Zack Viente in full Power Ranger mode pissed after getting the no go from a spotter in somewhere PA
Sometimes it’s not cool or appropriate to slide. Usually those situations are frustrating because it means you don’t get to charge balls out into that corner you’re trying to hit perfectly. Those situations that you make the right decision and footbreak can mean the difference between you or your friend in the hospital. When I started skating downhill and taking mountain trips “predrifts” didn’t exist except for the skaters in the Alps, Berklee hills and some Canadians but it wasn’t an acceptable thing to do in a race. This is even after the time period of the X Games and Gravity Games downhill races. That time frame saw hostility towards sliding in races. Jason Salfi of Comet told me a funny story about someone at a racers meeting back in the early 2000s saying “…and none of that Berklee slide bullshit, this is racing!” Hell I was going 60mph before I could shutdown slide at high speeds confidently. My point is that footbreaking, while out of style, is fucking important and is something you should still take the time to learn because you never know when it will be the faster way to corner or safest way to prevent an accident.
Posted by Anthony on September 17th, 2011 — Posted in Videos
“The 2011 Ham Jam, the original spot got blown up by an asshole in the neighorhood so instead of being defeated we just picked up an moved it to new spot. We also unveiled the TR Custom Longboards “Buffalo Soldier” Designed By: ME and the “Panty Dropper” Designed By: Bill Steinbacker, both built by Tom R. of TR-Medlar”
Thanks NSA for posting this video. I forgot about this event entirely for some reason but it’s definitely a big one. You should go next year.
Posted by Anthony on September 13th, 2011 — Posted in Uncategorized
I think I met Max at Munnsville but it could have been before then too. I remember he had the most absurd leathers and was chilling down the hill. The next time I skated with him he was shredding after riding with Pat Schep a ton. The dude is a skater all the way through and knows what’s up. If you need proof then just watch the Venom Mega Ramp spoof. This was a fun correspondence we had via email over a month or so this summer.
Anthony – Hey man, stoked to do this with you! I’ve been chilling on this article series for too long since I did the interview with Brian. Trying to do a “where are they now” sort of thing.
I guess first thing is the most recent: how was the Rado Pass trip you just took last weekend? I can’t imagine what that’s like!
Max – The pass trip was rad. I’m working on a magazine article about the Colorado scene so I can’t say too much: but those dudes definitely showed me what’s up.
Once you’ve skated their roads, you understand why Colorado dudes always rock leathers and skate with that fast racing style. The thin air and the way the roads are built, with grippy pavement and really big turns, make it fun to go really really fast.
I’ll go out on a limb and say that Colorado has better skateparks than California. They’re newer, better-built, more diverse, and more fun than most parks in California. Also, the people are laid-back but spend considerably less time on the couch than Californians. If I didn’t work in the skateboard industry, I’d probably live in Colorado or Portland.
These kids were the grommiest of groms when I met them earlier this year and now they shred so hard I can’t believe it. Keep skating guys and keep it fun! Hope you all are enjoying your non-tropical weather weekend and escaped the flooding this past week.
Posted by Anthony on September 3rd, 2011 — Posted in Uncategorized
So, it comes the time when leaves change color, the air cools, and the fuse is lit. That’s right, it’s time for the Autumn Bomb!
With the amount of curiosity and excitement last year’s race created, we decided to make HVAB a two-day event this year.
Day One – Race Day – Full on racing at the same hill as last year, High View: at around 35mph, it’s not the fastest course we have, but when you’re four skaters deep, all predrifting for lead spot around the first right turn hairpin, things get tricky; and to make it more challenging, we added gates to the course after the first turn. That means two crash corners, and tighter heats. There will be 64 spots available, and racing will be conducted in four man heats. Helmet and gloves are required.
Day two – Freeride – Strictly for fun (with prizes and podiums) Jam style event on a curvaceous road. Tight and compact, The “Dam Good” Hill features three graceful turns, a right dropping into a sweeping left, then a creeping right with a sharp run out. All in over a 100 feet of vertical drop. Pavement is flat with large faced stones, making it slide effortlessly. You can ride this hill a million ways, and always learn something new. Again, helmet and gloves are required.
Sign-up — To sign up visit NCDSA and fill out an entry form. Entry fee TBD (around $20).
Sponsors – We are always looking for sponsors, contributors, and volunteers. If you are interested in helping out, please send 802lbc@gmail.com for more information. We would like to thank our current and past sponsors for making High View Autumn Bomb II happen.
Posted by Anthony on August 15th, 2011 — Posted in Stoke, Videos
If you skate on the Beast Coast then you probably know the name Jeremy Ross or have seen him in a video or at an event. You might of even seen his SkateHouse video from last year. Basically he is gnarly as shit and always goes big with seeming total abandon for his well being. He knows how to bail and bounce back like those little kid street skaters that make you feel like shit at the skatepark. This video shows some ballsy passes of cars and we at BCL never, ever want to see you do this. Sometimes though it’s cool, in this case it was a lot of clean passes and a lot of sketchy blind passes.
Remember when riding open roads that your life can end because of a rock in the wrong place not to mention when you put cars, other skaters, pedestrians, animals or whatever. It’s an unpredicitable activity and as in control as you feel you must keep in mind that it can all end in an instant. A good example is my great friend Justin Metcalf. Skate safe and skate to ride another day. Pushing your limits is one thing; making dumb decisions is another.
With all that said though, this is super gnarly and props to Jeremy for putting the gopro on.
Kolby Parks is hosting this event once again up in Ontario. It’s an IGSA NorAm event so if you want to go grab some points and get on the world ranking list here’s your chance. There were some heavy hitters last year and it rained like mad on race day making for some interesting racing. Here’s the low down.
The second annual Prince Edward County Gravity Fest will be happening September 17th and 18th 2011 in Picton Ontario Canada.
This will be round 4 of the IGSA NORAM Series (North American) featuring Downhill Skateboarding, Street Luge and Classic Luge (Butt Boarding) with Women’s and Junior (Under 18) classes participating as well.
The event will be held on the Prince Edward Heights Hill that is 1.2 KM long and features a top speed of 80 KPH in Downhill Skateboarding and 90 KPH in Street Luge.
Registration is $125 and includes practice on Saturday and Sunday morning where riders will be able to get one run in every 20 minutes, two timed qualifying runs on Saturday and racing on Sunday. Also riders will get a dinner Saturday night with live entertainment. This price is an early bird special and will be $150 after August 30th. So act fast!
$2000 total prize purse and other downhill prizes will be given out to the winners in all classes.
Camping is available for $5 per person per night to all riders in nearby Delhi Park just beside the finish line.
