january 2015 issue

VOL.13 NO.4 MID-WINTER 2015

$5.95

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12 | CONCRETE WAVE - MID-WINTER 2015

MID-WINTER 2015REGULARS:

FEATURES:

20 EDITORIAL - The Ride Is The Reward28 NOTEWORTHY - Stuff You Should Know About72 LONGBOARDING FOR PEACE UPDATE-

Updates from Ethiopia, Dusters’ Collab, and Blood from Boarders.

A conversation with one of downhill skateboarding’s true pioneers.

Proof, once again, you don’t need go far to have fun on a road trip.

For those in cooler climates, the best way to handle winter is to just ride it out.

David Marsili takes you deep into the Stelvio Pass – one of the most beautiful roads in the world, and perfect for freeriding.

The skateboard evolved from the ocean like a tadpole. This piece examines what happened next.

We got greedy and decided to run another story on the Alps. Alex Luciano doesn’t let snow slow him down.

If you’re inspired to do-it-yourself, it’s time to get busy mixing the concrete. The Concrete Barmy Army shows you the way.

When skateparks don’t turn out how you’d like them, there is only one response – roll up your sleeves and do it yourself.

Alex LucianoPhoto: Simone Mondino

Jules Lynn Exposure Skate Contest,Photo: Ian Logan

34 COLD CUTS

44 GUY GRUNDY

38 WEEKEND VAGRANTS

56 ITALIAN SWITCHBACKS

48 SURF STATE OF MIND

74 WINTER SESSIONS IN THE ALPS

84 MIX-OLOGY

64 WHY D.I.Y.?

ON THE COVER:

CONTENTS PHOTO:

CONCRETEWAVEMAGAZINE.COM | 13

photos: mehraban

2015 marks my 40th

year of skateboarding. It is the one thing that connects me to my past and keeps me young. Believe it or not, I started with clay wheels in 1975. Looking back, those early times were a pretty rough ride, but something about skateboarding captivated me. As skaters we’d wait for a long time to get our hands on product or the latest news (via the magazines), but waiting made it that much more sweet.

As with most things, however, nostalgia and reminiscing must be balanced with the present and the need to look forward. When Concrete Wave first started, it combined a number of genres. Over time, we sharpened our focus to cover longboarding. As skateboarding continues its metamorphosis, we decided to continue with the focus on longboarding and add to the mix a drop of transition skating. Not only do we see many riders truly embracing the quiver theory, many of our advertisers embrace it too.

Our vision is one of inclusion. No matter how you define yourself (and keep in mind this is just a partial list!) – longboarder, downhiller, freerider, transition skater or just skateboarder - this is a magazine that both respects and celebrates your choice of ride. At the core of Concrete Wave is a magazine that truly believes the philosophy that the ride is the reward.

We will continue to calibrate our editorial to ensure that it resonates deeply with you. We hope that the stories and imagery inspire you. For those in colder climates, who are dealing with cabin fever, we hope this issue gives you some ideas for how best to deal with winter’s grip.

This issue also features two pieces on travel. As longboarding has exploded in popularity around the world, it has opened up opportunities for skaters to explore new terrain, and to forge new friendships. No matter where you ride, or the types of terrain you skate, we wish you the very best for 2015.

Enjoy the issue,

Michael BrookePublisher/Editor

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THERIDEIS THEREWARD

Pierre Hardiller above Grenoble - Photo Alban Pernet

PUBLISHER/EDITORMICHAEL BROOKE | [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNERStacy Lowery

ASSOCIATE EDITORJoey Bidner

PHOTO/COPY EDITORJordan Langdon

I.T. DEPARTMENT HEADRick Tetz of CalStreets.com

HEAD OFFICE1136-3 Center Street, Suite 293,Thornhill, Ontario, L4J 3M8Ph: 905.738.0804

SKATESHOP DISTRIBUTIONBuddy Carr Designs PO Box 1895, Carlsbad, CA [email protected]

CANADIAN DISTRIBUTIONInward Supply 514-996-7138 Landyachtz 778-785-6855

CONTRIBUTORS (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)Simone Mondino, Ian Logan, Alban Pernet, Mike Lane, Alex Brault, Glenn Miyoda, Neil Carver, Lance Smith, Jack English, Jorge Salas, David Marsili, Jordan Wells, Stefan Kuback, Ryan Ashburn, Florian Kitzmuller

Concrete Wave is published by North of La Jolla Inc. Subscriptions (6 issues) are US$26 FIRST CLASS or CAN$26. Address change? Mag not arriving? Contact us - don’t go postal. We can sort it out. [email protected].

Publisher’s permission is required before reproducing any part of this magazine. The views and opinions expressed in Concrete Wave are not necessarily those of the publisher. Printed in the USA.

VOL.13 NO.4 MID-WINTER 2015

P H O T O S E R I E S

A X I S

Symmetrical Drop-Through for Ergonomic PushPhoto : Anthony Jacobsen / ARBORSKATEBOARDS

2014_CONCRETEWAVE_AD_AXIS_PHOTOSERIES.indd 1 12/18/14 11:22 AM

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0215_SC_TH_strubing9.25X10.875.pdf 1 12/17/14 10:59 AM

Introducing the new Dusters Bird series.

