July 31, 2011

What XGames?


Etnies Paris Video. Interesting to see some new faces in the mix after all the recent industry power moves.

The Xtreme Games we're apparently on TV today. I didn't see any of it but from what I saw on twitter, everyone else saw all of it. Scott Tammel phrased it pretty well; "Watching the Xgames is the new not watching the Xgames."
Needless to say my curiosity got the best of me and I had my fill after only one youtube clip. The Go Skateboarding Day Era has produced some pretty unbeatable robots. Skateboarding gets weirder.

Dennis didn't break his board today (some might consider that newsworthy).

-Henkler

July 29, 2011

Intern Me On

Be A Manwolf Today from éS Skateboarding on Vimeo.

McCrank rules.
Finally made it up to St. Cloud this week. The park is pretty sick, and the locals are even sick-er. I threw a little video together of the afternoon.
Me: "Dan, what you got there? BBQ sauce?"
Dan: (snicker) "You know it. I don't run these stock."
-Henkler

July 28, 2011

Where Do We Go Now?


"I almost wish that I didn't become someone in skating."

Yikes man. There's something haunting-ish about that sentiment as I flip between the Twins and the X-Games (X-Games mostly making it haunty). Josh Stewart hit the nail on the head; Oyola was born 10 years too early.

Speaking of the X-Games, Animal Chin gets the Slate treatment. I'm not really buying into the conclusions made by the story. The claim that "Chin" represents some sort of straight line to ESPN glory doesn't take into account the nine year gap between the two and the cratering of the skateboard industry in between. Also, the claim that skateboard videos (the author strictly refers to "Chin" as a film) came into their own because of Stacy Peralta's innovation of including a narrative arc doesn't really stand up to reality, barring, of course, The Chocolate Tour. An all in all decent write up though, if taken for what it is.

Mike, we need to board..! That message wasn't directed at this Mike.

Attack of the Blob is this Sunday at the Red Stag Blockparty. You know where that is, right?

Please excuse the lack of updates. We'll try harder.

July 21, 2011

Posted Before The Email

Mini Video 78 - On the Floor - Wiskate.com from Josh Ellis on Vimeo.

The Torey Pudwill outlook on skateboarding is really great and all, but...I suspect that Max Murphy and Matt Nordness are semi-secretly doing some of the best skateboarding around. Today. Nowadays. Right now. Videos such as these are the antidote to those who feel street skating is somehow dying. Go to the no-coast.

July 13, 2011

BEER SHORTAGE

Finally, finally I get to bring up the Minnesota state shutdown (and strike it through no less). Not only are stores, bars and restaurants running out of booze because of issues with the shutdown, but now, overshadowing that news, MillerCoors, because of shutdown related licensing issues, will have to stop selling in the state.

What does that mean? Per the article linked to above, skate faves such as Coors Light, Hamm's, Mickey's and OE will no longer be available. Pour one out for your ability to pour one out.

Thankfully, sales of Black Label will not be affected.

As for the event above, Sunday could possibly have heat indexes of 100-115 degrees. Oh my.

Jamiel has some clips in this montage at the Bellvue plaza.

Wiskate's new montage is splendid as usual, and I must say that I re-watched Stemper's 270-alley-oop-kickflipy many times. Shit was fierce!

July 12, 2011

BUBD 4: A Success Story

Young men playing a dice game called "Cee-lo," during "Beer Up, Bro Down."

Cultivating a successful and fun and relevant skate event for some years is often an arduous and trying task, with little to small thanks. Lucky us.

The fourth installment of Beer Up, Bro Down (an admittedly ridiculous/horrible event name, I should know!) was a surprising and pleasant success. In years past it was marred by brain injuries, fights, rain and low attendance/sloppy organization. While this year's event could have suffered the same impediments, it did not.

This past Saturday, not at all crisp by any estimate, found an ever-growing group of new dudes to the event and vets alike massing at the Grumpy's downtown. A session on the street behind lead to hill-bombing by the river and sweaty revivals at The Nomad.

The 90 plus air temps and the irresponsible dew points led to a perfect climactic condition for skateboarding and heavy drinking; one was forced to hydrate liberally (with water) just to keep on keeping on.

