Be-Mag E-zine Issue 1 by Josip Jagić

eZINE #01

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» Even if sales numbers can’t 04

back it in full, rollerblading is having a full-on revival, it’s a healthy and vibrant culture «

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Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Editorial Josip Jagić

READERS PICKED THE WINNERS OF THE FIRST ANNUAL BE-MAG TOP TEN AWARDS

2017 WAS A GREAT YEAR FOR ROLLERBLADING, WETHER YOU AGREE OR NOT Be-Mag’s Top Ten is a reflection of rollerblading’s vitality, the urge to create something authentic with passion for no other reason than the love of beauty, comradery and life

Josip Jagić Jack Toibin

The innaugural rendition of Be-Mag’s Top Ten, our annual awards for the top bladers and achievements in rollerblading couldn’t have come at a better time. Simply, rollerblading was incredibly exciting in 2017. Never before was there such an aboundance of free rollerblading content, pro skaters released ground-breaking sections for free, video producers made the effort of putting together incredible rosters for their VOD releases, we’ve seen the release of more than a few great new products, and with big competitions all around the world, you’d think that rollerblading is having a full-on revival. And even if sales numbers couldn’t possibly back that claim, our scene is, with all it’s minor setbacks, healthy. It’s healthy in the attitudes of most participants, people who travel the world to visit and skate with their friends, pro skaters who spend weeks in distant countries trying to preach the gospel of rollerblading to kids who might have never seen it before, sparking genuine interest

even in the mainstream media that’s not as blasé as we’ve grown accustomed to in Europe and the USA, it’s booming whereever there are people willing to put in the extra effort to make something happen. The Be-Mag’s Top Ten is a reflection of this vitality, this urge to create something for what you love with what you have at your disposal. When deciding on the format of the Top Ten, we’ve made the conscious choice to let you all propose the candidates for each category, and then coral the votes and give you another choice of voting for the finalists. While it may diminished our role as the the purveyors of what and who is cool or not, it allowed us to get a better pulse of blading nation’s tastes. Winners in some of the categories were decided with a margin of only five votes. So, flip through the pages, see if your favorites won and read the interview with Alex Broskow, Be-Mag’s first Top skater of the year.

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Company

TOP COMPANY: USD

USD HAS THE GUTS TO THINK OUT OF THE BOX Throughout it’s existence, USD has always tried to feel the pulse of the fickle rollerblading demographic, sometimes with more, sometimes less success, but their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.

Josip Jagić Mike Lufholm

Upsidedown, Universal Skate Design, USD... In the past two decades, since the release of the first Throne skate and setting up the initial USD pro team with Arlo, Champion Baumstimler, Dustin Latimer and Kevin Gillan, the skate company went through more than a few revamps, team re-shuffles and blunders. Still, it kept it’s relevance, be it through having a team so powerful it seemed nobody can touch them in terms of influence and street credibility, releasing the first UFS specific skates, or just trying out new things no other company had the guts for. Today, with a pro team consisting of some of the most important and influential skaters of today and of tomorrow and products that change even the way we skate for the better, such as the AEON skate, USD is a force to be reckoned with, which you all confirmed by voting them the company of the year.

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Top Company

Chris Farmer: Topside Acid

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Top Videographer

Dom West taking a break while filming

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Top Videographer

Left: Gav Drumm - Liu Kang Air, Top: Joe Atkinson, Mathieu Heinemann & Gav Drumm while visiting Burma

conservation. This means most of the work we do is overseas so I’m on the road filming a lot of the year. It’s been an incredible opportunity and has really helped me grow and develop as a film maker. It’s really a dream job and I’m extremely lucky to be involved with the projects that we’re working on. So you’re known for Vine St 1 and 2, so the question looms, is there a 3rd in the works, or do you think that’s all she wrote for that video series for you? If that’s the case, what’s next for you? I think for now the Vine St series will be left to rest, as it’s such a massive commitment of time, of which I have very

little of at the moment. But to be honest if you’d have asked me if there was going to be a Chapter II after the initial release, I probably would have said no too! Right now I’m more interested in working on different styles of projects that have a bit more of a documentary feel to them. At the

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Top Videographer

end of last year I spent 2 weeks in the remote regions of Burma with Joe Atkinson, Gav Drumm and Mathieu Heinemann to put some of these ideas into practice. It was pretty amazing to document and experience blading in somewhere like that. I’m currently putting the piece together

and I’m excited to get it out there in the coming months. I’ve got lots of other blading related film ideas on the boil, so as long as the fire is burning I’ll be making stuff!

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Photographer

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Photographer

TOP PHOTOGRAPHER: DOMINIC WAGNER

PHOTOGRAPHY SAVED DOMINIK WAGNER FROM ECONOMICS Dominik Wagner has been a talent on skates and behind the lens for quite some time now. With his latest collaborative effort on the Cayenne Project, his nomination for top photographer comes as no surprise.

