One of Britain’s finest exports, the Hertfordshire Baby Rhino and coping slayer known as Dave Allen has been making quite an impact on the Atlanta scene in Georgia over in the USA. This year his name has been cropping up a little more frequently as his Death From Above pro model for Death Skateboards dropped and the kind of frontside feeble that’ll make any other grown man cry was featured on the ATL Skater website as one of the photos of the year.
He joins us today for another series of personal reflections on the year that has just past. Have a read below and keep scrolling to find his top five video edits of the year too. Boom!
After what seemed like a forever of uncertainty, signing the paperwork and getting the keys to our house. Stoked.
Favourite skate trip?
I think it was when Zorlac was over here and we went drove down to Columbus for the Georgia Bowlriders. Myself, Nick, Will Boatwright and Shawn Coffman. We laughed all the way there and back. Shawn had the quote of the day “I don’t give a shit where we eat Dave” You probably had to be there I guess.
Favourite song or album?
I went to a club for a friend’s birthday and this dude was playing live. It’s not my usual taste but it left an impression on me for some reason.
Most satisfying trick filmed or landed and at what spot?
I’ve filmed some bits for the new Death video, but the most satisfying was shooting an invert fakie in the pool at Brook Run. It felt the nuts.
Newest trick learnt?
I re-learnt how to go in forwards on feeble grinds again just like the boss (Zorlac) does.
Favourite trick or line witnessed?
Grant Taylor at Mountain park, he’d just got back from King of the Road and was just cruising around doing more stuff in one line than I could hope to do ever.
Skate DVD you watched the most?
Creature Hesh Law
Your MVP of the year?
What the fuck is an MVP?
Fresh blood tip for 2011?
Obvious one, Grant Taylor. I’ve witnessed it first hand. He is the real deal. And Kevin Kowalski, don’t underestimate this kiddie.
What are you looking forward to most about 2011?
Skating again. I had knee surgery at the beggining of November, so I’ll be ready to start again in the new year at the new park they are building at the end of the street.
Smashing Up The Car
When I clicked on this I knew it was gonna be good. It’s worth watching just for hearing Renton Millar laugh. He loves this sort of stuff and I’ve never met anyone that gets off on the noise of stuff being smashed as much as him.
Stratosphere Skate Shop Halloween Edit
Crazy shit going down in this clip. Pure fun reminder of what skateboarding is really about.
Rumble In Ramona – The Final Stand
This one is a re-edit from the Thrasher website of the 2009 Rumble which they posted right before the 2010 one. I like it because it rekindled all the memories I had of what a good time it was. So much stuff went down and it was amazing to hook up with people I hadn’t seen in years.
Protec Pool Party – Jeff Grosso 28 Block Slider
Have you ever even done a boardslide? This one takes the piss, he passes the mental point and sticks with it. I sat up and watched this comp on a live feed and I was glad I did. Amazing to think he’s been to hell and back and he can still skate like a demon. Jeff Grosso will always be one of my heroes.
We Are The Music Makers
OK, so it’s not exactly new, but I love this scene. I was stoked when it appeared in Video Days.
Manchester ripper Mark Kendrick is now officially doing radical wheely-business in the name of some of the finest purveyors of skateboarding retail, Note Skateshop!
Have a look at the awesome edit from Joe Gavin and get hyped. Up The Duds!
If one were to pull a defining quote from an imaginary press release then Welcome To MIA is the first full-length video to come from Miami’s premiere skate shop, MIA. This is not to say that’s not true, it totally is. And on that knowledge alone we would have been excited to watch and review it; after all, the store – owned by Ed Selego and Chris Williams – has been supporting the Miami scene for eight years now and we’re baffled that despite its amazing scene of skaters, very little in terms of footage – let alone a full-length video – has emerged from Will Smith’s go-to party town where the heat might be on but apparently the camera isn’t. Â However, for anyone who has spent any time on the internet, this is much more than just the first video to come from MIA. It’s the latest Josh Stewart video, and that, is always very damn exciting.
