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DVD Reviews Skateboarding

Coast to Coast review

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Get yourself ready for a real northern (UK) scene video starring some of the North’s most highly regarded rippers as Adam Todhunter’s Coast to Coast is made up of footage spanning across the gritty northern land and his travels further afield.

Todhunter may be a name you know from the recently released Supertoxic video, ‘We’re Working On It‘ but this production sees full parts from a variety of skaters, including three friends montages which take this video to an explosive 50 minutes of mind bending, non-stop skateboarding.

It kicks off with a rousing intro sequence, showing many spine tingling slams and slow-mo steez, exposing the viewer to only a margin of what is to come. Sun-tangled chimes fill the air and first in frame is Graham Anderson flowing his way through the streets. This part is shared with Rory Muirhead, both skaters complimenting each others style as they carve with nimble feet through many tight spots that others may disregard completely. Rory finishes off this part with a pristine wallie over a gap and into the street below.

The first of three friends montages commence with Josh Cobbin cruising with a pleasing bag of tricks including: a bs flip, clearing cobbles and a hefty gap with a big flip – all executed beautifully. Rob Mckinney then enter the fray with a humongous nose rag at Berlin’s famous Alexanderplatz banks, alongside Robert Sanderson and Daniel Le Maty whose lines through some rough wasteland terrain are notable. Danny Abel then demonstrates some smooth late shuv action whilst Dale Starkie stomps down some tricky manoeuvres before Lewis Johnson ollies over everything in sight.

Ph: Mani Haddon with a fs tailslide.

mani fs tail

Next to step into the spotlight is Lancaster’s Joey Hurst, who is no stranger to a manual pad; filling it with personality as he performs bewildering variations displaying a impressively composed manner. A highlight from this section is a backside flip over a planter. Joey flips the board catching and spinning around at the last moment, making it look simple whilst traveling at speed. This flows through to a shared part showcasing three skaters.

Leading the way is Phil Steavenson bumping his way over railings and lipsliding over gaps and through hedges. Lloyd Hodgson bombs on to your screen, opening strong. He slaps out an extended no-comply over a grass gap, rolling away effortlessly and making it look like child’s play. The flowing nature of Lloyd’s style and his apparent east coast influence is captured well throughout this section; whilst he seems as though he is coasting comfortably, in reality he’s probably fighting the need for his wheels to bite into the ground. One trick that gave me the compelling urge to go and skate was when he slappied up a ledge into a nose slide on the one above it, popping clean back over to flat. Something that I’ll never be able to comprehend.

Stepping up to this standard is Thomas Miller with his similarly smooth style, cutting his way up the brickwork as he wallrides into a nose manual down the bank below, not something I saw coming at all. Dan Hallam shows skill with his long lines and, by the looks of things, his ability to 360 flip out of most grinds with ease. Blink and you’ll miss that flip! Dylan Sewell displays long grinds and longer lines. Dylan pushes the limits with a noseslide of momentous proportions too – over a shrubbery shaded gap and exiting with a 360 shuv to seal the deal and firecrackers an 8 stair. The crackle as the board quivers down each step will fill you with an ecstatic warmth.

Ph: Dan Hallam back lips in front of a cycling bird

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Someone’s got to film the filmer, right? Of course they do. Adam Todhunter is as strong a character on the board as he is behind a lens and he serves up the goodness before the second of 3 montage parts. Unwrapping itself with Danny Moore hauling himself over a hip height handrail and Lloyd McLeggon, one of Manchester’s most progressive skaters, with mental manny action and a stupidly high fs noseslide that would put us all to shame. Matthew Smith skims over jersey barriers and Krishna Muthurangl, Aiden Smith, Conor Charleson and Sean Barnes show a wide variety of skill and style, nonetheless showing how fun these four wheels can be.

Johnny Haynes bombs banks, power sliding his wheels into squares followed by Fraser Irvine, whose feet can’t keep still, constantly readjusting for the next trick as soon as the board is under his feet. Helder Lima slides into a laid back line ahead of Jake Veitch and Reese Singleton, who kill it with their clips and are only a small sample of the home grown talent showcased within this video.

Sprays of light divagate their way through the screen, the beat drops and Dan Main smiths into the shot. Bringing the hype from the very first clip as he does a three-piece line featuring a backside flip to switch manual. Dan’s part will definitely make you want to indulge yourself in his laid-back style as he makes delicate manual variations look simple. Intertwined within the precarious manoeuvres are the clips we all undoubtedly love, equally as much, such as carving through cobbled streets and ripping walls as his wheels rebound off them. So British.

Harry Veitch and Connor North are both on their way to becoming well known names within the British scene and share the next montage. Harry has pulled through, blowing up the most awkward of spots with raw enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Connor can be seen charging the streets with flamboyant lines and long slides. Both lads have a clearly distinguished style, definitely two to keep your eyes on. Oh, spoiler alert… Harry has a close call with death in the final clip.

Ph: Ross Zajac gap to noseblunt.

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We enter the final montage section with more cram packed four-wheeled goodness than the previous two. Myles Rushforth slashes over a few lambent ledges, not messing around with the quick fire lines featuring the standard DIY pole jam. Making a drive-by appearance, James Headford feebles fluently. This leads into Paul Regan’s pristine pop that nearly knocks himself out with his own knees. Josh Bentley has a few clips unearthed within this montage too. Snapping a no comply down a set is no problem. Sean Tracy gets on that night time mission thing, rolling worry free through the streets leading to Adam Thurtle who power slides across streets and rams off of every angle possible.

