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100% SKATEBOARDING “ Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” —Dorothea Lange
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CONTENTS EDITORIAL LETTERS NOTEWORTHY OLD MAN ARMY SPOTLIGHT FREESTYLE RETURNS TO EARTH THE ‘FISH REPORT ARTIST PROFILE DREGS OF THE EARTH PHOTO SECTION IGSA REPORT
Brian Brannon. Photo: Jim Iseri
24 28 32 36 40 42 44 46 52 92
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TM
Vol. 9 No. 2 FALL 2010
PUBLISHER/EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR ART DIRECTOR
Michael Brooke • mbrooke@interlog.com Blair Watson Mark Tzerelshtein • MarkintoshDesign.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Buddy Carr
DOWNHILL EDITOR
Jon Caften
PHOTO EDITORS QUIVERS EDITOR
Jon Huey | Dan Bourqui Dave Hackett
IGSA WORLD CUP EDITOR
Marcus Rietema
SLALOM/FREESTYLE EDITORS
Richy and Maria Carrasco
STREET EDITOR/WRITER CORRESPONDENTS INTERN LATIN AMERICA, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL AUSTRALIA I.T. DEPT. HEAD
Marcus Bandy | marcusbandy1@hotmail.com Jim Kuiack Sydney Goldberg Diana Gracida | Pablo Castro David Pang | William Fonseca | Nick Sable Rick Tetz of CalStreets.com
COPY EDITOR
Jonathan Harms
HEAD OFFICE
1136-3 Center Street Suite 293 Thornhill, Ontario L4J 3M8 ph: 905.738.0804
SKATESHOP DISTRIBUTION
Indaba Group PO Box 1895, Carlsbad, CA 92018 tailtapinfo@yahoo.com ph: 760.722.4111
CONTRIBUTORS (In order of appearance): Jeff Nass, Dan Bourqui, Hugh Holland, Pep Williams, Brandon Gasaway, JaNika, J. Bo, Jim Iseri, Deville Nunes, Dave McCann, Hector Valle, Bernie Garcia, OMA, Steve Aycock, Terry Synnott, 440, Jack Keeler, JR Hernandez, Jenna Synnott, George Peterson, Rima Suqi, Kurt Hurley, Dave Dahm, Kimathi Smith, Chris Vanderyajt, Alex Lyngass, Kirk Ciaglaski, Jon Steele
concretewavemagazine.com Concrete Wave is published by North of La Jolla Inc.
Subscriptions (5 issues) are US$26 FIRST CLASS or CAN$26 (US$38 outside North America). Address change? Mag not arriving? Email us... don’t go postal. We can sort it out. mbrooke@interlog.com. We will notify you when your subscription expires. Publisher’s permission is required before reproducing any part of this magazine. The views and opinions expressed in Concrete Wave are not necessarily those of the publisher. We happily accept articles and photos. Please contact the publisher directly at mbrooke@interlog.com before you submit anything. We are looking for a variety of stories and images as long as they are skate related. COVER: For cover credits see Editorial page. OPENING SPREAD Shane Borland. Photo: Deville Nunes Distributed by ph: 416.754.3900 f: 416.754.4900 Printed in Canada ISSN 1708-3338 Canada Post Publication. Agreement number 40671108
WELCOME TO THE FINE PRINT: As I write this, Concrete Wave is halfway through the Vans Warped Tour. Thanks to the tremendous support of our sponsors, we were able to launch Devin Hornbeek on the road for all 43 dates. Our Passport Program drove traffic to the not-for-profit area. Folks who participated in the program wound up winning their share of more than $150,000 worth of prizes. Next year we plan to make the program even better. I want to personally thank Devin for his unwavering dedication. He is one amazing guy. The Warped Tour can be grueling, but Devin handles it all with ease. We are fortunate to have him. We are also very fortunate to be working with some of the best folks in the entertainment business. Allison Skiff and Sarah Baer of 4Fini and Kevin Lyman, the co-founder of Warped Tour, have been tremendous to work with. Their support and encouragement have been simply incredible. I could fill hundreds of pages about my experiences with the Warped Tour. Suffice it to say, it gets people stoked about music. They wind up having a great time and get a huge bang for their buck! That’s a great business model. So, where does that leave skateboarding? Well, as I have alluded to on many occasions, the act of skateboarding is still healthy. The business side, however, is mixed. There are pockets of great success and pockets of real weakness. Skateboarding always reinvents itself, and we are and will be there to document that change. Allow me one final indulgence here at the Fine Print. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Buddy and Traci Carr of Indaba Distribution for putting up with an onslaught of product (Warped Tour prizes) that filled their warehouse down in Oceanside. Their patience with me over the years has been severely tested, and I fear it might be tested yet again. You see, I’ve just learned that Skullcandy has shipped a pallet of headphones to give away at the Crossroads show in August down in San Diego. Devin, I am going to need your clone!
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EDITORIAL
Levi Huffman Photo: Jeff Nass
Bruno Passos Photo: Dan Bourqui
Jay Adams Photo: Pep Williams
Brian Kubis Photo: Brandon Gasaway
WE HAVE
Solo. Photo: Hugh Holland Kenter Canyon Elementary, October 1976
IT
Justin Ortiz Photo: JaNika
COVERED
Jay Adams Photo: Pep Williams
AJ Kohn Photo: J. Bo
elcome to our first-ever Photo Annual. I sense we’re long overdue for this type of issue, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the wide variety of photographs. Every year we publish four covers for the buyer’s guide, but I felt that amount would not be sufficient for this issue. So I came up with the idea of publishing eight unique covers. Originally I was going to use the headline “Eight is Enough” for this editorial. Then I realized that eight might not be enough and that next year I might have to exceed this amount. (My printer, however, might have other thoughts!) So for now, I’ll just say that we’re proud to cover such a wide range of skateboarding and skaters. Concrete Wave is extremely fortunate to work with some of the best photographers in action sports. We truly appreciate their efforts and dedication. We’re not sure where some of the images found on these pages will wind up. Some might appear on school lockers, on the walls of skate shops or on refrigerator doors. Or pages might just stay together, perfectly bound for a future generation of skaters. But no matter what happens, know that we have it covered!
W
Enjoy the issue, Michael Brooke, Publisher/Editor
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Letter of the month receives a prize pack from Original Skateboards
Venice Beach skatepark. Photo: Dave McCann
RIVERBED ED
THE EYES HAVE IT – Letter of the Month
Ed Economy, notorious “Riverbed Ed.” My earliest memory of Ed was at the San Gabriel riverbed. Ed used to do flyaways at us, grab our boards and let them go down the wall into the water, and of course we would have to go chasing after them. Ed did this to me twice. On the third time I grabbed his board and let it go into the water. I mustered up the fortitude to do this. I said to him, “How does it feel? Ya did it to me twice!” He looked at me in total disgust and went chasing after his board. The next time I saw Ed (I must have gained his respect) he asked, “Hey! How’s it going?” I said, “Fine. Let’s skate!” After that Ed helped me out with my lines in the riverbed and I became a better skater thanks to him. We became mutual acquaintances, probably out of respect for each other. I just wanted to say to Ed, “Thanks for helping me to be a better skater, and thanks for the fond memories.” Brad S. Grand Junction, Colo.
