Concrete Skateboarding Issue 126 by Concrete Skateboarding Magazine

Issue 126 / 2013 / free

canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original skateboard magazine Issue 126 / 2013

nate lacoste Dustin henry Bryan Wherry LRG on the island Charles DesChamps Art Blender dennis mcnett Sound Check dead gaze above & beyond ryan lepore identity tommy guerrero

LAKAI LI MI TE D FO OTWE AR THE S HO E S WE S K ATE BIEBEL / JOHNSON / MARIANO / CARROLL / HOWARD / ALVAREZ / GILLET / BRADY / JENSEN / FERNANDEZ TERSHY / ESPINOZA / HAWK / WALKER / PEREZ / SILVAS / photo by cribbs / ad #170 / lakai.com + crailtap.com supradistribution.com / lakaistickers@supradistribution.com

DCSHOES.COM

SWITCH OLLIE | BLABAC PHOTO

K KSONCYRILJAC A ACKS K O ILJAC A K AC KSONCYRILJJ ONCYRILJAC ACKS A K ONCY SONCYRILJAC A ACKS K ON CKS KSONCYRILJAC ACK K A ACKS AC C A K ONCYRILJAC A RILJAC A ACK KSONCYRILL ONCYRILJAC A ACKS K ONCY ONCYRILJAC A ACK KSON CKS K ONCYRILJAC KS A ACK JAC A ACKS K ONCYRILJA A RILJAC A ACK KSONCYRIL ONCYR RILL

Jon Cosentino

kickflip front Crook photo james morley

issue 126 / 2013

FEATURES nate lacoste 24 both ends of the lens

Dustin henry 32 dustmite infestation

escaping the usual 40 lrg canada on vancouver island

Bryan Wherry 48 the tiga

56 sequential evidence Charles DesChamps 66 going with the flow

Victory Before Retreat cover photo & caption by

Brian Caissie

Have you ever tried to skate in a heat wave? It was around 40°C during this session at a ditch in the Arizona desert, and instead of skating, most of the DC Canada crew understandably hid under a bridge for shade. Getting the speed, figuring out the pop and landing near the bottom of the bank below was a little tricky for CHARLES DESCHAMPS. After a few bad bails onto the molten cement and a few litres of sun-warmed water, he handled this massive hip OLLIE and we quickly retreated back to the van to fire up the air conditioner. The thing with ollies is that they never get old. It’s the most photographed trick in skateboarding and we can add Charles’ first Concrete cover to the pile. Speaking of amazing, be sure to check out his feature interview on p.66.

dane pryds ollie

photo Luke Connor

issue 126 / 2013

12 past blast issue 68 / 2004 14 inventory 18 art blender dennis mcnett 20 shut down

charles deschamps / micky papa / josh clark

78 young bloods

chris gollop / layne caplette / zack ferguson

86 sound check dead gaze 88 video links 90 identity tommy guerrero 92 above & beyond ryan lepore 10

josh zucker

DEPARTMENTS

Rise & Shine – Bryce Kanights words Frank Daniello

It’s rare to claim that a man has seemingly done, and continues to do it all. From ’84 to ’91, Bryce Kanights was an S.F.-based street Pro for Madrid, Schmitt Stix and Dogtown. In ’83 he began working at Thrasher and continued to during his Pro career until he replaced MoFo (Mörizen Föche) as the photo editor in ’91—a position he held until ’96. Bryce eventually moved to Portland, where he co-founded Lifeblood Skateboards, runs his productive freelance photography business, and continues to operate SkateDaily.net, which he started in ’04. Bryce is constantly traveling and shooting, but still found the time to transmit a couple documents via questionable hotel Wi-Fi signals. He wrote a Past Blast recollection of an Alex Chalmers cover he shot for us nine years ago, as well as an intro about his old friend Tommy Guerrero for our Identity spread. Bryce, we salute you.

brycekanights.com

A V E N T A

E V O L U T I O N

F O A M

ETNIES EVOLUTION FOAM AVAILABLE IN FINER STORES WORLDWIDE #EvolutionFoam #etnies

TIMEBOMBTRADING.COM FACEBOOK.COM/TIMEBOMBTRADING @timebombtrading

Existing as Canada’s longest-running skate magazine has its benefits, one being a deep archive that spans back to 1990. So each issue we take a random look at the past…

ISSUE #68 alex chalmers backside noseblunt [o] bryce kanights

“It was the fall of 2003 and I was in Vancouver with Alex Chalmers and several Quiksilver Europe skate team riders. We were traveling around, skating parks and spots in Oregon, Washington, and points north across the Canadian border. Alex tells me one afternoon that he wanted get a backside noseblunt at this particular downtown Vancouver brick bank, which is known for its highly probable bust factor being that it’s located just outside of a police station. Since we were in town for only a couple of nights, Alex and I were down to give it a shot. I felt that I’d be able to talk my way out of a situation with the cops should a problem arise. I mean, the corner of Hastings and Main is right down the street with far more gnarly and dangerous circumstances going on, like illicit drug use, prostitution and crime. Certainly we wouldn’t be arrested for skateboarding, right? Uh, right. Anyhow, I quickly set up a few strobes and we shot approximately half-a-roll of 35mm transparency film before Alex rolled away into the night undetected. Just remember, it’s far easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission. Keep it stealthy—take only images and leave only wheel marks.” —Bryce Kanights

FREE. CPM68.JAN 2004.

2004

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    

   

   

            

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        

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

      

 

  

 









 







                

           

   

 



  

 

  

 







 

    

  

  



 

  

                                                                                                                                                       

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E IBE SU CRIB BSCR SUBS

                                                                                    

 

                

                                                                                                                                                                                             

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                

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                    

                                                 

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                                             

 

                            

  

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         

  

 

  

collection compiled by

casey jones

Habitat

Garcia Not only is this vulc offering produced using water-based glues, Danny Garcia’s mellow, cruisy uptown vibe is well represented. Whether it be the local wine bar, keg party or skate spot, you can do it all in this shoe. habitatfootwear.com

adidas Skateboarding

Busenitz ADV Dennis’ latest shoe has been developed with the adidas Innovation Team. This cupsole ADV features a smooth, no stitch, pigskin nubuck one-piece upper, along with Vector Traction on the outsole for increased grip. adidas.com/skateboarding

DVS

Vapor Coming this Fall, DVS has added a tech yet functional skate machine to its lineup. The Vapor features a lighter mid and outsole, one of the cleanest toes out there, and Vaporcell Technology for impact. dvsshoes.com

Happy Hour Shades

HEX

happyhourshades.com

shophex.com

The homies at Happy Hour have been making some moves and some cool, affordable sunblocking product lately. Going clockwise, what we have here is the flip-frame Jon Dickson Indian Summer joints, Dustin Dollin’s Les Chandelles, Beagle’s Houstons and Romar’s Street Panther shades.

