KNOW?MAG - Issue 07 by KNOWSHOW

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www.tigerdistribution.com + (514) 938-2345 KNOW?MAG 8

www.tigerdistribution.com

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April 14, 2009 - East Los Angeles, California timebombtrading.com stickers@timebomb.bc.ca

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the dark for timebomb trading inc. timebombtrading.com

ISSUE #7 SPRING/SUMMER 2010

Dispatch Seven By Perry Pugh

Recession [ri-sesh-uhn] Noun Economic Decline, downturn, depression, slump, slowdown, Antonym – Boom Source: Oxford American Thesaurus.

Editorial

The last three fiscal quarters have been quite the ride. After years of a soaring economy where it seemed you could do no wrong and growth was a guarantee, all of a sudden it all changed.

Paul Higgins megadestroyer.com

Editorial Directors André Pinces pincesphoto.com

We’ve all heard too much about the recession as it is, and with the light at the end of the tunnel getting brighter everyday it’s time to look at how its affected us and squeeze the wine out of the sour grapes we have tasted in the last little bit. To echo what my good friend Sean Miller says in his interview, this is a good time. We all need to look at what we do well, but more importantly, look at our weaknesses and work at making them our strengths. In this cleansing period for our industry, it’s inspiring to see upstarts like Green Apple Skate Shop and Informal Attire going against the grain and creating their own place in our economy. In the same breath, longevity is inspiring when we look at legends like PD and Kevin Harris who have been around since long before we even had an industry. Without sounding too cliché, it always seems darkest before the dawn, so enjoy the work of our featured artist, Vancouver’s very own Devil Black aka The Dark.

Welcome to issue number 7 of the KNOW?MAG.

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Editor-in-Chief Ben Couves ob1enterprises.com Executive Editor Douglas Haddow pblks.com Fashion Editor Tanus Lewis tanuslewis.com Production Controller Nick Brown lifetimecollective.com Advertising Director Perry Pugh ob1enterprises.com Photography Director Andre Pinces pincesphoto.blogspot.com Features Editor Douglas Haddow pblks.com Graphic Designer Michelle Guimond

Contact Know?Mag 130 - 49 Dunlevy Avenue Vancouver BC, Canada V6B 4E3 www.knowmag.net / www.knowshow.ca info@knowshow.ca

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ISSUE #7 SPRING/SUMMER 2010

CONTENTS Inside cover, front and back: portraits of The Dark by André Pinces, Vancouver, 2009

No part of this publication may be produced in any manner, either in whole, or in part without the written permission of the publisher. © Know?Show 2009

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C A I R O T H E

F O S T E R

B A L A N C E

O F

O P P O S I T E S

RVCA.COM • TIMEBOMBTRADING.COM INFO@RVCA.COM • STICKERS@TIMEBOMB.BC.CA

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B-swim top ,Lucy Love undies

HIT LIST Photographed by The Dark Lifetime tank, Lucy Love undies

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C’est Moi top

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Lifetime tank

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Lifetime v-neck t

Lucy Love dress

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SHOP PROFILE: FOOSH

Foosh By Lydia Tsang

Starting off as a small, independent t-shirt company, Foosh blossomed into its own entity in 1999. It was that year that the company made its debut on the streets of Whyte Ave in Edmonton as a tiny store above a skate shop, Plush. Foosh is the proverbial “lovechild” of two friends, Justin Der and Rob Clarke. KNOW?MAG 30

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SHOP PROFILE: FOOSH

Having both been a part of the early 90s rave scene, they felt that Edmonton needed the best of both worlds: fashion and music combined in one shop. After solidifying their concept, Foosh was born. In the early years of Foosh, most local shops had not starting printing and producing their own in-house lines. It was this desire to want to push the envelope in fashion that started the Foosh t-shirt line, which eventually gained popularity throughout North America, Japan and Australia with its breakthrough “Paris Hilton Behind Bars” print. Today, Foosh can easily be considered one of Canada’s last remaining shops that incorporates lifestyle clothing as well as an in-house record shop and (Treehouse Records), selling strictly vinyl of all types of electronic music to DJs locally, as well as all across the country. Community involvement has always been a focal point of the shop, and Foosh is continually raising that bar by being a local event ticket outlet and sponsor, as well as a major contributor to the city’s art scene by showcasing customized toys like Munnys, and selling tees designed by local artists. Now in their tenth year, Foosh has grown in unimaginable ways. Collaborating with Creative Recreation, Foosh has released an exclusive 10-Year Anniversary shoe, which has been limited to 300 pairs. From a basement t-shirt operation to a local mainstay, the Foosh name has evolved from little-known to international, all thanks to the persistance of two friends with the same dream: to change the world with t-shirts and records.

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SHOP PROFILE: GREEN APPLE

Green Apple Green Apple was conceived in Winnipeg by skateboarder Roan Barrion. Throughout the 1990s, Roan would release a video at the end of each summer to support and showcase Winnipeg’s growing skate scene. Green Apple was merely a crew of skateboarders that had fun creating.

Later on Roan started working closely with Ryan McGuigan, an aspiring videographer. Together they released “Street Magic” in 2000 which won best director at the NSI Film Festival in Winnipeg. At the turn of the millennium, Ryan took over the reigns of Green Apple video productions. He later released “Modern Love” in 2005, the most anticipated video to come out of Canada at that time. In 2007, he created “Supper’s Ready”, a 2 disc box set that included 6 of Green Apple’s offerings old and new. In 2008 Mike McDermott and Ryan McGuigan realized that it was time for a change. Green Apple has a positive reputation in Canada but its heritage comes from Winnipeg. It’s recognizable as a series of popular Canadian videos but what does Green Apple look like? Where is their office? Who’s in charge? They decided to take Green Apple back to its roots and moved back home to Winnipeg in May 2008. “I had a plan, to move back to Winnipeg in May of 2008 and to open Green Apple in May of 2009. Mission accomplished but this is when it gets hard!” (Mike McDermot). Over the winter of 2008 to 2009 they created a look for GA. The logo was a collaboration between Mike, Ryan and Habitat’s Joe Castrucci. With Mike’s involvement with Habitat Skateboards it made sense to cross promote the two brands.

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SHOP PROFILE: GREEN APPLE

“The logo was one of the hardest parts. Moving to Winnipeg and locking ourselves indoors for the winter was the only way we could create an image for Green Apple” (Mike McDermot) Chosing the team was another tough task. Mike and Ryan wanted the best skaters in the city with trusted reputations. The team consists of Jason Crolly, Colin Lambert, Justin Basset, Arron Rosenblatt, Chris Rossong, Sam Klassen, Nick Serduletz, Tyler Gaucher, Jeremy Gelfant, Mike Vince and Travis Stenger. A full Green Apple team video will be offered in Fall of 2010 with an interesting web video that will introduce Mike and Ryan’s story coming this winter. Check colormagazine.ca and greenappleshop.ca for details. “We’re starting small but our team is huge! Green Apple was always about local skaters who had the best reputations. Trav isn’t really local but there’s always an exception to every rule. Even though I was away from Winnipeg for a while, I’ve always payed attention to these guys. I’m happy they were down... Wait until you see how I asked them to be on the team!!” Even Green Apple decks have Habitat’s seal of approval. They’re made and designed by Habitat Skateboards which only means one thing: Quality. “I wanted to be fair to skateboarders and offer them quality. I didn’t want to offer your typical “shop blank” so I asked Alien Workshop for help. It feels cool to have something so exclusive in a city you would least expect it. If you’re not going to skate it than at least it’s pretty enough to hang on your wall” (Mike McDermot) Green Apple is about Skateboarding and keeping heritage alive in Skateboarding. Now that it has a home in it’s home town, people can come see what it’s all about.

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SHOP PROFILE: UNDERWORLD MONTREAL

Underworld Mtl.

By Frank Daniello

“I see every skateshop around the world as being the centre of their scene. If your shop is not doing anything for the scene, there is no scene,” says Alex Bastide, owner of Underworld—a growing skate and street wear retail enterprise. “A lot of my marketing is about having fun with the community. It will keep your store alive, it will keep your scene alive, and you’ll just have a good time.”

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For the 33 year old, it really began with a childhood passion for music, and by picking up his first skateboard in 1989. It was in 1995 when Bastide’s business venture began to take shape as a small record store that sold some skate gear on Millen Avenue in Montreal—the foundation from which today’s Underworld was tirelessly built. “I love music and skateboarding so much that I just wanted to stay in that environment until I die. That was really the intention,” Bastide matter-of-factly mentions regarding his starting point (and ending point) in the skate retail game. In conjunction with promoting Underworld via the tried-and-true street level approach to localized marketing, Bastide has also managed to draw attention and interest to both the shop and skateboarding across Canada. This was made possible by big-picture and seemingly impossible initiatives like the coast-to-coast “Under Attack Tour” jaunts he organized in 2003-’04, which spawned four made-for-TV seasons of The Under Attack Show; also by organizing and promoting the Montreal-based and national-level AM Getting Paid contest, in conjunction with Zoo York, which is in its fifth consecutive year. Underworld also supports a national skate team that’s 40-strong. All this, coupled with bold store expansions in both Montreal and Vancouver makes one think that the nauseating claims of “economically untidy times” should be discarded as rubbish.

SHOP PROFILE: UNDERWORLD MONTREAL

Expansion has always been a part of Underworld’s game plan. By 1996, the original record store on Millen Ave in Montreal grew into a full skateshop with a very small punk and hardcore music venue, which was later replaced with a private wooden bowl. In 2000, Bastide opened up a second skateshop on the advantageously high-profile Saint Catharine Street, downtown MTL, which also had an associate record shop. In 2002, he wanted to be a part of the fast-evolving Internet by developing a Canada-wide online retail strategy as a reaction to what CCS and Active were accomplishing in the US. As the ease of MP3s and the cost-effectiveness of personal CD burners began to rise, Bastide foresaw this as detrimental and pulled the plug on the music retail side of Underworld in 2003. By 2004, he set his sights on downtown Vancouver and set-up shop at 860 Granville Street with great success. After residing in Vancouver to oversee the growth of that store, Bastide returned to Montreal to begin yet another phase of Underworld expansion that would bring his love for music back into the fold. He closed both his original Millen Ave and Saint Catharine locations, and consolidated them into an impressive structural statement—a three-floor retail operation at 251 Saint Catharine East, which opened in September 2008.

cate people about them. We’re the middle-man between the brands and the customers, so it’s our job to make sure the message is getting through.”