Turning 50 makes you look at things a little bit differently. I got married five years ago to a fantastic woman and we’ve had two children since then. A mortgage, job, responsibilities to your family, health problems with my parents, thinking about your kids’ future: Life at times looks intimidating. About the time I met my wife I had gotten back into skateboarding after 25 years off the board. I hooked up with the Downhillbillies in N.C. and the skating fire was stoked once again. I attended several of their jams and worked the registration table at the Dixie Cups that followed. I spent a lot of my free time skating cones and getting ready for races. My wife is a saint and put up with me talking about skating, timed me when I practiced and picked up after me when I was working on my boards. Something always seemed to get in the way when it came time to race, though. Sometimes it was an injury, sometimes it was a financial thing, sometimes there just wasn’t vacation time left at work. The urge to skate calmed and fell to the wayside. I would receive my issue of Concrete Wave and would longingly look at the pictures of the races I’d love to be at. But the desire I had for racing had always been supplanted by something stronger: the love for my wife and kids. I never was the skate punk that many were growing up in the ’70s. Skateboarding was my life then, and I spent three years in the ditches of El Paso, Tex. I didn’t want to do anything else but drive out to a ditch with my friends and spend all day skating it. I came from a military family, so I was pretty straitlaced and law-abiding. I did get chased by the MPs several times for skating where I shouldn’t, but that was about the extent of my lawlessness. I sometimes felt like an outcast among the skaters because I wasn’t a social outcast like they were. I enjoy my life even if I only get to skate every now and then. I look at all the new equipment in Concrete Wave and think about how cool it would be to have the latest slalom or ditch setup. But diapers are more important than new wheels right now. My 3-year-old son Charley loves anything with wheels on it. He has a ton of Hot Wheels and big trucks. But he will throw down all those toys when I break out his skateboard. We walked around
GOLDEN AGE REDUX I have never seen the Cars. I have seen Elvis Costello when Huey Lewis and the News (minus Huey) was his backup band. (That would be Clover – Ed.) I do not know about the rest of the universe, but here in New Jersey the longboard world is on fast forward. The Rutgers Longboard Club had a push race. We expected 30 people. More than 100 showed. The race was won by none other than King Solomon from Bustin. Original Skateboards cannot make boards fast enough. My friends that own skate shops are losing money because they cannot keep the big sticks in stock. Yes, we are losing shops that cater to street skating alone, and yes, sales are slow on the bricks-and-mortar level. [But] overall the longboard population is growing, fueled by old guys like me and young guys with families. People like myself that were around for the golden age that are not interested in landing a flight of stairs (not that we could), and younger guys who can, but who are moving out of their 20s and have to show up for work in the morning are not wanting to give up pushing wood. Thanks for all your hard work at Concrete Wave. It is appreciated… Andy T.
28 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2010
Woody’s Halfpipe Board Shop in Atlanta a month ago and he pointed at almost every board in there and said “Charley’s skateboard!” My sessions with him right now consist of us pushing around our 30’ x 40’ garage. To me they are the best skate sessions I’ve ever had and would rather do that than any race. When I look at his face when we’re skating I see me so many years ago. He’s got that look in his eyes… Gary S.
YOUNG AGAIN I’ve been singing CW’s praises for some time now (actually, since I picked up my first issue), but now I have a new reason to extend a sincere thanks. A few weeks ago I picked up the latest issue, brought it home and set it on the counter with intentions of cracking it open once I had finished packing for my recent work hitch on the north slope of Alaska. While stuffing the last of my work gear in my bags I knocked the issue off the counter, only to have it fall open to the article “Which Came First, the Drainage Ditch or the Skatepark?” My first thought was, “Hmmm, that background sure looks familiar.” Sure enough, it was the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, my home growing up – not to mention the home of all the streets I learned to skate on as a 9-year-old. Then I saw a ghost from that same childhood, in the name Paul Zimmerman, co-author of the article. After finishing the article and discovering that my friend was still skating and heading up the El Paso Skateboard Association, I knew things had come full circle – thanks to Concrete Wave! I contacted Paul, reminded him of our teenage exploits on boards and was given a treasure trove of memories in return. Paul and I discussed common friends and riding terrain, including two skateparks and a ramp or two we shredded in the late ’70s, and his website even had pictures that I have been searching for and ones that I never knew existed! Needless to say, I was overwhelmed and am still smiling weeks later. Even better, I was finally able to show my kids where it all began for me…and where it’s headed for them. Thank you so much for the memories, Michael. I haven’t felt this young in a long time! Stoked at 46, David V. Anchorage, Alaska
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NOTEWORTHY Products, People, Events ARBOR The Arbor Collective is proud to deliver the new Bamboo Hybrid skateboard as part of the Concrete Series featuring the artwork of renowned artist Dave Kinsey. His blend of urban landscape and the human condition creates a striking image on one of Arbor’s best-selling decks. arborcollective.com KHIRO Khiro Bob has been working on this project for well over a year and has said it is the t o u g h e s t project he has tackled so far. The Khiro team is comprised of skaters riding a wide variety of terrain. Naturally these riders are always modifying their equipment and setups to tackle any environment that presents itself. The Khiro Ultimate Custom Kit ensures that skaters have exactly the right equipment they need. khiroskateboardproducts.com TUNNEL
Adding to their skateboard line, Tunnel is proud to release the Tunnel “Old School” longboard, a skateboard perfect for conquering hills or cruising the sidewalk. The 9.5” x 38” deck combines old-school styling with modern performance. tunnelskateboards.com
The 30” Rocket with Fiberskin deck is especially fast and tight-turning because the pre-cured ceramic fiber outer skins on the five-ply maple core return energy back to every pump. Besides increasing your speed, it helps dampen road vibration and increase wheel grip. Fractals are graphic representations of equations, giving us a tangible glimpse into the mystery of mathematics. The 33” Fraktal reveals a myriad of riding possibilities with its classic pool mold and super-wide template. It’s the shortboard with soft wheels we’ve all made, but with the power of the pump from our trucks. The 1970s were an era of ambitious developments in high-performance surf and skate equipment, and Carver feels a similar progression is once again blossoming. In honor of that time, they’ve made the 35” Diamond, featuring a candy apple green metal-flake graphic on a just-right mid-sized template based on a classic single-fin surfboard. carverskateboards.com SECTOR 9 Sector 9 introduces Stealth Slide Technology - Patent Pending. After much discussion with their downhill team Sector 9 decided that it was high time that function meet fashion. With cuffs that double as slide gear, their latest line of apparel has the ability to go from hanging out to drifting corners and back again in seconds. One team rider involved in the testing, Louis Pilloni, has already let it be known that he'll be ditching his slide gloves. sector9.com
ZIP ZAP APP Concrete Wave’s iPhone App – Zip Zap is slowly but surely gaining a following. The free app allows you to find a specific skate brand via zip code (or postal code, if you live in Canada!). Just visit the App store. Skate shops, if you haven’t registered yet, please visit concretewavemagazine.com and follow the instructions.
LOCALS ONLY One afternoon in 1975, a young photographer named Hugh Holland drove up Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles and encountered skateboarders carving up the drainage ditches along the side of the canyon. Immediately transfixed by their grace and athleticism, he knew he had found an amazing subject. For the next three years Holland never tired of documenting skateboarders surfing the streets of California and beyond. “Locals Only” is published by AMMO Books. ISBN13: 978-1-9344-2947-1. ammobooks.com CHIEF COAST 2 COAST
BUDDY CARR SKATEBOARDS
CARVER In Italian, L’ESIGENZA DELLA VELOCITÀ simply means “The Need for Speed.” The latest model from Buddy Carr Skateboards once again features graphics by Antonio Carusone. Features include a flush-fit drop-mount truck system and dual-core wheels with sanded riding surface mounted onto Paris 180mm trucks. The Velo is 10” wide by 38” long with a solid 28” wheelbase for high-speed stability. buddycarrskateboards.com
Carver, designers of an extraordinary tight-turning truck, have released eight new boards for 2010. Here is a sampling of four. The 29” Swallow has a unique combination of being both short and wide. The shorter wheelbase makes pumping this board on the flats just effortless, but the extra width and concave gives you the comfort of a cruiser, with the versatility of a fully functional kicktail.
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LADIES OF LONGBOARDING We know many of you will be intrigued by this calendar, and it’s for a great cause. For more info visit ladies-oflongboarding.com.
