Pop Magazine - Issue 13 by Pop Magazine

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Mikey Leblanc in the Harbor. Shot in the Holden Outerwear office in Portland, Oregon. Mark Welsh photo. Come and see what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re up to for the winter: coalheadwear.com.

ISSUE THIRTEEN The Unlucky Issue

Cover: Tony Hawk Photo by: Martin Schoeller/AUGUST/Raven & Snow Thanks to: Rachael Wilson, Chris Jepson, The Bakers, Amie Francis, Rene Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Estrange-Nickson, Jan Snarski, Jamie Driver, Georgie, Steve Gourlay, Dan Himbrechts, Mark Welsh, Brian Craighill, Mal Jarrett, Rory Gardiner, Shane Carter, Ralph Rottura, Chris Boadle, Mike Metro, Dylan Skewes, Julius Kellar, India Egan, Steele Saunders.

Products..............................12

Surfing Japan.......................40

Editorial..............................18

M att Sudomlak .....................46

Knock On Wood...................22

Tony Hawk..........................56

Address: P.O. Box 6172 St Kilda Road Central Melbourne, Victoria, 8008

Roadside Denim.....................32

Clint Allan..........................66

For advertising enquiries, please contact Dave on 0407.147.124 or email dave@popmag.com.au

M ick Short..........................34

Louie Fountain......................74

Feedback: hithere@popmag.com.au Pop Magazine is Dave Keating and Rick Baker.

BLABAC PHOTO.

KIERAN REILLY HATES ON HEEL BRUISES.

THE TRUE S WITH VULCANIZED SOLE AND

CUSHIONING

CHECK OUT KIERAN IN THE FIRST EVER DC AM VIDEO! COMING SOON VISIT: DCSKATEBOARDING.TV

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Products

The Madness

we ’ re all superstitious . we all have our lucky t - shirt or hat . if you ’ re in need of a little bit of good fortune , maybe these charms will help .

Photography: Steve Gourlay 1. Visions of Johanna T-Shirt by Ashbury. 10.

2. David Moore Deluxe Fan Pack by Doghouse Records. The vocalist from Split Lip/Chamberlain’s long awaited solo LP ‘My Lover, My Stranger’. The $45 deluxe fan pack comes with a signed 12” of ‘Fate’s Got A Driver’ and 7” of ‘Breaking You Down’ with the arguably better demo version of ‘Jericho’ on the B side. 3. 10K T-shirt by HUF. Keith Hufnagel’s San Fransico skate shops apparel range. 4. ‘State of Mind’, Directed by R.B. Umali, by Zoo York. Chaz Ortiz, Zered Bassett and Donny Barley killing it. 5. The Harbor by Coal. Did you think Coal couldn’t make a superior wharfie? 6. Braata Shoe by Nike 6.0.

11.

7. Experience E.C.O Rob Machado Signature Sunglasses by Dragon. Environmentally Conscious Optics. The first ever sunglass with material made from 100% renewable origin. This means that Mother Nature replenishes the material used for the sunglass at the same rate that it is consumed. 8. Triad Backpack by Nike 6.0. Recently released, the first backpack from Nike 6.0. 9. Digisnow 5 Panel Volleyball Cap by HUF. 10. Camera Club Camera Bag by The Quietlife. Andy Mueller designed camera bag. That’s all you need to know. 11. Apparel by Atmosphere. Chris Prosser designed outerwear and apparel company out of Portland, America.

R eviews

Canon IXUS 100IS

When M ax was forced to upgrade his trusty IXUS 70, he wasn’t sure which way to turn . T hankfully C anon doesn ’ t disappoint with it ’ s latest offering .

P hotography: Steve Gourlay Words: Max Olijnyk A few years ago, my friends all chipped in and bought me a digital camera for my birthday. My life was instantly much better. The little thing slotted in so perfectly, enhancing my already meticulous documentation of each day, but with the bonus of instant gratification. The camera I was given was a Canon Ixus, and it was amazing. I kept that thing for a year and a half and used the hell out of it, 50+ images a day, until it just stopped working. I’ve since owned three similar models, each with their own charms, but essentially the same little picture box. I think Canon just nail it at point and shoot digital. People talk about megapixels and Leica lenses and stuff, but it’s sort of like ABEC ratings on bearings. We all know Bones Swiss are the best, so why bother comparing brands? The Ixus (or Elph, as it is known for some reason in the states) series is sturdy, easy to use and most importantly, takes great photos. When I buy an Ixus, I just go for the one that is on special. You can usually pick them up for about $300. So I was in the camera shop,

trying to get excited about the one on special and it wasn’t working. I just couldn’t take my eyes off the new, badass black Ixus 100IS.‘Ah, I’m looking at the Ixus cameras’ I said to the guy, then added unconvincingly, ‘I’m thinking I should get the one on special’. He shot me a conspiratorial look and whispered, ‘Take a look at this one man,’ passing me black beauty, ‘so much better’. Of course, he had my number. From the moment I held it in my hand, I knew I had to have it. The boxy Volvoish lines of previous models have given way to a sleek, curved profile, like a little black ipod from the future. And holy shit, it shoots high definition video. I talked him down to $360 and got the hell out of there. OK, so I bought a new memory card for no reason as well. The operating system of the 100IS is essentially the same as previous models, with a few minor differences. For starters, the noise the lens makes when it comes out is better. Kind of like how you test the eject action on a tape player, it’s a good yardstick of quality. The review button also works as an on/off switch, which comes in handy when you want to look at photos but don’t want the lens to open. The up button is now exposure control instead of ISO, which I find a bit of a nause. The HD video lives up to it’s rep and more. The quality of the footage is incredible! I use it all the time now when I go skating. It’s almost better than having a ‘proper’ video camera, as you can just whip it out and catch things as they happen, without changing the dynamic of the session. The film function doesn’t give you much to play with in terms of different modes or shutter speeds, which is a bit annoying. The only function they’ve added to it is this weird colour swap thing, which is a novelty at best. Apart from that, it’s essentially the same. I always disable all the fancy bits like face recognition focus and focus-assist beam, because I find it makes people uncomfortable and slows

down the camera. I also turn off all the stupid shutter noises and start up images. Shutter noise? Come on! Maybe we should have typewriter noises on our computers too? I’ve got a pretty good idea for Canon. Make a special hipster blogging camera. Don’t call it a different name, as that will only put us off. Just let it be known it is a special blogging edition of the IXUS 100IS. Give me a free one. And here are the specs: - A special leather slide pouch. Easy access, protective, prestigious. - No stupid colour swap type features. If we’re bored enough to want to do that, there’s this thing called photoshop. - No blink detection, face recognition, shutter noise, any of that shit. It’s all fluff. - Crazy high ISO for low light conditions with no flash. 3200 is good, but surely you can go higher and grainier. Don’t tell me you can’t, scientists! - More flash options. Half strength flash would be ideal for close-ups. I’m over putting my hand over the flash to soften it. - Like a phone, you should be able to customise a sort of speed dial facility to different keys, to access most used functions quickly. - Bluetooth? Can we do that? Plugging it in all the time is a pain. I guarantee a camera like this would sell. Hell, I’d buy one, that is if and when my current one dies. But for now, the black Ixus 100IS is my blogging device of choice. It also comes in red and gold by the way, which both look terrible.

Y D! GRENADE TEAM RIDER SKETCH

R eviews

Barney’s Bro Code

there ’ s no escaping the unwritten code of conduct that exists between male friends . the code is observed by all diligent men . finally , ‘ how i met your mothers ’ barney stinson ( played by neil patrick harris ) has put down “ the final authority on acceptable behavior between and among dudes .” the bro code . here ’ s some of our favorite rules .

Photography: CBS Words: Barney Stinson & Matt Kuhn Article 1 - A Bro is always entitled to do something stupid, as long as the rest of his Bro’s are doing it. Article 5 - Whether he cares about sports or not, a Bro cares about sports. Article 7 - A Bro never admits he can’t drive stick. Event after an accident. Article 11 - A Bro may ask his Bro(s) to help him move, but only after first disclosing an honest estimate on both time and commitment and number of large pieces of furniture. If the Bro has vastly underestimated either, his Bro’s retain the right to leave his possessions where they are - in most cases, stuck in a doorway. Article 15 - A Bro never dances with his hands above his head. Article 24 - When wearing a baseball cap, a Bro may position the brim at 12 or 6 o’clock. All other angles are reserved for rappers and the handicapped. Article 29 - If two Bro’s decide to catch a movie, they may not attend a screening that begins after 4:40pm. Also, despite cost savings, they shall not split a tub of popcorn, choosing instead to procure individual bags. Article 40 - Should a Bro become stricken with engagement, his Bros’ shall stage an intervention and attempt to heal him. This is more commonly known as a “bachelor party.”

