Luchaskate 1.3

luchaskate magazine Blue collar. Skate life.

V 1.3

Shaping boards with Rufus Portland? Port Land!

Outlaw El Bandito You Skate?

Who is the

Skater of theYear?

Who is

Rufus?

rufusskates.com A d.i.y. skate company

Luchaskate Magazine V.1.3

Publisher David Thornton

Contributors Mike Stanbro, Brad Hayes, Kim Cook, Lindsey Rowland Chris Johnson

Outlaw rider, the elusive Boneyard, gets caught boosting one in Florida.

s t n e t c on First Word: Rant and Rave

Branded:

Outlaw El Bandito Rufus Skates Custom Good shit from ATM Click Skate ‘zine reviews

You Skate? Girls Rip Shaping decks at the Rufus Ranch Skater(s) of the Year!!!!

Top 5 countdown Memphis-style

Artist Profile D.I.Y. Spotlight Port Land

On the cover: Ray Chavez Backside Ollie Photo by Sharkbait Brad Hayes This Page: Tank Girl of pink crack ‘zine frontside grinder Photo by RIPDangeRoss

First Word

Photo: Rowland

I have a book that I’ve kept since I was 15. I had bought the book in a used bookstore that has long since closed, and, in all honesty, I have never read the entire thing from cover to cover. Every now and then I pick it up and read a little bit.

hausting. That small circle of friends now extends from coast to coast. All of us are still misfits, but now we’ve banded together into a misfit army.

When I decided that Luchaskate should have a Skater of the Year, I Not long after I bought it, I let a knew it wouldn’t be based on how friend borrow it, and , just inside the that person skated. It wouldn’t be front cover , she wrote in it, “Life is about a video part. The Luchaskate exhausting.”

Skater of the Year would be someone that I’m sure we both thought life was inspires people within the skate exhausting back then. We were community. It would be someone small town misfits. She was an aswho cares. A lot. Maybe even too piring much. Someone who cares so much artist with “gothic” sensibilities. I that it hurts sometimes. Someone was a skateboarder transitioning who helps direct the misfit army tofrom skate punk high school kid into ward the only conclusion it will aca cept: a voice. wannabe college intellectual skate punk kid. We were shunned by most There was also no way there could be of the people outside our little circle just one S.O.T.Y. I’ve been inspired of friends, and that can be exhaust- by so many people. So, you’ll find a ing. list in this issue. Different names with different awards. I wish I could Twenty-something years have passed give each one of these people somesince she wrote those words in that thing other than recognition, but, for book. Indeed, I sometimes still feel now, that’s all I got. like my life is exhausting. Although I moved on from small town life, I am Congratulations for inspiring the still that skate punk kid I was back misfit army. That is to all of you. then, and I still so often feel shunned just because I ride a four wheeled Side note: Luchaskate Magazine will wooden board. be called Luchaskate Quarterly next However, with age also comes wisyear. dom. I now understand that life is so much more exhilarating than ex-

Dog Tacos: A Skate Novel Read the book, Get the t-shirt

www.dogtacos.com Also available on amazon.com

GETBranded Outlaw Skates: El Bandito

By David Thornton

One thing I should know by now: Never ride a new deck and a new pair of shoes for the first time in the same session. It will do nothing but piss you off. And it did. I was pissed off the first time I rode the Outlaw El Bandito deck. I could feel the concave under my feet, but the shoes wouldn’t bend yet and offered no board feel at all.

In fact, it wasn’t until the end of the second session that I started to get comfortable in my new shoe/deck combo.

If you read the last issue you’ll know that I reviewed the Pray for Death deck.

While the Pray for Death tapered from almost nine inches at the front truck to nearly 8.5 by the back, this deck is much more square.

It remains an even 8.8 from nose to tail and seems to have a deeper concave than the first Outlaw I rode.

