Longboard Living Magazine

ONTERRIBLE’S FI NEST MANAGING A DH RIDER

OTTAWA LONGBOARDING COMMUNITY Product_Reviews • Skating_Events • Rider_Profiles • Community

RIDER: JOHN PARK • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

www.OntarioLongboarding.com

RIDERS OF ONTARIO LONGBOARDING • PHOTOS: SCOTT HARRISON

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ROTULE DESERT EAGLE

LUKE MELO EARNS HIS STRIPES

STIMULATING MENTAL SIMULATION

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MANAGING A PROFESSIONAL DOWNHILL SKATEBOARDER

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KILEY AYLA

PAGE 16 THE OTTAWA LONGBOARDING COMMUNITY

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PUSH TO PLAY 6

RIDER: BRADEN TIBBLES • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

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880 Millwood Road Toronto ON M4G 1X1 416 938 4588 www.roarockit.com

Build your own

School Curriculums, Skateboard Kits, Canadian Maple Veneer for Board Builders Book a FREE School Demo at ROAROCKIT or at your GTA school!

OASIS Skateboard Factory students building decks in class at ROAROCKIT

; ; ;

HELMET USE KATING PRACTISES SMART SK HEALING THE WORLD …

ONE PUSH AT A TIME

No Brain B Injuries

ww ww.nobi.ca

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“For us by us.”

-FUBU

LONGB ARD living Longboard Magazine PUBLISHER/EDITOR

RYAN RUBIN

SENIOR EDITOR

CHRIS “CIRCA” ALVARADO

PHOTO EDITOR

SCOTT HARRISON

QUIVER EDITOR

MISCHA CHANDLER

COPY EDITOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

DENIZ RENO LUIS BUSTAMANTE

longboardliving.ca LETTER FROM THE EDITOR I would like to begin this issue with an introduction to Longboard Living, the Ontario longboard community and why this magazine exists today: The idea was born at the 2008 Toronto Board Meeting while surrounded by 400+ riders with boards held high in the air, then by purchasing decks from independent builders to be painted by Toronto based artists. Painted longboards turned to longboard art shows and eventually a gallery that also sold longboard gear. This gallery is where we hosted weekly lessons, sessions and spread lots of stoke during the days between our annual Board Meeting. Through the years we worked with many local longboarders, artists and craftsman, now we have a group of people we can turn to and execute new ideas and projects, like this magazine.

I would like to shed some light on Luis Bustamante and how he has played a role in Longboard Living and this magazine.

After the first few boards were painted, I reached out to www.ontariolongboarding.com to find some help with the simple task of applying grip tape (a skill i had not yet acquired as a rider). I was introduced to Lu and his family run company called, Get a Grip that made custom longboard grip-tape designs. We met outside Steam Whistle brewery to discuss gripping some boards but had no idea we would be working on a magazine together one day. The stoke we shared for longboading is what has allowed us to work on numerous projects over the years. Lu has done all layout and the majority of the design for this issue.

The Ontario Longboard community is filled with people like Lu who carry a variety of skills and are super cool. This magazine and future issues will feature these people, their innovative small board companies, hills they like to ride and how to shred them harder, and safer. All photo and literary content is from community members and I am proud to mention that we were approved by NOBI (NO Brains Injuries) for promoting safe skating practices as all riders in our photos and ads are wearing helmets.

The collaborative model is alive in this magazine and we hope you enjoy the first issue of Longboard Living Magazine.

Spreading the stoke, Ryan Rubin

RIDER: LUIS BUSTAMANTE • PHOTO: ROB DEFREITAS

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Designed for SPEED; Rotule's first downhill Topmount.

By:Yan Poirier Layout by: Luis Bustamante The Desert Eagle is the second precision board from Rotule. Like the Speed Karrot, the Eagle has very tight radiuses and a complex free-form shape. What you have here is a symmetrical racing top mount with free-ride abilities. It features a shape-integrated gas pedal, a tuck pocket, a small radial drop and a comfortable “W” concave. Also, for a premium foot locking, we’ve put very sharp edges and a sweet spot located just before the drop, which is the designed to fit your foot and locking it on 360 degree.

