So, this popped up last week but I was waiting for a day when nothing was going on to post. GonzGoneWild.com was the first to dig this up to my knowledge I could be wrong though. Google has inadvertently tagged Shaun White with Rocky Dennis in the images. Now, this is going farther back than my Gymkata refrence a few weeks back.
Rocky Dennis suffered from craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, disfiguring, sclerotic bone disorder. This usually means neurological disorders and premature death during adolesence. But, Rocky lived past his expected years and his story is an inspiring one. Eventually, in the 1980's, a movie was made about the last few years of his life and recieved praise. So if you go into google and type "Rocky Dennis" in the image search you get a picture of Eric Stoltz the actor who portrayed Rocky in the movie.
You also get an image of Shaun White. That's just mean. Here I thought the googles was against "evil".
I do love me a good party. Now, I may not get to all the "cool guy" events and see the latest "skart" installations. But, I know what is worth showing my face at so I can enjoy a watered down drink and hang with friends. So if I had unlimited frequent flier miles these events would be at the top of my list.
First up, way out west, we've got the launch of SkateBook. So if you can pry yourself away from playing Guitar Hero III for fifteen minutes I recommend going down to the Flying Elephant Pub (Hensley's joint) on December 1st for the kick off. If you don't know what SkateBook is, it's the latest creation of Michael Ballard. Now if you don't know Ballard go to the party and introduce yourself. He'll be glad you showed up. Maybe. I don't know. I do know Christian Hosoi and Danny Way will be on hand to sign inaugural copies of SkateBook. The images and tales will be worth the price of admission alone. Tack on getting to hang out with living legends as an added bonus or something like that...
Meanwhile, over on the East Coast where we've no entered into our third week of cold and miserable weather the boys at Teton Gravity Research are giving us something to smile about. You see it turns out Dash Long, one the skiers in their latest film 'Lost&Found', will be on hand Friday night to rep his outerwear sponsor. That sponsor would be Baltimore's own ... Under Armour.
OK, that's all nice and great. here's the best part. The party is going down at Little Havana. Now if you haven't been to a party in Baltimore I recommend going. It's an experience to say the least and having a waterfront Cuban joint as the host makes it all that much better. I doubt you'll see any $200 collab sneakers or $400 denim pieces. I will guarantee you lots of Natty Boh shirts and people who are so down for skiing and snowboarding that they bleed love for the snow. That's just the way they live and it's a beautiful thing.
Here’s what I want you to do this Monday morning. Clear your schedule for at least 15 minutes and grab your favorite beverage of choice. Run to the “office” and proceed with “office hours” if you must because you won’t want to take a potty break for the next 15 or so. “Why?” you may ask. Well, it just happens that we’ve got another round of Epicly Later’d available.
Epicly Later’d is a strange beast. Either you love it or you hate it. The all-access point of view and deep archive of footage give it a documentary feel. Running in a parallel path to the “docu-look and feel” is an understanding that this is all happening in fairly real time. You are watching history but the chapters are not fully written. The players are still on the stage so to speak. This “historical” and “in the now” sense aid in deciphering the underlying tones of what it means to be a professional skater in this day and age.
Patrick who bears the burden of producing Epicly Later’d has a knack for telling a story and asking some very interesting questions. How much of that burden is eased with a cast of characters especially those provided by the world of professional skating is to be determined. One can guess is that it helps quite a bit. This go around Patrick turns his lens to Heath Kirchart and it of course is another series of chapters tied to the ‘War and Peace’ sized ‘Wild Ride’ entries. Watch, enjoy and of course support Epicly Later’d.
EPICLY LATER’D – WILD RIDE PART 13 Heath Kirchart – The Quiet Inquisitor
EPICLY LATER’D – WILD RIDE PART 14 Heath Kirchart – Barbarians at the gate
EPICLY LATER’D – WILD RIDE PART 15 Heath Kirchart – Greatest Sticks and Slams
Well, since 'Black Friday' has come and gone it seems about the right time to post some gear reviews. When Fuel TV asked me to pull together a series of reviews surrounding products I was stoked on the list was short at first. Then after some research and using the unique qualifier of "if I had to pay full retail what would I buy?" the list gradually expanded.
