediate; usually has ‘x’ amount of flaws and mistakes and this and that in it y’know and just… Hey! That’s the way it is.

“I don’t ever want to get to that point where it sucks that bad.” —fred cole So, how many takes would you say, usually?

T: I’d say two, maybe three, tops. Same with vocals… and I mean, we rehearse. It’s pretty much about the only time we rehearse a lot, is learning new material, getting ready to go into the studio.

F: Most of them are, first take, second take… I mean, I figure if you don’t get it the first or second time, the more you record it, the worse it’s gonna get. I mean, you lose the spontaneity and then you start hating it… and it just… sucks.

T: Well it just gets kind of dry, sterile, too precision.

Yeah, I noticed that there’s no double tracking or anything on your newest stuff.

F: So if we can’t get it in the first couple of takes I usually just say, hey fine we’ll leave it for another week; come back. Try it a couple more times after you’ve had a chance to think about it, y’know and not just sit there ‘take number ninety-seven, ok, uh…

I hate this so bad.’

T: At this point, especially with Pierced Arrows, it’s just straight off the floor and then, pretty much all we’re doin’ is just put vocals on, that’s about it.

In the time you’ve been playing, the recording industry has obviously changed considerably, but it doesn’t seem to have had much effect

T: Music’s always right off the floor. At this point Fred hasn’t even… on past albums he’s put extra guitar parts and stuff like that on.

the technology and a lot of it’s kinda really cool but it’s… I don’t know, it doesn’t have that real feel to me, y’know?

F: The worst example I can tell you is that we played this festival… and I won’t say which band it was…Anyway, they were really a lot bigger than we were and they had to cancel the gig because their, uh, sound guy had left their samplers in New York and they could’t play live!

The whole band was there with all their gear but their samplers were in New York and they couldn’t get them there overnight with Fed-Ex. They had to cancel the gig because they couldn’t play the shit live. Man, let me tell you something, I don’t ever want to get to that point where it sucks that bad.

T: It’s the same with singers where you find out later that they’re just lip syncing and y’know, everything’s being pumped out on tape.

F: No, we actually recorded at a thing called Buzz or Howl.

T: This is the guy Stan Wright that’s got the two-inch tape.

F: Unfortunately on our last record, the printing and everything has been fucked up. The poor guy hasn’t gotten credit for the recordings because the art work was done

by Simone [Muller] and I said, just like our last seven-inch when she needed the information. She lives in Germany, and we were on the road, so she goes, ‘well I did just like the last time,’ and we fucked that one up too, so this poor guy doesn’t get any credit and he’s the one we’ve been going in on. Then on this last 45, we just put this out and we’re sittin’ there and we’re literally on the road and we got ‘em sent to us in Chapell Hill and we’d already done like four gigs on this U.S tour.

T: Last minute as always. Right up to the wire.

F: We’re back there stuffin’ records into the sleeves. And I didn’t even look at the thing.

I hadn’t even heard it yet and someone comes up to me and says ‘Fred. Do you realize this record says Pierced…Narrows?’

T: On the label. Seriously.

[Laughs] How did they fuck that up?

F: Our newest 45 says ‘Pierced Narrows’ and it’s the same printer that did the other two forty fives and they already know our name is Pierced Arrows.

How in the fuck, after two records, could they possibly put Pierced Narrows?

T: Story of our lives.

F: We’re at this one deal and she’s [motioning to Toody] watching this girl bass player.

She’s goin’, “God, she’s just playing the most outrageous stuff. I can’t even see her hands hardly move.” Because you’re 80

PIERCEDARROWS.COM

colORMAGAZINE.CA

99

vol. 9 no. 6

—

Rose Bouthillier wordsby jenn jackson

T

he environments in which we encounter stories play a big role in our remembering them. Smells, tastes, visions — all contribute to a fifth sense of a particular moment. In the instance of repeat conditions, your memory can flip back to the story without warning or conscious effort, and associate the experience of its telling as an essential element of its existence. In Cold Flows, Republic Gallery’s December show, Rose Bouthillier takes on a meandering of this exact sort. The exhibition mines her past — a journey into the psychic connections of disparate narratives and how they are created through a tally of divergent experiences. Bouthillier employs subtitles, translations, and generalized dubbing when compiling visuals. Watercolours, sculptural representations, and photographs combine to iterate the bond between time, material and representation, stretching and reconfiguring original experiences to their prospective limits.

100 colORMAGAZINE.CA

“The personal may be all that is left.”

images courtesy of the artist.

(opposite) Vessel in Snow, 2010 inkjet print on watercolour paper, 30" x 30" After Robert Barrington Leigh (1986-2006), 2009 watercolour on paper, 6" x 9" Stack Prototype for yet untitled work

Cold Flows parallels two distinct original stories and extends the draw of pleasing aesthetics into the realm of aesthetic confusion.

A place, the remote island of Shishmaref, Alaska, and a person, mathematician Robert Barrington Leigh are fantastically paired through factual experiences. Bouthillier positions the inclusion of details without the necessity for congruent alignment, like a puzzle that doesn’t necessarily require completion. Neither narrative is postured in direct relationship to the other, yet one can easily accept that they be put into the same room. While the narrative elements appear to compliment one another, belong together, the motivation for their connection isn’t quite clear. Like a lure, the exhibition’s palatable colours and dream-like landscapes conjure extended contemplation. Woven next to, and often within one another, the imagination must allow for the two distinct iterations of time to concurrently exist.

In 2006, Robert Barrington Leigh, an extremely promising young mathematician committed suicide in Edmonton. Bouthillier visited the city during summer he went missing, and the story burrowed into her brain. Certain familiarities expanded the connection. She had the same bicycle he’d been riding when he disappeared and they had moved in similar social circles. In 2008, when she began making the Robert Barrington Leigh series it was compiled from the barest recollection of his story which had continued to occupy her mind. She couldn’t remember his name or what he looked like. Her research began with a vague Google search. Soon after, Bouthillier found herself listening to recordings of him playing the piano as a young boy, and she found a deep engagement with the family’s memorial website where she came across his computer-generated artworks. Bouthillier represents these artworks as watercolours in her exhibition.

The second narrative speaks of a chance encounter with the Alaskan landscape. In 2010, Bouthillier journeyed with her then roommate to the dissolving island of Shishmaref, Alaska. The island (which is

currently retreating into the ocean) was covered with stuff; surreal, layered and overwhelming. Bouthillier filled each of her 22 daily hours of sunlight frantically capturing images, in an attempt to disclose it all. When she returned home, she discarded all but three photographs — those represented in the Cold Flows exhibition.

These three pictures exhibit a particular aura that extends them beyond the physical place, the visual document, and into a realm of imaginative experience.

Within Bouthillier’s representation of these two divergent experiences exists an overt sense of fictional tendency. But signals of intuition make the fantastical conjunction palatable. One doesn’t mind looking at the random facts knowing that an emotive hand was employed in their generation. Bouthillier draws upon each story with abstraction, utilizing them as metaphors for one another rather than reiterating how they have already been represented. Their literal existence has been spun into a web of personal association.

Bouthillier has embarked upon an intuitive meandering that inspires a parallel reading of the work.

Our emotions react as we explore and question Bouthiller’s work, and we unravel it all to create meaning from randomness. Bouthillier is interested in the process of starting with the tiniest spark and following it through to something deeper. The work presupposes that the audience will bridge marginal details to constitute their own unique interpretation, further drawing upon the importance of personal experience within current strategies of narrative. The personal may be all that is left. Bouthillier traverses a saturated landscape of signs, connecting multiple mediums of expression and communication, which renders the multiplicity and otherness both familiar and daunting. As a dreamcatcher of sorts, the work exists in a temporal space where it is free to shift in and out of focus.

