Southside Skatepark

So What Does Southside Skatepark's Shop Look Like Now?

2011-03-06T00:01:00.000-06:00

Well after almost four years of working really hard to keep things progressing here at Southside Skatepark, we believe that we have really accomplished something significant. I remember graduating high school in 94' and hearing about a new indoor skatepark that was opening up just twenty minutes from my house. I used to have to drive a solid hour and fifteen minutes to the Skatepark of Houston and the idea of a skatepark being that much closer to me, had me really happy. Almost as though the cosmos was signing off on my existence and pursuit of skateboarding up to that point in my life, which I had been really into it for eleven years at that time. I figured out where the new skatepark was and made my way over there and purchased a membership. That was going on seventeen years ago now and way back then I just skated the park as hard and as often as I could. There were a bunch of rippers along the way, people who had a ton of board control and style. The shop was coming along, but back then in skateboarding, everything was tiny, possibly even microscopic and so was the shop. Before long Southside was relocated about a mile away on the other side of it's South Houston neighborhood. The new park was about three times to size of the original with a much larger retail store with a growing level of inventory year after year. Way back then I thought it was the best shop I had ever been to. In fact the images above reflect the shop that I believed I was a part of. That pretty much sums of my vision for where I wanted to take Southside from the moment I was able. I just wanted to recreate what I thought Southside Skatpark's shop was when I was younger. It took almost four years and there is still plenty of room for growth and positive changes to the current shop. Now we are breaking new ground, taking the shop beyond anything I thought it could ever be. It isn't like there are a whole lot of other shops in this part of the United States to look to. There certainly are not many other skateparks around here to take cues from. I do a lot of traveling and try to keep my eye on what's going on out there. Seems like there is a lot more than there used to be, but not a whole lot on a larger scale. We have been doing pretty much everything you see above by feel. Just going with what feels like the right thing to do. Usually in life, if you stick with that basic principal, you'll do alright...better than alright in fact.

Southside X Starbucks Collab...

2011-03-03T14:17:00.001-06:00

To say that I like Starbucks is an understatement. In a really weird way it's become something I look forward to almost every day. So, Janine decided that I needed a registered gift card so that I could at least take advantage of some rewards. I guess I had enough coffee to hit the Gold Level and I am now getting my own personalized card. I really owe a lot to Starbucks as without it I have a hard time getting everything I have to do accomplished. Here and there I still turn it off and not pursue as much as I did or even stop drinking it completely but in the end, I go back. I don't smoke, try to drink but am not much good at it, so I guess this coffee thing will just have to be my vice. I guess I can live with that and I just wanted to share my secret with all of you in case any of you are looking to open your own business, handle up to 20 events a year, start a family and have one on the way right in the heart of the Summer season...you know all that...Starbucks makes it all possible, so here's to you Starbucks, cheers.

Finishing Touches on the Set Up Area

2010-11-25T23:40:00.001-06:00

The thick rubber sheeting finally arrived from Grainger. We were having a slower day so Dakota and I figured we might as well try to be productive. It took about 5 tubes of silicone, box of short coarse screws and a lot of courage to free hand box cut the rubber matting. We originally wanted to order a single 1/4" thick piece but the shape would cause us to have to order a seriously expensive piece so we opted for 12"x36" sheets. Check it out...

Doesn't Dakota look serious here, it's the shirt. Took us a while to figure out the optimal layout where we wouldn't have a small piece on the perimeter.

Siliconed down and waiting for the screws as we just didn't trust that silicone alone would be durable enough for some of the people who seem to do their best at trashing our shop. Kind of like that mentality where you throw all trash out the window of your car teenage phase, remember those days? Here's the finished product!

Getting Close to Completion

2010-10-27T11:55:00.000-05:00

Cactus came by with the last large piece of our counter make over at Southside Skatepark last week. Took me a little while to find the time to update. Nice large drawers for the truck boxes, with inlaid Walnut Cactus' a trademark on all the handles. We are waiting on the sheets of thick black rubber matting coming in from Grainger, hopefully soon. That will complete our new and improved board build area. I will put up images of those once I get that installed.

Counter Update

2010-10-18T22:01:00.001-05:00

Slowly but surely Southside's new countertops are being delivered. Your looking at real red oak, to match the floor. Intricately cut in a radial pattern for the top, and set to match the red oak on the vertical sides. Cactus does amazing work and if your shop is in need of a custom fixture overall, we would be more than happy to provide with his contact info.

Custom Counters Never Hurt Nobody

2010-09-03T10:22:00.001-05:00

Check in window corner...

Check out counter...

Yeah Cactus, looking forward to taking possession of those and the rest as they are made complete!

Roman's First Flight

2010-08-05T00:41:00.000-05:00

Happened to catch this just after take off. Roman, Janine and I head out to Agenda/Costal Carnage for some work/play out in Hunington Beach, CA. So far the trip has been great but the flight out here was pretty tough. It started with a gentleman's agreement where Roman and I agreed to sleep for 20 minutes before embarking on our 2.5 hour wrestling match. He was good for most of the flight, napping occasionally but was certainly very squirmy and occupied every inch of Janine and my two seat area. Sometimes laughing, sometimes moaning and even crying momentarily just before landing. Glad to be here, wish we could just zip back instead of having to put him through it again. Apparently the lady next to us thought he did great. Seeing as how she is a grandmother, she would probably be a better authority on just how tough or easy he actually was.

Day 1 of a Custom Fixture Build Out for the Proshop

2010-07-25T21:25:00.000-05:00

This is Cactus and if you want to get a quality product made the right way, the old way, the artistic way...the way they just don't do it anymore...ask me for his information. Here's images of his warehouse and I am going to try to take you through this process with us over the next couple of weeks.

Southside's "Texas Am Showdown"

2010-07-21T18:53:00.000-05:00

I havn't been sleeping well lately after witnessing the carnage at this years...Texas AM Showdown. It was so insane that it has just kept me up thinking way too much while trying to go to sleep. I skated a little bit harder today thinking about it. The John Danielson edit ended up getting posted on Thrasher's website. http://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/trash/texas-am-showdown-2010/
At this point everything seems that much righter in the world to me. Hope you enjoy it and thanks to Roger Skateboards and Gnarbro!

Es Game of Skate Finals at Southside Skatepark November 6th during The Johnny Romano Skate Jam

2010-06-17T17:19:00.001-05:00

Okay, so we have been getting a lot of media attention apparently as of late. Just had a call from Channel 39 and they are wanting to do a piece on us. Heres the kicker, Dakota answered the phone, the lady on the line said she would call right back and he didn't catch her number. Goobye Channel 39 Southside Skatepark piece as the lady has not left us a voicemail or called back, score! FUEL TV actually ran Volcom's "Wild in the Parks Qualifier" contest segment with Southside Skatepark in it. Although I have not screened it myself, I am hoping that we are mentioned by name in it. Reason being is that there have been some questionable coverage of various events here in our park. Put simply, in segments past we were not a physical location and the events must have been held in someones mind. ESPN Magazine is doing a piece on skateparks around the nation and we are submitting images to them per their request. Looking forward to checking that out once it is completed. Sunday June 12th was THINK Skateboard's demo filmed by John Danielson. It seemed to become and internet sensation appraoching 10,000 views on our www.vimeo.com/southside account in 48 hours. Thrasher Magazine put it up on the news feed on the left hand side of their mainpage at http://www.thrashermagazine.com/ . Then, I am thumbing through the new issue of SkateboardMAG and I find this Es Game of Skate ad. This is going to sound weird but this was how I recieved the news that Southside Skatepark is the site for the offical Es Game of SKATE finals. Luckily enough we were mentioned on the offical schedule listing at http://esgameofskate.com/schedule/ , so check for a location near you. Seems as though they will be held during the Johnny Romano Skate Jam benefitting the Make a Wish Foundation of the Gulf Coast! We havn't even ever had an offical Es Game of SKATE sanctioned stop here...we always do our homegrown Shut Up and Game of SKATE (which draws over 100 entrants twice a year). Hey, I am not complaining but if you were manning this ship with us, you might be scratching your head too, don't you think?

Dakota Roberson...Shaun Mefford Photos!

2010-05-24T01:57:00.001-05:00

I havn't had much time to update the blog in a while, so here goes...these are some photos of Dakota Roberson skating some fresh new spots around Texas, enjoy.

Stefan is repping a Guru Deck in the new Thrasher Venture Ad!

2010-05-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

While flipping through the new Thrasher that showed up in the shop the other day I was checking out the new Venture ad and noticed that Stefan Janoski while not only doing an amazingly high switch crook just so happened to be riding a Guru Khalsa deck. This just had me so hyped, so I shot a picture of it and texted it over to Guru because sometimes I see things in various publications before he does as when it is your life all the time you probably tend to tune out a little bit. He texted back "Haha nice. Sick photo too!" Anyway, funny thing about it now is that I thought he was riding the ledge and doing a kind of a come from behind up and over switch crook...wrong, Stefan has more pop then that, everyone knows that except me I suppose. Unfortunately it is sad to say that I might of just dated myself on that one, oh well...so be it.

