Focus Skateboarding Magazine # 51 - Sep/Oct '13

7'%2 83 ;%8', % '0-4 3* 8,) '3:)6 -2 %'8-32

Table//ConTenTs

Table Of Contents sEpTEMbER/OCTObER 2013 VoLUME NiNE ISSUE FiVE

ON THE COVER: MaTT RONdOlETTO [backside feeble] photography :: ROb COlliNs CONTENTs: daNNy bassO [kickflip into bank] photography :: lukE daRigaN

10

forewords gREENER gRass gOT yOu dOwN?

14

guest editor bRiaN wENNiNg

18

hammertime TRiCk OF THE MONTH

20

fresh find bRENdaN CaRROll

22

fresh find sCOTT O’ROuRkE

24

fresh find spENCER CaRTMEll

26

fresh find JOHN Hill

28

behind the lens COOpER wiNTERsON

34 diy spOT supply neighborhood watch

38 ROCk islaNd humble bragging

42 zOO yORk photographic retrospective

48 JOHN dEViNE small talk

30

rap sheet plaguE OF lOCusTs

50 CHad pOORE small talk

54 iNCENTiVEs photo section

p.o. BoX 31628 phILaDELphIa, pa 19147 215.310.9677

www.FocusskateMag.com

CO-OwNER / MikE MazuR EdiTORial diRECTOR mazur@focusskatemag.com CO-OwNER / JusTiN HEisTER aRT diRECTOR justin@focusskatemag.com EdiTORial assisTaNT / zaNdER ER T TakETOMO sENiOR pHOTOgRapHER zandert@focusskatemag.com wEb / ONliNE sTEpHEN OliVEiRa CONTENT MaNagER stephen@focusskatemag.com wEb suppORT MaTT a kOsOy aTT gonzo@focusskatemag.com COpy EdiTOR JaMEs williaM CONTRibuTiNg pHOTOgRapHERs MIKE BELLEME, DaNIEL BLECKLEy, roB CoLLINS, SEaN CroNaN, LUKE DarIgaN, aNDy ENoS, ryaN gEE, NICK ghoBaShI, KarIM ghoNEM, MIKE hEIKKILa, JaSoN hENry, BrIaN KELLEy, BEN KILpatrICK, StEphEN KNIght, SCott KraMEr, rIChIE McCorKLE, ChrIS McDoNaLD, StEphEN oLIVEIra, aLEX papKE, DaVID StUCK, XENo tSarNaS, aLLEN yINg, DaN ZaSLaVSKy

CONTRibuTiNg wRiTERs BUDDy BLECKLEy, aNDrEW CaNNoN, ryaN gEE, LUKE DarIgaN, SoMa FULLEr, CLaIrE LaVEr, ChrIS NIEratKo, StEphEN oLIVEIra, aLEX papKE, ZaNDEr taKEtoMo, XENo tSarNaS Interested in advertising and Supporting your Local Scene?

Call 215.310.9677 for more info Want to submit photos, editorial, or hate mail?

%00 2); 8)) 7,-687

%:%-0%&0) / Ê À`iÀÊÌ ÃÊÃ ÀÌÊ> `ÊV iV Ê ÕÌ Ì iÊÀiÃÌÊ vÊ ÕÀÊ iÜiÃÌÊ iÊ vÊÌiiÃ] ÕÃÌÊÛ Ã ÌÊÜÜÜ° VÕÃ- >Ìi >}°V É- « ÀÊÃV> ÊÌ ÃÊ+,ÊV `i°

>ÃÌ >ÃÌ ÝVi i Vi

send submissions to info@focusskatemag.com or via snail mail to the address above Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/FocusskateMag Join us on t twitter at twitter.com/FocusskateMag Join us on you y tube at youtube.com/FocusskateMag Join us on Instagram at @FocusskateMag

NEW read full issues online at issuu.com/FocusskateMag Focus Skateboarding Magazine is published bi-monthly, six times a year

by Focus Skateboarding Magazine Inc. all contents are copyrighted by Focus Skateboarding Magazine Inc. 2013. reproduction of any material requires the written consent from the publishers. all letters, photos, editorial contributions, and advertisements are accepted upon the representation that they are original materials by the author and/or advertiser. the author and/or advertiser accept full responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of their ads and/or editorial contributions. opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author and may not reflect the views and opinions of the editor, staff, or advertisers of Focus Skateboarding Magazine. any similarities between persons or places mentioned or alluded to in the fiction and real places or persons living or dead are purely coincidental. advertisers assume full responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of their advertisements. the author and/or advertisers also will indemnify and save Focus Skateboarding Magazine harmless from any legal claims. Now either read this magazine, or go skate!

Stephen Oliveira

Fore//Words

Longtime core-shop/park employee, and recent Philly transplant, Jon Hadley gets in his licks, and this frontside noseslide, before a daily summer Florida down pour.

Greener Grass Got you down?

WORDS :: Mazur

Rain, rain, go away come again another day… Or not. Man, I gotta say, this has been one of the rainiest summers I have ever been through in the North Eastern part of the United States. Seriously, I feel like all it’s done is frickin’ rain. Not only does it make for shitty skateboarding weather, but also it makes the grass at my New Jersey home grow like crazy. Literally, I can watch it grow like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

And yes, I said it. New Jersey. I recently moved over the bridge into this god-forsaken land after 9 years of living the busy city life. It was quite the adjustment too. It’s so quiet at night that I don’t know what to do. No cars or buses driving by, no loud bangs that may or may not have been gun shots, no loud drunks walking back from Pat’s and Geno’s Cheesesteaks fighting with each other… I feel like I need that stuff in order to sleep right. Is that weird?

focusskatemag.com

Anyway, so I’ve got this lawn now… And, at first I thought it was great. Mowing it was almost therapeutically and I was enjoying it. That is until it just seemed to rain all the time and the next day it was 10 feet high again. I seriously have to mow this thing 3 or 4 times a week. I was getting sick of it.

10

Then, just the other day as I took my “lunch break” to head out for an hour and cut it, it dawned on me. I’ve pretty much been living a vacation of a life. I mean, it’s not extravagant or anything by any means, but I really haven’t had a boss to answer to or set times to be places or things that come with a normal nine to five type job since we began Focus. I’m actually pretty happy with where I’m at with it all too when I really think about it. I have friends that easily make four times what I do, yet seem miserable and somehow always broke.

