Unlimited Amazing

The dude is unbelievably sick. Thank god skateboarding has kids like this on the come up! Hell Yeah Austyn!

The Original Duffman

 The ALLi youtube channel has been airing a pretty interesting series about the history of Plan B the last few weeks. The newest installment which went up today is definitely the sickest so far and an essential must view for any skater out there. It's a historical look at Pat Duffy and his legacy in the Plan B videos. The episode has tons of old footage of Pat and interviews with pros past and present regarding Pat's influence on skating and interviews with Pat himself. Both Questionable and Virtual Reality were before my time but even without having that foundation, I knew as a kid as soon as I saw Duffy, that he was fucking gnarly. He had a few tricks in the 98 Think video "Dedication" that were super sick (especially the back tail at the China banks)and by the time his Subtleties part came out I knew a bit of the history of Duffy and I was a full blown fan. The guy has consistently been amazing throughout his entire career and never puts out anything to shake your head at. Pat Duffy is the real deal and anyone who has ever skated a rail owes him a definite tip of the hat!

Glückwünsche Willow

Fuck yea, one of the funniest dudes in skateboarding, Willow, went pro for Almost. This guy is sick as fuck on and off the board.His part in the new Almost video 5 incher (which you can see at the end of the first video here) is probably my favorite in the whole video. Glad to see all the hard work pay off. Congrats!!

Forest Edwards: Skateboarding Unhinged

It doesn't just matter what happens on the board, we've known this for a long time.So many other combining factors go into the creation of a professional skateboarder, and more often then not the skills on the board are far from the most important. Does there come a time in skating though when what happens on the board is so mind blowing that what happens off of it becomes completely irrelevant. If that time is ever to come, I think it's arrival coincides succinctly with Forrest Edwards new Thrasher part Unhinged.I've been laughing along with this kid since he first appeared on Slap's One in a Million two years ago. Every word uttered out of his mouth didn't fail to elicit both surprise and hilarity from me and I was an instant fan based on comedic value alone. There is no doubt about it, the dude is kind of a dick, but more so in that "I don't feel like I fit in, I don't know the right thing to say" kind of way and not just in the "I'm better then everyone else kind of way." As a result of this awkwardness, Forrest is a never ending stream of quotable and laughable statements, many of which have led to a legion of haters out there. Why someone saying stupid things would make you hate them I have no idea but that is definitely the case, his quotes have gotten people's backs up time and time again. We're skateboarders though, and skateboarders are weirdos, always have been. Forrest is no exception, just as his undeniable skills on the board are incredible, so to is his level of awkward weirdness and for that alone I love him. From his first utterance of "My go to tricks aren't that gay. They're actually pretty nice." I knew I would be watching all and any Forrest Edwards footage from that time forward. I'm glad I made this commitment to myself, as he never fails to disappoint. From justifying his breakfast choice by saying " I ate an apple. Reynolds eats fruits." to self proclaiming he took over OIM when he said "It kind of was my show, all the comments were about me." Forrest Edwards (and John Fitzgerald, dude is awesome!!) maintained the watchability of that show. Once the last episode aired and Forrest was a household name in the skateboard world, he continues to pop up from time to time, always with an amazing quote in tow. His slap pal questions were priceless and it's impossible to deny the comedic nonchalance of his answer to the question "when will you start skating tranny?". Without a second thought he offers to the camera "I'll probably start skating tranny when I'm 60 or 70." Who the fuck says that, it's amazing. I have always found myself attracted to the eccentric nature of weirdos and in skateboarding at least, Forrest embodies that characteristic. He's such a strange dude, and not in the way we see a lot of skaters present themselves these days, in which their strangeness is a calculated career move created to help sell product. Forrest's weirdness, if anything, has held him back in his skate career up until this point but the kid keeps on keeping on and until his kookiness manifests itself in completely insanity, he can count me in his corner.

 And then he steps on a skateboard. Whether you hate Forrest or love him, no one can say anything about the dudes skating. It's fucking insane. He's a madman with an insane skill level and natural talent, and this combination leads to some super gnarly and entertaining footage. His Thrasher part is mind-blowing, literally insane. I was a huge fan of David Gonzales Thrasher part that was released not too much before Unhinged, and I truly believe that Forrest's part is on par with it. The skating is non stop hammers from start to finish, non of which are boring or executed in a shitty way. Amazing part without a doubt and I guarantee it's only a matter of time before this dude has a solid spot on a legit squad. If you haven't seen the video watch it. Every trick is rewind worthy but some of the most standout are definitely the opening bs 360 kick flip, sw flip sw the line, sw bs flip over the rail, nollie flip nose slide, tre flip noseslide, nollie heel into skeeettttchy ass bank, kick flip 5050 with ciggy in mouth, nollie back smith, nollie heel back board, insane back 360 down the Lincoln 13, switch flip back lip and his straight up retarded tre flip 5-0 the clipper ledge (which I heard he did twice) In the face of Street League and it's accompanying action figures, skateboarding needs more people like Forrest Edwards

Emerica: Dust Demon Tour 2012

Emerica Canada - Dust Demons Tour 2012 from Timebomb Trading Inc. on Vimeo.

Dime Turd Season just around the corner

Freddy the Man Gall

DC Canada Slayin Spain 2012

5 Trick Fix: Magnus Hanson

What a Trip?

Frank Gerwer: KOTR 2012

Dustin Locke for Cariboo

Drink Cariboo. They support Canadian skaters unlike any other booze company, or many other companies in general, out there

KROOKED VS. KOLORADO

One of the raddest teams in skateboarding Shralping Colarado

Dee Ostrander - Thriving on HIgh Fives: Baker's Newest Dirtbag

This part just came out and good god, this kid rips! He's Baker's newest am and with that being said I can only imagine he's filming for the new Baker/Deathwish vid. If he is, which I assume he is, then that would suggest that this whole part is all throwaway footage, to which I can only reply WTF??

The combination of the dude doing gnarly tricks at gnarly spots combined with a creative an unique approach to tricks makes for a skater I like to watch and I'm stoked on Dee. I'm pretty sure he's from Nashville Tenn, which is a far throw from the skateboard industries limelight. With skills and determination this intense though it comes as no surprise he secured himself a spot on one of the most popular companies out there. From what I've heard, his brother sent in his footy which is pretty cool in that it would appear as though Dee wasn't breaking himself off at spots like this in hopes of getting sponsored, but rather just because the dude loves to skate.

