The Skateboard Mag traveled to Lance Mountain‘s home to film the Flip team at a Pizza party.
Arto Saari, Louie Lopez, David Gonzales all get stuck in and Greyson Fletcher smashes it on a Banana board.
Tag: flip
This weekend’s Downtown Showdown held in Amsterdam went offin fine style. If you didn’t manage to tune into the live stream of the event from Vans then catch up with the highlights from all 4 teams.
Flip team rider Overall “Best Pro” Luan Oliveira skated with remarkable consistency and smooth style, landing tricks and winning 1st place on the Palace Obstacle and the Blueprint Obstacle. Best Overall Am was Element team rider Ross McGouran, who also took 3rd place on the Flip obstacle, skating hard all day. He made every transfer the windmill-inspired Antiz obstacle had to offer.
Flip:
Inside the massive Gasholder building at the Flip Obstacle the atmosphere intensified with heavy hitting last tricks and a solid performance by first place finisher Dominik Dietrich, who set the bar with a wallie up and Nollie heelflip down the ledge.
Vans Downtown Showdown 2012 – Amsterdam – Flip Obstacle Highlights. from Vans Europe on Vimeo.
Blueprint:
At Blueprint, Luan Oliveira landed a variety of flip tricks over the pyramid and on the ledge. Billy Marks double flipped the gap to flat and walked away with 1,000 Euros for 2nd place. Technical and creative skater Dallas Rockvam took third place by using the entire design, which was inspired by the barges and canals of Amsterdam.
Vans Downtown Showdown 2012 – Amsterdam Blueprint Obstacle Highlights. from Vans Europe on Vimeo.
Antiz:
The Antiz Obstacle rose above the venue floor like a classical Dutch Windmill on Acid. Rob Smith took first place by skating every angle, while Ben Nordberg’s backside nose blunt on the extension ricocheted into applause that reverberated off the walls.
Vans Downtown Showdown 2012 – Amsterdam ANTIZ Obstacle Highlights. from Vans Europe on Vimeo.
Palace:
Vans Downtown Showdown 2012 – Amsterdam – Palace Obstacle Highlights. from Vans Europe on Vimeo.
Categories
Jarne Verbruggen – Fresh Blood
Interview by Ralph Lloyd Davis
Photo’s: Davy Van Laere
10 tricks video by Ralf Goossens
Let’s start with the obvious. How long have you been skating and where did it all begin?
I’ve been skating for 9 years now and I started in Mechelen on a small mini ramp at the local swimming pool.
I have seen you at lots of skate events around Belgium, do you travel by yourself or move with a crew of friends?
Hmmmm. Usually with some friends who where down to go. Most of the time though it’s different people because not too many of my friends are into contest skating.
Who did you start skating with? Do you still skate with the same crew?
I started skating with people from my little hometown next to Mechelen, but after a while we kind of grew apart and I went skating with older guys from Mechelen. It was fun because they had a car already so I didn’t have to pay for shitty train journeys anymore, just the food. The first crew we had was pretty dope we had a realyl good time and made some videos too. It was me, Kristof (a.k.a. Den Dikke), Stefan (a.k.a. Ellington), Jente (a.k.a. Voorspoels) (laughs) and Robin Marien. We had the name ‘Lala Crew’. (laughs) Now two of them are skating again but they don’t have too much time with work and school which sucks because they skate super-good.
Ellington? I guess he’s a fan of Erik’s skating.
Yeah, he skates like Erik Ellington a lot!
Watch Jarne knock out 10 tricks for Muckefuck in the local concrete hole.
Who are your influences?
That’s hard to say but my first influence was probably the Flip ‘Sorry’ video. I watched it everyday but it didn’t really made sense too me because I didn’t know any tricks, it just motivated me too skate. These days I like to watch Wes Kremer, a lot of Skate Mafia stuff and as for others, I don’t know, any skaters who have fun!
Did you look up to any Belgian skaters? I know Hans Claessens us a a rad skater and skates everything. You seem to skate everything too. Is there a connection?
Oh yeah! We watched the Homemade videos (Local skate videos highlighting the Belgian scene filmed by resident pro Geoffrey Van Hove – Ed.) a lot too but we didn’t really look at the names so we didn’t know who was who. Only when we recognized somebody from Mechelen (laughs).
There are not many casual skateparks in Belgium, or not around where I live, so you can’t really skate the same stuff every day. You have to skate everything to skate a lot here, otherwise your always stay in the same place. Also, I like to skate shitty spots and that’s what we have here for sure. (laughs)
Haha! Yes, Belgium is no Barcelona that’s for sure.