Southside "Johnny Romano Skate Jam 2010" Festivus Article

2010-02-20T12:38:00.000-06:00

This years SkateboardMAG 73 "Festivus" article on the 13th Annual Johnny Romano Skate Jam was right on point. The photos were great, the session was amazing and we really appreciate the way the article was layed out. Other publications in teh past have gone so far as to not even mention where the event was held at. Can you believe that, when we read such article in the past do you know how crushed we were? Could you imagine dumping upwards of $50,000 in renovations to your skatepark just to not even be mentioned in the article that dropped about your park in the 90 days after the park update. SkateboardMAG is the best magazine going right now in our opinion, they get it right and get to the point about who, what, where etc. Thanks so much staff at the SkateboardMAG, you guys are legit, in a time of lameness...

Eazy Dolly X Southside Skatepark Collab filmed by Bigo

2010-02-01T19:29:00.002-06:00

Eazy Dolly X Southside Skatepark Collab from Southside Skatepark on Vimeo.

Stefan Black/White Re-Up to say the least!

2010-01-27T15:52:00.000-06:00

So we finally recieved a pretty massive Stefan Janoski black/white re-up! This is the shoe that I have been asked about at least 3-4 times a week with a customer ready to buy in the store. This is probably the safest bet of 2010, as far as being a buyer for a store is concerned! Come by and pick up your new favorite pari of shoes when you get a chance, Stefan is a super good guy and so is his shoe!

Warhol X Alien 20 Year Anniversary Decks

2010-01-26T13:32:00.000-06:00

When I saw this series in the new DNA catalogs I was really impressed. In a day and age when logo treatments are the norm and anyone stepping out of the box is running a risk, Alien Workshop is there to remind all of us exactly who and what they are. We had to prebook a couple sets to make sure that we were able to get a hold of all of them. One for the house, another for the wall at the shop and one for the rack for people who want to use them for what they were intended. Hopefully the kids will see the effort put into this amazing series and we will be able to bring them in a couple times with great sell through. The initial roll out are the Warhol graphics, the team head shots beside them we hope drop later this year as well as they also look really good. I guess when I made a home made tatoo gun and inked the Alien on my thigh by myself at 15, I was really onto something.

Something Old Something New

2010-01-11T17:33:00.000-06:00

Something old is something new, the irony of 21 years of skateboarding and what this sport stepchild has become. Who would have thought that 21 years ago, you had to have a vert ramp in your area to be able to..."skateboard." Today, it has boiled down to simply a smooth patch of concrete with nothing on it at all to have a good time with your friends. The comforting part of it all is that the escence of the session remains. Just like vert, people know your name for the things you can and can not do. People have all kinds of style and ability when it comes down to banging out the same tricks. So many parallels between what was then and what skateboarding is now but it amazes me that skateboarding as a whole is so far removed from those late 80's. Sure the legends are still around and some of them are killing it and desreve a lot of respect, but everyone knows skateboarding will never be the same. So, as a tribute to the changes that have taken place over the last couple decades, we give you Shut Up and Game of Skate. The image above is the fim positives that will be used to create the tee's that will be given out to all participants at the event on 01.31.10.

Guru Khalsa gets PRO'ed!

2010-01-09T13:29:00.000-06:00

So yeah, Guru Khalsa and Daryl Angel are turning PRO for Habitat and we couldn't be happier for them. Guru literally cut his teeth skateboarding here at the park for years as a young kid. He killed it back then too, but so many people kill it and get nowhere. Guru actually beat the odds and is going on to have a PRO career, after already having one of the sickest AM careers. Super happy for Guru and Daryl, they are both great guys and we wish them all the best. I guess it didn't take long for 2010 to start getting really good!

Adidas getting it together BIG TIME!

2010-01-07T20:29:00.000-06:00

I don't usually product update on here but I thought Adidas deserved a mention as their 2010 Q1-Q4 is really strong. It really put a buyer's mind at ease and I thought I should take a second to thank them for that. There are a lot of product's not featured that showed up mid December and sold through quickly. So we brought those all back for another round, while we drool over Q2's release coming in mid March. The shoe pictured is their new Adidas SKATE and it is cut really low and priced at $59.99. Congrats on rolling out a banger guys, thats not that easy to do anymore.

Getting Back on the Horse...As If We Ever Fell Off!

2009-12-29T00:40:00.002-06:00

This year has been so hectic that I am looking forward to January. We have been getting hit up here with people asking,"So like, when is your next event?" I guess after 20 events during 2009 and 3 of them being blockbuster demos and a bunch of insane contests kids just expect you to be banging out the events every other week. So we thought we would do a Game of SKATE, just like we did last year around the late January/ early February spot to kick off the new year. The flyer gets me so stoked on the event, I thought it was a really good contest. Janine was telling me,"It isn't like we are graphic artists," and I said,"that's no excuse." So this is what we came up with and I think it is one of our best flyers yet. It's no Give Up flyer, but it does stike a cord. The contrast between today's heavy hitters and 1989's are so crazy. Back then if you didn't live near a vert ramp, you weren't really skateboarding according to the industry. Today if you are, you have to wait until issue #71 to get the cover of a new skateboard magazine. In fact, all the heavy hitters today crush the flat, the nothing, the needing no one to do what they do. We hope to see you all out to our "Shut Up and Game of SKATE" contest on 01.31.10...it only took us 20 years to get here, or nowhere.

Concerts for Days...check out a few!

2009-10-30T11:14:00.000-05:00

Dinosaur Jr. just the other night was amazing. Kerry Getz bought me a beer, such a nice guy and so were all the Habitat guys that were there. Roger Waters was a very, very good show, so glad to have finally seen him. She Wants Revenge was a really good time, enjoyed some tasty beverages with Dakota and Tommy in the secret bar behind the stage after the show. Depeche Mode was nastalgic to say the least, they did their jobs, but the crowd there sucked! Just wanted to share these with you as it is a undertaking to go to some of the the larger venues and deal with the crowds. See you at the park!

The Stork is Heading Our Way

2009-10-22T13:40:00.002-05:00

So, here comes the stork with a special delivery for Janine and I. This is our first child and we are interested in seeing just how this is all going to work out. Luckily we are in a position to build out above the shop to create a safe place for Janine and the baby to hang out, so that they are still able to get out of the house from time to time. Funny thing about the baby is that it's due date is on November 7th, the same day as this years Johnny Romoano Skate Jam here at Southside Skatepark. So, she just came back from an appointment today and the doctor has confimed that the baby will either be born before or on our due date. So our contingency plan is having to go into full effect to make sure the crew has enough help in the shop. I don't plan on missing the Skate Jam, but if I am unable to make it, well then so be it. The baby is a boy and his name is Roman Visentin...the middle name will be a book name, so stay tuned.

Nike SB "Don't Fear the Sweeper" Tour Stop Oct. 9th

2009-10-12T12:42:00.000-05:00

Well this demo was amazing to say the least. Skateboarders in attendance were Paul Rodriguez, Eric Koston, Wieger Van W., Elissa Steamer, Chet Childress, Cory Kennedy, Ishod Ware, Danny Supa, Lewis Marnell and Shane O'Neill. You can expect a little something special coming from Jason Hernandez, the Nike SB filmer, on the Nike SB website shortly. Thanks to everyone who made the trip over to the park for the event.

Rebuild 2009 Officially Complete with Tranquility Rail Replica

2009-09-15T00:12:00.000-05:00

Looks like today was the day to finally get the Tranquility Park rail replica fabricated and mounted on the new elevated big prop, complete with modular features. It took a lot longer than we thought it would to complete the project today. We started around 10:30am and had it wrapped up and ready for the first session at 8pm. There were a couple hang ups here and there and trips to Home Depot for various supplies making things progress slowly but by the end of the day it was mission complete. If you check out the pictures you'll Southside team rider George Karvounis watching intensely, barely surviving the wait for his chance to skate the new rail. It's kids like George that we had in mind when deciding that it was the kind of feature that we felt we needed to have in the park. I know that I witnessed generations of skateboarders here in Houston skate that rail for years. Why shouldn't today's younger Houston skateboarders have that same opportunity. Sure, they do have more terrain to skate that anyone ever had and the parks just keep coming which is great. I suppose we just felt that it was really important to have the good old Houston staple still active, in any capacity, for nostalgia purposes at the very least. The session tonight was super good, we knew immediately that we had made the right choice by bringing in the Tranquility rail. I laughed when someone told me that it was a great rail, possibly even perfect. If you think about it, we already had nearly two decades of test group results to look at to show us the staying power a rail like this has. To us it was a no brainer, super simple and completely obvious. We hope that you all come check it out and give it a go, even if only for old times sake.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

2009-08-29T11:32:00.001-05:00

Well after a grueling 5 days at 12 hours a day and water problem at another facility off site, a new bid on other construction, a stuck in the mud race car, a massive scrap and trash pile at a previous job, a water clogged valve on a heavyduty truck, a collapsed and chopped up trailer, good and bad calls from home, a doctors appointment, and numerous downpours we are proud to present to you your new completely modular skatepark, enjoy. Rails can be moved back, forward, left right and the euro gap, outledge manual pad, mellow hubba and full banks can all be moved left and right as needed. The Tranquility "replica" was not completed in time for todays reopening, but will be installed at some point afterhours next week. The rail is going to be EXACTLY the rail, all measurements are the same from the footprint positioning on the set itself...we are open today and I am almost dead, I am posting some images up on the blogger link below, please check it out and remember, from now on nothing is set in stone.