Chief Coast 2 Coast is a 3,000 mile cross-country skateboard trek in honor of Shayne Carlson’s father, William “Chief” Carlson, who died in Afghanistan in 2003, and to all service members who sacrifice for their country. To donate visit chiefcoast2coast.org. All donations go to the O.A.S.I.S. Foundation and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Pictured above are Chief Coast 2 Coast members Erin Rhodes, Shayne "OC" Carlson, Kris Wahl and Alex Squadrito, in Springerville, Ariz. EARTHWING With every deck that Earthwing drops, a wheel from Superballs is designed to work with it. The new Floaters are designed primarily for the Supermodel 38” and 40” twin drop-through. The urethane is a racing formula designed to grip, with a fast rolling speed and actually rebounding
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NOTEWORTHY Products, People, Events faster through rough spots. Mixing the best grippy racing thane with a roundedlipped, offset freeriding shape creates a wheel that grips, slides and bombs, and does all of that quietly and willingly. earthwingskateboards.com
A new “world class” skatepark has just been completed in the small rural community of San Jose, Puerto Rico. This park was originally conceptualized back in 1976, thanks to a visionary by the name of Paquito Amador, who built the very first scale model (Maquette) of the “concrete skatepark to be,” replete with bowls, snake runs and vertical terrain, well ahead of its time. The Birdstown Team (Jimmy Roca, Clemente Barreto, Arnaldo Garcia and others) began raising funds and organizing activities the same year to bring attention to the project at local and state level to target federal funds in order to develop the project. The bid to build the skatepark was won by renowned world-wide skatepark builder Stephan Hauser (from Placed to Ride Inc.), who took considerable personal interest in the project and did the seemingly impossible with the scarce funds that were left after tearing down the old above-ground skatepark. Stephan did an outstanding job, transforming the plans to polished concrete and making the dream a reality. The park was completed in the spring of 2010, and riders from all over could not wait for it to open. The view of the Atlantic Ocean from the park is simply stunning, and the cool trade winds keep riders and spectators comfortable. Camping areas are available nearby, and some of the best surfing beaches in the northwest area of Puerto Rico are within 15 minutes. Visit surfcamppr.net or ptrpr.com or call (787) 955-5069.
Omar (Ninja) Hernandez
Overview of the park.
NEW SAN JOSE, PUERTO RICO SKATEPARK By Hector Valle Photos by Bernie Garcia
Devin Hornbeek, Tour Manager for the Vans Warped Tour/Concrete Wave Passport Program, hands out a prize to The Blue Guy in Montreal. Look for a full report on the tour in our November issue.
CORRECTIONS: Mile High Mark’s website was incorrectly listed in the Readers’ Choice Awards. It is milehighskates.com.
FALL 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 33
Ed Peck, backside grind at the Bieringville Bowl. Bowl Bob Hart enjoying the cool breeze at the Blue Tile Lounge.
Jon Horne relaxing at the Blue Tile Lounge.
SPOTLIGHT
on Charleston, S.C.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY STEVE AYCOCK
he face of the Charleston scene is changing... it’s growing. The old-school scene is melding with the younger crowd. It’s natural, there’s no angst. The traditional is being reinforced and strengthened while the new crew looks on with respect for where the older rollers have been. We’re all learning from each other and we like it. Talented builders/artists are creating the coolest DIY seen anywhere: wood and concrete and steel mated into structures that make you need to feel the board under your feet. New spots are everywhere and more are in the works. Out-of-towners are rolling in with cameras and hookups. They’re reporting what they see and it’s getting attention. We’re booming! The local crowd is tight and getting tighter. It’s a great time to be here. Every day is something new and summer is getting hotter. Parties, bowl jams and epic sessions are the norm, not the exception. Look for more OMA stories and spotlights at oldmanarmy.com. ¶
T
36 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2010
Matt Allen casting one out at the fishing hole.
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FALL 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 37
www.golongboarding.ca Abec11
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S&J Sales Co. Ltd. Skateboard Distribution since 1985. • 905-420-5001 east • 604-244-2361 west • Info@sjsales.com 38 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2010
FALL 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 39
FREESTYLE RETURNS TO EARTH 2010 World Freestyle Championships Expected to Draw International Field BY TERRY SYNNOTT kate spots are few and far between out in the Iraqi desert. But that didn’t stop freestyler Keith Butterfield from fashioning his own private skate spot out of two metal Air Force pallets during a recent deployment. A freestyle pro during the early ’80s, Keith started skating again a few years ago and quickly picked up where he left off.When he was deployed to Iraq for seven months in 2008, Keith, a company first sergeant in the U.S. Marines, brought his freestyle deck along. A far cry from the hustle and bustle of the Santa Cruz boardwalk he grew up skating, the 8-foot-by-8-foot platforms out in the desert nonetheless provided Keith with the necessary space to skate during his time off from supervising a company of U.S. Marine engineers, overseeing everything from their pay, health care, equipment, training and safety. Keith’s situation illustrates one of the great things about freestyle: It can be done just about anywhere – the basketball courts up the street, a parking lot in the business park, the garage of your house or on an open section of your local skatepark. Flatland freestyle exists as a niche in skateboarding. Boards tend to be smaller than typical popsicle boards (although some prefer standard street shapes) and wheels slightly wider. The tricks incorporate all edges of the board. And the dedicated freestyle skater tends to skate alone to perfect his or her craft. In some ways, this solitude fosters a breeding ground for creativity as isolated skaters look inward for inspiration and develop their own approach. But contests play a big role in helping bring skaters together, and in September one of the biggest flatland freestyle events in modern history is set to take place in Philadelphia. More than 100 freestyle skaters representing more than 10 countries are expected to turn out for the 2010 World Championships of Freestyle Skateboarding on Sept. 18 and 19 at the Rizzo Rinks. The contest, which will include pro, amateur, women’s and masters’ divisions, also features a $5,000 pro purse generously put up by title sponsor Powell Skateboards.
S
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Japan’s Moichi Suzuki. Photo: 440
But didn’t freestyle die way back in 1990? Those skating freestyle remember that time well. It really was the dark ages for freestyle. Manufacturers ceased production of freestyle equipment, freestyle pros lost their sponsors, and the few remaining freestyle skaters either switched to using street decks or resorted to cutting their own boards. The change afoot in freestyle could be seen by anyone skating at both the 1990 and 1991 NSA amateur championships in Tucker, Ga. The 1990 sponsored freestyle division featured
30-plus skaters and a high level of skating from the likes of top amateurs like Henry Candioti, Rob Rodrigues, Matt Wood, Ben Mullen, Mike Kinney and Dan Gallagher. But by the following year, equipment proved harder to get, sponsors dropped their freestyle riders, and the freestyle field dwindled to 11 skaters, and that included a few comedians from the vert division such as Colin McKay and Bill Weiss. During the fall of 2001, freestyle awoke from its 10-year hibernation when Bill Robertson, Bob Staton and Stefan “Lillis” Åkesson
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Keith Butterfield. Photo: Jack Keeler Terry Synnott. Photo: Jenna Synnott
Bill Robertson. Photo: JR Hernandez
coordinated the first new-era freestyle contest in a warehouse in San Francisco. Since that time, new companies catering to freestyle have emerged, and new and veteran skaters have breathed new life into it. The Internet continues to provide the lifeline for everyone to stay in touch, organize events, share videos and learn they are not alone, even if they are skating by themselves in Clearwater, Fla., or Skokloster, Sweden. But in a time of Maloof Money Cups, Mountain Dew Tours and the X Games, flatland freestyle skating stands as a truly independent, grass-roots pursuit. Even many the former freestylers who rule much of today’s skateboard industry still won’t touch it. Lance Littlefield, a ’70s-generation pool skater from Newport, R.I., calls freestyle the
punkest type of skating. “Even other skaters hate it,” he said. Yet freestyle continues to gain new practitioners. Some find their way to the scene via YouTube or the Rodney Mullen tricks of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game and learn more through a few of the dedicated forums and networking sites. Then others like Bert Mathieson remain underground, skating regularly and pushing the level of skating upward, all the while unaware of much of the happenings with other freestyle skaters. A naturopathic doctor in New Hampshire, Bert skated the early ’80s on an old freestyle model by Hammer, a regional brand long out of business even at that time. Now 47, Bert continues to learn new tricks and do moves others can’t do such as double handstand kickflips, fakie handstand tic-tacs and rolling English handstands to regular handstand shove-its out. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Kilian Martin, the Spanish freestyle phenom who spent the better part of last year skating in California and most recently stirring up the Internet world with his Brett Novak-produced video offerings. Then there are the current world champion, Günter Mokulys, and Mike Heller, skating for tourists and money on the streets of Berlin and the Venice Beach boardwalk, respectively.
