Well Spent

Slient Night?

2007-12-19T18:23:00.001-08:00

Well it seems that this blog is pretty much dead. Thanks to all of you who read it, maybe one of us will post something every once in a while. But as for now, we are all taking a break from the blogsphere, so on behalf of everyone at Well Spent, have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Fresh Pow

2007-12-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

Well, it's not exactly fresh powder, but it snowed last night! This is the first snow of the season for us here. The only bad part, it was only like 4 inches according to the news. Major let down. The good news, it's supposed to snow again tonight.

Living in a college town, that means one thing. Sledding! No doubt some serious sledding will go down tonight. Last year was pretty crazy out at the hill. Even with all of the "no sledding" signs posted, everybody does it anyway. At times, the paramedics had to be called because of the carnage. That didn't stop anyone. In fact, the paramedics were having to dodge sledders on the hill as they tried to get to the injured. Pretty wicked.

I have no doubt that it will continue to snow. This should lead to some excellent street riding. Hopefully the weather cooperates and doesn't warm up again.

Wings for Freedom

2007-11-30T21:27:00.000-08:00

Day 3 of the Virginia vacation and things got busy today. Unfortunately it looks like no amount of snowboarding will be covered this trip or this post. Bummer. Instead I’m going to talk about my time spent visiting my brother. This has been well-spent time because I really haven’t seen him much in the last few years.

He graduated from Purdue in 2005 in the Navy’s officer training corp. He was sent to Pensacola, Florida for his primary flight training, which lasted about a year. During this time I saw him all of about a week and a half at Christmas. After completing this, he was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia to train to become an NFO (Naval Flight Officer) in the E-2 Hawkeye, like the one pictured above. After eight months of intense training, he has been winged and assigned to a squadron. This is the reason we visited him.

We left school after my last class on Wednesday afternoon and drove deep into West Virginia before stopping for the night. We left early Thursday morning and arrived in Norfolk around 12:30. This was perfect timing for us to catch a boat tour of the harbor. We hopped onboard at 2 and circled the bay. We got to see a lot of amazing ships, including an attack submarine, and 3 aircraft carriers. They really are an awesome fleet. With those guys supporting us in a war, I believe we are quite a force to be reckoned with. After the tour, we met up with my brother and ate some dinner at a fancy restaurant downtown. Not much else happened last night, as today was an early morning.

We met back up with my brother around 7 this morning in order to get on base for the ceremonies and such that were going on today for him. After a rather boring presentation on the E-2, we were allowed to go into the 2 different simulators they had on base. Pretty high tech stuff. Basically, three NFO’s sit in the back of this E-2 and monitor about 350 miles worth of air, land and sea. They can tell where everybody is! It’s unbelievable.

But the simulators weren’t the end of the tour. We actually got to get into an E-2 to see what the real thing looks like. I’m about 6’5” and I was bending over at the waist to get through the plane. It was a tight squeeze! By now, it was time for lunch. We stopped by an Applebee’s. We had some time to kill, so my brother drove us around the base and gave us a little tour. At 2 his formal ceremony began where he was presented with his wings and officially became an NFO!

All this was fun and good but the real party wasn’t until later in the night. We had time to grab dinner over at a Logan’s before heading to the party. The party was at a bar called Baxter's. Pretty much all the NFO’s came as my brother’s class was paying the tab. It was a pretty entertaining time.

All in all, I have seen my brother more these few days than I have in the last year. It was definitely time well spent. I just hope I can make it back out here again soon. Oh, and my next post will be about snowboarding. Don’t worry about that.

The Park Project

2007-11-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in my last post, I'm on a trip this weekend to Virginia. My parents decided to save some money and we drove out here. That means something like 15 hours in the car. This has given me plenty of time to catch up on some snowboarding reading. Last week’s TWSnow had an article called "DIY or Die." It looks into a new project off of I-80 East in California. The name: Kingvale. The mission: terrain park.

The story goes like this. Some guys get fed up working for resorts. They can't do what they really want there. These guys want to push riding to the next level, and they can't progress at these resorts. So 5 guys team up and decide to build a hill entirely for park riding. Don't worry though, they aren't just some loonies trying to break free. As Snowboard Magazine puts it, between them, they have more then 20 years experience building parks all over the world. Not to mention, one of them runs Railbuilder.com, the primary builder for park features throughout the world.

So how as it worked so far? Last season could be labeled a soft opening. Although it wasn’t open to the public yet, they saw something like 40 pros roll through. Kingvale is planned to open this winter to the public. With a handle-tow taking boarders to 25-30 features, this park has plenty of potential. The dream is to have a lift with five parks from the top to the bottom.

But seriously, these guys have to be having a blast. They can go out to the mountain and just build whatever they feel like. Well…maybe more like whatever they could afford. For now, they are “paying the bills” by running a small tubing hill during the weekends. Other than money, there aren’t really any restrictions to what can be done. They have everything from natural features, rocks and plenty of trees, to man made stuff, rails, scrapped cares, propane tanks, and any other junk they feel is rideable.

These guys are just looking to have some fun. And isn’t that really the point of snowboarding? I don’t know anyone who started snowboarding because they wanted to be an icon or get sponsored. You snowboard to have fun. And that is the mission of Kingvale. To have fun.

Virginia is For Lovers

2007-11-27T22:02:00.000-08:00

So my brother is in the Navy and stationed in Virginia for training. This weekend, he is getting his wings. If you didn’t know, this is a pretty big deal. For the occasion, my family and I are driving out to visit him. We are leaving after I get out of class today, and basically I miss half a week of classes. In high school that’d be no big deal, but this is college. I figure as long as I’m out there, might as well check out what kind of snowboarding they have going on.

In order to be prepared for the trip, I googled “snowboarding Virginia” and came up with about 1.5 million results. A bit overwhelming, except for the fact the first result was incredibly helpful. Basically, a map of Virginia with spots marking snow shops and slopes.

Because I will be traveling with my family, I have to narrow down where I can check out. For starters, anything not on I-64 or Highway 33 on the way into Norfolk is ruled out. This cuts the field from 35 to 8 or 9. Only 2 had websites linked from skisite.

The first site I looked into was Freestyle, “ your source for adrenaline sports.” At first glance, their website seems to cover 3 sports: snow, skateboarding, and wake. Closer investigation reveals one skateboard on site and few snowboards. However, this could just be a bad representation of their website. Hopefully I can check out the store in person.

The next site I looked at was Galyan’s now known as Dick’s. Not a specialty store, but an overall sporting goods store, Galyan’s had a huge selection of gear. But this is typical of an online superstore. The reality I’m sure to face is, in person there will be a much smaller selection. I can always hope otherwise.

Other than those two stores, I was pretty unsuccessful on find much about any other store. I did find out there are 3 “Play It Again Sports” in Richmond.

As the trip grows closer I really hope to stop at a couple of these snowboarding shops and find out about some Virginia snowboarding.

Bundle Up! It's cold outside...

2007-11-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

Midwest skateboarders, not to exclude Canadians, have so much cold weather endurance, Sir Edmund Hillary would be jealous. America’s heartland has been known to have some of the most inconsistent and erroneous weather patterns. One aspect of this weather seems to be the most consistent of all, and that is the stagnate, windy, and frigid winters the Midwest always seems to enjoy or rather suffer through. But the dedicated skateboarders here have learned to adapt to anything the western sky cares to send our way. Being a Midwest-bred skateboarding barbarian myself, I know a few things when it comes to skating during the winter months. So I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage you, the skateboarder who things it’s too cold to skate, to suck it up and go skateboarding.

Before you even leave your place of dwelling or hibernation, I’d suggest dressing in layers. If it’s really cold outside, wear a pair of sweatpants underneath your jeans. This not only keeps you warm, but it also gives you a bit of extra padding when your body slams to the frozen tundra of concrete you call your skatepark. As for your upper body, consider wearing a long sleeved t-shirt or two beneath two or more hooded sweatshirts. A few layers go a long way and you can always take them off if you get toasty. A beanie is a must; I’ve been told that 80% or more of your body heat escapes from your head. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to cover it up.

The next step regards your selection of spots. Try to look for places that are either in the direct sunlight or have a total windbreak (like an old warehouse). Be careful with that warehouse though, breaking in and entering is a felony. Places in direct sunlight tend to be warmer because the concrete absorbs a lot of heat. However, with no guarantee of a windless skate session, it can be a gamble. Another tip I have is to avoid spots with rough ground. It sucks enough to fall when the ground is cold and frozen, but it makes it that much worse when the ground is rough too.

The final tip I have for you is to store your shoes and skateboard indoors. This will make it easier to do tricks and prolong the life of your equipment, particularly that board. If your Mom throws your stuff into the garage, yell and scream like a five year old. She’ll get the idea.

It is possible to skate during the harsh Midwest winter. Believe me; I’ve been doing it for 6 years now. Just wear a few layers, choose your spots wisely, and care for your equipment and you too can survive through spring. The good news is that winter only occupies one-fourth of the year, so there are another three-fourths to look forward to.

Fundamentals: The Kickflip

2007-11-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of How2Skate.com

I get asked how to do this one all the time. Kids will approach me at the skatepark, which I give them props for because I can be somewhat intimidating, and ask me how they can do perfect kickflips. I generally ask to see how far they are along with learning it so that I can know whether I am wasting my time. If I decide that I would be wasting my time, I’ll just say go watch a video of Andrew Reynolds or someone with a really good kickflip and learn from them. Otherwise, I will legitimately try to help them out.

The first step is the foot position, if you don’t have this right, you’re not going anywhere. Make sure that you’re the ball and toes of your backfoot are the only part that touches your tail. This will give you the pressure you need to pop. Your front foot should be placed just below the front bolts of your skateboard at about a 30 degree angle. Make sure that only your toes, the ball of your foot, and part of your arch, touch the board. If you have any more foot on your board, the board will not flip. If you have less, your skateboard with probably go vertical when you try the trick.

