Category: Skateboarding

For 4 years now we have traditionally attended this event in Marseille, France but everyone knew it had run its course there and with rumours of the local council wanting back handers floating round the internet, it was looking doomed. But to be honest, the Marseille council in all those years never even installed toilets for the thousands of people who witnessed Europe’s most influential Bowl Comp so it was definitely time to move on.

We had a false start though. Got to the airport and missed the flight, in fact we saw it leave the runway, the pilot actually waved at us as we stood waving frantically with tickets aloft to see if there was a chance. Basically, if you go on a trip with Guido Gazzi (crossfire filmer) make sure you check the departure gate numbers yourself! The beer we had in the wrong gate was the most expensive one in the house! We had to stay in a hotel nearby and got the flight at 6am the next morning but my baggage and skateboard had already arrived in Sweden and my board did not even make it that far….bummed.

The event of course ended up in Malmo, Sweden after it was released to be taking place in Bologna, so many UK skaters from our crew spent their weekend there instead as they had already purchased flights, so that was a bit disappointing from the start but we went to Malmo anyway and were greeted by sheets of rain and an outdoor skatepark that looked like it would be the best fun in the world to skate.

The weather did not dampen our spirits whatsoever; we were picked up by Danijel Todorovic and our Swedish session maestro Seth who lives in London and welcomed by the local scene with open arms. Within 20 minutes of arriving at the event, the guy who works in the local skater owned shop Streetlab, mentioned that they play Crossfire Radio shows in the shop a lot, so that put us in a great mood and the rest is a total blur!

The weather dried up and this park was unleashed to the worlds best bowl skaters. The heats ran and the beer flowed at 4pm as it always does. It rained in Fosters beer all afternoon, and the atmosphere was fantastic as everyone caught up with each other.

I stayed in the bar whilst people legged it over to Pontus Alv’s mad little bowl for a sesh, in fact, I had to, I missed the ride! Free beer huh! It pissed down with rain anyway though so I didn’t miss much.

The first night we were there, a party took place in a cool club, it was a Streetlab video premiere and Malmo’s scene turned out in force to witness the first showing. It’s a great movie and worth grabbing if you want to find out more about how good European Skateboarding has got thesedays. These guys rip. One thing I have to mention is that Sweden is full of tight units, girls and boys. Obviously the girls are off the hook, throughout and tonight, the club was awash with beautiful women. We realised that this would be the case for our entire weekend, it was superb.

The other notable thing for the traveler is that the clubs have smoking bans throughout, which, if you like to smoke, is a pain in the ass and something us Brits will have to get used to next summer apparently. Some of the yanks went to jail that night for smoking in clubs. I spoke to a bouncer about how things have changed since the ban and he said straight up – “it’s healthier cos there is no smoke and people’s clothes don’t smell like they used to, but at the end of the night, the clubs stink of body odour and piss, so I would prefer to smell of smoke!“

That night was fun, although David Martelleur from Belgium was arrested and thrown into the slammer for being drunk and disorderly again! Every skate trip, every country, you know where to find David at 6am – being released back onto the streets!

The hangover on the Saturday was priceless but the skating today was even more so. You see, this skate park is a work of art and most people have not sessioned this place yet as it is so new. It did not take too long though and the park was hit at every angle. It was built by Stefan Houser, a yank running PTR Skateparks and was completed in November 2005, but with snow falling, the Malmo faithful had to wait until the good weather arrived, you can imagine how stoked they are about it now, in fact if you click here and read Danijel Todorovic’ interview on this site, he will explain the Malmo scene in much more detail.

I think we should concentrate on the good times as the skating can speak for itself in our Bowlriders video filmed by Guido Gazzi and Alan Christensen on this page. Download it to save our bandwidth.

There are too many names to mention, but of course the style and trickery of Italian heavyweight Daniel Cardone stole the show with Spanish rider Alan Goikoetxea in 2nd and the Dane Rune Glifberg stealing 3rd on the day. It was fucking mental, that is all I have to say, and the pool sesh that followed the final was electric.

Have you seen that kid Screech skate? What the fuck?! this is him right here smashing blunts in the pool!

So for the first time in Bowlriders history, the Europeans stole the first 3 places. Omar Hassan was followed by Benji Galloway and Chris Senn to finish the top 6 places and British rider Pete King lost out on the opening rounds whilst Ross McGouran who looked lethal, went through with Andy Scott who reached the semis and skated really well.

The Saturday night started with a pizza. We managed to attract new friends from the USA as well, namely Craig Whitehead (who is now writing for the site) and his entourage from San Diego…I don’t know what it is about that part of California but people from there seem to rage harder than anywhere else, and yeah, San Francisco, take note! You were missing this year J-Dog! The other hilight of the weekend was meeting Chris Cab from Austria. Top penis, great cab driver! Here he is below admiring Fosters!