Kids these days love to hate. Especially when there are kids out there like Dee who are the same age as them, killing it as hard as this and riding for the companies they want to ride for. Even so though, the arguments kids come up with to hate on Dee are pretty hilarious. Saying he sucks as a skater because he has an ugly switch push or because he wears the same beanie in a lot of clips is pretty ridiculous but indicative of the current hate filled skate landscape. Other complaints I've heard about this part are that he lands with his front foot on the bolts (who gives a fuck) or that the filmer sucks (absolutely no reflection on Dee or his skating).

Despite all the hate and vitriol already spewing in regards to this little Southern dirtball, I'm digging him and I really dig this part. It's a long part with a ton of cool tricks but some of my favorite were definitely the dog tow in three block ollie, the double set where he kickflips the first set back smith the second set, disaster hippy hop, fakie flip to switch into the steep ass bank, wall ride nose manny nollie shuv, hard way bs 180 over the green rail, the line with the board slide to fakie on the flat rail half cab flip then back lip the down rail, bank to kickflip nose manny back into bank, boardslide the kinked rail frontside flip off the curb, 5-0 180 out the picnic table into the bank, 5050 pop out over the stairs, tail drop into the skettccchy bank and his ender ollie into the overpass bank which is fucking insane!!

I'm backing this dude and taking into consideration how young he is and who he's riding for I imagine there is a lot of good shit to come from Dee Ostrander. Can't wait for the Baker/Deathwish vid!!!

Dirty Dee

This kid is about as gnarly as they come these days.

Ianucci SB

First there was the Brick Harbour ad a few weeks ago and now this! Is it safe to say a full blown comeback is in the works? I know I'm not alone when I say I definitely hope so. Hopefully this is indicative of things to come in Pretty Sweet!

WeSC X Desmond Hoostie

The Aggro Aussie

One of the most amazing and gnarliest covers I've seen in a while. Burman is the man!

Style for Miles

DQM, the NYC skate/sneaker store just released this welcome video of illest looking dude to ever step on a skateboard, Mr. Ianucci himself. There is nothing that needs to be said about any footage of this dude, but hopefully we'll have a lot more to enjoy when Pretty Sweet finally comes out. Until then here's something to wet your whistle on.

If Your in Toronto Adrift is a Must: Adrift Promo 2012

Firing Line: Scott Decenzo

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The Awkward Teenage Years: Early 2000s Ads

Nice Jaws

I did a post just over a month ago, when the X Games Real Street comp started, breaking down my votes in each of the brackets. Needless to say, neither of my two picks (Gall, Pepper) even came close to winning, which I kind of expected. The finalists were Jaws and Manny Santiago, with Manny taking the win. Anyways I guess there was a little controversy behind the whole voting procedure, and it sounds like the whole comp came out a bit skewed. Jaws breaks it all down below, pretty interesting. If he did actually end up voting for Manny that it one nice, rad dude.

Roger is not BUNK

This is exactly why Roger is hands down one of the dopest companies out there. If your local shop doesn't carry Roger boards, get on their ass to get on that!

Arto Saari Epicly Laterd: Episode 5

Dude is a fucking legend. Nuff said. Glad he's back where he belongs, Flip needs the legitimacy these days.

Arto Epicly Laterd Episode 5

SHANE CROSS RIP SHANE CROSS RIP SHANE CROSS RIP SHANE CROSS RIP SHANE CROSS RIP

X Games Real Street

It's that time of the year again. Time for the X Games Real Street comp. In years prior, I couldn't give a flying fuck about the X Games or anything that goes on there, or really any contest for that matter. In 2010 however, X Games came up with a new and exciting concept that actually got me hyped, and it's back again in 2012. The comp takes 16 pro skaters and gives them the opportunity to film the best 1 minute video part they can, pitting the parts against each other until one is proclaimed a winner. It's really not like any skateboard comp involving pros we've seen in the past and I think it's a rad idea. My whole reasoning behind hating comps is the whole jockish mentality behind them; what with they're choreographed runs and points being awarded for consistency over style. Real Street kind of eliminates all of that because, us as the viewers has no idea what went into making the part, all we see is the final product, song choice and all. The first round which has just begun pits all 16 skaters in head to head comps with the winning video part moving onto the next round. I'm not gonna talk about all the parts, just the ones I voted for and think deserve to move forward

Bobby Worrest vs. Matt Bennett

This was the first match up I watched and daaaaaamn. Both sick skaters and sick parts. I honestly hovered my finger over the mouse for about 2 minutes before I could decide which one to vote for here, but I eventually decided that Bobby most aptly deserved my click. All in all it's a pretty cool little part with some sick skating considering it's only a minute. The beat is pretty mellow and goes well with the editing. Some of the highlights are definitely the 1st line which is downhill and he does the back tail, back nose blunt and the back feeble through the curved flat bar. He deserves to win for the back smith, car ride, tre flip on the street line alone, shit was tight! The 5050 down the decent sized rail ollie out over the curb was gnarly and his gab to frontside wallride ender was legit. Like I said before both dudes rip and both parts were sick, but I think I enjoyed Bobby's just a bit more.

Jaws vs. Fred Gall

FRED GALL. This one is a no brainer. Jaws rips and his part was gnarly as fuck but come on, it's Freddie Gall. The fact homey is even in the comp, he gets my vote the whole way through. Straight legend status.

Dan Murphy vs. Taylor Bingaman

As far as skating goes I think Bingaman's part is without a doubt one of the gnarliest in the entire competition. This dude is a straight up skaters skater. He rips absolutely everything; rails, ledges, stairs, tranny. It's pretty sick to watch and he has some straight bangers in here. The 3 flip to fakie on that super tight natural tranny thing, front crook the 10 stair, the line with the front tail the bench, ollie the fire hydrant to nose manny off the curb an then the bump to huge back tail were all super sick. Standouts were definitely the fs 180 switch nose grind and halfcab overcrook. Jaw droppers!

Cory Kennedy vs. Manny Santiago

I was pretty surprised by this one. I thought for sure Cory Kennedy would walk away with is, no questions asked. That definitely wasn't the case. I have never paid much attention to Manny's skating, as I'm too into whole famous stars and straps shit, so I have to be honest I underestimated him. I also know how insanely talented Cory Kennedy is though, so I thought Manny had his work cut out for him. That wasn't the case however, Manny blew me away with some fucking crazy handrail skating including some nbd's.

