Ever since Jerry Hsu left his headlining position over at Osiris to take on a position with his homies over at Emerica, the brands been marketing him like a mother*&k. From the launch of his signature shoe, to his line of signature gear, including a cardigan, button-downs, flannels, jeans, jackets, etc., Emerica has wasted zero time collaborating with one of their teams most fanned-out upon riders. As one of the original members of the Enjoi team, the brand has become somewhat synonymous with Jerry and his bustling pro career. It seemed to make perfect sense that Emerica would partner up with Enjoi to take advantage of a unique collabo opportunity. Jerry's pro shoe is now available with Enjoi's signature Panda print on the kicks collar, along its mid-top and all over the midsole. I recently had a sneak peek at sneakers and clothing from Emerica's approaching lines, and sh*t is looking proper. Be on the lookout at your local shop for this signature Jerry Hsu pair, as well as more dope-ass product from the Emerica headquarters. —Jay Riggio
Everyone knows that Garrett Hill has a striking resemblance to Trent Reznor.
And, many people are aware of his fascination with Harry Potter, too, so it's almost amazing that his brother Gantry has a doppelganger like this:
Okay, that's a stretch, but he shares some features with the young Emma Watson…just a little bit. Take some time to see what they both really look like over here—Gantry as a Recruit and Garrett as a Battle Commander.
Turns out Gantry used to be flow for Osiris (I'm guessing he's gonna get on flow wherever Garrett ends up) and has been on Active for some time. Dude's about as f*ckin' good as his brother, so could this be his entrance in the ranks at one of Garrett's current sponsors? Only if you admit Gantry looks kind of like a young Emma Watson.—Josh Brooks
While Talking About the Infectious Nature of Marketing
Toy Machine
You gotta love that honesty
I acknowledge the importance of product pitches and the functionality of design, but that's about it. What I mean to say is I know that they exist. I know that some people find solace in flipping through the pages of magazines—skate or otherwise (see Maxim's secret advertisement pages)—in order to find out what's hot…what all the kids should be talking about and whatnot. But, that's all ancillary—as in, it should be a side effect of what magazines and internet are made of, not a central role in any publication.
That said, where it puts me is square in the hypocrite category—the sagging crimp in the mattress of life into which we gradually roll throughout our life. I can think of a specific instance two days ago, where I wasn't even hungry but the mere sight of an In-N-Out sign caused me to screech across three lanes of traffic and almost kill myself in order to get a double double. Toy Machine has actually built its whole company around pointing out the silliness of this very phenomenon.
There are ads for all sorts of stuff just to the right, so I do not intend to bite the hand that feeds me. I know how amped I got on boards, shoes, clothes and wheels as a kid. I just think that we should make ourselves more aware of these product pitches as I direct you to view Slave's New Holiday catalog, peruse the new products on Cliche's site, or take a gander at Zero's Hannakah offerings. See? See how easy it is not to notice?
Poweredgemagazine.com
Mark "Gator" Rogowski Graced The Cover Of Poweredge Shortly Before Being Sentenced To A Lifetime Bid
Back when a flatground kickflip was considered a banger and the color pages of Thrasher rubbed off on your fingertips like the Sunday newspaper, there was an amazing skateboard magazine called Poweredge. The mag was thin but still filled with amazing photos and tight-as-hell interviews with some of the greats. Founded sometime in 1987 and closing its doors in 1991, Poweredge came and went fairly quickly before the plug was pulled. Though it's run was limited, the mag gave the world the first glimpses into the talents of infamous photog's, Daniel Harold Sturt and Rick Kosick, who were on staff.
Getting ahold of a Poweredge was tough in my town, but when a lone issue was acquired by anyone, that sh*t was passed around like a holy chalice filled with cookie dough ice cream. It's been years since I even thought about Poweredge's existence and was shocked when I found a site dedicated to the classic magazine and it's back issues. WWW.POWEREDGEMAGAZINE.COM has loads of classic covers and contents that graced the pages of some of the publications 36 issues. There's interviews with a 22-year-old Tod Swank (the owner of Tum Yeto, kids), H-Street & Plan B legend, Mike Ternasky, a 25-year-old Lance Mountain and more, more, more. Go and get on it. Damn, do times change.
Mark your calendars gear heads: The 2009 TransWorld Buyer’s Guide will be hitting skateshops, newsstands, and mailboxes on November 11, 2008. Those of you who were smart enough to subscribe will be receiving your copy any day now—for the rest of you, you’re gonna have to hit up your local ’shop, bookstore, or our webstore. And as evidenced by that illustration above, there’s a lot of wacky sh-t out there to sift through, so here’s a ‘lil tease of the 2009 content to help you out…
–DAEWON SONG, AMY CARON, AND MIKE MO CAPALDI DEBUNK 10 PRODUCT MYTHS
–51 RIDERS AND THEIR SETUPS GET PROFILED
–OVER 2,000 NEW PRO DECKS, TRUCKS, SHOES, WHEELS, SAFETY GEAR, AND APPAREL GET REVIEWED
–8 IN-DEPTH PRO INTERVIEWS WITH RYAN SHECKLER, CAIRO FOSTER, LIZARD KING, JERON WILSON, DANNY GARCIA, BOBBY WORREST, ELISSA STEAMER, AND MATT MUMFORD
–PLUS YOU’LL GET A FREE PLAN B POSTER INSIDE!!!