Ryan Loewy Dominik Wagner David Sizemore

Dominik Wagner: Autoportrait

When did you first get into photography? Photography was kind of my breakout plan from studying economics. I was very unhappy with my choice to study economics and I quickly realized that it was not for me. I had to rethink my decision what I want to do as my profession. I was always surrounded by videographers and photographers, which inspired me to become involved with photography. I bought my first camera, moved to another city and started to work on a portfolio. I ended up studying photography in Berlin, which started a lot of things for me! So rollerblading had a hand in your passion for photo? Yes. I grew up watching skate videos and reading skate magazines, and I think that the aesthetic of those formats automatically changed the way I saw the world. Because of rollerblading, I was always involved in video projects since I was 14 years old, so for some reason, it was very natural to combine rollerblading and videography or photography. My first photographic Subjects and projects were far away from rollerblading though; it was not until my last year of studying photography that I started to work on projects about our scene! In the end I feel like because of that, it inspired me to capture the whole thing from a different point of view.

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Top Photographer

Dominik Wagner Skitchinâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Photo: David Sizemore

So, how did you get involved with the Cayenne project? I was supposed to join the first tour which kicked of the whole project, every single person of that crew is a good friend of mine, and we have been on many trips together in many kind of different combinations, but I guess never all of together. Anyways, back then I was not able to come along because of my work schedule, but we all spent time together at the Roskilde Festival were everything started and the last destination of the trip was Berlin, so we hung out a lot during those days. The overall good vibe and insane energy of the crew, made me promise to myself to do everything I can to be on the next trip with them. What are your plans for 2018? Right now I am in Eindhoven to help set up with Winterclash. I am also working on an exhibition in AlĂ¨s, in France, with Marie and Charlie from Urban Parc, along with Dom West, Adam Kola, Al and Brian Bina. We will present a selection of some parts of the Cayenne Project as a video installation with photographic prints. There are a couple of projects I hopefully will be able to finish in the next few month, but the biggest plan for now is to work on a new book from the trip to Taiwan with the Cayenne Crew!

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Free Video

Kelso Bros: Looking serious

Can we expect a Fishguys 4? Yea, definitely...no set plans...but yea, definitely! Sean, you’ve developed a passion for creating music, was curious to know if you compose tracks for edits prior or post filming? Mostly, always after... I’m big on developing a feel for the music after I see the footage. I do however like making music just

for the sake of pure enjoyment, so sometimes I might make something that goes on to to be used down the road... it really all depends. Out of curiosity, and you don’t have to answer this, but where do you draw inspiration fashion wise? From everything everywhere!

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Top Free Section

TOP FREE EDIT: BEBOP SESSIONS – EUGEN ENIN / DANIEL ENIN

ENIN BROS: WITH LOVE FROM UKRAINE TO BORKLYN ZOO

The Borken raised duo, pro skater Eugen Enin and his brother Daniel are one of the most prolific rollerblading video teams in the past five years 18

Eugen Enin Courtesy of Eugen Enin

We’ve read more than a few interviews with Eugen Enin recently, so we’ve decided to flip the roles, and make Eugen briefly interview Danny. So, blame him for the answers you didn’t get.

Hey Danny, how is your knee doing and more important, how is TJ doing (our cat)? Hey Eugen! My knee got better since my injury from last year February. TJ is doing great as always and is currently sleeping.

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Top Free Section

Did your filming change over the years or are you just complaining more? And name some of your influences and favorite music. I don’t know, tell me! I think I just want to get the best clip every time I film and sometimes it isn’t the way I want it. Or my standards got higher and I can’t fulfill them. Influences for filming are definitely Jonas Hansson, Dom West, MVG, Vincent Lindgren, Mark Heuss, Cayenne Crew, Carter LeBlanc and many more! Favorite music is of course the Wu! What do you like and hate about filming with me? (Except our loud discussions but that’s a family thing) I like that you can do the whole trick a second time, but it depends on the spot and what kind of trick it is. What I hate the most is, when you try a trick and then suddenly say don’t film it, its just a warm up and then you land it perfectly and you are mad why I didn’t film it How about spots and angles, do you have a different view on it since you’ve changed your setup? Yeah, kinda. With my old Panasonic camera it was more like freestyle handheld filming. But with my new Sony A7S II, I try to choose more cinematic angels and even try to pay attention to the background whats happening etc. If it comes to spots, I definitely choose cleaner spots over dirty spots with a lot of trees. With the VX I film everything, even if its a rock.