What I wanted to say is that I get to skate more now with Hans and its really sick to see him back on his board like before. I have a lot of respect for him. It’s really motivating too.
I know you skate a lot of transition, does that help with street skating?
I don’t know. Maybe it helps you go faster or something, but it sure doesn’t help your pop. (laughs)
True true. Tell me how you got sponsored. Was it through skating contests or did you send sponsor-me tapes out? How did you get on Element?
A friend of mine started a clothing company and sponsored me for a while. The skate shop from Mechelen (Core – Ed.) helped me out a lot at the same time by talking to the Belgian distributor Transind. I also think Phil Zwijsen had filmed some internet clips and was so happy about it and showed it to them. (laughs) I filmed a lot with him that winter and he presented it to the team manager I think.
Phil rides for Element too and lives in Barcelona. Are you staying with him right now? Do you get to travel together a lot?
I saw him last week when I was in Barcelona, but just for a couple of days because he went to a contest in Austria. We usually skate together on Element trips but for the rest he’s always on tour or in Barca. When he’s in Belgium we skate together a lot.
Backside Crail on some seriously heavy metal. Ph: DvL
What’s Muckefuck? I saw you had a pro wheel with them.
Muckefuck is an Austrian brand that makes boards and wheels. I skate for the wheel part and everyone from the team got a pro model. It’s really sick. I saw some kids at the skatepark that bought my wheels and they are really good. I’m really happy about it.
Where have you traveled with skateboarding? What was your favourite town/country to visit?
Hmmm…I don’t know really. I went to the same countries a lot and it was always a little different. I went to Scotland a couple of years ago and I really liked it there. Man, it was pretty rough but there was a lot of nature too and a sick contest. Istanbul and Budapest are really sick too. I also like Spain a lot. There’s always good weather, good food, good spots.
Istanbul? I didn’t know that. Did you go to Livi in Scotland? It’s one of the oldest concrete skateparks in the country.
Yeah, Istanbul is a really hectic place but such good spots and weird food. I went to Livingston but it was raining, we just drove past it and checked it a little but it was just fun being there (laughs). It just sucked we couldn’t skate it!
It rains a lot in Scotland. You should try and get there this summer!
Yeah indeed! It rained there almost all the time we were there I think (laughs). It would be sick too go back.
Jarne spends his time skating the globe. Frontside ollie to ball anyone? Ph: DvL
You went on the Kingpin Drive trip, what was that like? Any good stories?
Yeah, that was a crazy trip man super sick! We went swimming in a super nice lake somewhere in Austria close to the cradle skatepark. where Rodrigo did the crazy Hugo Liard drop in. That was crazy because you had to aim between some rocks otherwise you were probably dead. Manuel Margreiter was doing front flips into it (laughs) but he’s a local you know, he’s been there before (laughs).
With all the traveling, how do you manage school? Do you still go to school? What do your parents think of your skating “career”?
Yeah, I still go to school. I almost quit just before because I was going on a lot of trips and it didn’t look like I was going to make it, but I got some free time so I can catch up while the others have lessons. I don’t know what you call it in English but its like lessons for starting your own business. It sucks that I’ll miss some lessons but it’s good to have the diploma at least. My parents are cool with it, my mother even said I could stop school and just skate, so that got me a bit confused so I carried on going anyway (laughs). Having a diploma is good though, and if I quit now I would have done all this slaving for nothing (laughs)…
Ha! Good luck with the diploma. School helps in the long term but skating and traveling can teach you life lessons. Your English is pretty good. Is this because of school or did skateboarding and traveling help? Was it difficult in the beginning?
Thanks! I hope I get it the diploma! I learned a lot of English from TV actually. I have older sisters and they always watched The Simpsons and Friends and stuff (laughs). So I learnt a lot of English from there and now when you travel you speak a lot of English too. I learned a lot of French on trips too but not enough to do interviews (laughs).
What are your plans for the future?
I don’t know, just skate, try make a bit of a living from it, move to Barcelona, work a bit and go on trips. I’ll see what happens. I just have to get a diploma first and then I’m free to go!
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
I would like to thank all my sponsors and everybody who helps me out right now, muchas gracias!
There’s nothing like watching it raw, especially when it’s Rune Glifberg ripping his local skatepark to pieces. Monkeyglove were there to capture a feeling you only get in full if you are standing right there on the coping.
Photo: ARTOPHOTO
The Flip Skateboards team will visit the UK in July for an evening session at Hemel Hempstead’s XC park on Thursday July 12th.
