Quick Hits Archive: March 13 - March 19

Apr 10 2008 / Los Angeles, CA

March 19, 2008

D.O.P.E. Free Screening In Beverly Hills
Published: 1:25 a.m. PT by Me

As reported earlier, ‘D.O.P.E: Death or Prison Eventually’, is a documentary that tracks the lives of four legendary skateboarders who rose to overwhelming success, to then later fall and crack under the pressures being young and successful. It features 1975-76 World Champion Bruce Logan, Dogtown’s Jay Adams, 1977 Freestyle Champion Dennis Martinez and aerial/style master Christian Hosoi.

I spoke highly about this film because it will give perspective to the little egotistic boogers out there that think they have it all because they’re so dope.

And here's what the press material says: “Stunning archival footage and current HD interviews take you on a rollercoaster ride through heaven and hell, where the highs of championship trophies are followed by the ultimate lows of addiction, homelessness, prison and death. Original music by Grammy winners ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, P.O.D. and SWITCHFOOT along with some exciting new musical groups is perfectly married with the gritty narration of famed actor, DANNY TREJO. The rise is steep, the fall is brutal and the redemption nothing less than miraculous.”

Luckily for all you Angelinos, the film will be screening at the Beverly Hills Film Festival located at Beverly Hills High on Friday April 11, and it’s free admission.





Skateboarding Is Coming To China
Published: 1:03 a.m. PT by Me

Just how the Beatles invaded the United States, skateboarding is currently doing the same in China. China is the fastest growing economy in the world and it's great to see that skateboarding and other action sports are getting a piece of the free market pie. Not to mention as featured in the skateboarding mag, China is quickly becoming the new Spain.

For now let’s forget that China is one of the largest polluters in the world, they exploit their own people, their communist government, and their indirect support of the genocide in Darfur, and let’s enjoy the lighter side of things over here with this press release.

Not only will there be skate park and vert comps, there will be a BMX Vert exhibition featuring, who else, Jamie Bestwick. On the skate side among the skaters to show up will be Rodolfo Ramos, Austen Seaholm, Pierre Luc Gagnon Andy Macdonald, Rune Glifberg and a bunch more...

B-Rad's Getting Extreme!
Published: 12:54 a.m. PT by Me

With a diverse range of roles such as a smooth talking con artist in “Ocean’s Eleven”, a non coherent gypsy in “Snatch”, or an oiled up chip n’ dale dancer in “Troy”, I thought to myself, is there anything Brad Pitt can’t do? Well he manages to keep the surprises coming by developing a motocross track on a five-acre plot of land at his new French mansion.

This addition to his new home will suit him nicely by helping him fit in with the French culture. It is also a widely known fact that B-Rad (as I like ot call him), is a genuine architectural connoisseur. Hopefully he will add some Gerryesque loops or some sweet Gaudiesque jumps.



Who's Your Favorite Skater?
Published: 12:20 a.m. PT by Me

I know that you’ve always wondered who my favorite skateboarders of all time are. I know that you’ve been losing sleep at night because of this. I’ve been leaving you hanging for some time now but today is your lucky day because I’m finally going to reveal who I enjoy the most. So here it goes...

My favorite skaters to watch live.
1. Rick Kosick
2. Paul Higgins (ESPN Analyst for X-Games Asia)
3. Christian Slater

My favorite skate parts.
1. Pat Chanita (H-Street Video just because of his red shoes)
2. Joey Surrell (World Video when they jump that poor kid at Lockwood)
3. Christian Slater (Gleaming the Cube)

Anyway, now that you feel fulfilled with my favorite skater picks, check out this video from SGV where a few skaters give their thoughts on their favorites.



Peanut Butter Rail Jam
Published: 12:11 a.m. PT by Me

Stop number 13 for the North American Peanut Butter & Rail Jam tour just took place in the beautiful Nova Scotia. The spring weather produced a nice soft terrain for the flat down box, a few rails, and the pipe.

Go over to the snowboard-mag for more info, results and some nice pictures.

March 18, 2008

Bam Margera / Chris Cole in Element Vid
Published: 2:12 a.m. PT by Me

The world needs more Bam Margera. And actually more Chris Cole ain't bad, either. Check out the latest episode of Element TV (#71 if you're counting) which shows off Bam having some fun in his new private park with Chris Cole and Kerry Getz. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeet.

I have done all the work for you and put the video below, but you can always check out more at the Element site.



No Action For Bells in Day One
Published: 2:12 a.m. PT by Me

There was no action today (Tuesday) for the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach for the guys. It was the first day of the holding period for the men's contest while the women's contest holding period starts tomorrow (the 19th). But since we're talking Australia it will be tomorrow later today.

I'm confused.

Oh well, just be sure to check out the official site starting about 10 hours from now to see if the event's on. Until then, check out the Rip Curl-sponsored world champion surfers next to the Bells' Beach trophy. Mick Fanning did win here in 2001, while Stephanie Gilmore was champ in 2007.



