Category: Features

30.03.07

There’s a variety of skater that just looks like they were born to roll.

This week’s Freshblood has hand-picked three amateurs that look asleep at the wheel when they’re riding around, and it didn’t take long for them to climb the ladder of notoriety.

In true international fashion, we’ve chosen Jak Pietryga from London of Polish descent, Dan Leech from England and Boris Proust from France.

Let their skills blow you away!

Jak Pietryga – The Harmony

Portrait ph. Adam Mondon

There’s a good story behind Jak’s ascent to glory; The City of London is a very competitive place for skateboarders with more than your fair share of wicked mandem rolling on road, but only a select few get the respect they deserve from the locals and the industry heads alike.

There was a rumour going around about a kid who had dropped of a Sponsor-Me tape at Cide skateshop. Nothing new there, except the fact that the video ran about 45 minutes long! No filler all killer! The Harmony were looking for a young face to head their new team, and Jak with his sponsor me tape sealed the deal. Here’s to the baddest traffic warden on road with a mean 360 flip!

Full Name: Jak Pietryga
Age: 19
Sponsors: The Harmony, DVS shoes, Matix
Hometown: Walthamstow, London
How long skating: 5 years or a bit more
Favourite tricks: Big spins , tre’s are ok, fakie 5.0
Favourite kind of spots: All terrain…

“Jak Pietryga (said – pi-tree-gar) hails from Walthamstow and is a quiet, reserved chap. His skateboarding is where he gets noisy and forceful. Jak has an endless bag of tricks and stunts that will last all day, every day.

Always a pleasure going filming with him as Jak always has a new take on things he tries. He is racking up the footage for our Harmony film as we speak and I’m sure you folks will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Watch out on the streets of London Town for this bloke and give him a wave or a smile as he goes by” – Adam Mondon

Watch Jak show off his skills by clicking here. Video by Morph.

Full Crossfire interview from 2006 here with footage shot by Russell Cowling, Dane Crook, David Dixon and Paul Silvester.

Ph. by Richard Pit

Dan Leech – Icon

Saint Neots is not too well known for skateboarding unless you are talking about this ginger monster of course! Dan has been on the scene repping his tech skills for a while and some would argue that his blood is hardly fresh. But shit you not, his blood freshens itself annually and you will always see him turning up to events, supporting his local scene and giving his all. There was no way he was not going to be left out of this feature purely because he aint 16 no more so get to know him if he turns up to your town on the rip, you will be stoked.

Full Name: Dan Leech
Age: 27
Sponsors: Icon skateboards, Adio shoes, Silver trucks
Hometown: Saint Neots
How long been skating: 20 plus years
Favourite tricks: All of them
Favourite kind of spots: Mini ramps

“This guy is mad, loves handrails, and skates them for fun…he loves hanging out and taking the piss out of our crew one by one which is a good trait for any skate crew member. Dan is sitting on tons of footage for the upcoming MeatBallz DVD out for Xmas 07-check it out then.” – Toby Batchelor, I-Five Team manager/Filmer

Watch Dan in the Meatballz trailer here.

FS flip Nottingham ph. Mike Wright

Boris Proust – Rare

Boris Proust lets his skating do the talking. You don’t have to see him kill all the best spots day in and day out to realise just how much respect he has achieved from his peers.

You might not see him for a week, a month maybe a few months even, but then Boris will drop a gem combining technical and solid skating that outshines all the competition. This year Boris is working hard on his social skills, but don’t expect to see him hogging the limelight because his skateboarding can do that. Boris has got it like that.

Photos by C.Viollet

Full Name: Boris Proust
Age: 21
Sponsors: DVS, Matix, Rare, Urban, Flare.
Hometown: Lomé, Togo
How long been skating: 7 years
Favourite tricks: Switch tre, Fs pop shuv, Fs nosegrind.
Favourite kind of spots: Low to high

“Hummm… I don’t know what to say really… Our new mofo video is online on www.themofo.fr, one year late but online Ha! Ha! I like filming as skateboarding and I’m actually studyingat a Cinema University where they only teach you theory and cinema’s history, which is interesting but if you really want to learn how to make videos you have to do it by yourself in parallel.” – Boris himself

Click here to see Boris footage and expect a Trick of the Week to come soon.

More Freshblood will drip on these very pages next week…..
If you missed the first 4 parts, then rewind…

Blair Alley started skating at the age of 10 in San Diego where he was born and raised. 7 years later he started to see skateboarding through a lens for the first time whilst those around him were turning pro such as Adrian Lopez, Willy Santos, Peter Smolik, John Reeves and many more but this only fuelled his involvement in the industry.

He’s a lucky fucker, he lives by the ocean in Pacific Beach where he pays rent on a house but rarely hangs there due to his travelling commitments to Europe, Australia, all over the US, and Canada. Costa Rica and Panama. See, very lucky fucker.

This travelling bug lead him to Barcelona where he lived during the summer of 2003 but overall , he is a quite mellow but red blooded American with an appetite for Tight Units – we know this much as we met him at Marseille with his collegues from TransWorld where he started working in 2002 – he works for the mag and also is one of the online editors of their website www.skateboarding.com

This guy has kept in touch with Crossfire since we first shared a Kronenberg 1664 and when he is not running with bulls in Pamplona, or chatting up skirt, he loves to shoot skating amongst many other subjects which brings us to this feature. Welcome to Blair Alley’s Triple Shot… Z-Ed

Full name?

Blair Alley

How long have you been a photographer?

Fell in love with it in high school

How did you get into skate photography?

As a skater it was the main thing I always shot. It’s still some of the best shit to shoot.

Tell us about the skate image that you first inspired you to take up photography

Dan Sturt bridge jump self-portrait. 1993?

Sturt’s work as a whole has been the most influential photography for me. There will never be another Sturt. He was always years ahead of his time. Ask any skate photographer that knows our history and they’ll tell you the same. Years later I found out how he shot this from someone who was there—truly nuts. Maybe one day I’ll go jump off that same bridge to pay homage!

What were the best and worst bits of advice anyone gave you in regards to photography?

Best: “Burn celluloid” a friend of my mom’s said that Warren Miller told him that which basically means just shoot film. The more you do the more you’ll learn.

