Karma Skateboards have just launched a new website this week, go find out more about their team that of course includes new rider Adam Aulaqi from Liverpool who will have a Crossfire Countdown interview on this site very soon.
You will find their new website here…
The man behind the Heroin has collaborated with the men behind the green and gold. Mark ‘Fos’ Foster just re-designed a limited edition of the Emerica Ridgemont shoe with his pretty purple paisley designs. Inspired by coffee, cakes and the colours purple, blue and black, Fos’ newest creation is set to hit the shelves in March 2007.
Keep your eyes peeled for more products from this limited series including hooded tops, hats, bandanas and t-shirts. Visit Emerica’s website or A Four Distribution for more info on future collections.
The Premiere of The Learning Curve was on Sunday night down in Lower Marsh opposite the old Cide shop which still has its sign up despite it now being a newsagents and the shop being long gone. A reminder of the not so distant past and a really nice skateshop and gallery.
The film was amazing and when it gets released it is a must have for anyone interested in London Skateboarding….spots all over central London some of which are familiar and others a revelation….London looks good through Phraeza’s lens and the skating matches the grandeur of the backdrop….check out the website for more from Phraeza and clips from the film.
Phraeza was there making sure everything ran smooth but he didn’t need to worry as people turned out en-masse and the place was packed, all the films skaters got cheers before after and during their runs…yes runs, the sections were actual runs around London rather than a montage of tricks which shows something about the skaters themselves and the potential of the London spots…London looked a little claustrophobic at times, a combination of underground spots and nightime filming which captured the essence of street skating in the city perfectly.
Jono
Rhino, with a name like that you’d expect a big, mouth frothing, nostril flaring beast – and actually, you’d be half right. Come to think of it, I don’t even know the guy’s real name. Well, the point is, he’s one of the nicest, coolest people you’ll meet in this wide world of skateshredding.
The best photographers are personalities – that’s why skaters want to shoot and travel with them. Wanna hop in the car and do a month-long roadtrip from Cali to Florida? Rhino’s down ’cause he’s done it before. Drink on the hill at Marseille then carve the bowl at 3am? Rhino’ll take the first run.
The last time I saw Rhino who shoots for Thrasher Magazine, he was piss-drunk at some ASR party at the House Of Blues in San Diego. He and Lizard King started moshing around too close to the bar and doused my girlfriend and I with their drinks. Upon realizing it was my pal Rhino, I went over and said something like, “Hey Rhino, you got me all wet!” as I poured a little bit of my drink on the front of his shirt to return the favor. He simply looked at me with a sauced up 20-mile stare and instinctively slapped the bottom of my cup in an upward direction dumping the remaining portion of my drink into my face. Now how can you get mad at a guy like that? – Blair Alley – TWS
Full name?
Chris Rooney aka “Rhino”
How long have you been a photographer?
Counting a shitty point and shoot since 1979.
How did you get into skate photography?
Just growing up reading Skateboarder Magazine and eventually moving out to California and documenting places where I skated to send to my friend back in MA. And being around really good skateboarding out here and knowing and skating with pros. Also when I started skating a lot of backyard pools in the early 90’s.
Is there an image that inspired you so much to take up photography?
I didn’t select an image (there are too many) that wanted me to take up photography, it was just years of reading magazines and eventually being around good skateboarding that got me into it.
Instead we have a shot of Rhino wasted under a truck in Boston MA, afeer skating a pool, seeing Poison Idea and sinking too many beers and some wacky tabaccy at a house party! ha! I love this guy!
What were the best and worst bits of advice anyone gave you in regards to photography?
Read a book, take a b/w class and trial and error.
Have you ever felt bad about taking a photo? If so, which one?
No..
Please tell us why you have picked your fave skate shot you have submitted?
It’s a shot of Jeff Grosso photo at Belmars pool. I was starting to shoot photos and didn’t know how to line up the shot. Like hey Jeff can you do this trick here so I can shoot. So I was just trying to figure out where he was going to come up the wall and finally got a good photo, didn’t even know what trick he was going to do. But anything he does is on point.
True – What were the best and worst days shooting skateboarding of your life ever and why?
The worst is when your gear breaks. The best days are usually on trips when the whole crew is breaking it off all day and you are tripping on how much shit you shot that day when you are at the bar getting loaded.
What’s the relationship like between a photographer and filmer?
Good and bad, depends on the filmer. If its Pstone, its fucking great!!!
What main advice would you give to upcoming skate photographers?
Study the skate mags for tips and don’t be a photo goon. Skate.
Please tell us about the non skate shot you have submitted and the story behind it.
Chet Childress wanted to kick flip this set by the beach and he was getting ready and all these people kept getting in his way. Totally fucked up his concentration and he was over it! So I shot this photo of what most people think stairs are for.
Are there ways of getting better/free equipment as you continue to grow or do you have to fund everything yourself?
Working for a magazine will help a lot, but usually you need to purchase your own gear.