The board has gone through 4 serious evolutions, and has been mainly tested by Ludo from Rotule’s team. Yan and Ludo worked together to put this one out: “The ideas behind this board lead us to design a never done before combination of features. Even the third prototype was a big mystery until we got to unmold it. We got good results. Sadly, the good-looking formica sheet we used on top couldn’t take it, so we replaced it by our specially designed maple finish layer”. Ludo has ridden this one since September, been to California this winter and stayed two weeks at the skate house, enough to get back with some more feedback! Later Yan sat at his computer for the fourth design. He was inspired, and yet another great upgrade from the previous version was made. The Desert Eagle has finely reached Rotule’s standard of excellence when it comes to quality. “I have really no idea what we could do better on this deck”.

Not only the shape of the deck has been perfected. The construction of it has been upgraded to a Speed Karrot quality of building, which the team had already refined for 2011. The Desert Eagle is LIGHT and STIFF, with extreme torsional stiffness. Again, you get an awesome response and precision in your turns. The graphic has been drawn by Jonathan at Rotule. It makes this board a 100% Rotule made!

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e in Mad

ec!

Queb

Making It

I’ve always had a fascination with building stuff, like the double-decker wooden go-cart that I built in my parent’s basement. What could have been more exciting than rolling down the sidewalk perched precariously 3 feet off the ground, with a rope steering wheel and my sister reluctantly pushing me, until of course, I fell off!

The scars still remind me how wonderful it was to put together the wheels, get nails for the axles and find the scraps of wood. It gave me the pride and sense of fulfillment that I still get today when I build a longboard.

Skateboard building started out in a garage. How many times have I heard an old-schooler say “I used a jigsaw, a piece of wood and metal roller-skate wheels”? A humble beginning and as homegrown as it gets. We all know that skateboard building then developed into a mainstream industry (yes, for long boards too) with big-business budgets, mainstream marketing, with specialized presses and materials.

Over the last 10 years, the availability of materials and simplified processes of laminating (such as my Thin Air Press method) has created a major increase in the number of independent, individual skateboard builders all over the world. Even schools are teaching deck building in class now, how cool is that?

Builders are shaping handmade boards by laminating wonderous forms and using our awesome (locally grown) Canadian Maple veneer and exotic composites.

The home-grown skateboard revolution has begun!

Today’s garage builders rival and in many cases out-do factory built boards. Because builders can now easily customize the shape, materials and forms, a garage builder can build boards that exactly match a rider’s weight, particular riding styles and design preferences.

Never before has it been easier to own a custom designed and custom made skateboard.

This Ministry of Wood page will regularly feature board building stories. Ministry of Wood is also an online skateboard builder directory that highlights independent builders who design, build and paint skateboards in bedrooms, basements and garages. It’s for all of you who love to say, Hey look what I made!

Ted Hunter, Roarockit Skateboard Company

Ted Hunter is a professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design. Ted teaches students about furniture design and building three-dimensional objects. With his background as a sculptor, Ted predominantly produced pieces made from hand-built machines and laminated form. 10 years ago Ted and his wife Norah, created the Roarockit Skateboard Company around their Thin Air Press technology, an inexpensive vacuum system used by board builders worldwide to laminate their own skateboards.

MinistryofWood.com

A resource for Independent Skateboard Builders 13

STIMULATING MENTAL SIMULATION Stimulating Mental Simulation, to Act and Imagine Simultaneously.

Skiing, rock climbing, basketball and mountain biking, are just a few examples of the sports where visualization and mental control plays a large role in training. Classical musicians, martial artist, and singers also use it as a tool for honing their abilities, and it is just as valuable for longboarders. But “visualization” is an ambiguous term, and doesn’t tell us much about what’s really going on. It is the process of mentally simulating oneself performing a certain task. In the case of the singer, it may not involve actually visualizing singing per say, but rather the compressing of the diaphragm. Visualization is used to help your mind and body act simultaneously, to perform with complete synchronicity.

RIDER: MISCHA CHANDLER • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

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By: Mischa Chandler Layout by: Luis Bustamante

There is a very good reason why visualization is so prevalent as a form of training across all disciplines. It has been clinically proven to improve motor skills and concentration.

Dr. Blaslotto at the University of Chicago performed an experiment involving the throw accuracy in basketball. He arranged three subject groups, with athletes and “average” participants randomly assigned to each group. The first group practiced in the court, shooting hoops every day. The second group sat and visualized shooting hoops everyday for the same period of time, and the third group did neither. The results were astounding. The group that practiced with real basketballs and real nets improved 24%.

