Thursday, May 29, 2008

Spring Fling Photos are Up


If you happen to be interested, Kona has posted a few photos on their site from the recent contest. Just one skate photo, but it's still a sick trick.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Go Skateboarding Day - June 21, 2008

(edit: see the more recent post on go skateboarding day events. Just click on the logo above to go to the homepage. As for now, this event has been cancelled in favor of the Kona event)


Lets make this a day to remember, eh? Seems like we skipped out on this event last year. Sure, some may say that this is a day created by skate industry execs to score big sales, but I say it's a day to do something worthwhile. Friendship park is currently the default location for a gathering due to it's central location, but specifics are still up in the air. But two things are for sure - One, is that there will be skateboarding, and Two, we will be holding an afterparty in Boone park right off St. Johns avenue at 5:00 PM, including a cookout. (remember, this is the St. Johns ave side of Boone Park). This will be a family friendly event, and there is a playground and lots of open space for whatever. No alcohol is allowed in the park, so be sure to plan ahead with your disguises.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Kona Skatepark Spring Fling Results

For those interested, Kona has Posted the results of the second half of Their Annual Spring Fling Contest. For more info, visit their site here. Did you have a Favorite trick? Do you feel like you got robbed? Let me know what you thought of the contest. Congrats to all those who entered. Here are the results:

13 & up

1. Nathan Kirkland
2. Jake Miller
3. Dane Quintal
4. Chris Sanchez
5. Ellis Hartley
6. Brian Bowers
7. Chase Trau
8. Craig Clements
9. Zachary Torres
10. Collin Burton
11. Steven Rooney
12. Phillip Thompson
13. Fred Franz
14. Zach Ritter
15. Ryan Barwick
16. Nate Shellhorn
17. Roger Beale
18. Alex Smith
19. Austin Castaneda
20. Trevor Bacon
21. Nick Long
22. Favian Rubio
23. Matthew Landquist
24. Devon Mertiff
25. Mike Bussard
26. James Hebblethwaite
27. John Belote
28. Russell Bortzfield
29. Beau Rich
30. Travis Mertiff
31. Nathan Patterson
32. Steven Eberhardt


Sponsored

1. Evan Mirschel
2. Micheal Manion
3. Zack Shelley

4. Marshall LaFrance
5. Jayson Colon
6. Jacob Sykes
7. Max Catasus
8. Ryan Burns
9. Spencer Lau
10. Seth Dupris
11. Dylan Durkin
12. Cason Kirk
13. Bong Gause
14. Will Watson
15. Paul Hart
16. Gus Cooper
17. Alex Morrell
18. AJ Flores
19. Lucas Milano
20. Kai Gause
21. Erin Dray
22. Alan Carroll
23. Chris Coffman
24. Gio Georgiallis
25. Josh Hudson
26. Scott Brightman
27. Dwayne Seprish

Friday, May 23, 2008

Whatever Happened to That Dude? Skate 2 Teaser Trailer


Nothing makes me stoked more right now than to see legit skateboarders in a videogame project of this scope. Just a couple of days ago, EA games was kind enough to send me this link to their trailer for the upcoming skateboarding game, Skate 2. The basic theme of the game centers on the same city of San Vanelona, only five years later. The city has gone from a bustling metropolis of skatedom, to a total bust. In the teaser trailers linked, skateboard personalities such as Giovanni Reda and Mike Carroll (pictured, right) weigh in on the impact of the main character's disappearance, and the changes that have happened to the city.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

New Skate Calendar Now Online


For those of you who easily forget what day it is, and what you have planned for the week ahead, I've put together a handy calendar of events via Google Calendar. All you have to do is scroll down to the bottom of the page, and you can see that Kona Has a contest this upcoming weekend, and that SPoT has a video premier, as well. If you have an event you'd like posted on the calendar, drop me a line in the comments section, or email me directly if you have my email address. I'll be sure to get back to you. If you don't feel like scrolling, you can visit the direct URL here, or click on the calendar link on the right hand side of the page.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Ramp it up


Today I was checking out Skatepark of Tampa's website and I noticed a mention of Tim Johnson in a writeup of the Pro-Tec pool party. Apparently, he was ripping it up, so good on ya, Tim. (I think there was a comment on Tim not being a 'pussy') Speaking of Tim, I got word from Anjie over at the Orange Park public skatepark, and it sounds like Tim is also working on some pretty extensive upgrades for the park. Not only that, but thanks to a grant, they may even be getting a bowl in the near future. Not bad news at all, considering the serious lack of transition in the clay county area.