I can’t begin to thank the skateboarding lifestyle enough for what it has given me and the opportunities that have been laid on my doorstep. I’d like to think that any small skateboarding business owner would say the same thing. While, there are moments when things might get financially tough at times, the skateboarder in me… In us…

Just keeps at it and we never give up. Just like with a new trick. You don’t stop after one failed attempt, do you? No. You get right back up and try again. You just know

that after enough blood and tears you’ll get it and it will all be worth it.

Brick and Motor skate shops probably know this better than anyone else in the skateboarding world of business, especially within the last few years, battling with online stores and the growth of mega-chain stores. And while some have had to close their doors, others have kept at it and figured out ways to survive in the new age of skateboarding business. This is a main factor in why we decided to try something a little new with the magazine and give a bigger helping hand to the brick and motor world of skateboarding.

Last issue we tried out a new little contest that you all should have seen if you’ve been a supporter of Focus. It was our first ever ¼ page shop ad contest (the Shop Democracy Showdown), where shops competed to have the best and most uniquely designed ad. We received a tremendous amount of responses about it. All positive too, of course. Competition was fierce, but in the end there were two survivors that really were fighting it out.

Holistic and Brotherhood Skate Shops were the two that got the most votes and were really neck and neck (an honorable mention to Premier as well for being a close 3rd). But in the end, Holistic pulled through, gaining the heavier votes from the sponsors: Kayo, Bones, Matix, Focus, and Zoo York. But don’t worry ‘cause we are still taking care of Brotherhood, who won the popular vote.

We’d also like to give a shout-out and HUGE thanks to all those who participated again: Standard, O1NE, Chuting Star, CD Skateshop, Premier, The Hive, Galactic G, Skatology, Nocturnal, Rye Airfield, Pit Crew, Homebase and of course Holistic and Brotherhood.

Keep it up you all. And to the rest of the shops and/or parks out there, you may have some symbolic rainy-day times, but don’t let it get you down. Push though it ‘cause the day will come where the sun shines and you grow at a rate you never thought possible.

Which now reminds me, I gotta go cut the grass again.

E_FRONTFEEBLE_FOCUS.indd All Pages

ANDRE BEVERLEY FRONT FEEBLE

TEAMICECREAM.COM

ANDRE & FRIEND “WE INTERNATIONAL”

8/14/13 1:35 PM

Rich White

Guest//editor

Through the Ringer

Even getting caught riding dirty on this deep pivot to fakie can’t slow down Brian Wenning’s positive momentum. You know he’s got this on lock (down).

WORDS :: Brian Wenning Okay, now I’ll start with this: When I think back to all the things I’ve seen and all the insane places I’ve traveled, I can’t ignore where it all started.

When I was 12 years old I stole $150.00 from the school candy drive and went to buy a Lavar McBride board. I came home that day and my dad was waiting for my ass.

The guy wasn’t happy! After that day it all started happening for me, and I wanted to skate and that was it. I went from the recluse quiet guy to the quiet guy who actually had some talent. From there people were taking notice. When I was 15 years old I started taking the train to NYC about four to five times a week by myself. It was a time when NYC skating was flourishing and at it’s finest (which was the late 90’s).

Me and my buddy Anthony Pappalardo were inseparable. Man, we were at the Brooklyn Banks and sleeping at South Street Seaport just to be there as early as possible. It didn’t matter if there was a foot of snow on the ground, we would shovel it out from Thanksgiving to April. All our friends out in Cali thought that way of life was insane because they always had ideal weather conditions. But that’s all we knew on the East Coast, and like I said, it never stopped us.

focusskatemag.com

Cut to 1996... In the streets of Perth Amboy, NJ I came across Don La, a Colombian.

He took me under his wing, like that older brother type shit. He would take me to local spots and eventually ended up introducing me to my man Fred Gall.

These dudes were older than me and always treated me like a little brother.

Hanging around NJ, NY, and Philly with those dudes was some of the best memories I’ve had to this day. We have done some scummy shit together, but we made shit happen too. I basically owe my career to Don La for discovering my talent, and introducing me to Fred. These guys were the real deal! I grew up emulating Fred’s style (*INSERT TRICKS HERE). Once Don La gave Freddy my footage, Fred handed it to Joe Castrucci over at Alien Workshop. It was my dream to be a part of that company and it was all about to fucking happen. The year was 1997, when all the crazy traveling started and Brian Wenning the maniac is what it became...

14

I was being exposed to insanity all over the world. I was just a young kid from NJ and all of a sudden I was traveling to places I didn’t even know existed. Traveling allowed me to meet dudes I looked up to in the industry, and it gave me the opportunity to skate with them and skate spots that I had only seen in videos and mags.

Eventually these guys became my family and my best friends (i.e. Tim O’Conner).

But traveling also has its demons: The blowing of the money, the people that you thought you could trust, the drinking and partying. Damn man, it’s fucked. I was having everything handed to me at 17 years old! I never had to pay for shit and at that age everything seemed like a good idea at the time.

Man, at 17 years old, getting all-expenses-paid trips to Japan and all over the world was just so mind blowing to me at my age. I didn’t grasp what the hell was going on.

You hear people say all the time, “If I knew then what I know now…” Well that might as well be my damn slogan for life. But it didn’t matter where I traveled or what I saw,

at the end of the day all anyone wanted to hear about was the Photosynthesis video.

Whether it was in Japan, Germany, Barcelona, Australia, South Africa, Russia, or China, all the fans asked about was, “Love Park and Photosynthesis.” So, I guess I can attribute my success to NJ, NYC, and without a doubt, Philly.

Where am I now? I got my company, Lockdown Skateboards, goin’ on strong.

And to be honest, it’s kinda weird to be worrying about the business end of shit.

I was always just the talent and that dude. Now I’m seeing the business side of the industry. It’s crazy to see how far Lockdown has come in just under a year.

For example, we got Ronson Lambert on board, the guy is just killing it everyday man, for real. Spencer Brown, from B-More, is as talented as you can get and I love that dude, no homo. Somehow got a New York scum named Danny Horbatiuk, crazy talent, and he eats his t-shirts, literally! He’s so hungry for Christ sakes, I wanted him on regardless. Last but not least, my li’l dude, Jersey born and bred, Ryan Chaney, who is now skating like a fucking man, for real. I found this little fucking kid skating flat ground behind the quick stop in Atlantic highlands, AKA “Jay and Silent Bob’s” famous store in the movie, “Clerks.” They all have great futures and I stand behind my guys’ talent 100%. Other than that I am just happy to still be here and living after all the traveling and the nonsense I’ve been through. I’m just happy to be giving ideas and helping the young dudes out. I just want to continue doing what we do and keep it moving in a positive way. I’m still skating every day, loyal to my old stomping grounds and spots, but really looking forward to the future of Lockdown with the guys and myself.