The pizza went down well, then a crew of 15 drunken skaters tried to make sure that Renton Millar didn’t piss himself in the main square as he shouted “Cunt” at the top of his voice. Things were getting gnarly. We went to see Jocke Olsen at an underground bar who was playing drum and bass and then went off to a “Skate Party” that most thought would be a sausage fest, funny how they all managed to scramble into that place once we got there and they got the message it was 50/50.

You would have loved to have checked the moves on Niall Neeson Editor of Kingpin Mag at this party, this bloke can seriously be a contender for Staying Alive, and actually I think the entire party must have just thought we were gay! Oh well! It could have been worse, I could have been dancing with Silent Will and Jason from Method Mag who were legends all weekend.

This party was amazing, great music, seriously tight units everywhere and cool people, maybe this is standard stuff in Sweden but it rocked! Once that ship sunk, we went back to Jocke’s where Aussie Tom was about to headbutt one of the bands I do PR for in Malmo. I saved his arse as Tom is like an Elephant on Acid at this time of the night and the band member went home in one piece but probably woke up with a sore arse! Ask Tom! When Jocke’s club kicked out at 4am, it was the usual – just me and Pete King left!

We hit a cab and went to a rock club, only hour left on the clock so they said, we got there and a full on fist fight erupted outside a kebab shop (Swedish Kebabs are the nuts btw!) and the whole street was in disarray! Out came the meat cleavers and baseball bats and the place kicked off. The rock club was empty but they played The Slits for me before I stumbled out of there pissed as a fart! A blonde girl took me down the street on the back of her bike and then I woke up in my hotel room cock in hand, still dressed. Sunday’s finals had arrived!

The finals were indeed a spectacle. The rain came and went but no one gave a fuck. Everyone was in high spirits. At one point there was a board focusing moment at the bar and The Harmony Skateboard Company will be very happy to know that thier boards were unbreakable to all pro riders at that bar! Kids take note!

After the comp, the annual Quiksilver party rocked the City. The concoction of Dave Duncan and David Martelleur got David locked up for a second night of the weekend but at least this time the tables didn’t all go over! Gerald Roche in true Gerald only style was banned from the main event for drinking a beer outside, I must admit, my main man went missing all weekend but flew the flag, top geezer.

The comp was amazing, Malmo’s people are amazing, the park is off the hook and Quiksilver once again pulled off one of the best events of the year. Thanks for the hook ups.

Enjoy the video on this page.

Chuck Bangers

Etnies roll out the red carpet in Paris…

As each bump of turbulence resonated through the tail-end of the plane, I rode it out to the loops and samples of some exclusive grime beats.

The rescue remedy and sleeping pills had me in a subconscious state of mind that I warmed to sweetly after a brain drain of booze, bass guitars and head-banging. The last 4 days and nights had been spent locked in a Heavy Metal vortex that my psyche wasn’t accustomed to at the Download Festival (click here for the rundown once it’s up).

Flying 50,000 feet above the ground with solid street music in my ears felt like a much deserved massage of my nervous system. I daydreamed back to yesteryear and the circumstance that had me strapped into a volatile metal tube here and now- Skateboarding: A passion far stronger than any drug I knew, and a culture that’s underrated and untouchable. Who’d have thought that flying down a country lane on a wood plank and four wheels would later have me invited to an exclusive party at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, all expenses paid and a 600 euro a night bedroom?

The weirdest part of all this was the party celebrated Etnies 20th Anniversary, and my first pair of real skate shoes were a pair of Etnies! I remember vividly picking a pair of grey suede mid-tops with a lace saver Velcro scratch. I don’t recall the name of the model, but it was all about the lace saver…

Flash forward to Paris, June 12th 2006, and I am racing across the city for interviews with the Etnies Pro team who have all flown in especially for the occasion. I’m staying in the same hotel as them and President Chirac lives just down the block. I notice Jacques has some lovely bank to wallrides on his Presidential compound, the Elysees, plus a few ledges round the corner. Rune Glifberg later informed me that him and a few others skated past there the other night and got bum-rushed by unmarked police cars and security guards, so I leave my board in the room and head across town to the main hub of activity on foot.

The media circus has been set up at the Concorde Lafayette, one of Paris’ most prestigious hotels with its own conference and shopping centre. The Concorde Lafayette is also a golden opportunity to get lost as me and UK Etnies Rep Gemma soon found out, two floors below the complex in a service elevator! No mind though, things are running like clockwork and the Etnies team relaxes whilst kicking a football around on one of the top floor balconies.

