Author: Crossfire

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Skateboarding News

Crossfire Xmas Cracker!

This year’s Crossfire Xmas Jam in London was quite simply off the hook. If you missed it, you missed the biggest and best event London has seen since Cher floated down the Thames a top a Warship gunner. Boom! Everywhere was going off, and the buzz lasted well into the wee hours of the morning thanks to a booze fuelled afterparty at Mau Mau.

Obviously we’re all a bit shattered and drained from such a heavy weekend of madness, so please let us take a couple of days to recoup. In the meantime, here and here is just a snippet of footy – thanks to Jono and SlimJim for uploading it so quickly.

Here are the day’s winners. No sinners here…

Unsponsored:

Ski-Jump- Alex Decuhna w/ BS 360 and a Kickflip

Koston Block- Ollie Smith w/ FS 5-0, BS Bluntslide and FS Nosegrind on the top.

Curved ledge – Jak Tonge w/ manual Kickflip out and FS 5-0 FS 180 fakie nosemanual drop down.

Mini ramp – Kyron, Dean and Micheal

Sponsored:

Mini ramp- Greg Nowik (White Trash/Globe) w/ Blunt 360 flip in, ollie back foot flip, double flip fakie and huge tweakery.

Rail Jams – Boots (Death) w/ Kickflip FS Boardslide & big spin FS Boardslide. James Gardener (Globe) – Front blunt slide big spin out.

Taj Mahal Wallride sesh- Rob Smith (Death/Duffs) w/ Kickflip indy footplant and hitting the roof.

Whale tail wallie bar- Chris Oliver (Alai/Vans) w/ BS Smith, BS Nosegrind revert, switch BS nosegrind revert and wallie kickflip out head height!

Glasses raised to:

Special thanks to Sidewalk Magazine plus Kingpin, Document and Trisickle, Extreme Sports Channel for sending staff to cover the event, look out for future editions for coverage.

Big thanks to Death, Blueprint, Kill City, The Harmony, Casual, Independent Trucks, Landscape, Heroin, Karma, Plan B and Blind Skateboards for their rider and product support and also all of the other teams that turned up on the day (Duffs whole UK team for sure) and a monstrous shout out to Globe shoes for sponsoring this annual event for the second time running without having to even think about it.

Last but not least huge thanks to all of the people who attended and helped us before, during or after the event this year, if you make the effort to be interested, we will never let you down.

Categories
Live Reviews

Backyard Babies – Live

Mean Fiddler
23.11.06

In terms of publicity, it’s arguably preferable for a band to incite feelings of either love or hate from their audience, as opposed to mere indifference. Towers Of London definitely reside in the former camp, but tonight they’re an aloof, uninspired shadow of their usual snotty-nosed selves.

With notoriously volatile singer Donny Tourette seemingly anchored to his mic stand for the first few songs. ‘Air Guitar’ and ‘How Rude She Was’ go down predictably well with the Towers faithful, but there’s just not enough fire in their performance to tempt anyone else away from the bar.

Fact is, the Backyard Babies do this kind of thing far better, and boast more than enough trashy sleaze-punk anthems in their armoury to unleash a virtual greatest-hits set on this adoring crowd. It matters little that their Hanoi Rocks/G’n’R/Ramones shtick has changed so little in the last few years, when old favourites like ‘UFO Romeo’ and ‘Star War’ rub up so well against choice cuts from this year’s excellent ‘People Like People Like People Like Us’ album. The sight of singer/guitarist Nicke Borg breaking out an acoustic guitar for ‘Roads’ is a relative surprise, but otherwise these Swedes are heads-down rock n’ roll fun of the highest order – and they could certainly teach today’s young pretenders a lesson or two in longevity.

Alex Gosman

Categories
Live Reviews

Soho Dolls – Live

Camden Barfly
09.11.06

If you’re craving a bit of sleazy glamour in your life, you could do worse than go and check out the Soho Dolls – a multi-national quartet that have attracted a small but loyal following in our fair capital. Essentially an electro-pop band with a darkly erotic edge, they’ve managed to sell out the Barfly tonight with only a couple of singles under their belt.