Is the work of a skate photographer well paid? Do you get by in life with this income alone?
Depends how much you want to work, just like anything else. Depends on how you work with skaters, your photo qualtity and not being a fag on the road!
Does music ever inspire your photography? What music artists can you not leave for a tour without?
Budweiser beer – when you open them is music to my ears – they make the best sound ad helps dealing on tour.
If you were to buy a pocket snapper for capturing skating on a budget to get going, which camera would you suggest?
Pocket snapper sounds kind of fishy, I try and get the real snapper if you know what I’m saying. Any 35mm slr that sync’s at 1/250th.
Would you recommend digital or film?
Film for stills and digital for sequences.
What are the benefits of using film or digital?
Film still looks better and takes more skill.
What kit do you use?
Hasselblad and some first model digital seq Canon.
Your photography website address if you have one?
All good magazines started out as Zines, so keep an ear to the street with thelatest issue of Revert magazine ready for download here.
Issue No.8 features an interview with Danny Calow, a check up on the Boardroom skatepark, War of the Roses report and more.
It would seem that Blueprint have bagged last year’s winner of the Slap Magazine One in a Million contest , Kevin Coakley. Not surprising when you put footage out like this .
Another foreign ripper tipped to rep the ‘Print is new Zealand skater Glen Wignall. You can check what Crossfire thinks of Glen here, or check him out for yourself here.
Are you ready to Witness the shitness?? Well, you better be because the bellends over at Cock Skateboards (the site isn’t live yet, this is a preview!)are busy filming. Word has it that Cool Jon is building an extension onto his miniramp to capitalise on the carnage for the video premiere!
Keep an eye out for these new decks boning about the streets and available from the Source in Hastings – Ask for the 9 inch if you’re a gnarler.
Clothing can be bought here .
Crossfire likes to keep it Global, and you don’t get much further from the HQ than New Zealand where the skate scene is amazing!
Luckily for us, Dan Kircher and the 09 Video Factory have got the red button pressed and are hard at work on a new video featuring the local talent of Will Ackerman, Rush Fay, Harry Culy, Chey Ataria, Bernard Foo and Glen Wignall. The video is due to drop in 2007, and doesn’t have a title yet, but here is the trailer .
If that got your taste buds tingling, you might want to check out their latest release, Forays , on sale for a Fiver at the Story Store !
Scene videos are your best bet at catching the hottest new talent before the majors get their teeth in, and nowadays the production level is on par with many major releases. Local London lensboy, Phraeza , is going to premiere his project, The Learning Curve, this Sunday 17th December from 8pm at Lounge 34 (formerly Ruby Lounge), 34 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RG.
It’s over the road from where Cide used to be, behind Waterloo Station.
N.B. If you visit the Jahlada site, you can subscribe for exclusive podcasts. It’s worth it.
I kinda look back a few years remember when Globe shoes first spawned upon the feet of many a skateboarder around the world. They had a wacky approach and produced some of the most technical skate shoes for the likes of one Gershon Mosely, Rodney Mullen, Chet Thomas and a few others.
In my opinion, the shoes they produced back then was suited for the flip-in-flip-out crowd and didn’t really appeal to me that much; but they started doing then that makes them elite today…They diversified their approach and picked up riders with different knacks on all kinds of terrain, thus exposing them to a wider audience and making the general skate-blic aware of their thought process! Groundwork which now makes them the elite of the clothing/footwear combination in the business!
I personally have never ridden a pair of Globes before, but spotted the Magnums and thought it’s time to make the ‘change’. When these cowboys came knocking, I was most delighted with my excellent choice in skate shoe. I knew from the start that the relationship would be a long and good one.
This particular model features a double-layered toe section with triple stitching sealing it down nice and tight. The first two lace holes comes with protection and will preserve them laces a lot longer whilst you perfect your powwow flips. The tongue is slightly padded for extra comfort, but its not to thick or heavy and suits the shoes design down to a G. I cant say I’ve ever heard of a slip resistant mesh lining, but these come with those and I can’t really say that it’s a noticeable feature, but hey, it’s a feature nonetheless and that means that they are keen at pushing the limits to produce a finer product for the consumer.
Although these shoes have a stylish design, and look really good, I think the key to its success lies beneath- the sole of the shoe!!! They have this internal footed cushioning system that is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. The sole is so flat and yet I can see Charlie America flipping a 13set with ease and not being too concerned about the old bruised heel. The outside sole is vulcanised and comes in a sticky rubber blend with a foxing band and abrasion resistant rubber, that’s a good thing I say. These tyres are rather grippy, fits like gloves on you feet and are good to go out of the box, a decent shoe at a decent asking price.
Globe is on a mission and they are belting more and more great products. They also have one of the, if not the strongest team in the world. I thought Globalized was just a cute slogan…FUCK, with bait like that, it’s hard not change your diet.
If the shoe fits…WEAR IT!!!
Find them at the Globe website.
8/10
Live FAST, Ride FAST!!!
2P