Flick: Toy Machine’s Lurk Fest
By Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag June 2008
So I guess Nick Trapasso is the hot shit these days. He can make even the biggest tour video haters actually like a tour video because he’s in it. And we all know tour videos are total throwaway footage, right? That’s why they are free! No, it’s true. I read it on the message boards.
This new Toy Machine tour video, Lurk Fest, is hereby proclaimed officially cool and acceptable in the skateboarding industry. Ed, Turtle Boy and crew can totally rest easy tonight, knowing they got the stamp of approval from some of the most intelligent, all-knowing finger-on-the-pulse and important aliased people in skateboarding.
So, you and I were skating the ledge at GvR last October and you were trying frontside flip tailslides, when all of a sudden I saw you crawling off the course... what happened?
Ha ha, just a minor miscalculation I suppose. I'm not really sure. I'd been trying frontside flip tailslide to 360 out for a while. The lame thing about it is that I was in a zone and felt really confident that I had it that try. When I think back to all the times I've gotten hurt, there's been a sense of overconfidence I think. I can usually spot or sense it and take a couple steps back, slow down and start over. Weird!
What's the Story? Evan Hernandez
By Rob Brink The Skateboard Mag May 2008
"One time," says Terry Kennedy, "I sold that dude a fake Jacob watch for like a G. I told him my cousin jacked it from somebody at a rap concert. He was running around showing everybody, but that shit was fake."
"Did you feel guilty?" I asked.
"Nah! I was bad then. I was from Long Beach. I was looking at Evan like, 'You're makin' money! I don't got none, so fuck it, I'll sell you this watch if you'll believe it.'"
"What did he say when he found out it was fake?" I asked.
"He was like 'That's fucked up man!' He wasn't even mad or anything," Terry exclaimed, laughing the whole way through.
Festivus: Lord of the Lines '08
By Rob Brink The Skateboard Mag May 2008
Does anyone want to read contest articles anymore? I mean, really… it's kinda like having your friends tell you about this awesome time they had at a spot or some party or whatever, but you weren't there. You really don't care to be reminded about the great time and great skateboarding you were unfortunate enough to miss and you pretend to listen, but really your head is off elsewhere, wishing your homey would shut the fuck up.
Or … contrary to that, perhaps people like reading about contests sometimes because they couldn't, in a million years, ever be there. Maybe they live across the country—or world, for that matter. Maybe they like to be filled in on all the happenings and yearn to live vicariously through the perspective of the mag. Maybe their friend or teammate or favorite pro skated in it. Maybe they work for the company who hosted it or sponsored it. Maybe, just maybe, they are skate nerds and will read anything and everything they can about skateboarding. And that's probably the main reason this article exists right now.
The Skateboard Mag linked to Jimmy Marchand's sponsor me video one day, and I got really stoked. So stoked and inspired in fact, that I found Jimmy on MySpace and asked if I could send him some etnies shoes. He then sent me this footy via email to check out... and yeah, that's a switch backside flip to manny down a bank.
After watching it, I explained to Jimmy I felt he could have done the backside noseblunt a little better. His reply:
"Well to tell ya the truth I had just eaten a special brownie a half hour prior to that noseblunt going down, so it was alright with me."
And I decided at that very moment I wanted to interview him. So over the last few months, via email and at Tampa Am, I did.
I had an idea for a new etnies skateboarding-only site a few months ago... so, with the help of the etnies team and some of the etnies web nerds, I did it. No bullshit on this one... no motocross, no teen heartthrob action... just skateboarding, our team and our skate shoes. Stay tuned 'cuz there's lots of good stuff happening with etnies on the skate front. I'm pretty excited about it.
Caswell Berry
By Rob Brink The Skateboard Mag February 2008
Apart from his obvious prowess on a skateboard, Caswell Berry's got an amazing ability to take a good honest look at himself and others to figure out what makes things tick. With every candid confession he made to me, a near complete stranger, during this interview, I seemingly didn't have any qualms about revealing something equally personal in return. And it lead me to believe that perhaps Caswell's greatest gift is the ability to help us all embrace our inner weirdness and just put it all out there shamelessly for others to enjoy. After all, that's what makes us us, instead of them, right?
Put simply. Caswell Berry is most likely a mental case. A wise one at that. Refreshingly, he doesn't particularly care to hide it.
What do you hate about interviews?
I tend to be contradicting and redundant and kind of, the worst. Always, you know what I mean? So whenever I'm trying to prove a point it just basically turns into this weird circle of a conversation that wraps around doesn't go anywhere and fades away or something. You know, it's hard to stay on topic. It's really hard just to like… I dunno. That's about it.
Festivus: Volcom's Damn Am '07
By Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag February 2008
Right behind Tampa Am and Phoenix Am, respectively, Volcom's Damn Am in Costa Mesa seems to be the other Am contest to attend every year. And rightfully so. Who doesn't love seeing all the up-and-comers going for the gusto and caveman bomb dropping off RVs into banks while "Party Tents" are being destroyed and classic heavy metal music is played and whatnot?
Yet, contrary to the others, Damn Am somehow manages a smaller, hometown contest feel and charm. It's never overly crowded or hyped or dramatic. There's no fighting for a spot to film or shoot or see from—in fact, there are actually folding chairs to sit in. Volcom even sets up a little street course for non-competitors to skate at and an inflatable jumping ring for the kiddies to play in. Not to mention free barbecues and giveaways from the sponsors. So accommodating! The scene is mellow and friendly and inviting.