Article 44 - A Bro never applies sunscreen to another Bro. Article 49 - When asked, “Do you need some help?” a Bro shall automatically respond, “I got it,” whether or not he’s actually got it. Article 54 - A Bro is required to go out with his Bros on St Patty’s Day, and other official Bro holidays, including Halloween, New Years Even and Desperation Day (February 13th). Article 55 - Even in an emergency that requires a tourniquet, a Bro never borrows from or lends clothes to another Bro. Article 56 - A Bro is required to alert another Bro if the Bro/Chick ratio at a party falls below 1:1. However, to avoid Broflation, a Bro is only allowed to alert one Bro. Further, a Bro may not speculate on the anticipated Bro/Chick Ratio of a party or venue without first disclosing the present-time observed ratio. Article 59 - A Bro must always post bail for another Bro, unless it’s out of state or, like, crazy expensive. Article 65 - A Bro must always reciprocate a round of drinks among Bros. Article 67 - Should a Bro pick up a guitar at a party and commence playing, another Bro shall point out that he is a tool. Article 70 - A Bro will drive another Bro to the airport or pick him up, but never both for the same

trip. He is not expected to be on time, help with luggage, or enquire about his Bro’s trip or general well being. Article 74 - At a red light, a Bro inches as close as possible to the rear bumper of the car in front of him, and then immediately honks the horn when the light turns green. That way, if another Bro is several cars behind, he’ll have a better chance of making it through the intersection before the light turns red again. Article 84 - A Bro shall stop whatever he is doing and watch Die Hard if it’s on TV. Article 91 - If a group suspect that their Bro is trying to give himself a nickname, they shall rally to call him by an adjacent yet more demeaning nickname. Article 103 - A Bro never wears socks with sandals. He commits to one cohesive footgear plan and sticks with it. Article 106 - Given an option on quantity when ordering a beer with his Bros, a Bro always selects the largest size available or shall never hear the end of it that night. Article 149 - A Bro pretends to understand and enjoy cigars. The Bro Code is written by Barney Stinson and Matt Kuhn. It is published by Simon & Schuster (ISBN: 978-1-4391-1000-3) and available through all good book stores.

Editorial

Power Puff

cigars are a cliché in magazine ‘ power shots ’. but we ’ ve written up a low down on lighting up , to make sure you pull off the cliché with class .

P hotography: Steve Gourlay Words: Dave Keating Is there a greater symbol of power than the cigar? Presidents of nations and companies use them in power shots for magazines as the ultimate “I made it” statement. So I always laugh at the box of Cohiba’s on my little desk in my apartment... Although I’d like to picture myself in a setting similar to the photo of Bill Clinton on the Whitehouse lawn chewing the end of an unlit stogie I’m a long, long way from that. In fact, I’m closer to the homeless guy in the city laneway lighting up the butt of some try-hard 18 year old’s $10 corner store death stick that was thrown away after one cough filled puff. Still, the more pressing issue is my own extreme aversion to smoking in general. I hate it. I hate the smell, the seedy look and image that comes with people standing in the cold rain sucking away their life. I hate the inconsiderate nature with which many smokers walk infront of me in the city blowing their smoke directly in my face. Something tells me that if I ran ahead of them and managed to break wind directly into their face, they’d have something to say about it. That’s what cigarette smoke is to me. However,

and here’s my own hypocrisy that I’ll have to deal with, very occasionally I will enjoy a cigar. I like the smell and the ceremony that comes with a good cigar. The ritual of cutting and lighting it the right way, knowing the smell and the sizes. Sure, on a potency scale it’s like saying I’ll never do hard drugs but I don’t mind the odd bit of heroin, however my feeling on most things (illicit drugs obviously excluded) is that moderation is the key. In my ignorant, non-medical opinion - the occasional cigar, although not beneficial for one’s health, is okay. With those bases covered, let’s cover the basics of a fine cigar. First of all, if you’re going to enjoy it, DO NOT buy one from the local corner store. Where I live, every building has a convenience store under it with a perspecs humidor that has more holes in it than a Michael Bay plot line. What you’re buying from those places is the equivalent of a K-Mart skateboard - the basic shape is right, everything else is wrong. A real cigar merchant is the place to hit up. The vitola is the size and shape of the cigar - basically like the cigars specs. There’s a myriad of different sizes and while getting the biggest cigar might seem like the gangsta way to go (that would be a Gran Corona by the way) it is not. Believe me. Before you’re half way through you’ll be hurling on you mate’s Mum’s new garden bed and wake the next morning to find that said Mum was no so amused **sigh, memories**. Be realistic - I’m not a regular smoker so keeping to smaller sizes is better for me. A petit corona seems about right which is generally 111 millimeters long and 16 millimeters in diameter. The different flavours in a cigar can be hinted at in the smell of the tobacco before it’s lit. Those flavours change as it’s aged and when it’s lit. However, my palette is nowhere near evolved enough to get into lengthy dissertations about

primarys, undertones and after tastes. It is, for the most part, still a novelty to me at this point and I find that often these long winded descriptions are complete wank anyway. This is where the ritual comes into it. You can’t chop the end off a cigar and wave a flame at it to get it going. There’s a process that forms part of the enjoyment. Cutting the cigar is best done with a cigar cutter - it’s like a guillotine. You place the cigar into the guillotine until the blade is sitting just above the cap which is the sealed end section of the cigar. Squeeze and remove the cap with one swift motion. Then to light the cigar you want to have a gas lighter. Holding the cigar at a slight angle you need to light the edge of cigar all the way round and then the centre to create an even burn. You do this before you start puffing on it and it can take 30 seconds to a minute to get it right. Once it is lit, put the cigar in your mouth and blow gently - this removes the ‘ashy’ flavour that you can get at the start. Take long puffs to get the full flavour in your mouth. The cigar has a long history and many traditions with it. Real cubans are still rolled on a ladies thigh... no kidding. Although my friend that visited Cuba recently didn’t describe the magical wonderland I like to picture in my head when thinking about the origins of my Cohiba. Instead of dozens of Miranda Kerr’s busy rolling cigars in their underwear between pillow fights, it was hundreds of very hairy, very overweight ladies with Churchill size cigars hanging out of their mouth (they can smoke as many as they want for free) in a 40 degree room. So I’m now wary of anything that has a sweaty bouquet. But the traditional power-shot means I’ll be enjoying the odd cigar in anticipation of my call up to the pages of Esquire, GQ or Rolling Stone. I’m not fussy.

Editorial

The Iceland Detox / getting lost is getting harder and harder . ben davis gets as far from everything as he can .

Photography: Ben Davis Words: Ben Davis

“No coffee, no drugs and no secrets!” The car ground to a halt, skidding slightly on the loose gravel road. “Secrets? You’ve been keeping secrets from us?” A frantic conversation followed, spoken in a tangled mix of Danish and English. After a few minutes they paused, allowing her to clear the air, “I meant no sex, I don’t keep secrets”.

And so our small Volkswagon hatchback continued slowly along the winding mountain road, heading deeper and deeper into the Westfjords of Iceland. Straddling my backpack and wedged tightly between an assortment of sleeping bags, rugs and boxes of food, I happily talked away with my three companions, a group of Danish women who had supported my hitch hiking ventures with a welcoming “we used to hitch hike in the 70s… when we were young”. Barely a week earlier I had arrived in Iceland without expectation, more a sense of anticipation that I was venturing into the unknown, the outcomes of which I could not predict. I found that as valuable as local knowledge and history can be, the people compelled to travel to a certain destination can provide a different insight into the heart of a location. Many Icelanders happily admit to never have ventured to the Westfjords region, located in the remote north west of the country, because with the exception of several small settlements, there is not a great deal there. However, the distinct sense of remoteness in the region creates a sense of mystery, which is alluring to those who saviour the opportunity to get lost. As travel guidebooks and websites continue to provide information on every facet of travel, from the optimum time to visit the local hot dog van, to the best hotel if all the recommended hotels are full, there is a sense of empowerment in travelling for the sake of getting lost.

