Krew have got video of the Active Bling Fest Hundred Dollar Hammers competition, featuring Reynolds, Muska, Angel, TK, and loads more.
Darkstar’s Adam Dyet took home the bacon with a frankly ridiculous nollie varial heelflip backside lipslide, who the hell does those?!
Steve Rocco is the skateboard industry’s equivalent of Marmite. Either you love him or you hate him, but there will only ever be one Steve Rocco.
Single-handedly, this bright entrepreneur flipped the script on our culture, broke every rule in the book and then re-wrote it much to the horror and surprise of the then governing bodies. The man who souled the world follows Steve’s story from his earliest days as a used car salesman to multi-millionaire CEO of one of skateboarding’s most recognizable companies, passing through the many hijinks and odd characters involved along the way.
Essentially, Steve Rocco saw an opportunity and ran with it, but the risk of failure and animosity from peers was paramount. Basically, up until the mid 80’s, skateboarding was a wholesome sport run by 5 intelligent business men that reaped the fortunes of excited youth. However, their equation forgot to include the actual people that were out there sweating and bleeding for their profit- the pros. Steve suffered the fickle hand of fate when Vision head honcho Brad Dorfman slammed the door in his face and sent him packing. Being the opportunist, and possible madman, that he is, Steve took this brutal rejection and used it as motivation for revenge. Not just on Dorfman (N.B. Mark Gonzales launched the brand Blind under Rocco’s wing as a direct response to his previous sponsor Vision), but bigger fish such as the elusive George Powell of infamous Powell Peralta fame. Steve’s enemies did not take lightly to an amateur entrepreneur shaking up the ranks of professional skateboarding, so ad campaigns and boardroom meetings targeted Steve and his riders to shoot them down and remove them from the premises.
The genius of Steve was to take the general guidelines these moguls had built their industry, and profit, on, and broke each and every one of them. Rocco also spotted the new trends that skateboarding evolved to, notably the rise of street skating and it’s pioneers to the forefront. Steve grabbed several of the most influential skaters out there, notably Mike Vallely, Rodney Mullen, Mark Gonzales, Natas Kaupas and Jason Lee, and launched a fleet of new and exciting companies. Led by the flagship World Industries were Blind, 101, Menace and Prime. This documentary explains the entire story behind one man and his mission to change the skateboard industry forever. But, it also sheds light on the darker moments and eventual downfall of a dictator by his own followers. All the key players are interviewed and consulted.
The man who souled the world is essential viewing if you want to understand why skaters who grew up during the Rocco years are often skeptical and weary of how today’s industry twists and turns. It is very doubtful that there will be another Steve Rocco at the helm of our industry, but somehow you know that he is still pulling strings and influencing things from a far away lair, sort of like an James Bond villain. And everybody loves the bad guy. Just for note, after enjoying the great Big Brother documentary, Ben Powell video reviews, unseen skate footage and more in the bonus section of this DVD, I suggest you re-watch The man who souled the world with Steve Rocco giving commentary. Listening to the man comment and speak freely of his peers is a real treat.
Ralph Lloyd-Davis
Howard Cooke has been voted by you over the last 2 weeks as the ‘best trick‘ from the Vans ‘Are We There Yet Tour’.
6 tricks were picked by the Vans team manager Nic ‘bald git‘ Powley and the scouser has come out on top!
Look out for Vans UK rippers at this years Crossfire Xmas Jam in 2 weeks time, you know you can’t miss it!
Votes – Yes we can do maths…
Howard Cooke: 34%
Kris Vile: 21%
Manhead: 18%
Ross McGouran: 12%
Chris Pfanner: 8%
Chris Oliver: 7%
Photo: Leo Sharp
Jason Lee has not lost anything. He still has style and can skate better than most of us, despite spending most his time being a Hollywood superstar.
The Stereo website has footage of him taking a break and knocking out a beast of a tre flip on a 1991 shape cruiser board whilst wearing Jack Purcell kicks.
Meanwhile Gardens have managed to get through to the final in their bid to win the Lottery’s People’s Millions. This means they are up against some random people in Chelmsford for an £80k lottery grant to do up the gardens.
Meanwhile Gardens will use the cash to make the gardens an even better resource for the local community – and they really need the cash, as they get no government money and are very reliant on volunteers. Unfortunately, to get the cash, they have to go up against the Chelmsford randomos in an ITV People’s Millions public vote (not quite Strictly Come Dancing, but nevermind).
To get the cash, we need everyone in the world, and his dog, to vote. Apparently the number to call is released at 9am on the morning of the 28th November, and voting is until midnight. (You can phone up to 10 times from the same phone). To get the phone number and help Meanwhile out there is an “I Love Meanwhile Gardens” group on Facebook, where people can post any pics/videos of them skating too.
As soon as the number people need to call is released on Weds at 9am, it will be announced on Facebook and www.meanwhilegardens.com
Meanwhile Gardens will also be in ITV ondon news between 6pm and 6.30pm on the evening of the 28th.
The 2008 Australia Skatepark guide is hitting the shelves now edited by the fantastic Morgan Campbell, who’s probably more travelled than a Saga rep.
The guide features over 1020 skateparks across Oz as well as the editor’s choice of the Top 10 legal streetspots, an interview with Simon Oxenham, and first aid and what to do in real-life emergencies other than reaching for a beer.
Go grab your copy right now!
It seems Peru has slightly more to offer than Paddington Bear, and the boys at eS have discovered some right gems.
Click on the link below for Silas, Garcia and the boys getting casual and dropping hammers.
Now I don’t know who Layla is, but she’s interviewing Tony Hawk for the WWE site, and to be fair, she should probably stick to wearing lycra and leave the journalism skills alone.
Not sure whether to be pleased for Paignton, or sorry for them.
This new ‘plaza’ built for them by the kind people at GBH Ramps, is frankly pretty bad.
Once again, thousands of pounds worth of council money and fundraising has yet again been shit on from a great height and the steaming pile left on the floor is this park.
Check out the Second installment from the Big Smoke Collective who are all under one roof over at Hold Tight London.
This new zine brings bangers with the likes of Lucien Clarke, Shaun Witherup, Neil Smith, Chewy Cannon, Karim Bakhtaoui, Steph Morgan, Rory Milanes, Greg Conroy, Scott Howes and more rippers filling the mini screen with shredding of the highest quality, get in there.