Issue 113 July 2011 free
The
China Report
Slub Bucks L.A. Schools Invaded
Portugal Recollected Issue 113 July 2011
Paul Liliani blacks out
Identity Erik Ellington Five Spot Johnny Layton Sound Check Chad VanGaalen Art Blender Eric Wollam
INTRODUCING THE SQUARE TWO FUSION
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ISSUE 113 /// July 2011
30 Slub Bucks 40 50 Paul Liliani L.A. 60 70 China
The Portugal Recollection A Suburban Exploitation
Blackout
Interview
Schoolyard Invasion The
10 14 16 22 24 26 86 94 98 100
Report
Rise & Shine James Morley Identity Erik Ellington Inventory Art Blender Eric Wollam BA.KU. PROPAGANDA Crusade Templar Horse Skeleton Death of Eldorado Young Bloods Real ‘Since Day One’ Review Sound Check Chad VanGaalen The Five Spot Johnny Layton
Wanderlust cover photo / contents sequence and caption by
Brian Caissie
The impulse to explore the world is known as wanderlust, which is what brought 16 of us to China this year. While traveling through Guangzhou in two vans, we ended getting separated at a university. So we wandered around looking for the other group and saw this red ribbon sculpture in the distance. In my opinion this spot was the best of the trip, with transitions of varying heights, smooth metal, and it looked like it had never been skated before. We immediately set up our cameras fearing a quick kick-out, and I knew by everyone’s excitement that a good photo was happening. At first I was satisfied with the huge ollie to fakie CORY WILSON did, and I actually packed up my gear thinking it was over. Even with a nagging injury, he spun this massive 360 FLIP TO FAKIE as the last trick on a perfect afternoon. Check out “The China Report” feature and visit concreteskateboarding.com for bonus footage from the trip.
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Concrete skateboarding
AND INTRODUCING THE FIX C1RCA.COM
SWITCH BACKSIDE TAILSLIDE. IRVINE, CA - circa 2011. PHOTO: BART JONES
SCAN THIS FOR A DISCOUNT CODE FOR C1RCA PRODUCTS AT SHOP.C1RCA.COM
July 2011
Issue 113
Rise & Shine
Dillon Moore // backside kickflip
James Morley James has lived in Etobicoke on Toronto’s west side for most of his 19 years, and claims to utter “some really weird words that make no sense by definition.” Good thing he’s a photographer, since each picture is worth a thousand understandable words. Sources reveal that James is a magnet when it comes to flying boards, once suffering from head, shoulder and fisheye damage due to six unfavourable wood-wheel trajectories in a single sesh. After such mishaps, guilty pop-pleasures like Lady Gaga and Aqua have been known to lift his spirits. If that fails, a visit to Church’s Chicken for the fried bird, biscuits and mashed combo is a sure-shot morale booster. James has been a regular Concrete contributor ever since he was first published last year, when he hooked up a Mitch Donovan “Young Bloods” for Issue 105. This time around, the up-and-coming lensman snapped some visual goodness that ended up on the final spread (shown above) of our Slub Bucks feature (p.40). 10
Concrete skateboarding
Photo stylings by: Dave Chami
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A new year to contemplate a purchase of Toy Machine to ramp up your street-cred.
RYAN SHECKLER HALF CAB
SAM McGUIRE PHOTO.
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Featuring
BETTER THAN VULC.
etnies.com stifusion.com
photos doughnut
Identity
When it comes to Erik Ellington, there’s so much to say because he’s been a rock star in skateboarding ever since his first part in 411 Issue 20 dropped back in ’97. He helped introduce Zero to the world with Thrill Of It All, and turned Pro after 1999’s Misled Youth before quitting to join his friends at Baker. Erik took his skating to the next level in Emerica’s 2003 video, This Is Skateboarding, while also making red hair look awesome. Then a few years after opening up 2005’s Baker 3, he left with Jim Greco to form an offshoot board company with a name similar to those badass Charles Bronson movies. Erik has always approached his skate career and business on his own terms whether he’s helping to build Deathwish and Bakerboys, making moves for KR3W and SUPRA, or inadvertently setting trends in skateboarding. He just oozes style, and is often imitated but never duplicated. —David Ehrenreich
What’s your greatest accomplishment?
My two kids Julius and Mya. Nothing else really compares.
Things you miss about living in Anchorage, Alaska?
The fresh air and scenery. I never appreciated it when I lived there, but living in Los Angeles gave me some perspective on that [laughs].
Favourite inspirational quote?
“Get there while you can.”—Terry Kennedy
Top movies in your rotation?
My kids have taken over the television, so it’s pretty much the Toy Story movies, Ponyo, and Stuart Little or somethin’. If it was up to me I’d have The Big Lebowski on repeat.
Last book you read?
The Shack by William P. Young.
First songs that pop up on shuffle?
“Mr. Crowley” by Ozzy Osbourne, “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” by Lil’ Wayne and Birdman, “Civil War” by Guns N’ Roses, “Dead Skin Mask” by Slayer and “Ohio” by Neil Young.
Favourite videos you’ve been a part of?
I would have to go with Thrill Of It All (1997). It was the first real video I was in and it was Zero’s first video, so it holds a special meaning to me. Looking back it was rad to be a part of something brand new while being young and naive to the industry.
Who do you skate with on the regular?
The Baker, Shake Junt and Deathwish guys, and the crew from Bakerboys Distribution. Lately, Guy and Biebel at their park.
Best things about living in Hollywood?
To not live in Hollywood anymore [laughs]. I had to get the fuck outta there.
Top things you’ve built?
My family, my son’s crib and Bakerboys.
Main things in the back of your ’75 Ford F-150?
There’s always like two set-ups, about four pairs of shoes, a spare tire and this gas nozzle thing I built.
What has skateboarding given you?