• Compact Functional Shape • Kick on the Nose & Tail • Extended Wheel Wells • 59 MM 83A Wheels

BIRD CHECKER 7’’ x 25’’

BIRD MOD 7’’ x 25’’

BIRD FLUTTER 7.5’’ x 27’’

BIRD TIMBER 7.5’’ x 27’’

DUSTERSCALIFORNIA.COM

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@dusterscalifornia

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS AD?For full story, visit us at:www.dusterscalifornia.com/classicads

DEALER INQUIRIES:www.dwindle.com+1.800.500.5015

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LUSH LANDYACHTZ

For the Symbian 3, Lush have shortened the whole length of the board down to 39.5” and added a new 3D concave. The symmetrical cut-a-way shape, drop through mounting and kicktails make this board very versatile. Nine ply construction with epoxy glue makes it stiff enough to handle some decent speed but still maintain a little bit of flex for a dampened ride, flatland and tricks.The OG Chopper is a straight-up big skateboard, coming in at 9.25” x 35.75”. Featuring a simple deep-tub concave with perfected kicks, it’s ideal for taller skaters looking to hit bowls, street, parks and some tech-sliding.The Chopper 3D is a longer version, in their new 3D Rocker mold, with an extra layer of ply to keep it stiff and strong. This gives it deep wheel wells to reduce bite, and creates a “pocket” for your feet, right where you need it. Lushlongboards.com

At 65mm tall with a 43mm contact patch and an 85a durometer, the Cyclone Mach 65’s were created for holding out long standies, and doing fast 360’s. These wheels feature rounded edges, and stone-ground contact surfaces. Slightly sideset, the Mach 65’s allow for long, controlled slides, with an extremely consistent feel.

Landyachtz continues to bolster their product offerings with the arrival of the new Dinghy Forest. Perfectly comfortable wherever you may need it, the Dinghy is the reliable everyday board that will enhance your daily adventures. Coming in at 8” wide and 28.5” length, the deck is perfect for quick commutes.Landyachtz.com

Dust Devils are Cyclone Skateboards mid to fast freeride wheel. At 70mm tall with a 50mm contact patch, the Dust Devils come in 78a, 80a, and 83a. The Dust Devil urethane formula provides the perfect amount of traction, allowing for maximum grip at high speeds, while also requiring minimal effort to initiate drifts.Cycloneskateboards.com

The Dervish “Sama” got a redesign recently. The gang at Loaded decided to look deeper into Bauhaus principles to create this homage to the circle. By exposing multiple forms over one another, they were able to exemplify the arcing and flowing movements possible on this carving board and honor the whirling and spiritual experience debuted by its namesake, the Dervish. Also worthy of note, Loaded recently released the Algernon, an all-mountain freeride snowboard.Loadedboards.com

CYCLONE LOADED

NOTEWORTHY- THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

ATTACK BASEPLATE KITSTUNNEL

The Liquid Truck Company has released their $15 Universal Baseplate Kits. Although designed to be 100% compatible with all Attack and Liquid hangers, they work perfectly with every popular RKP hanger out there. Baseplate kits include a baseplate, pivot cup, kingpin, locknut, 2 steel cup washers, and a ThikCup, which allows for both tall (.750”) and short (.600”) bushing setups. Skaters can now mix and match their favorite hangers and bushings with different baseplate angles to completely dial in their ride. In addition to the currently available 40°, 45° and 50° baseplates, new 10°, 20°, 25°, and 30° baseplates are expected this spring. Lower angles are perfect for directional boards with less steering and more drive from the rear truck.LiquidTrucks.com

Founded in 1976, Tunnel Products is proud to announce the launch of its new Rocks wheels line. The wheels are made in California. The 57mm Park Rocks are 103A, hard and fast and grippy at the right time. More Rocks wheels dropping soon!tunnelskateboards.com

Created and customized for lady riders, the Original Arbiter LCD (Ladies Custom Deck), is a 35” full-kick rear, snub-kick nose. It marries what their lady riders wanted with the character of the well loved Arbiter family. The more narrow width and concave, makes riding more comfortable for ladies or anyone with a less than gigantic shoe size. Packed with big features including multiple wheelbase options to adjust stability, maneuverability, and the angle of the kick, the LCD is great for the ladies and any smaller riders looking to add some pop to their longboard quiver.Originalskateboards.com

LAX spent the last four years developing a brand printing technology that has never before been used on skateboards. The graphic resolution, durability and print quality is unprecedented. No more having your graphic peel off the bottom of your board when dropping curbs. We created a micro layer infused, triple polished lacquer coated sublimation process that is superior in all ways to everything ever done before. These boards also feature some very cool mold tricks like pressed in wheel wells, “W” concaves, tubbed sides, 3D wheel bumps and more.churchillmfg.com

ORIGINAL LAX

REMEMBER PREDATOR

Coming in with a 65mm diameter, the Lil’ Hoots are a great size for any setup, and are poured with memorable, super-butter urethane for long and effortless slides. Lil’ Hoots have a stone-ground finish and come in five tasty flavors to choose from.epic-distribution.com

Predator wanted to design a helmet that would be a true contender in the transition skate helmet market. It had to look small, be ultra-lightweight and have superior ventilation. Most of all, it had to fit a skater’s perception of what a legit skate helmet looks like. The SK8 does all that, and with its comfortable Hybrid EPS/EVA construction, it’s the first true development in soft-foam non-certified skate helmets since the late 1970s’. predatorhelmets.com