Westmore Collection With backing from Guy Mariano and Mike Mo Capaldi, HEX’s Westmore Collection includes a 13” MacBook Sleeve, an always trusty Messenger Bag and the stylish Cloak Backpack. It’s all in the details.

C1RCA

Roger

apparel C1RCA has shoes on lock, but they also make some nice clothing. Here are a few pieces for Fall, including the Barnburner snapback, Harvest tee, along with the Truck Leaf pullover hood. Kit it!

Nate Lacoste Vancouver’s Nate Lacoste deservingly turned Pro for Roger Skateboards back in November, and his new decks (featuring Roger honcho Michael Sieben’s unique graphics) have been available for a minute. See much more from Nate on p.24.

c1rca.com

rogerskateboards.com

etnies

Nick Garcia RCT Nick digs the slim, slipper-like fit of the RCT, and his latest signature colourway of the shoe incorporates his passion for photography, utilizing elements from his Canon AE-1 in the detailing. etnies.com

Diamond

Cuts We’re down with this contemporary remix low-profiler from Diamond’s footwear line. Weed is a hot seller, meaning this will fly off the shelves in four minutes and 20 seconds flat. Be sure to get yours. diamondsupplyco.com

Palace

brady & fairfax UK-based Palace Skateboards is ahead of the pack when it comes to niché board brands. Not only is the brand now available in Canada through Supra Dist., they’ve added London rippers Danny Brady and Benny Fairfax to the Pro roster. palaceskateboards.com

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ART BLENDER

or Dennis McNett, creating skateboard graphics and art came about through some very happy accidents. His education includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a focus on printmaking, from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and a Master of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. The images and objects Dennis creates are inspired by a multitude of sources. He grew up in the ’80s skate and punk scene, and would emulate the graphics of PowellPeralta’s VCJ (Vernon Courtlandt Johnson) and Zorlac’s Pushead (Brian Schroeder). His primary method of creating graphics is through wood block printing—a laborious, bold and direct process (see the “Howling Eagle” sample). Dennis’ 3D creations of masks, carvings and sculptures take his wood block process to a whole other level of energy and excitement. His artwork comes to true life when his creatures of Viking lore are in performances and parades in cities around America. His involvement in making graphics happened by chance. A friend passed a print Dennis did for a show at Brooklyn’s KCDC skateshop to someone at Deluxe, which led to a board series for Anti Hero. He has also done shoes for Vans, apparel for Volcom and a bunch more boards for Anti Hero. It’s always amazing to see someone with a long-term love of skateboarding and its art get a chance to contribute vital and dynamic images to the cause. —Randy Laybourne wolfbat.com

left to right from top: Anti Hero “Howling Cardiel” deck Anti Hero “Howling Gerwer” deck Anti Hero “Howling Hewitt” deck Anti Hero “Howling Stranger” deck Anti Hero “Howling Trujillo” deck “Owl” carving Anti Hero “Howling Eagle” deck, print & carving Vans x Dennis McNett “No Skool 2 Mid” shoe Anti Hero “McNett Trujillo” deck Anti Hero “McNett Cardiel” deck Anti Hero “Woodcut Stranger” deck Volcom “Skull Fork” tee Thrasher “Goat” tee Vans x Dennis McNett shoes and tees 18

dennis mcnett

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Guardian 1â&#x20AC;? leather and wood mask by Dennis McNett. Created for the Wolfbat Meditations show at AR4T in Laguna Beach, California. visit concreteskateboarding.com to download art blender wallpapers for your computer & mobile device.

with

words and photos

Brian caissie

DC CANADA

One spot. One session. Three moves. Getting kicked out from a spot this good can be frustrating, and even worse when you’re on a trip and can’t easily go back. While in Arizona with the DC Canada team, we checked out this rail in Tucson and got the boot from security, claiming we’d commit to the one-hour drive to try and skate it the next day. It wasn’t just talk, we actually left Tempe around midnight and headed back to the spot with a gassed-up generator. We got to the school and got the session going quick, just in case. After a few tries the guard came again, but Josh Clark had an idea...

He said: “We have a permit to skate the rail from the city, but it won’t open on my phone otherwise I’d show you.” The guard actually went for it! He hung out while we skated all night and turned out to be really cool. Many tricks went down, including Charles Deschamps’ half-cab crook 1 , Micky Papa’s nollie flip crook 2 and Josh’s fakie backlip 3 . We wrapped it up at sunrise, then turned the van into a huge rolling party for the ride back to Tempe. A memorable session indeed.

INTRODUCING

SIGNATURE DENIM

SIGNATURE LOW

AVAILABLE AT

SKATE SHOPS

EMERICA.COM / THEREYNOLDSLOW #EMERICAREYNOLDS #HIGHERQUALITY

TIMEBOMBTRADING.COM FACEBOOK.COM / TIMEBOMBTRADING @TIMEBOMBTRADING

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THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF nate lacoste intro

frank daniello

Fuelled by his solid closer in 2012’s Secondhand Stoke, Vancouver’s Nate Lacoste officially turned pro for Roger last November. Shortly after word got out, he slipped away on his first trip to New York City, which led to an impromptu stateside adventure. “I met my girlfriend Trudy for the first time in New York and ended up staying for a month, then came back to Vancouver for eight days, put all my stuff in storage and criss-crossed the States for six months,” Nate explains. “I was back and forth from New York to L.A. twice over. I stayed in Austin for two months, spent a bunch of time in San Francisco, and made it out to Hawaii.” Sure, most people are familiar with the 28-year-old’s photogenic skateboarding, which is evident in this feature, but his creative background may be lesser known. Nate graduated from the Fine Arts program at Capilano University, where he experimented with sculpture and installation art in addition to the years he’s spent drawing and dabbling with painting. You can also add hobby photography to that stable of visual outlets. “I didn’t really touch photography during school,” he mentions, “it was just something I always kinda did—picking up cameras at thrift stores and trying different films with them. I got stoked on some of the successes and kept it going.” One analog capturing device he has gravitated towards using is a 1962 Olympus Pen EE-2 35mm half-frame camera. Inspired by the photos it produced in Bob Kronbauer’s 2004 book, Beach Glass, Nate enjoys the practicality of the point-and-shoot’s film stretching abilities. “When you’re traveling and shooting a bunch of photos, it gets pretty expensive. Each frame is two shots with this camera, so you’re doubling the film, which is pretty rad. Sometimes the lab assumes you want the frames split up and sometimes the half-frames are together, which I like because you always end up with surprises.” As we sat in Nate’s Mount Pleasant apartment partaking in libations provided by his beverage sponsor, Pabst Blue Ribbon, we went over the following selection of photographs (mostly shot during his U.S. sabbatical) and got the stories behind them. natelacoste.tumblr.com

kickflip Photo: Brian Caissie

Isolation

“I went through a miserable break-up and needed to get away from the city. My buddy Graham, who’s shooting some skeets here, has some land in Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, and there’s a little cabin off the side of his house. I basically spent a week in isolation there and once in a while we’d go out and shoot some guns [laughs].”

