Went to the Lakai video premiere on Thursday night. The video was amazing, and I got to see some folks I haven't talked to in years. After party was amazing. Multiple tequila shots with Carroll, Biebel, and Sean Malto.
Went to the Lakai video premiere on Thursday night. The video was amazing, and I got to see some folks I haven't talked to in years. After party was amazing. Multiple tequila shots with Carroll, Biebel, and Sean Malto.
You are living my wet dream, my friend.
Originally posted by: thenickross
Picked up a couple of these prints the other day. Thought I'd pass it along in case there are some old schoolers here.
Went to the Lakai video premiere on Thursday night. The video was amazing, and I got to see some folks I haven't talked to in years. After party was amazing. Multiple tequila shots with Carroll, Biebel, and Sean Malto.
God that's awesome. I'd love to have a sitdown with Carroll. Biebel seems so awesome too. I don't know much about Malto, I know he's a great skater but that's about it.
I ordered a few Powell-Peralta/Bones shirts, but Fedex dropped them off to the wrong house and it seems to be taking a while for them to find them. I was hoping to have them for X-Games this week, as I need all the help I can get for getting The Hawk's attention.
Anyway, I'm stoked. I know it's not "real" skateboarding, but there's still a ton of incredible talent and big names there. I'll be attending as many events as I can, not just the skateboard ones.
I'm just going to through this out there but Alec Majerus and new Toy pro Axel Crusher are doing a skate jam in Minneapolis tomorrow. Im going to try to go but it starts at 3 and the Vert events start at 430.
Are you guys enjoying these small updates or are they annoying? I'll do a big writeup after.
I just met most of the street comp guys, as well as Mike from North Carolina. Huston and Majerus probably did their practice runs before the gates opened.
Its such a laid back format, skaters are just hanging out in the crowd. Even Sheckler was yesterday.
Bob Burnquist retired from X-Games competition on Saturday. He let it slip in a quick interview after the Big Air. He's never missed an event in its 22 year history. It caught everyone off guard.
I knew something was up, both his Vert and mega ramp performances were... sloppy.
Anyway, I managed to find a ticket stub, maybe one of the only ones for that specific date, and I had him sign it.
I asked if he'd write "last ride" to which he told me it wasn't his last ride, and he wrote "last x" instead.
I had to act fast which is why the interaction was kinda awkward, I wanted something a bit more graceful than last ride, but I didn't have time.
If my count is correct, I got a good 9 hours of sleep over the weekend, i survived off of adrenaline and free Monsters (which can't be good) and I'm starting to crash, but I'll give a full writeup tomorrow for anyone interested.
Burnquist is getting a bit old now isn't he? Good for him. And thats awesome that you were there to hear the news live
He's 40 and the only person to compete in every X-Games.
He was clearly out there this weekend just to have some fun one last time. He didn't really land anything but had the biggest smile on his face. I knew something was up while watching the Big Air and I made absolute sure to pay attention to his final run.
After that, he announced his retirement on the loudspeaker. By that point I was already focused on AM Street practice, so I heard it and I had to do a double take.
I apologize for the delay, I got some news Monday night that knocked the wind out of me and I didn't really feel like posting.
I don't know how to go about it honestly, I did so much in that 4-day span. I met so many skaters alone, not counting the BMX and Motocross guys. I think I'll just post some general highlights, if anyone wants more info, or some details on who I met, feel free to ask.
I'll start by saying that X-Games was worth every penny. Yeah, there were some issues here and there, small and not-so, but I was incredibly satisfied. Before fees, I paid $20-a-day for 3 days, with Thursday being free (mostly). If you ever get a chance to go, take it. Yeah, it's "corporate," but the skating is real and the event was genuine and incredibly respectful to the local scene (more on that in a bit). It might not be in its "hey-day," but that's honestly not really a bad thing if you think about it.
So, I'll give a couple stories and I'll leave it at that, if anyone would like to know more, feel free to ask (I'd love to share, just in a time crunch). I'll also mention that I was in autograph heaven, which is one of my "other" hobbies, so there was a large emphasis on that. I got many compliments from the athletes related to how I went about my business, which was sweet.
