Longboarding with Philip

Sickness Over Seas

2009-11-28T15:03:00.000-05:00

http://skateistan.org/about-us/skate-park/

afghanistan skate park. I'm jealous.

Gonz is a hero

2009-11-05T21:38:00.001-05:00

http://thejailbreak.com/2009/11/05/circle-boarding-sounds-like-torture-turns-out-not-to-be/#more-4642

New Skateboards

2009-10-06T20:10:00.001-04:00

http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2009/10/06/mekanism-skateboards-x-olafur-eliasson-your-mercury-ocean/

A very cool idea

A Skateable House?

2009-07-20T20:19:00.000-04:00

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/ramp-house-skatable-home-acrhivirus/9717

Yes please!

This could be a longboarders heaven

2009-06-27T01:15:00.000-04:00

http://www.muslauf.si/2009/06/hydroelectric-power-station-avce-fixed.html

I wonder what its made of…

pay attention to how giant it is

Dear Sector Nine, I Love You

2009-02-15T23:10:00.002-05:00

I would like to take a quick period of time to talk about the most under-rates longboard company out there, Sector9. They have spread and pushed the sport of longboarding so much, and we need to thank and respect them.

I recently looked at their website, and I was very impressed with what I found. A whole page on safety was pretty nifty. I also found this page of videos. If you dont watch all 3, atleast watch the intro to the short bus chronicles teaser, it blew my mind. They sponsor some kickass riders too, like Noah Sakamoto, Patrick Rizzo, JM Duran and Erik Lundberg to name a few.

So next time you think of Sector9, just remember this. Oh, and don't forget this, that jank's sick.

Honorary Pro - Grant Britain

2009-02-03T17:53:00.002-05:00

Legendary and self proclaimed oldest skate photographer Grant Brittain has recieved the first of the honorary pro awards. The 'Honoris Professio' award was started by clubmumble.com and is sponsored by Powell Peralta and The Skateboard Mag.

The board seen above is a limited edition run of 99. It can be purchased from skateone.com and all proceeds go to Grind For Life. Over the next year, Mumble will announce two more honorary pros. To see the full story, a high resolution image of the board, and an interview with Grant Brittain, click here.

Skateistan

2009-01-26T20:25:00.000-05:00

A very cool article on a skate school in Pakistan:

whoop there it is

Independent's 30th Year Anniversary Tour DVD

2009-01-14T18:17:00.003-05:00

This is the DVD that came with the last Concrete Wave. Today, due to the boredom of sick days, I finally got around to watching it.

All I can say is bravo. These guys are really pushing the mold. They are so cool, and this DVD is like no other the skating world has ever seen. The skating was ok, but the style was bar none! A couple people had pretty bad style and skating though, like Lance Mountain and Christian Hosoi, and the DVD had a little too much of them in it. The other skating was so progressive though, it was amazing. It really shows what amazing things can be done with Independent trucks, especially their carving abilities.

The lifestyle shots really showed me how cool skateboarders are. This would be a great DVD to show to people who have a negative rep about skateboarding, to make them learn how good it is. From close-ups of trashy girls trashily dressed, to nearly hitting cars, to a large amount of fireworks in nearly every scene!

The videography in this was definitely something to write home about, but was nothing compared to the amazing music. Really, this music was the least cliche music in a skateboarding video ever. I could just listen to the music and it would make me happy.

/sarcasm

Don't waste your time, this movie sucks, period.

Amazing Day, So Happy!

2009-01-06T21:04:00.002-05:00

Well, today my ceviche arrived. I will have a review up soon as I get a good feel for the board.

But, as surprising as this may sound, that was not the highlight of my day. Here's the story:

So, a couple of days ago I sent Adam Colton the link to this site in hopes to get it on the loaded newsletter. This is the email I received on sunday:

hahah sweet blog bud,

You know what I like about it. You are honest and down to earth. Very good. Shall have Louis post this in the newsletter to give you some more traffic.

Tigers,

Adam

So yesterday (January 5th), Longboarding with Philip was in the Loaded Newsletter! Oh Joy!

In other news, here is a great dancing video. Definitely the best I've seen in a while.

See ya later alligator!

Western Sessions

2009-01-01T18:10:00.002-05:00

Well, here it goes, a review of the Original Skateboards mini-series Western Sessions. Find it here.

Well, there were some great points to Western Sessions. The scenery was amazing. It has beautiful shots of the pacific coast, mountains and great sunsets. The roads and skate spots were amazing. Tons of ditches, banks, perfect turns and traffic-less roads. Western Sessions takes you through some of the best skating locations and cities in the world. The music was pretty good. Some songs weren't very good, but skating classic 'West Coast' by Coconut Records was included, and that alone made up for any bad songs.

Now that sounded like a pretty good review, didn't it? GOTCHA!

Sum Western Sessions up in one word? Boring. Sum it up in two? Boring boring. This pattern doesn't break. Nor does the pattern of the riding. Back and forth. To and Fro. Like a metronome. There is one trick. It's a nose manual into shuv-it down a bank. That was cool. It was also the only trick. I could count the amount of slides on my fingers and toes. Take away my toes? That leaves me with the top speed of the video.

We can't blame the riders though. I truly believe that it's the trucks fault. They turn too much, plain and simple. I know I wouldn't want to go over 10 mph on one of those things. Nor would I want to land anything on them. So let's decide to forgive them for that part, ok?