Crazy Light

“During an overnight flight from Vancouver to Philly to visit my girlfriend, I woke up in the morning to some crazy light coming through the window, shining on this passed-out dude. I didn’t know how the contrast was going to work out in the photo, but his face is kind of floating there. I’m stoked on this one.”

Rocket Revival

We were driving from L.A. back to Long Beach, where I was staying with photographer Ben Karpinski. When we pulled on to the Long Beach turn-off we got swarmed by 50 bikes—all crotch rockets and they were wearing hilarious gear. I’m sure they thought they were pretty badass, but they looked like idiots [laughs].”

frontside Tailslide Photo: Brian Caissie

Michael Sieben

“That’s my dog right there. He brought us to one of his favourite Texas ditches, which was basically two banked walls with a curb at the top of one of them. He was having a blast and we were like, ‘What are we doing here? Let’s go skate some real spots.’ He said, ‘This is a real spot.’ Sieben’s a rad dude.”

Ollie Photo: Brian Caissie

Texas Tail-Drop

“This is my friend Kyle Estes in Austin at 5 Hips—a ditch spot that people have put some work into. This drop-in is gnarly because half the ramp is missing at the bottom, so it’s a tight little path. Kyle goes for it. I stayed with him in Texas for a month, and he actually lived with Spencer Hamilton at 1611 East in Vancouver for a while.”

Urban Lounge

“A random New York moment cross-processed on slide film. I was cruising around in SoHo and there was a nice chair just sitting in the street. As I got to the corner, this old guy rolled up, sat down and lit up a cigar. I just thought it was hilarious because he was having the best time ever.”

Botched March

“I’ve shot so many photos out of my girlfriend’s apartment window in South Philly. These kids were marching during a practice parade and they were all covered in plastic because it was raining. When the bandleader stopped they all kind of walked in to each other, cartoon style. It was really funny and this is them trying to get their shit together afterwards.”

Better Half

“This is my girlfriend, Trudy Nelson. She’s a G. I met her at a photo shoot the first time I was in New York last November. She’s a stylist and we got along super well. There was a Neil Young concert in Central Park, so her and I barged it and snuck in. Basically, the rest is history [laughs].”

bossross The Underground

photo: brian fick

3257 likes bossross Look Ma, no hands! #nailedit #christair #chesttats #boysup #sewerrat #thebonelessone #levitation #davidblaine view all 153 comments palmerspool Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only got one look!!! skelatorrr Why is MY nickname Skelator? billyinhawaii Eat 2 bowls rice, bra. Get big. summyunguy Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll catch you whenever you fall. photos: eg

DUSTMITE INFESTATION THE DUSTIN HENRY INTERVIEW

words

David Ehrenreich

tadashi yamaoda

he overwhelming public opinion around Calgary’s Dustin Henry is that he’s the best guy ever, and I completely agree. I first met him on a trip to Texas, where it took a mere four minutes for him to become everyone’s favourite little brother. He has the ability to infect people around him with positivity, and even though Dustin’s talents on-board have been well documented, kindness and sincerity can’t be photographed—you’ll have to meet him in person to believe it. “I have known Dustin for many years,” says Kevin Lowry, “watching him progress and mature not only on his board but in life. He’s a simple man with simple needs: a couple of friends, his board, a roof over his head, and his daily ritual of eating cereal and watching videos on his computer. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for all of us on the skate side of things.”

ollie

Hey, Duster, you seem to be moving around a lot lately. Where are you from originally and where are you now? I was born in Belleville, Ontario, but moved to Calgary when I was two. Lately, I’ve been staying in L.A. a bit when I can. That’s what you were asking, right?

backside nosegrind

Yeah, for sure. Where do you live? I’m living at my mom’s house in Calgary with my brother Tristan. We wanted to get our own place, but we’re staying a bit longer to save up more money. We’ll see. Are you and your brother good friends? He’s the best! We skate all the time, which is awesome, and he’s definitely steered me to the way I skate today. He got me into watching older skate vids; he bought the box set of The Bones Brigade videos, and we’ve just been watching them a bunch. Gotta respect where skateboarding came from. other than your mom, who hooks you up? Vans, Cliché, Filmbot Grip and The Source in Calgary.

Are you planning on moving South? I’d like to travel more and see the rest of the world before I decide on a big move like that. I’ve only been around North America. Where else would you like to visit? I really want to see Europe, Japan—so many other places. A lot of Canadians go to S.F., Vancouver or Montreal, and I could see myself living in any of those places because all of them are sweet. I would like to live in Europe for as long as a Canadian can. I actually like the skating and spots more up here sometimes. I’m just used to it rough—I like rough spots. Have the Americans been an inspiration for taking photos? I follow your blog and it looks like you’re shooting film, which is really cool. Yeah, I dunno [laughs]. I’ve been shooting here and there but just recently I’ve been super into it. While I was down in Cali, Derek and I were in this amazing antique shop and he found the exact same camera he has. He convinced me to buy it, and I love it—an Olympus XA. If anyone is looking for a good camera, I highly suggest this one. It’s super easy to use and small. Thanks for introducing me to it, Derek. What’s up with Cliché? They put some clips of you in the credits of their latest video, Bon Voyage. Cliché is great; they’ve really helped me out. It’s comforting to know people like that have your back. That video is nuts, and I was just stoked to be included. Do you like filming and editing? Didn’t you make your welcome to Cliché video? Yeah, filming and editing is fun! I only film with digi cams, but I make edits quite often. I have a YouTube channel [youtube.com/ ohhenrybros]. As for the welcome clip, I just figured I could do it and thought: “What the hay?” It was a good experience.

steve marentette

Does riding for Filmbot Grip mean getting free accommodations at Mikendo’s in L.A.? Yeah, I stay at Mike Stanfield’s house in Torrance most of the time when I visit Cali. He’s known for having a lot of Canadians pass through, so it’s always busy there. The last trip was a little different; I stayed with Derek [Fukuhara] for a month. I pay barely anything for rent when I’m down there. They’re a couple of nice guys, eh?

“It’s always fun to go skating with Dustin and watch how much better he’s getting day by day. It’s actually insane, not to mention he’s one of the most modest people you will meet. It’s people like him that are helping to change the mold of Canadian skateboarding. Godspeed, Dustmite!” —Jed Anderson

I heard you had a dream summer job. I was working for the City of Calgary as a skatepark monitor and it was awesome. I’m doing it again this summer. All you do is skate and make sure the kids are following the rules by wearing helmets and stuff. I’ve been working at American Apparel since October, so this summer I’m doing both.

It’s gonna take some time though because his gear got stolen out of his car, but we’re working on it!

Tell me about videos Cory “Bacon” McNeil made of the Calgary posse. Since I met Bacon [youtube.com/CoryBMcNeil], he’s always been into filming. His dad bought him an HD camera for his 16th birthday, which he used for a bit before discovered the VX1000. Serenity Now is the first video he made with the VX, and we’re filming for another video right now.