In full disclosure: - I don't work for any of these companies. - I have either used or tested the product that is written about. - Burton did not send me a T6. I bought and tested it with my own money. Hopefully, I can deduct that from my taxes. OK, on with the reviews or read them as the roll out on Fuel TV.
Nike, Nike SB Zoom Team($62.99, Nike.com) The first time you get a legit pair of skate shoes it gives you this quirky confidence like you have been handed body armor for your feet. This is because skate shoes typically come stock with padding in all the right places. Combining that cushioning while maintaining board feel underneath your feet is something to ponder every time you're in mid ollie. That and hoping you don't roll an ankle. But I digress, what makes a skate shoe good? Well you might as well ask 100 different people what skateboarding "means" to them. I guarantee you'll get a different answer each time. However, if I had one crate full of shoes to hand out to friends it would be the Nike SB Zoom Team and here is the big reason why. Erase the sneakerhead, limited edition, and collaboration hype. Nike has re-developed the basic skate shoe: a good fitting, workhorse set of kicks with clean lines and durability. The soles have a real fine touch, but they last. You also get more padding than you bargain for with Nike Zoom Air in the heel. Bigger guys and those who enjoy what finer gaps, parking lots, and 10 sets have to offer will dig this item the most. Out of the box and onto your foot the break in time is fairly limited to a few kickpush's down the street. Nike packs lots of tech into this simple shoe and the key thing about the SB is this: it works.
Burton, T6($799.95, Burton.com) Terje. That's really all I have to say. Terje. OK, I'll say something else: Haakonsen. Put them together and you have a name that will bring a smile to the face of almost every die hard snowboarder worldwide. I smile for several reasons: The classic film Subject Haakonsen, watching Terje progress as he ages, and of course the Burton T6.Yes, the Burton T6 is the evolutionary brainchild of the spoken cat himself. While the Burton Vapor might be the stealth fighter being so lightweight and nimble, and the custom is the muscle in the freestyle/freeride line up, the T6 takes things to a jet fighter level. A super snap Alumafly core has the board’s essence on lock down while the newly integrated Smooth Ride technology removes the chatter and chop of high-speed assaults. Pipe, kickers, steeps ...I am pretty sure there isn't a single thing the T6 can't handle. When the time comes where your skills have maxed out and you need to rely on your gear to get you though it all, the T6 is your "next level" deck. So ask yourself this question. If one of the greatest riders of all time designed a snowboard would you ride it? Maybe, Maybe not.The choice is purely personal. But, to have the opportunity to ride like him for just one day (when all your stars align and you are granted three wishes) you'll need the right board. That is worth the price of admission for those who really understand it.
Dakine, Skate Duffle($49.94, Dakine.com) Lets be honest, flying with your gear is a hassle. Especially flying with skateboards. I love it when the gate attendants inform us that we have to gate check our boards. No matter how much we argue it's always the same result. Joe Businessman can bring on a roller bag that exceeds the standard check on but the decks are kicked to the curb. Not so good times if you must know.Dakine has a nice little solution. It's an old concept with a new update: the skate duffel. Simply put it's a carry on bag to hold your deck and it's a godsend. No longer will my board accidentally end up in Oslo, Norway when I am on my way to Oregon. Ah, relaxing indeed. What's even better is Dakine freshened the idea by putting an insulated cooler section in the bag. Good fro sodas, energy drinks or your adult beverage of choice. See, that's all you need ... your gear and a place to store your bevies (soda, Red Bull...you get the picture). Now that is an excellent dose of good times for you and your crew.
Slappy Thanksgiving everybody out there. It's been a busy week here in D.C. The weather is doing a steady ping pong between:"it might snow" and "it's going to be 70 degrees and sunny". So until the big dump occurs, and we are talking about snow not what you aunt Irene will be doing in the can after today's feast, it's still game on with skating. A few quick things
- Colin Bane over at BNQT.com has assembled a Turkey TV Guide to get you through the weekend. Check it out. Happy Thanksgiving Colin, enjoy your Tofurkey.