Did it finally get easier for you to film FSK/ Big Wheel Projects or to use music you’re actually not into? Hell NO! I only have bad memories when I think about filming FSK videos. And especially if I need to find some good non copyrighted music! What about your comeback BZ section, can we expect it 2018? Or are you already working on your Blading sponsor me tape? I have my comeback every year! Maybe? Let’s see when we have some good weather to film my Blading sponsor me tape 2020 !

Left: The Enins Board hunters Top: Daniel Enin Melon grab

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top VOD Release

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Top VOD Release

DEAD WHEELS’ CHAMPAGNE IS TOP VOD OF 2017

ADAM JOHNSON’S TRUST IN DAVID SIZEMORE PAID OFF The most influential wheel team of the era, Dead Wheels has made a video that immediately enters the all time top five rollerblading films

Josip Jagić Ryan Loewy

Champagne: We all appreciate the effort in making a physical copies of a film.

Dead Wheels’ Champagne will turn out to be the defining film for a completely new generation of young bladers, the likes of young Martin Danning, Levi van Rijn or Seba Dzbik. What Brain Fear Gone did for the early naughties generation, Champagne will do for these kids. Adam Johnson, the man behind Vibralux and Dead is a man of great creative integrity and a specific vision of what rollerblading is and should be. He’s made today’s most respected pros, Chris Haffey and the Dead team members Chris Farmer and Alex Broskow the stars they are. He has given them a narrative and defined what is cool in rollerblading. That’s why it was such a surprise to see him hand over creative control of the project to David Sizemore. David is a superpro and a great filmer in his own right, but it took AJ’s courage and ability to see greatness in others, which he deffinitely has, to let

David take over and create a masterpiece himself. The only thing that made things easier for David was the fact that his team members are the aforementioned Farmer and Broskow. However, we’re sure David wasn’t thinking the same, as we’re sure, he wanted everything to be perfect. And Champagne has it all. It has a great cinematic value because of it’s impeccable filming and editing, it has a naturally flowing rythm, it has suspense and deliverance. We look forward to see what’s next for Dead Wheels, for AJ and for Sizemore. Also, it has a great book, with photos from one of the best in the business, Shawn Engler. If you haven’t already, get the full package while it’s still available. Champagne is the rollerblading film you will want to keep for life.

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top VOD Section

TOP VOD SECTION: ALEX BROSKOW - CHAMPAGNE

FILMING THAT BROUGHT OUT THE BEST IN ALEX’S SKATING There are many points to consider that compose a good section, and with Alex Broskow’s Champagne, many of those are covered extensively in it to rightfully warrant its 2017 Top Section award.

Ryan Loewy Ryan Loewy

The momentum that builds in this section is what had won me over originally. Song selection, which according to Broskow, took months, paired with Sizemore’s meticulous filming, combine perfectly to highlight all the minute aspects of Broskow’s skating that make it great. A mix of long and fish eye angles are placed strategically, bringing out truly the best in each of Alex’s maneuvers. It’s evident that spot and trick selection are thoroughly thought out, paired with Broskow’s style, which seems to be more honed than ever. He runs the fashion spectrum as well, in one instance, donned in just coveralls, the next a hawaiian

shirt, all the while pulling it off as only he can. Broskow doesn’t hesitate to reveal his extensive vocabulary either; toe rolls, gaps, wall rides, medspins, even a negative acid to fishbrain is slipped in, combined together forms a well rounded portrayal of one of the sport’s greatest, making for one hell of a replay value. To say this is among Broskow’s best may or may not be dishonest of me, because I honestly do not think Alex has reached his peak and I really don’t know when that’ll be, but this is certainly among his sections to pull up whenever, if ever, anyone questions his status as GOAT.

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top VOD Section

Alex Broskow: His focus gave us the best in 2017

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Top Competition

Montre Livingston: Mistyflip into the livid Winterclash crowd

TOP COMPETITION: WINTERCLASH

WINTERCLASH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLLERBLADING EVENT With thousands of participants each year and an atmosphere almost unrivalled in action sports, Jojo Jacobi’s DIY annual rolling extravaganza is a blueprint on how to create lifelong memories

Josip Jagić David Grant

Imagine rollerblading, all the skaters, all the tricks, all the hassle and chaos, drunken debauchery, all the blood, chaffed skin, broken bones, dislocted joints, as an energy. Winterclash is the nuclear reactor for this energy, bombing atoms and making you feel like you’re a part of a special universe. Thank you for Winterclash, Jojo.