Available in coarse grit, fine grit and clear fine, EZ Grip is brought to you by Cloud Ride. Pliable backing allows this grip to easily conform to complex concaves with perforations to allow air to escape, preventing bubbles and poor adhesion. The extra sharp epoxy coated aggregate is mega grippy and long lasting ensuring you stay stuck for many sessions to come.cloudridewheels.com

The Lahonton Cutthroat 10.125” x 38.9” is made for speed. Named after the native fish of Lake Tahoe, the Lahonton Cutthroat Trout. We also spent a lot time bombing it and testing it on Cutthroat Ave in the neighborhood of King’s Beach. It was only natural that they design a fast board that compliments this hill.Tahoeboardcompany.com

EZ GRIP TAHOE

SK8KINGS ADRENALINA SKATEBOARD MARATHON

Sk8Kings completes the initial roll out of their Turbo Wheel Series featuring two sizes, three duros and two core versions. First on the scene in 2013, the aluminum core version has taken the Sk8Kings team riders to the top podium spot in many races. The new composite core version brings the same precision characteristics of the CNC core wheel to the market at a competitive price. Both core versions offer their Turbo technology. Their high grade urethane formula offers riders resilience, traction and predictable slide control. Available in 70mm or 75mm with duro choices of 79, 82 and 85A.. Sk8Kings.com

More than 140 skateboarders raced on November 30 in San Diego for the third annual Adrenalina Skateboard Marathon. They raced to promote outdoor recreation and aid Summit4StemCell, a non-embryonic research organization that is working on treatments for Parkinson’s disease. The top three winners are pictured.. theadrenalinaskateboardmarathon.com

Over the last 18 years South Shore Distribution has put on the Texas Skate Jam for Make-A-Wish at South Side Skatepark. They have raised over $865,000 in their efforts to bring awareness that skateboarding gives back. Damien Herbert heads up the team at Southshore and said the day was an incredible success. “We had skaters from teams like Nike, Real, CIRCA, Deathwish, Welcome and DC” said Damien. Skaters of note included Ben Raybourn, Erik Ellington, and Tiago Lemos Soares, who skated with a broken arm all day!skatenet.com In what is proving to be a very unusual race format, Riviera Skateboards and Daddies Boardshop put on an

event in December at an undisclosed location. They brought in some of the world’s best downhill racers to compete head-to-head on an insanely fast private road. The winner-take-all purse was $5000. CW Mag was proud to be one of the race partners. You can follow all the action atrumbleattheranch.com

SOUTHSHORE RUMBLE AT THE RANCH

NOTEWORTHYNOW YOU KNOW -

One of my favorite quotes from Kody Noble “Every type of skating helps every type of skating” This is true for

a lot of people who express themselves with the various elements of skateboarding. There is a lot of cross pollination of skill set between each style and they all feed off each other subconsciously. With the improvement of technology in snowskates, and the acceptance they now have on most mountains, you will definitely find it to be one more element to help with your seasonal frustration and to build on your skating in the off season. By Joey Bidner

Jeremy Jenson Photo by Mike Lane


all mountain shredola

If you are into downhill skateboarding or freeriding, you are going to freak out when you try a BI-deck snowskate. The trucks and ski underneath give you the sensation of having wheels. This makes it feel way more like a skateboard than a snowboard. For me, snowskating is where I practice my tuck, pre drifts and stand-up slides. It way touchier than a skateboard so you really

In terms of powder surfers, this is more for the snowboard aficionado looking to blend the freedom of surfing and skating all into one. If you like to hike mountains nearby to find secret pillows of powder, a powder surfer is so much easier to travel

If you skate street in the summer a traditional snow skate is what you want. Watch any video from Ambition and you will get blown away from what’s possible on these things.

XtremeGrip’s studded design pattern keeps ice and snow from bonding to your board.

work the core muscles you will need for doing the same thing on pavement. Don’t be shy to mount your snow skate trucks and ski to your current DH board and get right into downhill skate mode on the mountain. This is definitely going to change your winter attitude and drastically improve your season of skating to come.

BI DECK

POWDER SURFER

TRADITIONALXTREME GRIP

with because of its simplicity. No bindings or clunky boots. They are half the size of a snowboard and float amazingly. A definite must in anybody’s quiver.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Boydhill.com | Ly-snow.com | Harfangsnowskates.com | Hovlandsnowskates.com | Snowskate.de | Fpskate.com

LEFT TO RIGHT: Jonessnowboards.com | Pogo.biz | Rayne.com | Powsurf.com

Ambitionsnowskates.com

Gripallusa.com


GERLACH

SNOWXtremeGrip SkatePack by GripAll is specifically designed with the snowskater in mind. The grip has durable layers of Polyurea, and Zinc coated steel studs to give riders optimal traction. GripAll’s Pro rider Alan Gerlach prefers expexposed grip and customizing it to make it his own.

gripallsports.com

Fairbanks, Alaska

get the grip

“XtremeGrip is absolutely essential for snowskating,

it’s a game changer”

words by JOEY BIDNER, photos by ALEX BRAULTWEEKENDVAGRANTS

Finding a spot to camp without a plan can be tricky, but if you are respectful and sneaky, going undetected can be the most fun part of the trip.