- 'Fully Flared' is still on everybody's head after last Friday's premiere. Thrasher's Burnout has photos and so does the crew over on Vital Skate. Straight from the Skateboard Mag and SGV we get a nice installment of 'What are you Wearing? Best Line comes from Koston himself: "Whatever, I'm corporate." Classic.
Throwing a snowboard premier in Washington D.C. is god damn hard work. First off, lets be brutally honest the core snowboarding population is tiny opposed to the general recreation riders. But, there were enough of the cold weather faithful to brave a blustery Saturday evening in Arlington, VA right outside the D.C. city limits for a viewing of Monument Snowboards new footage, colder bevies and of course… walking away with some freebies.
This is the third of fourth year Monument has put on their pre-season party to showcase the seasons DVD sampler. I can go into lengthy detail about the evening but here’s what it came down to. People showed up, drank some drinks and walked away happy for snowboarding. Noticeably absent from this years festivities was Monument TM Jeremy Cline. Deaf Jam is like the Spinal Tap of this event. he typically brings the room to 11. With out the anointed Deaf Jam the sheer volume of people had to pick up the slack. OK, my description is pretty weak. Let’s have the pictures do the talking…
People came to drink, watch The Monument snowboards film 'Frontcountry' and of course put their hands in the air and wave them like they just don't care. At least that was the rumor.
Monument Snowboards Founder and CEO Dave Tran gives away snowboard #1 of the evening.
A little later Dave was feeling strangely fine and gave away a second snowboard. That or he was freestyling to some RZA breaks. I forget.
For the record I went to get some Chilli across the street when this photo was taken. When people don their freebies and the gangster mugging starts happening it's a good sign to make like Costanza and leave on a high note.
No, I didn't go to the Fully Flared premiere. To be perfectly clear I'm pretty sure Lakai doesn't know I exist. Thus, no invite. In Haiku form it would be like this:
Big movie theater. Fully Flared arrives tonight. The diaper needs changing.
Or Sit on the East Coast The Chief D G K All Day? Now get Fully Flared.
Yep, that's some regular Sylvia Plath stuff there.OK we all have a few days to wait before this video start circulating so lets go straight to the internets. On with the bloggers...
Rob Brink has a solid little write up and some footage from Daewon in the Deca days. Trust me, read, watch and it will all make sense. READ ON...
Rob also scores the funny photo of the day. Photo courtesy Robbrink.com
Everyone's favorite relocated Washington D.C. skate Chris Hall Checks in on the party from his new blog. READ ON Photo Courtesy: hallchris.blogspot.com
Photo Courtesy: hallchris.blogspot.com
Good old fashioned magazine coverage brings up the rear (that's what she said) with their fancy interviews and slide shows. Thankfully skate magazines are backing the internet since we only have about 12 trees left to chop down and mill into paper.
Yes, I fully realize the 2008 season hasn't even kicked off but some stuff we just need to look at sooner rather than later. Case in point: 2009 Mervin graphics. What's more interesting is how Mervin continue to step up their use of technology: Magne traction, the banana tech.... you know how it is with Mervin. They continue to reinvent and redefine their stellar line of boards. I think everybody should ride a board from Mervin manufacturing for a minimum of one season. These decks give you a sense of how boards should come straight from the factory and not toned down for the masses.
While Mervin's companies have built an image by not having an image it simply hasn't stopped progression in the factory. Maybe it's because the guys building the boards all have a passion for surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding ... I don't know. I do know the deck promise good things and don't be surprised to see these among top reviews in your 2009 buyers guide.
Finally Friday! Actually, it’s Saturday. No, I haven’t been slacking just very busy. Busy doing what? Working, working real hard for the man I tell you! Well, that’s not really true either. OK, I was traveling. I didn’t have a laptop. Even bloggers need a break. Especially us South of the North hacks. Enough about us lets talk about everything else that is skateboarding.