“It was fun to open; it was a big project. I just wanted to raise the bar again and keep Underworld as a leader. Not just to be number one, but when you raise the bar, so does everyone else,” Bastide explains. “We were lucky because the architecture of the actual store was already beautiful, so we had something nice to work with. We gutted the entire place—6 containers of demolition—and we re-did the interior. We hired Daniel Corbin, an amazing designer, and architect Julien Valade. The main floor has all the shoes, accessories and the skateshop; the second floor is all the street wear. I wanted to incorporate the concept of segregating the brands to really edu-

Stay tuned for Underworld Vancouver’s big move down the street to 1043 Granville at Nelson in October 2009. It’ll feature a brand new 800 square foot skateshop on the lower level, and 3,000 square feet of footwear and clothing on the main floor.

The third level of this 4,000 square-foot-per-floor Underworld flagship consists of a 300-person allages concert venue, which represents the original record store and live-music roots of Bastide’s first location on Millen Ave. “The music side is in my heart; I love that scene and I really wanted to bring it back. We probably have an average of 10 to 15 concerts a month,” he explains. “The sound is really good and we have a huge air conditioner so it’s very comfortable during the muggy Montreal summers. We did two sold-out shows on the same day with Parkway Drive, and one of the classic bands that also played at my original venue on Millen is Earth Crisis. There’s hardcore bands, metal, punk bands and a straight-edge scene since it’s all-ages. We also do private parties there, like the Zoo York State of Mind video premiere and a party for the CIRCA/Underworld collab shoe. We rent the space, so it’s great marketing since the shows are being promoted in Montreal and Underworld is the venue. Our name is always out in the streets.”

underworld-shop.com twitter.com/underworldshop zooyork.com/amgettingpaid

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BRAND PROFILE: SKULL SKATES

Skull Skates By Lisa Hill

Established in 1976, P.D.’s Hot Shop in Vancouver is Canada’s oldest existing skateboard shop. Born from the Hot Shop, the Skull Skates brand was established in 1978 and stands as Canada’s oldest skateboard brand. Having weathered, hibernated & thrived for over three decades, Skull Skates has some perspective on riding the roller coaster of economic changes that we in the skateboard industry are a part of. KNOW?MAG 42

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BRAND PROFILE: SKULL SKATES

When looking at the past century (the 20th Century) North America experienced recessions in each decade without fail. Some lasted months, others a year and others still, like the one we are currently experiencing, have been prevalent for a number of years. So given the history of a century which included a minor or major recession every decade, what do we learn by looking back so that we can also see how to proceed forward? A question that arises in the skateboard industry is, ‘how does large-scale economic fluctuation impact us’? When talking to Skull Skates’ founder, P.D., about business you will often him hear him say that he does not have and has never had a business plan. Some would think the lack of plan crazy and others may think Skull Skates has survived on mere luck for 31 years – maybe a little of both is actually true. I think more accurately though would be to recognize that Skull Skates and skateboarding is not just a business for P.D., but it is his life. So the vision is not decade-by-decade, but encompasses the big view, which is a lifetime. As the proverb goes, “slow and steady wins the race” – that could be the Skull Skates motto. There is something almost touching on ancient oriental wisdom traditions in the way in which Skull Skates conducts itself. In Buddhist traditions there are teachings on “The Middle Way”, likely very good advise in general but perhaps very healthy advise for any business that wishes to survive the turbulent seas of national and global economics. So when business is doing well we don’t overextend ourselves by opening up more retail spaces, or expanding our manufacturing volume considerably. We can be satisfied and realize some growth without putting ourselves in a position, which in the future may be detrimental to us (see above, one recession per decade in the last Century – there is a pattern here folks!) Also, when we find ourselves in an economic downturn do we panic and hastily try to pick up more lines (this new product line may just save my retail shop)? Do we drastically reduce our output volumes? Do we eliminate mass amounts of product from our retail locations? If we’re following The Middle Way we would not. We can see that most recessions last less than a year and, if when we were doing well we were keeping our perspective on the long-term, we maintained liquid assets to cushion us through the economic blip. Keeping on the wisdom tradition theme, Daoists look to nature to see the patterns that are inherent in all living systems, should business be viewed any differently? Things are born, they grow, give abundance, they age and they die … and the cycle continually repeats itself. Consciously or not, P.D. and Skull Skates seem to understand the importance of impermanence. By not locking itself too tightly into any one mold, Skull Skates frees itself to move with fluidity through the ever-evolving decades of skateboarding.

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BRAND PROFILE: MOMENTUM WHEEL CO.

“Per [Welinder, owner of Blitz distribution] and I go way back to being skaters on the famous Bones Brigade in the ‘80s,” says Kevin Harris, the former Powell-Peralta freestyle pro who owns Ultimate Distribution and co-owns Momentum. “We’ve always had a great friendship and business relationship so it was a natural progression to form a partnership together bringing Momentum Wheels to a bigger market with Blitz Distribution. Momentum, being a Canadianbased company, is looking forward to continued growth and working closely with Blitz in the U.S and internationally.”

Momentum Wheel Co.

With the help and guidance from Rick McCrank—who is both a Momentum pro and co-owner—the company has been making it a priority to focus our efforts on producing more environmentally sustainable products. We recently introduced a new Eco-Soy series that contains a 25% soy based urethane formula, reducing the amount of fossil fuels used in manufacturing the wheels. All of our softgoods are also 100% organic cotton.

By Jim Fenton, Momentum’s Brand Manager

Another huge initiative for Momentum is helping with charitable causes whenever possible. We’re currently working on a wheel commemorating the memory of Vancouver skate legend, Don “Mad Carver” Hartley who passed away in July 2009. We’ll be donating 100% of the wheel’s profits to a trust fund set up in his name. Last year, Momentum undertook a similar memorial wheel project for the late Ray Underhill—a longtime Powell-Peralta pro. Profits from this effort went directly to his family. Momentum has always valued the involvement of our team riders and the skate community in the creative image of the brand. Under the art direction of Andrew Pommier—a renowned Vancouver-based artist—our most recent wheels profile graphics created by Momentum pros, Chris Haslam and Corey Sheppard. The graphic design work of Dennis Chow, Esao Andrews and Porous Walker are also featured in our current lineup of wheels.

2008 marked Momentum Wheel Company’s 10th year in business, and business has definitely been good. In May 2009, Momentum signed a licensing partnership with Blitz Distribution out of Huntington Beach, California. Aside from Canada-wide distribution—which is still handled by Ultimate East and West—Blitz handles the worldwide distribution. KNOW?MAG 46

A huge online push for Momentum recently was our involvement in Brandon Biebel’s Battle Commander feature on the Berrics website. Along with Girl, Lakai and Silver, we did a limited edition Berrics x Biebel x Momentum collab wheel that turned out awesome. Including the recent addition of Jose Rojo, Momentum’s current team roster is: Chris Haslam, Rick McCrank, Brandon Biebel, Corey Sheppard, Toeda Yoshiaki, Magnus Hanson, Morgan Smith, Nate Lacoste, Mike Barker and Travis Stenger. momentumskate.com

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BRAND PROFILE: GENTILE FAWN

Gentle Fawn The set of charming antique ceramic fawns found while out thrift shopping, forever changed the lives of Danny and Carla Hogg. Founded in 2003, Gentle Fawn began as a clothing brand fabricated from the inspiration of these quirky yet adorable vintage relics. Today, the fawn remains as the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s icon, representing the creative beginnings and design inspiration. KNOW?MAG 48

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BRAND PROFILE: GENTILE FAWN

Back in â&#x20AC;&#x2122;85, when fluorescent colors made their first debut and Danny was still in high school, he propelled his career as a designer when he sold a top selling graphic to Chip Wilson at West Beach. After graduating design school in 1989, Danny soon headed out to Vancouver from Alberta to launch his first menswear brand, Planet X Clothing. He later created FloSport and Slant Six in 1995 which both quickly became evidently popular among top Canadian retailers: Off The Wall, Below The Belt, Arlies, and West 49. During the days of Flo Sport and Slant Six, Danny met his soon-to-be wife, Carla. Carlaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career experience in sales, marketing and recruitment as well as her mad sense of style, made it apparent to the couple, they should join forces in the fashion industry. Danny sold Flo Sport and Slant Six shortly after the two were married so he and Carla could pave the way for Gentle Fawn. The complimentary duo kicked off Gentle Fawn out of Los Angeles and primarily focused on business in the USA. Now selling its 14th season, Gentle Fawn remains true to the core of the loyal fan base it has collected while expanding globally at a steady pace. Despite the state of the economy during the Fall/Holiday 09 selling season, Gentle Fawn flourished for many reasons as a desirable brand for retailers. Gentle Fawn has always bridged that gap between lifestyle and young contemporary fashion while adding allure and individuality through distinctive fabrics, graphics and details. As retailers often shared, the Gentle Fawn average price point of under $100 SRP was a quick and easy sell for them, despite the economic downturn. Gentle Fawn once again solidifies its reputation as fun, feminine and casual with the Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

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STAY SHARP

Mr. Clayton Carlson Heavy Mechanic

Photography André Pinces Art Direction and Grooming Dustin Fishbook

This page: RVCA Henley , JACHS plaid flannel shirt, photographer’s own Belstaff trial master jacket and neckerchief Opposite page: Penfield oxford shirt, WeSC Cardigan, stylist’s own bow tie

Fashion Editor Tanus Lewis

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Mr. Connor Gyori

Miss Jasmine Redfern

Chef

Educator

Penfield striped jacket, Comune sweatshirt, Lifetime grey collared shirt

WeSC striped shirt (worn backwards), vintage Leviâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s denim jacket courtesy of Mintage Vintage

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Mr. Caine Heintzman

Mr. Jonathan Syme

Industrial Designer

Artist

Circa black shirt, Insight plaid vest, stylist’s own bowtie

Penfield shirt with pinstripe collar, Penfield hooded jacket, photographer’s own glasses