Ryan Clements:
For those who don't know, Ryan Clements was an employee at SPoT and now currently owns a couple businesses related to skateboarding/action sports. His claim to fame was having a small part in my all-time favorite video game: Tony Hawk's Underground. I thought it would be fun to have him sign my xBox copy. He was at the event for Thursday and Friday. I messaged him and asked if he would be willing to sign for me, to which he replied that he'd be thrilled. I didn't have a hotel for Thursday night, so I drove home after the Harley Race (solid 3-ish hours) just to grab the game. I walked in the venue Friday morning and spotted him immediately on the park course, so I made my way down. He pulled his phone out, so I shot him another message. He looked up quickly, and around the stadium, and shot me back another message telling us to wave him down, which we did. He and his friend got up and basically ran over to us. He signed the game, posed for a photo with it, and we chatted about the game and shook hands. Apparently, Neversoft did SPoT justice back in '03. He said they even got the cobwebs right, haha. So yeah, I couldn't get on the course but my copy of THUG did!
Alec Majerus:
Ask anyone at the street comp who Nyjah Huston was and they couldn't tell you, but they damn sure knew who Alec was. I got a photo and two autographs from him, and I wished him good luck. The kid was a rockstar and was all smiles the whole day. He killed the street comp, and even led after the first round (right up until Kelvin blew everyone's minds). When Alec setup for the backside flip off the ship, the world stopped for a moment. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen. He landed it, and it got so loud. See, Alec and I are around the same age from the same "part" of the state. When I was young, all I wanted was to compete at X-Games. I faded out of it, but he kept going (and going, because 12 hours at the local park for days on end... goodness). I felt it was important to support the local kid I once was with the dream I once had. Yeah, it's sappy, but not much else happens here. Weather in Minnesota sucks so we tend to be a bit more prideful when one of our own gets good at something.
Oh, and I waited 8 hours for those seats. I got closer than the VIPs. When Hoefler got his medal and put it around his mom's neck, I was standing 5 feet away (off camera), leaning over the barrier.
Mike Sinclair:
Not much to say here, except I think Mike is a hilarious dude (KOTR Season 1, or The Nine Club). Not to mention, he's a gnarly skater. He's ESPN's "skateboarding guy" which is why he was there. I got his autograph.
Nyjah:
Nyjah is Nyjah. He's got a reserved personality, but he's always willing to sign for his fans. I also ran into him and his crew (which included Matt Berger) in downtown Minneapolis Thursday night outside of my favorite eating establishment. I didn't bother him then, but it was so cool to see him out and about. Saw a few skaters that way but he was the biggest by far.
I got about 20 more if anyone is interested (Ishod Wair is the coolest human being I've ever met), and we ran into Tabari Cook outside the stadium (he was there as a fan, not a competitor).
I've got two more things to add before I sign off for the evening...
1. I bought a setup from Familia. The full deal. They're incredible and if any of y'all find yourself in Minneapolis, stop on by and grab a shirt or something, or catch one of their frequent demos (Nesser brings in the big guns to his little hole-in-the-wall park). Heck, some of the heavy hitters either warmed up at Familia or stopped in on their way out of town, even Burnquist, because damn.
2. ESPN was very respectful to the local scene, even going as far as displaying a CJ Tambornino memorial on the floor visible to all. I was a bit concerned that they'd do the whole cheesy thing that most big events like to do, but I was pleasantly surprised. We're more than Prince and cold out here, so it was a nice touch to see them put in their research.
daaaamn this thread makes me happy! Skateboarding is one of the very few things i have done fairly consistently over the years.
I just moved to Colorado last year, and was completely blown away by the quality of the parks out here. Arvada, Denver, and Golden skateparks are easily in the Top 5 i have ever been too.
daaaamn this thread makes me happy! Skateboarding is one of the very few things i have done fairly consistently over the years.
I just moved to Colorado last year, and was completely blown away by the quality of the parks out here. Arvada, Denver, and Golden skateparks are easily in the Top 5 i have ever been too.
I visited Damage Boardshop in Duluth, MN this past weekend.
It was about what I expected, 50% skate, 50% snow, 100% awesome.
I bought a shop deck for the wall (when I get around to getting everything mounted), and a couple shirts, and a hat. They had the Jason Lee Blind re-issue, but I'd already dropped something like $170 and didn't want to over do it.
I'm trying to visit the local shops instead of buying from mall stores, not that I have anything against it, but I think Damage is the heart of the Duluth scene and I'd rather support that.
Beyond nice. Pictures dont do them justice. Even my friends from cali are awe strucke when they see them in person
I watched KOTR's thing on the Carbondale Run, and their park was incredible. I looked up the town and it is quite small.
I havent made it to carbondale yet. Im sure its dope though. Alot of the park here are made by a company called Team Pain. Every park flows so well allowing for countless lines, unlike some parks that can feel sectioned off.
