Presented by
vol. 1
5
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Vol. 1, Issue #5
In this issue... Shawn Storm.................................. pages 4 - 13 Dante Muse.................................... pages 14 - 22 Alex Braunagel................................ pages 24 - 30
Everything I’ve Learned H.S. Knucklehead.......................... page 31 Jay Jude Memorial Session....... pages 32 - 47 Contributing photographers... Nick LindseyWashington, D.C.
Workaholics... Editor & Art Director Vincent Morretino
This Issue’s Writers
Adam Morris-
Milwaukee, WI www.AdamRyanMorris.com
Paco Ass Dre H.S. Knucklehead Aaron Schultz Vincent Morretino Tim Schmidt
Christian DelfinoDelfino Sarasota, FL www.ChristianDelfino.com
Seth Andrews-
Indianapolis, IN www.IndianaInline.com
On the cover: Shawn Storm Switch topside mistrial to drop Photo by: Nick Lindsey
All photos and interviews are the property of the respective writers and photographers that created them. They were not purchased by Balance magazine, they were donated out of kindness. Please respect the property of those involved with this magazine. Contributions keep this publication alive. Opinions expressed in bylined articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Balance magazine. Love, hate and suggestions should be sent to k2rolla@gmail.com
Interview & portrait - Paco Ass Dre Photos: Nick Lindsey Layout - Vincent Morretino
I can still remember the first time I met Shawn to go skate. My boy hit me up to get out and skate, and on the 5 mile skate to the train station, he would not stop telling me about this new kid we were meeting up with. Basically I heard his life story before I even met him. I was expecting some super talkative goof ball type kid but when I got there, Shawn was waiting there, hella quiet but eager to go out and skate. The whole day he probably said less than 5 words to me, but I could tell this guy had energy. Nearly every moment on the train, he was spending it using it like some sort of jungle gym slash stripper pole. I’m pretty sure my loud mouth self even asked him, “Dog, what the fuck are you doing?” at least once. As time went on, he became less quiet, yet his energy remained. If you ever skate with him, whether it is some buck drop rail or a little bootleg ledge, you will notice the energy right away, and let me tell you: it is contagious. Let’s start with the basics: name, age, and years skating? Alrighty. My name is Shawn Storm. I’m 20 years old and I’ve been skating for about 7 years. Is your last name really Storm? I believe so...says it on my birth certificate But really though, that’s on some super hero status. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on it. Super hero? I thought I told you not to talk about that. Supposed to keep that on the low key. Snap. My bad, my bad. So on to the next question, how did you get started skating? This is always a good question. My big bro Andre Storm got me into skating. I always looked up to him so it was great that we both had a great passion for rollerblading. Yeah, I remember meeting you two at the skate park back in the day. Kinda cool that you had someone to always skate with. What made you stick with it, because if I remember correctly, he was a little better than you, HA!
Haha, yeah well, he had an advantage; he started before me. But like I said, I had a great passion for skating. Even when my brother stopped skating primarily due to knee surgery, my life revolved around skating. I couldn’t stop. Like Jigga man says, “Can’t stop won’t stop.” Haha, yeah and then you do the Harlem Shake while saying that. You can’t see me on the shake. So as far as the skates go, what skates are you rocking right now? I’m rocking the Valo/AM Mad Mongooses. I have Kizer Fluid frames, Eulogy wheels and Swiss bearings. Speaking of setups, you are the only fool I know that will switch from anti to flat depending on what you are skating? How and why? Ah, well, it’s somewhat complicated. Basically, I’m all about trying to keep my body comfortable, especially when I’m skating. So when I’m going to do a gap, I like to ride flat because of obvious reasons: There are more wheels to absorb the impact, rather than your knees and ankles taking it. When you ride anti-rocker and do a gap, you’re depending on only 2 wheels per skate. Plus, you are less likely to snap a frame when riding flat. As for anti-rocker skating, I do all park, street (besides gaps) on antis. Some times I like to switch it up and ride everything flat because you learn tricks with the proper techniques and don’t half ass them. If you don’t do them right when riding flat, you’re going to biff it for sure. Back in the day San Jose used to be one of the biggest scenes for skating. Julio grew up in M-Town, Reduta, Rob G all started up in San Jo, how would you describe it now? San Jose has changed somewhat but hasn’t lost its mojo. From major spots getting capped to all the pros moving to various places. We have been keeping it quiet but there’s still a lot of potential left in SJ skaters. Everyone still holds it down. It might seem like SJ-ers don’t get out much but it’s just because we don’t film that often; we’re all too busy skating. If we had people like Ivan Narez and Vinny Minton near us, then skaters would be seeing a lot more of us. (Continued on next page)
