Categories
Skateboarding News

Watch Volcom’s Holy Stokes! trailer

holystokes1

Volcom are ready to push the button on a new full length called Holy Stokes! featuring their full team, and what a line up it is. Skate film maker Russell Houghten is also behind the project so expect top end photography.

Watch the trailer below and expect footage from Alain Goikoetxea, Alec Majerus, Alex Midler, Axel Cruysberghs, Ben Raemers, Caswell Berry, Chris Pfanner, CJ Collins, Collin Provost, Daan Van Der Linden Dane Burman, David Gonzalez, Dennis Busenitz, Dustin Dollin, Grant Taylor, Jackson Pilz, Jordan Trahan, Kyle Walker, Milton Martinez, Louie Lopez, Pedro Barros, Rune Glifberg and Ryan Sheckler.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Real Skateboards – Through and Through full video

Ph: Ernie Torres Nose Manual Nollie Flip shot by Gabe Morford

real_skateboards_Ernie_Torres_NoseManualNollieFlip

What a treat, 17 minutes of the Real Skateboards getting stuck into spots in style. Get those teas on and sit down to watch footage of Kyle Walker, Justin Brock, Ishod Wair, JT Aultz, James Hardy, Dennis Busenitz, Chima Ferguson, Jake Donnelly, Davis Torgerson, Peter Ramondetta, Ernie Torres, Max Schaaf, Robbie Brockel, Massimo Cavedoni, Antoine Asselin, Jake Ruiz and Jack Olson.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Kyle Walker’s Propeller Raw Files

kyle_walker_skate

Kyle Walker‘s part blew us away at the premiere so these Raw Files have been anxiously awaited. Be prepared for 7 minutes of fast-as-fuck, ball-breaking skateboarding, taking out some eyewatering spots. Man is an all round amazing skater who has certainly put himself on the SOTY map with this part alone.

Skate Edit of the Week hands down.

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.

vans_propeller-gilbert

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
Skateboarding News

Watch Thrash & Burn in Berlin and Portugal

ThrasherThe yanks have been rolling out some of the best skating this week in these two Thrasher clips from Berlin and Portugal. Ishod Wair, Grant Taylor, Chima Ferguson, Kyle Walker, Mike Anderson, Peter Hewitt, Chris Pfanner, Tony Trujillo, Robbie Russo, Peter Ramondetta, Kyle Walker and Frank Gerwer take out Berlin. Then Grant Taylor, Peter Hewitt, and Pedro Barros absolutely destroy Portugal.

Must watch edits right here. Get the teas on.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Peter Ramondetta and Kyle Walker Pushing Oklahoma

Peter Ramondetta

More love from Real, this time with the hammer force of both Peter Ramondetta and Kyle Walker Pushing their home City of Oklahoma to the limits. Find out what happened when the duo went back to hit up the streets.

Peter Ramondetta and Kyle Walker Pushing Oklahoma from dlxsf on Vimeo.

Categories
DVD Reviews

The Real Video Since Day One

real-since-day-one-book-dvdIt would seem that the era of big video productions is reaching an end. The industry is inundated with web clips, exclusive web clips, download links and deadlines that are about as tight as a porn star’s arsehole. So when a company decides that it’s time to bring their offering to the table, they know that they need to bring a game changer or else.

Judging by the discrete marketing campaign (no countdown timers!), lack of PM requests on message boards and the whole-hearted appreciation by their peers, the Real Skateboards family have left an honest testimony to their dedication to skateboarding with their new video Since Day One.

The video opens with an ode to the opening credits to their first video some 18 or so years ago and acts as a reminder that their hearts and minds are still in the same place since their earnest beginnings. No gimmicks or frills, just pure skateboarding and good times amongst friends. Once the intro reel is over, the similarity with their first video ends. Since Day One is a 1 hour and 10 minute burger of burly skating served up with a healthy selection of musical sources (sic). It takes some time to digest the gnarliness of what the Real team has produced, so multiple servings are recommended.

The Real team has quite a roster now: James Hardy, Max Schaff, Antoine Asselin, Dennis Busenitz, Jake Donnely, Justin Brock, Ishod Wair, Massimo Cavedoni, Alex Perelson, Kyle Walker, Peter Ramondetta, Ernie Torres, JT Aultz, Nick Dompierre, Davis Torgerson, Keith Hufnagel, Robbie Brockel and Chima Ferguson. That’s a lot of talent for Aaron Chillen and Chris Coward to focus their fisheyes on. The button pushers got some help from veterans Gabe Morford and Dan Wolfe and everyone got together to edit the opus. There’s no I in the team when it comes to Real, that’s for sure.

Now, with the unrelentless attack the Real team serve on America (no Barcelona/European footage?) and Australia (Chima Ferguson), the sight of ditches, rails, gaps and ledges merges together and gets a bit confusing. That’s why you need to purchase the DVD and skip straight to your favourite parts. After numerous screenings, a few faces stand out: Chima Ferguson for his nonchalance in the face of danger, Ernie Torres and Nick Dompierre tag teaming up to take the title, James Hardy using his big frame to crush spots, Alex Perelson single-handedly re-instating vertical skating as something sweet, Keith Hufnagel for keeping up appearances with a true to form pop concert of simplicity, Peter Ramondetta mixing tech and gnarly skating into a lethal cocktail and last but not least the definition of speed skating Dennis Busenitz. Dennis has won Skater of the Year for several years already. Maybe this time he’ll actually receive the trophy.

On top of the sheer volume of big balled skating, Real also offers loads of extras on the DVD and a great 100 page book of photos documenting the trials and tribulations everyone went through in creating Since Day One.

On a personal note, I have heard a few mutterings and musings about this video including complaints about the length (you’re never going to sit down for over an hour to get hyped before skating), lack of original spots (ditches and rails dominate) and questionable editing techniques (HD and SD mixed together). Even if each opinion is valid, you need to look at the product as a whole and understand the hard work everyone at Real put in to make it happen. The Real team are 100% skateboarding and Since Day One is testament to this. They haven’t left anything out and handed you everything they have. Sure the sun bleached cement and shiny black top of American architecture is a far cry from the cracked pavements and bustling cities many skaters live in, but the Real team spends nearly all of their time on the road doing demos, attending contests, searching for spots and skating full stop. 100% skater owned, skater run, and skater supported. Get a your copy of the new Real video today and understand why you’ve been playing with the same plank of wood and four wheels since day one.

Ralph Lloyd-Davis