Everything. My family and friends, traveling, money and the ability to start my own business. You name it and most likely it’s due to skating. 14
Concrete skateboarding
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inventory
Chocolate
Pinball Series
collection compiled by sean miller
Evan Hecox created this series based on old-school pinball machines. Reading into these graphics, one might assume that Roberts likes to gamble, Alvarez is into muscle cars with blowers and MJ is a fan of freaks, or may be one himself. Either way, collect all six because you can never go wrong with The Art Dump’s fine work. chocolateskateboards.com
Deathwish
Acid In Hollywood Series
This is the new Alice-in-Wonderland-on-LSD inspired series from the Deathwish crew. This summer could be your time for experimenting – maybe your first trip to Hollywood or just your first trip in general. Regardless, you should take a trip to your local shop and experiment with one of these Deathwish decks. bakerboysdist.com
Toy Machine Tormentor Series
Ed Templeton’s Transistor Sect character has been synonymous with Toy Machine since the very beginning. And more recently, the character can be seen in this ‘Tormentor’ series. Amongst the different torture techniques depicted on each Pro model, Ed’s graphic stays true to his twisted style. Keepin’ it strange since ’93. toymachine.com
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Concrete skateboarding
D A V I D
A U S T I N C A I R O C O R Y E D
S T E P H E N S F O S T E R
K E N N E D Y
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
D A V I D S O N
K E E G A N K E V I N L E O
S A U D E R
“ 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
R E Y E S
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
inventory
C1RCA x Coastal Riders
Tre High
On top of celebrating 10 years of business, Coastal Riders in Surrey, BC is also celebrating a hard-fought win. They took the 2010 C1RCA Store Wars title, and amongst the rewards from the Push.ca-hosted video contest came an opportunity to create their own collaborative shoe. Hemp and custom branding included, the C1RCA x Coastal Tre Highs were released in limited quantities, so get down to the store and get yours. c1rca.com / coastalriders.com
Emerica
Wino
Summer is here and it’s the time to make the most of the long days by skating as much as possible, which may only be an hour or two depending on your age. So when you’re out chill-seeking you should be rocking a pair of these all-synthetic, low-profile, vulcanized and classic-looking Winos on a cruiser-board run to your local pub’s patio. Best enjoyed with wine, but a coldie will do just fine. emerica.com
DC
Bondo Landau S
This limited edition shoe is the second addition to DC’s “Common Bond” series, and it’s available in Canada at select shops. The Bondo Landau S pays tribute to the fast-drying automotive repair putty that skaters have utilized to fix spots for years. The shoe’s grey suede represents pre-mixed Bondo, and the red swirls on the bottom of DC’s performance cupsole represents the hardener being mixed in with Bondo. Kill Cracks. skate.dcshoes.com
SUPRA
Amigo – Hamilton
Back in March, Spencer Hamilton, Ramiro “Furby” Salcedo and Scott “Horsey” Walker set out on SUPRA Footwear’s Three Amigos Texas Tour. Each of these AMs collaborated on a custom country-of-origin colourway to make up the limited-release Three Amigos Pack. Spencer chose a white canvas Amigo with red piping, representing Canada’s national colors. There’s also a nod to his hometown of Ottawa on the sockliner. Hit up SUPRA’s online store to find ‘em. suprafootwear.com
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Concrete skateboarding
CHAD MUSKA LIZARD KING TERRY KENNEDY ERIK ELLINGTON JIM GRECO ALI BOULALA TOM PENNY SPENCER HAMILTON KR3WDENIM.COM
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THE LEADER IN TRUCK TECHNOLOGY.
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MATT SKATES TRUCKS WITH 6/4 AEROSPACE TITANIUM AXLES.
MUMFORD
A R T B L E N D E R // ERIC WOLLAM
H
idden on the edge of Los Angeles, California, Eric Wollam has been giving life to the art direction at Almost Skateboards [almostawebsite.com] since 2004. Originally from Fremont, Ohio (just east of Toledo), Eric eventually made his way down to Southern California, as many skateboarders do. From 1994 to 1997 he took Art and Design at the University of Cincinnati, and during that time he also art directed the now-defunct Strength Magazine. A job with Dub Outerwear
and Droors Clothing is what brought Eric to the Los Angeles area in 1999. After Dwindle Distribution sold off Dub and Droors he transitioned over to Almost, and his tenure there brought about some of the most humorous and sarcastic graphics in skateboarding. The mixture of collage, found images, drawings, solid graphic elements and Chris Haslam’s beard give the brand a loose and silly view of life. Eric also enjoys the ability to sit with the team guys, like Haslam and Daewon Song, in order to push the conceptual bounds of good
taste. However, half of what they come up with is a bit too ridiculous to go into production. Along with his day job working for Almost, Eric takes advantage of his location and gets out to do a variety of art shows, some skateboarding at the Stoner and Venice skateparks, motorcycling up the Pacific Coast Highway and attempting to surf the murky waters of Venice Beach. He pretty much has an almost perfect life going on. —Randy Laybourne wollaminated.com
ALMOST skateboards clockwise from top left:
“Wolly Mammoth” tee “Double Take” tee “Chokin’ The Chicken” deck “Accidental Text Death” deck “Marnell Fingering” deck “Mullen Fingering” deck “Haslam Fitness” deck “Cooper Fitness” deck “Cooper Fruit Face” deck “Haslam Fruit Face” deck “Marnell Fruit Face” deck “Trashed Face” tee Cheese & Crackers box-art “When Eric does overtime, rainbows can be seen at night. His penmanship alone impregnates woman. He can teach horses to sit cross-legged. When he does stalefishes, it’s tough not to thank him. He’s worked every day for eight years just so he could say he did.” —Chris Haslam
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Concrete skateboarding
“Paris Indian� by Eric Wollam, created exclusively for Concrete Skateboarding.
visit concreteskateboarding.com to download art blender wallpapers for your computer and iphone.
BarRi er kult
The Range Of Propaganda
chapter 2: crusade templar horse skeleton photos dylan doubt
In times of inquisition and plague-ridden militance stands a Kult member of a different colour. As you’ll learn, the all-whiteenshrouded figure known as Crusade Templar Horse Skeleton sometimes lashes out against the beliefs of his fellow Kultists. Such a clash was never previously thought of as possible by the growing underground network of BA.KU. followers. And while the haunting mysteries of this abrupt transition phantom may never fully be revealed, this morbidly cryptic third chapter uncovers just enough to make you fear the white knight at any given barrier session. —Frank Daniello
Many of the mythic stories surrounding the Barrier Kult members violently revolve around aspects of journey and dark adventure. These incredible true-life obsessed tales conjure images from Clark Ashton Smith’s ‘The City of the Singing Flame’ or Algernon Blackwood’s ‘The Regeneration of Lord Ernie’. But Crusade Templar Horse Skeleton’s journey through the barren and grey sickness of his European homeland is slightly different. His roots from the Dark Ages inherently represent abstract knighted Christendom – his violent psychosis and ethos within the BA.KU. circle even striking out at various Kult-titled members regularly. As with most forms of organized ‘religion’, the white knight eventually became a power within and outward of himself, and did so by carving a dark ocean creature-laden moat between himself and civilization’s law. As C.T.H.S. dons his white Barrier Kult cloth appendages and mask, one has a direct haunted possession from the dark ages of history coldly written into his fabric’s layers – histories of war and clashing, eventual government condemnation, and the flesh creation of the plague: the Black Death. As a white phantom on horseback sardonically investigating the huts and houses of infected Black Death, C.T.H.S. eventually ingests the mania of the plague - the grey flesh and rot that invokes purity, ascension, and truth. The great Amando de Ossorio told a story with moving images of the Knights Templar with a haunted and horrific vision of the knights ritualistically torturing townsfolk for their baphomet sea creature god. Condemned and burned alive, their eyes eaten by birds, they returned as rotted corpses on skeleton horseback to their original ocean strongholds - the caves symbolizing the carved and violent ramp-like transitions that would hold statues of the baphomet. The concrete statues eventually fell into the flooding caves and the white knights had to sail a ghost galleon to the west coast of the Americas where a fire discarded the Templar coffins, setting free the corpses to roam the familiar concrete. Crusade Templar Horse Skeleton is one such being that is directly part of this mythic lineage with flesh-plagued barbarism of the Middle Ages and an inquisitor’s rite to tight transition violence. —Depth Leviathan Dweller
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Concrete skateboarding
1
Legend
2
The City of the Singing Flame = a science fiction short story published in 1931 about a writer being “translated” into an alternate world of fantasy and horror. The Regeneration of Lord Ernie = a supernatural fiction short story published in 1914 about an unenthusiastic aristocrat who’s transformed when he witnesses a mystical ceremony. Amando de Ossorio (1918-2001) = this Spanish film director applied his concept of blind, undead Templar Knights into four films, the first being Tombs of the Blind Dead (1971). Knights Templar = donning the distinct white robe with a red cross, they existed for nearly two centuries in the Middle Ages as a vast, skilled fighting unit of the Crusades. Baphomet = a pagan deity the Knights Templar were accused of worshipping during their decline.