Having worked with him in Adio’s ‘One Step Beyond’ and been his friend since forever, Selego approached Stewart with the job offer while he was filming for the eagerly awaited fourth instalment in his revered Static series. Whether as a result of fond nostalgia (Josh spent a great deal of his early filming career filming in Miami and both Ed and Chris were featured in the first video Josh ever sold outside of Tampa) or as dedication to a project with his close friends, the Static project went on the back burner and Stewart spent two years filming militantly for this video. Finally after a year of hype it’s here and it’s packed with a stellar line up of skaters including frequent Static cohorts Brian Delatorre, Forrest Kirby, Ben Gore, Luis Tolentino and many many more. This is definitely the latest Josh Stewart video and oh boy is that pretty damn exciting.
Firstly, let it be known now that if it is ever acceptable to have a time lapsed sunset or to have someone perform a flatland 360 flip in front of a setting sun then it is in the context of a Miami video in which this shit can fly. Have you ever been to Miami? It’s not so much iconographic as it is surprising that every 360 flip in the video isn’t in front of a gorgeous sunset. As for the up-skirt architectural pornography and billboard titles, well, anyone who still gets chills watching the intros to Static 3 will feel right at home here. Have I mentioned that this is a Josh Stewart video yet? It is, and it’s already damn exciting.
One of the definitive Miami skate rats, Joel Meinholz gets the first polejam of the video out the way by falling straight into it, setting the tone for what kind of spots we are to witness without hesitation. Before you’ve had the chance to finish your first audible gasp there’s already a tri-force baffling lipslide to lipslide on an awkward looking triangular monument. Fed up with skate parks and skater-made spots in videos? Welcome to MIA doesn’t waste time getting stuck into the realness and this opening section is as street as it gets. Joel has a great style that flourishes in the locations present, from each uncouth ledge hop to ditch spot layback rollaways to a seemingly unskateable transition that gets a twirly noseblunt treatment with ease. A solid opening section that’ll be doing great things to quenching that thirst for raw street skating I’m sure many of you have.
Ben Gore keeps the back-alley spot frequency high with frontside smith grinds over domestic gas meters and ludicrous trick selections on spots so crusty that even a Scottish skater might cringe. In this section you will find early candidates for the best gap-to-lipslide of the year this side of Caradog Emanuel, huge amounts of pop and some frankly mesmerising backside flips. I suppose I should warn you readers in advance too: a good friend of mine developed a problem with his eyes in that he subconsciously forgets to blink as a result of playing too much Super Mario Bros growing up. This is the kind of video that will induce a similar problem. So don’t blink. Blink and you could easily miss one of the best tricks in the section.
Next is quite the treat, a full length part from the MIA co-head-honcho Ed Selego set to the best song Arcade Fire have made since whatever Mike Mo skated to last. If any of you were a little gutted to see only a handful of footage from Selego in the past few years then you’ll be pleased to know that, somewhat unsurprisingly, he was saving all of the good stuff for this. This is classic Selego material but better than ever: quirky backtails, mindblowing pop, lengthy noseblunts and utter control. Reunions seem to already be a trend of 2011, but this one between Selego and Stewart is already champion. The section even fades to black after a flatland tre in front of a gorgeous sunset. More than acceptable.
You cannot have an independent video without the all-important brotage and after a slick drive-thru introduction to recognisable Miami locale we’re presented with a collection of bangers from the MIA family. Not all of you will agree, but seeing a scene so tight get paid their dues by being repped in this is way more inspiring than the latest ‘this changes everything, again’ edit. Skateboarding is about being with your friends and getting creative on whatever the streets throw at you, not being the western lone ranger who grimaces after kickflipping out of that motherfucking tailslide. If you’ve missed that ‘wanting to go skate’ feeling then watch this section for an instant reminder of why you love it.
Paul DeOliveira picks up the bat, dropping lines galore as MF Doom spits rhymes galore as we continue our baffling journey through Miami street knowledge. The lines in here are simultaneously natural and meticulous that they can only have been conceived through hours and hours of graft and bursts of epiphanal creativity. Remember Steiner’s meandering threads in Static 3? Paul knows these labyrinthine ways like the back of his hand, providing there are marble ledges interspersed between his knuckles or something. This section comes with a complimentary R. Kelly sing-along too. Result.