For my new Danish friends, their own way of getting lost was what they referred to as The Iceland Detox. Well travelled, and with established working and family lives in Copenhagen, they had chosen Iceland as a place to be free, and with the countryside as their sole companion they could get lost and discard the worries, obligations and constraints that they had become so accustomed to dealing with in their daily lives. As the days progressed, I met more and more travellers undertaking their own version of The Iceland Detox. There was the two photographers from Amsterdam, who had packed up a handful of clothes and their medium format cameras and had set aside a month to camp throughout the countryside, exploring and documenting stories along the way. Then there was the Thai lady who had arrived in the 70s and found solace in the small fishing communities of the north, and the Danish woman who, on her 7th trip to the country, had brought along her cousin to finally immerse herself in the land she had long dreamt of. It was my encounters with these people who, like myself had ventured away from home with an open mind and travelled into the unfamiliar, that had a profound impact on my perspective of travel. From different corners of the globe we had all found ourselves lost in the isolated depths of a strange land, a small piece of a greater journey into the unknown.

KNOCK ON WOOD Photographs by STEVE GOURLAY

Styling by Amie Francis Modeled by India

Burton

Board: Joystick 2010 156 Wide Boots: Jeremy Jones 2010 Bindings: Exile EST

Board: PBJ Core 151 Boots: Serum 09

Board: Turbo Dream 156 Boots: Maysis DB Bindings: K2 Auto

Nitro

Board: Sub Zero 155 Boots: Team TLS Bindings: Raiden Wizard

ROADSIDE DENIM Photographs by STEVE GOURLAY Styling by Amie Francis Motorcycle: Thruxton 900 by Triumph

She wears: “Movement Jean Rinse” Low rise skinny fit. By Hurley. He wears: “E2 Ride 302” Straight leg. By Ezekiel.

She wears: “Straight Black Rinse” By DC. He wears: “Dylan Rieder Signature” By Analog.

She wears: “Riot Girl Jean” Straight leg. By Rip Curl. He wears: “90 Nior” Slim stretch. By Rip Curl.

She wears: “Supaslim” By Billabong. He wears: “Worldwide Raw Denim” By Hurley.

She wears: “Baxter” Skinny fit. By zoo York.

He wears: “Bandit” Straight leg. By Zoo York.

S urf

Mick Short Out Of Sight

mick short is living the free surfer dream and it seems as if his head is screwed on the right way . last may , he waved goodbye to his hometown of margaret river , keenly trading the punchy waves of west oz , for the life of a paid traveling surfer . his passion for boarding planes , dodgy wooden boats and riding freight train barrels has ultimately led shorty to his newly adopted home in indonesia . his intentions are clear : stay healthy , travel , explore , find perfect , empty waves , surf whenever the god ’ s permit and film for his next filmic release . it sounds like a dream come true , but as shorty found out it ’ s not always smooth sailing around indonesia .

P hotography: Russell Ord Words: Justin Ward Shorty is a unique type of character in both mindset and appearance. Aesthetically he is not your typical surfer, proudly exhibiting a head topped with salty, ginger locks and fair skin, which is slightly covered by scruffy facial hair - offering some form of protection from Indonesia’s blistering sun. His lean and toned physique is also a noticeable characteristic and surfing for days on end plus eating ample amounts of rice and fish, helps keep his body at it’s peak. However, surfing and eating healthy food isn’t always enough and sometimes the grime of the third world can get the upper hand on your health. Shorty discovered last year, when shit goes wrong, the effects can often be scary, if not life threatening. “I eat really healthy over here, but last year I ended up with four staff infections. I caught them from reef cuts out at One Palm. It wasn’t too bad, but because I was sleeping on the deck of a dirty old boat, the cut became badly infected and the staff infection worked it’s way into my blood stream. I was in hospital for a week just getting pumped by a drip. I lost so much weight, I was just cock and ribs for a while,” he recounts. Thanks to some tasty blood cleaning pills, Mick is now back in fine form, but admits he is still trying to shake the sickness completely from his system. The cure is simple; surf, eat and surf some more. Another huge factor contribut-

ing to Mick’s health is his attitude towards surfing and life. Mentally, Shorty’s brain is geared for adrenaline fueled enjoyment. He is constantly smiling and his positive attitude leaves the impression that his birthplace should have been Indonesia. The ideal combination of physique, nutrition and positive ‘frotha’ mental attitude ensures he is able to surf the best waves on offer with great fluency and speed; a huge advantage when negotiating Indonesia’s notoriously fast folding sections. Be it back home or in the waters of Indo, particularly when it’s over six foot, Shorty is a stand out. Many who are able to observe his surfing prowess will first notice his fearless and ballsy approach but keep watching after he takes the drop and you will discover that this hell man attitude is also backed by a style that is nothing short of effortless, a real joy to watch. Give him a worthy slab back at home and he’ll tow it with no qualms, offer him a chance to surf a long barreling point break or an uncrowded offshore bombie, preferably somewhere hidden in a remote

location, and he will drop everything, including a nice cold Bintang, to seek and destroy it. “I like the length of the barrels over here and I also like the speed you have while you are going through the barrels. I think I am addicted to it. I also like being out of my comfort zone and experiencing new things,” he said. To a degree, Shorty is a modern day soul surfer and his mental attitude can be loosely attributed to the likes of other surfers who simply surfed to surf. Characters like Greenough and Rasta, guys who aren’t afraid of expressing alternative opinions and living alternative lifestyles, preferably away from the crowds. Shorty suggests most pro surfers these days simply do it for the image, fame and chicks; an opinion shared by some, but its truth ultimately comes down to personal opinion. So, I asked what is he chasing if he isn’t in the game for girls, money and fame? His response was simple, “I just want to keep surfing and exploring the world, and hopefully I will inspire some other kids to go out of their comfort zones and go exploring the world for surf with

their mates.” Unlike some crew who swoop on cheap flights and land in Indo to simply drink piss; buy inexpensive clothing and help local prostitutes pull a trick, Shorty flies to the country to get away from all the crowds and chaos, Sumatra being one of his favourite escape routes. “When in Bali I will flair up on the odd night but I really just enjoy an ‘arvo’ beer and a nice meal, does that make me sound really boring? I have been surfing a lot in Sumatra, particularly around the islands of Nias. There are some really good left’s that don’t get surfed very often because it’s a bit out of the way and you need to take a small fishing boat to get there. Once you’re there, you need to camp or ask the village if you can stick around,” he said.

The chance of finding epic unchartered waves is every surfers dream and at present it’s Mick’s main interest, an interest that is anything but boring. “I really want to find un-chartered waves that no one has ever surfed. There’s no point finding an average wave that has never been surfed. I can’t say where but one of my favourite waves of the trip so far is in Indo and it’s like Desert Point, only it can handle a bigger swell. The only people ever out are the people I go there with, there’s never anyone else in the line-up,” he says with a toothy smile. Like many surfers who visit the islands of Indonesia, it’s not always about the waves. Shorty believes his time in the country has taught him some of life’s most valuable lessons. And his experiences, good or bad, have only strengthened

his appreciation for life. “I was just talking to my mum on the phone the other night, telling her how much more I appreciate every thing in my life. You know so many people from Australia are always whinging about crap and are bummed out on stuff like having to go to work. They get all caught up on how bad the economy is and stress if they can’t afford material possessions. Then you see the Indonesian people and they don’t even know if they are going to have enough money to eat next week and they have a huge smile on their face all day. They are just grateful to be alive and anything else good that happens is just a bonus. This trip has definitely given me a better appreciation for life.” Besides the thrill of adventure and stroking into flawless 25 second barrels at places like One Palm, the other motives behind Shorty’s departure from Australia is to film and surf for his second flim, Short Sighted 2 Myopia. When asked to reveal the inspiration behind the film, his answer is fairly straightforward. He’s over seeing the same old stuff. “I am sick of seeing surf movies in

shit waves with the same guys doing airs and all these crazy maneuverers. I love what they are doing but you also need a balance. The film is based on surfing perfect waves with no one out but your mates and it’s going to feature a lot of my friends on camping trips in Indo. Just perfect waves in places like Mexico, Tahiti and El Salvador… Good times. Andrew Mooney and I are going to Chile next year to do a lot of filming for it, so I am looking forward to that” he said. So there you have it. If Shorty and his current path in life isn’t enough to entice you to book your next flight to a remote location, maybe watching his next film will. See us surfers are notorious dreamers and to a certain extent, I guess you can say the planes; boats and waves we choose to ride throughout our lives are our dream catchers. It seems as if this free soul is living the surfers dream, a life without boundaries, a life we all seek in one way or another, but as Shorty puts it, ‘I am living my dream, but it might not be the next persons you know.” I suppose that’s what makes surfing so magical. Get out there.

S urf

Surfing Japan

ever wanted to be able to snowboard and surf in the same day ? japan offers it up ... but you ’ d have to be pretty keen to take it on .