If you’re interested in a strong deck with

www.outlaw-skateboards.com

GETBranded Custom Made Rufus

By David Thornton Chris Johnson, primary board shaper and owner of the Rufus brand, sent me a text message asking what dimensions I’d like this deck to be. I gave him the measurements I wanted, and asked him if he could make it

happen. His response message was, “We can do whatever you want.”

This is, for the most part, true. The guys at Rufus will find out what you want it a deck, make a template to fit your requirements and shape the deck.

Of course, Rufus decks are limited by the size of the uncut they’re made

You got something you wanna show and tell the world about?

Hit us up with an email: luchaskate@yahoo.com

However, I have to tell you, the blanks these decks are cut from have an amazing pop and very interesting concave.

Paige Hearn, who presses the boards Chris and Co. use in Little Rock, calls the concave a rocker. Rather than scooping up on the sides, it angles out.

Looking at the underside of the deck, you can truly see where the concave begins.

Because these are hand cut decks, some

imperfections have to be expected. I actually like that. It shows that the deck was handmade and the imperfections give the deck character that a factory “perfect” board can’t give.

www.rufusskates.com

GETBranded video

ATM CLICK Process Your Mind Memphis is changing, and mainstream media has noticed. The hip, middle income neighborhood, Cooper Young, has been nationally recognized. The musical bearing our city’s name has become a best seller.

A national magazine recently announced Memphis as a place of growth. There is one reason why.

Memphians that care about the city.

They want to see the city grow, prosper and change for the better while keeping true to the cultural past.

Even, the skateboard world knows that Memphis is changing.

As ATM Click’s new video, Process Your Mind, was premièring in California, it was also being shown in the newly opened Midtown Skateshop.

Before I tell you about the video, there are two things I have to inform you.

Confession time, I suppose.

1. I don’t watch many skate videos.

This isn’t because I don’t love to watch others skate. I do. However, I have a hard time sitting down for thirty minutes or more without getting restless.

I need to draw on something, move around the house, or write on something.

2. I am terrible with names.

The DVD started in black and white and I thought it might have an art film twist, however, it wasn’t. It was a full on skate video. Fast-paced with excellent street skating. This video isn’t chock full of the names that are plastered over the mainstream publications. Don’t let that fool you.

Seriously talented rippers. Rails.

Ledges. The occasional ditch.

Now, the video. Well done. Excellent I watched all 30 minutes and DIDN’T skating from one of the most popular get restless. That is huge. companies in Memphis (you’ll see tons of ATM decks at our local park). www.atmclick.com

GETBranded Zines Bad Egg #6

By Kim Cook

Bad Egg is a zine done by Ashley Mott and Tim Mott from Colorado.

The zine has been going on since about 2004. Each issue covers a variety of skateboarding topics including events, road trips, local skaters, new spots, and old spots. The current issue was the first in a few years and I was so excited to get it. It definitely kept true to the ways of Bad Egg. Check out their website for all of the past issues and information on how to purchase the current issue. http://badeggzine.com/WordPress/

Photo: Wrex Cook

Chaos Ninja #3

By David Thornton

I was so stoked to get my copy of Chaos Ninja, a Little Rock ‘Zine. Get a hold of this one.

It includes a little piece by yours truly about the bros over in fickle land. Meat Clerk and Co. do cool shit. Arkansas standing proud. And I’m damn proud I cut my skate teeth in the Natural State.

When Mr. Luchaskate suggested that the next issue needed a story on “skateboarding girls”, I instantly got nervous about writing on this topic.

And I just read recently someone getting schooled on the usage of “girls” vs “women” in regards to skateboarding… tsk tsk… I naturally prefer to use “female” to avoid that whole debate.

There’s just too many different ways to take on an article like this and maybe I’m not the best person for it. To talk

about “girls” in skateboarding just seems like a way to compare the differences between being a female skateboarder and a male skateboarder… It’s all just skateboarding. Why the division? Men and women, boys and girls have been skating together and apart forever. Essentially, we are no different from guys that skateboard, in what drives us, what makes us crave fast concrete under our wheels…

Diana Moscow carves with style.