“Nothing good comes easy.” Mike O’Meally regarding shooting digi over film. He’s right, film still looks better and those of us that learned on film will always have an advantage. Ask questions, that’s the best way to learn.

Worst: anything anyone who works in a photo/camera shop says because they don’t understand skate photography and are just trying to get you to buy some fucked up lens and the shitty accessories that go with it.

Have you ever felt bad about taking a photo? If so, which one?

Sometimes, but not as bad if I don’t take the photo!

What were the best and worst days shooting skateboarding of your life ever and why?

The last 4th of July was pretty amazing. We hit up so many spots in San Diego while people were barbecuing and partying. We were in the ghetto and all these hood kids were hanging out riding our boards and eating ice cream with us. We got a shitload of photos and hit the beach around sundown and partied all night, everyone was stoked. Worst days are harsh weather, long drives, no photos going down, tickets from police, confiscated boards and cameras, kicked out of spots by gangsters—but it still beats any other job out there.

What’s the relationship like between a photographer and filmer?

We all gotta work together.

What is your favourite skate shot ever that you have taken?

Josh Zickert, tre flip, NYC. 2002 – I shot this in NYC in 2002. It was an idea I had and finally got around to shooting the last day I was there. I was staying with my friend Josh Zickert and wanted to shoot a photo of him from his roof. It started raining as soon as I got on the roof to shoot. We messed around for awhile anyways and it turned out pretty good. I was working at TransWorld at the time and I showed it to Grant Brittain and he was nice enough to run it in the Photo Annual that year.

What main advice would you give to upcoming skate photographers?

Just do it, stick with it, and don’t be a kook.

Are there ways of getting better/free equipment as you continue to grow or do you have to fund everything yourself?

That’s the worst thing about photography, it’s expensive as hell. If you don’t make money off it, I imagine it’s the most expensive hobby you’ll ever have. Unless you, like, collect motorcycles or something. And, yes, it is super annoying to see rich kids get a whole kit on a whim and not know what they’re doing with it.

Is the work of a skate photographer well paid? Do you get by in life with this income alone?

It’s like pro skateboarding, some dudes are rich and some barely get by. At the end of the day, you gotta hustle, you gotta be a cool person, and you gotta be in it for the love.

Does music ever inspire your photography? What music artists can you not leave for a tour without?

Fuck, the Pod is bursting, but all skaters have the same iPod, don’t we? The folk, the hip hop, the classic rock. My friends’ band The Heartaches is the latest one stuck in my head. Check em out.

And tell us about your favourite photo that you snapped outside of skateboarding.

Bum In Barcelona. 2003 – I was living in Barcelona for a couple months skating and shooting skating everyday, but I finally made a point to walk around one day by myself and shoot some of the amazingly photogenic stuff I was seeing everyday on my skateboard: kids playing soccer in the gothic quarter, crazy street performers, beautiful women, Gaudi architecture, etc. I ended up with so many rad photos from that one day. One of them is this bum passed out on a fountain ledge in front of a church. I even got a bird flying by in the background. Just a lucky day, I guess—and I still went skating.

If you were to buy a pocket snapper for capturing skating on a budget to get going, which camera would you suggest?

Anything fully manual—Nikon FM2, Conon AE-1, Leica if you can afford it.

Would you recommend digital or film?

Depends what you’re shooting for. If it’s for yourself or for fine art, definitely film. It looks better and there’s no substitute for a hand-printed photograph—they’re priceless. If you work for a magazine or anyone commercially, digital is way more efficient, convenient, cost-effective, competitive, safer, etc. That’s reality.

What kit do you use?

Canon stuff. All skate photogs have the same kit. But we all have our little camera collections too. You know, Hasselblads, Holgas, T-4s, X-pan maybe, Leica, whatever. But I have a Diana, too. I’m kinda proud of that.

Your photography website address if you have one?

Try www.blairalley.com..it’s just up.

5th March 2007

This weeks Freshblood burst onto the scene only a year or so ago, and they don’t show any hesitation when it comes to complete annihilation.

The usual route for a career in skateboarding would be to build up your confidence and gain recognition gradually, but these three skaters wasted no time in getting noticed and serving up a severe warning to lagging pros. Jerome Campbell, Ante and David Gonzalez are no joke on their boards.

I think together, this trio can establish the lead in new Super-Ams category. Who needs a board with your name on it, if your name is already on everyone’s tongue?

Feature by Zac Slack and Ralph LD.

Jerome Campbell – Blueprint

Portrait ph. Neil Chester

If you’re scanning Great Britain for talent, then you’ve probably spotted Jerome Campbell, not once, nor twice but three times. You can’t really miss it when a kid rolls past you with such smooth manoeuvres.

Jerome was first spotted in Matt Hirst’s video killing all his local spots with ease. It only took a minute for Blueprint to take the teenager under their wing and before you knew it Jerome was touring Europe and the UK dishing out many a lesson in style and power.

When the Sheffield Story Store posted a daily clip of Jerome frontside nosesliding over the L-bench, people took notice. Do you have any idea how hard that is? And Jerome did it asleep at the wheel…

Full Name: – Jerome Campbell
Age: 19
Sponsors: Blueprint Skateboards, Nike SB, Thunder Trucks, Krew and The Story Store
Hometown: Sheffield
How long been skating: 6 years.
Favourite tricks: “Just learnt airwalks and 900’s”
Favourite kind of spots: “Anything really, odd stuff, quirky stuff!”

“You know when you move into a house with someone you don’t know very well, then find out about all their little quirks? Well in the past year I have discovered that Jerome:

A) Spends much of his time acquiring new possessions and then instantly lose them by leaving them at a spot.
B) May try and borrow money from you, even though he has a wad of notes in his sock draw.
C) Thinks that there are 500 real people in the world and everyone else is a prop.

This is the part where I tell you how much Jerome skates with the speed, style and thought of a veteran beyond his years.” Neil Chester, Blueprint Team manager/Filmer

Frontside flip in Mallorca, Spain ph. Dom Marley

Watch Jerome train up some buttery skills in Italy here.

Antonio ‘Ante’ Aiello – Yama

Portrait ph. Machine Braudisch

Brought up in a town called Hard and sharing an uncanny resemblance with evil Sideshow Bob, Ante fella has burst onto the European skate scene with some explosive tricks in Antiz’ Z-Movie, and a few eye openers in various European magazines.