As I begin to write the ending to this, I can proudly say that I have been through the ringer. The roller coaster of ups and downs throughout the years. I’ve been loved and I’ve been hated, we all know that. I’ve battled some habits and have been put in some bullshit jail cells. All that shit ‘til this day cannot stop my love for skateboarding.

My best friend Rich and I are about to battle a trick and shoot a sick ass photo.

Probably the damn photo on this page! Pivot to fakie on some ridiculous dirt bank with the Freddy Cruiser... So all the bullshit in life that can bring you down, or up, can never, ever, compare to the feeling I personally have of not only riding a “skateboard,” but also a skateboard that is my company, Lockdown Skateboards. And the name on the board in this photo reads “Fred Gall,” one of my best friends and a dude I looked up to as a skate rat kid. So, Rich is picking me up in 5 minutes, so let me go handle this and smile.

Thanks to Focus Magazine for reaching out to me for this. And for every kid or human that ever bought my boards, shoes, shirts, and magazines I was in THANK YOU. There are too many people to thank, so I will officially end it by thanking the young kid reading this, that isn’t the coolest kid in school and that’s not hooking up with the girls. Damn, fuck; even not being part of the skater crowd in school, to “that” kid, all I can say is, “Do You” and, “Keep it Movin’.”

HaMMer//TiMe

Gavin nolan [NOlliE FRONT CROOk - NOlliE baCk HEEl OuT] WorDS :: MazuR

focusskatemag.com

ZaNDEr taKEtoMo

It’s not a rare occurrence that photos that you want to use in a magazine can sometimes fall through the cracks and end up in the black hole of skateboarding photography that should be used/seen. this sequence right here is case in point. I’ve wanted to use this sequence for Hammertime for some time now, and just always seem to forget about it… and for no other reason than just that I forget I have it. I mean, I love this trick! It just has that raw feeling to it that screams East Coast. Not to mention the LoVE fountain in the background just adds to the ambience of the over all photo. plus this ledge rounds out, so staying locked in for as long as he does really adds more beauty to this already sick nollie frontside crook, nollie backside heel out.

18

Zander Taketomo

FRESH//FIND

Brendan Carroll focusskatemag.com

[ollie]

20

Hometown: Jupiter Farms, FL Sponsors: Huf, Dickies, 561, DQM Favorite Trick: Nollie 180 Trick You Just Suck At: 360 flips Favorite Non-Skateboarding Activity: Playing Pool Last Words/Shout Outs: Jruns, Butt for the write up, Zander for the photo, Lou Moves You, and go to 21 Essex Monday and Saturday.

“One night this guy with an unlit cigarette in his hand wouldn’t stop fucking with one of our friends.

Brendan first tried to diffuse the situation, but when that didn’t work, he snatched the cigarette out of his hand, smoked it in front of the guy, and told him to get lost. If your friends with Brendan, he will always have your back no matter the circumstance. It’s very rare you find people like that these days, especially ones who can also nollie kickflip over Jersey barriers.” ~Brian Clarke Roommate

MATT BENNETT CLINT WALKER CLIVE DIXON MOOSE AMBIG.COM INSTA @AMBIGCLOTHING FACEBOOK.COM/AMBIGUOUSCLOTHING WATCH CLIVE IN “MODERN ART” AT AMBIG.COM

C LI VE DI XON

FRESH//FIND

“At first glance, you’ll think Scott is 24 years old.

Little do you know, he’s only 18. He’s got a great style and that’s admired by your favorite pro. His pop, quick feet, and board control make him a threat out on the streets. Did I mention that he was well-rounded? This kid will skate anything.

Look out for him, you’ll be seeing more of him.”

Luke Darigan

~One Finger Nocturnal Team Rider

Scott O’Rourke focusskatemag.com

[Kickflip into bank]

22

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA Sponsors: Nocturnal Skateshop, Skateswords, Etnies (flow), Phathouse Favorite Trick: Kickflip Trick You Just Suck At: Backside 360 Favorite Non-Skateboarding Activity: Hanging out with homies Last Words/Shout Outs: Big shout out to the whole Noc squad and fam, and Kerry Getz for hookin’ it up! All the homies out there too!

Luke McKaye

FRESH//FIND

Spencer Cartmell [Switch varial heelflip]

focusskatemag.com

Hometown: Jacksonville, NC Sponsors: Permanent Vacation Skateshop Favorite Trick: Tail scrapes over manhole caps, because of the sound it makes.

Trick You Just Suck At: Anything transitional.

Favorite Non-Skateboarding Activity: Drawing, sketching, doodling, whatever you want to call it.

Last Words/Shout Outs: A big thanks to SUB at Permanent Vacation, Luke McKaye for all of the good times, and thanks to all of my bruddas out there shredding and keeping me motivated.

And the Pops... I love ya Pops.

24

“They say nothing good comes out of Jacksonville, NC. And until now, I’d have to agree. Well, Spencer Cartmell is here to prove everyone wrong. With his smooth style and a big bag of tricks, he will surely impress and inspire anyone who sees him skate. He’s a mellow dude that lets his skating do the talking. When he’s not working for “the man” he’s down for traveling & hitting up all the NC spots. Be on the lookout because you are gonna be seeing a whole lot more of him.” ~Subhan Anwari Owner, Permanent Vacation Skateshop

FRESH//FIND

“I met John on a Birdhouse tour in 2011. He showed us all the spots and skated with the guys. I’m pretty sure we got kicked out of all of them. John asked if he could send some footage and I gave him my contact info. The footage he sent was of him murdering all of the spots he took us to. I remember it exactly. For two of the clips, he switch front grinded a double rail at an elementary school and switch backside flipped a parking lot grass gap. Both perfect. I’ve sent him boards and he’s put out two full parts since then. Two things that will do great for him. You’re going to see a lot from John in the future.”

Luke McKaye

~Jerome Case Team Manager, Birdhouse Skateboards

John Hill focusskatemag.com

[Kickflip]

26

Hometown: Columbia, SC Sponsors: Bluetile Skateshop, Birdhouse (flow), Cons (flow) Favorite Trick: Fakie Flip Trick You Just Suck At: Hardflip Favorite Non-Skateboarding Activity: Driving / Seeing new things Last Words/Shout Outs: David Toole, Jerome Case, Luke McKaye, anybody who has a positive influence on skating and tries to better their local scene.

Behind//Lens

Cooper Winterson

WORDS :: Luke Darigan PHOTOGRAPHY :: Alex Papke

Hey Cooper, how are you doing?