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Mr. Randy Grskovic

Mr. Devitt McConachy Brown

Artist

Doorman

Lifetime oxford shirt, Insight roll-collar cardigan, Stylist’s own ascot

Art director’s own shirt, stylist’s own leather braces, leather/feather hair accessories by Ken Diamond

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Mr. David Robinson

Mr. Dustin Fishbook

Pugilist

Master Barber

Gingham ShirtbyShirt New York, WeSC knit vest, vintage Lee denim jacket courtesy of Erin Templeton Boutique, stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own vintage tie

Lifetime gingham shirt,WeSC trench, tie and glasses art directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own

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REP PROFILE: SEAN MILLER

Sean Miller REP PROFILE: Name: Sean Miller Age: 30 Vehicle: Bagged Volvo V50 Music: At the moment Rock, Indie, and Punk but I still love the classics in Metal and Hip Hop Communication Device: The toy phone

I know you’ve been in this industry for some time now. How did you get your start and how long have you been doing what you’re doing? Started by skating for Plush in Edmonton and then getting a few shifts in the store. After high school, worked there full-time and helped Suggitt set up Famous. After working on The Chocolate Tour Premiere with Centre, Peter Sullivan said they might be looking for some help. I made my way out for an interview and moved out to Vancouver two weeks later. Worked with Centre as a sales rep in the beginning when it was just five employees and began to take on more responsibilities. By the time I was done at Centre I was the Sales / Marketing Manager for DC Shoes along with their other brands. My time with Centre is what I consider to be my business education although I always want to be learning more. I took a hiatus out of the industry trying out apparel production and then architectural lighting. Always kept in touch though. Mostly through some planning and organization with Brad Richmond at Wick Winder and Stepchild in my spare time. Brad and I had good synergy and we always looked towards working together in the future. In mid 2006 we worked out a contract to work on our projects full time. Brad has always trusted me and appreciated my experience so I have always been able to work independently of Wick Winder but keep them as my primary focus because of the opportunities they have given me.

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Last year I incorporated Feedback Management and am now working with Jesse Fox, which I’m so stoked about. I’ve been back in the industry for 3 years. Revitalized! You never know unless you try something different. I tried but truly love what I’m doing. Been involved for about 15 years now. To expand on that a little, what brands are you and your agency working with? Feedback Management works with Comune, Vestal, Clae, Bond, Ashbury, Arbor, Sandbox and Weekend. We are pioneering a lot of these brands. Comune is the latest addition and we are 100% behind this brand. We work with Wick Winder on all the brands except for Clae Footwear. We manage Clae for all of Canada directly with the guys in San Diego. Clae is an evolution of footwear from our industry to a new definition of casual with attention to quality, detail and style. I’ve always thought Sung Choi’s designs were on point from my early days at DC and especially now with his instant classics in the Clae line. Growing up, what made you want to be involved in this industry? Was it something that just happened or did you actively work towards it? It was all about skateboarding in the beginning. I thought that working at a shop was the coolest thing. Then the opportunity to go to my first ASR (lots of people used to go to this show) was mind blowing. It all just kept me interested the further I got. Then the business side of things

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really interested me. By the time I was done at retail, I thought I knew a lot but it was just the beginning. I didn’t even think I wanted to do sales. Distribution taught me so much down the line. A priceless education. I always wanted to do more and take on more within all my jobs so it all just kept me moving forward. It was amazing to be a part of DC at that time because of their ideas and the talented people they had on the program. I couldn’t have been involved at a better time. It’s still about skateboarding but mostly on a personal level. I love business and always want to get better at what I do. If being a sales rep wasn’t so glamorous what kind of career path do you think you would be following? Fish taco stand somewhere tropical. All fresh, whole food. No really. I’ve had to think about this during my time away from the industry. It’s funny once you’re actually faced with that decision. I thought something corporate might have been the way to go. I don’t do well with bureaucracy at this time but I do admire those corporations that can create a cool culture. Realistically, probably get involved with a small company of sorts. Right now I think its important for me to be independent and make may own decisions. My mistakes are my responsibility. With the state of our economy right now where do you see our industry heading? It’s an important time to really fine tune your business. For everyone involved in the chain. Sometimes when

REP PROFILE: SEAN MILLER

“I love business and always want to get better at what I do.” business is booming you’re just on for the ride. Now it’s time to look at who your partners are, what is working and what has the most potential. We’ve progressively gotten better at business but now it’s time to try something new. It’s time to fix it if it isn’t working. I think it’s a good time right now. Kind of a self-correcting time for the industry. The big brands will always have their place but have the biggest dollars to lose. I believe the small brands have the potential to take over more market share. Influential retailers always have to look what makes their offering different from other retailers in town. It’s not the easiest time for a small brand so you have to go at it with a plan and ambition. The retailer used to bring in anything and it would sell. Now everyone has to analyze what is working and cut back on those things that aren’t performing. Numbers don’t lie. This being said it’s also critical to give new brands a chance to develop and continue to be a leader. Do you see any new trends or patterns within our industry coming our way? There has always been a pattern in our industry. It’s always advancing forward but the boom and bust has been minimized. We’re busting a bit right now but it is a time where the evolution begins to happen quicker. I think it’s a good time for some great smaller brands to emerge. It’s not the easiest time but definitely the most rewarding. Best advice someone has given you? I’ve gotten to work with amazing people along the way from Matt Davis, Peter Sullivan, Gerry Mckay, Rob

Boyce, Bill Redford and Brad Richmond including a lot of other talented reps and retailers in our industry. I don’t know where I got the advice from but be a good listener and be genuine is probably the most important. That’s pretty embedded in me. I try to take in as much as I can around me and always need to come back to asking more questions. So much to learn from the good people around me. When you have downtime, what kind of other things does Sean Miller like to do? I’ve been revitalized on skating again. Skating has always been a part of my life but I haven’t been this stoked since I was kid. I’ve been keeping up on the Bikram’s yoga for a few years now but in the summer that slows down and the beach missions increase. Any opportunity to make it to Tofino and surf is always important. With the amount of time on the road it’s also just nice to be at home with Tanya. Favorite place you have traveled to and why? Berlin – I tied a Vestal sales meeting into a vacation with a friend who was going to school over there. I enjoy going somewhere where you’re not totally the tourist. When you get to see what goes on from the day to day with people who are living there you see the city in a different light. I believe the best way to see a city is on bike if possible. It’s the right price, speed and you’re able to take the spot in at your own pace (while not worrying about a few drinks as well). Berlin has an intense history, a great art scene and a mixed bag of architecture. The European design is always more interesting and forward thinking compared to the North American ways.

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I know you’ve been to some crazy parties and met some unique individuals. What is your craziest party experience? Slam City Jam always was interesting but ASR parties were always next level. You were hanging out with some of you favorite skateboarders and going to see rad shows in small venues. Vestal sales meeting 2008 was pretty epic. Sales Meetings for the most part are always a shit show but this one got started way too early. No one really needs shots of absinthe at noon but it sets a tone for the day. It was followed by a free for all party with fire dancers, hula-hoops, face painting and unlimited booze including tall boys of Colt 45. They had a 30 piece bohemian band called Dark Meat play under a huge tent and released hundreds of beach balls into the crowd. It was like a sped up ska dance floor including inflatable balls under the big top. The party was straight out of Hunter S. Thompson’s head. I ended the night by having a solo Mexican dance party around my hoodie at some late night underground bar. Yeah Miller! Last big purchase? Next big purchase? Last – A Genmate brand generator (Canadian Tire special $149 – 800W) for bringing the tunes to the skatepark and on the hill this winter. Next – There has been the idea of a mini ramp but that might be down the line but for now it’s a bit of humble pie. You never know you might see me (Ruppert) slanging tacos out of a renovated trailer on a beach in Costa Rica one day!

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REP PROFILE: JEFF MARTINO

Jeff Martino REP PROFILE: Name: Jeff Martino Age: 44 Vehicle: Heelies Music: Steel Panther Communication Device: The fight machine

I know you’ve been in this industry for some time now. How did you get your start and how long have you been doing what your’re doing? Short version: I starting working weekends at B & B Skate and Snow in Kamloops, while I was working at the local University. I met Rob Williamson (industry icon, previous Burton rep) at a Sun Peaks demo, mooched my way into volunteering at a bunch of demos, which slowly worked into a full time gig. After 3 years, Rob moved on to Volcom and Nixon, and I took over. This is the beginning of my 12th season as Rep, so my 15th year with Burton. I am indebted forever to Rob and Amy Earle for giving me a great opportunity and taking a chance on an over-aged grom. I know most people know what the infamous FACE SHOTS represents but what brands are you and your agency working with? Well, the Face Shots moniker came out of my desire to get all the deep pow I could and when I started, that seemed like the best thing I could possibly get out of this job. Honestly, the double entrendre didn’t even register until someone else pointed it out to me. But, hearing staff answer the phone all day long, “Face Shots…” definitely makes me giggle. Our agency represents whatever Burton adds to their roster: We started with Burton and RED, which has since grown to include Anon, Analog, Gravis, Alien Workshop, Habitat, and Reflex. We’ve dabbled in Von Zipper and Skullcandy in the past as well. We’re currently pursuing “Ed

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Hardy Snow” because it’s our duty as leaders to get more steroid-jock-coke-heads on the mountain and not just in the clubs. Growing up, what made you want to be involved in this industry? Was it something that just happened or did you actively work towards it? Grown up? I thought we all got into this biz to act like spoiled teens with a credit card? In my formative years, there were no aspirations to sell anything. I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with my life, and always worried that there was nowhere I’d fit in professionally. I considered myself a fuck-off, but with skills that were going unfulfilled. I was once told at a job interview I didn’t get (quote): “You’re a talent wasting.” I’m not sure if it was a compliment. Thankfully I didn’t get the job. I never knew there was an entire industry built on amazing creative individuals who would never tolerate the suit world. Together, we’re this glorious, amazing entity called the Action Sports biz. We’re the bastard children of the business world and it’s so gratifying to be part of this and be intelligent, passionate business folk, while still keeping our sense of humour and desire for fun, creativity and balls-out play. It was a life-changer when I discovered I could get paid to talk about stuff I love, be social, and throw great parties. We all know it’s much deeper than that, but in the grand scheme, we sell toys and we get paid to play. Those benefits mean way more to me than a pension plan. Initially, I was headed towards a career in teaching. I’d done my arts degree at SFU and was

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accepted into a teaching program, but decided to stay working a bit to pay off student loans. I met Blake (of B & B) and started working with him out of my newfound stoke for snowboarding. I was already a grown-up grom, so it allowed me to have some life experience that younger rookies didn’t possess. That got my foot in the door. So, I drank the kool-aid, fell into the business side of the sport and kept following it, but never consciously thinking I’d found a career. After doing on-snows for a season with Rob, I found myself between jobs and told him that I’d make myself available to him full-time for the winter and see where it led. Two months in, I was hired full-time and haven’t looked back. I always thought the ‘follow your bliss’ thing was a load of shit, but it turned out to be good strategy. Snowboarding was the first thing I ever pursued passionately and it turned into a job, a career, and an ability to provide for my family. Now I’m a professional entertainer and it’s awesome. If being a sales rep wasn’t so glamorous what kind of career path do you think you would be following? I ask myself that from time to time and I don’t know for sure. Teaching is something I’d still love to do some day, maybe at a small college or some place I can swear and take my students to the bar without being fired. I’d like to find some way to give back, whether it’s in our industry or beyond. Life’s too rich not to share. Live well, give back, reap what you sow. Or maybe become a carnie.