Something unforgivable though, is the amount of 'lifestyle' footage there is. I would say it's over half. For instance, let's take the sixth episode. It is 8 minutes and 10 seconds long. There was no longboarding in the first 4 minutes and 46 seconds of the video. That means in the first half of the video, there was NO riding. This would be ok if the riding was amazing, or if the 'lifestyle' shots were funny, interesting, or even entertaining. But they weren't. At all.

The last part of the review is on the post series, but I'm not even gonna talk about it. I'm just not.

Awesome Sector 9 Video

2008-12-25T22:40:00.000-05:00

Sector 9 Teaser from CRE8TURE on Vimeo.

cred to archy

New Website

2008-12-25T22:17:00.001-05:00

join!

I know, I know, it's pretty crappy, but so was silverfish when it was a youngin!

Flexdex Videos

2008-12-25T17:46:00.003-05:00

So, awhile ago, I wrote a disappointing review on Flexdex's new drop through board. I was scared of harassment when I saw that Stephan Reinhardt (spelling?) had commented on it. I didn't want it to be like the Street Swell comment. But it wasn't, Stephan is a cool dude, and he asked me to do a review on some of Flexdex's videos. So here it goes.

Hit or miss is a very good term. So is amateur. In need of filming and editing classes is another good one.

As a whole, the videos leaned to the miss part. Stephan had about half of his tricks very stlylish and well done, while the other tricks were pretty bad. The other people were pretty bad. Most of the songs were pretty bad, while Fortress by Pinback was in one of the videos, which is a very good song.

The filming was bad, the editing was worse. The music and riding had no coordination whatsoever. The filming was shaky, and the light was terrible in a majority of the clips. I want to know why the person who edited their videos decided to include the barely landed or unstylish tricks. Most of the videos were what would normally be considered throwaway clips.

Amateur. This describes alot of the riding. If I worked for Flexdex, I might sponsor Stephan if he had a very good application, but wouldn't consider anyone else from the videos. Alot of kids on the fish have better skills and better videos than these people.

So to sum it up, hit or MISS is a good term. But just note how miss is capitalized and hit isn't.

To watch the videos for yourself, simply click this sentence!

On other notes: Merry Christmas! Feel free to share what skate related gifts you got! or un-skate related things are fine too I guess. A review of western sessions should be coming up soon.

Also, I hope to have a very intellectual post with interviews with some big names comin up soon.

And I know, it's been months since I have last posted, my new years resolution will be to post more!

Longboarding + Halloween Costumes = Free Stuff + Amazing!

2008-10-13T18:22:00.001-04:00

http://originalskateboards.com/costumecontest/

Get pumped!

My entry is gonna win though, so there's no use in you trying.

Fine Ladies

2008-09-11T21:06:00.001-04:00

It was about a week ago, and I was doing some standups around a local corner. The trick I was practicing was a knee down corner into knee down speedcheck. I landed it three of four times, and had done it many times before. Then I tried it and didn't push my leg out enough for the speedcheck, leaving me slightly frustrated. Thats when I saw her. She was a cutie with a bootie, talking on her cell phone while walking. I then knew I had to perfect this trick and impress her. So I go into the corner, everything is perfect. I notice her looking at me, and I remember to kick my leg out enough and get the board as sideways as possible. It's going perfectly, the board goes completely sideways. Senora Caliente is looking right at me, as I get thrown off the board in a highside. I land on my feet, and nearly do a somersault on the pavement. I look at the hottie, and notice that my board and her right shin are on course for a violent collision. I sprint, using my cross country running skills and almost check her as I put my foot on the sector nine roots shooting towards her ankle. The girl gave me a dirty look and kept on walking.

Next try, I do the trick perfectly. My board slides 90 degrees sideways as I grab the back of the tail, my knee staying on the board. I did this just in time for a grandma who was walking at the same spot (apparently people enjoy walking in my neighborhood) to see me and day "you're pretty good at that!"

So do any of you have any entertaining stories containing you trying to impress either hot girls or grandmas (I wouldn't know what you like)

Recycled Skateboard Jewelry

2008-08-30T18:28:00.002-04:00

I like them. They are fairly expensive seeing as they cost almost as much a new deck, but they are really cool.

Something nice to accompany these would be the outer race of a bearing. You can remove these by thrashing too hard for over a year without replacing your bearings. The balls should fall out while the shield crumbles, then you can get out the outer race. This might be more work, but fun work it is and it proves you skate enough to kill a set of bearings.

The Best Skateboards Ever

2008-08-30T18:04:00.012-04:00

There they are, the boards that will cover the podium at Maryhill.

(Idea and a handful of images stolen from Silverfish)

Shaveet!

2008-08-29T20:05:00.000-04:00

Check It!

Learn How To Foot Brake Well

2008-08-21T15:13:00.002-04:00

I know my personal stories are quite boring and no-one really cares about me but heres one that I hope entertains you.

I recently found out I can stop quite well from fair speeds. Yesterday I was doing maybe 30 down a hill when I saw a car pull out of its driveway. I started airbraking to see if it would stop blocking the whole road but no it didn't. So I decided I needed to footbrake. So I put my foot down. Then it catches and I do a superman onto the asphalt. It was like a painful slip'n'slide. I got multiple cases of deep roadrash (very white) with one on my elbow going about a cm deep. I ruined a pair of pants and also managed to take a chunk out of my cell phone (it's terrible anyways so I'm hoping this will help me get a new one). So no riding for a week or so, but this is good for you guys, because I will now actually post things.

