Concrete Wave Holidays 2010 by MarkintoshDesign

BROADWAY BOMB GOES OFF IN NYC

OVER 550 LONGBOARDERS TAKE TO THE STREETS

THE YUPPIE FAMILY SLIDE UK TOUR TRAVELS IN MORROCO AND NORWAY Vol.9 No.3 HOLIDAYS 2010

Canada Post Publication Agreement number 40671108

$4.95

CONTENTS >>

REMEMBERING HOWARD GORDON

"HOW WE ROLL" EXHIBIT

DEPARTMENTS

68 THE BROADWAY BOMB What's it like to skate in Manhattan with 550+ skaters? Insanity!

50 THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT SAFETY CLINICS

60 TORONTO BOARD

50 NORWAY TO FRANCE 56 YUPPIE

MEETING

76 THE MOROCCAN

FAMILY SLIDE UK TOUR

SKATE PARADE

The Brazilians are coming! The Yuppie Family slides into the UK.

MAD FOR MINIS

SLOPE OF DEATH

Verne Troyer. Photo: ©Scott Harrison/Corbis

EDITORIAL

LETTERS

NOTEWORTHY

RIDER PROFILE: MARISA NUÑEZ

THE 'FISH REPORT

TECH TALK

VOICE OF DISSENT

FREESTYLE: 2010 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

VANS WARPED TOUR MEMORIES

CW EXCLUSIVE: SURF RODZ INTRODUCE INDEESZ

ASK BIKER

STYLE SESSIONS

IGSA REPORT

SLALOM REPORT CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

18 CONCRETE WAVE HOLIDAYS 2010

Vol. 9 No. 3 HOLIDAYS 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

Jon Huey | Dan Bourqui

IGSA WORLD CUP EDITOR

Marcus Rietema

SLALOM/FREESTYLE EDITORS

Richy and Maria Carrasco

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS CORRESPONDENTS LATIN AMERICA, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL AUSTRALIA I.T. DEPT. HEAD

Erik Basil Malakai Kingston Jim Kuiack 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): Brett Beyer, Jonathan Nuss, Pablo Castro, Keith Smith, Michael Early, Gonçalo Rodrigues, Ines Sanches, Miguel Pereira, Alec Brown, Diane Sierra, Marco Perez, Marlise Kast, Michele Barilla, Nikolas Adam, Dan Gesmer, Ron Bez, Farid A. Abraham, Troy Churchill, Kilwag, Pep Williams, Jeffrey Wilkins, Rob Hanson, Zoltan Nagy, Mark Short, Will Edgecombe, Mischa Chandler, AJ Kohn, Com, Biker Sherlock, Mitchell Moshenberg, Travis Davenport, Adam Crigler, Jared I. Greene, Scott Harrison, Shin Shikuma, Nana Studio, Aaron “Issues” Enevoldsen, Guto Jimenez, Jeff Gaites, Francois Portmann, Pierre Gamby, Bob Ozman, Liz Kinnish, Komakino, Sven von Schlachta, Alex Frischauf, Miroslav Bartoš, Gustavs Gailitis, Pavel Pešek and Maria Carrasco. A special thanks all our friends in NYC and Nobi.

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 1: Travis Davenport leads the charge at the 2010 Broadway Bomb in NYC. Photo: Brett Beyer COVER 2: Yonge Street gets overtaken by 450+ skaters at Toronto’s Board Meeting, September 2010. Photo: Jonathan Nuss OPENING SPREAD Adam Colton skating in the shadows. Photo: Pablo Castro Distributed by ph: 416.754.3900 f: 416.754.4900 ISSN 1708-3338 Canada Post Publication. Agreement number 40671108 WELCOME TO THE FINE PRINT: As we approach the end of another year, I feel it’s the right time to express where I think we’re going. When I write “where we are going,” I am referring not only to Concrete Wave, but to skateboarding overall. Of course, depending on where you’re situated, this year might have gone down as a pretty lousy year. A lot of shops and skate companies have found 2010 to be tremendously difficult. Others, I sense, have quite a different opinion. For many, this year will go down as the year when things really started to take shape. Revenues increased, customers increased and the number of longboarders grew. A sense of “Wow, this thing is exploding!” could be heard from many people’s mouths. In fact, we’ll probably look back on 2010 as we do 1990. Twenty years ago, skateboarding shifted from vert to street skating. While vert had a pretty tight grip for a number of years, over time, skaters voted with their feet and their wallets, and by 1991, things were on a whole new course. Once street skating was fused with fashion, the big money rolled in and lifestyle brands began to dominate. It’s been like this for almost 20 years, and that part of skateboarding still dominates. But if you’re reading this, you know there are new movements afoot. Downhill, sliding, long-distance skating, enormous group rides and a huge amount of seriously great product are all combining to create something special within skateboarding. So, if you’re part of this, know that you’ve found a home here at Concrete Wave. The tribe has spoken, and we hear you! I’ve spent more than 15 years preparing for this, and my intention is keep you stoked. We’re going to be doing some slight renovations to CW in the coming months. These changes reflect the new reality that is at the heart of skateboarding. The future is bright and filled with a huge amount of untapped energy. But then again, if you’ve been following the progression of this magazine, you probably already knew that!

HOLIDAYS 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 19

Sometimes life has a bit of give and take. That may be okay for some things, but that’s not the case when it comes to our wheels. We want them to give and give ‘til they wear to the hub, without any loss of performance. That’s why we introduce the latest in our family of lipped race wheels - The 72mm. It features more e me meat at in the middle ffor or be better t er rrebound tt ebound and ffaster aster tch with a sharp acceleration out o off turns, a wider ccontact ontact pa patch sharp,, to allo w the wheel to to conform conform tto o the ﬂexible outerr and inner lip to allow imum ggrip rip and pr edictable drifts. drifts. Improve Improve your your road for maximum predictable riding and tryy some today. today.

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EDITORIAL >>

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elf I found mys s ago when ar ye x si or ct lle aIt was five of those co nto at one ro To n all ow in downt es that have know, the on u yo g — in s lin orabilia bles shop d movie mem an s e rd ar ca s ts the spor gum card the bubble of t os M de . si ls in cked their wal but neatly tu or baseball, cards from rd for hockey oa set of skateb a as w was se a glass ca e whole set ice to buy th pr e th le it hi d was 1977. W ickly decide ibitive, I qu oh pr t careha somew ok the box, stment. I to ve in le d at hi le w a worth s and marve a few pack up ed ptly en om fully op s. I then pr in my hand ld he I was y it or the hist ay, deciding le thing aw ho w s of e th on si packed t. I had vi to leave ou ile ag fr kers ic o st to much putting the box and g in ck ta at my kids house. going around the is year I was ember of th pt Se te by te ui la Q In my office. cleanup of or aj the m a d h ne throug that contai ed the box en as op w I , It . nt accide d at my find as overjoye w ,I d ct fa an rs In sticke er again. them all ov g a in e er uc ov sc od pr like di cided to re d that I de e se ar ea rs pl ke so ic was ugh these st here. Altho ill w em ey th th of few s old, I know three decade rations. more than om all gene ith skaters fr w te na buried so still re unearthing e beauty of th ’s s. at er th at And ith fellow sk sharing it w d have an re ho w su trea y of you ere are man th disre d su an am I t or garage ur basemen yo Or . nd re ou su ar ea dug skate tr own buried a ur yo om fr d re ll cove phone ca ve had that d u’ an yo s rd ap oa perh ss a skateb umbles acro t st n’ ho do w e as nd le frie ything.” (P ’s worth an e it f at “i sk t rs ou de w won nts who thro of ted on pare f ar uf st st e e m t th ge ize. This is they downs occasional material as only by the , mitigated es ar tm gh ni le.) a garage sa e treasures killer find at ore the skat pl ex to u yo r e I encourag you just neve your house; in d rie bu find somethat might be er. If you do you’ll discov t ha w t us know. ow le kn e sure you ak m y, ar in rd sue! thing extrao Enjoy the is ke, Michael Broo Publisher

24 CONCRETE WAVE HOLIDAYS 2010

LETTERS >> SIMPLY STOKED Having come back to skateboarding in the last two years, after a 25-or-so-year hiatus, one thing that really got my attention on my return was the word “Stoked.” Although I’d never heard this word used in the context of skating before, I did understand its flavour. It just felt so good to be on a skateboard again, as well as being so impressed with the ever-improved and diversified products available, including CW magazine! So it’s been interesting to read in the last few issues the articles and letters probing the spiritual aspect of skateboarding. For me the word stoked just sums it up, and seems to be the skateboarder’s translation of the word “inspired,” a word which automatically has mystical overtones. Depending on the source, its definitions go along the lines of “the idea of motion, direction, or inclination into or to a place or a thing” or “to instill [something] in the heart or in the mind of someone” or even “aroused or guided by or as if aroused or guided by divine inspiration.” Skating again has brought back many memories, including that when I was a kid, riding home-made ramps and obstacles at home and at friends’ places was real fun; but the best bit for me was the getting to and from those places. My big board, 70mm soft wheels and loose trucks never enabled me to do the kind of tricks some of my friends were doing (OK, yeah, I sucked!) but were perfect for the cruise home, the part where I really felt the freedom when alone, and the togetherness when with friends. The boards I have now are even better; I can’t express just how good they are, and how great it is to be part of a sport which is ever more inclusive. Two years on and I’m still just so inspired, and so STOKED! Matthew Clark Cardiff, Wales, U.K.

INNER SKATER REVIVAL Growing up, I’ve always been a lot more into “boy” things than most other girls. Back in 2007 I decided I wanted to start skating. My dad bought me a board from the local department store and a copy of Concrete Wave. When I began looking at the pictures of the longboards I became deeply unsatisfied with my crappy board, so being a 10-year-old, I quit. Then recently when I was clearing out my bedroom I found that Spring 2007 copy of your mag. Once again I fell in love with the longboards. Three weeks later I went out and bought a Sector 9 board. Now, almost every weekend my dad is taking me to the local park, and what can I say? I love it! I’d just like to give a big thanks to all the Concrete Wave crew for reviving my inner skater! Soph. B.

28 CONCRETE WAVE HOLIDAYS 2010

REAPING WHAT YOU SOW I just read the Letter of the Month, “Communities vs. Cliques,” in the recent Summer 2010 issue. I have to agree with Bill. The “Locals Only” attitude is weak and lame. That was one of the biggest complaints I heard about the “other” shop here in town. The kids that worked there were complete a**holes to tourists and more local people than I care to mention. They were very snobbish and wouldn’t even get off their ass Eric Hovey leads the pack while engaging in some quality reading at Maryhill. the help the customer. I even heard stories about Photo: Keith Smith how they [would] tell people to “come back when you’re gonna buy something.” Maybe that’s why they went out of business? I have a totally different outlook here at DETHBOX Board Supply. I have no employees, so the customer deals directly with me. I have been skating since clay wheels, and I am very happy to share the stoke of skating with anyone willing to listen. I take the time to explain to the mom why the bearings went bad and what we can do about it – sales and after-sales service you can’t get from the mall or Internet. I get lots of young kids looking to start skating and lots of out-of-towners coming into my shop for the first time. I welcome each and every customer that walks through my door and thank them just for coming in and looking. As for the mall stores, I tell the customers that the mall stores do not support skating or snowboarding directly by hosting any contests or events and that it’s the “core shops” that do all the supporting in the communities. We host various events from skate comps to rail jams, and directly support the local community by hosting the big skate comp at our local park. The mall stores may have a better selection of clothes, but they will never have the selection a core shop will have of skate product. The owners of core shops are skaters themselves and know the best product out there. I also try to support “skater owned” companies and will never sell blank or even “shop” decks. So, if you want to see your local shop stick around and continue to support the community, then you need to support your local shop. The ones with the bad attitude will not last. You can’t treat your customers like that. I truly enjoy Concrete Wave magazine and use it every day to see what is new in the industry. I have been a loyal and faithful reader of Thrasher for over 20 years, but I really appreciate what CW offers in the way of covering every aspect of skateboarding. Matt Splat Owner, DETHBOX Board Supply Sandpoint, Idaho

ANOTHER CONVERT - Letter of the month I am 33 and have been skating for 24 years. I had never heard of the term “push culture” till I saw it in your mag. I guess I’ve been into push culture for like six years now and did not even know it. I live in Houston, Texas, where cars are part of everyone’s life, unlike in NYC and places like that. I ride my old school Bill Tocco with Toxic Secret wheels everywhere I go. I don’t even have a driver’s license! I am a street skater, but I put my trick board in my backpack and ride my Tocco to the park or downtown, then switch when I get there. I am one of the few street skaters I know that respects longboarders and racers and stuff. I figure if you are on a skateboard (of any kind) that you run the same chance of getting hassled by police and security guards as I do. So really we are all the same. We just have different ways of going about it. I wanted to get a longboard but just can’t afford one. I recently e-mailed a few longboard companies asking questions about what to look for when getting a used longboard, and every single one of them responded super quick, with really good answers [despite] knowing they were not getting cash from me. It was super cool because most “trick” board companies don’t respond even if you are spending money with them. You are lucky to ever hear back from them at all. Anyway, I love your mag. It was the first issue I had ever gotten, since I mostly read the trick skate mags. But I am going to get a subscription now. If this letter gets printed, and you longboarders are reading this, know you got a street skater in Texas that is going to start getting the guys in the street to respect you more. Keep it up, and remember: HESH NOT FRESH!!! Mikey “Chickenhawk” Seibert Houston, Texas

Letter of the month receives a prize pack from Original Skateboards CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

NOTEWORTHY >> PRODUCTS, PEOPLE, EVENTS FIREBALL

Fireball is a company run by skaters, delivering top-notch gear made in the USA. The Beast was the first product, launched in November 2009. This 76mm wheel was designed for all-around shredding. After much testing, Fireball developed the Incendo. The Incendo offers the ideal balance of slide and grip in a 70mm format. Also well in the works is an innovative centerset freeride wheel, the initial spark for starting Fireball. fireballwheels.com METRO

EARTHWING

Road Rage wheels have been in the Earthwing lineup for a few years now, providing a great engine for Superglider fans worldwide. Superballs took it a step further with this new slalom-inspired mold. There are multiple duros and sizes in the same magnificent “Inthane” formula found in the Floaters and Wildchild wheels. These are quick on the push, great for pumping, have excellent deep carving traction and rebound faster through vibrations like riding on glass. earthwingskates.com BONES WHEELS Bones Wheels proudly introduces a new line of Pro Filmer wheels. These soft 80A durometer ATF (All-Terrain Formula) wheels will keep you rolling fast and silky smooth while filming sponsorme tapes, archiving your own moves or just riding down to the local store for some refreshments. boneswheels.com ATOBE

Designed, tested and manufactured in Southern California, Metro Wheel Co. is now proud to offer these wheels to the public. The Metro Retro wheel, with its classic shape and 78A durometer is rapidly becoming the choice of wheel for those skaters seeking speed, performance, durability and classic looks. The Metro Motion wheel is designed for freeride and DH slide. With its taller 70mm height, slightly harder 80A durometer and sanded riding surface, there is virtually no break-in period. Predictability, speed, maneuverability and clean looks are what you get with the new Metro Motion wheel. tailtap.com

30 CONCRETE WAVE HOLIDAYS 2010

them on the “have to have” list for all LDPers and LDS skaters around the world. The bright colors are hand mixed and work like reflectors on your bike! atobelongboards.com VENOM There are a number of new developments from the folks at Venom. First up are the new Venom Cannibal wheels. Designed by Zak Maytum, the wheels are 72mm tall with a slightly beveled outer lip and a thick, sharp inner lip for maximum traction, efficient and predictable slides and unparalleled durability. Also new is the 2011 Madrid Zak Maytum pro model. It has new graphics, an all-new composite construction and a redesigned shape to eliminate wheelbite. Finally, we have the Venom Sicktail Kit. When it comes to riding a longboard, early grabs are both more difficult and more dangerous than ollies; but most downhill boards suffer from an unfortunate lack of usable kicktails. Enter the Venom Sicktail kit. Available for topmount and drop-through boards, the sicktail is a mellow 7-ply kicktail that comes with longer mounting hardware, grip tape and drywall screws for extra reinforcement. fullcircledistribution.com or venombushings.com

inherently stable truck capable of extreme turnability. The new design allows for a “programmable” relationship between deck tip and change in turning radius through easily changed cam shapes. The trucks are highly customizable and feature a 6005A aluminum alloy base and 10mm 4130 chrome-moly steel axle. otherplanetproducts.com SECTOR 9

Sector 9 Skateboards is proud to release two new boards to the lineup specifically designed for freeriding. Introducing the Super Shaka and Carbon Decline. The Super Shaka features .625’’ of rocker with a symmetrical platform for all your switch needs. Don’t forget to utilize the upturned nose and tail. Next is the Carbon Decline, featuring a .625’’ dropped platform to lock your feet in on slides so you can steez it out how you like. sector9.com LOST

PREDATOR TRUCKS

Pusher Alert! Atobe has shifted gears into wheels! The brand new Atobe Bonneville 76mm 78A wheels are made in Southern California from the absolute best urethane money can buy. Every Bonneville is precision cast for the roundest and truest wheels, putting