The group that did nothing didn’t improve,

RIDER: MISCHA CHANDLER • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

and the group that visualized improved 23%. This shows that what we understand as “practice” is a mental phenomenon, largely independent of our physical self.

The current theory explaining this is that the brain is incapable of distinguishing between visualizing and physically performing an action (fantasizing during masturbation also provides decent amounts of evidence for this as well…)

It has been clinically proven to improve motor skills & concentration.

RIDER: MISCHA CHANDLER • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

Recently the Cleveland Journal Of Medicine released an article that showed that visualizing a certain physical activity increases blood flow to the muscles that would be necessary. The symptoms of using a muscle are mimicked when we visualize. The link between the brain and the physical being is much stronger than previously believed.

There are accounts of Olympic skiers who build up lactic acid in their legs because they are so good at visualizing. Ironically, visualization as a form of practice needs to be practiced to be effective. The more you visualize, the better you will be at it, and more effective it will become. So don’t expect to soar legs just by thinking about longboarding in class.

Visualizing, although a decent amount of fun when you are zoning out in a lecture hall or on the bus, is actually quite useful on the hill. Having a clear idea of what you want to do and where you want to do it makes execution much easier. I know that often I will use markers on the road such as sewers or oil stain to situate myself and determine where I want to begin and end my slide. Freestyle skiers often do something similar, when faced with a series of jumps.

Imagining hitting each jump, simulating a specific and well thought out motion for each, makes carrying out that action easier.

One of the largest benefits of visualizing is that you never screw up; its not as though during a visualized slide you suddenly hit a mental pebble and go nipple surfing on the pavement. Visualizations are mental representations of the ideal execution of an action. Just as we may imagine a

perfect circle but never make one, we may imagine the perfect two hundred foot stand-up slide while still not being able to do it. The importance of this is that when using visualizing to practice, only the most perfect actions are being simulated. Which theoretically should help make your actions more accurate.

Next time you are staring down your local slope, take a pause, and think about what you will do. Act with intention, and your intentions will be acted upon as though you are doing them for the second time. Take a breath, remember its all in your head, and enjoy.

-Mischa

Act with intention, & your intentions will be acted upon as though you are doing them for the second time.

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PHOTO: YANNICK LALONDE WOODS

The Ottawa Longboarding Community By: Joey Bidner Layout by: Luis Bustamante

So what is a Longboard community? For you, is it a place to learn or share a backside slide? A time to explore the untouched and underappreciated parts of your city, Or just a good time to bring out your buddies and make a few new friends. For me the Ottawa longboard community is the sole reason I am a board builder, and still have a company under my feet. Every week the group rides we had are what fuelled my fire and pushed me through the doubts of a struggling business. It is a place of inspiration. The community can mean so much, and so many different things to different people. Without community longboaridng is completely limited. We have no skatepark, no home base to share the stoke.

Bringing people together takes leadership and an open line of communication.

The longboard community in Ottawa is humble but growing fast!

Over the last few years I found there were a lot of longboarders within their own small groups, sessioning. The only way one could ride with a new group and find a new spot was the dodgy post of a random on ontariolongboarding.com “ who wants to meet me tonight in the south side of town to drag knuckles” I don’t know about you, but this gave me the jitters of an online

dating site. So what is keeping the community from expanding?

I found the problem here was there were no consistent organized rides. The team at Bohdana longboards decided to make a weekly session that would be approachable to both randoms and groups.

Every Sunday a different spot was chosen and each session is catered to a style of ride or particular rider level. This made a time and place for everybody. We did everything from slide night, to beginners night, organizing car pools, Even bringing a stock of boards for those who don’t have one. Organizing sessions means doing everything possible to get as many people together, on boards and having fun.

So things changed when people could count on knowing a group will be there this week and next, whether you make it or not. We found that it really pulled our community together as soon as people knew they could count on someone that would always be there, looking out for a spot to fit everybody’s riding style, not just their own.

TBohdana promoted two outlaw races this season. We had great turn out and a ton of fun but aside from the Gatineau hills our geographic position promotes, more of a carve, freestyle,

fishboard riding atmosphere. With this in mind, our race scene is still growing.

Keeping a strong and balanced community can be tough work. Often a scene can become introverted. Much like a highschool click, newcomers may feel intimidated by the tight nit social group. For a community to grow it needs to be open. This responsibility falls upon each individual within the community, freeing themselves from any expectation and judgment to others.

