INTERNATIONAL SK8 COMPETITION

OK, you’ve got a little while to dig out those Mandarin language CD-ROMs your parents gave you for your birthday: Alli’s premiere international event, the China Invitational, has been officially slotted to go down in Beijing, May 8-10.

Featuring skateboard Park and Vert and BMX Vert, the second-annual China Invitational will host top athletes such as Greg Lutzka and Austen Seaholm in the Skate Park competition; Pierre Luc Gagnon and Andy MacDonald in Skate Vert; and Jamie Bestwick and Chad Kagy in BMX Vert. Hey-yo! These dominant riders were invited based on their 2008 Dew Tour season rankings.

But we’re not the only ones ready to go. Skateboard phenom and Southern-California resident Greg Lutzka said he’s stoked to compete in front of Beijing fans. “I think this will be a great warm-up for the upcoming Dew Tour season,” he said.

The China Invitational will be held in the Beijing University of Technology's indoor Gymnasium, a 2008 Summer Olympic venue which then accommodated badminton and rhythmic gymnastics (--don’t act like you didn’t watch the rhythmic gymnastics). Stadium seating accommodates 6,900 spectators.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the China Invitational,” said Zhou Qiang, President of Xingyi New Media Investment Company. He added that with strong media partners such as BTV 6 and CSPN in China and NBC stateside, “we believe the China Invitational will continue to generate unprecedented Chinese interest in action sports.”

Alli Vice President Chris Prybylo said he and his company are thrilled to return to China, adding that last year’s inaugural event received a tremendous fan turn-out. With the addition of BMX Vert as a judged competition this year, “The China Invitational will once again bring the best skateboard and BMX athletes in the world to the fans in China.”

Last year marked the inauguration of the China Invitational, (photos here) which was held at the open-air Beijing Coliseum. In the Vert Final, Pierre-Luc Gagnon and Andy MacDonald went back and forth with clean and technical runs. In the end, it was the authority with which PLG stomped his tricks (i.e. a switch frontside heelflip 360 and multiple 540 variations) that earned him a first-place score of 91.75. Andy Mac followed in second with 89.50, and then-18-year-old Adam Taylor finished third, which remains his singular podium-finish at an Alli event. The Brazilian Sandro Dias earned the Vert Best Trick competition by landing the first-ever 900 in China.

The 2008 Skateboard Park Final was cancelled due to rain, yet that didn’t stop skaters from barging about the coliseum’s marble hallways. Both skateboard and BMX pros were treated to sightseeing tours of Beijing and of a portion of the Great Wall, which Andy Mac relished by getting his shred on. This year, both Park and Vert competitions will be held under the closed-ceiling of the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium.

The complete 2009 list of confirmed competitors is as follows:

Skateboard Park: Greg Lutzka, Austen Seaholm, Rodolfo Ramos, Carlos De Andrade, Danilo Do Rosario, Fabrizio Santos, and Chris Mendes.

Skateboard Vert: Pierre Luc Gagnon, Andy Macdonald, Bob Burnquist, Adam Taylor, Sandro Dias, Buster Halterman, and Renton Millar.

BMX Vert: Jamie Bestwick, Chad Kagy, Simon Tabron, Steven McCann, Dennis McCoy, Jimmy Walker, and Zack Warden.

NBC will broadcast the China Invitational on Sunday, June 14, 2009, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. Time is subject to change; check your local listings.

The Beijing China invitational attracted the cream of the crop of vert skaters from around the world. Seven skaters, selected from the end of season 2008 Dew Cup rankings, provided an intense show for the captive Chinese audience.

The brand new 80-foot-wide G Ramp had the field flying. A new element to this ramp was a “bubble” style bridge, over the roll in, which led to some supreme tricks such as Andy Mac's backside crail slides and Pierre-Luc Gagnon’s crooked grind to fakie.

The contest saw the elite group of seven battle it out to start on top for the 2009 season. The list of PL, Andy Mac, Bob Burnquist, Buster Halterman, Renton Millar, Sandro Dias, and Adam Taylor ensured the Chinese crowd an all-star cast.

The intense competition meant that the field were busting out their trump cards. Renton Millar had a solid run in which he crossed the bridge both ways and used the whole 80-feet to nail a kickflip frontside air and a 540 grind--lifting him to fourth overall. Buster banged out a huge McTwist and a stalefish 540 which put him in sixth place behind Bob Burnquist. Sandro was battling knee and luggage injuries and slipped into seventh.

In third place was youngster Adam Taylor, with the consistency of a seasoned veteran, who displayed huge McTwists and an array of flip tricks. Adam's presence is surely making the veterans a little nervous.