Are you having as much fun as it looks? It’s really tight here in the summer! I noticed while I was in California that people don’t take advantage of the weather as much as us because they’re just so used to it being nice. Being here, summer is amazing—a reward for surviving the dreadful winter.

Do you guys listen to 2 Chainz exclusively? All our friends listen to a lot of trap [laughs]. Just figured we’d use trap for the whole soundtrack ‘cause it’s the best.

“Dustin is my main B! I remember skating with him when were about seven, and it’s crazy to think that we still skate together all the time! He’s just a great guy on and off the board, bud. End of story.”

steve marentette

—Ben Blundell

hardflip derek fukuhara

A lot of your friends have moved away to Vancouver. What’s that like? Sometimes it’s hard, but guys like Tyler Warren and Ben Blundell are always coming back to visit, so I get to see them a lot. It’s the best when we can all go skate together. When we were hanging out in S.F. earlier this year, your obsession was Freaks and Geeks. What are you in to now? I’m still hooked on it! Even though I finished all the episodes, I just rewatched them with my brother. I also love Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm and How I Met Your Mother.

What’s up with the Calgary Stampede? Calgary is famous for it. Sometimes I go, maybe once every few years. It’s really pricey but super fun, with sweet fireworks every night. The city gets crazy. The cowboy subculture has been neglected by skateboarding. Do you think someone could pull it off? Is that person you? Not me, maybe Joe Buffalo.

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Frank Daniello

n Metro Vancouver you need to be on your grind to stay above that poverty line. This usually means a work routine comes into play, along with the life routine that surrounds it. This can, at times, leave you feeling like you’re stuck in the maddening time loop Bill Murray found himself trapped in while visiting Punxsatawney, Pennsylvania, in Groundhog Day. Thankfully, you can break free from the Mainland to an isolated refuge—a place where things are chill and skateboarding has a solid presence.

An hour-and-a-half ferry ride from Tsawwassen whisks you over the Strait of Georgia and into Swartz Bay near Victoria on Vancouver Island. This is where LRG Canada teamsters Chad Dickson, Mike Campbell, Arte Lew and Sean Lowe went to temporarily shed their city skin and change the pace. Perhaps this is why newly appointed Timebomb Trading TM Tyler Holm chose it as a destination for his first trip assignment? When you’re on Island time, you very much realize it and stress seemingly evaporates a little more efficiently (it also helps that Cariboo Brewing co-sponsored this endeavour). The Island’s mystical powers managed to smooth out blood pressure heightened matters such as Chad losing his wallet before the ship even dropped anchor at its destination, and Tyler obtaining a third-degree tank top sunburn by failing to adhere to a proper sun exposure strategy. Sure, a few days may seem inadequate for a productive skate trip. But since a large body of saltwater separated the crew from their Vancouver distractions and routines, it was #skatelife at all times. Actually, it was #LRGislandlife…

photos

rich odam

Frontside Feeble

Switch Backtail

“I work in a warehouse—I make boxes, pack boxes, send things out and count things. That’s pretty much it,” Arte Lew mentions in a monotone fashion. “I work from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, commuting from Burnaby to Coquitlam.” There is a silver lining to his daily grind: “They let me skate in the warehouse at work, so it’s good to pop some flat tricks when I’m a little stressed out [laughs]. When I’m not at work, I’ll head over to the PoCo park if it’s nice out, or I’ll go home and play video games if it’s not. Nothing too ridiculous.”

That being said, Arte was itching for an opportunity to escape his predictable schedule, so TM Tyler Holm’s call to hit Vancouver Island couldn’t have come at a better time.

“Chad, Mike, Sean—we all get along really well. Even though we only really had three days of street skating, it was a nice break from commuting and working. We were having so much fun so the stress of having to get an article together in such a short time didn’t even sink in. The pace is way slower on the Island, so the trip actually felt longer than it was. The people are so mellow there and could just tell I was from the city [laughs].” 41

“I work at A&B Party Rentals,” Mike Campbell begins explaining his city grind. “We load our truck up in the morning, doing deliveries and pick-ups all over Vancouver, Surrey and Coquitlam.”

Since he’s on the road each weekday, Mike finds himself daydreaming about spots he sees during his travels. Sure, he jots down the details in a notebook he keeps in the cab—and he’ll eventually get to skate these discovered gems—but it’s a lot easier to skate what you see in front of you when the work truck is replaced with a shenanigan-laced passenger vehicle.

“I’ve been waiting to go on a little trip—just packin’ homies in the van. Going over to the Island was amazing, and it’s cool how close it is to Vancouver. Everyone just seems a little more laid back and the locals are so good there. It was cool to skate that roof gap Chad switch flipped in Sooke. It’s in the middle of nowhere, and we had to hike through this little forest to get there. I’ll have to let Chad explain his ordeal though [laughs].” 42

Backside Smith

Backside 180 Nosegrind “I don’t go to work. I just work on my good looks,” Sean Lowe says with a laugh. Lacking traditional employment doesn’t mean his life in Mainland Vancouver is void of routine.

“I usually wake up early and get some sort of caffeine vice going,” he explains. “Then I make breakfast and check every sport highlight I possibly can on TV or the Internet. Around 1 o’clock I just go skate. I hit the Plaza, then try to link up with a photographer, filmer or whoever I can for the day.” Sure, that may sound like a utopian lifestyle to some, but when you’re living it on the daily it’s nice to switch things up. The Island provided that opportunity for Sean, and it was a homecoming of sorts.

“My very first published photo was in Concrete, and it was shot on the Island. This is the first time I’ve gone back since then,” he mentions before adding: “It’s nice just to go to new parks and spots; the more you explore different things and get out of your comfort zone, the more you’re going to get different outcomes and evolve as a skateboarder.”

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“At 9 a.m. each day, I start work at a distribution warehouse, and it’s the same thing as that movie Groundhog Day—you wake up to Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” every day and you’re just like, ‘Fuck!’” Chad Dickson explains. “All day long it’s receiving product, picking orders, boxing them, preparing shipping labels, then sending them out the door. After work I’ll hit the Mount Pleasant park or the Plaza; that’s about it other than making dinner and watching Desperate Housewives.” Enough weeks of that in a row might very well lead to the disgruntled behaviour Housewives character Carlos Solis exuded in Season 4. Unfortunately, not everyone on this LRG Canada trip completely sloughed off the city slicker skin before crossing the Georgia Strait.

“The beginning of the trip sucked for me because I lost my wallet, so I was dealing with that the whole time, but other than that the crew we had was so sick,” Chad immediately takes to the bright side. “I’ve never been in a van where I’ve laughed so much the entire time.”

Chad was able to harness Vancouver Island’s mellow vibes once he was inflicted with skateboard-related stress in Sooke.