4
Who do you skate with? Do you have a set crew of people you skate with or how does it work? I skate with anyone who’s down to skate. I just saw this kid wearing a B Unique tee playing roller hockey with some aggressive skates. I got his number and we’re going to skate soon. That’s sick that your just down to skate and don’t worry about any cliques or any bullshit. Yeah, no drama. That’s how skating is…for the most part. Earlier you mentioned spots being capped. We all know the famous Silver Creeks and Morills and what not getting killed, but is there still a good amount of spots in SJ or do you find yourself having to venture out more to go skate? Definitely. There are spots everywhere. There are many places that we haven’t searched that we need to. As a matter of fact, let’s go out soon and find some new spots. Pick me up and I’m with you! The online section you put out a while ago was pretty impressive. What are your thoughts on how it came out? How was it editing a video for a first time? Editors note: the section being referenced can be found here: www.vimeo.com/9100780
in to win it, or do you shrink your jeans and skate curbs that match your bandana that contrast your goofy ass hat in lines? I would describe my skating as neither. I’m more of a “doing shit switch” kind of guy. I’ve never really enjoyed spinning into a trick, not my steeze, but I do it every so often. I just feel more excitement testing my abilities to do tricks with my left foot. But what about stunts, you can’t tell me that when you are trying to lace a hammer you are worried about testing your left foot? Is there something about lacing big tricks that motivates you? Hammers are all about first try or die. The end result in landing a hammer is the best feeling ever. Reasons are, when skaters visit the spot and think about what you did on that they say “He did what? No fucking way!” It also makes me feel like I pushed myself to the limit and I conquered the obstacle. Ever since I met you, you’ve always taken the hardest bails out of anyone, yet still manage to get up and continue whatever you are trying. What goes through your head before and after you, let’s say, decide to tumble head over heel down a 20 set?
Haha, well I think of myself as a professional faller. I know how to fall for the most part. So it might seem like I get hurt really bad, but I’m just doing it so y’all I was very surprised of people’s reaction. I didn’t think pay attention to me while I’m skating! Haha, I kid. I would have gotten that much positive feedback. I Well, before I tumble I usually don’t think anything. just wanted to make a new profile cause it was due. I I’m too concentrated on how to land- on my hands, wanted to make something that not only brings out my legs, face, nuts, etc. After is where I feel like shit. “Why skating, but my personality, and I think I did a good did I even try that?” “That was so dumb” “It’s not job on that. Kirk Chiang and I edited it. I had a bunch worth getting hurt over” “Fuck it, I’ve gone this far to of ideas that I wanted to do and he knew more about do the trick, I’m not giving up now”. Depending on Final Cut than me, so we worked together to make it how I feel that day, I could be saying any one of those happen. It wasn’t my first time editing, but I was a little four to myself. rusty at it. Yeah, I could’ve sworn that a bald crack head one Fourth It was definitely dope. I think a lot of people were just of July back in the day called you a professional faller. shocked because they never heard of you before and Your bailing roots must go way back! So, working out. boom, you’re on screen killing shit. You’ve been consistently working out for quite a while now. Do you feel that it helps you absorb bails, and does Yeah, like I said earlier...our crew in SJ has never had it help your skating in general? any good filmers/editors to post edits. We just all skate. Working out helps more than you think. Mentally and So how would you describe your skating? Do you spin physically. When I fall, I’m able to catch myself rather 6
(Continued on page 9)
Sweatstance
Topacid over the pit
than tumble down. I also feel more stable and secure. When I do gaps its much easier to land too. I also have somewhat bad wrists from skating, and working out has helped my wrists get to 100%.
I’m going to say tag team.
Not to mention you start to look like me. Pretty fucking buff, haha!
Haha, Neil Chen for sure. Dude has moves. Once I turn 21 we’re going to be dancing with our pants off in clubs. Interviewers note: he did NOT mean “dancing our pants off in the club”. They really will be dancing with their pants off! No joke
You can’t even jiggle your pecs. Get out of here! Naw, man. They jiggle. Trust me. But anyways, I hear a lot of people say how they dream of working at Amall. How did you start working there?
Hella greedy, haha. Now in all honesty, who is a better dancer, Neil Chen or Mr. Shawn Storm?