We got the word that our good friend Nick Killback (from Dave’s Hippy Oil) was coming into town for a short period of time to visit. We obviously wanted to soak in as much Nick-time as we could, so we dropped everything we had planned for the week end, and packed the car to hit the road for a short trip. We didn’t even go too far away from home, only a few hours out of the city and it was enough to make for a memorable trip, not to mention inexpensive one. Skate trips do not need to be grandiose, simply step out of your city limits for a few days with the intension of an adventure, and you will surprise yourself with what you get into.


We found this place while looking for a park to cook our food. I don’t think going to a diner for lunch would have been as memorable. Nick Killback, Joey Bidner, Mitch Roy, Ben Phillips

JOEY BIDNER


It’s amazing how much you can get away with on a skate trip

if you are bold enough. We had been to this area a few times in the past, and managed to find an old dirt road on the edge of somebody’s property into the woods to camp on. This is not to say you can just barge where you want on a trip, but if you are respectful, I think some boundaries can be blurred. I have been caught before in a case like this, so be prepared to leave at 2 am if you need to. It’s all part of the experience of a skate trip, so don’t sweat it.

A skate trip is obviously about the new spots you find to skate, but I always take pleasure in the little things in between sessions. Like when we cooked steak behind the dumpsters of the grocery store in this small town. Or when we took refuge on a rock by a lake to make

espresso with our friend’s fancy camp stove. For me, a skate trip is about moments like these, and it’s important to balance the skating with some après-shred activities.

What happens on a skate trip stays on a skate trip. This does not only apply to the shenanigans which were saved from the list of details we told our girlfriends back home, but also applies to the places we went. Unfortunately we can’t say exactly where we went on this trip. If we were to reveal a few of these iconic spots publicly we might face a serious out-lash from some hard locals.

The hardest part of a skate trip is leaving the lifestyle and returning to the routines of regular life back home. But what if we think of this time spent as simply a shift of perspective regarding how we interact with our environment? There is no reason we cannot immerse ourselves in our regular habitat with the same attitude on living. To loosely hold a plan and flow with our surroundings. Go explore on your own terms, find something that you had no idea was there in the first place.

JOEY BIDNER MITC

H RO

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MITCH ROY


Guy Grundy, circa 1978

Guy Grundy, circa 2014

Guy Grundy is one of downhill skateboarding’s pioneers. Recently, Dusters California launched a deck in his honor.

Guy is also featured in the Signal Hill Speed Run documentary. Guy started skating in 1961 at the age of 8. Like many early skaters of his generation, Guy created his first skateboard from his sister’s roller skates. “I nailed them to a 2 x 4 board with carpet stapled to the top” he fondly recalls. “The board rode really slippery and every crack was an obstacle.

At 12, he took up surfing and became an excellent surfer. “Surfing played everything into my skating - the flow, the power line and feeling the wind.” Guy took his surfing stance and then used that in his stance and tuck on his skateboard.

Guy could speed pump a board as fast if not faster than most. Dorian Paskowitz use to call him “The Mosquito” down at San O’ in Oceanside. “I found that weighting and un-weighting not only gave me lift (of course) on my surfboard but really made a difference on my speed board skateboard.” Skateboarding also helped Guy with his surfing especially on those totally flat spells that California is so use to getting.

His first sponsor was Infinity Surfboards with Steve & Berrie Bahne down in Huntington Beach. His board was a mahogany core made by Dave Dillberg. It had four layers of fiberglass on top and six on the bottom. “It featured Tracker Trucks and red urethane wheels” explains Guy. “The board is being sent to the Smithsonian.”

The first Signal Hill race took place in 1975 and Guy heard about the event via Jim O’Mahoney who was organizing the race. “I had Infinity as a sponsor and I went to Bates Leathers and Premier Helmets and told them the deal and they sponsored me.”

Before the Signal Hill event, Guy had unofficially gone 65 mph. “I was being chased by the Infinity Surf Van. I could go pretty fast and there were many times people forgot to look down to see what the speed was. Back then we were all having a really good time. It wasn’t serious and we weren’t looking to set or break any records, we were just speed boarding.”

Guy took first place at Signal Hill with a world speed record of 50.2 mph. “Winning took a bit to set in. But it felt great!”

The one thing that today’s generation of downhill skater’s will find remarkable is Guy’s truly unique parallel stance. “My stance came from my love of skiing. I felt that my feet side by side was a good platform and I had really good control

DOWNHILL PIONEER


Guy Grundy, Nohl Ranch - Glenn Miyoda photo

both side to side and forward to back. I could put my feet close together or separate them a bit (depending on how wide the board I was using) and I really felt comfortable in that stance.”

Guy admits that tucking down into that stance is pretty hard for people and being able to rock back and forth can be somewhat of a task. “It was an advantage for me also because not everyone could do it” he says. With his feet in the parallel mode guy had a little more stabilization over his trucks. Guys says he very seldom got the speed wobbles where as other riders had a terrible time with the wobbles at speed.

After 1978, skateboarding focused mostly on vert and the downhill scene seemed to fade into the background. “It really didn’t affect me”, recalls Guy, “I was working a couple of jobs and one of them happened to be at the Concrete Wave Skateboard Park in Anaheim. We had so much great talent coming through that park and riding the bowls and having that much fun back then didn’t bother me a bit on the downhill.”

