redletter: the worst blog ever

umm...

2009-10-06T08:50:00.001-07:00

Read this now!

2009-10-06T08:01:00.001-07:00

A great piece on why action sports media is taking a shit, by none other than Extreme Journalist Brooke Geery.

I don't even have anything to add to it; the article pretty much sums up my stance on so-called "advertorials" that basically shit on the face of journalism.

UPDATE: Burton Blows

2009-10-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

So, when I went back to one of my favorite blogs to see what kind of fun comment drama was brewing around the story I just posted, I saw it was gone. Curiouser and curiouser.
A quick e-mail to the blog's editor elicited little response, only that there was "some pressure" to take the article down. Read it here, because it's funny as hell.

Jake Burton's Fall Bash is Decadent and Depraved

2009-10-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

It's not often that I regurgitate whole articles. I might comment and excerpt, but rarely to I lift whole things. But this one is too good. Apparently people are less-than-willing to pick up this article, because Burton is a big snow/skate/X-treme mega-corporation now, and apparently they've caught wind of this. In the interest of a free press and sticking it to the man, here I present to you in it's entirety, an inside peek at Jake Burton's Annual Fall Bash:

In these tough economic times sometimes you have to wonder how the other half lives. Are the rich and powerful forced to eat ramen and work harder for less money like us common folk? I (anonymous, uninvited party goer) decided to investigate just that, and got the chance when I knew someone with an invitation to Jake Burton’s Annual Fall Bash

Every year the Burton-Carpenter family opens its home to employees, industry-types and regional business people alike, for a blow out like no other. You can expect great food, a big-time band and plenty of recreational opportunities to go around. But in this economy, and with Jake and Donna forgoing a salary, I had to wonder, would it be as good?

Pulling up to the Moscow, VT estate, things seemed normal. There was a field full of cars and plenty of people to help park them. We rolled up and after they’d found our names in the hefty binder of RSVP’s, got our wristbands. We then walked about 2 feet before having to show our wristbands again, so it seemed the economy was also not affecting the level of security.

The main tent was packed and we quickly went to the buffet line. The selections included pumpkin chili, pulled pork, caprese salad and several other selections, again, didn’t seem like tough times here. And dessert was even more decadent: a literal fountain of cascading chocolate and caramel. I finally thought I’d found a sign of the times upon spotting the line for booze, but as it turned out there were several bars around the property, one just needed to branch out.

After dinner, the entertainment began and Gym Class Heroes took the stage. They introduced themselves as “that band that sings the girlfriend song” and although I am not a fan per se, still a pretty big deal for a private party. I was beginning to come to the conclusion that Jake and Donna had no idea of the dire state of the economy, and then I went to the bathroom.

Inside the row of port-a-potties I finally found what I was looking for, proof that even the rich were cutting back. Unlike years past, there were no lights, and party goers were left to stumble in the darkness and sit in each other’s pee. A brilliant cost saving move if you think about it—less desire to use the bathroom leads to less drinking, people leaving sooner, etc etc. This simple move probably cut costs by at least 10%.

So the rich are cutting back, they are just doing it way smarter than the rest of us.

No clever headline here...

2009-07-07T07:05:00.001-07:00

I spent my 4th of July weekend in Boston. Nothing really to report, but it was a good time.
I saw some neat stuff, including my good friend Nic Darlinton. He approves of dinosaurs, so I approve of him.
I also saw the best graffiti in the world at a bus stop:

And I bought some things. I bought "You Are Here" by thenewno2.
I stopped by Orchard and picked up some tee-shirts and a pair of the best-looking skate shoes I've seen in a while:

And I had some delicious lobster ravioli at the Union Oyster House. It's the oldest restaurant in America (says their menu), and it's pretty fucking tasty. Highly recommended.

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, 1959-2009

2009-06-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

I was speechless riding home on the Metro train last night. It was somewhere around the Pentagon stop that I received the text I was hoping I wouldn't get: "He died."
I didn't know what to say at all ... anyone who knows me personally knows I'm usually ready with some kind of off-hand remark, but when I heard Michael Jackson had died, I was completely heartbroken.
Like so many others, I grew up listening to Michael. My parents played their "Thriller" record in the house; I later supplemented their collection with just about every tape Michael was on. I wore loafers around to dance in, I practiced my kicks, I learned to moonwalk.
When I was maybe 7, I vividly remember going to the local Blockbuster to rent "Moonwalker" and a collection of Alvin and the Chipmunks music videos featuring a high-pitched version of "Beat It." I would play basketball in my driveway with "Jam" playing on the boombox.
I met a girl once at a summer camp who went to a nearby elementary school. She had heard through mutual friends about me, because I had the moves from "Dangerous" and "Thriller" locked. Fuck, I wish I still did.
I watched for him on TV. Hell, I sat through an N*Sync performance just because Michael was supposed to perform with them. He danced for a few seconds, to a standing ovation. It was worth it. (clips on MTV.com)
I remember he had a TV special, during which he performed and, as best I could tell, lip-synced every word. He didn't look well, his face was skeletal. He might not have been able to sing the way he could 10 years earlier, but holy shit, that guy was still dancing. If my memory serves me, he debuted a sideways moonwalk that night.
I could go on for days, recounting every memory of Michael Jackson I have. Make-outs to MJ? Check. Drunken dance parties? By the boatload.
The point is, what really made Michael amazing was how he affected people. I don't think there's a person alive today who doesn't know Michael's music. You'll just as soon find "Thriller" at your grandmothers house as you will on a DJ's playlist at the club. "Billie Jean" still sets off the dance floor, and nobody's touched the standard Michael set for music videos.
Any one of his albums could come out today and be just as relevant. The man isn't timeless, but his work is. It's an awful tragedy that he passed on so shortly before the string of shows that could have brought him back to center stage, but it's been a blessing to the world, especially the world of music, that we had him in the first place.
Thank you, Michael. Rest in peace, gloved one.

This isn't a make...

2009-06-12T17:37:00.001-07:00

...but the footage is going to be in Evan Grice's video part. And just let me tell you, that pole is gnarly. Probably a good two board-lengths, and just enough angle that you'd think it can be done.