Well My Ramp Crew Could Beat Your Ramp Crew's Ass in 9 Hours or Less, Day 1 Rebuild 2009!

2009-08-25T20:24:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Dogboy

2009-08-22T19:14:00.000-05:00

So just the other day Dogboy, the creator of one of the best flow bowls in Texas and most definitely the worst street course ever seen graced Galveston, Texas with his presence. Although it was his birthday he was greeted by a locked gate down on the island. Before the bolt cutters arrived people were hopping the fence left and right. There is just something ironic about the guy who spent a little over 3 months of his life to build the skatepark having to break into it to actually skate it. Not to be deterred a set of bolt cutters found there way around the lock and with a quick little snipperoo the session commenced on schedule. Not really sure why things seem to always work out this way for our local free parks here in the Greater Houston area, but they do. If you ever find yourself without a razor and in need of a grip job, don't hesitate to just rip your grip into pieces and scatter it about on your new deck, according to Dogboy it will most likely skate the same. Now in his 32nd year, Dogboy has been working on project after project all across Texas. We have him in town with the rest of the ramp crew to help us bang out a sick update to the street course here at the park. The rebuild will begin this Monday and be completed and ready to rip by Friday evening so that we can open for normal business Saturday promptly at 11am. Hope you enjoyed the street course this year, but as promised the annual update must take place to keep things bangin' here at Southside, just like it has been for the last 15 years!

Alien Workshop"Mind Field Tour" Descends on Houston

2009-08-17T21:47:00.000-05:00

So, as it turns out the Alien Workshop crew rolled through town packing such heavy hitters as Jason Dill, Arto Sarri, Mikey Taylor, Grant Taylor, Dylan Rieder, Tyler Bledsoe with TM Chad Bowers and photographer from the Skateboard MAG, Rodent. Local destroyer David Langston was making his bones, skating live in front of some of the team for the first time. The TM was siked on Davids skateboarding and so was Arto, which gave me a sigh of relief. The demo was solid, with Arto requesting the most 80's music we could play throughout the session. Everyone skated the event, we are not sure if it was the park itself being so inviting or if it was the fact that most of their "Mind Field" tour stops had been in-store signings up to our stop on their schedule. I do know that the team managed to pop out of the van after driving 12 hours from El Paso with Dill throwing sparks on every feeble grind he did on the granite ledges. Grant Taylor picked up and NBD with a backside ollie air from the smaller 6' quarter clear over the bank to wall and into the 8' quarter. It may have been the loudest roar I have heard all summer out of a spectating crowd. Of course, that's not to say that the crowds have not been into it at previous events because they have. Somehow after the demo, drinks and dinner at a nearby sports bar half the crew still wanted to go street skateboarding. Guru met up with us and proceeded to show us around town since he knew everyone better than David and I did. Looks like we ended up striking gold at this red bar spot, which Dill took a liking to. Rodent shot a great photo, which made him feel a lot better since he is under a lot of pressure to produce a featured tour article and possible cover oppurtunity for the Skateboard MAG by the conclusion of the trip. Arto brought the Arri's while Cory the Alien filmer and I filmed the clips. I doubt my stuff will get used but it was hard not to internally fan out on finally filming a Jason Dill clip and line as I had been a fan since his early video part in the A1 Meats Wheels video and have eagerly anticipated the release of all videos he's been in ever since.

Characters of the Skatepark

2009-08-06T01:13:00.000-05:00

I thought I would take a second to share some of the characters of the park with you. The first one is of this crazy kid we have in our day camp this week. Every Wednesday we take a field trip to a small local free park, eat at CiCi's or Jason's Deli, then skate Strawberry Park for our street spot. It just so happens that we noticed that the "wild one" resembled the kid on the poster behind him. It is kind of hard to tell since the kid is a little bit small, but if you have ever seen this kid snaking you and barking at you at the skatepark then you will get a kick out of this poster. I don't think we have any plans of letting him forget about this either, we all had a big laugh over lunch. The next image is of the man who started it all for Southside Skatepark back in the late 50's early 60's when he started buying up all the land available for sale in South Houston. I know he looks a little sketchy right here, with his swollen shut eye, but I can assure you he knows what he is doing, most of the time. According to him, he says he was weed eating one of his building when something hit him in the eye. He said that,"It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, but I kept going to finish off what I had to do." Turns out that when he and his wife when out of town it flared up, sending him to the ER in Louisiana. Upon closer inspection it is really red and irritated but luckily it seems as though he is going to make a full recovery. He should be at home resting but instead we are running around messing with his buildings all over South Houston. The final one below is of a friend of the park who just came in to skate after getting a haircut and style, and I do mean style. Just look at this ridiculous hair, this is just not normal, at least not for most skateboarders. We usually hate hairspray, gets all in your eyes when you skate as you sweat. Looks horrible and something that reminds you of a real jock mentality. Lucky enough for me, he just pushed it up to mess with us, I think, but maybe not, let's hope so. Just thought I would give you some examples of the type of characters we have to deal with on a daily basis at the park.

Deathwish, Baker, Shakejunt, Brigada August 1st

2009-08-06T00:51:00.000-05:00

So, hopefully you were smart enough to make the trek over to Southside to check out one of the most epic demos of all time at the park. We raised $900 towards to Make a Wish Foundation Savings Fund, through our usual $3 donation for spectators. Of course, if you happen to skate the park prior to the demo and paid your usual fee to come in, the demo was just an added bonus with no extra charges. At this demo Southside had the pleasure of hosting Antwuan Dixon, Erik Ellington, Andrew Reynolds, Slash, Sammy Baca, Brian Herman, Jeff Lenoce, Lizard King, Figgy, Moose, Furby, Theotis Beasley, Reno, Shane Heyl and Alex Neck. I could go on and on about how amazing the music, skateboarding, crowd, locals, beer, signing, tour shirts, free product, homies, mic skills of the Shakejunt, BeagleONEism, was but I think I am going to just let the images do the talking, just too much to to explain everything that happened thoughout the day and night. Check it out, oh and Antwuan has a seriously gnarly toe, considering that he is only 20 years old and his feet look like they are 80 something, stay tuned, see below.

The Force of Nature

2009-07-01T23:48:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder at what force your trucks inpact the cement when sticking a particular trick down a gap primo? According to the Soletech STI labrotory it is a force 17 times greater than the weight of yourself as a human being. The images below illustrate the shear force of such incidents and the destruction associated with it.

Of course, it isn't like it is anything that a little bondo couldn't fix but I just thought you should all have a look for yourselves. I wonder how many new tricks have been learned and taken to the streets on this set over the last two years? With any luck quite a few, I do know that I witnessed a kid land his first kickflip over them during Southside Skatepark's Quinceneara Go Skateboarding Day Celebration. He must of been all reved up on candy that was dropped out of the two pinatas that we beat the crap out of earlier in the day. He was super hyped on making the trick, and I do mean hyped as he was really young. He was all puffed up about it, but since I don't really have the ability to kickflip off anything I suppose he ought to be as the four block is no joke.

Skaters on the Beach

2009-06-11T20:29:00.001-05:00

I hate the beach. Simple statement, just a fact, I pretty much can not stand being out on the beach. It is hot, I burn easily, I don't have a six pack or at least not exactly. Just look at us, does it really look like any of us belong on the beach? Do we look like we are having a good time? Does it actually seem as though we are comfortable? The beach tracks sand all into your car and you head home begging for a shower as soon as you can. The only thing good about the beach is just going to go. You know that feeling you have after you are done doing something just to say you did something "more" with your day. Just look at Dakota, after these photos were taken, his forehead was oozing for a week and then began to peel. The guy in the green hat, Cory Wilder, looks right at home doesn't he? Covered head to toe working on his buzz in an attempt to make things a little more fun. Anthony Morris used to be a surfer, a really good one too but he quit and decided skateboarding was a lot more fun. Might of had something to do with the fact that there really isn't a whole lot of surf in Texas. When I get asked about the surfers down in Galveston I always say the same thing,"Well, they've got a lot heart, don't they?" Look at me, you commentator, do I look comfortable with my jean short black high top combo? NO!

Bruised Like a Banana

2009-06-11T20:21:00.001-05:00

David, Dakota and I are currently running our first summer camp for the kids up at the park and one of the gnarlier kids had some bruised legs that I thought were interesting. This picture really doesn't do it justice. If I didn't know this kid or his parents I would think that maybe he is being abused at home. His legs are so blackened that it reminded me of how haggard my legs used to be as a kid. Trying numerous tricks over and over again, slamming them into my shins over and over again. It is a time in a skateboarder's life where you are too young to understand the technique behind what you are trying to do, or even how to do it for that matter. I will have to admit that this kid has really improved a lot over the last year, as he was in our camps last summer and I was teaching him how to ollie. Since then I would have to say that he must have taken a liking to smashing his board into his shins. Hopefully during this week's camp some more technique works it's way into his train of thought on how to approach new tricks. He does have the ability to learn anything, but at what price?