Kevin Harris, the famed Bones Brigader and owner of Ultimate Skateboard Distribution in Canada, brings some star power to modern-day freestyle. Kevin remains an amazing skater and all-around nice guy who has never wavered in his love of freestyle, traveling all the way to Tokyo for last year’s world championships. Some of the younger skaters like Darran Nolan, Joe Flemke and Sebastian Heupel are raising the bar with their technical mastery, while legends like Richy Carrasco and Russ Howell continue to master spin tricks like few others. Philadelphia skater AJ Kohn, the organizer of the upcoming world championships, and JJ O’Donnell consistently organize events, perform demos and work to incorporate freestyleinspired tricks in all of their skating. AJ also runs Gear for Groms, a nonprofit inner-city after-school skateboarding program for students in his home city. Japan and Brazil remain some of the most active hotbeds of freestyle activity, with scenes made up of new and veteran skaters. Per Canguru and Rene Murabayashi Shigueto lead the Brazilian scene, while Masahiro and Toshiaki Fujii and Moichi Suzuki are at the forefront of Japanese freestyle. The European scenes are being shaped by veterans like Stefan Åkesson, Yoyo Schulz and Christian Heise as well as newer freestylers like Mario Steinemann and Stefan Albert. Several freestyle-friendly companies and online shops exist to serve those looking for equipment. They include Sk8Kings, Decomposed, Never Enough, Reverse Freestyle, Little Wheels, One Skateboards and Mode Skateboards. Other manufacturers such as Powell, Tracker Trucks, Oust Bearings, Khiro Skateboard Products and Vision Street Wear support riders with gear. These are all good signs for the state of freestyle. The Philadelphia contest site also will feature a trade show area for companies, skate shops and affiliate organizations. All proceeds from the rental of booth space will go to support the Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund to fund the creation of free public skate areas in the greater Philadelphia area. For more information on the 2010 World Championships of Freestyle Skateboarding, check out phillyfreestyle.com. ¶ Terry Synnott is a U.S.-based freestyle skateboarder and owner of Mode Skateboards. He also skates in a show for Cirque du Soleil at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
FALL 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 41
Late Summer Dazed
It’s hot, like it’s supposed to be in late summer, and it’s night-skating season. Best way to beat back the doldrums from hot weather and testy little bastards in security guard suits is to get all aboriginal on ’em. Use the golden light of dusk and the cool nights to rip, shred and otherwise skate the hell out of wherever you’re at.
speed and pros like Barker, Pappas & Lynn Kramer joined by insaniacs like Joe McLaren and Cat Young on top of their podiums after. A week after that, IGSA’s World Championships in Almatrieb. Kevin Reimer smoked the DH final to take the Worlds for the second year in a row and Brianne Davies ruled women’s speedboarding again! Check the ‘Fish and IGSAworldcup.com to follow the rest the World Cup tour.
Enough of that fluffy crap, we got things to tell you about. As you subscriber types are just gettin’ to read the best part of the whole trip this month, the Worth doing: How about the ASR is getting underway down in Cathlamet DH Corral, about 90 San Diego. That’s right: the miles out of PDX? 3 days of DH, skate industry, shop owners and Push, Slide and Slalom, Aug 27about four thousand bikini 29. Full-on beer gardens, rock models sharing 22 swimsuit debands and more. On that note, signs are clogging up the good why not just hit Middleton, CT’s bars and parking garages whilst Pub Run the first Weds. of Septhey plan out who’s gonna make tember? Show up, meet some a million on designer shoelaces skaters, roll into town and suds and – for some of ‘em, check out it. Streetluge, speedboard and inthe one part of this fiesta where line? Yeah, it’s IGSA’s Austrian there’s stuff going down. It’s the Nats in Oberwang, Sept. 11-12 “Crossroads” core skate show and you know they’ve got beer… A shot out of Matt Arderne’s winning ‘Fish vid, now on Evolutions 6. that got despoiled by longboards Last taste: The infamous in the Element booth, actual Broadway Bomb is in NYC this Oclongboarders and a cadre of crazed “electric skaters” that tober. This thing is off the hook with skaters from around the tried their best to mow down innocent children back in Febworld now. Join the Earthwing crew and rip the ultimate ruary. Back with more action, more skating and more of you urban outlaw skate! kooky longboarders than ever, this is still the bet for action at “the show.” If you’re not there, flush the toilet, go online and Feed the Quiver! Did you score the Fresh ‘Fish wheels, our check it on the ‘Fish for whatever we can report before we’re Gunmetal Silver trucks, or the Abec 11 Oops freeride wheels? banned, kneecapped by the fauxcore or both. Aside from any and every shop that matters scorin’ you the deals on the ‘Fish, we’ve been ripping out the exclusive deals So the ‘Fish Report has some catch o’ the day for ya since on gear, too. Just gotta act fast when they hit! What’s on in our last one. As you can read elsewhere in CW, the ColSeptember? I dunno yet! Check the site for all the details on orado Kid ripped it at MFOS, edged out K-Rimes and added events, gear, where to skate, how to hypnotize cops to let you another trophy on the rack back in July. Zak Maytum went skate hills, board-building and about a thousand other ways out after the race and bought another old red Mustang to to fill the time you’re not skating. Post your vids and slap a celebrate in true hillbilly manner. That’s the new school, few more of those ‘Fish stickers at the skatepark. Now, flip but when the Slalom Nats went down it was old-school the mag shut, get outside and skate something new!