I’m doing pretty well, glad to be living in New York City while a ton of awesome people have been coming through all summer.

How old are you and how long have you been filming for?

I am 19 years old and I have been filming for 3 years as of September.

Do you film anything besides skating?

No, but my photography hardly consists of skating.

focusskatemag.com

What made you pick up a camera and film since you’re actually a really good skater? It seems like most filmers and photographers aren’t usually at your level.

Ha-ha thanks. I’ve been skating for about 11 years, but I have always had a big interest in cameras, both in photography and video. Ever since seeing my first VX in person when I was about 11 or 12, I was always so interested with it and almost every other camera I have come across since. I like to play around with every piece of photographic equipment I can.

28

Who are your favorite filmers/videos.

There are so many, and I would have different answers for favorite filmers and favorite editors. But off the top of my head as far as filming, Aaron Randi, Yoan Taillandier, Kenneth and Daniel Dent, and the Vic’s Market dudes. As for editing I’d have to say Matt King and Gene Belanger, Jackson Casey, Benny Maglinao, Logan Lara, and Peter Sidlauskas. All of the videos they have put out have been so interesting and are what keep me motivated and inspired. The majority of big-company videos are definitely less inspiring to me nowadays than when I was younger. There are so many classic videos I could shout out now, but those are what made me interested in skateboarding itself.

All of the dudes I just mentioned are the ones that make me want to film and make skate videos.

I’d also like to mention the guys that make those videos, “Mall Grab,” “Skirdoosh,” and “Switch Mongo.”

I’m always glad that they are way less serious about making videos, even though they still pull through on

making themed parts or just carrying out little nuances.

So you just released your first full-length video \m/ which came out great. What does that name mean?

Since we live in an age where the internet really controls the popularity and recognition of skate videos (as well as practically everything else in the world), I thought it would be funny to name my video something that only really can be expressed on the computer, and leaves you in question of how to physically pronounce or just say it. \m/ is meant to look like the devil horn hand gesture. My friends and I do a lot sarcastically, so I figured it would be a relevant choice.

How do you think it turned out?

A lot longer than I would like to have had it, but overall I am happy with the result and the response it has gotten. For my first shot at a full-length, I could have probably done a lot worse.

but that’s what other people tend to do. I also don’t mean to say that my videos are truly out of the ordinary or original, because after all I still use a VX1000, and I’m still making a skate video.

You’re filming style is really aggressive and you’re always super close to the skater, similar to the Vic’s Market dudes. How often does your lens get hit?

I’m USUALLY pretty good about pulling away, but you can’t win them all and I definitely get my fair share of lens hits. What’s the worst is that I recently scratched Rob Longley’s lens by having it kicked off the camera

by Genesis Evans as you can see at the end of the Greenies interlude in my video. That suffered a good inch diameter or so of little dots, but I still use it, and Rob has been super cool about it. That is the second time my lens has dropped from being kicked off, luckily the first time was not fatal. The reason I have Rob’s lens is because mine suffered a huge scratch at the bottom from filming Jed Anderson in a montage we made on a playground.

Night or Day footage?

Night footage to me can really characterize someone’s style of filming. Things like what light they use, or if people hold the light instead of mount it, etc. can seriously affect the feel of the footage, because after all, an image is made up of light. Therefore, altering your use of light shapes your appearance. In the daytime, the quality of light from the sun is not determined by you, but you have more of an option to how your colors look. I mean if you wanted to, you could use external lights in your daytime footage just as photographers use flashes in the daytime, but I haven’t seen anyone really dabble in that in skateboard filming. Also, Sorry if I am not really picking an answer to these questions, I just like to play both sides of the argument.

Any last shout outs?

I’d sincerely like to shout out everyone that is in my video, and everyone that I’ve met recently that is not in my video who I have been skating and filming with, both of my parents for all their continued support, Rob Longley again, and Nick Ferro for letting me borrow VXs and lenses when I direly needed them, anyone who has ever inspired me in making skate videos, Day One Skateshop, Labor Skateshop, and every other independent skateshop, core companies who treat skateboarding and skateboarders how they should (you know who you are), the internet, and shout out to you, Luke, for setting this up!

Who had your favorite part?

Chef Macaroni, a.k.a. Ben Kadow, because he skates El Toro and it’s the best spot!

What was with some of the editing, it gets really crazy at times and I know you don’t drink or do drugs, so what’s your excuse?

As much as I enjoy watching straight-skating skate videos, I preferred to have some more out-of-theordinary aspects. I’ve always enjoyed more personalized videos than just an average, but well done video.

They are more memorable to me. A lot of people like to compare my style of editing to other people who also make “weird” videos, which kind of sucks because what is being expressed is that you either make skate videos “normal” or “weird” and that’s how it is. As soon as you try to make something different, you are grouped into a user-created genre with other people who are also trying to make something different. Yet, the people who are making “normal” skate videos don’t get anything said for doing the same-old. Again, not that I don’t enjoy those types of videos, I actually really enjoy watching them, but it is weird that people only have something to say when you try to do something different. I’m using these quoted words not because I personally decipher videos between normal and weird,

Cooper Winterson [tailblock]

Rap//Sheet

Plague of Locusts WORDS :: Mike Las Photography :: Sid Graves

So, why did you guys change your name from Nassau Chainsaw Disgraceland Demolition Committee (NCDDC) to Plague of Locusts? To be honest, I love the name.

Thanks Mike. The band name change happened after constant Nassau Chainsaw lineup changes, with Laz and I being the only 2 near original musicians from NCDDC’s original lineup. Once we started writing new material, I put the mic down and jumped back on the drums, my main instrument, after 5 years of strictly singing for NCDDC. We started jamming for months, writing tons of amazing sounding material, and to our surprise we came up with a new original sound.

We decided it was time for a name change. We kicked around names for a month and Plague of Locusts was the one that stuck.

Who’s in your current line up?

The Current Lineup is Laz-Guitars (Ex LIAV/NCDDC), Rob-Bass (Ex Doomsday Mourning/FBTD); I’m back on the Drums/Video Projection and Lighting (Ex Neck Drummer and NCDDC Vocalist).

focusskatemag.com

Nassau Chainsaw was so fucking brutal. How would you compare your new sound to the old?

The POL material is way different then NCDDC... POL focuses way more on a heavy driving groove, victorious sounding heavy guitar riffs, and cilia killing bass lines.