The next step is the pop and flick. This is one, fluid motion with two steps. The first is to stomp the tail of your board down with your back foot. Be sure that you’re not a victim of lead foot syndrome and release pressure as soon as your tail hits the ground. Regarding the flick, you want to roll you front foot forward and to the side, to get your board rotating. Imagine your foot like it’s a curve ball. It will spin outward and then return inside.

The next step is sucking your legs up and catching the board. Sucking up your legs is pretty self explanatory. Do it like you would if you were trying to jump over a chair or a short fence. Catching the board can be kind of difficult and takes a lot of practice. You’ll need to time your kickflip so that once it is done flipping, you put your feet down to land the trick. This is harder than it sounds, so don’t give up if you can’t do it right away. Skateboarding is about fun and progression, not getting upset.

The final step is landing. After you’ve caught the board, you want to land with your weight evenly distributed between your two legs. You also want to land with your knees bent to avoid falling and looking like a robot.

As hard or as easy as a kickflip sounds to do, I’ve found that there are some easy ways to learn the trick faster, particularly in the sequence of steps I mentioned about.

The first thing I suggest with learning kickflips is to try them while standing in between two chairs and holding on to them to support your body and make yourself feel lighter. This will allow you to get a feel for how you are doing the trick and what you need to change. It will help you perfect your flick and time your catch.

The other tip I have is to try them rolling into the grass. Learning any trick means a lot of falling. Practicing your trick into the grass will help you last longer and sustain more falls.

The final tip I have is to just have fun. It took me well over a year to learn how to do the trick, so don’t expect yourself to learn it overnight. Just enjoy yourself while putting the time and effort into learning something new.

Underwater Pumpkin Carving

2007-11-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

This sounds soo cool. I would love to learn some of the ways that people do this. I am sure that there are some who just go underwater with a knife, a pumpkin, and there scuba gear, but according to Saipan which also has a link to a forum some of these guys have actual gear for this.

I think this is probably one of the more interesting scuba diving hobbies that I have heard about so far. I probably won't ever get the chance to do it since I don't live near any good dive sites, and usually don't go anywhere around halloween. Oh well, it doesn't mean i won't try it on something some time though. Maybe I'll get the chance some time. Either way I thought this was pretty cool and will try to look a little more on the forum link. I am at least really interested in what some of the people carved.

Global Warming Can Blow Me

2007-11-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

So check it out, Tribe Films is getting ready to release a new movie December 1st. This Croatian company has gathered some of the best Croatian riders for their sophomore release. These guys really get me pumped to go snowboarding. They are always smiling and look like they're having fun the entire time. I think you will be able to download the movie after it is released.

Living in the midwest I was excited to hear a resort was opening. WildMountain is offically open for riding. However, only a few of the intermediate slopes are ridable and very few jibs. But it's a start.

What really pisses me off is the weather here. Today's forecast, 60 degrees and partly cloudy. Seriously, we aren't going to get snow until January. All the time I read about resorts opening and awesome weather, and here I am still stuck in the middle of fall.

I remember as a kid, it was freezing by the start of November and snowing midway into the month. I remember school getting canceled because of the snow.

Now days we haven't even had a frost, let alone any snow. It is raining at mountains when snow should be falling. If this isn't a sign of global warming I don't know what is. And all you idiots who don't think global warming is real, WAKE UP!

Luckly, Thanksgiving break is coming up next week and I'll hopefully I'll have a few days to get away. I look forward to colder weather.

Mark Gonzales and a bit of pondering

2007-11-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Fourstar Clothing

As weird and as lame as it sounds, I’ve been pondering. I know it might be the sign of a romantic academic, but I do believe that thinking about things makes one a critical thinker and well-versed person. One of the main things that came to mind as I pondered today was the “Day in the Life of Mark Gonzalez” section of the 2006 film by Fourstar Clothing, Super Champion Funzone. I think that Mark is probably the most insightful professional in the skateboarding community and always has plenty of interesting things to say in every video he appears in. In this particular clip Mark mentions how skateboarders want everything to be perfect. For example, they don’t want any parts of their skateboards missing or damaged. Or they want to land the tricks they are trying in the way they are supposed to be done. He uses these examples to draw a few observations about the state of American education. Mark laments that our culture often teaches kids to “settle for less” such that they wouldn’t even pay attention to the intricacies that skateboarders do in their trade.

I thought about this statement more and more; eventually arriving at the realization of its true power and insight. I think our society has, of late, ingrained this external locus of control into many of our young people. We, as an American culture, are buying into the belief that most everything being outside of our control and we consequently leave everything up to fate. I suspect that the American dream is no longer about working hard, bettering yourself, and establishing and providing for a family. Now it seems that success requires hitting a streak of luck or being at the right place at the right time.

So how much does our societies locus of control relate to skateboarding? Well actually quite a bit. You see as a skateboarder, I have learned what the fruits of hard work can be. I try a trick over and over again until I land it. That’s persistence paying off. Sometimes I won’t be happy with how I landed it, perhaps it was sketchy, and I will do it again until I get it better. That’s the pursuit of perfection. And why do I continue to throw my body down onto the ground again and again until I’ve done what I set out to do? The reason is that it is gratifying and fun. Yes, it took a lot of hard work, pain, and a hell of a lot of practice, but the rewarding feeling of success was worth it in the end. I think our culture needs to wake up and realize that kids need to be taught that persistence and the pursuit of perfection do pay off.

When will kids no longer settle for less? When will we shift our collective locus of control from being the fate-based, fallacy-riddled external type to a more achievement and hard work oriented internal type? Excelling in skateboarding isn’t about luck. Just like any other sport, it’s about hard work, determination, and the pursuit of perfection. I believe that the people who learn these values will prosper in their future endeavors. So for God sakes get up off your ass and work hard. Don’t settle for less!

To Board or To Ski: Which is Right?

2007-11-05T22:21:00.001-08:00

Which is easier to learn, skiing or snowboarding? Many first time visitors to the slopes ask this question. This depends on your definition of easy. Do you want to be able to ride the lift right away? Or would you rather be able to ride that black diamond in a day or two? There are advantages to both skiing and snowboarding.

Skiing is most like ice-skating or rollerblading. You have the ability to use both of your feet independently of each other. For some of the less coordinated this can be a disadvantage, but with a little practice it can become easy. Another advantage to learning to ski is having poles to help you balance. These two shafts help you move around on flat ground and help keep you in place on sloped plains. On the first day skiing, you should be able to ‘snowplow’ or ‘pizza’ your way down the hill. This simply involves pointing your toes towards each other, slowing you down. This should allow you to ride the lift to an easy slope or even intermediate run in the first day. In the next couple of days, parallel carving should be easy enough. After this however, the learning curve begins to slow down.

Snowboarding is most like skateboarding or surfing. Although your feet are strapped to one board this can be helpful. No crossing of skis keeps your legs from twisting up. Also you don’t have to worry about keeping both feet together as they can’t really move that far apart. Snowboarding takes a few days to get the hang of. Learning to control the edges of the board is tough. If you use too much edge you can loose you balance and fall, but not using enough edge can cause you to catch the other and once again fall. Finding the balance between the two is one of the most important skills when first learning. Once you can turn and stop, which are very closely related, snowboarding becomes very easy to learn. Riding intermediate and advanced slopes within the first few weeks is very possible. Hitting jumps and grinding rails are two other options that open up very quickly when learning to snowboard.

Both skiing and snowboarding are easy to pick up if you have a little patience and a little time. Which you choose is ultimately up to you. So why not take a ride and try both? I guarantee both will be fun and well worth your time.

Planks vs. Boards: The War Rages

2007-11-01T00:50:00.000-07:00

Ever since snowboards were created in the 60's, a “rivalry” has existed between snowboarders and skiers. There are many ideas as to why there is a tension between the two. My next couple of post will cover snowboarding vs. skiing.

When people are asked which is better, snowboarding or skiing, it is really an unfair question. Although both take place on snow, snowboarding and skiing are two very different sports. Snowboarding did not originate from skiing; rather it comes from a long line of surfers and skateboarders (via about). This being said it is hard to tell which is “better” because they are so different.

I can almost guarantee that every skier would say skiing is best and every snowboarder would say snowboarding is better. It is true both have their up sides and both have down sides.

Skiing:
Easy entry and exit of bindings. No hassle bending over.
No blind spots because you are constantly looking downhill.
Easy movement on flat areas.
Faster than snowboards.

Snowboarding:
Secure bindings don’t fall off when you fall, letting you get up quickly.
Less equipment to bring from the car: wear boots, carry board.
Boots are more comfortable to walk in.
(via grays on trays)

These are just a few examples of advantages of each sport. It really upsets me when either side decides to take a stand and unfairly represents the other side. A good example is in this slide-show. Every claim made for skiing can be made for snowboarding besides the speed. Snowboards are evolving. Skiers are just as unsafe. Both require skill and can do a variety of riding. Both have advantages when learning, and are nerve-racking at the beginning. This fellow just needs to open his eyes and look at the other side.

Which do you think is better? What advantages and disadvantages does each have in your opinion?

Next post will discuss which is easier to learn.

Halloween Treat

2007-10-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Zero Skateboards

I’ve had a tough time with updates lately; too many tests and projects to worry about and get in the way. I really have wanted to put some stuff up on here; I just haven’t had the chance. Since today is Halloween I figured that I should probably write about something scary. Well I confess that my topic won’t be very scary, because other than Jake Brown’s fall at the X-Games, what is in skateboarding?

I’m going to giving you a look back to a widely popular video that was released, coincidentally on Halloween. Jamie Thomas and his company Zero Skateboards out of San Diego are notorious for their mind blowing skate videos. Dying to Live, which was released in 2003, was a video that wowed audiences by showcasing the Zero team’s handrail carnage, backyard pool murder, and stair set torture. Sounds like a horror flick doesn’t it? Well not exactly, but the video did inspire a generation of skateboarders to go balls to the wall in every aspect of their skating. Now you’ll see kids skating pools, stairs, handrails, and many more things to the extent that they are pretty damn good at it.