P.S. Has anyone noticed the fact you make alot of jokes when you're injured?

Innovative Japanese Street Skater

2008-08-20T10:57:00.001-04:00

This guy is truly amazing.

Click It!

Karrot Bushings Review

2008-08-17T20:42:00.002-04:00

Karrot Bushings are made in Hawaii, by a guy named, well Karrot. They are lathed and cut out of abec 11 wheels. Then a magic spell is cast on them, which is what makes them so amazing.

Product: pink 77a stims top and bottom front, pink 77a stims top and jimZ bottom

Used On: Zealous Felon, Randal 150s, Lime 66mm ZigZags

The Feel: Amazing. I have these bushings fairly loose, loose enough that I almost get wheelbite. These bushings have made randals carve like real trucks for the first time for me. But even after this, they are the most stable bushings I have ever ridden. They turn perfectly. I've stuck turns, drifted turns, slid and bombed faster than I've been before, and I got them yesterday afternoon. In comparison to JimZ bushings, they are not in the same class. They are stabler and turn a billion times better.

Price: $5 per bushing, 2 for shipping and 1 for paypal fees.

Final: Completely worth it. These can easily change around any setup and are a large improvement over any other bushings on the market.

The Best Canadian Longboard Company?

2008-08-17T12:32:00.002-04:00

Well, the poll is closed. Apparently my readers think that Rayne is the best speedboard company that hails from Canadia. Kebbek is following in a close second. I'm surprised landyatchz wasn't higher up. Normally people prefer them over kebbek, atleast from what ive heard

Selina Gomez Rides a Loaded?

2008-08-13T10:17:00.001-04:00

A pintail with bigzigs at that. I know im going to buy one now.

Corbus Boards

2008-08-11T13:10:00.002-04:00

http://corbusboards.com/boards.html

Are these guys for seriousness? I mean really?

It's like lost photon, they might look cool, but are pieces of crap. (Some even have lighted risers, for an underglow effect at night)

They're a cheap $300, with seismics and no-name wheels. If you've ever wanted an aluminum gas mask shaped board with no concave and minimal griptape then nows your chance.

"Why ride just a board when you could ride one of our shaped aluminum boards?"

Because im allergic to seahorses. That is the only reason.

Getting Back Into It

2008-08-08T19:25:00.002-04:00

Well after 2 weeks of no longboarding whatsoever and a month with no serious longboarding it was definitely time. I went out today and after two runs I was pulling stand-ups and speed checks. soon I leant sit down grabbing speed checks a la adam colton style and got a ton better at doing switch backside stand-ups. So I'm uber stoked and you guys need to ride and share my stoke. Have fun!

Interesting Skate Ramp

2008-07-25T11:17:00.002-04:00

If anyone does it, let me know, and take lots of pictures.

Ask A Skater, Part 3 or 4, I Lost Track

2008-07-25T10:44:00.003-04:00

Ask a skater.

Please define freeride. What exactly is it? And how would I go about a "freeride".

Thank you!

Dear Random Guy,

Freeriding is an amazing thing. It is normally associated with speedboarding, because when you freeride, you normally go fairly fast. It differs from speedboarding, though. The point is not to make it down the hill the fastest, but with the most style and most fun. Typically you drift around corners, do stand up slides and highspeed carving.

It is very difficult to explain, so I'll show you some videos,

http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b179/andrewchapman31/?action=view&current=slide.flv

cheerio!

Sweet Almatrieb Report

2008-07-24T15:29:00.001-04:00

http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/forum/longboard-speedboarding/75118-other-almabtrieb-report.html

By Lush

Awesome Videos

2008-07-24T15:18:00.001-04:00

skatehorde.com

Has some awesome videos, I especially recommend the Almatrieb video.

Portland Lifts Skateboarding Ban

2008-07-24T15:09:00.002-04:00

Good news for Portland, Maine skateboarders this morning on yahoo.

Huzzah!

Unfortunately, the steep exchange street is off limits until December.

Ask A Skater, Part 3

2008-07-20T15:17:00.002-04:00

hi skater,

i recently made the mistake of going on a couple of dates with a roLOLerblader.
he had a real funny way of speaking, even in British standards.
Session = Good
Pissed = Good
Died/Dying = Falling over
Fishbrain = Stupid RoLOLerblading trick
It goes on, it REALLY does...(and they all speak this way, i really don't get it nor did i understand anything he said...)

I'm really just intrigued as to whether American longboarders have crazy phrases such as these?

- the only girl that actually longboards

Dear the only girl that actually longboards,

killing it = good

eating gnarshmallows = good

eating pavement = bad

The list goes on for us too, I'll add some more when i can think of them

Ask A Skater, Part 2

2008-07-17T19:54:00.002-04:00

Dear Philip,

Can you give me tips on speed checks?

- random guy who needs advice on speed checks

Dear random guy who needs advice on speed checks,

Before learning speedchecks, you will want to know how to standup slide. Once you have those down, this is how you learn to do speedchecks. First, you will want to find a fairly steep and freshly paved road. This is so you can attempt multiple checks without having to wait a long period of time. Next, you pick up a fair amount of speed, turn quickly, move your arms 90 degrees,and push the board into a slide. Once you are sideways, pull your arms back and bring your leg back to where it normally is. When learning don't try to go 90 degrees, slowly work your way up staying comfortable. Never go more than 90 degrees, it will make you highside and faceplant. 85 degrees is a good place. Remember to never move your torso, it will make it difficult to bring the board back in place.