So next time you see a random longboarder, invite him or her to your session! I promise you it will amp the vibe of the group If you come to Ottawa please join our sessions, bring us a piece of your own! You can find our weekly sessions at bohdanalongboards.com, aftershred.com or our facebook page “Sunday Ottawa longboard sessions” Find your community and become a voice within it.

“A community needs a soul if it is to become the true home for human beings. You the people must give it this soul” –Pope John Paul II

Without community longboarding is completely limited. We have no skatepark, no home base to share the stoke.

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Board: Boz Boards T-Shirt: Escarpment Surfers

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Model: Kiley Ayla Photographer: Nickolas Luciani

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Push to Playlist

by Braden Tibbles Layout by: Luis Bustamante I don’t know about you guys but I need music in my day, either pushing around the city, or just chilling on the train.

Even if you just need a bit of groove, were hoping you’re happy with what you find here. Were going to try to push out some of the newest and best music for you guys to skate to, so stay tuned.

We are all sick of the snow these days so in this issue I’m just going to throw you a mix of relaxing tunes: some smooth remixes, moving up to some of what I would put under the genre of Alternative Hip-Hop. Hopefully this will give you something fun to listen to. Maybe take your mind off the fact that you probably aren’t getting as much skating in as you’d like.

Skinny Love (Das Kapital Rerub) Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago

Liquid Summer Diamond Messages Smoke And Mirrors EP

Paris Collides RÜFÜS Rufus EP

You’ve Got the Love (Theophilus London Remix) The xx

Hello (Why are we whispering Remix) Martin Solveig & Dragonette why are we whispering

Live Forever Shad K & Dallas two songs EP

Dreams Up

Drive It Like You Stole It The Glitch Mob Drink The Sea Part II: The Mixtape

Otherside Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Single

Beneath The Sea Eligh Grey Crow

RIDER: BRADEN TIBBLES • PHOTOS: SCOTT HARRISON

Hoodie Allen Dreams Up - Single

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Interview with Carole Rubin

Manager & Agent for a Professional DH Longboarder What role do you play for Scoot and Team Green?

Scoot’s Manager and Agent: • I n consultation with Scoot, Carole writes, submits and reviews offers with sponsors, reviews and co-signs contracts with Scoot & sponsors • Secures Scoots race registrations online, airline tix (where not covered by sponsor staff), accoms, annual international medical insurance, assistance with passport and visa documents, etc. through the budget provided by sponsors • Arranges photo shoots.

• Sets up P.R. opportunities and appointments, interviews, tv etc.

• Sends out promo packages with photo and video to the industry.

• Keeps track of sponsorship income and expenses.

• Helps get “flow” sponsorship product for other members of Team Green: Abec 11 wheels in 2010.

• Paid directly by Scoot, based on a percentage of the sponsorship dollar allowance she obtains for him.

So far it works out to about 12 cent / hour!

Scoot is works as a dry waller and painter and skates during off hours. Having a manager is important for everything else that the role of a pro rider demands.

Carole also spends a lot of time clarifying the difference between Team Green (riding crew of old friends from Pender Harbour B.C.; Scoot, Raggie, Sandman, Striker (Bricin) and Roosen) and Abec 11’s newly coined Dream Green Team: all the Abec 11 sponsored riders, which includes the lads, above, but also many other riders.

Why get a Manager/Agent

If you are busy working and riding, staying organized is not your strength, you want someone in your corner doing the admin and fighting for the best contracts, looking for sponsors and equipment that will improve performance. You want to find an organized, honest person that you like and respect, and can talk to about everything and anything, someone who is able to talk to company presidents and shipping personnel like a friend. You need someone who will listen to what YOU want, because it is not always about the $$, it’s about what you need to make you do your best. Then hire them! Treat them with respect at all times, be scrupulously honest with them no matter what, and that person can help you with your career and growth as a skater and a human being. Oh yeah…you have to be able to laugh with each other hard enough to (almost) drive off interstates…. an absolute MUST!

Difficulties/challenges as a manager/agent in the Longboard industry:

• It is difficult to attract brand sponsors unrelated to longboarding • Monitoring and managing riders impulses can be tough when they are young, energetic and want everything right away, all the time! But if they trust you and know you need to know everything first, anything can be worked out • There are only a couple of us managers/agents out there, so companies are just getting used to us….keep calm, carry on.

