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Greyson Beal – Chasing a Dream

Greyson Beal Ambush Skateboarding

“Do not underestimate the ‘power of underestimation’. They can’t stop you, if they don’t see you coming.” 

Izey Victoria Odiase

Greyson Beal has always been on the outside looking in. People question his street cred, doubt his “core” bona fides, and generally dismiss his skateboarding as “too contesty”. Greyson is an undeniably talented skateboarder, but why is he always looked at with a sort of side-eyed suspicion? Why are people so quick to write him off?  Well, maybe that’s right where he wants to be? Maybe that’s his plan? Maybe we’re all playing checkers while he’s playing chess?

Greyson Beal Ambush Skateboarding

“Only a fool would underestimate a man with nothing to lose.” 
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Ambush Skateboarding x Cole Vanthof “Good Ol’ Boys” Video

We are stoked that Cole Vanthof‘s project “Good Ol’ Boys” has come to light and even better the the crew at Thrasher put it up on their site for all to see.  This project was shelved for a time while Cole’s focus was pulled elsewhere,  but we’re glad it came out and the final product is a visual pleasure of some of the best skateboarding in Georgia.

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Daily Bread x RJD2 at Variety Playhouse in Atlanta

Daily Bread x RJD2 October 6th, 2018

RJD2 with Daily Bread x Obeah

This past Saturday a few of us headed to see our good friend and dope as hell music monster Rhett Whatley (aka Daily Bread) open up for none other than RJD2 at The Variety Playhouse.  Talking with Rhett leading up to the show he told us he would dial in some all-access passes if we came out for a damn good time.  So you best believe we did.

Myself, John (ABC Buyer) and the other Jon (OG ABC) headed out to arrive for soundcheck around 6:30 or so and seeing Rhett’s name on the marquee upon arrival was dope as hell.  I mean…RJD2 and Daily Bread?  Variety has gone under some renovation in recent years…and it’s much more open of a venue now and the front bar is open on all sides.  We walked down to the stage and see Rhett and we take the tour backstage to the green room and proceed to catch up like old times.  It’s soundcheck time by now and we post up in the empty theater and listen to RJD2 iron out some tunes and then Rhett and Obeah.  WE. ARE. STOKED. at this point.

Rhett and RJ sound testing

Before I get ahead of myself I must admit that my trusty old Nikon D3 w/ 50 mm was my weapon of choice for the night.  I’ve shot hundreds of shows over the past 15+ years with it…and after a bit I noticed my autofocus was shot.  Like…maybe the camera got dropped a few weeks ago, but…anyway…I did the best with what I had.  Just like going into battle – use your weapon to the best of your ability.

With showtime quickly approaching and bodies piling in, the vibe was instantly set when Rhett dropped his new joint “Atlanta” featuring Sugar Tongue Slim.

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A Night In Atlanta w @stsisgold. Meet us there tomorrow for the debut transmission. 📡

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Electric.  Vibes were now at an all-time high.  John and Jon were posted up at the back bar with a bird’s-eye view and arguably where the best sound was (sound guy was just under them) and I was floating through the crowd, backstage, side stage…where ever really.   I wanted to just capture the evening as best I could.  I was really overjoyed/overwhelmed for Rhett and all that he has been doing up to this point.   I definitely think his Red Rocks Show with Pretty Lights was a record high, but for me being a big RJD2 fan, this was my highlight for him and almost any show I’ve ever been to.

Daily Bread x Obeah absolutely crushed it.  They had so many killer moments in their relatively short 45-minute set.  Obeah is a knockout on the mic and on the turntables, and Sugar Tongue Slim killed it.

So my RJD2 story is a pretty quick one from that night.  After the homies played there was a 10-15 minute interlude were we all caught up and congratulated him on this show and then I quickly went backstage, as I wanted to see RJD2 get ready to do the damn thing.   As I was standing where the artists walk up the stage this crazy ass creature comes running up the stairs and it freaked me the hell out.  I couldn’t grab my camera fast enough.
RJD2 scared the shit out of me
I snapped this blurry image at the same time the creature says to me, “You ready to fucking do this!”  Just me and RJ (we’re obviously boys now).  He creeps up the stairs just behind the curtain and yells back at me, “Tell them I ready now.  It’s fucking showtime!”  Like a more handsome version of CJ Parker running down the beach I sprinted to the sound guy and yelled, “HE IS READY!”  Hauled ass to backstage and proceed to watch a master at his craft for a few jams then met back up with the crew to watch the show.

It was one for the books.  We, of course, went out and bar hopped and talked about the show all night over several beverages, met new friends, and spread the gospel of Daily Bread, just some kid I gave a record player to 10 years ago.  Who could have known…

Make sure you follow Daily Bread and all the Philos Record crew for future dates.  We’ll see you at a show soon.