Photo by Jeff Donovan

We skateboard alone, we skate with others…

Essentially we all share the same obsession for it, right? I mean, just because we’re female doesn’t mean we get a different experience from skateboarding because we don’t have a penis. Or does it? Isn’t all of life what we make of it? Well, that applies to skateboarding as well. If we let social divisions dictate our life, we miss out on a whole hell of a lot. Oh, you skate? - How many

times have you heard that? So to get down to it, if I wrote everything that goes through my head about girls, women, dudettes, broads, ladies, bitches, witches and hoes that skateboard, we’d have way too much for one issue of this magazine. And really, besides the facts I would have to research, the people I would have to interview to get the facts, everything else is just my point of view completely shaped by my own

personal experience, no one else’s…When I got involved in skateboarding, I had no idea about the history and the ideals that come along with it for women. I hadn’t been on a skateboard since I was a little girl in California and that was a minimal amount of time spent mostly on my butt riding down hills with my sisters.

And before I was born, women had already made history in skateboarding and continued to do so as I was growing up doing non-cool things and oblivious to their accomplishments. If you read about the history of females in skateboarding, the 60s seems to be the best era as far as equality in media and monetary earnings for their ripping.

And then the 70s came and women start losing the media attention and then just support in general from the industry started to fade away.

There are particular images that stick out in our minds when we think of women in skateboarding history and a few of these are legendary women. For example, the cover of Life with Patti McGee, the first professional female skateboarder, is one that still floats around to this day. Images of Ellen O’Neill, Peggy Oki, Cindy Whitehead and Laura Thornhill, and many others, whether we know their names or not, we have definitely seen them

somewhere along the way in skateboarding media and movies. And of course, everyone’s dreamgirl, Farrah, is permanently etched in our heads on a skateboard.

As time went on, the skateboarding “craze” started to die down in the 70s and 80s (as far as media goes). Not everyone quit however. Women never “quit” skateboarding, you just didn’t see them in the media. Even without parks and a camera on them, they continued to skate in homemade spots and backyard pools, ditches and the street. Same for the men.

However, when skateboarding “picked back up”, the female factor was pretty much nonexistent. And since then women have been striving to get the same recognition as their male counterparts that they once had. Most of us are probably unaware of that struggle. Much like any other aspect of women in sports and media, their will always be an issue with getting the same

opportunities, coverage and compensation as males have. Unless you are trying to go pro or are interested in competing or just getting sponsored and shots in magazines, this is probably not the most important topic but maybe an interest you pick up along with skateboarding once you discover it as a female.

I did not get involved in skateboarding until much later than most and in a small town in Mississippi which could be seen as two disadvantages. I decided to help get a skatepark because it’s boring here.

Once the park opened, I got a board and fell in love.

I didn’t realize there was a “difference” between genders on a skateboard but quickly learned that the social workings between male and female in this small town environment wasn’t much different from the bar scene, in a way. It seemed like “who’s cooler” competition at times and saw others treating it as a way to be cool and just a pastime never really giving it the respect skateboarding deserves.

So that in itself is probably part of the reason why we sometimes get treated with less respect - other girls and women falling into the accepted social role as a possible fuck instead of being seen as a “fellow” skateboarder. This part of it was not appealing to me and I often got bummed on some of the behavior that was at the skatepark.

So I spent a lot of time skating with my son or alone or with an occasional friend who would find brief interest in picking it back up momentarily. Or I would see another girl from Memphis every now and then but that was few and far between. That was pretty much the extent of the females out skating.

Basically it was super

limiting here and at the time Oxford was the only skatepark within hours.

But you don’t miss what you don’t know…right?

So when I moved to Phoenix, my eyes opened up on a lot of things. I didn’t see many females when we went out because our skate schedule was a bit earlier than most other’s, but I knew they were out there from seeing pictures and video of pool and park sessions when crews and friends would come into town to skate. I saw camaraderie between them, pushing each other and getting stoked and skating FAST. Ultimately, I was also exposed to different avenues of media and skateboard situations that I didn’t get out here so I finally got to see what female skateboarding was about.