You see, Ante rides for Yama and Yama are nomads of the skate world. They just skate wherever life puts them and usually leave devastation wherever they roam. Ante has taken the confidence and determination of misled youth and applied it to his skateboarding to produce some of the cleanest and gnarliest skating of the moment.

We know Ante is destined to make it big on his board, so he’s a direct candidate for Freshblood.

Full Name: Antonio Aiello
Age: 18
Sponsors: YAMA Skateboards, Emerica.
Hometown: Hard, Austria
How long been skating: Since summer 2000
Favourite tricks: Olli, Kick Flip, cruising in the streets
Favourite kind of spots: I try to skate everything

“Without skateboarding I would probably be one of the guys, who spend their time with felony and thefts. Before I started skating, I was hanging out with the wrong kids, but skateboarding kept me out of that way of life and showed me a lot of beautiful things like travelling and many new friendships. I want to thank Alex Kramer, the whole Yama Crew, Oli Bürgin (soletech), my family and all my friends.” Ante himself.

Watch Ante serve out a solid beating to some of Europe’s biggest spots in the Yama section of Z-Movie here .

Backside flip skate shot ph. Machine Braudisch

David Gonzalez- Flip

Portrait ph. Daniel Sturt

When the industry is awash with young rippers each as good as the next, it takes whole lot more to differentiate yourself from the bunch. Flip skateboards run a tight ship when it comes to hooking riders up, so when they announced their support for little David Gonzalez from Columbia, a few people might have had doubts as to what their reasons might be.

Flip didn’t have to explain a thing – David did the talking. Or should I say screaming? Honestly, this kid has got a thirst for thrills that an unhealthy dose of energy drinks couldn’t induce.

To quote a UK skate magazine editor that got the chance to witness David’s skating first hand: “Unbelievable is a word I’ve used too often in this article already, but it’s the only thing that comes close“. Howard Cooke’s Everton gap first try, then again with a little layback powerslide for speed control on the approach..? Nuff said.

Full Name: David Gonzalez
Age: 16
Sponsors: Flip, Globe, Ricta, Fury, CCS Mailorder, Libre skateshop.
Hometown: Medellin, Columbia
How long been skating: 11 Years
Favourite tricks: I haven’t seen one he doesn’t like.
Favourite kind of spots: Anywhere his wheels can roll.

“On a highway to hell with no fear in his blood, David Gonzalez hails from Medellin Colombia, at the tender age of 16 he has lived more than most, and with a story to tell for every occasion that will shock or leave you in fits of laughter. If you ever get to witness him skate live then you’ll understand why I didn’t bother writing any bullshit about how he can do this and that and he rips on this and that terrain, actions speak louder than words and David Gonzalez is really fucking loud.” – Ewan Bowman

Watch how David kills competition during this run at the Tampa Am 2007 comp here .

Grown-man grind in California ph. Daniel Sturt

Photos courtesy of the lovely Droidy
Somehow I found myself in a position of minor responsibility, something I generally spend my life trying to avoid, when I was asked if I could pull together a skate comp over at Sk8 Goa in India.

I guess it wasn’t that much of a big deal but nonetheless I’d never even been to India and there’s never been a skateboard comp there before. It seemed pretty daunting at first but I soon realised it was pretty much same shit different continent!

Thankfully Vans and Nueu had blind faith in my ability to pull it together so massive respect to them and thanks to all the knobheads that took the time to come out. I think everyone who was there would agree it was a pretty unique experience. Enough back slapping…

After a fairly painless 8 hour flight it was a beautiful feeling to walk out of the plane into bright sunshine and searing heat in the middle of our winter! The ride from the airport was a little surreal, like we were watching it on a film, it certainly takes a day or two to find yourself at ease with the place but when you do it’s a wonderful feeling.

I can honestly say that after a few days I felt like I’d been there weeks, it’s just so easy to drop into the lifestyle and relaxed pace. I wasn’t sure what to expect of the park as it’s always hard to tell from pics on the internet but it is amazing (although fairly compact) and it’s fair to say a lot of stuff got done that week that will never get done again.

Our average day was: get up, chill by hotel pool, moped convoy to beach, breakfast, chill, moped convoy to skatepark, skate, moped convoy to hotel, shower, moped convoy to restaurant, food, moped convoy to bar, booze, drunken moped convoy to hotel.

It doesn’t get much better than hanging out in the sun with some of your best mates, add to the fact that beers in a bar cost about 30p or something and you’re living the dream.

The day of the comp was pure comedy, possibly the most relaxed (dis)organisation ever “Powley, when’s the comp?” “Later, whenever everyone shows up, whatever, let’s go to the beach”. Obviously in the end everyone showed up , the sound system materialised and things got underway.

The Saturday evening was a jam affair and started off pretty mellow (many were still dying from jet lag having only arrived that morning or the day before) but soon got fired up especially after Zarosh aired into the pool of a bench on a ledge.

I’d heard rumours that Woody ‘owned’ the bowl and that was no lie, his runs lasted about 4 minutes on average and included all the essentials like back smiths and tailslides but also some surprises like frontside late shove its.

My travelling companion Olly Tyreman had been wowing everyone all week with his speed and crazy style but stepped it up a gear for the jam and pulled some screaming backside crailslides and smiths as well as some of the best backside bonelesses around.

Churchill, as ever, was running at 110% with all his usual gnarl tricks including f/s bonelesses and some beautiful f/s feeble grinds. The comp ended when everyone was fucked and the results came out of my mouth like this:

1: Woody
2: Marc Church Hell
3: Zarosh Eggleston
4: Olly Tyreman
5: Steak
6= Everyone else!

Unfortunately India didn’t field any skaters so it was a UK victory! Technically I guess that makes Woody the Indian skateboard champ! It would be rad if we went back next year to find a crew of Indian skaters tearing it up though.

Sunday was a best trick jam in the bowl and went off way harder than Saturday, partly due to MC Phil getting really pissed and dishing out some serious abuse. No one was spared, you didn’t even have to be skating, the crowd got it as did Percy from Document!