• Personalities are big, egos are big in all areas of extreme sports. Be prepared…say ommmmm a lot, and gently let people know when they are stepping outside your comfort zone.

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• Have fun or get out of it and do something else!

RIDER: LUKE MELO • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

Luke Melo by: Drew Penner, layout by: Luis Bustamante

For kids everywhere - whether flipping through the pages of skate magazines or those sitting mesmerized by YouTube clips, watching longboarders racing in tucked positions at wideeyed, breakneck speeds; and even those simply out on flat asphalt streets learning to push for the first time - extreme sports heroes can too often represent a grandiose ideal, one detached from our everyday reality.

Now flash forward to this next scene, skaters weaving in and out of traffic on the world’s busiest streets, seemingly without a care in the world. In the next second, here there they are whipping down the steepest hills, throwing slides, and drifting hairpins, gravity be damned. Being able to observe the work of all boardsports masters is its own kind of art. It can be striking, and naturally, exhilarating. It can leave you wondering if the riders have tapped into some superhuman ability, unbeknown to the rest of us mere mortals... Well either that, or it possibly leaves wondering at times if they have a few screws loose.

Not so however, with Luke Melo. The 19-year-old University of Waterloo computer-science student is as normal as they come. Reserved, yet confident, he chose longboarding long ago over hockey as his pastime of choice after taking a chance on a longboard at a garage sale back when he was 12, and I think it’s safe to say he never looked back.

When other parents in the neighborhood were out buying their kids hockey skates and shoulder pads, his parents shelled out for longboarding gear – all too happy to save Melo from any unnecessary scrapes or bruises. He’s been paying his dues for years without so much as a peep in complaint, just thrilled to ride hills and elevate his game.

Earns His

Stripes

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Recently, North Vancouver-based Rayne added Melo to their roster of riders, propelling Melo that much closer to his

“School’s important you’ve gotta get it done dream of a longboarding career, and adding yet another notch to his naturally soon to be growing list of achievements. Though you’d be hard pressed to get him to brag about his future possibilities.

“It’s been a hobby for such a long time,” he says. “It’s hard to think about skateboarding being a job in that regard.”

RIDER: LUKE MELO • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

happiness I’ve probably ever felt. When you “It’s just such an integral part of my life,” put effort in like that, it’s really rewarding.” says Luke, during a brisk Sunday foray into Toronto’s Chinatown neighborhood. “I get And funny enough, he had actually held the a huge adrenalin rush. It’s always going to top spot (a cool #1 in the world ranking), be exciting in that sense. You’re basically but had to leave early so chasing a thrill. It’s kind he could prep for first In addition to of an adrenalin addiction.” slaying hills, Melo year classes.

And now the seeds he’s has also managed “School’s important been sowing in nearly to hit the books -- you’ve gotta get a decade of skating are it done,” he says beginning to in what many nonchalantly.

“And bear fruit. would agree is there’s always next possibly one of year.”

He can be described as perhaps a fairly quiet kid, the toughest In addition to slaying but his slalom-influenced, university hills, Melo has also aggressive style programs in managed to hit the and ability to capitalize books in what many the country. on the race track has would agree is possibly already begun to strike one of the toughest university programs fear into the hearts of the biggest names in the country; and all while planning in downhill skateboarding. Last summer, for the upcoming season.

He’ll head to Luke’s competitive road-trip across Europe Maryhill in Washington, and the Canadian wasn’t just eye-opening, it also netted him championships in a second place spot in the world among the Calgary, and naturally he plans, and can’t junior division at the 2010 International wait to get back to Europe. He may not be Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) cup totally obsessed, but he sure is driven. tour. An achievement many would consider a holy grail of sorts in the longboarding “Right now in the winter I’m really down world. on myself,” he says. “I just feel better overall when I’m skateboarding.”

“It’s just satisfying, deep down.” he says of the results. “It’s just the most genuine

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In order to peel away the layers of humility and strike at the core of Luke Melo’s passion for longboarding, you have to grab a board yourself and ride along with his team, the Escarpment Surfers. They’re a group of more than 20 diverse, and zealous individuals who all have one thing in common – they love skateboarding.

The team’s members manage to do what they do by capitalizing on the over 450 million years of erosion that has turned the Niagara Escarpment into a massive ridge of sedimentary rock. The 725 km long escarpment that stretches from Niagara to Tobermory provides some of the best downhill longboarding roads in the Southern Ontario region. And yes, it’s also the namesake of one of Canada’s most prolific crew of riders, whose motto, “half

LUKE MELO • PHOTO: DREW PENNER

the hills, all the skills,” even plays off of the topographical features of the province.