Things take a turn for the One Step Beyond as Danny Montoya kicks off the big-name montage after a Strobeck-esque sequence of the local bike-riding guitar picker. After an ankle-defying first trick this section is packed with bangers from the likes of Steve Durante, Tony Manfre, Steve Nesser, Danny Renaud (yes!), Pat Steiner, Josh Stewart himself (sick!), 80s Joe, Jeff Lenoce, Kenny Anderson, Fred Gall and many more. Pure chaos, all in that otherworldly yellow sun-bathed glow.
Next we see Stewart return to his favourite RJD2 mixtape for Jahmal Williams‘ section that’s complete with the rarely-seen 360 to fakie and more traffic-dodging malarkey. Chris Williams hits the spotlight next and when he’s not dodging the shadow of Josh’s perpetual 5-panel cap, MIA’s other head honcho mixes style with quirky spot hopping that screams for the jazz flute.
Danny Fuenzalida is disgustingly clean and has the kind of style that’ll invoke bromo-erotic comments on whatever site this video will inevitably be pirated on (shame on you in advance – really, you’re scum). Complete with palm tree dodging and smashing into do not enter signs this is yet another defining section for the video. I’m stunned that this scene hasn’t had more coverage, it sure as hell beats grey warehouses and the next big bench.
Since I’ve already mentioned that this video will inevitably wind up on the internet for all the barnacles and leeches to feast upon in crummy quality, the prelude to the next section served as a reminder as why both MIA and Josh deserve your cash. Josh could easily make a killing working for a tourist board, making those sleazy ‘Come to Miami’ adverts that rub middle class aspirations in your filthy corner shop ramen noodle-laden face. Instead, he grafts harder than most to make some of the few skate videos that keep the passion alive in this decade for next to nothing. Show your support.
Escaping this prime time commercial is none other than Forrest Kirby skating to a Morrisey song. Yup. As if this video couldn’t get any more rad, MIA have pressed the F.O.R.E button and everyone needs to watch their heads. Forrest is one of the most criminally underrated skaters ever: he is in the possession of a huge trick bag, inexplicable control and an inspiring approach to whatever spot lays in front of him. Switch double flip switch manual down a kinked manual pad anyone? Didn’t think so. This is already a contender for the best part of 2011 and undoubtedly the only time you’ll hear The Last Of The Famous International Playboys in Florida. Get that rewind button ready.
Brian Delatorre gets a lengthy part in before the curtains and it’s nothing short of banging. Sure, watching skaters weave through urban terrain and attacking everything in their path is all well and good, but watching Brian do it is like switching from Normal difficulty to Extreme mode (or what Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels was to Super Mario Bros). The sets are bigger, the run-ups tighter, the grinds longer, the ledges higher. This is as legit as it gets. He even skates into oncoming traffic as the words ‘The End’ take up the screen. Legit.
Once again, Josh Stewart has delivered the finest collection of pure street skateboarding passion that covers a refreshingly tight scene that was hitherto overshadowed by the equally sunny but notably less stunning west coast. Go and buy this video now, it’s available in all good skater-owned-shops. Bienvenido a MIA.
Just before old man winter came and hit us with the cold cane last year, Matix were busy ensuring their riders soak up every drop the sun could have possibly offered by sending them on a skate trip to Spain where the rain and the man with the cane didn’t even make it through customs.
Have a gander below to see some Spanish shralping from Danny Brady, Torey Pudwill, Flo Mirtain, Ricardo Paterno and Vivien Feil.
Issue 3 of Henry Kingsford’s London-centric Grey Skateboard Magazine is now online for your eyes to look at it and stuff.
Inside the issue are interviews with Daniel ‘Snowy’ Kinloch, Karim Bakhtaoui, Silvain Tognelli and John Tanner amongst all the expected photography fixes that make your eyes feel good just by looking at them. As usual, it’s great stuff; have a read by clicking the cover below.
As some of you frequent Berrics lurkers have probably heard, a brand new full street part from Daewon Song was scheduled to drop online today (1.11.11 – New Year’s Dae) on The Berrics for a very modest 99 cents. That’s about the price of a Mars bar or something similarly redundant when compared to a full part from Daewon Song.
As I’m sure some of you will also agree, Daewon Song is, pretty unquestionably one of, if not the most gifted, unique and exciting skateboarder on the planet. This part is yet another jaw-dropper. Only Daewon can change the game with a smile on his face the entire time. A true inspiration… click this link and get your download on, this guy should be on a good monthly wage to simply exist.