Some parts are colored with tasty melodic guitar melodies that will be stuck in your head for days. As of right now, POL is an instrumental band but if we can find the right Vocalist out there to complement the music we will definitely be interested in adding another layer. Vocalists, contact us on facebook. NCDDC on the other hand was more of a melting pot of different styles from Heavy Doom Riffs to Underground Hiphop… NCDDC went through many different incarnations over the past 7 years.

30

I was watching the video for “Meinland” by Rammstein, and thought to myself at the end, “Holy SHIT! This looks like a Nassau Chainsaw show!” Do you have anything to say to them?

We can get the message and copy of magazine there. For example, “Thanks for ripping us off and not putting us in the video.”

I always appreciate when a band takes the time to put some amazing visuals in their live show. You gotta keep your audience mesmerized. I’m flattered when people compare our live show to bands like Rammstein or Gwar that are playing giant arenas, but what we do is very different. Our fire comes out of peoples mouths,

and the blood you see dripping from our suspension artists is 100% real. We don’t use makeup, fake blood, or a professional pyrotechnic team. Everything you see at our shows is all a bunch of badass kids risking their lives to melt your face. Or as Spliff used to say, “Risking your lives for our entertainment.” I should put that on the back of a shirt.

Some people have tried to compare you guys to a fresher Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza. What are your thoughts on this?

Bad Luck 13 are friends of ours. NCDDC did a bunch of shows and mini tours with them over a 3-year time span. Their shows were insane. There is a huge factor of danger and unpredictability when you were at a Bad Luck show that kept you wondering if you are going to still have both of your eyes by the time the barb wire baseball bat whipped past your face. BL13 shows are dangerous but they are some of the nicest and down to earth guys I have ever met. I think some of the members are now in a band called, “Eat The Turnbuckle.” Check them out! The older NCDDC shows had a similar element of fear and shock, smashing TV’s every show, grinders shooting sparks in our eyes, fireballs so close to your face you can feel your eyebrows singe. Keep in mind since 2005 we were always performing every show with flesh hook suspensions for about 300 plus shows with our DisGraceLanD family across the East Coast and Midwest. The new band, POL, focuses on a whole new element of visuals. I spent the past 6 months building the most disturbing video projection show and midi light show that is perfectly synced to the music. It’s a little more thought out, imagine you were the guy strapped into the chair in the Clockwork Orange flick.

That’s exactly how you will feel after a POL performance if you don’t die from an epileptic seizure first. Its serious performance art for the sick. We decided to continue the suspensions and tons of fireballs with POL. Nassau Chainsaw played Skatopia in 2011 and again in 2012. Will you guys go back and play as Plague of Locusts?

Skatopia is one of the craziest places on earth. It’s a serious free for all with casualties of war. I can go on for days with crazy Skatopia stories. Brewce and Brandon Martin are some of the coolest guys I have ever met.

We actually performed at Skatopia 3 years in a row.

The first year was at The American Skate Fest, we opened up for Gwar and Fishbone. There were a whole bunch of other legendary old school punk bands that year too. You can check out some footage on you tube

at www.youtube.com/nassauchainsaw the following 2 years we performed Bowl Bash. The kids that skate at Skatopia and CIA live on the 88 acres and take skating about as seriously as I do music. I have all the respect in the world for that. Brewce Martin, too, has an amazing comeback story if you read up on his accident.

Where else in the world can you blow up cars, light a fire bigger then someone’s home, and get some chick with hairy armpits and dirt on her face to suck your dick for a beer or a cigarette? We could be back there next year, lets see...

What do you guys do when you’re not sticking people on meat hooks in your backyard?

Everyone is pretty mellow. We take our anger and energy out on stage, and channel the frustration this world creates out through the music. The suspension teams we work with take suspension art as seriously as skaters do skating. There’s a whole science to it.

If suspension art is not practiced correctly someone can get seriously hurt. We are always looking for ways to make our performers safer, while at the same time thinking of more disturbing visuals to incorporate into the live show. We are also wrapping up recording the debut album that will hopefully drop this year. Most of us work full-time. I am an Operating Engineer in NYC and Laz works for a Law Firm. We have adult-type jobs and pretty normal lives. The suspension members are tattoo artists and piercers. All the rest of us sell drugs…

Just kidding.

Speaking of meat hooks and back yards, someone mentioned you guys got some sort of award for your backyard party on the 4th. Who hands out awards for BBQ’s?

Yeah, we had one of the most insane July 4th parties ever. We performed in our backyard. The neighbors now know what goes on in the house we live in. They had to wonder seeing such crazy looking people walking in and out of this house for the past 8 years.

I think they are terrified of us now. You can peep some video footage from the party on our youtube channel: www.youtube.com/PlagueOfLocustNYC. When you’re 50 years old and you look back, what will be your fondest groupie story so far? Spare no detail, we are not PG-13 compliant.

I think the award still goes to the time the Bourbon Legend got head from a black dwarf with saggy tits in a gas station bathroom. We still have a decade plus before anyone’s 50, let’s see what happens.

"!#+3-)4(

4%!- 2)$%2 2/..)% +%33.%2

0(/4/ #(2)3 +)2+

I M PAC T R E A DY 360째 OF IMPAC T PROTEC TION

N IK E SB A PP.CO M P RO G RESS . CO N N EC T. RES P EC T.

delaware

neiGHborHood//WaTCH

JEssE ClayTON [bluntslide]

MaRk dEl NEgRO [fakie crook]

red Bull’s

diy

spot supply WorDS :: sCOTT gallO photography :: zaNdER TakETOMO

DIy y spots define East Coast skating.

For decades, skateparks were sparse and ground was weathered by long harsh winters or rainy seasons. Now-a-days more and more pristine concrete parks and plazas are being built along the atlantic side of the country. Luckily, that hasn’t stopped the DIy y scene from flourishing. hidden in overgrown fields, under overpasses, and in abandoned warehouses, skateboarders are building ledges, quarterpipes, bump to bars, philly steps, pole jams; etc. the list goes on. red Bull, who’s supported skateboarding for quite a while now with contests like the Manny Mania series, a whole skate team, and even the lunacy of the X-games, found it was time to help out the heroes of the homemade skatepark. hooking up the guys and girls who drag

Up and down the East Coast, crews did everything from sneaking in earth moving equipment to fixing cracks city wide with Bondo. Every shop’s goal was to use the supplies in the most creative way possible to ensure their edit would be taken seriously by the elite panel of judges, a.k.a. the red Bull skate team.

maryland

[bs boneless]

focusskatemag.com

PauL Horning

ork y w ne

EsTEbaN gOMEz

pallets of sand, cinder block and cement to empty building foundations, red Bull DIy y Spot Supply gave seven local shop crews supplies to create or build onto their existing spots. New y york (KrudCo & KCDC), Massachusetts (orchard), New Jersey (NJ Skateshop), pennsylvania (armory East), Delaware (Kinetic) and Maryland (pitcrew) all rallied up their local heads and started planning out how they were going to use the supplies to film an edit at their spot of choice.

