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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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.
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.
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!
“With a nod to past, but firmly planted in the future, this offering from DC is everything you could ever want from a street skating video. Big ups to everyone involved.”
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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.
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.
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Watch the video here: Brahfest Video
Peep the images:
After a mild and dry winter, most of the major mountain resorts out West in the Rockies and on up into the Northwest parts of the US were hurting for travellers to come and ride. After a very welcomed “March Miracle”, some mountains have received over 50+ inches of fresh snow and there is more on the way!!
My buddy and I were able to squeak a trip out to Sun Valley, Idaho towards the end of February. Man, did we time it right!!
We were sweating bullets towards the beginning of February when the weather report had temps projected in the mid 40’s, low 50’s. The furthest thing from an EPIC snow trip. But, out of nowhere, a week before our trip dates a weather pattern swept in and blessed us with stellar conditions!!
It was a short trip, only a couple days of riding actually, but it couldn’t have been better and I could tell there was a buzz in the air based on what the locals were saying. The common thread in a lot of the conversations we had was “The snow is FINALLY here” or “I haven’t ridden hardly at all this season because there just hasn’t been any snow”.
We had a really nice blue-bird day the first day on Bald Mountain. It was perfect actually.
We were able to take in all of Bald Mountain while visibility was all time, and make our plan for the next couple of days as the snow started to dump on us. I had some of the best runs I’ve had in a long time. A soul recharge for sure!
Ever since we got back, the snow continues to hammer the mountains that needed it so badly. So, if you’ve got the ability to book something…DO IT! And, if you put off picking up anything for you trip because the season was a little soft, look no further than our selection here at Ambush Board Co.com
All our 2018 gear is discounted right now! This should give you even more of a reason to get out there and enjoy some of this fresh snow, while keeping some cheddar in your pocket for a round of après ski beers!