Like a dream in the catcher, it is there one minute and then, without warning, it is gone.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

101

vol. 9 no. 6

words and photosby isaac mckay-randozzi

I

n an ’86 Vanagon nicknamed ‘The Mule,’ I traveled with three quarters of Solitary Arts (riders Bob Lake, Jef Hartsel and coowner Yong-Ki Chang) down from the Bay Area to Culver City, L.A. to skateboard and participate in an exhibition. For these men of the Solitary Arts, the connection to their board is one of the most important commitments in their lives. In an era when the old head-nod to another skater can be met with blank stares and attitude, Solitary Arts reminds us that it’s not just about the trick, it is how you get there that counts. At every opportunity, these seekers of stoke skated the L.A. area as if it was going to be their last session ever. For them, skateboarding is more than just a spot, more than an era; it is an activity that expresses the universal appeal of fun that we are all looking for on seven plies (or nine if you ride the Piano Pinner).

102 colORMAGAZINE.CA

colORMAGAZINE.CA

103

Founded by artist Geoff McFetridge and organizational mastermind Yong-Ki Chang, The Solitary Arts isn’t anything like your typical skate company. Thus it took something special on which to focus their considerable energies. Under the invite of curators GlueKit (a Connecticut design company) and the Scion Space in Culver City, Solitary Arts did something never done in the company’s history. The show: A Product of Design, was an exhibition based around passion projects of designers, and featured invited works from the art and design world. The items they shared were sample projects they both undertake for fun and put their souls into. This binding rope not only tied the room together but also unified the show with an underlying theme of fun and heart.

104 rollingwith.

(above) Bob Lake doing a frontside layback slasher at Arto's pool. (left) Jay Adams, frontside 5-0

Arto as Muska.

In the graying van, we headed out of the Bay Area with a quiver of shapely boards, loose trucks and enough S.A. stickers to cover three llamas. With a median age of 41, the crew was experienced to say the least. Bob Lake, a Virginia Beach/Mount Trashmore local who never went with the trends. Jef Hartsel aka ‘All Hearts’ turned pro for Alva in the second half of the 80s and went on to help make World Industries the powerhouse it turned into. Adding Daniel Castillo, Kareem Campbell and others to the team, his work has reverberations to this day. Yong-Ki Chang, co-owner and dayto-day production manager of Solitary Arts organized everything from the content of the show to ensuiring our days were both productive and fun.

Jef Hartsel

.solitaryarts 105

We stopped at McFetridge’s studio to see the progress of the 9fttall Curb Thief and discuss the installation, then commenced a fun slappy session with ‘All Hearts’ teaching McFetridge how to do ‘em frontside. Ear to ear smiles from ‘expired milk’ skaters getting their kicks reinventing youth on a red curb. Over the next days we split our time at the gallery, hitting the local transitions, picking up freshly framed art and visiting a U.S. board manufacturer.

Champion Don’t Stop artists Geoff McFetridge & Aaron Carretti.

If skateboarding had holy places, the Gonzales pool would be akin to Qasr al-Yahud (the baptism site of Jesus according to Christian tradition). Heavily sessioned by many including Tony Alva, Eric Dressen and Lance Mountain between the 70s and early 00s, it is one of the pools for pool skaters to hit at least once in their lifetime. Since then, the house had been bought and the door closed to skating, but we had an ‘in’ and skated for over three hours at this legendary spot.

After the pool, and with an invitation from Mark Oblow, we met up with Dylan Rieder and the master of style, Jay Adams, at Arto Saari’s backyard pool. Within minutes of arrival, Bob and ‘All Hearts’ made like 14-year-olds and skated the perfect transitions until their legs and lungs burned. For Jef and Jay, it was a longcoming reunion of the EZ Ryder crew — to us it was seeing two long-parted brothers sharing coping and stories. Part way through the session, “Institutionalized” by Suicidal Tendencies came on the boom box while Jay Adams was taking a run on the shapely curves of the pool. Soon after this nostalgic moment, Ed and Deana Templeton showed up followed shortly by the Vans squad that was participating in Thrasher’s King of the Road, consisting of Tony T., Elijah Berle, Dan Lu., Johnny Layton, Gilbert Crocket, photographer Joe Hammeke, plus the TM and filmers. Arto was with them and they had challenges to do for the book. The mix of generations that put board to coping that day was something that could only happen by chance or the timely planning of a person in the position to know.

106 solitaryarts.

(top) A Product of Design exhibition.

That night, with a recorded 750+ attendees over the course of the evening, the opening of the show was packed. The Solitary Arts corner stood out like a skated shoe in a pile of wingtips. The 9ft- tall plywood Curb Thief was the obvious point of attention.

But with the layout of images on the wall coupled with a continuously played Bob Lake skate short and table of S.A. completes and products, the section felt more like a traditional art show.

During the night, two gentlemen happened to notice the “price” of the blue parking block that was the base weight for the Curb Thief’s kickstand-like support structure. They picked up the block and walked out of the gallery with it – unmolested. Somehow, the security guards and undercover operatives that circulated in the gallery didn’t notice. Upon notification, the Solitary Arts squad was elated by the bold action of the two brass-balled fans.

Later events included a soggy pizza followed by a private bar with fresh and free beer where many congratulations and thanks

were exchanged. Swerved and blurred, I have faint memories of telling a local point of interest (a house used in the epic film, Gone with the Wind) to go to hell and then I watered its lawn. Thanks Kenton Parker at the Scion space (and talented artist in his own right) for being an amazing workhorse.

Out of the hotel by noon on our last day, we made our way to Venice for a back alley tour by Hartsel. Guiding Bob and The Mule through the narrow alleys past the places of his youth, we saw his history through his eyes. It was an amazing seven days of skating, art and generational exchange. As I looked back at it all on the drive home, the reality that my own history spans more than 20 years came almost as a shock. The dancing ash of my skate dreams floated off my cigarette and across the laptop as we drove through the great irrigated desert of central California. Thank you skateboarding and thank you Yong-Ki.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

107

108 hourhands.

vol. 9 no. 6

Travel is the life-blood of skateboarding. To go beyond the normal places our push takes us, in search of new spots.

We use the long black highways of North America like the veins in our circulatory system with some routes taking us to new places and others bringing us right back. The road trip has become a rite of passage for skateboarders of all levels and everyone remembers their first. Even if she was a loose whore that gave you crabs.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

111

112 colORMAGAZINE.CA

Jumping into the $lave van was a new one for me, and the idea of going on a trip with a crew I had never met left me feeling slightly odd. They had their own dynamic and culture, how much would they be down for some extra creep? I’d done it before but the circumstances were different: the crew was older, artier and had a much less chance of getting arrested or broken off during a session. But the prospect of two weeks on the road, traveling to places new, quelled all other concerns. Three beers and a couple of freezer vodka shots later and my confidence was propped up, but later on, with a lack of liquid reinforcements, the awkwardness returned. Two vans full of people and the only one who I was familiar with was Ben Horton.

After the initial introductions with the crew, we pulled out and hit the road. I made my way onto the middle bench in the 15-seater passenger van with Ben, Matt Winterberg (filmer), J-Hon ($lave’s staff photographer), Jack Kirk (flow kid from Australia) and Danny Dicola (AM). Matt Mumford with Jon Goemann, Peter Watkins and filmer Josh Peacock followed in a silver minivan. On the driver’s side back window, there was a sticker that read: “Let them Talk”. During the trip someone mentioned that it was a recent addition and the only thing I could think was, “I wonder if the van is bugged?”