So 21 soon, huh? Word on the streets is that there are some big plans a-brewing. What’s going down?
Yeah, Amall is really great. I started by Justin asking me. He was like “Do you want to work at Amall?” I was kind of skeptical because I had a great job at the time but then he was like, “You can skate whenever you want.” Oh man, it was over after that, haha.
Vegas. That’s all I gotta say.
Well, is it safe to say the shop is made up of a bunch of characters?
Haha, yeah you emptied your entire bank account. Shame on you. I won’t be doing that. I’m going with my bro, my bro’s friend Mase, two close skater friends, Steve and Aaron, and maybe you if you actually have money to spend…which you won’t, haha.
Oh, yeah. We are all characters who enjoy laughing. The average person couldn’t handle listening to our conversations. Really? How often do questions at the shop begin with “For a million dollars, would you…?” Too often. We’re the best hypothetical questioners. We’ll make Jason shiver in his bloody boots. Speaking of hypothetical, in a battle to the death, who would win: Kyle Nolte or Sixty the shop dog? Nolte. He has a killer karate chop. It’s Always Sunny. What character best exemplifies you and why? Uggggh, Mack. Because he’s buff, he’s dumb and he just wants to get with the ladies. Coffee Girl or Sweet D? Both. Same time or separately?
Haha, nice. Who’s rolling out? Are you sure it’s a good idea after hearing what I did to my bank account this weekend?
You never know, fool. I’ve been known to make power moves. So let’s see, you work damn near full time, God knows you have a healthy social life and you still managed to put out a dope section! What’s good with school? School is on the right path. This is one of the toughest years to transfer so I’m crossing my fingers that I get accepted. You mean to tell me these past years you haven’t been going to school just to scope out the beezies? What’s your goal as far as education goes? Haha, naw dude, I go to De Anza...nothing good to look at. My goal is to have a steady job in the future. Not sure exactly what career, but it will most likely be in the economic field. That is what my major is. Good shit. It’s refreshing to hear you actually pursuing a goal. Too many kids nowadays are too caught up in the now and seem to neglect education all together. Yeah, education isn’t for everyone. I just love learning new things constantly.
(Continued on page 12)
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Tru-fishbrain
Fakie 180 to handplant to 360 out, otherwise known as a “Phillips 66”
Switch Switch Fishbrain Fishbrain
So gimme the break down on the ideal Mrs. Storm. Ha! Me? Married? Next question. YES! Steve-O would be proud. Haha, you mean Sleep-o. True story! But, now on to music. I hear you slapping Chamillionare when you roll up to work, singing slow jams when you take a shit, and then playing some old school gap band when we roll out to a party after work. Describe what you like in music and do you find it important in your life? Music has a big impact on my life. I hope everyone’s life, at that. It brings out emotions that other things can’t. I like how music is able to make me do things I never really do. When that beat starts going, the head starts to nod, the fingers start to snap, legs start to slide then boom, me and Neil Chen are in the middle of the dance floor gettin’ it. 12
All right, so the big question that’s on the tip of everyone’s mind, 2012. How shook are you? I’m not shook at all. Out of all the people to live, we will be the ones to see it end...but then we’d be dead so it really wouldn’t matter, haha. I don’t believe you, I’ve most definitely seen you stock up on tuna recently. You might fool the readers, but you can’t fool me. Haha, BUSTED. Since I’ve met you, it seems like we always seem to be getting into some sort of trouble, whether it’s you or me solo or the two of us together on a mission. Explain what happened late one night at Morrill middle school? CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. All I’m going to say is that I got away and I did what I did because they took one of the best spots away from us skaters. Aw, come on. Don’t be shook. Spill the story! At least
explain how you got power for the grinder! Naw. Feds be watchin’. Fair enough. You seem to have bad luck when it comes to your cars. What kind of car troubles have you run into recently? Recently, nothing... yet. My first car I bought after high school was a Sunfire. Amazing car. 5 days later, it got totaled and the guy ran away. Hit and run. I bought my next car 6 months later. 3 days later it got broke into and they stole everything I had in there, including my new deck. 5 months after that, the night of my b-day, somebody pulled a hit and run on my car in East Palo Alto. The dumbass parked across the street and I got a nice check for the damage. I’ve been good after that... knock on wood.