Other Planet Products introduce their Predator trucks, which replace the kingpin with a rolling cam to provide an

These two decks are a sampling of the surfinspired ride that takes skateboarding back to its roots. They are a direct extension of Lost’s surfboard collection, each with a different look, feel and ride, to capture the stoke you get from riding a Lost surfboard and bring it to the streets. lostinternational.net

CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM

SIMS Sims is back, featuring revamped modern versions of the classic line using modern techniques and construction. Designed to be as true to the original Sims line as possible, the new line is the result of hours of design, input and shaping by some of the most respected names in the skate industry. Featuring classic longboards like the Pure Juice and the Taperkick, and signature models from Hosoi, Nash and Folmer, the new Sims are a must-have for any collector or skater. selectsk8.com SK8KINGS Sk8Kings’ newest additions to their already legendary pro deck lineup are the welldeserved Kilian Martin models. Hailing from Spain, the winner of the 2010 Paderborn World Cup and YouTube video hero, Kilian has the skills to bridge the gap between flatland freestyle and street skating. Available now in two sizes: symmetrical freestyle (7.25” x 28.25”, WB 12.625”) and street (7.9” x 31.25”). sk8kings.com

tail. As a result, they prototyped the shape alongside several more traditional mini designs and, lo and behold, the 32” Maestro Mini surprised everyone. What people seem to love most of all is the feeling of being so low on a mini-style board, allowing for real speed and predictable responsiveness. bustinboards.com

VIXEN Vixen began as a way to familiarize women with boarding sports. Each element of a Vixen board is designed to cater to women and their riding styles. They are dedicated to empowering the next generation of girls, who are not afraid to take our boards for a spin. vixenboarding.com DREGS

MIRAMAR Miramar proudly welcomes Chino, California’s Ben Cortez to our skate team. Ben entered this family with a gleaming smile and sick street skills. Miramar is also working with the infamous underground skateboard artist Kray to design four new street decks to be released this January. The company has expanded its Northern California operations to better serve the Bay Area as well as Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. Miramar’s new HQ is nestled amongst the redwoods where creativity is endless and Sasquatch sightings are welcomed. miramarskateboards.com

From the mind of Biker Sherlock comes a new series of freeride, slide and downhill boards. These new Dregs boards utilize their eco-friendly fiberweave technology. dregsskateboards.com

LOADED

GRANDPA

get quality, inexpensive products to his family of skaters, the pensive concept of Phat WheelZ became a reality. They have since manufactured the first all-rubber high-durometer Phat SoulZ brake soles and the first Venom Bushing Truck Tune Up Kits. phatdeanz.com JATI New to Atlantabased Jati Boards are Kato and Gojira. Kato is a compact cruiser made of 8-ply maple with a low drop-through with nose and tail kicks. The Gojira is an amped version of their Ninjati’s aggressive W concave but with a drop-through that creates a lower and more stable ride, plus a layer of Arborite that makes it their strongest board yet. jatiboards.com GLOBE/NEFF

BUSTIN

Bustin Boards and Rat-Rod NYC proudly present the Boca Rat-Rod V1 “Sprinter” wheel. The brainchild of former Broadway Bomb winner and Push Culture pioneer Theseus Williams, the Boca Rat-Rod collection was born on the streets – literally! The wheel is designed to minimize contactpatch friction while maintaining speed and grip. The simple split-tread design came to light after testing dozens of more complex tread patterns and represents the simplicity of improved function. Look for more variations and ride-specific designs coming soon. When Bustin first started concepts for the shape, some of the crew thought the idea for a mini Maestro was fundamentally flawed due to its drop-through design and the length of its dual nose and

The Loaded crew is molting with excitement to present the Bhangra. A more compact dancing/freestyle deck, the Bhangra offers plenty of foot space to get your groove on yet is compact and lightweight enough to facilitate steezy slides and advanced flatland tricks. Upturned nose and tail kicks, purposeful grip tape patterns, rocker, mellow concave and damp flex (created in part by the use of epoxy bio-resin and cork) result in comfortable and functional ergonomics that inspire confidence on the dance floor. loadedboards.com

Miami-based Grandpa Longboards presents the Reign Series, two compelling options for the freestyle longboarding rider. The King 38” and the Dynasty 45”, designed with a concave body and kicktail, provide a well-built longboard capable of withstanding various terrain types. Additionally, the tops of these decks are coated with a patented clear sand grip for added traction and control. grandpalongboards.com PHAT DEANZ

Phat DeanZ grew from the Phat Man himself, Dean Keller, manually manufacturing slide pucks in his garage in early 2009. With positive feedback from the community, and the Phat Man eager to

Globe has been putting a huge amount of emphasis on the longboard/cruiser market. They recently teamed up with Neff Headgear and the results was this intriguing, artistic cruiser. globe.tv ROAROCKIT To support independent board builders, Roarockit has created a new resource site called the Ministry of Wood. Listed are both longboard and street deck builders, plus schools and groups where skateboard-building programs are offered. Each month, a builder is featured with an in-depth article about them and the boards they build. roarockit.wordpress.com

HOLIDAYS 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 31

NOTEWORTHY >> PRODUCTS, PEOPLE, EVENTS LUSH

Lush Longboards has just released the latest evolution of the Samba carve and freeride setup from their UK workshops. The Samba has been around for ages as a carvy/turny/slidey setup – but the Lush boys thought it was time for a bit of a change to reflect all the freeridey-style riding that’s been going on this summer. Major changes and tweaks include a refined shape and a wider tail. There are also significantly deeper concave and sharp top rails for extra grip and control during standup slides. lushlongboards.com TUTONE

TuTone skateboards is an East Coastbased company run by Anton Milioti. Our boards are simple, but they get the job done better than most! The latest shape is the Tagilo, a one-stop-shop shredder for all your downhill needs – the ultimate board for getting technical! Made in America and less than 100 bucks! Dropping in late November, and a mini to follow soon after. Are you ready to embrace the sideways? tutoneskateboards.com MYTH BOARDS Myth Boards specializes in fully customized longboards. They will custom build your dream board to your specifications, including materials, measurements, graphics and components. They also have a diverse line of boards including drop decks, drop-throughs, pintails, aluminum and carbon fiber. They can digitally print anything on the top and/or bottom of your board, including custom-printed grip tape. mythboards.com

32 CONCRETE WAVE HOLIDAYS 2010

FALTOWN The folks at Faltown have teamed up with the environmental NGO Surfers Against Sewage and are now making recycled longboards (dropped and wedged) Twenty percent of all the profits go to cleaning up all their local beaches. faltownskateboards.com SURFSKATE The SurfSkate features patented front trucks with a 360° rotating axis, allowing for full movement of the board, so you can pump and carve just like you would on a wave. The SurfSkate is great for everything from getting around town to downhill racing to technical riding. Join the revolution. surfskaterevolution.com KHIRO Khiro is gearing up to add a new bushing to its line, a Low Profile Bushing that will work with most low-profile trucks. They will be produced out of the 100% high quality performance urethane that Khiro uses on its other line of bushings and will come in three hardnesses: Red (Med. Soft) 90A, Blue (Hard) 95A and green (Extra Hard) 98A. khiroskateboardproducts.com

can be used with any existing slide glove. We also offer decks for downhill skateboarding and are introducing our 9-ply maple deck, featuring integrated wheel wells and adjustable wheelbase. A rear drop-through that accepts an adjustable Surf-Rodz baseplate (0° to 60°) is optional. The deck comes with a greatlooking and protective bottom surface finish. speedmechanics.net SKATEHOUSEMEDIA.COM SkateHouseMedia is here to give you an inside look into the heart of the downhill community in Southern California. The members of this house full of skaters (Max Dubler, James Kelly, Matt Kienzle, Brian Peck and Louis Pilloni) are all actively involved in the downhill community. SkateHouse Media was created to document the scene and the characters involved. With good weather year round and visitors constantly coming through, the skating is constantly progressing on some of the best downhill terrain anywhere. They’ll keep you covered with scene updates, raw runs, guest stars and more, capturing the skating with a little bit of lifestyle. skatehousemedia.com PREDATOR HELMETS

MOONPUCKS The winner of the recent Moonpuck ad contest is TinTin from Ontariolongboarding.com! Moonpucks is a very small Ontariobased company that specializes in slide pucks and outrageous product claims. Moonpucks tell us they like to have fun and challenge the current marketing standards of the industry. We here at CW just censor their photos! moonpucks.com LONGBOARD LIVING

Congrats to Ryan Rubin of Longboard Living, who has enjoyed a very successful first season as Toronto’s only 100% longboard shop. Pictured to Ryan’s left is customer Max Zwarenstein. Photo: Mitchell Moshenberg ERBAN BREAKS DOWNHILL SPEED RECORD

SPEED MECHANICS

The newest creation from Speed Mechanics is a new breed of slide pucks. Our Slide Tools are high-quality slide pucks with an integrated skate tool. If you use our Slide Tools you don’t have to carry around a bulky tool to adjust your trucks. The pucks come in a variety of shapes and sizes and

The Predator DH-6 is the first-ever production downhill skateboard helmet, and It addresses the specific needs that riders and racers have been wanting. The fiberglass shell has ¾” of EPS foam, a carbon fiber-reinforced chin guard and a large visibility window. It comes with two visors (one clear and one tinted) and a fit kit of pads to get a proper fit, including two sizes of cheek pads, which can accommodate sizes XS-LG. Also included is a high-quality carrying bag for traveling. Distributed in the USA by Timeship Racing (timeshipracing.com) and in Canada by Switchback Longboards (switchbacklongboards.com).

Mischo Erban shattered his own IGSA Downhill Skateboarding World Record on September 30, 2010 when he reached a speed of 130.08 km/h (80.83 mph) at a secret location in Colorado. Erban’s record was set entirely using gravity, with no motorized assistance. “Honestly, we never thought we would hit 130 km/h,” said Erban. “It was an exploratory effort that surprised us all!”

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NOTEWORTHY >> PRODUCTS, PEOPLE, EVENTS He was riding a GMR skateboard with stock Seismic 85mm Speed Vent wheels, Ronin trucks and prototype Seismic bearings. The speed was recorded by the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) using their Tag Heuer-manufactured speed trap timing device. IGSA official Gary Fluitt verified the record. SURFACE MOTION When you travel with a longboard as central gear in your travel kit, museums and monuments take a back seat to sidewalks and hilly streets and roads. Readers of Keith Johnson’s two-year-long project may notice a fixation on curbs, cracked concrete and all things roadside, and that’s exactly the point of the Surface Motion Sidewalk Tour. Johnson weaves his views on art and society in with travel and skate technique in a complex texture that evokes the sensation of America’s sidewalks felt through foot and wheel. surfacemotion.com LONGBOARD LOFT NYC B u s t i n Boards has recently expanded and re-branded t h e i r Brooklyn store, which is now Longboard Loft NYC – New York’s only full-on, full-service longboard store offering a mind-boggling assortment of the industry’s best brands. “This was our intention when we opened the store one year ago, but we haven’t had the time to pull it together because of the crazy year we’ve had at Bustin,” says Bustin founder Ryan Daughtridge. “This industry is blowing up, and amazing innovation is coming from every angle. We respect that and want the longboard community in New York City to have access to all of it.” The shop also includes an expanded riders’ lounge area where riders can tune their boards, demo bushing combos or just hang out and skate on the freshly paved road in front of the store. longboardloftnyc.com

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COLLECTION AGENCY By Michael Early

As a result of having the opportunity to do some reissue work with Tony Alva, I have been able to see and work with some extremely rare and sought-after original Alva decks and the master templates from the production of the decks from that time. Recently I found two rare 8.25” Alva originals – one in great shape, one demolished. They have been reunited after 30+ years. They are from a small batch that was done in late 1976 to 1977. They are different than the 7 ¾” and the 8.5” production models of that time. The laminates are nine-ply, so they are a little thicker, but the shape is almost exactly that of the 8.5” that was produced in early 1978, just a little narrower. I was checking out a complete that the original owner needed to sell for financial reasons, and to my surprise, it matched my original destroyed one exactly! We struck a deal, and now the brothers are back together in my collection. From my perspective, invaluable!

Oakley Liddell busts out a huge backside air at the recent Old Skool Dayz jam at the new pool bowl in Shoreham-by-Sea, on England’s south coast. Retro skate outfits and decks were the order of the day at the event organized by Shoreham Skatepark Committee and sponsored by Ocean Sports. Photo: Alec Brown

LUSH CHARITY SKATE

On October 9, 2010, the fourth annual Lush Longboards Bath to Bristol charity skate took place. Each year a different charity is chosen to receive the money raised by the skaters. This year’s charity, Macmillan Cancer Support, was chosen by skater Mikey Johnson, who was diagnosed with cancer himself in March of this year. Approximately 150 skateboarders turned out and helped to raise almost £4,000. Over the past four years the event has run, more than £11,000 has been raised for different charities. You can donate at justgiving.com/lushlongboards2010. LONGBOARDERZ IN PORTUGAL By Gonçalo Rodrigues Photos: Ines Sanches, Miguel Pereira

HELMET FOR A PROMISE The Ian Tilmann Foundation, Inc. has joined with Pasco County (Fla.) Emergency Services to promote the “Helmet for a Promise” program in Pasco County. This unique pilot program is made possible with a grant from the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 4420. The program, a first in Florida, will demonstrate how local Fire Fighters can prevent traumatic brain injury from skateboarding and save lives. The Fire Fighters will sponsor skateboarding events at local Pasco County Parks. theiantilmannfoundation.org EL PASO SKATEPARK ASSOCIATION’S THIRD ANNUAL SKATE ART SHOW Photo: Diane Sierra

An estimated 200 people attended the four-hour benefit and had a raucous time that mixed, art, music and skateboarding. More than $3,400 was raised in the most successful EPSA fundraiser to date. elpasoskatepark.org PUSH FOR YOUR CAUSE Skatera asked that skaters everywhere set aside one hour on Saturday, September 25, 2010 to “Push for Your Cause,” and we are happy to report many of you did just that. Skaters pushed for causes from animal rights and cancer awareness to women’s shelters and youth organizations ... and everything in between. Thank you all for pushing with a purpose that day!

On October 2, 2010, the Longboarderz Annual Meeting took place at the famous Belas Longskate Park. The road was freshly paved and we had numerous new faces participating and joining the LBZ family this year. Since many of them were new to the sport, we had a workshop running, which was great fun. The Portuguese longboard scene continues to represent the true and pure spirit of longboarding. It was incredible to witness such good vibes and truly a special day!

Buddy Carr Skateboards made it into GQ Italy with this ¾ page profile.

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NOTEWORTHY >> PRODUCTS, PEOPLE, EVENTS AN INTERVIEW WITH RICK WILSON OF FLEXDEX

What have you been up to the past few years? Over the past few years or since 2003 when Xtreme Wheelz closed its doors (1989-2003), I spent lots time looking for work. I had offers in unrelated fields other than the skate industry, but my heart wasn’t into it. So I managed to try a few new things. I even tried competing on ABC’s “Wipeout” for kicks. I worked part time in the sign industry for a while. I worked at Costco for almost a year. I had time to write a screenplay based on my 10 years in the street luge sport (Title: “Point of Failure”). Maybe someday it could be a great action/adventure movie. In 2007 while I was working in my garage – that’s where I invent stuff – I came up with a new idea for a skate truck. I used this new prototype truck while competing in the World Cup at Maryhill at ripe old age 56. It proved to be very impressive. In 2008 I sold the idea to Sector 9; it’s now called the Stalker. I still enjoy street luging and ride for fun on weekends with some friends. How did you wind up at Flexdex? It was the end of August 2010 when I received a call from Elliott Rabin of Ridout Plastics, former owner of Flexdex. He asked if I was doing anything and would I like to work for Flexdex. He mentioned me to the new owners. Days after [that], my mom had died and I had to fly back to Boston. When I returned I called to set up an appointment with the new owners. As my luck would have it, they were still interested to hear what I would do. What are some of your key goals with Flexdex? Well I’m working at Flexdex as general manager in charge of overseeing every

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aspect of this company. I have my hands everywhere. I’m back in the skateboard industry again and enjoying it! I actually never strayed too far. I always kept in contact with my friends. Now my focus is to build this company up and have fun doing it. I spent many years as a tech master in the X Games and Gravity Games. I have witnessed downhill skating from the beginning and have seen its growth. Potentially one area I’d like to explore is the popular sport of downhill racing and create new things. I think I’m going to have fun once again; I sure have missed it. SHOP PROFILE – BILL’S WHEELS By Marco Perez

Bill’s Wheels is truly a legendary skate shop. There is such a vast amount of skate product, you could spend hours and still not see everything. Having known Bill Ackerman for more than three decades, I took the opportunity to find out what made Bill’s Wheels a truly legendary shop. Bill first started skating in 7th grade. In high school he started to play tennis. “I lived it,” he says. “I was stringing rackets at the local sport shop, Freedom Sportsman, next to Weird Harold’s Sandwich Factory and Dave Hart Datsun.” This is where it all started for Bill. “The sport shop started selling skate stuff, and I started to help the kids between stringing rackets.”