Ben Armson and Lewis Elleden join the mix right before Charlie Munro gets hot, hot, hot; speed and power seem to be this man’s forte. Charlie’s team mate Mark Radden doubles up in Berlin with a hip-height crooked grind, knees tucked tightly to his chest. Brandon Justice hops from footpath to footpath, tweaking his nose right the way out. Little Saul Crumlish backside boneless’ a quarter about five times his height. So much so, that it gave me a chill. Sam Pendlebury offers a monster ollie from flat to flat. Ben Larth jams off a broken bollard into the street followed by a steep five-o fakie on a curbside wall. Similarly Calum Adams opens his clips with a wallride 180 out and a front blunt up and into a tight brick banked quarter. Will Sheerin then closes this powerful montage sequence, nollie flipping freely down a four block. You have to see it.

Ross Zajac went to the zoo to open his cameo with penguins and giraffes, reminding you street skating is never short of strange happenings. Karma skateboards rider Ross has definitely been working hard with this offering of big gaps and quick-fire clips, this is shown when he fires a fifty down somebody’s front steps. Highlight from the section include a fakie full cab over a bin launching him into the street. Ross flows incessantly throughout, showing he can skate an obstacle in any way. Whether it is backside flipping a set or a wallride down the side, he’s got it. His laid back attitude makes his style massively addictive too, flipping or doing a 270 out of anything although it was a complete afterthought.

Ph: Will Creswick – Bs Heelflip

Will Creswick - Bs Heelflip

Descent and Story Clothing ripper Will Creswick builds up for something big as he storms the penultimate part. This Newcastle local has a ferocious style that comes alive in his night time missions to perfect his no comply combinations. As well as the one-foot action there is plenty of quick-fire tricks too, juggling his feet in-between each movement. Will’s gaps to lipslides got me psyched in this part. Nothing out of the ordinary – until he bonks the trick into a nosegrind within a blink of an eye. His quick footed flair is well on point.

Right before the credits roll, Mani Haddon takes the light, blowing it out in style. Mani’s innate excitement to skate radiates from this part as he bangs out clips in quick succession. Seeking the crustiest northern grit to destroy seems to be his intention, as he Switch Bs 360’s over a cobbled street gap. Mani and his catalogue of tricks delve deeply into this one and come out with some true gems before waves roll over his final piece, which will surely send you into a head spin.

With Coast to Coast being a project spanning over two years, it’s amazing to watch these talented skaters and their tricks transform as the film progresses. Adam encapsulates the individual styles of each skater perfectly bringing their personalities into view, making this a must-watch British scene video and a vital addition to your DVD collection.

Support true skateboarding and check out Adam’s webstore where you can buy the DVD as well as a zine documenting the filming process.

Written by Henry Calvert

Enjoy some of Mani Haddon’s offcuts.

Categories
DVD Reviews Skateboarding

Vans Propeller review

vans_propeller-video_skate_download_full_filmI don’t know about you, but one of the most recognizable aspects of skateboarding for me are Vans skate shoes. The patent waffle-gripped rubber soles have been supporting skateboarders for almost fifty years. Say that again: supporting skateboarders for almost FIFTY years!

Vans is a skateboard culture heavyweight with riders spanning several generations, commandeering all sorts of terrain and actively sponsoring events across the Globe. You’d think that the day Vans decided to release their first ever feature length film, Propeller, video dedicated to the skateboard team, they would be shifting the gears on the hype machine for at least a few years prior to it’s screening. Apparently not. They don’t have to. Everyone knows their team is a legit band of brothers that go to war at every spot they skate and the filmer they hired for the job, Greg Hunt, is about as dedicated and craftful as it gets.

Propeller clocks in at about one hour of just skateboarding. Albeit the short introduction featuring the older gods (Tony Alva, Steve Caballero, Omar Hassan, Jeff Grosso, Christian Hosoi, Ray Barbee, and John Cardiel etc…), the rest of the video features a full part from each of the riders – except for Jason Dill who moonlights a couple of tricks in Anthony van Engelen’s amazing ender. To quote a fellow skateboard enthusiast, Ben Powell of Sidewalk, speaking about the last part: “Best over –Thirties part ever. Basically do some good skateboarding or fuck off!”

I think everyone knew Anthony would get the curtains seeing how much time and effort he put into his section, but Propeller still has 45 minutes of bangers from the likes of Chris Pfanner, Elijah Berle, Tony Trujillo, Pedro Barros and others to gawk at. I have to give Elijah and Chris double thumbs up for the raw power they exercise on their boards; Tony has matured a lot over the years but he’s still just as reckless as he was when he was young – more so even, especially in this incredible section; and Pedro bears the ugly stigmata of being the ramp dude, but when you see the lines he threads together on cold concrete mountains, you’ll respect him nonetheless.

As a British native, I can’t forget my fellow countryman Geoff Rowley who has been a figurehead for Vans since the early Nineties. Geoff has a reputation as a notoriously gnarly skateboarder with little regard for personal safety and most of his tricks support that point. I can’t help but get the feeling that after watching Geoff roll down the last of many hellish ditch spots, this section may be an honest farewell and passing of the guard to the next generation of gnarlers. If that is the case following the multiple injuries sustained filming for this then our hats are doffed to a British legend.