P hotography: Rory Gardiner Words: Rory Gardiner

It seems spending a season in Japan is rapidly becoming the new Whistler for Australians. Amongst Japan’s hundreds of discovered and ‘not so discovered’ resorts, Niseko, on the northern island, Hokkaido, is the most well established hub of the Aussie invasion. It’s nickname ‘Little Australia’ is testament to the sheer volume of us pouring into the place on the hunt for deep powder, crisp beer and cute girls, although not necessarily in that order. What people don’t consider when visiting Japan in January is the possibility of empty line-ups, three to four foot ‘beach’ breaks and ice-cream headaches worse than overshooting a seventy-footer. The east coast of Hokkaido is arguably home to the world’s most dedicated core group of local surfers. The towns of Yoichi and Furibura have the highest concentration of surfers, meaning there might actually be someone else out when there is swell, but probably not. Due to its proximity to Siberia, the Sea of Japan usually only generates decent swells during the worst of the mid-winter storms. For those who are willing, these storms equate to some incredibly serious rubber and getting changed in the open air could result in a Terminator Two style freeze-up. Don’t be fooled by RipCurl’s latest

Opposite page: Tetsuo Sato, Furubira River Mouth. — Photograph by Rory Gardiner.

marketing ploy because regardless of your equipment, it’s fucking cold here. The air temperature usually sits around minus ten or fifteen before wind-chill and while the ocean literally steams, the sky can puke more in one day than Australia gets in a month. Just to add to the pain, in true Japanese style, 90% of the country’s coastline has been insulated against tsunamis with tetra pods (rock walls usually about fifty meters off-shore) making river mouths the more attractive option. Most of the breaks have a gap that you can paddle out through, but get too greedy and you may find

yourself in a spot of bother between the impact zone and some unfortunately placed ice-encrusted rocks. The waves themselves, although not world-class, are up there with any good Australian beach break when it’s firing. They break over a combo of rocky boulders and shelves, making up for the lack of long-range ground swell hitting the region. There are a variety of options around, but most widespread are the river mouths, which offer decent banks and occasionally, an icy cold barrel.

It’s a bizarrely ironic experience to watch people cram surfboards and dry suits into a van and floor it out of a ski resort when it’s dumping a foot an hour. It’s not just the Japanese who are willing to risk potential hypothermia, there are a few Aussie expats in Niseko too who happily brave the conditions in an effort to get a few familiar turns in. The townspeople ‘in the know’ are well aware of what’s taking place when local Aussie businessmen simultaneously depart during a big storm, teaming up with some Japanese snow bums to make the one hour journey from the snow covered mountains to the similarly snow covered beaches. While they struggle through snowdrifts, dodge tetra pods and brace against the blizzards, the only witnesses (apart from a very cold photographer) are a few crusty snow removalists sitting in their heated cabins, smoking cigarettes and chuckling. There’s no angry localism or pretentious surf culture bullshit here; nothing is done for show. It could be compared to snowboarding in Australia in the eighties; underground and barely acknowledged, but occurring nevertheless. The only indication of surfing activity most local villagers ever see is the wet hair and icy board bags of the hungry-as surfers loading up on rice balls and canned hot coffee in the nearby convenience stores. The coastline in Hokkaido is all but deserted during winter, and driving away after a good session there is a unique satisfaction that you were the last person to bother looking at the waves, and you’ll probably be the next.

Opposite page: A different kind of surfing. Jahl Marshall on Annupuri Peak, Niseko late afternoon. — Photograph by Rory Gardiner.

Matt Sudomlak Introduction by Mike Martin Interview by Rick Baker & Dylan Skewes — Photography by Dylan Skewes

att is an exciting kid to be around, filled with information gained from hours of surfing the endless waves of internet beach. He is also quite entertaining to watch on a skateboard, with an abundance of Mr. Bean style trickery learned over years of skate ratting. But the thing I like most about Sudo is his infectious positive attitude, never once seen him throw his board in anger or crack the shits... Ever. Always smiling. One example that stands out in my mind is when Matt came on a ‘lil road trip to Bendigo with Morgs and myself. After a tiring day skating the new park in Eaglehawk and a late night, we decided to mosey on into downtown Bendigo to peruse the streets for obstacles on which to quench our skate thirst. On about our third lap (Bendigo’s not that big) we stumbled across a long high flatbar that went down the side of a driveway ramp and Matty started trying to boardslide it. As usual it looked like he would do it effortlessly until one failed swoop where he stuck, lept off his board way above the rail with one foot either side of it and came crashing down. Morgs and I were both in shock, we held our mouths

until Matt pried himself up off the ground and of course, he was smiling. I asked if he was okay, he answered by putting his hand down his pants to check the boys and when his hand came out it was covered in blood. Now, neither Morgs or myself are fans of hospitals so I took him to the emergency room and left him there reading a fishing magazine from 1992, he was still smiling saying things like “check out this trout!” Upon our return to the hospital to pick up the sacked Sudo, I was wondering if his good mood had been tarnished by an afternoon of bloody balls and hospital waiting rooms but as I pulled up he was already waiting outside with the same old Sudo smile. Even after getting ten stitches in his hairy coin purse, spending three or four hours in the emergency room and knowing we had a four hour drive back to Frankston that night, with fresh stitches in the family home, Mr. Bean was still smiling. I was wondering if he just thought it was funny that he had pissed sack blood on the backseat of my car (coz he would) so I asked him, “how can you be smiling after getting stitches in your nuts?” His only reply “you should have seen the nurse!”

Oppesite page: Frontside Tail, Kananook. — Photograph by Dylan Skewes.

ell Sudo, we finally got around to doing this. Although this is the second interview you’ve done for this. What happened the first time around? Why has this taken so long to get out? [Laughs] It’s been a long road. Well, the first time we tried, Mike (Martin) interviewed me and it was awesome, we got Coronas and pizza and just kicked it in the Frankston beach parking lot. We thought it was going sweet... 55 minutes later it was finished and turns out we did talk for 55 minutes but not about anything at all really. Just pretty much spent the interview avoiding talking about myself and just giving shit to random bogans hanging out with the hoods popped. [Laughs] I know you like cars, maybe you should have joined in? You’ve put a lot of work into yours. What have you got? [Laughs] Who told you I liked cars? I’m like car-illiterate, my Dad told me to check my oil and I was like “Huh?” I get my brother to do all that stuff. My car is awesome - it’s a 1983 Holden Vacationer. It’s a mega-chilling-cruiser, good for the beach and long drives. And it’s tan brown and all brown interior so it’s all vintage looking. I’m into it! Are you worried your car will get stolen in Frankston? I remember the day my friend Simon got his car stolen from Frankston Triggers while he was working. Damn, that sucks. I worry sometimes but I park directly in front of the police station, so it should be sweet. One day I locked my keys in my car and Jonny (Trigger Frankston Manager) said “one second” then came back with a piece of plastic and got into my car quicker than I could with my key, it was ridiculous... So sketchy.

Opposite page: 180 Nosegrind. — Photograph by Dylan Skewes.

WE WERE LEAVING THE STORE AND HE YELLED OUT “See ya on the news boys!” Like in a horror movie voice. So we took it down too the beach, blew it up and set sail...

Opposite page: 5-0, Frankston. — Photograph by Dylan Skewes.

This page: Frontside Nollie, Knox Bowl. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photograph by Dylan Skewes.

HE ANSWERED BY PUTTING HIS HAND DOWN HIS PANTS to check the boys and when his hand came out it was covered in blood... I took him to the emergency room and left him there reading a fishing magazine from 1992, he was still smiling saying things like “check out this trout!”

Jonny is the man! After the first interview attempt, you fucked your ankle pretty bad. How’s that going? Yeah, I wouldn’t say I fucked it bad. Just rolled it doing a 5-0 down a curb high box, I felt dumb and I couldn’t skate for about a month and a half. That sucked. I don’t see how people are out for like six months and keep sane. The worst was not being able to flick kickies. It’s the worst when you can’t flick tricks. I didn’t do much about it either so it randomly hurts when I’m skating now. That would give you some good game-time though. I used to like geeking out with you about WoW, are you playing anything at the moment? Me, I’m hanging out for the new Mass Effect or Star Wars: The Old Republic. Isn’t that Star Wars game an MMO? I thought you were staying clear of those? [Laughs] It will consume your soul. I’ve never seen a Star Wars movie, everytime I tell someone that, they’re like “are you fucking serious?!?” But nah, I’m not playing anything in particular. I play Skate 2 a bit, Diablo 3 is gonna be dope and there is this awesome game coming out on Nintendo called Scribblenauts. It’s gonna be crazy, you gotta’ check it out even if you hate games. You won’t hate this, you can do anything in it, I mean anything... You can make Jesus and Death fight. I think death wins.