Konttinen Wins at Quiksilver Snow Jam
Published: 1:59 A.m. PT by Me

The beautiful landscape of the Czech Republic was the setting for the Swatch TTR 3-Star Quiksilver Snow Jam this past weekend in Pec pod Snezkou. The contest was a slope style setup blessed with a blanket of snowfall the night before getting everyone ready for the first day of qualifiers.

It was Teo Konttinen from Finland who was takes the 3-Star Title and 550 TT R Ranking points, plus the 1st place cash prize of the 12 thousand euro purse.

The evening was set for the leading 20 riders to compete in the Quiksilver Snow Jam best trick contest. Each best tricked earned the riders 50 Euros in cash. That’s just enough cash for some late night drinking and partying; a sport, which the Czech’s dominate.

Check out the Top Ten Results for the Quiksilver Snow Jam
1. Teo Konttinen FIN
2. Matti Kinnunen FIN
3. Martin Cernik CZE
4. Marc Swoboda AUT
5. Jan Zajic CZE
6. Jesse Rontti FIN
7. Matej Novak CZE
8. Tuomas Alapieti FIN
9. Ville Paumola FIN
10. Matej Matys SVK




Darkstar Southern Tour
Published: 1:38 a.m. PT by Me

Darkstar took a skateboard tour this past summer across the South. The clean and squeaky south. Here is a quick edited montage of their skate park demos with skaters Chet Thomas, Paul Machnau, Gailea Momolou, PLG, Terell Robinson, and more.



Official Skate Contest in Sacto
Published: 1:15 a.m. PT by Mike

It’s official; streetwear hat brand Official will be holding its “Will Skate For Money” skate contest on April 6th. If you have never heard of Official before they are mostly a streetwear brand that do the occasional skate collaboration. It was conceptualized by Jason Maggio who is founder of street culture magazine Vapors, in December 2006. They constantly keep a fresh flow of hat designs to their shops. They’re pretty fresh so check them out.

Click here for past episodes of Official.

Anyway the contest takes place at a secret location until announced on April 5th one of the most colorful and romantic cities in the United States; Sacramento (a.k.a. "cow-town"). There’s a $300 prize for best trick so check it out if you have a dope trick in your arsenal of tricks. But just promise that if you show up, try not to look as bummed as the kid in the flyer below.


The Basics With Paul Rodriguez
Published: 12:52 a.m. PT by Mike

Have you ever wished you could do a backside 5-0 grind? Well here’s your chance because Paul Rodriguez or as they call him on the streets “Rod Rig” will teach you on another edition of Plan B’s. “The Basics”

Now when you watch this, don’t think you will be able to grind as long or as cleanly as Rod Rig. And I think the demonstration he provides is due to his pristine truck sponsor Silver, which he so proudly represents on his t-shirt. Anyway, watch this and then go outside and learn. Then come back inside to be disappointed and then turn on your Sony Playstation.



Botner Victory at Nordic Open
Published: 12:29 a.m. PT by Me

The $10,000 Swatch TTR 3-Star Nordic Open at the Hemsedal Park in Norway took place this weekend with beautiful conditions and perfect weather (until the finals). Hemesdal is one of the sickest parks in all of Europe and rider Eric Botner took full advantage of home court to take first place after results were taken from the semi-finals due to a blizzard canceling the finals. On the women’s side, Norwegian rider Sigri Heen took home first place and 550 TTR Ranking Points.

Go to the snowboard-mag for more info and pics.



Epicly Later'd Episode 14: John Cardiel
Published: 12:08 a.m. PT by Me

Man, this John Cardiel series of Epicly Later’d is going to make for a really good documentary. I hope they release this in full some day. This episode chronicles the events and settings that lead up to John getting paralyzed during the filming of Tent City. It’s a really heartbreaking story to see how everyone there reacted to the accident and how things just seemed to abruptly change for all of them.

March 17, 2008

Louie Vito, Kelly Clark Close Out Grand Prix Season With Wins
Published: 12:58 a.m. PT by Me

After a day's delay, the halfpipe finals went down Sunday at the US Snowboarding Grand Prix finale in Killington, Vermont. Louie Vito won the men's event, as well as the overall season title -- an honor that earned him a brand-new Chevy Avalanche. For the women, Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark took also took the women's event and season title.

"I'm stoked on the truck. I got beat out of the tie breaker last year so I guess I had to wait a year but now I have a fresh looking Avalanche and it feels good to get it," Vito said.

Clark won the season title last year, so she had plans for her new Avalanche.

"I'm going to give my truck to my dad because I won one last year. My dad really needs a new car and I think my whole family will be really happy if I give it to him."

The finals were delayed thanks to poor weather on Saturday. Kicking off action in the morning was a Slopestyle session, won by Janne Korpi for the men and Claudia Fliri for the women.

Read more at the US Snowboarding site.