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Gilbert Crockett and Andrew Allen take care of business in the streets and will probably increase their popularity among the skateboarders who feel they need someone to relate to when watching skate videos. That is by no means an understatement to both of these guys incredible talent, nor is it meant to undermine the likes of Curren Caples, Chima Ferguson, Rowan Zorilla, Kyle Walker or Daniel Lutheran who embody the modern skateboarder, born and bred to rip every kind of spot be it a quirky transition, a kinked rail or a curved ledge. All of these players put down seriously solid parts.

Propeller is a pretty good name for product with a sole purpose to push things forward. Vans kept everyone pushing hard when they introduced their skate shoes to the world, and several decennia later the skate team are leaving their mark on the future generations of skateboarders. Cliché as it sounds in the free internet era, this really is a skateboard video worth purchasing. Vans have supported you for so long, it’s only right that you should show some gratitude.

Download it from today on iTunes. It will be tough call to find a better full length skateboard video this year.

Ralph Lloyd-Davis

Enjoy this drunk phone cam footage of Caballero and Hosoi after the Propeller video premiere in London’s House of Vans.

Categories
DVD Reviews Skateboarding

Albion

albion_uk_skate_dvd_reviewTwo weeks ago, I found myself packed into a room full of skateboarders like a sweaty sardine, clutching a can of lager and shouting props at a screen I could only just get a glimpse of due to the barrage heads of various rippers filling the room. The reason for ending up there was the premiere of a new video from the collective lenses of Ry Gray, Kevin Parrott and Morph. The full production took a while to reach fruition but was well worth the wait.

Clocking in at just under 40 minutes and with cameos from a massive cast of UK heads, Albion is a scene video on steroids and a must see if you have any interest in what is happening with regards to shredding in this damp corner of the world.

With no time for such pleasantries as an opening section, some brief super 8 footage highlighting the restless urge to explore which drives skateboarding gives way to some murkage from the ever-rampaging Daryl Dominguez. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years you should know what to expect here. Steezed-out street savagery let loose on benches, over road gaps and down hefty stair sets. Only then are we given a brief list of those skaters with a fair amount of footage in the video before we are launched straight back into the shredding with a full section from Denis Lynn. The Belfast skate nomad comes through with a unique trick bag matched with an eye for spots that not many would touch ranging the length of the country, including some OG Bradford and Leeds spots and an always-welcome Needleside cameo. Alley ‘oop FS grind over the Tottenham meat taco is no joke, the heavy business here sets the tone for the rest of the video.

Albion features more than one banging montage. The first of which is kicked off by some flowing street lines from Harry Lintell and includes some Ben Grove hammers, a hefty road gap no comply from Martyn Hill and Chris Oliver at the best bank spot in East London. That spot is now blocked by a bike rack that I never knew I could hate so much. This section is closed by some gnarly business from Gav Coughlan; I suppose straight nollie’s over road gaps work at a purely scientific level but seeing them done still feels like glimpsing a unicorn – mythical shit!

Sometimes skating on the streets will lead to run ins with passers-by, but Albion is the first video I’ve seen to feature a fat man in a pink shirt with a sword – this is about as heavy as it gets when it comes to interaction with the lurkers who cohabit the spaces we put four wheels to. Rugged street shit indeed which leads us nicely into serious street business from Kris Vile, handling anything the great concrete outdoors can throw at him, whether that be a lengthy bench line or a double set. Charlie Birch brings the Lost Art hype next, killing the streets with style alongside some Liverpool/Wirral cameos thrown in for good measure. If you’re handling a variety of handrail tricks at that age, things are looking bright for the future.

Only a few weeks after Nick Remon’s ‘Excursions’ section was released and dropped more than a few jaws, his section in Albion will undoubtedly cause a few more fly-catching facial expressions. With a seemingly endless selection of tricks to choose from it’s no wonder he can bang out a full section during a particularly sogged-out UK winter, with no obstacle seemingly too crusty for throwing down something insane on. Highlights are the kickflip with a BS body varial chucked in, a FS flipped double set as an ender, and a hefty FS 360 over the Sheffield kicker to road gap.

Hey kid, ever seen a nollie hardflip popped over a stair to flatbar set up? After a cameo from a pink balaclava clad witch, Karim Bakhtaoui comes out swinging with some heftily popped techness. With clips from a host of heavy hitters, this section has a ‘crew’ feel to it that won’t fail to make you want to head out the door immediately and drag your homies out for a skate. The theme of the next section is ‘Legends’, with a Gonz miniramp sighting paving the way for the most Tom Penny footage anyone has managed to collect in some time. Mad heads are gonna be hyped on this!

Rune Glifberg’s BS shrubbery ollie in Romford’s halfpipe is probably the high point, as the Essex treasure pit is not known for its forgiving nature. Tom Knox starts the next montage, living up to his US namesake with a fast and raw style of street skating which can’t fail to bring the hype. Archway bank gets a seeing-too throughout this video which is started by Denis and continued here by Sylvain Tognelli and Paul Shier. We will leave you to find out what went down by watching the video, but if you’ve been there you’ll know it’s a nightmare to do anything on.