Wha’ Happen? Key-rist Friday was a busy night. 5Boro was busy saving a bowl in NYC, Nixon was getting their art mosh on and finally… Fully Flared premiered. Of course I was on a plane back from Denver. If anybody knows how it went down hit me up. I’m dying to know. For those of you just tuning in Fully Flared is the first full length video from the Lakai Limited Footwear team. The video hits shelves on December 7th but select cities have showings before then. Check out the dates on Lakai.com.
Corey Duffel X Roxky Erickson Collab Deck Foundation and Corey Duffel are putting out collaboration deck with Roky Erickson. A quick history lesson here: hailing from Texas, Erickson was one of the pioneers in the early psychedelic rock movement. Over the years Roky has had mental health issues – allegedly augmented by “part by ill-advised shock therapy and incarceration in a Texas mental hospital”
All proceeds from this deck go to the Roger Kynard Erickson Trust.
Random Updates Again, the “internets” does a real good job at hitting the “random” button when I need it to. The first nugget that dropped into my mailbox this week was this story about skating as an alternative work out. While this may be a “thanks for the news flash moment” because we all know you don’t see too many overweight- heart disease prone die heard skaters. I do appreciate seeing some main stream coverage on skating whose focus isn’t 1. An injury sustained due to lack of a helmet. 2. A local ban on skateboarding. 3. County commissioners fighting their towns’ skatepark initiative. (which is some real Boss Hogg Bullshit)
Next up is the fair and balanced news coming out of the Fox TV affiliate. Apparently Tony Hawk is now a pro surfer. Not really, but that's what this report said. That’s what I love about skateboarding. I get older and mainstream media remains in the realm of "I have no clue" when talking about action sports.
48blocks.com Let’s be honest. It’s getting to the point where if you aren’t checking out 48Blocks.com by now you are probably never going to. But, at the same time you should at least check out the ‘Censorship is weak as F**K’ event.
Bob Meet Bigfoot, Bigfoot Meet Bob Finally, Bob Burnquist has stepped out of Hurley footwear and is on IPath. This isn’t really news to anybody but I guess Timberlands boot money can buy a few big name skaters. What’s interesting are the cuts the IPath has made since being bought out (or invested in pending who you speak with) a few years ago. Personally, I wonder how long they will keep Fred Gall on the team or if this new era of Ipath is a strong push from them for the jersey devil.
Ah well Congrats Bob on you new gnar boots.
IPATH is pleased to announce that Bob Burnquist is the latest addition to the team. Bob’s unique approach to skateboarding makes him a solid fit for the expanding IPATH crew.
From innovating every time he steps on a skateboard, to his own legendary backyard park and mega-ramp to organic farming, Bob follows his own unique path in every aspect of his life.
“Bob is a perfect fit for the IPATH team and we’re stoked to have him onboard,” stated IPATH’s president Brian Krauss. “Bob’s distinctive approach to skating and the decisions he makes on a personal level mesh perfectly with IPATH’s vision. Our entire team is made up of unique individuals and the addition of Bob to the crew only enforces that.”
Despite turning pro in Brazil when he was 14, he was a relative unknown in the US until he won the prestigious Slam City Jam, stunning the crowd with his technical switch skating. This then catapulted his skateboarding to numerous other successes, including: Thrasher’s coveted Skater Of The Year crown and multiple X-Games medals. However, his contest wins only compliment his deep bag of trick innovations and other skateboarding firsts.
Bob is currently hard at work filming for the long-awaited Flip Skateboards video ‘Extremely Sorry’, due out spring 2008. Watch for more from Bob online at www.ipath.com
There was a period in time when if a girl showed up to a skate park your initial reaction would be: "Who's sister is that?" The moment she dropped in your way of thinking quickly changed from "who" to "how is she pulling that trick?" While female skaters may be a growing trend out on the West Coast they are stills scarce in numbers out East. After seeing everybody on the SLAP message boards get up in arms over who deserves and doesn't deserve to be pro it seems never a words comes up about women skaters. So while we are moving in a that directions of an equal baseline we are still far from it due to the "out of sight, out of mind" principle. But, thanks to the Internet that is all about to change.
