Major Stokem THIS WEEKEND!
2010 Events
It’s time to start updating the events page for the 2010 season so if you are organizing/planning a race send us all your details so we can start compiling a comprehensive calendar. Send all info to beastcoastlongboarding@gmail.com.
Get ready because the days are getting longer, the temperature rising and the snow melting away. A few good rains to wash the salt/sand/cinders/gravel off the road for those in the mid-atlantic and north and it’s go time! GET STOKED!
HELP COMET HELP THE COMMUNITY!
Click here to vote: http://www.refresheverything.com/cometskateboards
Goals
- Create permanent safe space for skateboarding and youth expression
- Create mentorship opportunities for youth.
- Create opportunity for youth to travel across the US
- Inspire a lifetime of active participation in life among youth
- Learn art of skateboarding with experienced professionals
Overview
Collectively this project currently manages two skateboard parks and rolls down many hills. Our cirriculum focuses on the art of skateboarding, nutrition, expression, leadership, construction skills, and team work. Staff will have a strong mentorship role. Throughout the year, youth in Ithaca, NY and Oakland, Ca will participate in parallel programs and have the opportunity to interact through an online blog. At the end of the summer youth from Oakland will go to Ithaca for a week and youth from Ithaca will go to Oakland in successive weeks. The program will end with youth writing or making art about the experiences that they have. The work will be shown in alternative gallery spaces in Ithaca and Oakland.
Deliverables:
* 6 – 12 Youth engaged with a mentorship opportunity
* $30,000 in permanent upgrades made to Ithaca and Oakland Skateboard Parks
* StokeD Kids!
* At least two interactive art exhibits
Deliverables:
* 6 – 12 Youth engaged with a mentorship opportunity
* $30,000 in permanent upgrades made to Ithaca and Oakland Skateboard Parks
* StokeD Kids!
* At least two interactive art exhibits
Click here to vote: http://www.refresheverything.com/cometskateboards
Interview with Brian Petrie of Earthwing
Brian Petrie is the man behind Earthwing Skateboards out of NYC, which has brought the world the best tech sliding gear there is as well as some unique boards that can rip anything using complex building techniques and materials. Earthwing also hosts the Friday Night Rips which should be an inspiration to all to set up and or attend weekly sessions.
Anthony – So how long have you been skating and what got you into it?
Brian – I have been skating since about 1982, but I have had a skateboard for as long as I can remember. The skateboard itself was always interesting to me, but I remember specifically the day that it was tattooed on my heart for good. I lived on a pretty gnarly hill, and I was about 6-7 years old screwing around in my driveway when a group of punks showed up with these new fat street decks. Keep in mind it’s the early 80’s. When I say punks, I mean punks. These were not cleverly dressed emo rockers in their sisters jeans, these where the real deal. They were in a crew called “Snake”. Back then you had crews. Their logo took over our town, and for a bunch of punks, they really had a knack for marketing. Everyone knew of them, or at least that is the way I perceived it. Anyway, they start bombing the hill – something I would never attempt to do – doing full blown slides, colemans, toesides, and stand-ups at top “I don’t give a shit” speed.
Amazing.
I never had any idea any of this was possible. They had ollies down, early grabs… this was all new to me. I was totally fascinated with the whole thing. These guys didn’t answer to anyone. They had complete freedom, and owned their shit for sure. I started inching my way closer to the action, sort of hiding in the shadows with my plastic yellow banana board, and one dude calls me out and says “what the fuck are you looking at bighead?” And for some reason, that was it. I wanted to be that guy, not because he was a dick, but because he owned his shit. He knew who he was, and could care less what anyone else thought about it.
read more…
Interview with Phat Dean!!!
Dean Keller, is one of the coolest guys in our scene. He’s the guy behind the Pennsyltucky Derby races and Phat Deanz slide pucks. He’s got a long history in the skateworld and I thought it would be cool to do a little interview with him so everyone can get to know him and hear some insight on what skating is really all about.
Anthony – Dean, you’re a really respected member of the beast coast community, you’ve hosted two races and attended a crap load of others as well as Anton’s slide jams and now you’re making slide pucks. How did you get into all this?
Dean – After a many year layoff from skateboarding (due to personal stuff we won’t get into) I decided it was time to get the wheels under my feet again. Ray (of Rayzor Tattoos fame) was selling equipment so I got a board (shortboard) and started playing again. Joe got me out to shoot some small hills and I loved it. All of the credit for the longboard and downhill focus has to go to Ray. He did his research and got up to date on the new equipment and such and it just blew up for us after that. We started surfing the fish, finding races, finding hills, doing lots of riding, and meeting all of you guys and I fell in love with skateboarding again.