I’ll try and cover the rest of the montage as briefly as possible because otherwise it could too easily become a trick-by-trick account: Quick footed steez from Nick Jensen, a tech-assault from Mike Arnold and the meat taco at Tottenham getting further attacked by Fernando Bramsmark, Josh Young and Jake Collins are all high points. This section is rounded off nicely by Div and Colin Adam sailing the concrete seas. Actually, ‘nicely’ is a crap way to put it, as in classic Scottish ripper fashion they both look like they’re picking a fight with a bowl and winning. Div chooses Victoria Park as his victim and Colin destroys Saffron Walden. Then, just when you were reeling from the bouts previously witnessed, Manny Lopez takes out the tech ten with a knockout. BS noseblunt the handrail and yer seeing stars pal.

Horsey gets some switch DIY for Rob Shaw’s lens.

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Ben Raemers and Horsey have gone from up and coming rippers to living the US dream in recent years, here they return to these shores to show you how and the answer is simple; pure fucking shredding. Horsey’s FS halfcab flip into the rancid cobbled bank in Kennington is savage enough, Raemers adds to the Archway bank games with a wall bash on the fence which I’m pretty sure is impossible, and his last trick is worth getting the video for alone. In between, ATV bombs are getting dropped left, right and centre, and all to a John Cooper Clarke soundtrack too – if that wasn’t enough to get you interested.

After this bout of insanity the last section was always going to take some doing, but Jak Pietryga stepped up to the challenge ably with high speed skating and quick feet taken to every kind of architectural anomaly that ends up becoming a ‘spot’, plus some that clearly haven’t before.

Two songs worth of raw street finishes things off a treat, while a standard credits section is replaced by a far superior idea – the video’s creators taking to the streets and getting some.

Albion is exactly what this kind of video should be, giving me the same hype as I got when I first started skating and saw footage of skaters hitting my local spots. That same urge to go out and explore my surroundings for new things to skate…and you can’t really say better than that.

Out now on DVD in your local skate shop or order it online for about £8. Or, enjoy the full film online right here.

Jono Coote

Categories
DVD Reviews

Coping Mechanism

Coping Mechanism DVD by Phil Evans

coping_mechanism_skate_dvd_malmo_sweden_phil_evansPhil Evans is somebody who has built himself a reputation as filming skateboarding differently from everyone else. The obvious definition of a skate video is a film that features skateboarders doing tricks on spots with a musical soundtrack. The purpose of a skate video is to get you hyped to go skate and hopefully incite you to support the skaters you’ve seen on film. Coping Mechanism goes beyond the conventions of a typical skate video because it introduces the viewer to a group of skateboarders who rip great spots but also drive their scene forward through positive actions. As a result the viewer wants to go skate, act in a responsible and positive manner for their local scene and support the guys featured in this film. Coping Mechanism is a documentary film that focuses on the efforts of the Malmö (Sweden) skateboarders who have learnt to work with or without their local authorities to build one of the strongest and most influential skate scenes in the last decade.

Skate-Malmo and Brygerriet are two incredibly competent bodies that act as the link between the skateboarders and the politicians to get concrete poured, contests run, local entrepreneurs promoted and good times had by all involved. Phil turns his camera and mic towards a handful of individuals that each plays a part in strengthening the Malmö skate scene. Will Taylor and Dave Toms are both foreign construction workers who have settled in Sweden and helped pour a vast majority of the concrete everybody shreds on a daily basis. Then you have Emma Lindgren who acts as a figurehead for female skateboarders breaking down the barriers of convention and paving the way for Swedish ladies to get radical.

oskarPhotoNilsSvensson.A trip to Malmö is also a pilgrimage to the DIY spots of TBS or Steppeside molded and mastered by local rippers like Pontus Alv and Matthias Hallén. These guys knew that their city was limited in what it could offer terrain-wise, so they decided to grab a couple of bags of concrete and build their own spots. This do-it-yourself mentality has spread like wild fire around the globe, but for the Malmö skaters it was never a question of setting a trend. It was a simple necessity if they wanted to skate. All of this creativity and elbow grease has had a strong influence on the younger generations who lend a helping hand in building their scene, but also polishing off their abilities to rip all sorts of spots. Fernando Bramsmark and Oskar Rozenberg Hallberg skate all day and all night and are the poster children of this next generation.

Finally, one man embodies the Malmö skate scene and is held in the highest regard by his peers for going above and beyond the duties of a local skateboarder for his scene. That man is John Magnusson also known as J-Mag. Described as a calm and humble person by his peers, John took it upon himself to create a dialogue between the skateboarders and the local authorities to guarantee a constructive collaboration that has seen the old industrial town of Southern Sweden become a premier location for national and international skaters seeking great spots to visit. These visitors breathe new life and esteem into a community that previously had very little to offer in return. The key to the success of the Malmö skate scene is probably due to the level of trust between all parties. The skateboarders have the responsibility to develop and build their skateparks with the direct experience and knowledge of using them afterwards. The street scene thrives too as locals share their old and new spots with one another and newcomers in a bid to push the scene and be proactive in promoting local brands.

Evans has been careful to embed himself within a scene and listen to what the key players have to say without neglecting anyone or anything. The Malmö skate scene didn’t just appear overnight. Spots had to be built and sometimes re-built, lines had to be found, films were made and dialogues were established to serve as a testament to the City and the skateboarders who seem to have cracked the code of positive collaboration. If you were wondering how to push your scene forward, the first step would be to get a copy of Coping Mechanism and watch it with your friends, family and local authorities. As a documentary, a single viewing of Coping Mechanism should spark the fire in viewers to contemplate their own scenes and communities and figure out what needs to be done to compensate older generations and invest in future generations.