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ARTIST PROFILE
George Peterson BY RIMA SUQI
“I channel a lot of destructive energy into my art. I love to scar, break and burn the wood. I’ll carve with a chainsaw, ax, chisels, fire…anything.” If that sounds a bit destructive, that’s because it is. “It stems right from punk rock and wanting to express myself in a basic and direct way. Breaking things can be so satisfying, and if you channel that into a piece of art, you can get a constructive, creative result. But that’s just the first part. After that, layers of color and polish are added and parts are rejoined with stitching and steel. The forms, colors and textures are carefully and deliberately considered until the work comes together.” George grew up in Bishop, Calif. in the early ’80s. He currently lives and works in the mountains of western North Carolina. He’s a selftaught, working-class artist and family man. Influenced by artists like Andy Goldsworthy and David Nash, George gives wood sculpting his own twist. His most recent series, “Lingo,” involves two things close to his heart: skateboarding and environmental conservation. “This is my first series to use all recycled wood,” he says. “I’ve been skating for 30-plus years, so it’s really cool to be able to incorporate this motif into my work and celebrate the skateboard as the modern icon it is.” George is always on the prowl for used decks, to the point where he’ll even buy them and pay for shipping (which might explain the starving-artist thing). “I love getting packages of old boards,” he says. “Some of them have the funniest s**t written on them; most of them are beat to hell.” If you want to send him yours, email george@circlefactory.com. Check out his work at circlefactory.com. ¶
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Biker Sherlock Photo: David Dahm 46 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2010
h t r a E e h T f O
THE DREGS LONGBOARD COMPANY STORY BY KURT HURLEY
ll of us love to skateboard. That’s probably why you are reading this right now. The new boards and the young guns are pushing the envelope and have a lot of talent and great ideas, but few really know where or why the growth of longboarding originated in the ’90s. Few know how Dennis Telfer and the boys at Sector 9 took a chance and acted on a great idea and how that idea affected us all. Most of you don’t know how that great idea affected a splinter group of friends with long hair and crazy nicknames, and how that group created the most decorated downhill team in X Games history. I don’t think many people would dispute that Biker Sherlock and all those X Games and Gravity Games races that he won put downhill racing back on the map. However, Biker is just part of the following story, in which none of the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
A
THE ’70S/’80S When you look back at things, it’s funny how chance encounters and decisions based upon interests carve out your path in life. Friends you make along the way will influence you and sometimes have a lot to do with who you are. My best friend Jono Moore and I lived to surf and skate. We were also into music, and the band we followed was called the Dixie Dregs. This story is not about them, but they are an interesting part of it. We were the Florida boys along with Chris Coursen, Mullet, Nicko and the McDougall brothers. The main thing we all had in common was we all wanted to surf good waves. California, the mecca of surfing, was calling us like Christians to Jerusalem to go and find our destinies. We all talked about going there, but Chris and Jono were the first to make the escape. At the same time in California there was a tight-knit group of guys that pretty much did the same things as we
did: surf, skate, party and listen to the Dixie Dregs. These guys were in the skate magazines: Brad Strandlund, Wally Inouye, Bill Caster, Chris Strople, Sonny Miller and Tom Boyle. We looked up to them while trying to learn from them. They had made friends with Chris Coursen at Del Mar Skate Ranch, and one fateful night while hanging out at the infamous Brown House overlooking the ocean just to the north of Cardiff Reef, the connection was made. The Dixie Dregs were playing on the stereo and Coursen said, “You have to meet my friend Jono. He’s in Northern California now, and he lives for the Dregs’ music.” A phone call was made, and three days later Jono showed up to party, surf and skate with these guys. They became instant friends, with Dregs recordings providing background music to the nonstop fun and frivolity these characters enjoyed. A couple of years later, in the early ’80s, the Dixie Dregs had scheduled another tour through California. Brad called Jono in Northern California and told him he should come down and join the boys at the San Diego show. Afterward they decided to follow the band up the coast and see every show in California. They ended up three hours north of San Francisco in the town where Jono had set up residence. Blown away by the insane surf, they hung out in Nor Cal for several days before blasting back to the Brown House to resume their routine of surfing and skating together as a
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mous pool. Many of us were getting shots in magazines of all kinds during these years. Wally Inouye was also the most photographed skater in the history of SkateBoarder magazine.
THE ’90S
Team Dregs at Mammoth Mountain in May 1999. Photo: David Hackett
group. The Brown House was across from Pipes, a surf spot north of Cardiff Reef. It served as the meeting spot for the guys during this period. This time was significant because following the band and hanging out at the Brown House brought the two tribes together. But things were changing in the skateboarding world. Street skating was becoming the new style due to all the skateparks closing. The once popular pool riders Brad, Wally and Strople were no longer getting the attention in the magazines like they used to. Wally by this time had already been putting “TEAM DREGS” on the group’s surfboards and skateboards. The boyz had other sponsors that were paying them, but it was understood who was and was not a “Dreg.” Brad admits, “We kind of saw ourselves as the guys that really didn’t fit in anymore. We were the leftovers from the late ’70s era, so we were the Dregs…We were the guys who set the table for the next generation of pool riders like Hawk and the Bones Brigade. That’s what we went with all through the ’80s: ‘TEAM DREGS.’” Soon the boyz weren’t getting paid to skate anymore, but we always remained a team of friends. We would go out partying every night, having fun chasing the ladies, while during the day we surfed and skated like fiends! It’s hard to measure the impact Team Dregs had on skateboarding in the ’70s and ’80s, but here are the key points. The Del Mar Skate Ranch was an important part of the Dregs team story, and Wally, Strople and Curtis Hesselgrave were in on the design of the park. Ed Economy was working there and became a very visible Dregs member too. All the boys ripped Del Mar until the park closed in 1987.It should also be noted that Brad was skating on longboards on vert considerably ahead of his time. Del Mar is widely considered one of the greatest skateparks of all time. Wally, Strople and Brad were also chosen as part of the advisory design group for the famous combi pool at Upland skatepark that was later recreated and is currently in the Vans park in Anaheim. Wally probably had the most influence on the final shape of that fa-
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This next part is crucial because it brings about the formation of the Dregs Skateboard Company. Although controversial, it is factual. I would like to start out by saying that what you are about to read may seem negative in regard to Roger Hickey. Please know that Roger and Biker are friends and have been for some time. It is the interaction between these two rather controversial characters that has actually influenced the downhill skateboarding community. Roger and Biker are largely responsible for where downhilling is today. There is no doubt that the Dregs OG crew could have just ended up as a great group of friends with a common mantra, but as it turns out the boys would be injected with some new blood from a very unlikely place. In the early part of the decade a group of friends in La Jolla were coming up with a great idea to market long skateboards. Dennis Telfer, Steve Lake and Dave Klimkiewicz, the boys who are now well known as Sector 9, were making longboards out of a house and turning people on to the ride. This house, as it turns out, is also where Watson Laminates had started – those guys were surfers too! It was definitely a different vibe compared to the street skating evolution that was happening everywhere. One of the first boards they made was given to a New Jersey transplant by the name of Michael Sherlock, whom they all knew as “Biker”. Biker was a little doubtful as to how it would ride at first because he was really a vert rider who claims the Bones Brigade as his early influence. But it didn’t take him long to see that they were on to something with the free surf feel of the longboards. After one ride down the hill he was hooked. With the La Jolla hills as the backdrop the vibe of longboards grew and grew, and people started to notice. A few existing skateboard companies were also starting to take notice, but in general most skate companies were laughing at the whole idea, especially at the trade shows. For the most part the Dregs crew were pretty similar in a lot of ways. We’re pretty much a bunch of mellow surfers and skaters from Florida and California. But Biker was a bit different; let’s face it, he was from Jersey. A longhaired daredevil who didn’t (and doesn’t) take s**t from anybody, he surfs big waves, skates parks and pools, rides motorcycles and even races off-road trucks. His dad was a TV executive, who in his years of retirement has been known to cruise big waves on the back of a jet ski. Around this time there were some downhill races going on under the flag of FIGR (Federation of International Gravity Racers). Roger Hickey was the race director and had gotten the attention of Jerry Madrid as well as the Sector 9 crew. Jerry had been talking to OG Dreg Brad Strandlund