In attendance we have Steve Forstner, Ronnie Creager, Ali Boulala, Rune Glifberg, Bastien Salabanzi, Elissa Steamer, Ryan Sheckler, Kyle Leeper and another huge handful of magazine faces and European riders alike. If you want to fan-out on a pro skater, this is the time and place to do it. Luckily, I don’t. Well… I do a bit, when I get to meet one of my idols, Ronnie Creager, but he’s really cool and doesn’t intimidate me or come across as a rock star in any way or form. To be honest he almost looks as surprised as me to be in such circumstances. Top bloke Mr. Creager!

With the formalities and interviews out of the way (much to the relief of the riders who have been quizzed, plucked, picked and fondled by every type of action sport and fashion media type for the last three days!), I leave the boys to kick around their football, and head back to my suite on foot whilst Zac rolled into town on his 5th night of carnage in a row to. He heads straight for the bar and gets the party rolling.

It looked close enough on the map, a virtual straight line, but in actual fact… Paris is a huge city, and in June the summer is already in full swing with temperatures tickling the 30 degrees centigrade! My 15 minute taxi ride, was an hour on foot, but as Mr. Bob Sanderson pointed out; the women in Paris are stunning as is the architecture, so I rather enjoyed the scenic route. A quick wash and a change for tonight’s festivities, I remember someone telling me specifically not to wear Vans or any other major competitor to this evening’s birthday boy, Etnies. Problem is, I don’t own a pair of Etnies, but I do own a pair of Es- Etnies younger more sophisticated brother. However, these Es were my skate shoes and a damn fine pair I might add! Anyway, I doubt anyone would be checking my feet at the door, more likely my crazed red-beard that I had grown out during my four day Heavy metal debacle…it turned out that Zac turned up in a pair of Vans but I’m sure he got away with it!

Dinner and drinks with the team is a relaxed affair with everyone gradually winding down after hectic schedules and a bizarre photo shoot with a man named Claus. Apparently Claus was a poor fashion photographer with no prior experience of working outside his studio, let alone at a skate spot with a bunch of skaters whizzing around. Needless to say, Steve was looking tired after his 30th run at a trick that Claus couldn’t get the true ‘essence’ of…

Camera. Check. Voice recorder. Check. Golden ticket. Che… D’oh! I forgot it, but who cares? I’m rolling into this party with the boys, right? Well, security needed a bit more convincing than that. Even the bloody massive 30 foot visual display and posters that adorned the Palais de Tokyo and the fans pointing, and the groupies ‘Oooo-ing’ and Aaaaahhh-ing’ weren’t proof enough as someone (un-)helpful tried to send us to the back of the queue. Ha! Luckily, the German Rep was on hand and woman-handled the situation very well. Thanks! We’re in!

Now, take two steps back and realize the scheme of things that Etnies is putting on display for their 20th birthday bash. The main Parisien spot with enough history to fill a book and a DVD documentary has been decked out head to toe in Etnies paraphernalia, from plasma screen projected drapes, to a full museum archive of glass cabinets that recall Etnies story so far. A stage with some of France’s top DJs spinning the wheels of steel, and free booze all night. The free booze was going to prove a testing point for patience however as rappers, skaters, BMXers, business people and glamour girls huddled around the square drinking fountain like bees to honey. I tried one side to no avail. Then, I tried another side and spotted Al Boglio, Cliché team manager, trying to juggle about 6 cans of beer and two cocktails as he scored an opportunity to place an order with the frantic bar staff. Even though I still couldn’t get served, I laughed as some Parisien socialite squealed because Al had dropped one of his cans on her precious Prada shoes! My third attempt bore alcoholic fruit, so I even placed an extra large order for some dude I randomly knew standing in the line behind me.

With a beer stuffed in each pocket, I felt like a thief, but then I saw my greedy technique was actually being carried out by everyone else I bumped into, so the guilt evaporated in the heat. Did I mention it was hot in Paris? Anyway, as I made my way back to the crew I met so many people I knew from different skate scenes, it left me feeling uplifted.

Etnies had really pulled a biggie off by getting so many true skate heads into one venue for the night; friendship buzzed and bounced around the marble Palais. I talked shop and complimented Ali Boulala on his unique form of self promotion via the modelling of his new pro model as a giant medallion. Ali’s take on bling gave me flashbacks of Ghostface Killah and his ridiculous golden eagle wrist band. Ali’s shoe-chain doubled up as a beer-cozy too though- stick that in your XXXL dressing gown Ghost!

The Etnies 20th Anniversary had such an eclectic mix of skateboard notables under one roof; I remember sharing a bottle of Champagne with Chris Pastras, Dave ‘Double D’ Duncan, Kyle Leeper and Sal Barbier. But celebrity status aside, this party really had everyone mixing it up and enjoying themselves which is a tough trick to pull at your usual Jet-Skate events.