You can pick this DVD up from the Skate Malmo site where Oskar Rozenberg Hallberg’s photo featured in this review on this page and other shots by Nils Svensson are available to buy as prints.

Ralph Lloyd-Davis

Categories
DVD Reviews

Nike SB Chronicles Vol.2

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I’m not even going to try and flex my « core » beliefs on Nike this time around because their latest chapter of the Nike SB Chronicles Volume 2 is pretty flawless in my opinion. In previous video productions this mainstream sports brand has tried too hard to impress the skateboard community with expensive camera equipment, fancy skits and bizarre story lines. Thankfully the message got through that all that was unnecessary and this time they put their money to good use and more importantly let the skateboarders shine bright.

Firstly, hats off to Jason Hernandez who filmed and directed this film using high definition cameras and editing equipment of an above average professional standard. Cutting shots from multiple angles, using graphical layers and taking it easy on the slo-mo switch gives this video the right amount of pace and length to actually make you sit through from start to finish and then run out the door to skate.

Secondly, hats off to the skaters on show: Donovan Piscopo, Theotis Beasley, Daryl Angel, Luan Oliveira, Justin Brock, Shane O’Neill and Ishod Wair. There is a good mix of styles here even if the transition side to skating is kept at a minimum. Some of these skaters like to keep, things simple whilst others seek technicality, but either way everyone is very smooth and stylish.

Speaking of style, it was a pleasant experience to see a proper section from Donovan Piscopo who has been floating low on the radar of late but has finally broken through to the forefront of one of the amateurs to keep a firm eye on. His greaser look is also going to appeal to the fashion crowd. Another stylish skater is Shane O’Neill who jumps, slides and grinds around with incredible nonchalance whilst his skateboard spins itself into new dimensions of technical wizardry. Sorry for the spoiler but the bigspin fakie salad grind bigspin flip out is a brain melter.

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On the burly side of town, Justin Brock proves that having a kid did anything but slow him down from attempting hair-raising tricks into rough as fuck banks. Minor Threat provide the soundtrack for his annihilation. Daryl Angel takes a slightly smoother approach to wrecklessness but isn’t afraid to throw down frontside nosegrinds on nipple height hubbas and blindsided fakie attacks to handrails. Luan Oliveira proves his versatility as he takes on rails, ledges and manuals with confidence and dexterity. Theotis Beasley isn’t far behind even if his bag of tricks remains a little more limited. Backside flips and halfcab flips are a staple element to his diet and he really does them better than the rest of them.

The main stand out of Chronicles 2 is Philadelphia wonder-child and happy go lucky guy Ishod Wair who deservedly gets the curtains and a deserved SOTY award. Death’s ‘Politicians In My Eyes’ sets the tone to Ishod’s casual yet dangerous lines and flowing style. Second spoiler alert: the frontside 360 over the infamous Los Angeles triple set looks way too easy for him just as the kinked fifty to midway pop-off and quick backside bigspin down a 10 stair. Amazing section.

It would be a bit like nit-picking to say this video doesn’t deserve recognition and applause. I can’t wait for Vol. 3. Available to download now at iTunes.

Ralph Lloyd-Davis

Watch it here:

Categories
DVD Reviews

Element Europe ‘Hold It Down’

holditdown_elementskateboards

Skateboarding has a great quality to it which is innovation and change. Why it doesn’t compare to most sports is because it doesn’t have any rules or governing bodies that dictate winners and losers and classify everybody into leader boards and leagues. Well, actually there is some of that in skateboarding but it’s best left ignored. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that skaters will naturally progress and this progression moves in tangents. At one end you’ll have the simple but gnarly skaters, whilst at another you’ll have the technical wizards and in between everything you have style. Older generations have always been aware that times were a-changing but I think we can safely say that times have changed but only for the better.

Element have been supporting European skateboarding for quite a while now and even if the riders from the old continent don’t necessarily have their names screened onto the decks they ride, their actions speak louder than the words the much sought after vinyl transfers could provide. Nassim Guammaz, Karsten Kleppan, Ross McGouran, Madars Apse, Phil Zwijsen, Michael Mackrodt, Jarne Verbruggen, Ruben Rodrigues and Guillaume Mocquin are all great skaters. You won’t be disappointed by what you see in their new feature length web video ‘Hold it Down‘.

Here are a few reasons why the guys in this video are worth 24 minutes of your attention deficit disordered lives:

Karsten Klappens manages to take every single spot that could have had real potential and makes it a reality. Example: that curved ledge would be great to skate but there are two great walls stick out at either end. No problem for Karsten, he’ll just pop over and pop right out.

Ross McGouran (above) is a very gnarly pint size bastard who’s not afraid to fling himself far and wide in the pursuit of happiness.

Madars Apse and Phil Zwijsen share a part that combines Madars’ laid back approach to Phil’s. Jarne Verbruggen is a perfect example of today’s generation that can annihilate anything that sits in their path. Big transfers, a bit of ledge flippery and applying old tricks to new heights makes Jarne really fun to watch.

Nassim Guammaz (above) definitely chomps more than a fair share of rails in his part but when you see how easy he makes it look, you’ll be wondering why you don’t have a go yourself.