- Philip

Dear Philip,

whats your favorite online skate store?

how does a skater hold a bbq?

what is podcasting?

why do i have to poop so badly but when i go to the bathroom the sensation vanishes and when i leave i have to poop again?

- senor lotsa questions

Dear senor lotsa questions,

The first store I go to when looking for something is stokedskateboards.com. They have low prices on almost everything. The second is daddiesboardshop, they let you customize your setup and are great people. The third is the longboardstore, I don't know why, but I like it.

A skater holds a bbq somewhere by a miniramp or skatepark, I have no clue why, but that's how it works.

Podcasting is something lame you do for people who want to hear other people talk about things. Video podcasting is the best thing in the world.

And you might have constipation, otherwise I don't know, but I hate it when that happens.

- Philip

Ask A Skater, Part 1

2008-07-16T19:47:00.002-04:00

Dear Sk8r,

Should i make myself a peanut butter sandwich? This requires going downstairs and removing all of the needed foodstuffs from their respective places and putting in slight effort, such as spreading said peanut butter on the bread, and jerking my refrigerator open. I really don't know what to do, can you help?

- I. M. Hungree

Dear Hungree,

Why peanut butter? A marshmallow fluff and nutella mix would be much more rewarding.

-Philip

Dear Skater,

Would you rather be an amazing Dh skater or an amazing street skater?

- Ian

Dear Ian,

That is a difficult question. On one hand, being an amazing speedboarder would let me be able to use more intense roads, and you always get the girls if you tell them you've been 60 mph on a skateboard. On the other hand, an amazing street skater would make it possible to skate anywhere and everywhere, and I would love my own shoes.

I would have to go with amazing speedboarder, because it would not only be sweet, but it would help me with other disciplines too.

- Philip

Ferrari Skateboard!

2008-07-14T19:43:00.003-04:00

Ferrari Skateboard

Get excited, you can now take your Ferrari skateboard everywhere your Ferrari segway can't! with 548 BHP and a flappy paddle gearbox that can change gears faster than you can blink, you will now be able to win any race you want with this high performance skateboard.

Act quickly though, they're selling like hotcakes! I've got mine on the way.

An Actual Review

2008-07-09T22:04:00.002-04:00

Well, for the first time ever, I am doing a review on something I actually have ridden. What a crazy idea? I know I know. So the target of my thoughts today is the Zealous Felon. This board is hand made by a guy named Brady in Utah. So here it goes:

Length: 39 1/4"

Width: 9 1/2"

WB: 32"

Other equipment used: flipped Randal r-2 150's, bones reds and 66mm lime zigs-zags.

First Impressions: This must be a couch cause this janks comfy. During the normal living room speedboarding the board just felt comfortable. I love the concave. I'm not a fan of too deep of a concave so this feels perfect, you may not like it if you are a concave whore though.

It is, one of the most beautiful boards I have ever seen. Ever. (I repeat things for emphasis, emphasis!) Brady definitely knows what he is doing. The problem with this is that you WILL get over protective.

The Ride: Amazing. Pure and Simple. This is a perfect board for a topmount lover. The wheelbase and the fact that it's a topmount means it is very versatile and the length is big enough for the heavier riders. It has a nice dampening flex, and comes in 15 ply instead of the normal 12 for heavier riders. It weighs less than I expected and is about half as thick as a hellcat.

So it's light, perfect flex, perfect concave, beautiful and versatile. So how much does it cost? 100? 120? 135? 150?

How about $80, $85 for the 15 ply.

So if you're a topmount freak, looking for a little switchup or you want to get into dh for cheap then this is your board. It might not suit you evo fans or people who want drop throughs but otherwise I strongly recommend it.

Shoulda Voted for Hilary......

2008-07-05T21:48:00.001-04:00

That Will Be All

New Flexdex Dropthrough

2008-06-24T19:17:00.002-04:00

Flexdex released a new limited edition drop-through board 3 days ago. I heard about it then, but fell asleep because it was so boring. It is worse than a dervish in almost every way. They are the same shape, except the Flexdex had less footspace. The Dervish's bamboo is a ton better for the envirment then Flexdex's plastic. The Dervish weighs a slight 6 pounds less than the Flexdex's 13 pounds! The Flexdex is skinnier and shorter but still weighs 6 pounds more! Flexdex decided not to put the wheelbase on their website.

The Dervish does cost $50 more but it is so worth it. If you buy the Flexdex you do help bruthadood's skate across America, so there are two good qualities. It's cheaper than one of the most expensive carvers and has a good cause, but it is not worth it.

This however does not mean I am telling you to buy a dervish, because they are almost 100% hype, so the end of all of this is buy a dervish or a fish, you wont be dissapointed.