.$lavetrip 113

114 thewinterof.

for the The first night set the tone food/ subsequent night’s camping; betw een booze run, setting up camp by the owed foll , ight midn and ten of sometimes-brilli ant resu lts J-Hon jump ed campfire culi nary skill. le of on the Night Trai n (a $6 bott his system fortified wine) and it hit Child meets with an injection of Juli a s, when it hour next the Over Red Fox. might you man, “Hey d, was suggeste onse was want to turn that,” the resp g: usua lly one of the followin good.”

“Fuc k it, player, it’s all corn dry!” my want I la, Dico it, n “Dam longer the me to talk you er “The long the Shut ! take to g goin this shit is this!” fuck up! I’m goin g to eat

routine: Morn ings too, had thei r own ers if wake up; coffee/beers, show then wait possible, tent take down, with the for stra gglers to catc h up me a way rest of us. ‘Circlin g’ beca van would to kill that waiting. One r van othe or site camp the circle rights until it pulled out. Brag ging the and momentar y diversion were quic kly name of the game. Rules were then broken conc eived, agreed upon and by both over the course of the trip van our , ness fair all in vans. But more beat Mumford’s circling him over an times than a pack of buzzards old gray mule.

.ourdiscounttents 115

On the way to Portland we picked up Ben Raybourn and at the first spot, Coos Bay, he pulled a Card iel-level ollie into a bank and head-hig h ollies to disaster smash on a twea ked quar ter.

His shor t fram e hides a skate mani ac that feeds off of doin g hairball shit with in a few tries. Frec ks and Jon Alli e flew in to join us in Portland. Frec ks was burnt, comi ng off a 20-d ay OJ whee ls N.Y.C. trip, pick ing up a blac k eye alon g the way. Chet Childress played host showing us arou nd. He and Al Partanen ended up jumping into the van for some camping after a couple days of Burn side, the Nike park and strip clubs. One day of street action went down and Jon Alli e made a joke out of an impressive look ing rail hand ling a perfect front tail slide.

116 $lavetrip.

each The prospect of getting to Vancouv er was waning with the glance at the weather forecast. At one site during e drive north, Chet (aka Adul Skoorc) quit his longtim type sponsor Black Label. Older in today’s pro world, his a west of skating is classic east coast tranny dog put to where, coast gangster-rap soundtrack. We made it to Seattle park and with some good fortune, we were able to hit a local and skate the infamou s Garfield school that Jimi Hendrix cement/ Bruce Lee had once attended. Allie went hard for the the gravel rail and after getting a couple tricks, it got better of him and his ankle. colORMAGAZINE.CA

117

The next morning, after a soggy breakdown, we paid our only shop visit to 35th Ave to pick up a box of socks from STANCE and some assorted gear. At Margina l Way, Raybour n and Partanen found the right lines to pull some holy shit tricks. Little Ray’s first try 360 judo air over the channel was one of the highlig hts. But rain dictated our actions and so, after a call to Color HQ to say we wouldn’t be making it, we focused on Califor nia. After droppin g Childress, Partanen and Raybour n off in Portlan d we headed towards a campsite near Donald, Oregon.

In Donald, as we were shaking out the ‘ol legs, Mumford got the spark and started laying down some lines in the gleamin g white bowl. Matt was getting warmed up and Horton was making eggs, bacon and toast for the crew on a gas stove, when a couple city workers came by. They noticed the harsh whiteness of the bowl then forked over five cans of spray paint and left. After some application and serious tricker y by Mumford, we sought out the local waterin g hole. They had two-for- a-dolla r tacos and booze so cheap you could scrounge off the ground and find enough to buy a shot. Carmel- coloured shots of some sort of engine run-off made the hours pass fast and slow all at once; truly the Pennzoil of well whiskey.

118 colORMAGAZINE.CA

.$lavetrip 119

Click to watch

in this 4-part exclusive series

From Donald, we hit up Matt Klein’s backyard bowl in Grant’s Pass, Oregon then continued towards California with a destination of Sacramento and the friendly backyard of Matt Rodriguez. A semi-blurry night ensued at a posh bar with automobile paint conventioneers and free beer, then it was cocktails, karaoke, and more free booze. After a long wake up, we met up with Matt Rod. and he showed us to a ditch spot. With Frecks’ trick in the bag, the trip for us was over.

120 thewinterof.

.ourdiscounttents 121

An hour and a half from my home and with easy access to a direct shot for S.D., the consensus in both vans was to split. The bugged silver van headed south from Sacramento and as we went west into the setting sun, and the clichÊ movie scenes came to mind, my two weeks of being a van creep was over. In the end, it’s a relief to know companies like $lave are still around in this world of over-complication vs. simplictiy. Continuing the legacy of traveling for the sake of skating and having fun is what is it is all about, nothing more and nothing less. Finding something new and seeking out the fires that keep us going when the wallets are empty and the streets are calling.

122 $lavetrip.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

123

vol. 9 no. 6

photosby jon humphries

illustrationby chet childress

S

ome time after Gus Van Zant released his film Paranoid Park (adapted from Blake Nelson’s young-adult psychological crime drama novel of the same horrible title), Burnside picked up the unfortunate moniker.

But for some reason, that title just electrocutes my fillings every time I hear it. What is so annoying about calling Burnside Paranoid Park? Well, if I’d gone to buy beer with some dude I’d just met, and we accidentally bludgeoned and dismembered a security guard, I think I’d be within my rights to be scared too. But that’s not paranoia. Paranoia is based on a delusion. I decided that if I was going to get to the bottom of this, the best thing to do would be to: 1) visit the inspiration for Paranoid Park’s setting and 2) subject myself to some vicious mental torment. So I went to Portland with Matt Mumford and this is what happened.

I’m reading Paranoid Park on Chet Childress’ couch; the sun streaming through his large south-facing window. Chet’s sweeping up shards of salt and vinegar Pringles that had fallen from Matt’s mouth late last night.

“It’s nice to have you guys here,” Chet says, “maybe we can break out of my usual vortex.”

“What's your usual vortex?” I ask him as I look up from my book.

“Pffff. Bouncing off the walls. It's like this.”

He props the sweeping brush in the corner and walks in a fast tight circle with a comedy limp, an anxious Tasmanian devil in the centre of his hardwood stage. Then his eyes light up and his laughter explodes into the room.

“Ha!” he continues. “I look out my window.

Pin these drawings to my wall. Shit.”

“Haha! The madness!” Matt laughs.

“Ain’t no joke fool!” says Chet. “Straight lunacy up in here.” He remains deadpan for as long as he can prevent a broad grin from revealing the snarled cavern of his teeth.

“I’m gonna head down to Burnside,” I say.

Matt's wearing nothing but tattoos and black

124 colORMAGAZINE.CA

boxer shorts. He smiles and tries shaking out the strip bar still sloshing around inside his smooth, dry head.

“It’s gonna take me at least half an hour to be ready,” he finally decides.

“I’ll ride my bike down there when I’m done sweeping.” Chet yells from the kitchen.

I say, “Well I said I’d meet some guys down there so I’ll see you there in a bit,” then I walk out the door.

I skate 30 blocks down Pine Street and within moments of passing into the shadow of the bridge, a prickling unease begins to seep into my awareness — a chill I liken to snorkeling from the shallows, out over a deep ocean trench. The water changes from a balmy, amniotic blue to a cold, deep, eternal black.