OK, so maybe it's not going to be a drastic overnight change but when you find articles on women skaters popping up on your Google feed you know things are flipping around. Take the recent coverage coming out of Colorado. Annie Sullivan was recently profiled for her college newspaper. You and I may know her as skater for Sector 9 and the Alliance but Annie Also puts in time as a normal college student doing normal college kid things. A pretty big division in worlds but Annie is just one example of the young women who are bringing skating out to the world. At the end of the day we will always have mainstream coverage and comparisons that's drawn with Tony Hawk in mind. For the rest of the world Tony is the measuring stick by which we are identified and that won't change anytime soon. However, that comparison is now extended equally to men and women. That's a good thing.
Today is Veterans Day. This is the day we thank those who have served in the Armed Forces past and present. Whatever your feelings are about the current administration or our current military industrial compely put them aside for a moment. Today we thank all those who have served and are serving for the sacrifices they have made. These men and women leave behind, homes, families, their country for periods of time to go and do their jobs which ultimately is for all of us. Some sacrifice more others endure minor hardships but today is their day. so, thank you for all you have done.
There is a current crop of service men and women coming home with injuries that will take years to recuperate from. Organizations like The Wounded Warrior provide support help and assistance for the injured and their families. Additionally, an injury should never stop you from living your life. Both the Adaptive Action Sports and Amped Riders are proof positive of that. If, you know an injured vet please pass them on to those links and perhaps they'll get plugged into something new.
The pics below are courtesy of Adaptive Action Sports. The guy on the ramp as you all know is John Comer, professional skater. Jon has been killing it ever since he was in an acciden as akid. he continues to amaze and inspire to this day.
Straight from the desk of things that make we want to vomit in my mouth" we have this video.
First off: looks pretty staged but then again who knows and more over who cares. next thing I have a big issue with is the slide saying "Respect, you've got to earn it" Right, thanks for the newsflash whoever is the ad genius that came up with this campaign.
Lets quickly dip our toe into the world of advertising. I'll approach this from a consumer perspective so I can paint a very vivid picture for all you numbnuts in the cheap seats who are selling us crap like Sprite Zero. If you are going to use action sports to sell us on an energy drink that will wake us up, or perhaps helps us get a little pep in our step because we've been out skating all night but still have to show up for work at 8AM like very other working joe, that's fine. I guess it's a necessary evil at certain times. But, I'll stick to espresso for the most part
However, to try and draw a correlation in terms of "respect" from some shitty mocked up user generated content video and Sprite Zero? Fuck you. You want respect? Buy into action sports instead of whoring it out. Sponsor a contest, get involved for fucks sake ... do something! Honestly, you think you can legitimately string together a sentence about respect when you are schilling products for the Coca-Cola Company out of Atlanta, Georgia? Apparently you must think that your demographic is pretty dumb. Here's my newsflash: you are dealing with a savvy group of people both young and old that can smell bullshit a mile away. Don't placate them with "lingo" you'll only end up doing damage to your brand.
Skaters going pro, products dropping like there's no tomorrow and of course more random You Tube video. Hot dam, it must be Friday. Time for another long winded entry about what is going down in skating, media and consumer America. Lets get into it before I start making like Led Zepplin and "Ramble On". Yes, I just went in that general god awful joke direction. see, all work and no skate make Southofthenorth.com that much tastier. OK, Here we go...
Guess Who is Down With Black Box? Pete Eldridge is, that's who. Looks like Jamie Thomas decided to kick it down for P.E. with a spot on the Mystery team. Nice going Pete, moving up from flow to team status is usually reserved for the most deserving and we love to see East Coast skaters get their often long over due respect and attention.