Habgood had obviously recovered from his jet lag and went crackers, in fact everyone did. Woody was black and blue from the day before and had spent the whole day whining and saying he wasn’t going to skate, obviously he was straight in there!

Judging this was going to prove to be a nightmare so I just split the prize money between all the best of the best trick, really there were thirty contenders for best trick. There was also a “Biggest Heart” award aka The Hippy Award which was for the person who put in the most effort and made the most stuff – Greg Nowik was the unanimous winner! He skated non-stop for the whole time and made about 10 tricks which could have won including a double flip fakie in the deep end of the bowl.

So here’s who got cash for what:

Greg Nowik – Flip Indy fakie, blunt flip in over the deathbox
Olly Tyreman – Backside Crailslide revert, Frontside 5-0 revert
Churchell – Indy transfer out of the bowl into a quarter, manual roll round the bowl to pivot fakie.
Zarosh – Lipslide roll in, Wall stall to disaster in.
Habgood – Frontside nose pick and blunt fakie on the nastiest thin vert quarter pipe.

My last night there coincided with Olly Tyreman’s 18th Birthday, what a place to celebrate! After a few mellow drinks on the sea front terrace of a particularly beautiful bar we headed to a club with a mechanical bull, Churchill shut down the locals with a powerful display of dancing and Rogie lost his mind.

When we got kicked out of there we went to a mellow beach bar and Olly disappeared only to be found later in a pool of puke on the beach while the rest of us laughed the night away with bright red faces.

I’ve been on a lot of trips but this was one that will go into the ‘legendary’ chapter of my memoirs, I feel honoured to have been there with such an amazing crew. I look forward to getting back out next year and doing it all again. Obviously thanks to the sponsors Vans and Nueu who made it possible and to Nick Smith who owns the place and did a pretty good job of making everyone feel welcome and getting them acclimatised!

I’d heard all kinds of horror stories about travelling in India and I’m sure some of them are true. However the area of Goa where the park is located is very touristy and so much of that doesn’t apply, indeed my experience of India was not marred by a single incident although a few of the crew suffered from “Ring of Fire” but that’s a small price to pay, don’t let hearsay put you off the trip of a lifetime. Book your flight now.

TIPS: Although flights out there are around £300 once you get there you can pretty much live for free, a £5 per day budget for food and drink is more than ample. Visas were a bit of a nightmare as we sorted them out last minute, do the sensible thing and apply for yours by post and save yourself a lot of trouble.

Finally, the most important holiday accessory is a moped, essential for getting round independently as everywhere is too spread out to walk and catching cabs is a hassle. Around £4 per day will cover it, plus laughing at idiots crashing really adds to your holiday memories!

Nearly everything described here was captured on film so be sure to check it out HERE on the Vans website – my feeble attempt at journalism couldn’t do it proper justice!

Visit www.sk8goa.com for the full experience and click here for a full feature with video from last years visit by Death Skateboards.

Nic Powley

Jerome’s fifth eye.

It’s not Jerome’s fault…..well actually it mostly is, any problems you’ve had with your girl, it’s him, can’t get the lid off that jam, it’s him, raining ??…..yup you guessed it, it’s all down to the Ginger Irishman, just accept it.

So why does Jerome have one of these articles and why am I writing about the man ??….. Look at the goddamn pictures !! He has an eye (well actually he has two, four if you count glasses) for what works, just this morning I saw it in action, actually let me call this his ‘fifth eye’.

Jerome’s fifth eye starts way before taking a shot, in fact the pictures you are looking at are a complete detail perfect progression of a thought process. The talent to see a finished result in his ‘fifth eye’, is inspiring and the experience to know what to do when reality deviates from this path is steadfast. Although calling him an ‘Art Director’, makes me want to point at him, laugh and call him a fag, it perhaps might be a more apt title than photographer. – Jerome, flat caps off to you and your art work. – Dan Wound

Full name please sir

Jerome Loughran

How long have you been a photographer?

I’ve been behind the camera for years but I didn’t call myself a photographer until 6 years ago.

How did you get into skate photography?

Well, I had been taking photographs for I got into skating when I started skating they went kind of hand in hand, I remember being told by my tutor to stop wasting my time on skateboard photographs, its all I wanted to do.

Is there an image that inspired you so much to take up photography?

Rick Kosick, Big Brother shot – Any Big Brother was just pure genuis and it made me laugh all day, the amount of effort put into his shots are still not matched today, Rick Kosick for life.

What were the best and worst bits of advice anyone gave you in regards to photography?

No one has ever given me bad advice. I kind of learned it from my dad who’s a free lance newspaper photographer. Good old Leo Sharp and Rich Gilligan gave me some words of wisdom that helped me so much.

Have you ever felt bad about taking a photo? If so, which one?

I’ve never felt bad about taking a photograph. If anyone felt like that there wouldn’t be some of the strongest images in history.

What were the best and worst days shooting skateboarding of your life ever and why?

Worst day would be if ya miss a one shot deal that a skater won’t be making again. The best would be knowing you’re going home with something in the can or when you make that print and its spot on.

What’s the relationship like between a photographer and filmer?

Filmers are ok , some are my best mates are filmers, if any of you out there know Dikey you know if he gets in your way it’s cause he’s on another planet!

What main advice would you give to upcoming skate photographers?

My advice is don’t unless you’re ready to be rejected for years, its total heartache – you think you’ve got a cover shot and you got shit, you keep learning for sure, and also if you don’t skate you don’t deserve to be a skatephotographer, simple.

Please tell us why you have picked your fave skate shot you have submitted?

My favouite skate shot, Cashman for the Halloween article in Sidewalk, my kinda go at a Kosick shot!

Are there ways of getting better/free equipment as you continue to grow or do you have to fund everything yourself?

I’ve paid for it all myself, just work and save and if you can get someone to get you stuff out in the States, well, it’s a little cheaper.

Is the work of a skate photographer well paid? Do you get by in life with this income alone?

Pay is minimal, there’s only like 6 guys or so in the UK making any money and only like 3 of them can call it a full time job, I’m sure if you ask any of the guys out there that their credit cards are all maxed and the bank owns their cameras, but these guys don’t do it for the money, its all about the love of skateboarding if they get paid then their rent is paid!