A few years later, the sport shop was going out of business and Bill was about 18 years old. He bought the $300 worth of skate inventory. “I found a location,” he says, “and started my shop on the other side of Watsonville in an old veterinary building next to Barsi’s Liquor. The rent was $125 a month!”

Bills first order was with NHS: “I bought $800 worth of stuff and it was on!” he says. Most of the clientele were people he skated with – local kids in the neighborhood, after-school dwellers and those who heard by word of mouth. All came in to see the new shop everyone was talking about. Skating the Buena Vista pool, Farmland ramp and Ham’s bowl and practicing high jump while the “W Boys” practiced their freestyle skating were on the agenda, as well as jamming to tunes from Led Zeppelin, Rick Derringer and Ted Nugent, just to name a few.

“My parents helped things move forward,” Bill says. “My dad assisted me with the signs, and my mom came up with some clothes racks. My accountant asked me ‘Why are you doing this? You’re not making any money.’ I said ‘I just do it cuz I love it,’ and I stuck with it and it turned into a business.” After being at the veterinary building for a year, Bill relocated down the road between Mehl’s Colonial Chapel and Dairy Queen in a shop called California Sports, which only lasted about a year. Then he relocated back over toward Freedom Sportsman. “I was open from 2 to 6 p.m. right when the kids got out of school,” Bill says. “I was there for a year when I moved again down the road to the Crestview shopping center.” The shop grew, and Bill started having demos in the parking lot next to the shop and at schools around the area with a team he recruited along the way. Tough times hit during the mid-’80s. Skating went crazy and got huge toward the end of the ’80s, and then in the early

’90s it phased out again. “But now it’s here to stay,” Bill says. “There are parks in every city, and you don’t have to pay to skate anymore.” A lot of people Bill skated with and who were customers back in the day are now bringing their kids in to the shop. “They are getting their first skateboard, wearing the cool shoes and clothes and living the skater’s lifestyle,” Bill says. If you’re ever in Santa Cruz or Salinas, come in and check out the shop. Meet Bill and the crew, look at the old vintage skateboards and photos on the wall and learn about our roots. Long live Bill’s Wheels! MAKER BOARDS – TOO BEAUTIFUL TO GRIND? By Marlise Kast

Maker has unconventionally bridged the world of art and skate through gifts of nature. Handcrafted from mahogany, white birch, spruce and maple, Maker’s wooden decks are considered the ultimate in green construction and are almost too beauteous to grind. The brain behind the brand is legendary craftsman Ric Allison, who recently launched Maker in an effort to share his carpentry skills with the action-sports industry. Reaching far beyond parks, pools and pipes, Allison’s work started on the water in 2006 with a line of handcrafted wooden surfboards, selling under the Rayskin name. “Clark Foam had just closed its doors, and I saw an opportunity to seize the market,” recalls Allison. “At the time, I was creating high-end furniture but noticed that no one was shaping boards that were both practical and true works of art.” Weeks later, Allison converted his Pennsylvania furniture studio into a board factory and teamed up with graphic designer Charles Barrett. Together they crafted a line of surfboards, ranging between $5,000 and $20,000 a pop. Con-

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NOTEWORTHY >> PRODUCTS, PEOPLE, EVENTS

sidered the “Bentley of the Sea,” the hollow surfboards were custom designed with decorative details such as mother-ofpearl inlay. Their aim was to make it the Baby Boomer’s board, catering to riders from the ’60s who wanted to recapture youth in a nostalgic way. Despite the uniqueness of the boards, Rayskin was financially sinking because it lacked an aggressive business plan. Their goal was to develop enough product to showcase at the Sacred Craft Surf Expo in October 2009. After working multiple 20-hour days, Allison unveiled four new surfboards and 45 skate decks at the event.

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“We made some great contacts at the Expo, and I really thought things were going to turn around,” says Allison. “It’s never easy, though, when you have one partner working as an artisan and visionary and the other functioning as an investor who wants to run the show. Everything pretty much went south from there.” In December 2009, he returned to California to discuss potential collaborations with industry leaders. On the flight back from L.A., Allison says he received a text message from a neighbor informing him that his studio had been robbed. The alleged break-in cost Allison $150,000 worth of equipment, a collection of boards and the computer containing all of his design files. This December incident has led to an ongoing legal battle between Rayskin partners that has yet to be resolved. Fortunately, the creative evolution that has since taken place has resulted in a whole new species of skateboards under the Maker umbrella. “Initially I started out building cruiser decks,” says Allison. “I modeled the camber and the rocker so that they were flexible. Everyone was stoked with

the way the prototype came out, so I started experimenting with a series of decks ranging from popsicle style and kicktails to spoon decks and longboards.” The craftsman’s knowledge of wood has allowed him to customize boards with more flexibility, creative design and minimal weight. In the case of the popsicle deck, he was able to decrease the weight by an entire pound by using blue gum eucalyptus from Australia rather than hard rock maple. This allows the board to have more flex yet still remain durable. Ranging from $115 to $1,200, Maker skateboards are custom made and can be delivered to your doorstep in less than a month. Despite rave reviews, the craftsman says it’s been challenging to break into the skate industry. “Most people are biased when they learn I’m not an avid skater,” he explains. “That’s why I collaborate with experienced skaters and rely on experts to give me feedback. I’m not a man in a suit, nor am I corporate America trying to take anyone over. I’m simply an artist who can bring a whole new equation to the skate world through my background and technology.”

Setting Maker apart from all other skateboard companies is marquetry, the art of inlaying different woods to create a picture. “People can’t compare my work to silk screened decks,” says Allison. “Maker boards are hand crafted with beautiful woods that give depth and dimension. No matter how many times you wipe out or grind, you’ll never be able to fade the artwork.” Naturally, due to the complexity in craftsmanship, the majority of Maker decks end up on walls rather than streets. Each board must be custom ordered directly from the artist, who is currently starting production on a line of snowboards and guitars. “Maker is about the complexity of the creation and the beauty of what is under foot,” says Allison. “Skating itself is an art form. The best way to express that appreciation is through the instrument itself.” makerboards.com CORRECTIONS CW apologizes to JaNicka:) for misspelling her name in the credits for the Photo Annual issue. CW

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RIDER PROFILE >>

Marisa

NUÑEZ Interviewed by MICHELE BARILLA

katera is a relatively new company out of Huntington Beach, California. It was created to address the growing but seemingly overlooked niche of girls and young women who skateboard. Though still in its infancy, it is apparent that Skatera is more than a company that offers sport-specific fashion and high-performance hard goods. The company also puts money and energy into various events and its team riders who attend them. For the last two years, Skatera has been the proud sponsor of the women’s downhill event at the Maryhill IGSA World Cup race in Goldendale, Washington. Skatera team rider Marisa Nuñez made her downhill racing debut at that event this past year. We wanted to catch up with Marisa and learn a little more about this young lady and her passion to go fast. Michele Barilla: How did you get into skateboarding, and longboarding in particular? Marisa Nuñez: When I was in high school, I had a boyfriend who was into skateboarding. He had both a shortboard and a longboard. I would tag along on his longboard while he would go out and skate stairs, rails, gaps and anything else he could find around our neighborhood. It took me a while to get the hang of skateboarding and to lose the fear of falling. The only thing that kept me committed to getting better was my stubborn nature of finishing what I start and not giving up! That and the fact that longboarding is such a cool thing to do and, having never seen another girl on a longboard before, I wanted to be the first!

MB: What does longboarding mean to you? MN: Longboarding is without question my one true passion. Ever since the first time I set foot on one, I was hooked. Everything about longboarding is just so much a part of me and my lifestyle. The feeling of taking a cruise on the beach boardwalk, carving down a garage or just cruising down my street is so liberating. Whenever I have too much on my mind and I want to get away from stress for a while, I’ll go for a skate. It really is therapeutic because it allows you to just set all your focus on two things: your wheels and the road. I feel really lucky to be able to do this because skating isn’t for everyone. Many people in the world will never know or understand the feeling of carving, or bombing, or just gliding on four wheels. It is so amazing. MB: Tell me about the Miami Longboard Crew. MN: The Miami Longboard Crew was started back in 2006 by a handful of guys who would get together every Saturday night and skate the garages of downtown Miami. I was lucky enough to meet this group of guys (yep, all guys!) in February of 2009 through a friend of mine. The first time I skated with them downtown, I was pretty confident that I could hold my own because I was already a bit experienced with parking garages. Turns out I wasn’t at all prepared for the garages they skated! There were just so many, and some of them were really long and narrow, even sometimes full of cars. After that first night, though, I was hooked, and my life went downhill from there (literally).

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Being a downhill skater in Florida can be a little frustrating at times. The simple reason is that there are NO HILLS here in Miami, where I live. There are a few good hills up north by Tallahassee and in Clermont, which is about four hours north of Miami. We are passionate enough to travel far to be able to skate real hills from time to time, though. In the meantime, we bomb the gnarly multi-story parking garages, ramps and bridges in downtown [Miami], Coral Gables, South Beach, Jackson Hospital, FIU, Ft. Lauderdale and Aventura. A lot of fun ... can’t deny it. Not too much speed, but a lot of technicality and obstacles to face.

Photos: Nikolas Adam

MB: You were instrumental in organizing the South Beach Bomb push race last year. Was it a success? MN: It was a great success and so much fun to be a part of. We (the Miami Longboard Crew and I) took a page from New York’s Broadway Bomb and tried to duplicate the same stoke level here in Florida and spread the word about the great sport of longboarding. I had just recently gotten introduced to Skatera through friends who had attended that summer’s Surf Expo in Orlando. I reached out to both Skatera and Abec 11 to ask for support. A great relationship has since ensued. We had about 200 people show up and 130 paid the registration and raced. With the proceeds that day, we were able to buy food and drinks for everyone. It was so incredible to see 130 skaters wearing green shirts totally dominating the streets of Miami Beach! We didn’t even have any trouble with the law. Police officers only showed up toward the end just to make sure that no one was getting hurt. We really hope that this year will be as successful as last year, and we also hope that the guys from Broadway Bomb will join us this time!

and Abec 11, and I could not have made the trip to Maryhill without their support. It was my first time traveling alone on a skate trip. The fact that no one else from the Southeast was able to go didn’t stop me at all, and it turned out to be one of the most awesome trips of my life ... so far.

MB: Describe your experience at Maryhill this past year. MN: By this time I was a solid team rider for Skatera

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The first day was practice, and we all got a lot of good runs in. I met all the girls I was going to be racing with; they were all so cool! There were a total of 10 girls racing, and only Jerica Green and I were from the States. Jerica is a rad chick (and skater!) from Seattle who works for NASA. I also got to meet and compete against fellow Abec 11 team rider Brianne Davies. My very first run was with all the girls, and it was one of my favorites. We were all a bit fearful at the start, but we quickly picked it up, and that

fear just turned into rushed excitement and stoke. When we got to the bottom, I was literally jumping up and down and laughing at how incredible the road was. It was just so smooth and curvy, and you could maintain a perfect speed the entire time. It’s really not scary at all, just FUN, especially with a lot of people around you. In the qualifying runs, I ended up in 6th place out of 10 … which I was so stoked about. My first time at Maryhill and one of my very first times skating a real hill – not too shabby for a flatlander. Race day was hectic, event-filled and just memorable. It was so cool watching everyone put in their all for that last day of riding such an incredible hill. I ended up in 4th place out of 10 girls, which I was just unbelievably stoked about! I honestly expected to end up in last place. It feels really good to be supported by companies that literally put their money where their mouth is and support this sport from top to bottom. MB: What event are you most looking forward to still this season? MN: By far the next big event for me is the IGSAsanctioned race in Tarma, Peru. I can’t even begin to explain how much I am anticipating this trip. Not only because it is in my home country, but also because I will be skating with all the awesome people I know there. My whole family is going to watch me race. I am so excited! The downhill scene in Peru is heavy and growing. I am anxious to help spread the Skatera and Abec 11 stoke in my home country! The sport has so much potential in Peru because of all the gnarly hills all over the place and just so much talent. This is going to be the first year this race track is part of the IGSA circuit, and I hear that if everything turns out well, next year it will be a World Cup series race – HUGE! I am so proud to be born in Peru! CW

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Remembering

HOWARD GORDON 1952-2010

Photo: Farid A. Abraham

by DANIEL GESMER

Photo: Ron Bez

n July 20, 2010, Howard Gordon, a key figure in the modern renaissance of slalom skateboard racing, died of a heart attack in San Luis Obispo, Calif., shortly after returning home from a surfing session. He was just 57. His impact as a computer entrepreneur is ubiquitous. In the 1990s, his company, Xing Technology, authored the JPEG and MPEG compression software that now lets photo images and video clips move swiftly over the Internet. Gordon’s contributions to the skateboard world began unfolding in May 2001, when he stumbled upon the World Slalom Skateboard Championships in Morro Bay, not far from his home. “He called me up the next day and asked if I would teach him and his two kids to skate,” recalled racing legend and Worlds producer Jack Smith. “Over the next few months, I met up with him, Lauren and Dylan to run cones at various hills around San Luis Obispo County.” Quickly joining the sessions was Paul Dunn, a Smith protégé and one of the top slalomers in the world at the time. For the next three years, Dunn skated with Gordon nearly every day. Advanced deck, truck and wheel testing began, and Gordon soon formed a business partnership with iconic slalom deck maker Bob Turner, whose brand had been mostly dormant since the 1970s. “Those were great times. We would try different combinations of gear to see which worked best,” said Dunn. “This process led to the creation of the Fat Boy deck, the TTC truck and the various wheels that Howard was so interested in producing — not for the money, but as an experiment … Howard loved to tinker, and enjoyed the challenge of resurrecting Turner SummerSki and putting his own spin on it.” Those years also represented a father’s love, Dunn said, a way to share some of the best times of his life with his children, who eventually earned World Championship titles in their respective divisions. In the spring of 2002, Bob Turner died of a sudden heart attack, eerily on the same afternoon as the first race of the FCR Series — the first professional slalom circuit of the modern era. Gordon was one of FCR’s key sponsors as well as Turner’s

business partner, and his passing (from the same cause as Turner’s) comes at an equally critical juncture for slalom – which is now testing progressive formats to attract younger generations of racers. Gordon’s model of maturity, intelligence, generosity and vision is the “right stuff” to guide not just slalom but all skateboard racing disciplines into a healthy future. Neal Piper, the owner of high-end wheel manufacturer AEND Industries and arguably the world’s leading urethane wheel engineer, considers himself lucky to have worked with Gordon on the original Turner and 3DM wheel line. “Years before longboarding exploded, Howard had the first good read on the next generation of racing wheels,” Piper said. “His was the first-ever wheel program dedicated to stand-up longboarding.” Gordon named his wheel shapes in honor of renowned California slalom spots – first La Costa, then Avalon, Cambria and Avila. “Howard was the innovator of large, wide wheels with sharp, flexible edges both inside and outside,” added Piper. “The 68mm Avalon, introduced in early 2002, could be compared to JPEG compression in the then-tiny longboard racing world, in that it set the tone for many of today’s designs. Its combination of features represents a true milestone: softer, high-performance, racing-specific urethane; offset bearing location; small core; edge-sensitive design; and contact patch wider than 50mm.” “He was so cool and low-key,” said Dunn, “and his riding style reflected his personality: He skated all laid back, with his weight on his back foot. I was always on him to put more weight forward!” “Stoked… that’s how I’ll always remember Howard,” said Smith. And stoked is exactly how his innovative skateboard products, and the many race gatherings he supported, left so many of us. Gordon is survived by his wife, Heidi; daughter, Lauren; son, Dylan; and brother, Mitchell.

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’ n i t t e G d n a ’ Givin It’s the stoke, karma and schwag edition of the report, this month. The longboard revolution continues as events get bigger, we’re seeing longboards in TV commercials, colleges are opening “longboard lanes” for campus commuters, the quality and variety of gear coming out makes 1977 look slow in comparison (we asked Richy Carrasco) and longboarders are raising their voice for causes, from City Hall in Laguna Hills to support for worthy causes. A month ago, the infamous New York City outlaw, a “critical mass” of longboards rolling through traffic, known as The Broadway Bomb went down, huge, as did Toronto’s Board Meeting ride before it. Check it out in this edition of CW (flip a few pages over.) Unlike NYPD’s treatment of fixie riders in Critical Mass, there weren’t any beatings or smack-downs… the stoke of skateboarding is coming back around and people get it. Yeah, you’re not as unique as you were last year, but it ain’t about lookin’ gnar… Did you see Mischo going 80mph? Did you see Dalua post 84? There are mutants among us, and these two are leading the quest where Reimer, Dubester and Hardwick before them have been in years past. Sadly, the season’s also included the loss of too many of our brothers and sisters to guardrails, oncoming cars and that one reckless moment that was supposed to be gnar but bears the ultimate cost. Honor them and yourself: Skate smart, and don’t let us catch you without a lid. November is “Movember” on the ‘Fish and you’ll find details on how you can score yourself one of two Rayne Killswitch completes by supporting the cause against prostate cancer. Grow yourself a fine ‘mo! Ladies, that means you, too: just rub a buncha that Rogaine on there or whatever. See those banners on the site for the A-Skate Foundation, Boarding for Breast Cancer, the Ian Tilmann Foundation, Wildcoast and Movember? Skaters around the world are supporting these causes and if you get on into the forums on the ‘Fish, you’ll find out how we’ve linked up with Rayne to send some schwag back out at’cha! That’s it, other than we should let you know your website’s gettin’ futurized this month and so you can look for new forums, new features and functionality that were requested by you and implemented by nasty little elves that can’t even grow a ‘mo… Aww, go skate!