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Competition

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Competition

Â» WE ARE AMAZED AND IMPRESSED TO STILL RECEIVE SO MU

14 YEARS NOW. YOU GUYS ARE TRAVELLING FROM ALL THESE SO SPECIAL TO ALL OF US. WE WANT TO THANK EVERY SINGL IMPROVING. THANK YOU FOR MAKING WINTERCLASH THE BE THE WINTERCLASH TEAM

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Top Competition

UCH LOVE FROM EVERYONE AFTER DOING WINTERCLASH FOR E CRAZY PLACES TO MAKE THIS ONE WEEKEND IN FEBRUARY LE PERSON WHO VOTED FOR US AND WE PROMISE TO KEEP EST WEEKEND OF THE YEAR – EVERY YEAR! «

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Up-and-comer

BE-MAG’S FIRST TOP UP-AND-COMER SHARES WISDOM

BOBI SPASSOV: WE NEED AN INDUSTRY THAT LOVES BLADING MORE THAN MONEY 28

With blades under his feet for almost a quarter of century without even turning 30 yet, Bobi Spassov is the most seasoned newbie on the international rolling scene. Skilled and opinionated, just what we need.

Josip Jagić Bar Erez, Michael Witzemann, Frieder Jan Moerman

Before Winterclash 2017, I remember seeing only a few clips of Bobi Spassov skating, but it was already remarkable enough for me to ponder who the hell this dude was and where he came from. After seeing him completely destroy the course at the Area 51 skatepark with some of the most unexpected moves, I realised rollerblading had struck gold again. However, his choice of tricks doesn’t come from a youthful exploration, but from decades of skating. Bobi’s first skates were yellow K2 Fatties and he has been skating for almost 23 years now. But the impression he left on the rollerblading scene in 2017 made the man from Israel’s Kfar Saba your favorite for Be-Mag’s Top Up-and-Comer. Your level of experience shows in your skating. Way back then, when you we’re just a small toddler on skates, who did you look up to? Well it’s almost true, only that I had a big break from rollerblading, from around the age 14 to 21. I was doing any other stupid

shit I could lay my hands on. When I came back I had realised I love it more than anything, and will never give up on it again. At first it was mostly local heros. Skating in the 90’s was mostly vert ramp, we had one. It wasn’t huge but it was a good vert. Around 2002 I was at the XGAMES, then I saw skaters like Stephane Alfano and Taig Chris, so you could say these two are my most remembered ones. I loved seeing Stephane throwing a cork 900 back then. I remember it vividly. Today, you have one of the most unique trick vocabularies in the game. How do you go about making up those trick combos? I guess its a really weird mix of styles. When I started skating again, I was mostly skating transitions and found it very easy to spin into tricks. I tried everything that came up in my mind til I felt I couldn’t go further. It was around this time when I fell in love with Nick LaBarre’s skating. KCMO. I have changed my style along with it, and

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Up-and-comer

found the different stuff that I’m good at, like toe rolls and cess slides. Nowday’s it’s a big mix of everything. Nick LaBarre? I loved him in Pariah, I think it was his tour de force, the split with Dylan Davis. What made you like the style of skating in KCMO, as opposed

to the stuff people like Richie Eisler or Sam Crofts do? Its hard to explain but I’ll try my best. You know, everybody did everything in rollerblading, kinda. Aragon, Farmer, Broskow. Every trick has already been done. It felt like everybody was trying to do the best tricks, push it the most, but the limit was

Bobi Spassov: Soulgrinding the V

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Top Up-and-comer

so far ahead. Only then when I saw Nick’s KCMO section I realised that he really doesn’t give a damn. He does what he loves, and presents it exactly how he wants it to be presented. I fell in love with that straight away. You can be whatever you wish and that’s amazing. I feel like rollerblading is more diverse now than ever. Me too, and it’s thanks to this way of skating.

How much do you think the level of risk in stunt skating was a factor in it opposed to just the fact that even 540 kindgrinds on handrails got boring to watch? Also, has it democratized rollerblading, making it more accessible again? When both of us got into skating, you could actually see yourself doing stuff that Arlo or Randy Spizer, or Eric Schrjn did in the mid-late nineties. And then, all of a sudden, you had to be able to do 360 truespins on rails to be considered good. What do you think makes the difference between a pro and a regular skater these days? The level of risk shown today is still very high, and I personally don’t appriciate suicidal blading so much anymore. I rather watch controlled blading, may the risk be as big as the skater wishes, but it needs to look controlled almost as if there was no risk taken. Back in the 90’s rollerblading was very diverse because there was no idea of what was right or wrong. People were just trying stuff. And around 2k and further it seemed like everybody had to know how to spin or just super control handrails. It became grinderblading. To this date there are old timers here in Israel that seem like they can’t really rollerblade, they know how to take two steps and grind a rail. No judging, they still shred and do tricks I can’t, but it doesn’t do it to me anymore. It’s not possible anymore that a 10 year old freeskater looks more controlled then a 25 year old skater with 15 years experience under his belt. To me, people like Brian Bina are as pro as it gets. They skate super controlled and can do anything. The money really isn’t a factor in what makes a pro, ironically.