REP PROFILE: JEFF MARTINO

CHARITY PROFILE: CONTRIBUTOR

“...hearing staff answer the phone all day long, ‘Face Shots...’ definitely makes me giggle.” With the state of our economy right now where do you see our industry heading? No one knows what the future holds, just like no one could predict the economic crash that has befallen us. There’s definitely going to be a culling of the herd. We’re already seeing brands disappear, and we’ll see shops go away as well. It saddens me that the specialty shops are the most challenged right now, as they are truly the heart and soul of our business and sport. But big box has the cash and the industry needs it to push forward. We, as industry participants, need to be sure we keep it all in check so the soul and culture of our sports don’t get bastardized, commodified and diluted. One thing I do know is, shops that are nimble, motivated, aware and committed will find ways to adapt, power through, and be successful, coming out stronger on the other side and being even bigger players in the business. Shops that sit back and wait for the world to come to them may as well close their doors now. It’s over. Adapt, progress, be inventive, or die. Do you see any new trends or patterns within our industry coming our way? Definitely we’ll see an increase in at-once business. Retailers don’t want to risk too much on pre-season bookings. Of course, they are at the mercy of available inventory from suppliers to keep their shops full, so it’s a dance to find an even risk/balance. I also see consumer demand for new product as well as emerging brands, in addition to the Blue Chip, proven winners. Consumers are still spending; they are just far more particular about where and how they spend. Quality and freshness are what

the consumer wants in tough times and shops that stock a good mix, especially those specialty dealers who bring in the products the big boxes can’t buy in addition to their ‘sure things’ are the ones that will reap the rewards. I also see a trend towards keeping it real. You’re going to see folks bringing the fun back, like your Office Booyz events, and reminding the industry how good we actually have it and why we do what we do. Without the lifestyle, it’s just another job, so why bother? We’re blessed with the access to killer activities as part of our job and we need to remind ourselves of this constantly or we might as well be tele-marketing. Best advice someone has given you ? “Beg for forgiveness, not for permission.” When you have downtime. What kind of other things does Jeff Martino like to do? Skinny skiing, going to bullfights on acid. Time with my wife and daughter is precious as well. Favourite place you have traveled to and why? Baldface. I’ve never had a better pow experience in my life and it is such a beautiful otherworld up there. Sun Peaks, because it’s been a huge part of my upbringing and it’s where I fell in love with Tannis. We’ve both been snow-sliding there for almost 30 years. Revelstoke; the bowling there is superb. New Zealand, because it’s like British Columbia, but on acid; everything is so vibrant and amazing. No wonder the hobbits live there. They also live right - be responsible for yourself

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and no frivolous lawsuits. North America has too many douchebags that refuse to take responsibility for their own actions and lives. I know you’ve been to some crazy parties and met some unique individuals. What is your craziest party experience? Waking up to my best friend in my bedroom doorway, laughing hysterically, while I lay on my bed with my shorts around my ankles (held together with a paper clip), a 10-pin bowling ball in my hand and a huge, horseshoe-shaped gash across my forehead. Then trying to figure out how it all came to be. There’s too many other lowlights to single out just one, but here’s my short list: Telus Fest 2009 and the sushi dinner, cops and fireworks fight, and the 19 people in an elevator built for 8, stuck for 25 minutes. Big White dealer intro and the expensive table incident/dance party extravaganza. The Showcase clinics over the years including The Jail night (thanks, OG!), the Aussie chicks that crashed the Garf’s clinic, showed us their tits and doing body shots. The early Rep Show hockey games and karaoke parties. Any activity with John Dryden. I’ve had a few epics at sales meetings and Jake & Donna’s fall bash. Driving switch. Being thrown out of The Max 7 times in one night. That pretty much covers the last decade. There’s also a lot of nudity. For some reason, I love to get naked when I’m lit. Last big purchase? Next big purchase? Last: all the Roman Candles in the West Kootenays. Next: Bushwood. Mind if I play through?

Contributor The idea behind Contributor is pretty simple: skateboards for all. Although this seems like a very generous statement, it’s something that we truly believe is possible and within all of our reach. Today, there are approximately 1.6 million kids living in poverty across Canada. The negative effects of poverty are very significant and limiting for those who are affected by it on a daily basis, but are especially difficult for youth. For these youth, things that we take for granted – let’s say the simple action of going out to skate with friends – seem unattainable. Without access to positive support through a group of peers and healthy alternatives to focus on, these kids can lose their way. By working with non-profit organizations across Canada, who are dedicated to youth at risk and children in lower-income neighborhoods, we hope to encourage successful outcomes through the addition of skateboarding as a positive reinforcement. There is not much to be said about how skateboarding can improve lives and build friendships between people who would’ve otherwise been strangers. And, heck, that’s why this organization exists! Contributor allows all of us to come together and give a new generation of kids that same opportunity.

SMILE ON YOUR BROTHER Conceived by Mike Giles & Annie Lam, and co-curated by Bob Kronbauer of Club Mumble, “Smile on Your Brother” is an art initiative for Contributor that is centred around the original shape of skateboards when they first hit mass production. This seemed like the perfect way to officially launch the Contributor campaign. The idea behind not only the show, but also the overall project, is to hopefully inspire people to think about their first skateboard and what it meant to them. For many skaters, this still represents a pivotal moment in their life, with every last detail fresh in their minds. Bringing together fifty contemporary artists both in, and affected by the skateboard industry, to help raise funds in support of Contributor’s first goal, which is to donate 100 skateboards to disadvantaged youth across Canada. Please join us at Livestock on Monday, August 24th, 2009 from 7 PM to 9 PM for the official opening of Smile on Your Brother with works from: Don Pendleton, Matt Irving, Thomas Campbell, Amber Bignell, Jim Houser, Craig

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Metzger, Andrew Pommier, Niall McClelland, Reid Stewart, Cody Hudson, Todd Francis, Porous Walker, Travis Millard, Mel Kadel, Bob Kronbauer, Roger Allen, Sandro Grison, Calen Knauf, Randy Laybourne, Chris Nieratko, Dave Carnie, Dennis Chow, upso, Mike Perry, Anna Wolf, Jim Datz, Oli Van Roost, Evan Melnyk, Tyson Bodnarchuk, James Braithwaite, James Kerr, Jen Storey, Omen, Jason Redwood, Emilio Santoyo, Frank Lam, Zema, Supermundane, Marcus Oakley, Marcus Walters, S. Halmai, Julien Valee, Eve Duhamel, Devin Barrette, Mike Giles, Billy Baker, Parra and many other influential world class artists.

For other tour dates and details on the show, visit www.wearecontributors.com

OFFICE BOOYZ: REDBULL SOCCER MATCH

Wednesday Night Lights... on a Tuesday

goal of the night. Luckily for the Snipes, the lead was shortlived. A brilliant clear from Heather Jansen to mid-fielder Ariel Swan, she moved the ball ahead. Led by Karl Fuhre, Perry Pugh and Drew Hawkshaw, they gallivanted up the right side of the field. With Ben Couves crashing the net from the right, Jaimeson Keegan was distracted and the ball made it past him.

Words by Matt O’Brian , Photography by Andre Pinces

The Annual WNSL/KNOW?SHOW All-Star Soccer Game Conceived on a dewy sweet morning in the spring of 2007, and founded shortly thereafter, the Wednesday Night Soccer League is the brain-child of a self-proclaimed visionary. Better known now as the WNSL, it has become a mainstay for players and adoring fans alike. On a shame-filled walk home on that early spring morning with a haze of the previous nights events dancing through the mind, the concept for the league was born. The idea was to bring together men and women of all calibers and create a soccer league that was both challenging and fun; one that was governed not by referees or officials, but by the players themselves. The only reward for winning would be the ability to “trash-talk” your opponents over post-game frosties. But before the first match took place, the league had a few hurdles to overcome. Rumblings from other leagues and naysayers like Jason Good (ironically now a full time player who’s known more for his bad attitude than his prowess on the field) opted to try and cast a shadow over the league before it started. The problems didn’t cease there and actually escalated on opening night. With no governing bodies on the field, things quickly got out of hand. Former German prodigy Karl Fuhre was at the center of it all. He couldn’t seem to grasp the concept of having fun, things taking an exceptional turn for the worse when he sent a female player home crying. Fuhre’s team did go on to win that night, but the rest of the league lost. After the match, the league’s founder/convener took action by sending out a league wide email stating that anyone following in Mr. Fuhre’s

footsteps would be forced to participate in the league’s “Fun is Number 1” program. But while the intent was still to have a league governed by the players, it was no secret that the convener could not go it alone. Enter Perry Pugh. Known for his love of all things BBQ, his appetite for coldies and his narcoleptic tendencies, Pugh’s promotion from third-string player to league office prompted protest from all angles. Most notable of his opposition were his boss, Ben Couves, and an unruly set of female fans that Pugh had unsuccessfully attempted to seduce during the opening night festivities. Despite the outcry, the league’s founder knew he’d found the right man for the job. Midway through the inaugural season, things were looking up for the league and players were coming out in droves to enjoy the beautiful game. To the delight of the founder, some of them were female. With their fan base growing, talks of a potential all-star game surfaced. The only problem the league faced now was that it was getting too popular. Fast forward to July 6, 2009. Two and a half seasons after the league’s inception, it announced it’s first sanctioned all-star game. Set to take place at Jericho Hill Park on July 14, 2009 the anticipation and excitement caught like wildfire and before everyone knew it, it was game night. With Andre Pinces and his media crew from KNOW?MAG in attendance, Red Bull pulling out all the stops in terms of sponsorship and Coors Light supplying post-game coldies, the stage was set and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that this night was going to be a success. The match dubbed “The Thrilla on Jericho Hilla” featured two teams, as voted on by the