As Guy remembers, it was the last race at Signal Hill that really put the screws to downhilling there. “We had a lot of people get hurt because of equipment or inexperience. Not only did we hurt people in the crowd but we also had riders get hurt badly and one almost died.”

Four decades ago, Guy Grundy pioneered speed racing but he remains humble about his contributions; “It never really dawned on me that I was pioneering anything at that time. I’m stoked I helped in my own little way. Now, when I look back, I realize holy sh*t! We started this!”

Currently, Guy lives in Utah where he works. He enjoys skating, snowboarding and camping. He heads down to lower Mexico to ride waves. In terms of the current generation he is very impressed by the Maryhill Ratz. “They are out there bombing this winding downhill run and just having FUN. They are organized and safety minded, and it doesn’t get any better than that. My hat’s off to all those guys and gals out there skateboarding and having fun!”

As Guy sees it, the renaissance of longboarding is not something that was unexpected. “Riding a longboard is natural. Sometimes it’s just nice to cruise and a longboard is just the right board for cruising.” But as he quickly points out; “God forbid, though, if some young gun comes riding around my house and comes riding down my hill. I’m going to grab my new ‘Grundy Model’ and pass him/her like they were standing still!”


By Neil Carver

KENT

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Sometime in the late 1940’s the skateboard evolved from the ocean like a tadpole,

growing wheels and trucks where fins and rocker once lived. The act of riding that tiny oak plank with crappy metal wheels was called sidewalk surfing, however paltry an experience, it was compared to actually riding waves. And so it lived its early years, giving glide to surfers as they imagined water flowing under their wheeled boards.

Trends never get it right. What had started as an earnest attempt to surf the pavement soon grew into a massive pop culture phenomena, and the idea tarnished quickly. Cheesy outsiders jumped in with cliché toys that looked like little surfboards, so instead of technology advancing and feeding the nascent sport, it became a fad soon abandoned. For a time it languished, barely kept breathing by a loyal few.

It wasn’t until a new generation of Venice surfers remembered the potential, which had been squandered on skate gymnastics, and incorporated the low-slung style of Hawaiian surfer Larry Bertlemann into their lines, that skateboarding got its

second chance. Once again surfing

defined skateboarding, and this time

advancements like the urethane

wheel and the kick tail offered serious

performance that drove progression.

The street has a way of changing things,

of hardening them so they can take a

beating. Over time skateboarding got

hardened too, tasked with confronting

the stone features of architecture and

demanding some kind of experience in

return. The joy of flowing through the

potential energy stored in the inclined

surface gave way to flying over stairs,

the carve ceding to the ollie as the new

foundation for maneuvers.

TYLOR KNOX, PHOTO BY JACK ENGLISH / SURF IMAGES


The literal meaning of ‘flow’ is to move smoothly with an unbroken continuity in the manner of water. In psychology the Hungarian professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi theorized that a flow state was one in which we fully immersed ourselves in some activity, reaching a state of happiness, elation even, as a result. Bruce Lee famously said ‘Empty your mind, be formless. Water can flow or it can crash; be water, my friend’. It’s only fitting that this metaphor is made literal when riding waves in the ocean.

Like the tides, skateboarding’s history is one of high and low points, a cycle of change every few generations. Each new group reinvents skateboarding for itself, in part as a revolt against the previous generation, and also as a revival of the past. Most sports are well defined, with rules and commissions and uniforms, so it’s not easy when such an activity changes so radically, splintered into factions that thrive on being proudly distinct from each other. In a way this is one of the elements that helps define skateboarding as not a sport but more as a creative lifestyle, able to bend to the wishes of each new generation.

TYLOR KNOX, PHOTO BY LANCE DALGART


Skateboarding continues to evolve into

further hybrids, combining new tricks

with its rich history of non-conformity.

In the post-modern context of this

mash up we find ourselves back at the

beginning once more, mixing elements

of surfing with what we learned from

street skating and downhill racing into

a hybrid that defies easy categorization.

Even surfing has been changed

by skating, as tricks developed on

skateboards are now finding their way

into the lineup, changing the way we

look at waves. Less ‘mystical ocean’,

and more ‘booster ramp’, surfing’s

delayed adoption of air tricks has put

it out of sync with skate, which is now

experiencing a return the ethos of

setting a rail and committing to a carve.

So we end up with many interrelated

yet fiercely independent factions, each

claiming some corner of authenticity.

In classic power surfing, the concepts of

speed, power and flow are the essential

building blocks with which we create

maneuvers. The cutback, for example,

is not some fancy way to throw some

spray, it’s a highly functional maneuver

that keeps you from running out in

front of the wave and bogging down. It

JOEL TUDOR, PHOTO BY JACK ENGLISH / SURF IMAGES


returns you back into the power pocket

where you can get the most speed, and

sets you up for a deep-railed bottom

turn on your way back up to the lip.

This idea of finding flow on an incline,

whether it’s a hill, bank, ditch, park, or

wave, is about maintaining speed so you

have the power to drive off the glide.