PL, one of the most dominant men in vert skating at present, was intense as always as he hucked melon 720s and switch heelflip frontside air reverts. But, after pounding each round, PL settled for second place behind Andy Mac.

In his final run, Andy Mac nailed some insane combos like lien rodeo into nollie heelflip indy before hammering out the cleanest mute 720. He earned a competition-winning 90 points for his efforts.

Skate Vert Finals

1 Andy Macdonald 90.00
2 Pierre-Luc Gagnon 88.25
3 Adam Taylor 85.50
4 Renton Millar 76.50
5 Bob Burnquist 68.00
6 Buster Halterman 67.50
7 Sandro Dias 65.50

View Tour Standings Skate Park Finals

1 Rodolfo Ramos 89.60
2 Austen Seaholm 83.70
3 Carlos De Andrade 83.20
4 Danilo do Rosario 81.50
5 Chris Mendes 80.40
6 Chad Bartie 73.50
7 Lin Che 63.75
8 Fabrizio Santos 58.25
9 Zhi Xing Li 54.00


Alli is the Alliance of Actions Sports. An Alliance that brings together the best sports properties, athletes, and brands globally for the fans of action sports.

SKBSG SK8 NEWS UPDATES

DC SKATEBOARDING LAUNCHES THE SELF-FILM, SELF-EDIT CONTEST

DC Skateboarding’s Self- Film, Self- Edit Contest goes lives today on shredordie.com. The online contest gives skateboarders the chance to film, star in, edit and upload their own skate video for the chance to win DC product.

The contest format requires skateboarders to film themselves skateboarding. They then must edit their footage down to two minutes or less. Once the video is complete all entries must be posted to shredordie.com. DC will judge all video submissions and pick the top three videos. The first second and third place winners will receive DC shoes and apparel product prize packages.

Contest will run from May 8th until June 30th. For more information on the contest visit dcshoes.com, or to enter visit shredordie.com/promos/selffilmselfedit.


My Girl Contest
Here’s your chance to have your own design made into a Girl Skateboards X CCS exclusive T-shirt! Girl Pro and CCS Team Rider, Rick Howard, will be picking his favorite fan-submitted graphic to turn into a Girl Skateboards T-Shirt, available only at CCS. Send your own original “My Girl” T-shirt graphic to mygirlcontest@ccs.com for a chance to win!

How It Works:
-Download the “Girl” logo from our contest page.
-Create your own design using the “Girl” logo and email it to us by May 29, 2009.
-Rick Howard himself will have a look at every design and pick his favorite.
-The winning T-shirt chosen by Rick will be sold exclusively on our website.


“So we here at 1031 have some exciting news to tell you all out there. I’ve been thinking , how should I write this? How can we sound really professional, like we know what we are doing? Well I dont think I have
the answer. I dont want to tell this news the same way everyone else does. They try to be all buisiness like about it and it just sounds so dumb. So without anymore rambeling from me and in perfect 1031 form……. Ben Raybourn is PRO!!!! Thats right jerks! At just a few months shy of his 17th birthday, Ben will now be able to buy an extra pack of sour patch kids at the store. So there you go. Now all you skate nerds can start the gossip, you just better stay out of Bens way when your in the bowl! He’ll do a lein to tail on your dome! He has 4 different pro models starting to hit stores now. Oh, and one more thing….. Hell yeah Ben, f—k sh-t up!”

SKBSG SK8 NEWS UPDATES

By now, I already know that it's a small world, but when you start making calls to get a gallery with an up-and-coming photographer and there are three photos out of eleven of people that you knew well when you lived in Colorado, it's a little striking. I mean, I've been friends with Jared Stoots since my freshman year in college. Sean and Nial Frederickson used to drink at the the skate house where I lived in Colorado and were the first people I ever did a full skateboarding interview with.

So, it's with pleasure that I introduce (or reacquaint) anyone who's reading this with Tyler Bush and feature a gallery of his images. Beside freelancing as a photographer, the twenty-year-old is pursuing a degree in Economics at the University of Arizona and travels throughout the Southwest, which explains summer trips to stay in the Colorado scene. He has an exclusive gallery here . When you're done, check his website www.tylerbush.com.




Honestly, ESPN would probably never be riding around LA with some of the Zero and Fallen dudes, unless it just so happened that their team manager pissed a wealth of couches—once when we were all living in a skate house together in college and another time when he was living on the couch at my apartment in San Diego (Mahar lived there too). It's not that he owes me for those micturitions or anything. Naw...it's more like a confirmation that you're his friend. Here are a few clips from our eventful (good times) uneventful (lots of driving) day in LA , skating school yards, watching the child-like excitement as Australians saw squirrels with their own eyes, getting pulled uphill by the dead at the Whittier cemetery and watching Whittier's finest shred. When it drops, you must see Zero's Strange World. It will be awesome.

