November 23, 2009
New Jack: David Reyes
Words: Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag, December 2009
Imagine you get called to the principal’s office one day and get told that your estranged father, who you hadn’t had contact with in years, has died. Then, a few years later, find out he’s trying to contact you. It happened to David Reyes. Isn’t that reason alone to continue reading about him?
If you need further coaxing, consider that David carries a dictionary with him at all times. He likes to look up words that he doesn’t know when he reads or hears them. The number of skateboarders, or even people in general, who actually do that can most likely be counted on three fingers. And no, Dictionary.com on your iPhone doesn’t count.
Contrary to much of what we see in skateboarding, you don’t have to go to great, contrived, labor-intensive lengths to be an individual. Sometimes it’s the little things that provide a world of differentiation. Here’s your chance to get to know a little more about David and a few more of those “little things.”
So Leo Romero is one of your favorite skaters?
Definitely.
I heard he just took you to Disneyland.
Yeah! Me and him and Julian Davidson went. It was my first time. So sick!
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November 18, 2009
Flick: Flip’s Extremely Sorry
Words: Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag, December 2009
I lost track of how many times I’ve been asked: “So what did you think of the Flip video?” since it premiered four days ago. And, to be honest, most of those people are only inquiring so they can reply with their opinion anyway… the quintessential segway into “Well I thought it was…”
Reviews; critics; opinions… does skateboarding really need ‘em? It is bettering skateboarding? Is some “writer’s” sophomore year-esque term paper about Extremely Sorry going to change whether or not you’re going to rush out and watch it? Probably not… and rightfully so. Guess what? That very writer busted his ass to get a ticket to the premiere or an advance copy and rant about it before anyone else anyway.
Should we be thinking less analytically, yet more creatively about skateboarding?
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November 4, 2009
Wrote this piece on/with Mike Manzoori and Sharon Tomlin about their work on Boxton Square and it got shut down by etnies... resulting in my inspiration and writing of the Legend of Boxton Square fiction that ran in the mag. If at first you don't succeed...
Anyway, thought someone out there might be interested in reading... so here ya go.
The Story Behind Boxton Square
By Rob Brink
“There were supposed to be clouds made of corn starch packing peanuts, but there just wasn’t time. I’m pretty gutted about that… they would’ve been awesome,” says etnies Skate and Create art director, Sharon Tomlin. “But Mike [Manzoori, director] did a pretty good job of reminding me to keep it as simple as possible—otherwise I'd still be barricaded in the etnies TF making overly detailed buildings, cityscapes and sniffing glue. I'm amazed we made as much stuff as we did in the time we had.”
“To be honest, my heart was not into this project at all until the concept came together and got me sparked,” says Mike Manzoori, “Having done Skate and Create with Emerica last year, my main goal was to create a dream world that would be easy to configure around the skateboarding that would occur when the etnies team (Sean Malto, Mikey Taylor, Kyle Leeper, Tyler Bledsoe and Davis Torgerson) rolled in.”
After talking in circles with the crew at countless creative meetings, Manzoori turned to Tomlin for a bit of inspiration.
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October 26, 2009
New Jack: Jake Johnson
Words: Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag, December 2009
Admit it. You like Animal Collective now. Why? ‘Cuz Jake Johnson’s part in Mind Field is amazing. Jake is to Animal Collective what Duffy is to Primus... what Mariano is to the Jackson Five… and so on. It’s the stuff legends (or future legends) are made of.
Don’t worry. You aren’t the only person who wasn’t into the band before the video came out. Millions of others listen to it now while they skate and get just as stoked as you... wishing they could be cruising around NYC on a skateboard. Jake actually needs no introduction, so enough of this… let’s just get on to knowing the kid behind the most breakthrough video part of the 2009.
So you were just in Rotterdam for the am contest?
Yeah, my first contest. It was pretty nerve racking. It’s funny… there are European doubles of American skaters and they look just the same… like the European Lutzka.
Is there a Euro Cole?
Not yet. European Jamie Thomas needs to get a hold of one of those kids and then there’d be a good European Chris Cole. But there’s some gnarly dudes for sure. It was pretty wild.
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October 26, 2009
Milestone: Sierra Fellers
Words: Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag, December 2009
It may sound boring to some of you jaded and cynical folk out there… but Sierra Fellers is happy. You know why? Because he’s living a life of skateboarding; he’s pro for a company he loves that supports him; he just got married; he’s got great friends and family; and he’s completely comfortable with himself being a dork in the skateboarding industry.
Sounds simple enough, right? Just peachy. Except you’d be amazed by the amount of people in skateboarding, or the world for that matter, who aren’t nearly as happy, appreciative or have the piece of mind that Sierra possesses at only 22 years old... despite the fact that he’s had a few setbacks. Setbacks that might have caused any lesser-willed man to go running back home to Montana with their tail tucked between their legs. Wanna know what really happened and how he’s achieved and maintained this skate-nirvana-esque mind state? Well, the story goes like this:
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October 26, 2009
Desillusion interviewed me. Thanks, Sebastien!
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October 22, 2009
Eric Fletcher
Words: Rob Brink
February 2008
This was supposed to be for etnies.com but then etnies and Fletcher broke up. Also found some old sequences and threw 'em in here. Enjoy.
Fletcher! How you doin’, man?
Watchin’ Cops. What are you doing?
I’m just sitting in the office hoping you were gonna call back.
[Laughs] Yeah. I’m not calling you back.
So can you talk a half hour?
It’s gonna take a half an hour? Damn… do I hafta do it...
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September 29, 2009
Rodrigo Petersen
Words: Rob Brink
The Skateboard Mag, November 2009
You might not know too much about Rodrigo Petersen, but he’s been around for a long time. And by “long time,” we’re talking, since Neighborhood skateboards. And that was just the first time he came to the US and got sponsored.
Most of you right now are probably like, “What the hell was Neighborhood skateboards?” Which actually proves the point about how long he’s been doing this.
That aside, Rodrigo’s a simple, happy and appreciative Brazilian chap who loves skateboarding. He is gifted as all hell and if you don’t believe that, then go watch his Listen and Nothing But the Truth parts again. But before you do, I’d suggest getting through our little interview here so you can learn how to pop your tricks as high as he does. I don’t think anyone would turn down the secret to skating waist-high tables, would they?
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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.
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