Colin Provost vs. Joey Pepper

Much like the Worrest/Bennett combo, this one was also a difficult decision to come to as to which video part I enjoyed more. I'm a huge fan of both of these dudes, for different reasons, as their skating is nothing alike. To make matters even harder, they came through in this comp with amazing parts, that both rank up there with the best in the bunch. At the end of the day though the creativity in Joey Pepper's part was just too sick, leading me to vote for him.  There was some seriously cool skating in this part, this guy is incredible. The slightly banked wall to ledge thing where he bs 180s wallrides up the wall to fakie 5050 and rides fakie back down is so fucking cool, I watched it like 10 times. He is straight hauling ass when he does the line with the back feeble on the green electrical box then busts a sick 3 flip is awesome. Who doesn't love fast skating? The tightest trick in the part, maybe even the whole comp in my opinion is the nollie 180 sw crooks to regular on that weird bank to tall down ledge. This is almost incomprehensible to me, one of those tricks I can't even begin to wrap my head around doing. I love watching it. His ender bump to gap to fs wallride is also sick as fuck. This dude is up there with Freddie for my vote to win the whole thing.

Chad Tim Tim vs. Silas Baxter Neal

This was another one where my expectations were totally fucked. I've never really been a huge Tim Tim fan so couldn't really think of too much of his skating before watching this. Silas on the other hand is a fucking boss who always come out with amazing parts and whose skating is almost universally loved. That being said I was pretty confident Silas was going to have the more impressive part of the two. Not the case. Neither of them got me all that stoked. The skating in both is amazing, don't get me wrong, but they both kind of plateaued at that. If I had to re watch either of them though, I'd probably watch Tim Tim's again. He had some pretty sick shit in there. The first line he does with the 3 flip, ollies up the curb then bs blunt slides bs bigspins out is pretty sick. Actually now that I think about it, it was all his bigspin out of tricks shit that I liked the most, like the nose grind nollie fs bigspin and the back smith bigspin. The sort of shifty over the bump over bar was sick too. I doubt either of these dudes will take it all, but who knows, I'm a moron.

Nyjah Huston vs. Nick Merlino

Nick Merlino fa sho. Nyjah is amazing, has an incredible story, is super young and is super rich and I give him fucking hella props for that but goddamn it if Nick Merlino isn't a maniac, and I love me some crazy. People in the skateboarding industry seem to consistently talk shit about how annoying this kid is, but nobody can deny the fact that he super talented on the board and gets gnarly as shit. And his nickname is squirt gun. Doesn't get any better than that. 

Chris Haslam vs. Daryl Angel

I'm down for Haslam, I really am. He's a Canadian, is super original on his board and has put out a lot of sick shit in the past. I feel like we haven't seen a ton of coverage of him as of late, but that's irrelevant. As much as I do back the guy, I have to give it to my man Mr. Angel here. This dude rips and this is such a sick part, another fave of mine fa sho. It's no secret by now I'm a huge sucker for a nice line (not that kind) and the one at the beginning of Daryl's part is sooo sick. He's skating so fast and puts down the fs nose grind on the ledge, fs 180 over the ledge, switch 3 flip then the sickest sw nose mannys a picnic table, all going mach 10. I also really liked the front board pop out on the handicap ramp rail and the ollie over the fire hydrant gap. The switch bs 5050 and switch backside flip over the street gap were both insane as well.

So there we have it, the first round. This should be interesting to see how all the kids out there vote, not nearly the same as myself and many others I'm sure. My picks to take it all are definitely Freddie Gall, Joey Pepper or Daryl Angel, but I highly doubt that when the competition ends, any of these dudes will be picking up the winners cheque.

Arto Episode 3 and 4

This series is so rad. Every episode makes me like and respect Arto more and more, which I didn't even think was possible. As Arto never rode for Toy, I didn't realize the extent to which he had a relationship with the Tempster, especially during his formative years in the US. I can't really imagine two better and more respectable mentors to have in skateboarding then Ed and Rowley. I think the fact that they wanted to take Arto under their wings and provide him with that support is pretty indicative of not only their characters, but Arto's as well. It's interesting to see how much of an influence some one's physical surrounding has on their subsequent personalities and it seems as though Huntington Beach as a stomping ground was pretty formidable on the person and skater Arto would become. The early footage of him, when he was still fresh to the US and absorbing everything around him, is pretty hilarious. The 411 intro where he is chased by a "big AND gay bear" from Finland to Huntington is amazing. It honestly seems like he had no idea what he was saying or what the skit was even about, which makes it so much better. Him claiming he's going to photoshop himself onto the ledge and that his brain has a virus really illustrates how little knowledge of English he really had, and how far he has come simply by submerging himself in the atmosphere, pretty awesome actually. One thing I really liked about these episodes were the interviews with Alex Moul. This dude is hysterical and cracks me up. I always have a little soft spot for British skaters, as I feel like they can relate to shittier then shit conditions, and I truly wish we saw more of Mouley these days. What ever happened to him as far as a skate career goes? Does Arto not seriously have the most amazing front boards in the history of skateboarding? I'm putting it out there. The footage of him in episode 3 front boarding the 14 or 15 stair rail, the one with the super skinny run up, is insane and beautiful at the same time. I was always a huge fan of the Feedback video, the Philly three part in that video with Bam, Maldonado and Kerry was a personal fave as a kid and I watched that video soooo many times. It was cool to see a bit of behind the scenes footage of the tour some of the dudes took, and it was funny to see an early Arto clicking with a curly haired Dill, two dudes I would love to hang with. I never knew, or if I did, I completely forgot about Arto's heart condition. I think this makes him so much gnarlier in my eyes. The fact that he was committing all this early US destruction while having a bum ticker is nothing short of inspiring. He really is a viking. I got a good laugh from Moul's quote that "He came back from that surgery with a bottle of vodka and a ciggy in his mouth." I can imagine dealing with and overcoming something like that would lead to a much deserved period of celebratory partying. Arto's skating is fucking insane. I would love to have been there the day he back lipped and back feebled the 18 and Ed lipslid it. What a heavy session. And then he proceeds go nollie nose slide the Wilshire 15 the same day. Holy Fuck. With this kind of motivation and productivity it's no surprise he was able to release two absolutely insane video parts in Sorry and Menikmati back to back. Not many people could pull this off, but Arto did, and he did it seamlessly. The kind of skating Arto achieved in those two videos is a kind of skating that most people will never be able to experience or understand. The fact that he literally put himself in life and death situations in some of those clips is incomprehensible to me, and raises his legend status even higher. The slam where he's puking and shit after is probably the gnarliest slam I've ever witnessed on or off film and it is an image that will forever be burned into my brain. Only two weeks later he was at Slam City Jam and ate shit again?? Dude is gnaaaarly. I can't wait for the next episode. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is a 20 + part series.

Lizard King Passion Trip Episode 6: Figgy and Jaws WTF!!!