But let me get back to the video and talk about what else makes it special. The skateboard world knew who Jamie Thomas, Adrian Lopez, and Matt Mumford were. They all had ridden for Zero for quite a while and had established themselves as some of the top professionals in the industry. But what’s important is that Dying to Live introduced some now-household names to the skateboarding community.

Jon Allie, a native of Wisconsin, put together a great video part that included a lot of highly technical flip trick to grinds down big handrails. One of the big things that stuck out in his part was his nosebluntslide down the Hollywood High sixteen rail, one of skateboarding’s benchmarks. Now Jon has a pro model show with Circa and a variety of signature skateboards from Slave Skateboards, the newest venture from the Zero camp. Once a no-namer, Jon seemingly blew up over night and became an instant hit with many skateboarders.

Ryan Smith and Lindsey Robertson are two more that Dying to Live knighted with recognition. I group them together because they share most of the same sponsors and are commonly grouped side by side. Ryan tended to favor the big handrails where as Lindsey took care of the big gaps. Both have signature boards with Mystery and are now know for their disregard for bodily injury and their continuation of pushing the limit of how big good skateboarding must be.

Scotsman John Rattray was well known in Europe before this video came out, but in the United States the opposite was true. In 2003 Rattray stunned audiences with his mastery of every aspect of skateboarding. After all, the guy can do a 540 on a vert ramp and then go lipslide a 15 stair rail. Now Rattray as well known by many and has several signature models with Zero. Another thing that should be noted is that he has a degree in physics from Cambridge University.

The final and by far the most influential skateboarder the world found out about upon the release of Dying to Live is Chris Cole. Though he already had a great part in the Transworld video, In Bloom, about six months before the Zero video, it was in no ways comparable to the Dying to Live part. From 360 flipping large sets of stairs including the Rincon 4 to frontside boardsliding a ridiculously long hubba ledge (as seen above) Cole was amazing. He was promptly turned pro after the video was released and now has several pro model shoes and clothing lines with Fallen footwear and apparel. Nowadays there are lots of kids that want to be just like Chris; look like him, dress like him, and skate like him. I can’t tell you how many times I have been to the skatepark and there will be a kid there saying to his friends “Check me out, I’m Chris Cole” and end up trying to 360 flip a large set of stairs.

Perhaps that’s the scary part of this story, a group of skateboarders influencing a much larger group to do things like jump off buildings, grind handrails, and skate backyard pools. But maybe, that larger group is just simply dying to live. Happy Halloween.

Spot Check: Frankfort Skatepark

2007-10-22T12:24:00.001-07:00

Situated somewhere in between Lafayette and Indianapolis lies the small, but bustling city of Frankfort. Home of the Frankfort Hot Dogs, not only does the city have a crazy mascot and an abundance of processed meat, it also as a great skatepark.

Along with a few of my friends, I went down to the city this weekend to have a good old fashioned session at the skatepark. The park is comprised of a variety of well-placed, pre-fabricated, concrete apparatus designed to appeal to just about all skateboarders. The park includes three, four foot tall mini-ramps, two of which have extensions and the other has a spine in the middle. There are two pyramids; one with a hubba ledge and a rail that can be skated by both regular and goofy footed skaters and the other with a flat wall extending across the hip. There are two fun boxes. One features a concave curve while the other includes a variety of options including a flat bar and an elevated box. There are several other obstacles placed throughout the park including a flatbar and a bench. Frankfort’s skatepark also includes a hefty six stair with hubba ledges and a handrail for the more ambitious skateboarder. All in all, a solid amount of obstacle assortment can be found here. As one of the smoothest skateparks in the state, it is one of the most fun places to go.

My friends and I had a good time skating all the options the park had to offer. Though this wasn’t the first time I had been to the park, it was nice to have a change in the monotony of the police infested skate spots my college has to offer. You couldn’t have asked for a better day either. It was sunny and warm with a nice cooling breeze; sort of one of those perfect fall days we all love. I really hope to go back to the park sometime soon. I really like it a lot. So if you are ever traversing north-central Indiana on I-65, pull off at the Frankfort exit and have yourself a little session. It will be a lot of fun.

Never Quit Riding

2007-10-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

Ride any hill, any time, no lift tickets, no lift lines, no off season. Sounds too good to be true right? I thought so to until I found out about freebord.

Basically, a freebord is a skateboard that rides like a snowboard. But seriously, there can be no way to give the feel of a snowboard on asphalt. That is, until now. Snowboarding is unique because it allows you to move laterally over the snow. You control the amount of slide you ride.

A freeboard has two central, pivoting wheels that mimic the base of a snowboard, and four outer wheels that mimic the edge of the snowboard. These two sets of wheels working together give the freebord its movement. The freebord combines both carving and sliding because without both, it isn’t really snowboarding.

Learning to ride isn’t that difficult if you already snowboard. You still move with your toes and heels. And stopping is as easy as kicking the board further one way and skidding to a stop.

By the looks of some of the videos, this seems pretty legit. I’m definitely looking into buying one of these things.

YouTubin' It

2007-10-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of hon 72.

It's currently raining here in the wonderful city of West Lafayette, Indiana. For many skateboarders like myself, that means no skateboarding and lots of what I like to call YouTubing. I decided to throw a bone to all of you who are currently stuck inside and post five or so videos that I think are worth watching on a rainy day.

The first video I think you should check out is Nick Jensen's part in the Blueprint Skateboards video, Lost and Found. This British boarder has some of the cleanest lines on the other side of the pond and has some of the most dialed switch tricks in skateboarding. His switch kickflips and switch 'tre flips are extremely natural in appearance, making him one of my favourite skateboarders to date. Nick's part also features mastery of the roughest spots London has to offer. So kick it tea and crumpets style by watching his part. It got me hyped on skating and I'm sure it will do the same for you. See it here.

The next video I want you to watch is Guy Mariano's part from the Girl video, Mouse. He has a great style and trick selection to please his viewers, such that you could watch this part again and again and not get sick of it. Guy kills just about every schoolyard in So Cal with his highly technical bank to bench mastery. Watch it.

You should also watch Dan Drehobl's part from the Krooked video, Krooked Khronicles. He skates to Neil Diamond's Forever in Blue Jeans and let me just say that you will love that song by the time the part is over. Dan's got some of the best pivots in skateboarding and brings them to some of the most awkward spots know to man. If he didn't smoke 8 packs a day or whatever the ridiculous amount is, I'm sure he could easily be better at life than Clint Eastwood, Chuck Norris and John Wayne combined. Well, maybe not John Wayne, but you get the point. See it here.

Fourth in line is from the Adio shoes video, One Step Beyond. The ever stylish Kenny Anderson has a great part full of fluid lines, well balanced manuals, and the best backside tailslides hands down. This was actually the first skateboard video I owned, so the fact that I am still talking about how great this video is, is a testament to its quality. Another great feature in Kenny's part is his Las Vegas to Los Angeles (almost) nose manual. Bam Margera claimed that he say it happening from a plane, but thats aside from the point. Kenny's part is smooth and solid, and worth your time. The jazz music doesn't hurt the part either. Watch Kenny here.

The last video, for now, that you should spend some time with comes from the boys at Transworld Media and their video In Bloom. Mike Taylor has my favorite part in this flick. He has a solid and mature style, performing tricks in the way they are supposed to be done. He has plenty of smooth lines and holds grinds down some of the longest rails in skateboarding. His song, The Heist by Alf Diggi, is a perfect complement to his urban underground style. Watch his part here.

So hopefully you've check out these videos and the rain has let up. I put a tremendous amount of stock in them for hyping me up. In other words, they are all worth your time. If it hasn't stopped raining, keep watching more videos or go to sleep. I'm out.

A Quick Read: Steve Nesser

2007-10-15T12:13:00.001-07:00

This month’s issue of Thrasher has a great interview and amazing cover photo of Minneapolis’s finest, Steve Nesser. The Lebanese skateboarder shares some of his stories about traveling the globe alongside the likes of Tony Hawk, Bam Margera, and more along with what it was like to brave some of the harshest winters America has to offer. Nesser also talks about some of his experiences of running his skateshop Familia, earning a pro-model shoe from Adio and filming for the upcoming Birdhouse Skateboards video, The Beginning.

The photos that go with his interview are great too. One particular sequence that stood out to me was his ollie over a waist high wall into a short, steep bank. The cover shot, however, takes the cake for being the best photo in the magazine. He sets a world record for skateboarding by fifty-fiftying a round rail that covers down nearly 50 stairs. It’s like a fifty-fifty-fifty! With that kind of performance, I can’t wait to see the Birdhouse video.

Steve is one of the nicest, hardest-working and most professional skateboarders I have ever met and this interview does him justice. I highly recommend picking up this month’s issue, look for the jaw-dropping cover as seen above, and check his article out. You won’t be disappointed.

Video Review: Let's Do This

2007-10-11T08:58:00.001-07:00

Okay I’ve been slacking on posts this week, mainly because I’ve been swamped with other projects need my attention. I did have time, however, to sit down and watch the new Transworld video Let’s Do This. This is Jon Holland’s and Jason Hernandez’s sixth video together, and it might just be the best one to date. With a truly diverse lineup of heavy hitters, Let’s Do This keeps it interesting with lots of great tricks at many rarely seen spots.

East Coast up-and-comer Brian Brown opens the flick with some jazzy, urban skateboarding that is sure to motivate anyone who watches it. Banks seem to be Brian’s forte, as he brings some of the most difficult maneuvers to some of the roughest spots on the East Coast. One of the things that stuck out to me was how much of an improvement he has made since his part in the Adio promo, which dropped about two years ago. That part quite honestly sucked, so congratulations to Mr. Brown for coming through with a great part while filming for an entirely different video, Listen’s Viajeros Locos.

Minnesota legend and Stereo Sound Agent Clint Peterson has the next part in the video. I’ve always been a big fan of Clint, not just because he’s from the Midwest, but because he has a very unique repertoire of tricks. Backside kickflip melons and switch pole jams are just a few of the tricks that the already visually pleasing skateboarder has to offer. Oh and did I mention that Clint has the best backside 360 in all of skateboarding? Vert skaters don’t even have them as dialed as he does.