crusade templar horse skeleton - backside disaster
DEATH
of
ELDORADO Frank Daniello Brian Caissie sequence Rich Odam
words stills
Some spots stand the test of time and some are buried by the changing urban landscape. The former is less commonplace than the latter in Vancouver, where maximizing profitability in the real estate and development rat race is paramount. One spot that recently met its demise wasn’t even close to being as widely known in skateboarding as downtown’s New Spot. However, photos of notable Canadians doing tricks into the unpredictable back-alley bank at East Van’s Eldorado Hotel have landed on the pages of Concrete intermittently for a decade. “You kinda had to go there with a mission,” says Brian Caissie, who’s shot numerous photos behind the Eldorado over the years, right up until it was reduced to rubble in late 2010 to make way for a condo tower. “Before, you’d get kicked out really fast because the sketchy people who stayed at the hotel would start yelling out their windows. But within the last two years it was abandoned, so that made it super mellow to skate.” Sure, the Eldorado’s asphalt bank at Kingsway and Nanaimo may not have been an iconic spot that deserved to be saved for future generations. But it certainly has earned a few respectful nods for all the pleasure and dismay it’s caused those who chose to tangle with it. “People would either stress out so hard they’d just leave, or get their tricks without even breaking a sweat,” Caissie mentions. “It was hard to go fakie or nollie because the ground up top was really bubbly so the pop was different every time. Ian Twa got a frontside half-cab flip and Spencer Hamilton landed a fakie bigflip into it. Magnus Hanson full-cabbed it and Nick Moore did a nollie inward heel. I’ve seen people catch tricks down it for two hours without being able to commit to one. You either had to land or kick away because you didn’t want to fall there. It was just one of those mind barrier spots.”
Jeff Logan
kickflip // 2000
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Concrete skateboarding
Spencer Hamilton
impossible // 2010
photo: jon steele
lowry matthews matthews words
Kevin Lowry
photos
Dan Zaslavsky
Visiting another country can be one of two things: filled with discomfort or pure pleasure. The Portugal experience is amazing overall and it’s kept me coming back for years; the last time was in 2009 with Russ Milligan. We’ve been talking about the next trip ever since, so we finally put a small crew together – consisting of San Francisco’s Josh Matthews, filmer Justin Carlson and photographer Dan Zaslavsky – for a 22-day trip in March. 30
Concrete skateboarding
Portugal The
Recollection
Kevin Lowry // Ollie Over To 50-50 “This spot just outside of Lisbon was in front of a café we had lunch in. I ate the classic Portuguese meal called Francesinha or “Little French Girl”. It’s a ring of french fries around a gravy and cheese covered sandwich containing steak, ham and sausage. Not the best thing to eat when you’re excited to skate. My stomach wasn’t sitting so well when I was working on this fly-to-grind for hours after the Francesinha.”
lowry
Aside from visiting Leiria and Porto, we spent most of our time in Lisbon, the capital, which houses around three million people in the city and surrounding areas. This was my third trip to Portugal, and each time Pedro Raimundo and Silvia Ferreira (who should be recognized as Saints) have taken us under their wings. They always go out of their way to make sure we experience skateboarding and culture to the fullest in their country. Skating most days in Portugal’s blazing sun was a must, but we also took the time to check out everything the cities had to offer. One night we went to a Carnival street party in Leiria filled with singing and dancing people dressed in costumes. I was a pirate, Russ was a ’70s disco guy, Dan was a Viking, Justin was a Mad Hatter and Josh was an old Western guy. The smiles on everyone’s faces that night would make you think they’d all won some sort of lottery, and it carried on like that ‘till five in the morning.
Another night Russ, Dan, Pedro and myself made our way to a soccer match in Porto between CSKA Moskva (Moscow, Russia) and FC Porto. The amount of energy in the stadium was something else, and the whole place was filled with smoke. The haze rising out of the open roof looked similar to that of a forest fire, and you could just smell the hash. Apparently the stadium is dry because the fans get too crazy if they serve booze. The Futebol Clube do Porto has been around for 117 years, and the two-hour event was really intense with everyone standing, waving their flags and singing the entire time. Concrete skateboarding
33
Josh Matthews // smith grind
At one point we stayed at the farm and restaurant estate owned by Silvia’s parents. I recall us going for breakfast one morning and ordering a stew with white rice. Lo and behold, three huge plates arrived with things like stomach lining and pig’s hoof. When our guide Pedro arrived I remember him saying: “I wouldn’t even eat that”. We tried our best, but it wasn’t easy to deal with. And when the chef came out to take our nearly-full plates, he wasn’t impressed to say the least. Aside from the hoof with rice, the most memorable times on this trip would have to be the dinners that went on into the wee hours. Fresh bread and cheese with some salad to start, then for the main course Caldeirada (a light-broth stew full of seafood and vegetables) or Piri-Piri (spicy marinated chicken that’s grilled). Afterwards, we’d usually be looking across the room for a place on the floor to crash into a food coma. But it never ended there, and the desserts of fresh fruit, chocolate fondue and Port wine made sure of that. 34
Concrete skateboarding
lowry
lowry
“It was late in the trip and we were all beyond beat, pretty much assuming we were gonna take the day off to just chill and drive around the countryside a bit. Then our guide and good buddy Pedro brought us to this spot in Lisbon with manual pads and little ledges everywhere. The ground was all buttery, not to mention that view in the background. It was just too perfect, so after warming up a bit we ended up waxing this new marble ledge and having a good sesh on it. Thanks, Pedro!”
“We’d usually be looking across the room for a place on the floor to crash into a food coma.”
Russ Milligan // Frontside 180 “The spot has those little tiles that are fairly slick and make the zipping noise as you roll over them. It’s also in a sketchy Lisbon estate. People have gone over the hubba for years, but Russ took another route and hopped the wall. On this trip he was always sipping coffee or wine, and really knew how to take it easy at the right times. Russ is a master at making the most out of life’s littlest comforts.” —Kevin Lowry
Josh Matthews // Nollie Kickflip
lowry
lowry
“The Casa da Música in Porto is a big concert hall and one of the craziest spots I’ve ever been to. Apparently the architect of the place used to be a skateboarder at some point, so the entire marble area surrounding the building is shaped like waves that haven’t broke yet. The marble is a reddish colour, which is probably why the locals refer to it as Mars. This particular bump was at the very edge and just happened to form a launch into the street. Other than waiting for the light to turn green every try, this was a fun one to do.”
lowry
lowry
“In Portugal it’s their mission to make you love the place and its people.”