Local shops are always the way to go. Those are the people who truly love skateboarding and want to see it progress. Places like zumiez are a joke. 99% of the time the employess dont know jack about the products theyre selling. Most local shops i go into can give me more information about every piece than i would ever need. Ive had hour long conversations about the different kinds of wood used in different decks and the affects they have. I will drive 30+ minutes just to go to a local shop that actually cares about skateboarding instead of just trying to sell the style
daaaamn this thread makes me happy! Skateboarding is one of the very few things i have done fairly consistently over the years.
I just moved to Colorado last year, and was completely blown away by the quality of the parks out here. Arvada, Denver, and Golden skateparks are easily in the Top 5 i have ever been too.
Yeah, I was bummed that I only started back skating a few months before I moved away from Colorado. The skateparks were absolutely incredible. The little time I spent in Castle Rock and Parker at the parks there were some of the best times I've ever had. And they definitely put the parks around here to shame. Although I'm only five hours from Kona now, which is nice.
Well... I cleaned my garage out today. And whaddyah know? Found a box from Fedex...
My 3 Powell-Peralta shirts were sitting in the middle of my garage floor for the past couple months... DOH!
I didn't think FedEx was allowed to enter my home. I'm not upset that they did, I just wasn't prepared for it. Either way I can put that one to bed now.
I was hoping to find my Send Help shirt... but nope, didn't see that one in there.
Beyond nice. Pictures dont do them justice. Even my friends from cali are awe strucke when they see them in person
I watched KOTR's thing on the Carbondale Run, and their park was incredible. I looked up the town and it is quite small.
I havent made it to carbondale yet. Im sure its dope though. Alot of the park here are made by a company called Team Pain. Every park flows so well allowing for countless lines, unlike some parks that can feel sectioned off. Local shops are always the way to go. Those are the people who truly love skateboarding and want to see it progress. Places like zumiez are a joke. 99% of the time the employess dont know jack about the products theyre selling. Most local shops i go into can give me more information about every piece than i would ever need. Ive had hour long conversations about the different kinds of wood used in different decks and the affects they have. I will drive 30+ minutes just to go to a local shop that actually cares about skateboarding instead of just trying to sell the style
I shop at Tilly's for the T-Shirt selection, because Santa Cruz stuff is hard to find in my size, but that's about it.
The guys I've met at the local shops were the best. They knew their stuff, and they didn't treat me like the country poser I probably am. The guy at Damage actually pointed out the DIY park and local spots to a couple guys from out of town who asked, I thought that was pretty nice.
Comments
I've only seen him on BATB but it's always sad.
That's too bad
I've only seen him on BATB but it's always sad.
Here;s a cool blog post about him.
He was so dedicated that he'd continue on to 3rd after getting jumped, multiple times.
http://www.platinumseagulls.com/2017/06/
https://www.visualtechnicians.com/collections/recent-work/products/hawk-vs-hosoi-blue
Went to the Lakai video premiere on Thursday night. The video was amazing, and I got to see some folks I haven't talked to in years. After party was amazing. Multiple tequila shots with Carroll, Biebel, and Sean Malto.
You are living my wet dream, my friend.
Picked up a couple of these prints the other day. Thought I'd pass it along in case there are some old schoolers here.
https://www.visualtechnicians.com...
The hawk and the hammerhead at the bottom of this print are such a nice touch.
Went to the Lakai video premiere on Thursday night. The video was amazing, and I got to see some folks I haven't talked to in years. After party was amazing. Multiple tequila shots with Carroll, Biebel, and Sean Malto.
God that's awesome. I'd love to have a sitdown with Carroll. Biebel seems so awesome too. I don't know much about Malto, I know he's a great skater but that's about it.
Anyway, I'm stoked. I know it's not "real" skateboarding, but there's still a ton of incredible talent and big names there. I'll be attending as many events as I can, not just the skateboard ones.
Also got to see David Myron's BMX gold up close. All were awesome guys.
That was so rad.
I just met most of the street comp guys, as well as Mike from North Carolina. Huston and Majerus probably did their practice runs before the gates opened.
Its such a laid back format, skaters are just hanging out in the crowd. Even Sheckler was yesterday.
I knew something was up, both his Vert and mega ramp performances were... sloppy.
Anyway, I managed to find a ticket stub, maybe one of the only ones for that specific date, and I had him sign it.
I asked if he'd write "last ride" to which he told me it wasn't his last ride, and he wrote "last x" instead.
I had to act fast which is why the interaction was kinda awkward, I wanted something a bit more graceful than last ride, but I didn't have time.
If my count is correct, I got a good 9 hours of sleep over the weekend, i survived off of adrenaline and free Monsters (which can't be good) and I'm starting to crash, but I'll give a full writeup tomorrow for anyone interested.