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fans, which would surely make for an unforgettable match. The White Snipes featured a motley looking crew, including wannabe goaltender Desmond Price, ball hog Kenta Goto, try-hard Stevie Thorpe, Ben “Fuck” Couves, female defensive gems “The Song” Ariel Swan (girlfriend of washed up Rip Curl rep, Drew “Hawk” Hawkshaw; also on the team) and heavy-foot Heather Jansen, Perry “Soft Serve” Pugh, slick forward Kiara Schwartz, German calf-master Karl Fuhre and Matt “The Tea Cup” O’Brien. On the opposite side, The Blue Ballers were no slouch themselves. A fierce squad of competitors included: super sneak and partial cheat Dan Wilkins, Steven “The Snake Charmer” Day, Killer Kenny Mac, stats-padder Jaimeson Keegan, the dynamic female duo of Kaitlyn “Missed Opportunity” Cordingly and textmaster Heather Favalaro, sexist and dirty Nick “The Physique” Brown, speedy caveman Bradley Wilson, phenom turned ex-phenom Matty Farr, old-timer Jason Good and a surprise last minute addition of a banger – Paul “The Denim Demon” Higgins. Also noteworthy was spare Coco Jubilo who stepped in late in the game to shut a whining Keegan up. Not a moment past 6:30PM the game was underway and with little flow. It was evident there were some nerves on the field. It wasn’t long before players settled in and strategizing and trash talking came into full effect. Jason Good was at the forefront of it all – mind you, with lack luster comments that the Snipes easily shook off. The real stinging began for the Snipes when Dan Wilkins took advantage of some poor communication on the defensive end and put one in the onion bag past keeper Desmond Price. Despite protest from some that he was offside, the goal counted and unfortunately for the Snipes it wasn’t the sneaky forward’s only

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The battle was on. With such an intense pace on the field, it seemed like only minutes before Bradley Wilson’s beard grew an inch with each stride. He summoned his Zeus-like powers to get the ball to Steven Day, who performed some sideline wizardry to get a shot on goal. Price made the save, but Wilkins was sent on another preemptive strike and stripped the ball, chipping in his second of the game. Another goal by the Ballers and the scales seemed to be tipping in favor of the squad in blue. That was until Pugh decided to put his belly into it and take over in goal. With savage Ben Couves and Price now charging up field and Kenta Goto, O’Brien and Jansen setting in on defense, within minutes, they had blown by the poor defensive coverage by Nick Brown and netted another. Though Keegan can probably tell you, the scorekeepers lost track of the next few goals, mind you there was some noteworthy play at either end. The Ballers’ Heather Favalaro, during a text message, brilliantly got the ball to Paul Higgins. After moving his hair from his eyes, he stretched his denim to the max and got the ball ahead to a fearless Kenny Mac. As if he were bowling, the big mid-fielder stormed through a myriad of players and chipped the ball to Matty Farr for a shot on goal. While Pugh made a diving save, he was out of the play, leaving a wide-open net for Kaitlyn Cordingly, who thought she had a sure thing. O’Brien, trying to make up for his earlier blunder, had other plans and at the last moment thwarted the opportunity. It was evident where Cordingly had gotten her nickname. Going the other way, the Snipes managed to take advantage of a weak goaltender in Jason Good. Goto and Jansen worked the ball around, flicking it ahead to Stevie Thorpe.

Always giving 150%, he danced up field and played give and go with just about every player on the Snipes squad. After his final pass to Hawkshaw, he received a pass back and babied the ball past a whining Good.

finesse and control, they played a possession game that rivaled the pioneers of the game. While Day stutter-stepped a few of his foes, pass after pass, they moved in unison until they tucked one past the tender.

5-4 Blue Ballers at the half.

It would soon be tied 8 per side.

The second half started and no love was lost during the break. With first possession going to the Ballers, a dazed Day quickly gave the ball over to the Snipes who took full advantage. From Pugh to a blazing Fuhre, the ball was in the opposing end quickly. While goaltender Keegan was sharing his halftime coldie with teammate Farr, (neither man enough to finish it all during the allotted break) the ball ended up on Hawkshaw’s foot, and he put it past a befuddled tender. It was clear that the team in blue had made a dismal mistake.

Back and forth, and with bragging rights hanging in the balance, the match continued until there was all but 3 minutes remaining. Fuhre somehow broke loose in the Ballers zone and got the ball to Couves who angrily potted another goal for the Snipes. All they had to do was defend and with a talented squad on the other side, it wasn’t going to be easy. Despite close calls, the clock ticked down. Final score: The White Snipes 9 – The Blue Ballers 8.

The Ballers sought revenge quickly and deployed some tactics of their own. The first defied the word sportsmanship. Knowing that Swan was a key defender on the Snipes, Nick Brown took the ball and started across center. What happened next is unfathomable to most who participate in sport. Pointing right at her face and dawning a sly grin, Brown wound up and put everything he had behind it, striking her right in the face. While the crowd was stunned, this was apparently nothing new for Brown.

Disregarding the on field battle and some heinous play by Nick Brown, both teams shook hands and partook in some frosty CL smooth’s; the perfect prize for a bunch of wannabe soccer players. And while the trash-talking and friendly jabs continued, and undoubtedly will until next year, it’s no secret that this match was an instant classic and the real winners were the players and fans involved. Well, actually, the real winners were The White Snipes, but who’s keeping track.

After the dust settled, the game was back on and Swan was still in. Browns play had failed to do the collateral damage he had hoped for.

A special thanks to Andre Pinces of KNOW?MAG for all of his photography/ editorial work, the crews of KNOW?SHOW and Office Booyz, Perry Pugh for his organizational skills, Kenny Mac at Red Bull for the jerseys and energy drinks (O’Brien actually grew a wing) and Coors Light for the halftime and post-game frosties.

With O’Brien now in net, their next attack did actually do some damage. Sending the giant-like Kenny Mac charging the net, the pint-sized O’Brien was in trouble. He managed to stop a few, but a vicious strike from Wilson soared to the top corner. The very next drive started in the same way. Farr and Mac bearing down on O’Brien, he darted from his goal to challenge the power forwards, making the stop. Unfortunately, he collided with the much larger Mac and though he refused to go down he was in obvious pain. O’Brien hit the sidelines for what most thought was the night. He returned however, holding his 3 broken ribs and barely breathing, but playing as if nothing had happened. A true warrior, he was dubbed “The Tea Cup”. As the game wore on the level of play and strategizing intensified greatly. The Snipes opted for a run and gun style game – using powerful strikes to drive the ball up the field as quick as possible. Back in goal, Price executed with perfection, booting the ball to a streaking Goto, who blew by everyone and netted his first goal of the game. Racing up the field the opposite way, the Ballers’ style was the exact opposite. With pure

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ARTIST PROFILE: THE DARK

Interview by Douglas Haddow

Vancouver is no stranger to darkness. Founded upon the puke-soaked cobble stone streets of Gastown, the world’s original skid row, the city’s psychological and geographical underbellies have always played a defining role in its development. From the ultra-violent brawls and rampant depravity of the late 19th century to with the needle-prick squalor of today’s Downtown Eastside, Vancouver has a serious taste for the shady side of life. And so it’s only natural that someone like The Dark would eventually emerge from the East Hastings cut and blow everybody’s mind with a style that speaks directly to the city’s soul. Having gained equal parts infamy and fame for his staggering acts of stencil wizardry, The Dark AKA Devil Black is now becoming a well respected gallery artist. Taking inspiration from the likes of Francis Bacon, The Dark is continuing his long journey towards something that might resemble a bright light at the end of a very murky tunnel - merging an instinct for visceral street aesthetics with a desire to express what it means to be alive in age where civilization just might, finally, maybe, get totally fucked up beyond all recognition.

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ARTIST PROFILE: THE DARK

So where did you get your start and how did “The Dark” come about? I started about seven years ago, I was working as a bike courier at the time and then my girlfriend dumped me. Around the same time a friend gave me a book on European graffiti and I just started cutting out these little stencils and went around my neighbourhood (Main and Kind Edward) and I’d just spray paint electrical boxes and posts and whatnot and I got fuckin’ hooked. It was super weird, I loved it, I thought it was the coolest shit ever, and so from there I began doing bigger pieces with more layers, more colours and within about six months I completed a ten layer, seventeen colour Pope and put it up in Gastown and that got a lot of attention - people we’re like “Holy Shit.” Then it progressed to where I was going off the deep end in terms of how intricate I could make my stencils and how many layers I could do to the point where the most intricate stencil I made was a fifteen layer, fifteen colour picture of an industrial building. What sort of response did you get? People really liked the work, but then I kind of got bored of stenciling, the process of making these types of stencils is monotonous and super tedious and it’s just really difficult on your mind and your body. So how long did you spend doing street art before you got into galleries? Within a year of putting stuff up on the street I had a solo show at Xeno gallery, which was a little back gallery in Dadabase on Main and Broadway. So it was pretty quick, pretty much right away. As for my first official show at the Elliott Lewis Gallery, I had been doing work for three years at that point and they actually approached me after they saw a show I had done at the Interurban space, where I did some really large scale work with all post-apocalyptic style images, like a bombed out church and a burning SUV in Kuwait. Most of the imagery you were dealing with at that time was pretty apocalyptic? Yeah, ever since I was a kid I’ve had this sense of the end of the world, or whatever you want to call it, I

mean, now I’m kind of realizing that my precept as a child was a bit...well, basically I raised myself so I was very protective of my mind and my emotions and that lead me to a place where I didn’t trust anyone. So as a kid, I constantly watched people, I was constantly watching everybody, watching for inconsistencies, weaknesses. It’s kind of psychotic when I think about, kids shouldn’t think that way but I did. What I took away from that is, as a species...we’re pretty fucked. And we don’t really have a firm grasp on what it means to be part of a holistic entity; you know Gaia or whatever, the Earth as a whole. That mentality isn’t very prevalent in our society. You know, the oil embargo was two years before I was born, so watching the fallout from that and seeing capitalism grind to halt in the last twenty years, and especially the last two years, has been really eye-opening because I was making work three or four years ago that was based on what’s happening right now. I’m very interested in our lack of capacity to continue to function in this system and most of my work is based on that to some degree. The huge crashed American SUV on the side of the road in Kuwait, that irony, has always been really appealing to me because for the most part, we try to turn a blind eye to that reality and if it is talked about it’s very tainted with a sort of “stiff upper lip American dream” attitude and all that cliché pop-psychology that is used to treat the fact that we’re on a downward slope. I think such work definitely makes for an interesting gallery environment, but it seems that recently the art world has embraced a more pop-orientated aesthetic. Yeah, the most prevalent artists in Western society, Hirst, Koons, Prince, I mean, Prince is a little bit towards the dark side, but the art world today is part of the capitalist machine. Post modernism has turned art into a product and art theory has become a marketing mechanism, more than an actual, critical look at what we as artists and curators are producing, and as a result the whole world