(image of Tim as seen in the blog on Timeline Skateboards website)

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

New Park Off Racetrack Road


Sometimes, when someone tells you about a new park, you may get a certain feeling of childlike glee in that you will soon have an exciting new place to skate. But sometimes, you may notice that the glee has been replaced by dread, because of all the badly-built skateparks you've been to lately. Having said that, let me tell you about my experience with the new park off of racetrack road.

Isak from Board City had told me about this place a couple of times. Because he is a local superstar in the OP area, he appreciates the park's remote location far away from anything civilized. (well, unless you consider sprawling yuppie psuedo-golf communities to be counted as 'civilization', I certainly don't.) I probably think that this is the extent of likeability here. I was skeptical on my way out to the park, but I wanted to see it for myself to be sure.

Now to the pros and cons--I'll start with the pros first. This place is probably never crowded. The concrete slab the park rests on is smooth as anything you would want to skate on. The ramps are sturdy, and aren't made of splintery wood. Also, this is a great place to work on your farmer's tan when the weather is nice. As far as the cons are concerned, there are a few: The park doesn't really have many ramps or obstacles, and the ones it does have seem to be spaced out a good bit. The ramps themselves are pre-fabricated, so no surprises there, although the coping on the pyramid ledge is made out of that picnic bench plastic, which will be instant death to those with less-than-stellar truck positioning skills. The mini-ramp has just one panel of flatbottom. Seriously, it feels rediculous to skate on. I don't know what the name of the ramp manufacturer is here, but whoever is responsible for this should be ridiculed. The park has no flow to it whatsoever. Basically, what you are skating is a wedge starting ramp, a pyramid, and a quarter pipe. The Quarter pipe shares a hip with the miniramp, which as I mentioned before, has a rather significant design flaw. Surrounding the main section of the park are various rails and boxes, which seem to have been added as an afterthought. Another problem here is that there are no concessions or convenience stores nearby, but there are bathrooms and a shaded pavillion for your use.


With all the open space available at this park, there certainly is room for improvement. Overall, I'd say a trip to this park could be a fun diversion, but as far as free parks go, it doesn't really offer much for you that you won't get from a park like the OP public park, or from Cuba Hunter park off of Emerson in Jacksonville. Stay tuned for directions to the park...looks like the street name doesn't yet exist in google maps.

For more images of the park, see my flickr account here.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Grind for Life Contest in Cocoa


Cancer is a hell of a thing. And it's very real. The guys at Grind For Life, however, are doing their best to fight it. The final leg of their 3 contest series happens on saturday, May 31st at the Cocoa Beach Skatepark located at 1450 Minuteman Causeway in Cocoa Beach, FL. For more info about the contest, and for info about Grind for Life in general, please vist the Grind for Life website. From Jacksonville, it's not too much of a drive. Think: a trip to Orlando, without all the nasty scenery. Click HERE for directions to the park.

(pictured: the Bones Grind for Life skatepark wheel, which you can purchase Here)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Spring Fling at Kona, Round 2: Raincheck Edition


For those waiting for the conclusion of Kona's 2008 Spring Fling contest, here is a reminder. The rain date for the contest is May 24th, which happens to be the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. 13 & Up and Sponsored Divisions are left to go, so if you aren't too busy grilling, drinking cheap beer, or relaxing in an exotic locale, come out and enjoy the event. Rumor has it, these contests are kinda rad. Actually, it isn't a rumor--it's a fact. If you are blind like I am, you may find solace in the fact that you can click the image on the right to enlarge it.