Sounds good but then I have to buy a Wii, and I think I’m too nerdy for that. Dylan Skewes told me you liked to go swimming in winter. Is that just him bullshitting me or do you have a secret rehab routine? [Laughs] Well, one summer I was swimming with my friend Shane and I was like, “Hey man, how good is swimming, it’s sick. Why don’t we just swim in winter, it wouldn’t be that bad?” This was on a 40 degree day so I had forgotten how cold it gets. Then winter came around and we couldn’t skate because it was an all round shit day so Shane was like, “Hey, we should go swimming!” Keeping to my word we went down to the beach in our boardshorts, I tried to get Shane to swim but he wasn’t keen at all so I went in Lone Ranger style. I got to about waist deep and couldn’t breathe right, my skin burned and then I dropped under water and gave a little paddle and then a screech and ran back in. It was stupidly freezing. I’ve always wondered, what is it like in Frankston Kittens? Sketchy? [Laughs] Well, it is located in a heritage listed building which was the first ever building built in Frankston, so a part of Frankston history is infested with strippers out to make some easy cash. [Laughs] Classy. It’s painted all black and gives off weird vibes. Once we went in there and we saw

Billy Brownless with like three girls hanging off him. A lot of creepy business men with no friends are in there. You work at Triggers, tell me a story about the last strange person to come into the shop? Jonny doesn’t count. [Laughs] Ah, Jonny. The Franskton Navy folk are pretty odd, if you live around the (Mornington) Penisula you know who Jedi is, he comes in with a helmet, a cape and his light-saber and tries to recruit Jedis. He also skates with a helmet cam. Talking about crazy Frankston shit, Dylan also told me a story about you boating around Frankston right before a thunderstorm... [Laughs] Yeah, that day was the best. We were skating around Frankston beach and the water was so glassy we thought we should buy a blow up boat and take it out. So we headed to this massive outdoor shop and purchased this boat for $70 - reduced from $180, we were stoked! The guy that sold it to us was freaky and while we were leaving the store he yelled out, “See ya on the news boys!” like in a horror movie voice. So creepy. So we took it down too the beach, blew it up and set sail. We ended up way further out than we expected. If that thing deflated we would have had to swim back to shore and there’s no way we would have made it.

Ok, here’s some Top 3’s for you. Hottest characters in Harry Potter: 1. Hermione Granger, hands down 2. Bellatrix Lestrange 3. Hagrid Things in your room: 1. Red Shagpile Rug 2. Music Making Instruments 3. Chillin’ Bean Bags Frankston weirdos: 1. Jedi 2. Snowy 3. Mad Mary, although I haven’t seen her in like three years Take away food in Frankston: 1. Poppyseeds 2. Nandos 3. Fancy Fillings/Healthy Habits YoYo tricks: 1. Shoot the Moon 2. Dizzy Baby 3. Buddha’s Revenge Movies: 1. Harry Potter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 2. Twilight (I really do like it!) 3. Into The Wild Things to do while you’re car warms up: 1. Read a Mag 2. Think 3. Talk to someone if I can get them to hang around and wait with me Well thanks Sudo, finally we nailed this thing! Boo-Ya. And thank you and everyone.

Opposite page: Frontside Boardslide, Frankston. — Photograph by Dylan Skewes.

Tony Hawk from finger flips at del mar to 900’ s at the x games , tony hawk has been pushing the progression of skateboarding for the past 30 years . while perhaps the number of tricks he ’ s inventing isn ’ t increasing as rapidly as it used to , tony continues to progress skateboarding ’ s image to the mainstream through his hugely successful “ pro skater ” video games , an extensive demo and appearance schedule and even a somewhat controversial visit to the white house . some will question a choice or two along the way as the “ public face ” of skateboarding … but few could argue that there is a better man for the job …

Words by Steele Saunders. — This page: Tony Hawk, Prahran. Over page: Indy, Prahran. Photographs by Steve Gourlay.

ou just got back from Australia, I got to see you skate at Prahran when you were out, it seems as though we’ve been pretty good to you over the years. When I first went in 1987, I was really excited as I hadn’t travelled too much at the time. Everywhere else I’d been out of the U.S, the skate scene wasn’t that strong. But in Australia there was so much excitement there for skating as it’s got such a big surf culture as well. I had a blast, I couldn’t believe the reception we got. Since then every time I’ve been back, there is always strong interest in skating, people are excited about it. There are so many countries you go to where people just don’t get it. The first time I saw you skate was at Prahran in ‘88, with Hosoi, Cab, McGill… Yeah I remember that one. It wasn’t until years later I realized that we got there for a 5pm demo at eight in the morning… we just stood there waiting. [Laughs] I’m honoured.

Yeah, but still back then it was rare for us to come so I think even the press made a big deal out of it. That got people a bit curious to come by as well. I had a few drinks with you at one of those Globe 900 parties and was so amped afterwards I skulled a bottle of Johnny Walker… Have you met anyone more retarded than me? I’ve definitely had more than a few times where it was almost uncomfortable because people were so excited. I’ll be at a urinal and someone will recognize me and thrust their hand out to shake my hand. Are you sure they were shaking your hand? [Laughs] If someone put their hand out to me at a urinal my first thought wouldn’t be they’re going to shake my hand. I remember in the 80’s a girl and her friend bribed someone at a hotel to tell them which floor we were staying on so they could get a room there. Stalk us in the hallways. That sounds way better than the urinal shaking hands business.

going to slow things down as far as the skaters pushing themselves? I didn’t think that was going to slow things down, but it definitely put things into perspective. These guys have been toying with this dangerous concept for so long that finally… one of the worstcase scenarios that could happen, happened. Because it was in a huge venue it not only gave perspective to the skaters but also to the audience. I don’t want to say it stopped everything (progression) but it definitely kept them in check. If you look at what happened last year to this year… Bob Burnquist who is undoubtedly one of the best mega ramp riders in the world, he did the exact same routine he did last year. They’re not trying to explore the most death defying stunts anymore because… I think they know. That may be why Danny didn’t enter. He was hurt but not so hurt he couldn’t do the mega rail. To me that’s good. When everyone was testing all these new limits, that was scary for me to watch. No one was grasping… No one had a handle on… How bad this could be.

WAS THE 900 A BLESSING AND A CURSE FOR YOU? “It was for a while, yeah...”

I remember for Australians seeing an American pro skater… it was like seeing a super-hero or something. Is that sort of reaction strange to deal with? Back then skating was more underground so the people that liked skating absolutely loved it. It was much more passionate in terms of the people that were involved. Of course now there’s people it’s (skating) their lifestyle, but there’s so many people now that enjoy skating but don’t have a full understanding of it, yet they appreciate it. Back then it was like an exclusive club you belonged to so that’s why I think the excitement was so much bigger. You were one of the select few that liked it. True. But it definitely didn’t feel too exclusive that day, we were jammed in with a few thousand people, it was pretty nuts.

You gotta run the gamut right. I saw you were doing commentary at the X Games this year, how was that? It seemed like this year was one of the better ones. I actually did all of what Chris Miller and I usually do, as Chris wasn’t there this year. So I had double duty which was a little more challenging, but I enjoyed it. I feel like I can relate the difficultly of what’s going on while speaking in layman’s terms to the people that don’t really understand all of it and relate some of my personal experiences. It’s not something I want to do all the time but it’s fun when it comes around. There’s a certain art to getting it over to the public while staying true. For sure. Last year’s X Games was remembered for Jake Brown’s slam, did you think that memory was

Even with street to me it’s really surprising, a good surprise of course, that no one has seriously really hurt themselves skating rails with big drops next to them. Yeah I feel street skating has sort of been refined like that. It’s not about the biggest thing anymore. We now know our physical limitations and now its “what can we do technically with that”. There’s still going to be guys going for the biggest but that’s not the constant push anymore. So Jake shot to media fame at the X Games with that slam, while your X Games moment was the 900. I remember MC’ing a demo just after that happened and I asked you if you wanted people to yell out tricks for you and you were all, “no, no! They’ll just yell 900 and there is no way.” [Laughs] Was the 900 a blessing and a curse for you?

