PHX You: Phoenix Am '07: Serious Business
By Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag July 2007
Sometimes, with skateboarding contests, there are the people who win and then there are the people who are remembered.
Which is better? Hard to say. I suppose that depends whom you ask and what the situation is.
Cowtown's Phoenix Am was a blast this year. A real contest at a great park run by great people. Lots of cool folks skating and hanging out, good weather, an abundance of cleavage … you name it. Collin Provost earned himself a well-deserved first place—his second Phoenix Am victory. Any more of the typical contest rundown isn't necessary here. However, there's a quote from Fight Club that I often apply to many things I see around me, and it epitomizes how I felt after watching David Gravette's contest runs. It reads:
"After a night in Fight Club, everything in the real world gets the volume turned down." "“Narrator (Edward Norton)
Milestone: Ronnie Creager
By Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag June 2007
"I've pretty much worn jeans, a tee shirt and a hat my whole life and I guess that's just me," says Ronnie Creager, referring to my inquiries on if he ever pondered an "image makeover" to increase his "marketability" and board sales and such.
"I'd have a hard time going out and putting on some flair, you know? If I want to stand out I'll put on white shoes and a white shirt. If I had an agent telling me, 'Ronnie, this is what we're gonna do to build your image…' I see how that can work for some people, but I have a hard enough time feeling normal as it is. I wouldn't want to change myself and be something that I'm not. I mean, it's hard enough being me."
Despite a drunk Chad Fernandez trying to fight me for taking his photo, the awards were lovely. Lance Mountain's speech was amazing and people genuinely seemed to have a great time. I liked that vibe. enjoi/Jerry Hsu won a few and that made me happy. My favorite quote of the night came from Mike Carroll after Girl won Best Team and Mark Appleyard beat out Jerry Hsu for Best Street Skater:
"I wish Jerry and enjoi would have won instead of us because those guys are awesome."
And now those guys!
Rick Howard had another good one, while accepting the Best Team award. Something to the effect of:
"If we had done the Zumiez tour we wouldn't be up here."
Fuel asked me to come on the Daily Habit and film a little interview with PLG so I did. It's airing June 20. Being on TV is weird. I sucked at it I think. Who knows what the segment is gonna come out like. They like, put makeup on me and shit. Nice people though, and I bumped into Ted Newsome, ex-TWS Art Director (best-looking era of the mag in my opinion), American Misfit and lovely guy who gave me my first magazine writing break, so that was a nice one.
Ted's real name isn't Ted. But only the cool people know his actual name.
Boy did this one stir up some shit on the Slap message boards! Whoooooowheee! A 25-page thread! But seriously, for all you skateboard conspiracy theorists, haters, ponderers, thinkers, provocateurs, philosophers, lovers, protectors, cred police, whatever... Joe Castrucci isn't sending Silas flair packages, okay? I interviewed the dude and I know. Just ease up a bit. Go skating or something. Y'all know Habitat is legit. It was half a joke from Tim O'Connor in my pre-interview anyway, just to bust Silas' balls. And you'll see plenty more completely false rumors I presented to Silas when I post the unedited interview soon. In the meantime, enjoi this.
New Jack: Silas Baxter-Neal
Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag June 2007
Silas Baxter-Neal might be one of the more unique individuals in skateboarding today. Not because he's trying to be—but because he's just being himself. And in a subculture that prides itself on originality; most skateboarders either unnaturally force it, or end up following the herd. Its no wonder the rest of society generalizes and thinks we all wear tight black jeans, take drugs and listen to H.I.M.
I've never heard of a skateboarder who plays croquet, wants to open a bed and breakfast or was raised the way Silas was. He's down-to-earth and humble. You may have only seen bits and pieces of Silas here and there until now. He's had a few interviews and parts in smaller videos. As cliché as it sounds, with Silas, the best is yet to come. He's just moved from Oregon to Sunnyvale and is skating hard finalizing his parts in the new Habitat and éS videos. Until then, to put it simply, you are reading this because Silas is himself. Silas is unique and Silas is a great skateboarder.
At 23 do you ever feel like you're kinda' old to be am?
Yes, a man am. I think that 23 is the official age for man am.
Here's the footy from a RVCA demo at Active in Tustin a month or so ago. Skaters include Austin Stephens, Ethan Fowler, David Reyes, Leo Romero, Keegan Sauder, Ed Templeton and Johnny Layton.
Tony Tave showed up at the park tonight and spent 45 minutes setting up a board. Tons of bushing drama and everything. It became a two-man job. I love it when I see pros who are as picky about their setups, or more picky, than I am. Makes me feel a tad less neurotic.