Peter Smolik has been under the radar since being cut from the Shorty’s squad a few years back. However, his comeback part in Let’s Do This ensures another few years of Smolik stardom. Though he’s a bit sketchy, the SkateMafia front man blew my mind with some of the most technical ledge tricks I have ever seen. Not to mention the fact that Peter kills it on transition. His short but sweet mini-ramp footage coupled with the highly technical street tricks I just talked about, make this part worth watching again and again. Backside tailslide 270 bigspin out… What?!?

Bakersfield’s finest Devine Calloway is featured next. His part features some buttery lines and plenty of bangers down many of skateboarding’s benchmarks. The unfortunate thing about Calloway’s part is that I had seen almost all his tricks in advertisements and magazine articles. For instance, his switch frontside big spin down the Carlsbad gap was in a DC shoes ad about a year ago, this time it’s his last trick. I’m not saying Devine’s part isn’t good, all I’m saying is that I would have liked to see some newer material.

Santa Cruz vato Emmanuel Guzman closes out the video with some heavy duty thrashing. This guys skates most skateparks faster than most people ever will. His huge airs and lightning fast carves are very reminiscent of early John Cardiel parts. But like Cards, Guzman also skates handrails incredible well, assaulting each one with no mercy. So further explain how good he is, I think I read somewhere that E-Man has never had anything other than an opening or closing part to a video. Be looking out for E-man as Thrasher’s Skater of the Year in the not too distant future.

Let’s Do This had me incredibly motivated to go skateboard this week, so I’m sure it will have the same effect on you. I’m amazed that Jon and Jason put out such great videos year after year, so I will be definitely looking forward to the next no doubt on its way soon. They always seem to find a great roster of skaters to include and always have the most interesting skateboarding in the business.

Diving Old School

2007-10-04T14:31:00.001-07:00

Hey look at this. Apparently just Friday a father and son dive team, that have been around for quite some time, gave 10 people the chance to dive in an old U.S. Navy Model 1 Mark V Diving System.

According to this website, where I found the article, they were getting their Surface Supplied Air Certifications. The article also said that the Mark V weights over 200 pounds.

I think it would be so cool to go diving in one of those really old suits. The only problem I would have would be the 200 pounds. I mean it is just the slight problem of being able to get out to the water with too much of that suit already on, but man would I like to give it a try.

If you are anywhere as interested as me, but with more time to spare. They are apparently the Wateree Dive Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Now might be a good time to get your Surface Supplied Air Certification, while those guys still have that suit and are willing to let you dive in it.

Skateblogging

2007-10-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Michael Burnett has an interesting article in this month’s Thrasher, Blog Drama, where he examines some of the more ironic aspects of blogging. While the article is supposed to be about the RVCA clothing Canada tour, Burnett uses the trip to humor us with some of his observations of the “blogsphere.” As he points out, the term weblog, or blog for short, is a rather dumb word. The word web is rarely used and log seems more like a Star Trek term than anything else (see pg.117, it’s a lot funnier). Additionally, the terms similar to blog are just as “lame.” Blogsphere, blogging, and blogger are all words that are part of Burnett considers to be the “language of the fucked.”

Throughout this tour article Michael Burnett explains how he was in a sort of competition with two others on the tour to get the best blog material. Each and every moment on tour, he explained, could constitute something “bloggable.” That is everything from “dudes sitting in an airport” to “your buddy eating a sandwich” to “someone taking a nap.” Basically the stuff people in the skateboarding community blog about, is usually complete crap.

Burnett makes an interesting observation of how a few visible people in the skateboard world have supplemented themselves by creating blogs. Being the editor at large for a major skateboarding magazine, Michael Burnett is no different. He notices that most of the time he posts some picture and attaches a few words to it for a post, someone anonymous tells him that he sucks, and he gets paid for it (126). I just wish I could get some people on here to hate on me so that I would get paid. In thinking about his point, I have reached the conclusion that some blogs function as forms of negative stimulation for some people. There are those who need to read something that pisses them off. Once that person has reached a sufficient degree of anger they then rant and rave about it simply to make him or herself feel better or smarter.

I can definitely understand the aspect of feeling smarter than the person you are attacking. After all, a lot of my own posts have to do with criticizing someone based on their stupidity. Perhaps blogging is really about primping your ego rather than actually providing something of journalistic value. Of course, I could be completely wrong here. Michael Burnett’s article really made me think about these sorts of things; a rarity in skateboarding magazines. Therefore, I strongly suggest you go to a skate shop, Barnes and Noble, Wal-Mart, or wherever they have Thrasher, pick up a copy of the October 2007 issue, and read Burnett’s article for yourself. If you’re too cheap to do that, I suppose you can go read his blog, Burnout, at the Thrasher website. (The link is to the side). However, you might get nothing but leftovers and complete crap (but it’s Michael Burnett, so it can’t be that bad). Be wary. If you don't want to do either of those things, you can scroll back up to where I first mentioned the article and click on Blog Drama; I figured I'd at least make you work for it first. Oh and by the way, great job Michael!

Cash Money

2007-10-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

Check it out. REELcomp is having a snowboarding best trick contest. Enter your video here. Or just watch the entries.

Are you joking?

2007-10-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Skateboarding, like most other communities, has plenty of kooks; never ceasing to amaze me with their incredible stupidity and “lameness.” When mainstream ideas and standards are thrown into the mix, some people are bound to make fools of themselves. Hip-hop is one of those things that is so mainstream, there is a razor thin line between what is normal or acceptable and what is just plain ridiculous.

When incorporated into the skateboarding community, hip-hop can play an important role in characterizing personal style. For example, professional skateboarder Terry Kennedy utilized this genre to set himself apart from others. Known for his gold chains, large purchases, eccentric personality, and a beaming grin, Kennedy cashed in on what people found entertaining. Most people first found out about him through the MTV show, Viva La Bam, based on pro skateboarder and jackass Bam Margera’s antics. Seen on the show as “Compton Ass Terry,” Kennedy’s own antics created a fan base ensuring his future success. Sure enough, Kennedy soon landed major contracts with KR3W apparel and Pharrell’s Ice Cream Shoes and Billionaire Boys Club. Now Terry Kennedy is one of the most successful skateboarders in the business. Sure he annoyed some people in the process, but the sheer fact that he made money of the hip-hop industry instead of them making money off of him deserves recognition.

Unfortunately, Terry Kennedy’s story is a rarity in the skateboarding world. The opposite side of the spectrum, hip-hop using and abusing skateboarding, is much more prevalent. This week I found a link on Quartersnacks to a few music videos from the hip-hop group named “The Board Bangers.” I watched this video and immediately had something to rip on.

Why is it that just about every hip-hop video in the entire world has a mass of people in a room, jumping up and down and doing stupid hand gestures? This video has so little to do with skateboarding, its almost funny. The girl in the video, Dymond, is spending most of the video holding a skateboard, claiming that she is a skater girl. What the hell is a skater girl anyway? Is it a girl who skateboards? A girl who thinks she is a skateboard? A girl who dates a skateboarder? A girl who smokes crack at the local skatepark? (Yes, I’ve seen that one before). I think in the case of skater girl Dymond, it’s the latter. This particular video also features a couple of dudes dressed in three piece suits and fedoras opening a briefcase full of toilet paper: yet again, another thing with no skateboarding relation whatsoever. The only good thing I can say about this video is that there is nothing good I can say about this video, it sucks. Now, it would be sort of pointless to bag on the Board Bangers without having an example of what a good use of skateboarding in a rap video is. So here you go.

Alabama bred, Yelawolf, aka Catfish Billy actually skates, and actually is good at it, and actually cares about it, and actually did a skateboarding/hip-hop tour recently. His video, Kickin’, is worth watching not just because the guy has talent, but because the skateboarding featured in it is good. He might just be the first rapper to 360 flip in his own video. Another thing I like about ‘wolf is that he surrounds himself with his true friends and neighbors, rather than disproportioned models selected by the recording company. Though his gesticulations go a little over the top, he more than makes up for it by including muddy ATV’s, firefighters, and vandalized train cars in his video. Yelawolf knows what he’s doing whereas the Board Bangers don’t. Assuming that Yelawolf continues to stay true to his roots and his passion in skateboarding, he will no doubt be successful further on down the road.

Skateboarding is so amusing at times. The characters it attracts are fascinating; some in good ways and some in bad ways. Everyone from Terry Kennedy to the Board Bangers to Yelawolf, contribute something unique and interesting to the skateboarding community. I can’t really complain about who comes tries to enter our culture because they give it character. What I can do, on the other hand, is make fun of the people who fail miserably at legitimizing themselves before skateboarding’s inner circle namely, the Board Bangers.

RutLAME Movie

2007-10-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

Here's another video from REELcomp. This is on the opposite end of good compared to Sentimental Values. Rutland Movie does not excite me.

For starters, Rutland only has about 25% riding. The rest of the time it is just some punks messing around. They look like they should be on Jackass, except Jackass was good and these kids suck. If you're going to post a snowboarding video, then focus on snowboarding. Not you and your dumbass friends trying to beat each other up.

Not living in a resort town or close to a mountain, I don't know what its like to ride everyday with my buddies. I don't know the discrimination that goes to snowboarders being rude, cocky punks. But Rutland movie gives a pretty good idea why people still think this way. Seriously, grow up guys. Nobody wants to see you break a bottle over your head. That probably isn't even a real beer bottle, I bet it is just ibc rootbeer, because this guy looks like he's 13.

Even though Rutland movie wastes most of it's time blowing smoke in your face (literally), the riding in it is still pretty decent. The occasional trick here or there are really nice. Word of advice to anyone planning on making a video, keep the filler to a minimum and show what you're really made of. Show it on the snow.