The person who has brought most control into rolling this past decade was actually Rob Guerrero, and he gets almost zero credit for it. Watching him skate at the Winterclash just reminded me of that fact. Rob G is a masterclass blader, full of surprises. Exactly. I remember watching his VG 17 part and thinking he was out of this world, and then his Feet parts. I dont know what makes some people get more rep then others. I guess nowdays being really good at skating is not

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Top Up-and-comer

How do you feel about re-evaluating rollerblading today? I remember that some people were just so much ahead of their time that some of their most important video sections were completely overlooked? I think some old sections are only getting recognition for how good they were just today. It’s simply because rollerblading was stuck in what’s the right way to skate and who is the best. I like how rollerblading changes, it’s the best thing to happen to us. Do you think there’s enough character in rollerblading today? People think that it is enough to release a section every now and then, but a lot of kids just don’t have anything to say about rollerblading or anything else? I think rollerblading is growing up, and the guys pulling the strings nowdays are older, and more mature. Their mindset is on point and you can see that by the way they approach blading, tricks, clothing, filming, spots, everything. And kids? Let them be kids. They are just not ready yet to fully understand why pro skaters approach skating the way they do.

» THE CHARACTER YOU SHOW

During the heyday of the print media, you could tell what a skater was about through an interview, and these days, some of the best skaters seem not to have opinions on anything. Also, a part of their attraction was in their personality. I don’t know about others, maybe some people are not thinking too deep about why they’re even doing what they’re doing? Maybe they haven’t gone thru much in blading nor in their personal life?

the main thing. You have to be productive, fresh and controlled. The character you show is just as important as the tricks, sometimes even more.

Like Roces Face the Music was released over a decade ago, and it’s funny to see how it gave a whole different direction to blading, both with Oli Shorts and Dunkle’s sections. Or We are Valo 2, when they introduced Broskow on the team. The world is changing, not only in blading, you could take hip-hop music as an example. It used to be about so much more than just beats and sounds. Nowdays, lyrics gone

IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE TRICKS, SOMETIMES EVEN MORE.«

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Top Up-and-comer

to trash and it’s all about making a good instrumental. And yes Oli Short was by far ahead of his time and he has a lot to do with what’s going on today. But I think its like that with everything... you drop a bomb and it has some immediate affect, but the real effect comes years later.

Broskow is probably the most influential living skater. Do you think his skating is what it takes to transcend to the larger masses? I was showing one of my non-blading friends his New York section. He said: „Oh, he’s good, but aren’t you better? And I laughed. My point being, and outsider might think someone who does a sketchy backflip is proabably better then Broskow. Maybe we don’t need to reach everyone. I mean, when a kid starts to skateboard does he wanna do 900 on a five meter vert ramp? Nahh, he wants to be cool, and mostly land a kickflip. I think we should build rollerblading from the inside first, before we try so hard to bring the people and the money. And if Broskow touches some people, he will touch the right ones. What needs to be built in rollerblading? An industry that loves blading more than money. Pro skaters who are doing it for the love. Reach the younger generation, personally, and with love. And if we show rollerblading on TV or anywhere for a big crowd, show it as it is, don’t do a backflip just to make the audience scream when it’s the last thing you really want to do.

» ROB G IS A

MASTERCLASS BLADER, FULL OF SURPRISES«

Do you think there are brands in the industry ran by people who love it more than they love money? Who? I know some brands that don’t really earn money from what they’re selling, but they keep doing it for the love of it. And suddenly they bring more to the table then they were ever expected to. What does that say? Some of the biggest brands have really good products, but they just can’t land the perfect team, they don’t let people from the scene run things. But on the other hand, some small brands that do bring new stuff to the table, but they don’t know how to handle money or the media. I found it magical, because when I decided I’ll do what I love and only that and won’t work a normal job, I found that I can make enough money doing what I love, which is blading, filming and editing. It was a scary decision, but it was worth it. So, to you, who is dictating the best trends in rollerblading now? The Chicago boys, Broskow.. Kelsos and their fam. But on the other hand there are different people with different styles, like Eugen Enin who does his own thing and people love it. So do I.

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Up-and-comer

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Skater

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Skater

2017 TOP SKATER OF THE YEAR

ALEX BROSKOW KEEPS REINVENTING HIMSELF AND ROLLERBLADING With a margin of only five votes, Alex Broskow was voted Be-Mag’s Top Skater of The Year, in it’s inaugural year. This comes as no surprise, with Alex’ previous work and all the recent video profiles that he put out, the rollerblading public was hungry to award him with even more recognition.