“All in all, Portugal was an amazing place to be,” Josh Matthews adds. “Our tour guide Pedro took the entire three weeks off work just to drive us around and show us spots every day. He sums up the spirit of the culture there because everyone was overwhelmingly hospitable. When guests show up in the United States we feel as if giving them a place to stay and directions to find food is above and beyond what a normal host would do. But in Portugal it’s their mission to make you love the place and its people, almost as if they’re defending what they have. They show you all the best parts and make
you feel completely comfortable so you can’t help but love it. I fully respect how much they care about their country and one another, and I think everyone could learn a thing or two from that.” So it should come as no surprise that I started saving my pennies for a return visit as soon as our trip to Portugal was over… Visit concreteskateboarding.com to watch the exclusive video by Justin Carlson. Concrete skateboarding
37
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CONCRETE SKATEBOARDING
brian caissie
words: Frank Daniello The suburbs of Canada’s major centres are a breeding ground for every kind of skater imaginable. Tall-tee thuggin’? Chances are it started in the sticks. Moptopped crail snatchin’? Same deal. Young suburbanites tend to cover a lot of ground by first exploring every nook-and-cranny in their middle-class neighbourhoods before moving on to experience the idiosyncrasies of skate-life in the city’s core. It’s the best of both worlds, really. And after a day of dirty spot delving downtown, a long transit ride returns them to the land of blue skies and well-buffed concrete skateparks. Not to mention the comforting hum of lawnmowers in the distance and the aroma of sizzling sirloins on backyard barbeques. Although one may feel that exuding too much ‘burb-stoke could soften your cred as a big city spot slayer, there’s a filming and editing duo from the Greater Toronto Area who thinks otherwise. Ajax’s Jordan Moss and Whitby’s Wade Power have no shame in their game, which is their latest video project called Slub Bucks . Um, Slub what? “When you first see the name, you don’t have a clue what it means,” Jordan confirms before Wade chimes in: “Everyone in the video is from the suburbs. At first we came up with The ‘Burbs , and some other stupid names, then one day we were looking at a Thesaurus online. We typed ‘suburbs’ and ‘slubs’ came up. We’re a group of kids, so the term ‘young bucks’ was thrown around. Slub Bucks became the name and we thought it worked well. The way we’re going to edit the video has to do with the whole suburbia thing - the intros will be based around daily life where all the guys live.” And who are “the guys” holding down the main parts? Let’s list their names and ‘burb of origin: TJ Rogers, Bobby DeKeyzer and Jesse Mullins (Whitby, ON); Brandon “Beaster” Bandula and Mitch Donovan (Ajax, ON); Brandon Del Bianco (Mississauga, ON), Will Marshall (Cornwall, ON), Charles Deschamps (Saint Hubert, QC) and Will Cristofaro (Repentigny, QC). Don’t be ashamed to admit it. You’re a suburban skate rat too…
Brandon ‘Beaster’ Bandula Gap To Wallride Photo: TJ Tindale
Jordan Moss and Wade Power are both 20, and they’re both rippers on either side of the Century Optics. Jordan’s name and skating might be familiar due to his participation in Erick Valentic’s Minor Media video entry that won The Berrics’ YOUnited Nations contest. As a result, the crew gained access to the exclusive Los Angeles indoor for an allexpenses-paid week back in April 2010, where they filmed for ten videos that appeared on the heavily bookmarked site. “Before we went to The Berrics, Erick and I had already made a small local video in 2008 called Finesse,” Jordan explains. “So after that trip I asked him if he wanted to do another one. We have quite an age gap, he’s 15 and I’m 20, so he wanted to make a video with his new crew to get them some coverage. I just went off with the same guys I’ve always skated with and I approached Wade since we both film with the same people.” Including Jordan, five of the skaters from the United Nations-inducted Minor Media team are involved with Slub Bucks, but as Wade says: “I don’t want people to think this is a Minor Media video, which is a question people always ask on YouTube. We’re friends with Erick, but this video is totally our thing.”
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CONCRETE SKATEBOARDING
Brandon Del Bianco Frontside Shuv Photo: Jose Barajas
Jordan Moss Nollie Heelflip (with Wade Power filming)
Photo: TJ Tindale When Jordan and Wade made the decision to move forward with Slub Bucks in September 2010, their hard drives were heartily stocked and a quick turnaround seemed to be within reach. But the deadline push that seems to plague most feature video projects took hold when suddenly a good number of clips started evaporating late last year. A hefty amount of Will Marshall’s trickery that was documented by Wade went towards a part in Devin Guiney’s Social Withdrawal,, and two other Slub Bucks stars just so happen to be in high demand south of the border. “Brandon Del Bianco had that Mag Minute in November, so all his Barcelona footage went towards it,” Jordan recalls. “And I gave Transworld a lot of stuff for his Check Out web part after that. To top it off, I had a bunch of footage ready that I gave up for TJ Rogers’ Digital part, The International, in late December.” Wade adds: “TJ also has a part in this year’s Blind AM video, This Is Not A Test, that we had to give footage to.” 44
CONCRETE SKATEBOARDING
TJ Rogers Switch Frontside Heelflip Photos: Rich Odam
Will Cristofaro Backside Tailslide Shuv Out Photos: James Morley
Charles Deschamps Backside 50-50 Photo: James Morley
Even after the Great Clip Exodus, Jordan remains unfazed and optimistic: “We had to fork out a lot of footage, but it shouldn’t be a problem,” he says. “We’re not too worried about TJ and Binko because those guys are logging clips like it’s nothing.” “I don’t wait around for people to ask me to go and film, I just go out and do it,” Wade mentions confidently. “It’ll all work out because we’re both being productive and getting shit done.” One might assume that because Moss and Power are young bucks from the ‘burbs, they’d be all over the latest high-quality HD filming tools available on the market. Instead, they remain inspired by their skate-elders and stick to the traditionalist approach – each armed with a VX1000, while using a VX2000 for “artsy shots.” In terms of editing, both admit to having completely different styles, but they insist that all filming and Final Cut work is fittingly split 50-50. “It seems like the long way of doing things,” Jordan comments. “But we’re putting together a cooperative video, so that’s the way it has to be done to actually call it our video.”
Slub Bucks is due for public consumption in August 2011, and it’s supported by Concrete Skateboarding , Element, Scotties and Switch Skate & Snow. For the latest promo videos and news, click the Slub Bucks side-banner at concreteskateboarding.com
CONCRETE SKATEBOARDING
47
Blackout
The Paul Liliani Interview
words
Dane Collison photos
Jeff Comber
Having the personality of an old man trapped in a young person’s body is something you come across quite often in skateboarding. At a mere 18 years of age, Bloor West Village, Toronto’s Paul Liliani definitely has the demeanour of a grownass man. His coffee shop runs meet the standards of an average graveyard shift employee, and his taste for fine-brewed hops will have almost any clerk or barkeep take a second look at his ID (which does him no good in some provinces and all states). Paul’s maturity level definitely speaks loud and clear in his skateboarding. He takes a keen approach with his selection of maneuvers, which is something one might consider to be highly underachieved in this day and age. As for sponsors, he rides for Lakai, Fourstar, Spitfire, Alien Workshop, Venture, Green Apple and Junction skateshop.
Paul knows exactly what he likes and what he doesn’t. I’ll never forget the way he once explained a trick to me, which I think were words passed down from Ryan McGuigan: “Dude, that trick is like gay sex. No matter how good it feels, it’s still gay.” Although the aforementioned quote may not pinpoint Paul’s persona or necessarily mean that he loves to hate, but it’s the type of humour he brings to the table when you spend some time with him. Since coming into the position of team manager at Supra Distribution, Paul has been a breeze for me to deal with. There’s no beating around the bush on either end. He’s a straight up dude, and has no problem delivering what’s needed. I’m sure as you flip through the next few pages of this magazine, you’ll agree with the previous statement.
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Nollie flip
there’s been quite a bit of coverage coming out of Toronto lately in the form of homie videos. I think it’s tight and keeps the skate community together. You’ve been a part of these projects; what are you thoughts on them? I think it’s awesome that people in Toronto are starting to skate more and there’s more of a scene now. For a while it seemed like there was no scene and skating was just dead here, but now it’s finally starting to make a comeback. It’s sick.
What about skating the city in general? Are you still really into the downtown Toronto financial district? Yeah, I love skating downtown – just cruising around, getting kicked out of spots, skating everything and not really trying to go anywhere specific.
A lot of east coasters like to head straight down to Miami, but you’ve been spending more time getting familiar with San Francisco. Yeah. Miami’s cool to skate in the winter because it’s super hot, but the vibe doesn’t compare to San Francisco. It’s rad out there, you can just do whatever. There’s mellow spots and good company.