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about these races and the possibility that longboarding was getting bigger. Around the same time Biker, who was riding for Sector 9, was turned on to the races by Dennis. He showed up with a board, old Independent 215s, no helmet and no leathers. Biker had never been in a race before, so after riding the hill a few times he decided to videotape everything the racers were doing, including their style, but especially their tuck. The next day Biker took second place behind Roger just by changing his tuck and duct-taping up his windbreaker for aerodynamic purposes. There is no doubt that he was noticed. After a surfing trip to Indonesia, Biker returned to the FIGR races. By this time the Sector 9 guys were losing interest in the Roger Hickey show. They thought Roger was trying to create some Formula One car-racing image. Biker wasn’t digging the vibe either, but just as he was about to bail he ran into Brad Strandlund and struck up a conversation with him. Biker had recognized Brad from skateboard magazines and was stoked to meet him; After checking out what Biker was riding, Brad and Randal Fuller of Randal Trucks instantly took Biker’s board and changed his whole setup. They spent the whole day together and after a few runs realized that Biker had a lot of talent. Later they introduced him to Ron Amos from UFO, Tom Mason, Mike Colabella and Rat Sult. Honestly, if it weren’t for meeting these guys Biker would have left and never come back; he was definitely not into the vibe at the FIGR race. Reluctantly, and with really very little experience, Biker made the finals that day. Tom Mason lent Biker his leathers to go up against Roger Hickey, Beau Brown and Perry Fisser, all of whom had boards, leathers, helmets and experience. At the start of the race the three instantly boxed Biker in. Elbows were flying, and Biker wasn’t having it. Being a scrapper himself, Biker clawed his way into second place, and that’s how he finished. Soon, Biker would be disqualified for pushing past the line, which he felt he didn’t do. Ironically, this incident would have everything to do with the formation of Dregs Skateboards. Biker went home that night and later got a call from Michael Bream, who was running Gravity Longboards out of his house at that time. Hickey was riding for Gravity at the self-proclaimed World Championship, but Michael wasn’t happy about something he had heard and thought that Biker should know about it. It seems Michael had secretly videotaped Roger describing his plan to make sure Biker did not get on the podium. After seeing the video, Biker called up Brad. Brad knew where Roger lived but convinced Biker to go to the next race and get even that way, which turned out to be a good idea. A week later Brad called Biker and invited him to go street luging at Templin Mountain Road. Although Biker thought luging was lame, after one run down the hill he was the fastest there. Nobody could figure out why. Brad asked Ron Amos from UFO how Biker could be so fast. Ron, who was considered the guru, couldn’t figure it out. Brad had a feeling that Biker could be special, and after dinner that night they planned their assault on the X Games. The plan was to go to the X Games and win the street luge to get publicity for one reason and one reason only: to put
downhill skateboarding on the map. They did not care about street luge. The only thing they needed was money for equipment, so they contacted a friend who said he would pay Biker to wear his company name (a bong cleaner called Grunge Off) on his leathers. He got a luge, leathers, helmet and money to travel. By this time Perry Fisser and his wife had started E.D.I (Extreme Downhill International) because they thought it was controversial that Roger was running the FIGR races and winning them. The new Dregs boys had decided to go to the next E.D.I. race and cause a little mayhem. The Dregs happened to have their pit area right next to Roger Hickey. They were purposely blasting their music super loud when Roger asked them to turn it down. Biker said “No f**king way!” Word of what Biker said spread like wildfire through all the pits, and it was on. The Dregs started chanting, “Team Dregs! When in doubt take ’em out,” and they were wearing shirts that said “Team Dregs – No Regard for Personal Safety.” Roger was so flustered he went right up to Biker and bet him
Biker Sherlock is comfortable riding all types of terrain. Photo: David Dahm
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together having a blast, and it was radical in every way. It wasn’t all fun and games after a while, though, for Biker, who was now running the E.D.I. events and racing in them. In a lot of ways he had become what Roger was: a controversial race director. Finally in 2002 at the NBC Gravity Games, Biker, visibly stressed from a decision that had to be made, decided he was through. His mom asked him if he was having fun anymore racing and running events, and his answer was no. He was done. E.D.I. disappeared coincidentally with ESPN and NBC dropping downhill racing for a more compact stadium format.
DREGS THIS CENTURY
Biker contemplates his next move. Photo: David Dahm
$1,000 that he could beat him. So they raced, and there was a lot of action. Both guys were bumping and positioning, and when the dust settled Biker had finished first. After the race Biker started to walk back up the hill when he saw Roger coming at him. A brawl ensued, and by the time it was over the only thing that was for sure was that Biker had won the race. He then also won the street luge race. The foundation had been set for the beginning of a new era in downhill racing. Biker had to go to North Carolina to qualify for the X Games. After successfully placing there, little did he know that he was on his way to a very life-changing time. The X Games proved to be a victory. The publicity that followed was a perfect fit for the young Dregs team rider. This all seemed to be good timing for Biker to do something with all this notoriety. His dad was pushing him to do something other than running his bong company, and that’s when Brad said, “We are going to start a skateboard company.” (Of course it would be called Dregs.) Brad’s idea was to get all the boys together and have the best team, and with all this attention they would put downhill skateboarding on the map. The team consisted of Cali boys Brad Strandlund, Wally Inouye, Jarret “Dr. GoFast” Ewanek, Waldo Autry, Rat Sult, Darren “The Pharmacist” Kessing and Dane Van Bommel; Jersey boys Todd “The Dragon” Lehr, “Johnny Dread” Gwiazdowski, Scott Dominick, Billy Quinn, Ben Lewis (Otis), Joe DeGenarro and Biker; Florida boys: Jono “The King O’ Fun” Moore, Kurt “Hurricane” Hurley, Hunter Joslin, and last but not least a spunky chick named Pamela “Pinky” Zoolalian. For the next six years Dregs Skateboards were being seen on every podium at every race. Biker was in magazines, TV ads and movies and couldn’t go anywhere without being noticed. The long-haired motley crew that was Dregs were being courted for beverage sponsorships, action figure companies and even video game companies. But the coolest and most unforgettable part was that we were all friends. We all traveled the world
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Biker and Team Dregs have accomplished exactly what they had set out to do. Although it may have seemed self-serving at times, Biker was giving the networks exactly what they were asking for, a controversial, radical winner – and winning is what he did. Now that is all behind him, and everyone in the industry has been reaping the benefits of those X Games and Gravity Games downhill races. Another Dregs accomplishment was discovering a great hill in the state of Washington known as Maryhill. Biker, Kurtis Head and the Dregs rode and organized the first three Maryhill races ever at the now-famous venue. Few outside could know how the Dregs drew inspiration from within and prospered as a result of having such a colorful and talented team. But, as in life, all is not a rose garden. Every rider was in awe of Jarret Ewanek, the genius of the team; we all lost a great friend when he died in early 2009. Another setback came when Jono “The King O’ Fun” Moore had a stroke. Happily, he is making his comeback as we speak. Joe DeGenarro had a freak skateboarding accident in 2001that scared us all because he suffered major head injuries that have left him largely incapacitated. Then in 2007 Biker’s wife, Amy, broke her back riding her dirt bike in the desert, which put a serious strain on Biker’s attention to running the company. She is recovering slowly, and focus has returned to Dregs. The last few years have been stressful, but through thick and thin we have stayed true to Dregs, our families and friends. We now have a lot of little Dregs riding skateboards that are following in our footsteps. Thankfully, Dregs Longboards and the new “Luv Yo Mutha” wheels are selling quite well. New designs are constantly being put to the test in the La Jolla hills, and as a result the next chapter will play out with Team Dregs being an innovative player in the industry once again, as well as a great source of information for this next generation. Team Dregs is racing again, with the goal of teaching and promoting this crazy love we have for skateboarding. The Dregs Family members are still drawn to the sea and still surf consistently. We all know that once you are a Dreg you will always be a Dreg. We’re Dregs of the Earth, and that suits us just fine. ¶ The Dregs family of riders would like to thank all the shops and distributors who represent us, the boys at Sector 9, the Labeda family, Jim at Watson Laminates, and last but not least the Dixie Dregs for all their inspiration.
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{PHOTO=ANNUAL}
Josh Evin Photo: Kimathi Smith
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Mike Franklin Photo: Kimathi Smith
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Steve Cisneros Photo: Jeff Nass
Geoff Turner Photo: Jeff Nass
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Steve Cisneros Photo: Jeff Nass
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Kyle Holland, James Kelly riding switch, and Charlie Tidd. Photo: Jon Huey
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Zak Maytum and Kevin Reimer. Photo: Jon Huey
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Joe Lehm Photo: Jon Huey
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Photo: Hugh Holland Excerpted from Locals Only Copyright: Š2010 ammobooks.com
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Photo: Hugh Holland Excerpted from Locals Only Copyright: Š2010 ammobooks.com
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Brian Bishop Photo: Chris Vanderyajt
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Steve Daddow Photo: Alex Lyngaas Photo: Alex Lyngaas
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Corey Juneau Photo: Dan Bourqui
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Mike McKinlay Photo: Dan Bourqui
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BY MARCUS RIETEMA
MARYHILL FESTIVAL OF SPEED
T
he Maryhill Festival of Speed, held in Goldendale, Wash. June 30-July 4, was the season opener of the 2010 IGSA World Cup Series. With the new season there is always a lot of optimism and excitement as the racers see how their off-season training and equipment changes will pan out. From the first practice session it was obvious the race would be a tough battle.