Did you know Evan's sponsored? He's hella cool like that.

It's been a while

2009-06-04T09:09:00.001-07:00

So here's something new to watch. My brother came out to DC for the weekend. We did some shredding with our friends from Pitcrew. Then we drank a bunch and passed out. But here's a clip of Ben rolling around at Duke Street. For now just turn your head sideways and try not to throw up.

Active, bankrupt!

2009-03-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Apparently skate megashop Active has filed for bankruptcy.

Here's a little snippet from Shop-eat-surf.com: "Also of note is the list of Active’s 20 largest unsecured creditors, which reads like a Who’s Who of action sports brands. Active owes a total of $8.8 million to its 20 largest unsecured creditors. . . .Interestingly, only one brand is on the list of secured creditors -- the Burton Corporation. Secured creditors get payment priority in a bankruptcy."

Also, a bunch of team members -- including Andrew Reynolds, Daewon Song, Kenny Anderson, Billy Marks, Jim Greco and Erik Ellington -- are getting cut.

The shop's rapid expansion over the past few years apparently cost them a lot more than they've been able to recoup. Looks like it'll be a good time to get shoes on clearance!

More coverage here:

http://www.boardistan.com/?p=6768

Full story here:

http://shop-eat-surf.com/news-item/827/active-bankruptcy-details

Bad news

2009-03-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

My thoughts and best vibes go out to Devin Appelo's brother, Taylor. Last night, this happened to him. Here's a news clip about it from the local Fox affiliate.

There's more discussion at Concrete Disciples... Let's just say if the four dudes that beat Taylor up get found by some of the bowl shredders I've met in the Northwest, they're fucked. Seriously.

I thought the days of skateboard kids getting beat up by random fucking assholes were over... so sad.

So all of my positive energy is going to Portland. A PayPal account is being set up to take donations, as Taylor is completely uninsured. I'll post more info as soon as I find it.

I Don't Care

2009-02-25T20:28:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I'm in Ohio handling a family emergency.
Plus sides: I get to skate the park here in Athens. It's a bit dirty and gnarled, but it's fun for a day.
Also, I remembered on the drive over how much I love LOLcats. No matter what, that website brings a smile to my face.
Also, there's this fun toy at Obamicon.me where you can upload a photo and add your own tagline to parody the famous Obama "Hope" poster created by Shepard Fairey. What happens when you combine the two? Awesomes.

Shout-Out

2009-02-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

When you're a big deal like I am, you get all kinds of people asking you to do favors. Sometimes these favors rule, sometimes they suck.

This one, since it will ultimately end with girls looking pretty, therefore increasing the likelihood of sex and happiness, was a no-brainer...except for the fact that I don't really have a lot of readers that will buy their clothes.

So, if you're a lady, a guy with a lady who wants to be all stylish, or a guy who wants to be a lady and be all stylish... get on it already, the sale started Saturday!

Justin Damer's Fakin Hard

2009-01-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

So, there's this video coming up in DC called "Stop Fakin'." It has a pretty sick line-up, and is certain host quite a few bangers. Smalls's Trailer on Facebook Feldt's Trailer

One anticipated part that I've been told won't make the final edit is Justin Damer's. The kid's got style and talent for miles, but as he put it, was "over it" and thought his footage was too old. He ended up posting an edit on Vimeo.

Old or not, shit's bangin'. He rolls fast, jumps high and gets wicked tech. Good shredding, Damer.

Justin Damer Still Fakin from justin damer on Vimeo.

Oldies but Goodies

2009-01-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

I just got this photo of myself from a while ago. I think this was in 2005... probably spring-time. But I don't really remember at all, but it's at least that old because I haven't been to the Kalispell skatepark in forever.

So, since I haven't had anything skate related in a few posts, here's me doing a pop shuvit. I do a lot of those.

photo: Kameron Barge, FlowFiles Productions

What the fuck is the internet?

2009-01-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

All you motherfuckers are gonna pay.

You are the ones who are the ball-lickers.

We're gonna fuck your mothers while you watch and cry like little bitches.

Once we get to Hollywood and find those Miramax fucks who are making that movie, we're gonna make 'em eat our shit, then shit out our shit, then eat their shit which is made up of our shit that we made 'em eat.

Then you're all you motherfucks are next.

Love,

Jay and Silent Bob.

Music Nerding

2009-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

So, if you didn't know this, I'm a musician. I play in a band. It's pretty sweet.

In my efforts to become more involved with the business/industry side of music and performance, I'm attending the Future of Music Coalition's DC Policy Day, a forum at which average joe musicians, performers, etc. can discuss the future of the industry with industry leaders. Check out the Web site for more information:

One day I'll write about...

2009-01-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

Inauguration!

No, you're the man.

photo: me

19 at 52

2009-01-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

Me and Bon got tricks at 52 Weeks skatepark in Missoula, MT. It was more than 10, but whatever. Brought to you in fabulous lo-def by Bud Light.

Ben, Nich and Bobby vs. Department

2008-12-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a montage Ben and Nich and Bobby made at the Department of Skateboarding in Portland. Coming soon will be Ian's 10 Tricks at 52 Weeks (featuring Bon Phillips).

Blogging on the clock

2008-12-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

This is what's called a "slow day at work."

Thanks to haveing nothing to do and about 30 more minutes until I leave for lunch, I've touched up the layout around here. Just little changes, a bit more space for photos, that kind of thing.

Also, I'll probably write a few columns for YoBeat, since I have time and a few ideas from the boss lady. Until then, you should read all of them so you're caught up.

Click on a few ads while you're here. Just scroll through them, click on them, close the window, click on the next one, repeat, repeat, repeat until I'm rich. I'd like to have something to show for all of the work I do here!

(Ok, I can't keep a straight face when I say that...shut up.)

And while you're at it, spend some of that holiday gift money on a sweet-ass skateboard. Is this a shameless plug for a friend's brand? Yes. Does that mean the boards are any less radical? No. Help our flailing economy: buy Coda.