ORANGatang wheels

2008-06-23T23:48:00.003-04:00

Today Loaded released their new "Orangatang" wheels. the come in 80a and in two shapes. "4President" with a 53mm contact patch and 70mm and "In Heat" with a contact patch of 56mm and 75mm.
These wheels could be the most amazing thing you have ever ridden or pieces of poop in a flaming brown paper bag on your doorstep. Loaded described them as " nice 'n fast, grippy as hot chewing gum on a park bench," Why Loaded chose grippy wheels instead of nice slidey wheels that more fit the riding style of Adam^2 and most of Loaded's fan-base, I don't know. But what I do know, is that the little kiddies with their posters of Adam Colton on their walls and the pillows that had a dervish screen-printed onto them will make these suckers out of stock faster than K-rimes going down Rist Canyon with a jet strapped to his buttocks.
So if you want any of these, you better buy them as soon as they go on sale in limited production on July 1st.

http://www.loadedboards.com/adam2/blog/index.php?2008/06/23/141-orangatang-wheels-are-here-available-july-1st

DOUBLE TROUBLE!

2008-06-20T00:34:00.002-04:00

First, thanks to bassman, we have the most mind blowing, trippy skate video I have seen.

Next we have an amazing skate video. In-fact, the best I have ever seen. The cinematography was better than many professionals. So I now present you with, rollerboard!

And since this is longboarding with philip, here is a video done by the filmer of colabo's amazing flicks, Jackson Shapeira.

Check It.

Downloadable Danger Bay Trailer

2008-06-15T16:25:00.001-04:00

From the Masters, Colabo Innovations. I know I'll be buying it.

click it.

New Earthwing Superglider Graphic

2008-06-09T23:16:00.005-04:00

Errrrrr I mean new Bustin board! The Soujourn has arrived. As Wells pointed out and you can probably see from above, the Bustin is almost identical to a Superglider.

It is bamboo, unlike the Superglider. It is 5 inches shorter at 35 in. You can customize it, but expect to pay $140 for it! 140! The Superglider costs $80 at mile high skates. That's almost twice the price for 5 in. less deck and some weeds.

Will the Bustin be an amazing board with a sick graphic? Yes. Is it worth $60 more? No.

Just do yourself a favor and buy a Superglider, especially since the new ones will have wheel wells.

new layout

2008-06-08T22:43:00.003-04:00

How do you like it? My brother thought the old one wasn't good and said he could do better. He was right. I think it is lookin pretty good right now.

To end my post, I will give you a picture from my hospital visit:

no longboarding for a while, atleast for me

2008-06-08T11:48:00.003-04:00

Two days ago i had a half day of school. Got picked up by my dad and went to the church where he works so he could finish up some stuff he had to do. I had some goldfish and a rootbeer and woke up looking at a bloody hospital bed while getting put in a cat scan machine. The first thing I thought was dang it, I fell longboarding.
I don't remember any of this but its what i have heard. I went speedboarding on my favorite road which starts on a steep section into a tight right hander, this section of the road, I had not done more than once before. I most likely started low on the steep section then worked my way up.
There are multiple ways i could have fallen on the turn. I could have lost traction then regripped and highsided, or I could have hit gravel and flipped forward. Either way I have road rash on my elbow, knees back and head. I was wearing my helmet, so I most likely fell luge style and my helmet caught the road and it slipped up my head.
A lady who lives in the house on the corner was unpacking groceries and heard my fall. She came over to help me and i didnt respond to her. I picked up my stuff and proceeded to walk home. She knew I wouldn't make it home and saw that I was bleeding from my head, so she took me inside. I called my sister, said hello, then handed the phone to the lady because I had no clue what was going on. My parents came and took me to the hospital.
I now have a concussion and am out of the hospital. I had an iv in my arm,so now I look as if I shot heroin. I'm not in pain. I've got 2 weeks of no exercise and 6 months where I can't afford another head injury. Now go skate enough for me!

Gravity Amazes Us Again

2008-06-03T22:18:00.001-04:00

I just saw Gravity's section from the Concrete Wave Evolutions DVD. All I have to say is the gravity has so much style it overwhelms me. I will let the video finish the talking for me.

Justin 10 Day Update

2008-06-03T16:18:00.001-04:00

"10 days:

Thank you to everyone on "the Fish" and in the longboarding community who have been so involved in Justin's recovery. You've been great!

Although Justin is out of the ICU and off of most of the monitors and life support, he is far from recovered. He still needs a feeding tube since he can't be counted on to swallow past his airway, and his strong, uncontrolled movements require him to be strapped to his bed. His eyes open but they don't track or focus yet and he doesn't respond to verbal prompts or directions yet, except for once last Friday when he said his name and again on Saturday when he said both his first and last names. So far, those three words are all we've gotten from him. This is all to be expected while his brain injuries heal themselves, but we're anxiously waiting for him to come to and talk to us.

He had orthopedic surgery on his broken pelvis yesterday where they discovered that his whole right illiac crest had separated from the pelvis in addition to the several small broken pieces we had already known about. A plate and a couple pins put him back together, and they reattached some tendons and muscles.

His liver laceration seems to be healing, and he appears to have recovered full motion, mobility and reflex movements although he's still slower and weaker on his right side. We're hoping for a full recovery, but it's going to take some time before we know.

We appreciate the cards, letters and visits he's gotten so far although Justin hasn't been aware of them yet. Either Carol or I read his messages to him and hope he can hear them. I'm sure he'll read them all and respond when he comes around. His mother and I had to trade places last Saturday, so I'm back at home in Virginia now and Carol is at the hospital with him.

Thanks again for caring.

Drew"

Best of luck to you Justin and thank you Drew for keeping us updated.