What’s your favourite thing about the city? I know it’s well known for the food, but that can’t be what tickles your fancy… Yeah, I like how the city is small but still has more spots than most other places. And the spots aren’t just the same old stuff, there’s some interesting shit. Besides skating there, I never really got around to doing much else other than going to a Kool Keith show.
Seems like the switch nosegrind fakie flip for your Venture ad made some noise in the Bay Area. Do you feel bad that Jack Curtin had a photo on that pier ledge for a Fallen ad, then you came along and flipped out of the same move? I don’t know, it’s not like I was trying to one-up him or anything. That was just a trick I thought I could do there. Looks like he was going faster and did it better anyways. That spot is pretty unforgiving.
Quit being so modest. What year is the Mercedes that you purchased while in San Francisco recently? ’73. Worst decision ever…
You slept in it a couple times, correct? Why did you choose the back of the Benzo over the couch at Russ Milligan’s place? One night there was a big party at his house and anywhere I could’ve slept was taken up by other bodies. Figured it was gonna be a good bonding experience for me and the car anyways. The second time I just felt like sleeping in my car.
What prompted you to actually go through with the plan of filling that vehicle with people and driving from SF to Toronto while stopping in different cities to skate? Well, I didn’t have many other options. I was either gonna do that, drive home by myself, or leave it in SF. In the end I did somehow manage to find an even worse scenario.
And what was that? Thousands of dollars spent on repairs and flying home empty-handed from Salt Lake City, Utah after being stuck in the middle of nowhere for a while. The worst.
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switch kickflip nose manual fakie flip
BackSide HEELFLIP
Who rolled with you and what was the best memory from the trip? It was me, Oskar Szydlowski, Ryan McGuigan and Russ Milligan. One night we were forced to stay in some small town in Nevada called Elko, which was nothing but casinos, hotels, strip clubs and a Domino’s Pizza. Fuck, nothing really happened though. We called every mechanic and then pushed the car through the whole town.
Well it’s a good thing Ryan made it out to film! How’s your part for the Green Apple video shaping up? Is there any sort of deadline or is it just the go-out-and-film program until a date is settled? The video is scheduled to come out around Fall or Christmas time this year. And my part? I don’t know. I’ve been having fun filming. Hopefully we can come out with something good.
Was it hard quitting your dad’s shop, Junction [junctionskateshop.com]? How did you approach him with that one? Quitting? I ride for both [laughs]. I support both of those shops without a doubt. My dad is cool as fuck. Him and Ryan are essentially the same person. It’s funny seeing him and my dad talk about shit that they’re both into, like The Beatles and conspiracies.
You and McD go pretty far back, right? How did you guys first link up? Mike emailed me out of the blue one day about riding for Lakai. Somebody had sent him my footage or something and obviously I was down. I guess we just stayed in touch, went on a couple trips together and that’s that. He’s helped me out a lot so it’s cool to be riding for his shop.
Have you ever had a full video part before? Not really. I had some footage in Devin Guiney’s Social Withdrawal video, and maybe some web parts, but never really a full part.
They seem to run a pretty rad operation with Green Apple [greenappleshop.ca]. How has it been riding for a store based in Winnipeg? I’ve only been out there once. I was supposed to go skate with Ryan and film for a few days, but I ended up spending the majority of the trip at the shop. Seems like a cool city though. Some good spots and babes everywhere somehow.
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andrew norton
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You’ve got quite a knack for getting the best coffee possible, but it seems as though you’ve curbed your intake a little bit. What’s the new daily supplement? Coffee, pizza and beer are pretty much all I need to get through the day. Not one outweighs the other.
How did you develop such finely tuned taste buds for import brews? Does this have something to do with going to your cottage in the summer? It’s probably just from drinking beer at the skatepark. Löwenbräu is a big hit around there, and my dad always drinks German beers too. But yeah, cottage parties have been known to get out of hand. I think there’s been 40plus people at my cottage. Every year for Thanksgiving there’s a big party; my brother and his friends make turducken, which is a chicken inside a duck that’s inside a turkey. And every year they add a bird, so at this point it’s something like turgooduckinen – throw a goose in the mix.
Sick, I’ve got to come visit this cottage. Is that where you blacked out for the first time? Nope. I’ve only ever blacked out once, in Hamilton. I had been trying to blackout for like a year. Sounds stupid, but I wanted to do it once just ‘cause I was never able to. Long story short, I woke up on my sister’s floor all cut up ‘cause I fell on my face piggy-backing a friend full speed down the main road. Apparently I got lost in Hamilton at some point that night too, but my sister found me. I was pretty hyped on the blackout.
I’ve noticed that you basically know the words to any Beatles or Paul McCartney song… I’ve been raised as a Beatles fan, but I can get down with pretty much anything. If you think I know a lot about the Beatles you should try the rest of my family. They’re nuts.
Did McCartney really die? Ask Ryan McGuigan. If I answer that I’ll sound like a loser, but I guess not many people know the extent of the “Paul McCartney is dead” conspiracy. He died in a car accident in the ’60s and was replaced by the winner of a look-alike contest, William Campbell. I don’t know what to believe…
switch Heelflip
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J S L V C O R P . C O M distributed by Ultimate
L.A. SCHooLYARD
INVASION words and photos
Rich Odam
It’s the weekend, the sun is shining and you’re in Los Angeles. Anyone looking for perfect spots with some of the smoothest ground in the city? Then consider weekends as “school days” because most of those gems sit within the fortified and fenced grounds that are the learning institutes of the L.A. area. As for the fences, it’s nearly impossible to find a school that doesn’t have one around its perimeter. Some are much taller than others, and they’re locked up after the scholars have left on Friday afternoon. This means a lot of climbing and ingenuity for skaters, photographers and filmers in order to get their gear over these unforgiving steel walls. It should also come as no surprise when you hop the first fence only to find another one blocking you from the spot. The best-case scenario is when someone “forgets” to lock one of the gates and you walk in as if invited. However, the police call this trespassing. And if you opt for some urban rock climbing, that’s considered breaking and entering. The other thing about schools in L.A., especially high schools, is the sheer size of them – some campuses are as large as Canadian universities. For this reason security guards drive around in golf carts and are sometimes more aggressive than cops with a total intolerance for skateboarding. These concrete playgrounds have always been a part of skateboarding’s recorded history ever since the famous Paul Revere Middle School banks were being carved in the ’70s. Skaters around the world have become familiar with these spots through videos and magazines, and certain elements like the schoolyard picnic table have become icons that are replicated in skateparks far away. Whether it’s Andrew Reynolds’ frontside flip over the 16-stair rail at Hollywood High in Baker 3 (2005) or Ryan Decenzo’s nollie down El Toro in United By Fate #5 (2009), every L.A. school spot has a greatest hits of tricks we’re all familiar with. There’s also the rumour mill, but those tricks eventually get confirmed in the next magazine issue or video release. There are many variables that can lead to getting caught on the inside of the fence. But when you’re on the outside looking in it’s just an obstacle to overcome in order to get stuff done. Enter at your own risk…
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Bobby DeKeyzer Half-Cab Kickflip Golden Valley High
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“Some of the
random people that lurk at the schools can be sketchy.