34

CalEb sHaNk [backside blunt]

new Jersey

QuiM CaRdONNa [crailslide]

CalEb sHaw [frontside nosegrind]

after all the edits are vetted, the winning crew will get a trip out to Woodward in october for some after-hours skating and mayhem. Each spot got a lot of love from the local guys, and most will be able to live on. Krudco and NJ got up at their local foundation junk spot; orchard and Kinetic got a chance to add new stuff to an established DIy y spot;, armory East and pitcrew found some great hidden gems to skate and have a beer; and KCDC had the very last hurrah at the BQE spot before the Dot decided to ruin a great thing. Each spot had a different story, but all of them should motivate every skateboarder to get some cement and cinder blocks and build whatever their heart desires.

Check redbull.com/skate for all the edits and more photos this September, or scan the Qr code below:

pennsy lvania kylE NiCHOlsON [backside nosebluntslide] massaChusetts

bRiaN paNEbiaNC

FRaNkiE NasH [front blunt]

Max NagEl [ollie] bRaNdON JaCCaRiNO [crook]

O [frontside nosegr

ind]

Humble//Bragging

The thrill of knowing that you are getting a chance to skate something that no one else has ever skated before is unlike anything else. It almost doesn’t even matter what the spot is or how perfect, or imperfect, it might be. Pioneering the first few tricks on untouched terrain is one of the greatest joys I have ever had in skateboarding. The opportunity to shoot this photo didn’t come easy, considering the fact that I had to travel over 850 miles to get there. I was on a trip from North Carolina to Upstate New York to do skate demos and speak at a Christian camp in the Adirondack Mountains. I have been blessed enough to get to travel and see more places than I ever could have imagined in my short 22 years of being alive, and I can safely say that this camp was located in one of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen in my life. The camp itself was secluded on a 45-acre island in the middle of Schroon Lake, fully packed with about 650 campers and counselors.

After seeing the rocky terrain and the unique land formations though, I knew in my short week at this camp that I would have to find some place to skate. I didn’t care if it was just a slanted rock or a huge tree branch; I was going to go insane if I couldn’t find something on the entire island worth skating. I spent about 3 hours one afternoon scouring every inch of land; I looked at every boulder and rock

formation on the camp hoping to ollie off one of them, or drop in on one rock to land on another. There was so much potential for skatable terrain, but after I had circled the island twice in my hunt I realized that I probably wasn’t going to find what I was looking for. Frustrated, I began to walk back to my room when I looked out into the lake and saw a tiny rock island about 100 yards away. I contemplated tying my skateboard and shoes up in a trash bag and making the swim, but realized that I wasn’t as great of a swimmer as I thought. It was pretty bittersweet to know that I found this awesome little Island that everyone has looked at and no one has ever skated, only to know that I too would never get the opportunity to step foot on it.

I ate dinner that night with the director of the camp and jokingly brought up that little rock Island and how much I wanted to go, and to my surprise the camp director was excited about the idea and was willing to take me over there. Since I was leaving the next day, and we couldn’t let any of the 500 kids staying at the camp know that I was going to skate on rock island because it was technically breaking the rules, we decided to wake up and take a pontoon boat over there at seven o’clock in the morning. The next morning I woke up to a brisk 50-degree Adirondack Mountain summer chill, getting my legs to move and my blood flowing was extremely difficult

Rock

Island

focusskatemag.com

WORDS :: Mike Steinkamp PHOTOGRAPHY :: Stephen Esguerra

38

considering the time and weather. I linked up with the staff photographer and the camp director and we set sail in the slow moving pontoon. Maybe I’m just a hippy, but if you’ve never seen the mist on top of a mountain lake in the morning, you are missing out because it is most definitely a sight worth seeing.

We finally made it to rock Island, and as I was putting my shoes on I realized that it was going to be way harder to skate than I thought. I’m not quite sure what I was thinking when I looked at it… the Island was just one big giant rock in the middle of a lake, obviously there wasn’t going to be smooth ground or perfect marble run up. the Island was uneven and bumpy, which proved to be rather challenging for my 51mm wheels, but I realized that several people sacrificed their precious sleep to get me here so I had to make something work. the photographer was set up on the bigger Island with about 300 feet of water between us, so I decided to see how far and high I could pop an ollie hoping to give him something to work with. this probably will be one of the most memorable breakfasts I have ever skipped. adventuring out of your comfort zone and exploring new ideas and places is what makes skateboarding so unique. For me its not so much the trick, or what spots have been skated by which people, it’s more so about discovering new ideas and taking advantage of the creative freedom that we have in skateboarding.

MikE sTEiNkaMp [ollie]

VICE

MER SER O T S U C Y R A D N LEGE

BIGGEST SELECTION

BEST PRICES

Lucas J a Photo b ckson, Front B y Matt Conrod oard Slide

in Retail stores , GA a, tt ie Mar L. and DeLand, F

com/skate chutingstar. /chutingstar om instagram.c /chutingstarskate facebook.com

reTro//speCTive

1

Zoo york

a photoGraphiC retrospeCtive

focusskatemag.com

INtro :: MazuR CaptIoNS & photography :: sEaN CRONaN

42

I can remember back as a youth, the Zoo york, “Mix tape.” Man, that was seriously one of the first, and best, videos I’ve seen when I first got into skateboarding. It was just so raw. With gritty street skating, an amazing soundtrack and all sorts of things mixed in, you could tell it was probably the best homie video ever put out. I even recall my buddies and I trying to recreate a similar video… as I sure many skateboarders did. We’d always watch it early in the morning before we had to leave for school… Which we’d cut the first few classes of anyway to go skate on the basketball courts. It just seemed like the right thing to do. over the years, Zoo york has changed and morphed, but it still has always held skateboarding close to its heart and has continued to bring forth that lifestyle-feel to it. and, as Zoo york celebrates its 20-year anniversary this year, it’s a perfect time to look back at some of the amazing moments that have come from the brand and its crew. It has been nine years since Zoo york hired staff photographer Sean Cronan to join the team.

Being a part of the Zoo family for nearly a decade, he has both experienced and documented a majority of these moments that have helped bring Zoo york to where it is today. In the following pages, Cronan gives a small insight into a few of his favorite captures. Enjoy his photographic retrospective.