Like their namesake, this lot are all about forbidden delights just waiting to be uncovered; with singer Maya von Doll dressed not unlike the subject of future single ‘Stripper’ in eyeliner, high heels and fishnets. Tonight she’s taken over her ill keyboard player’s duties, and watching her seductive onstage presence is like having all your seedier desires paraded in front of you. Cynics may sneer at their pornographic glam-trash image, but the Soho Dolls can certainly walk it like they talk it; whipping Barfly into a dancing frenzy with the robotic beats and pulsing grooves of songs like ‘No Regrets’ and live favourite ‘Prince Harry’. His royal highness-to-be should be flattered.

With tunes and star quality of this calibre, you get the feeling that venues like the Barfly will soon be very much beneath them. Ultimately, the Soho Dolls are the musical equivalent of a beautifully manicured hand stroking itself up the quivering thighs of banality, and that’s definitely a good thing.

Alex Gosman

Categories
Skateboarding News

STICKY: Xmas Jam 2006 rider list

Below you will find the guest list so far for this years Crossfire Xmas Jam at Bay Sixty 6 Skate park in London this coming Saturday 9th December..

The following riders are all confirmed to appear at this years event that is looking to be the jam of the year once again.

The jam has attracted Puzzle video mag, Sidewalk, Kingpin, Document and newcomer Trisickle Magazine so look out for this event being documented in the New Year by the best skate mags in Europe.

The event will start from 12 midday, unsponsored riders will be able to win Globe Shoes vouchers for shoes of their choice from our main sponsor this year, Sidewalk Magazine subscriptions, decks, clothing and much more on the day from 1-3pm. This will include mini ramp and street comps on different obstacles including the Heroin Whale.

THE AFTER PARTY WILL BE HELD AT MAU MAU’s ON 265 PORTOBELLO RD FROM 7.30PM WITH JOE DRISCOLL PLAYING LIVE AND DJ ED PITT FROM SCENARIO RECORDS ON THE DECKS……..

Current rider guest list with many more to be added:

Globe riders: Sam Beckitt, Nicky Cornell, James Gardener, Greg Nowik, Jed Cullen, Flynn Trotman.

Blueprint riders: Nick Jensen, Chewy Cannon, Neil Smith, Steph Morgan, Danny Brady

Landscape riders: Snowy, Joey Pressey, Jin Shimizu (new flow rider)

Herion Riders: Chris Pullman, Nick Worthington, Mark ‘Fos’ Foster, Rogie, Chris Ault.

The Harmony riders: Jak Pietryga, Paul Silvester, Jamie Bolland, Veran Tull, Steve Bailey.

50-50 riders: Danny Wainwright, Justin Sydenham, Will Ainley, Matt ‘Stalker’ Keal, Koran Gayle, Louis Marshall, Zak Pitter, Flynn Trotman, Dan Wileman, Joe Habgood, Joel Curtis, Pete Rigby.

Kill City riders: Porno Paul, Darryl Cashman, Nicky Cornell, Nicky Howells

Casual Riders: Lee Santer, Nick Bedwell, Ewan Bower, Myles Lucas, Alex Pas, Ben Hay.

Vans riders: Marc Churchill, Chris Oliver.

Duffs riders: Mark Munson, Ben Raemers, Carl Wilson, Adam Howe, Mattias Nylen, Rob Smith, Josh Parr, Amir Williams, Adam Aulaqui, John Tanner, Joe Nobes, Channon Wallace.

Plan B riders: Adam Howe, Alex Mizurov.

Death Riders: Nick Zorlac, Dan Cates, Horsey, Moggins, Carl Wilson, Snoopy, Dave Allen, Boots, Steak, Wag, Nicolson, Lee Blackwell, Rob Smith.

Dope Clothing riders: Tom Felix, Tom Banham, James Kilpatrick, Stevie Thompson.

Science Skateboards riders: Shaun Witherup, Dave Davies, Dan Tomlinson, Scott Howes……

Plus: Darran Nolan, Ivan Rodrigues-Marques, Jamie Harrison, Jasper Tattersall and more.

Media: Alan Christensen, Alan Glass, Niall Kenny, Morph, Andy Evans, Leo Sharp, Styley, Dominic Marley, Rich Murray, Sam Ashley, Niall Neeson, Ged Wells.