This, the concluding episode in the Passion Trip, is super skate heavy, unlike the previous 2 episodes. It kicks off with the crew waking up only to take Figgy straight to a super skinny 17 stair rail which he proceeds to front smith like it ain't no thang. This series has really made me realized how fucking gnarly Figgy is and I'm so stoked on all the upcoming coverage I anticipate coming our way in upcoming months. After the breakfast rail, they proceed to flat bar to 3 stair spot which looked super fun to skate. Figgy front lips to fake and 5050s the rail to pop out over the 3 stair. Jaws back crooks the rail and Nuge fs 5-0s and front smiths it. The destruction is far from over at this point however, and after a quick signing at Krooks skate shop they head to a demo at a skate park, where for the first time in the series Neen steps up to the plate and puts the hammer down. After seeing Neen skate in person a few months ago I've begun considering myself a huge fan, as this dude is super talented and seems to have a rad attitude in regards to skating in general. He absolutely kills the park, rattling tricks off one by one. He front crooks, back tails and back smiths the 8 stair rail and then varial heels, hardflips, heelflip and inward heels the set of stairs, all in smooth butta pop style. The skating continues after the demo and the drew head over to an after party/session at a locals crib. On the backyard mini ramp Lizard drops in off the roof to 5050 to fakie on the mini which was rad and then it looks like the boys have a rad ol' night with some locals. Probably the craziest part of this episode, if not the whole series is Jaws' fucking gigantor Ollie over the 25 stair with the 6 stair on the side. This thing is seriously huuuuuuge and I can't fathom even trying to huck myself down it. By now we all know that Jaws is not human and that his knees are made from some kind of space aged adamantium wolverine type shit, but even for him this is fucking gnaaaarly. He breaks his own board on one of the first attempts, but I get the feeling it takes a lot to shut this kid down. He hops on Nuge's board and within a few tries stomps the fucking craziest ollie I've seen in a long time. This dude is a beast and I honestly don't expect to see him riding for Birdhouse for much longer, but I guess we shall see. The level of motivation and "passion" that they possess in regards to skateboarding is seriously unparallelled by anything I have seen in a long time. After the insane 25 stair carcass toss, they move onto a double set, where Jaws insanely continues to skate. Jaws heelflips it and Figgy bs flips it, all in a day's work. The craziness is far from over however and while back in the RV, late night style, but still the same day, the dudes spot a gnarly knobbed 11 stair rail. I don't know how they skate a rail as gnarly as this, especially one that is knobbed and especially especially after skating their ass off all day, but Jaws and Figgy continue to fuck shit up on this rail. Figgy front boards it and Jaws front lips it before hopping back on the RV like nothing happened. Whatever amount of shit people talk about the Baker/Deathwish dudes and their proclivity for partying need to watch this. Most of us that consider ourselves actual skaters would be hard pressed to find this level of motivation and dedication on any given day and the fact that they do, all while having put on a demo earlier in the day is pretty indicative of how they got to where they did in the skate world.

Endless Buzz

                               

It's no secret I'm pretty hyped on this weekend buzz series, contrived drinking scenarios aside. The level of familiarity we have with today's pros, as a direct result of an over abundance of Internet coverage, is unparalleled in relation to years prior. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for transparency. I don't think things should be sugar coated, especially in a culture such as skateboarding, which has always seemed to embody the idea of anti censorship. I mean just look at the old big brother mags. I think that skateboarders tend to be a strange collection of odd personalities, that makes a lot of them quite entertaining. It's probably the journalist in me but I'm always drawn to any form of candid interview involving skaters, as I think it lends itself to spontaneity pretty well.In the saturated media landscape that makes up today's world, you would be hard pressed to find such an honest and straightforward interview with any other form of professional athlete, especially ones who are still active and making a living off of their involvement.

That being said, I found today's episode featuring Lizard and the Nuge, not only refreshingly honest but also completely entertaining. These dudes, perhaps with the exception of their fashion sense and skateboarding, seem worlds apart as far as their personalities are concerned. Lizard, as anyone who knows anything about skateboarding knows, is a rambunctious, energetic ball of passion who tends to torture those who he surrounds himself with. I don't know either of these dudes, I've met Lizard once at a signing in Toronto, but I feel like there is enough lifestyle footage of him out there to make this assumption. Nuge I have never met, but also feel as though as far as he has been portrayed in the past, seems like a super mellow, laid back, fun loving dude. Their friendship has been pretty well documented since the Hellrose days and I think it's super sick to see how skateboarding can bond too totally different people, and turn them into the tightest of homeys.

These dudes were both so honest and funny in this interview, it kind of reminded me why, not including their skating, skateboarders are such rad people. It's obvious these dudes don't give a shit what people think about them and in today's image obsessed climate, that's pretty admirable. From Nuge explaining how he met his wife topless, to married life to Lizard's insane story about 2 month drug binges, his Sunday school teacher Mom, Wicca weddings and subsequent sobriety, were to someone like me who enjoys fucked up shit, pretty engaging. I heard some people at the park this morning talking about how fucked up that was and how many kids, actually mostly kids watch this shit and they shouldn't have put it all in there. To an extent I can see the relevance of this point, but I think if you have any analytical ability you'll see this just doesn't hold true. Yea Lizard talked about doing drugs and shit, but he's also done that before in numerous outlets. The point he was making in this segment, the point that should be absorbed, is that he is sober, he quite doing drugs. He straight up explains how he's 27 now, he's a professional skateboarder with responsibilities and deadlines, and partying just really isn't a priority. I think this is actually a pretty positive message. Tons of people experiment and go through rough times, but if you have a purpose and keep your priorities straight, it's totally possible to emerge from these dark times. I'd also imagine that most of the kids who watch these things, skate themselves, or at least I would hope so. That being said, Lizard is pretty much explaining that if you want to have a career in skateboarding, and actually want to make it last, drugs probably aren't the best route to go. All in all I thought this was pretty cool. As someone who has been obsessed with skateboarding for the majority of my life, I have an invested interest in the people who ride these boards, and I can't help but caring what they have to say. Most of the time.