Guy gets pushed into cleaning himself up with the help of his then girlfriend (now saintly fiancee) and friends. Then, after a stint in rehab and some kind offers extended by Reda, everyone at Girl and Lakai and Thrasher (if you don't love this mag, I don't know what to do for you, man), he shows himself again and comes back with more than just courtesy skating. We all know what happens next, but it's concluded in part 10. For now, watch this episode .


When Rasa Libre started in 2003 under Deluxe, I liked it purely for the fact that it was way different from anything else at the time. A huge portion of the skaters around where I lived then (Colorado) seemed down for it as well. Their graphics were weird butterfly mosaics and collages of hippies, Native Americans or shaman mixed in with stars, feathers and colors—weird, but tight. Apparently, Michael Leon did those graphics along with a place called Hero Studios (As you can see, this lasted from 2004 to 2007). On top of that, the company put a good team together.

Deluxe-era graphics
Obviously funky Matt Field has been at the helm of the whole thing


It's funny. Just two days ago my friend Grogs (the guy in the Miami drug lord costume) and I were talking about Mike Jones while Tony Cervantes was killing some rail. I started singing, "281-...what was Mike Jones' phone number again?" Grogs said, I think it's like, "281-330-...I can't remember the last part." I looked it up to find these genius lyrics from "Back Then ":

They used to love to me diss me, now they rush to hug and kiss me now
They telling all they friends when I leave how they miss me now
2 8 1, 3 3 0, eight zero zero 4
Hit Mike Jones up on the low 'cause Mike Jones about to blow

Apparently it was Mike Jones' real number. He wanted record producers to call him, but soon realized everyone else was going to call. I gave it a ring right then and there. "No one's answering," I told Greg. I think he disconnected it after so many calls.

You won't have this same problem with Stevie William's phone number, though. He dropped it at the top of his latest Venture ad. It's 215-240-7321. It appears that he's is taking the same telephone approach to viral marketing. Here's his latest message:

Ay yo what's up, this your boy S Dubs, you know what I'm sayin? Givin' a shout out to my fans that call. If there's anything you wanna ask me about—anything you heard about—whether it's rumors, or new businesses or just new companies or wherever you wanna see your skate video at, just holla at me. Leave me a message or leave me a question and holla at me and I'll try to get back at you as soon as i can. A'ight. Peace.

You can also listen to other peoples' messages as well, like "Yo Stevie, this yor boy from Louisiana. Ya hurd me? Got mad love for the Kayo corp family. DGK e'ery day. One." Pretty interesting. Doesn't have the same ring as Mike Jones' number, but it's a hell of an idea. Call it.—Josh Brooks

SKBSG SK8 NEWS UPDATES

Gonz's colorful behavior is why he's had such a huge influence in skateboarding (and art as well). His appearance on Epicly Later'd with Hosoi was interesting, but it's a pleasure to hear him talk about skateboarding in this interview on Adidas' website , with his eccentricity turned down a little bit. In an interview with Patrick O'Dell on Slap , for example, O'Dell explained filming an interview for Epicly Later'd in which Gonz would not answer questions, but just move his eyes. Then, he asked O'Dell to add subtitles of what he would be saying.

It's a hilarious idea from one of skateboarding's best and a pioneer of style, but when Gonz takes a moment to give tempered and sincere answers to his time in skateboarding, it makes the hairs stand up on your arms. The movement and the weaponry of it, no matter how cheesy it may sound out of context, is what draws out the kid in us when we step on a board. It's cathartic. It's productive.

The interview on the Adidas site reminded me how important that is and made me go on a hunt for all things Gonz. Here are a few:

1) A Hosoi vs. Gonz video from the 80s-era Ohio skate out
2) This Spike Jonze Nissan Commercial with the Gonz in it
3) Gonz and Dill messing about New York Day 1 , 2 and 3 . Weird and funny stuff.
4) Gonz and McCrank doubles
5) Bunny hop gone wrong.
6) Mark Gonzales in a museum in Germany. Weird.
7) Most well known, his parts in Video Days , Nonfiction, Kicked out of Everywhere, Real to Reel, Krooked Gnar Gnar, Krooked Kronichles and Superchampion fun zone (in no particular order).

Hopefully there's nothing too aggressive in there that bums him out.