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is geared towards capital and artists like Damien Hirst, although his work is ironic and tongue in cheek, he’s still working on a such a scale with his clients that he’s really just a big money player, he could be selling yachts or jets but he just happens to be an artist. That’s been a real struggle for me, trying to produce work that I feel is homogenous with my vision, and still sell. At the end of the day I also live in a capitalist society and I want to make fucking money, I don’t want to be cleaning kitchens and dealing with drunks every night for the rest of my life, and some of my darkest shit, is also the stuff that sells best. Why might this darker work that you’re producing appeal to buyers? What sort of response do you get from it? For the most part, for some reason, I have the capacity to hit people in their subconscious and affect them emotionally. The reactions I see, it seems like these people want for that, they want for something that’s gritty and real and isn’t wrapped up in a shiny bow with a 50% off tag on it. They want reality, or for lack if a better term; the truth. A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to express the emotions that I think get drawn out of them by the work I produce. Are there aspects within the technical component of your work that might bring about a certain response? Yeah, it’s funny, with the stencils, when I got into the really crazy multi-layered stencils, people’s reactions to those were more intellectual than emotional because it was really stimulating for their mind to figure out how the fuck I made it, but what I’ve started working with now are oil pastels which have this very painterly, soft kind of look to them that I think appeals a lot more to people’s emotions. So is this a different approach from your previous work? When I’m working with oil pastels, I’m not thinking, it’s all about how I feel. Stencils and oil pastels are on the opposite ends of the spectrum, the stencils are completely intellectual, they require an incredible amount of concentration, are really taxing on my mind

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ARTIST PROFILE: THE DARK

and are very hard to produce - the whole process is very difficult to orchestrate, it involves multiple steps, and I can’t make any mistakes as it’s too expensive. Whereas with the oil pastels, there’s a little bit of leeway - I’ll take the oil stick and put it on the paper, smudge it with my fingers, I’ll rub my fingers raw drawing and I think that translates into something that’s way more bounded in an emotional state rather than an intellectual process. What sort of material are you producing with oil paintings; does it still fit under ‘The Dark’ brand? Oh yeah, definitely, actually, I’m kind of going darker, psychologically and emotionally. What does that entail? How do you get darker than a burning black SUV on the side of the road in Kuwait? In a way where you’re not quite sure why you feel the way you feel, but you do. There’s no mistaking it. Whereas with something like an SUV, that can be managed intellectually. The kind of work I want to produce now is going to leave more to the imagination, it will give you a few cues as to the direction that I want you to feel but just kind of tip it off and let you do the rest. It’s a difficult task to undertake, but I think I’m getting there. Your previous work was tied in with current events - the mechanisms of history, and now that you’re going darker, is that tied to anything? That’s the other thing, I’m trying to create a timelessness, you can’t...yeah, without any kind of linear reference, without any sort of concreteness, you can’t itemize and say this and this and this and this about it. I want to give it an ephemeral feel, basically like the sensation that you would get from a dream. Why do you think you moved towards a more ephemeral approach? It’s to do with me and where I’m at, the past 5 or 6 years I’ve gone from my head to my heart, in a really slow, painful, grueling way. Instead of looking outside, which is what I did with the stencils, pointing the finger at the external world, I’ve started to go inside and ask: What is it in me? What is it inside each of us that makes all of this happen? We are the cause of everything that happens. What is it in us that’s inherently self-destructive? I’ve really been trying to explore this theme and I’ve found not just darkness, but a solid beauty in it.

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ARTIST PROFILE: THE DARK

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DASHED DREAMS Photography AndrĂŠ Pinces Fashion Editor Tanus Lewis 2010 Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 Superveloce, Lincoln City, OR, sunglasses by Oakley

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1973 BMW Bavaria E3, Delancey & Essex St. NYC, sunglasses by Ashbury

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1979 GMC VanDura, Broadway & Prince St. NYC, sunglasses by VonZipper

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2010 Porsche 911 GT3, 18th St. N/R Station, NYC, sunglasses by Ray-Ban

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1988 Range Rover 3.9 40th Anniversary Edition, Southlands, Vancouver, BC, feather & leather by Ken Diamond, sunglasses by VonZipper

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1983 Ferrari 308 GTBi Quattrovalvole, Brocket, AB, sunglasses by Ray-Ban

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Ooot and Aboot

OOT AND ABOOT: FOOD FEATURE

Words and photography by Douglas Haddow

It’s 4 am, the last of the bottles has been emptied, one too many vodka red bulls to count, a bottle of brandy…what the fuck? There’s a mysterious bloodstain your shirt cuff, you’ve drunk dialed your ex and just narrowly avoided a night in the clink. Time for bed, sugar plum wine fairies and the healing power of memory loss, but before all that, you’ll be needing to shove some grub down your gullet. *Pictured: The mother of all hangover cures. Try at your own risk – Campari, White Spot Sunny Start, strawberry milkshake, cigarette, toilet.

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OOT AND ABOOT: FOOD FEATURE

Korean

Chinese

For anyone who is serious about feasting on the chunky goodness of meat, Korean BBQ is a nobrainer. South Robson is Vancouver’s equivalent of a culinary Koreatown, so drag your sorry, drunken ass down there and take your pick from a selection of all nighters. Jang Mo Jib is a solid choice with a variety of authentic delights to choose from and a combination of bright fluorescent lights and nightmarishly up-tempo K-pop to keep you awake. A ‘mo jib favourite is the Bulgogi: a large plate of barbecued beef resting on a bed of fried onions, garlic and mushrooms. All the entrees at any respectable Korean joint will be accompanied by a set of infinitely refillable side dishes, so if you’re broke, split a dish between your whole crew and fill up on sweet potatoes and kimchi. Make sure you order extra hot sauce so you can build up a nice sweat and kickstart the detox process.

With an ongoing feud between rival gangs who apparently eat at all the same restaurants, late night Chinese is a bit sketchy. So yeah, you might catch some shrapnel with your dim sum, but on the upside, there are a few locations that serve after-hour beers on the down low, so you can keep your buzz rolling while enjoying the nourishment of some way-too-sweet ginger beef. At Tsui Hang Village (Granville and Davie) they’ll bring a six-pack of Kokanee right to your table, rendering the food a mere excuse to get even drunker. The major drawback of the Village is that is tends to be a bit pricey, so you might as well max your credit card and go all out with the butter sauce lobster.

Pho If you’re mobile, there are plenty of all-night pho spots in the Main/Fraser/Kingsway area, and although they can be a dicey at times, it’s hard to get pho wrong, so you’re in (relatively) good hands. A standout from the crowd is Pho Van, which has a stimulating interior design that looks like a set from a ‘70s era sci-fi porno shoot. Pho Tai and Pho Dac Biet are dependable standards, but if you happen to be in the mood for something more substantial, the #76 with chicken is always an option. If you’re expected to present a half-decent version of yourself at work the next morning, do yourself a favour and get a Vietnamese coffee. Quite refreshing and absolutely loaded with caffeine, you’ll be jacked in no time.

Fast Food A trademark of the Granville set, pizza and cheeseburgers somehow make a perfect pairing with bad cologne, chalky eye shadow and night busses back to the suburbs. Slurry or not, if you’ve spent your nightly budget on 10 dollar cocktails and don’t mind getting brutalized on the toilet once you get home, you’re in a déclassé paradise. Downtown is littered with buck-fifty pizza joints so it usually comes down to finding a spot with the least amount of douchebaggery. Getting wrangled into a discussion about Chuck Lidell’s goatee by a Christian Audigier -wearing yahoo is the last thing you need when you’re trying to mash down on a slice of Hawaiin. Also, if you go the pizza route, drench that shit in hot sauce and that mysterious white sauce, the wetter the better. Recommended combo: Lime/Cream Soda Slurpee with a Quarter Pounder, side of fries and honey dip – an orgy of sugar complimented by an all beef patty base.

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SUMMERTIME ROLLS Photography André Pinces Fashion Editor Tanus Lewis Hair & Make-up Jon Hennessey Model Anna Feller Stylist’s Assistant Alexandra Compton

Antique Victorian dickie

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Jean shorts by Mavi

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Blouse by Numph

Shirt by Lifetime

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Vintage fringed bolero stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own, heathered leggings by Alternative Apparel

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Crochet vest by BB Dakota

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BB Dakota dress, leather obi Erin Templeton

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Blouse by WeSC

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Vintage bikini top, modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own necklaces

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Wool Henley by Emu Australia, boy shorts by RVCA

High waisted bikini bottoms by WeSC, skinny leather obi by Erin Templeton

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Vintage silk jaquard robe courtesy of Erin Templeton Boutique

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GALLERY: CAPTURED

Douglas Haddow

Jeff Petry

Abandoned Gas Station - Saudi Arabia

Sunset - Sri Lanka

On my way with some friends to the Red Sea coast. Needed to fuel up the SUV but this place turned out to be a mirage, so we just hung out and smoked cheap Marlboros for a few minutes, soaking up that lovely Saudi sunshine.