Ryan Loewy Ryan Loewy

Alex Broskow: Waiting to go skate

Alex Broskow is the epitome of the modern street skater. Ever since he first appeared on the scene, and soon after he got promoted to pro on Senate and Rollerblade in the first half of the noughties decade, he has been, along with the other members of the Brat Pack, as Daily Bread conveniently named them, defining the tricks and the fashions in rollerblading. From the death defying stunts in Adam Johnson’s and the late Brandon Negrette’s videos of the prior era to some of the fastest and thought out skating of today, Broskow is constantly challenging the status quo in rollerblading. He is the most beloved skater of aged OG’s and the new kids on the block. With a seemingly endless number of pro skates,

having been a member of some of the most important teams to define rollerblading in the past two decades, up to today’s Vibralux and Dead, Broskow is what rollerblading is today. Ryan Loewy went to KCMO to shoot photos for Alex’ interview, and managed to talk to him a few days later, after he got back to NY. Alex was just preparing to leave for Europe, where he would be spending time in Barcelona, shooting with Adam Johnson for their first new project after the lauded Champagne section. The above seemed to be the perfect topic to kick things off.

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Top Skater

Would you say that was the approach you guys had when you started filming for Champagne? Sort of filming, but not have a specific target for it, or was it right of the gate that you guys wanted to make a full video? I guess we knew we wanted to film a whole video, but I don’t think, we really thought we were going to considering we lived in totally different areas and money’s tight and just trying to make it work. 36

So how long would say you guys spent working on that and was it done in sporadic time frames? I’d say it was a year in total? Probably 2-3 weeks long each trip. Longest was close to a month. But yeah, for the most part they were 2-3 weeks. When I was in Missouri, we talked a bit about your beginnings with skating, and how you had this passion for hockey. When did rollerblading become more of a focal point for you? I’d say around when I was 10. Somewhere around that range, cuz I met dudes that were older that were good. Was that around the time you met KC? That was way later when I moved to Florida, he was the first person I met in Florida who skated. That was a big thing, because I had been living there less than month and I didn’t know anyone. So when you lived in Florida, was that when you began filming more and when the whole Senate sponsor-me tape happened? That came about while I was living there, but due to AJ. I knew AJ before I left to move to Florida, so we had skated together when we were younger. How old were you when you met AJ? I was about ten. But we weren’t really friends until I was like like 12.

Let’s talk about the title. I know you’re a pretty humble guy, but you’ve been skating for over 20 years of your life. So how does it feel to be voted for something like this? It is great to be praised for anything you’re doing, especially when you’ve been doing it for so long. It’s crazy to think people still like it (laughs). When you’ve been doing something for so long it’s like, how do you still find ways to enjoy it? How do you still find ways to do things that excite you and you have fun doing while still hoping that people outside enjoy it as well, and you can still push what you’re doing forward and try and make it better. But just continually do that, and people recognize it and enjoy, it’s amazing.

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

» CHRIS HAFFEY IS THE

BEST SKATER OF ALL TIME, HE’S GOT THE MOST SKILL THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF SKATING «

Top Skater

Who do you feel was at their best in 2017? There’s a lot of different people that did different things. Sean and Colin, both of their skating is amazing right now, and what their doing with Bacemint and with their crew in Philly, and with their city, they’re doing so much more than skating. Running a brand, making videos that are very good, outside of just the skating aspect of the videos. I mean fuck. And they’re working full time jobs on top of it. And they skate so much. Who else, beside Sean and Colin, would you say? Patrick Ridder did a lot last year that was great. Everything he puts out is sick as hell. Just watching him skate anything, like him skating a slider bar on instagram, it doesn’t matter, it’s like, you’ll watch, I mean, if that doesn’t make you want to go skate, you got something going on in your head (laughs). Uh, Soichiro did a lot, David did a lot, Farm did a hell of lot. There’s some many people that did a lot. And it’s a lot of good shit too. It definitely is hard to pinpoint one person when rollerblading as a collective has put out a wealth of good content. I do want to ask though, who is your favorite rollerblader of all time? I’d have to go through the eras. Different generations. Mine would be Dustin Latimer. Okay well, yeah. I mean, Dustin’s an obvious choice. Like for sure, he’s definitely up there. It’s almost like you have to say him. I mean it could be Dustin, it could be Aaron...I mean I would say, when I was younger, it would be Josh Petty, Roadhouse, Louie, Jon...and then it would’ve been Dustin and Shima, and Jon Elliot of course. But fuck. Aaron always. Personally I’d have to say Chris Haffey. You mean Haffey as best from your generation? No, of all time. 100 percent. Just the most skill through-

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Skater

» FUCK, MAYBE MAKE ANOTHER DEAD

VIDEO? CHAMPAGNE WAS TOO MUCH FUN TO MAKE TO NOT DO IT AGAIN.«

out the spectrum of skating. He is one of the best street skaters ever, he’s doing his shit on the mega, which is completely different from street skating. Have you ever skated one of those? I skated the one at Woodward West. I just aired it. It’s more fun skating the bank, the landing. Launching over that thing is crazy. But I would never do like, what he does.