Stefan Janoski's shoe just dropped and Nike put on an event at the OG B Street Skatepark in Sacramento. First off, Stefan is THE illest. So as you can imagine, a huge crowd of kids and industry folk alike poured into the park on Saturday. Secondly, there was no admission fee to skate. And since it was raining out, it was definitely the place to be. Thirdly, there was a best trick contest on two obstacles so many a Sacto ripper and Bay Area rider came through to roll.


Nike SB
At the event I was unable to locate Stefan to ask for the semi-awkward blog pic that I needed for this text. I think he might have been lying low so I focused on trying to get some pics of the hectic best trick contest. First up was the pyramid, which was a frightening spectacle. Heavy head-on traffic and an extremely large amount of participants of all levels converged. Unfortunately, I was unable to get any quality photos of the pyramid because overall chaos and the dim lighting didn't allow it. So I gleefully watched the skating not thru a viewfinder for a change. Local park employee and Frontline Skateboards amateur, Andrew Dellas, battled thru and did a nollie backside 360 heel over the entire pyramid making him the undisputed winner.

The second best trick contest took place on the newly built bank-to-wall. This obstacle is rad and it invited the more skilled and transitionally adept riders. Long-time Sacramento skater and former pro, Mako Urabe threw out a few tricks including a front boards and a frontside nosegrind indy grab in. Trevor Morgan turned some heads with his variety of tricks along with Deluxe Artist, Alex Turan. In the end industry guru, Nick Matlin of Beer Run Skateboards rifled off a bunch of tricks and sealed the deal by doing a frontside 180 heel tailslide.

During the announcements of the winners free shoes were tossed out into the crowd. The kids were psyched! After the contest much of the crowd headed down to the after party at Upper Playground. There were some classic photos of Stefan on display shot by Jeff Landi. I found Stefan there and he happily posed for a pic standing next to an old photo of him doing a noseslide in SF, which he was juiced on. All in all it was a fun event and I'm sure many a people not just in Sacramento will be rockin' Stefan's new shoe, I mean seriously who doesn't like Stefan Janoski? He's THE illest.

SKBSG SK8 NEWS UPDATES

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. (May 5, 2009) — The countdown continues. With less than two months to go until the 6th Annual International Go Skateboarding Day (GSD), the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) is encouraging skateboarders and skateboarding enthusiasts to celebrate worldwide. The holiday falls on the first day of summer, Sunday, June 21, 2009.

Go Skateboarding Day, founded by IASC, is recognized internationally by skateboarders, skateboard companies and the industry as a whole as an official holiday. Each year the holiday continues to grow exponentially, by both the number of people who celebrate it and the number of events taking place in its honor around the globe.

"We are thrilled at just how big this holiday has grown around the world," said John Bernards, executive director of IASC and GSD spokesperson. "Skateboarding is slowly, but steadily getting the respect it deserves. We are seeing more towns and cities supporting the healthy, character-building lifestyle through the construction of skateparks, educational programs, events and more. Most recently, California State Senate, President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg officially recognized June 21, as 'Go Skateboarding Day'."

Continuing the artist series of collectable holiday posters, this year IASC enlisted the help of legendary skateboarder and artist Steve Caballero. "I felt honored and blessed when IASC approached me with the opportunity to lend my support," said Caballero. "My inspiration was to create something with a worldwide message, so that everyone felt included and inspired to celebrate. I want people to understand that to really enjoy the art of skateboarding we must lose all of our insecurities and truly 'skate like nobody's watching.'"

The holiday falls on a weekend once again this year, which means no school, no work, no excuse not to get outside and ride. In response to the current economy, IASC also encourages people to incorporate skateboarding more into their daily lives. Not only is it an efficient and cost saving means of transportation, it's better for your health and will significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

The excitement for GSD is consistently growing worldwide and events are currently being planned to take place in Portugal, Africa, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Netherlands, Japan, England, Australia and Canada as well as hot spots in the United States such as Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Tampa, Dayton, Dallas and New York City. Last year, millions of skateboarders participated in more than 600 events held worldwide and 800,000 people logged onto www.goskateboardingday.com. Highlights from GSD 2008 included numerous events sponsored by IASC members including: Emerica's "Wild in the Streets", Vans' "Big Riggin 2008", Alien Workshop, DC Shoes and Active Rideshop's GSD Celebration at the Rob Dyrdek/DC Shoes Skate Plaza, and Transworld, Dwindle, and Globe's GSD celebration in Venice, Calif.

Check out how you can get involved or create your own event this year at www.goskateboardingday.org.

