Frustration + Footage

Jeremy and I went on a mission to get a couple tricks.  I just got my new lens in the mail, and really wanted to shoot something that could test it's accuracy and response to light.  We went to a spot that I had never been to, but since having gone there, I've seen it in magazines and random ads galore.  Chris Pastras has a trick on the wallride, and Daniel Shimizu has some tricks at that spot. Anyway, we were so determined to get these tricks - here's what we got instead.


link

Feeeble + Footage

Jeremy is really good at the feeble grind. He kills it. Here's some footage taken from the new feeble TF in Burbank. Three round metal rails grabbed our attention as we were driving by. Even though I couldn't do a nose slide, Jeremy killed it. Dirty lenses, slamming into fences, and blocking a nice parking spot - still not the best spot in Burbs.

Game of SK8 + Footage

Jeremy and I went up to a school in Burbank where there's a real mellow bank ramp to do tricks into. We decided to play a little game of SKATE, which - for those of you who don't skateboard - is sort of a game of HORSE for skateboard tricks instead of B-Ball skills. For every trick you don't land, you get a letter. I feel like I'm over explaining this. Anyway, let's see who takes home the gold medallion. (Talkin bout crazy cool medallions)



Now GO PAY YOUR RENT!

Skate Sesh Ending Early

When you see this face, it is time to end the session immediately and head to your local Jack In The Box - or what have you. This face symbolizes three main things. 1) Late for something important 2) Gotta take a fat dump 3) Neeeeed Fooooood.

I've made this face a million times before.
This session was epic though. Thanks Austin for the fotos.

Security + Footage

What does "security" mean? It's not security for people, so much as security for the business. Jeremy and I went to the Staples Center downtown yesterday to get some footage. This security guard came to kick us out, and he was hilarious. He was more interested in my camera than the fact that Jeremy was ripalizing. Trying to skate during a Garth Brooks concert is one of the most annoying/brutally retarded things ever. Bro's and ho's, in cowboy hats yelling and "woooooooooo"-ing. Wow.

Every time you go out to skate, you do the same song and dance.

"You can't skate here." 

"Oh really?" 

"Yeah there are signs everywhere." 

"Oh, I didn't see any signs." 

"There's one right there." 

"Oh, ok, we'll leave."

This security guard didn't go that route, he utilized the bro-down high road. "Hey bro's it's cool with me."  Gotta appreciate that.

Nose Slide + Sequence

Wall Ride + Sequence

When Austin was up here, all he did was shoot with his camera. And me being the only person around, he took most of his pictures of me. That's just to say that now I have over a thousand fotos of myself, and posting blogs for the next little while may begin to seem rather self-gratifying, and that's fine. I'm really just showing off my brother's keen eye for taking a sweet picture, which may lead to a lack of intellectual content.

All that said, here's more shots by Mr. Curtis, of Mr. Curtis -- that's "the Curtis way"

Dancing on Air

Sometimes when you fall off of a skateboard you do a little dance.

Hard Flip

Back Tail + Sequence

Fotos by Austin Curtis from Curtishots. It's embarrassing that this is the first time I have EVER landed this trick - but also goes to show that we are all still learning. Keep your head up.

Jeremy the Filmer + Footage

Jeremy and I have had the extreme pleasure of borrowing an amazing friend's DVX100. (THANK YOU!).  Jeremy has been doing some filming, and I wanted to share it.  Anyway, if you thought Conny Hall was good, chizneck thisneck out....neck.

Cultural Fixation

The other night, Jeremy took off to go to a movie and I was at home and though I'd like to see a movie too. It's been a while since I had gone to see a movie by myself. Actually, to be honest, besides when I worked at a movie theater, the last movie I saw by myself was Austin Powers. The first one. So I rode over to the Los Feliz theater and saw Juno. Michael Cera kills it.

Anyway, I'm riding home, and pumping hard up a steep hill. I'm making this hill my bitch when I see about fifteen guys on fixies fly down the hill across the street. They hollered and whistled "beeeeoooowuuuup." That, in itself, was worth getting out of the house.

Now, if I had been say, on a skateboard, that never would have happened. If you're skating, and you see a group of skaters cruise down across the street, the first instinct is hostility. I can't explain it, but it's like this one-up-menship that puts skaters into a competitive mode instead of a communal mode. This is true in every case until respect has been earned. A skater has to prove himself constantly and consistently to be "beeooowupped" at all. And in a few days, when the memory of that sick switch-flip over the gap fades away, that respect must be re-earned. This is, of course, unless you are like Guy Mariano or something...

I can understand why the fixie community is so supportive. I mean, the guys on the street have to compete with cars, busses (especially), and pedestrians, with no breaks or way to shift into an easier gear. There is so much going against these guys to begin with, that to be against one another would be like going against yourself - suicide.

It's so easy to become a skater these days that it just isn't enough to be dipped in Altamont gear with swanky LE Lakai's, and a dope sideways cap. I remember back in the day, all you needed to have was a pair of Emerica MJ's and scratch marks on your board, and you were set. Legendary status. I dressed like Chad Muska for years before I realized that it didn't make me any better than my friends.

This isn't all to say that there aren't factions occuring within the fixie world. The racing, freestyle, and messengers all compete in some form - but when it comes down to it, there is still some unspoken bond that they have that skating has somewhat lost. So all you skater/haters out there learn something from people like the Church crew, and the S.A.C. crew, and say "what up" to that twelve-year-old trying to ollie up a curb. Let them know that they are doing God's work. FTP for life.

~

RICKS - Behind the Grind

                           RICKS

Ricks -- Skate, write, destroy, create, define - on a daily basis. These days, simply riding a skateboard is not enough - Ricks + S.A.C. are creating art and good energy on the scene and world of skateboarding, plus offering kids a family under Skate All Cities.

The collaboration between the arts and skateboarding has always been on the rise, and until recent years, hasn't been truly treated as valid. I guess you could say that the same goes for graffiti writing. It is mostly seen as menacing, and detrimental to society - not exactly "art". I have to admit, when I read "crack baby" tagged on my sidewalk and gate this morning, I wasn't thinking, "Wow, I should frame this." It was more like, "Where's that idiot, so I can kick his ass." But there's a huge difference between shitty tagging like that, and the art these guys are creating. S.A.C. has been around for years now, recruiting several very talented skaters and putting out tons of boards for the team.


It seems that every time I see him, Ricks is always flipping me off. That's because I'm always trying to take his photo. He's never been about hating on people as far as I know him, and knows the struggles of working the 8-5 grind. But somehow, this guy makes time to skate, and make sick art for S.A.C. Collaboration is number one - bringing each other up, and combining the eclectic worlds of skateboarding and graffiti into one dominating force.

The boards are in high demand, and therefore, sold out at the moment.  Ricks is always selling them for near at-cost price.  Im sure the guy is in the hole by now, with people always looking for the "bro" hookup.  In other words, they want to be a part of it, without paying up.

Happy birthday Benter!

Everyone in this photo is Asian -- They even adopted Bento into the RBP.

At Sterling's art show -- AGGRO.

Getting Beto to drink shots is impossible unless your name is Ricks.

Even I get BGP's every once in a while. Hah.

Check out all the sick vids up on youtube now, or you can contact S.A.C.

More on this guy and the vision behind S.A.C. coming soon...