I ignore the feeling, burying it with thoughts of tricks I might try. The filmer and photographer are already there, set up, expectant. We acknowledge each other coolly from across the park so as not to arouse the ire of the notorious, media-hating locals. I carve around the park a few times becoming attenuated to its curves and bumps, its nuanced rippling flow and then I begin trying a specific trick, perhaps even lusting after it.

“I get the feeling I’ve smoked some sort of Jacob’s Ladder-style joint laced with anthrax.”

the éS “creative hiatus”? I imagine certain looks and phrasings used by certain ‘people’ in the ‘industry.’

Corporate espionage!

Infiltrate, destroy, rebuild! Who really ordered the Elwood ‘restructuring?’

And who does “Beware the Flare” really refer to? Is the erosion of one’s ability to reasonably assess the motives and angles in social interactions in fact a function of time spent in this place?

After a few tries I look up and see Chet presiding from the seat of his bicycle, framed by the semi-circular battlement up near the squalid underside of the thundering Burnside Bridge. He looks to be perched at the mouth of a dark labyrinth in which all men might become lost. The park begins again to work its strange voodoo; I feel my subconscious become entangled with the impish genus loci of the place. I get the feeling I’ve smoked some sort of Jacob’s Ladder-style joint laced with anthrax, although I know I haven’t.

I gaze out across the sun-drenched car park and see Chet again, he’s made his way down from on high and he's now tracing circles and squares with the black rubber of his thin front tire, turning always left, muttering darkly.

“Dukes of Hazard yo straight up Kooks of Hazard yo! This is where fools be smokin’ battery acid ‘n shit.”

Thoughts arise like strange insects: was Nike involved in

“Whack-ass scene,” hisses a punker with a black tear drop tattoo as he walks by on the platform staring at the filmer and photographer that I, me, yours truly, have asked to be there, to document me doing what I claim I can. Who do I think I am?

I start to notice the punker and the other locals exchanging furtive glances, whispering to each other. The Burnside locals must all know what Choppy had done, what Cardiel had done but do they know what I’d done? What I want to do? Suddenly it's clear; I'm not safe here. I flick up my board and flee.

I wander in the heat of the sun past warehouses and across railway tracks. I narrowly miss being hit by a speeding Mercedes, its blaring horn Doppler-shifting as I trip over the crusty mongrel mutt of an angry gutter punk with a cardboard sign scrawled simply with the word ‘fucked.’ I fall backwards past an expensive looking fixed gear bicycle into an independent coffee shop and pull a book from the shelf at random: Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges. I order an Americano and open my copy of Paranoid Park to the page I’d last read. ”Your Americano?” the girl with the dragon tattoo says, smiling, wryly, from behind the counter. Why is she smiling? I’d left the park, attempting to hide from its oppressive psychic energy, struggling to portray some

semblance of mental stability but some part of it has taken root within.

I read that one of the characters in the book is a skater called Paul Auster! I completely lose it. So Blake Nelson is influenced by Paul Auster, huh? Paul Auster was influenced by Borges, which is the book, of all the books, that I pulled from the shelf in this increasingly sinister coffee shop. Is this even coffee? I look at the undulating obsidian black circle in my mug and see a crude and distant face staring back from around 18 inches below the poisonous event horizon of whatever fucked up liquid that lizard lady had served me. The whole place begins to spin. The murmur of the other customers takes on a strange, modulated, synthesized aspect. I feel myself detach from my body. I’m adrift on an ocean of darkness. “WHO ARE YOU?” I yell into the mug. “I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! PAUL FUCKING AUSTER! He influenced Bill Bryson who influences EVERY ONE OF US!” The eyes of the coffee shop and the whole universe are upon me, I feel their empty glare, I can’t help but join all the dots, it’s as if someone or something has fed me these books like a con-man card-shark feeds cards to his mark; it’s excruciating.

Matt and Chet show up and order whiskey.

We smell like the ladies from the bar whose glistening vaginas had been to us as brains are to zombies; the ladies who acted so friendly as they slid their skimpy panties down and planted a rubber ended stiletto heel on the wall beside our heads.

“Twenty dollars” they’d said, smiling. HA! Yeah, twenty dollars all right, twenty eyes at the top of the pyramid! Twenty reptilian eyes staring back from a forking dead end tunnel.

I close my eyes and all I can hear is an animalistic munching sound as Matt devours another tube of salt and vinegar Pringles muttering these words “No one cares, we’re skateboarders,” munch munch.

“I was out in that hallway all night. No one cares, we’re different people. No one cares,” his eyes are glazed, he's staring into infinity.

Chet's laughing hysterically.

“I don’t care. We’re all skaters. We’re different people. Haha. We’re all skaters.

We’ll never change!” Matt's ranting, munch munch.

Tears flow down my cheeks as I realize the truth of Paranoid Park. No matter what we wear or how we skate we’re all a bunch of kooks and barneys, every one of us, together! And my tears are glittering rivulets of all the love and hate and pain that’s ever rolled and flowed across and above Burnside’s hard, sculpted, concrete surface.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

125

no. 6

—

Terry Fox at B.C. Place

wordsby dan post

O

ur spots define us. Individual style is shaped by the availability of skatable terrain. In small towns, a simple curb-cut down the street brands your massive pop. The manny pad behind the grocery store breeds technicality. We’ve all got our one classic spot upon which we cut our teeth and log unfathomable hours learning every angle and every secret to speed and landing. We name our spots and we map them out. In foreign cities, insider knowledge becomes hard currency and some folks outright refuse to blow-up the spot. Then of course, there are the spots. The ones that achieve legendary status and don’t just define a handful of locals, they represent whole eras of untapped possibility and NBDs begging to be claimed. These spots are so iconic, so instantly recognizable, and so rich in skatability, they become places of pilgrimage for dreamy kids and inspired pros around the world. The arrival of such a spot is so rare, it ignites rumour like wildfire.

126 colORMAGAZINE.CA

Mike Vince Backside tailslide. doubtphoto.

(opposite) Sean Lowe Nollie inward heelflip. odamphoto.

“It’s impossible not to feel the energy that surrounds this spot.”

Vancouver’s ‘New Spot’, (made famous in Plan B’s Virtual Reality) enjoyed such status for many years before it eventually succumbed to narrow-mindedness and became a skatestopped shell of its former self. Not since then has Canada truly produced a definitive spot so easily recognized in film and photography — until now. And who could be more fitting to champion this occasion and represent the spot by name, than timeless Canadian icon, Terry Fox. For Canadians, Terry Fox will likely strike a chord for his heroic story and Marathon of Hope that he attempted to run from one coast of the country to the other, on a prosthetic leg, raising money for cancer research as he went, before eventually succumbing to his illness short of the finish line.

But now, thanks to a design from celebrated B.C. artist/writer Douglas Coupland, visitors to the monument (that are sure to include skateboard pilgrims of all sorts), have the opportunity to learn as much about their own skating as they do Canadian

culture from Terry’s story and the four bronze statues that conceptually depict Mr. Fox’s rise to larger-than-life status in our national folklore.

Terry Fox united this country with his iconic run and continues to connect us through a legacy that includes an annual fundraising run that, to date, has raised over $400 million.

It’s impossible not to feel the energy that surrounds this spot as you roll around on the immaculate concrete and pass in between the solid bronze statues of Mr. Fox that seem almost to be extending a closed fist toward your own. Terry Fox never made it back to Vancouver on his Marathon of Hope, but now it feels as if he finally has.