Maryhill Registration

2008-06-03T07:22:00.002-04:00

Registration for Maryhill Festival of Speed opened yesterday. Then closed seven hours later. That means 120 riders signed up in seven hours. The good news is, there is a reserve left and 40 spots left or inlines, gravity bikes and luges.

Justin ONe Week Update

2008-05-31T12:40:00.001-04:00

Got this from the fish

"1 week update:

Good news! Justin is starting to come around. He has been taken off the ventilator and the cranial monitor. He's waking up occasionally and for very brief periods. When he's awake he moves most of his muscles himself (although quite a bit less on the right side) including reaching up to rub his head and pull at his monitor leads. Although he still doesn't track well or follow verbal directions much, yesterday he WAS able to respond to the question "Do you know your name?" by saying "Justin" and this morning he added the last name "Justin Metcalf". It's not much yet, but considering where he's been for the last week it's incredible! His mother, his doctors, and I are thrilled. It shows the synapses and connections in his brain are starting to reconnect. Progress is expected to increase as time passes.

It's still likely he'll need surgery on the pelvis fracture, but the timing for that depends on when the neurosurgeons will allow it. More on that later.

Thanks for the cards, visits and phone calls. Keep hoping for a full recovery.

Drew"

Best wishes again and hope your back to normal as soon as possible.

sad news, kids

2008-05-26T11:02:00.004-04:00

Fellow Virginian Justin Metcalf (A.K.A. Stinee) has unfortunately had a terrible crash while freeriding. He is currently in an induced coma but is in stable condition. He was on a trip to MT Baker and is currently in the Seattle Hospital.

Andrew from Ontario witnessed the crash

"Justin hit the ground at about 70-75km/h, around 40mph? he slid about 20-30 feet and rolled over the embankment,

He was wearing his Icaro. The chin guard is broken on both sides. We initally thought he had broken his jaw from the crash (i couldn't see how he fell because of a cloud of dust). "

This is a terrible tragedy in the longboarding world so send him your love and hope he is back on his board soon.

I will post more info as I get it.

OH NOES!!!!!1! MOAR DANGER bAY!

2008-05-25T13:45:00.002-04:00

Stolen from coast longboarding and John Huey.

colabo danger bay trailer

2008-05-24T09:36:00.002-04:00

Look here.

Colabo Innovations never fails to deliver. Its a shame you have to buy the dvd to see all of the footage.

danger bay pics and new vid

2008-05-22T20:42:00.002-04:00

(stubbs vid)

ivan the terrible:

(~nick~)

More pics on local 124

danger bay 7 video

2008-05-21T19:54:00.001-04:00

Courtesy of (or stolen from) Michael Brooke. Pics will come when I have time.

new vanguard graphic

2008-05-20T21:26:00.002-04:00

Yup, it's here:

and a video:

I would have preferred it without the green behind but it's a little late now.

Hopefully Loaded will send me a new one to test out (hint-hint nudge-nudge wink-wink shoulder jab-shoulder jab)

Now go skate!

DB7!

2008-05-20T21:04:00.003-04:00

No, not the car, I'm talking about Danger Bay Numero Seis!

I don't have a video or event coverage, because I didn't go, but I do have the top eight riders.

8. Kyyle

7. Nate Lang

6. Brian Chilliwack

5. Sakamoto
4. Scoot Smith

3. Mischo Erban

2. Billy Meiners

Number One is:

K-RIMES!!!!!!

huzzah!

amazing roads, part deux

2008-05-18T13:58:00.002-04:00

Your welcome.

PS, this is what it would look like if you took q and r out of the alphabet.

amazing roads

2008-05-16T20:58:00.003-04:00

last but not least, stelvio pass:

and to end on a sad note, Paskapoo 08 has been cancelled due to lack of funds.

street swell longboards

2008-04-27T20:49:00.002-04:00

I recently read an article on Street Swell Longboards. I have to say these thing are beautiful. Just looking at them before they're even boards makes me say WOW!

Street Swell boards are made factory-style in California. They are v-lam with fiberglass. They have plans to make boards with carbon-fiber, a speedboard and more shapes.

There is a reason to not buy one of these boards. A very BIG reason. That would be the price tag. $450 dollars a board. 450! How are they still in business! If you bought one of these boards for that price, please put it in a museum. This board probably performs like a

tractor-trailer. A very good looking tractor-trailer but a tractor-trailer none the less. I will give you more pictures, but for heaven's sake don't buy one.

Galac Boards Profile

2008-04-26T22:36:00.002-04:00

Galac boards is one the most most popular small handmade boards makers. They have exploded on the fish with some of the greatest pumping boards. Samhell (John Galac) is a well known poster on silverfish. Here is an online interview I had with this awesome man.

Me: A brief history of Galac boards.