The date is set in stone and the rider list could possibly include David Gonzalez, Luan Oliveira, Arto Saari, Tom Penny, Lance Mountain, Louie Lopez, Curren Caples, Ben Nordberg, Greyson Fletcher, Geoff Rowley and Rune Glifberg.
This list of visiting pro’s will be confirmed nearer the time but get this date in your dairy and get your tickets sorted from the skate park. the session will start at 7pm.
Watch Ben Nordberg’s brand new full section for Flip released last week in advance of this visit and get hyped.
Categories
Fresh Blood: Isaac Miller
Portrait: Ranny
The South Coast of England is spawning some great skateboarders right now but with its rich skate history etched into the books it’s hardly a surprise. The scene down in Brighton has never been tighter, the urethane is getting worn faster than ever and this vibrant coastal town keeps throwing up more talent than ever before.
One of Brighton’s lurkers who has always graced our Crossfire events is Isaac Miller. He sneaked a perfect switch flip into the unsponsored comp at last year’s Xmas Jam and took the dough until we released he repped for Drawing Boards, one of the UK’s most creative skater owned companies out there. This month we decided to visit Brighton to catch up with him and find out what makes him tick. Isaac Miller is this month’s Fresh Blood.
Thanks to AD, Ranny, Smay, Rich West and Ginge for their help to put this together plus the Level Army crew who are still fighting for as decent skate park down there. We’ve got your backs 100% here.
How is life treating you Isaac?
Life is good, as always! I’m just at college studying carpentry right now. I have been skating loads and filming for the forthcoming Drawing Boards video (Draw the Line) and Ed Hubert’s ‘Like’ video.
Before we get into a few questions, we see you have been at the Velodrome for a few tricks. Want to shine light on this little Olympic edit?
Well, we were on tour around the South Coast and Ed took us to the Velodrome cycle track so we just walked in! 10 tricks went down!
So, with Brighton being your home town, would you say you are you addicted to skating at the Level?
The Level is like a magnet so it’s hard to stay any distance too far from it! I have leaped a few years at the Level. I like skating there because it’s easier to skate without hassle and abuse from the general public. I started skating there when I was 12 and have been there and round a-bouts ever since. On a bad week I get there 5 out of 7 days. Haha!
What are your thoughts on the new plans for the park?
They keep promising a skate park with plans, meetings etc and have been for the past decade or so but nothing has happened as of yet. I’d love to see the new Level finished by the end of the year though like everyone else.
Who’s your favorite Level local of all time?
There are a lot of Levelers! Over the time I’ve spent down there everyone one and everything I have seen has been a real inspiration. So many tricks have been conquered at the Level is hard to underline any skater in particular.
Tell us 3 good things about Brighton.
La Vida (sandwich bar close to the Level), Skateboarding and that there’s loads of stuff to do, day and night.
Tell us 3 bad things about Brighton.
Level, Level and Level. Haha!
You were hooked up pretty young by Pasty and Pig City, is that correct?
Pig City was one of the first Brighton companies set up by Justin Ashby and a dude called Simon. It was really good going places with Pasty and getting to know as well as being inspired by the likes of Andy Scott, Josh Parr and Pete Dossett.
Who are your influences you in skating?
I like to taste the rainbow. Level Army! Sunshine, Transworld, Enjoi and Drawing Boards of course.
Do you watch skate videos?
Yeah, I’m into Transworld videos, Flip ‘Sorry’, Enjoi vids, Tilt Mode Army, 411 and stuff like that.
Switch gap ollie on a beach where Mods and Rockers once clashed. Photo: Rich West
What’s the best trick you’ve seen to date?
I saw Ben Raemers pull a boneless to noseblunt in the massive bowl at Penzance skate park in Cornwall once. That was pretty mental. Liam Teague eating concrete and Matt (Potter) Hill’s stepping up a ten flight first go. Haha! Ummm, Sam Beckett flying high on a vert ramp as well. Oh, and Black Thong (Jak Tonge) skating in odd shoes with a late night muffin!
What are your thoughts on Benihanas?
Don’t like ’em.
Then why do them?!
Cause they feel good at the time!
Aha, I’m sure Potter can relate to that feeling. So, you’ve been on a fair few trips with Drawing Boards including Barca, what was your favourite spot on that trip and spots in general?
The park in Clot, Besos, but no faves, just too many good spots. I like going on missions in Brighton to the schools and local spots on nice sunny days. Also the Beach front (West Pier) kickers and blocks.
A trip to the infamous Bloblands produces a large ollie fakie. Photo by Ranny
How’s your part coming along for the Drawing Boards DVD?
I’ve been filming for way over a year now, so should be about soon. There will be some surprises in there for sure so keep your clogs intact for this one! AD has been a real help. It’s so good not having to worry about the next board.