Burnquist is getting a bit old now isn't he? Good for him. And thats awesome that you were there to hear the news live
He's 40 and the only person to compete in every X-Games.
He was clearly out there this weekend just to have some fun one last time. He didn't really land anything but had the biggest smile on his face. I knew something was up while watching the Big Air and I made absolute sure to pay attention to his final run.
After that, he announced his retirement on the loudspeaker. By that point I was already focused on AM Street practice, so I heard it and I had to do a double take.
I don't know how to go about it honestly, I did so much in that 4-day span. I met so many skaters alone, not counting the BMX and Motocross guys. I think I'll just post some general highlights, if anyone wants more info, or some details on who I met, feel free to ask.
I'll start by saying that X-Games was worth every penny. Yeah, there were some issues here and there, small and not-so, but I was incredibly satisfied. Before fees, I paid $20-a-day for 3 days, with Thursday being free (mostly). If you ever get a chance to go, take it. Yeah, it's "corporate," but the skating is real and the event was genuine and incredibly respectful to the local scene (more on that in a bit). It might not be in its "hey-day," but that's honestly not really a bad thing if you think about it.
So, I'll give a couple stories and I'll leave it at that, if anyone would like to know more, feel free to ask (I'd love to share, just in a time crunch). I'll also mention that I was in autograph heaven, which is one of my "other" hobbies, so there was a large emphasis on that. I got many compliments from the athletes related to how I went about my business, which was sweet.
Ryan Clements:
For those who don't know, Ryan Clements was an employee at SPoT and now currently owns a couple businesses related to skateboarding/action sports. His claim to fame was having a small part in my all-time favorite video game: Tony Hawk's Underground. I thought it would be fun to have him sign my xBox copy. He was at the event for Thursday and Friday. I messaged him and asked if he would be willing to sign for me, to which he replied that he'd be thrilled. I didn't have a hotel for Thursday night, so I drove home after the Harley Race (solid 3-ish hours) just to grab the game. I walked in the venue Friday morning and spotted him immediately on the park course, so I made my way down. He pulled his phone out, so I shot him another message. He looked up quickly, and around the stadium, and shot me back another message telling us to wave him down, which we did. He and his friend got up and basically ran over to us. He signed the game, posed for a photo with it, and we chatted about the game and shook hands. Apparently, Neversoft did SPoT justice back in '03. He said they even got the cobwebs right, haha. So yeah, I couldn't get on the course but my copy of THUG did!
Alec Majerus:
Ask anyone at the street comp who Nyjah Huston was and they couldn't tell you, but they damn sure knew who Alec was. I got a photo and two autographs from him, and I wished him good luck. The kid was a rockstar and was all smiles the whole day. He killed the street comp, and even led after the first round (right up until Kelvin blew everyone's minds). When Alec setup for the backside flip off the ship, the world stopped for a moment. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen. He landed it, and it got so loud. See, Alec and I are around the same age from the same "part" of the state. When I was young, all I wanted was to compete at X-Games. I faded out of it, but he kept going (and going, because 12 hours at the local park for days on end... goodness). I felt it was important to support the local kid I once was with the dream I once had. Yeah, it's sappy, but not much else happens here. Weather in Minnesota sucks so we tend to be a bit more prideful when one of our own gets good at something.
Oh, and I waited 8 hours for those seats. I got closer than the VIPs. When Hoefler got his medal and put it around his mom's neck, I was standing 5 feet away (off camera), leaning over the barrier.
Mike Sinclair:
Not much to say here, except I think Mike is a hilarious dude (KOTR Season 1, or The Nine Club). Not to mention, he's a gnarly skater. He's ESPN's "skateboarding guy" which is why he was there. I got his autograph.
Nyjah:
Nyjah is Nyjah. He's got a reserved personality, but he's always willing to sign for his fans. I also ran into him and his crew (which included Matt Berger) in downtown Minneapolis Thursday night outside of my favorite eating establishment. I didn't bother him then, but it was so cool to see him out and about. Saw a few skaters that way but he was the biggest by far.
I got about 20 more if anyone is interested (Ishod Wair is the coolest human being I've ever met), and we ran into Tabari Cook outside the stadium (he was there as a fan, not a competitor).
I've got two more things to add before I sign off for the evening...
1. I bought a setup from Familia. The full deal. They're incredible and if any of y'all find yourself in Minneapolis, stop on by and grab a shirt or something, or catch one of their frequent demos (Nesser brings in the big guns to his little hole-in-the-wall park). Heck, some of the heavy hitters either warmed up at Familia or stopped in on their way out of town, even Burnquist, because damn.