Where Did the $20,610 Go? I always get a kick out of how crooked the local goverment in washington D.C. I mean, it's bad enough the city re-elected Marion Berry after he got busted in a hotel room with a hooker smoking crack but taking money from a skate park fund is some stright up bullshit. As the Washington Post reports on 11/9:
Science teacher Terry Nostrand raised $20,610 from the Tony Hawk Foundation and Project Learning Tree in 2003 to build a skateboarding park at the high school. She deposited the money into the student activity fund. When she tried to retrieve the money the following year, she "kept getting one story after another," Nostrand recalled. "Runaround, runaround, runaround." Nostrand never did get answers about whether the money was stolen or lost to bad accounting. Auditors attempted to trace the money within the student account but declared the records "unauditable." The city had to repay the donors, and the skatepark eventually was built elsewhere.
That skatepark built elsewhere was labor of love by Washington D.C. skaters and it's called Green Skate Lab.
SMP Does Not Mean "Smoke More Pot" OK, who knows what it measn and moreover...who really cares? Actually it appears TK cares. He's definitely down for Super Mind Power, that's right SMP. While SMP sounds vaguely lik straight edge I'm definitely down with having a moment of clarity. I don't care what you call it but elevate how you gotta elevate. Check the video courtesy of Thrasher Magazine and the heads up from Skatedaily.net
Rowley And Indy Everybodies favorite vegan, Geoff Rowley, who skates less and actually provides more of wooden and urethane assault on urban environments has got his own signature Independent Truck hittin' shelves. You can watch the intro video and get some solid footage of Geoff killing it. More importantly you can go here and enter to win a set of the trucks.
Are You Watching the Grill Session? There are so many things happening in the world of skating you have to be on your toes to catch them all. Particularly when it comes to video. I've been watching Vital Skate since it launched. Recently, Shad Lambert and the crew over at Vital have been putting together the grill session and you know what? it's pretty entertaining. Check out the Grill Session with Matt Ball and bookmark vital. The videos are well worth it.
Or you could just get freaky tattoos like Sammy Baca. Yup, no regretting that King Cobra piece of ink ever. I swear some pros are heading straight to the Scott Bourne School of cover ups in a few years.
Everybody loves re-issues and I've been known to have a wall hanger or two lying around. Perhaps it's our way of remembering the glory days and the old guys for all the contributed and pioneered. You can pretty much show up to any skate park in North America around the 7 AM hour and you'll see a few guys rocking decks and gear that was new in 1987.
So, if old school is your thing there are re-issues and shapes galore out there for your skating needs. Most notably Creature tends to kill it with these boards but NHS is dropping another load of re-issues including the Corey O'Brien deck. I've seen that as more than one bad skate tattoo in my day. Check out these boards coming from NHS if you are feeling nostalgic. Corey O'Brien Reaper Jeff Kendall Snake Salba Bevel Jeff Grosso Dust
Welcome back to another edition of really absurd news as it relates to action sports. Now, this isn't your ordinary news of the weird. Nah, this is just straight up good old fashioned head turning moments that will makes one muble "what the fuuuuuuuh ...". Now, you may or may not catch yourself before you utter a four letter word sure to offend infants, the elderly and as many prudish people within earshot. Then again you might just relish in having a good reason to drop an F-Bomb. I certainly do. Lets dig into this nugget.
This story coming out of Colorado may be good or bad pending on your view of skating. William Spencer of 'Hollarado' infamy is getting an MTV show. Yup, I kid you not. The guy who flips onto his skateboard and shamelessly reinvented the caveman appears to be bound for his own broadcast blend of 'Life With Ryan', 'Rob and Big' and 'Jackass'. Now if you haven't seen the 'Hollarado' clip it's, well....it's interesting. I probably fall out of the audience because gymnastics and skating seem like two very different activities that shouldn't be blended together. However, William Spencer and his agent feel otherwise. Lord knows MTV will ride any skateboard angle to the idiot box these days so it pretty much makes sense that the end for this kid is a reality show.