Having picked up a suitcase and tallsixes we bombed parking garages and August Van Art (Augie) perhaps had the best trick of the day riding out over the LRT lines as only one could with the safe backing of PBR and a Bloody Mary. Monty's Spits faced an Escalade and were not so lucky.

As many of you voted for, the pack then turned for Northeast, and we (I) soon found ourselves being somewhat interrogated about the difference between skateboarders and longboarders at the Yacht Club by an unassuming middle-aged woman. Excellently, she already understood the inherent differences.

By this time it was truly night, a time in which BUBD had never truly existed. The band took a stop at Mayslack's, much to the delight of some The House shopping parents of a 17-year-old skateboarder. The law student, the English dude and the otherwise well-spoken individuals constituting the crew at this point must have given them much hope for the future of their son.

Bottineau Skatepark, ring it from the hills, is otherwise unskateable unless one is drunk and it's roughly 11:00 PM.

The night apogee'd, or cratered, depending on if you were there, when the remaining crew reached the other Grumpy's within the Minneapolis city limits. There, mush mouths took over, maybe, and we assessed just how the heck we felt. Tired. There, we questioned the drinks we'd just bought, and (this is a fact) we all found a safe way home.

Simply put, we (London Luke and I) do "Beer Up, Bro Down" every year because more than anything, it seems like a hell of a way to spend a Saturday. See you next year.

July 11, 2011

Vinny and Seth for Ultrex™



Living in a decent sized metro area has perks, such as the intermittent casting calls for skateboarders, because of our decent sized in-city ad agency community. I've been to a couple, and plenty of other guys have been to a couple, and sometimes they even get work out of it.

If anyone has a line on the Great Clips commercial featuring a corn-rowed Nate Compher circa the Open Iris years, let us know.

July 8, 2011

FARGO

Take it to the Red River Valley. More info on Kemmer's photo show here.

July 7, 2011

You Know These Dudes/#FAMILIABOYS


Make the post titles Twitter friendly. Well done. "Like" them here if you still have not.

What I Did On Summer Vacation

I'm back from the mountains and the West. Clocked about 2,800 miles. I didn't pay for that picture of old George.

I'm sure much has been written about The Big Bang (it's surprising the name was never used, some way or another. The lack of "Hammer Time" is still confounding), so there's no real need for in-depthness. BTO sums things up well, though I must disagree and say the shoulder-high backside tailslide (to straight?!) was, and should have been, the big bang. I do agree that Shane O'Neill's automatronics pale in comparison to the mad-scientist approach that Pudwill takes. Possible SOTY? No. Or. Shouldn't be.

Having not ridden a board for about a week and in the midst of my internet catch up day (I mercifully left the CPU at home), the latest Gabe in Wisconsin clip made me want to go out and get some. Plenty of other goodness on the Wiskate, so click the header.

To continue playing Six Degrees of Matt Murphy (and I'm still playing e-catch-up), how about those Ricky Oyola Epicly Later'd's? Pathos alert!

Two things come to mind watching them. Maybe more. First, is that I'm sure the 'nets will be awash in sentiments that Oyola is some washed up, jaded dude who should just give it up. That's pretty much wrong. Oyola seems like a dude who is about doing it his way, only his way, and in skateboarding acceptance of that fact seems contingent upon how succesful "his way" is. That also plays into his outspokenness. Compare Oyola and Kalis. I think the biggest difference is long-term success and perhaps the fact that Kalis picks his marks a little bit better.

Speaking of marks, just how about saying "he's terrible too" about Koston? The angry comments stream in, but wasn't he just talking about switch mongo, and then naming a guy that looks good doing it? Probably doesn't matter.

I totally agree on his point about the backside tailslide to fakie. I'll never understand the turn around.

July 6, 2011

Old Clips


I know, I know... I've been blowing it the last couple weeks.  I was in the process of moving and it took me quite a while to find a house in Saint Louis Park with a blogging nook.


My internutz are reconnected now, and I'm going to start out with a special treat.  In the process of moving I found an old hard drive with some footage from a couple summers ago and picked a few clips to put up.  It's funny to see how much people have changed in only a couple years.
-Henkler