About IASC The International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC), a non-profit organization that represents the united voice of the skateboard industry to the outside world, was founded in 1994. With the hiring of current executive director, John Bernards, in 2003, IASC was restructured into the organization that founded Go Skateboarding Day on June 21, 2004. Driven by skate industry leaders, IASC strives to promote skateboarding and increase participation and education of skating. For further information, please visit www.skateboardiasc.org.

About Go Skateboarding Day Go Skateboarding Day, held June 21st of every year, is the official holiday of skateboarding. On GSD, skateboard industry manufacturers and retailers, along with influential and professional riders help to fuel the energy and growth of skateboarding by producing events in different cities across the globe. Event locations are disclosed at local skate shops and on www.goskateboardingday.org, where you will also find info on how to create your own event, fundraiser or rally, among other things. While the holiday grows, the mission remains the same: Go skateboarding and have fun!


Volcom wants you to vote on their Skate Night Film Battle, a contest between 14 shops allowed 4 hours to film in the Volcom skatepark. Each team's time in the park was edited down to 90 second videos, which Volcom wants you to watch and assess. Go here to vote for your favorite session. You can vote up until June 1st and the winner will get a 30 second commercial on Fuel TV.


Rags to riches, dog...rags to riches. That's how Muska did it. Now the MuskaBeatz pioneer, designer of the Skytop , raddest personalities in skateboarding and Element pro will judge the Make It Count National Contest Series on May 9th at Throggs Neck Skate Park in the Bronx. The Muska will choose one kid from the hood to attend the Element YMCA Skate Camp. The event is part of Element's non-profit venture Elemental Awareness and aims to support the local scene and "encourage confidence and instill the realization in each participant that it is possible to progress in life using personal interests to fuel their future." The events are taking place all over (see above) and, for that one lucky kid on May 9th, it will be an important way to get outside the concrete jungle they may not have the means to escape. If you're in New York on May 9th, check this event out and maybe, just maybe see The Muska.

SKBSG SK8 NEWS UPDATES

GATORADE FREE FLOW TOUR ANNOUNCES PACKED 2009 SCHEDULE

Stellar Park Lineup Highlights Amateur Skateboard Series, Registration Now Open at GatoradeFreeFlowTour.com.

Seeking to find the best amateur skaters across the country this summer, the Gatorade Free Flow Tour announced today the complete schedule for the 2009 season. The skate portion of the Tour officially kicks off May 16 in Burlington, Vt. at Talent Skatepark, and registration for all events is now open at gatoradefreeflowtour.com.

The 2009 Gatorade Free Flow Tour will include a total of 33 skateboarding competitions (five skate vert and 28 skate park) at 28 parks across the United States. The winners in each of the 33 skate competitions will be flown to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place at the Dew Tour’s Toyota Challenge, September 17-20. Encompassing the “Flow to Pro” theme that is the cornerstone of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, the two overall skate park and vert champions earn a spot to compete against the pros at the final stop of the Dew Tour, the PlayStation Pro in Orlando, Fla., October 15-18.

Highlighting the 2009 skate schedule are the additions of top skateparks M.I.A. in Miami, Fla., Warp in Chicago, Ill. and Epic in Rocklin, Calif. The Gatorade Free Flow Tour will also be returning to Ecke YMCA in Encinitas, Calif. and San Diego, Calif.’s Mission Valley YMCA. Committed to holding competitions in the best skateparks across the country, the 2009 schedule also returns to other standout parks including the Autumn Ramp Park (Joplin, Mo.), Charm City (Baltimore, Md.), Alliance (Grand Prairie, Texas) and the Skatelab (Simi Valley, Calif.).

The 2009 Gatorade Free Flow Tour skate schedule* includes the following dates and locations:

16-May Burlington, Vt. Talent Skatepark
23-May Royal Oaks, Mich. Modern Skatepark
23-May Baltimore, Md. Charm City
30-May Newnan, Ga. Factory
31-May Encinitas, Calif. Ecke YMCA
6-Jun Fontana, Calif. Fontana Skatepark
Jun 6-7 Burnsville, Minn. 3rd Lair
7-Jun Simi Valley, Calif. Skatelab
7-Jun Houston, Texas Southside Skatepark
13-Jun Florence, Ky. Ollies Skatepark
20-Jun N. Chicago, Ill. Warp Skatepark
21-Jun Milwaukee, Wis. 4 Seasons
27-Jun Grand Prairie, Texas Alliance
11-Jul Nashville, Tenn. 6th Ave. Skatepark

