SKATE NEWS

Ever since the unleashing of Lakai's Fully Flared, the bar for skate videos has been significantly raised. For a while, every video was starting to look exactly the same as far as tricks go. Nollie crooks, back Smith, front feeble, nollie flip down a set...and on and on, until the conformity of each skater's trick list had become downright appalling. Then comes along Fully Flared and wham-O! Sh*t pops off like nothing we'd ever seen before. The flip in flip out phenomenon is back and taken to new levels of tech and originality. The skating is fresh, innovative and downright amazing. In a peanut M&M shell, the thing lived up to its expectations and so much more. Since the unveiling of Lakai's cinematic masterpiece, the only other video to come close to Fully Flared's hype, is Fallen Footwear's Ride The Sky. Jamie Thomas has assembled a diverse team of riders over the years for his shoe outfit, Fallen, and this being the first time to showcase their talents, Mr. Thomas was sure to make no mistakes when it came to the subject of half-stepping. Let me be the first or last person to tell you, Ride The Sky is good. It's damn good.

Fallen Footwear

Tommy Sandoval Has The First Part. Here He Is With A Proper Bluntslide
The first part belongs to Tommy Sandoval who comes out guns-o-blazing, going big, getting tech and skating powerfully fast. He's not afraid to ollie a mountainous gap before kickflip bluntsliding a giant rail. His last trick, a feeble to back Smith down a 14-stair rail is absolutely insane.

Gilbert Crockett isn't a character from a Faulkner novel, he's Mystery skateboards' newest am and a Fallen rider. This dude is one of the more tech dudes in the video. Caballarial kickflips down double sets, back tailslide kickflips out and front feeble front 180's out are just a taste of the carnage Crockett puts down. Gilbert is coming up for sure.

One of my favorite parts in the video belongs to Brian Hansen aka Slash. Hansen skates fast and reckless and sketchy in a way that works, keeping you holding your breath before each trick is landed. A kickflip stalefish over a ditch hip and a bunch of creative gap to grind and slide tricks make his part a stand-out. His last trick is burly! I'm not giving it away.Courtesy Fallen Footwear

Chris Cole Has The Last Part. Switch Tre Down A Big Six Via Fallen Ad

Josh Harmony and Matt Bennett share a solid part and skate to Creedence. Alabama native, James Hardy has one of the best parts in the video. Tony Cervantes...airwalk front boards down a rail. Enough said. The boss of the entire operation, Jamie Thomas, holds it down, with a solid, creative part. Billy Marks is a madman and can pretty much do any trick he wants. Kickflip feeble down Hollywood High and switch bigspin heel down Carlsbad. Gnarly.

The curtains belongs to Chris Cole. His part begins with the eruption of Danzig and a slow-motion back nosegrind bigspin heel out. What? This insanity pretty much sets the stage for Cole's monumental part. From a giant switch backside flip down an enormous set to a switch flip bluntslide down a rail to his infamously snipered backside 360 ollie down the Love Park fountain gap, Cole's part is packed with tricks that could easily be enders for anybody else. Just when you think one bastid couldn't produce anymore bangers and his part's song fades out, another song kicks in (Judas Priest) and the hammers continue again. Backlip to frontside heelflip out, a kickflip wallride shove-it out, a street gap 360 double flip and more.

It isn't often that a good skate video comes around that's worth dropping hard earned money for. Fallen's Ride The Sky is worth whatever your local shop is charging for it. Step out today and pick a copy up. In the meantime, check the videos trailer below. If that doesn't get you hyped, I'm afraid nothing will. -Jay Riggio

Elwood

Elwood Pro, John Rattray Goes Burls With A Makeshift Pivot To Fakie.
Over the past year, Elwood Clothing has been taking care of big business. From Elwood sponsored events to their ever-evolving line of gear, to their newly expanded team of riders. The momentum that Elwood has accumulated seems unstoppable at this point and is showing zero signs of slowing. I've been a fan of Elwood stuff since they began over 10 years ago and couldn't be more psyched today on the new sh*t that's happening with the brand. To clearly illustrate my perpetual jocking of Elwood, I am embarking on a post dedicated solely to a brand that's making street baller moves with the grace of a baby cheetah. Elwood, as I write these words, I drain the remnants of my dirty lunchtime martini, tighten the belt of my robe and point to the big bully in the sky. You know why? I'll tell you why; cause this one's for you.

Whatcha doing on October 17th, 2008 at 5pm? Nothing, huh. Well then, you should get your ass over to The Elwood Ramp Jam at Sunken City Skates, which is located at this convenient postal addresses...619 S. Masa Street San Pedro, CA 90731.Courtesy Elwood

Elwood X Beautiful Losers Boxset
In attendance will be the entire Elwood team, minus Anthony Pappalardo, Dan Drehobl, Guru Khalsa and my favorite skater with three names, Silas-Baxter Neal (Ok, I guess that's a big chunk of their team missing from the event, but whatevs). On board will be able and willing Elwood rip-stars, Kenny Anderson, John Rattray, Vincent Alvarez,
and Nate Broussard. They'll be an autograph signing, BBQ and lots of good skating going down. Afterwards, at 7:30pm, they'll be a jam benefit for San Pedro's Channel Street Skate Park.

If you haven't seen Beautiful Losers yet, the documentary featuring the work of skaters Ed Templeton, Shepard Fairey, Thomas Campbell and Chris Johanson, you should do so now. Otherwise, go to the Beautiful Losers film site and purchase this Elwood collaboration, limited edition box set done exclusively for the movie. Boxset includes a Elwood T shirt designed by Geoff McFetridge, an EP of Money Mark's music from the film, Elwood Coasters, Beautiful Losers, Coasters, and an Elwood sticker, all placed in a one of a kind cigar box.