Down on the Island

2009-06-11T20:06:00.001-05:00

So, a couple friends of mine headed down to Galveston Island for a session at the Johnny Romano Skatepark, couple of street clips and an after sesh warm down on the beach with a few brews. To my dismay the porta-john that I chose to relieve myself in had a gut churning sighting that I felt would need to be brought to your attention. Not sure why someone would want to make sure to not only leave their feminine napkin in the toilet paper holder for some unknowing patron to touch, but also to drip dry the blood down the front face of the seat itself. Now luckily I was just in for a quick vertical urination, but had I not noticed either the feminine napkin or the blood I might have sat down and proceeded to loose my lunch in more ways than one. With that said, if you are ever down on Galveston Island, beware of the porta-johns, not everything is on the up and up once inside. Of course, Dakota used it before me and completely missed it, I wish I had and you probably are wishing you had as well, sorry!

Notes from the Road

2009-05-25T12:43:00.000-05:00

Minneapolis St. Paul, Minnesota is pretty underrated in regards to it's street skateboarding. Even before we met up with a tour guide we were able to find our way around downtown and skate various famous spots like the rainbow banks. We also kept find numerous brick plazas that were uncapped but did have roving police in full effect. We ended up coming back with a grip of footage from three days worth of "trying hard" to have a good time. Dakota and I were snapping away with our iPhones as well as Dakota's 35mm. One funny story is about Dakota and his love for ice cold beer. So, after we get done skateboarding and are heading back to the hotel, Dakota asks me to take him to get some beer. Now Dakota is 21 and if he wants a beer at this point it is his birthright. Stopping by the liquor store, which is the only place in Minnesota that has 5pt beer, Dakota is denied because there are minors in the car. So, off we go to the next store and I park in the back. Dakota goes inside and is denied because although his ID says he is 21 years old, via the D.O.B. it is still a vertically shot "Minor ID" which is not valid in the state of Minnesota. Off to the third liquor store we go where I park the car across the entire parking lot and head in personally to buy Dakota his beer, of which I was successful, but just barely. This little experience prompted Dakota and the rest of the crew to bang out the T-Shirt you see below and on the back it had a top ten reasons why, which I fail to remember now. Doubt it if it helped his score during the contest at 3rd Lair, but it was worth it as he was the first skater, taking his lines on the first day at exactly 10am. Maybe his shirt was actually right on point.

Images of a Professional

2009-05-25T10:42:00.000-05:00

Newsflash,"Ben Raybourn is PRO for 1031," just in case you missed it. Speaking of pro, just what exactly is it that makes a professional skateboarder these days anyway? I suppose, you have to be able to skate anything and with Ben you can go ahead and put a massive CHECK in that box. When at a contest a handy trait might be the ability to completely disregard the competitive nature of the contest and just make sure that you and everyone around you are having a good time, so that's another CHECK off the list. You absolutely have to possess the ability to take a good head shot, for your non skate later-years ads and endorsements, so I guess Ben get a CHECK there as well. It is also good if you know how to never forget who your real friends are. The genuine ones that don't expect anything from you and are just happy being around you. As it seems that this skateboarder gets it, so we are going to have to award him a big fat CHECK here as well. Then you are going to have to log some serious miles on that personal odometer and as far as traveling is concerned Ben Raybourn is quickly approaching a possible flipping of his, so CHECK. Australia, to California then Minneapolis St. Paul and now on the 1031 Skateboards Summer Tour all during 2009 and it is only May. Congratulations on your new professional status, it could not have happened to a nicer, more genuine person. It's going to be a long run and everyone at Southside Skatepark is looking forward to it, so without further adue I present to you professional skateboarder Ben Raybourn!!!

Sometimes it Just Rains

2009-05-23T10:08:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago David, Dakota and I went out to one of our favorite weekday spots only to get rained on. It takes a solid 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic to get out to the spot. Dakota had a line he was trying to get and David had some things that he wanted to try a film as well. It certainly looked threatening on the drive out, but we thought that we might get lucky. As we usually go to Galveston if it is raining in Houston and it works like a charm. This time the rain finally caught up with us and no sooner than we had gotten out of the car and started rolling around the spot went from "good to go" to "soaking wet" within minutes. I just thought I would shoot a photo of it for you just to share the disappointment of the day. We have since returned to the spot and taken care of a couple things that we had been wanting to do. In fact last time Jeff Gilmer and John Danielson came along and it was a literal footage party all day. Sequences, medium format, digital, variable frames rates, double angle HVX clips, you name it, we shot it, and we'll do it again too, because Dakota happened to be out of town and will need to go back for that line.

Backtrack to Paris, France

2009-05-23T09:53:00.000-05:00

Quick little catch up regarding our trip to Paris in late March early April. Here are a couple images that you will most likely see while visiting the most romantic city in the world. You will definitely have a cappuccino that will most likely look just like this one. It will definitely be more expensive than any other cappuccino you had ever purchased in the United States too. If you wander the streets at night, which we found to be surprisingly safe, you might catch the Eiffel Tower lighting up periodically. The local custom seems to be to sustain a kiss with your partner for the duration of the lighting of the tower. As I saw numerous couples stopping to engage in this custom that I was unaware of when I shot this photo. On your way from your hotel to the Louvre, the largest and most well known museum in Paris, you will most likely find yourself walking through some of the cities gardens which will help wake you up. There will be an abundance of original Minis tucked in on the streets here and there as well. The first Sunday of the month is free museum day in Paris, and if you go to the Louvre this is what it looks like. Kind of crazy to think about that many people crammed into a massive, and I mean massive space like the Louvre. We had a great time in Paris, the city just makes you feel good, I highly recommend it.

Steve Caballero and Steve Van Doren

2009-05-21T10:30:00.000-05:00

So, for the Vans RV tour this years legendary pro was Steve Caballero. Accompanying the group was Steve Van Doren, the original owner of vans, "the man that started it all!" Caballero skated our two spined bowls and let me know that the spine was absolutely perfect. He was really enjoying himself and was handling the transition with that buttery smooth perfection that has kept him pro for the last 25+ years. After skateboarding for a while Caballero came in to check out the shop and spotted some kids Halfcabs, of which he was unable to get at the warehouse as they had been out of stock for some time. His daughter and son wore a child's size 11 and 2 and what are the chances that the last two sizes we had were exactly that. It was kind of surreal pulling the two pairs of kids Halfcabs out of the back and selling them at full price,"the only way they would have it" to the founded of the Vans brand and the namesake of the shoes themselves. Thanks again Vans for including Southside Skatepark on your Vans RV Tour. It is always a good time and a nice chill day at the park.

Volcom "Wild in the Parks" Meets Potential...Finally!

2009-05-21T09:39:00.001-05:00

We just wrapped up Volcom's "Wild in the Parks" Qualifier which qualifies seven skateboarders from each age category to skate in the finals at Cowtown, AZ for an opportunity to take home a piece of the $20,000 prize purse. As you can see it was quite a turn out with 186 participants and who knows how many friends, parents and girlfriends were in attendance. Volcom treated everyone to free hot dogs, chips, cookies and drinks. Everyone was able to kick back and relax on the skateable grandstand under the 24' fan and enjoy the 3 zone jam format action. In the Pro Am category David Langston, winner of the finals Pro Am in Arizona last year, repeated as this years top qualifier. Dakota Roberson qualified in the number six spot and finally lived up to his own potential in a contest which is something I had been waiting a long time for. Southside Skatepark's George Karvonus and shop friend Zach Hemphill placed 2nd and 3rd in the 14 and Under category. Also in the Pro Am Kyle Walker who was actually claiming Texas, even though I could of sworn he was from Oklahoma, came in third. Remember my potential article a while back, well after a eight year contest hiatus Brian Gonterman decided it was time to step up and represent. Some friends of his started a new board shop called "Select" in Friendswood, which might of had something to do with him placing 2nd. Not to be outdone, or left at home, Chris Luring qualified as well. With this many skaters we know qualifying, you know we are going to rent a van and drive out to the finals for sure. Congratulations everyone and thanks to Volcom, all the skateboarders who entered the event and the Southside Skatepark staff for all your support.

Welcome Aboard George Karvonus

2009-05-21T09:10:00.001-05:00

Southside Skatepark has a new team rider, and we don't take that lightly considering that the entire team is a whopping four people and two flow status guys. The images below are of our first out of state team trip to 3rd Lair in Minneapolis, MN with George Karvonus, David Langston, Ben Raybourn, Dakota Roberson and shop friend Sean Villars. We love Sean Villars, just check out that wedgie control in the first pic, amazing style don't you think? So, we were sleeping six people in the hotel room with the hotel only knowing of four when things were starting to get a little boring. So I suppose the guys decided to have a little fun with the Sharpies and consequently George was slightly hazed. David went ahead and put a mustache on in the morning just to even the score a little bit for George. It would be funny, George would start shit with the crew and they would give it back until he cried a little bit, but it was like a fake cry half laugh. He would be trying to get all upset and turn on the tears but he couldn't stop laughing. The black foot, wedgie and mustache are just the tip of the iceberg of what insued over the course of the trip. All in all we had a great trip which allowed us to skate a great park and skate street in Minneapolis and St. Paul for three days. We also found a great tour guide Daina and really made the most of life outside the park and our teams 14th place finish out of 35 shops. Most likely we will be going back next year, but I don't know, I guess it all depends on where things are at.