The Escarpment Surfers or E.S. As their called, maintain a home in the Annex where international talent can crash when they pass through. It’s a peaceful place with a backyard view of the Bathurst Station streetcar platform, where skaters discuss everything from wheel grooving techniques for sloppy road conditions, to reminiscing about epic bails at past events.

Melo. They were racing down a hill when Melo pulled up and tucked down beside him at 80 km/h.

European nightlife, to the intensity of the races, to the tiny fish that nibbled at his feet, the whole trip blurs into one.

“I guess he wasn’t expecting the bridge gap where it was and he just wasn’t ready for it,” Barnet says.

“When you’re there it’s so surreal,” he says.

“Now it just feels like a distant memory.”

Since he was turning and his back facing downhill, the next thing that happened was a washout and subsequent high-side.

The impending crash turned out to be

He doesn’t let anything hold him back Sometimes the best parts of the trip were riding majestic mountains in-between getting to places, like riding the French high mountain pass in the Alps called Col d’Izoard that rises more than 2300 m.

“You get to the top and you can either skate one side or the other side,” he says.

“So you’re at the top you’re really looking down on both sides and they’re really both amazing, and you’re really trying to decide which side to skate.”

RIDER: LUKE MELO • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

Don’t be surprised if you see people out front practicing their sliding technique, even in the dead of winter.

“We’re pretty hardcore into skateboarding,” Melo says. “We always just load up the car and go. It’s honestly just what we do. I’m friends with a lot of them too.”

particularly spectacular. “He went BAM!, then rolled twice. It was pretty bad.”

The potency of Melo’s threat level to other skaters in the downhill race scene will only increase as his mental game matures, Barnet predicts.

Matthew “Gooner” McGowan, another Escarpment Surfer, thinks the future is bright for Melo. “He doesn’t let anything hold him back,” he says. “He has nowhere to go but up.” Matt understands and explains the allure of sponsorship... “That’s what everyone’s chasing, being able to skate full time.”

Where he’ll be off to next is the bank page in the story. And we’ll probably have to wait until at least the end of the semester to find out what that’s going to be. Luke Melo is the kid who earned his stripes and is about to have some fun.

“As long as I’ve known him all of his sports John Barnet, who rides for skateboard activities have been longboard related,” he company “Kebbek” and is coming out with says. “He’s only going to get better.” his own specially designed pro board, says riding with Lush longboards rider, and It was just a a team enhances the safety group of people E.S. Team member Mike of the experience along “Chicken” McGown, 25, who would ride with the fun involved. has been riding with Melo all the time since he was in Grade 6.

“It was just a group of and take it to a people who would ride “Luke and I were traveling different level all the time and take it to for six weeks in Europe a different level,” he said. this summer racing the “At least you knew the guy beside you had World Cup, he’s definitely gone from “that roughly the same skill as you.” kid”, to a kid who’s pretty cool.”

But even with years of skating experience, disaster sometimes strikes. Barnet remembers one of the first times he met

Melo has been going to IGSA races since 2008. But he tells particularly amazing stories from his latest summer tour. From

RIDER: LUKE MELO • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

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RIDERS OF ONTARIOLONGBOARDING.COM • PHOTOS: SCOTT HARRISON

By: Mischa Chandler Photos by: Jonathan Nuss Layout by: Luis Bustamante

T

he Board Meeting. It has a particularly mature ring to it, but behind this well placed title is a pun that resonates deeply within the Toronto longboarding community. The contrast between your stereotypical skateboarder/longboarder and a traditional board meeting attending, suit wearing, seven figure bragging, brief case carrying executive of some kind is vast and indeed brilliant. Whether or not its a statement about a youthful rebellion against corporate culture, or a re-branding of skaters as responsible and organized contributors to society, it is a really good pun. This pun hosts such a sense of humour and indeed humility that it is undeniable that it suggests a unique type of openness and carefree living, which is certainly an inherent aspect of longboard culture.

The title, although interesting in of itself, would mean nothing if it weren’t for the famous gathering it refers to.