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TECHTALK What in your opinion makes for a good quality longboard deck? The deck is the soul of the sport. Wheels, trucks, bearings, hardware and grip tape are mostly all made overseas these days. Originally, a longboard was just a long, flat skateboard. Today we have pintails, drop-downs, drop-throughs, double kicks, cutouts and everything inbetween. Throw in camber, concave, rocker, noses and tails and you get some incredible design options. You made longboards in the early ’90s – what were some people using? In the early ’90s, longboarding started out with flat, pre-pressed Baltic birch as the medium of choice. It was affordable and strong. Baltic Birch came from Russia and was indigenous to cabinet making, so many of the early longboards were made by cabinet shops. Before long, though, some brands started pressing their own decks. As they learned to mold boards into any shape, longboarding began to move into a whole new dimension, and the first modern camber kicks and double-kick longboards were born. Today there are all kinds of construction options. What kinds of things should riders expect from these construction options?

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On the high end, there’s a big push into fiberglass and vertically laminated cores like those used in making snowboards. Triaxial fiberglass (three plies of unidirectional, woven fabric laid out in a 0°/45°/-45° pattern) was a big improvement to performance snowboards in the ’90s and has been adopted by some longboard brands to offer freestyle longboards to a growing market. This gives you side to side strength and longitudinal flex control. However, the most popular construction is still pressed hard maple, just like that used in shorter boards, which makes up more than 90% of the longboards made. Can you explain more about pressed maple? Pressed maple longboard decks are usually made with 1/16” plies all the way through. Shortboards use .058” or 1/16” to 1/24” plies. Shorter longboards use five long grain plies and two cross plies (X-bands). Longer boards or downhill boards can use up to 11 plies, and to get a board with flex, fewer plies on a longer wheelbase will make for a comfortable city cruiser. What is meant by the terms hot pressed and cold pressed? The best professional skateboards have traditionally been cold pressed. What this means is that all seven or so layers

an interview with TROY CHURCHILL

of a skateboard are glued together individually and pressed at room temperature. There is no extra heat used to cure the glue. When the board is taken out of the mold, it is allowed to finish curing for another day or so before it is cut and finished. Cold pressing also reduces warping, which is becoming a plague in skateboarding. Some overseas manufacturers that have been mass-producing skateboards for the low-end market for years press boards with heat, i.e. hot pressing. Hotpressed skateboards can warp. There is just no way around it. Mix that with the temperature difference between the factory, a three-week ocean trip and the destination and you have a recipe for warped wood. Does this matter for longboards? Longboards are, well, longer. The longer the board, the more it warps. The industry doesn’t want you to know this, nor do the big brands that are trying to get a hold in the longboard market. This means that if you want a good, performance longboard, it should be cold pressed. There are two very good and prominent glue systems in skateboarding, and both work well for longboard decks. The Asian factories predominantly use a formaldehyde heat-cured

glue system that can fatigue faster than the USA-made cold-processed systems. I think glue might be a whole other column. Isn’t China cold pressing, though? The best skateboard factories are playing with cold pressing; I have been working with them to test samples. The problem is that the equipment is not designed for it. The presses over there are made to cycle boards in and out every five to 15 minutes or so, and since the glue is thin, they don’t require the pressure like cold pressing does. A cold-pressed deck takes 45 minutes or more to cure before it can be taken out of the mold. Second, cold pressing requires more pressure — about 10 tons per seven-ply deck. They will need to retool and import the glue from the USA in order to compete. China will likely get there, but for now, most of their longboards are hot pressed and may be warped or twisted. There are many other factors to take into consideration, but for now, cold-pressed longboards are the way to go. CW Troy Churchill has spent more than twodecades in skateboard manufacturing.If you would like him to address aspecific technical topic, just e-mail us at info@concrete-

Note: The views of this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor, publisher or anyone else in all likelihood.

H START YOUR OWN SKATEBOARD COMPANY. PART 3 Let’s get on with it already. Time for some practical advice on starting your own skateboard company. CHOOSE YOUR WOOD CAREFULLY. I’m not going to open the jar of worms concerning overseas skateboard manufacturing, especially considering Concrete Wave has an international readership. Actually I will say this: Try to buy as local as you can. If you live in North America, you don’t have to go to China to have your skateboards made at a decent price unless your overhead is so bloated that you need to eke out an extra 50 cents a board to cover payroll. YOU SHOULD RIDE SOME SAMPLES BEFORE YOU ORDER. In all likelihood you’ll need to pay a measly $15-$20 a deck for some samples. Look in the back of skateboard magazines for skateboard manufacturers. Look for the ever more elusive hard copy of TransWorld Business if you can find it. They recently started making shops actually pay for it, so the circulation has likely dwindled. They used to have a bunch of adverts for OEM skateboard manufacturing. Ask them where the board is made. Some of the Chinese wood shops have pseudoAmerican sounding names and sales reps who will send you e-mails full of slang. A location in a different country can drastically affect your lead time.

YOU WILL LIKELY HAVE TO HASSLE MANUFACTURERS TO SEND YOU SAMPLES. They all need more business, but they all get accosted by a hundred jokers a month. Half of them just want a free board and have no intention of starting a company. A quarter of them have good intentions but will never place an order. Only a small percentage will place an order, let alone reorder. Don’t be surprised if they don’t return e-mails or phone calls without some diligence on your part. Also, take into account the time of year you are calling. Right now the manufacturers are cranking with their regular customers, and aren’t going to jump just because you want a sample. ONCE AGAIN, RIDE THOSE SAMPLES. Even in this day and age, all popsicles are not created equal. And for longboards and wider boards it’s going to be more difficult to locate a reliable source; figure in extra time for them. If you want to make your own shapes, well, that will cost even more money and take longer. Most shops usually charge $50-$100 to make a one-off of a custom shape. Try to get it as refined as you can before you send it off. Most shops seem to prefer to have an actual board to copy as opposed to a paper cutout. THE BUSINESS OF MONEY. Save your money. You’ll need to spend $14-$20 per board depending on how many you order, and from where. I think you

can buy generic Chinese blanks for around $10 a blank on eBay, even in small lots. You will get what you pay for. Maybe you work that angle – sell skateboards like a pack of gum… Yuck. THINK SMALL AND GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR FUNDRAISING. History is littered with the carcasses of companies that started out with a bang and went nowhere. For one thing, the knowledgeable skating public isn’t likely to trust a big flashy newcomer on the scene, let alone someone pretending to be a player without any real history in the market. By the same token, brands peak and fade away after being around a long time, even the biggest names.

is not going to catapult your company to success. Even locally, you don’t need an army of riders, just a few reputable riders who don’t even need to be contest rulers. A sponsored rider who is a good ambassador will do more for you than a 1st place winner who is a dick. Think about your reputation. How you act and interact with your local scene will stick with you. I’ve heard of companies threatening sponsored kids who want to leave the team. I’ve also seen another company get a bad rep based on a rumor of how they dealt with their team. Everything you do can affect the public reputation of the company. Sometimes it might be smarter to make a small sacrifice for the benefit of the bigger picture.

DON’T WASTE A LOT OF MONEY ON ADVERTISING IN THE BEGINNING. There are still places where you can get advertising fairly cheap – like this magazine, for instance – but you don’t need to be in every issue. If you look at the old Thrasher magazines from the first 10 years (all available for download!) you will notice some dinky little ads for companies that eventually became hugely recognizable names, mostly, it seems, by sticking around long enough to have the brand seep into the collective skateboarding subconscious.

My main point here is to remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare. Your company will stand a better chance of actually being around for more than a season if you go slow and steady. Be frugal, but don’t be afraid to occasionally make an impulse buy when it comes to promotion.

RESIST THE URGE TO SPONSOR A BUNCH OF KIDS IN FAR-OFF LOCATIONS. Finding the next major ripper

Send your feedback, secret spots and job openings to vod@skateandannoy.com. Skate and Annoy! – Kilwag

That’s it for this issue. Next time I swear I’ll wrap it up. I’d like to take this opportunity to say hello to Brian at OSI, who is probably reading this at Barnes & Noble. I have three confirmed readers now. CW

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HOW WE ROLL Intro by PEP WILLIAMS Photos by MICHAEL BROOKE f you are in Los Angeles, be sure to check out the “How We Roll” exhibition at the California African American Museum. The exhibit will run until January 2011. When entering the museum, viewers experience an eye-gasm of artwork galore in an 11,000-square-foot enclosed modern courtyard. The 5,100 square feet of wall space allows the skateboarders (who are also the artists, photographers, musicians and much more) to create beautiful, large-scale installations. These massive installations by Chris Pastras, Atiba Jefferson, Brett Cook, Alex “Duce” Rodriguez and Hood Games founder/producer Keith “K-Dub” Williams (along with some work from yours truly) are nicely lit by CAAM’S 34-foot high ceilings with domed skylights, as well as day windows for people to see as they pass by and enter the building. CW

The exhibit offers insight into the cultural influences of African Americans in the sports of surfing, roller skating and of course, skateboarding.

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I know I’ve seen that face before. Pep Williams in the flesh and on the canvas.

The beautiful work of Mel Vera Cruz

A stunning portrait of hip-hop favorites A Tribe Called Quest.

This overwhelming piece greets you as you enter the museum. It’s entitled Caveman Off of 16 Stairs or No Comply to Tre-Flip. It was created by Alex “Duce” Rodriguez.

The simple joy of just riding a skateboard is magically conveyed through many different media.

Decks from the early 1990s from Chris "Dune" Pastras. Part of a tribute to two fallen skaters: Harold Hunter and Keenan Milton. The piece is entitled Skate Angels and was created by Kaya Fortune.

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The Wednesday Night SAFETY CLINICS I A.K.A.

THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT SESSIONS

by JEFFREY WILKINS

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have been a part of this thing we call skateboarding in one form or another since 1978. More recently I have turned to longboarding. In the last year I have noticed significant growth in Calgary’s longboarding community, with the most significant change being in knowledge and skills. As little as a year ago it was common to see a noob pushing around on an Evo set up for DH, with no helmet, no gloves, no skills and no clue. Not to say that this doesn’t happen anymore, but now it is just much more common that these noobs have safety gear and, more importantly, skills — and not just the ability to stop safely, but some real longboarding skills, like cornering, sliding, etc. It is also becoming more common to see younger rippers taking up this sport, even some that have never skated before on either a long or short board.

Although Calgary is a “prairie city,” it is nestled along the Bow River Valley between the Rockies and the foothills of Alberta. So you can’t skate very far before encountering a hill, and hitting speeds of 60+ kph isn’t a stretch, even on a bike path! So skills, safety gear and knowledge quickly become a necessity, especially for the longevity of the sport. So what happened to increase these new riders’ skills? Why the big change in one short year? The largest influence may be an old idea, shop-promoted clinics, brought back by the new (retail) kid in town, Royal Board Shop, and its Wednesday night sessions, a.k.a. Customer Safety Classes. These free sessions take new skaters and set them up with a handful of the Royal Board Shop team mem-

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This photo: Another "new" ripper. Opposite page: Paul Kent’s idea of posing with the Wednesday night session in front of Royal Board Shop.

bers – including Paul Kent, Aaron “Skinner” Christensen and Anna O’Neil, to name a few — to help them develop their skills. These sessions take place on a highly visible, low-traffic bike path only a few blocks away from the shop. Three switchbacks, a sweeper and a T intersection combined with varying degrees of steepness provide options to satisfy both seasoned pro and noob alike. Gloves and helmet are required, demo boards can be borrowed from Royal, and coaching ranges from just standing, to basic cornering and stopping skills, to full-on bombing and drifting. The sessions have become quite a draw, attracting as many as 50 participants some nights. They have become a common meeting place for the more seasoned in the community, who also enjoy feeding on the stoke. There is nothing like strutting your skills in front of the noobs , especially since there’s often a healthy number of girls at the sessions. Even the owners of local board companies like Sayshun make regular appearances. Take warning, though — you might get shown up! Often it is the noobs that are the inspiration. Nothing is more motivating than watching last week’s noob ripping a well executed stand-up speed check into the bottom 90° turn to shouts of “YES!”

Paul Kent spends a few minutes with one of the clinic participants; the result a few minutes later.

So what was the motivation for the clinics? To increase sales? Not really. “If I sell a board and it sits in the garage of the owner, never used… that's useless,” says Royal’s owner, Ryan Robertson. “I want people to be able to use their boards and do so safely.” I doubt that anyone could have guessed the impact this would have on the Calgary longboard community. A whole new crop of longboarders are hitting Calgary’s paths, and they have knowledge, safety equipment, skills and a clue. Yes! So the next time you’re in Calgary on a Wednesday night, check out the Wednesday night — uh, Customer Safety Session — put on by Royal Board Shop! CW

One of the regulars, “new” since August!

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Ben Hall rolls through the clouds. Photo: Rob Hanson

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THE

3000-KILOMETER

TREK FROM

NORWAY TO FRANCE by ROB HANSON

s with all good things, this began in the pub. Over a fair few pints Ben Hall and I realized we had around six weeks of spare time the following summer, Zoltan Nagy had three spare weeks, and none us had any plans. To the Internet! Somehow that night we decided to skate from Trondheim in Norway to Prague in the Czech Republic, roughly 3000 km apart. Near the end of July, at 4.30 a.m., Ben and I set off from Trondheim. Leaving that early to avoid traffic was one of the stupidest ideas ever, as we ended up being on cycle paths all day! However, that day became incredible, with some of the most spectacular roads weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ever skated, some fantastic weather and frankly epic surroundings. This set the precedent for the trip, and we were pretty damn excited. The following week was awe-inspiring. On Day 4 we found out we were going to skate up Trollstigen, an 11-hairpin road that climbs around 900 meters. On Day 5 we skated up it, and down the 25 km of downhill on the other side. It was too incredible for words. The week ended in the driving rain and freezing cold, 450 km from where we began, all in all a good start.

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The rest of Norway didn’t go quite as well… Two days later I fell while going around 55 km/h. My back had five long, deep gashes, my left palm was missing a lot of skin, my left wrist felt awful and I was cut all over. One trip to the doctor later, and apparently I was healthy enough to carry on (albeit on a bus)! We took a day off with some Norwegian skaters, and then continued. The following two weeks were full of failure: shoes disintegrating, horrific winds, masses of demotivation and me falling for a second time. We took more time off than we intended, and two weeks later arrived at Oslo, covering only another 550 km. Three weeks in and we met Zoltan in Oslo. While there we wondered why we were going to Prague, when the same distance would take us home. That night we were on the ferry to Denmark, with Calais, France in our minds.

Zoltan and the crew battled torrential wind and rain along with some horrendous moods. Photo: Rob Hanson

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We flew through 1400 km in around 19 days but with several problems: Ben’s trailer breaking (Ben was towing his gear,

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Holy switchbacks! This is Trollstigen (Troll's Path) in Norway. It’s an epic 11-hairpin road that climbs around 900 meters. Photo: Rob Hanson

while Zoltan and I were using packs); torrential wind and rain; some horrendous moods; just a couple of falling outs; and me having quite possibly some of the worst days of my life. Oh, and me falling for the third time and removing all the skin from my palm, yet again. In those 19 days we went through Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium and a bit of France. This part of the continent must be one of the flattest places in the world, a stark contrast to the mountains and fjords of Norway. But hey, at least we could afford beer here, unlike the £7 a pint in Norway! As you can guess, each country had its own pros and cons.