Pitching a Tent

2008-12-29T08:50:00.000-08:00

Oh, I can't wait for some of these new shoes... Busenitz's shoe looks effing sick! And so does the SLAP collab. And Silas's, too, because it's the Campus vulc, which rules. Just a P.S. there for you.

Way to go, adidas, you've got me all hyped up.

Kid Tested, Jerry Approved

2008-12-26T06:12:00.001-08:00

I don't know what this fascination is with Asian people, but Redletter seems to have yellow fever (and bad!).

Montana is so cold...

2008-12-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

I'd like to take this time to personally thank the state of Montana for dropping its temperatures to subzero just in time for Christmas. I'm bitching, but I'll have an epic indoor park to keep me rolling. I don't think I'll be that cold, I mean, I grew up in that shit.

I have friends coming from LA and Panama and shit, though, so... sucks to be those guys.

I'll be visiting where that big dark purple spot is, in the Northwest. I guess I can be happy I'm only flying through freezing-ass Minnesota, and not staying there.

(Note: apparently I picked a URL that updates as the weather updates. Just ignore that. It was FUCKING COLD up there in the mountains.)

Hard as a Rock

2008-12-15T11:12:00.001-08:00

The Slut Rockets are bringing it back. What are they bringing exactly? How the fuck should I know? Just click it, know it, love it.

The Slut Rockets: Hard as a Rock

Oh, you probably have to climb out of your little cave and join Facebook, if you haven't already.

The Unpublishable

2008-12-15T08:32:00.001-08:00

In my work as a reporter/photographer/designer/copy editor/editorial assistant/assistant photo editor/typist/circus clown for the Fort Myer Pentagram, I often get to shoot weird events. I'm scheduled to shoot President Bush's farewell (I got screwed -- they told me I'd get up-close access to Inauguration events, turns out I'm getting access to the ass-end of the ceremony). I've shot both the president and vice president, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and lots of other "dignitaries."

Fun side note, when Rummy stepped to the lectern to speak at the dedication of the 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon, a baby started crying loudly and clearly over the otherwise solemn audience. Coincidence? I think not.

Back to the point. I often come back with photos that, by military PR standards, are unpublishable. Examples are: anything the garrison commander doesn't like, anything where anybody looks like they're having a really good time, anything candid, anything that doesn't directly highlight how rad the Army is, and anything my boss thinks is 'inappropriate' (e.g., a man dressed as a demon for Halloween).

This weekend, I covered an Army group's Christmas party. Perfect place to get unpublishable photos. Here are my favorites from the day:

When TooGood wins Man of the Year, this will be his cover shot. Until then, I'll live off of blackmail residuals from the bottom photo. Oh, wait, I have to keep it secret for blackmail to work. Oh well.

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha

2008-12-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

While I was in New York, I met a young lady named Marsha Lee. She was super cool, really nice and all of that. Mostly, I like her because, in the midst of our Irish coffee-drinking, pastry-consuming, Sleepy's-hating merriment, she didn't mind getting serious and bitching about the state of the world with me.

I don't know if you know this, but I'm a grumpy old man hiding inside an awkward mid-20s body. Why ruin a perfectly good night by having fun the whole time? Booooring.

Now you know.

...

Oh right, the point. I was getting to that.

Marsha and I talked about how blogging is totally awesome. You see, she's a designer who blogs about her designing and stuff. I totally just got done reading her blog. So, I'm adding a link, and plugging Marma Designs for her.

Not only does she show off the cool shit that she does (honestly, I've never looked so closely at aprons ... dead serious), but she tells you how to turn an old sweater into a most excellent beanie. Stay green with your fashion, kids.

Get some, Marsha!

image courtesy Married to the Sea

NYC Trip Video

2008-12-11T19:23:00.001-08:00

Here's some of the skateboarding we did in New York. Get some!

You chicks wanna taste what it's like to skate all day?

2008-12-11T18:53:00.001-08:00

Next time you see John Choi, walk up to him and say, "Herro, aren't you Jerry Hsu?" He'd probably think it's really funny.

Redletter Does New York

2008-12-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, Nov. 19, Ben’s plane came in. We lurked about and packed for the next day’s adventure. Excited?

Me too.

Day One, Thursday, Nov. 20 — I don’t know if you know this, but the buses in the Northeast are way cheap. I booked our seats pretty late in the game, and we still got round-trip tickets for about $35 each. Not too shabby.

Our bus left D.C. at 8:15 a.m., so our day started with shredding on the curb. Hammer time, right? Fun fact about D.C.: the city is full of people living in public housing, supporting families on incredibly low wages, and the curbs downtown are granite. Shiny, smooth, polished, expensive-as-fuck granite. I guess priorities are priorities.

Enough of that, though. We were in NYC for maybe 10 or 15 minutes when the bus almost took a guy out on 34^th Street — rather; he almost walked straight into the (LARGE, BRIGHTLY COLORED) bus as we were rounding a corner. The best part was the indignant look on his face, like he didn’t just almost walk straight into a two-story moving vehicle.

We started our trip right: Nathan’s chili dogs and Budweisers. ‘Nuff said.

A quick train ride took us to Brooklyn, where we met up with Kara, who would be our hostess for the weekend. I’d give Pat a shout-out too, but he had to work his ass off the whole time, so he mostly just put up with our drunken escapades at night.

You see, Pat runs this company, Coda Skateboards, which kicks ass. The graphics are awesome, the team is rad and their video makes me want to skate every time I watch it. But in today’s economy, and with the mall-store-fueled state of the industry right now, Pat’s putting in a lot of hours to keep things kosher. That reminds me, I need to call him up and buy a board.

We spent the rest of the day slowly building up a buzz, nothing too spectacular. By the way, fuck the Polish lady at Sleepy’s. What a jerk.

Day Two, Friday, Nov. 21 — New York is great because of two things. Now that I think of it, one is a product of the other… whatever. New York is awesome because you don’t go skate a “spot.” In my experience, unlike just about everywhere I’ve been, one doesn’t drive to a spot in New York, skate it, and drive to another spot. We started in Brooklyn and made our way into Manhattan, stopping only to catch a train across the river.