Find out more about The Terry Fox Foundation at www.terryfox.org and the next time you’re chillin’ at the spot, text ‘terry’ to 56789 and donate $5 to the Marathon of Hope.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

127

.hourhands 129

130 hourhands.

vol. 9 no. 6

132 colORMAGAZINE.CA

GRAHAM NICHOLAS wallie [ o ] nicholas. 133

JACK SABBACK ollie [ o ] mehring.

134 colORMAGAZINE.CA

BRANDON ‘BEASTER’ BANDULA frontside boardslide [ o ] jivcoff. 135

136 colORMAGAZINE.CA

JULIEN DAVIDSON kickflip [ o ] hammeke. 137

138 MORGAN HYSTAD backside heelflip [ o ] grison.

JORDEN MURRAY frontside noseslide [ o ] dufresne.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

139

142 hourhands.

.hourhands 143

144 hourhands.

.hourhands 145

146 hourhands.

.hourhands 147

vol. 9 no. 6

NITE PRISON

v/a compilation (nite prison)

Jesse Taylor is one dude that has been in many bands over the years (Twin Crystals, Channel 3+4, and Shearing Pinx, just to name a few), and as well as being in several bands, he has also recorded most of the Vancouver underground bands at his extremely affordable Nite Prison studio in Strathcona. On this 12” compilation/cassette tape, Jesse jams on eighteen exclusive or unreleased tracks, with the A-side being the sock, and the B-side being the shoe. If you live in Vancouver, or know anything about the Vancouver music scene, then you will know/ love at least one of the bands on here, ‘cause Nite Prison has most of them. Too many to even name by name. We should also mention that Jesse is extremely good looking, and girls tear off their flesh in his presence.

—bobby lawn

ROYAL TRUX singles, live, unreleased (drag city)

I love Royal Trux. Founding members Jennifer Herrema (vocals) and Neil Hagerty (guitar, vocals, tapes, and synthesizers) are amazing. This 3-LP, 2-CD collection, Singles, Live, Unreleased is a distorted, blissedout collection of some amazing music that spans their career, and it is essential! It is almost like air. In high school band class, the teacher should just give the students a copy of this album and say, “somebody made this. Try and see if you can even come close to making something remotely like this, and then contemplate killing your parents.”

The attitude that pours out of both Jennifer and Neil throughout every single song is something that is both dangerous and very real. You feel like you would be scared of these people if you met them in real life, but in the coolest possible way. They sound like how switchblades look. —justin gradin

150 colORMAGAZINE.CA

CLOUD NOTHINGS attack on memory (vertigo)

Dylan Baldi (who has hair) started Cloud Nothings as a lo-fi, parent’s basement, loner project in 2009. Since then he has released a series of 7-inches and tapes before releasing his debut LP in 2011. Attack on Memory was recorded in Chicago by Steve Albini, and thus results in a higher fidelity sound. As well, the band seems to have loosened up, or tightened up, and seem more confident and relaxed in their structures and songwriting.

“Stay Useless” sort of sounds like a Pixies song if you were listening to it through the vibrations of someone’s skull while they were listening to it on headphones, and that someone was a Julien Casablancas look-alike. There is also a track on here where Baldi forgot to sing. Unless he meant for it to be instrumental, but why would you not want to sing when you have the voice of a precious little angel? Who really knows these days?

Sheesh. —bobby lawn

PIERCED ARROWS 7” (tombstone)

Pierced Arrows have been a band forever, and I am glad that they have stuck around for so many years. This Oregon-based band started out as Dead Moon in the late 70s, and have several releases. This 7-inch is their latest output. “Keep Pushing” is an angry, almost anthem-esque punk rock ‘n roll song with a hypnotizing bass line from Toody Cole, plus a charged, signature-sounding guitar and great lyrics from songwriter Fred Cole.

On the B-side, “Little Did I Know” slows down the pace slightly, and even though it is probably not even a minute long, it is still packed full of great guitar hooks, stomping drums, and great vocals by Toody and Fred.

This is a band that has been producing a never-ending flow of high quality songs for years, and hopefully, years more. Side note: I heard they are thinking of changing their name to Pierced Narrows. —justin gradin

ORNA

chinoiseries pt.2 (100% silk)

Paris-based producer Onra follows up his cult favourite, Chinoiseries, five years later with a sequel that manages to rival its original. For those that missed out on the story behind the first one, Onra, a selfproclaimed vinyl junkie, went to visit his grandparent’s native country of Vietnam and came back to Paris with armloads of obscure Asian records. Using samples from the records, Onra chopped up the clippings into Asian-infused hip-hop vignettes. He’s since returned to South East Asia and has freed up even more decayed samples for Chinoiseries Pt 2. Every imaginable and unnameable Asian instrument seems to pop up here in short loops, floating alongside Vietnamese crooners and propelled by expertly crafted drum breaks. Even though a follow-up to Chinoiseries might have risked sullying the freshness of the original, Onra has put the proper time and care into creating a worthy companion piece. —mark richardson

METALLICA/LOU REED lulu (warner bros./ vertigo)

You know what? I never really liked the Velvet Underground. I mean really, what did they do? I say, ‘not much,’ and I think they are really overrated as to how ‘seminal’ or ‘essential’ they might be. Also, I know that Metallica was a pioneering heavy metal band but, I mean, they kinda never really ever did anything kewl. And that singer James Hetfield sings like the metal version of Michael Jackson. Always hated them.

That brings me to this – Metallica and Lou Reed’s album Lulu. Now this, this is a fucking masterpiece. I mean finally, after years of both Reed and Metallica pumping out nothing but audio garbage, they have blessed our ears with a musical masterpiece based on two, 100 year-old plays by a German playwright. Everyone needs to shut the fuck up about Adele’s “Someone Like You,” and start talking about Lulu’s smash single “The View.” “I am the view, I am the table.” Pure genius. —bobby lawn

T U

tommy fynn T T distributed by Ultimate

vol. 9 no. 6

A$AP ROCKY

MARIA MINERVA

livelovea$ap (mixtape)

The last half of 2011 has been quite a whirlwind for New York’s A$AP Rocky. After releasing two hyped videos, beefing with Odd Future, stories of backstage fist fights, and issuing this debut mixtape, A$AP then immediately signed a $3 million deal with Sony that will see LIVELOVEA$AP released properly. Not bad for a 23-year-old who was barely heard outside of his Harlem neighbourhood before the summer. While A$AP’s lyrical content isn’t much more than your typical rhymes about weed, women and reppin’ Harlem, the incredible production throughout ensures that LIVELOVEA$AP will help gloss-over these shortcomings.

Featuring the triumphant bliss of Clams Casino, the codeine-doused beats of Spaceghost Purrp and the southern boom bap of DJ Burn One, the beat selections by A$AP is more thought-out than anything that comes out of his mouth. With that said, his laconic, faded flow matches the “purple swag” of the hand-selected producers perfectly. Sony will soon find out if they made the right bet if he’s able to pull that feat off again. —mark richardson

hatas our motivation (100% silk)

It’s only been a year since her debut appearance on a limited cassette that was quietly released by Not Not Fun, but Maria Minerva has since been making huge leaps and discoveries within in her aesthetic.