Sentimental Values

2007-09-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

Checking out REELcomp this morning, I ran into a couple new videos. The one above is called Sentimental Values. It is a preview for a video by a group called Funner Films, who are a group of pro snowboarders out of MT Baker and Chile.

I thought this preview was very well put together. The music starts out very somber and the riding follows along with it well. Focusing mainly on backcountry riding, some street and park are tastefully mixed in. As the music picks up, so does the riding. With an electric charge pumping through the speakers, the drops get bigger and the tricks get harder.

Although no "big name" riders are featured in this video, it still has alot of style and class. Check it out and see what you think for yourself.

Awsome! Underwater Plane

2007-09-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

I just got the October issue of Scuba Diving Magazine. My grandparents are the one who actually subscribe, but they sent it to me because I liked to read it whenever I am over at their house. Anyway I start to look through it and there on page 19 is an article called the "The Monster of Lake Mead." It had these two pictures as well.

For those of you who can't tell that is one gigantic plane. According to the article this is a B-29 bomber from WWII. They are the type that carried the nuke to Hiroshima. This one apparently never saw action. It just crashed thanks to pilot error. This plane rivals the size of a Boeing 737, being 99 feet long and having a 140-foot wingspan. The wreck was apparently discovered in 2001, and just July they gave out two conditional permits to Sin City Scuba and Tech Diving Limited.

I really think this is beyond a cool dive and wish so much that I could go. Unfortunately the wreck sits at 140 feet, so it requires nitrox to even have a chance of seeing. This dive not only would require extra training, but right now there are just two conditional permits so the dive costs about $450. Man, I wish I could go. Exploring a gigantic plane 140 feet underwater would be beyond amazing.

Hey here is the link to Scuba Diving Magazines home page. If you are interested in them they offer free e-newsletters, as well as the actual magazine.

Making Too Many Bubbles

2007-09-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

Do you burn through your air faster than anybody else in your group? Are you always having to surface before the others because you are already low on air? Well here are some tips from me and SCUBA Diving Magazine.

First and foremost in helping you control your breathing is controlling your buoyancy. This is the main problem that my dad has. My dad is not exactly that good at getting himself fit with the right amount of weight. This is mostly because we do not live anywhere near salt water, but we dive mostly on vacation in places like the Florida Keys and Mexico. This makes it hard for my dad to judge just how much weight he needs for a dive since it has been a year since he dove in salt water, and didn't do that much diving at home in fresh water anyway. My dad not having the right amount of weight means that he either sinks or floats and just can't seem to fine that right amount of buoyancy to hover just above the seabed. He really doesn't like this especially when he's stuck floating because he feels like he is missing some the dive. This makes him try harder to get to the right buoyancy. Now that he is trying harder he is exerting himself more and breathing harder. This not only burns through his air supply and causes him to surface earlier than the rest of us, but because of the way my dad breathes while exertign himself he isn't exhaling completely. This means that he is now more buoyant, so all the effort he is making to get down a little farther is for nothing. This is a bad habit of my dad's and we have told that a thousand times. Unfortunately he doesn't do to well on watching himself because he still does it quite often. The only problem my dad really has is that he just needs to relax. In order to get down just a little more where teh pressure will allow him to stay down, all he needs to do is relax. As he starts to kick to get himself down to the higher pressure he should also exhale. This will help in two ways. Now not only is he applying a force to go down but he is becaoming less buoyant as he exhales and this will help him get down to the right level even if he forgot to add a few pounds to his weight belt.

The same is true if you have something like this problem. It is really easy to fix you just have to not exert yourself. If you accidentally didn't grab enough weight just simply flip face down and kick towards the bottom as you exhale. Make sure that you don't try to hard though or you won't fully exhale and you will get nowhere.

Industry News and Updates

2007-09-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

Mystery Skateboards has turned Dan Murphy pro.

Sierra Fellers now has several pro model boards as well as some signature threads with Foundation Super Co.

The oh so stylish Kenny Anderson now does backside tailslides with Satori Wheels

Chris Cole and his infamous Hot Wax crew have a new video entitled Shred the Gnar. Chris also won this year's 'eS Game of Skate.

Ryan Sheckler has won the Dew Action Sports Tour event in Salt Lake City, thus clinching the tour's overall title.

There's a new pro model shoe soon to be on the market featuring Element's logo and Darrell Stanton's name.

Mark Gonzales is now the proud father of William Dexter Jackson Gonzales. Congrats Gonzo!

Saturday Sessions

2007-09-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

One of the most enjoyable parts of skateboarding as I see it is the Saturday session. It basically consists of you and some of your friends meeting as some place with no agenda other than to skate. You might meet up at a skatepark, a schoolyard, or in my case, a tennis court.

This is where the magic happens; the best tricks go down all for the sake of fun and everyone carries a grin from ear to ear. On any given Saturday, you might witness one of your friends finally land a trick he’s been trying for weeks or you yourself might land a trick for the first time in six months (which you probably won’t land again for another six months). Whatever the case may be, you’re almost guaranteed to have fun.

My friends and I had a Saturday session at our university’s tennis courts this past weekend. After a few exchanges of emails and phone calls, we had a posse put together and a session waiting to begin. We already had a shared passion, so all that we needed now was a grind box (which was easily obtained) and a way of documenting the good times (which turned out to be my digital camera).

After a few minutes of warming up and waiting for everyone to get to the meeting spot, we had a full-blown Saturday session unfolding. Tricks went down left and right, with everyone feeding off of each other’s energy and enthusiasm. It seemed as though everything outside the fencing of the tennis court meant nothing and that the only thing important in life was having fun.

I’ve been skateboarding for quite a while now and each day that goes by, I have more and more fun with my hobby. Sure there are times at which point I really don’t feel like going out, but for the most part I’m motivated to skate with my friends. This particular Saturday session really reinforced for me what skateboarding was really about, having fun.

I think that far too often kids buy into the hype surrounding professional skateboarding; they think it’s all about fame and money. When you see people like Bam, Rob Dyrdek, and Ryan Sheckler get their own television shows, it’s easy to lose sight over why we skateboard in the first place. I think that if you would ask any of those guys what they enjoy the most, they’ll all would say skateboarding. You see, the vast majority of skateboarders are cut from the same cloth. They really don’t fit in with any of the traditional sports crowds, so they have collectivized and built a lifestyle entirely out of fun and friendship. This particular Saturday session reminded me of that point when we organized a group of individuals together to have some fun.

As each day goes by, I realize just how empty a life without fun and friendship can be. I don’t believe that humans were ever meant to be by themselves; whether that’s on a first place pedestal or in the lowliest ditch known to man. Skateboarding with my friends gives me this type of fulfillment, which I’m sure that those of you who skate can relate to. Now I recognize that this would be an ideal time to insert a sappy phrase like “skaters unite” or whatever, but I won’t do that here. Instead I want to encourage all of you reading this to initiate some contact with some friends of yours this weekend and have some good clean fun. Have your own Saturday session; I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Weekend Getaway

2007-09-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

The party began at 1:30 Friday afternoon. The air-conditioning was broken in the backseat of our car. We tried to entertain ourselves with the Exponent but it lasted only a few minutes. I think we all had a touch of ADD. Jody, Travis, Grant and I were on our way to Fall Fest, a retreat for jr. high church kids. On the way, we passed a “point of interest.” It was a natural spring in the middle of nowhere. Not really interesting if you ask me. Finally we arrived after a two-hour drive. The party had only just begun.

Our first task was setting up 70 chairs for 63 people in a room that should only fit around 55. As the jr. high kids began to show up, we engaged in a ferocious tournament of dodge ball. Unfortunately for us, jr. high kids are notorious for cheating. After an hour of intense battle, we regrouped to begin playing various forms of tag. They became bored after about 15 minutes. We need to keep them busy for about 3 hours. Soon, darkness set in and glow in the dark games were made up on the spot.

The campers went to bed shortly after 11. As staff we had the privilege of staying up as late as we felt. We sat around in the dining hall and talked for a bit. A few people ate some cereal and we went to bed. We didn’t last long.

Around 8 the next we stumbled out of bed for breakfast. The party was just warming up. The kids were crazy and energetic, while we were drained. The kids had two rotations for the morning. I was working high ropes with the rest of staff. 38 campers showed up to go through the ropes course. Most of them had never experienced such a thrill. A 45 foot rock wall with a huge zipline. Headed up by the coolest people ever.

Travis is a scruffy man. O’er the summer he ruled the kitchen with an iron spatula. The thing that makes him cool is the fact that he can really step up the plate when necessary. Our head cook was fired in the first week of camp this summer and Travis stepped up without hesitation. He took leadership of the kitchen like George Washington lead America in the weaning years of our nation. This man is all about dancing even though he has no rhythm. He is all about shaking his stuff.

Grant is one of the best people I know. That is all. But seriously, I grew up with this kid. He is like the labor force in America. Not everybody knows his name but everybody knows he’s around and working hard. He always has a smile on his face and is trying to make someone laugh.

Sheridan is a mysterious individual. Dark and quiet she lurks in corners, quietly listening to conversations and constantly plotting to overthrow the administration, ie “the man.” She is definelty gunning for head honcho at camp. Nothing gets past this girl, she has eyes in the back of her head.

Jared is the mature one in the group. Working at camp for five years has taught him a lot of restraint. Just kidding. He is the worst. The only time I have ever seen him doing something serious is when someone could get hurt. He loves what he does and this South African chick he’s been dating for almost an entire year.

Basically, these guys are the backbone of camp. They keep the place running and always make sure the kids are having fun and learning about good stuff. This post might seem a little odd but I really love these guys. The time I spend with them is always unforgettable. This weekend I had a blast working with them and helping kids have fun. This weekend was a weekend "Well Spent.”

Shark Dives On The Rise

2007-09-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Once again I was just looking online for anything interesting and this time I found something on shark diving. According to this news article divers are finding more and more sites where they can go to just dive with sharks. I am seriously interested in this. The only time I have seen a shark so far is unfortunately only on my first real dive. Since it looks like I will be going on vacation with my parents this coming summer to somewhere tropical again I am going to see what they think about this. Unfortunately I have a pretty good idea that the rest of the divers in my family will not be all that happy about it. Oh well it might be a while before I go to a site known for sharks, but hey who can seriously pass up a chance like that. I know I can't even if someof my family can. Shark diving here I come.