“Oh, man, the roof gap,” he recalls what Mike alluded to previously. “It was really hot that day, and I ate shit trying to kickflip it, so I was over it. Then Campbell started killing the gap and the vibes were good, so I went for a switch flip. Second try my back foot just exploded off the nose, putting me into the splits. The ground gripped my ass and pretty much ripped my brand-new jeans straight in half. I instantly felt sick to my stomach and went into the woods to regroup for a while, then warmed up again and got the switch flip. I’ll just say you’re never too old to shit your pants and you’re never too old to land a trick [laughs].” lrg.com/skate

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kilian martin

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B R Y A N W HT H EE T R R Y I G A W O R D S

I A N

T W A

P H O T O S

B R I A N

C A I S S I E

KICKFLIP BACK TAIL

met Bryan in Calgary back when I was 16 and he was about 18. He had just moved there for the winter to work and skate at The Source’s new indoor park. Back then I was a little wrapped up with my crew of friends in Calgary and wasn’t really sure if this newfound Ontario homie actually liked kicking it with me. Nonetheless, Wherry and I skated a lot that winter. Once summer approached he moved back East and we had little contact, but I was always hyped to see his latest video part or photo in a magazine. If you know Bryan, you know he really gives a fuck about his own skating and is definitely his number one critic. Almost seven years later Wherry left his hometown of Kitchener, ON, permanently to make the move out West to Vancouver. In the back of my

mind I just knew he was going to get down with the homies and probably move into my crib. It took a couple months to move some heads around, then he was in the “Fuck Shop” with myself, Joey Williams and Travis Stenger. Six years later, Wherry and I are still living together. We hang out and skate every day, and the harder we work the harder we play. It’s strange to think back to when we first met in Calgary so long ago. At the time it seemed insignificant, but he would end up as one of my best homies. I know Wherry will always be Ontario at heart, but I honestly can’t imagine the West without him. So without further ado, I give you Bryan Wherry in all his glory. Get some, tiGa!

KICKFLIP WALLRIDE

Where and who are you living with right now? I’m still living at 1611 East with the same crew! Right now it’s me, you, Joey Williams, LJ [Mark Brownlee], Caine Cripps, Penny Kitty, Ty James, Spencer Hamilton, and whatever other guests are staying over. Oh yeah, we have one more roommate I forgot about—your girlfriend and her dog, Cruzer [laughs]! Love you, Alexa!

Where did things go from there? He hooked up the job and introduced me to Gary Bone, who is the owner of Livestock and Take Five Trading. I ended up working at the store for a couple years and eventually I got to talking with Gary about going over to Take Five to do the TM stuff and skate for HUF Canada. I was so hyped on the opportunity and still am!

How did you end up working with Take Five Trading? Well, one guy I can thank for that is Cyrus Thiedeke. I was working a really shitty labour job for a long time, at this junk removal place, when I ran into Cy one day. I told him what I was up to with work and stuff and he thought he could get me a job at Livestock—a store in Gastown he was managing at the time.

I know you’ve gone through some changes with sponsors. Who’s hooking you up with boards right now? I’m skating for Studio Skateboards now. So hyped! It was actually a long time coming. The first anyone ever heard of the brand was in the SBC news section years ago—a photo of me, Ryan Blaxall, Darrell Smith and Jai Ball. We always talked about doing it, but when the photo dropped,

announcing the new company, I was skating for Cliché. Everyone was supposed to quit their board sponsors and I totally pussied out [laughs]. So I manned up years down the road and quit Cliché on really good terms.

you could say that about a Canadian brand, period? No offense to other brands out there, I just think it’s a really good look for the country and skating in general. The whole vibe is proper.

It went full circle. It honestly feels great! I skate with Jai and Wade Fyfe all the time—those are my boys so it just feels right. The younger dudes on the team are all really cool as well. I’ve been on a couple trips already and I was super hyped on everyone as homies and skaters.

Are you filming for anything right now? Yes, I’m filming for the 1611 East video and the next Studio project.

What makes Studio stand out from different board brands? It’s skater-owned, Canadian, and it’s sick as fuck! When was the last time

Who’s putting out videos these days that get you hyped? I love the raw Palace videos; those guys don’t give a fuck! And the Dime crew—sickest skating and they’re just having a great time. It makes you want to go skate.

FRONT SIDE FLIP

What’s good with you and tiGas? And are you still filing lawsuits against Charlie Sheen for copyright infringement? The whole tiGa thing isn’t even me. I’ve got to give full credit to my boy Scotty Gilroy. When I was living in Calgary, we skated together every day and kicked it all the time; he’s one of my best friends for life! That was just something he said all the time: “Yo, tiGa… tiGa this, tiGa that.” I’m pretty sure he got it from Andre Nickatina. It’s just something that stuck with me! It’s a little piece of Scotty G I still carry around [laughs]. And tigers are just the shit. Scotty G is the man. Who are the young-and-upcoming skaters that you’re hyped on right now in Canada? I’ve got this handful of kids that come to mind that I think are killing it 52

and just doing it right. In my mind they are the future of Canadian skating. Some of those guys are Zander Mitchell, Tyler Warren, Ben Blundell, Will Blakley, Joey Larock, and fucking Big Diesel [Keith Henry]! Yeah, I said it [laughs]! These dudes look like proper street skaters in a new generation that looks like they’ve learned how to skate at a skatepark. What do you think about skating right now? Are we doomed from corporate takeover? Fuck, if we are, we did it to ourselves. But it feels like there’s a lot of skaterowned companies going hard right now. I like that. I feel like people are finally realizing what’s going on. As far as a consumer goes, it’s like if you go to get a coffee and there’s a Starbucks on one side of the street and a small locally owned spot on the other side of the street with better coffee.

“T I G E R S A R E

J U S T T H E S H I T”

Who would you rather give your money to? For me it’s a no brainer. Why would skating, the thing we love most, be any different? So we both get down pretty hard with aliens and the secrets of the pyramids. Have you ever seen a UFO? You know I have, tiGa [laughs]! I have my own little X-file. I’ve got footage and all that, but it looks like shit because there’s no zoom on an iPhone camera. So I get home and I’m tripping the fuck out, trying to tell you guys what happened and make you watch my shitty little video that does no justice to what I just experienced. The whole time I’m feeling like that person in the movies that no one believes and everyone thinks is a complete psychopath!

Then there was a knock at the door… I’m the first one up to answer it and it’s the police! There are two of them and they have a German Shepherd. The first thing out of their mouth is, “Have you seen or heard anything strange in the neighbourhood?” I straight up look this guy dead in the eye and say, “Yes, actually I just saw a UFO!” This dude must have thought I was insane. As soon as I say that he’s like, “How many people are in the house? I smell pepper spray,” and started acting like there was a home invasion happening or something. That whole night was just bizarre [laughs]. Alright, give your thanks. My family, roommates, all my friends, sponsors and past sponsors. Gary and Chris Bone, the whole Take Five crew, and anyone who’s ever helped me or inspired me in any way.