Passion Trip: Episode 2

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The second episode of Lizard's Passion Trip aired today on the Thrasher site and once again it was pretty entertaining. This episode kicked off with the crew waking up lakeside at their campsite to find Dickson completely soaked after getting flooded during the night. I think it's pretty rad that these dudes are roughing it this gnarly and are still able to keep the skate life mentality alive throughout. It's probably pretty safe to say that Supra, as far as brands are concerned, probably have a pretty big budget, as they sell a ton of shit to hipsters and asian sneakerheads. That being said I'm sure Lizard could have rigged up some ballin hotel rooms for the homey's to stay in over the course of the trip, but the fact that they chose to go dirtbag style and camp the whole way makes the trip that much more rad. After a demo at BLX skateshop the dudes on the trip are led to one of the craziest houses I've ever seen, equipped with a gnarly backyard bowl deemed Satan's Bowl This crib is so crazy, full on hesh house with buses, gravestones, skeletons and a ton of tranny littering the backyard. The dudes, especially Lizard and Jaws absolutely kill this bowl and anyone who likes to watch pool skating is gonna love this. Lizard King does a bunch of weird tricks on the pool coping, including one I've never seen before that Lizard calls a crack pipe, surprise surprise. After the crack pipe, Lizard handles a super sick feeble right over the pool's loveseat, and I thought the session was shut down, but fuck no. Every bit of coverage I see of Jaws convinces me further and further that this kid is the ballsiest, gnarliest dude in skating right now. He absolutely shuts down Satan's Bowl with a bunch of insane airs in the pool including one insaaaaaaane bs air in the corner. After Satan's Bowl session the boys board back on the bus only to have Nuge bust out the tattoo gun for some late night, homey style prison tats. Bring on episode 3.

The Passion Trip

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Thrasher just released the first part in a pretty Keroucesque tour video Of Lizard King's signature Supra tour.Lots of people love Lizard and lots of people hate him, but I obviously wouldn't be writing about this vid if I didn't enjoy the dude and his skating. Even if you aren't that stoked on Lizard himself, there are enough gnarly supporting characters along for this ride, that any one who likes skating should be able to find something in here to get them psyched. One word; Figgy!! It looks like the premise of this trip was that Supra, in celebration of his new shoe, let Lizard hand pick a crew of his homey's to drive around the Western US in an RV and do some demos, while promoting the shoe I guess. Sounds like a pretty sweet gig. In attendance, in addition to the Liz man himself was Nuge, Figgy, Dickson, Thomas Bonilla, Mumford and Neen; a pretty stellar crew considering everyone of these dudes fucking kills it, and who doesn't love them some Mutt coverage. In obvious Green Room fashion, the trip started out with mandatory beers and spliff, before embarking on what was sure to be one hell of a time. The first stop on the tour is CCS Ventura, which appears to be a mall shop. Not being accustomed to skateboarding being very welcomed in a mall setting here in Toronto, I was super surprised to the see the heavy turnout of kids at the mall. It looked like a Bieber signing or something along those lines, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez... The dudes didn't actually skate at the mall signing, which blows me away even further that that crazy amount of kids showed up for a simple signing. I love skateboarding and skateboarders are rad ass people, but I definitely don't think I'd wait in line all day to meet them, if they weren't skating. But then again most of the dudes are pretty entertaining, so who can really blame the kids. After the signing, the spirit of the passion trip is embodied in sketchy human form when the crew meet a young trail hopping woman by the name of Cali May and bring her in the RV for a quick spliff and beer. I think that's a testament to the idea with a positive and adventurous attitude, who knows what you'll run into. After releasing the train hopper back into the wild, the boys start the day off with some obligatory shotguns before making their way onto Arizona. Stopping at a park for a demo, we get to see the first actual skate footage of the episode, which I was stoked on, as I can only watch so much party footage before I want to crack a brew myself. Dickson, who I can't fucking wait to see in the Deathwish video, puts down a pretty tight nose slide kickflip on the parks hubba. Lizard, the man for whom the tour is named, laces up some fresh blue passions and lands a pretty sick fakie ollie fakie manny and Thomas Bonilla comes through with s super tight lien to tail on the arm rest of crippled Richie Belton's wheelchair, with him sitting in it. Fucking Rad. Some more hype skate footage is soon to follow and it's safe to say Figgy is a fuckin bowse. Kickflip the channel at the Cowtown demo was gnar and I can't wait for another video part from this dude either. The part of the episode that got my most psyched was definitely the late night, after demo session Lizard solo missions at the bump to flat. A lot of people talk a lot of shit about the Baker dudes and their whole laissez faire, don't give a fuck attitude, but I really don't think this is the fact with these dudes at all. If nothing else, this episode is a testament to how fucking motivated these guys are to skate, despite all the partying, and I think that speaks volumes. The fact that they did 2 demos in the sweltering Arizona heat while still searching out a street spot to skate after and finding time to thrown down a pretty gnarly hammer on (fs 180) it really suggests nothing else but passion. These guys truly are passionate about skating, and life in general and I think that's super inspiring. That's pretty much the end of the first episode, but I'll definitely tune into the ones that follow. They're pretty funny and the skating is pretty sick fa sho! So why not watch?

Arto Saari is a fucking Viking Warrior. This dude is the shit, straight up. I am a huge huge fan of the Epicly Laterd series, but this was without a doubt one of my favorite in a while. I've been such a huge Arto fan since I was a little kid, since before Menikmati came out, but that video certainly cemented him in my mind as one fo the gnarliest dudes ever. That video was kind of pre Bam weirdness and I remember thinking the CKY song in Arto's part was so hype, and it fitted his skating so well. I used to watch that on repeat on the daily. The back crook on that up, metal triangle ledge and the back crook through that entire cement curved ledge were the most proper shits ever, the sw bs 180 down the Santa Monica triple set made me want to try sw bs 180s down everything in my town and to my 12 year old self that looooong ass back blunt to fakie was bonkers. I don't want to for a second even try to say that my admiration, respect and love for Arto and his skating waned at all over the last few years, he just hasn't been on my radar as much as he was when I was a little youth. I used to be straight obsessed, but since there are sooooooo many skaters and sooooooo much content that comes out these days, my interest was diverted predominantly elsewhere over the last few years. That's why watching this episode not only got me super hyped to go skate and to re watch all of his old parts, but the first part of the Arto epicly laterd was also super nostalgic to me. A lot of people talk a lot of shit about Menikmati, and perhaps not entirely for naught. I mean the intros were super long and a lot of the music was pretty craze, but I think a lot of people also tend to forget how fucking amazing the team was and how rad and progressive all that skating was. I was reminded of that today when I watched this episode. Not only that, but being a skater growing up outside of Toronto in the late 90s, I wasn't really exposed to Arto until he really started making waves in big American publications and videos, so it was really informative and entertaining for me to learn about how he got there in the first place, his involvement with Platinum and the eventual joining of flip. The archive footy of him when he was super young is sooooo funny, it really shows the extent to which his fish out water situation was accentuated. It's also pretty ironic to think that Arto's sponsor me tape got denied by Cliche, lol wtf were they thinking. People, myself included, make such a big deal about the prominence of contest skating these days and how so many skaters define their careers by them, but this episode was also a reminder of how this has always kind of been the case. When Arto was coming out, the contest circuit in Europe was a huge part of the pro scene, and it's cool to see footage from this. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult of a situation that would be for a young skater, being surrounded by people representing all the companies you look up to, and all the skaters you look up, trying to talk to you and get you involved and not being able to understand or communicate with them all. I think it's pretty indicative that he was able to emerge from that and make an almost seamless transition into the American professional skateboarding industry. I'm so psyched for the rest of these episodes. There are so many interesting topics that could be touched on here (flip, sorry, Bastien, Shane, the Workshop, pools) and I can't wait to see what Arto delves into in weeks to come.