Preview: Nike SB's Nothing But The Truth

2007-09-21T14:46:00.001-07:00

Photo Courtesy of TSI

On October 4, 2007, Nike’s skateboarding division plans on releasing its first true film entitled, Nothing But The Truth. Big whoop: just another corporate giant trying to make money off skateboarding right? Well, not exactly. You see there is a potential for a revolution within the skateboarding community. One that’s associated with the release of this film and I will tell you why.

Nike has assembled one of the most diverse and talented “teams” in the industry. With the likes of Paul Rodriguez, Chet Childress, Brian Anderson, and more on their roster, the footwear company seems to rival all others out there. In addition to a great team, Nike has an outstanding image. The swoosh has been a staple in street fashion for many moons now; more and more skateboarders are trading in their plain pairs of Vans and Emericas for some aesthetically pleasing Dunks. Let’s just be honest, Nikes look good. These two factors, coupled with some strategic maneuvers including but not limited to company and artist collaborations, tours, and giveaways, have been keystones in Nike’s marketing system.

Nike’s ingenious market plan has allowed it to capitalize on skateboarding. In fact, other skateboarding companies feel threatened by Nike. For example, Consolidated Skateboards started a marketing campaign several years ago called Don’t Do It in the hopes of encouraging skateboarders to buy from just skater-owned companies. (Ironically Consolidated is owned by a surfer.) Essentially what I am alluding to is that Nike has a lot of money to do plenty of big things; including a skateboarding film.

The sheer enormity of the budget for Nothing But The Truth almost guarantees a quality video. But as the New York Yankees have proved over the last few years, throwing money at something doesn’t always equate to success. However, if the sporting goods company does manage to live up to all the hype and pull off a great video, shockwaves will be sent through the industry. Skateboarding videos could almost be forced to be cinema quality; this may mean the majority of companies might have to hire professional directors, editors, script writers (just kidding) etc. Nike’s got freakin’ Lionel Goldstein working on this film.

In the skateboard world, videos sell product. Kids want the latest and greatest; they always have and they always will. So therein lies the potential significance of a film like Nothing But The Truth. Nike could potentially drive out most of its competition in the skateboard market with this video (keep in mind that the Lakai video will be released a week later, which will be good.) It’s not hard to picture the majority of skaters owning the Nike movie, much like vast numbers of people own at least one Star Wars film. If skaters got so hooked on to what Nike was doing, it might just be the end of the skateboarding industry as we know it today.

So when October rolls around, be on the lookout for Nothing But The Truth. I’m pretty sure it will be well worth the wait. After all, a revolution may dawn. When it is released, I do plan on reviewing it and posting it here. (If anyone reading this works for Nike; hook me up, I’m a broke college student!) So stay tuned, but in the meantime, you can check out the latest trailer for the film here.

My Type Of Divers

2007-09-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

There are four major types of divers in my opinion. These types are based only off of my opinion. They are resort divers, vacation divers, dive masters, and professional divers. They each differ in their certification, the equipment they own, and where and why they dive.

Resort Divers:
Resort divers usually have just a resort certification. They may have or be getting open water certification, and might even be getting wreck certification. Resort divers only dive on vacation. They usually plan vacations with diving to tropical dive sites. The places where resorts are. Resort divers might not be resort people but they do go on vacations where resorts are and cruises are a usual vacation choice. Resort divers might own some of their own equipment. They usually do own their own wetsuit. They might own their own BCD and regulator. Maybe they even have a dive computer as part of their regulator. These divers own cameras, though they are usually surface cameras with underwater housings. If they own an underwater camera most of the time it is a refillable underwater camera. Resort divers do not dive at home most of the time, so they are not part of the local dive club. Resort divers dive for one major reason. They dive for the scenery. This is why they dive mostly in the tropics. There visibility is the best and it is where there are plenty of reefs and fish.

Vacation Divers:

Vacation divers have at least open water certification. They most likely have some other, higher certification as well though, like wreck or night dive certification. Contrary to the title of vacation diver that I gave them though, vacation divers dive not only on vacation but at least every once in a while at home too. I call them vacation divers because they plan their vacations around some place that they are going to dive. This means that they usually go on weekend vacations and they go to just about any dive site. Vacation divers do not just go to tropical dive sites. They are usually wreck divers and so they take plenty of trips to places like the Great Lakes where there are plenty of wrecks. Vacation divers own their own equipment. Their equipment usually consists of their BCD, regulator (which usually has a dive computer attached). They have a wetsuit and a drysuit. They also usually own their own tanks, at least 2 to 4 depending on the type of regulator that they use. They also usually own a digital underwater camera. Vacation divers usually have extra equipment as well. This extra equipment is usually in pretty good shape, but quite old. They are probably trying to sell it on eBay as they lend it to you. Vacation divers are more often than not part of the local dive club, and they dive because they like being underwater and maybe have a hobby of a historian related to wrecks.

Dive Masters:

Now I do not mean that you have to be a dive master to fit in this category, but most of the people who do are dive masters. They are sometimes dive instructors as well. Dive masters usually live near diving and therefore they dive just about everyday. They do not usually have an actual job in diving. They may be paid by some dive shop or resort to take vacation and resort divers on dives, or they may not be paid. Dive masters own their own equipment. They have good equipment. It might not be the best out there but it is usually better then what vacation and resort divers are will to pay for. There is a good chance that they have a two tank regulator and more than a few sets of tanks. Most dive masters would be able to use nitrox, but they might not own their own equipment set up to use it. Any extra equipment they might own is on the used side. Those that have cameras probably have pretty nice underwater video cameras. They do not really care about the scenery, they like the feel of being underwater. This is why they have underwater video cameras, so that they can not only see what they saw on a past dive, but they can hear what they heard last dive (usually just their own breathing). These people wish that they had gills.

Professional Divers:

Professional divers is my last type of diver. This is just my general thoughts on professional divers. A lot of the detail I put up in the other ones would differ amazingly between certain professions that the professional divers might be doing. Professional divers have gone on to higher education for their level of certification. They have the BEST equipment, and their old equipment if they have it still is heavily used. If they want to dive on their vacation, then professional divers vary. Some go on vacations like vacation divers, but most are probably closer to resort divers and go for the places with scenery.

Those are the four types of divers in my opinion. Now I did not set up my opinion based on me being in any specific type. I for one feel that I am mostly a vacation diver, I still do not own anything besides a wetsuit, I am not a part of my local dive club, I only have open water certification, and it has really only been recently since I decided to dive somewhere not tropic. I think of myself as a vacation diver because I actually find reefs pretty boring and like it a whole lot more when there is something sunk down in the water. In my opinion loving to go underwater and breathe makes you a diver, so I plan on being a diver.

Fountain Drop

2007-09-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Days like today make me long for winter and the cold snow that accompanies it. Walking to class in 90-degree weather today really dashed my hopes of continuing the cool weather we had last week. As I walked through the engineering mall I glanced at one of the few ways to get out of the heat, the fountain. This time however, it was no longer just a fountain. It was a challenge. A challenge to ride.

The fountain stands 38 feet tall and has four vertical columns sloping down. As I walked past it today, I wondered if anyone had ever tried riding down one of the columns. It would certainly be legendary if someone did but if no one ever had I could see why.

For starters, the fountain is 38 feet tall. Unless you have a decent lift just lying around, it would be very difficult to get to the top. Secondly, there is the small problem of the gap midway through the column. Although it only spans a few feet, misjudging this gap would be costly. Any attempt to connect the two pieces would seem rather difficult as well.

If somehow you could figure those two problems out there’s the fact the ledge is only about two feet across. Better line up straight when you drop in or else you’ve got a fast date with some hard concrete.

These are only minor problems and I’m sure someone determined enough could easily fix them. If they did, they could get some sweet shots and a pretty good rush. Shooting this at night would be spectacular. If the fountain somehow got turned on, the colored lights would give the rider a beautiful background. Plus if you could get the bell tower in the background, you would have two of Purdue’s most known landmarks.

If I had the time and money I would love to try it. Unfortunately I am a poor college kid and probably wouldn’t be able to pull something like this off. If someone decides to ride the fountain, I hope I’m there to witness it, or maybe even take part in the riding.

My Opinion on Bouyancy Control

2007-09-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

Some people say that learning bouyancy is the hardest part of learning to SCUBA dive. I agree with them. I still have not learned bouyancy and never will because I do not think that you can truely learn bouyancy. I say this becuase I have been told I am a natural at bouyancy and all I can do is smile and agree. This is because I never focused on bouyancy when I learned how to SCUBA dive. Bouyancy to me is just something that happens when we are underwater.

When I think about bouyancy I think about staying off the bottom but being plenty close to the bottom to see everything that I could possibly want to see. To me bouyancy is just something that happens. When you SCUBA dive you should be constantly breathing. Constanly inhaling and exhaling changes the overall density of your body. This change in the density of you body makes it easier for you to float or sink. If you breathe in you are making yourself less dense. Being less dense makes water want to be under you because it is more dense. If you exhale you let the air that expanded in your lungs and made you less dense go. You are now more dense and because of that you sink because the water under you is now less dense than you are. The ability to control to a degree that you do no thit the bottom or rise to the surface is bouyancy in SCUBA diving.

Bouyancy in my opinion is hard, if not impossible to learn, becaue bouyancy is control over how much you breathe and the overall density of your body. I for one never learned bouyancy control in my opinion I just learned that if I pay attention to how much I breathe I can be at whatever depth in the water that I want to be. Learning this allowed me to be called a natural at bouyancy, and now I hardly touch my BCD. Even when I am done with a dive I usually do not touch my BCD until I am at the depth I want to stay at for a while. That depth may be a saftey stop and it may be the surface. One thing is for sure though, because I use that little bit of my mind to keep track of my breathing/bouyancy I am able to stay down longer, and not waste air on my BCD. That is bouyancy control to me.