11-Jul Rye, N.H. Rye Airfield

12-Jul Taunton, Mass. Skaters Edge

18-Jul Clairemont, Calif. Mission Valley

19-Jul Woodbridge, Conn. Academy

25-Jul Albuquerque, N.M. Los Altos Skatepark

25-Jul Des Moines, Iowa Saylor Skatepark

1-Aug Rocklin, Calif. Epic Skatepark

8-Aug Mt. Hood, Ore. Windell’s Camp

16-Aug Columbus, Ohio Flow Skatepark

16-Aug Miami, Fla. M.I.A. Skatepark

22-Aug Moorestown, N.J. Black Diamond

22-Aug Longwood, Fla. Mesh

29-Aug Salt Lake City, Utah Ogio Training Facility

5-Sep Joplin, Mo. Autumn Ramp Park

Sep 17-20 Salt Lake City, Utah**
* Schedule subject to change.
** Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals at the Toyota Challenge


RED BULL MANNY MANIA BRINGS IT BACK TO THE BRIDGE WITH ALL-STAR LINEUP
THE 3RD ANNUAL MANUAL PRO CONTEST RETURNS TO MANHATTAN JUNE 7TH
New Yorkers should prepare for a two-wheel rumble, as Red Bull Manny Mania returns with a heavy-hitting line up of pro skaters ready to fight for the crown at the capstone event of Skateboard Weekend in Manhattan.
Last year, skateboarding pro Joey Brezinski battled it out with Brandon Biebel for top honors, after taking second place in 2007 to Ronnie Creager. Competition will be in the air as this year marks the return of Creager as well as Biebel and a number of newcomers. Last year’s reigning champ will sure feel the pressure with returning guests like pro Stevie Williams, who admits he’s been training for months, revving up the competition.
In its third year, Red Bull Manny Mania will showcase more pros and bigger names involved as the Skateboard Weekend progresses to a four day affair. Skate scene legends Jeff Pang and Dave Ortiz return to MC the event and three generations of East Coast talent will serve as judges: Stereo’s Chris Pastras, Zoo York’s Donny Barley and Queens native Rodney Torres. Also on the 1s and 2s is no other than NYC music luminary, Bobbito Garcia.
Red Bull Manny Mania caps off a weekend full of festivities, starting on Thursday with the premiere of Zoo York’s “State of Mind,” the 5boro 13 Year Anniversary Party on Friday, and Saturday’s 5Boro’s Back To The Banks Jam.
Come Sunday, June 7th, the Manhattan Bridge will be rocking with all the skate talent gathered in one spot. They might want to reinforce the pillars.
Red Bull Manny Mania
Free to the public
June 7, 2009 at 3pm
Coleman Park, underneath the Manhattan Bridge at intersection of Pike St & Monroe St.
Confirmed skaters*
Adelmo Jr, Anthony Correa, Brandon Biebel, Chico Brenes, Chris Roberts, Danny Falla, Eli Reed, Forrest Kirby, Gary Smith, Guillaume Dulout, Jack Curtin, Jahmal Williams, Javier Nunez, Jereme Rogers, Joey Brezinski, Joey Pepper, Josh Kalis, Karl Watson, Kelly Hart, Kenny Anderson, Kyle Leeper, Lenny Rivas, Malcolm Watson, Philip Schuster, Rob Gonzales, Rodrigo Peterson, Rodrigo Tx, Ronnie Creager, Shuriken Shannon, Stevie Williams, Tim O’Connor, Vincent Bressol, Zered Bassett


ROB DYRDEK TO HIT U.S. FOR THE DC FANTASIES RUN DEEP TOUR PRESENTED BY STREET DREAMS

This May, Pro Skateboarder and MTV star Rob Dyrdek will cross the U.S. for his DC Fantasies Run Deep Tour presented by Street Dreams.

Over 23 days, the DC Fantasies Run Deep Tour will make 10 stops across the U.S. beginning June 16th in Huntington Beach, Calif. Dyrdek will visit retail stops across the country for meet and greets, autograph signings and screenings. The tour will wrap up at DC’s Soho Store in New York City on June 7th, the day before the Hollywood premiere of his new movie, Street Dreams.

As his latest endeavor in the world of entertainment Dyrdek wrote, produced and financed Street Dreams, his first full-length feature film about an up-and-coming skateboarder and his dreams. With a cast of professional skateboarders that includes Dyrdek, Paul Rodriquez, Ryan Sheckler, Terry Kennedy and Ryan Dunn, Street Dreams is truly the first story to accurately depict the realities of life as a street skateboarder to a mainstream audience. In advance of the film’s theatrical release on June 12th, Dyrdek will screen the film to limited audiences during the DC Fantasies Run Deep Tour.