I guess it makes sense for the type of skating he had always been doing, for him to go that route. I mean I’m sure you could handle that ramp, it’s just a matter of whether of interest or not. I could 360 it, but that’s probably it. So what are you working on now? It’s been a while since a Valo video. Well, that happens when Ivan is filming, so when he films is

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Broski: Topsoul in the garage

when that happens. Me and AJ are working on something, and that’d be why I’m going to Barcelona. Maybe a new part, a new VOD, whatever we are gonna do with it. I mean that’s about it for now. Maybe do something with Sean and Colin, like go to Philly and do something with them. I hope to do something with Patrick, Activated was so fun to make. Hopefully do again what I did last year. Fuck, maybe make another Dead video? Champagne was too much fun to make to not do it again. I was showing my girlfriend your Champagne section, and I think for me, when watching that video in general, you can see overall David’s passion for film-making. I really enjoyed the build-up for your section. When you’re filming for a section, what’s your thought process with trick selection? I am always pretty conscious of what tricks I’ve done, or what I have a lot of . Like if I have a lot of topsouls, and I’m going into filming something, and we’re towards the end of filming, I’ll be on top soul patrol, can’t do anymore topsouls. Like I need more of these tricks. Or like I haven’t grinded a ledge so I better grind a ledge. But, building it up in my head, I usually don’t. I usually have some things I want to do, but with Champagne, that was 100 percent David. Like how everything was shot, how everything was laid out. Like it too so long to find a song because he had a specific vision of what he wanted it to be like, so it was just like, yeah, working together to make his vision happen. Yeah I love how the song you guys ended up using is actually only a fraction of the actual song. I really enjoyed the song selection, the pace that it went, the way he filmed it, it just felt like it worked perfectly together. And watching a section like that, it reminded me of

Top Skater

the same feeling as watching a section from WORDS or Coup de Tat, where, it was just impressionable. It had a build up to it, and you want to watch it again and again to reexamine it, just really because of how well pieced together it is. So I just wanted to give you kudos on that. Thank you, I can’t take full credit at all, that’s David. I mean, even watching it myself, I get this crazy feeling of pride watching it. It makes me really happy. And all the feedback from it is great. But people need to know, that was David behind it making it that way. You told me you had a traditionalist view of skating. I guess that just means like how skating was back in the day. Every crew, every city, or region, had different rules they went by. Like if you were skating a rail, and you landed on the wrong side of the rail, it didn’t count. If you came out fakie or like, 3 out, it didn’t count. The way certain grinds are supposed to be done, but there’s a reason like dudes did it like that back in the day. It’s a traditional look and that’s the way I prefer it. Following up pon that, sometimes you choose to do backslides and not grab them, but then other times you do… It all depends on the spot, how it’s going to be filmed, certain things. I went through a period during the time I was filming Bleached where I was totally over grabbing tricks. And I was like, “ I’m only not gonna grab tricks, freestyle only”. I saw it as a fun way to make something that is traditional goofy not look goofy. Like grabbing a trick can look extremely fucking goofy. Not grabbing a trick can look as if not more goofy. But they both can look beautiful. I get what you mean. Like when those dudes started doing freestyle tricks in Brain Fear Gone. They were probably thinking the same thing, “grabbing tricks can be boring sometimes, let’s do something different”. And then you see that and you’re like, “ they’re not grabbing?”. And it seemed so hard to not grab back then (laughs).

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Skater

It’s like toe or heel rolls, not a lot of people had been doing them, only person I can think of is Oli Short or Dunkle... If you go even before that, Nick Riggle and Erik Burke. They were the ones who were really doing it and brought it into the world. And then later, definitely Oli and Dunkle. People weren’t thinking like, look at this manual pad or this ledge, that’s like a foot off the ground. Like I can roll off this and that is a trick. People were like, look at that rail coming off a building, I can grind that. 40

People always talk about how rollerblading during the KFC 3 days were more like, “bad ass”, “gnarly”, shit like that. I think that existed for a certain reason, that was a type of skating that was coming off of stuff from the days of Coup De Tat, and like BFG, Latimer dropping in on the side of a fucking church, that sprung people into doing bigger stuff. For you, do you see skating at its prime now? Tricks are done so much better now. Just the way a trick is landed and done correctly, it’s like holy shit. You look at tricks from the back in the day, and they’re extremely sketchy, especially my own tricks. Like, I watch some of my old shit and I’m like, “ I didn’t even do that!”. Like would it count in your eyes today? It wouldn’t count now. I mean everyone’s standard of doing a trick is so much higher now. And I think that’s more valuable than doing a trick that is crazier. And everyone is older too. There’s no reason to do the crazy shit if you’ve done it already. We’re not Evil Kneivel, we’re not getting anything out of doing something that’s actually crazier than something what you’ve done. If you want to do a crazy trick, then hell yeah go ahead and do it, but if you’re only doing crazy tricks, there’s so much more you can be doing. Like you’re doing a small piece of what you should be doing, I guess. I don’t know. I don’t even remember ( laughs). I think it’s, you were saying that it’s not.... I think people refer to the KFC/Leading the Blind days as