10 days on the east coast of Sri Lanka, a slow, thick, head height wave, 5 dolphins, 2 sri lankan fisherman, and an elephant.

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Kevin Harris I know you’ve been in this industry for some time now. How did you get your start and how long have you been doing what your doing? 1985 was the start in the industry for Audrey & I running out of a very small office at my dad’s business. I rode for Powell Peralta professionally and was offered Distribution of Canada for Powell from Stacey Peralta - which at that time was the #1 brand in the world. Twenty four years later we are still the Canadian Powell Distributor. What is Ultimate Distribution and what does it represent? Ultimate Dist. to means the highest quality possible from brand names to managers and staff. I feel we have some of the best people in the industry for Ultimate, Concrete Magazine, Momentum wheels and Wickwinder Dist. It is also the relationships that have also been built over time. What is your opinion of the Canadian retail industry and where it is heading? I think we have gone threw a historic time but the worst is over I believe. Anytime one is forced to downsize you learn. If it happens again, one can gear up for it. Best and worst things about your job? I can’t say anything bad - the best is the Sk8 industry, challenging sometimes but great to deal with. My job is easy as I have great people working you me.

With the state of our economy right now where do you see our industry heading? The economy is affecting skateboarding for the first time which I have seen. We have seen the economy slip a few times since we started in 85 but never affected sk8ing. It was BMX in 1980 and In-line in the early 90’s that affected our industry. But this time with the economy it is different and I feel strong we starting to recover. What does Kevin Harris like to do outside work? Family things: hanging out with my wife & kids ( actually they are not kids anymore 18 & 21) I enjoy skating with my son Kolby, wakeboarding, I pitch on our ball team, and play spring & winter hockey with Kolby. I know you’ve been to some crazy party’s and met some unique individuals. What is your craziest party experience? Anything when Jesse Martinez (Bones Brigade member in the 80’s) was on tour - INSANE !!! With all the traveling and managing of brands, how do you make it all work? It comes down to great people in place to help. My wife Audrey is such a big part of helping with everything going on in my life as we also have ventures outside the sk8 industry.

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Any tips on time management for the rest of us? My #1 tip for time management is write stuff down and have a daily schedule to get stuff done. Also being able to delegate. Last big purchase? Next big Purchase? 1969 Honda 50 classic mini bike - maybe hopefully a 1970 AAR Cuda.

Informal Attire By Dave Boyce

The skateboard industry is what I know best. Over the last 17 years I have done every job possible. Packing boxes, warehouse manager, team manager, filming videos, sales rep, artist, designer, and owner. No job too big, no job too small. I’m not sure how other people feel about their jobs but I love what I do so much, I’d do it for free and honestly with the hours I put in from time to time, I do. I’ve spent the last five years designing and drawing for Red Dragon. As a founding member of the Red Dragons I still find it very surreal that something created for our own amusement in our youth became a leading name in the skateboard industry. There’s a rich history to being a Red Dragon, but that’s a different story for another day. Lets just say there’s no way in hell we thought that our little Red Dragon skate gang would turn into an internationally recognized clothing brand. My grandmother thinks Rob and I know every person she sees wearing RDS. Designing clothing for skateboarders is fun but frustrating, only about half of what you design actually gets made. From a designers point of view my most creative work was ending up on the design room floor. I had a need to fill this creative void so I started to work on a project evenings and weekends. Soon a few ideas and drawings became more of a collection. What

to do now? Enter my brother: Rob Boyce AKA ‘The Money Guy’. With a little help from Centre Distribution and owners Gerry McKay, Colin McKay and Rob Sluggo Boyce, Informal Attire was introduced to Canada in Spring 2009. What a great feeling to launch my own brand. In the creation of Informal I took notice of all the other brands and their styles. There are two distinct directions to skate brands. Youth orientated brands such as DC, Matix, Krew, and artistic skate fashion brands like RVCA, WESC, and Lifetime. I find Informal Attire somewhere in the middle. I love the basics and want to look good but feel rather uncomfortable in some of the overly trendy clothes on the market these days. I don’t see Informal as a trend; I want to make creative and quality basics I can be proud of. Spring 2010 brings even more change. Although Centre Distribution and all their reps, Syd, Rory, and Justin, have done a fantastic job with Informal I personally found dividing the line between Red Dragon and Informal Attire difficult. I am dedicated to the Red Dragon brand and at the same time want to pursue Informal, so my next goal was to find a new home for Informal Attire. Enter Wick Winder Distribution. I’ve had a longstanding relationship with both Brad Richmond and Phil Medwid and couldn’t be more stoked about this move. With all new reps and distribu-

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tion for Spring 2010 I’m looking forward to a great year. Thanks: Gran, Granda, Mom, Bobby Doucet, Rob Boyce, Jennith James, Duff, Dermer, Henry Barros, Centre East/ West, Brad and Phil at Wick, Jason Colvig at TLC, Tom at POP, Rob Gilbert Photography, Andrea Ciccone, Lani Wong, Laura Prpich, Nathan Matthews, Ryan at King Shit mag, Ben, Perry and Nick at the Know?Show, Sean Miller, Boarderline Snow and Skate, Boarders Anonymous,The Boardroom, The Clothes Cafe, Dark Flavour, Famous Skateboards, Sequence Board Supply, Freedom Snow and Skate, Frontside, Kazaam Snow and Skate, Mission Snowsports, Oronge Board Shop, Overlander Sports, Plush Skateboards, RDS Skate Supply, Pulse, Royal Sport Shop, The Rude Boys, Ruins Boardshop, Solo Sports, The Source, Surf Side, The Boarding House, The Tiki Room, Unity Skateboards, F.S. Skateboards & Snowboards, 133, Unlimited Snowboards, Senate, Snowboard Canada (204), Boardom, Freeride Boardshop, Three Sixty Boardshop, Propaganda Boardshop, Rumor Skate & Snow, Perseverance Skateboarding, Vesper Skate & Snow, Shredz Snow & Skate, Frontside, CODA Clothing, Gravity, 4Fourteen Skate Shop.

MUSIC FEATURE: KEYS N KRATES

So Jr. Flo, what’s happenin’, what’s up? My MacBook just fell on the ground when I was doing a solo gig in Atlantic City this past weekend. Kinda devastated now, but trying to fix the problem quickly. That’s pretty much all that’s on my mind now. Did you hit the blackjack tables and try to win yourself a new one? No, I went and drowned my sorrows in a club sandwich. Were you playing at DJ AM’s new spot, Dusk? Yessir, good times.

Keys N Krates KEYS N KRATES HAVE RE-INVENTED THE REMIX. If you’ve seen or heard ‘em you know this twitter sized tagline about wraps it up. Simultaneously representing the raw soul of live instrumentation, manipulation of turn-tablism and the progressive technology of electronic music, Keys N Krates officially bridge the gap. Previously having toured the globe on individual musical conquests Dj Jr. Flo, Matisse and Adam Tune formed Keys N Krates to collectively reinterpret and breathe new life into music. We were able to catch up with one of the men behind the movement DJ Jr. Flo at a bar in NYC just before heading out to the KNOWSHOW. KNOW?MAG 136

Nice... So you came up as a solo DJ, originally in the battle scene. Take us back to those days and what got you into this crazy world of music? I always listened to rap music since the age of 7, but when watching videos and listening to songs I was always more interested in the production and the scratches the DJ was doing rather than what the rapper was saying. I finally got turn tables at 14 and was battling by the time I was 17. I battled for years without really playing many parties, but always was a music head above all the scratching and beat juggling. After I won a bunch of shit in 2001, it became a natural progression for me to start party rockin and to find more ways than just battling to translate my skills and music knowledge. After years rockin parties, I met Matisse (keys) in 2007, who brought Tune (drums) into the picture. We met through a mutual friend and all had this idea to form this live remixing trio, which has become Keys N Krates. So now let’s go to 2007. You’ve made the transition from playing vinyl to the Serato DJ software platform and you, Matisse and Tune all link up. With all of your combined skill and the advancements in technology you guys come up with Keys and Krates. Tell us about the first few rehearsals. First few rehearsal were really exciting cause it was like being in a candy store of musical possibilities. What we do wouldn’t even be possible without Serato and we knew that right off the bat. Although we pride ourselves on the live analog experience, live triggering, time stretching, pitch consistency, and all that other good stuff which we rely on heavily just wouldn’t be possible with regular records. Using vinyl to me is so limiting and a thing of the past, and that’s coming from someone who loves vinyl and collected for years. I basically look at it like if you take a great piano player and put him on Synths and VST’s (virtual studio technology) the musical possibilities open up so much, and the Serato technology is allowing DJ’s to go to the next step as musicians. Is Keys and Krates a testament to the fact that truly there are no rules? I guess so. But I think at the end of the day everyone is going to live by there own rules and no single act is going to change that. For us what’s important is making good music, transforming existing music to give it to new life and to do it in a way live that’s