To get you salivating, here are the pros’ picks on the most important part of their set-up that didn’t make the print issue…
DECKS
“The board has to have mellow concave. I hate steep noses and tails. They make me feel like I have to work harder to do tricks.”—Eric Koston
“The most important part of a deck is good wood, a good kick, and fresh grip. I like O.G. black griptape with no Rodney Mullen frickin’ darkslides on my grip fool.”—Chet Childress
“The most important part of my setup depends on what is malfunctioning. If I have flatspots, then wheels are the most important. If my setup is in normal condition, I think the deck is the most important. That’s what’s on your feet, and if it’s freaking you out for any reason, you’re bumming.”—Ed Templeton
“I do like Tony and just ride whatever.”—Andrew Reynolds
“The most important part of a deck for me is the size—7 3/4″ is perfect—not to0 small not too big. It’s just right.”—Chico Brenes
“The shape of the board has gotta be perfect for your big feet.”—Shuriken Shannon
“The most important part of a board is the shape and the dimensions. If the shape looks good, and the wheelbase and tail are right, the board will be sweet no matter what the concave is like.”—Brian Lotti
“Every part of a setup is important to me: the shape of the board for personal tricks, wheels have to bark when you slide with killer bearings, and trucks have to be Indys with broken-in bushings.”—Christian Hosoi
“I don’t try and get involved into the board too much. I think the most important part would be the how strong the wood could be.”—Alex Olson
“I like my shred sled fat and long. I cant skate no pinner-ass deck.”—Corey Duffel
“The nose and tail got to have good pop. And it’s gotta be a light board.”—Adam Dyet
“I like boards when they start to get soggy—after a few days the board starts to have a little give, the griptape isn’t as sharp, and I’m used to it by then.”—Silas Baxter-Neal
TRUCKS
“My most important part of my setup would be my trucks. They got to be pretty loose—I can’t roll with tight trucks… nah mean?”—Daniel Castillo
“The trucks are the most important part of my setup. I’ve been riding Ventures ever since I started skating. Can’t change something over a decade. It’s a comfort thing.”—Dave Bachinsky
“The trucks and bushings are the most important part of my setup, ‘cause if you can’t turn, you’re going to run into that wall!”—Chris Roberts
“The secret to a good trucks is an axel that wont bend. The new Thunders with hollow axles are perfect.”—Nick Dompierre
“Trucks must have the ability to grind everything, everywhere.”—Rick McCrank
“The secret to making a good pair of trucks is to make a truck that turns nicely. Like Indys.”—Ray Barbee
“A truck that turns smoothly and is reliable is most important. I can’t stand bending axles and breaking baseplates at crucial moments when I’m about to land a new trick or skate a comp.”—Pierre-Luc Gagnon
“Trucks that are broken in the way you like to ride them is a definite necessity.”—Chris Pastras
WHEELS
“Sh-tty urethane equals sh-tty, flatspotted wastes of money.”—Marc Johnson
“I’d say the most important part of anyone’s setup is a good set of bearings. Jeah!”—Clyde Singleton
“It’s all about the sound the wheels make. I like ‘em loud when you slide. I hate when they sound soggy!”—Mike Carroll
“It’s all about bearings, ‘cause you got to have that speed!”—Zered Basset
“The most important part of a wheel is its ability to roll. ‘Cause if you can’t roll, you can’t do sh-t.”—Ryan Bobier
“I think the most important part of a wheel is like pie… like apple or pumpkin or 3.14 or some stupid height like that… or um, maybe the spokes.”—Louie Barletta
“I don’t know what the f—k makes a good wheel a good wheel. But I do
know (from trial and error) that if it has that “Spitfire Classic” pattern on it, I am gonna be satisfied.”—Kevin “Spanky” Long
SHOES
“The most important about a shoe is the material. It has to be suede because suede breaks in nice—leather shoes feel stiff.”—Jeff Lenoce
“The sole is the most important part of a skate shoe because that’s what grips your board. The new Globe Culprit shoe has a low profile sole with Hex Trac—it’s a really good sole to skate in.”—Greg Lutzka
“For me, the most important part of a shoe is the overall look, shape, and feel of it. If you look down at your feet and the shape looks nice along with a sense of comfort and you don’t have a disgusted feeling, you’re pretty much chillin’. Then you’re ready to rip.”—Danny Montoya
“If the sole doesn’t grip, you’re bummin’. That’s why vulcanized soles are the best. Osiris makes a great one.”—Diego Bucchieri
“The sole is most critical because you have to be able to feel your board while not getting hurt when you’re doing tricks. It’s a fine line, but that’s why its so important.”—Alex Moul
“Many factors should be considered while deciding what shoes are right for you. First, is this shoe made of animal products? And if so, was this an agile creature with a courageous heart? It’s important to be able to channel the spirit of said animal when attempting skateboarding stunts through the blood and hide of the animal wrapped around our feet (it is very rare to find such shoes… I don’t recommend this as your first criteria). Second, is this shoe endorsed by someone you trust? Someone that you know made the best decision picking the company/design team to work with? I know it’s very difficult to discern these details—that’s why Emerica has done it for you. Simply look for the letters ‘HSU’ on their shoes. It’s a mark of true excellence and quality and will ensure you the best product you can hope to find. It’s the next best thing to having shoes made of tiger skin and dipped in lion’s blood.”—Jerry Hsu
“The design is best for my feet—I like chill, low and light.”—Patrick Melcher