Fundamentals: Grinding

2007-09-17T13:03:00.001-07:00

Perhaps one of skateboarding’s most intriguing aspects is that of grinding. It’s essentially when a skateboarder makes the trucks of his or her skateboard come in contact with a metal or concrete surface. A loud scraping sound usually results while the rider performs his trick. Additionally metal residue left by the trucks can often be seen on the grinded surface.

Unfortunately grinding is the number one reason why and how property is damaged by skateboarders. It often takes a considerable amount of work to make a ledge, rail, or curb grindable. Ledges need to be waxed; rails need to be sanded, etc. And once that’s been done, the surface is ready for a beating. If you live in an area that is frequented by skateboarders or even bikers and rollerbladers for that matter, you’ll often see a wall that is black with wax. Property owners, who probably need to be reminded of what’s truly important in life, see the evidence of grinding as hideous and detrimental to the “natural beauty” of their area. So why so many factors affecting it, what exactly possess skateboarders to hop on to a ledge or rail, risk bodily injury, and grind?

I think that skateboarders have a wide variety of reasons for grinding primarily depending on his or her particular style. Because grinding can be such a vague idea, I’d like to clear up some of the ways skateboarders grind. The first way is slashing the coping of a bowl or half pipe. Slashing generally refers to riding extremely fast and grinding the metal or concrete edge at the top of the ramp. This is actually the oldest type of grinding; pioneered in the 1970’s in the empty swimming pools of Southern California. See the film, Lords of Dogtown, for more information. Skaters who partake in this aspect of skating are generally the ones with a surfer’s mentality. They enjoy cruising around a skatepark feeling the all dips and curves it has to offer. Additionally, many of the fundamental grinds of street skating like the Smith grind or the Hurricane were borrowed from pool and ramp skating. The exception to this rule is the crooked grind which, by the way, is the only basic street skating grind to be adopted by ramp skaters.

Street skateboarding has taken grinding to a whole new level, primarily driven by the desire to have fun, break the laws of gravity, and innovate. Many skateboarders have grinded ridiculously long handrails and ledges like the El Toro rail or the Clipper Ledge. Others have learned to add flip tricks to their grinds to form combos, made famous by the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games. Still others have grabbed their boards prior to grinding. Whatever the case may be, grinding is a fundamental part of not just street skating but as of skateboarding as a collective whole.

So that brings me back to my original thought, why do skateboarders grind? Well truth be told, it’s a lot of fun. There is not a whole lot else in skateboarding that is as gratifying as landing a grind trick down a handrail or slashing the top of an eight foot tall bowl. In fact, grinding sets skateboarding apart from a lot of other sports. There’s really nothing comparable in things like baseball or gymnastics, which is another reason why more and more people are beginning to skateboard. Needless to say, people have different motivations for skateboarding and grinding as well.

I guess I would say to those of you who are skateboarders, Go outside and grind something. It will be a lot of fun. And for those of you who do not skate and specifically those who own property that skateboarders use, just appreciate the innovation and uniqueness of skateboarding and do not worry about the damage done, we’ll all be dead in the long run anyway.

One-Foot Wonder

2007-09-15T17:26:00.001-07:00

A snowboard has two bindings. One for each foot. They transfer the slightest weight shifts from your feet to your board. So why the hell would you ever take one of your feet out?

I was flipping through the latest edition of TWS when I stumbled upon an article of that nature, The One-Footer. The photos were pretty sweet but it really got me thinking. When I snowboard, I take my foot out of its binding to skate to the chairlift or when I’m taking my board off. When sliding around with one foot I find it tough to gain much speed. So how are these guys pulling off seemingly impossible tricks with only one foot strapped in?

According to Pat Moore, it just takes practice. Start out messing around on flat areas and slowly work your way up to the big kickers. Tadashi Fuse adds, (via TWS) “Make sure you have a stomp pad and stay low. It is all about how you take off the jump.”

Right now I have never tried a one-footer. But after looking at some crazy photos and a few video parts, the one-footer seems to be a good trick to learn this season.

I Want to Go to New York

2007-09-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

I decided to search the news online to find a post today and man did I find somthing interesting here. I must admit even though I read the article I can only say that I think it was about the openning of the trail. I lost interest in the actual article when it started to describe some of the ship wrecks.

Like I said I am bascally a vacation diver, but even though I rarely go to resorts I am more like a resort diver, because I go to Mexico and the Bahamas mostly. When I read this though you can bet one of my next posts will be about dry suits because I am going to be searching for one for going and diving some of the Great Lakes. Now don't think I only know about Great Lakes diving from this article, even though I am suprised at myself by how much interest that article got out of me. I have looked into Great Lake diving in the past when I was first starting out. The main reason I decided not to was of course the fact that you would have to be an idiot to dive up there without a dry suit (no offense to the divers who get a kick out of those types of dives, but I hate the cold). Just starting out I decided that I didn't really want to get a dry suit and, for the best, the training invloved with learing how to use one just so I could go up to the Great Lakes. I guess all I can say is that I have simply changed my mind. Unlike then, now I am really wanting to check out some of the wrecks and crap that have sunk down in the Great Lakes.

You can bet that soem of my posts to come will be about what I am getting myself into. That would be Great Lake diving, dry suit shopping and use, and wreck diving training. Why can I say that at least some of my posts will be about these topics, because I want to go to New York.

Worst Shirt Ever

2007-09-13T19:32:00.001-07:00

This kind of thing really irritates me. One of the things I hate about skateboarding's marketability and popularity is when someone who knows nothing about skateboarding (and doesn't give a damn about it either) tries to market something with it. StuffUWear clothing is a perfect example.

This intellegent shirt, obviously referencing anal sex, has so disgustingly abused the sport, it's almost funny. Who are they trying to sell this to? Skateboarders would never wear a shirt like this and the jocks who would hate skateboarding. Wax the pipe? If your referring to the half pipe, it would be pointless in waxing the ramp surface, you would just slide out and die a'la Jake Brown. If your referring to the metal piping at the edge of the ramp, its actually called coping moron. Grinding backside? Good thing Sargent No-Nutz is going frontside in the illustration. Get your terminology right for Pete sakes. Oh and stay out of skateboarding. Smack this dude.

Who are SCUBA Divers

2007-09-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

In order to tell you who SCUBA divers are I have to tell you a little about myself in SCUBA diving because I consider myself a true SCUBA diver. I am still pretty new to SCUBA. I got my open water certification about three years ago now, but I still haven't gone any farther beyond that. I am mostly a vacation diver, and I have been able to get in about 20 dives. I am going to tell you the type of people SCUBA divers are. I know who SCUBA divers are because I am a vacation SCUBA diver. I have been to many different dives sites and most of the were out of the country. I have been to many places with many different types of dives, but the people who dive are all the same.

There is a certain characteristic that you can expect to find in a diver, and that characterist is based around dive training. That characteristic is that all true SCUBA divers are a relaxed sort of people. Like I said this comes from learning to dive. We learn not to fight the current, don't expend unecessary energy, and always keep breathing. First, don't fight the current, or in other words go with the flow. When divers dive an area with a strong current, they swim along the current. They do this in life too. All true divers are relaxed and take life in stride, they go with the current of life. Second, don't expend unecessary energy. In diving you aren't trying to get anywhere fast, and good luck to anybody who tries to go fast underwater. I am also a swimmer so I know about swimming fast and I can tell you. You are not going to swim fast underwater. Swimming the sport is done on the surface. No human can go very fast underwater. Third is always keep breathing. If you stop breathing on decent while diving then your lungs will have to make up for it later when the pressure makes you have to inhale more oxygen to fill up your lungs. Even worse though is not breathing on ascent. Then the opposite happens you will need less air to fill your lungs. If you don't breath on ascent your lungs will literally pop like a balloon. This too is a good strategy for life that all divers seem to have learned. They just learn to go on with their lives.

Yeah no matter where you go SCUBA divers are all the same. They all go with the flow, don't waste energy, and keep breathing. I love diving and I found that since I took up SCUBA diving I am a lot more relaxed. Yeah all true SCUBA divers know how to live as true SCUBA divers.

Logo Mania

2007-09-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Crailtap's jersey contest? There are definitely some good ones on there. Check it here.

SCUBA videogame?

2007-09-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ok so I was just surfing that web wondering what would be my first post on this thing when I found this. It is going to be called Endless Ocean. I think this is probably one of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard of. Maybe this is just my opinion, but the point of SCUBA diving to me is being underwater. That is the cool part. This game is just stupid in my opinion. You are missing the best part of SCUBA diving by doing this. This game is already out in Japan for the Wii (called Forever Blue, or something like that) and is coming to the US soon. I really wonder how well it is doing in Japan, but at the same time don't care enough about it to check. This game will go nowhere in the US. In my opinion SCUBA diving needs to be real life and video games are better for things that you have little chance of doing in real life. SCUBA diving has to be done in the flesh because being underwater is the point. The best use for this game is to try and learn something about underwater life, like maybe the fact that most things in the ocean move faster than your hand can ever move underwater. Who knows maybe this game will find a niche with people who know nothing about SCUBA diving. If that turns out to be the case then I hope it also pushes them to check out SCUBA diving for themselves. Oh well just saw it and had to say something.

Some Thoughts on the Anniversary of 9/11

2007-09-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

Six years ago today, the world radically changed for everyone including skateboarders. I recall reading the issue of Transworld Skateboarding that was published following the disaster and seeing the countless company advertisements with patriotic slogans like "God Bless America" or "Let Freedom Ring." Whether these companies were legitimately mourning the loss of thousands of lives or taking advantage of a tragic situation, I don't really care. But what I found most interesting was the call for skateboarders across the globe to embrace their freedom and go skateboarding.