And the ‘Like’ video part?
The fact that it’s another Ed Hubert production means it will be rad. Ed’s a joker, Bill’s a piper, James is a juggler. It should be sick.
Who do you skate with down there?
Bare brehs, The Level Army, Drawing Boards and Brighton heads.
What do you do outside of skating?
Get paralytic, chill, run, walk, cycle, fish with my dad and go from A to B socialising. Mainly socialism and pushin’ woodism.
What direction do you see skateboarding going in?
Mate I don’t really know – left, right, anywhere and beyond.
Any shouts?
Shouts out to Mum, Dad and bro for all the support and all my mates from the Level. Fin is on (cloudnine), George, Connor, Dyllan, Cob, Amir, Pasty, Stevie, The Level Army. AD and all the Drawing Boards team. Black Thong you know who you are. No equal.
Enjoy this backside flip. Photo: Ranny
AD will leave you with his personal lowdown on Isaac:
“Isaac consumes more cheese and fish than any man I have ever met. Perhaps this is the secret to his boundless energy. Isaac is pretty much on fire right now. Filming 2 video parts as well as steadily destroying parks and street all over the shop. Although he is still young, in the big scheme of things he’s put some serious time into his skating. So when you see him floating round the Level and ask yourself “how the hell did he do that?!” The answer is simple, he put his mind to it. However mad he is off a skateboard, the second he steps on it he becomes fully focused (even at midnight after a trip to the boozer). Stoked to have Isaac repping Drawing Boards. So much more to come…”
Watch Isaac’s Royal Warm Up at Meanwhile 2 filmed by Ginge.
The pain of not making tricks and the overall pressure of completing individual sections making skateboard videos is revealed in the making of Flip’s ‘Sorry’ video captured here by French Fred this week. Boulala, Rowley and more share the rage.
Categories
Crossfire Xmas Jam 2011
Chris Oliver flies highest Ph: Jerome Loughran
Surrounded by blue skies and a winter chill, the Crossfire Xmas Jam warmed a few hundred people at Bay 66 Skatepark this December. The rain held, the skateboarding poured and only four people managed to spill blood on the day. Thankfully there were no broken bones to talk about.
Manny Lopez came off worse by running into Tim Prozorov and suffered a collision injury that forced the ambulance service to drive him to the nearest hospital for stitches. Adrenaline was needed to slow down the bleeding so it could be stitched up so he will be feeling sore this morning. Get well soon Manny, we all missed watching you skate.
Some big stuff went down in this afternoon session. Notable mentions to Chroliver, Nowik, Cullen, Raemers, Zwijsen, Collins and many more on the day. A rowdy crowd then filled the after party who roared along to the premiere of the Kill City Skateboards Rookies DVD. It was the first time some of the team riders had seen the film due to a trip to Barcelona last week and it did not disappoint.
We noticed this week that a skateboard chainstore decided to poach footage from our event and release it immediately to market themselves across the internet. This is seriously lame as another skate shop had sponsored this jam and the store in question had not asked permission to film at at our event. They did not mention the sponsors that made this event possible whatsoever and these are the core brands of our scene that allow us to run this annual get together. Support skater owned shops this Xmas people. Keep your local scene alive.
Enjoy the official video edit to get the full picture of what went down on the day courtesy of Andy Evans.
Big thanks to all who drove for miles to share these good times and make these events work plus all of the staff at Bay 66 Skatepark, and our associate sponsors Slam City Skates Plan B, Flip and Superdead Skateboards
More big shouts out to the companies that sponsored the jam including Heroin, Death, Drawing Boards, Science, Crayon, Kill City, Lovenskate and Blueprint Skateboards.
This jam was for Bingo on his Birthday. RIP.
UNSPONSORED STREET JAM RESULTS:
Flat Bar Comp: Lewis Bell – FS Feeble Shove-it (Drawing Boards deck/tee)
Hip Comp: Ben Rafferty – BS 360 Flip (turning with it) (£25 Slam City Skates voucher)
Mini Ramp Comp: Rob Safe – 540′ (!) (£50 Slam City Skates voucher)
Driveway Comp: Taylor Reid – FS bigspin to flat (£100 Slam City Skates voucher)
AM/PRO BEST TRICKS RESULTS:
Plan B Flat Bar Comp: Jake Collins – Front tailslide 270 out – £50
Superdead Long Arse Hubba Comp: Chris Oliver BS lipslide/FS bluntslide/5050 – £50
Plan B Hubba Jam: Ben Raemers – FS boardslide pisstaker / FS 5050 to fakie / BS tailslide fakie and more – £100
Superdead Wallride Comp: Chris Oliver: FS bluntslide across the quarter – £100
Superdead/Plan B Longest Driveway Ollie: Phil Zwijsen – £100
FLIP SKATEBOARDS MINI RAMP COMP RESULTS:
Overall Mini Ramp Steez Award: Split between Greg Nowik and Jed Cullen
Highest FS Air: Chris Oliver (Over 6ft?!)