Rob cruises along and enjoys some much-needed sunshine. Photo: Zoltan Nagy

In summary, the trip was epic and absolutely exhausting, both mentally and physically. For all the fantastic moments that I remember now, there were far more awful ones, which just makes the trip more worthwhile. I’ve already begun planning the next trip. New Zealand beckons next year. skatingsouth.com CW

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gio Yuppie The Slide Ruler, Ser mbe Photo: Will Edgeco

UK R U O T

0 1 20 ORT RK SH A M by MBE GECO D E L IL and W

Connection was formed to host the world’s best riders on a VIP trip to Great Britain, aiming for a cultural exchange between scenes while sharing technique and raising the profile of downhill skating. This was the foundation of the tour, allowing our skating to thrive within a noncompetitive environment. While making preparations to travel to Danger Bay 9 in Canada, Mark hit upon the idea to use our money to fly our good friends in from Brazil instead, covering their food and travel. We would also have a chance to reinvigorate the UK slide scene while getting much more than a few competitive runs with our guests. This couldn’t have happened without the generous support of so many of the major players in longboarding. It was refreshing to be treated with such foresightedness with regard to growing the sport and putting team rivalry to one side in order to get down to some good old skateboarding. The path was stony, though, with a few potholes to say the least. More than one threatened to topple the whole venture into a very expensive bail. These included Sergio Yuppie’s revelation that he didn’t have the visa required – after we’d already paid for the

ticket via the US. Last-minute scrabbling ensured he would still fly, via Paris, leaving his son Fernando to travel alone. Five hours of immigration hell greeted Sergio on landing. When officials were finally convinced he wasn’t smuggling in his entire family and was just on holiday, his completed deportation papers were disregarded and Fernando, who had arrived the previous day, was joyously reunited with his father. A happy drive ensued, chasing the sun southwest, with much talk of past times and adventures to come! Our first session on Falmouth’s Castle Hill was a joyous, exuberant skate. We were like wild animals granted freedom, unable to contain excited chatter while wailing down the hill – an awesome taste of things to come. The opening tour date was Dartmouth. For the uninitiated, this hill is formidable. Unmolested by cars or people, it plummets down into a dark, forested valley that hides another mile of delights. Both Fernando and Sergio showed no sign of intimidation and set about it with intensity. It was a great show for those who managed to get out to this wilderness spot.

Mark Short teachi ng at the Slide Sch ool, Greenwich Park. Photo: Will Edge combe

e course. Mark charges th combe Photo: Will Edge

Fernand o Yuppie , sw Photo: W itch backside no seslide. ill Edgeco mbe Sergio floats Dartmouth Hill, Devon. Photo: Will Edgecombe HOLIDAYS 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 57

rth's 25% gradient. Sergio conquers Maenpo Photo: Mark Short

Sergio w ith

another Jr. Photo: M and Sr. skate fa mily. ark Short Fernando, backside nose. Photo: Will Edgecombe

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Tour Shop opens at Castle Jam, Falmouth. Photo: Will Edgecombe

Back to the Castle for the next jam. Although not so steep, its buttery surface and quiet nature rank it amongst the best hills anywhere. The Yuppies, now familiar with this verdant spot, soon filled the air with the sharp shriek and clatter of hard wheels under duress. The large crowd of both skaters and spectators made the day a huge success that raised the stoke of the whole area. Special thanks to Laura Hatwell for running the shop with typical selfless enthusiasm. After a few days of local skating it was time for the epic drive to East Sussex across the widest part of the UK, past Stonehenge, numerous castles and glorious English countryside. We arrived at twilight, took in the impressive sunset from the top of Firle Bostal Beacon before partying into the night with the crews from London, Nottingham and Brighton. The task for everyone the next day was to master the tricky Firle Hill. Impressive displays of sliding all round, dealing with the steep, slippery and tightly undulating surface. The event was admirably set up and marshaled by Gavyn McKenzie and helpers. This marvelous time was topped off by a quick visit to freeride the long and testing hill at Bo Peep, before exhaustion and darkness set in. Thanks to John Griffiths and his family, who kindly took us in that night. The next morning, after lazy ice creams on the south coast, we made a quick dash into London to meet Sergio’s friend Kina and his beautiful wife. They were our perfect hosts, treating everyone to an authentic Brazilian barbecue and a comfortable place to stay. Thank you very much! A huge turnout skated hard all day at Greenwich Park, and took in Slideschool along the way. The Yuppies commented that the tech-

nical level was the highest yet. At one point we were moved to an unsuitable hill by the cops, but it wasn’t long before our sneaky return to the original slope. Nothing goes unnoticed in a Royal park. The police came back with a vengeance, threatening a fine of £200 Anyone seen for the next person Photo: W my skate tool? ill Edgeco mbe to skate. Event representative Jamie Tharp soon turned the situation on its head with his diplomacy skills; in the end a line of cones across the bottom would satisfy the Old Bill. A most relaxed atmosphere, lots of sliders with great skill and a real friendly, family vibe made this date the cherry on the tour cake. As we left with Sergio for a further week of skating in Cornwall, Fernando had to fly homewards to Brazil, wishing he could stay with us for the monstrous Maenporth hill, which was slain by Sergio a few days later. The Family Slide UK Tour was a great success and has filled us with confidence to bring the world’s best DH riders to the UK in future ventures. For more information contact willedgecombe@gmail.com. CW

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o t n o r o T e h T Board Meeting 2010 Over 470 Skaters Spread the Stoke

By MISCHA CHANDLER Photos: JONATHAN NUSS

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

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Dasha Kornienko struts her stuff!

Paul Bloess and son Max. Photo: Scott Harrison

“Smooth Chicken” proudly displays his custom-painted deck.

The title, although interesting in and of itself, would mean nothing if it weren’t for the famous gathering it refers to. Imagine, hundreds of (well-dressed) people gathered in a green space, with only good intentions and an overwhelming sense of shared excitement and community. Sounds inspiring, does it not? Sounds like it could be a march against racism or poverty. But it’s much more simple than that; it is a meeting with no agenda, the same way two friends casually meet for coffee. We cheer, we skate, and by doing so, we spread the stoke. The route that the Board Meeting follows, and has followed for many years (although it has evolved), is designed

around the skate history and key locations of Toronto. We begin at the top of a hill (obviously), and proceed to roll toward the downtown core. The first stop is at a statue of a general whom, to no surprise, no one really cares about. The real significance of this spot is that people have been meeting there to skate the streets at night as long as the Board Meeting has been alive (since 2001). This spot is where the unkempt skaters of the past began to grow into the world-class competitors that they are today. The monument is scaled, cheers are made, and then we move on before our momentum is lost. Propelled by outbursts of stoke and excitement, the herd travels north to one

of the most congested parts of the city. This is where news cameras are often rolling, and so it’s a ploy to get some awesome and spontaneous coverage of this Critical Mass-style event we have staged. It is here that we sit in the intersection, as if to say, “We are commuters, and these are not just toys, but objects with a utilitarian value.” That we hold within ourselves a special appreciation for pavement and its various grades, textures and angles. That this appreciation is what will fuel our battle for safe and relaxing transportation. And before sitting becomes comfortable we move again. It is only appropriate that our gathering at City Hall is where we take a census. Forming a lopsided ring, we begin to

count ourselves, each person shouting his or her digit in the sequence. This year we reached roughly 470 – impressive, considering it started at 20. From there the group takes to the street en route to a small park just West of Chinatown in Kensington Market. In this park is a circular kiddie pool that is pleasantly curved and sloped, allowing us to skate round and round, bumping into each other, accelerating, slowing, dancing and laughing. As you watch, you cannot help but think that this act of skating might just be a metaphor for life – that we are all permutations of the different facets and tentacles of the same fundamental skate being. Peace out. CW

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FREESTYLE >>

2010 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF FREESTYLE SKATEBOARDING PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA USA • SEPTEMBER 18-19, 2010 Words by AJ KOHN Photos: COM

eing an organizer of an event of this magnitude was not only a privalso have well-backed events, Rogerio Antigo, ilege but an honor, as about 90 skaters from 10 different countries groundbreaking video production rail handstand. and 20 U.S. states came on out on their own dime to skate, create and some of the best modern-day and finally meet one another in person. Not only does it say a lot about the freestylers in the world. Not surprisdedication of these skaters, but the camaraderie that exists amongst this ingly, the 2009 Worlds had a very group is unparalleled in the modern skateboard industry by any other organized program with major practiced form. Although we had a $5,000 pro purse graciously donated industry sponsors, and featured 50 by Powell-Peralta, it wasn’t about the money; it never was for freestylers. skaters from eight countries perIt was (and is) about meeting and skating with one another and pushing forming to crowds of 10,000+ each other to new technical and creative heights. people, which at that time was the My journey into organizing this event started online, a couple of most modern freestyle had seen months before the 2009 World Championships, when a vote was taken since the 1980s. When I was out on on where the 2010 event would be. After the dust settled, Philadelphia the floor I took a look all around was chosen, and I was in the hot seat, so to speak. For some background me; I was encompassed by and context on why Philadelphia was chosen: In 2001, when the X screaming fans and thought to Games came to town, I got an myself, this is exactly the way I offer to do three shows a day at always dreamed it could be. the Franklin Institute on the sciFor 2010, the first task was to ence behind action sports. So I find a location. In Philadelphia there networked with the top riders at are plenty of areas and surfaces that the time to come on out and do would be great for crowds and some demos to expose the world skaters, but many are off limits or to freestyle. During our breaks incredibly expensive to rent; so after between shows, our group of 10 looking at all my options and my skaters, all from the East Coast, budget (which was out of my made our presence known by pocket) I chose the Rizzo Rink locadoing guerilla-style demos at tion in South Philadelphia. Besides being affordable and benefiting my every other location where local community center, it was also very accessible and easy to navigate events were being held. From this to, and it had plenty of parking, which is always a problem in the city. point on the tactics and style that With the location out of the way, it was time to get some sponsors to came out of the Philadelphia help with the production and promotion of the event. I figured because area were known as “Philly Style” of the momentum from Japan, the Philadelphia location and my prethroughout the freestyle commuvious track record — plus most of the major companies in the industry nity. Over the years we developed being either owned or operated by former top freestylers — sponsorship quite a reputation for getting and funding wouldn’t be a real problem. noticed at events to which we What I found was a spectrum of different reactions from our were invited (or were not invited) “freestyle brethren” and from others in the industry who had the history Mike Rogers glides to help spread the word of or clout to really change things by getting behind this type of event. a stylish G-Turn. freestyle, so when the time came Some of them were only interested in sending product, while others told for the World Championships to me their budgets were zapped so they couldn’t be a part of the event come back stateside for the 10-year anniversary, it was decided that Philadelphia (but asked to be kept in the loop with everything else); and then there were a few would host the annual event. to whom I sent full proposals, with various options of support, in hopes of getting To really understand what it meant to do a world-class event for the freestyle some type of pro purse for the event. community, I went to Japan for the 2009 Worlds to see how they did things. Japan I knew that a decent pro purse was one of the components the event would is known as one of the top freestyle countries in the world; the Japanese have a need to get a buzz going in the very international community of freestyle skatevery organized freestyle association with more than 800 registered members. They boarding. The other component was to get some of the freestyle legends to come

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and be a part of the event in some way, as it Moichi Suzuki, was the Worlds’ 10-year anniversary and many Yo-Ho to sadplant. of the current skaters only knew about these legends from what they had read, heard about or seen on video. So being able to meet and skate with them would really get the community stirring! Still, I spent a lot of sleepless nights anticipating everything that needed to happen to pull this event off, especially if a title sponsor didn’t come through. A few weeks passed, but then I got the word from Powell-Peralta that they were on board 100% and wanted to be the title sponsor. A huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. It dawned on me that this event was going to be special when I went down to the rink on the Thursday before the contest to do some preliminary work and to skate. I ran into some of the competitors from Brazil, Germany and other parts of the USA who had come early to check out the surface and to skate. That’s when it hit me that this was happening and for real. From that point forward it was on, as they were actually here in my city! At that moment I was super stoked, but had to contain it and use that energy to do my best to make sure everyone left happy! For the next five days I got very little or no sleep, food or skating, but the judges, my crew, the media and all the participating skaters and people bonded together and, well, made

speaking, even though certain individuals may stand out more than others, it isn’t just about those individuals; it is about all of us who practice this form, as we all add something different and unique. In other words, what we add helps everyone who does what we do to continue spreading the word that freestyle is not only back, but growing once again! Contest results come and go, just like many things in life, but it is the memories and friends we make along the way that truly matter. And that is what prevailed throughout the weekend: the spirit of competition and the joys of camaraderie. Skateboarding is not about the number of products you sell, or the fame or glory in the media. It is about people getting together, utilizing their resources and making something happen because it’s fun! That’s exactly what happened at the 2010 World Freestyle Championships in Philadelphia, and I am privileged and honored to have been a part of such an event with all of my friends and freestyle brethren. Many thanks to all the people who helped make this event possible, especially those who have the means, ability and/or influence to give back and to actually use those resources for the greater good of skateboarding! CW Doug Williams one-foots a nose wheelie.

PRO DIVISION 1 Günter Mokulys (Germany) 2 Sean Burke (USA) 3 Kilian Martin (Spain) 4 Joe Flemke (USA) 5 Darryl Grogan (USA) 6 Per Canguru (Brazil) 7 Shigekazu “Moichi” Suzuki (Japan) 8 Terry Synnott (USA) 9 Kevin Harris (Canada) 10 Matt Gokey (USA) MASTERS’ DIVISION 1 YoYo Schulz (Germany) 2 Bill Robertson (USA) 3 Paulo Fahola (Brazil) 4 Rogerio Antigo (Brazil) AMATEUR DIVISION 1 Greyson Asthon (USA) 2 Lucas Masano (Brazil) 3 Lucas Fraga Gomes (Brazil)

Lucas Mansano performs a carousel.

history! It felt more like a huge family reunion than a competition; everyone got along and was truly interested in getting to know one another as well as support one another. At the end of each competition day everyone hung out together, ate together and even went sightseeing together. In freestyle, generally

WOMEN’S DIVISION 1 Mic Muyayama (JPN) 2 Shannon Sexton (USA) 3 Luma Veloce (USA) NOVICE DIVISION 1 J.T. Gerhart 2 Manny Hampton 3 Colby Hempel

HOLIDAYS 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 63

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE >>

Skate Goodies

TO FIT ANYONE’S BUDGET

SK8GLO

This accessory is perfect for younger skaters. It creates a green under-glow using four nontoxic light sticks that attach to the trucks via four highimpact plastic brackets. It does not use batteries. It’s waterproof, lightweight and attaches to all standard boards. $10.00 for complete lighting kit or $7.00 for 16 refill glo-sticks. sk8glo.com

WE WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS TO CHOOSE FROM. ANY OR ALL OF THESE PRODUCTS WILL BE APPRECIATED BY SKATERS.

CAM CADDIE 

The Cam Caddie Scorpion is a simple yet amazingly effective handheld stabilizing device designed to work with virtually any DV or HDSLR camera. The Cam Caddie dampens movement while shooting, enabling smooth and steady footage. It’s a great tool for capturing dynamic camera work and is the perfect tool for skate and snowboard videos. The Scorpion handle is much easier to use than any other camera stabilizer at a fraction of the price. $59.95. camcaddie.com

GOPRO CAMERA 

The HD Helmet HERO shoots 1080p HD video, and its wide lens gives you an amazing perspective. We were awed at the quality of video from this camera that takes you right into the thick of things. In fact, a number of videos found in Evolutions are shot using a GoPro. You can also use the GoPro as a still photo camera. It will even fire off 5-megapixel images every 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 seconds. The camera will record up to 2.5 hours on a single charge and up to 9 hours total on a 32GB SD card. $299.00. goprocamera.com

64 CONCRETE WAVE HOLIDAYS 2010

GRINCH WINCH 

We spotted the Grinch Winch at the Surf Expo in September. Made by Distortion, this towing device is very user-friendly and opens up a host of opportunities with respect to the planet. The Grinch has an adjustable hand throttle that allows you to vary the towing speed, a hydraulic brake for quick and easy starts and stops, and a rope-friendly roller system that allows you to tow from almost any forward angle. Wakeboarders and snowboarders are embracing this product like mad, but skaters will find plenty of uses, too. You can be pulled up to 2,000 feet at close to 60 mph. $2,695.00. distortionboarding.com

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VANS WARPED TOUR 2010

by MICHAEL BROOKE

As many readers are well aware, Concrete Wave teamed up with the Vans Warped Tour this past summer. We built a unique promotion called the Passport Program to help drive traffic to a number of non-profits that participate in the “Take Action” area. There were a number of companies that sponsored the Passport Program, and we are very grateful for their support. Our tour manager, Devin Hornbeek, worked exceptionally hard to ensure that folks got their passports, got their prizes and left our booth with a smile on their face. A special thanks to Abec 11, Skatera and GoldCoast, who stepped up as Platinum sponsors, and Calstreets.com, our media partner.

Memories At the San Di ego stop, the Oompa-Loo by to check ou mpas t the booth. We hooked th dropped em up with shirts, decks and mags.

Hamboards fans channel the Beach Boys. These Nooka/Warped Tour watches were especially created for the Passport Program. They are extremely rare, and folks were very eager to get their hands on one.

from Abec 11. the Wall of Wheels “Sparky” shows off the wheels, and one se cha pur to d nte wa ll. Numerous people wheel from the wa ually unscrewed a peculiar person act

No one who came to our booth left em After rooting pty-handed. through the sticker treas ure box, these two st ruck gold!

ds Hooligan Skateboar Our friends over at t. duc pro of iety offered a wide var

This lu ck As you y fan in Tor onto g can se ot a L eb he is p y the expre andyachtz ss d retty d amn p ion on his fa eck. leased ce, !

