Crossfire was super stoked to receive Rare Skateboards ‘s best wishes for the New Year. I didn’t realise they were players in the adult entertainment world.
An extra bit of hot news from the French family is the imminent arrival of a new video. Track down their first video Storyboard to witness the fitness.
Lets hope Rare can find more secret spots like this.
Etnies are announcing the re-match that pitches regular footed and goofy footed skaters head to head.
The current score line runs 2-1 for the Goofy skaters. Round 4 will take place over the weekend of October 4th to 7th at the Lake Forest skatepark.
For the first time, a European Goofy Vs Regular contest will be taking place at Britain’s Prissick Plaza in Middlesborough over the weekend of June 15th to 17th.
Does geographical position determine your stance..? Get to Prissick and find out for yourselves.
The annual Tampa Am contest is well known for being a breeding ground of tomorrow’s kick-ass skaters and industry talent scouts on the look out.
It’s also a wickedly debauched weekend. As per usual the competition was extremely tight as a few unknown faces battled it out with established amateurs in a bid to climb the ranking ladder.
This year a relatively unknown young chap going by the name Felipe Gustavo from Brazil killed the competition stringing together smooth and technical runs that covered the unique street course.
Here is the top 5 for what it’s worth:
1. Felipe Gustavo (Plasma)
2. Sierra Fellers (Foundation)
3. Grant Taylor (Alien Workshop) (c.f. Frontside Nosebone c/o Skatepark of Tampa)
4. David Gonzales (Flip)
5. Evan Smith (Ezekiel)
No comp is a comp nowadays without the infamous Best trick going down, and the Tampa Am is a sureshot heavy hitter grudge match. Personally I’m not surprised to see Torey Pudwill won with a nollie heelflip crooks down the big rail. I’ve warned you about that kid…
For more info, video footage and lurker photography visit the Skatepark of Tampa website here.
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!
Mayhem was the theme for the world premiere of Antiz Skateboards second video, Z-Movie, in Lyon at the Rail Theatre last weekend. Plenty of booze, live music and debauched behavior was had by all in attendance.
So much so, that a certain Belgian professional better known at the Roest got to spend a night in a State run hospitality suite! Rest assured, he has since returned to his native land, awaiting the European premiere tour for round 2. See flyer for details.
In the meantime, watch the trailer here.
Can you believe that I’ve never ridden a Zoo York deck before? I mean, I might have skated a hand me down way back when the company first started (1993), but a lot of planks have been pressed, painted and produced since then, so it was about time I took a look at what the home of East Coast skateboarding had to offer. My pick was the Kenny Hughes New York City photo series deck shaping up at 7.625 by 31.5 inches.
I have to jump in and mention how suitable the 7.625 inch width is for street skating. The board is slim enough to flip and spin effortlessly, but it’s also got enough girth to maintain stability. Perfect for technical street skating. The next obvious angle by which a board must be chosen is it’s concave, and Zoo York are pretty established in that area.
Not a company to go lightly when they press their decks, Zoo York boards have an angular depth to them that reacts very well to the various foot positions you might have whilst out riding the streets. This board is not flat, but it isn’t warped like a barrel either. The lines of the concave lead your feet to almost always find the prime bolts stance that guarantees a good ride. The nose and tail are both of a healthy length and virtually identical, so switch skating and board control is optimal.
I haven’t really found anything wrong with this board, so I’ll just add some more praise in regards the graphic and quality of the paint used. No flakey cheap stuff here. If I really had to criticize this deck, I might say that it’s slightly heavier than some of the other decks available, but that only means it’s ready to take a tougher beating, and despite a bit of a stressed session last week, blunt blows to the nose and the tail haven’t dented the contour at all.
Some magazines might warn you about boards dipped entirely in paint so as to hide any defects or dodgy construction visible through the rails of a board. This Kenny Hughes deck was dipped in mat black paint, but I think that was more of an exercise in accentuating the dope photography that graces yet another fine Zoo York board series.
8/10
Ralph L-D
15.01.07
Just in case you thought skateboarding was resumed by bleached American skateparks and European marble, let it be known that a lot of hard work has gone into making even the furthest destination skateable by a dedicated few.
Thus is the case for 2 bald gits Nic Powley, Nick Smith and the guys over at Skate Goa with their ramp, pool and street obstacles situated far far away in the Indian jungle.
Recently, in a bid to get away from the dire winter weather, SkateGoa hosted their Rumble in the Jungle comp with a heap of local and international talent mixing it up and having a good laugh.
Here are the results from one of the best and most exotic comps to date:
Saturday – Jam
1st – Woody
2nd – Marc Churchell
3rd – Zarosh Eggleston
4th – Olly Tyreman
5th – Steak
Best Slam – Joe Habgood – backflip loop out the pool
Best Trick – Zarosh – Ollie into bowl off of a bench thing.
Sunday – Best Tricks
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.
Massive thanks to Vans and Nueu (eyewear) for taking a gamble on the event.
Vans podcast coming soon!
City Skateboards have premiered their first video, Crime in the City and now they want to share the amazing feature with everyone for free!
In a bid to undermine the faceless criminals who upload the latest releases directly to Youtube, City offer an individual rider’s part each week for free on their site. A good initiative that upholds the fact that patience is a virtue.
The first free installment goes to Dave Bachinsky (c.f. FS flip photo c/o City Skateboards), City Skateboard’s latest amateur overshadowed by the fearless feat of Kickflipping the 20 stairs at El Toro. Surprisingly this rinsed fact has been sidelined and Dave just wants to take tricks like the hardflip to new and ridiculous levels. Here is the listing for the next individual parts:
Dave Bachinsky – 19th Jan
Russ Milligan – 25th Jan
Alex Klein – 1st Feb
Eduardo & Jimmy – 8th Feb
Tony Montgomery – 15th Feb
Jeremy Reeves – 22nd Feb
To compliment all this good news, Jeremy Reeves and Russ Milligan are City Skateboards newest pros! Read up on these two in the latest Slap Magazine and The Skateboard Mag respectively.
Ok, so last week we dropped news about the bloody massive skatepark Paris is about to get built, but how about this for appetizers?
Situated in the 13th arrondissement at Square Robert Bajac, this is a collaboration between art and skateboarding apparently, they call it an “open-plan planisphere“. We just call it rad.
Cheers to Captain Conso and the Concrete Pirates for the tip-off.
Always first to instigate or join the party, Cliché Skateboards had the best of reasons for a good old knees up last weekend when they celebrated