Ah, you stubborn ass! So, any thanks or shout-outs you want to give before we wrap this up? I’m about ready to 3 to 7 it, no joke. Good lookin’ on Vincent for contacting me to do this interview. Shout out to all the Amallers- Justin, Derek, Todd, Kyle G., Kyle N., Neil, Terry, Sixty and of course Dre. Shout out to the fam bam, all the SJ heads and surrounding cities still skating. Last question. It’s a doozy. All right. How many bum logs for $35? Ask me that after Vegas. Haha!
Real talk, I hope I didn’t just jinx you. God damn it, Dre! Hey, hey, hey! Don’t blame me. I’m just a simple Paco! Speaking of Pacos, can you elaborate a little bit on the lingo we have over at Amall?
Graphic: Shutterstock.com
We have our own dialect, our own dictionary, and our own language. If you can’t understand our slang, don’t be alarmed. You’ll soon grasp it. And if you don’t, well, you’re just pin. Haha, smooth! Can’t give these crids too much info. Damn, we’ve been hella off topic, back to skating. Growing up, did you have certain people that you looked up too, or jocked at all? I mean, I always looked up to pros, just no one in particular. I just liked watching all pros skate. They all have their own specialty in skating, which is dope. No pro is the same and that’s why skating never gets boring. Come on, you had to have at least one fool that you hella wanted to be like? Drop names, boy! Haha, I never had the urge to be like anyone. Names? I think naming all the pros I have ever seen will take up this entire interview. I enjoy all pros and I looked up to all of them.
Safety 180 over the caution tape
Mach-10 disaster Fishbrain to 180 gap into the parking lot
Dante Muse Interview - Aaron Schultz Photos: Adam Morris Layout and introduction - Vincent Morretino
Have you ever wondered when you’d have to give up skating because of other priorities like school, work and starting a family? What about the twinge of fear in your stomach when you think about the looming, faceless injury that will likely keep you off your skates for good? Dante Muse is a testament to the fact that age is nothing more than an arbitrary number. Age does not define our abilities, nor does it limit them. Passion, skill and awe-inspiring dedication can overcome just about anything, epecially when you have the support and well wishes of a strong and loving family behind you. As long as Dante keeps skates on his feet and rolling in his heart, he will continue to raise the bar of expectations that we in the world of rollerblading have of our own bodies. Most active rollerbladers parents were born in the 1970s. You were already skating in the 70s. Can you tell us about how you were introduced to skating; I’m assuming you weren’t born with them on. I mean somebody had to have physically put your first pair on for you right? I pretty much grew up skating. My parents have run or owned skating rinks before I was even born. I was born in Ames, Iowa, but moved to Des Moines around 3 years old. I learned to skate before I could walk, no joke. My older brothers used to put skates on my feet when I was in my walker and my skates just dangled. Growing up in the speed skating industry, what drew your attention to the more “aggressive” (without a better term to use) style of blading. Was it a particular moment/place in time or was it a drawn out process of seeing it done repeatedly before you decided to move forward with more stunt-oriented blading? Can you tell us a little bit about your speed skating career and how you made the crossover to aggressive? I used to see it a lot when I was at X-Games, Ultimate Inline Challenge, or even at Rollerblade sponsored events. I even skated on the big vert-ramps in 5 wheel inline race blades. That was ultimate speed. I was really drawn to it back then, but I was a racer. I competed nationally and/or internationally for 32 years. When I decided to retire from racing, it wasn’t to do this. I still tried to stay involved in racing, but I decided it was best to completely remove myself from racing. Noth-
ing bad happened, I just stopped racing because of a major foot/tendon issue. I missed skating, and my body was used to skating and training every day. I was going crazy. 1 day a kid from our rink was grinding our front curb at our rink, and I can’t lie, I yelled at him. Funny how it is coming back around. Anyway, he said try it. That was it. Here I am. I started aggressive skating in 1998 at 32 years old. At 43 years of age, what motivates you to blade at the level you do? I’m motivated to skate because I’m doing what I really love to do: skate. Past the core reason, I continue because every day I learn something new or start to perfect something a little more each day You are an X-Games downhill speed skating gold medalist. Do you get the same vibe going to a contest like the Hoedown or Bittercold Showdown as you did from the golden days of inline being featured in the X-Games? I love going to contests because edits don’t capture feelings. I know it may sound strange. It’s hard to explain. I feel strange being in a sport and surrounded by so many young kids. I don’t drink, smoke, party, buy skate videos or magazines. What I do have in common is I love to skate. I get a feeling that is hard to describe