Cara Beth Burnside.

Rock-n-roll Photo MRZ

Lizzie Armanto kills.

There was also my first experience in seeing a ripping female in action.

She was skating right with the dudes. I’m talking about Jean Rusen and she’s been skating a long time, 20 years… she skated with the up and comers from the Arizona scene, including my numero uno. She learned to skate on a janky backyard ramp and in pools but originally she was a surfer. She picked up skating at an attempt to satisfy her longing to ride a wave while existing in the desert. I’ll be honest, I was slightly intimidated, which I think is natural for a “newcomer” standing near a ripping woman even though we are close in age. I really loved her style, her skills, and confidence. I really wanted to skate like that but you only get that with years and years of skateboarding. That’s when respect kicks in. So just watching her skate inspired me. That I could flow with speed. She is fun to skate with because she pushes you and breathes skateboarding…

It was cool to see a woman ripping just as hard as the men I sessioned with. It wasn’t just because she was a woman, but that definitely made it cooler. So there is something we get from seeing another female out ripping, having fun and loving it to the core. I don’t how to explain it, but it’s just different then seeing a male. Probably because that’s all we see, so when we see a woman ripping, you take notice because maybe it’s rare.

Through travelling and skating wherever we could, I met a few other females while in Arizona, met quite a bit in California on road trips and going along with my numero uno to competitions and such.

One of my favorite trips was to California where I met Loree Collier, Cat and Mo Foster… as soon as I met them I knew they were there to rip! It’s been awesome watching Loree progress and was so stoked the day I saw a photo of her backside grinding the 11 foot wall

at Potrero in San Francisco just a couple of months ago.

Then we took trips to San Diego and San Jose where I saw even more female rippers. San Jose really brought them out to the annual Tim Brauch contest. A small portion of our crew at the time, Old Man Army, was heading out to skate in the competition. Jean was one of them and she would be skating against all the men in the Masters Division. I didn’t watch most of the competition because the fullpipe was super fun and so I only stood around to watch Wrex and Jean and our crew’s runs… so I didn’t catch much of the girls competition. Like most female skateboarding competitions, it was all younger girls. The oldest one was barely 20 years old. And that is why Jean skated with the men.

There was nearly a 15 year gap in age and skateboarding experience. It was radical to say the least to see Jean skating with what she would consider her “mentors” and “idols”.

It’s true, some “girls” just fit in better with guys.

And Jean represented us all when she was the first woman to compete in a male masters division.

Slam beers, take runs and land that shit, woman!

Respect!

People often wonder why there aren’t that many girls and women in skateboarding. Well there are, just because you don’t see them in your usual source of media, doesn’t mean they aren’t out there getting it.

There’s millions all over the world. And when I say millions, even I think “is that an exaggeration?”

We are out there skating pools, ramps, ledges, bowls, ditches…skating whatever, whenever and wherever we can. Currently there are several groups that are promoting females in skateboarding. Skate Like a Girl (SLAG) from Seat-

Gnarly Carleigh. Wallride.

Photo: Jack Spanhauer

tle has expanded into other cities, like San Francisco, to help “recruit” more females into skateboarding by holding free clinics and contests for females only.

There is a long running annual contest for 15 years now called All Girl Skate Jam. Just a couple of weekends ago, Amelia Brodka’s project “Exposure 2012” held a vert and a bowl contest

that saw a huge doubles run from Armanto and Alysha Bergado on the vert ramp and 12-year Alana Smith landed the 2nd 540 McTwist by a female in history. These are brought to you by women with the help of men. I think as long as we take our destiny into our own hands, there will be more respectable coverage of women in skateboarding.