A Photo Gallery of the Night:

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The Big Bang | 2018 OuterSpace Project | Ambush + Friends

Skateboarding has had a long and lusty love affair with art.  If you want to get hippy with it, skateboarding can be construed as analogous to a type of performance art where the skateboarder is the artist, the skateboard is the tool, and the streets are the canvas.  All abstract mumbo jumbo aside, skateboarding and art just go together.  We celebrate board graphics, have a deep respect for filmers and photographers, and basically can’t function without music.  And, many skateboarders are accomplished artists, filmmakers, musicians, graphics designers, illustrators, chefs, and more.  Skateboarding and art are so closely aligned culturally that they have essentially morphed into two distinct subcultures of a larger, broader lifestyle.  The OuterSpace Project is Greg Mike‘s full embodiment of this concept. Read More >

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Jumping Off a Bridge: Skateboarding’s On-Trend Viral Challenges

“If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?”  This sentiment pops into my head every time I see a new viral challenge.  Whether it’s covering your eyes while flipping your skateboard in hand, skating in freeway traffic, or the ghost ride challenge, there is always some new craze to amuse us.

board flip challenge
On-trend victim, Clint Walker takes on the board flip challenge.

 

Of course, fads like these are not exclusive to skateboarding.  Look at the mannequin challenge, dance challenges (#inmyfeelingschallenge), or the infamous Tide PODS challenge.  People love to film themselves doing stupid stuff.  It’s like the apps were designed just for it.

Back in the day, we had to wait for latest Big Brother video, CKY, or episode of Jackass for inspiration.  Afterwards we’d grab our parents’ camcorder, replicate, and that was about the extent of it.  We never had any intentions on something being “viral” because it didn’t exist! Read More >

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Go Skateboarding Day 2018

Go Skateboarding Day 2018
Photo: Levi Dills

Without fail, every year “Go Skateboarding Day” sneaks up on us.  Could you blame us?  It always seems as though the day just passed.  Why shouldn’t we get deja vu since we consider every day “Go Skateboarding Day.”  Truthfully, nothing outside the ordinary happens on June, 21st.  Sure, there are a few special events, some sanctioned by the governing board of the International Association of Skateboard Companies, and other events that aren’t trademarked.  Regardless, to me the day always tends to feel about the same wherever it’s observed.  That’s because, at its core, “Go Skateboarding Day” is just another day revolving around kicking it with friends both new and old and celebrating the ever continuous joy of riding a useless wooden toy.  The spirit of the day is truly infectious.  Although, with all due respect, if the freestyler brainiacs that make up the IASC (in all their infinite wisdom) could pick a shorter day next time around, maybe, my sunburn won’t be so bad.

This year after weighing our options, we decided to keep it simple.  “Don’t overthink it, let’s pack up the van with boards, water, Gatorade, and hit the road,” I said.   “It’ll be sick because we’ll grab doughnuts and pizza too!  Everyone’s hungry, right?”  However, as our impromptu “Go Skateboarding Day” progressed, pizza seemed far from mind and, in retrospect, maybe the missing puzzle piece was the missing pizza slice?  Next year, I swear we’ll make pizza a mandatory.  That…and maybe beer.  Like you, I’ll keep my fingers crossed too. Read More >

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Win the Entire Girl Skateboards x Sub Pop Collection at AmbushBoardCo.com

Girl x Sub Pop Collection

Choosing a song to accompany a video part can be a lot like pairing a wine with a dish.  The right song can augment feelings evoked from watching someone perform the perfect trick, at the right spot, with just the right filming.  The wrong song and the viewer may pull the plug immediately.  This is fact.  While wine pairing can be broken down to a science, skateboarders’ tastes seem to be way more subjective.  There are absolutely no rules.  A hesh transition skateboarder can skate to hip-hop and it may work well, and a tech guy can skate to a Black Sabbath track and it might work even better.  Music is such an integral part of skateboarding and video parts.  Many of us are exposed to new music predominantly through skate videos.  It’s become incumbent on video directors to dig deep to keep their soundtracks interesting and tidy.  That’s why the Girl x Sup Pop capsule just works.

We’re heavily intrigued by the Girl Skateboards x Sub Pop collaboration.  This collaboration not only celebrates Sub Pop’s 30th anniversary, but also pays homage to the crate diggers of the world, which is something that all skateboarders can relate to.  Crate diggers and skateboarders alike are all searching for that next hidden gem.  Kudos to both Girl Skateboards and Sub Pop records for exposing us to so much music throughout the years.  Our ears and lives have both been greatly enriched.

We’re giving away all five Girl x Sub Pop decks drawn by Sub Pop’s art director, a celebrated illustrator and skateboarder, Sasha Barr.  Included are 7″ flexi discs featuring single tracks on each side, combining for a total of 10 songs from emerging and celebrated Sub Pop artists.  And as an added bonus, we’re even throwing in the milk crate.

 

 

Listen to the Girl x Sub Pop playlist on Spotify