STACYGABRIEL

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n B idg s p i n FHa k i eoM a non y sH a l ftc a b i F l iep [o] Rich Odam

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B o bb y D e K e y z e r Backside [o] Alex Hart

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Charles Deschamps going with Interview Josh Clark Design Randy Laybourne portraits nathan ĂŠthier-myette

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Charles Deschamps is a mild-mannered 21-yearold Frenchman from the Montreal area who I recently had the pleasure of joining on his first DC Canada trips this year. His relaxed demeanour made it easy for him to fit in with the homies. he never whines or complains, and on a skateboard he casually assaults anything in his path. I enjoy hanging with Charles because he doesn’t take shit too seriously; he just wants to have fun and skate with his friends. On top of that he’s got a good head on his shoulders and his priorities straight. If you ever see Charles out in the streets, say what up to him and you’ll know what I’m talking about. I like to give him a hard time because his English can sound kinda funny sometimes, but he’s not a sensitive baby and we usually just end up laughing our asses off together. That’s my dawg. —Sascha Daley Let’s get down the basics for people who don’t know you yet, where are you from?

I’m from Saint-Hubert on the South Shore of Montreal, but you can just say Montreal because it’s easier that way [laughs].

How long have you been there?

I’ve lived on the South Shore my whole life but this is probably gonna be my last year. I was planning on moving out this year, but felt it was a good idea to stay for one more to save money and just focus on skating.

What’s an average day like for you?

Wake up, eat breakfast, try and call people to get a session going, drive downtown to meet up, and then drive back at the end of the day [laughs]. I’m pretty much down to skate every day, but I’ll just be chilling if nothing is happening. It doesn’t always work out.

FeEblE [o] BriAn caiSsie

Before this summer you were working full time, how was that?

Yeah, I was working at an architectural firm for a year—nine to five, Monday to Friday—so I could only skate on the weekends. I graduated two years ago with a degree in architecture, but didn’t really end up liking the job because it took up all my time. I couldn’t travel anywhere, so it was pretty hard to skate. I decided to quit even if it was a really good job; I just wanted to see what else I could do. 68

Do you see yourself returning to a job in that field later in life?

Yes, of course. When I’m able to do this full time again I’d like to go back. It’s not mentally hard to do and it’s mellow, but I don’t like sitting in a chair all day. Right now I like more physical work—actually doing something as opposed to sitting in an office all day.

“ Right now I like more physical work— actually doing something as opposed to sitting in an office all day.”

bigspin boardslide [o] Brian caissie

How and when did you get into skating?

I got a shitty plastic skateboard on my birthday once and I was rolling around on my knees at first. Maybe in Grade 6 I started to roll properly. I had a group of friends to skate with for a bit but they all quit for mountain biking. I didn’t realize I liked skateboarding so much at that point and started mountain biking and hitting dirt jumps with everyone.

How long did you stick with mountain biking?

It was fun, but after a year or so I was over it. I felt there wasn’t much of a challenge so I got back into skating. When I started up again I was skating alone in front of my house ‘til this guy moved in across the street. He wasn’t very good either so it was perfect [laughs]. A little while after that they built a skatepark close to my place and that’s where I met a bunch of other skaters who would go out street skating. I was pretty hyped to go skate downtown Montreal.

Who did you look up to when you started skating? Who got you hyped?

I was pretty hyped on Rodney Mullen at one point because I was skating in front of my house a lot so I could relate to his solo flat skating [laughs]. The Flip videos got me really hyped for a while—Sorry was the first one I ever saw. Bastien [Salabanzi] and Arto’s parts got my really hyped. I bought a random Zoo York video at one point and it was cool to see a different, more urban style of city skating.

crailslide [o] james morley

“ Normal people work all week and when it comes to the weekend they feel free, they want to take a day off and go play golf or chill, but with skateboarding your day off to enjoy yourself is every day you’re skating.” 72

front 180 fakie 50-50 [o] Brian caissie

Who do you look up to now?

Wes Kremer is one of my favourites. Evan Smith and Mark Suciu are really sick, too. Basically, anyone that’s trying to do different stuff and make it look good is an inspiration right now.

What motivates you to keep skating?

The rest of the world. When I look at everyone else in life just chilling and watching life go by, it makes me realize that skateboarding is what you do for a living. I’ve learned not to take things for granted and to take advantage of the fact that I can skate every day right now.

When you say “for a living,” do you mean financially or as a passion in life? I don’t mean financially, but as a passion. Skateboarding is a huge part of my life. Normal people work all week and when it comes to the weekend they feel free, they want to take a day off and go play golf or chill, but with skateboarding your day off to enjoy yourself is every day you’re skating.

You’ve been traveling a lot lately. Where to?

After quitting my job at the architecture firm, I had a bunch of money saved up so I decided to invest it into traveling and see what the rest of the world has to offer. I’ve been to Barcelona, Costa Rica, Atlanta, North Carolina, New York and we did a DC Canada trip to Arizona. I’m just trying to see new places, even small cities like Kingston, Ontario, or Albany, New York. Anything new is sweet.

front shuv [o] nathan ĂŠthier-myette

Do you find that traveling keeps you motivated to keep getting tricks?

For sure. It keeps me motivated on a skateboard but it also makes me realize how big the world is. After being in Costa Rica I realized how good I have it at home, too. In Montreal you’re set; the rent is cheap, it’s safe, and we have health insurance so there isn’t much to worry about.

Has skateboarding helped with your English?

Yes, obviously [laughs]. People still make fun of me for my English but that’s kinda what makes me wanna get better. I speak English as much as I can, no matter how it comes out. I learn as I go.

DiD you learn it in school at all?

I had English classes in Grade 6 and I speak with my mom in English, too. You can’t really learn it in school; you can learn the basics and how to put a sentence together, but that’s it. It’s like learning a trick at the skatepark before bringing it to the streets. It’s way different in the streets, where you can really see if you learned it or not [laughs].

What do you think of Montreal?

Montreal is sick as fuck. The spots and the people are amazing. There’s a bit of a lack of motivation sometimes, but it’s all good. People are skating street, though. Sometimes you just end up at Peace Park every day, but still you’re skating street. It’s a great city with lots of culture just to hang out in as well. The French and English mentalities are different so when they come together it brings a cool, different vibe.

If you were to move away from Montreal, where would you go?

After going to Barcelona, I pretty much feel in love with Europe, so I would probably go there. I’ve been to Cali and I feel like I’ve already seen all the spots in all the videos out there today. But in Europe it’s all new and different spots.

How did you get sponsored by Cliché?

I was on Skate Mental for a while and had a good deal with them, but after S&J lost it to Centre, I didn’t know what was gonna happen. Gab Bélanger asked if I wanted to ride for Cliché through Dwindle, and I was obviously down. It’s the sickest company and it’s French, too [laughs]. Oliviero Fontana is also a huge reason why I got on Cliché; he helped put everything in motion for me. Thanks, Fonty!

as a new addition to the DC Canada team, how’s it been going?