Skateboarding is beneficial in so many ways if you’re given the chance to really feel the impact of being on a board. Sure, the fact is it IS the progression and movement on a skateboard that really matters but there are so many other benefits that come along with learning to ride a skateboard. It helps build self-confidence, teaches a sense of worth and dedication, and the opportunities to meet

extremely awesome people are endless when you open up your heart and mind to everything skateboarding has to offer. All of these give young girls other avenues of success in life, even if they never choose to enter a contest. And giving back is probably one of the most rewarding things about it, helping to get new parks, even just submitting articles and photos. Sharing your experiences gets to

Chelcea launches at the Bad Egg Release Party.

Photo: Coburn Huff

someone out there. And shows them what is possible.

More females are getting more relevant coverage in skateboarding (at least since I’ve been paying attention) that doesn’t involve posing on or near a skateboard, not that sexism will ever go away in the world, much less, the world of skateboarding but I definitely see a turn in the direction of females in media.

Jean Rusen fsa in the desert.

Photo: Carl Campbell

Even Thrasher magazine had a recent issue with Lizzie Armanto doing a very stylish layback smith grind. I guess something is catching on, even if it is that marketable image. I think it is the heavy involvement of females with every aspect of skateboarding. From skatepark building to organizing events, to writing articles, making videos, doing zines, taking pictures, and most of all, just getting out and RIPPING all over the world and making the world take

notice. It’s not just the contest winners that are bringing progression back to skateboarding.

So what did you learn here? Hmmm…there’s a ton of stuff I didn’t cover, that it’s all skateboarding and in the end, it doesn’t matter about points, contests or what coverage you get, it is really about having fun and everyone can experience that – male or female.

Special thanks to Carl Campbell, Spencer

Mallgrab Montgomery, Colin Shumate, Jeff Donovan, Christopher Zsarnay, Ozzie and MRZ, Coburn Huff, Jack Spanbauer & Jeremy Frankovis for the photos and all dudes out there skating WITH their Chiquita Bonitas like my feyonkey <3 - always supportive, pushing us, giving props and supporting what we love... and to all girls, females, women, ladies ripping and rolling and dragging more females into our world - you rock!

Loree Collier. Backside slash.

Photo: Colin Shumate

For more information on media coverage on females in skateboarding and current projects happening now, check out these sites: http://girlsskatenetwork.com/ http://skatelikeagirl.com/ http://www.allgirlskatejam.com/ http://mahfia.tv/ http://us.skateistan.org/ http://blog.istia.tv/ http://helloskatergirl.com/ http://www.flickr.com/groups/skirtboarding/

Board Shaping at the Rufus Ranch Skateboarding has become big business.

Shoe sponsorships have turned big name skaters into ‘extreme sport’ versions of Michael Jordan. Energy drink companies have used the “fringe” element of skateboarding to market their sugar/ caffeine water to children. Skateboard companies have moved to China for ridiculously low cost manufacturing.

There are a handful of skate companies bucking the system. Run by skaters for skaters, these companies are using the d.i.y. skills that skating was forged on to make products. Among those companies are Fickle in Cincinnati, What Luck in Indy, and Rufus in Memphis.

I remember the first time Chris Johnson, founder of Rufus Skates, and I talked about the possibility of a company. We were skating his backyard mini, having a couple beers and shooting the shit about what we would want in a skateboard company. Chris has taken that conversation and made it a reality.

Each deck is hand cut from a blank pressed a few hours away in Little Rock, Arkansas. Chris buys the blank, gets the specs you would like, and makes your board a reality. I was able to sit in with him as he walked me through the process he goes through for each custom shaped board he makes:

Step One: Every board starts off with a template.

Chris draws a template for each deck with your exact specifications. This includes making sure the length of the nose and tail youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve chosen for the deck.

Step Two: The stencil gets centered on the un-cut blank.

Step Three: Check.

Re-check.

Re-re-check To make sure the design is perfectly centered on the uncut blank.

Step Four: Get that jigsw out and start cutting!

Step Five: Belt sanders are nice, but Chris at Rufus prefers to use a drill sander to sand down the sides of each deck he creates.

