September 29, 2009
Storefront: Platform
Words: Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag November 2009
After spending 10 years apiece working at other skateshops, Landon Mitchell and Donnie Meadows decided to do their own thing and opened Platform in November of 2006, with a few goals in mind. The first was to do something different and refreshing for the area they were in (Old Town Pomona, between Los Angeles and Inland Empire). The second was to have a clean, good-looking store with a personal and comfortable feeling when you walked in the front door—as well as a staff of real skateboarders who knew what was up.
Read More |
Comments (0)
September 11, 2009
New Jack: Marquis Preston
Words: Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag, October 2009.
Marquis Preston is a very talked about subject amongst his fellow Emerica team riders. No one seems to know much about him, yet they’re constantly trying to put the pieces together. He carries a general obliviousness vibe, sees the world in a different way and is certainly misunderstood. However, he also possesses many savant-type qualities, like playing the piano, taking photographs and skateboarding—which he is a complete natural at.
Check his legs on the bigspin clip on the Emerica Stay Gold site. That trick alone and you’ll be sold. Seriously.
On a skateboard or off… hearing his interpretation of the world as it buzzes around him (over a slice of pizza and root beer like we did for this interview)… Marquis is just plain amazing.
People tell me you talk to yourself a lot. Have you noticed that?
Not at all.
You always walk in front of the camera while people are filming, huh?
Really? I hadn’t noticed.
I’ve actually seen footage of you doing it.
No way! [Laughs].
Read More |
Comments (6)
September 9, 2009
Festivus: Maloof Money Cup ‘09
Words: Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag, October 2009
On the weekend of July 10, 2009, deep within the Orange Curtain, buried inside the OC fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California, alongside funnel cakes and giant turkey legs, white trash, reality TV stars and Kobe Bryant, Botox and silicon-injected numbskulls, imitation Ed Hardy attire, Snoop Dee-Oh-double-Gee, tribal armband tattoos, tramp stamps and pill-popping swingers with Bentleys; amidst a skateboarding spectacle like no other, one of the best disposable short-term skate plazas on the planet and a whole lotta money; between the shadows of a bevy of contest heavies like Chris Cole, Ryan Sheckler, Greg Lutzka, Nyjah Huston, Chaz Ortiz and Paul Rodriguez… something very memorable was brewing…
Read More |
Comments (2)
September 6, 2009
Bucky Lasek
Words: Rob Brink
Allisports.com
After his victory at the first Dew Tour stop in Boston last month, we gave Bucky Lasek a call to see how he felt about it. We also inquired about his thoughts on gearing up for the Portland stop this weekend and also being positioned to win his third overall Dew Tour championship. The byproduct of that conversation was a slew of other discussions… including the long lost VW Corrado, screaming children, vertical skateboarding’s immortality, street skating, Tibet, NASCAR and more. Yes, indeed, on or off the board… Bucky’s always worth paying attention to.
I thought of you just the other day because I saw an Old VW Corrado like you used to have.
Ah you did? That’s funny I was just having a conversation in the last couple weeks about the Corrados. They’re getting rarer and rarer—a dying breed.
Yeah. So what are you driving in for fun these days?
I have a BMW M3. I’ve had it for six years now.
What’s the most played out interview question you get?
Probably asking how I got started.
People still ask that? I have your first Powell Pro board hanging on my wall. Sealed. The one with all the cartoon people in the stadium. It’s dated 1998. Did you ever think in 1988 that 20 years later you’d be pro still and winning contests?
No. I never really look into the future that far. It’s kind of hard to accept… hard to get that perspective going. It’s always easier to look back than it is to look forward.
Read More |
Comments (0)
September 6, 2009
Ryan Decenzo
Words: Rob Brink
Allisports.com
When all was said and done at Dew Tour in Boston a few weekends ago, you might have noticed someone different up there on the podium. Not because he’s a stranger to placing high or winning contests… but because he’s relatively new to the pro contest scene. That person would be Ryan Decenzo.
With his new Globe United by Fate part having just dropped (nollie down El Toro, anyone?), a second place finish in Boston and a free ride to the next stop in Portland… things are looking pretty good for Decenzo. Take a few minutes to get familiar with him because he’s not going away anytime soon.