Skateboarding's Think Tank

It would be impossible (well not impossible I'm just not nearly motivated enough) to review all the videos that are available these days. Whether it be an actual companies release, a tour video, shop video, homey video, from all over the world that are available literally at the click of a few buttons, there are a tonnnn of vids out there. The reality of it is, the majority of them aren't all that great. That being said however, a lot of them are. Following in the mindset I set out with when I started this blog, one of "If I have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all" I resigned myself to talking only about the videos I'm super stoked on. Think Skateboards newest release "Business as Usual" is just that; a video I'm super stoked on. This video rips. As far as brands go, Think, which also distributes Venture trucks and Lucky bearings, is a company that tends to fly surprisingly under the radar despite their longevity and presence within the skateboard industry. I'm not exactly sure what this lack of popularity can be attributed to, but I definitely do think it exists. It is not that Think as a brand is hated on or even cracked on, it just doesn't seem to be all that popular, at least with the kids skating in Toronto. I think partially at least, the reason for this, albeit honorably, is that Think tends to focus more on the actual skating and skaters abilities rather then their personalities and marketability. In an age when kids want to know everything about their favorite skater, some whom go by monikers like Lizard King and Slash, Think riders tend to keep a relatively low profile. I think this is actual pretty cool and really adds some legitimacy with everything they do. That being said, Think has always sponsored amazing skateboarders and put out quality videos with an abundance of San Fran footy which is always heartwarming to any Canadian skater.

 Business As Usual is no exception. A bit more on the artsy side then their previous releases, the vid opens with a mellow intro showing glimpses of the skaters featured within. All the parts in the video are super sick, but there are definitely a few standouts.

It opens with a part from Josh Matthews.I don't know too much about this dude, other then he was on es before it went under and he comes from a huge family (I remember reading that somewhere). This guy fucking rips though, I definitely dig his skating. So many bangers in one part. Some personal favorites are his opening line with the back board through the choppy ledge, half cab tail to regular and the kickflip back lip. The front 180 switch 5050 down the right that's tight against the wall and fs 180 over the hedge were both super gnarly and so was the nollie flip over the bump to gap. I think my favorite clip in his part though was the sw 5050 drop down sw 5050 on the orange ledges or the gap to 5-0 the newspaper box. Both sooo sick. I also really liked his back blunt kickflip out on the 3 up 3 down, the sw bs flip over the rail in the dark, the switch feeble on the rail and his sick ender, the gap ollie into that super weird landing. Like I mentioned above, Think riders generally don't rely too heavily on image, and this is the case with Matthews. He's a sick skater, with good style who does cool tricks. After this part, he can definitely count me as a fan.

Without a doubt, one of my favorite parts in the entire video is Russ Milligan's. I've been a fan of this dude since he was on City, and it has nothing to do with the fact that he's Canadian. Actually, that's a lie, it totally has to do with the fact that he's Canadian, but he also rips. He seems like a pretty big dude and I've always been a fan of burly skaters. It took me a while to figure out this dudes stance when I first started paying attention to him a while ago, and if this was the first part of his I had seen, I probably would have thought he was goofy. Milligan is seriously on some Baptista shit with his switch skating. It's insane how interchangeable his stances are, and how good he makes his switch look. He has some really cool tricks in this part and it was edited pretty tightly. Some of the ones that stick out in my mind are the bs flip over the blue handicap ramp rail, fakie bigspin flip over the fence gap and the sw bs 360 off the bump. I loved the fs 180 bench then sw ollie the concrete ball line, sw 5-0 front shuv the ledge and sw bs flip at 3rd and Army, that all got rewound fa sho.

Adrian Williams has a cool part. It kind of sticks out from the rest of the video in it's vibe. Kind of like Kalis' part in Mindfield. Much like Kalis' part as well, Williams has some amazing skating and who doesn't love a good Wu Tang song.

Danny Fuenzalida, the Fuenz, has been on Think forever and is such an under rated skater. All the parts he has put out have been amazing and this one is no difference. He skates really cool spots and the song "Jaya" by Sad City is rad.

Undoubtedly my favorite part in the video and the natural curtains is that of Lee Yankou. This dude is a local Toronto skater and since making the move to San Fran years ago, has been making well deserved waves in skating. He is such a talented skateboarder with an amazing outlook on everything so it is really excited to see all the coverage he has been getting as of late, he deserves every bit of it. His part in this video is seriously amazing in my opinion. His skating is super original, super creative and super gnarly, an amazing combination. It's bangers from start to finish and I'm not going to name them all but seriously, watch it. He does grinds and slides on super tall shit, and he doesn't seem like he's a tall dude. The first 3 tricks and fs noseslide on the window sill are evidence of this, as that shit is talll. The line with the kickflip smith, front lip on the tall green picnic table and then the tre flip is maybe my favorite thing in the whole video, so rad. He actually has some really cool lines in this part, especially the ollie up the stairs, tre flip, glorious fs 360 and then the frontside flip over the rail and the downhill line where he nollie heels the dirt gap, back blunt pops out and bs threes off the curb. There are seriously so many amazing tricks in this part, my mind is exploding just thinking about it. I thought the bs smith on the water fountain against the wall, indy grab wall ride into the bank and fs 180 smith stall on the big green electrical box were bonkers and rewind worthy for sure. The kick flip over the rail to hill bomb was gnar and his ender kinker boardslide was super sick, especially his reaction. Congrats Lee, amazing part!! Can't wait to see what you have in store for skateboarding in the future.

I would probably buy this vid to add to my collection if there were physical copies of it. There aren't however, but silver lining is it's offered for free online, which although common these days, is still pretty cool. Watch it, watch it again and then go skate!