Reel Big Fish at the Buffalo stop. These guys sounde d awesome, and they spent hours meeting with fans at the Skullcandy booth. Skullcandy was also extrem ely supportive of the Passport Program.

er of the nny, the stage manag Devin stands with Ke the Vans on rk wo o wh ny Main Stage. Like ma is an avid skater. Warped Tour, Kenny

Andre w Tour ja W.K. rock s incred cket. This g a Passport uy ible hours show and puts on an meeti signing auto then spend ng fa s grap Devin ns in his “p hs and mana Hornbeek arty tent.” ge ,o produ r, was able ur tour ct toss to arr ange e s fro to war m up m the stag the cr owd. e

sport Program. cial part of the Pas Volunteers are a cru very best: the of two are left Pictured on the far is a longtime te Pe te. Pe husband, Jamie Corp and her ter. por sup CW e subscriber and hug GoldCoast Longboards was very supportive of the Passport Program. Not only did they create and print the passport, they generously donated 43 completes. Winners were absolutely thrilled with their prize.

“Who wants to win a Longbo ard?”

HOLIDAYS 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 65

A CONCRETE WAVE EXCLUSIVE >>

SURF-RODZ INTRODUCE

INDeeSZ Interview by MICHAEL BROOKE

y trip to New York City for the Broadway Bomb coincided with a visit to the highly sophisticated Surf-Rodz manufacturing facility in Seymour, Conn., where I had an opportunity to meet the Surf-Rodz team of Wayne Gallipoli and Josef and Andrew Visinski. Surf-Rodz has gotten a huge amount of interest in their new trucks called INDeeSZ. Instead of being cast in a mold, the trucks are machined out of billets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; large blocks of solid, high-grade aluminum. The 70,000 square-foot factory producing the SurfRodz trucks is a sight to behold and offers a taste of just how sophisticated skate manufacturing has become. So, gentlemen, what is so special about a billet truck? The major advantages are in the characteristics of the material. The yield and shear strengths are greatly increased, and this results in a stronger, safer truck. As skaters are pushing the limits, their trucks are going beyond the limits of cast products in many cases. This is most evident when a cast truck cracks, breaks or even falls completely apart. Billet trucks are normally machined on CNC precision machines that are able to hold accurate tolerances on any of the machined features with repeatability on all components. This precision machining can then be appreciated by the rider. Why do you feel your trucks are revolutionary? The skater has now the ability to adjust the trucks to his/her own riding style. Also we have created the trucks in such a way that should a skater wear out the hanger (due to very aggressive riding), only the specific portion that has shown evidence of wear can be changed out and replaced. All of this is done with

66 CONCRETE WAVE HOLIDAYS 2010

affordability, precision and versatility in the design. After the initial investment, replacement parts are far less expensive since there is no need to replace all of the components, which is generally the case in a cast product where you may be required to purchase the entire assembly. Also, our trucks are designed with the pivot pin axis being utilized to its full function, allowing the rider to control turns and leans with complete precision. And with the detachable hanger we were also able to reduce material waste and pass the savings on to the customer. You can adjust the width on these trucks. How does this work? Once again we used proven technology we developed with our SZ reverse-kingpin truck. We use 10mm, high-tensilestrength axles that are removable; this gives the skater the adjustability by adding or removing spacers to alter the width of the truck. For example, if the hanger width measures 176mm, we provide four 5mm spacers (red), two for each side. These spacers are placed outThe Surf-Rodz team: Josef Visinski, Wayne Gallipoli and Andy Visinski. Photo: Michael Brooke board of the wheels to maintain the initial width of the hanger. To increase the hanger width by 10mm, side of the wheel. Again, repeat this a skater would remove the axle and step on the other side, and the resulting move one spacer from the outboard hanger width will now be 196mm. side of the wheel to the inboard side. This would be done on both sides, and Do you think skaters are willing to the resulting width would increase spend as much on a pair of INDeeSZ as 10mm from the base hanger width to they do for a complete skateboard? 186mm. Should a skater desire to Past history has shown us that precision increase the width another 10mm, machined trucks were used for competihe/she would go through the same tive races, [by] a few select riders who exercise, but this time both 5mm were willing to pay extreme amounts spacers would be moved to the inboard [for] the fine precision performance

these billet trucks provide. Our customers who thought they would never be able to afford a CNC truck can now have an SZ truck that can perform as well as if not better than any truck out there, at a very reasonable, affordable price. What is your ultimate goal with the INDeeSZ? Our ultimate goal would be to have every skater at least try these trucks, if nothing else. We feel so confident that once a skater experiences the ride and characteristics of the INDeeSZ there will be no alternative for them ever again. We would also like to see every SZ truck owner and rider to be able to spread the stoke on what a U.S. manufacturer is able to do to support this great sport. CW For more information, visit surf-rodz.com.

Ask Biker Concrete Wave and Dregs Longboards invite readers to submit questions pertaining to longboards and or downhill riding of any kind. Biker Sherlock currently holds the world speed record on a skateboard (assisted) at 90.5 mph. He is the multiple gold medal winner in both the X Games and Gravity Games and is widely considered a guru of all things downhill. Please submit questions to: kurt@dregsskateboards.com and you could be in the next magazine and win a free Dregs longboard. This issue Biker will answer the age old question “what does the ABEC rating of a bearing really mean”? First off, I am in no way claiming to be an expert or a guru. I would like to share some of my experiences and knowledge that have been passed on to me by some of the greats like Brad Strandlund, Jarret Ewanek, Wally Inouye and Roger Hickey. We can learn more from people who DO than from people who think they know. One of the best things Jarret ever said was, “Just because it says it in the textbook does not mean it translates into real-world situations.” Coming from an aerospace engineer, this has significantly influenced me.

Bearing Rating BG ABEC what? Ceramic who? What does it all mean? If you ask the question, “What does the ABEC rating mean?” you will get some crazy answers. The most common misconception I hear is “the amount of balls in the bearing” – which it is not. Here it is in plain English: THE ABEC RATING IS THE SPACE OR TOLERANCE BETWEEN THE INSIDE OF THE BEARING WALL, OR RACE, AND THE BALLS. THE HIGHER THE NUMBER, THE SMALLER THE SPACE. The common consensus is the higher the rating (like ABEC 7 or 9), the better the bearing. I have not found this to be true. Both Brad and Jarret taught me that the sloppier the bearing (ABEC 3), the better. Let’s think about this: If a little piece of sand or dirt gets into your bearing at the start of a race and you have a high-rated bearing, that foreign object will slow you down faster than if you had more space in between the ball and the race. As for ceramics and their ability to maintain a cooler temperature … this is true. That being said, everyone must understand that bearings are rated for max RPM and heat. At no time while skating are we even coming close to those maximum ratings. So, what did I do? Before we get into that ... I have seen and heard people testing bearings on downhill or freeride runs. That is impossible. You can feel if a bearing is f**ked up. But, to say that you can feel the difference between an ABEC 3 metal bearing and an ABEC 7 ceramic bearing is just BS. In my experience, the only way to feel a little difference, and I mean a little difference, is on a vert ramp or in a pool. Does that mean it’s easier to catch air on fancy bearings? Even that is suspect. When I raced, there were two different bearings that I used: Bones Reds, which are packed in lithium grease, or ABEC 3 Greaseballs, which had ceramic shields on them to mindf**k the competition. Funny, huh? ABEC 5 Greaseballs (which happen to be the bearings we ship with) were used on the Stunt Junkies show to go 90 mph. There are a lot of people out there that will read this and probably be pissed. They might say precision bearings make a big difference, but I say, if you think precision bearings are so important, what about the hubs in your wheels? If you put a precision bearing in an injection-molded wheel with a nylon or estloc hub, the bearings will not be perfectly seated anyway. So now what? I say, “Let’s just all shut up and go skate, because that’s how we are really going to get better.” But what do I know??? CW

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BROADWAY

BOMB

2010 550+ SKATERS TAKE MANHATTAN! By MICHAEL BROOKE

Photo: Mitchell Moshenberg

he Broadway Bomb is one of the most intense experiences you can have on a skateboard. Founded by Ian Nichols and Fred Mahe in 2000, the first race featured 14 skaters bombing down Broadway in Manhattan traffic. This year more than 550 showed up to test their mettle. We’ve tried to capture some of the stoke that this race generates, but there is just no way to fully comprehend what went down unless you were there. Skaters started gathering at Riverside Park around 11:00 a.m. Like a wave, the numbers kept building and the electricity in the air was palpable. People had flown in from around the world to attend the race. I met skaters from Quebec, Portland, France and Australia. (Speaking of Portland, it was nice to finally meet Robin McGuirk of Eastside Longboards. He finished a very respectable 7th place.) Skaters were asked to wait inside the park so as not to draw too much attention. The constant pleading of Ian to “move back” only added to the electricity in the air. Ian is one of a kind and how he pulls this event off, I’ve never quite understood. It’s clearly apparent that if you’re in the front of the crowd, you will stand a better chance of jockeying for a prominent position when the race starts. Many skaters prefer to hang back and coast down Broadway waving to the crowds. So for some, it’s a true race; for others, it’s just about enjoying the ride. The race began promptly at noon, and a crazed mob of longboarders charged up the hill leading out of the park to start their descent. It was a stampede of epic proportions! HOLIDAYS 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 69

A mass of skaters gathers at the famous Wall Street Bull at the end of the 8+ mile race. Photo: Travis Davenport

The 2 ½ mile push to the BBQ is somewhat grueling after the eight-mile Broadway Bomb! Photo: Michael Brooke

The Concrete Kings led a Sunday session through Central Park and down into Brooklyn. It was a great three-hours! Photo: Adam Crigler

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When you skate in Manhattan, it’s a lot different than just pushing and going. You have to be acutely aware of what’s happening around you at all times. The pace is unrelenting and hazards are lurking at every block. You have to contend with insane taxi cabs, tourists, locals and folks in cars who just don’t want to stop. Thankfully, there were no serious incidents this year, although one of the Bustin Boards riders got injured skating to the race. Toronto’s own Mitchell Moshenberg captured the event on a motorcycle, but unfortunately got pulled over and received a ticket less than 1,000 feet from the finish line. The race itself was not without controversy. Although an outlaw race, there are certain rules that must be followed. Skitching has been banned from the Bomb. The first two racers to the finish, Adam Crigler and a gentleman named “Captain America,” were spotted doing just that, however, and were disqualified. First place went to the man who also won last year’s race, Mark Schaperow, and Sara Paulshock won the women’s division to join Schaperow as a repeat champion. Kiefer Dixon got second behind Schaperow, Steven Sanchez took third and Theseus Williams (always a strong contender) got fourth. James Soladay and Evan Armbrister took fifth and sixth places, respectively. Local favorite Kaspar Heinrici, who has won the Bomb three times, wound up in ninth. The fastest skaters can accomplish the race in just under 28 minutes. The race ends at Wall Street, where skaters pass the finish line and rush to touch the famous golden bull statue. After an eight-plus-mile push, skaters are exhilarated and overwhelmed. After catching their breath on Wall Street, Broadway Bombers head on over to the Broadway Bomb BBQ over at the East River Park, which is about 2.5 miles away. (I’ll give you one guess as to how they get there!) A lot of friendships are forged at the Bomb, and the atmosphere is just one of pure stoke. There is no doubt that the race will have even more participants next year. The only question is just how many more? A huge thanks to all sponsors and fellow skaters who made me feel so welcome. POST-BOMB EVENTS After the BBQ, a few folks headed up for the Earthwing Slide Jam. I managed to get up there and hang out with Brian Petrie, founder of Earthwing and one of the original skaters who participated in the first Broadway Bomb. He also designed the ubiquitous Broadway Bomb logo. The Slide Jam was a warmup for next year. The 30 or so skaters had a great time sliding late into the afternoon. The hill is perfect, without a car in sight! The Broadway Bomb after-party took place in Brooklyn. This is home to Bustin Boards’ new skate shop called the Longboard Loft. This place contains more longboard product than you could ever wish for. It’s a must visit! Throughout the weekend, skaters gathered to ride outside the shop and charge down the freshly paved street in front. Bustin also showcased a documentary on the history of the Broadway Bomb entitled Push Culture. It was created by Joe Goodman and takes you deep inside the world of NYC longboarding. The Rose Tavern hosted the actual party and it was a great place to reminisce on the day’s events. Special thanks to Red Dacquel of Butternuts Beer and Ale for his very tasty unofficial sponsorship! There was a style session early on Sunday hosted by Jeff Gaites (which you will read about in this issue). Around 1:00 p.m., the Concrete Kings hosted their Sunday Session beginning at Columbus Circle. More than 60 riders gathered for a skate around Central Park and beyond. Led by “King Solomon” Lang, (who wound up in eighth place in the Bomb), the session lasted for more than three hours. It was an epic way to end an incredible weekend.

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Photo: Brett Beyer

A FIRST-TIMER’S PERSPECTIVE

By JARED I. GREENE

If longboarders could fly they would have blocked out the sun, but since they can’t, we had to settle for blocking traffic for as far as the eye could see. The 2010 Broadway Bomb blanketed the streets of New York City for more than an hour, and it was stupendous. I had less than four hours of sleep the night before and had to make my way from Philadelphia, but honestly, I was the most awake that morning that I had been in months. The day before I was panicking, I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough time to write my research paper, prep my board, clean and lubricate my bearings and get back to school so I could be picked up by a complete stranger – a 33-year-old guy that I knew from a Facebook group! Despite the nervousness, when my three alarms had gone off at 6 a.m., I literally jumped out of bed, made myself an omelet and departed. The words “stoked” and “ecstatic” can’t even come close to describing the excitement before the race, but when we hit the streets, it was nirvana. This was my first time competing in this race, or any race for that matter, and it really didn’t matter to me what position I came in, because to me it wasn’t about winning; it was about being a part of the longboarding momentum. Once the race started I witnessed just how powerful we were as a group. It was as if it were complete anarchy; we were almost lawless, running red lights and stopping drivers in their tracks. It was a beautiful combination of the dynamics of city skating and marathon-like distances: shooting between tiny gaps between cabs and buses, drivers completely losing their cool, riders almost getting nailed by vehicles, a racer getting arrested and even a skater throwing up on the way to the after-race barbeque.

The group at the Williamsburg Bridge on their way to Brooklyn. Photo: Michael Brooke

After the Bomb, Earthwing tested out the waters and put on a slide jam. The response was excellent. Rider: Ian Donohue. Photo: Mitchell Moshenberg

Left to right: Theseus Williams, Mike Boz of Boz Boards, Ryan Rubin of Longboard Living and Steven Sanchez. Photo: Mitchell Moshenberg

Brian Petrie, founder of Earthwing and creator of the Broadway Bomb logo. Photo: Michael Brooke

72 CONCRETE WAVE HOLIDAYS 2010

Paul Bloess and his 4-year-old son Max had a great time skating at Bomb. They turned a lot of heads! Photo: Michael Brooke

An unofficial photo detailing the unofficial sponsors of the Broadway Bomb.