Not a Museum, Actual French Camera Store

2009-04-22T14:54:00.001-05:00

So, Janine and I were walking around France for about five days and we stumbled upon a camera repair / camera store. The owner was super nice and they had what looked like antiques but he went on to show us that nothing in the store was dead and let us know that everything functioned, but formats had moved on making some of the equipment obsolete. He did have a really clean Bolex which was really interesting, but a couple quick phone calls and it just seemed like it would be way to much work. What really bummed me out was the idea that out of everything you shoot you might only get 40% back on DV tape from a company that would handle the transfer for you. Even then, the colors could be wrong and all sorts of problems not to mention the cost of operation being high as well. It was still an amazing shop, they seemed to pretty much have it all. I wouldn't doubt if they either have or could get you pretty much anything you could want. It was a little bit overwhelming as shooting with a new camera is never just an immediate thing in regards to turning out quality work immediately. Since I currently have a camera that can do variable frame rates digitally, I kind of felt like I was copping out of the real craftsmanship that went along with camera operation even fifteen years ago. Check out the images, photogs eat your heart out, I did.

Points of Interest

2009-04-21T11:15:00.000-05:00

Figured that you guys might be interested in what is going on in these images. The first one is of Chaz Pineda at an after the trade show free beer and tacos party. When we spoke he let me know that he was living about six blocks from the beach in a small place by himself. He was making rent and skateboarding at Washington Street as much as possible. When I ran into him they had just run that sequence of him coming out of that gnarly U shaped thing at the top of the big wall at Burnside. It was nice to see a Chaz that knew what was up and had a direction as to where he was going. The next image is of the shear magnitude of Ameoba Music in Los Angeles. This is just a small part of the entire store, it really doesn't even do it justice at all. The Miller Time beer lamp is at the Shortstop Bar just outside Echo Park in Los Angeles. All you can see is a pink sign that says "cocktails," so keep an eye out for that. The bar is dark, has different rooms and is the nicest "local" that I had been to in a long, long time. The last picture is me hold my friend Steve and Natalie's dog Winston. He is an English bulldog and is currently in his massive puppy phase. He is too lazy to lift his head up when you hold him and he always wants to be held. Kind of crazy that he looks so sweat right now, but is going to turn into a gnarly, snarly full grown snorting bulldog.

Girl Open House Sightings

2009-04-17T13:38:00.000-05:00

Sorry but I had to backtrack when I was going through my photos and noticed that I never had a chance to post about the Girl Open House in Torrance, CA during January 09'. This was the second Girl Open House that Janine and I had attended so it was nice to run into some more familiar faces from 08'. Andy Mueller is always down to hang out and shoot funny photos for www.crailtap.com photo collage that they always put up during the week of ASR. Girl Skateboards and Fourstar do not have many more contacts to make as they have been the top selling board brand for about the last ten years or so. Instead they extend an open invitation to anyone who would like to come out and enjoy a free In-N-Out Burger and watch the Girl TF jam format contest, that is a shop sponsored skate only invitational. It always brings out some of the most talented kids from all over California and the occasional nowhere guy as well. On www.southsideskatepark.com I had posted a quick little montage that captured some of the best skateboarding of the day. This years event seemed way more intense than last years. Sam Smyth is the host and keep the contest flowing as longtime Girl/Chocolate pros watch and score as best they can, which is hard because so much ends up going down during the limited jams. I love this one mellow hubba they have, complete with a nice smooth cement top that seems to grind and slide properly. i am kind of tempted to put one in at Southside but we have so many hubbas already that there might not be much point to it. The park itself is always sick with a tight quarter across one wall with cement "noping" that always seems to work someone over every year. There is a flat gap and quarter to wall which is a lot of fun too. I suppose when you are looking at entire pallet of each graphic that they produce it is easy to figure out just how they afford to sanction and section of their warehouse and keep it fresh with a smart small set up that can be enjoyed by everyone, that knows someone of course.

Southside Product Prospectus

2009-04-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

So, for Southside Skatepark's 15 Year Anniversary we decided to try to step up our shop decks with a five deck series from Give Up. You are probably thinking,"So what, Give Up always does your graphics." That would be correct, but this is a little bit different in that it is a five deck series in which the graphic stretches across the five boards with the middle deck being a Zig Zaggerish shape. There will only be fifty full sets produced as the middle deck is such a wild shape. We have been having a couple people hit up the shop and get on the list to reserve the entire series which is nice. Give Up has a lot of fans and although this thing has been in the works for a long time we hope that it is available no later than June 21st, for our Go Skateboarding Day birthday party celebration for Southside Skatepark. We are also having about 1500 sheets of MOB produced with our logo in a chill spot near the back truck. Hopefully people will grip their decks and rock the Southside MOB with pride. We just wanted to give you guys a heads up on where we are heading with all of this good stuff. Hats are probably around the corner and we are just about to jump back on the tee shirt press and bang out some more tees for the summer. If you have any rad ideas for a Southside shirt email them to bigo@southsideskatepark.com , you can scan them or provide us with a layered .ai file, that's Adobe Illustrator, in case you were wondering. Well, it looks like rain and I hope to see everyone at the park tonight for a big Friday night session.

Images of the Las Vegas Strip 2

2009-04-01T13:18:00.000-05:00

Ridiculous interiors and amazing architecture, that is what we might be seeing in various cities throughout the United States just before I die, are ready to be seen and enjoyed in Las Vegas. There are plenty of things to see and do. As soon as you think you have seen it all you enter another one of the immense casinos and your are hit with more things to see and enjoy. It goes on and on, with only minor glimpses of what Las Vegas used to really look like. We really enjoyed walking around all over Las Vegas. Every day we found something new to go and do. Super fun place to check out and since it was our first time going, it was that much more intense.

Club Tao at the Palazzo in Las Vegas

2009-04-01T13:03:00.000-05:00

This club is apparently very difficult to get into, but luckily for us a friend of ours, who recently moved out to Las Vegas, works as a bottle service girl at Club Tao. Before going in to work her and her boyfriend stopped by our room at the Wynn to warm up with a couple of drinks. After which we made our way over to the club, and with our handy dandy password were granted access at no charge and without have to work our way through the insane mob of people waiting outside. The club is massive and apparently was a nine million dollar installation within the Palazzo hotel, on the strip. Throughout the night our friend kept turning around over by the bottle service area and kept hooking us up with free drinks. For some reason her and her coworkers were given two free bottles of Gray Goose as a new hire mixer of some kind. She doesn't drink much so her boyfriend and I were more than happy to help her out. Janine, having recently discovered that she (and I) are pregnant, was unable to partake, so we drank her portion as well. At the conclusion of the night, yes I was vomiting, but I did make it back to the hotel room quite smoothly for the record. I don't know exactly how many people were in the club but it was rumored that the club had done over two million in sales during the previous Spring Break weekend. Kind of hard to put that many beverages in perspective. Enjoy the photos, I am sure the bartenders, drink runners and girls of the scenery make a shitload in tips, no doubt.

Southside Skatepark 15 Year Anniversary Mural

2009-03-12T22:36:00.001-05:00

So, Janine and I were recently in California for the Berrics, Crossroads Show and ASR. We spent about a week out there and while we were at a Bones/Powell after party we ran into Chaz and his friend from Portland Jay Meer. The party we were at was a small thing that they were putting on for the anniversary or the "Ripper" graphic in which many famous skateboard artists from over the years had submitted their work. Jay Meer was one of those artists, his was an especially small piece considering the media which he used was Aerosol. Apparently Jay Meer had been doing a lot of murals and large pieces at Burnside since 1993. In 2003 he and a friend of his that had moved to Texas arranged to roll out 13 of the Burnside homies for a "Burnside to Southside" trip and session. All the heavy Burnside locals were in attendance and Jay never forgot about Southside Skatepark. When we met him at the party he introduced himself to us and gave us a short rundown, the event was vaguely in my memory, 2003 seems so close yet so far away, you know. Janine and I went back to the hotel and eventually back to Texas a didn't think much of it. A few month later the phone at the shop rang and Dakota Roberson spoke with Jay regarding Jay being in Texas and wanting to come by and possibly "Get Up" in the park somewhere. He called again and spoke with Janine and confirmed that, yes you can come down a put something up, but no we had no idea what. once Jay arrived at the park we walked around and settled down on the large wall above the big prop. The big prop is scheduled for a change for this year's Johnny Romano Skate Jam but we are fairly confident that the prop won't be getting any taller so the 9'x36' canvas seemed like a safe bet. So, Jay and I went to the bar to start figuring out what to do, we went through a ton of his previous works on http://www.jaymeer.com/ and I let him know what I liked and what I didn't like and what I thought would be good for the park. Eventually it dawned on me that Southside Skatepark is in it's 15th year of operation and that we really hadn't done anything to kick that off yet. I always loved the "First Ten Years of Burnside" mural that Jay did in 2000, see Skateboarder article "Ten Things You Didn't Know About Burnside" to see the image I am talking about. I was wanting Jay to do something along those lines, the regional imagery choices were his idea, he wanted to tie it in to our area. He said he had never done a Cow Skull before, but skulls were his specialty, if you asked me, he nailed it. Thanks go out to Jaymeer, I was having a hard time getting my head around putting up something like this in the park due to my normal cleanliness battle cry. Thanks for opening my eyes to something fresh and new all the locals and the staff are really enjoing it and it makes us very proud to be a part of such a long history here at Southside Skatepark.