Check the credits for a straight and simple thanks to Mark Gonzales, John Cardiel and Pontus Alv. That list might sound way too easy command street cred among viewers, but when you see the talent and approach a lot of the skaters have you can see that those three legends are the real inspiration and thankfully so.

Ralph Lloyd-Davis

Categories
DVD Reviews

Ambig: Modern Art

ambig-modern-artAmbig Clothing’s latest visual endeavour is a short promo rather than a full length with only three riders releasing full parts, others taking up smaller montage roles and a flow rider section tagging on after the credits. The length of this flick didn’t bother me though, as the 16-minutes of footage delivered banger after banger.

Clive Dixon opens the box with a wide range of skating. I was really digging his part but the wailing soundtrack almost made it unbearable. My dog wasn’t too pleased with the music selection either. However, the skating made up for it tenfold, especially his FS bigspin lipslide that came out of nowhere. JT Aultz and Sean Conover then assault anything hand rail or hubba shaped. Sean even does a 360 flip 50-50 which is a total beer spiller. Moose then follows with his third video appearance of 2013, making him a good contender for the hardest working am this year. The Deathwish ripper shows us just how good he is at flipping into grinds, and once again delivers a solid section.

Next, we witness one of Ed Tempelton’s loyal pawns, Matt Bennett, who gets tech on some schoolyard tables. He shows us his legendary Bennett grind, taking some to handrails, and doing variations on picnic tables. This part (that also has a Dan Lutheran appearance) will make most people look forward to another Toy Machine video. Fingers crossed on that, especially as they have just acquired the services of Blake Carpenter.

The ender is closed by Birdhouse’s latest pro, Clint Walker. This part actually got leaked 4 weeks ago, leaving the internet in meltdown. He skates fast as fuck to Holograms’ ‘Monolith’ track and isn’t afraid to take a full tilt slam either. His all-out approach in this video makes it an instant classic. There are a plethora of tricks to mention from this section, but a the ollie body-varial down the huge triple set and his 50-50 down the weirdest triple kinker ends this on a huge high. This part will be up there as one of the very best at the end of the year and beyond. Sick stuff.

Watch it in full here with some extra’s from Walker’s section or even better, track down the DVD as it will be one to keep forever.

Dominic Hynard

Categories
DVD Reviews

‘Bon Voyage’ – Cliché Skateboards

Filmed/ Directed by Boris Proust

BONVOYAGE_DVD_clicheskateboardsCliché has come a long way and travelled a lot of miles since its first video Europa was released some 10 or so years ago. Bon Voyage is the latest leg of their fantastic journey and there are noticeable changes in the team line-up and general aesthetic. The premier international team boasts Daniel Espinoza, Kevin Bradley, Paul Hart, Joey Brezinski, and Pete Eldridge from America; Sam Winter and Andrew Brophy from Australia; Lem Villemin from Germany; Javier Mendizabal from Spain; Adrien Coillard, Max Geronzi, Charles Collet, Lucas Puig, JB Gillet, Flo Mirtain and Jeremie Daclin from France.

Mark McKee, Eric Frenay and Boris Proust take care of the production side of Bon Voyage and the end product is a very clean and fluent film. Boris has done well to differentiate himself from his predecessor, Fred Mortagne who single-handedly changed the way people see skateboarding. It’s good to note that Cliché also include their army of flow riders who are each given a few seconds to shine during the closing credits. This sort of recognition is a positive stance that too many skate brands bother to take.

So, the 50 minutes flight time of Bon Voyage begins with their newest pro Daniel Espinoza. Shots of Daniel in his supped up sports car, smoking cigarettes and staring into the distance conjure up a sort of 2 Fast 2 Furious vibe, but to be honest my impression of Daniel and his skating was anything but fast and furious; more of an asleep-at-the-wheel approach. He’s talented on a board, he can spin backside 360 bigger spins just as easily as he can grind long S-shaped rails fitting the cookie cutter mold of today’s über-ams. You don’t see many skaters go pro these days from one major video part, some may feel as though this was premature, but make your own mind up from his section. I’m sure he will be a firm fixture for the future of skateboarding.

As Daniel slides and flips his way off the screen, two OG street masters, JB Gillet and Pete Eldridge step up to bat. You really can’t go wrong with either of these guys. They have both cut their teeth at legendary spots during skateboarding’s golden era of the nineties, so why-oh-why did the accredited music coordinator think a limp electro love song would work well with their swagger and clout? Seriously, the music is so ill-suited to Pete’s powerful switch pop and JB’s smooth operations that I just can’t sit down and enjoy this otherwise gem of a section. Paging Quartersnacks for an urgent remix please!

Max Geronzi, Paul Hart and Adrien Coillard represent the next generation of rippers. You probably don’t recognize their names but you will remember them once you’ve seen their part. All three of them have been fixtures in their respective minor leagues and now their sitting nicely at the top of their class ready to graduate to the majors.

Lucas Puig – Nollie inward heel skill. Ph: Dave Chami.

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Joey Brezinski rides in on two wheels and rides out on two wheels. The combos get crazier, the balancing gets better and the quirky sense of humour is kept at a minimum. Honestly, Joey is a white crane martial artist performed the most insane balancing acts on his board and deserves to be mentioned in the same breathe as Daewon Song or Rodney Mullen. I just wish we could get to see a few more regular tricks from the guy.