when I skate. Going to contests lets me feel the atmosphere of the event. Was skating an “in thing” back home in Italy? Why didn’t you ski, play soccer, go to wine-tastings or whatever else was hip over there? Skating was and is very big in Italy. I played football, baseball and wrestled, but in the end I loved racing. I lived in Italy for 1 year before I got married. My wife was born and raised in Italy and actually has only been in the U.S. for 7 years. Did your family and friends support your speed skating career or was it something you just decided you wanted to do and decided to stick with for the next four decades? Everyone in my family competed in speed skating or artistic skating. My older brother was my coach. My parents were my biggest fans. They pretty much traveled around the world with my younger brother and me. (Continued on page 20)
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Bank to Topsoul
How do you recover from injuries so quickly? Do you have a workout or stretching routine that you abide by or do you just shake it off and let time heal all wounds? I just skate them off I guess. Ice, keep moving and Vitamin C loading. Have you heard of this? When you have an injury, take 250 mgs of Vitamin C every hour. A few things happen: you are taking in fluids, Vitamin C makes you pee, and it helps take away pain. If the pain is really bad, like when I separated my shoulder, generic ibuprofen overload works, but do it safely. I learned how much you really should take while at the hospital when I had a major surgery You have a beautiful wife and daughter. Do they know how much skating means to you? I saw Loreza’s eyes light up when she slid down the quarter pipe at the Inferno. My wife does. She grew up skating; pretty close to my life story, only in Italy. She totally supports me. My daughter does because she likes to slide down the ramp. She also thinks it is funny when I fall.
How has living in Iowa influenced your rollerblading? Skating is my life. My parents own 4 skating rinks in Des Moines, Iowa and my wife and I run one of them. I built a pretty cool skate ramp/fun box at my rink, so I can skate whenever I want. Thank God, because I seriously can’t stand cold weather. Your family owns both roller rinks in the DSM area (Skate South and Skate North). How did your family get into the roller rink business? Are the rinks a worthy financial endeavor? Ownig skating rinks is a fun business, but definitely not financially rewarding. It’s just been our lives. How has the recession affected the family business? The recession is killing me right now. People don’t have extra money to do something that is just a “want”. We are doing pretty well though, in comparison to other businesses.
Mizou to Tru-savannah
Frontside Farv
How has having your ramp (The Inferno) affected your skating? Has it sparked interest in very many recreational skaters who frequent your rink to come over to the dark side? Do you think working at your rink and skating your box regularly has had positive effects on bladers like Spencer and the Iowa scene as a whole? My skate ramp was nicknamed the inferno by Adam Morris, and it has really brought around 10-15 new kids. We will see if they stick with it. Of course it has helped me learn new tricks. Have you ever considered opening a full-on skate park? As far as a full on skate park, no. My older brother has a lot of ramps. I like what I do. I don’t think I could handle the major disrespect of property. If blading somehow managed to disappear overnight, what would you do to fill the void? I’m not sure what I would do for a job or exercise without skating. I know I have said it, but skating has been
my life since I was born. Our house was built into our first rink. I lived physically at the rink until like 22 or 23 years old. Growing up in the speed skating circuit, you have befriended a lot of industry contacts. You’ve always made it a point to try on new skates and test a lot of products whenever we’ve traveled to contests. What set up are you currently riding and why? Yes, I did have great opportunities to meet a lot of people and manufactures in my days of racing. I know a lot about wheels and bearings. I still to this day stay in contact with a lot of those people and manufactures. I actually raced Isaac Oltmans (Eulogy wheels/Crap bearings) and Matthias Knoll (owner of Powerslide/ USD/Conference). I try everything because I can. My current skate setup is all black Deshi Carbons, white Slimline frames, Eulogy wheels and Crap bearings. Matthias, if you read this, I wouldn’t mind all black USD carbons…hint, hint. (Continued on page 24)
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Backside Royale
Freestyle backside Torque
Any shout outs? Everyone that has helped me along the way. Too many to list. A few would be my mom, dad, wife, daughter, brothers and sisters. Thanks for this interview. Also, the rink...my knowledge and love for all different types of music is incredible because of you. Aaron, I know you are jealous that I get to hear/play all that music you don’t want everyone to know you secretly kind of like. Check out the Iowa Connection blog and message board at www.iowa-connection.com if you are passing through the area.