Surprisingly enough, the dude on the right was way more bummed to have to sit next to Ben and Quynh than they were about having to sit next to him.

What facilitates that, I suppose, is the second reason New York rules: metal edging on all of the curbs. And it seems that, rather than tearing up and repaving roads, New York just puts fresh pavement on top of the old. So while cruising down the street, you have perfect slappy curbs on all sides. Fucking rad.

Anyway, bright and early Ben and I met up with John Choi and his friend Quynh Le. John is a Tilt Moder and rides for some skateboard company. He’s like, good and shit. Quin is pretty much just awesome. After we skated around Brooklyn for a bit, we decided it was time for some pho (author's note: remember it's pronounced "fuh") and some Banks skating. I believe it the pho restaurant, which could have had a cool name like “Pho Kim Long” (but didn’t), that the rampant stereotyping started.

Someone made a joke about Asian-American waiters — something like “Oh, herro, may ah hep you?” And it became the theme for the weekend. Quynh and John, both Chinese, jumped on the bandwagon and all of a sudden we had a fifth guy with us: “Raymond (Wayymon) the Waiter.”

Basically, nobody would shut up about getting “poke fly lie” and “Jinwoo Sow chicken.” Racist? Probably. Oops. Also, after devouring his pho in record time, John became the Pho King.

Pho King John.

We stopped at some horribly sketchy spots on our way through the Lower East Side, actually got some tricks — shout-out to Choi and Ben for tail-dropping from the manhole into the roughest bank spot ever (here's Pat doing an impossible trick on it -via Coda) and a pat on the back to myself for getting Drehobl’d out on the big bulkhead. Yay.

At the Banks, it was everybody’s job to get wicked epic. After all, what would Sheckler do?

It was the best skate day ever.

The epicness continued all night. If you’ve been paying attention to skateboarding for the past year or so, you’ve seen the influx of Wizard Staffs. There are a few variations on the game (some require “battles” at certain points — take a shot to defeat the Evil Warlord Jim Beam, for example), but basically the idea is this:

1) Drink beer

2) Tape your fresh can on top of your empty can

3) Repeat 1 & 2 until you have a sizeable “staff”

4) When one’s staff exceeds one’s height, they become a Wizard (or Master Wizard, depending on how you play)

Wizardry in full effect. Pho King Choi pre-puke, me in all of my Wizard glory.

Our game went well into the night (technically, the next morning). John, thinking he’d get a head start and then mellow out, ended up puking before we left the house. It’s okay, he’s a small little Chinaman, so he can’t take as much alcohol as the tall, Irish/Polish Graham brothers.

Wizards in progress.

Because we opted to go out rather than stay in and finish our staffs, I spent the night with pockets full of the cans I had finished. I wasn’t about to lose the game on a technicality! In the end, I think it was in excess of 210 ounces of beer (layman’s term: a shitload) that earned me my Wizardry.

Needless to say, it was good times for everyone.

Fucking urgent New York checklist: complete!

Day Three, Saturday, Nov. 22 — Not much happened. We were all thoroughly hung over and kind of sore from a day of skating. Ben, Quynh and John took a trip to the thrift store, thinking they’d pick up cheap suits so we could try to get into the 40/40 Club. No dice (actually, there was a lot of dice. More on that next paragraph.). There was a Puleo sighting, which is always a bonus.

Instead, we hung out with Kara at home and made snowflakes. Of course, we’re all actually 14 years old, so “snow” flakes took on more and more suggestive looks until we were just cutting formations of penises. Cockflakes are going to be huge this Christmas.

(Pun fully intended.)

Kara loved her collection of cockflakes. But she'll probably hate this photo, if she ever sees it.

I was tired from the previous night’s wizardry, so I passed out kind of early. Apparently Ben, Pat and Kara went out to a birthday party and it ended up being a who’s who of East Coast skateboarding. Damn, of all the times a wannabe skate journalist bitches out from a hangover… fuck.

Remember how a minute ago I said "No dice?" I lied. When we weren't making cockflakes or becoming wizards, we were rolling dice like crazy on the living room floor. I think I came up like $10 on 25-cent games. Hell yes.

Four dudes shakin' their wrists in the corner. We weren't J/Oing, we were rolling threes, I swear.

Day Four, Sunday, Nov. 23 — Ben and I cleaned up our living area (a.k.a. Pat and Kara’s couches) and quietly left the city. Big whoop.

At some point, Ben's weiner got out.

Thanks Pat and Kara for housing and entertaining us, thanks to John and Quynh for making Friday the best skate day ever, and for taking non-phone pictures and video clips.

also you are the best at video games

2008-12-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

NYC Megablog still in progress. I swear it'll be up soon.

For now, dinosaurs.

In Progress: NYC Mega-Blog

2008-11-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my brother and I spent a few days in Brooklyn lurking at our homie Pat's apartment and met up with Pho King John Choi and his bro-brah Quynh.

Shredding, stacking, stereotyping and wizardry were abundant.

John Choi, level 8 wizard. Get stoked!

Coming soon to Red Letter

2008-11-19T14:47:00.001-08:00

I'll write up something about me and my brother's expedition to NYC (we leave tomorrow. Woohoo!)

For now, check out this kickass band I know of:

Mad Clipz: Resurrection

2008-10-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

My brother gets full credit for this. Straight up awesome, lightning boltz and everything.

Way to go, Ben.

The Son of Mad Clipz

2008-08-26T08:35:00.001-07:00

Here's a bit of me, jumping frontside from a roll-in onto the back of a capsule in Athens, Ohio. Cell clips = wicked tight.

Mad Clipz 3: Blowin' Up

2008-08-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

All righty, I got some wicked tight cell phone awesomes for you, straight out of PDX.

Jesse Bracewell, adidas' Team Guy (feat. Nich Kunz), gets down at the Dude Barn:

Ben takes a lipslide to a pretty famous ledge:

News Hour

2008-08-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Lets start simple today. First things first, if you haven't heard already, the snowboard blog, YoBeat.com, is back and better than ever. Check out "The Noob." It's pretty good, and I write it, so it's worth a look.