In surfskate, unlike downhill racing,

the line is not about how fast, but how

to milk the incline for all it’s worth. The

first seeks uninhibited speed, the other

a measured control of it. So yea, you

can blaze past that bank on your way to

the bottom, or you can carve up it, cut

back, do a roundhouse, and hit that lip

again; flowing back down the line to the

next berm. In this way, style becomes

paramount, the ergonomics of flow

as interpreted by the artist’s personal

vision. Those body dynamics are pure

function; translating weight and torque

from upper body to the gliding board,

coiling through a turn, utilizing leg

extension to push off the carve.

There are textbook ways to execute

a maneuver, but every rider finds a

different way to interpret them. The way

you stand, hold your arms, set up your

hand positions; it all adds up to personal

style. Even in silhouette you can

recognize Rob Machado, as he glides slightly hunched, along a fast line, down the face. It’s this silhouette, and how it is an adaptation of the textbook form, modified by the peculiarities of one’s own body, that blends the functional and the personal. In the end, it remains a maneuver that is meant to modulate the way the energy of the incline is either maximized or controlled; whichever is needed in the moment.

There are many ways to pump a board, some that look smooth and powerful, and some that look chaotic and dorky. It’s a question of style, and the focus in both surfing and skateboarding is the power within good style. This process is greatly informed by the observation of those who have it, and the subsequent practice and internalization of the effects of those movements on our lines across the hardtop. And for references on stylish flow, there is hardly a better place to look than surfing, where the carve is the foundation of everything.

More than ever, we live surrounded by the undulating hardpack of man made waves, millions of square miles of artificial surfaces smoother than would seem reasonably possible. It’s only natural that we would want to roll on those inclines, find the fluid lines across their surfaces like we do on ocean waves. Winds blow over the ocean, gathering ripples into waves that coalesce into swells that build and magnify until releasing that energy onto the shore. The asphalt incline is stored energy released to oiled bearings and urethane tires; like the hydrodynamic lift of a planning surfboard as it glides on the water. So, no matter what you ride, the flow of surfing is at its core, and the lessons gleaned from the wave still apply directly to the concrete, even after all these years.

JOEL

TUDO

R, P

HOTO

BY J

ORGE

SAL

AS


ITALIANSWITCHBACKS

Words and photos byDavid Marsili

This year, in Italy, it’s been raining a lot. We had a pretty cold and rainy summer, leaving everybody in need of some

skating. So, as soon as the sun has came up again for a few days, it took me only a few phone calls to jump into the car, drive 450 km, and find myself on Stelvio Pass; one of the most beautiful roads in the world!


It was incredibly exciting to be up at 2750 meters, watching the milky way while falling asleep.

The next morning, I woke up and found myself looking at this amazing

road, which has 48 hairpin turns, ready to take photos of two of the best skaters

in Italy. It was definitely the best things to happen to me recently. Unfortunately, like

every beautiful thing, there is also a dark side. Indeed, many riders coming from all over the

world, are looking forward to skating the famous Italian Passo on the Dolomites (Giua, Stelvio, Pordoi,

etc.), but this has brought more attention from the police. The skaters have made videos that have become

viral, and are still not well received by public opinion.

fine

I wish everybody to become good enough to be able to skate those famous roads on the Alps, but they must be aware to skate them at dawn; when there is nobody on the roads. Otherwise, during

the day, the roads are full of cyclists and motorbikes. If those skaters will not change

their attitude, it will be forbidden to them, and even to those skaters

who make sacrifices and have a good attitude.

“Why DIY?” I ask Johannes Whal as we catch our breath between runs in his new indoor spot named “The Cellar”.

“Because Vienna has 48 skate parks and 45 of them are garbage, they just build them without asking the skaters, prefabricated concrete, hundreds of thousands of Euros wasted.”

Johannes and his friends started to build their first spot under a bridge by a river a short walk away from the biggest skate park in Vienna named Neuer in Huttledorf. The motivation to build was to fill the lack of tight transition away from the scooters and bikes which are responsible for the standard of mellow transition throughout Austria.

By: Jordan Wells


Their first spot is named “The Sandbox” which is not made with

sand at all, just river stones, strained mud, and cement. Three quarters of the way through the build, police who were on patrol under the bridge, a common area for the homeless and drug abusers, questioned the crew. Without a proper explanation they were asked to stop. They continued building, and a short time later their names were taken by the authorities, which brought building to a final halt.

VIENNA

LEFT: The Cellar overview. Photo -Stefan Kuback

OPPOSITE TOP: Jordan Wells boneless at The Sandbox.

Photo- Stefan Kuback

BELOW: Roland Zolle, Frontside Smith. Photo - Stefan Kuback

OPPOSITE BELOW: Remember to stay hydrated when building.

Photo - Stefan Kuback


Determined, with lessons learned, they searched for a new spot that was found beside a new highway under

construction. The old road that had run parallel to the new one was cut off, with jersey barriers at the end. The barriers quickly became quarter pipes and word spread. Other crews with similar pasts of halted projects came to build and competition grew between them on the build quality of the features. Over time, the individual features started to come together and so did the crews. Large discussions were held, friendships made and the

park began to amalgamate. After over four years of building, the highway company Asfinag who owned the land confronted the group. Asfinag asked them if they were some kind of club and if they had a name. As the crew scrambled for a name Roland Zolle answered, “We are the Spoff Club”. Impressed by what had become of the derelict land, the company offered to lease it to them, as they did not want to be held responsible for injuries. The lease is for one Euro a year for the next ten years.