2. ESPN was very respectful to the local scene, even going as far as displaying a CJ Tambornino memorial on the floor visible to all. I was a bit concerned that they'd do the whole cheesy thing that most big events like to do, but I was pleasantly surprised. We're more than Prince and cold out here, so it was a nice touch to see them put in their research.
Got a Familia shop deck, threw some Appleyard Grizzly on it, Beibel's bolts, some Formula 4's, Indy's (heavy, of course), and Reds (I believe).
I like the new trend of one colored bolt. It might look worse, but I think it's a cool advantage for skaters.
Cities are:
Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis (x2), Des Moines, Omaha, and Kansas City (MO).
I know Mariano and Malto are on the tour, Sinclair will be on the tour, I don't remember the rest of the names.
I just moved to Colorado last year, and was completely blown away by the quality of the parks out here. Arvada, Denver, and Golden skateparks are easily in the Top 5 i have ever been too.
daaaamn this thread makes me happy! Skateboarding is one of the very few things i have done fairly consistently over the years.
I just moved to Colorado last year, and was completely blown away by the quality of the parks out here. Arvada, Denver, and Golden skateparks are easily in the Top 5 i have ever been too.
I've heard the skateparks out there are nice.
Beyond nice. Pictures dont do them justice. Even my friends from cali are awe strucke when they see them in person
I watched KOTR's thing on the Carbondale Run, and their park was incredible. I looked up the town and it is quite small.
It was about what I expected, 50% skate, 50% snow, 100% awesome.
I bought a shop deck for the wall (when I get around to getting everything mounted), and a couple shirts, and a hat. They had the Jason Lee Blind re-issue, but I'd already dropped something like $170 and didn't want to over do it.
I'm trying to visit the local shops instead of buying from mall stores, not that I have anything against it, but I think Damage is the heart of the Duluth scene and I'd rather support that.
Beyond nice. Pictures dont do them justice. Even my friends from cali are awe strucke when they see them in person
I watched KOTR's thing on the Carbondale Run, and their park was incredible. I looked up the town and it is quite small.
I havent made it to carbondale yet. Im sure its dope though. Alot of the park here are made by a company called Team Pain. Every park flows so well allowing for countless lines, unlike some parks that can feel sectioned off.
Local shops are always the way to go. Those are the people who truly love skateboarding and want to see it progress. Places like zumiez are a joke. 99% of the time the employess dont know jack about the products theyre selling. Most local shops i go into can give me more information about every piece than i would ever need. Ive had hour long conversations about the different kinds of wood used in different decks and the affects they have. I will drive 30+ minutes just to go to a local shop that actually cares about skateboarding instead of just trying to sell the style
daaaamn this thread makes me happy! Skateboarding is one of the very few things i have done fairly consistently over the years.
I just moved to Colorado last year, and was completely blown away by the quality of the parks out here. Arvada, Denver, and Golden skateparks are easily in the Top 5 i have ever been too.
Yeah, I was bummed that I only started back skating a few months before I moved away from Colorado. The skateparks were absolutely incredible. The little time I spent in Castle Rock and Parker at the parks there were some of the best times I've ever had. And they definitely put the parks around here to shame. Although I'm only five hours from Kona now, which is nice.
My 3 Powell-Peralta shirts were sitting in the middle of my garage floor for the past couple months... DOH!
I didn't think FedEx was allowed to enter my home. I'm not upset that they did, I just wasn't prepared for it. Either way I can put that one to bed now.
I was hoping to find my Send Help shirt... but nope, didn't see that one in there.
Beyond nice. Pictures dont do them justice. Even my friends from cali are awe strucke when they see them in person
I watched KOTR's thing on the Carbondale Run, and their park was incredible. I looked up the town and it is quite small.
I havent made it to carbondale yet. Im sure its dope though. Alot of the park here are made by a company called Team Pain. Every park flows so well allowing for countless lines, unlike some parks that can feel sectioned off. Local shops are always the way to go. Those are the people who truly love skateboarding and want to see it progress. Places like zumiez are a joke. 99% of the time the employess dont know jack about the products theyre selling. Most local shops i go into can give me more information about every piece than i would ever need. Ive had hour long conversations about the different kinds of wood used in different decks and the affects they have. I will drive 30+ minutes just to go to a local shop that actually cares about skateboarding instead of just trying to sell the style
I shop at Tilly's for the T-Shirt selection, because Santa Cruz stuff is hard to find in my size, but that's about it.
The guys I've met at the local shops were the best. They knew their stuff, and they didn't treat me like the country poser I probably am. The guy at Damage actually pointed out the DIY park and local spots to a couple guys from out of town who asked, I thought that was pretty nice.