Since the recent release of her full-length, Cabaret Cixous, the London-via-Estonia producer, still in her early 20s, has recently been slotted alongside the likes of Nite Jewel and Glass Candy, though Minerva eschews the more direct pop stance of her contemporaries in favour of a more abstracted bliss. Her debut, Tallinn At Dawn, was a fairly muted and hazy affair, while Cabaret Cixous expanded on that and nudged it towards the dance floor. This artistic growth hasn’t slowed, as Sacred & Profane Love is so much bolder and confident than anything released previously.

The alien disco of tracks like “Another Time & Place” or “Kyrie Eleison” bursts out of the headphones and onto some distant interplanetary discotheque. With thumping, low-end bass, her trademark drifting vocals and an array of imaginative, quirky synth squiggles, Sacred & Profane Love tickles the mind as easily as the lower lumbar.

—mark richardson

KING MIDAS SOUND

POP. 1280

without you (hyperdub)

Without You is the follow-up to King Midas Sound’s critically lauded Waiting For You. Well, not a follow-up so much as remix album that completely dismantles and reconceptualizes its roots. While Waiting For You was a sparse, syrup-slow hybrid of dancehall and dubstep, this reworked collection hits every other corner of modern beat-making.

Artists as disparate as Gang Gang Dance and Flying Lotus stretch the record well out of its original form though always remain close in spirit to the original. Blunted duo Hype Williams make a stuttering, glorious mess of the original version of “Sometimes”, while Ras G blasts “Cool Out” with a full-on assault of spaced-out phasers and warbled synthesizers. The double LP version features a staggering five remixes of “Goodbye Girl”, and each track is completely distinguishable and unique from the other, which says just as much about the flexibility of the source material as it does about the choice selection of remixers. —mark richardson 152 colORMAGAZINE.CA

the horror (sacred bones)

After two years of teasing us with a steady string of singles, New York’s Pop. 1280 finally issue their debut full-length for the ever-consistent Sacred Bones label. The band continues on with the metallic and abrasive synth-punk that they had been forging on their previous singles, though their sound is cleaned up a bit, making for an even sharper assault. The foursome take the tortured, ringing guitar tones of the Birthday Party’s Rowland S. Howard and blends them with the pulsing synths of cyberpunk legends Chrome, to arrive at an intense and bleak crossroads of sci-fi and punk. Song titles like “Beg Like a Human”, “West World” and “Crime Time”, coupled with sinister lyrics to match, evoke a near-future dystopia that fits seamlessly with the industrial-like clatter the band conjures up. While sci-fi, dystopia, and punk have crossed paths many times before, Pop. 1280 expand on the work of their forefathers rather than simply rehashing the past.

—mark richardson

THEE OH SEES

carrion crawler/the dream (in the red)

While Castlemania was more of a selfindulgent peek into the band’s kookier, psychedelic side, Carrion Crawler/The Dream, the second full-length from Thee Oh Sees in 2011, is packed full of the careening, brash and full-tilt garage rock fans have come to expect from them and their incredible live shows. To keep things interesting, Oh Sees main-man John Dwyer has enlisted a second drummer, long-time companion Lars Finberg, lead singer and founder of The Intelligence, for an added rhythmic density that pushes the band’s sound into heavier realms. Tracks like the seven-minute rave-up “The Dream” and the instrumental “Chem-Farmer” showcase the pair of duelling drummers quite well between two speakers. Perhaps more intense than all that bashing is the unusually crazed guitar playing of Dwyer, which veers from a divebombing plane one minute into a possessed, inhuman solo the next. This record probably won’t win them over any new fans, but for those that have been following the progress of the band Carrion Crawler/The Dream will be another great addition to their everexpanding catalogue. —mark richardson

NATE YOUNG stay asleep (nna tapes)

Nate Young takes a break from his harsh roots with the legendary noise makers Wolf Eyes, to produce some more unsettling, and truly morbid music. Going into a whole new territory with a more atmospheric, uneasy zombie vibe, Stay Asleep makes you think of what it might sound like to sleepwalk into a stranger’s house and murder them, and then eat their flesh, and then set the house on fire to cover up the crime, all whilst catching some solid Z’s. It also would have made the perfect soundtrack to the 1920 silent horror, German expressionist film Dr. Caligari.

Spooky, minimal, and easily one that your boring girlfriend, or stupid boyfriend will hate. If you are into the negative vibes and evilness of Wolf Eyes, this is not too far off the mark, and even includes collaborations with Aaron Dilloway and John Olsen, as well as others. A little subdued compared to his other work, but still very interesting, and refreshingly not obvious. Nate Young?

Ahhhh, put it on the pizza. —justin gradin

distributed by Ultimate

vol. 9 no. 6

Chicken Bone Nowison

SK8MAFIA

WTF!

BONES Brigade DVD Box Set

Chicken bone is right onnnn.

Finally, a full length feature from some of my favourite dirt bags, hose hounds and savages. The kids have been hungry for this one. Hot off the bat, if you could heel flip like Neen wouldn’t you too? Naturally the Bowse is ruling. What else could you expect?

And Shane Heyl going pro— ’bout time. When’s the Beagle board going to drop? Figgy took it up a notch in this endeavor.

Kids sure grow up fast. The Sinner; worth his weight in gold, absolutely ripping. Dude seriously has got those banks nailed down pat. Grab a bucket, some buds, and some booty then settle in for a real nice time courtesy of Shake Junt. —gordon nicholas

The second SK8MAFIA video gives people who grew up in the 90s a ray of hope that camo pants, switch hardflips and gang signs are coming back with Sunshine State teenagers.

Eye-catchers Smolik, Penny, Brandon Turner, Marshall Heath and the always surprising Javier Sarmiento, hold it down for San Diego with really hard tricks and hip-hop. Sarmiento quietly practices for Street League by landing a backside nollie hardflip in front of like 600 Spaniards.

Wes Kramer comes through with more insane footage despite his just-released part in the Transworld video. There’s a Scandinavian shithawk angle of his recent frontside 360 cover (Chris Ray is probably furious and is blatantly in the footage) and obviously a more relaxed vibe to the editing. Also, a couple fast paced mixes and possibly the best Rodrigo TX line ever documented. You’ll need this in your stack to support an awesome non-corporate brand and inspire you to go to Barcelona for spring break. —jeremy elkin

If the LOTR trilogy was a skate movie and you compressed all of the best parts into 20 minutes of non-stop skateboard wizardry, it would look a lot like the new video from Foundation, WTF! It’s been five years since Cataclysmic Abyss came out, and the new fellowship is looking real dangerous. Kevin Barnett, the same dude who brought us Toy Machine’s Brainwash is responsible for this fast-paced adventure. But don’t expect a leisurely stroll through the Shire, this film is trick after trick of pure death-defying sorcery. Dan Murphy, Corey Duffel, and Nick Merlino destroy. Kinks in handrails become petty obstacles, shredded easily in conquest of the mighty Ring. Young hobbits Dakota Servold, Ryan Spencer, and Taylor Smith also throw down some serious game giving even Gandolf a run for his money. If you’ve got 20 minutes to kill, and you’re fiending for crazy skating harder than ‘the precious,’ watch WTF! online for free at thrashermagazine.com

By the time Powell Peralta came out with their first video, The Bones Brigade Video Show, the company was already at the top of the skate industry. Over the subsequent years, the release of Future Primitive, The Search for Animal Chin, Public Domain, Ban This and Propaganda cemented their place in history as one of the top companies ever. And now finally, after many years, all of those golden memories are available in one place for old geezers to reminisce about and young groms to learn from. By today’s standards, this box-set may be equal to reading a thick old edition in an English class considering the slower editing pace, semi-campy and dated material, use of bail shots and no makes, fake skate noises and odd plot lines, but you gotta know your roots, and for early generations of skaters, these films inspired the shape of skateboarding for years to come. These early vids set the bar for all types of skaters and film makers, and their continued resonance epitomizes the word timeless. Each video had its ‘star’, from the aerial splendor and innovation of Tony Hawk, Mike McGill and Steve Caballero to the street schralpers like Tommy Guerrero, Ray Barbee, Frankie Hill and Rodney Mullen; the free-stylin’ godfather of modern skating. Not to mention the plethora of AMs that were either on flow or full-on status.