I’m pretty stoked. At first I didn’t know what to expect or know what would happen with it, but after that first trip in Arizona [find the full Concrete feature and video by visiting vimeo.com/ concreteskate/azdc], I realized everyone was super chill and they like to skate a lot. No one is trying to step on anyone’s toes, and everyone is hyped if someone else gets a trick. It’s not competitive between anyone on the team and there is no rush. We just go with the flow.

“ Skateboarding is a huge part of my life.”

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Layne Caplette lives: Edmonton, AB age: 20 etnies, instance, sponsors: Olive Skateboards, Solid Skateboard Shop

Switch Crooked Grind

a stoked little grom at the park. I first met Layne years ago when he was of nowhere, and his skating has In the last couple years he’s come out onton scene. Layne is still stoked Edm the in le peop the of surpassed most s I’ve gone out shooting with. dude g and he’s one of the hardest-workin l find him at the spot until he gets it. Once a trick gets into his head, you’l —Caleb Matthews

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chris gollop lives: St. John’s, Nl age: 23 sponsor: Ballistic Skate & Snow

Varial Heelflip

time in peoples’ lives than Small talk probably takes up a lot more n’t really have this problem. does Chris t. admi anyone would care to him either. The only problem for Skateboarding clearly isn’t a problem th, you’re going to take back mou his s open he when that is that Chris has hang with the dude more and at ed laugh every Newfie joke you’ve ever der by? it is lem, often. I guess that really isn’t his prob —Justin Czank

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Zack Ferguson lives: Toronto, ON age: 17 ve, Lucky, Hubba, sponsors: Think, Emerica, Thee Hammer Skateshop

Nosegrind

each day at 5 p.m. You can usually Zack is a nocturnal skater who starts the local skate bar, but I wouldn’t find him cooling out at Dunbat or 751, you. It doesn’t matter how buck were I if d secon a for underestimate him mood for a session. He might the in ys he gets the night before, he’s alwa t, but seeing him rip any spot will appear to be the laziest kid on the plane make you think twice. —Kyle Perry

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John Lucas

Some artists send demos to dozens of labels with the hopes of scoring a deal, only to hear back from exactly zero of them. Oxford, Mississippi’s Cole Furlow (who records under the name Dead Gaze) took a more focused approach, directing his efforts at FatCat—the U.K.-based label that has released albums by the critically adored likes of Animal Collective, Sigur Rós, and Frightened Rabbit.

easy, but don’t think for a second that Furlow hasn’t paid his dues. Since adopting the Dead Gaze moniker in 2009, he has recorded and selfreleased an impressive batch of albums, EPs, and singles in a variety of formats—but don’t bother trying to find them at your favourite record shop. “A lot of those seven-inches are out of print, and the 10-inch is hard to find,” he says. “The cassettes are way gone.”

“A long time ago I saw that they had this demopolicy thing, where you could send in anything and they’ll listen to it,” Furlow recalls. “At the time I was living in Jackson. I had a lot of time on my hands and I was out of school, so I ended up spending a lot of time making some weird songs. I was working at a music store in town, and I had a pretty nice outlet to buy some gear and make some nice recordings out of the stuff that I had. So I just sent it over, with a letter, just like, ‘Hey, I’m from Mississippi. I’d love to hear what you think about this—if you think about it at all.’”

Dead Gaze’s self-titled FatCat debut collects 10 of the tracks from those earlier efforts, plus a pair of new songs. What the album showcases above all is that Furlow knows how to write a hell of a pop song, and that he takes great delight in defying expectations of how such a song ought to sound. On cuts like “Remember What Brought Us Here” and “This Big World”, he shellacs his effortless melodies with distorting effects and wraps them in layers of fuzz, with everything compressed into the red. “I Found The Ending” and “Fight ‘Til It’s Dead” peel back some of the obfuscating grunge, but they still shimmer with waves of blissful noise.

The folks at FatCat did have a few thoughts, it turned out. They thought, for example, that Dead Gaze’s lysergic noise-pop would be a good fit on their roster. That makes it all sound pretty

“I didn’t have a lot of money; I couldn’t record in a studio and what I had was a lot of homerecording stuff,” Furlow says of his ambitious

yet lo-fi approach. “I didn’t want to make anything that sounded like some guy just recording little pieces of songs. I wanted to make some sort of textured-type thing. I wanted to make each song its own entity. So in that rulebook, in that way of thinking, I pushed that to the limit with what I had.” With a label now behind him, Furlow could afford utilizing the Sweet Tea Recording Studio—an Oxford facility that has witnessed the birth of LPs by everyone from Buddy Guy and Elvis Costello, to Modest Mouse and The Walkmen. He promises that the next Dead Gaze record, Brain Holiday (due out in October), will boast a sound reflecting its origins in an actual studio, as opposed to his bedroom. He also notes that, once again, he’ll be fucking with listener expectations, and that you’ll actually be able to hear what he’s singing this time. “On the next record, the lyrics are a big thing,” Furlow says. “We made these super-clean, popvocal lyrics for the next record. It’s completely not warbled, no dirtiness to it at all, so it’s really gonna be an interesting thing to see what people say about that.”

deadgaze.bandcamp.com

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curated and written by

David Ehrenreich

I often have the best time skating when my week prior has been about everything but, which is why I’ve referenced cinema and some older skate videos in this issue’s Links as some secondary options for entertainment. Diversity is key to enjoying all these videos, both reviewed and referenced, and hopefully you’ll draw some new inspiration from then and now.

\M/

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Cooper Winterson’s \m/ is a bunch of kids in New York, ragging on the streets for an hour-and-a-half. It looks like a perfect childhood, and if Kids was made now, these guys could fill the cast. Truth be told, this video is way too long, but who cares? They certainly didn’t make it for us, or to sell a product—it’s their own personal saga on how they’ve spent their weekends and summers. \m/ includes both heinous four-minute sections where they all mess around on the same curb, to incredible video parts from skaters who will likely end up with names on boards. I’d highly recommend starting with the first part, Matt Militano, and his successor Sage Elsesser. After that comes an hour of chaos and incredible wardrobes before Ben Kadow’s impressive and highly refreshing ender.