As we pulled up to a fence once, there was like five cop cars driving around the school and helicopters flying over it. ” —Hayden
Hayden Kelly 50-50 Wood Ranch Elementary
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L.A. SCHooLYARD
INVASION
Andrew Classon Crooked Grind Olive Vista Middle School
“One time, this chick and a dude were hooking up in the grass underneath a blanket like 20 feet away from a school spot, but we got kicked out before we could even skate it. That was pretty strange to me.”—Will 66
Concrete skateboarding
Will Marshall Bigspin Boardslide La Merced Elementary
photo hendrik herzmann
2011 Photo Annual
arrives August 12th
distributed by Ultimate
This was my third time to Shenzhen in southern China’s Guangdong Province, and I can tell you it never gets any easier. With Mandarin as the primary language, the communication barrier is extremely difficult. Without a multilingual guide, finding a hotel and even seeking skate spots becomes an impossible task. So when I was first asked to come along, the only way I would was if Vancouver’s Will Cui was going. He’s the lifeline and the only person in the world with the steel nerves needed to deal with over a dozen skaters for a month, most of which have never left North America before. The crew was big: Cory Wilson, Derek Swaim, Stacy Gabriel, Nick “Nugget” Moore, Corey Klim, Mike Campbell, Dane Collison, Jordan Mayfield, Evan Bourque, Andre Tsougrianis, Jordan Bacon, Will Blakley, Justin Allain and AJ McCallister. Since our guide Will Cui was the only person who could speak Mandarin, something as simple as eating at a restaurant was a nightmare.
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I came prepared for the stress. I’ve done big tours like this many times so I had over 50 Shenzhen spots printed out so we’d never run out of ideas. Over the last few trips I also became friends with the manager at Queen Spa, a 480,000 square foot high-end relaxation paradise that we all visited a few times-a-week. If we got tired from hitting spots and filming lines all day long, the spa would take all that stress away. And unlike Hong Kong, which is only about 50 kilometers away, Shenzhen is very affordable. One Chinese RMB (Renminbi) is worth about 15 cents Canadian. Can you imagine that in this day and age of globalization and widespread travel we actually met people there who have never met a white person? Seems strange – especially given the fact that Hong Kong is so close by – but we experienced it. Back in the ’70s Shenzhen was a just a small fishing town, and since then it’s become populated with over 10 million people – a huge growth rate that’s not slowing down. With rapid growth comes urban development, which is why there is so much unexplored marble and granite.
The best part of the trip for me was watching the crew as they tried to adapt and become locals. Hidden behind each of their smiles was a slight paranoia because of the daily realities of getting lost, trying to communicate with cops, getting too drunk and losing your friends, ordering food on your own, talking to girls… All of these scenarios were amazing to watch. Enjoy the tales of culture shock and skateboarding from Canada’s now-experienced Shenzhen travelers, and think twice before heading there alone. But if you do, just say “Ni Hen Piao Liang” at the club and you’ll meet new friends in minutes. It means: “You’re beautiful!”
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Obviously the biggest challenge was the language barrier, so everyone would refer to the term “lost in translation.” After each attempt at trying to speak English and failing, you can get away with ordering food by just pointing at what you want. A funny thing I noticed was the toilets are holes in the ground and you have to squat in order to shit. So I would eat a big breakfast in the morning and try to go back at the hotel – the only place that had an actual sit-down toilet. The worst was getting the shits on the road. On the last day of the month-long trip I didn’t have enough time to shit before leaving the hotel. Sure enough, I started to gopher on the bus. That was the worst. I ended up finding a KFC and had high hopes for a real toilet, but as it goes in China I had to squat. —AJ McCallister
“This is the coolest spot I’ve ever been to. There’s about six of those marble waves everywhere, all different sizes. I started skating the big one, just poppin’ ollies over it, and Dane said, “This is basically the same as the wave gap at the Kensington park in Van. You should try one of those nollie bigger spins off it.” I got close, then farther and farther. It was only our second day in Shenzhen, it was so hot and I was super jet-lagged still. I went to the hotel and puked my brains out. A week later I went back to the spot for another epic battle and managed to pull one out.”
They don’t have diapers in China. Instead, there’s a trap-door on the little kid outfits so they can do their business. If they need some help, their parents hold them up and they just go for it. At multiple spots I’d be skating and notice a kid pissing on the street while his mom spoke nonchalantly with another mom. On one hand it was kind of gross, but on the other I was kind of jealous. I mean, it looked pretty convenient. The food was gnarly, from cooked pigs blood to frog legs (which are delicious, by the way). I’m not sure if fried chicken’s head was supposed to just be a garnish but I figured if they sold packaged chicken’s feet then you can probably eat the head. After unsuccessfully trying to chew through the skull, the beak started scratching the inside of my mouth. I gave up and spit it out. But thinking about it now, I actually tried to eat a chicken’s head. That’s freakin’ sweet. —Evan Bourque
nick moore
Shenzhen is only about 40 years old, then we drove two-and-a-half hours away to Guangzhou, which is almost 3000 years old. We stayed there for 10 days and the temples are amazing, but the pollution is crazy. I was coughing up black shit every day and I’d wake up in the morning so congested. Outside, people were spitting and coughing. The first thing I noticed was the amount of old people in Guangzhou. I did some research and there’s over a million people in China who are over a hundred years old. I barely survived for those 10 days, and I wondered how people could live that long with so much pollution. That kind of blew my mind.
“This ledge was right across from our hotel in Shenzhen. It landed into the street so one of us would handle traffic control duties. After watching us grind the nearperfect ledge into oncoming traffic, the security guards decided their best course of action wasn’t to kick us out. Instead, they set up a pylon so that cars would go around us while we skated.”
Shopping was crazy back in Shenzhen. We went to this huge seven-storey mall near our hotel that had everything. We walked all the way to the top of it and ended up in this dirty little hallway. There were all these little cameras along the ceiling before you end up at this little steel door you have to knock on. Once they open it up and pull back the curtain, you’re in this little room with every DVD you can imagine for seven RMB each, which is about a dollar Canadian. I got like 40 or 50 movies, it was so sick. —Will Blakley
There was this little shop in Guangzhou where we’d usually go to grab beers for the night (or day). One time we walked in and noticed the shopkeeper hittin’ this sketchy bamboo bong. We were all curious about what he was smokin’. After a few hand gestures and pointing around we found out it was just tobacco, but we still wanted to take a rip off this thing. Justin Allain was up first, but he didn’t quite know how to pull the bowl out properly. He ended up exhaling into the bong, causing the water to overflow all over himself and the counter. The shopkeeper didn’t mind, he was pretty amused by the whole situation – a bunch of drunk white skaters hittin’ his dirty-ass bong and coughing all over the place. The guy had an extra finger or limb growing out of the side of his thumb, making it hard not to stare while he struggled to pop the tops off our beers. After the gnarly head rushes were over we said our “Shyeh Shyehs” (thanks) and peaced. —Nick Moore
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“Straight out of the hotel in Shenzhen we are a skate-mob ready to shred. The spot was a 15-minute train ride to the “Window of the World” (Shi Jie Zhi Chuang) metro stop. Best part about this spot was the hype plaza with dope flatground and a bunch of ledges made out of marble. They barely needed wax. This particular ledge was in the alley off to the side of the plaza. I had no intention of skating it because it was so damn high, but I ended up battling it out with this trick for a bit.”
“On our fifth day in Guangzhou we drove out to the most amazing plaza at a university. It was like a perfect skatepark, pretty much. Everyone started getting down immediately, but there was so many of us that it was hard to film and shoot photos. It got dark and we were packing up so I thought I missed my chance. I was like, ‘Caissie, you want to shoot a backtail flip out on this real quick?’ I’ve never really done a trick in the dark with flashes like that before. I ended up just closing my eyes and going for it.”