Kevin Reimer, Zak Maytum and Patrick Switzer running in a pack. Photo: Marcus Rietema
After two qualifying runs, the top contenders had emerged. Kevin Reimer broke Mischo Erban’s year-old track record of 3:07.193 with a time of 3:06.424. Zak Maytum qualified second, Zen Shikaze third, Patrick Switzer fourth and Calvin Staub fifth. Top contenders Scoot Smith, Mischo Erban, James Kelly and Nate Lang were all sitting inside the top 10. After running a “Repacharge Race” on Saturday and then a full 96-man bracket on Sunday, the two semifinal heats were set. The first was comprised of Reimer, Switzer, Kelly, Andrew Mercado, Calvin Staub and Andrew Chapman. Reimer, Switzer and Kelly were the top three finishers and earned a place in the final. The second semifinal included Maytum, Scoot, Lang, Shikaze, Joel Putrah and top junior
racer Alex Tongue. Maytum, Scoot and Putrah grabbed the top three positions to make their way to the finals. In the final it was Reimer, Maytum, Switzer, Scoot, Putrah and Kelly. Maytum took the lead with Reimer stalking him all the way down. Switzer moved into third with Scoot in fourth. As they went into Seismic Cowzer Corner, Reimer swung wide on the entrance to make his move on Maytum. At that moment Reimer dropped a wheel off the edge of the track. His board went into a series of wild, side-to-side, fishtail slides. Miraculously he held on and was able to regain control. Unfortunately for
Reimer, his momentum was gone and his chance to pass Maytum was lost. As this was happening Scoot was trying to make a move on Switzer for fourth just behind them. Scoot dove to the inside and the two riders bumped. Since both of them were on the ragged edge of control, the contact sent Switzer out of control, and he made heavy impact with the straw bales. Fortunately he was uninjured. By the time the riders reached the finish line, the race had already been settled. Maytum earned his first World Cup win. Reimer was fortunate to salvage second place after dominating the event all week. Scoot finished took the final podium position after his incident with Switzer. The race was a huge success once again and everyone is already looking forward to next year. ¶
Zak Maytum was stoked to win his first World Cup on the 4th of July. Photo: Dawn Moisanen Scoot Smith had a solid run to third. Photo: Marcus Rietema
Maryhill Festival of Speed Final Results 1. Zak Maytum, United States 2. Kevin Reimer, Canada 3. Scoot Smith, Canada 4. Joel Putrah, United States 5. James Kelly, United States 6. Patrick Switzer, Canada
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BY MARCUS RIETEMA
REIMER DOMINATES THE WORLDS
A
fter winning most of the spring Canadian races and then dominating the Maryhill Festival of Speed, where only a rare mistake in the finals kept him from the win, Kevin Reimer came into the Almabtrieb IGSA World Championships with confidence. The race was held July 14-17 in Hungerszell, Germany.
Reimer, Switzer, Lundberg and Shapiera braking heavily in the final. Photo: Pierre Gamby
Reimer took the first step toward becoming the first back-to-back IGSA Downhill Skateboarding World Champion since Martin Siegrist with a dominating performance in the first run of qualifying. He turned in a scorching run to record a time of 2:48.894 on the 3.5 km (2.2 mi) course. His time was more than two seconds faster than James Kelly, who was second. In the second qualifying run, Reimer continued his domination by lowering his own track record with a time of 2:47.838. His run left everyone in attendance astonished. Douglas “Dalua� da Silva moved into second with a 2:49.093. Patrick Switzer qualified third with a 2:49.469, James Kelly was fourth with a 2:50.906 and Jackson Shapiera rounded out the top five with a 2:51.906. By qualifying more than two seconds faster than Dalua, Reimer went into the finals as the clear favorite.
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Christoph Batt and Scoot race to the line in the consolation final. Photo: Liz Kinnish
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Brianne Davies mixed it up with the men in Open and won her third Women’s World Championship in a row. Photo: Matthias Lang
As Saturday’s race got under way, nearly all the top-seeded riders made it through to the quarterfinal round. That was when we began to see the first upsets. Reigning World Cup Series Champion Mischo Erban crashed out in his quarterfinal matchup against Jackson Shapiera, James Kelly and Ali Nas from Norway. Louis Pilloni also crashed out in his quarterfinal match against Erik Lundberg, Dalua and Alex Dietz. Number six qualifier Ramón Königshausen was eliminated in the quarters against Patrick Switzer, Scoot Smith and Spencer Smith. The first semifinal pitted Reimer against Kelly, Shapiera and Christoph Batt. The second featured Switzer, Silva, Lundberg and Scoot Smith. Reimer won his heat easily with Kelly, Shapiera and Batt battling for second. As they crossed the line it was Shapiera getting the transfer spot into the final. Kelly was third and
Batt fourth. The second heat had the big upset with number two qualifier Dalua crashing and finishing fourth. Switzer won the heat and Lundberg was second to complete the matchups for the final. 2008 World Champion Smith was third. The consolation final was run first to determine fifth through eighth places. Batt pulled off the surprise victory, with Scoot finishing second, Silva third and Kelly fourth. The big rider from Switzerland has been steadily improving over the past two seasons and definitely proved himself by beating three of the world’s top racers in the Consi. Reimer was simply in a race of his own all weekend. In the final, Reimer, Shapiera, Switzer and Lundberg lined up. They were all close together down most of the course. As the four riders came to the end of the long straight, it was an amazing sight to see the four of them
less than two meters apart from first to fourth at 100 km/h! As they braked for Risch Corner, Reimer was in the lead, Switzer second, Shapiera third and Lundberg fourth. At this point Reimer braked less and was able to carry more speed through the corner. He took off like a rocket and left the other three riders battling for second. Shapiera dove inside of Switzer and moved to second. As they came to the line it was Reimer way out in front by about 10 meters. Shapiera, Switzer and Lundberg had a great battle to the line with Shapiera taking second and Switzer third. Kevin Reimer is without a doubt the most dominant downhill skateboarder in the world today. He finished second at Maryhill despite putting a wheel off and fishtailing down the The 2010 World Championship podium. Photo: Marcus Rietema
course in that final. Had he not made that mistake, he most likely would have been victorious there as well. At the Almabtrieb World Championships he literally left all of his rivals racing for second.