» I HAD TO FIGURE

OUT WHAT I WAS GOOD AT DOING THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED ON THE SAME LEVEL AS FARMER AND HAFFEY, TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE TYPE OF SHIT THEY WERE DOING.«

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Skater

Be-mag eZine Best of 2017

Top Skater

these like, glorified days of blading. People were doing significant tricks, but I agree with you in the sense that people were doing this gnarly, huge stunts, not all of them were refined and actually looked good. Some of them were so crazy, there’s absolutely no reason to do them again. Even, fuck, looking back, I mean to do it in the first place. But I mean it isn’t to say you can’t do crazy shit now. Like people are still doing crazy shit and they’re doing it better than it was done back then. More thought behind it. More style put into it. But nobody was doing that then, so it was new. So it was the first time that it’d been done, so it also seemed more significant for people to be doing it. We were younger, and we were like, there were so many more people skating, being sponsored, a lot of money being put at different places. Like you couldn’t just be a kid from wherever and just have good style, and people be like, “holy shit look at this guy”. That wouldn’t have happened back then. You didn’t have the internet like we do now. So you had to do some crazy ass shit for people to be like, “ what the fuck, this guy did some crazy shit, check him out, and he can this do all this other shit too”. But I feel for the most part, like, that became a norm for people coming up at the time. Like that was just how everyone was skating. I wanted to reference that Daily Bread article with you, Haffey, Farmer, Thompson, Cheshire as the Brat Pack. Was being a part of that group of skaters, that motivated you to be a proficient skater? It was kind of a one-off article. We were all around the same age, coming up around the same time, had some of the same sponsors. I guess we were all tighter in that sense, because we were coming up in that time. But yeah that article was more of a one-off. Besides myself, Chris (Farmer) and Chris (Haffey). Us three, we were definitely a tight friendship. Skating alongside Farmer and Haffey as they grew as skaters influenced you? Did you skate that often with them during that period? There was a period where I lived at Haffey’s in San Diego

Switch Topside Pornstar or is it? You never know with Alex.

with his parents for about 3 months and Farm was always out there filming Mindgame shit. So he was always there. Us three, we were definitely a core group. We’d also be always in San Clemente at Carl Sturgess’ house, skating with all of them. It definitely made me skate a certain way. They were both so fucking good at so many different things that I had never been able to do or been good at. I had to figure out what I was good at doing that could be considered on the same level as them, to try to keep up with the type of shit they were doing. Haffey did a 540 kindgrind and won IMYTA Atlanta. And then at IMYTA Detroit, Farm did it in the second round on a crazier rail. And I was like, “ I’ve never done a 540 kindgrind. I can like 540 a set.” I was thinking what can I do that can be considered up there with these guys, who are so fucking amazing. Did you feel some sort of pressure then? It wasn’t a pressure that I felt like I needed to do something, we just pushed each other that way. It wasn’t like, “I need to be better than this person”, it’s just skating with your friends and feeding off each other’s energy. For you, what do you feel are some significant points that you’ve had in your career? I mean every path has been significant for sure. Moving to Florida, and not knowing anybody, then meeting and skating with Franky Morales when he was coming up, and then going on trips when I was on school breaks and filming with AJ, and getting enough footage for the videos he was making at the time, and then he sent a video to Senate. And that was the first real sponsor hook up I was getting. So yeah at the time that was insane to have a package from Senate show up to your house with all this gear in it. That was definitely huge. My first pro skate was huge. Getting fired from

Rollerblade was definitely huge. Couldn’t be happier that that happened. Do you think if you stayed on Rollerblade, that, like, I mean look at Chris’ career with Remz, and he has only skated for them, he hasn’t skated for anyone else. But I feel like you have had more opportunities with being with Valo and being with different brands. But do you ever think about, shit if I had stayed on there, I mean, they probably would have canned you eventually... Well everybody got fired shortly after (laughs). I don’t know, skating for a company like Valo and for Jon, there is so much more to it than just skating a skate, or representing that brand. Jon cares so much about skating, and about

all of us that aren’t even skating his skates, that like it really affects you, and how you feel about skating. You could be more proud to skate a skate knowing what’s behind it, than taking a paycheck from a company that doesn’t actually care about skating. Do you see yourself still skating in five years? Definitely. I feel great skating. Shit, falls take a few more days to get over. But I don’t see any reason not to skate. Skating is the best thing ever. To not do it, there’d have to be something terrible or something incredible great for me not to do it.