If you live in northern Austria outside of the capitol city Vienna, then chances

are if your town can afford a skate park, it is prefabricated. If you live in Steyr however, most social spending goes towards rehabilitating the most prominent demographic, the at risk youth. Florian Kitzmüller is a social worker working in photography and cinematography, and is a passionate skateboarder that uses those passions to influence his community in a positive way. Flo was able to inspire the skaters of Steyr to build a one hundred percent DIY skateboard park called DIY Skateplaza Resthof. By teaching the youth of his community the benefits of finding a passion in life, he has shown them that their lives have purpose.

STEYR

RIGHT: Jordan Wells, Frontside Feeble.

Photo - Stefan Kuback

BELOW: Kicki at home. Photo - Stefan Kuback


The STP Skate Association was created to be the voice of the skaters for the city of Sankt Pölten. The city could not afford

to pay a professional company to build them a skateboard park, instead the Skate Association was given some land and funds for materials to build it them selves. This is how Lakeside Skatepark was created which played a major role in building a passionate skateboard scene in Sankt Pölten. Now they are working with the Youth Center and The National Workers Union to build a brand new facility for an indoor skateboard park. The creative control for the skate park is left up to the skaters, though they are headed by the main builder and designer, Kicki, who is a carpenter by trade. Markus Fanninger and Steven Kuback run the STP Skate Association skateboard forum website, and work together with their cashier, Hogi, to acquire more funds from the city for building material as well as trying to pay Kicki and his crew who are now nearly done building their third skateboard park for their community, without pay. The STP Skate Association is partnered with The Socialist Youth of Sankt Pölten who work together running community events to bring awareness and funds toward their causes. These dedicated skaters demonstrate the kind of collaboration needed to influence your community.

SANKT PÖLTEN

...THE answer is found within the passion of the groups of

individuals that band together in a common goal. From the drive of a few grows a climate that renders all possibilities. Their initiative builds a force that cannot be halted, only a redirection opening new paths to do it yourself.

Indoor park. Robert Schopfhauser, wallride. Photo - Stefan Kuback


ETHIOPIA

Sean Stromose is a documentary filmmaker who has spent a great deal of time in Ethiopia. When he contacted us to explain that he was headed over there to work with Ethiopia Skate, we were able to set him up with 10 Landyachtz completes.

We went to a large orphanage in Addis with 10 longboards. When we arrived at

the cement basketball court, 20-40 kids were already waiting, talking amongst themselves so eager to skate. We had three Ethiopian instructors, skateboarders from Ethiopia Skate, and 10 helmets. It was hard at first to create any sense of order with all

the excitement that day. Most of these kids had already seen a skateboard, either on TV or on the street nearby where kids from Ethiopia Skate often ride. None of them had ever tried pushing before. We broke the huge group in to two sessions, groups of 20 kids; two per board/helmet. Addisu and Yared, two of our mentors, taught the class in Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia. On the first day, barely an hour and a half in, all the kids had already figured out how to cruise straight, as well as the difference between pushing forward and turning in circles; one of the life-lessons practiced with Longboarding For Peace. The crowd surrounding the court grew each day, as the faculty and other children gathered to watch. It was a heart warming experience for everyone involved.

LONGBOARDINGFOR PEACE

L.F.

P.


DUSTERS X GIRL IS NOT A 4 LETTER WORD BLACK CRUISER COLLAB

LONGBOARDER LABS BLOOD FROM BOARDERS

Everywhere you look, girls are out there skating; from streets, to parks and pools, they are tearing it up and making people stop and look at how far the progression has come.

It’s time to keep encouraging girls to be even more bad ass out there. Just in time for Valentines Day, Dusters California is releasing a new matte black version of the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word board, this new cruiser has a super stealth look and feel.

To go along with the new look, Dusters creative director, Nano Nobrega, decided to take skaters Beverly Flood and Cassie Oseguera to a private backyard location and let them loose to ride both boards for an upcoming girls only skate video. These two girls were throwing down trick after trick and having a blast, showing that this cruiser board is not just for ‘cruising’, and that girls can show up and ‘bring it’ anywhere they go.

The new Dusters California GN4LW cruiser will support Longboarding for Peace. This time around Dusters and Cindy have teamed up to match one another dollar for dollar to donate a portion of the board’s proceeds to the Poseidon Foundation, which helps kids all over the world get involved in skateboarding.

So, get out there, and live life balls to the wall, do epic sh*t, and take every dare that comes your way, because you can sleep when you’re dead. girlisnota4letterword.com

Based in Vancouver, BC, Longboarder Labs created this custom prize wheel to bring awareness to LFP while at the same time stoking the hell out of their customers. Prizes range from free stickers to a year supply of trucks or wheels. Longboarderlabs.com

While October is our official month to get boarders to donate blood, any month works. In November, we gathered members together from Toronto’s longboarding community. Pictured here is Rob Sydia, co-owner of Longboard Haven. Rob has been donating blood for over 2 decades. The shop also just won best skate shop in Now Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

www.longboardingforpeace.orgredcrossblood.org

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Cassie Oseguera throwing down a blunt. Photo By Ian LoganBeverly with a bad-ass backside 5-0. Photo Ryan Ashburn


WINTERSESSIONS

IN THEALPS

with ALEX LUCIANO

Words and Photos bySimone Mondino


Alex “Geims” Luciano is an 18 year old longboarder who lives in Cuneo, North Italy. Lucky for him, he is surrounded by mountains

in every direction. The glorious panoramic views he sees daily are just outside his front door. Additionally, just a few kilometers from his home there are some of the most beautiful spots in all of Europe. This photo essay showcases just a small taste of the incredible terrain that is available. A skater since the age of 10, Geims knows these spots very well indeed. Geims was very excited to skate with the snow because he finds it gives him more adrenaline. Longboarding has given Geims a chance to travel and meet many people.