Does music ever inspire your photography? What music artists can you not leave for a tour without?

Music is how I got into skating, Sonic Youth, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Dag Nasty were my early influences, I remember watching the Sonic Youth 100% video with Jason Lee skating in it and that was the moment, music is so hand in hand with skating, I still make mix cd’s with the my favourite section tunes, I think Chris Senn’s section tune from Welcome To Hell by Cigar is on 90% of those cd’s.

Please tell us about the non skate shot you have submitted and the story behind it.

My non skate image is the Pritchard vs Dainton shot. It was meant to be the video cover but it got fucked with by a graphic designer who just used the arms. It did run as a advert though, still I get props over this shot and it’s my favourite.

If you were to buy a pocket snapper for capturing skating on a budget to get going, which camera would you suggest?

Cameras are changing constantly, I can never keep up, I am still a lover of film so I am biased, so probably a Yashica t4 or anything by Canon, I got Canon pride, it’s kind of like Venture vs Indy pride you know.

Would you recommend digital or film?

I don’t need to say do I?

What are the benefits of using film or digital?

Digi is much cheaper in the long run, say for sequences etc, but I think that colour film beats digi hands down.

What kit do you use?

35mm Canon gear fisheye lenses and good set lenses, Bronica 120 medium format almost everything rad for portraits nothing sexier that square format, loads of flashes Sunpaks my choice for now, and a good light meter, and knowledge of my f stops.

Look out for Jerome at a spot near you….he is always lurking with intent…

21st Feb 2007

This weeks Freshblood is a true trio of terror. Today’s skaters are savvy enough to know that a good rider can shred anything in his path. Variety and mercurial aptitude shine brighter than any one hit wonders any day.

The 3 skaters we picked for this third installment of Freshblood will come to your best spot and merk it into the next millennium. Rails, ledges, gaps, banks, trannies… You name it- they’ve got something for it. Sit back and feel the fury of Greg Levet, Sam Partaix and Boots..

Feature by Zac Slack and RLD.

Sam Partaix – Antiz

Portrait ph. Loic Benoit

If there is one amateur on everyone’s lips in France its Sam Partaix. This fuzzy haired Hessian burst onto the scene with his relentless attack of anything big, quirky and bent. It’s no wonder then that the skateboarding A-Team, Antiz picked him up after one weekend session with the youngster.

Not only does Sam open the brand new second Antiz video, Z-Movie with a funked out global assault, he also opened a skateshop out of Tours called Skate Pistols. Obviously Sam is dedicated and in it for the long run, and that’s why we like him!

Full Name: Sam Partaix
Age: 18
Sponsors: Antiz, Vans, Eastpak clothing and backpack, Doble wheels, Skate Pistols Skate Shop.
Hometown: Tours, France.
How long skating: I would say 6 years.
Favourite tricks: That strange one foot he does in the new Antiz video ” Z movie”
Favourite kind of spots: The sketchy ones. The made yourself concrete madness.

“Sam skates like there is no tomorrow. He skates endlessly anything on any terrain. He does not think of what he should do. He just does. Where ever you will bring him, he will skate and most probably destroy the spot. The great thing about Sammy is that when he takes a huge slam.

He can only smile about it. He is a great humble kid with attitude and goals. He opened his skate shop Skate Pistols at the age of 17. That in itself is quite a statement of his interesting personality. And this is just the beginning…” – Julian Dykmans, Antiz Skateboards founding member.

Watch Sam’s killer section that opened up Antiz Z-Movie.

Blunt in Dog Pisser, Basel Switzerland ph. Loic Benoit

Boots – Death

Portrait ph. Nic Zorlac

If you were at last year’s Crossfire Xmas Jam, then you couldn’t have missed a smooth punker with peroxide hair kill the sponsored rail comp in under 5 minutes. When the Crossfire minutes began to countdown, Boots was the first to step up to the obstacle and put down 3 tricks before some of the entrants had even dropped in.

I don’t know anyone who can nonchanantly kill a rail with bigspin frontside boardslides, frontside feebles and kickflip boardslides as appetizers. Do you?

Full Name: Boots
Age: 19
Sponsors: Death Skateboards
Hometown: Harrow
How long skating: About 5 years?
Favourite tricks: Anything
Favourite kind of spots: Everything

“Not much of a conversationalist, Boots lets his skating do the talking. Every day. Skateboarding machine. Always down to skate no matter what.

Fearless, technical, precise, and more than willing to take a slam when necessary to get the job done. Add it up. The future’s bright, the future’s… peroxide blonde.”

– Nic Zorlac, Death Skateboards

Watch Boots and the rest of the Death team shred St. Albans into the ground here.

Ollie, ph. Styley

Greg Levet – Syndrom

Portrait ph. Mathieu George

Whilst Lyon and Paris battle it out for media coverage, a storm is brewing down South in the coastal melting pot that is Marseille. Whilst most people recognize the town for it’s amazing bowls, Marseille boasts a strong street scene too with Greg leading the charge.

Fresh as a cold glass of Pastis and stylish as the original French Connection, Greg is ready to export a lesson in street skating this year. Class starts now.

Full Name: Greg Levet
Age: 22
Sponsors: Syndrom Skateboards, Globe Shoes, Color 13 Skateshop, Kiuu underwear.
Hometown: Marseille
How long been skating: 10 years
Favourite tricks: Ollie
Favourite kind of spots: Everything is good to skate

“He’s one of my favourite in the team! He’s real and rough, sometimes he talks a lot and talks a lot of bullshit, then sometimes he doesn’t say a word.

His job is hard, he cleans the streets of Marseille very early in the morning, then has a sleep and go skates everything he finds good in the afternoon. He’s my session nightmare because he can skate everything easily.” – Etienne Laude, Syndrom Boss

Watch how Greg gets down in his neck of the woods here.

Ollie transfer ph. Mathieu George

Next week we will drop the 4th viall of Fresh Blood, stay tuned…

6th Feb 2007

The amateurs are on the rise and you can’t escape them because they shred everything.

No rail, ledge, bank or transition is saved because today’s minor league steps it up in a major way.

Crossfire’s Freshblood is an insight into the guys leading the charge upon Skateboarding’s professional ranks and this week’s picks stick out like sore thumbs – Joseph Biais, Ewen Bower and Eddie Belvedere are this weeks featured skaters.