Categories
DVD Reviews

411VM Vol.14 Issue 4

When I was informed of the line-up for 411‘s latest issue, I was stoked already. Dubbed the Chico Brenes Issue, I knew that the next 35 minutes would be oozing with style and finesse. You see, Chico might not be the guy pushing the envelope everyday or flogging himself to toy or car adverts on the regular, but it’s a fact that anyone who has a sense of style on a skateboard usually picks the Nicaraguan Chico as their inspiration. Hell! JB Gillet states that Chico is the best skater out there!

Anyway, Volume 14 Issue number 4 of 411VM (confusing- sometimes I prefer the old numerical labelling…) boasts profile on Chico (d’uh!), the DVS Chupa Cabra tour of South America, check outs with Andre Genovesi, Robert Lopez Mont and Danny Cerezini, a trip to Greece with the Planet earth crew and your usual opening chaos. Plus the whole thing designed and packaged by the Crowfarmer Bob Kronbauer– Watch out for the giant hamster! That’s a lot of good stuff for one video magazine, so a chronological run through is necessary.

To begin, the age-old Chaos section has been resumed to a montage of nothing but bangers. A special mention has to go to Chris Haslam who puts down one of the gnarliest rock fakies I have ever seen at that one metal fencing quarterpipe spot outside Barcelona. You might think a rock fakie is the bare minimum, but just check how he controls his board to get back down. Nuff said.

Then the show hits the road with the Planet Earth team flying off to Greece for some street schralpage. Nothing but stylers on this team with Ed Selego, Kenny reed, Soy Panday, Paul Shier, Jack Sabback and a guy who reminds me of Ocean Howell but I might be mistaken. In any case the smoothness is there on show as Greece proposes some it’s finest marble. I only have one beef with this part and that’s the contrived poise with which a couple of the riders skate. I won’t name names, but watching this section should make it obvious. Throwing odd shapes into a trick doesn’t make you better- it just makes you stick out like a ponce.

The next section comes from a Puerto Rican powerhouse making a name for himself as ‘El Destroyer’. I always had Robert Lopez Mont snubbed as a bit of a crash test dummie when it came to skating, but this part has stopped all that pretence full stop. Robert is gnarly as f*** but actually pulls tricks off smoothly. I suggest rewinding this section a few times just to try and grasp the true danger of the kickflips and slides Robert displays, and the speed at which he’s travelling for each trick.

Danny Cerezini drops in next, and it’s completely different from our Puerto Rican bad man. Danny slips very nicely into the category of street technician that has bred an army of amateurs ready to kill a ledge, rail or ditch at the drop of a (new Era) hat. Danny has grown up since the first footage we saw of him, and his skating has grown with him making this section a good one.

The third and final check out goes to one of the supposed hardest working amateurs in the game: Andre Genovesi. I think I have preached about Andre’s abilities before when I reviewed the Arcade video many moons ago. Well with style being of the essence nowadays, Andre can finally have his time to shine. One thing that you will notice, unless his ultra smooth skills had you fooled (which wouldn’t surprise me!), is how much switch skating goes down in this part. And I’m not talking about whimsy lines or the odd leap down a set of stairs. No- proper attacks on gnarly spots. For example, Andre looks asleep at the wheel when he switch crooks off an 8foot drop. Andre also gets the medal for gnarliest slam ever. He literally bounces like a ball. Harsh…

The second tour section to this 411VM is a proper one when the DVS team invite along on their Chupa Cabra tour of South America. Daewon Song, Torey Pudwill, Zered Bassett, Chico Brenes and Daniel Castillo rip it up something severe. Obviously daewon skates everything and innovates, whilst Zered cooks the cake and eats it with one of the tastiest manuals I have ever seen. Finally, a tour section that got me stoked!

Thus, the curtain call is for the smooth operator himself, Chico Brenes. A sweet little montage of Chico’s sponsor me days and witness accounts from some of skateboarding’s biggest players sets the stage for a section dipped twice in style. The best thing about this section is you realise how hyped Chico’s skating can get you, as well as the fact that Chico is a super cool guy who actually enjoys getting old with his board, rather than bitter and contrived. Hats off to Chico.