If you've never met my brother, here's a pair of accurate portaits. The first one is an eerily true-to-life caricature by the one and only Chris Fairbanks (check him out on Reality Bites Back!), the next one is an oddly coincidental police sketch.

We Missed You, Pt. 2

2008-08-06T23:18:00.001-07:00

In one of its best marketing moves ever, Emerica footwear is re-releasing the fabled Marc Johnson 1 shoe under the name O.G. 1. For those young'uns who don't know, the MJ1 was one of the most popular skate shoes of its day. I remember in school, it was these or the D3s in order to be "cool" with skate shoes... I wore Vans because I thought it made me punk rock.

Regardless, I'm about to buy me a pair of these bitches as soon as I can.

We Missed You

2008-08-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Skateboarding needs more of this:

Internet Makes Famous

2008-08-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

Stu Robinson is now the most famous demo-nerd ever now, thanks to Organika:

And if you get on Ty Dahnke's blog, there's a video of me. Awesome!

Mad Clipz II: Tha Deuce

2008-06-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Cell phone clips are so hot right now, I can't even stand it. So good.

Nich Kunz one time:

Mad Clipz!

2008-06-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ben's been stacking cell-phone clips like crazy. Here's a Nich Kunz/Ben Graham doubles line.

More to come after I have Ben text me more clips!

Portland Mega-Blog Part 3: Worst Clip Ever

2008-06-18T13:25:00.001-07:00

Ben tried to get fancy with his cell phone for my trick while Jesse was getting artsy with a real camera for Nich's real trick. None of us got tetanus or cancer skating this spot -- victory!

Fuck yes.

2008-06-17T20:01:00.001-07:00

66-10 in the regular season, 4-2 in the Finals, FUCKING 131-92 in the final game.
Fuck Los Angeles! Boston's the hot spot tonight.

Boston Celtics: 17-time NBA Champions.

Shoutout to Paul Pierce, Finals MVP.

Portland Mega-Blog 2: Secret Asian Man

2008-06-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

Yuji Watanabe is a ripper. Buy the Coda video here and watch his part, it's really good.
With Yuji, it's on 24-7. I'm pretty sure he spent the entirety of his month or so in Portland partying and recovering from said partying. He likes his trucks loose, his roll fast and (it seems) his women both loose and fast.

Chest-high frontside air? No biggie. Derek shot this photo, I cleaned it up for him.

Yuji skated the Dude Barn ramp like it was a little pre-fab 3' ramp. Noseblunts came on demand, so do some pretty smith grinds and nosepicks.
For someone who doesn't like to 'pick frontside, he sure does them nice.

Yuji can jump really high backside, too. Ben is easily 6'3" (at last measurement, he's about an inch taller than I am), so it's no small feat to jump over him while he's grinding.
Yuji did it, after hitting Ben's back and arm once or twice. I think it would have been sick if Yuji had just pulled the nosebonk off of Ben's shoulder.

Portland Trip Mega-Blog! Part One

2008-06-15T19:55:00.001-07:00

I spent 7 days in Portland, Ore., so that I could hang out with my brother and make sure he didn't do anything too illegal on his 21st birthday. Success! ...though I'm pretty sure we should have been kicked out of the Tube -- Ben was spiking shot glasses, drinking other peoples' drinks, and trying to fight Japanese Coda rider Yuji Watanabe. Way tight. Here are the photos with stories that accompany them. Pretty much all of them are at the Dude Barn, so sorry Brooke for not including you any more, even though we hung out a few days. Thanks for the camo AWS sweatshirt, by the way, it keeps me hidden in the thick underbrush of Alexandria, Va.
Shout-outs to Nich Kunz and Jesse Bracewell, since I had a sick time skating and lurking, but managed t0 get zer0 photos of you guys. Not that they read this blog, or care about it in any way whatsoever.
Now, onto the pictures!

My brother, a newly minted Grill Sergeant and official sum'bitch.

During a very heated game of S-K-8, Ben tried to wrestle Derek. What is it with Ben and drunk wrestling? I don't know. Either way, D-Rock ended up with a crooked schnoz.

Ben and I met Mr. George Cutwright a few years ago at the last real Polson Skate Jam. We built some ramps, drank beers and got wild. We also skated a bit, too.
Now he's a marketing guy for Adidas with an uncanny ability to shove his thumb through any and all cans of beer so that they may be shotgunned.
Editor's note: I wasn't able to pull off the thumb shotgun until last Saturday, when I successfully penetrated a tall can of Tecate just before noon. Classy is what I aim for.

Here Ben and George team up for an epic doubles session at the Dude Barn ramp: Ben slings some kind of frontside handplant, George rides shotgun.

I got a low-to-high disaster. I also went for a 180 fakie 5-0 thingy, but that one ended badly.

SPITFIRE RELEASES NEW WHEEL!

2008-06-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Due to the amount of positive response to Real's Custom Shape Series and Krooked's Zip Zinger/Zig Zagger boards, Deluxe and Spitfire Wheels are releasing new Custom Angled Wheels including Nick Dompierre's "New England Cobblestone," Bobby Worrest's "DC Bricks" and Erik Ellington's "Epic Buzz." New models to come in the future!

Perfect for locking into bluntslides and tailslides, theses wheels will probably change skateboarding, if not the world as a whole, as we know it. Now you can feel like a raw street shredder in the safe confines of your local skatepark.

A prototype Spitfire Custom Shape wheel.

You'd Better Watch Out, Because He's Gonna Say "Fuck"

2008-05-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

AS SEEN IN THE FORT MYER PENTAGRAM (albeit in a slightly more edited form):

Ben Folds Drops F-Bombs, Dry Humor on Wolf Trap Audience

Ben Folds plays at Wolf Trap National Park May 28. Photo by Eleena Fikhman

Ben Folds is known for his sarcastic wit and wry sense of humor — after all, the man helped write and produce William Shatner’s album “Has Been” and collaborated with “Weird Al” Yankovic — and he kept the laughs coming during his show May 28 at Wolf Trap.