Acne and Awkwardness: Early to Mid 2000 Skate Ads: A Retrospectively Hilarious Time

I started skating in the mid to late 1990's. An era in our culture, coinciding with the golden era in hip hop, can be called golden in it's own right. I like to look at skateboarding as though the late 70's and 1980's were the fetal stages of skateboarding. When the necessary components for survival and progression were developed. If that is the case, then perhaps the 90's were skateboarding's childhood. A period where live alternated between immense influence, learning, experimentation, embarassment and consistent fun. With that being said the early and mid 2000's were without a doubt skateboarding's pre-pubescent and adolescent stage. The part of the life cycle where we take what we learned in childhood and try to determine how that will shape who we become in the future. It is only natural that during this time there is an abundance of monumental stepping stones, alternating between celebratory and shameful in nature, but almost always undeniably awkward. With that in mind I want to take a look back at the the art direction and vibe behind some of the raddest and whackest ads of this time. Oh what a time it was. My definite overall favorite re-occuring theme in thse adds, based entirely on hilarity factor; is the tight pants bulky shoe combo. And I thought only our poster boy Z. Morris could pull that steeze off.

Virginia and Slims

In the wake of his new found pro status on Alien,  it's Gilbert Crockett week over at the Vans site. In addition to posting a few older interviews of Gilbert's (all of which are equally sick both in their words and skating) they also posted his newest shared interview with Jake Johnson from this month's Transworld. Jake and Gilbert share the last portion of the Alien part in the new cinematographer project and I'm guessing Transworld is hoping to keep the trend alive with a shared interview as well. The skating in the interview is sick, but more importantly it's what Jake Johnson has to say about skating that is the most engaging thing about this whole article. I'm not going to break it all down for you. Read the interview for yourself and digest the words, because for all of us out there who are watching our beloved skateboarding evolve into something that we never hoped it would become, Jake's words are important and maybe even inspiring. Either way, read it, it's posted below.

2 Pennies for your Thoughts

 

a Diamond in the Ruff

I'm not about shit talking. There's far more than enough of that being generated on the internet on a daily basis and it's pretty lame. So I'm not going to talk shit. I'm just going to say there IS one pretty rad segment on the Berrics that I find consistently getting me psyched. Off the Grid is a pretty cool idea and with the dudes that have ended up being involved so far they've ended up being pretty tight little web clips that are motivating in that they provide the viewer with (in my case) a much needed reminder that creativity breeds skateboarding, and you don't need a pristine skate plaza in your town to get some day in and day out. Cole, Timtim/Brown/, Rodrigo/Curtin, Kalis/McClung, Johan Stuckie, Castillo,Koston, Malto, Anderson/Nesser, Pappalardo, Ishod Wair, the list goes on and on and it's a pretty amazing who's who of some of the more interesting skaters doing it today.

I love the current state of skateboarding, I really do. I eat up all the media content and look forward to the release of new videos just as eagerly as I did when I was a grom just starting out. I love the big videos that we as skaters anticipate for years (stay gold, fully flared etc) and have a profound sense of respect for the work that goes into them. With that being said however, I still pine nostalgically for the days the older pros and retired pros describe when the speak about filming video parts in a weekend or a few weeks. I think that sense of lightheartedness and the inclination to not take skateboarding so seriously is pretty cool and don't necessarily see as much evidence of it these days. That's what these Off the Grid segments do for me, they remind me of the aura of spontaneity that must have permeated the filming process for those older video parts. Accomplishing that is quite a feat in itself.

I've always been a bit curious about the filming process with these edits. Are they actually spontaneous continuous lines or is any of this shit re-filmed. That's pretty irrelevant all considered though, the skating is nothing insane but that's not necessarily a bad thing in the video game turned reality landscape of skateboarding these days. The videos are short and feature rad skaters cruising the streets of randomly picked locations.

The first one I saw was the initial Off the Grid the put out which was Koston's. Being co-owner of the Berrics himself it comes as no surprise that he got the jump off, and it turned out pretty tight. I think their have definitely been better and more interesting ones since, but the initial clip still set the stage for what was to become in my mind one of the coolest web segments out there.

 

The majority of the Off the Grid videos take place in or around L.A., but for the most part my favorite ones end up being the clips filmed in different cities outside of California. Pretty much every single one of the segments is worth watching from start to finish but there were definitely a few that stuck out to me as being extra tight.

Rodrigo Tx/Jack Curtain: As I re watch this sitting here in Toronto in the middle of March and looking at the gray sleet of shit outside, I'm reminded that although I love skate footy outside of California, I can completely understand why the majority of it is generated there. In this clip the combo of Rodrigo/Jack + A Tribe Called Quest + sunny California skies = a clip that not only is super entertaining to watch, but also makes me jealous as fuck.

Benny Fairfax/Raymond Molinar: Being a big fan of all things British, Benny Fairfax in particular, I knew this one would be a favorite of mine before I even watched it. It looks like a nice spring day in this clip, and both these dudes are beasts. They skate sooooo fucking fast, and Raymond Molinar is one quick footed bastard. Benny Fairfax's nollie heel off the bank to flat was really sick among a bunch of other awesome shit in this clip.

Josh Kalis/Taylor McClung/Dane Vaughn: Anything with Kalis in it is bound to be awesome and this segment is no different. You can't go wrong with Josh Kalis and a Nas track. And oh yea, Dane Vaughn is really fucking good at skateboarding.

http://theberrics.com/off-the-grid/josh-kalis-taylor-mcclung-and-dane-vaughn.html
 
Eli/Zered Hurricaine Irene Edition: This one is pretty awesome. Filmed on a rainy day in the middle of the summer during Hurricaine Irene on cruiser boards, this segment, more then any, is a huge reminder that at the end of the day skateboarding is and always has been about having fun. The fact that these dudes can skate waaaaay better then me while in the rain and on cruiser boards, then I ever could on a dry day on my normal setup is also pretty awesome and hilarious.

The intro the Chaz Ortiz one is pretty hilarious, injecting the scene from The Wedding Crashers where Owen Wilson goes to visit Will Ferrel's character Chaz, only to be welcomed to his Mother screaming "Chaz move your fucking skateboard." That and the loooooong ass back tail he does in his segment are both pretty grimey.

So if you need a brief yet refreshing respite from the daily onslaught of oft overproduced and overwhelming skate media these days, take a look at these Off the Grid videos, they're a reminder that skateboarding can be fun, no matter where we are, we just have to make the best of our surroundings.