Combo Grind/Slide: Jake Collins – BS smith/tail slide
Photos by Jerome Loughran
“Nowik makes love to the mini ramp like no other.”
Jake Collins had a full day of rampaging as usual.
Jed Cullen killed that mini ramp.
Photos by Sam May
Phil Zwijsen takes the longest ollie.
Alex Barton chases his tail.
Chroliver gets close.
Chroliver took the wallride comp with this fs blunt slide over the quarter.
Ben Raemers hucked a backside boneless off the wall…
…and then took the piss with this boardslide step off.
Daryl Dominguez took the hard route.
Chroliver took dough for this ridiculous back D slide.
Isaac Miller is one to watch for 2012.
Upcomer Taylor Reid impressed with this bigspin to flat.
Rob Safe hucked a 540 on the mini.
Lewis Bell took the flat bar comp.
Amir Williams laid down some Brighton stompers on the day.
Jake Collins to the bar please.
Porno Paul and Gok Wan are now going out for Xmas.
Oliver sheds the Queen.
Greg Nowik and Mark Brewster share the goodness.
Loads of freebies were claimed!
Here’s the beginning of the after party photos. Go to the gallery for more.
London’s Prince Charles cinema was invaded by the creme of the UK’s skateboarders last night as the new Sidewalk video In Progress was premiered.
Popcorn and beers were thrown as standard, before three quarters of an hour of British skateboarding was unleashed with sections from Barney Page, Conhuir Lynn, Ben Raemers, Nicky Howells, Sean Smith, Harry Lintell and Tom Harrison alongside Ben Nordberg, Mark Baines, Nick Remon, Chris Jones, Denis Lynn and footage of many more.
Overall the film got a great reaction, the skating was banging, the music was spot on and the film mainly shot by Ben Powell, Ryan Gray and Kevin Parrott and many other contributors, could have just kept going and going. 45 minutes flew past with raw UK skating served just how we like it with Barney Page and Ben Raemers receiving the decibels they deserved. .
There will be some fantastic hangovers this morning as the free bar set up around the corner and funded by Nike would have sucked everyone in and destroyed most.
Well done to Sidewalk who have rolled out, amongst everything else they do for the scene, a video that captures some of the UK’s finest. The video will not be free on the cover of a magazine but will rightly be on sale in your local skate shop, so you treasure it and watch it with friends at home before you go for a skate. Pick up a copy in October in your local skater owned shop.
More video premiere’s have been announced this week:
Friday 30th September – Hush Bar, Bristol, 8pm.
Contact 5050 for further info.
Saturday 1st October – T13 Skatepark, Belfast, 7pm.
Pre-premiere jam at T13 Skatepark (time TBC), £3 in – keep an eye on the www.bogginzine.com forum for updates.
Saturday 1st October – The Flying Duck, 142 Renfield Street, Glasgow.
6pm sharp. Over 18’s only.
Thursday October 6th – Milton Keynes Buszy.
6pm – under 18s. 7:30pm – over 18’s with afterparty at the Buszy Bar.
The current change in the season means new decks are needed. This month’s Line Check has Zip Zingers from Krooked, Superdead‘s Autumnal horror from Mr Gauky (who you will hear more about at the Crossfire Halloween Massacre), Black Label‘s Space Invaders, smokers from Flip, Anti Hero‘s Bitter offerings, Baker‘s colurful dozens and Fabric‘s first wave of wood from up North.
Broadcast, Powell and Spitfire bring the wheels that go with some new trucks from Independent, Venture and Thunder. Also check out the new Stella Supply Co hardware that Fos and Joleon Pressey have rolled out in the UK. Reflex skate tool’s are doing the rounds so you can tighten your rude manufacturing up on the move.
There are always a good selection of tee shirts out there all year round. Fabric, Heathen, Superdead, Spitfire and Vans. Altamont also have some prime cuts as do DGK, who have rolled out their latest colourful collection.
If you want chillers then Emerica have the new Wino Mid and Hopi‘s this month for the hedonists. Vans are still rolling out the Classics, Etnies have gone 70’s on us for Autumn and we will all miss éS as it goes into hibernation for the forseable future. All of these are available in your local skate shop. Seek and Destroy.