For anyone hoping that Daft Punk were so stoked on composing the score to Tron: Legacy that they have – in a rare display of throwaway productivity – started scoring web edits for Nike SB then don’t be too disappointed. This edit actually does exactly what it says: takes you on a global skate trip with a small handful of the mammoth Nike team and little snippets of stop animation goodness.
Kicking of 2011 in a big way, this montage features Stefan Janoski, Clark Hassler, Daniel Shimizu, Grant Taylor, Wieger Van Wageningen, Lewis Marnell, Youness Amrani, Chet Childress and more.
In a very short period of time, Ben Nordberg emerged from the UK as a rare talent, complete with a bag of tricks unmistakably his own executed with a degree of nonchalance apparently reserved only for him. It wasn’t long before he was secured a position on the mighty Flip Skateboards. In 2010 he recovered from a brutal leg injury and was featured in the visual narrative of James Gardner’s ‘Flight Of Passage‘.
Read below as he reflects with us on the last twelve months and how stoked he is to be back on the plank.
The first tre flip after being out from an injury.
Favourite skate trip?
Flip West Coast Tour. Sick crew with good spots and parks!
Song or album you listened to most in 2010?
Black Sabbath – Die Young
Most satisfying trick made/filmed and at what spot?
A trick in Sacramento and the tranny wall spot… it was fun because Geoff was pulling me in using the van so it felt good to land it so it wasn’t all for nothing.
Gnarliest story?
When we pranked Langi and Luan on the tour, we made up two girls and said how they thought they were really cute and how they wanted to hook up in Sacramento; it went on for 8 days and in the mix of it Langi sent a photo of his dick randomly which was pretty gnarly… so when we were in Sacramento for dinner we revealed how they weren’t real and they were so bummed. I’d like to thank Ewan Bowman, Greg Hunt and Rune for been involved in the prank haha.
Newest trick learnt?
The Merlin Flip
Best trick or line you witnessed?
David did one of the gnarliest things I’ve ever seen… can’t tell you what though.
Obviously Dylan’s part… for sure my favourite part of the year! Such a good style and a great trick selection and also he’s a good mate and a really nice guy.
Stefan Janoski – Habitat Origin
This isn’t online (you can buy it on iTunes here though) but any new Stefan footage is golden in my eyes.
Shane O’Neill – Berrics Part
Nothing to say really apart from that he’s probably the best skater in the world.
Quiksilver have teamed up with skateboarding’s East Coast video auteur, Bill Strobeck for this little edit starring Danny Garcia, Austyn Gillete, Reese Forbes and Alex Olson.
In classic Strobeck style, the clip captures the mundane and the extraordinary and blends them together into something at once arresting and astonishing. Austyn Gillete is just TOO legit.
One of Britain’s finest exports, the Hertfordshire Baby Rhino and coping slayer known as Dave Allen has been making quite an impact on the Atlanta scene in Georgia over in the USA. This year his name has been cropping up a little more frequently as his Death From Above pro model for Death Skateboards dropped and the kind of frontside feeble that’ll make any other grown man cry was featured on the ATL Skater website as one of the photos of the year.
If one were to pull a defining quote from an imaginary press release then Welcome To MIA is the first full-length video to come from Miami’s premiere skate shop, 
Lowcard Magazine have unveiled their ‘Worst Skater of the Year’ to be none other than everyone’s favourite beer-swilling flatbank destroyer Fred Gall.
For anyone hoping that Daft Punk were so stoked on composing the score to Tron: Legacy that they have – in a rare display of throwaway productivity – started scoring web edits for Nike SB then don’t be too disappointed. This edit actually does exactly what it says: takes you on a global skate trip with a small handful of the mammoth Nike team and little snippets of stop animation goodness.
In a very short period of time, Ben Nordberg emerged from the UK as a rare talent, complete with a bag of tricks unmistakably his own executed with a degree of nonchalance apparently reserved only for him. It wasn’t long before he was secured a position on the mighty 
Quiksilver have teamed up with skateboarding’s East Coast video auteur, Bill Strobeck for this little edit starring Danny Garcia, Austyn Gillete, Reese Forbes and Alex Olson.