Imagine, hundreds of (well dressed) people gathered in a green space, with only good intentions and an overwhelming sense of shared excitement and community. Sounds inspiring does it not? Sounds like it could be a march against racism, poverty or even Burning Man. But its much more simple than that: it is a meeting with no agenda, the same way two friends casually meet for a coffee. We cheer, skate, and by doing so, spread the stoke.

The route that the board meeting follows, and has followed for many years (although it has evolved), is one that is designed around the skate history and key locations of Toronto.

We begin at the top of a hill (obviously), and proceed to role towards the downtown core. The first stop is at a statue of a general who, to no surprise, no one really cares about. The real significance of this spot is that people have been meeting there to skate the streets at night as long as the board meeting has been alive (2001). This spot is where the unkempt skaters of the past began to grow into the world class competitors that they are today. The monument is scaled, cheers are made, and then we move on before our momentum is lost.

Propelled by outbursts of stoke and excitement the heard travels north to one of the most congested parts of the city. This is where News cameras are often rolling, and so it was a ploy to get some awesome and spontaneous coverage of this critical mass style event we have staged. It is here that we sit in the intersection, as if to say “We are commuters, and these are not just toys, but objects with a utilitarian value�. That we hold within ourselves a special appreciation for pavement and its various grades, textures and angles. That this appreciation is what will fuel our battle for safe and relaxing transportation. And before sitting becomes comfortable we move again.

We cheer, skate, and by doing so, spread the stoke.

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This year we reached roughly 470, impressive considering it started at 20

It is only appropriate that our gathering at City Hall is where we take a census. Forming a lopsided ring, we begin to count ourselves, each person shouting their digit in the sequence. This year we reached roughly 470, impressive considering it started at 20. From there the group takes to the street en route to a small park in just West of Chinatown in Kensington Market. In this park is a circular kiddie pool that is pleasantly curved and sloped allowing us to skate round and round this small cement pond, bumping into each other, accelerating, slowing, dancing and laughing. As one watches, they cannot help but think that this act of skating might just be a metaphor for life. That we are all permutations of the different facets and tentacles of the same fundamental skate being.

Peace out.

Come to the 2011 Board Meeting

September 10th, 2011

for more information visit

www.ontariolongboarding.com

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RIDER: NOAH THE DUDE • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

MEDIA KIT

ADVERTISE WITH US. YOUR STOKE COULD BE HERE. 30

Longboard Living Magazine is an Ontario based, full color magazine covering East Coast, Canadian longboard cultue. Hailing from a region with no major hills for bombing, there is a surprisingly large number of innovative builders, world class riders and micro communities. Longboard Living and its team of collaborative community partners are speaking out to tell you more about how gnarly they are.

The first issue was soft launched on March 11th at the very first Longboard Expo in New york City and will be followed by an online version and official launch at the Roarockit Swap Meet on March 25th, 2011. East Coast distribution will be through S&J Sales East, Longboard Loft NYC and Longboard Living Toronto.

Magazine Features * Ministry of Wood - local builders profiles * Rider Profiles * Product Reviews * Events * Skate Spots

* Scientific skate facts * Community Profiles * Music - Push to Playlist * Longboard Ladies - monthly feature * Online Version

RIDER: MATTHEW MCGOWAN • PHOTO: SCOTT HARRISON

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ADVERTISING SPECS AND MEASUREMENTS. THE ONE PAGE Measurements Width: 8.75” Height: 11” Bleed: 0.25” Prices The Standard - $518 Inside Cover - $588 Back Cover- $638 2 Page Spread- $998

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For media and and advertising questions email us at info@longboardliving.com

A HALF PAGE Width: 4.375” Height: 11” Bleed: 0.25” $308

Digital media accepted only, no film. Media is to be emailed or sent via a free yousendit.com account. Its fast and easy that way. To ensure accurate results, please ensure: - Colour mode is CMYK, convert spot colours to process.

- Images must be at least 300dpi at 100% (1200dpi for bitmapped images) - Other than standard fonts to be converted into outlines.

- Print ready PDF, indd, eps files preferred

A “Q.P.” Width: 4.375” Height: 5.5” Bleed: 0.25” $218

THE HORIZONTAL Width: 8.75” Height: 5.5” Bleed: 0.25” $308

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Contact us Longboard Living Co. 86.5 Nassau Street, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5T 1P1

Phone: 416.939.8723 info@longboardliving.com www.longboardliving.com

Gravity Never Looked so Good. www.bomboraboards.ca