Ian Nichols is truly one of a kind. This haircut tells only a part of the story! On the right is 5th-place finisher James Soladay. Photo: Mitchell Moshenberg

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Mark Schaperow took first place for the second time. Photo: Brett Beyer

Original Skateboards brought down a great crew. At the BBQ, a number of them were blowing minds with some incredibly difficult kickflips. Photo: Michael Brooke

Mike Dallas of Bustin Boards charges through the streets of Manhattan. Photo: Mitchell Moshenberg

This skate team came all the way from Quebec to “bombe les rues.” Photo: Michael Brooke

The folks from Sector 9 enjoyed themselves at the Bomb. Pictured are Rob Molt, EG Fratantaro, two-time ASP World Longboard champion Jen Smith and pro skaters Annie Sullivan and Jeff Budro. Photo: Michael Brooke

People kept asking what we were doing, where we were going and why we were doing it. Well, the reason why is because we’re obsessed with skating. The racers were tightly packed together as if it were a parade, and it certainly made running the lights all the easier. At one point I almost got run over by a bus. It made my heart pump all the faster, yet all I could do was laugh. When I had about 20 blocks to go, my legs were really beginning to feel the pain. They were cramping up and I could barely stand, let alone push, but I kept on going. Once you start you cannot stop until the end. You just cannot quit. I was relieved to reach the end, but simultaneously disappointed it was over. With the roaring of all the longboarders that had finished by the Bull, I completely forgot about the pain in my legs and skated over to the barbeque after we blocked three lanes of buses for quite some time. That longboarders could organize and essentially take over one of the world’s largest cities is astounding. We had stampeded through the streets, making Times Square look like the Running of the Bulls in Spain. The crowds were screaming, and there were hundreds, if not thousands of people taking pictures and videos. The thrill of the whole race being not entirely legal made it all the more exhilarating – though this is no advocation of breaking the law. The Broadway Bomb is an experience I’ll never forget. I plan to come back next year. Longboarding culture is like a wave. It’s rising up quickly and we’re riding as it gets bigger. But the great thing is that, unlike a wave, the concrete never crashes down at the end of your ride. CW

HOLIDAYS 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 73

MAD FOR MiNiS By MICHAEL BROOKE

ini skateboards have been with us for quite some time. In fact, most skateboards from the birth of skating in the late 1950s until the late mid-1970s would fall into what would now be called the mini range. Starting in the late 1970s, with the growth of pool and park riding, boards quickly grew longer, wider and more specialized. Yet in 1978, Jerry Madrid started production of his minis and has made them ever since. In fact, of all the skate companies out there, Madrid has been at the mini game the longest. “We’ve had minis for over three decades,” says Jerry. “Over the past several years we’ve seen a large resurgence.” First up, what exactly constitutes a mini? While most of our readers ride longboards ranging from 36” to 60”, minis have a much smaller range. Basically, a mini can be start at 32” and move down to about 25”. But once you move below 25”, you’re tempting fate – unless you’re wearing size 5 shoes! Minis in the 27” to 28” varieties seem to be the most popular. Speaking of popular, there is no doubt that the popularity of minis continues to grow. Kurt Hurley of Dregs Skateboards states things as simply as possible: “Minis are easy to carry around as well as having incredible turning capabilities,” he says. We couldn’t agree more. Minis simply are fun. Mike Horelick of Tunnel Skateboards has also seen increased interest in minis lately from a wide range of skaters. “We’ve seen buyers ranging from the

74 CONCRETE WAVE HOLIDAYS 2010

Verne Troyer. Photo: ©Scott Harrison/Corbis

beginner cruising to school to an advanced skater looking to do tricks, berts, hill riding and freeriding,” he said. Ryan Daughtridge of Bustin Boards said the company has been baffled by the demand for their mini called the Spliff. “It’s always been one of our most popular boards but was always trumped by larger, more heavily featured boards,” he said. “In 2010 we did hardly any promotion for this board, [yet] its sales numbers consistently surprised us month after month.” Ladera Longboards’ Ryan Roberts said his company had experienced huge growth in minis, too, saying they are being used mostly for transportation by high school and college students. Chris Brunstetter of GoldCoast provided us with an interesting viewpoint: “We see these boards being a great bridge to accounts who don’t sell longboards (yes, those still exist),” he said, “as well as breaking people out of the mindset that a skateboard has to look a certain way to be fun.” Blake Startup of Landyachtz said that when it comes to minis, the company is starting to get creative: “We put some effort into this end of our lineup and created the Carbon Mummy.” Perhaps the best indication that people are becoming mad for minis is the response we got from Neil Stratton at Carver, a company that has carried minis for 13 years. “Just in the last year we’ve seen a jump in mini sales,” he said. “Before this year the minis were our slowest sellers; we just kept them in the line

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Jerry Madrid with a vintage mini from 1978.

because we ride them ourselves and they’re just too much fun. We’re also seeing a spike in our shorter boards in general. It’s nice to see a trend catch on with something so fun and useful.” The fact is that when it comes to cruising, carving and bombing hills, longboards work terrifically well. But there are times when you’re at a loss to know where to store the damn things! Cue the mini. Not only will they fit in backpacks, you can easily fit them in your school locker.

Minis can also be a pretty cool introduction to skateboarding. Solomon Antonell at Riviera Longboards says he’s talked with parents looking to get their kids a board. “They can go in and just buy a complete right off the bat,” he said. “They like the fact they don’t have to pick out wheels and trucks and other accessories, and of course they’re picking a board that is smaller, like the size of their kids.” Garrett Hurley, who heads up GFH, says minis give kids a feeling of nostalgia, and notes the influence of movies like Dogtown and Z-Boys. “We have found that kids want to emulate the same style of riding their parents were doing 30 years ago,” he said. Bustin’s Daughtridge agrees with this assessment. “I think people want to get the longboard feel but don’t like lugging around a wooden suitcase everywhere they go,” he said. “Even if the board is light, if it’s longer than 35” it’s a pain to stash and/or carry. The difference becomes clear when you ride a mini for a week. You quickly realize it’s worlds easier to carry and stash. When you can let the board swing freely in your hand, it’s much easier to manage than when you have to literally hold your arm up to keep the board off the ground.” In terms of setup, GoldCoast’s Brunstetter says it’s

about what feels the most comfortable. “Small and nimble can be fun, but if you get up in speed, [it] will get wobbly quick. Big wheels can power through the urban chop but can make your setup less portable. I personally like the small board/small trucks/big wheel setup of the [GoldCoast] Conflict the best.” Carver’s Stratton is quick to point out that it’s all about wheelbase. “Since you’ve got a short wheelbase, you get incredible maneuverability. It’s crucial that you get trucks that pump,” he said. You’ll also notice that many minis have a kicktail. This helps with board handling. The board’s width is also a crucial factor. If you’ve got big feet, you’re going to have some issues with a mini. A wider mini will mitigate this problem, but it’s important to test things out before you purchase. Some minis feature concave, while others are just flat. GFH minis are all designed around the company’s 3” truck. Garrett Hurley says, “There really is no comparing the feel you get with that style of truck,” and adds, “Make sure the bushings are nice and soft. No one wants to ride around on a board that doesn’t turn.” While minis may be small, there is a large amount of choice. No matter what you’re riding right now, a mini is a perfect addition to your quiver. CW

HOLIDAYS 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 75

By Aaron “Issues” Enevoldsen

HOLIDAYS 2010 CONCRETE WAVE 77

Leg 1: Casablanca to El Jadida Paul and I reunite with Adam at the airport, throwing each other around out of absolute exciteexcite ment. We wrestle for a single seat on the Casa Port train, fumble with our bags and boards, and imagine what lies ahead. A prospros titute watches us with benign interest from across the train. Are Paul, Adam and I the only longboarders in Morocco? Could there be others? 78 CONCRETE WAVE HOLIDAYS 2010

Casablanca is hot and heavy, brimming with screaming strangstrang ers, 40-year-old BMWs and packs of men taking cracks at us. For two days we meander through crowded back streets, ripe with the stink of sweltering meat dangling from hooks. I rock out on my noisy little instrument on the balcony of our hostel while Paul and Adam pore over the map of Morocco. We decide to skate a circle around the country, however that happens. We’re embarking tomorrow. Our first pushes are as awkawk ward as a baby’s first steps; we wobble side to side from midday until night sets in. Resting in the encroaching darkness, we lean against the wall of a yellow house and are immediately noticed by two beautiful little children. They run to fetch their mother, who peeks out from a doorway around the corner. The family generously offers us raw milk from their cow, contained in a water bottle filled up to the brim. We accept, and giggle our way through the disgusting ordeal; we city boys are in the yolk of the country-

darkness. The worst part of the gamble is many Moroccans turn out their headlights while driving at night to save their car’s battery. side now. We share coffee and tea in the family’s house and try televito decipher an Arabic televi sion show. They gesture for us to stay for the night, but, as kind as this offer is, we decline in our primitive French and Arabic: “No, merci, shukran, shukran.” We opt instead to spend our ﬁrst night in Atlanour shiny new tents on the Atlan tic coast – laughing at everybody back home, stuck in their ofﬁce, clicking away at their keyboards and pumping themselves full of coffee while we sleep on the ocean with miles of the unknown in front of us. Push. Push. Push. The next day is a long, slow haul on 50 km of rock chip pavement with the ocean air wafting over us. We work kilome extremely hard for each kilometer, under the beaming Moroccan

Leg 2: El Jadida to Marrakech sun. Our water gushes out of our water bladders, down our chins and onto our shirts. Our brand new clothes are already dirty. As night sets in, we near the large city of El Jadida. Our selfish legs suck up all our energy, and our gnawing hunger prompts a hasty culinary decision. We land on a spatourist strip and devour spa ghetti and pizza, washing our meals down with beverage after beverage. The restaurant owner spots our backpacks, sniffs out our touristy freshness and offers whopus his guest room—for a whop ping 50 Euros. We’re faced with our first major decision: a safe, but expensive, night’s sleep, or a push through the sparkling city traffic to set up camp in a strange and dark place. We finish our meals, pay our bill and take a gamble, venturing into the

We survive the night and depart El Jadida for Safi. We climb atop drastic cliffs overhanging the ocean. Motorcyclists offer us ac skitch-rides, and we gladly accept, screaming with joy. We rip up the coast, along huge cliffs dotted with sheep, hundreds of feet above the blue sea. We eventually set up camp on a cliff jutting out over the Atl Atlantic, lulled to sleep by the crash of the waves and the hiss of the under undertow below us. We spend our fifth day skat skating along rough pavement in strong headwinds. The pavement becomes increasingly smooth and black as we approaach the city, and we forget how fast longbboards can acceler longboards accelerate on goodd pavement. We fly downhill

into Safi like parading morons with wild ambitions to get hurt. We eat chicken, feed the cats under our table and take our first showers in the bathroom (or dungeon) of our first hostel since Casablanca. So far, our travels have been relatively slow and predictable, and we’re eager for a real challenge. We skate out of Safi and bid adieu to the sea – we won’t see the ocean again for five weeks. Cutting inland from the coast, we push through almond trees and wheat fields lined with towering palms. The tarmac is black, fast and magical; the oily bitumen sounds like whispers under our boards. We run into two cops who issue dire warnings about the dangerous road ahead. “Oui, ofoui,” we say. We pardon the of ficers and pick up our boards as if to walk to Marrakech. But the three of us have skated through the Andes, in far more dangerous worconditions, and aren’t at all wor ried about this flat, smooth road. This is a cakewalk, “que nous fait.” Once we are out of their sight, we mockingly impersonate the cautious police. A short time later, Paul and I are riding side-by-side, video camera in hand, bickering about camera angles. The next instant, we are both on the ground. The camera looks broken – though in luck and chance we’ve only dam damaged an expensive filter. Paul, just getting over a nasty flu, has now smashed his hip.

We had wished for a challenge, and now we’re getting one. For the next few nights, Paul and I set up camp feeling a deep aniani mosity toward each other. One quick mistake can rattle even the best of friendships. We arrive in Marrakech and wade into madness. We ward off intense street hustlers, pluck dates and freshly-squeezed orange juice from overﬂowing shopping strips, dodge monkeys on chains and stumble upon amazing Berber musical perforperfor mances. Sweet and putrid smells combine in a chaotic brew, and smoke rises from the city’s center before drifting into the foggy Atlas Mountains 60 kilometers beyond. Marrakech is a beautiful fusion of European, Arabian and African cultures melting together for hundreds of years. This is truly the belly of the Moroccan beast. We kick back, look out at the horizon and dream of climbclimb ing past the shadows of the High Atlas to reach the highest tarmac in Morocco: Tizi-n-Tichka, which

translates to “The Lost Pass.” It’s time to kiss the rolling hills goodbye and put on our slide gloves.

Leg 3: Marrakech to Zegora Two days out of Marrakech, we face Tizi-n-Tichka for breakfast and eat it dry without pouring milk or anything. In a mere hour we’ve summited the mountain and find ourselves taking valiant pictures with tourists and locals. Atop the highest concrete Morocco has to offer, we take a few moments to sit with Berber musicians. I get the chance to play their banjo, tuned in a way comprehensible only to the indigenous Moroccan. Of course, every uphill has an equal and opposite reaction, and following the highest uphill in Morocco. After a 4 hour descent and a huge Tajine, we sleep outside of Ourazazate: a city constructed largely during the French military occupation at the beginning of the 20th century. The city sits in the arid Sahara and was immortalized by Ridley Scott, who filmed scenes from Gladiator here. (Ed. note: Parts of Star Wars, The Mummy, numer Lawrence of Arabia and numerous other movies were filmed in or near Ouarzazate as well.)

Some moments of these journeys can shake your confidence withwith out harming you. Right before we enter Ouarzazate we are struck by an overflow of traffic. Two oncoming buses send me jumpjump ing off the road. One of them nearly clips Adam’s backpack and practically kisses mirrors with the other bus. Take a deep breath … enjoy your life … it has continued. From Ouarzazate, we set out for Zagora, a journey that beats us lifeless, torturing us like helpless sea turtles whose eggs have been stolen. The road between OuarOuar zazate and Zagora is designed to withstand scorching tempera-tures year round. It is paved with giant, jagged rocks, Goliath’s fingers that noogie our wheels while our knees cry murder, our boards rattle murder and our heads cry for mercy. Did we really choose to do this? Of course we did; we are Long Treks on Skate Decks, and we show no mercy … to ourselves. This is the moment when all of our friends at home chortle while coffee spills out their nose onto their keyboards. We encroach on a massive death hill, with pavement like a cheese grater, no center line and switchswitch backs galore. Out of the 4500 km that I’ve skated on these jour-neys, I mean it when I say this hill is STUPID SCARY. Standup slides feel like electrocution, and the pavement gnaws a hole through our shoes while we footbrake. We gaze upon the road winding off into the distance in terror and unravel our last option for hope: our Sporting Sails. With this thin

escorted camel adventure. The j journey doesn’t start well; Paul announces he is suffering from a particularly nasty variant of diarrhea: Sahararrhea.

piece of ripstop nylon strapped to our ankles and hands we gain amazing confidence. By deploying the sails like a parachute, we slow down efficiently, and when the road flattens we suc suction them to our body and regain aerodynamic control. We have just fou found the savior of our shoes and our wheels for long-distance trekking. The mosque in Zagora is a wel welcome sight, as it marks the end of the most torturous pavement so far. We take a much-needed lazy day, hanging out at the hotel, treating ourselves to Jus d’Avocat and writing about our trip. The next day, we trek into the desert at 6 a.m. on an

Our two guides, Achmed and cal Tichmoodle, have coarse, callused feet from years of walking in red-hot sand. At midday, they lead us and the three camels under a tree in the dunes to evade the blazing sun. They lay down wool blankets over the sand and tell us to enjoy a shady rest while they dice tomatoes, onions and olives into a salsa with tuna to garnish. I take my socks off and lie down blissfully next to a groaning camel. Suddenly, I’m struck with urgent bowel contractions. The Sahararrhea has returned to claim another victim. I leap up and sprint over clos the dunes, looking for the closest shrub, and the Sahararrhea feels like a jumbo jet behind me. My feet begin burning; the sand is like hot coals. The jumbo jet is about to land. I try to run, screaming short bursts of grief to no avail. Adam knows I’m in the mode-to-drop-a-load and is cam chasing me with the video camera. I explain my awful situation, and he fetches my shoes while I sing the Sahararrhea blues to a bush. We sleep a night under the desert stars, with curious scarabs roaming amongst our tired bodies. In the morning I lose my slide gloves in the sand. No hand protection for the rest of the trip.

To be continued…

Slope Of Death THE RESURRECTION By GUTO JIMENEZ Photos: SHIN SHIKUMA

Sergio Yuppie

nce upon a time, in a distant past, there was a street in Brazil with an astounding inclination and smooth asphalt. Located in a stylish neighborhood in the country’s largest city, it had very little vehicle traffic and became a meeting point for skateboarders who enjoyed going down hills at high speed. However, there was also a detail: The lower part of the street was covered with bricks, which prevented riders from going straight until the very end – and which made it necessary to stop at any cost before meeting the deadly terrain for urethane wheels.

Pipoca

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Due to this small detail, the street along Abelardo Rocca Square was known in the skateboarding world as “Ladeira da Morte” – the Slope of Death. A couple of events took place at the spot, especially in the second half of the ’80s, and some names were forever carved on the stones of the pavement: Fernandinho Batman, Paulo Coruja, Urso, Mirinha Bertoni and a short, aggressive kid who would later become one of the world’s top riders in another type of terrain: Digo Menezes. One day, an influential neighbor got pissed at the fun the skaters were having and managed to ban

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At the gate

skateboarding from that historical street. Democracy was still a recent asset in the country, and the forces of repression appeared in a decisive manner, forcing skaters to search for other terrain to ride. The asphalt got rougher until no skating was possible, and the Slope of Death seemed doomed to be forgotten forever. But in 2010 the street got repaved. Skaters soon found out and returned to the location, first in a lowprofile way and later in a noisy way. But this time the neighbors didn’t bother them, and even encouraged the “new” movement. All conditions to return to the spot were favorable after so many years, and

something had to be done to bring skaters back to where they should’ve never been removed from. August 29, 2010 will be marked forever as the day of a historical event in Brazilian skateboarding: the Resurrection of the Slope of Death. Skaters from many generations showed up at the spot to ride or simply to be there: from slopes OGs like Vitório, Wagner Bê and Hélio Greco to the historical names (named above, plus Flávio Ascânio, Daniel Kim and the eternal Zequinha Rapanelli); from downhill pros such as Sérgio Yuppie, Juliano Lilica, Ricardo Mikima and Alexandre Maia to the new-generation ams like Fernando Yuppie, Natan, Renato Loirinho and Fernando Tabajara. That’s right, four generations of skaters at the same spot, on the same day, in the first pro DH slide event in almost 13 years. If this is not history in its making, then I don’t know what else could be called so! During the veterans’ session, which I also joined (also 21 years after the last ride on the spot), Sérgio Yuppie told me something: “Guto, it’s a dream come true to ride a contest here, and I’ll ride as I’ve never done before to take one of the trophies home with me.” Needless to say, Yuppie is a good citizen and kept his word, releasing an arsenal of stunning tricks in each of his three runs in the contest: first came a 720 FS front-wheels slide (!) in the first run, then a half-Cab into 540 slide (!!) in the second – and last, but not least, a patented 1800 (!!!) at the end of his third run – that’s right, pal, five 360 spins in the jawdropped faces who had crowded the spot. Yes, he took home the 1st-place trophy – a stylish piece of the new asphalt that now covers the street – surrounded by his longtime friends Juliano Lilica (2nd) and Ricardo Mikima (3rd). “Thanks for everything,” Yuppie said in his winning speech on the podium… We’re the ones who thank YOU, “Curva”! CW

Alexandre Maia

RESULTS: 1. Sérgio Yuppie 2. Juliano Casemiro “Lilica” 3. Ricardo “Mikima” 4. Ragueb Rogério 5. André Bozato

Ricardo “Mikima”

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STYLE SESSIONS 2010 >>

On Any Given Sunday

Cory Wilder

Words by JEFF GAITES Photos: FRANCOIS PORTMANN ncle Funkys hosted another Style Sessions this year with support from Loaded, Original and Landyachtz in New York City on Sunday, October 17, the day after the Broadway Bomb. Style Sessions is a freestyle downhill skate session where all participants vote for the rider with best overall style. The session took place in northern Manhattan on Fort George Hill, also known as “Snake Hill.”