Step Six: Chris uses a mixture of paint and polyurethane to create interesting effects with paint.

Step Seven: Chris adds the Rufus graphic. Let dry, and set it up.

Lucha skater Of the year 2012

Top 5 countdown

#5. Terry McChesney Two hip replacement surgeries and still skating? Terry McChesney, skateboarder and novelist, starts off our top five .

#4. Zach Galinas

The irony of this picture is that Zach is seated, and not skating .

Why is Zach number four in the countdown? He is one of my favorite people to watch skate, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the editor. Strength and style smith grinds.

Photo: Rowland

#3. Fickle Lew Outspoken. Brash. Caring.

Beard of the century. Lew loves skateboarding more than you do.

Photo: Aaron Ross

#2. Chris Ulander

Two serious (and I mean serious...banned from youtube for gore kinda serious) injuries in as many years. Still rolling. Chris Ulander helps make Memphis great.

Photos both pages: Rowland

S.O.T.Y. Kim Cook What can we say about Kim? She makes Luchaskate happen. She makes local events happen. She spends time advocating for skateparks in places she may never get to skate. She drives an hour each way to skate with friends. She cares. That is the key.

She cares, and we love her for it. Thank you, Kim Cook. You are our skater of the

luchaskate Would like to thank all of those who made the first year possible. This includes (but is not limited to): What Luck Skateboards Outlaw Skateboards Fickle Skateboards Rufus Skates Lindsey Rowland Kim Cook Wrex Cook Brad Hayes And on and on and on...thank you!

This issue is dedicated to the loving memory of Caleb Hawkins.

You are missed. R.I.P.

Artist Spotlight

Korruptus

Your name Theodore Kopsaftis (legally), Korruptus (for art and guitar making), Ol’ Man Ted (when I skate) How long you've skated Gonna date myself on this question..Got my first board in the 70’s when I was 5. It was a clear blue board with wheels that must have been made from rocks.

Funny, but about 4 years ago my oldest son got a Sector 9 cruiser for me saying ‘You’re a 70’s baby, you should really have fun on this one.’ I still hate riding it and can’t believe boards like that were the shit, ever.

What inspires your artwork?

Looking back in the day, my favorite skatInspiration comes in many forms, music is ers where always the ones with the coolest a big one (punk, jazz, reggae, noise.. all can deck artwork. Anyone from the Bones Brilead to some interesting art), emotions gade McGill, Mountain, Hawk to name a (especially like painting when angry), life few. Skulls on skateboards just seems fitin general. ting to me. I don’t know how many decks I’ve sanded down and painted a Korruptus What skaters and artists did you look up to skull on (too many). Glad blank decks are growing up? so easy to get my hands on now.

Nowadays I get my skating inspiration from the newbies (AND).my son and nephew who inspire my old ass to skate. Just go to any skatepark and there is that 1st time skater, the wanna be pro, or just some kids working the same trick over and over. When they land that trick it’s better than winning the world series.

There are way too many art idols in my life, so I will try and narrow down. Dali, Hopper, Wyeth, Warhol, El Greco….

Duchamp is a definite.

Ready made art?

A urinal in a museum?

Remember art is in everything and should be fun and enjoyed.

How can people buy your work?

Got a website: www.korruptus.tk, but that’s mainly just there. If anyone has any questions or interest and email to korruptus@gmail.com.

I've been wanting to do a DIY story on an international project for awhile because whenever I read a Confusion zine, I see all these amazing DIY spots all over the world, mainly in Europe. And I wanted to share that the ideals of skateboarding and DIY are universal. I think sometimes we get stuck in our own bubbles and see less of the world that is out there....which causes us to lose touch with how things really are.... There are less skatepark construction companies on their continent which I imagine it makes DIY much more a necessity unlike in somewhat spoiled parts of America - if you look at it from a skatepark point of view.

Some regions are littered with skateparks and some not... In many ways, we are spoiled compare to other parts of the world and most take for granted the access to amazing skateparks that most don't have to lift a finger to get.