Big Mute 360
Interview - Tim Schmidt Photos - as listed Layout - Vincent Morretino
At the Panhandle Pow-Wow Photo by Corey Oringderff
Frontside Frontside Farv Farv Photo Photo by by Vincent Vincent Morretino Morretino
Some people are born with incredible amounts of raw talent and the potential for being able to make even the most difficult tasks appear effortless. Alex Braunagel is one of those people.Watch him flow around a skate park, and you get the feeling that you are watching a knife cut through water. His intense focus and determination to give his best to our beloved sport is nothing short of amazing. What’s your name, how old are you, and where are you from? My name is Alex Braunagel, I’m 19 years old, and I am from central Indiana. Right now I’m living in Sarasota, FL. Weren’t you in a different part of Florida early last year? Also, I heard that you made it into the top 10 in the AM comp at the Panhandle Pow-Wow. What was that like? Yes, last year I moved to Orlando, where I stayed with Joey and Sammy Chase for a couple of months to blade
with them and shoot the shit, very cool guys. And yes, I placed 7th in the AM comp at the Pow-Wow. I skated with a lot of good dudes. It was a pretty cool experience. So where did it all start? How did you get into the skate life-style? It was when I at Major Taylor skate park in Indianapolis, IN with a friend who skateboarded, and I met Loran Bohall and Jake Wilkes. I didn’t even know about rollerblading at the time, and I happened to meet two of the rawest bladers. Right on, how long have you been rolling now? I’ve been on blades for 5 years. Where would you like to see yourself in skating/life in the next few years? Just progressing as much as possible and meeting as many people as I can. I’ll be living with Brent Henderson in Arizona in about two months, so I’ll be out there skating a lot. I’ll be back and forth from Arizona (Continued on page 30)
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Tru-savannah Photo by Seth Andrews
and Florida just skating and living life; taking risks since that is what life is all about. You are currently un-sponsored. Why should a prospective sponsor consider you as a marketable skater? Well, that’s a good question. First off, I would be very appreciative towards any company that approached me about representing their products. Now, this is just an example because I’ve been riding NIMHs for 2 years and don’t see myself skating anything else. If Brian Shima approached me about skating for NIMH at any level and an agreement was made, I would be out talking to kids about how great skating is, help point them in the right direction as to where they can get skate gear and answer whatever questions I could. I feel that I have the energy and personality that would allow for me to get out and fully represent a company that is kind enough to support me. I don’t expect to be handed a sponsorship, I understand that dues must be paid…but I am doing all that I can to get my name out there. I feel that the exposure I got at the Pow-Wow was definitely a step in the right direction. Also, I suppose that this is a good time to mention that I have 30
a full section in Seth Andrews’ new video, “Strange Colors”. Check out www.indianainline.com for more details, or check out the ad that’s in this issue. Three words: Blu-Ray DVD. What other things in life are you good at besides skating? Hmm…well, I’m a pretty good cook. I’m good at trying to play guitar. I really like water tubing. Also, my drawing skills are really progressing right now. Where do you think you would have ended up if you never started rolling? Probably doing something with art and tattoos, or getting more into motorcycles. All right, that’s about it. Do you have any thank-you’s or shout outs? Yes. Thanks go out to Tim Schmidt , Joey and Sammy Chase, Brent Henderson, Blake Kelly, Seth Andrews, Owen Nevins, Josh Mayo, everyone at the Panhandle Pow-Wow, all of Indiana, all of the Florida crew, Chrisitan Delfino…the list goes on.
Backside Farv around the curve, 630 out Photo by Christian Delfino
Tru-topsoul, 360 out Photo by Seth Andrews
Everything I’ve Learned - Everything becomes normal.