Many of these skaters have gone on to help push and shape skating, some even owning and operating a variety of companies themselves. The power that these six have had on influencing today’s lexicon of skate culture is deep and far-reaching.

(shake junt)

(sk8mafia)

(foundation)

—adam assouline

(powell peralta)

—isaac mckay-randozzi

154 colORMAGAZINE.CA

vol. 9 no. 6

—

Joe Tookmanian words and portraitby alexis gross

5

BORO rider Joe Tookmanian is an underrated legend from the armpit of America: New Jersey. Known for his ambidextrous ways on the board, Took’s sponsors are finally catching on and taking his amateur career to professional in the spring when the new 5BORO video is released. As long as I’ve known the 5BORO crew, one thing comes to mind. These motherfuckers like to party. Although Joe lives less of an alcoholic lifestyle, he was stoked to sit down with me over a box of cigars and some cheap scotch. Team manager Tom (Tombo) Colabraro also joined in to keep the laughs going.

1. Tell me about the last time you had to kick a door in.

Took: We went to this place that 5BORO was gonna stay at. It kind of looked like a hotel but it also looked like some lady’s apartment building. They told us we could have the whole top floor but one of the doors was locked and there was no way of getting in unless we kicked the door in. If we could kick the door in or break it down someway we could have it for free, so I did it, and that was that.

Tombo: It was funny how the lady was lookin’ at you though like you just cured cancer even though you just kicked this door in. All the girls that were stayin’ in this hotel were so impressed. I definitely thought you were going to get laid.

2. New York City traffic can be brutal for skateboarders. Ever get into it with anyone?

Oh my god Canal Street. Alright so uh, were at the top of Canal street and I’m standing in the road and this fuckin’ van comes flying down and almost hits me.

[Danny] Falla actually pulls me out of the way and we’re like, ‘What the fuck?’ So I tried to open up the side door to yell at the guy but it was locked. So I got behind the van and slapped it and then the guy pulls it into reverse to try and fuckin’ hit us again. Me and [Mark] Nardelli just start goin’ at it, smashin’ the back of the fuckin’ van with our boards. The light turns green so we all just skate off. I know what’s about to happen — the guy is gonna fuckin' kill us — so I jumped to the curb. He cruised up behind the rest of the dudes at like 40 mph and practically skidded the car into [Rob] Gonyan. As soon as we saw that, all of us ran up to the van and started smashing the shit out of it with our boards again and Nardelli is trying to get this guy out of his van to fight us all. As he speeds away, Nardelli chucks his board into the van and smashes the side windows.

Did you guys get in big trouble?

After the guy sped off, I looked to the right of me and there’s like 500 Chinese people just staring at me in awe and to the left, a whole line of cop cars. We took off in all different directions and no one got caught.

156 colORMAGAZINE.CA

Nose bluntslide.

nicholasphoto.

3. Tell me about a time when security fucked your skate session up.

We were at this spot in midtown and we were skating this marble spot with Jimmy [Mcdonald], Tombo, and Chris Mulhern. It’s one of the best spots in New York. The security decides to comes out while Tombo was sitting in my car. Jimmy and Chris ran when the security came out but I just stayed standing on the ledge. The security guard told me to get out of there and I just said “See ya later”... you know, not being an asshole or anything yet. He then said to me “No you wont see me later” in a really mean tone so I just left and got into my car. Then this guy ran up to my car and kicked the mirror in so I pulled into reverse to try and hit the guy but he was on the curb. Tombo is tellin’ me we gotta take care of this shit so we were going to try and get him to fight. Now, I don’t agree with fucking up skate spots and I felt like a dick doing this but I had to because I wasn’t going to be made a fool of. I got out of my car, opened up my trunk in case I needed any of the tools I had back there to defend myself, and told Tombo to get into the drivers seat. I then see the security guard get out a bat so I grabbed a hammer out of the tool chest in my trunk and chucked it at the window. It shatters and Tombo takes off! All the security guard got to do back was ding the back of my car with that bat. Case closed.

“As soon as we saw that, all of us ran up to the van and started smashing the shit out of it with our boards.”

4. What went down at 84 Midland in Jersey?

It was a house that the owner of Division East let a bunch of the 5BORO guys and Jersey skaters live in. First thing I have to explain about this house is that it was pretty fucking disgusting and falling apart. I would bring my girl there and she wouldn’t even want to walk through the kitchen (there were couches in it too), ‘cause her shoes would stick to the floor from all the spilled beer and puke. There was a quarter pipe in the back that Mike Vallely shot a photo on. A lot of crazy shit went down in this place 5. The gnarliest story you can remember from that house...

There was this kid that we met in Florida who somehow shows up at the fuckin’ house and is wasted. He is trying to prove to us that he’s crazy that he wants to...uh I don’t know. Anyways, he gets a hanger, bends it to say the word ‘BURN’, and then asks us to brand him. This hanger had the white paint all over it. They heat it up on the stove for about a half an hour ‘til it was red hot. One of the kids that lived at the house finds a

piece of cardboard and jams it up against his ribs and the kid starts screaming. We pull it off finally and realize that the word ‘BURN’ was actually ‘NRUB’ on his skin. His skin was peeling off. It smelled like chicken burning and turns out the kid had to go to the hospital 20 times during the rest of his stay at the house.

Tombo: There was melted skin everywhere.

Girls were bummed and leaving. He fell asleep and got stuck to the couch.

6. Any particular characters that stood out during your stay at 84 Midland?

One of our friends lived in a tent in one of the rooms. He would sleep in the tent in the living room. Nothing else was in there.

Everybody had to walk through his room to go to the bathroom and it was shitty because he would always bang chicks in there. The girls that were goin’ in that tent were just as trife as the house.

7. Next stop for you was Brooklyn. Tell me about your roommates there.

I lived with Jimmy McDonald and Tombo.

Team Rider and Team Manager. Everyone was still pretty wild then. There were plenty of nights at the bar. I come home with my girl one night after the bar and pass out, only to wake up in the morning missing my pillow and shoes. I go into Jimmy’s room and he’s got my pillows. He’s spooning a parking cone, and my shoes are in his room. He had no idea how this happened once I woke him up. Apparently, Jimmy wanted to make his date (the parking cone), comfortable.

self-proclaimed legend. He’s a 24-hour comedy show. One time we did this demo at a church in Jersey for a mutual friend of Tombo and I, Steve Wolf, who may now be a pastor. Barnes decides to dress up like Jesus Christ for it. He looked exactly like Jesus, like the reincarnation of him. After we finished the demo, Barnes stood on the top of the ramp and raised his arms a little bit. The kids started cheering so he raised his arms a bit more and the cheering got louder and louder. He put some product in the air that we were going to toss to the kids and the kids started to scream like he was actually Jesus Christ, worshiping him.

He was even signing autographs as Jesus Christ. There is no person more opposite to Jesus Christ than Justin Barnes.

9. Where is the best place to go in South America? I know you guys like to travel there a lot.

Going to Peru was always awesome because Falla was from there so he knew everyone.