You could be featured here next – now stop reading this and go out and skate!

Feature by Zac Slack and RLD.

Joseph Biais – Rare

Portrait ph. Jean Feil

People joke about how much Joseph a.k.a. Jojo has grown over the last year, but judging by his skateboarding, Jojo will be having the last laugh. You couldn’t really miss Jojo when he dropped in at a contest or strolled through a spot. He has a massive blonde afro, cigarette-stick legs and a tendency to throw himself at the biggest obstacle.

Just as the albatross of ‘hammer house of horror’ circled above, Jojo broke away from the pack and took a devilish enjoyment in making mice of men. With an established debut in the Rare video, Storyboard, and an anticipated second coming in the soon to be released second Rare video, this young Frenchman is turning the tide on the skate game in his favour.

Full Name: Joseph Biais
Age: 20
Sponsors: Rare, Vans, Street Machine , Spitfire , Carhartt (flow)
Hometown: Virfolay
How long been skating: 8 years
Favourite tricks: Ollie, Flip, frontside flip , Hurricane……
Favourite kind of spots: All kinds of spots, ledges, stairs, rails, curbs, mini ramps… whatever!

“The first time I saw Joseph he had holes in his shoes, the look of a 12 year old despite being 16, a big blond afro, and a strong maturity be it with his skating or his mind. Today, I no longer recognise the little Jojo.

He’s twice the size, he keeps things childish with the Kiki Crew, and his skating has got so creative that he can ride absolutely any spot as if it was a session at his local skatepark. Joseph Biais, remember this name because you definitely haven’t heard the last of him !” – Nico Eustache, Rare professional and Team manager

Watch a typical morning session with Joseph here.

Backside smith frontside 180 out ph. Jean Feil

Ewen Bower – Casual

Ewen Portrait ph. Benjamin Hay

For such a young age, Ewen shows a lot of maturity in his skating. Well, maturity in that he’s open to skate anything, but immature in the way that each session has got to be fun. Ewen brings the fun to an abandoned warehouse at the dead of night.

Ewen brings the fun to a bent pole in the middle of nowhere. Ewen brings fun to the after-skate wind down. You get the point, and you better recognise because this young lad is steadily climbing the ladder with Freshblood pumping through his veins.

Full Name: Ewen Bower
Age: 17
Sponsors: Casual Skateboards, Lovenskate Clothing and South Skate shop.
Hometown: Tonbridge Wells
How long been skating: Five years
Favourite tricks: Fakie Ollie!
Favourite kind of spots: Anything weird, a bank, pole jam or weird shaped blocks.

“I think everyone has the physical potential to be an amazing skateboarder, but some people just belong on a skateboard, and Ewen is one of them. He doesn’t really learn tricks, but just does them, and every time I see him, he seems to have a new one; usually something weird that will knock you straight of a game of skate.

He has endless self-motivation, always up for getting photo’s and footage, and is always down for skating no matter when or where. Some people tend to give him a little snicker when they first see him skate, but after a while you watch them slowly sit down, usually very confused. He just one of those skaters you cant help but watch, his style is overwhelming and its quite usual to go to park, and after ten minutes you realise no one is skating except Ewen.

Ewen’s a close friend, a great skater and I know he’s going to go a long way if he keeps it up.” James Holman, Casual Skateboards CEO and Teaboy

Watch Ewen get casual at the Whorehouse here.

10 stair lipslide ph. Benjamin Hay

Eddie Belvedere – The Harmony

Portrait ph. Adam Mondon

Eddie isn’t pressed to grab the limelight, but his skateboarding is screaming attention. You probably won’t see Eddie on Stars in their eyes, but his presence at some of the UK’s biggest comps- Deathrace and War of the Roses- has definitely been felt.

Always ready to rip at the skatepark, he’s also well known for killing it in the streets without backing down to security or nay-sayers. Skating around the city of Manchester has taught Eddie to handle his business fast, so make sure you don’t miss him in the future when he rolls up and kills your gap in less than 3 tries.

Full Name: Eddie Belvedere
Age: Late teens
Sponsors: The Harmony, Zoo York Clothing, Note Skateshop, Supra
Hometown: Manchester
How long skating: 6 Years or something like that
Favourite tricks: FS Shove-its, BS nollie heelflips, and losing mobile phones
Favourite kind of spots: It’s all good at the right time

“Where can I start with Eddie? Well, I can never get hold of him due to the loss of yet another mobile phone. But yet he always turns up at the right time, somehow. Eddie loves olives, skateboarding, mates, ladies and late night socializing (understatement of the year!!). Always gets the job done with style and grace and can skate anything put in his path. Top bloke, and amazing to have on the Team. Cheers Eddie.” Adam Mondon, filmer and friend.

Watch Eddie tear it up in his plaid shirt at Central Skatepark, Manchester, here.

Frontside flip and homepage ph. Jim Walker

Come back next week to find out who the next 3 Fresh Blood victims will be….

By Ralph Lloyd-Davis & Zac

Only a decade ago Skateboarding’s hierarchy was clearly defined: Unsponsored, Factory Sponsored (sponsorship through shops, and distributors, NOT directly through the company Ed.), Amateur and Professional.

However, one medium changed all of this when it leaped to the top of the pole as a masthead for future generations to visualise the currents standard, and maybe set the trends themselves. This medium was video.

By gradually flooding the market, and various companies accentuating the importance of Sponsor-me tapes, Nobodies became Somebodies overnight as footage exchanged hands like foreign currency. Everyone had their worth, but some were more valuable than others.

Crossfire dug deep into the industry and extracted a few faces that are definitely going to set the standards for the future of skateboarding. We like to call this new school the Crossfire Fresh blood of 2007.

To kickstart this new feature, we have picked three skaters that head the group as the ‘Super-Ams’ take over: Lamare Hemmings, Charles Collet and Chris Ault.

Lamare Hemmings – Zoo York

Lamare Hemmings moved onto the scene like a smooth operator fully backed by East Coast Royalty, the Zoo York Family. Even though Lamare was a little kid, you knew he was going to grow into bigger and better things. The little kid has grown into a young man with style reminiscent of the premier child prodigy, Lavar McBride.