It was for a while, yeah. I don’t really pay attention to it anymore. It doesn’t happen as much now but then it would happen no matter where I went, no matter what the terrain. If I was skating a mini ramp, “NINE HUNDRED!!!” That’s all they cared about. But the hype of that has died down now, people are just appreciative of what I can put out there. But in saying that I always hear it, it’s always there. It’s hard for me so if I do it I’m just as excited as they are to be honest. When you first made it did you think that anyone else would end up also making it? Oh yeah, for sure. That’s skating. If something’s been done it’s much easier to get to knowing that it is possible. It’s a much easier hurdle to overcome. There were a few of us getting really close and I felt that one of us just needed the confidence to land it then everyone else could do it. Do you think the 1080 is physically possible? Yeah yeah, I’ve seen Shaun White spin it. Amazing. He just needs a little bigger ramp than the standard size. Let’s talk about the Tony Hawk Ride game you have coming out. How long did it take to develop that crazy little board? It’s around two years now. I brought the idea to Activision; I said this is the next step in our game series as now people aren’t afraid to buy peripherals for their game systems with the succuss of Guitar Hero and all those types of games. With the wireless technology and the motion sensing that was becoming available at the time I felt like it was the right time to do it. The concept has been thrown a bit in the past but it (the game play) didn’t feel right you know, it was too clunky. Now we’ve got it (right), it’s unbelievable. Way, way better than I’d imagined it when I first brought them the idea. There was an arcade game with a board. Yeah Top Skater… I have one! It sort of felt more like it was snowboard turning rather than skateboard turning. Exactly, yep. This one feels so much better with that. In fact in “casual mode”, I hesitate to use the term beginner mode, the turning is sort of done for you, as that’s the biggest learning curve in it. I always found those Guitar Hero games weird, would you be better off just learning the guitar? No… Trust me from someone who’s tried both. Kinda strange my introduction to skate video games was you playing “Skate Or Die” in that old Vision video “Psycho Skate” and now you’re taking it to this amazing level. You mean 720. Oh yeah, it was 720 but the game said “skate or die” when the bees came after you.

There was a game after that called ‘Skate Or Die’ for the Commodore 64. You know your skate video games sir. I brought every videogame system that had a skating game for it. I brought a Commodore 64 just to play “Skate Or Die”. I got home one night kinda tipsy and put on the TV to see you doing a demo on a little mini ramp for a bunch of messed up Teletubbies… What… Was going on there? Oh that was Yo Gabba Gabba. A friend of mine actually created that show and asked me to do a segment on it. They built that mini ramp just for it so I was happy to do it. These days I get more parents recognising me from that than kids do. I’ve done a lot of cameos on teen shows but it’s always Yo Gabba Gabba that gets the most play. It seemed like the worst demo ever, there were only four “people” there and they weren’t even watching they were just jumping around. [Laughs] Yeah, that’s what you get on Yo Gabba Gabba. But that mini ramp looked perfect… I really wanted to skate it. Yeah I think the whole motivation for getting me on the show was so my friend Christian could get the company to build a mini ramp… for him. Excellent reason. You’re a good friend. I was wondering what would happen to it. I’m glad they didn’t burn it Daggers style. [Laughs] Yup. He kept it, mission accomplished. What are the sorts of things that you have to say no to? Certain endorsements that just don’t feel right or are too much of a stretch outside of the skateboarding realm. Appearances that… I don’t want to say aren’t worth my time but are just for the sake of a parent being extravagant for a party or something like that. Recently you got some press for knocking back the ‘Dancing With The Stars’ offer. Oh, there is no way I’m doing that. [Laughs] That’s apparently a really hard show to be on, physically. Oh, I don’t doubt it. I’ve just never been into dancing. My feet are not into it. I don’t have that kind of confidence or want that type of attention. I don’t want to parlay my skating into singing or dancing… I just want to be known as a skater. I don’t crave that spotlight either. That’s the type of paparazzi recognition I could do without. How much does the view of hardcore skaters affect your decisions with that sort of thing? I stopped worrying about that sort of stuff a long time ago. There’s always going to be people that question what you do or are cynical about it… To

be fair they only start calling you a ‘sell out’ once your stuff finally sells. I mean I’ve had signature products with my name on them since I was 14 years old; no one cared about it back then. When I was 14, if McDonald’s offered to endorse me and put me in commercials, I would have signed up then and there ‘cause I would always eat there… I eat there now. It’s more about what I feel is true to my heart and what’s real. What I can genuinely be excited about. If there is something where I feel I would have to force my enthusiasm or excitement for it, then I’m over it, it doesn’t work. I can’t force it. There’s one product I have to ask why it didn’t come out and that’s the Tony Hawk Powell Peralta reissue board? [Sigh] Yeah… That’s a long convoluted story. There was some misunderstanding with the use of that graphic in the past and that kind of tainted anything we did with it later on. That’s the best way I can explain it. So your relationship with George (Powell) isn’t at an all time high? Nah, it’s just that particular issue… that’s the only glitch.

Opposite page: Stalefish in the Mojave Desert. — Photograph by Jody Moris.

This page: Frontside Corner Air. Over page: Backside Nose Grind. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photographs by Jody Moris.

DO YOU THINK THE 1080 IS PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE? “Yeah yeah, I’ve seen Shaun White spin it... He just needs a little bigger ramp than the standard size”

I always wondered how you were able to use that graphic for Birdhouse boards. You know that wasn’t the problem. It was when we used it on clothing and the clothing got way bigger than we anticipated. That’s where the problem stems from. How do you feel about all the reissue Powell Peralta stuff? I think it’s cool yeah, that stuff is a blast. I love the fact that there are dads now that used to skate and they’re getting back into it and their kids love it and they share this common bond and the dad gets to show his kid all the graphics he loved when he was that age. I loved the Animal Chin special edition DVD, but when Tommy Guerrero was saying how much he hated doing the bedroom scene… If I had known that when I was little, I think I would have cried… We thought that was so cool. We were walking the line that whole video. We didn’t know what was funny, what was cool. We were told to do certain things but we were trying to do it in our own voice. We were so young we didn’t know. We definitely didn’t know those lines would be repeated for years and years. The funny thing was no matter how lame you thought bits were, because you guys did it we thought it was the coolest. Yeah, some of it did feel dorky to us but we trusted Stacey’s (Peralta) vision. Well I’m not sure I know the national anthem but I can recite the collected works of Johnny Rad. There you go. I’ve seen some clips of your son Riley skating and he’s pretty damn good. Yup, he’s a ripper. I’m guessing you’ve talked to him about it... How does he deal with being Riley (son of Tony) Hawk? Yeah, he really detaches himself from that. He just wants to be known for his skating. He’s a lot more

anonymous than people think, he doesn’t like speaking in public or appearing on TV. He wants to known for his actions rather than his words. It’s a little hard for me because I have to keep a distance. I don’t go to all the events just so I don’t draw attention to him. But I’m real proud of him because of that. Pushing through all the stigmas that he’s had to encounter. Does he review all your old street parts for you? [Laughs] No, he does not. The only advice he gives me is to use smaller wheels. [Laughs] That’s good advice. I’m trying to keep it real. He doesn’t like the look of my vert set up. A bit of controversy for yourself was your session in the White House… How was that overreaction? Yeah, I was shocked. I had no idea there would be a backlash to that. I got invited to the White House because of my success as a skateboarder but the event was a Fathers day event, talking about taking responsibility as a father and to spread that message. I brought my skateboard because whenever I don’t bring my skateboard somewhere people ask me where it is. So I brought it and as we were being escorted down a hallway I said to my escort “If I throw my board down can you take a picture of me?” The escort didn’t think anything of it either. So I rolled literally ten feet along the tile and then it just blew up! But I’d do it again. When I read it I couldn’t help think that’s the biggest issue in the White House for this year. Oh yeah! I think part of the overreaction was people thought that’s why I was being invited… The entire administration stopped what they were doing to watch me do that. It was totally not planned; I just did that on my own terms. There have been a lot of 80’s pros that fell on hard times with prison and or addiction but you’ve managed to avoid that.

All through the success and the opportunities, I never lost sight why I was there. I saw guys partying so hard that they couldn’t skate the next day… I’m thinking that is the reason we’re here. That is the only thing that got us here not our personalities or our looks. It was how we skated that got us here. I just think I never lost sight of that. I don’t want to say I lived on the straight and narrow, but I was able to push through that and keep skating all along. Even when skating was in a lull and there wasn’t much interest I never stopped skating because I loved it so much. It’s rumoured Gator is maybe up for parole, do you think there will ever be a place in skateboarding for Mark Anthony again? I have no idea on how to answer that. It would be a… “risky”… P.R. move from a sponsor. I don’t know what to say. If he’s done the time and he’s out… I’m sure he’ll be skating. I don’t look at it in those terms I just assume he would want to. That was gone from his life obviously. It wasn’t taken away from him or anything he did it, but I’m sure he misses it. I never really knew Gator that well so I’m not one to answer that question. I always thought you were kinda friends; he always had a lot of photos at your ramp. Maybe that’s just the perception from the magazines? Yeah, he lived in my area but I rarely saw him. He ended up building his own ramp in almost the exact same area. Thanks so much for your time mate, I know from your Twitter you’re a very busy person. Yeah, we’re actually about to go to the premier of the Australian Video, just about to head out to give out tickets. So that would be pretty much a four-hour edit of the demo on that little metal mini ramp yeah? Pretty much yeah. [Laughs] The video was going to start with that demo and I was like, “you can’t start it with that!”