The police usually break up Snake Hill sessions after an hour or two, tops. There is just too much traffic coming up the hill and too many skaters coming down. In the past, we’ve simply relocated for a mellower session at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. But not this session, not this Sunday. Thanks to New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority, all traffic was blocked at the base of the hill for crane construction. Other than a few curious construction workers checking out the scene, there were no cars, no cops and no worries. Riders skated for more than three hours with virtually no traffic, which is highly unusual by NYC standards. In the end, the skaters voted for their top five favorite riders, and the results were tallied. Best style went to Petter Reinem from Norway. Second place was a three-way tie between Steve Kong, Andriy Dashenych and Brian Bishop, with third place going to Cory Wilder. Best female riders were Amanda Powell and Micku Murgolo. Please enjoy these amazing shots of Style Sessions from Francois Portmann, and check out the entire photo selection at freshpaved.com. CW

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Steve Kong

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Petter Reinem

Amanda Powell

Brian Bishop

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IGSA REPORT >> By MARCUS RIETEMA

Reimer Makes It Two in a Row

Patrick Switzer had a strong run to second place. Photo: Bob Ozman

weekend’s World Championships, was also eliminated in the first round. Going out in the second round were Brazilian Douglas da Silva and former Series Champion Erik Lundberg.

Stefan Rüfli was the highest-finishing European. Photo: Pierre Gamby

As the heats wore on it was very interesting to watch the world’s best downhill skaters go up against each other in one-on-one duels. As the semifinals were reached, the number one, two, three and four qualifiers were the last skaters left standing. In the first semi it was Reimer taking on Lundberg with Reimer coming out on

Evren Ozan qualified number one. Photo: Pierre Gamby

evin Reimer continued his domination of the 2010 IGSA World Cup Series with a convincing win over Patrick Switzer at the Graveyard Call, held July 14-17 in Argonay, France. Reimer was unbeatable all day long on the most technically demanding course of the Series. Louis Pilloni throws a stylish slide. Photo: Pierre Gamby

In qualifying, 2009 Junior World Champion Evren Ozan came out on top and set a new track record in the process of 2:06.635. Reimer was second with a 2:06.955. Last year’s number one qualifier Louis Pilloni jumped up to third with a 2:07.369 after crashing on his first run. Patrick Switzer was fourth with 2:07.814. Christoph Batt rounded out the top five with a 2:09.236. Once qualifying was complete, the top 64 riders were placed into the head-tohead dual bracket. There were a number of early eliminations that surprised many. Among those were last year’s Graveyard Call winner Scoot Smith and runner-up Mischo Erban in the first round. Jackson Shapiera, who finished second at the previous

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top. The second was Ozan vs. Switzer. Ozan stalked him the entire way down but Switzer never made a mistake and went on to the final. The Consolation final was a battle between the Sector 9 teammates. Lundberg won the battle to earn third place. The final was epic with Reimer vs. Switzer. Reimer kicked out first off the line with Switzer hot on his tail. As they negotiated the first hairpin both riders slid out. It was a mad push off the corner, with Switzer coming out in front. Switzer led for a few more corners until he crashed off the road under the pressure of Reimer. At that point Reimer just cruised to the finish, earning his second World Cup victory in a row and taking a commanding lead in the World Cup Series standings.

THE GRAVEYARD CALL FINAL RESULTS

Kevin Reimer won his second World Cup in a row. Photo: Pierre Gamby

1. Kevin Reimer, Canada 2. Patrick Switzer, Canada 3. Louis Pilloni, United States 4. Evren Ozan, United States 5. Stefan Rüfli, Switzerland 6. James Kelly, United States

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Christoph Batt was a strong second-place finisher. Photo: Pierre Gamby

or the second year in a row, the IGSA World Cup Series returned to Teolo, Italy for the Padova Grand Prix, held July 30 - August 1. The race course is fast and wide open at the top followed by a series of tight technical hairpins. Those with slalom skateboarding skills that enable them to pump out of the corners have a distinct advantage. Former slalom skateboarding World Champion Ramón Königshausen used his pumping skills to the max and qualified number one. Königshausen posted a time of 1:57.888, eclipsing the year-old mark of 1:58.276 set last year by Martin Siegrist. Patrick Switzer ran a 1:58.521 to qualify second and Douglas da Silva went 1:59.785 to qualify third.

Leading up to the final, Königshausen had dominated all day. The finalists lined up with the number one qualifier Königshausen, number two qualifier Switzer, number three qualifier da Silva and the number 10 qualifier Batt. Off the line Silva used his awesome push to take the lead with Switzer second, Batt third and Königshausen fourth. Königshausen later said he wasn’t concerned to be in fourth at the beginning since there were three places on the course where he would set up for passes. The first came at the end of the long straight where it first veers left and then goes hard to the right. Switzer set up da Silva as they headed into the combination and passed him on the exit to take the lead. Königshausen planned to make his move past Batt at this point as well but carried way too much speed and crashed hard into the straw bales at the exit. Scoot Smith won the Consolation Race to finish fifth. The number one qualifier’s Photo: Pierre Gamby race was lost.

RT STA

Switzer Wins in Teolo

PADOVA GRAND PRIX Teolo, Italy

TRACK FACTS Course Length: 1.6 km (1.0 mi) Top Speed: 80 km/h (50 mph) FINISH

Patrick Switzer was stoked with his victory. Photo: Liz Kinnish

Switzer had a small lead heading into the second left hander. Da Silva was close behind with Batt lurking behind. As da Silva went through the corner he lost traction and slid out, allowing Batt to pass him on the inside. At that point, the race was over. Switzer now had a commanding lead and pulled away as they headed toward the finish. Batt settled into second, da Silva third and Königshausen brought up the rear in fourth. Switzer was elated with the victory, and in Kevin Reimer’s absence, took over the lead of the World Cup Series points standings. The World Cup Series now will take a week off before returning in two weeks for the Kozakov Challenge in the Czech Republic.

PADOVA GRAND PRIX FINAL RESULTS

Douglas da Silva (in second) slides wide, allowing Batt to pass him in the Finals. Photo: Pierre Gamby Ramón Königshausen ran a slalom board and qualified first. Photo: Pierre Gamby

1. Patrick Switzer, Canada 2. Christoph Batt, Switzerland 3. Douglas da Silva, Brazil 4. Ramón Königshausen, Switzerland 5. Scoot Smith, Canada 6. Stefan Rüfli, Switzerland

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ST AR T

Batt Breaks Through

KOZAKOV CHALLENGE Kozakov, Czech Republic

the third race in Teolo, Italy. Patrick Switzer was the winner in Italy, making Kozakov a showdown for European supremacy. The weather forecast called for rain on both Friday and Saturday. Because of this, the organizers ran both qualifying runs on Thursday. They would then wait and hope for a window of opportunity to run the race on either Friday or Saturday. Due to the high-speed, ultra-technical course, racing in the rain was not an option. Everyone knew qualifying would be extra important since it could very well determine the race results.

TRACK FACTS Course Length: 3.4 km (2.1 mi) Top Speed: 97 km/h (60 mph) FINISH

Batt continued his breakthrough season by earning the first World Cup victory of his career. So far this year Batt has finished fifth at the World Championships, ninth at the Graveyard Call and second at the Padova Grand Prix. He now sits solidly in third place with a total of 1678.34.

In the first qualifying run, Reimer set a new track record of 2:24.450. Christoph Batt was second with a time of 2:25.843, followed by Martin Siegrist with a 2:25.883.

Reimer’s second place increased his points lead over Switzer. Reimer now has two wins and two second place finishes in 2010 World Cup races. After Kozakov On the second run, Reimer couldn’t his points tally sits at 1765.24. Since each improve on his time. Batt, however, ran a racer’s four best finishes are counted, time of 2:24.365, beating Reimer and setReimer will only be able to improve his ting a new track record in the process. score by earning victories. No Open Jackson Shapiera’s 2:25.023 improved on his Downhill skateboarder has ever scored first run time by nearly three seconds and the maximum of 1800 points in a single season. With Teutônia and Mischo Erban was stoked to be racing in Bathurst coming up, two races his native country. Photo: Sven von that Reimer has won before, he Schlachta could conceivably do it.

Christoph Batt prepares for his winning run. Photo: Komakino

he Kozakov Challenge was held August 11-14, 2010 in the Czech Republic. The race is historic because it is the first IGSA World Cup event to ever be held in a former Eastern Bloc country. The organizers pulled out all the stops, putting together an incredible event. Many of the riders said the event was the best of the 2010 Euro Tour. Two-time World Champion Kevin Reimer led the list of entries that included every downhill skateboarder currently ranked in the top 10 of IGSA points. Reimer was back in action after winning the first two events of the Euro tour and then skipping

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moved him into the number three position. Patrick Switzer also made a big move forward with a 2:25.232, placing him in the number four spot. Andrew Chapman rounded out the top five with a 2:25.551.

Andrew Chapman had his best European finish. Photo: Alex Frischauf

The rain began to fall on Thursday evening and continued over the next two days, causing the cancelation of the racing heats. Making the decision to run both qualifying runs on Thursday had been a good one. The final finishing positions were based on the qualifying results.

Switzer’s fourth place at Kozakov, his win in Italy, second in France and third at the World Championships give him a total of 1723.83 points, keeping in second place. He is the only skater who can still beat Reimer for the title. In order to do it he will need to win two of the next three races and hope Reimer doesn’t win again. With three World Cup races left, there are still many different scenarios that CW

KOZAKOV CHALLENGE FINAL RESULTS 1. Christoph Batt, Switzerland 2. Kevin Reimer, Canada 3. Jackson Shapiera, Australia 4. Patrick Switzer, Canada 5. Andrew Chapman, Canada 6. Martin Siegrist, Switzerland

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SLALOM REPORT >>

ISSA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2010 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic Joe McLaren drives through a heelside turn on his way to first place in Giant Slalom. Photo: Miroslav Bartoš

By GUSTAVS GAILITIS and JONATHAN HARMS

n Friday, July 30, 2010, riders from 16 (!!!) countries showed up for the ISSA World Championships in the homey city of Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic. There was a tension and uncertainty in the air because no one knew what to expect from the others. Friday’s event, Giant Slalom, was severely delayed by a constant drizzle of rain. But the organizers said they would wait it out, no matter what, and at approximately 5:00 p.m. racers got the call from start judge Radim Hromadko – ‘’Race is on!’’ The course was cut to half its original length due to a wet surface at the top, and each rider got only one run; but still it was better than nothing. In the end, Colorado’s Joe McLaren showed that all the pre-

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dictions were true – he had come to Europe for the title! Joe’s winning time was close to a second faster than that of the second-place finisher, 2007 World Overall Champion Henrik Wadsten from Sweden. Brazil’s Thiago Gardenal was just .02 seconds behind Wadsten, earning him third place and the first-ever podium finish for a Brazilian at the Worlds. In the Women’s division, Lynn Kramer won her sixth (yes, SIXTH) consecutive world GS title over France’s Sandrine Saint-Criq and Germany’s Kathrin Sehl. Saturday’s Tight Slalom was contested downtown under mostly gray skies but with plenty of spectators on hand. The atmosphere was festive, and racers did a brief parade and posed for photographs with their country’s flags.

The road was flat and the surface was not the best, but the course was so tight and technical you didn’t have time to think about that. In fact, the majority of riders admitted they had never ridden such a tight course, as there were plenty of DQs. The flat, tight course didn’t bother Joe McLaren, though, and he claimed his second world title by defeating the explosive Latvian TS machine Janis Kuzmins by .01 seconds over two runs. Janis actually beat Joe to the line in the final heat by 0.3 seconds, but cone penalties erased his raw time advantage and gave McLaren the win. McLaren later said TS was the toughest race of the weekend because he would routinely fall behind at the start of each race and then had to work extra hard to try to catch up. In the Women’s TS, Latvia’s Lienite Skaraine scored the biggest win of her racing career by beating six-time TS champ Kramer in the semifinal round and 2008 TS champion Sehl in the final. After her victory she was hoisted aloft by cheering racers for a bit of celebratory “crowd surfing.” Saint-Criq earned the second of her three podiums for the weekend by edging Kramer for third place by .12 seconds. Kramer praised the European women by saying in a Web post, “Racing on [flat] might not bring the rush of a 30 mile per hour hill, but it shows extreme athleticism and dedication to a discipline.”

On Sunday the sun finally came out and shone so brightly it was hard to find a free spot to hide from it under the trees. It was a perfect day to showcase the best of the sport. The Slalom (a.k.a. hybrid) course had a slight slope and a good surface, with longer cone spacings, especially toward the end – and especially compared to the previous day’s TS. Race organizer Josef Stefka and his team did a masterful job of planning and running the event, including arranging for Czech TV to film the race, which they did (with multiple cameras), and then broadcast it the next day on national TV. Another production crew also filmed the event and even brought a mini helicopter-cam to show the race from a unique overhead perspective. The intensity of the racing matched the intensity of the sunshine and the press coverage. In the Women’s division, #1 qualifier Kathrin Sehl beat Lynn Kramer to the line in both heats; but Kramer hit only one cone in the two races while Sehl hit five, and Kramer squeezed out a dramatic .31-second victory. Sandrine Saint-Criq earned her third podium by taking third over Great Britain’s Ella Roggero. In the Open division, Joe McLaren seemed a good bet for a third victory, but in his second heat with Germany’s Christoph “Homer” Baumann, McLaren’s foot slipped off as he tried to correct a sketchy line around one of

Lienite Skaraine gets a lift after winning the women's Tight Slalom. Photo: Pavel Pešek

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Viking Hadestrand's power and technique earned him the Open Slalom championship over a tough field of competitors. Photo: Miroslav Bartoš

Wadsten. After two clean runs by both racers, McLaren beat Wadsten for third place by a tiny .06-second margin. The final matchup pitted youth (the 18-year-old Hadestrand) vs. experience (the veteran Baumann), no matter who won, it guaranteed a new world champion. Baumann gave it his best, but in the end Hadestrand not only beat Baumann to the line, he also ran clean in both runs to lock up the victory — and ensure that one Open title stayed in Europe.

Besides the Open and Women’s divisions, the Worlds also featured some great youth racing in the Kids (younger than 11), Teen (11-14) and Junior (15-17) groups. The fastest times among those three groups in all disciplines were set by upcoming Czech slalom superstars – twin brothers Jakub and Jaroslav Knettig and Petr Matous – who all raced in the 11-14 group! Jakub won the GS and TS and Jaroslav the Slalom; Petr ended up with third places in all

Lynn Kramer pulls ahead of Ella Roggero in the women's Slalom on her way to yet another championship. Photo: Maria Carrasco

the final cones, and he took a spectacular fall. Baumann coasted to victory and into a matchup with another young buck, Sweden’s Viking Hadestrand, in the final, while McLaren had to shake off the fall and get ready for a consolation matchup with the #1 qualifier, the always dangerous Henrik

disciplines. In the Kids group the next generation of slalom skateboarders was represented: Max Thiele and Matej Stefka fought for the win, with Max winning all three titles and Matej close behind. (Both of their fathers – Robert Thiele and Josef Stefka – were among the top 10 in the Open group as well.) In the Junior group it was an epic battle, USA versus Europe. Kyle McLaren from Colorado managed to follow in his brother’s steps and claim two titles (GS and Slalom), while Latvian hope Edijs Jermačenko was unstoppable in TS, adding a World Champion title to his second places in GS and Slalom. The Czech crew did a great job with the organization of all the races. Combine that with great food and fantastic Czech beer and the 2010 Worlds were definitely one of the best slalom events ever! Besides the Worlds, many other exciting races were held in both Europe and the USA in the summer and fall of 2010. Watch for a wrap-up of the 2010 season in the next issue, and until then: Keep dodging those cones! CW

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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

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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 Saltholidays 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 BRAZIL Face Wear Serigrafia 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 PERU 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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