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interesting and entertaining for people and more importantly, us. We’re not necessarily actively following rules to “keep it real” yet in my opinion I think we actually keep it very real and authentic with musicianship and raw DJ’s skills. So now let’s move to early 2008 and the first live gig in your hometown Toronto. How’d that feel finally dropping this newness to a crowd of people, and how did the crowd react? It was awesome, mainly cause we were locked in a rehearsal room for 6 months with really no outside feedback, so we really had no clue if anyone outside of us were going to like or get what we did. When the crowd responded in the first 30 seconds I think we all felt really rewarded and also relieved that we weren’t completely out of our minds. I do believe the next week you guys were off to the west coast on a mini Red Bull tour finishing off in Victoria at Red Bull 3Style. How was the first trip out west? Trip out west was amazing, cause we did pretty well out there and it further confirmed that we were on the right track. Also we had a great time with Red Bull. Got to ride in the back of a U-Haul at 4am on the way to an afterparty. Doesn’t get much better than that! So you guys spent the summer of 2008 doin’ gigs all over hell’s half acre and then in Sept you took a lil’ break. You moved to NYC to study music. Tell us about the program you’re enrolled in and how living in the 212 has affected your take on music and the music biz. The program I’m doing, which is part-time due to visa requirements and of course my own time restraints, is a masters in music business at NYU. It’s been awesome to learn the intricate aspects as well broader aspects of the business, especially in the hub of music. Even though I would say the majority of good music is coming from outside of NYC, the city will always be where stuff kinda pops off in North America to a large degree. Touch on 2 NYC gigs for us. First performing at the Urb Magazine CMJ (college music journal) showcase and second, opening for the mighty ?uestlove. Both were really cool. The Urb one was our first official NYC gig and it was a showcase for CMJ. It was at this little spot called NuBlu which is a pretty pretentious venue for cutting edge music and high level musicians, not that you know it by their shitty set up and P.A. Opening for ?uestlove at SOB’s was pretty sick cause his fanbase really took to us and he even told me after we finished that he thought it was “incredible” which pretty much made our entire year as he’s a pretty serious authority on music and in particular the sort of thing we do. So you are about a year in and stuff is really starting to move. You got hit up by some dudes in Europe and Keys and Krates made their first trip across the Atlantic for a mini tour in Germany. How was the scene over there? So

dope! Berlin especially rules! Probably the best show we’ve ever done to date and that was our first time even being out there. Although our response out here in North America has been great and gets better with every show, we kinda all feel like Europeans are quicker to get really excited about new and cutting edge music. Maybe in Germany it’s the 1L beers as a standard serving size? Ha! That could be it. Their media is totally different down there, and overall I just feel like it’s a more conducive vibe to unknown underground music comin up. Typically venues in Europe really pay attention to the details, especially sound and lighting. In N.A as a generalization these same standards don’t seem to apply. You guys are about to play Vancouver during the Knowshow at Fortune Soundclub featuring that Funktion One soundsystem. As everyone knows this place is GMANandRIZK’s so you know the place is gonna be next level. Excited? G and Rob are a few of the people that actually pay attention to sound and aesthetic details. I know that club is gonna be some state of the art bananas shit, and a destination for dope acts and DJ’s to rock at.

“For us what’s important is making good music...”

I was recently able to hear some of the new stuff. Damn dude! The new original stuff is APE and seeing how you guys are starting to eff with Ableton Live is pretty wild. How’s that program? I could probably write you a book on that, but I won’t. A lot of my sample flips are done via Ableton, but a lot of them are done using outboard pads so that I can flip it the exact same way live. With regards to the original music you saw us working on, we haven’t even used too much Ableton for that because that’s pretty much all live triggering and flipping with pads. What’s next for the band, hearing rumours of a possible visuals element and maybe a release on an emerging CDN label, comments? Possibly some visuals yah. I have some ideas, but will have to win over the other guys on that. I think that’ll work itself out. Release yes. We’re starting to work on a release for Tremendous which is Grandtheft from Team Canada’s label, that’s going to be distributed by Last Gang Records. Grandtheft is workin on the record with us.

The Sound of Your Brand By Anthony Boone, photograph by Nicole LaGreca

So you’ve discovered this killer clothing line out of Denmark before anyone else. You invest major bucks on inventory, deliberating over each style like a bride at a ring shop. You’ve spent months developing your logo. You hire consultants to design the store’s colour palette and lighting. And you handpick store staff based on a shared life philosophy. Have you thought about your store’s music selection? “It happens more often than not,” says Noel Steen, Creative Director at Music Direction. “Retail branding stops at the music. Yet music has been proven to have a significant impact on the shopping experience – and the effect can be positive or negative, depending how you use it.”

ing”. “In many ways, our job is similar to that of a clothing buyer. The buyer decides which clothing lines to carry and from these lines, selects styles, colors, sizes, etc. In the same way, MD decides on which music genres to focus on and from that, select artists, tracks, etc.”

Steen should know. Having helped major companies like Opus Hotels and Cactus Club Café establish music identities to support their brands, he’s learned a thing or two about the power of music to move the masses – a quality no doubt gleaned from his days as music director of Element Sound Lounge at Hotel Georgia.

The artist, release date, popularity and energy level of each and every track are all considered when audio branding. The result is a unique, brand-centric compilation of music that, in its entirety, takes on its own identity as the individual songs come together and the whole becomes more than the sum of the parts.

“A DJ knows when it is time to throw on a track to get the crowd fired up – or put them over the edge. In retail, the fundamentals are the same – music helps drive the action.”

Steen believes retail chains are missing a huge opportunity to stand out from the crowd. “Fashion and music are intertwined,” he says. “It’s well known that some designers spend as much time planning the music for their shows as they do on the threads.”

While still at Element Lounge Steen had the opportunity to work with the soon-to-open Opus Hotel to help create its musical persona. “When I saw what music did to help build the Opus brand, I knew we were on to something.” Steen left Element, and with Nick Kerchum went on to found Music Direction (MD). Sourcing the hippest music from around the world and using newly developed technology, MD soon developed an uncanny ability to design a brand’s unique sound and help strengthen its market presence.

You and GT go way back and are involved in a side project: The Eh Team DJS. Touch on that real quick. Collective of the dopest DJ’s in Canada. We’re just missing Skratch Bastard and Mat The Alien. But it’s basically just a really dope DJ collective under one management umbrella. Myself, Pump, Hedspin, Illo and Team Canada. Really fortunate to be part of that.

“When we work with clients we start at the beginning, getting to know the essence of a store’s identity through the mission statement and core values. This guides us in the strategic selection of music that reinforces the brand and appeals directly to their target market.”

KEYS N KRATES have a gig during the KNOWSHOW at the recently opened FORTUNE SOUNDCLUB. This one is a must on the calendar so make sure to get down there early to avoid being left out on the street...

He’s right. And it’s all because the fashion scene, besides being a huge economic engine, is one of North America’s major creative cultural forces, driven by a social milieu that brings together creative social networks where ideas are exchanged, and trends are set that help shape popular culture. Music is a prime lubricant in the process, helping to convey deeper meanings about a brand’s inspiration and marketing message. “A brand’s vision is necessarily personally driven. When it comes to music, while there is bound to be overlap between an owner’s personal taste and what we might call the “brand’s” taste, MD’s job is to help articulate that personal vision at ground zero to build a stronger brand for both owners and consumers.”

MD works with the marketing team of a client in a process that they have dubbed “audio brand-

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Noel Steen, Creative Director of Music Direction, can be reached at 604-307-0703 or at noel@musicdirection.com

TRIBUTE: DON HARTLEY

Lennon. It takes a special person to leave such a positive impact on the planet. Carver Don lives on.” - SpoonyBee Barry Walsh Professional Skateboarder

Carver Don

“He left an indelible mark on any skater that witnessed his peerless style of skating. His spirit and energy definitely lives on.” - John Raimondo The Boarding House Skate Legend

Photography by Judah Oakes

“You can’t teach that.” I overheard Benny Stoddard uttering the phrase over and over as he watched Don “Mad Carver” Hartley sublimely skating at this year’s Seylynn Bowl Series stop. Everything Don did warranted a “you can’t teach that.” And, you know what? It’s true. You can’t teach how your shoulders should slouch, arms should hang, or fingers should point when your skating. You can’t teach look back carves or how to have an organic relationship with every hip, lip, and dip you meet. You can’t teach flow or how to radiate positivity, anymore than you can teach the ability to befriend any skater you meet and offer them a ride to the next sesh. Some things are just unteachable. But you can learn them. And, that was the beauty of Don. He lived his life and we learned from a master. Here’s to The Mad Carver…Don Hartley… sensei. - Chris “Cuz “Parry

Seylynn Bowl, one of the oldest skate parks in North America. Historical site for skateboarding, world famous for over 30 years of history. I was there opening day trying to get a skate in before they officially opened it. From opening day till now when I think of Seylynn Bowl I think of Don Hartley “Carver Man”. That park was design for him. His smooth style & fast line had a influence on my style dating back to the late 1970’s. Don was a big part of the skate community in Vancouver. Was an ambassador to the sport and a fixture at different skate events. I’m sure Don’s will would say for his ashes to be spread over Seylynn Bowl. Now if someone was to tell me before Canada Day that Don was to have a accident in the bowl and died I would have laughed and thought about the odds - “never happen, always wore a helmet, death in skate park, never happens, skating a lot safer then the public thinks”. And that is what I’m struggling with three days after his death. I just can’t believe it happened the way it did -

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Canada Day, Don’s favorite place, skating with friends, Don not wearing a helmet (unusual) the odds, the place, the unbelievable circumstances. Accidents happen all the time. That is why they call them accidents “no one’s fault” it just happened. But I guess if your going to go, it might as well be your favorite spot doing what you most enjoy. Don - the skate industry will remember you always. Thanks for the inspiration and the Carver will live on. - Kevin Harris

“Don you were such an inspiration! I remember vividly talking reggae with you the last time we saw each other. No one will ever do better laybacks – period.” -Jason Renee Renee Bothe Skateboard Personality “We will celebrate your life carver! Miss you, and contemplate our own lives. You have a beautiful soul and I feel like a better person just knowing you.” - Byron Brisco Stunt Man Skateboarder “Don Hartley is an icon of righteousness! His spirit shall live on just like Bob Marley and John

“It was always great to see him and he always improved my sessions. He put out the energy that a person puts out when they do what they love to do - and you felt it. A major loss to friends, family, and the foundation of skateboarding in Vancouver RIP Don.” - Ben Nichol Red Dragons “Don helped create style in every one of us. Love you brotha. One love.” - Ben Couves Ob1 Enterprises Inc. / KNOW?SHOW “Don was one of the first skateboarders I met after arriving in Canada and what a positive start to my life here. He always had a smile and something nice to say which is rare these days! Much love to the Hartley family in your time of grief.” - Scott Murray-Burrows Wickwinder Distribution

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“I first met “The Carver” at China Creek when I was a pipsqueak in the 80's. He was the park guy with an old hockey bag full of stinky pads. He made me gear up cuz I was sketchy!” - Stoke Radmore Boulevard Skateshop “Keep on carving Don. You've left such a great impact on the community. Thanks for showing us how to live an honourable life.” - Sean Miller Feedback Management “RIP. Much respect.” - Craig Engman Take 5 Trading Inc. “Such a loss of somebody so positive, not just in the skate community but in life. Always smiling. Always carving.” - Kelly Jablonski Ultimate Dist. "Mad carver spread the stoke of skating thru pure dedication, his influence will be felt for years to come." - PD Skull Skates

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