They treated us like we were some type of celebrity. There were girls everywhere.

You could have your pick from pretty much any chick that was around. We would just hang out and drink beer all day. They LOVE skateboarders there. We’re about to go back.

10. Tour essentials?

I love onesies. They’re the perfect thing to sleep in. Usually you don’t have a blanket or pillow so I’ll put one of these on, throw a sweater under my head, and you’re good for the night! Mine is an Abercrombie onesie that my mom got me for Christmas one year.

8. Why do you love Justin Barnes?

He is one of the OG 5BORO riders and a colORMAGAZINE.CA

157

vol. 9 no. 6

H

ard on the coat tails of Shake Junt’s Chicken Bone Nowison, New York City‘s Poisonous Products premiered across Canada and the United States over the two weeks leading into December.

With fresh copies of Color 9.5 and the surprise bonus of the STATIC IV trailer playing only at those cities (N.Y., Boston, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal) filmmaker Jeremy Elkin was physically able to attend and destroy the DVDs immediately following.

A limited number of vinyl-style DVDs of this N.Y. hip-hop treasure are now available for purchase on our website in The Corner Store and at TheoriesOfAtlantis.com

—

1st row: Daniel Kim (NY). Joseph Delgado (NY). Aaron Herrington & Dustin Eggeling. Brian Clarke & Kevin Tierney (NY). 2nd & 3rd rows: Peter Sidlauskaus, Doogie Eduardo, Rob Gonyon, Jimmy Mcdonald, Tombo Colabraro & Mark Nardelli (NY). Joel Mienholtz (NY). Dario Phillips, Jeremy Elkin, Aaron Chan & Torey Goodall (VAN).

158 colORMAGAZINE.CA

images courtesy of Josh Stewart, Jeremy Elkin, Jeff Comber, Aaron Cayer, Sandro Grison.

“Poisonous Chicken”

Rob Campbell & Rodney Torres (NY). Dustin Henry & friend (CGY) 4th & 5th rows: Kevin Lowry (NY). John Wisdom & Gavin Macmahon (BOS). Paul Lilianni, Cephas Benson, Pat O’Rourke & friends (TOR). Topher Baldwin & Jeremy Elkin (BOS). Brett Pagpda & Eric Dasaro (BOS).

Devin Woefel & Armin Bachman (BOS) bottom row: Antoine Asselin, Andrew Mcgraw, Bob Lasalle, Phil Lavoie & half of Paul the Russian (MTL). Sam Lind (OTT). Aaron Cayer, Seb Labbé & friends (OTT). Matt Patafie (OTT).

“We chose these artists due in part to their contributions to Color; but also due to their classic sense of style and ability to take a photo that could easily be from today, tomorrow or the good ‘ol days of riding steel wheels.” —Gordon Nicholas, HOUR HANDS co curator

SANDRO GRISON

owner / creative director

LINDA OUNAPUU

operations manager

GORDON NICHOLAS photo editor

DAN POST

managing editor

DAVID KO

graphic design

MILA FRANOVIC fashion editor

JUSTIN GRADIN music editor

JENN JACKSON arts editor

BEN TOUR illustration

JOEL DUFRESNE pre press

INTERNS

adam assouline micayla gatto

ISAAC MCKAY-RANDOZZI contributing web editor

ADVERTISING

fourcorner@colormagazine.ca 604 873 6699

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

taitphoto.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

ben horton, chet childress, janine prevost

N

ot

Re

cycle This M ag

a ne

.

keep it.

160 colORMAGAZINE.CA

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed here are not neccessarily shared by fourcorner publishing inc. or Color Magazine, but by the author credited. Color Magazine reserves the right to make mistakes and will do so on a bi-monthly cycle without liability. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form [print or electronic] without permission from the publisher. The publisher of Color Magazine is not responsible for errors or omissions printed and retains the right to edit all copy. The opinions expressed in the content of this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of Color Magazine.

Color Magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising matter which may reflect negatively on the integrity of the magazine.

trevor ydreos, salba, mish way, mark richardson, luke jackson, john rattray, jeremy elkin, chris dingwall, ben phillips, anna kovler, alexis gross, alana paterson

zi

alana paterson, alex hart, alexis gross, angela boatwright, ben hlavacek, ben marvin, benjamin deberdt, brayden olson, brent goldsmith, brian caissie, chad forman, dan neufeld, dan zaslavsky, dylan doubt, eric anthony, garric ray, isaac mckay-randozzi, j-hon, jay delaney, jeff comber, jeff thorburn, jeremy elkin, jeremy jansen, jody rogac, joe hammeke, joel dufresne, johnathan mehring, jon humphries, jonathan mehring, josh stewart, kynan tait, mark maia, mark oblow, michael de leon, michelle ford, peter sutherland, rhino, rich odam, rudi jeggle, ryan allan, sandro grison, shawn lennon, steve marentette, will jivcoff

Do

newstands: disticor.com | magamall.com

Color welcomes submissions for photo and editorial content, but is not responsible for unsolicited material or liable for any lost and/or damaged material. Please provide a return envelope with postage with your submissions or email submissions@colormagazine.ca for more information. Color Magazine is published by fourcorner publishing inc., printed six times yearly and distributed direct to retailers throughout Canada and to newstands by Disticor Distribution. Subscriptions can may be ordered individually or in bulk by retailers for resale. Subscribe: 6 issues for $39.99 in Canada, $59.99 CND in the United States, $89.99 CND for all other countries. Contact us at 604 873 6699, subscribe@colormagazine. ca with any subscription inquiries or visit us online.

Printed in Canada

vol. 9

—

Index

44 Peter Sutherland Nepali Ganga T (c.2010)

56 (top) Brayden Olson Knifers with Michael (c. 2011)

(bottom) Brian Caissie Lazyboy (c. 2011)

75 (top) Gordon Nicholas Tom Remillard, Montreal, QC (c.2011) (bottom) Babas Levrai Eddy Racicot-AubĂŠ - Exhausted after many tries on a gap, (c. 2011)

104 Alana Paterson Hector Diaz Pillar Jam, Burnside (c.2011) 129 Angela Boatwright Nick Lane from Nightlore (2005/2010)

130 (top) Michael de Leon My Crush, Brooklyn (c.2011) (bottom) Ben Marvin Untitled, Oakland CA (c.2010)

142 Jeff Comber Justin Czank, Frontside Shove-It Toronto, ON (c.2010) 143 Jeff Comber Window Washer (c.2010)

144 Jeremy Jansen Plate (page 2), velum/ink (c.2011)

145 Michelle Ford from The Landscape Series (2010-2011), Victoria Falls, Zambia

146 Johnathan Mehring Chris Pfanner Kickflip Greek Cyprus (c.2010)

147 Jody Rogac Daniel Pitout (c.2011)

147 Brent Goldsmith Lizard, Toronto ON (c.2011)

colORMAGAZINE.CA

161

gravisskateboarding.com

no. 6

—

Here’s to twenty 12!

“When Color asked me to be a part of their art show tons of photos ran threw my head.

Natas, July 1998, doing a timeless lien. Style is everything.” oblowphoto.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

165

We’re working

FIFTEEN YEARS

FOU RSTAR CELEBRATES 15 YEARS THANKS TO ALL OF THE SHOPS, DISTRIBUTORS, KIDS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS SUPPORTED US OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS F O U R S TA R 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

W W W. F O U R S TA R C L O T H I N G . C O M / F I F T E E N W W W. S U P R A D I S T R I B U T I O N . C O M