Folds started the show by telling the thousands of fans gathered at the national park’s Filene Center that he booked “a few small venues like this” that he loves to play “to test new material.”

“It’s so intimate,” he quipped.

Folds played a collection of new songs from his as-yet-untitled new album, to be released in September, and casually announced that fellow pop pianist Regina Spektor had contributed to one of the tracks. Most of the show, however, was a revue of Folds’ classics, tracing back from his most recent studio release, 2005s “Songs for Silverman,” to songs like “Underground” and “Narcolepsy” from the mid-‘90s.

After playing “All U Can Eat,” one of Folds’ many songs known for its tongue-in-cheek profanity and suburban angst (its chorus uses the line "they give no fuck") — in it, he complains about self-important people that, among other things, talk too loudly at restaurants — he played with the sign language interpreters.

“I’ve always wondered what they sign for 'fuck,'” he mused aloud. “Let’s have a vocabulary lesson!”

He burst into a rousing chorus of curse words while the interpreters laughed and signed furiously to keep up. At one point, he experimented with them by alternating “poop” with "shit" ...as it turns out, there's different signs for the different words.

He ended the “song” with a slew of medical and biological terms like “cellular epidemiology,” to which the interpreter continued to use the sign for "poop" and good-naturedly gave Folds some easy-to-understand sign language: the bird.

But don’t get the idea that Folds is all (toilet) humor and no substance. He writes from real life (“It’s easier,” he explained). His song “Brick” from 1998 is a heart-string-tugging tune about a young couple sneaking away from home to get an abortion; he’s written two songs about his kids, “Still Fighting It” for his son and “Gracie,” for his daughter; “Song for the Dumped” is self-explanatory, but the very funny (and very true) chorus laments about getting all the money he spent on his ex back.

He played three or four songs solo while the band took a break. If it hadn’t been for inebriated fans in the lawn seating shouting, it would have been silent. All eyes were on Folds; he had the audience in the palm of his hand. As he played “Gracie,” the audience sang along … and then he missed a chord.

“I only fuck up about once every two months,” he said. “But for a professional musician, that’s a pretty high fuck-up ratio.

“At least I made your show special,” he laughed as he restarted the song, changing one line from “you’ll always have a part of me nobody else is ever going to see” to “you’ll always have a part of me and you’ll always remember the right key.”

He finished the set with “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” a parody of ‘90s angst rock (“mom and dad, you made me so uptight/I’m gonna cuss on the mic tonight”). In the album version, he talks about how he’s “rockin’ the suburbs, just like Jon Bon Jovi did … except that he was talented.” For this show, he gave shout-outs to the interpreters and his opening act, “YouTube sensation” singer-songwriter Julie Nunes.

Drama, Drama, Drama...

2008-05-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

So, you know Chris Pfaff as this guy from MTV's "Rob & Big":

But you should know he and his brother, Scott, have some tasty tricks up their sleeves.
Here's some YouTube clips:
Rubber City Rollers
Some randoms
And Mr. Scott Pfaff at the Berrics. Watch and learn, kids. Watch and learn.

Hook Who Up?

2008-05-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

So, I'm surfing the YouTubes today, and BNQT (I'm guessing that's pronounced "banquet") has a feature called "Hook Me Up" which is, ostensibly, a sponsor-me engine for kids on the come up.

Here's this week's clip. The caption reads: "Somebody get this kid a sponsor. Local LA ripper Reemo Pearson is one of the illest up and comers out there. If you don't know, you're about to."

Now, let me first be nice. This kid obviously has skills on a skateboard. He jumps down some legit shit and he can do the Carlin flip. Based on that nosegrab varial thing he does, he's willing to do some dorky shit, too, and I can identify with that.
But should he be hooked up? Here are a few examples of other unsponsored kids you've never heard of, taken from the same YouTubes.

Andy Hart is by far one of the most stylish skateboarders I've met.
Billy Moyle had this video on eS Footwear's Scope My Footy. This is the throwaway stuff he's gotten so far working on his part in the Fol!o video. I guarantee his part will make people go "whoa."
Ben Graham is my little brother, but he's good as shit. No matter what he tells you.
Scott Goodman had some sponsors, I don't think he does anymore. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Nich Kunz is also really good, but I'm not sure of his sponsor status. But I think he's better than Reemo Pearson, and he grew up skating shitty Northwest spots, not LA hotspots.

No offense to BNQT.com (they do Danzed in DC, so someone knows good shit) but I don't think Reemo Pearson -- no offense to him, either, I don't know the kid I don't speak personally, just on the merits of his video -- deserves a sponsor as much as a lot of kids that are just as good or better. Hook them up first.

Nick got Danzed

2008-05-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

he's also at Transworld. Check it.

Wow... Xtreme.

2008-05-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Shaun Gregoire,

I'm well aware that you rip tons. But did you know that ESPN thinks you shred wicked hard, too?

Totally awesome.

Love, Ian

Mega Redletter weekend

2008-05-04T15:47:00.001-07:00

So, this weekend was rough. It started with my friend Dana's epic birthday party, but went on a steep decline from there. There was a pair of big spikes in awesome when I booked a flight to Boston to see Jaimie for a few days, and again when I bought tickets to see Kanye West next weekend. But then I hit my knee and broke my shit.

Evan was struggling with a difficult maneuver.

I was struggling with this. Guaranteed for life?

(UPDATE -- 5/6/08 -- Indys are guaranteed for life, my new trucks should be here next week)

And then Evan did something very stupid, but made it. The worst hip transfer ever.
If you can't read it, the board (that I think used to be a see-saw) says "BRITTANY IS A HOE." So Brittany, you've been called out.

I'm Only In It For The Health Benefits

2008-05-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Now, I don't generally turn to Fox for my news, but this story is very near and dear to my heart.
In fact, you owe it to yourself, your family, your friends and pretty much everyone else, to keep up the good work.

So click it now and read the good news.