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The crew was walking around one night in Guangzhou looking for a place to eat while enjoying some nice tall bottles of beer (it’s legal to drink in the streets). We came across a little C-grade restaurant, so we all ordered the only familiar food there was a picture of – dumplings. Still hungry, Dane and I decided we were going to each pick a mystery choice from the menu. His came first: noodles with peanut sauce. Not so bad. My order was taking a little longer and I was hoping for something good. When it finally came, I looked in the bowl and sure enough there was a brain the size of my fist right in the middle. We were all pretty shocked, but decided to each have a bit of brain. Why not, right? After all, we’re in China! In broken English, a local told us it was pig brain soup. No more mystery picks for me after that. —Cory Wilson
The food is mind-blowing, but what really tripped me out were the beggars. A lot of them are amputees or mentally challenged and put out on the street to beg. I saw this one guy who looked all burnt with no legs being carried through the streets on a stretcher by his friends. That gave me nightmares. Another crazy thing was how curious people were about why we were there. Out of nowhere they would show up whenever they’d hear wheels and see a white boy. It was insane. A hundred people would gather to watch us skate and they were just so stoked, even when you fell. Someone would bring over your skateboard if you kicked it out and people were always taking photos of us. They were just so blown away to see us skateboarding in Shenzhen. One time we were at the wave spot and a lady stopped Caissie while he was shooting; she wanted to take a photo of him holding her baby. It was the funniest thing. —Corey Klim
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“This session, like many others, started with a less-than-pleasing hour-and-a-half drive through Shenzhen in our super cramped vans. In almost every case, the crappy drive was totally worthwhile when we’d pull up the most flawless marble plaza imaginable. This place was no exception, and it wasn’t long before everyone started testing out what they wanted to try. As with every spot we skated in China, a big crowd of curious pedestrians started to form around us, but this time it also attracted the attention of the local police. Before we knew it, our Chinese tour guide Will Cui was being taken away on a dinky police moped saying he had to sign some papers for us so he wouldn’t go to jail.”
“This spot was at a huge university outside of Shenzhen. Derek skated there last year and wanted to go back to bang off some more tricks down the marble stairs. Security was posted up across the street and he specifically asked us not to skate the brand new rail they had just installed. I decided to hop onto it as the session was ending, and a few tries later the guard came up to check the marks on the rail. He mumbled something to our guide, then strolled back to his booth and just watched me skate. You’ve gotta love how relaxed the security is in China.”
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were staying in downtown Shenzhen, and had seen this spot online. So we decided to rent a van and drive through the countryside to get there, shooting pictures out of the window and watching millions of people go about their lives. China is on another level. Even though it was totally normal to them, it looked dangerous the way people would just barge onto the road in front of cars. Two hours later we finally made it to the granite plaza with this banked ledge and got our skate on.â&#x20AC;?
One morning, Brian, AJ, Dane, Corey and I went for breakfast at a bakery in Shenzhen to enjoy some very odd, yet delicious baked goods and coffee. As far as I was concerned, it would be a good day so I treated myself to the most expensive latte they had. We all sat down at a table together and this really tall European guy walked up and told us his wallet got stolen. He asked for money, and Brian broke the silence by telling him we only had our Visas. The guy took one last look at us and just walked off with my latte. A few minutes later, after talking about how weird that was, I got out of my seat and decided to find the guy. Since we were in China, I easily spotted the tall blond man and thought: “If I’m not able to enjoy my delicious tiramisu latte, this douche sure won’t either.” I wound up and smacked the drink all over the dude. I’ve never seen someone book it across eight lanes of busy traffic so fast. But then again, there were a hell of a lot of “first time” experiences on this trip. —Justin Allain Concrete skateboarding
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PHOTOS: KLEIN
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Youngbloods
photos andrew szeto
backside flip switch manual
age:
20
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ottawa, on Raised by Wolves clothing, Gravis footwear (flow), Slaysh Skateshop
Over the past couple years of going back to visit my family and friends in Ottawa, I always hear the same two things when I bump into people. It’s either: “Your cousin Austin has been killing it, fool!” Or it’s: “Some white guy with a perma-smile, who claims to be your cousin, is killing it!” Both statements stand correct. Austin’s future on and off the board are looking tight! Congrats, cuz. —Mike Fyfe
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Distributed by:
Youngbloods
photos josh hotz
kickflip manny heelflip out
age:
21
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Ottawa, ON Famous Stars and Straps, Top of the World Skateshop
Yes, his last name is actually Canadien, and it’s what he says to the ladies to spark a conversation. I’ve been skating with Matt for about 10 years now; seeing the progression of his talent and style has been amazing. Not only is he a dedicated skateboarder, he’s also the best friend you could ever ask for. MYSTKS ‘till we die! —Mitch Barrette
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WES KREMER - F/S FEEBLE POOL Q - SD
WWW.SK8MAFIA4LIFE.COM - PHOTO:CONNELLY
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terry worona
Youngbloods
brad hill
backside tailslide
age:
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Niagara Falls, ON éS Footwear, Sunday Skateshop (Buffalo, NY), The Wanderers
Curtis is a lone wolf. It’s as if he’s aware of something we are not, and he carries himself so. He has a bed in the back of his truck and his Wanderer code name is “Crippler” because he straight-up ruins all spots; so much, in fact, that he’s the only Canadian on the Sunday shop team in Buffalo. It’s best to just accept his ways. Let him get the hot girl and switch ollie anything in his way before he disappears for a few weeks. Curtis, I’d like to say I’ll see you around, but I probably won’t. —Mike Todd
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brian caissie
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PUBLISHER Kevin Harris EDITOR / ART DIRECTOR Kelly Litzenberger kelly@concreteskateboarding.com Managing EDITOR Frank daniello frank@concreteskateboarding.com PHOTO EDITOR / staff photographer Brian Caissie brian@concreteskateboarding.com Contributing Photographers James Morley, Doughnut, Dan Zaslavsky, Kevin Lowry Josh Matthews, TJ Tindale, Jose Barajas, Rich Odam Jeff Comber, Andrew Norton, Hendrik Herzmann Nick Moore, Andrew Szeto, Josh Hotz, Terry Worona Brad Hill, Jeff Thorburn, Aaron Smith
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POOL BALLS 52mm â&#x20AC;˘ 99A duro
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R e a l S k at e b o a r d s
Since Day One C o l l e c t o rs e d i t i o n r e v i e w words
David Ehrenreich
At this point any fan of skateboarding who has yet to witness the all out destruction in REAL’s new video is definitely missing out. Its influence and popularity has gained such notoriety, a standard review of Since Day One is almost irrelevant. This behemoth of a project has reaffirmed yet again the importance and influence of the classic skate video, a formula that has been speculated to be hanging on by a thread. Plummeting DVD sales in recent years have caused many companies to cut back on videos of this grandeur, but not REAL. Like other respectable and influential skateboard brands, they understand the significance of creating these stepping-stones. Since Day One will solidify who these skaters are and how they operate on their boards for years to come. REAL changed up their aesthetic this time around. No film burns or stylish artwork, just straight up shred. I think with such a huge and diverse team it was a smart move to let the skating do absolutely all the talking. Even though cutting from VX1000 to HD can be a bit jarring, the HD clips in Since Day One aren’t B-angles or birds so they needed to be in there. And the absence of slow motion and second angles in most of the parts make for a very re-watchable video. I feel that a noteworthy change between Since Day One and other current blockbusters is the absence of everyone’s favourite destinations. The footage fountains of Barcelona, China and Australia (excluding Sydney resident Chima Ferguson) were left out completely. Not to condemn world travel in any way, but the absence of exotic skateboarding locations actually came off as very refreshing. Maybe cutting back on these expensive trips allowed this production to happen, but I’d like to attribute it to something greater than money. The majority of this video is filmed in either San Francisco, the skater’s hometown, or on Motel 6 trips throughout Middle America. These guys said “screw the grass is greener” and went to revisit their old stomping grounds. There are 18 solid parts to memorize and choose favourites from in Since Day One. Montreal’s Antoine Asselin is part of the new wave of Canadian skaters making positive impressions on the international scene. He shares his debut section, and it’s nothing short of outstanding. Almost no one, including himself, knew he was in the video until weeks before the premiere. Dennis Busenitz can clearly do any trick he wants, but none is more impressive than closing a video in 2011 with an ollie, a frontside lipslide and a backside 50-50. They even opted out of the quintessential SF hill bomb rideaway ending. Instead, it’s just him all dirty and overheating in a bush. Since Day One is available on iTunes or at any selfrespecting skateshop. The Collectors Edition DVD comes complete with a 100-page hardcover book, packed to the nines with amazing photos shot by Gabe Morford, and personal handwritten anecdotes from the team. With over an hour of footage and five years of work behind this, get yourself a copy because REAL is a company worth supporting. They’re in it for one thing – skateboarding. featuring: Busenitz • Ramondetta • Aultz realskateboards.com Brock • Chima • Hufnagel • Schaaf Torres • Dompierre • Hardy • Donnelly Davis • Perelson • Wair • Brockel Cavedoni • Walker • Asselin
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Concrete skateboarding
tim e b om b tr a di n g. c om fa c eb ook.c om/ti m e b om b tr a di n g
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Sound Check
Chad
VanGaalen words
Jenny Charlesworth
photo
Jeff Thorburn
It seems in the three years since releasing the acclaimed Soft Airplane, Chad VanGaalen has done some major soul-searching. For his highly anticipated new album Diaper Island, the Calgary musician tackles such lofty topics as unkempt bush in “Shave My Pussy” and moonlights as Romeo on the impossibly sweet love song “Sara”.