Clint Allan there ’ s only a handful of australian snowboarders that can honestly say they really ‘ want it ’. clint allan is well and truly in that group . an intense guy that isn ’ t afraid to put his body on the line and send it , for clint it ’ s not a matter of if , but when .

Words by Rick Baker — Photograph by Dan Himbrechts

o Clint, you just got back from California. What were you doing over there? The last time we spoke you said something about needing some sleep... Yeah, I just took a month holiday. Just needed to get out of Jindabyne for a while and L.A. is easy for me. I have a lot of friends over there and I’d never really hung out there much in summer. I had the best time but kinda glad to be home getting some sleep after a crazy month. Yeah I hear you’re hurt. What happened? I tore my ACL at the end of February in Idaho while filming with the Variety Pack guys for their new film ‘Not Bad’. It definitely came at a bad time for me as it was really early in the season over there, but these things happen I guess. Just trying to focus on getting it strong now so I have no problems when I get back on snow. Obviously that has an impact on getting all the tricks you wanted... It definitely had a big impact on it. When I did my knee I think I was doing pretty good. Had a lot of shots for just eight days filming so things were rolling along really well. But the two months after I hurt myself were the best days of the season so I definitely missed a lot of riding and a lot of tricks I wanted to get. For someone that only filmed for eight days, there’s a lot of quality photos of you out there. How does that work? I’m not too sure actually. Because I hurt myself early season and the snow was pretty average ‘till March, every day we had everyone made the most of. We would hit two or three jumps every day which means if you have a good photographer with you, and your feeling good, each day can be really productive. I also got three days shooting with Jake McBride with no filmer which we got a lot done in. Who’d you film with mostly? I was all over this season but filmed with Gabe Taylor and Matt Hammer a bit in Mammoth for their movie, and Knut Eliasson and JP Tomich. Also spent some time in Switzerland with Nicholas Mueller but kinda got screwed on the weather over there. I think I saw some footage of you in an avalanche on the net earlier this year. What happened there?! Yeah. Peter Benchetler, one of our filmers and myself were at the top of the in run for this cliff when Matt Hammer dropped and fell on a backside-180. The whole face fractured about 80 metres above where we were standing... Not only that but the crown was six to eight feet deep. So

basically we were in the middle of this slide with no boards on and minimal chance of getting out. By some miracle Peter was on the one ridge that didn’t slide and after some swimming through car sized chunks he was able to grab my hand and pull me out of it. Our filmer wasn’t so lucky as he got sucked off the cliff and buried. I think he broke some stuff in his back. Nothing too severe but it shook us all up a lot. Do you mean backpack, or he actually broke something in his back? Because you say it was nothing too severe, but I would think a broken back would be something I would call severe! What happened after you dug him out? He broke a vertabrae and tweaked some other things. I say it was mellow only because from the scale of the slide if anyone of us was maybe 3 feet to the left we would have most likely been killed. I wasn’t there when he was dug out, Gabe was right by him when he got dragged and was with him really fast. I got there after though and we were all just kinda trying to get it together. We lost all our boards and one of the filmers lost his pack so we were searching for them for a while, but they were under like 15-20 feet of snow. Wow, that’s heavy! So now you’re a pro snowboarder, injured and living in Jindabyne. That can’t be easy on the morale? It’s been really hard for me this season to stay positive. The one benefit is that I have been able to slip into a schedule of training pretty regularly and not too much partying. It’s tough to see everyone going up the hill though and having the best time while I am just sitting at home doing nothing. Although I think its better than living in Sydney, partying too much and training too little. Now you’re heading down to New Zealand for the Billabong catalogue shoot. What are you going to do down there?! Yeah, I fly out in the morning to N.Z. The whole international Billabong team is heading out there so I guess I’ll just do some lifestyle catalogue stuff and party with everyone. Maybe go hunting with Mitchy Brown over there. Even though I can’t ride, Wanaka is such a nice place to hang out I really don’t mind being there. I got to say mate, you’ve been unlucky with injuries. Do you feel that’s made it harder for you to ‘make it’ as a professional snowboarder? It definitely makes it hard. I mean, a lot of riders get injured... It’s just the nature of the sport. But having an injury free few years can do big things for your riding and coverage for sure. Totally, but you’ve had great success within Australia. You were sledding in Whistler before most Australians. Last winter you were chasing snow

around North America and were generally on top of your shit. You’re known as a no-bullshit kinda’ guy. What’s holding you back from having the break out success that some of your peers have had the last two seasons? Yeah, I have had a lot of good things go my way over here for sure, but I’m not too sure to be honest. I have had a few injuries and been looked over a few times for filming. The main thing that most people don’t know is how much support it takes from sponsors to film. And as I was on a losing horse for the last few years with my board sponsor, they weren’t backing me like some of the other guys to film when they should have been. Obviously putting together a solid video part is your goal, tell us how that whole video part/crew caper works. It’s pretty crazy how filming in snowboarding works. You usually get your sponsors to pay what ever the deal is, usually US$10,000 gets you a part. The fact that I have been with some different board companies the last few years has definitely hindered me there. I’m in the process now of finding a board company that I see eye to eye with. A Company I want to be involved with for a long time.

Opposite page: Backside 540, Sonora Pass. — Photograph by Ed Herbold.

This page: Frontside 1080, Sonora Pass. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photograph by Peter Morning.

Opposite page: Backside 180 Melon, Tahoe Back Country. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photograph by Ed Herbold.

THE WHOLE FACE FRACTURED ABOVE US... So basically we were in the middle of this slide with no boards on and minimal chance of getting out.

Have you got a new board sponsor? Nothing official yet. Why do you think there hasn’t been a truly good Australian snowboard video? Can it be done? I think it can be. At least an Aussie/NZ one could be put together. I know the Dero guys and Nugget are doing a two year project at the moment which hopefully will turn out good. They have been getting some good stuff in NZ the last few weeks. Do you see anyone in Australia that isn’t you, Robbie or Tiene that you think can make it internationally? Or is it more about timing and budgets, not so much talent pool? I think it is a mix of both, although there are riders in Australia that are killing it. Mitch [Allen] I think, given the opportunity, could put together an amazing film part. Nate [Johnstone] at the moment is doing the Olympic thing but he has big things ahead of him for sure. So do you know what you’ll be doing come December... Whistler? Filming? Come December, who knows. I was speaking to my friend Marius Otterstad the other day about maybe getting a place in Austria for December and January. I can just shred some real mountains early season and get some filming done over there. Anything can happen from now to then though. How’d you get so involved with the sledding scene in Whistler? It seems like a pretty intimidating environment. It is definitely a pretty serious scene up there. I started sledding up there when I was 16 (I think) with Jess Mooney and Nick Gregory taking me out a few times then spending a season there just roping. Now, whenever I’m in the States and it’s going to be good up there, I try and get some days. They have the best terrain, it’s amazing! Oh, the Olympics are in Vancouver next year. Is your brother Mitch in the Olympics again? Nah, Mitch is over it. I don’t blame him. He just

loves pow now and just wants to come ride with us on his own program. I’d love to see him give filming a part a solid effort. The kid has skills. Yeah, he has the same deal as me. He needs his sponsors to pull their fingers out and back-up his talent with the opportunity to go and film and lay down some hammers. Your old man had heart surgery not that long ago, how’s he doing? When my dad had cancer, I don’t think I appreciated how serious it was at the time and kept snowboarding in Utah. How’d you deal with it? Yeah he is doing good actually. Still snowboarding as much as he can and working too much. I don’t think the old guys know how to chill. Do you get to ride with your older brother Jamie much these days? I haven’t ridden with Jamie since last September. Mitch has been shredding with him a bit this year. He rides Perisher with all the boys though. Do the three of you get to hang out much? Most people might not know this about you, but you’re all pretty good surfers too. Can you get in the water? Yeah, we all hang out a lot. My bros are the best. Between seasons we all hang at home a fair bit. Just surfing as much as possible. The waves as so good down there and the crowds are mellow so I always look forward to get back there and surf with them. I actually surfed a few days ago at Trestles. It was my first time in the water in like nine months so I was super dusty but my knee held up good so I cant wait to get back from N.Z. and head up to the Goldy to get back into it! You’ve actually done a few of those Ultimate Boarder, surf/skate/snow comps right? What are they like? How does it work? They are such a cool concept. It’s kinda crazy though cause my skateboarding is so bad and there are guys in it that just rip. I’m to embar-