Charles Collet, Andrew Brophy, Lem Villemin and Javier Mendizabal cruise through the film at their respective speeds and heights. If it’s smaller than 3 feet tall, Brophy won’t skate it. Charles is a still a gnarly bohemian and I think Lem was injured during the making of Bon Voyage, but that didn’t stop him from pulling out some suave tech treats.

Javier really doesn’t have enough footage and it would have been great to see him cruising around that crazy glow-in-the-dark bowl structure at night. Oh well. There is a brief interval where the team takes us on their Trucker tour of Europe unearthing even more insane terrain set to the sounds of Cassius’ ‘I Love You So’. Those funky Euros love their electro and this video is full of it. Thankfully, most of it sounds alright.

Lucas Puig (assisted by a brief Jeremie Daclin cameo) brings us back to Cliché’s French roots with some solid street annihilation set to the score of Oxmo Puccino. Lucas gets a free pass riding up to ledges in Adidas tracksuit bottoms because he’s so skilled on a skateboard. I can see street purists are going to pick up on this loose fitted fashion statement.

Sammy Winter is a visual treat and some might say he’s more deserving of that pro spot than his cohorts. Plenty of pop and finesse describes Sammy’s skating. There’s even a brief clip of recently passed Lewis Marnell sharing some good vibes with his Australian brethren. Lost but not forgotten!

Charles Collett – Lien Disaster. Ph: Dave Chami.

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American teen Kevin Bradley delivers by the bucket load. Kevin’s skating is very reminiscent of a young Bastien Salabanzi mixed with a splash of Lavar McBride. He attacks gaps, rails and plazas with speed and style. Even the snippets of bravado and hand gesturing seem fairly fun and positive so I hope to see more from Kevin in the future.

Finally we finish with Flo Mirtain. Relatively unknown for some, Flo just joined the pro ranks and this part is a pretty good stamp of approval for that position. Please note the recognition from Marc Johnson as Flo manuals his way around one of the master’s spots in LA. Flo is a tech powerhouse who seems quite mute, but in return his skating does the talking and it screams pretty loud that you need to keep an eye on this guy and his approach to this great pastime we call skateboarding.

There you go. That’s it. Bon Voyage, an epic journey around the world with a truly international team of thoroughbreds and future prospects. It’s recommended. Go get it from your local skate shop this weekend or from iTunes in two clicks.

Ralph Lloyd Davis

Categories
DVD Reviews

Creature CSFU

Anyone who witnessed first-hand last year’s Creature UK tour will know how down the team are for skating at any time. From what I’ve heard from locals at the various spots and parks the crew hit, they were constantly amped and ready for the shred, even on a rainy, jetlagged day in Hastings. It’s been a couple of years since Hesh Law was released, so their new video CSFU was pretty much guaranteed to be a belter. Last month saw a premiere at my local pub, and through the haze I managed to focus enough to see that it was something special.

Coming in at just under an hour, everyone in the team has a section and the terrain ranges from pools to skateparks, vert ramps, handrails and ditches, although saying that, as you might expect, the video is light on Lakai-esque ledge combos. The opening section goes to Taylor Bingaman, whose ability to attack every obstacle in his path be it street or transition does us skaters of shorter stature proud. Power midget Cardiel arms, love seat destruction, and some of the video’s more tech lines all set to a soundtrack of Brotha Lynch Hung, EBK all day every day! Given the thankless task of following up this onslaught is Adrian Mallory, whose mixture of awkward tricks and spots is definitely up to the challenge. I seem to have a particular hype for creative street skating recently, possibly due to the weather forcing me into car parks for the last few months and away from my natural transitioned habitat, so I can see this section becoming a regular watch. Skateparks are also approached with a fresh eye, when was the last time you saw a boneless frontside invert?

A Super 8 montage in black and white gives a sense of how much travelling has gone into the making of this video. Not that this is anything unusual in a high budget skate video, but there’s still something undeniably rad about seeing Needleside featured in a production of this kind. After this interlude, we get to see Willis Kimbel (photo below) tear up Burnside and other concrete monstrosities with a frankly bonkers bag of tricks. Transition assisted no-comply heelflips, BS airs with added domino effects, and a final trick that the Thrasher website assures me is called the ‘Gary Coleman’ makes this section a standout in terms of sheer brain-melting innovation.

Sean Conover holds down one of the few full on street sections in the video, slaying handrails and throwing down full speed flip tricks down some beastly looking stairs. This juxtaposes nicely with new team acquisition Adam ‘Scissors’ Effertz. His section bought to mind the early 90s vert side of the H-Street team; and let’s face it, things don’t get much better than that. Next up is a flow team montage which is dominated by Milton Martinez’s gap crushing and hefty kickflips, and young ripper Cory Juneau’s seemingly effortless ability to skate bowls more than twice his size. Truman Hooker then takes things to the crustier end of the spectrum, skating spots and bowls that can best be described as haggard as fuck and still absolutely having it, the last trick is unreal!

The young guns are clearly holding it down, but by this point I’m sure many people were wondering where the older dudes were at- the ones from before the green and black resurrection. Laying any fears to rest, Sam Hitz comes out swinging with a section of backyard pool ripping, blazing grinds and lengthy slides, the stoke of which even the god awful techno beat its set to can’t dampen. The sounds are back on track for Silent Mike and Devin Appelo’s split section, at least if you’re into cheesy hair metal anyway. Actually it’s hard to fault the video’s soundtrack minus a couple of glitches, it manages to be as varied and interesting as the skating – which continues to impress, as Silent Mike takes on a variety of pools and stair sets, and Appelo hits a number of spots that most people wouldn’t, if only because they value being able to walk into their later years.