2

3

reTro//speCTive

4

1. aaRON suski [360 stalefish] 2006 Lyon, France this was shot on the 2006 Zoo york Europe tour. this is a pretty famous spot in Lyon located in the center of a mall/office building. the crazy thing is that you are surrounded by glass walls with people working while you skate, and nobody seems to mind. We had to open up a door and aaron started in the hallway of the office building to get enough speed to skate this particular volcano. I think this was possibly one of the last photos that I took with film.

focusskatemag.com

2. bRaNdON wEsTgaTE [nollie flip] 2011 Providence, RI It was really cold and windy the morning that we shot this. In typical Westgate fashion, we had to do a bunch of manual labor to make the spot skatable. this trick gave Brandon a bunch of trouble mostly due to the wind, which would blow his board out from under his feet it was so strong. Brandon kept at it though, and eventually nailed it.

44

3. FORREsT kiRby [nosegrind] 2006 Brooklyn, NY I love the guys walking in front of ForE, perfectly framing him. this was the hot spot in Brooklyn for a while. Like most spots in New york, this spot is a lot harder to skate than it looks. the ground is super rough, with lots of cracks, and lots of cars, and people getting in the way.

4. CHaz ORTiz [360 flip] 2009 Boston, MA this is one of my favorite photos that I have shot of Chaz. this was shot in the fall of 2009 while on a weekend trip to Boston. this was used in a promotional gatorade book that was given out at a super bowl one year.

5

It was supposed to be an ad as well, but for some reason or another never happened, so not many people have ever seen this. It started pouring rain minutes after Chaz rode away.

5. TRaVis glOVER [backside flip] 2012 Miami, FL travis is the epitome of smooth. this spot is in the back of an abandoned shopping mall outside of Miami. It was bordering on one hundred degrees, with lots of humidity. Forrest Kirby set up a beach umbrella rigged to a shopping cart that he found in the parking lot to keep the sun off of me and rB. travis casually handled this backside flip moments before an afternoon thunderstorm unleashed on us.

6. kEViN TaylOR [switch hardflip] 2005 San Francisco, CA I shot this halfway through a month long Zoo york crosscountry tour back in 2005. that was a crazy tour. there were so many people that we had two fifteen-passenger vans. one was the pro van, and the other was the am van. Kevin and I rode in the back of the am van for most of the tour. harold hunter sat shotgun for the whole tour, which meant that Kevin and I were entertained non-stop for an entire month.

We were only in SF for the day and I think this was the only spot we went to. Kevin started trying this out of nowhere, and nailed it right before we needed to leave for the next tour stop.

7. daVE willis [backside 180] 2012 NYC We had originally set out to try and shoot at a different spot, but after getting kicked out we made our way over to here to just check out the bump. Dave ollied it pretty easily, and then just started going for the back 180. I had set up a flash on a tripod and had it on the side of the street, not really in the way of traffic, but somehow a cab still managed to run it over. I was pissed, but it was funny at the same time, and amazingly the flash still worked.

7

6

Small//Talk

John Devine

“Chances are if you grow up right next door to a meth lab, and every other kid your age decides that Oxys and Percs are the best way spend all of your spare time, you are going to go down that scumbag route too. The chances are also pretty good that when you were 7 years old and Tony Hawk did the 900, you and all of those future pill heads asked for a skateboard for Christmas. John Devine got that skateboard and spent the next dozen or so years skating every single day, pushing miles on back roads to the skatepark, finding his way to Philly and Wilmington, going on road trips crammed in the back of an SUV breathing in fumes from the generator. One by one, most of the kids from his town dropped off the face of the earth, but John kept going.

The old cliché’ about perseverance paying off is true.

John shreds, gets hooked up by Ipath and Element, is going to have an awesome part in the new Kinetic video this fall and doesn’t do pills... And the meth lab next door to his house burned down a few months ago.” ~Ben Jones Co-Owner, Kinetic Skateshop

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY :: Luke Darigan

Hey John, what’s going on?

Not much, staying at my brothers house outside of DC helping my dad install a floor.

How old are you and who are your sponsors?

I’m 23, I get stuff from Ipath, Stance, SML. Wheels just recently, and Kinetic Skateboarding.

Where are you from and where do you work?

I’m from Lenni, Pennsylvania and I work at Kinetic Skateshop part-time, I’m a warranty technician on Carnival Cruise ships, and I help my Pops do floor installation on the side.

I heard that sometimes you basically get paid in product. Do you have a nasty little shopping habit?

I used to be really bad with buying things on my hours.

When you work in a shop you walk past things you don’t really need, but over a ten-hour shift of walking past something it’s pretty easy to convince yourself you want said product.

focusskatemag.com

You recently got on the Kinetic Skateshop team after working there for quite some time. Is there much of a difference from working at a shop and being sponsored by a shop while working there?

I don’t see much difference in skating for the shop after working there. I was always down for those dudes.

Nothing’s changed. They do so much for me. I’m glad to have Ben (Jones) and Brannon (John) as my bosses.

48

You’ve always been pretty outspoken about supporting your local shop. Where did that come from and why do you think that is so important?

I came from a town where a shop failed, and I saw what it did to skating in the area. Kids stopped skating and later followed the path that many Delaware county kids take, leading towards drugs or longboarding.

Local shops need support; they do so much more than sell stuff.

What should the younger generation of skaters know that they don’t learn watching Street League

and Fantasy Factory?

Street League is the blown out end of the spectrum…

Zumiez has money to buy ads so that is what kids are seeing. They don’t know that they’ll end up walking into a store with kids in shitty metal band shirts with facial piercings mounting their trucks on backwards.

Street League on the other hand puts skating in front of kids that have never seen it and that creates new kids in skating, which is awesome.

What is your daily routine?

I have no daily routine. If I work that day I will wake up, drink coffee, skip breakfast, go to work, spend an amount of money I don’t have on lunch and come home to a beer. If I’m off work I like to sleep in, call Jake Todd to see if he isn’t working sometimes to film something, or just go skate by myself.

Who are your favorite people to go out and skate/ film with?

My favorite people to skate with are the dudes who don’t care about filming stuff. Zach Gallagher and Brian Peacock are really good at making anything fun. I think one of my favorite sessions went down on a curb with those dudes and the rest of the 3101(Newark, DE) dudes. They’re all home for the summer and I miss them so much.

Tell me about the meth lab you live next to.