by H.S. Knucklehead
- Don’t be normal. - Normal never did anything for this world. Normal didn’t invent the first light bulb or decode the human genome...normal invented the corn dog because a hot dog accidently rolled off the counter into a bowl of batter and at the time it was normal not to waste food just because it fell in a bowl of batter. - If you’re leaving your now ex-girlfriend’s apartment after she dumped you, treat the car you’re getting into as a getaway car from a bank heist. That way you can tell yourself that the tears streaming down your cheeks are from your fear of going back to prison. You ain’t ever going back to that shit hole. - Batman is the greatest superhero. He became who he needed to be. Be who you want to become. - Don’t be ‘that guy’ at a party. You won’t get invited back and you won’t wake up with girls in your bed. - Throw awesome parties. Your friends will like you more and you will find yourself with more friends. Everyone likes to party, be the man that starts one. You’ll wake up with girls in your bed. - Wear condoms. Or at least pull out. On that note, girls have sex for very different reasons than guys. - There’s a difference between making love and fucking. Parties on both sides tend to forget this and it always leads to problems. - The best moments are the ones that would be ruined with conversation. - I lost the first fight I was ever in to an asshole named Roy Giberson at the playground in second grade. I haven’t lost one since (only been in 2 since). Keep your elbows up and in, and always make the decision to fight, don’t wait to get punched in the face. - Ships roll in, ships roll out. - Convincing a girl to let you stick it in her butt takes time and patience not ninja techniques. Never ninja your dick into a girls butt, girls don’t trust dudes with ninja dicks. - If everyone else is laughing and you’re not laughing, get the fuck out of there. - Men share drinks and laughter, not women or gossip. - If you find yourself naked in front of the father of a girl you were, until this moment, inside of, don’t say anything. It is not a time for words, it is a time for pants grabbing and running. Be swift. And duck. Expect things to be thrown at you. - Go out into the woods by yourself for a couple days just to see what happens. - Doug Funny should always chase after Patty Mayonnaise. - Open Mind. Open Road. Open Container. - Know how to tie a tie. - Admit when you fuck up. It makes everything easier, especially if by ‘fucking up’ you mean you encouraged someone at the party to pee in your friends salt water fish tank because you thought the fish would like to party also, but it resulted in throwing the chemical balance in the tank out of wack, killing a majority of the fish by morning. - Salt water fish are fucking expensive to replace.
Photo by Mike Norton
Jay Jude November 7th, 1993 March 23rd, 2010 Introduction, first article and memorial session photos - Vincent Morretino Other photos: Jay Jude Portrait photo: Unknown Photo of Jay’s back farv: Unknown
It’s been a tough 12 months in rollerblading. We have lost a handful of seemingly irreplaceable people that were, and still are, loved by everybody close to them that survived their passing. The tragic news of the death of young Jay Jude was certainly a sad moment that affected everybody he came across, and many that had never met him. I never knew Jay in life, but in death I have found that he was a very kind and compassionate person. The world is certainly a darker place since he left us. Excerpt from the memorial services press release: Jay Nathan Jude Jr., 16 of Loveland OH, passed away Tuesday, March 23rd. He was born to Joe and Patricia Jude and Sister Jessica Jude, November 7th, 1993, in Deltona Fl. He was a junior at Scarlett Oaks and aspired to be a primary school teacher. He was passionate about teaching children and had high hopes for the future. He was an aggressive skater, photographer, lover of animals, music, digital media and poetry. He had so much love in his heart, and is what you would call an all around good 34
kid, volunteering regularly helping those less fortunate than himself. May not his memory be burdened by sadness; instead may you remember the smiles and laughter that this bright young man has brought upon your hearts. Donations can be made payable to the Jay Jude Jr. Memorial Fund in c/o Jessica Jude at any 5/3 bank. Tri Rudolph of Cincinnati, OH has posted an edit on Vimeo of the memorial skate session that was held for Jay in Kettering, OH. It started at the DC Skate Plaza, then everyone broke out for lunch, came back to the Skate Plaza and then we descended upon the streets of Dayton. Check out the live web link by placing your cursor over the web address and clicking on it: www.vimeo.com/10683419 Here are the links to Jay’s YouTube page uploads and flickr account – www.youtube.com/user/doyourjobjayjude#p/u www.flickr.com/photos/jay_jude_get_crunk/
The news of Jay’s passing on the Be-Mag message board prompted some kind words by some of the online rollerblading community. Here are some of them: Rod L. Short - So sad. My deepest sympathy goes to his parents and family. Rest in peace and tell James I love him when you get there. Fowler - Jay was such a good kid. I remember the first time I met the him, we were sessioning the Loveland rails and all of a sudden this tiny black kid comes out of nowhere with Franky Remz on and he was so happy to see other bladers in his town. He had such a positive energy, and he always had that every time afterwards. We’ll miss you Jay, and always remember you. Luthraz - I know how he felt. I’ve been down that road, luckily medicine works for me. I think it runs in our sport so heavily because all of us are so individualistic. We all try and do our own thing and even grouped together we still feel alone sometimes. Not to mention, with such a small amount of people participating lately, it’s harder and harder for us to feel accepted in society. But we all still love rollerblading and just