Portrait ph. Sean Cronan

Am’ Full Name: Lamare Hemmings

Age: 18

Sponsors: Zoo York, DVS Shoes, Active Mailorder, Filmore Wheels, Diamond Supply

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

How long skating: 7 Years

Favourite tricks: Tre flips

Favourite kind of spots: Ledges

“Lamare is a smooth operator, a Jamaican citizen by birth he currently resides in North Hollywood, California USA.

He has the style of some of your favourite mid-90’s pros with all the skills needed in this day and age, a breath of fresh air.

He is now fully grown and has no problem throwing down. Just check his footage in the recent Zoo York Promo Video “Welcome to Zoo York City” or his banging part in “Jereme Roger’s Neighbourhood“.

Hyped to have this guy in the squad and can’t wait to see his full length part in the upcoming Zoo York video”.

– Seamus Deegan, Zoo York Team Manager

Gap to backside 5-0 in Houston, Texas. Ph. Sean Cronan Lemare Footage can be viewed here.

Charles Collet – Cliché

Charles Collet is an animal. This young Frenchman knows no hesitation or boundaries so it was obvious a pioneering crew like Cliché wanted him on their team. As his debut role in ‘Bon Appetit‘ proved, Charles was more than just a flash in the pan – He could and would skate everything and any session produced one or more stylish gems. With several video parts under his belt and a ton of coverage in the media, Charles Collet isn’t halfstepping on his way to the top.

Am’ Full Name: Louis Charles Collet

Age: 21

Sponsors: Cliché , Volcom, Etnies, Spitfire, Indy

Hometown: Grenoble

How long skating: 6 years

Favourite tricks: 360 flip

Favourite kind of spots: For the moment it’s transitions

“You’ve probably seen Charles’ complete and utter annihilation of spots already in various videos and magazines. Or, perhaps you’ve bumped into him at a party as he screams obscenities into your ear and orders another round of drinks. Hopefully my experience with Charles can shed light on why he’s worthy of global praise: Charles and some of the Cliché boys rolled through town (Brussels) and had a look at the infamous Mont des Arts kinked hubbas.

Most people stick to skating the lower half which in itself is a righteous feat. Charles kickflip 50-50’d the beast after two or three tries. (An NBD for those who care). But the lower half wasn’t enough, so Charles decided to step up and attempt to backside 50-50 the entire 40 foot ledge with its multiple kinks, slippery rollerblade wax surface and 20 foot drop over the side. As he hurtled down and across the first half, his skateboard had so much speed that he literally took off the following kink!

Needless to say the feat was pretty unbelievable, and scary to watch. Charles didn’t care. The only thing that stopped him was the incredible toothache he had been suffering over the last few days. That ledge is one dentist trip away from suffering Charles’ wrath.”

Footage of Charles in Bon Appetite is here.

Ralph Lloyd-Davis, OG Hotel de Ville

Kickflip wallride in St.Etienne, France (sequence) ph. Olivier Chassignole

Chris Ault – Heroin

Chris Ault is unique and fast. Very fast. Ready to roll with the best of them, Chris rapidly caught people’s eye with his relentless assault of urban architecture. Heroin made sure they got the youth onto their team and since then Chris has got even better. And faster. With speed and style mixed magically together, a full part from Chris is anticipated for 2007.

Portrait ph.Fos

Am’ Full Name: Christopher John Ault

Age: 18 years young

Sponsors: Heroin skateboards, Independent Trucks (Flow)

Hometown: Gravesend in Kent

How long skating: About 6 years or so, I can’t remember

Favourite tricks: Tucknee’s and those indy stiffy things

Favourite kind of spots: Anything and everything

“Ault is a little bastard, he got really good over the past few years and its annoying to be quite honest. He’s a well spoken kid from Gravesend in Kent (wherever the hell that is), who has to sit on the train for an hour every time he comes to London, actually that may account for the way he skates, being all cooped up like that for an hour and then being unleashed upon a spot. Its skating with this enthusiasm that can make people either like or dislike him, say what you want about him, I don’t think he gives a fuck, he’s too busy having a laugh skateboarding.

I went filming with Ault yesterday. Now when it comes to filming you can have good days and bad days, bad days it either rains, or you get kicked out of all the spots or the skaters don’t make their trick. These days are depressing for both skater and filmer, and you find yourself asking the question “Is it all worth it?”. Of course we don’t have control over the weather or security but filming with Ault usually means it’s going to be a good filming day – Ault takes care of business and more often than not you find yourself at the end of the day smiling as you log the five or six bangers that you got. I’m backing Ault, he’s gonna go far if he keeps up at this pace.”

Fos – Heroin Skateboards

Frontside disaster @ Stockwell ph. G.Rome

Fresh Blood 2 can be found here.…click it.

Loic Benoit is not a super hero. Loic Benoit is a skateboarder with ethics, willing to sacrifice a day job and financial security for his friends and a plank with four wheels. I don’t know if Loic ate all the pies, but he definitely has his grubby fingers stuck in a few. When I first met Loic he was helping build Antiz Skateboards from the ground up, working almost full time in Lyon’s premier skateshop Wall St., freelancing regularly for France’s Freestyler Magazine and avoiding daily nervous breakdowns with his sarcasm and quick wit.

Loic no longer works full time in a skateshop but is always willing to give the scene a helping hand; Freestyler died regrettably so Sugar magazine can now enjoy his penmanship from time to time; and Antiz Skateboards are premiering their incredibly anticipated second video Z-Movie to rave reviews. Loic isn’t lazy and it shows in his photos. Crossfire supports people with convictions and beliefs that uphold the essence of skateboarding, and Loic’s rebel at heart attitude caught our eye and we wanted to share it with you for his Triple Shot interview…

What is your full name?

Loic Benoit

How long have you been a photographer?

I’ve been taking photos for a little over 10 years now.

How did you get into skate photography?

Because of my love for skateboarding. No more no less.

What image inspired you to take up photography?

Next question. That’s too hard and too long ago to remember. I’ve lost a lot of grey cells since…

*Loic really couldn’t think of a photo that inspired him to pursue a career in photography, so he suggested we put a pretty picture of a lady as inspiration!*

What were the best and worst bits of advice anyone gave you in regards to photography?