Are you done throwing up in your mouth? OK, maybe the kid is impressive but I rank this up there with a blend of Todd Falcon and the early Eighties genius that was 'Gymkata'. In other words it's so bad it's mildly entertaining. Yes, we can all regress to the golden rule of entertainment: "Even a turd will shine with enough studio polish." William Spencer, you can thank Kurt Thomas and 'Gymkata' for this unintentionally funny lesson of the day. Watch and avoid if at all possible.
Monday has come and gone. But, with the passing of time and the angst that comes from missed opportunities is the rebirth in the form of fresh and tasty news. Hailing from the West Coast not just the best Coast is a nice little follow up the the Vans Sky gallery entry we posted last week. The kickoff party kicked off right and put everybody in a charitable mood. So for those of you who are not playing along at home, maybe you are just joining in...here is the official sound bite:
Vans' Sky Gallery project culminated with an art show at New Image ArtGallery in West Hollywood on November 2. Each of the artists, MarcoZamora, Derek Albeck, Sage Vaughn, Kelsey Brookes, Cole Gerst and JophenStein, represented with original art, prints and screened t-shirts and a cool 'zine put together by Derek. Portions of proceeds will benefitnon-profits chosen by the artists: Islands Fold, Invisible Children,Chrysalis, Keep a Breast Foundation, Architecture for Humanity and PETA.
Again, another stellar move by not just another action sports company but an originator. Check the picks form the show and for more information about the artists, products and charities check out vansskygallery.com. The front is primed for the show and ready to go. A little Vans, a little art and a litte music equals many good times. The crowds partake in the visual feast... ... and partake some more. Vans Sky Gallery artist Derek Albeck Vans Sky gallery artist Kelsey Brookes... Vans Sky gallery artist Kelsey Brookes in mid conversation. Perhaps he's discussing his charity of choice: the Surfrider Foundation. Vans Sky gallery artist Marco Zamora holding it down. A patron of the arts samples the audio wares detailing Marco Zamora's contribution to the Vans Sky Gallery. This contribution to Vans Sky from Cole Gerst, like others at the gallery, allowed guests to listen in and get the full story. all photos courtesy Vans.com
It wouldn't just be a new month without a drop from Nike SB. Now that the hype surrounding "Nothing But the Truth" has died and we've weathered an ebay storm around "what the dunks.." maybe we can get back to actually talking about skating. Or, god forbid, skating for the sake of skating. Right then, pending where you live in this country you may get a Nike SB demo soon or a Nike SB team signing ... hell you may get both. Granted we are few days late on this but I took off for a little skating and some other stuff popped up. Basically reinforcing the Southofthenorth.com editorial policy: "We could report things right away but, it's kind of a hassle compared to skating." Take note everybody, statements like that are not how you get crazy dot com dollars to invest in your product. OK, here's your tour news
Now, for all the sneakerheads and people who are willing to shell out the boutique bucks for you skate shoes here are the Nike SB releases for November. Hypebeast had the heads up on this one. Check the notes from their site:
"As many of us have just rolled over the calendar to reflect a new month, Nike SB has previewed a number of releases set to take place through the course of November. Among the releases are the "Bloody Sunday" Dunk High, "November Rain" Dunk Mid, "Pigeon" P-rod II, and the United front pack of Zoom Air Harbor and Zoom Team Editions. The "Bloody Sunday" and "November Rain" were both designed by Nike SB's Shawn Baravetto. Look for these to arrive at your local Nike SB dealer in coming weeks."
Once again, I thank all I know on this earth for the power of Google. Set the right search and information is available at your fingertips. Plus, no chaff to wade through. It's all good stuff. I tend to follow actions sports and primarily skating. If you haven't figured that out yet ... you are new to this blog thus...welcome. Those of you who have been playing along at home lets continue...
So a few minutes ago Google, with its infinite search power, showed me the latest entry into the Action sports social network world ... say hello to Loopd.com. This foray into the social network space will be going after not just action sports but motor sports and endurance sports (running, triathlons) as well. The San Diego Business Journal was kind enough to be the source for this material if you want to read the full article go here. If you want the bullet points here we go!