keep going with it until this happens or until we realize that even being alone is a gift. Live life for you always, fuck the norm. RIP little dude. I’d like to share an article on the subject of depression, as I believe that it’s important for people who may not understand why they feel hopelessness and despair so strongly to realize that there is help out there. The link to the entire article can be found at the end. Feeling down from time to time is a normal part of life. But when emptiness and despair take hold and won’t go away, it may be depression. More than just the temporary “blues,” the lows of depression make it tough to function and enjoy life like you once did. Hobbies and friends don’t interest you like they used to; you’re exhausted all the time; and just getting through the day can be overwhelming. When you’re depressed, things may feel hopeless, but with help and support you can get better. But first, you need to understand depression. Learning about depression—including its signs, symptoms, causes, and treatment—is the first step to overcoming the problem. If you identify with several of the following signs and symptoms, and they just won’t go away, you may be
suffering from clinical depression: • • • • • • •
you can’t sleep or you sleep too much you can’t concentrate or find that previously easy tasks are now difficult you feel hopeless and helpless you can’t control your negative thoughts, no matter how much you try you have lost your appetite or you can’t stop eating you are much more irritable and short tempered than usual you have thoughts that life is not worth living (Seek help immediately if this is the case)
Depression is a major risk factor for suicide. The deep despair and hopelessness that goes along with depression can make suicide feel like the only way to escape the pain. Thoughts of death or suicide are a serious symptom of depression, so take any suicidal talk or behavior seriously. It’s not just a warning sign that the person is thinking about suicide, it’s a cry for help: • • • • • • • •
Talking about killing or harming one’s self Expressing strong feelings of hopelessness or being trapped An unusual preoccupation with death or dying Acting recklessly, as if they have a death wish (e.g. speeding through red lights) Calling or visiting people to say goodbye Getting affairs in order (giving away prized possessions, tying up loose ends) Saying things like “Everyone would be better off without me” or “I want out.” A sudden switch from being extremely depressed to acting calm and happy.
If you think a friend or family member is considering suicide, express your concern and seek professional help immediately. Talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life. Just as the symptoms and causes of depression are different in different people, so are the ways to feel better. What works for one person might not work for another, and no one treatment is appropriate in all cases. If you recognize the signs of depression in yourself or a loved one, take some time to explore the many (Continued on next page)
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treatment options. In most cases, the best approach involves a combination of self-help strategies, lifestyle changes, and professional help. If positive lifestyle changes and support from family and friends aren’t enough, seek help from a mental health professional. There are many effective treatments for depression, including therapy, medication, and alternative treatments. Learning about your options will help you decide what measures are most likely to work best for your particular situation and needs. Effective treatment for depression often includes some form of therapy. Therapy gives you tools to treat depression from a variety of angles. What’s more, what you learn in therapy gives you skills and insight to prevent depression from coming back. Some types of therapy teach you practical techniques on how to reframe negative thinking and employ behavioral skills in combating depression. Therapy can also help you work through the root of your depression, helping you understand why you feel a certain way, 36
what your triggers are for depression, and what you can do to stay healthy. Additional resources and contact information: National Hopeline Network 800-SUICIDE (784-2433) Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week www.hopeline.com National Institute of Mental Health Information Center 866-615-6464 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday www.nimh.nih.gov/site-info/contact-nimh.shtml National Mental Health Association Hotline 800-273-TALK (8255) Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week Melinda Smith, M.A.; Joanna Saisan, MSW; Robert Segal, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., contributed to this article.
The article in its entirety: www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_signs_types_diagnosis_treatment.htm
270 Royale - Matt Grimes
Soul on the brick ledge to switch Topsoul down the rail - Chance Bentley
Freestyle Fishbrain - Jason Ricci
450 Royale - John Angus
Topside Pornstar, 180 out - Michael Rose
Topsoul - Eric Montealegre
Fishbrain + heel-roll + 180 out = innovative maneuver - Dan Mikesell
Unity to Topsoul to Tru-savannah - Stefan Brandow
Thanks to everyone who came out and showed support
All previous issues of Balance can be found at www.issuu.com/k2rolla
1
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Presented by
Chris Haffey
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Matt Andrews
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Michael Kraft
2
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Presented by
Iain McLeod • Chynna Weierstall Mike Koliner • Matt Lorch
3
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Presented by
Tim Helbock • Martin Walchshofer • Stefan Brandow H.S. Knucklehead • Dan Lambert
4
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Presented by
Avichai Wechsler • Jake Cawley Michael Kraft • Jacob Barnes