Next up is the section that got by far the biggest cheer at the Leeds premiere, Stu Graham’s part. I’m sure you know what to expect; high speed skating that looks like he’s pursuing a personal vendetta against the coping of the world’s skateparks, and the best slam on the video. Ryan Reyes party’s techno style with some cartoon fiends before some quick and improbable skating will have you reaching for the modern equivalent of the rewind button, and considering the logistics of the ‘rallie’ as your brain leaks out of your ears.

One thing that immediately comes across in this video is the manner in which each skater, even the younger ones, clearly has a respect for skateboarding history. This is manifested in each skater’s large bag of tricks, and the point is hammered home by a section dedicated to a session at the legendary Pink Motel Pool, in which the venerable spot first seen on Animal Chin is given a good seeing to. With a mellow vibe aided by the classic 999 song ‘Feeling Alright’ with the Crew, this part is gives the viewer a chance to breathe before the final three sections.

When I spoke to people about the upcoming video, Al Partanen was one of the most frequently mentioned names with regards to what everyone was amped for. He doesn’t disappoint, with a large bag of tricks matched by one of the best styles out there. Truly a beast, front blunt fanciers get hyped! Also showing the younger generation how it’s done is the vertical vampire, Darren Navarette, whose foot/handplant onslaught is the perfect antidote to Shaun White-style X-Games yawn fest. No Belgian windmills here, just two songs-worth of concrete being tamed by a master.

The well-deserved final section goes to David Gravette. In an environment where the internet gives us more skateboarding than our eyes can handle it takes a lot to stand out, but Gravette manages it easily with a combination of gnar, left field tricks, and bloody minded dedication (just look to the first trick/battle of the section). Truly next level ATV skateboarding, it brings an already banging video to a finish that will have you picking your jaws up off the floor.

Re-watching the video to write this, it’s hard to pick out any bad points. The skating is top notch, the spots on show make you want to go out and hunt for buried treasures, the animations are funny and not overused, and the music is varied and predominantly good. If I had to pick a flaw, I would point out the lack of Colin Adam footage, but that one gripe aside, this is a video that can’t fail to get you hyped to skate. In an increasingly digital age where it has become temptingly easy for companies to put out much hype single sections, it’s brilliant to see that people are still willing to put out an hour long slice of stoke that you can actually hold in your hand.

5/5

Jono Coote

Watch the full video courtesy of Thrasher. The DVD is on the current issue. Do it.:

Categories
DVD Reviews

Grey Area

Words: Guy Jones

greyarea_dvdsleeveFor those of you unaware, ‘Grey Area‘ is a delicious visual skateboard buffet, highlighting the often over-looked Polish scene. I recommend the purchase of this dvd for a number of reasons: Firstly because of the rare spots, which means the lines (which are vast) are fresh and exciting. Secondly, it comes with a top soundtrack and thirdly the filming and editing is seriously crisp. You have to congratulate Kuba Kaczmarczyk and Paweł Piotr Przybył who were behind this project as this production is a must see.

When you’re watching rhythmic lines and subjects going fast as fuck, people often don’t notice the filming qualities unless they’re captured terribly. Look out for the styles of recording throughout, as they are often as impressive as the actual content, not to mention the actual aesthetic which is overdosing in dope. The skate skillin’ is complimented with various filler shots namely of wildlife, soldiers and other items of interest and all importantly, not overdone. There’s an impeccable balance.

Some of the skaters that feature in this include Michał Juraś, Krzysiek Poskrobko, Danijel Stankovic, the Polar team and a solid bulk of the Polish and Swedish scene, who are criminally underexposed. The gnar destroyers who are present in this flick make incredible use of the abundance of derelict and raw surroundings. Poland has some beautifully unique architecture which creates lines aplenty. As a result the lads make good use of almost anything in sight and do it extremely well. This is particularly pertinent to my man Michał Juraś, who not only holds down a full part but features in various montages throughout raising his footage count to near on 10 minutes. Some of the spots he skates are barely spots and that makes the appreciation bar peak. True player!

Michał Juraś with one of the scariest looking ollie’s of all time in Wrocław. Ph: Kuba Bączkowski

Michał Juraś_byKuba Bączkowskie

The sections are laid out in such a way that it’s mandatory to watch the whole video rather than skipping sections and each one highlights something fabulous. There’s an abundance of montages including a brief history of the DIY struggles and accomplishments, ‘Back to the 90’s’ and ‘Fun’. The latter alone should entice anyone viewing this review right now to pick up a copy of this film. The content fully justifies the anticipation.

Krzysiek Poskrobko pops a fatty. Ph: Kuba Baczkowski

KACZMARCZYK_FILMING_byKuba Baczkowski

The soundtrack is a banger, ranging from psychedelic rock, raw 90’s hip hop, 60’s sun-hunting sounds and other sub-genres that get you even more hyped on the incredible skating that ensues. Watch the trailer if you need more persuasion, then go out and buy this keeper of a scene video to see some of the most authentic, genuine scenes in Europe. Grey Area I salute you. Ziiiiiing Peaaaace!

Grey Area is available now at various UK skate shops, hunt one out today.

“Grey Area” The Skateboard Movie / The Trailer from Grey Area Video on Vimeo.