"The End" of an Era

2008-04-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well, one of my favorite pros has retired. Never, I think, has anyone looked so cool on roller blades. Here's a collection of Jeremy Klein's greatest hits, as determined by me.
My apologies for the god awful pun in the title.

Here's World Industries' "Rubbish Heap," from 1989. So good.

And his part in Transworld's first video, Uno:

And he and Heath Kirchart's part from The End

ImageReady Hates Me.

2008-04-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

So, I shot this sequence a few a few weeks ago when Nick got on East Coast, but I just now figured out how to use ImageReady... or so I thought. I have the sequence animated and works in Internet Explorer, but doesn't like to work when I upload it here.
But now it works. I had to upload it to my MySpace and copy the URL from there. Wicked.

Let's Get Serious.

2008-04-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sorry that I haven't had anything skate-related on my blog in a while. It's supposed to be about skateboarding and kids that I know and meet that skateboard... but right now I'm... "incensed," to put it lightly.

I got an email, that apparently has been circulating the web for some time (usually they are by the time I get them). You can read it at any of these links:
http://www.runryder.com/helicopter/t424606p1/
http://www.digmycity.com/forum/f2/american-suicide-very-sobering-8025.html
http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=234999;article=1879
http://www.strangemilitary.com/content/item/136569.html

Please read it, or at least browse it, because it is (as stated in the title) very sobering. But to me, it wasn't sobering in the way they intended. The speech was made in 2004, and began circulating via email in 2005. Since then, former Colorado governor Richard Lamm has continued to say that black and hispanic Americans have formed an underclass because their cultures are "not success-producing."

So read the speech, then continue on...

The email, when sent to me, was headed with "Any thoughts? This will be a battle in your lifetime."

Here are my thoughts:
(a note, this is pretty much a rant, not a carefully reasoned argument, and I use ethnic/racial slurs -- not to offend, but to illustrate a point -- my apologies in advance)

I think, firstly, because of the way his name is spelled (Lamm), he's a little too Scottish to be spouting angry, anti-immigrant speeches like that.

Of course, about 170 years ago (from http://racerelations.about.com/od/ahistoricalviewofrace/a/antiimmighyster_2.htm), "The Know-Nothings formed in response to the continued immigration of Germans and the sudden rise of Irish immigration after the potato famine in the late 1840s. About 2.3 million immigrants arrived in the United States between 1830 and 1850, the largest group coming from Ireland. The Know-Nothings promised to stop what they called as a cultural and racial invasion by the Catholic Irish, who, because of their religion, supposedly owed first allegiance to the Pope. In addition to seeing them as disloyal citizens, Know-Nothings saw the Irish as promiscuous drunks, a potent charge at a time when the Prohibition movement emerged as a political force."

I think before he starts screaming about divided loyalties, Mr. Lamm should take an 8th grade U.S. history course.

It's only going to be a battle because people thing we're diluting America (hmm... weird, I remember a couple of Germans worried about outside cultural influences ruining Germany... yeah, I just made that comparison). If we're going to make such a fuss over Mexicans immigrating and bringing their culture along with them, then we shouldn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day, or Easter, or Hanukkah, or any other holiday/event with any sort of cultural implications. Does that mean we can't have Taco Bell? If not Taco Bell, what about pizza? Or Outback? The Australians are the English's rejects, we can't have them influencing our society! We can just celebrate Memorial Day and Veteran's Day (of course, not including the non-native US citizens or non-citizens who have served, because including them in our American celebrations will destroy our nation).

And I'm guessing Mr. Lamm's used to hearing the words "racist" and "xenophobe" in debates, because he's painting a beautiful portrait of himself as both.

I agree that globalization sucks for American industry and the lower/middle classes, but the fact of the matter is that we're not losing jobs like crazy to Mexican immigrants. We're losing them to natural-born citizens of other countries because we, as consumers, support the companies that do so. Don't like call centers going to India? Don't buy a Dell. Or a Gateway, or Hewlett Packard, or any of the hundreds of other computers made by companies that are outsourcing jobs elsewhere.

And the Orwell reference he makes just doesn't make sense. The slogans from the Ministry of Truth more accurately reflect what he's advocating. 'War is peace' just doesn't apply, unless you're talking about the unity and solidarity that war can give a society (by way, of course, of "Support Our Troops" magnets and $5 flags made in Guatemala). 'Freedom is slavery' fits his argument to a T, because, according to his argument, giving immigrants (legal or otherwise) the freedoms we already enjoy here will destroy America. 'Ignorance is strength' follows those same lines; he calls for de-culturalization, or assimilation into "American" (white) culture, because to recognize (or, God forbid, incorporate) other cultures into our own will turn our country into a former Soviet Republic.

While I don't have the data or research to really offer a good counterpoint at the moment, the solutions to all of the problems he claims we'll face are economic. And even if the dollar isn't as strong as it was a year ago, that doesn't mean the US is going to become Yugoslavia: The New Batch. Getting rid of the Mexicans and putting a halt to Cinco de Mayo celebrations everywhere (...would I not be allowed to drink foreign beer or liquor anymore? because fuck that!) isn't going to solve any of our problems.

In fact, we'd probably all be bitching because the 76% (here for citation) of high school graduates that go to college would likely end up doing jobs that are below their education level. Of course, that's assuming that they'll be able to afford the cost of college, or be able to get student loans. Who will bus tables, unload boxes behind Wal-Mart, drive garbage trucks, vacuum Mr. Lamm's office, prune Mitt Romney's hedges, wipe fingerprints off of the White House dinner table, add authentic Mexican flair to the service at Casa Bonita, or hang out at Home Depot to help people fix their roof? Not your average white kid from the "Third World" that Gov. Lamm sees in Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Santa Monica, Malibu, Ventura, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, San Francisco, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, or any of the other cities in California that definitely aren't struggling (except when the Mercedes breaks and the Mexican at the dealership can't fix it until Thursday).

A side note: it's funny that the same people that were shouting "If you don't like America, then you can get out!" or arguing that dissent is unpatriotic are the ones saying that discussion is being suppressed, and telling the people who like America so much that they risked their lives (or at least livelihood) to sneak in to get out.