Windsor James is Pro Whooo

In a move that seems to me to be long overdue (dude has been in it for a minute) one of my absolute favorite skateboarders around today is finally Pro. They say patience is a virtue and the patience of skateboarding funny man and company loyalist Windsor James proved to pay off last week as Mystery sealed the deal and turned him pro. Coming straight outta Colorado with the likes of Angel Ramirez and David Reyes, Windsor first started garnering coverage back around 2004/2005 when he began popping up in magazines. and his first  part in the Darkstar video Battalion came out.  I was immediately a fan of his skating, long before I had gotten a glimpse of his personality and how hysterical and upbeat this dude is. From the first beats of the Gangstar track "playtawin" and that first fs bigspin I knew this dude, along with Gailea, was a diamond in the rough on the mismatched and confused Darkstar squad. His whole part was pretty tough, especially the line with the sw back tail then the backside flip switch 5-0 , the long ass 5-0 down the skinny rail and the front board, ollie up, kickflip back noseslide the hubba. Windsor immediatley stuck out to me, and his coverage began stacking up just around the same time. He had a part in the Circa video It's Time, and his footage was just as gnarly if not more so then in Battalion. In addition the gnarly skating, this part was perhaps the first time the veritable skate audience got a taste of Windsor's one of a kind personality, which pretty much everyone instantly became a fan of. The part begins with Dukes of Hazzard style narrated cliff hanging conclusion crazy slam Windsor takes (how he landed on his feet I still don't understand, dudes a cat) from which he goes on to fucking destroy the streets (he seriously has one of the sickest feebles). Since that video though it seems that there has been more footage of Windsor off the board than on it. That would normally be kind of lame, but Windsor if definitely one of few exceptions. From everything I've seen he comes across as a totally upbeat, fun loving, passionate skater. Homey is hysterical and it seems like everything that comes out his mouth is sound bite gold. From the Tony Tave Day in the Life video to the latest Free Lunch, Windsor is jokes and entertainment for days. All of this lifestyle footage is not to say the guy hasn't been skating however. He had the Circa Dialogue not too long ago and is consistently coming out with ads and photos in the mags. He's been on Circa for as long as I can remember and only left Darkstar for Mystery (who wouldn't?) so seems like totally loyal to the people backing him, which is always rad to see. I'm super stoked to that Windsor turned pro and think he deserves it without a doubt. Peep his newest Color Theory part below, it's some good shit. Congrats Windsor!!

Salty Wounds

Saw this clip yesterday of Montreal skater Chris St-Cyr shredding the icy and salty streets during a sick winter sesh.

This is what being a skater in the east in Canada unfortunately comes to, if you're actually motivated enough get out there in the grime and slush.. Super tight and makes me feel like a pussy.


Chris St-Cyr from Frenchie Eyeshootmore on Vimeo.

One in a Million or a Dime a Dozen?

It's 4 episodes into Slap's One in a Million 2012 NYC reality show/ sponsor hook up contest and it's a bummer to say so far it's a huge let down compared to last year's Forest Edwards scowl infused rendition of the show. That guy was something else, T.V. gold and trick getting machine, at the end of the day I'm actually pretty surprised that we haven't seen more of him in the last year. The internet has talked enough about young Forest though, and this season is missing any form of embodiment of the dickishness that skateboarding's Spencer Pratt made such a hot button topic this time last year.

This year the setting is switched up, and the young one in a millioners are traversed to the laisse faire, supreme hat filled streets of NYC in the hopes of impressing Rodney Torres, Billy Rohan, Lurker Lou and John Cardiel (thank God for Cards!) for the chance of a full company hook up.

There might not be any Forest Edwards this season but there is definitely a bunch of kids who are really really really good at skateboarding. It seems that not a day goes by in recent times where I'm not reminded by some form of internet media content how fucking ridiculous kids are at skating these days. It's seriously pretty crazy, and the little fuckers on OIAM are just further proof that I indeed suck at skating and a reminder to myself that I spend time watching these 15 years old skate, because somehow it allows me to vicariously live in a world where I am as gnarly and quick footed as these dudes.

The first episode of these kind of these are always pretty interesting. The intros are funny, we get a brief glimpse into the personalities of these skaters, where they come from and see a bit of the footage that got them to the House of Vans in the first place.  Some the kids seemed mellow and some seemed kooky, which I'm sure is the balance Slap set out to achieve, as a whole show of kooks would be fucking annoying as shit, and a whole show of skating would be equally as boring. Oh yea and what the fuck is up with Adam Simoni? Dude looks like a guy that used to walk around my high school back in the day trying to sell magic cards.

In the second episode the guys set out for their first day of skating and some gnarly shit goes to at the Astoria Park. Matt Militano's front lip tre flip on the broken boards was super impressive and he made it actually look pretty tight. Kennedy Cantrell, the baby faced wonder, who is probably my personal favorite to win this thing, also did a fucking beaut of a kickflip over the gap. Super steeze.They also head to the Con-Ed banks in this episode. This spot seems burly as shit. The ground looks insanely rough and the bricks of the banks themselves are super shredded and look like they could double as a nice cheese grater at any moment. None the less these kids still went for it and some were able to produce some tasty shit on this sketchy spot. Adam Simoni's tailslide revert was super sick and the more they show of this guy the more I like him. He obviously kills it on the board and he seems to have a super sick attitude, which I'm sure will go far with the judges. I thought it was real cool that Mikey Haywood, even after admittingly never have skated many banks before, still going for the fs noseblunt, which he eventually landed complete with the roll away self congratulatory hand clap. This dude fucking rips and is shaping up to be a definite front runner in all this nonsense. Matt Militano and Kennedy Cantrell (this dude is awesome) both also killed the banks, Cantrell's line was tiiight.

In the fourth episode, the judges (an array of NY's finest, Lurker Lou, Billy Rohan and Rodney Torres) hold a high ollie contest. This whole thing is pretty lame in my opinion. Who wants to watch a bunch of random dudes ollie a fucking bar, definitely not me. It's like a grade school track and field day high jump contest. The only real talking point about this episode is the fact that the last dude to ollie the bar and the first dude to get eliminated is hands down one of the best, most exciting to watch and all around well rounded skaters of the bunch, Matt Militano. How the fuck did this kid go first? That's why you don't base the whole thing on a high ollie contest. I'd rather watch this dude skate then the majority of these other kids any day. But when all is said and done, Militano has to head home well before the boys get to make their first important stop of their trip in NYC; Max Fish.

In the fourth episode the skaters head to Tribeca Park and a bunch of cool shit goes down. As I'm writing this I'm realizing that this show really is pretty boring, fuck. I'm almost done now so I might as well finish. At Tribeca, John Finucan, the blonde haired cartoon character with a Sheckleresque last name back tat, threw down a dirty nollie hardflip down the four block and once again Mikey Haywood straight laced it. They move on to the streets where one dude gets broke the fuck off on a flat bar front board and busts his leg open. The episode ends at the black hubba, which guest pro Jake Johnson destroys and Mikey comes through on again with a tight gap to front 5-0.

As there's only one dude eliminated thus far, this season has a long way to go. The show is short on laughs and entertainment, but does have some awesome skating and cool cameos so I know I'll keep watching, whether I like it or not.