JG: I started making board in the summer of 2006.
I originally just wanted to make a couple of decks for me and my wife.
I had no intentions of ever making decks for other people, I never
thought anyone would actually want one of my decks.
Soon into the building process I realized I knew exactly what I 
wanted in a deck and started working on templates that
fit what I was after.
I have very specific beliefs in what I like in a skateboard.
Wide noses for ample leverage, hard top-side edges for
grip, rounded bottom-side edges for aesthetics and comfort
when carrying. I'm really just out to create a surfboard vibe and feel
in my boards. For me it's all about having fun on a board.
My interests are primarily in pumping, carving and slalom.
So I make decks to fill those slots... I don't really do anything
aimed at the speedboard market, because I'm not really a 
speedboarder myself. 30MPH is about as fast I will go thesedays.
I think there are a few people out there making great boards that fit the
speedboard market like Landyachtz and a few others, and they
know what they're doing because they live it.
ME: Do you struggle being a small custom board maker?
 JG: Yes...Everything I do is a struggle... I'm about as small
as they get...I have very little, I don't even have a proper
workshop, I'm very limited in my capabilities.
I just do what I can do with what I have and have access to.
Someday I would love to have a real workshop with more tools
and more access to a little more technology.
ME: Has silverfish helped your company grow?
 JG: Absolutely! Silverfish is pretty much mecca for me.
I love Silverfish, it's such a great community.
Pretty much all my business has come from silverfish.
Erik Basil (the man behind silverfish) is a great guy, and full of stoke.
He's super fun to skate with and is all about spreading good times.
ME: How do you test your boards?
JG: It's all very simple. I draw up shapes that I think will be interesting,
and I make them. I have a formula that I follow, based on my beliefs
in what makes a good deck for a specific purpose. Some might think
it's all too simple, but I like to keep it that way. I'm a huge fan of flat 
decks,
a lot of people can't imagine riding a board without concave. But for me,
flat is where it's at, and it's easy on the feet on long pump sessions.
Me: What is the average cost of a deck?
 JG: My decks are available in 2 finish levels.
The half finish and the full finish. The half finish is around 15 coats
of clear, the full is around 30+ coats. I did this to make a more affordable
option for people. For most of my decks, the half finish is $80,
and the full finishes run $120 and up.
I do my graphics using acetate transparency, and they are embedded
under the clear. The whole goal is to get a surfboard look and feel.
I use a combo of Tread Tex and Clear Silica sand for my cleargrip
on each deck, and have figured out a way to make them as grippy
as anything I've ridden so far. Each deck is hand signed and serialized.
Me: Can you tell us any plans of upcoming decks?
 JG: I am currently working on a LDP (Long Distance Pumping)
deck with Pavedwave. He has been helping me achieve a shape
that is going to be as functional as can be for the purpose
of LDP. I'm currently in the prototype phase, and it will be
unveiled soon... He really is a master at LDP, and his influence
in the shape and even the graphics have been a blessing.
It will even feature his name on it.
I'm also working on a Kate Sessions (1857-1940 AD) deck..
She is the mother of Balboa Park here in San Diego.
and was a very important woman and turned the barren land
outside of downtown into what it is today.
This deck will be primarily designed and made for women, with the help of my 
wife.
I think there is a huge market in making boards for women,
there aren't that many, and I want to tap that market heavily.

I would like to thank John Galac for putting his valuable time and 
effort into this interview. 
Everyone have a great weekend and spread the stoke!

first trick tip

2008-04-23T20:59:00.002-04:00

It's finally here. Comment if you'd like to know more about this trick or another I should do a tip on.

what i've been up to

2008-04-20T19:58:00.002-04:00

Some of you (well one) wanted to see more of me in action. So this is what I did yesterday. First time really sliding for me (in the green and black) and my friend (in white). Please enjoy.

online magazine?

2008-04-19T11:19:00.002-04:00

Have you ever wanted to read a longboarding magazine, but then realized you've read every Concrete Wave 17 times and memorized all of the articles. Well, good news, sort of.

Naphte has just introduced an online interactive longboarding magazine. You might of heard of it if you go to silverfish or get the loaded news letter. With the magazine you can read the articles, watch the videos and listen to their music. You can check it out at naphtelongboarding.com

There are some problems though. You can't read the articles without supervision, and once you can read them they aren't the best. They talk about watching videos but there aren't any. They feature some sketchy companies, like blackkross, whose dancer board is identical to an old school dancer, and is called an old school dancer.

Now you might be thinking there is no hope, but for those of you who don't get Concrete Wave you can now download them online. They only have 2 of them and they are hard to read but anyways, they have good articles. MajorLinkage:

http://www.silverfishlongboarding.com/Articles/General_News/Concrete_Wave_Downloads/

Galac Boards profile to come as soon as Sam Galac gets back to me.

craziness from sergio and coleman

2008-04-15T20:45:00.002-04:00

I just came across this video from Sergio Yuppie and Cliff Coleman. Amazing stuff. Better than I'll ever be. the tail and nose block slide are amazing. Have fun!

amazing new trailer

2008-04-15T18:32:00.002-04:00

AND ITS COMING IN HD!

Yes, HD. Finally a HD longboarding dvd. This ones from Calabo productions. The editing and filming is amazing. You can go ahead and add this to my favorite longboarding movies.

Sorry for the quality, you know youtube.

Rayne Speedboards

2008-04-14T21:10:00.003-04:00

I've decided to do a little talking about the rayne speedboards line. These boards are and have been considered some of the best speedboards around for years. Now, yes, they do have some quality control issues, so if you want your boards shape to LOOK perfect then don't buy a rayne. I would, however, suggest one to you if you were looking for a board that PERFORMS perfect.

Now, the Hellcat. This is the first deck i've talked about that i have owned, or for that fact, ridden, and yah, I sold it recently, but that doesn't mean it wasn't pure secks. It corners well, it's stable, it feels amazing underfoot and it could be one of the best graphics ever. If your a total nut, there is a carbon-fiber version. I would suggest crails and powerballs or flywheels with it. I would definitely suggest this to a friend.