I think coming from a poor background (like, say, an immigrant) and getting a job and working toward the white picket fence, 2.5 children and a dog IS the American Dream, not a threat to it. Hanging onto your piece of the pie by removing a perceived threat (rather than competing for it) isn't the American Dream. By doing that, you'll turn our nation/economy/society into Southwest Airlines. Sure the service is bad, the flight's bumpy, there's no movie, and there's not much guarantee that you'll get where you need to be when you need to be there, but hot DAMN it's cheap and easy.

The reaction he got would be the same reaction he would have gotten if he had stood up there, blamed the Jews for all of our problems, burned a cross and said, "The only good Spic [or Gook, or Nigger, or Kike, or Dago, or Kraut, or Mick, etc.] is a dead one!" It's not because he made a great point (unless everyone else in the room is a racist xenophobe), but because he said a lot of things that are insulting, degrading, hateful generalizations that history has already rebuked.

There should be no place in a modern society for assigning blame like that on one race or ethnicity or group. The current crisis in Darfur; WWII-era Japan, Europe and America (internment camps? oops, we're not innocent); the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia; anti-immigrant hysteria in the early US; the unaffected-by-time conflict in the Middle East and Central Asia going back to Biblical times; Apartheid; the worldwide slave trade; and just about anything involving Russia, the Balkans, and Central Asia throughout history should ALL be very clear examples of why singling out any group (whether it's a majority picking on a minority or a strong minority railing against the majority) and creating an adversarial relationship should be unacceptable -- not a method for solving economic problems.

Okay, I'm done now. Time to take a breather. I'll try to stick to skate-related stuff for a while.

And Now For Something Completely Different

2008-04-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Seen this?

Just like Winnie the Pooh trying to get that damned honey, some Brazilian priest has let helium balloons get the best of him. Hopefully, in the end, nothing too terrible happens. Maybe the priest can eat a bunch of honey and get stuck in a doorway when he gets back, so my comparison will make more sense. But who will decorate his bottom?

I promise, there will be more skate-related stuff soon... promise.

Survival of the Dumbest

2008-04-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Well, we've lasted longer than a week, so that's pretty cool. I'll have some stuff up from my trip to Boston (more personal, self-indulgent blogging!) soon.

For now, read this. I really wish that Edwards hadn't been washed out by Hillary and Obama's collective hype. Or by the fact that when some transsexual called him a "faggot," it totally overshadowed everything else about his campaign.

Bush "Uplifted" by Papal Visit

2008-04-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

So, I know it's all exciting that Pope Benedict XVI is visiting the U.S. And I know that D.C. Catholics are going pretty nuts over his mass at the new Nationals Stadium.

But what in the hell's going on in the president's pants?

Is that the pope's hat in your pocket, Mr. President, or are you just enjoying your visit?

(photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Suzanne Day, Army News Service)

Folio Skateboards

2008-04-15T21:00:00.001-07:00

So my homey Vic has this company, Folio, and he's keeping it proper. Victor's an O.G. ripper from Montana, now he's supporting the up-and-comers from the inland northwest.
Peep their new promo, video out this fall, according to their MySpace:

new folio promo

And, shit, while you're at it, watch Folio's Billy Moyle tear SHEC skatepark a new asshole.

Billy picnic table in color

UPDATE

2008-04-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

So, Nick Duclos now actually does ride for East Coast. Expect photos and sequences soon, because he's like, totally sponsored.

Evan Grice: Wicked Gay

2008-04-14T18:39:00.001-07:00

Did this guy land the kickflip wallride seen below? Well, he's no John Motta... no matter how badly he'd like to be.

But he can ollie really fucking high.

Dook Street

2008-04-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

The Alexandria (Duke Street) Skatepark would be a certified Piece of Suck if it weren't so damn fun to play around on. And while I would prefer some good 'crete to a prefab any day of the week, it's pretty much the only park in or around DC that doesn't have a pad patrol on duty. Based on some of the stuff I've seen there, I don't think it would be too hard to conceal a case of beer, either.

I skate there at least four times a week, weather permitting. Luckily, today I brought a camera.

So here's a look at another dumbass afternoon wasted at Dook Street.

Somehow, this was a make. See more Stu Robinson here.

Nick Duclos is really good, and should probably ride for East Coast. I'd sponsor him.

This is me before a harsh round of shuffleboard on my yacht.

Photography, or "Wasting Time on the Clock"

2008-04-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

While I wait for my oatmeal to cook, since I don't have anything skate-related to comment on right now, you have to deal with completely self-indulgent blogging (is there any other kind?) So here's a few photos I've taken during my time as a reporter for the Fort Myer Pentagram. That's right, I work at a newspaper called the "Pentagram."

Throw up the horns.

This guy was in Alexandria's Saint Patrick's Day Parade. For reasons that completely escape me, the parade was held on the 1st of March.

He's a very disgruntled clown, you can see it in his eyes. He must be so tired of riding that fucking bike.

The hat, on the other hand, looks like it would be a source of joy for anyone who's allowed to wear it.

I was lucky enough to meet Jon Stewart at this year's USO DC-Metro Awards dinner. I tried to go for a sort of Citizen Kane thing when I was shooting him.

I couldn't say why that was the reference I chose, it just was.
Rugby is a tough game. It's even tougher when you have a rivalry like Army and Navy in the scrum against each other.

Notice that, as the Navy player is being tackled, he's also basically getting punched in the face. Gnarly.

Damn, that took too long. Now my oatmeal's cold, and you're probably bored.

Cherry: Popped.

2008-04-13T17:42:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess I'm blogging now. Pending a few emails, I should have a real article up soon. Until then, patience.

Have you ever skated so long that your arms hurt? I mean, aside from the obvious broken bones or handplants all day, why might my arms be sore after skating a ledge and flatbar all day? I could understand if I had been beating off the whole time instead of skating, but I wasn't.

Anyway, here's a video to check out. It's Alexandria, VA's own Andy Hart, plus a montage of skaters from in and around DC. As can be seen in Fingerbang! Strikes Back.