"In its newest life, Loop’d offers the services of its predecessor site, SponsorHouse.com, which Tilton and buddy R.J. Krause founded in 2001. That site helps amateur athletes find commercial sponsors and sponsors a forum for finding athletes to tout their products."
"Loop’d, set to officially launch Nov. 5, includes the participation of four partners, all well-heeled public companies that make products for the youth market: Monster Energy (a division of Hansen Beverage Co. of Corona); Pacific Sunwear of California, based in Anaheim; Oakley Inc., based in Foothill Ranch; and Orange County-based Surfer Magazine."
"This year, Loop’d Network should generate $2 million in sales, with half derived from advertising. Forty percent will come from fees paid by athletes and sponsors, and 10 percent from fees generated by retail businesses on the site, Tilton said. Loop’d is not profitable yet, but that should happen within the next 12 to 18 months, he said."
"The company attracted $2 million in an angel round of investing in 2004 after Tilton and Krause’s business plan won the Pitchfest event by the San Diego Venture Group. Andrew Craig, a sports event consultant whose firm was instrumental in helping London win the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and Sochi, Russia, get the 2014 Winter Games, said he was impressed enough with Tilton and his business to make a “modest investment” in Loop’d."
OK, wow, that's quite a bit. I'll tackle the state of social networking in action sports later this week when I get my initial VLog rolling. That should be interesting to oh, about 10 people globally. But, I want to leave you with a parting thought. Lets start with the current players in the actions sports outdoors sports space: Lat34.com ... Go211.com ... BNQT.com ... ActionProfiles.com ... Fuel.tv working with Myspace ... Stellarmag.com ... IgnitionSk8.com ... VitalMedia.com ... shredordie.com ...
This already crowded category just got a little more crowded. To be honest, I can understand launching in the motorsports category and definitely the endurance sports category. They are both currently under served in this media space without a clear leader. However, launching an action sports social network now is like 4 dudes showing up to a party that's already the proverbial "sausage fest." Now, that's a harsh statement but you can't deny that action sports and the social media category is already standing room only.
OK, raise your hand if you are suffering from an overdose of sugar the likes of which is causing you to now dip into a coma. Is that just me? Dear sweet jesus, why did I eat those 328 mini-snickers bars? Yeah, well lets get back into skating. Maybe the pictures will surface of me in my Mothra costume a bit later. Like I said, back to the skating and well, talking about skating.
TheForgottenCity.com has a Mumbo Sauce update. Right side of the screen in case you havea case of the lazy weekend syndrome.
Allen Danze has returned to blogville with some updates! I think he might be working on something new or not so new depeding on where you live...
... from Captain Action at BNQT.com: "Banquet presents a new show from Allan Danze, "Danzed in DC". Starting in December, check back every week for the latest episode. Until then,here's a taste of what's to come. Danze has D.C. on lock. If you don'tknow now you know."
Finally, last weekend Convoy skateboards had themselves a contest at the park two blocks from my house. Now, I should have been there but here's the issue. it was my lady's birthday and that's just how things go. You have to pick and choose the time and place. The upside is I did get in three hours of skating the next day.
Lucky for you, me and everybody else that couldn't make it out to the comp Convoy had the hookup. Lots of photos and video galore ..I snaked this little tid bit form their flickr page: Convoy Skateboards hosted a Best Trick Contest and Skate Jam at the Arlington Skatepark on Oct. 27, 2007.1st Place - Caleb Ocasio - BS Heelflip and BS Half Cab Kickflip down the "Big 3" 2nd Place - Eric Johnson/Convoy Team Rider - 360 Flip down the "Big 3" 3rd Place - Jesse Berry - Kickflip Indy Grab down the "Big 3"
Sounds like quite the jam. Check the photos and for all your Convoy news hit them up on the Convoy Blog or Convoyskateboards.com
Maybe next weeks some footage will surface from the Gnaughty premiere and more goodness will go down. See you Monday.
Vans Sky Gallery artist Derek Albeck
Vans Sky gallery artist Marco Zamora
This contribution to Vans Sky from Cole Gerst