Almabtrieb World Championships Open Downhill Skateboarding Final Results
Reimer leads Shapiera and Switzer going into Risch Corner in the final. Photo: Pierre Gamby
1. Kevin Reimer, Canada 2. Jackson Shapiera, Australia 3. Patrick Switzer, Canada 4. Erik Lundberg, Sweden 5. Christoph Batt, Switzerland 6. Scoot Smith, Canada
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SKATEBOARD SHOPS LIST ARIZONA Sidewalk Surfer 2602 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale 480.994.1017 admin@sidewalksurfer.com • www.sidewalksurfer.com CALIFORNIA IFYI Inc 1083 Bedmar Street Carson Board Gallery 3333 Newport Boulevard Newport Beach 714.902.3769 Cellular Skate 6787 Carnelian Street Alta Loma 909.941.1004 Mike McGills Skate Shop 335 First Street Suite #S Encinitas 760.943.7730 Mike’s Bike Shop 5507 West Pico Blvd. Los Angeles 323.935.4338 Viva Skateboards 1709 Howard Road Madera 559.664.8997 Bill’s Wheels Skateshop 1240 Soquel Avenue Santa Cruz 831.469.0904 Purple Skunk Purpleskunk.com 5820 Geary Blvd. San Francisco 415.668.7905 CCMF/Toyland 1260 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 805-801-6653 ccmfjay@yahoo.com The Trading Post 622 Upham Street San Luis Obispo 805.801.6653 ccmfjay@yahoo.com Sonoma Old School Skate and Surf 1001 Broadway Sonoma 707.938.5500 skatesos.com Cellular Skate 287 Mountain Ave Upland Tel: 909.981.8856 cellskate@verizon.net Maui and Sons 1415 Ocean Front Walk Venice Beach mauiandsons.com COLORADO All Board Sports 1750 30th Street Boulder 303.415.1600 Diabolical Boardshop 4255 S.Broadway, Englewood CONNECTICUT Skate Pusher 57 McIntosh Drive Bristol 860.593.4550 Skate Valencia 68 Leonard Street, Bristol 203.524.4675 GEORGIA Feral 190 Park Avenue, Athens 706.369.1084 Skate Madness 13800 Hwy. 9 N., Ste. D 145 Alpharetta 770.410.3456 skatemadness.com Woody’s Halfpipe 6135 Peachtree Parkway Suite # 603 Norcross LOUSIANA Board Lords Mall of Louisiana, 6401 Bluebonnet Blvd. Suite # 2044, Baton Rouge, 225.769.1222 MASSACHUSETTS Boardroom 6 Armory Street Northhampton 413.586.8857 MICHIGAN Ollies Skate Shop 120 ½ E Maumee Adrian 517.265.2031
96 CONCRETE WAVE FALL 2010
Want to know where to find Concrete Wave Magazine? Would you like to find all the amazing skate gear you see in these pages? Look no further than our shop list. If you’d like to have your shop listed here, it’s easy. Simply send a check for $115 to Indaba Group PO Box 1895 Carlsbad California 92018 or pay pal tailtapinfo@yahoo.com, ph: 760-722-4111. You’ll get 10 copies of 5 issues mailed out along with this complete listing. For international rates, please email us. Yes, shipping is included. If you think your local shop or park should be carrying Concrete Wave, email mbrooke@interlog.com. MINNESOTA Old School Skaters 1119 NW 2nd Street Faribault 612.578.3326 www.oldschoolskaters.net MISSOURI Genesis Skateboarding 13 NW Barry Rd. #147 Kansas City 816.456.1307 genesisskateboarding.com MONTANA Wheaton’s 214 1st Avenue West Kalispell 406.257.5808 wheatonscycle.com BlackTop Surfshop 176 5th Avenue West North Kalispell 406-752-6006 NEW JERSEY Black Diamond Skatepark 400 Route 38 Unit 1610 Moorestown NEW MEXICO Koa Nalu Surf Shop 8254 Menaul Blvd NE Albuquerque 505-332-SURF koanalu.com Timeship Raicing 825 Early Street Suite H Sante Fe 505.474.0074 timeshipracing.com NORTH CAROLINA Soul Ride Skatepark 6049 Victory Lane Concord 704.454.7433 soulrideskates.com We’re Board Inc Skatepark and Shop 1423 North Church Street, Ste 104 Burlington NC 27217 OHIO Old Skool Skateboards 19E College Avenue, Westerville roxtar55@hotmail.com OREGON The Uprise 1110 NW Van Buren Ave, Corvallis 541.754.4257 541.480.4254 thelongboardstore.com The Longboard Store 1238 SW Wheeler Place Bend 541.480.4254 thelongboardstore.com Daddies Board Shop 7126 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland 503.281.5123 daddiesboardshop.com Gorge Performance 7400 Southwest Macadam Avenue Portland 503.246.6646 The Mountain Shop 628 NE Broadway Portland Rip City Skate 1510 NE 37th Ave. Portland PENNSYLVANIA Rayzor Tattoos 4 South Front Street Steeltown RHODE ISLAND Seven.Ply 3 Canal Street Westerly 401.348.0656 TENNESSEE Planet Sk8 7024 East Church Street Suite 2 Brentwood 615.377.1947 Sk8sations Skate Shop 3032 N.John B.Dennis Hwy. Kingsport 423.245.0994 tbec@charter.net VIRGINIA EastCoast Boardco. 10358 Fairfax Blvd. Fairfax 703.352.4600 x:8 213 25th Street Va Beach Black Cat Skateshop 1325 A West Main Street, Charlottesville 434.244.0014
WASHINGTON Gravity Sports 126 Rainier Ave South Renton 425.255.1874 Mountain Goat Outfitters 12 W. Sprague Avenue Spokane Motion Boardshop 17230 Bothell Way NE Lake Forest Park 206.372.5268 motionboardshop.com ALBERTA Avenue Skateparks 9030.118 Avenue NW Edmonton 780.477.2149 Easy Rider 4211.106 St., #153 Edmonton 780.413.4554 Pipeline Surf Co 780.421.1575 Comasports 10B-200 Barclay Parade SW 403.233.8841 powerinmotion.ca BRITISH COLUMBIA Area 51 191 Station Street Duncan 250.746.8869 a51.ca Raven Skate Shop 411 Campbell Street Tofino 250.725.1280 ravenskateshop.ca Salton Rides Saltfall Island, BC 250.537.4984 saltonskate@canada.com Switchback Longboards 4385B Boban Dr. Nanaimo 250.751. 7625 ONTARIO Hammer Skate Shop 2225 Queen Street East Toronto, 416.698.0005 Hogtown 401 King Street West, Toronto 416.598.4192 McPhails 98 King Street North, Waterloo 519.886.4340 QUEBEC DLX/Deluxe 2480, chemin Ste.Foy Ste.Foy 418.653.0783 dlxdeluxe.com OVERSEAS New Zealand — Serenity Island Surf & Skate Café 202a Wainui road Gisborne serenityisland@windowslive.com serenityisland.com Boardshop Australia boardshop.com.au 04 15883371 friendlyfolks@boardshop.com.au Cre8ive Sk8 5/244 Ross river Road Aitkenvale Queensland 4814 Australia UK — Octanesport.com Skateboardsofchoice.co.uk Bath, United Kingdom. Tel: + 44 1249 715811 Germany — seasondistribution.com, concretewave.de Hackbrett Longskates Im Wechselfeld 12 St. Peter Hack@customlongskates.com Longboarders.de Gustavstrasse 49 90762 Furth longboarders.de kontakt@longboarders.de Tel: 0911 9772500 France: Hawaiisurf.com
Clover Skateboard shop 1-21-3-1201 Befu Jyounan Fukuoka 8140104 Japan Y & T Fussa Fussa 2348 Fussa Fussa.City,Tokyo 1970011 Ultimate Boards 3/1043 Great North Road Point Chevalier, Auckland 1022. New Zealand ultimateboards.co.nz Skate of the Nation Unit 6 GYY building # 1 Tomas Morato 1100 Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines www.Skateofthenation.com Netherlands Sickboards Fuutlan 45 Delft sickboards@yahoo.com Soul dh Alameda Picaflores 245 San Borja Lima 41 Peru Indiana Sports GmbH Elbestrasse 14 Wald, 8636 Switzerland Contact: Christof Peller Clover Skateboard Shop 1-21-3-1201 Befu Jyounan Fukuoka 8140104 Japan Skate of the Nation Unit 6 GYY building # 1 Tomas Morato, 1100 Quezon City Metro Manila, Philippines; www.Skateofthenation.com Bestboards 24 Danao Street Rivera Village Bajada Davao City Philippines ON.LINE RETAILERS Allboardsports.com Blackholeboards.com Bordz.net CascadiaLongboards.com Coldwarskateboards.com Daddiesboardshop.com Denverskateshop.com Edsbearings.com (pleasure tools) Ffashop.com Fuegolongboards.com Genesisskateboarding.com Longboardskater.com Latterdayskates.com Longboardshop.de Longboardstore.com Longboardskater.com Milehighskates.com Motionboardshop.com Oldschoolskates.net Pressuredroplongboards.com Roadkillskates.com Sk8supply.com Socalskateshop.com Solidskate.com TACTISSK8.COM Tailtap.com VSLboardshop.com
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concretewavemagazine.com Vol. 9 No. 2 • FALL 2010
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FALL 2010 Vol.9 No.2