“If somebody doesn’t like the song, I have to personally kick their ass,” the singer-songwriter and self-described “hobo dad” tells Concrete with a laugh. “It’s also very awkward to make other band members play a song about your girlfriend. It’s like, ‘Okay guys, now it’s time to play that song about my girlfriend.’ It seems strange on many levels. There are other things to be embarrassed about, though, besides writing a love song.” Could one of these “things” possibly be the botched dance record he attempted before Diaper Island? “It was a complete failure,” VanGaalen admits about the disc that never made it off the chopping block. “That one was kind of like straight electro; it was trying to be like Depeche Mode or something like that.” A scrappy garage rock record was also prematurely nixed before Sub Pop’s golden boy arrived at the guitar-heavy aesthetic of his latest homespun masterpiece. Tunes like “By Design” and “Freedom For a Policeman” see VanGaalen at his finest hour. “It’s not going to rock anybody’s brains out, but there’s a few jammers on there,” he says of Diaper Island. “It’s definitely more straightforward than my last record; there’s no instrumentals really. I basically learned a lot of tricks recording the last Women record [myspace.com/womenmusic] that I used on this record. Sonically, if you played them next to each other they’d make a lot of sense. Like, the
98
Concrete skateboarding
guitar tones are pretty much the same.”
“I also had in my mind bringing another guitar player along with me to tour this record,” he continues, “so I was really happy to add a lead guitar on top of a lot of stuff. I think I got that from the Women record, too, just being horribly jealous of how good those guys sound with two guitars – that sort of classic set-up.” Not only has VanGaalen dialed back the quirky flourishes that usually factor so heavily on his offbeat opuses, but the musician-producer has also eased off on the morbid undertones. “Soft Airplane had the death vibe, and there’s way less of that vibe on this record,” he mentions. “It seems like the world is transforming pretty fast – it can go pretty deep into paranoid land – so with Diaper Island it’s just imagining you’re left with an island of decay. Uh, that sounds way darker than I’m actually meaning it to be.” VanGaalen does his best not to stray too far down that gloomy rabbit hole, which explains why his concert dates remain sparse despite his growing popularity. “Touring – it’s a bit of a black hole for me creatively in my mind,” he says. “There’s no way I can write songs on the road.” You can hardly blame the guy if the long hauls and truck stop diet – where Red Dye #40 is suddenly its own unholy food group – dim his spirit. So if VanGaalen needs to hide out in his newly minted “Yoko Eno” home studio tinkering away on his recordings, fans shouldn’t begrudge the lack of face time. Instead, we should take Diaper Island as a compelling argument to leave the man to his own devices. flemisheye.com/chad-vangaalen
aaron smith
The Five Spot
J-Lay is a beast who’s known for his raw power skating and incredible pop. If there was such a thing as a skate resume, you might find out that Johnny is from the Southern California desert – Murrieta to be exact – but he doesn’t deal well with sunburns. He used to skate for Role Model skateboards when he was a kid, but has since moved on to bigger and better things over at Toy Machine. Mr. Layton also rides for Vans, Pig Wheels, Theeve Trucks and Furnace Skateshop in Buena Park, CA. In his spare time he likes to go to Lakers games and help his dad, John Layton Senior, fix up their classic Mustang. Johnny’s most recent video appearances were in Toy Machine’s Brainwash and X Games 16’s Real Street. And if you happen to see him in the street, say what up to him. You’ll have a friend for life. —Mike Sinclair
Cities To Skate
Speed Skaters 1. A.V.E. 2. Busenitz 3. Romero 4. Collin Provost 5. Slash
Beverages
Tour Purchases
1. Long Beach 2. N.Y.C. 3. Denver 4. Barcelona 5. Moscow
Videos You’ve Appeared In
Pocket Items 1. Power Balance 2. Green 3. Papers 4. iPhone 5. Headphones
Canadians
Movies
1. Good & Evil (Toy Machine, 2004) 2. Suffer The Joy (Toy Machine, 2006) 3. TA-HA (Don Luong, 2010) 4. Through Being Nice (Escapist, 2006) 5. Brainwash (Toy Machine, 2010)
All-Time Toy Machine Pros
Bad Habits
Tour Bros
Off-Board Activities
1. Ed Templeton 2. Brian Anderson 3. Matt Bennett 4. Leo Romero 5. Elissa Steamer 100
Concrete skateboarding
1. Smoking 2. Smoking 3. Smoking 4. Smoking 5. Smoking
1. Water 2. Coca-Cola 3. Stella 4. OJ 5. Coconut water
1. Appleyard 2. Steve Nash 3. McCrank 4. Jon West 5. Hoffart
1. Daniel Lutheran 2. Jordan Taylor 3. Billy Marks 4. Griffin Collins 5. Collin Provost
1. Phone chargers 2. Weed 3. Mags 4. A book 5. Whatever else
1. Old School (’03) 2. Step Brothers (’08) 3. The Big Lebowski (’98) 4. Zoolander (’01) 5. No Country for Old Men (’07)
1. Basketball 2. Camping 3. BBQ 4. Sleep 5. Yoga
N N JOUYE NG
WELCOME
distributed by Ultimate photo: Wes Tonascia
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Momentum Wheel Co. is proud to welcome Jon Nguyen to the team! D & D Series - artwork by Michael Hsiung www.momentumskate.com
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The Leo.
Like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never seen before. June 2011.
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