I live in a twin house in this sketchy white trash area called Lenni. I share a driveway with these sketchy people that rent their place out to junkies and people on disability just because they’d rather smoke meth all day instead of making an honest living. I heard a bang one night and thought a bomb went off and thought nothing of it. I then realized the smoke pouring out of the junkie house, I was so happy! I hoped it was going to burn to the ground and I’d never have to wait to pull out of my driveway because of a slow paced meth deal ever again. Turns out somebody didn’t have their rent money, and when you don’t have rent money you obviously need to burn the house down right? All it took was a can of Febreeze and a microwave to give me

false hopes. The fire department came, boarded the house up and a day later I awoke to boards being pried off.They still reside next door.

What’s the deal with the job you have on the cruise ship? What exactly do you do there?

I go on cruises to ensure nothing on the stage is broken or going to hurt somebody. Sometimes I do these things called dry docks where they lift the ship out of water for weeks at a time and they turn the a/c off one day, the power the next, and even the water so you have to buy bottled water to flush your toilet.

It’s been so bad sometimes you have to bring baby powder to rub on your balls because you can’t shower for days on end.

How selective are you with messaging girls back on OKCupid?

I’m done with OKCupid. That website was a bit too much. The girl I’ve been talking to had a roommate that I only met once, and she was a total bitch, but I went to look at my visitors and there she was! She visits Carl Cortez’s too! But yeah I’m over it. I’m starting to hate the Internet. Look what it’s done to skating! Go buy a hard copy of a video kids!

What is your favorite type of thing to skate and your favorite city?

My favorite thing to skate would be the backyard at the Scott’s or the ledges at Love that the bums sleep on…

You know, that one side. My favorite city to skate in is Philadelphia hands down. Most people are really friendly and fun to skate with. That makes any session better.

Last shout-outs?

I’d like to thank my family and all of my friends, everyone involved with Kinetic and Focus Skate Mag, anyone who ever sent me any stuff, Jesse Clayton for everything he does for the local scene, Luke Darigan, Zach Gallagher, Joey Pyle, Brian Peacock, Max Loper, JR Pikulsky, Anthony Agresta, One-Finger, Kathy Scott, James West, Jon Pitzo, Jake Todd, Ben Jones, Brannon John, and anyone who supports their local shop!

John Devine [backside tailslide]

Small//Talk

Chad Poore WORDS :: Keith Gibbs PHOTOGRAPHY :: Stephen Knight

“I’ve only known Chad for a few short years, but in that time he has never failed to impress.

He’s one of the most consistent skaters I know, and he’s always calm with a positive vibe.

The only time I’ve ever seen him ‘flip out’ is off a ledge, which can’t be a bad thing. The fact that he can flip into any rail he skates is remarkable, too. I frequently have the bad luck of hearing about a crazy trick that I missed out on, or that I just blew it while shooting. Even though he seems to twist or roll his ankle almost every time, he’s always been down to go back or do it once more regardless of how hard or gnarly it may be.

This front bluntslide sequence was no exception to our luck. Thanks again bud, you’re the man!”

focusskatemag.com

~Stephen Knight Friend/Photographer

50

All right Chad; let’s get the obvious ones out of the way... How old are you, where are you from, and how Poore are you?

I’m 20 and 3/4 years old, born and raised here in Orlando, Florida. Well, I basically live in the laundry room at my parents’ house, but I’ve worked almost full-time for nearly the last 4 years, so hopefully I won’t be Poore too much longer.

Yeah, Denver is always a good time. What about any good non-skating related stops?

There were so many amazing sights, but without a doubt, the Grand Canyon.

I honestly felt like I was 1 breathtaking moment away from not being able to breathe at all. It probably didn’t help that I was also fighting a fever most of the trip.

Good luck with that. Who’s been taking care of you skating, as far as product?

Blooze Skateboards has been hooking me up for about 2 years and I recently started getting laced with DC shoes. Also Midtown Skatepark helps cover everything else I could need.

Over the last couple years I have watched you become the most talented, yet unrecognized, person on a skateboard. How did you manage to pull that off?

Well that’s easy... I broke up with my girlfriend. And most of the time I usually end up going skating late at night after working.

Who do wish was hooking you up?

Man I don’t know... I guess some free Reese’s would be nice.

So you just got added to Midtown’s “All-star” team of Central Florida’s finest with: Blake Carpenter, Bert Wootton, TJ Harris, Jon Sciano, and Chris Blake.

How do you feel about that?

Well I’m definitely hyped to be a part of that list of dudes. Just look at that line up...

Yea that’s heavy. You just took a trip out west and met up with the 3 transplants out there, Bert, Blake and Jon. How was that?

It was the best trip I have ever been on. The Blooze dudes and me were on the road for 3 weeks and we skated almost every city from coast to coast. What more could you ask for?

You lucky dog... What was your favorite stop along the way?

There were so many rad cities, but Denver was probably my favorite. The weather was perfect, the spots were endless, the people were really nice, and all of the Team Pain skate parks out there are unbelievable.

You also just wrapped up filming your first full video part in ‘Idiosyncratic’ with Troy Vetri. How was working on that, and what’s next?

I’m stoked to have finished that, but I am ready to move on to the next project.

Perhaps a full-length Blooze or Midtown video would be rad.

It seems like kids don’t form “skate posses” anymore. If you had to name your posse, what would be your squad’s name?

Well, we used to only really go to skate parks when I was younger, so we would probably be like the Street Sharks or something like that.

All right, we’re running out of paper space, lets hear your shout outs... Go. Obviously Sleepy Stee for always staying awake behind the lens, the guys at Blooze Skateboards for keeping a funny board under me, everyone involved at Midtown Skatepark, Troy and Kevin Perez for filming me, Tj Gaskill for making shit happen, and of course, my parents for making me who I am.

Chad Poore [frontside bluntslide pop-out]

Scott Criv // Will Watson

because skateboarding needs a future This is Will. Will loves to skateboard. Will loves to skateboard so much that he’s at the park almost every day. When Will is at the park he rides harder than everyone else. That’s why even though Will is only 6 years old, he can shred our 12 foot vert ramp like a man.

Will is the future of skateboarding, and he rides at Rye Airfiled

www.RYEAIRFIELD.com 603.964.2800

focusskatemag.com

IN CENTIVES

54 Sean Michon

PHOTO

Fritz Mead [backside bluntslide]

Tim Snyder

Ethan Edwards [frontside 5-0]

Luke Darigan

Adam Hribar [bump to backside 5-0]

George Etheredge

Justin Fyle [kickflip into bank]

Sean Michon

Kevin Phelps [frontside flip]

AUSTYN GILLETTE

DYLAN RIEDER

WELCOME TO HUF FOOTWEAR HUFWORLDWIDE.COM