Talk About Potential

2009-03-12T22:25:00.001-05:00

Now, everyone knows someone who absolutely kills it on a skateboard, but doesn't seem to care much about doing anything with it. You know, the guy that doesn't skate for two months and but somehow can still kickflip backside noseblunt a ledge among other ridiculous skateboard oddities, without an effort what so ever. It isn't that these people make us mad, it is just that it is frustrating seeing them throw it all away. This is a picture of a kid that is super underrated, quite possibly one of the top ten best in Texas when he "feels" like it. Everyone is sleeping on this kid, even him. I guess it is the kids that take life like this that help the rest of us keep it in perspective. Their motto definitely seems to be,"if it isn't fun, don't do it, no matter what anyone else says." Anyway, when I do cross paths with this kid I am always really glad to see him. i am ever more glad to just sit and watch him destroy it and make the people around him skate that much harder. I just wish that sometime, maybe one day, he will actually skate the park for a solid week before a contest and show up and let everyone know just how amazing he really is. Guru would back me up on this kids ability if you need a second opinion, if you had a chance to see him for yourself, you wouldn't, you would just know. The other image below is of my wife's good cooking and silliness when I am still half awake, just look at all that potential staring you in the face.

February Trip to Austin

2009-02-24T13:12:00.000-06:00

Somehow Dakota Roberson and David Langston convinced the powers that be at Southside Skatepark that I needed some days off to go on a weekend road trip to Austin to film it up. Accompanying us was Sean Villars and George Karvounis. This was the first time that I had gone on the road with the latter two, but it worked out and they held their own on the road for sure. When we went up to Austin we stayed at Jacalyn's place, since she resides in a house waiting for it to sell for her parents all by herself. It's great being able to hit the road and go to a different skateboarding scene and be taken care of, it never happens more often than in Austin, Texas. The weather was amazing and we stopped by to meet up with Guru Khalsa at his new place which was really nice. He seemed to be enjoying the new house and trying to get out and skate with the locals such as Flint Brewer and JD Clark. We skated street all day while being shown around by Shaun Mefford as he was shooting photos. On Sunday we made a point to stop by Alien Pod as we heard that it might be in it's final days. It seems as though recent rail construction in the area as put the secluded and hidden spot up for demolition by the Transportation Board of Austin. To bad it doesn't seem as though the City of Austin is going to turn a blind eye to the do it yourself "Dream Destroyers" creation. We filmed our last lines there and kissed it goodbye, just in case the next time we are in Austin the spot is gone. Thanks for the good times Alien Pod, hope to see you again soon, take care and rest in peace.

Houston, Great Place to Live

2009-02-15T10:57:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not Houston, Texas might just be one of the best kept secrets in regards places to live in the United States this millennium. Somehow Houston has managed to dodge the brunt of an economic downturn, while still affording many of it's citizens a decent living wage and a high quality of life. Everything is less expensive in Houston. We have some of the best restaurants and bars in the country and you can still have dinner for two at under $100. If you are out traveling the US and are looking for a place to visit you should really stop by and have a blast. Recently, and I never thought I would live to see it, Houston put in a massive public skatepark downtown. It has a downtown skyline overlook and is a really great place to roll around and warm up before heading out and getting some street footage. The only problem is that you have to wear a helmet, but hopefully not for long as people are working hard to change that. We also have access to the Gulf of Mexico, just 50 minutes south of downtown. You can literally go out to the beach for the day and go out downtown the same night. There are not to many places in the US that you can enjoy those types of amenities and still be able to afford a really nice home for under $200,000. Of course, Southside Skatepark is there as the only problem we have in this town is our violent changes of weather. One day it is hot and muggy, the next chilly and brisk. Southside Skatepark is there taking care, just look at how happy people are to be there.

Farewell Federal, We Will Miss You!

2009-02-07T12:50:00.000-06:00

I took this image about a year ago when the Federal Bank was moving from this location to their new facility on Allen Parkway. I suppose that security was somewhat compromised during this process so they posted a armed guard outside. I knew that eventually one of the spots with the highest bust factor in the city, might become skateable for a few months. Surprisingly enough it became a hot spot that ended up getting a lot of coverage and attention from the industry. Footage from the spot was in numerous online montages and various videos. I knew it wouldn't last but was pleasantly surprised that it lasted as long as it did. When it was all good to go and skate there I would try to go as often as I could. When the crew I was rolling with wanted to go elsewhere I tried to remind them that the spot would not last forever and that once gone, it would be missed. Eventually a church group acquired the building and immediately started the harsh process of shutting down the spot. It didn't die easily and the Habitat team and photographers ended up getting their equipment confiscated and thrown in jail for an overnight stint. The church group being so forgiving tried to go down to the jail and force Houston's authorities to hold the offenders for a longer period of time. I suppose that is the Christian thing to do, nah probably not. I know that the group was trespassing but to take it further than it had already been taken was just ridiculous. The spot is still there but I haven't heard of anyone touching it since, time to let it cool off for a little while, we'll have to wait and see.

California Days and Nights

2009-02-01T14:17:00.000-06:00

So, apparently when you order a latte at an organic foods restaurant in LA they carve a little bird out in the froth. When it came out to the table I had to shoot a photo. Isn't that tight? It looks like it could be the cover of Blueprint and Alien Workshops bastard video child. I really like the way it looked and after I drank it I was reved way, way up. Lunch was nice to, apparently the restaurant had recently been renovated, it dubbed as bakery as well. All their breads were baked daily and all meats and greens were organic. After lunch we went back to the Berrics for a little while and then went on down to Pacific Highway 1 to dinner. The view from the table was really nice. We ate dinner while watching the sunset on our first day in LA, which was probably one of the highlights of the trip. You would of enjoied it too, if you had been there.

Things to Do While in LA

2009-01-30T12:19:00.000-06:00

So, after we were all settled in at the Roosevelt I texted Steve for the location of the Berrics. He replied and we cruised over there to shoot some images of the park and get some ideas about our own park. It is hard to visualize new things that would work well within the current set up at Southside, so I thought this might help. The office area is pretty tight, there are all kinds of things being monitored and done there. I saw a tray of AVE raw footage tapes, didn't see any footage of course. Thought I would go ahead and shoot a photo of the Game of SKATE bracket that is mid game right now. This weekend is going to be insane as we are now down to the semi-finals. the pictures below are of the "boardroom" just look at how many decks there are. You know they aren't even skated that much either. There are probably a few of those, "I just don't like this deck" in there. They have lights, interchangeable rails for the set, all kinds of mini props that change existing larger structures. I will post up some shots of the park tomorrow, glad to have been able to stop by and check it out.

Los Angeles's Roosevely Hotel

2009-01-28T00:45:00.000-06:00

The Roosevelt Hotel is one of Hollywood, California's most storied hotels. Home to many a rat pack actor and actress over the years the hotel resides just across the street from the famous Chinese Theather on the Hollwood Strip. Janine is so internet travel savy that she was able to secure us a room for three days and two night at half the price. Traveling in during the January offseason has it's perks. The day before flying out to LA I decided to hit up Steve Berra and was lucky enough to have him answer. We wanted to hit up the Berrics and see it for ourselves, he said to give him a call once we were settled. Upon arriving at the hotel I was shocked at how dark and relaxing the atmosphere was. I suppose that's what Hollywood's elite had loved about it for all these years. Pretty quickly Janine and I felt at ease within our hotel room. We wandered around the hotel and shot off a couple photos that you can see accompaning this text. If you are ever in Hollywood and have a chance I suggest you book yourself a room. The hotel is quite nice and you won't be dissapointed. I was relucatant, but that is what wives are for, to make you try new things and try to relax and live in the moment. I am very greatful to be experiencing my new life as Southside Skatepark's caretaker. We are able to travel more now than we ever have in our lives, something we have always wanted to do. I won't soon forget my stay at the Roosevelt, it looks more expensive than it actually was, don't be fooled.

Popeye Cat

2009-01-26T11:59:00.000-06:00

This cat stays at the flop house in Austin. It isn't as comforting as you would think falling asleep with this little guy watching over you. He doesn't like pictures much and I was lucky to get out of there with this image of him. He looks kind of pissed off in the photo. I think he wants some treats. If I had some you know I would have hooked him up. Next time I head over there I will have to stop at Pet Smart and get him some super gourmet food. Safe bet that this skate house cat is going to end up in someones lifestyle interview head shot sooner or later, he is just too much of a character. See you when I see you homie.

Sliver of Pool

2009-01-26T11:54:00.000-06:00

Check it out, amazing sliver of pool to be had at 5 hips. Everyone knows about this thing. Sure, you can sit at home and think about all the tricks you are going to do on it. Unfortunately, unless you are Ben Raybourn you probably won't be able to do even 10% of what you are contemplating. It is super hard to even fakie rock it, which I have not. Straight vert with nowhere to go if you are thinking about turning out of something. Only a few have banged out tricks on it. Austin really out did themselves on it. Watch for a really sick banger from Omar Salazaar in the upcoming Alien Workshop video "Mind Field," in stores February 6th.