For more information about the contest, the park, or the shop in the park, be sure to visit Kona's website.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Redonkulous Sale @ Board City


Just in case you aren't friends with Board City on Myspace, (and really, why wouldn't you be? They are always there for YOU!) I'm going to post up here about what they have going on this weekend. Straight from the horse's mouth, here are the deals they are offering starting Friday, ending Monday:

40% off all Shoes except Dunks( all other Nike is game)
50% off all Shoes in boxes on the "Shoe-deck" still
40% off all Tees
50% off all Hats
40% off all Nixon
40% off all Pants


If you want more details on the sale, why don't you give them a call? They really love it when you call to chat with them, I do it all the time. 904-272-6996

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Morico in Thrasher


Looks like Local Hotshot and all-around cool guy David Morico has landed himself in the latest issue of Thrasher Magazine, with a 2-page spread featuring his work, accompanied by an introduction done by Dan Maruniak. Go buy this issue today, or I will break your legs. Just kidding. It's the one with Chris Haslam on the cover, doing some kinda wierd skateboard trick. Couldn't make it out--his sexy beard was too distracting.

For those that aren't familiar with David's Work, David really does have a vast portfolio of great images. I had the pleasure of working with him at 904 Skate Magazine, and before that with Alley-Oop!. Now that I'm done kissing his ass, I'm going to go to Publix and buy a copy for myself.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Red Bull Manny Mania in Jacksonville, FL

LouTenantNoseManny

If you haven't read about it already, Over the weekend Jacksonville played host to Red Bull's Manny Mania, a skateboard competion centered around manual-based tricks (or 'wheelies' if you are of that new-school-old-school train of thought and verbiage). The contest was hot in every sense of the word, and People came from as far away as Tampa and Atlanta to participate in the event. As of yet, I don't have results, (edit: see below) but check back for more info as it comes to me. In the meantime, you can look at my photos, along with those taken by Tom P @ JaxScene.
And, if you really feel like it, you can help me out with names on the unlabeled photos. There might just be something in it for you.

Here are the results from the Red Bull website:

1st Place - Matt Fink
2nd Place - Steve Webb
3rd Manny Santiago
4th Evan Mirschel

EA Games Announces 'Skate It' for Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS.


Looks like the next version of EA's skateboarding game is on it's way, in the form of Skate It for Nintendo DS and Wii. The Wii version will make use of the Wii Remote if it were a skateboard, though a balance board is mentioned as well. (The Wii Balance Board is packed in with the Wii Fit software)

Read on for more info about the game.

From the press release:


'Skate It' Delivers Popular Flickit Controls and Introduces Support for Wii Balance Board to Deliver Unique Skateboarding Experience

GUILDFORD, UK. - May 12, 2008 - Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced Skate It, a new game in the award-winning Skate franchise that taps into the heart and soul of being on a skateboard. Designed exclusively for the Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems, Skate It has Nintendo players riding with the skate pros, owning the best spots in San Vanelona and pulling off the sickest tricks using the popular FlickIt controls. Loaded with all-new gameplay features, Skate It breaks new ground by introducing innovative support for the Wii Balance board which gives players a fresh way to create their own signature skateboarding style.

"We knew it would be an exciting challenge to bring the soul and feel of skateboarding to the Wii and Nintendo DS," said Scott Blackwood, Executive Producer - Skate franchise. "With fresh new designs and gameplay components built from scratch, we've been able to, once again, capture the true experience of skateboarding in a completely innovative way."

Skate It unleashes the FlickIt revolution on to the Nintendo platforms, letting gamers use the Wii remote or the Nintendo DS stylus to string together their best tricks for the ultimate skate line. The Wii remote becomes a skateboard and reacts to gestures that mirror actual skate flips and moves. Players can also deepen this experience by planting their feet on the Wii Balance board. Skate It brings the hit Skate franchise to a new level of creative ingenuity and gameplay excellence.

Skate It will ship in 2008. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

Separately, Skate 2 is also currently in development for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system.

BusStop Skate Zine

This is my second attempt at creating a blog for the zine. Hold your horses for a minute, and I'll post up about the Red Bull Manny Mania Contest.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Tampa Pro! Where's my writeup?!?


I had the opportunity to go to Tampa Pro this year, and I had a hell of a time. Thanks to Ryan of the Skatepark of Tampa, I was really able to enjoy it, though I didn't get to thank him personally which I regret. Anywho, those who were looking for my writeup in EU may have noticed...It never showed up. Don't worry, there will be some good stuff heading to the print zine that unfortunately didn't make it to the paper. You all know the results already, but don't worry, good stuff is coming. "Like what?" You may be asking. I'll give you a hint: Nate Johnson, police officers, and alcohol.