JERSEY SLIDE JAM 3 WAS SICK!
It’s the beginning of a new year and the skating just isn’t slowing down. We’re at 200 members as of now and the community just keeps getting stronger. There’s no better example of this than the event that went down in south Jersey yesterday. Keep it up and continue to spread the stoke! – Beast Coast Longboarding
The high for the day was 32 degrees but the skating was HOT, HOT, HOT! The third New Jersey slide jam, held by our friend Anton, went off this past Saturday. This was the biggest Jersey slide event yet even though it’s the dead of winter: cold as hell, sand covering the roads and the remnants of that huge snow storm still making a presence. There were around 40 skaters and everyone was throwing down huge. People traveled from all over to attend coming from as far as North Carolina.
East Coast Core Skates!
East Coast Core Skates, is a New Jersey based online longboard retailer with a distinctive flavor and style that can only be described as, well, East Coast!
“I purchased my first longboard in 1999, and I’ve watched the sport evolve immensely in the past 10 years,” says owner and skater Mark “stringtheory” Campisano.
“The scene here on the East Coast is really moving in an amazing direction right now, and I felt there was a genuine need for a true skater owned and operated shop that can zero in on some of the amazing brands the East coast has to offer, such as Earthwing, Comet, and new comers like Phat DeanZ .”
When asked what separates ECC from other shops out there, Mark was quick to point out his skateboarding pedigree, which spans over 25 years, and his passion for helping people.
“If you’re a member of the various longboard communities found online, you probably already know I spend a good amount of time helping people who are new to the sport make intelligent decisions based on what aspect of skateboarding they are most interested in. I feel my experience is especially valuable when it comes to selecting quality products that will meet or exceed my customer’s expectations.”
When asked what the future holds, Mark said he’d just be happy to make it through the Holiday rush intact. But also, “keep your eyes opened, I’m working on some collaborative ideas with other East Coast based companies such as Surf-Rodz, especially in the area of events. We’ve been kicking around some amazing ideas and I’m really hoping to make a positive contribution to the scene out here and ultimately help the sport grow!
East coast Core Skates can be found at eastcoastcoreskates.com. Discount code: “beastcoast” is good for a 6.66% discount on all orders over $10.
Longboarding + Fashion = Skate Rags Online!
West New York, New Jersey – 12/01/2009 – Skate Rags Online/www.skateragsonline.com, an online company that sells original designs and iconic skateboarding T-shirts has gone live.
“Aesthetically smooth and fast is the true nature of longboarding,” says owner Adam J. Dabonka about his motivation and desire for starting this new project.
A solid name and figure in the longboard scene for years now, Dabonka’s new project – Skate Rags Online – blends his eye for fashion and desire to skate every single day.
“I’ve always had a keen sense at spotting emerging trends in fashion. I’ve been longboarding for years now, and I think there is a gap in the market for stylish T-shirt designs that have longboard themes,” Dabonka says. “Most shirts out there now are just basically company logos, one-color screen-printed shirts that don’t offer much in terms of style and quality. That’s where I come in and the ground on which Skate Rags Online will stand.”
The first design is a collaborative effort with a talented artist named Alex Melendrez. It took two months to finalize the design after a number of tweaks. “Alex and I have full-time jobs and I have been busy with attending races, events and other life responsibilities,” Dabonka says. “There are many people I owe thanks to for getting this off the ground.”"It took a while, but in the end it was worth the wait and extra effort to get the design to where it is today.”
Right now there is one design up for sale, The Longboard Buddha, but by early next year skaters and fashionistas alike can expect to see at least two more designs available at www.skateragsonline.com.
Why call the company Skate Rags? “Simple. Anyone who has ever touched a skateboard knows that you learn by falling. After skating all day, your favorite shirt gets tattered and after a few weeks, what was once your favorite shirt is now just a rag! Life is not a spectator sport, you have to get out there and live…even if that means getting a little dirty! Skate Rags was my gut feeling and I’m sticking with it.”
The first design, The Longboard Buddha, is competitively priced at $18.00 and is available in sizes small through XXL.
Skate Rags Online is now open for business and taking orders! Get in on the ground floor at www.skateragsonline.com.