The best advice was probably to not take skate photos for the money, because it’s simply the truth. Worst advice??? I don’t know… “Use at least 4 flashes” Fuck no…

Have you ever felt bad about taking a photo? If so, which one?

Not guilty as such, but definitely a strange feeling when you shoot something harsh (that isn’t skate-related), like 10 year old kids used as slave labour in Egypt and you’re just hiding behind the lens like a ‘tourist’ with all the money in your big wallet. That’s a fucking strange feeling.

What’s the relationship like between a photographer and filmer?

It depends on the filmer. With Polo (Paul Labadie, Antiz Skateboards filmer) we get along fine even if we do slag one another off for fun sometimes and try and get the other one stressed or something… otherwise, seeing as I shoot with a lot of my mates from Antiz, I usually end up with Polo or some other filmers that I’ve known for ages already, so that helps the communication and friendship levels.

What were the best and worst days shooting skateboarding of your life ever and why?

There have been so many. In the beginning and I remember getting so stressed that I might mess up a shot. The skater is counting on you, and in return you don’t even know if everything worked until you get your films back from the lab.

Tell us why your fave skate shot gives me vertigo?!

My mate Barbichou represents what skating is all about to me: 33 years old and still at it, he works really hard and skates like a pressure cooker when he’s got time off.

Plus, I rarely shoot photos from an angle like this. I stuck my fisheye lens above his head without framing work or anything – ghetto style! – and I dig the result I got.

This photo was taken during the summer of 2004 and the spot rates highly on the sketchy list. It’s a tiny basin, duck pond thing – You know, the kind of spots I like!

What main advice would you give to upcoming skate photographers?

Fuck digital cameras! Old-school style all the way! Do it for the passion of skateboarding and photography – Fuck your wallet!

Are there ways of getting better/free equipment as you continue to grow or do you have to fund everything yourself?

Systeme D a.k.a. Do it yourself! “DIY or die”, I’ve got that tattooed on my arm, so next question please. Never expect anything from anyone – just go!

Is the work of a skate photographer well paid? Do you get by in life with this income alone?

Personally, it gives me a little pocket money at the end of the month. I chose to live differently though and do my skate photography for the love of it. I just work hard like an idiot in a skateshop (Wall Street in Lyon, France), and I work hard on Antiz Skateboards which takes up a lot of my time.

Does music ever inspire your photography? What music artists can you not leave for a tour without?

For me, music is important but I’m not one of those people who can’t get anything done if there aren’t banging tunes in the background. I really don’t see myself shooting photos with an I-Pod plugged into my ears. There are already a whole swarm of kids out there with their New era caps and their headphones, and it edges on the intolerable.

Let’s leave it at that. Music yes, but not all the time. You have to communicate a lot with the rider that you’re shooting and vice-versa, so with bits of plastic stuck in your ears only makes things more difficult. When I’m on tour, I listen to Iron Maiden, Hot Snakes and Social Distortion.

Please tell us about this non skate shot you have submitted and the story behind it.

Vietnam. Such a difference in culture, religions and ethnicity that it kicks ass! And I like that…

If you were to buy a pocket snapper for capturing skating on a budget to get going, which camera would you suggest?

A Canon AE1 or Nikon FM2 with a 50mm lens and lots of black and white film, that’s it. The rest you can deal with later, much later…

Would you recommend digital or film? What are the benefits of using film or digital?

Go back to the advice question. Fuck digi-cams!

What kit do you use?

Shoot film. The chemical stuff to the death!

Your photography website address if you have one?

I deal with the Antiz Skateboards website, but I don’t have a personal site. I find it hard trying to sell myself… Sometimes that’s a hindrance, but I like things that way, plus I’m far from being my own number one fan!

The Boardroom Skatepark, Leicester, hosted it’s first girl skate jam, organised by park local Becky Wood in December. There were no competitions, no spectators just a groups of ladies having a real good time ripping up the park, sessioning rails and random blocks. The Birmingham lasses, Katrina and Rogue’s Exotic Emma plus honouree brumster Lois Pendlebury, were first to arrive and they went straight in to hammer the bowl.

Soon after, the London ladies Jenna, Louise, Heidi and Lucy showed up – that was after first sampling Leicester’s finest food establishments. They spent their first fifteen minutes gassing with the others (as in talking – as ladies do) just to let the food go down but they soon got into it. Several more girls turned up. Vans Grom Sam had travelled up by train but the one who’d come from furthest afield, and deserved a good slap on the back for her efforts, was Laura from way down in Cornwall.

The session was soon flowing, Lois was attempting to ollie up the huge 4 set europe gap, which she eventually got. Not satisfied with this, she started trying to kickflip up it though she found this somewhat difficult, as there was not a big run up plus it was fairly whippy. Not to be deterred she fathomed that perhaps she would have more luck if Jenna photographed her whilst she was trying to attempt it. She reckoned that the added pressure would make her land it – which after a few attempts it did! With everyone syked by her landing it, the adrenalin immediately started flowing.

A bollard session soon commenced and Laura was first to ollie it, then Kristina landed a huge pop shuvit over it. Every time someone landed a trick it inspired everyone else to push themselves up a gear. Sam effortlessly pulled off countless backside boardslides on the handrail for Jenna to photograph and Kerri noseslid down the ledge.

With a short respite for group photos, the session quickly resumed. Emma landed a couple of backside 50-50’s on the ledge and smiths on the bowl. She definitely would have won the competition for the best dressed, with her waistcoat-come-t-shirt from the Clothes Show Live?!? Becky and Laura pulled out a combination of flips between them on the bank – fakie-shuv flips, fakie flips, backside and frontside flips etc etc – there was no end to their technical wizardry! Becky however on one landing, slammed pretty hard falling from one block to another on the sharp edged coping. Everyone winced at the broken ribs scenario but thankfully she got up laughing.

Katrina spent a fair amount of time imparting her mini ramp knowledge with the less experienced skaters. Her encouragement really added to their experience and it showed how such an event is really developing an affable close-knit community. Everyone who attended the event believed it was a brilliant idea and had a great time and wish to thank Dave and Becky for their hard work in organising it.

Jenna Selby