Up next, the Demonseed. This is one of the most respected boards, ever. K-Rimes rips his, you can spot riders all through vancouver with them, I'm not even sure i've seen a bad review. It is drop deck drop through and has an immense 10" wide platform. This board can go fast, and corner so well it's amazing. The speedboarding community would agree with me in saying it's amazing.

The Avenger is another amazing board, this time it's a topmount. Again, only good reviews.

It follows the same formula as the other rayne speedboards, amazingness. It comes in carbon fiber taboot.

And last, the new NEMISIS! I have to say, just from looking at this board, it's beautiful. I have absolutely no clue how it rides, but I imagine its terrible. I say this because most people will ride it wrong, not being able to keep their eyes away from the bottom of the board, they will ride it upside down. But in all seriousness, it'll probably ride amazingly.

Tis all for now, more to come.

Visit www.raynelongboards.com to see pics, prices, and info on the entire rayne line.

Amazing Artist

2008-04-12T22:30:00.001-04:00

We have a gem here. Awesome website from Jeremy Fish, great art, nice music and some skate art there. Here it is: http://www.superfishalsf.com/

My Favorite Videos

2008-04-12T20:28:00.003-04:00

Here are some of my favorite longboarding videos. Enjoy

and some links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZSGrWwBSvI

http://www.dullmoment.org/vids/dhslopestyle.mov

Some trick tips and possibly a company profile to come.

new never summer boards

2008-04-07T21:04:00.002-04:00

They seem to have named their company wrong. These boards are so good and matched with their snowboards, they should be called "never not summer or winter". Just rolls of the tongue, no? Don't steal that without paying me Never Summer.

Now on to the important stuff. Their new boards. They really are beautiful, and with the introduction of a mini, a pool/park/slide deck and a speedboard, they have really diversified their line. They have also introduced some new wheels and a 3 year warranty. Oh yah, get psyched(sp?).

The Eclipse. Possibly their most famous board, the eclipse is 49" by 10", with an adjustable wheelbase of 35"-37.5". This pintail has had a reputation for a while, and I bet it's gonna keep it.

Next we have another old board. The Swift. 46" by 9.5" with a wheel base of 33.75. This concaved,

kicktailed board is gonna be a carving machine.

Next in line please! Ah, the Norad, 38" by 8.5" with a wheelbase of 28.5". This board has the three

c's: camber, concave and kicktail. Carving machine, again.

The Concept. 43" by 9.5" with a 34" to 35" wheelbase. Carving machine. What a concept?

The Ransom. 37 by 9" with a 28.25"-29.25" wheel base. Carving Machine. This is gonna get boring.

Anyone there? Oh, Senor Kroozer, you were so short i didn't see you. Yes, a 26" by 8.25" with

an extremely long WB of 17". This board is gonna be a party.

Another shorty, we have the Metro. 36" by 9.25" with 21" between the trucks, this double kick

pool park slide deck is gonna rip.

Last but not least, the highly anticipated 44.53" by 9.8" dropthrough deck is called the smoke.

It has a 37.5" WB and looks like it's gonna smoke the podium this year.

That is all.

Visit neversummer.com

new seismic boards

2008-04-06T20:13:00.004-04:00

I have to say, I haven't really been a fan of Seismic. Their trucks seem unnecessarily complex and their wheels are ugly and seem like nothing special. I just always thought Seismics were too robotic and had no, well, just no soul. Longboarding is about flow and connection. Now I've never ridden Seismics but they just seem wrong. Not anymore. Their new line is simply stunning. The boards all have a nice odd look, very strange looking, but definitely some of the most beautiful boards I've ever seen. And they should be. All the boards are signed and numbered by the artist, Mad King. The form or art is Wabi-Sabi, a japanese ugly beauty type thing. They all feature a nice wood top with clear grip. It would make me all more cause I'd be looking at the deck to much.

Lets start with the Cameron. 42" by 9.5" with concave, camber, slight flex, a 30.5" wheelbase and a reinforced tail, you can tell it's gonna be awesome.

Next we have the Temple Fish. This twin tailed, concaved, board is definitely going to be a park-pipe-slide deck. It's 36" by 9" with a 20.5" wheelbase and only 3 lbs. I will be surprised if this doesn't get eaten up, even though it has camber and slight flex.

MMMMMMeg, this 36" by 9" camber-concave bat-tail (their description) seems like a carving machine. With a 22.5" wheelbase it should be a great pumper. It also had a great graphic.

Almost a carbon copy of the Meg, the Jamie is 30" by 8.25" with the exact shape except for the rocker instead of the camber. It reminds me of a more conservative humu. Described as a "highly-versatile small carver. Classic shape with great character...."

And last, but definitely the best, we have the Buddha. This 28" by 8.25" inch mini with a wheelbase of 15" will surely impress. It has concave, rocker and a beautiful nose and kick. I would not mind having one of those.

Now you might be scrambling for one of these, but there are a few things wrong. Each deck in the line up has medium to stiff flex, way to be versatile. They are quite expensive, with retail prices around 135$ dollars for the decks, which is about as much as a gravity complete.

So, will I buy one? no, if i got it discounted? yes. I would definitely recommend getting one if you have the money, but the beauty of these boards is not worth $135. For me. But it is your preference, and keep in mind, I have never ridden anything by seismic.