David vs. 5 Hips

2009-01-26T11:49:00.000-06:00

"The trajectory to the top of the ledge is kind of a nightmare," according to David. The spot was originally started by bikers and over the year skateboarders and bikers alike have been expanding and taking care. Every time I make it out there we find a new addition. I don't know if people in Austin have more time on their hands or way more love for the game. They are always fixing the ledge at the top and keeping it as perfect as they can. The actual coping at the top is in a weird spot but it is totally skateable. Over the years I must have seen about ten different backside tailslide photos. Every crew that rolls through Austin goes there and shoots, it is just too photogenic.

Good Morning Dakota

2009-01-26T11:43:00.000-06:00

Always strange how people can look so different when they first wake up. Dakota's face looks all bloated and his lips are all fat. I just wanted to shoot him in front of the scary house. Of course being the boarderline scenester he is, camera at the ready. Button up uniform in place. Partially shaven beard with extra heavy side burns. Uncut hair and pasty white skin. To late, looks like he is an offical scenester. Don't forget the Blue Blockers, that footage is priceless. Southside Skatepark doesn't care, we got mad love for you bro.

Portable Cement Ledges

2009-01-26T11:40:00.000-06:00

Somewhere in the back woods of Texas are these two lovely ledges. Totally portable for those looking to have a good session anywhere with good ground these beauties are waiting. You will have to motivate the owner of these two of course, but that won't be hard. Probably the most motivated guy I have met in a long, long time. Get a hold of this guy, go set up the ledges and kill it. Good times to be had in a city where they don't take anything for granite.

1985 Skatepark of Houston Contest Flyer

2009-01-26T11:35:00.000-06:00

Found in the final pages of Thing Bad 5, a flyer from back when I had just started skateboarding. If you read on the flyer the skatepark was still under constuction. Back then I know that Dennis was out there building those ramps to last. The were metal coated and hard as nails. Two ramps open I would imagine to be the 10.5 Tequila and 12.5 Kahuna (with channel and cement flatbottom). You will notice that Variflex was a legit company at this time and Todd Prince and John Gibson's band Bark Hard were there taking care. Once again, thanks for the memories Thing Bad zine'.

Loser Koozer

2009-01-26T11:31:00.000-06:00

Was this some kind of deep poetic inner searching book mark. When I found this tiny paper bag book mark inserted into Thing Bad Issue 5 I was compelled to stop and think about it. I thought wow, how true and certainly, "some may think that," came to mind. Really cool stenciling giving us more of a reason to embrace what the true meaning could be. Maybe it is just what it says, using this to wrap you beer is going to make you a loser in end. Is there a higher meaning? As long as you thinking, the art is working.

Thing Bad zine'

2009-01-26T11:25:00.000-06:00

Wow, what an amazing zine'. Thing bad was put together so well and with so many little extras that I was really impressed. I found this on the coffee table at my friends house. The next two blog entry's are going to be some examples of just some of the goodies filling the pages of the zine' itself. It took me a long time reading along reminecing about the articles and images within it's pages. I forgot who Summers said made it, but heres to you guy, you killed it.

Never Forget "Boneite" R.I.P.

2009-01-26T11:15:00.000-06:00

Remember to good old days of Powell Peralta's boneite construction. The strange tar paper that acted as a catalyst that would wick even a tiny amount of water deep into the inner core of your deck. Back then we rode the boards for such a long time and $50 was so much money that the idea of getting another board on a day that wasn't your birthday or Christmas was unthinkable. I used to mow, edge and sweep lawns for $5 a yard. So it would take me anywhere from four to six weeks to save up enough funds to get another deck. A lot of time it would be even longer if I was treating myself to Gatorades while out street skating all over Seabrook, Texas with my friends. I stayed away from boneite back then, the word on the street was that it sucked. Must have been true since Powell Peralta quickly dropped it as the gimmack that had run it's course. I would say that it was the boneite that bummed my friends and I out on Powell. Before that they could do no wrong, they had the best team with the best videos anyone had ever seen. After feeling wronged by the boneite, we were looking for something different. Enter stage door left Vallely Double Tail and switch.

Mopeds for Days

2009-01-26T11:11:00.000-06:00

At the place we stay at there are mopeds for days. Not sure if they all run or not, but there is the making of a really good moped gang for sure. They are all pretty cool too, like the older late 80's early 90's mix of mopeds. I liked the way this photo turned out. Next time we need to figure out if they run and try to find some time to ride them around. Hit the thrift store and make up a fake moped gang with fake colors and try to play it off all serious. That would probably make for a great video opener, not to take anything away from Girl's 96' Mouse video. For some reason they are always in the kitchen, I guess theft is on the rise in Austin, Texas.

Scary Christmas

2009-01-26T11:06:00.000-06:00

This is what a scary Christmas looks like. The house is kind of small and near where we stay in Austin. The house is decorated 365 days a year and this year we happened to be rolling through town around Christmas so it was lit up. There is a full Nativity scene in the window on the left. I would have gone up and shot it but it was to scary to get closer to the house. It was their time of year, and they were making the most of it. It sounds kind of wierd to be scared of this house, but you just have to go there and see it for yourself.

Michael Earned his Beer

2009-01-26T10:59:00.000-06:00

For some reason Michael Cross decided to quit his job and go on the trip. He probably skated the hardest and he definetly came home with the most footage. Since I had never filmed him before it was pretty easy. It wasn't like we were having to recall what he had and had not already done. I don't think he would be doing that anyway as he doesn't seem to be that type of skater. At some spots he was just killing it and not really waiting around to explain what he wanted to film, I doubt he really cared at all. We really like Michael becuase he is a skaters skater. He just kills it, no film, no photos, just wrecks shit. He doesn't try to get "hooked up," he just goes out and has fun on his skateboard. Thats the type of skateboarders that we subscribe to. Southside Skatepark has your back, what you choose to do with that is totally up to you.

Dust Bowl Gap

2009-01-26T10:54:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I know, this gap is call Parker Slab or something. I am changing the name to the Dust Bowl Gap. Camera people beware, this place is dusty as hell. People in Austin just work harder for their spots. There was at least four inches of eroeded dirt scattered about the landing on either side. It was a mess and anyone stepping to it ended up getting gritty. Some super technical stuff was almost getting done, but it just wasn't happening. Good thing I had Michael Cross with me, he never lets a spot go unskated. So after a couple of breaths he put down a pretty sick little banger. When or where you might see it is anyones guess.

Bank to Ledge

2009-01-26T10:50:00.000-06:00

It would take all my fingers and toes to count the numerous tricks that went down on this ledge during our trip to Austin. Luke McKirdy met up with us just to give you a hint. Seems as though every time I run into that guy he is banging out three to four usable clips. His part in the www.fourduos.com video is going to be amazing. I kind of think he ought to have a FLIP Extremely Sorry extras video part, he is that good. Oh, and he is older than me, which makes me feel bad for being to lazy most days to just roll around. This ledge is officially broken in and grinding better everyday. Hope it is as buttery as it was this day when I finally make it back.

Vehicle Impossible

2009-01-26T10:43:00.000-06:00

We were having breakfast at Kirby Lane in Austin and the ultimate scenester vehicle was spotted. I couldn't believe my eyes because I literally hadn't witnessed a running 1980 VW since my Dad owned an old standard diesel Rabbit back in 1986. Not only was this VW truck running but it even came with a bed cover and was in really good shape. Everything was original and as stoked as I might have been on the impossibility of this vehicle actually running, scenesters still bother me. I think it is the whole vibe that they put out, kind of as if they are their own tribe. To bad Dakota is turning into one.

Shortcut Between Freeway and Nothing

2009-01-17T01:24:00.000-06:00

Apparently the banks of the wet part of this ditch are heavily used by people on foot. When one group was approaching us as I was filming they stopped and pulled the hoodies down over their heads as to not be filmed. According to the various passersby that spoke to us, the path is a "shortcut" to the freeway. Kind of ironic since the parking lot behind us came right off the freeway. Everyone coming back down the path seemed to be in a happy mood and it seemed to be more than something they inhaled. The world may never know, but the point of the picture is, look at how filthy this ditch is. It had a strange scum on the surface near the banks, and it wasn't mosquito larva.

Teeth Ditch

2009-01-17T01:17:00.000-06:00

This spot was interesting considering I had seen an old Whitney Collins photo that Jeff Gilmer had shot about a year before finally making it out to it. Dakota Roberson had been in my ear about how "cool" and "amazing" the spot seemed for an entire year while we were trapped at the skatepark. When we went over to it I think Dakota forced himself to get a clip on it regardless of whether he was stoked on it or not. It is just one of those places where the footage and the photos are such a far cry from the reality of the spot itself. I tried to establish exactly what was going on by using the wide angle and various long lens shots, we'll just have to see which one turns out, in about a year when they are actually used and the weirdness wears off.

Calling All DIY Spot Builders

2009-01-17T01:07:00.000-06:00

When you go to this bank it takes a little while to figure out what amazing potential it has. It just needs a little help from a large wheel barrel, 20 bags of quickcrete, 10 gallons or more of water, a shovel and a trowel. Don't forget the small army of die hard skateboarders down to put their hard earned money and time into pouring some tranny at the bottom of this perfect steep bank. If this spot were in Austin it would have already been taken care of. I am tempted to invest and go out there and handle it with Chris Summers. I would imagine that he might be the only person I could count on to help me knock this out, oh and the fact that I have never done it before. Sure, I have bondoed a few things, but I have never messed with pouring cement. Opposite this steep bank is a more mellow but super high bank, small mellow tranny pours for frontside and backside could be poured so that people could get a proper run up. The ditch seems as though it never floods. The steep bank is calling for an 8' to 10' wide pour. You guys need to realize what you have in front of you and make this happen. I know that if I took the time to take care of it, I would be seeing footage coming out of there for years.