One of his favorite places to ride is the Piagge Road located in Piemont, Italy. The road is about four miles in length with a fairly rough surface due to the continuous passage of heavy trucks. However, this does not deter Geims one bit. One of the most

beautiful characteristics of this spot are the four curves that follow one after the other. The unrelenting terrain does not give longboarders any chance to catch their breath! Fittingly enough, this road has been given the name “il cavatappi” (the corkscrew).

As if being close to the Italian Alps wasn’t magical enough, Cuneo is very close to the French Alps. Geims has spent a lot of time at Col La Bonette. This magnificent peak has been part of the Tour de France on four occasions. The two kilometer long teardrop road has an altitude of 9,380 feet. This makes it the highest paved road in all of Europe. From the first little town to the top there are 16 glorious miles of riding. The climb is 5,420 feet with an average percentage grade of 6.4%. In some parts of the road, the gradient reaches 15%! I love action sports and I started to photograph longboarding a few years ago for a Sector 9 Italian summer tour. I love meeting people on my skate travels. I particularly enjoy working closely with the riders in order to get the best shots I can.


I love to shoot in every weather condition. But truth be told, I honestly love the snow. During this session the weather was crazy. In the morning it was balmy 45 degrees but after a couple of hours a heavy snow storm started up. So with snow being my first passion, I knew that was my chance to

get more creative.


The longboard world is care-free, friendly and you can find a lot of incredible landscapes. I’m lucky, because near my home there are some of the best longboard spots in Europe; the Alps! When I decide to shoot, I study the weather, the road and then I contact the

riders to create a perfect mix between nature and skateboard. I think that when you are in the mountains with great landscapes, friends, and your camera, it’s like a perfect dream - no stress, no bad thoughts - just happiness!

MIX-OLOGYby Florian Kitzmüller

The “Concrete Barmy Army” is a crew of skateboarders from Austria with a passion for building skate spots made out of concrete. After creating a skate plaza, different ledges, parking blocks and builds at public places we gained expertise during the time working with this material. In this issue we’ll give you a short guideline on equipment and “how to mix proper concrete by hand”.

At first, check the location of your D.I.Y. spot and make a list of all necessary materials, tools and preparation work. If you decide to fill up a small crack on the floor, you are ready to go with an instant concrete mix and a small trowel; both available at your local hardware store. When your project is going to be bigger, you have to plan your steps in detail to avoid a waste of money, time, and sometimes tickets from the police if you get busted while doing an illegal build on a public place.

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The basic shaper equipment contains different sizes and shapes of steel and magnesium trowels with rounded and square edges, a small spade or shovel, a rake, a big plastic bucket, and some empty tins used for the mixing procedure. It is also important to wear gloves when working with concrete to avoid damages to your skin.

To receive the best results, you have to know how to mix concrete properly. Concrete is a mixture of cement, fine sand, gravel, and water. Research online, or at your local hardware store, what type of cement fits best for your project as there are big differences available.

You can create concrete different ways. Using 1 part cement, and 4 parts fine sand, mixed up with water works great for smooth surfaces like manual pads, curbs or ledges. If you need to bulk up a bigger amount you can also use 1 part cement, 2 parts sand, and 3 parts gravel, combined with water.

1. Check the necessary amount of materials for your project.

2. Take a big plastic tube and add a correct ratio of cement (1 part), sand (2 parts) and gravel (3 parts). Notice: To measure out the correct ratio it can be helpful to work with same sized buckets, prefilled, with the materials.

3. Once you have added all materials into the big plastic tub, mix it with a spade, rake or shovel to ensure they are well combined. It is good to have the dry mix ready before adding water.

4. Add a small amount of water and stir it into your mixture. Notice: Cement that contains too much water is about half as strong as properly mixed concrete. Be sure to read manufacturer’s labels before adding the correct amount of water.

5. Check your mixture while stirring occasionally. If it’s to soupy, add cement, if it’s to dry, add a small amount of water.

6. Mix until the finished cement reaches the correct thickness.

7. Now you can use the concrete at your spot.

8. We recommend to work with magnesium trowels at first, and finishing the spot with steel trowels. This can be done in a few rounds for several hours. Notice: The more you shape the concrete surface, the smoother it will get. Try to keep the concrete and your tools wet during this procedure.

9. After concrete is placed, it increases in strength very quickly for a period of 3-7 days and will still curing for several weeks.

10. Now the spot should be ready for a skate session.

HERE’S HOW:

191 South Oak Park Blvd. Suite 11 Grover Beach, CA 93433(805) 270-4477oceansidecarvers.com

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january 2015 issue

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