I saw the Port Land spot on Confusion's website that mentioned the Black Cross crew and instantly wanted to know more about it.

And luckily it worked out that I could do a story for the next issue of Luchaskate.

Oli requested that I send some questions to answer and I could write in my own way.

However, I think it's important to leave his own words, so this kind of turned into an interview.

process to get accepted as one of the eight projects that will be set up there. Losing the Blackcrossbowl was a sad moment, but Port Land would not have happened as long as we still had a spot to skate, hang out and party with all our friends.

So here goes... how long have you been building port land? is it true, this spot is born of the black cross crew? how did it feel to have the spot taken away and drive this new spot?

Port Land was born out of the need to replace our beloved Blackcrossbowl. In January of 2012 we found out that the Blackcrossbowl had to be destroyed by the end of June. This gave us five weeks to get organized and turn in the project to apply for a space in the port area of Basel. We had to go through a there step open bidding

Aside from the planning, working on the building permit and getting the money together we spent almost four months building the whole park. We had a concrete pump for two weeks and worked full time during those two weeks. The rest of the time were half days during the week and full days on the weekends. At least ten people were working at Port Land at any given time.

what are some trials you have felt with diy in your city/country? do you feel that it is a welcomed ideal? is raising money difficult? what about finding motivated skateboarders to help?

overall, how do you feel when you look at the spot?

I am somewhat proud and amazed by what we were able to pull off in a short time and a limited budget. But to be fair what we did is a I feel that we have been very lucky so far. The little bit beyond a pure DIY, having used a city has been quite supportive, we were able pump and concrete delivered to our specifications… Looking back on the whole to raise over 35,000 Swiss Francs to pay for summer it doesn’t even feel like it was that all the materials and tools and got support much work. Maybe that’s because we always from two different construction companies. had a lot of fun as well.

Over 10’000 Swiss Francs were raised on the wemakeit.ch crowdfunding platform! But all this would have been useless if not for the also, got any advice to some Americans on why diy is so important? insanely motivated crew of people that worked their asses off to turn Port Land from a dream into reality. There’s too many to list, A DIY makes you appreciate the skating a lot more. It gives you the power to build the stuff but a few people deserve to be named here because they put in a LOT of hours and don’t that you want to skate, built the way you want it. Transforming an empty space into a dream even live in Basel. Rohan, Boris, Pudi and Nicolas you should be made honorary citizens skatepark together with your friends is an amazing experience! of Basel!

So in conclusion, unless you've been an active part of a DIY spot from start to finish, it is impossible to understand the feeling you get from creating something together that everyone gets to skate. As Oli says, it can't be done without the motivation of the people involved in the project! The essence of diy - bringing motivated people together to accomplish something awesome for skateboarding!! So if you want to build something to skate, get your ideas and vision together and then

build it. What I love about this crew's spot is that it looks really flowy and built for progression, not mellow and boring - it looks REALLY fun! You can tell they put their heart into it!

Thank you Oli! and thank you to your friends, family and country for coming together to build this amazing spot. I hope to skate it someday!

Photo credit: ŠAndreas Brunner

Port Land Overview.

Photo credit: ŠAndreas Brunner

You are

Rufus! www.rufusskates.com Promoting d.i.y. skate culture because skaters are skateboarding. Corporations are not.

The Sound of Skateboarding Skateboarding. Music. They go hand in hand. Skaters are creative. We create â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;zines. We make spots to skate. We push the limits of what can be done on four wheels and a piece of wood. We make music.

It seemed fitting to have Destoroyah be the first band featured in Luchaskate. Chris is the man behind Rufus Skates. He was kind enough to give us a glimpse at his process of making skate decks. He supplied a hand made board for review. And now this, along with every Memphians favorite skate/metal rat Coletrane, is his music. Destoroyah is an Instrumental project with heavy doom metal influence.

Listen to samples:

http://www.rufusskates.com/p/destoroyah.html Look for more skater made music in future issues of Luchaskate.