DAMN…

BEER STORM

v im eo.com/70159063

Beer Storm, by up-and-coming filmer Liam Glass, is 58 minutes of hilarity, skating and consumption by some of Calgary’s finest. Glass, who was motivated by wanting to showcase his hometown skate scene, says, “There are so many dudes who kill it and are getting slept on. I’m hoping people will notice how good the kids here are.” Living up to its name, Beer Storm features copious amounts of shotgunning complemented with standout parts from Beau Larson, Steve Graham, Tyree Wildman, and Derrick Timoshenko, to name a few. Also, a notable appearance by Terry Cahill from Fubar, who it turns out is related to Larson, elevates this video to a whole new level of awesome. A humble dude with a killer moustache, Glass says that there was never a plan to film Beer Storm initially, but now finds himself currently working on the sequel. Nice work. —Stephanie Lake

SEEING RED

bl i nds k at eb oa r ds .com

v i meo.com /69551549

Blind started in 1989 with Mark Gonzales and Steve Rocco harping on Vision, which was a huge brand at the time. They went on to make Video Days (1991), Tim & Henry’s Pack of Lies (1992), and had a section in Trilogy (1996)—three of the best damn skate videos of all time. If you’re interested in watching Blind’s latest, Damn…, by Mike Manzoori, go right ahead. It’s worth the $7 iTunes price tag and features overall nice guy and friendly Canadian ambassador Morgan Smith, along with our newest psychotic stair-jumping export, TJ Rogers. When you’re done with the Blind’s latest video, settle in on YouTube and take a walk down memory lane by searching their back catalogue. It’s important to note that Guy Mariano in Video Days and Lavar McBride in Trilogy stand as the two best “little kid parts” of all time, unanimously agreed upon by anyone who’s ever had a reasonable opinion.

This little promo video came out of absolutely nowhere. It wasn’t released on Red Star’s own video channel, but rather on co-owner Dan Opyc’s personal Vimeo account, lacking any pertinent information. Regardless, this new Red Star team is stripped down, with the three main featured riders being co-owner Paul Machnau, Tyler O’Grady and Paul Trep. This was not the proper platform to splice in low-res clips from Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void—a director and masterpiece that shouldn’t come in contact with skateboarding. But if you’ve ever seen any of Gaspar’s films, they make you feel the same way about life that Paul Trep makes you feel about your skateboarding—uneasy, shitty, and overwhelmingly intrigued. It’s actually like watching a young Penny; they posses a unique skill set and style that can’t be duplicated, sometimes even by themselves. Trep’s Seeing Red part is the closest thing I’ve seen to witnessing him skate in person.

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gabe morford

TOMMY GUERRERO

Ever since I first met him as a crusty little nine-year-old skater, Tommy Guerrero has always had style. From his early influences and roots in skateboarding to his accomplishments both as a professional skater and musician over 30 years later, T.G.’s personified style has, in fact, become greatly influential to others and will continue to be. You could say it’s in the way he skates or how he jams on his guitar, but more succinctly it’s how he approaches life. He has done things without a silver spoon in his mouth, without a sense of entitlement, and without really copying anyone else. T.G. has become successful via good friends, mutual respect for them and others, good timing and long-lasting connections. His life is one that’s admired and it’s not full of riches or material trappings. He’s got that soul power. Hands down, skateboarding is very fortunate to have Tommy’s knowledge, involvement and influence woven into its fabric of culture over the years. —Bryce Kanights

Favourite Powell-Peralta video?

All-time favourite S.F. spots?

First thought that came to mind when you were called up for the 2013 TWS Legend Award?

Which famous S.F. hill bomb stands out to you.

The Bones Brigade Video Show [’84], because of Lance Mountain—his seemingly casual cruising always inspires me to go skate.

I struggled with the whole idea initially as I don’t want accolades for something that I no longer do professionally. The fact that there are awards and ceremonies for skating really seems like a bunch of self-congratulatory B.S. I don’t need to pat myself on the back. I live in the moment and never want to rest on my laurels. That’s a death blow.

who convinced you to accept the award?

Jim [Thiebaud] and Julien [Stranger] basically said that I had to do it; that it wasn’t really for me but for the people who have supported and continue to support me. I am grateful to have had a moment of clarity just before I went on stage and decided that all the skaters should be part of this. It’s bigger than me, you and any other individual. It’s a force and energy that we are all part of. A cycle with no end or beginning.

Which REAL video part stands out to you most? Mark Gonzales’ part in Real To Reel [’01].

What roles have you had at Deluxe since the beginning? Retard, jerkwad, goofball, corndog, loafer, gopher, moper, skater, filmer, team manager, clothing producer, graphic designer, art mis-director, thinker, doer, and spiritual consultant to the skate stars.

Which five people or things would you consider as San Francisco’s finest? Me, myself, I… and I and myself. Actually, too many on that list and I’d hate to leave someone out, but Herb Caen, Harvey Milk, City Lights Bookstore, Santana and my Mom.

What’s the strangest fan request you’ve received? Maybe to play someone’s wedding.

Avenues, Miley, China Banks, HP Ramp, Beach Curbs with friends, Whale Curbs; any spot with the crew is always the best spot at that time.

Man, I don’t know. When Sean Young bombed Gough Street in the rain—that scared the crap out of me.

When did you first pick up an instrument?

Guitar was the first instrument my mom bought, but I quickly switched to bass. That’s my place of comfort. I just started pluckin’ away when I was around 12 or so; I never learned covers and still don’t know any other tunes, not even mine! I don’t read or write music, I channel what’s in my head and it just sort of happens. I know about two chords.

Musically, who are your main influences?

Man, everyone. Bad Brains, Coltrane, The Smiths, The Cure, Joy Division, Rush, Sabbath, Zep, Thin Lizzy, Santana, Sly Stone, Tower of Power, Grant Green, Freddie Hubbard, Mingus, Al Green and Hendrix! Bill Withers and Rodriguez are two of my all-time favourites.

Most inspiring place you’ve played a show?

Sunset Live Fest on Keya Beach in Fukuoka, Japan. The stage was right on the beach overlooking the bay, surrounded by mountains. It looked like a movie set. Thousands of people all getting along and having a good time. Amazing.

What’s your favourite inspirational quote?

“One foot in the grave, the other on a banana peel.” I can’t remember who said it, but is was a musician or lyric.

Last book you read?

Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie.

What has skateboarding given you? Everything.

tommyguerrero.com

words & photos

antosh cimoszko

While looking for something undercover to skate on a rainy day, a friend of ours found this spot. It’s close to the Canada Line at Bridgeport station in Richmond, BC, edging the Fraser River. Ignoring the clearly marked “Trespassers Will Be Shot” sign, the trick had Ryan Lepore, filmer Ethan Craig and myself heading there a total of five times to get the clip. The size of the gap was always fluctuating due to changing tides. Sometimes we’d get there and the drop would be way too tall; other times the dock Ryan would land on was so close to where he popped that it wasn’t worth it. Any unsuccessful attempts resulted in a kick-out and would leave his board lost in the river. One time, on Ryan’s first try, his board landed close to what appeared to be a blood-stained mattress. He went for a swim in the freezing water in search for his board to continue the session, but left empty handed. A couple weeks after getting this ollie, Ryan and his dad went scuba diving and retrieved his lost setup. I think he’s skating the trucks right now.

“Jumping down this gap felt like that one scene in Free Willy. I ate a DQ cake at the skatepark for dinner to celebrate.” —Ryan Lepore 92

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