Ryan! Where you at right now?
Corona, British Columbia.
Right on. Are you still on tour?
Yeah, I’m on the RDS tour right now. We were just in Alberta and now we’re doing BC.
Who are you rolling with?
Me and my bro. Paul Trep, Ryan Oughton, Sascha Daley Micky Papa and Machnau.
Read More |
Comments (0)
September 4, 2009
The Legend of Boxton Square
Skate and Create II: etnies
Words: Rob Brink
TransWorld Skateboarding, October 2009
According to English legend, just outside of Sherwood Forest, where the fog breaks and the mountain breeze carries in the songs of the sparrow, lies a small and curious little village known to the locals as Boxton Square...
Read More |
Comments (2)
July 28, 2009
Kenny Hoyle
By Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag, September 2009
You might not know too much about Kenny Hoyle, but that’s not his fault. He can’t be blamed for a half dozen prior interviews talking about his missing finger and the Celtics. If it were up to him, he would’ve spoken about real shit… grown up shit. Because Kenny Hoyle is officially an adult now. You know why? ‘Cuz he’s developed anxiety, he’s over hating on other skateboarders, he wants people to stop sweating the small stuff, he knows Britney Spears shouldn’t be on the news unless she finds a cure for cancer and he’s completely secure with the fact that he’s still an amateur skateboarder, putting in his time underneath pros he’s got tons of respect for.
I hear you think you’re the worst dude on Altamont.
I really do. Drew puts all these different kids on with different styles. Like Garrett Hill, Slash, Sammy, me, Theotis, Herman, Figgy… Theo’s fucking awesome. Everyone loves the dude. Then I’ll watch Garrett fucking three flip five-o a fucking hubba the first night of the Altamont SXSW tour we just did and I’m like “Fuck! This dude’s already putting down hammers.”
I always saw you as the clean-cut kid on the team.
Yeah, me and Theo. I got a phone call from Reynolds two years ago and he asked me to ride for Altamont and I’m like “Fuck yeah, I’m down!” Altamont is the best fucking clothing company. So then I go on these tours and I wanna produce and be myself and skate, but everyone’s super sick and I get gnarly anxiety about getting tricks. It’s been two years that I’m feeling this way—ever since I’ve been traveling more.
Isn’t it weird how it develops? You’re a kid and you hear about it in other people and you’re like, “Whatever! Life’s good, old man! Just deal with it.”
Yeah. Until you actually feel yourself tripping. I’m around the team, Reno, Beagle… fucking all these dope-ass people, but at the same time I don’t know why I’m feeling this. Anxiety is fucking crazy.
Read More |
Comments (4)
July 28, 2009
Pro-Tec Pool Party 2009
By Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag, September 2009
Frosted, dirty blonde white trash mullet wig; allover print Speedo with the image of a woman’s face across his genitals; shirtless with a large bleeding cross carved into the center of his chest. (Safe to say the procedure wasn’t done with a precision, sterile, pain-minimizing instrument like a scalpel either.)
Apart from a watch, socks and red Vox shoes, this comprised Mark “Red” Scott’s Pro-Tec Pool Party contest attire. Shocking, hilarious, disturbing, absurd, brilliant… and he hadn’t even dropped in yet.
And no… he wasn’t wearing pads, you pussy.
Read More |
Comments (0)
July 28, 2009
Tony Tave
By Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag, September 2009
Tony Tave is 22 years old. Apart from his obvious knack for catching flip tricks in a very enviable way, he has an equally desirable Utopian view of the world. “Life is like a dream… just have fun… why can’t we all just be happy?” aren’t uncommon utterances from Mr. Tave. These qualities might be the result of his sunny Orange County, California upbringing, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Tony’s the kinda guy who’d say, “Why not?” while everyone else is saying “Why?” And he’s definitely the type of guy you want to roll with if you’re looking to round up a cougar or have a thing for your neighbor’s hot wife.
Where you been since the last Circa and Element videos?
Just skating, dude. Having fun for myself. That’s what life’s all about. It’s more than just riding a skateboard, even though skateboarding is the most important part.
Can we talk about chicks or will that bum out your girlfriend?
Nah, we can talk about chicks, dude. I’ve been around the world.
Read More |
Comments (2)