Helas, that concludes the review of the latest 411VM Vol.14 Issue 4. Obviously there are some bonus sections on the DVD (Italy slam trick, Vans Showdown and Protec Pool party), but the overall package is strong already. Re-read this review if you don’t understand. I must mention two things though before signing off: Firstly, Torey Pudwill. Here is an amateur truly working to make a name for himself, with footage in three different sections. Someone hook this kid up proper because he’s growing into big things I tell you. Secondly, the European skaters actually get a reasonable amount of coverage in this issue with tricks from the likes of Anthony Lopez, Raul Navarro and more. Finally a sign of trans-globalization..? I say it every time but that’s because 411VM does it every time: This DVD is very good!

Watch the trailer here.

Ralph L-D
5/12/06

Categories
Skateboarding News

It’s…Hammertime!!!

When the two groups that bought you High Noon at Wallenburg, and an International contest boasting the biggest purse to date, you know the result is going to be a shocker!

Well, Globe and Thrasher Magazine are teaming up down under for a three day gnarler: March 1st will be the Pizzey Bowl Bash, March 2nd hosts some Mini madness, and then to top things off on March 3rd, everyone heads off to the Varsity Double-set (6-flat-7!!!). Boom!

The weekend is on invite only and there’s $50000 up for grabs.

Whether or not protective gear is allowed has not been clarified…

Categories
Skateboarding News

Skate to the beat

You’ve got to give it to the boys at Skate NC – when it comes to filming and editing skateboarding, these guys know what they’re doing!

After multiple promo’s a few full length videos and more from the North Carolina scene, you end up editing something like this.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Ahhh… A Love Story

Hopefully this will drop sometime around Valentine’s Day: Sheffield’s Story Store has just released the first teaser for it’s debut video, Love Story.

The video will feature Mark baines, Jerome Campbell, Josh Kerr, Danny Beall, Paul Shier, Lucien Clarke, Danny Brady, Tom Harrison and Arther Tubb (In other words, a healthy slice of the Blueprint team and some equally sweet UK skaters).

get loved up here.

Categories
Music News

Long Range hit Cargo

Long Range are Nick Smith and Phil Hartnoll who was one half of influential electronica duo Orbital. The Longrange debut album “Madness and Me” will be released in Japan initially on the Beatink label before seeing a UK release in 2007.

Having been deemed a “highlight” by many at this years Big Chill festival, this one-off show at Cargo on the 12th December will be the first opportunity for people to see this amazing new band in an intimate club setting. Nick and Phil are joined onstage by a highly accomplished group of musicians, who consist of rising star Kelly Malone on vocals, Mick Mula on vocals, Jimi Mula on keyboards and the legendary Will White of Propellorheads fame taking on the drumming duties.

In a continuation of the high live production values established by Orbital, the Long Range show features amazing visuals by the subversive www.c6.org and lighting and sound by members of the former Orbital crew.The gig will also be taking place in the much talked about virtual world Second Life.
.

The concert will take place on a 16-acre island, designed specially for this unique online event. Music and video will be streamed live from the band’s performance at Cargo London. Tickets for the online event can be secured exclusively at: www.longrangeinsecondlife.com

Doors open 20.00
DJ Senor Mick 20.00 – 22.00
LONGRANGE 22.00 to 23.00
23.00 – 01.00 DJ’s PHIL HARTNOLL AND WILL WHITE
Curfew 01.00
Doors 19.30

Categories
Skateboarding News

The ‘Whale’ gets dipped!

Good news this week as the Heroin Whale was brought to life by Fos at Bay Sixty 6 skate park.

With a coat of paint the beast will set sail this Saturday when the Crossfire Xmas Jam runs it’s course from 12pm in London. Click here for the updated rider list.

The inclusion of this obstacle brought talk of the park becoming a new London Aquarium with banter running along the lines of building obstacles around the Lanscape Horizon, Death Ice Berg, Heathen Whaling Ship, Karma Submarine, Unabomber Penguin and also the Blueprint photo booth where you can get your snaps at the end of the day. Or maybe we were just talking total shite after a shandy…

Bad news in today is that the 2 European Blind riders scheduled to be at this years jam are injured alongside Heroin rider Chris Ault who twisted an ankle quite badly heel flipping the driveway at Mudchute this week on a filming mission.

Get well soon mate, maybe someone will be able to wheel you down….