Now, comes the fun as alcohol levels rise and the hunt for hi-jinx is on! Ali Boulala kicked things off by knocking over a table and smashing bottles. Over-zealous security tried to rush the gypsy king, but skaters easily out-numbered the gorillas to chants of “Ali Koumbaya!” in reference to a prize fighter. To vent their anger, a security gimp punched innocent bystander, Steve Forstner in the back of the head. Sorry Steve…

Whilst this was all going on, Zac and Lee Dainton from Dirty Sanchez had formed a bond that would see them rage harder than ever before. The 5th night on the tiles was becoming easy and the pair of them made sure that they had the best time ever. Here’s a tip that worked for Zac you may want to try out next time you are on the rip. Meet girls at beginning of night, find them half way through, ask where her friend is. If she says her friend is making out with someone in the toilets, sigh and say how gutted she must be not to be making out with someone at a party like this and then cheekily ask if she wants to make out with you….end result, a beautiful tongue sandwich from a stunning New York City Magazine Editor! Both Zac and Lee win the award on the night for Minesweeping and best raging to Daft Punk! Emerica rider Vaughan Baker gets the award for being the most stoked on life and deservedly so!

The clock had hit 3am and the Etnies team was unleashed on the serene streets of Paris. A herd of us began the trek back to the Concorde, but soon realised that the walk would last a couple of hours if we didn’t grab a cab. Take this minute to envision a drunk and disorderly group of pranksters hailing lonely cab drivers and begging for the journeyman to squeeze at least 10 sweaty bodies into his pristine vehicle… Zac’s crew, namely all the A4 crew and more UK rampagers had started to steal wheelbarrows to get back to the hotel but with obviously no joy. Not happening! Eventually, three cabs pulled up one after another and the party could continue.

Did I mention the Concorde Lafayette was an affluent resting place with a skybar? Well, the word circulated and somehow we found the secret lift that got you to the top-floor pleasure dome. In true rebellious style, we bum-rushed the show and greasy business men with their escorts reeled in disgust and disdain as Etnies scoped out the venue. The bar staff wasn’t all that concerned with Ali’s get-up, but more intrigued by the exclusive character that ordered them to fill his jewel incrusted chalice.

Celebrity misogynist, Don Magic Juan self-proclaimed Pimp was in attendance with two young ladies draped on each arm and about $5000 of bling on each hand. Apparently the pimp met Andrew Reynolds recently and an Emerica shoe collaboration is in the mix! The Bishop (as he likes to be known) really is a pimp, at least he does a good job of acting like one judging by the way he man-handles the women, The most bizarre thing is that the ladies love it and were literally fighting for his attention. I don’t think they noticed him carrying a Yellow Page plastic bag all night though… Not so glamorous, is it?

Obviously the skybar got shut down in less than five minutes, so we dropped 35 floors to the lobby where news of a nightclub around the corner from the hotel had everyone stoked. The night club in question was called Le Night, and advertised the fact that it open till dawn. Perfect! However, once inside, the melodies of Madonna and Dizzie Rascal weren’t going to put a sweet swing on the 15 euro beers! Zac’s first round of three bottles of 1664 beer clocked in at a whopping 51 euros, so the nectar was sipped like the finest of cognacs after that until Zac supplied the entire party with a stolen bottle of Vodka, suckers! As people relaxed fully and lost their inhibitions (Did anyone have any after midnight anyway???), a few beautiful ladies danced around crossing eyes with the men. For public privacy I cannot disclose the man who nearly fell victim to one of these ladies of the night. Let’s just say, she wasn’t asking for a cab fare home…

I signed out around 5am and retreated to my lovely hotel room, only to be awoken an hour later by my surprise room mate – Mr. Bob Sanderson! I practically had a heart attack when this burly Birmingham lad laughed and roared about the fact that we would become bedroom buddies for the night. I knew Bob would be around, but not within such proximity, he was out there reviewing for Sidewalk Mag, look out for the write up in July’s issue.Luckily, the party had tired us both out so conversation never went further than a blurry greeting. It wasn’t till the next day (later that day?) that Bob and I shared words and views on the event, Paris and our host Etnies. We both came to the conclusion that Etnies sure know how to hold a party, and Paris is probably one of Europe’s most beautiful cities with plenty more skate spots that Barcelona.

After a good and greasy lunch at the pub over the road from the Concorde Lafayette, I bid farewell to my new friends and felt relieved and rewarded for having run the gauntlet. I had survived a week long haul of partying in three different continents, whilst Zac was missing and wouldn’t resurface for another three days!

I take my hat off to all those involved in Etnies who have done skateboarding proud for the last 20 years. Bring back those lace savers!

Visit www.etnies.com for the full experience. We have a feeling that we will be able to cover the LA party in October so watch this space.

Big thanks to Pierre, Brenda, Gemma, and Josette, Jenny, Rudi and Victoria for their hospitality and organisation..

Ralph Lloyd-Davis
17/06/2006