rassed to drop into the mini and these guys are doing airs over my head like it’s nothing. But then you go in the surf and the same people can barely paddle a surfboard . If only I knew how to skate! Yeah it’s been a while since I’ve seen you’ve even hit a rail on a snowboard. Well the last Ultimate Boarder contest I actually beat like eight people in the skate section. I was going for it. Todd Richards and Aaron Astorga were in my heat and they were just trying to teach me. I had to get helped off the ramp in the end. Twisted ankle bruised all over. I had someone ask me the other day if I even hit rails on a snowboard anymore. I still do, I have nothing against it but I just don’t want to go to Finland to hit rails when I could save the money and go to AK, you know? Even now this coming winter I might try and get back into it a bit. It seems like a good way to get a quick couple of shots for your film part [Laughs]. That’s one thing that strikes me as odd about Australia. The rail jam phenomenon in Australia probably hurts progression, because kids get sponsored if they can do a combo on a box. There’s only a handful of guys that can hit serious jumps and even less that can land in powder. It’s weird that the emphasis seems to be backwards here... I totally agree. A lot of people think they are ripping because they are doing a 270 onto a park box and I have nothing wrong with that. I think boxes and rails in the park are great for the sport because people don’t need to be ripping to enjoy them. I mean if you put a 90 foot jump at Thredbo there is only going to be a handfull of people that would even think of hitting it. But it sucks that a lot of these people are getting sponsored and taking budget away from the riders that really want to have a go at progressing the sport and their own level of riding Well thanks Clint, best of luck with the rehab. No problem, thanks.

Louie Fountain there ’ s an interesting guy living out in idaho named louie . a fun loving , clean living family man who was involved with a group of visionaries calling themselves robot food . then he and his brother joey asked their firends , travis parker and scotty whitlake , if they ’ d like to build a bikecar and pedal around the north - west united states looking for snow . then he flimed for mack dawg . nowadays he ’ s starring in the new people creative film called nice try . yep , an interesting guy this louie .

Words by Rick Baker — Photograph by Mike Yoshida

This page: Switch Frontside 9, Tahoe Back Country. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photograph by Brian Craighill.

didn’t know you’re from a family of cropdusting pilots. How’s the Fountain Flying Service going? Have you managed to get up in a plane yet? Yeah, my uncle is pretty much running the business now. It was cool growing up with planes waking me up every morning. They used to be so loud the whole house would rattle and stuff would fall off shelves, but now they’re quieter jet engines. We lived right on the runway. We lived at one end and my cousins lived at the other end. It was a good rush to try and ride my bike down to their house without any planes coming in for landing. Instead of learning to “look both ways before you cross the street” I was taught to “check to make sure planes aren’t landing”. What did your old man think when you became a pro snowboarder? I mean, he’s pretty much a stunt pilot, so I assume it wasn’t a big deal... He’s actually a pretty safety oriented guy, but he was totally fine with it. My parents have always been super supportive and encouraging. I think he thought it was awesome. You’ve got twins right? I’m an identical twin. Promise me you won’t make your kids wear matching clothes. I hated being a circus freak. Yeah, twins are amazing! We buy all our clothes at yard sales so don’t worry, they never match! Except maybe the occasional christmas dress from Grandma. Ella and Emilia are six now and I have Rose too, she’s three. What’s it like living in Idaho? I’ve got this Napoleon Dynamite image in my head, but what’s it really like? I imagine in the summer it’d be a great place to go for a bike ride. Lot’s of fields and fresh air. Although being Australian, I can’t imagine not living by the ocean. Ha! It actually is pretty similar to Napoleon Dynamite! No, it’s beautiful and definitely good for some long rides but mostly I’m here because this is where all my family is and I like to be around them. I have something like 26 relatives in the town of Moscow.

This page: Frontside 180, Montana. — Photograph by Brian Craighill.

This page: Frontside 360, Idaho. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photograph by Mike Yoshida.

This page: Backside 720, Mt Hood. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Photograph by Mark Welsh.

WE LIVED RIGHT ON THE RUNWAY. We lived at one end and my cousins lived at the other end. It was a good rush to try and ride my bike down to their house without any planes coming in for landing.

So a pretty good place to raise a family? With their Dad being a pro snowboarder and Granddad and Uncle being pilots, what do they pretend to be when playing? Accountants and bankers?! Yeah, good for the kids to grow up around their grandparents and great grandparents and uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. They’re just little girly girls, into dolls, dress ups and ponies. They also love BMX and skateboarding. Rose learned how to ride a bike without training wheels before she turned three. Could you tell me a bit about your brother. He was the man behind the bikecar project, right? Yeah, Joey’s awesome, a real individual. He does things his own way. He built the bikecar by hand from scratch. I’ve always looked up to him. That was a pretty impressive shed you built that in. What’s your brother up to now? Just living in Moscow. He’s got some video projects he’s working on. We’ve got something in the works for next season but that’s all I can say. Did you know that movie played at the Bicycle Film Festival down here in Melbourne? No way! That’s cool, wish I could’ve been there. It must be nice to have some of your art seen outside of the snowboard world. Definitely. It’s cool to have people from outside snowboarding appreciate it. I had one guy from a bike shop tell me that he was buying a snowboard after watching it! Insane. I bought a copy of the special extended edition last year in SLC. It was fantastic. Although I couldn’t work out if being in close proximity to Travis Parker for days on end would be lots of fun, or lots of hard work. Does he ever run out of batteries?

No. He doesn’t. Travis is an amazing human being. One of my favourites. Always entertaining and a good friend. Do you know what Travis is up to these days? Getting ready for the Olympics? He’s being a renaissance man in Tahoe. You’re on your way down to New Zealand now right. What’s happening down there? Yeah, I get to go shoot some stuff for Quiksilver with Bryan Fox and Travis Rice. Should be a fun time. Heli at Mt. Cook if the weather is decent. You got to get a flight over to Melbourne. You’d like it here I think. Lot’s of fun places to skate and I bet you’re the type of guy that likes a weird 6-foot tall hopping rat called a Kangaroo. I would love that but I got to get back for my 9 year anniversary. I’ll take a rain check though! You recently left Holden Outerwear, was that a difficult choice? Yes. Holden was great, a real family like atmosphere but I had this chance and I couldn’t pass it up. Your Quiksilver TM, Brain Craighill, said “most companies these days are looking to sign the next 14 year old spaz that wears either super tight kits, or multiple layers of tall tee’s and sweatshirts while their open jackets flap in the breeze”. Which one are you Louie? Um... hmmm... He also said, “the public is starting to respond to ‘gimmick free’ snowboarding again”, do you really believe that? My gimmick is being super old. It seems like everyone talks about how snowboarding is so corporate now and kids are just doing it for the money, fame etc. Although I’ve

never seen an interview where someone has said, ‘Fun? I just ride for a pay check’. Everyone says you’re a fun lovin’ guy. Are you tired of riding for the fun of it? Don’t you just want to sell out? It’d be more fun to do that, wouldn’t it?! Well, we all “sold out” long ago, of course snowboarding is fun but as soon as someone is paying you to do it and you have obligations, the job aspect comes into play. But it’s still sweet. Now, I have to ask a Robot Food question. You know how much kids love those films. Ok so, I asked Benedek this and he didn’t give me an inch, but I’ve heard rumours about a Robot Food reunion. Whadda’ ya’ know? No comment. Until then, you’ve got a part in the next People film called ‘Nice Try’. How’d that go this year? It looked like you and Bryan Fox got after some serious powder. Yeah, there was some good powder days. The Powder Cowboys were born. I had some health issues so it wasn’t one of my better seasons. Got cut pretty short. Oh well, that’s what next season is for! Can you film an entire part holding a camera in your hand. They’re some of my favourites shots in your parts. Yeah those are fun, I call them selfish cams. Pierre’s also got an interview in this issue. Do you have a question for him? Something that’ll really “rip the lid off” his interview? Oh hey Pierre! Here’s an inter-issue high five! All right well, thanks for your time Louie, much appreciated. Have a great summer and come visit Australia sometime! My pleasure Rick! Cheers mate!

ONE BIG NIGHT UNDER LIGHTS

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