A full schedule and locations of the DC Fantasies Run Deep Tour can be found at dcshoes.com. Along with photos, videos and the Street Dreams trailer, fans can register at dcshoes.com for Dyrdek’s Facebook, Myspace and Twitter where they can receive info on the tour and exclusive promos. Visitors can also shop all of DC and Dyrdek’s current product and sign up for updates on his upcoming Dyrdek Collection that launches October 2009.

SKBSG SK8 NEWS UPDATES

Skate Mental Hot Sh-t Press Release

After one year and three months of deliberation, mega brand Skate Mental and iconic skateboarder Daryl Angel have made the decision to part ways. “Its been a long arduous road,” says long time professional skateboarder Reese Forbes.”He will be missed,” notes the re-emerging Matt Beach. We hope the grass is greener for Daryl and wish him and his next sponsor the best of luck.


RVCA has a new promo DVD hitting shops soon. Featuring Leo, Spanky, Harmony, Cairo, and the whole crew.


Blueprint let us know that its new video, Make Friends With The Colour Blue is due out late this year. We here at TransWorld are huge fans of Lost & Found, so that news alone is quite exciting. Longtime pro Paul Shier and OG brand manager Dan Magee are at the helm of all things, and Blueprint will now be distributed all over the world. Keep an eye on blueprintskateboards.com as the release date draws near, and for new product.


Last Friday Volcom premiered all 14 video clips from the Skate Night Film Battles on a massive screen at the Volcom skatepark. Here’s a trailer with some footy from the different stores.
All 14 video clips are online now and Volcom wants you to vote for your favorite clip.

SKBSG SK8 NEWS UPDATES

IPATH Supports Midwest Shops and Scenes On the Routes Tour

The crew at IPATH knows that skateboarding has no boundaries. To help support some of the local scenes across the Midwest, IPATH is loading up the van and going on the Routes Tour.

Beginning on May 9, Fred Gall, Adam Alfaro, Nilton Neves, Jack Sabback, Jaws and Ben Raybourn will be cruising the Midwest with long-time IPATH rep Pete Harvieux, on a five-day demo of destruction. The tour is taking place to support some of the many Midwest shops and scenes that have shown love for the IPATH family in the past.

Tour dates and stops are as follows:

May 9 - Chicago: 4 PM Uprise demo at Wilson Skatepark

May 10 - Milwaukee: 2 PM in-store signing at Phase 2
3 PM Demo at Cream City supported by Sky High
and Phase 2

May 11 - Madison: 4 PM in-store at Alumni
5 PM demo at Quarry Skatepark

May 12 - Twin Cities: 5 PM demo at Familia Skatepark

May 13 - Bismark: 5 PM signing and demo at Savvy


“Skateboarding is alive and well outside of SoCal and it’s important we stay in touch with scenes across the country,” commented IPATH’s Dave Smith. “I’m excited to hit the road with the team to check out some spots and connect with people that support what IPATH has going on.”

In addition to the team, IPATH is bringing along Thad and Matt Price to document everything that goes down through video and pictures. Anyone looking to catch up with the guys at unscheduled stops while on tour or suggest a spot, should hit IPATH on their Twitter feed @IPATHFootwear. Video clips from the tour start trickling into the IPATH YouTube site later this month.

As summer approaches, IPATH wants to encourage all skaters to embark on their own Routes tour and post those photos to the IPATH Roots Crew page on Loop’d. Regardless of if you’re traveling cross-country or hitting a new spot on the other side of town, embrace the journey that comes with skateboarding.

SKBSG SK8 NEWS UPDATES

Lists of legendary backyard bowls are like chronic hippers—every pool-cruster has one. Nostalgia runs deep and opinions differ. But when you boil it down, a handful of all-time pits always rise above the scum line.—Keith Hamm

1. Buena Vista—Watsonville, California
Bill’s Wheels shop owner Bill Ackerman and his buddies dug it out in 1976, fearing the Psycho Woodcutter, a squatter who’d run them off with an axe. Unearthed again in ’87, Buena hosted summer contests, carloads of San Jose’s best, and Andy Roy boosting frontside corner bonelesses to disaster.
STEVE CAB IN BAN THIS:


2. Vagabond—Fresno, California
For years, this kidney was the only reason to stop in Fresno while driving through the fertile San Joaquin Valley. Then a crew of bowl dogs moved there, reaping a bounty of backyard fruit. Fresno went from pit stop to destination, even more so when locals sculpted concrete hits surrounding the pool.
LOCALS:


3. Bastrop—Bastrop, Texas
The Camp Swift military base just east of Austin was decommissioned shortly after WWII. Decades later, skaters infiltrated the property’s five outsize pools. The Country Club pool, featuring 45-degree walls, “was like skating a huge bank,” remembers John Gibson. “And it had this tile lip you could really grind the crap out of.” These days, Bastrop’s Grinder Ledge keeps the war alive with D.I.Y. concrete additions.
NIKE SB TEAM:


4. Pink Motel—San Fernando, California
She ain’t got the sweetest shallow but this pink fish has seen so much action that you can’t deny her a place among the hallowed holes. First skated in the late 70s, it reached skate-flick fame in Animal Chin and still hosts blowouts, birthday parties, and numerous photo shoots.
FOURSTAR TEAM:


5. Dog Bowl—Santa Monica, California
When a kid with cancer drained the family pool for the Dogtown crew, skateboarding would never be the same. With bust-potential at zero, Jay Adams, Tony Alva, and the rest honed their collective progression—including Alva’s invention of the frontside air—in front of cameramen Craig Stecyk and Glen Friedman.
OG DOGTOWN CREW:


6. Band-X—Jacksonville, Florida
When the Christensons drained their roomy oval for maintenance in the early 80s, Kona locals hopped the fence when nobody was home. Drained again in the late 80s, the scene blew up. “My parents were really laid back and didn’t care,” says Brian Christenson, who marketed a waterproof watchband, Band-X, with a face-wall logo. Eldest son Kevin now holds the keys. “It’s in pristine shape with water in it,” says Brian. “But there might be a skate reunion someday.”
BAND X FOOTAGE IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND, SO HERE’S SOME CLASSIC NEARBY KONA FOOTAGE INSTEAD:


7. Fruit Bowl—Garden Grove, California
Named after the nearby insane asylum, this pool “had the most influence, by far” on the progression of pool skating, says Lance Mountain. Situated near the round-wall epicenters of Dogtown, the Valley, Down South, and the Badlands, this is where all the badasses got together to put their moves where their mouths were.
NO YOUTUBE LINK, BUT HERE’S A LINK TO FOOTAGE:

8. San Juan—San Juan Capistrano, California
“I sucked the hose to drain it,” remembers Dave Duncan, who got tipped off in 1987 about an abandoned mansion. For days, the dropping waterline slowly revealed the wide-open keyhole. Once dry, he says, “it was backyard annihilation,” as heads convened to grind the polished pebble coping.

DAVE DUNCAN AT THE SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO POOL, 1988. Photo from galleri.skateboard.dk.

9. C Bowl—Cambridge, Massachusetts
According to Kevin Day, the earliest sessions at this fully operational public swimming pool went down in 1975. Shaped like a giant letter C, the deep end features nine-foot trannies to a kink to three feet of vert. Add cracks, seeps, and an eroding surface, and you’ve got a pit where the ride is about survival. Status: still going, except between the Fourth of July and Labor Day, when it’s full of water. How many spots can you think of that have been skated for 34 years?
SOME YOUNG KIDS GETTING THEIRS:


10. Nude Bowl—Desert Hot Springs, California
In the mid 80s, Jeremiah Risk’s parents hinted at a pool where nudists basked poolside in the 70s. It took Risk a week to locate the desert virgin, and he rode it for a year before breaking the silence. Despite biting winds and scorching heat, the scene ruled: dirt-road approach, bathhouse ruins, blazing guns, all-night acid drops, Lucky Lager, and generator-powered mullet metal. Then one fateful night, teenage ragers squared off against monster-truck jocks, some kid got shanked in the heart, and the cops buried the place.
NUDE BOWL RUMORS AND PARTIES:

SKBSG SK8 NEWS UPDATES

New York, NY – On May 1 Altamont Apparel Ltd. presented the opening reception for famed street photographer and Altamont brand contributor, Boogie’s latest exhibition entitled, “The Best of Times.” A diverse crowd of over 400 artists, art aficionados, skaters, models, drug dealers, musicians, hang-arounds and a veritable who’s who of the OG downtown New York hardcore scene came out to view a mix of over 700 of the Serbian-born, Brooklyn-dwelling photographer’s new and older work presented in a ‘zine style format throughout the Altamont showroom basement gallery. A live performance by the legendary L.E.S. hardcore band, Murphy’s Law hurled the typical SoHo art show theme out the window and whipped the eclectic crowd into a smiling, moshing frenzy as over 1200 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon were crushed in what event attendee, Dante Ross called, “the best shit to hit New York in a while.” The Best of Times, indeed!


The Scottish version of England’s War of the Roses contest wrapped up last weekend—two parks over a weekend in Dumbarton and Aberdeen. Plenty of Benson, Mike Wright, Nicky Howells, Chris Jones, Tom Harrison, etc, and some absolute carnage from Stu Graham. Stu, you big c-nt, come back to San Diego.