Erosion Control?

2009-01-17T01:01:00.000-06:00

San Antonio has some amazing ditches. This isn't one of them, but it does give you an idea of the canal system that runs throughout the city and suburbs. I am pretty sure that the reason for all of the rolling ditches is an attempt at erosion control. The area being more arid then Houston, I would have to assume that a hard rain can really take a toll on the countryside. Lucky for us it seems to never rain there, leaving the ditches bone dry for bust free skateboarding even during the business hours of the busy work week.

GIlmer's Favorite Texas Tree

2009-01-17T00:56:00.000-06:00

Jeff Gilmer thought this tree was cool looking, he seemed bummed that he didn't shoot it. For a guy who seems to know when and when not to pull out his camera, he seemed regretful when he told me this. I was surprised at that as he wasn't to bummed about missing any of the lower level skating that was going down. Wish I knew how he did it, I have a tendency to film everything.

Guardrail into Bank

2009-01-17T00:48:00.000-06:00

This spot is officially the strangest out and over rail/bar/grindable object into bank that I have ever been to. Why they chose to roll and bolt this guardrail the way they did on the parking lot above is any ones guess. I tried to shoot the photo from below to give you an idea of the bank that you had to bomb any made tricks out of. Funny thing about banks on film or in photos, nothing makes them look as legit as being there in person. Have fun shooting this spot everyone, better get there at noon. Nothing like shooting into the shadow and having to pan out to show the make while shooting directly into the sun. Does anyone know anybody that would actually skate this at noon? I know how I felt at noon on this particular day, and all I had to do was point the camera.

Chrome Kool-Aid Man Cadillac

2009-01-17T00:40:00.000-06:00

San Antonio and all of Texas actually, has a way of turning out some of the most ridiculous cars. This one in particular had chrome "Kool-Aid Man" decals to accent the chrome double strap on the trunk and on either side of the back of the cab. I wish I had taken a closer picture but there was someone still inside and it wasn't exactly the nicest area. For an added touch when they pulled up they were treating all of us to a rattling base, and I do mean rattle! The bad kind, you know, like when a friend of your trys to put base in his or her car and it just ends up rattling the car to pieces. Not to mention that there was a small child riding along, and isn't there a suggested decible limit for small children? I don't have any kids but if I did, you wouldn't catch me running around with them in my rattling Cadillac.

Virgin Over the Grate Ledge

2009-01-15T09:52:00.000-06:00

J Lo ended up taking us into this one area of San Antonio that looked like it was a theme park. Everything was perfectly maintained and in it's right place. He wanted to show us an over the grate ledge that he was itching to break in. As the crew was taking a look at it at the end of an alley a golf cart with a flashing light shot by. We know that they didn't notice us, but it is hard to get going on a ledge that isn't even broken in yet when you know that the bust factor is high. I opted to call it off as I didn't really want to spend the night in jail, it just felt like that kind of spot. Maybe when we go back next time the block will already be broken in and we can get in and get out.

Black Banked Ledge San Antonio

2009-01-15T00:58:00.000-06:00

This was our first spot once we met up with our tour guide, J Lo. This place was a lot of fun and from the footage that I had seen on http://www.fourduos.com/ I was leery of it being all chunky. Don't let the paint fool you, this ledge is in great shape. On one end you can bonk to grind and as usual everyone made it out of there with a clip or two. Dakota won the session though with three usable clips. Some people took some slams but all in all everyone ended up coming through. We even had a San Antonio police officer pull up and when I went to shut down the generator he just said,"I just wanted to see some tricks." Another great start in a new city for the crew. I even think that Jeff Gilmer shot some sequences and maybe a still, so that ought to tell you something.

San Antonio Outskirts

2009-01-15T00:52:00.000-06:00

Since the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex was being hit with a harsh cold front the crew decided it was time to head south and get out of the cold. San Antonio had some bank ledges that everyone was looking forward to. Micheal Cross had no idea what was coming next. David Langston had been out there and stayed out there for extended periods of time so he had pretty much seen everything already. Dakota Roberson and I just like going when we get a chance to take a break from the shop. They have this one spot that I like to call "Perfect Ditch" and believe me, it is. Why I forgot to take a picture is any ones guess.

Guy Mariano Set Somewhere in Fort Worth

2009-01-15T00:28:00.001-06:00

So after lighting up and getting off to a great start on the trip Friday night the crew and I awoke to a 42 degree day, with windchill pushing the temperature down into the mid 30's. First thing we could come up with was a spot that might limit the amount of wind and actually give us a chance to warm up a little bit. The last time I was at this set of stairs waxing them and breaking them in was just an idea. You will notice a little bank to bank on either side of the set making the get in and get out have that little something extra. The kids in Fort Worth look like they have been working on this spot for a while as no wax was needed to get the clips that we shot as we fought off mother nature. If you have seen Lakai's Fully Flared you will notice that these are the stairs that Guy Mariano did the noseblunt slide nollie varial heel out on. Sounds ridiculous, just read that last statement. If you don't skateboard it looks like a foreign language, that's Guy for you, always expressing himself in a language all his own. Hence the come back part after a 10 year hiatus from professional skateboarding.

Introductions and Modelo

2009-01-14T00:55:00.000-06:00

This is the conclusion of our first day on the four day three city trip. You can tell by the picture that everyone was still feeling fresh and accomplished. Not really sure how Dakota was introduced to Modelo as a beer of choice but needless to say, he loves it. Jeff Gilmer in the back there kept things high class at all times which was a breath of fresh air. Micheal Cross in the foreground as it tuned out was down to skate every spot over the next four days, which is a feat within itself. Everyone is stoked, isn't that what skateboarding trips are all about, we were feeling it at this point.

End of the 1st Night with a 3 Flat 2 Session

2009-01-14T00:43:00.000-06:00

This isn't the first spot that we hit up in Dallas when we arrived there on Friday night but we did end up banging out a few good clips. We did have a small run in with Joe Citizen Hero exclaiming,"Do you guys have permission to do this?" as he cruised by us on his phone simulating a call to the authorities. Funny how his go to statement is one that you would use on students day in and day out. Awfully late for some coach to still be up at the school doing strange things. Shortly after a younger and more effeminate man came out of the building. I am not one to jump to conclusions but the context clues were all there for a possible homosexual rendezvous that might have been taking place inside the school. That of course was of no consequence to us as we continued to have our way with this double set. It took a gnarly cold front coming in, which in turn dropped the temperature 20 degrees in 20 minutes, to kill the session. One of my light stands went down and it cost me a bulb, it was worth it.

Last Minute Preparations...for the Team Trip

2009-01-14T00:22:00.000-06:00

So, a few days before embarking on our adventure Dakota Roberson lets me know that he is down to his last pair of Etnies, of which he is on flow. I make a Monday night call to the warehouse for him, seeing if we could get him taken care of, and within 48 hours these four pairs of RVM's show up. We love the shoe so much I am going to see about an at once or prebook, Etnies is coming back strong. Have you noticed? So sick to see the exact "non-slip grip" silhoette of when I was a kid come back with a vulcanized sole and even a Mid. The black/ white Mid is particularly strong I would say. They definitely skated really well and Dakota never complained about them at all, which is strange, he has a sneaker problem, anyone who knows him would agree.

Those two other posts I promised...

2009-01-14T00:14:00.000-06:00

So, here are those other links that are amazing on the Berrics. The first one is "Road to Romano" http://www.theberrics.com/dailyops.php?page=6 and the second is the photo gallery from the trip http://www.theberrics.com/gallery14.php and finally the last "Road from Romano" http://www.theberrics.com/dailyops.php?page=6 , so there was actually three more. Southside Skatepark would really like to give a big shout out to Steve Berra, Jason King, Donovan, Zach the Intern and Chris Roberts for coming out and helping us put Southside in the positive light that it is. Next year we need Eric Koston to come out and wreck shop, he did come out for a 4star tour just a week prior called Mapquest, but that is a story for another time.

2009-01-09T10:09:00.000-06:00

The Entire BERRICS came out for the Johnny Ramono Skate Jam on 11.08.08. They helped us raise $100,081 in a single day for the Make a Wish Foundation. After the main event Steve Berra and Jason King came back with the interns to shoot a small piece on Southside Skatepark. Check out the five various pieces that they did on us at the following links.
Initial Interview "Field Ops" with Bigo
http://www.theberrics.com/dailyopspost.php?postid=574
"Bangin" with David Langston and Dakota Roberson
http://www.theberrics.com/dailyopspost.php?postid=573
"Buttery Ass Mondays-Skateland Security"
http://www.theberrics.com/dailyopspost.php?postid=545
Hope you liked those as much as we did, there are two more features but I am heading out on a team trip across Texas with David Langston, Dakota Roberson and Micheal Cross (subbing in for Ben Raybourn). I will post up those other two links later on, take care and talk to you again soon.