Today I was skateboarding by a statue dedicated to the memory of the victims of the attacks. The statue was in a sort of under-traveled area, but there were still a few homemade posters scattered about the area. The thought occurred to me, most likely as it did for those who made those posters, that I am really lucky I can go about my day in a carefree manner and without worrying about someone to tell me otherwise. I quickly translated this thought into something applicable to skateboarding and decided that I would spend the rest of my session skating in memory of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks.

I will admit that I wasn't exactly on point with my skating today, but I feel as though I skated for a worthwhile reason. So I guess if you're reading this, I want to encourage you to do as I did. Go skateboarding in memory of those died on this sacred day. After all, we still have the freedom to skate. So why not make the best of it today and everyday?

Video Review: Mystery's Black and White

2007-09-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Jay's Boardshop

Mystery Skateboard's first video Black and White is just that; all black and white. It features some of the most liked skateboarders in the business as well as some of the most expensive music money can buy. Set to classics such as "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash and "Rock Steady" by Aretha Franklin, Adrian Lopez and his boys drop some impressive tricks. Unfortunately nothing positive can be said about each skaters' introduction. They all feature stupid clips of each in their "daily routine." But then again who really cares about anything other than the skating?

Ryan Bobier opens the video with a "I've finally grown up" part. If you do not know what I mean I recommend watching Zero's "Misled Youth" or Adio's "One Step Beyond" to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Even though he's not the most technical skater on the team, Ryan covers the basics on some pretty large rails and stair sets.

Jimmy Carlin has the next part, which I would say is my favorite and probably best in the entire video. He a really good style and does even some of the most technical tricks the way they should be done. Imagine playing that new Tony Hawk game and using the "nail the trick"

"It's Time" (pun intended) for the Circa heads Dennis Durrant, Windsor James, and Adrian Lopez showcase their latest skateboarding accomplishments. Durrant opens the part with some some really good flip in or flip out ledge tricks. Nollie frontside flip switch 5-0 what!? After a dropping dope part in "It's Time," Lopez seems to have struggled filming for this one. I found his part so predictable that I could call the tricks he would do before he did them. Windsor James, however, comes through with some buttery lines and some serious bangers towards the end. He even frontside nosebluntslides the gargantuan Oceanside hubba, which by the way, isn't even the ender.

Richmond, Virginia's Gilbert Crockett has a solid next part, in spite of an absolutely retarded introduction. He kickflips down some serious stair sets and proves that he deserves the coverage he gets. One of the tricks that stood out to me was his nollie heelflip down twelve stairs landed perfectly.

Ryan Smith is featured next. He kills every handrail imaginable, but his lines are kind of disappointing given how popular he is. But if you're into handrail skating, you will really enjoy his part. It also should be noted that this Canadian's kickflip frontside 50-50 down the Rincon mode then you will have an idea of what Mr. Carlin's skating is all about. He skated this ledge that meets another ledge at a corner and fakie 50-50's to half cab flip transfer to 50-50 almost effortlessly. This San Diego ripper is definitely deserving of a board with his name on it. hubba is good too.

Lindsey Robertson is next in line and has the best part out of Mystery's three pro's. He can do heelflips down anything, but you already knew that. I was really hyped on his full cab stalefish. He's got a couple of those in there, that really help to round out his part. If you're reading this Lindsey, using a OBD song was a good call.

A well deserving Dan Murphy has the closer. He puts down lots of flip tricks, often switch, over considerably large gaps. He also has some great looking ledge and handrail tricks. His part is reminiscent of an early Andrew Reynolds or Eric Koston, catching his board high and landing proper. I also want to recognize how good he is at nollies, after all, nollieflipping a thirteen stair is no joke. I'm sure we'll see Murphy boards in skateshops soon.

Overall the Mystery video is pretty solid and worth buying considering it costs less that a lot of other company videos. The amateur squad is most impressive and the pro's aren't too shabby. So if you want to see a video with lots of pure street skating check out Black and White.

Now if you want to know the enders scroll down a bit and I'll tell you. Otherwise go skateboarding!

Ryan Bobier - Backside 50-50 a sidewalk rail to hill bomb in San Fransisco.

Jimmy Carlin - Double Kickflip the Carlsbad Gap.

Windsor James - Nollie Frontside Crooked Grind the Brooklyn school rail.

Gilbert Crockett- Kickflip 6X6 double set as seen in his ad.

Ryan Smith - Switch Frontside Boardslide a 16-stair rail.

Lindsey Robertson - Heelflip a HUGE 6 or 7 stair

Dan Murphy - Switch Frontside flip that double set with brick walls on each side that the Zero heads skate.

Skateboarding's Best: Eric Koston

2007-09-07T14:49:00.001-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Transworld Skateboarding

There are only a handful of professional skateboarders that could realistically and indisputably be called the best in the world. Vert and Mega Ramp pioneers Danny Way and Bob Burnquist certainly come to mind, particularly after bomb dropping off the Vegas Hard Rock Café’ guitar and grinding to a BASE jump into the Grand Canyon respectively. Perhaps, you might consider Rodney Mullen, the father of flip tricks, or Tony Hawk, the father of vert tricks, to be the greatest ever. But there is one who has (most likely) been far more influential than the rest, and that my friends, is Eric Koston.

What’s the reason for his popularity? What’s the reason for his success? Well, to understand both dispositions, I think you need to look at how he got where he is today. Skateboarding has remained pretty consistent in regards to how a skater hits it big. They basically have two options; to get lots of coverage i.e. video parts, magazine photos and interviews, or to do exceptionally well in a major contest. For Mr. Koston, it was both. Having won on huge stages like the X-Games or the Tampa Pro contest, along with producing amazing video parts and photos, Koston seems to possess borderline divinity. Most importantly, however, he dropped the greatest video ender of all time.

Girl Skateboards released its third film in April of 2003, entitled Yeah Right!, in which Eric had the closing part. The part was nothing short of absolutely ridiculous; chockablock full of highly technical and often switch stance manual and grind combos. The most impressive feature of course was the after-black last trick. Just hours before the video premiered at one of LA’s most exclusive theaters, Koston hooked up with a filmer and photographer for a late night session on one of Southern California’s most skated six stair rails to film this industry changing trick. Eric Koston’s trick, a 360 flip frontside noseblunt slide, blew the minds of all who watched it, but more importantly it set a new standard for handrail tricks.

Shortly thereafter, professional skateboarders worldwide began to acknowledge Koston’s groundbreaking achievement (if you’ve got a better term, let me know). For example, Milwaukee bred Greg Lutzka caught on to the craze and has since dropped previously unheard of tricks in his video parts like the frontside 270 noseblunt slide he did on the Wilshire 10 and the bigspin heelflip boardslide on the LA High rail. Painstakingly obvious is this point, Koston produced the best video ender in the history of skateboarding. (emphasis on that period ladies and gents) Skateboarding has and will never be the same since that trick and, in my mind anyway, Eric Koston will always be the greatest professional skateboarder ever. See his video part here.

Industry Updates

Sean Malto is now skating for FourStar Clothing.

Ragdoll got kicked off of Birdhouse Skateboards.

Brian Brown now has a pro model board with Listen.

Josh Kasper is now skating again, he's Blind's mystery guest for KOTR 2007.

Dirty Ghetto Kids Wade Des Armo and Lenny Rivas are now pro.

Think has given Adrian Williams a board with his name on it.

Fred Thompson is now running for President and is rumored to getting a pro model shoe from Emerica.

Bobby Worrest joined Mark Gonzales, Dan Drehobl, and Van Wastell in Krooked's pro ranks.

Adidas has given Vince del Valle and Lem Villemin spots on its illustrious and ever stylish amateur squad.

George W. Bush is rumored to have inked a deal with Consolidated Skateboards to have a pro model shirt.

What We're All About

2007-09-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

The goal of Well Spent is to provide a fresh perspective on skateboarding, snowboarding and SCUBA diving; not just as activities, but as unique cultures, lifestyles, and mindsets. In other words, we want to encourage readers to consider certain aspects of each sport in ways they previously disregarded.

WhiteMachete’s posts will cover skateboarding in regards to its history, what’s going on in the industry, who is “making waves” and the various elements including but not limited to style, tricks, fashion, architecture, etc. Lowdiver’s posts will start with the history and beginnings of SCUBA. Then they will move into a focus on the newest technology that’s available for divers today. Agrarian’s posts will cover snowboarding specifically focusing in on events, new videos, and gear. It will also look into the lives of snowboarders and how they are impacting the world and influencing the future of the sport.

Each blogger’s post will usually feature a photograph or video clip to set the tone of their article. The bloggers will analyze and describe their current topic in a way that achieves the goals of this blog and is entertaining for the reader.

When someone visits the site they will first notice a hopefully captivating photograph that will encourage them to read the corresponding post. If they enjoyed the post, they will most likely read older posts and return to the site later for new ones and get hooked. The audience will most likely include people who have the same interest as the blogger is covering. For example, Agrarian’s audience will include the younger generation of snowboarders. WhiteMachete’s audience will be comprised primarily of college aged skateboarders. Lowdiver’s posts target a wide range of SCUBA enthusiasts of all different ages and skill levels.

Lowdiver will have a clear and concise blog with in-depth analysis of his topic. Agrarian will provide an appropriate mix of seriousness and humor, to entertain his audience while educating them. WhiteMachete will have an analytical tone mixed with some sarcastic humor. He wants to encourage readers to consider things in ways they previously have not but at the same time, do it in an entertaining way. The topics they will focus on are unique and can really only be grouped in broad categories, therefore each blogger will talk about something different.

WhiteMachete plans to build credibility by establishing himself as different from other bloggers and present a different way of thinking that earns the respect of his readers. His influences include hypebeast, WIskate, Thrasher Magazine, and Epicly Later'd. Lowdiver plans to build his credibility not only by checking out some of the other SCUBA blogs on the Internet, but to also use some of his photos and videos that he has and will upload himself. Agrarian plans to build credibility by keeping up to date with the latest news in snowboarding. His influences include TransWorldSnowboarding, Reelcomp, and highlyobsessed.