OFFICIAL RESULTS - 2008 CHEVY U.S. SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX
Killington, VT - March 16, 2008
Halfpipe

Men
1. Louie Vito, Columbus, OH, 45.40
2. Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 44.20
3. Peetu Piiroinen, Finland, 43.90

Women
1. Kelly Clark, West Dover, VT, 46.40
2. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 43.60
3. Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 39.90

Mick Fanning Weds; Kelly Slater Coming to Bells
Published: 12:37 a.m. PT by Me

It's been a busy weekend down under. The Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach is coming this week and after much speculation, it appears that yes, after all, Kelly Slater will be there. Slater said he didn't plan on attending after winning the first event of the season at the Gold Coast, but his fellow pros took it with a grain of salt -- with good reason.

"It’s just his style," Taj Burrow told The West Australian. "He normally turns up at the last minute, even late for his heat sometimes, and blows people out of the water."

Current world champ and runner up to Slater at the Quiksilver Pro Mick Fanning has other concerns -- the 26-year-old married Karissa Dalton on Saturday.

"That’s his deal,” he said. "I’m not going to worry about what other people are doing."

Fanning's wedding was held at a golf course on the Gold Coast and guests, including Joel Parkinson, Dean Morrison and Mark Occhilupo, dressed up in 19th-century costumes.

The Rip Curl Pro could kick off as early as later today US time (which would be morning of the 18th in Australia). Check out the official site to watch action live.

Colby West Gets Double Honors at Ski Halfpipe at 48Straight in Sun Valley
Published: 12:10 a.m. PT by Me

Colby West put a nice cap on his season by taking the Paul Mitchell Halfpipe Competition at the 48Straight event at Sun Valley, ID, and in the process taking the season-long title. Coming in second was J.P. Solberg and Simon Dumont took third.

Following the halfpipe event, the skiers took part in the "Monster Hit" compeition, which essentially was a best trick contest. Peter Olenick took first, followed by Solberg, Dumont and West.

Check out the Jeep Skiing site for more.

FINAL RESULTS – PAUL MITCHELL SKI HALFPIPE COMPETITION
March 16, 2008 - Sun Valley, ID

1. Colby West – Canterbury, N.H. 92.2
2. J.P. Solberg – Waterville Valley, N.H. 90.0
3. Simon Dumont – Bethel, Maine 86.8
4. Peter Olenick – Aspen, Colo. 79.8

FINAL RESULTS – “MONSTER HIT” SKI HALFPIPE COMPETITION
March 16, 2008 - Sun Valley, ID

1. Peter Olenick – Aspen, Colo.
2. J.P. Solberg – Waterville Valley, N.H.
3. Simon Dumont – Bethel, Maine
4. Colby West – Canterbury, N.H.

48STRAIGHT SEASON CHAMPION – Colby West

March 16, 2008

Grand Prix Halfpipe Delayed Until Today
Published: 1:59 a.m. PT by Me

The final US Snowboarding Grand Prix of the season saw weather drive the halfpipe final until Sunday.

"Safety is number one. The wellbeing of our riders is our primary goal," said Halfpipe Head Coach Mike Jankowski. "We're putting on a good contest and giving away an awesome truck, but without safety, there's no event."

A jam session was held for those who were on hand and Elijah Teter took a Rip It Trick of the Day award for a switch alleyoop mctwist.

If you want to catch the halfpipe finals, go to WCSN.com around 2:30 p.m. ET. The slopestyle finals will also take place today...

More about the delay at the US Snowboarding site.

Ski / Snowboard Cross Results From Jeep KOM / 48Straight
Published: 1:37 a.m. PT by Me

Two days of action are complete at Jeep King of the Mountain at 48Straight in Sun Valley, CA. Friday saw the finals of the snowboard cross event, won by Nate Holland for the men and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof for the women. Snowboarding legend Shaun Palmer took the season-long title (he finished second in Sun Valley) and Chythlook-Sifsof won the women's overall title.

On Saturday, the ski cross finals took place with Chris Del Bosco and Julia Murray taking the event title, while event second-place Tomas Kraus took the season title for the men. Sweden's Magdalena Jonsson, who finished third in Sun Valley, was the women's overall title holder.

Action continues on Sunday with the halfpipe final.

Get more details about the event here.


Fanning to Repeat as World Tour Champ? You Can Bet On It! Literally.
Published: 1:02 a.m. PT by Me

You've got to hand it to the surf industry. I don't think I've ever heard of being able to bet on who will win the Tampa Pro or the JoMo Pro, but you can bet on every event of the ASP World Tour via not one, but at least two websites. It starts at the website Surfing-Odds.com. There you can find out the published odds for any one contest (right now Kelly Slater has 6-1 odds to win at Bells) or for the World Tour title (Fanning leads at 3.5-1).

Surfing-Odds isn't a gambling site, rather it's "a great tool to further increase your enjoyment of the Fosters ASP Pro Tour," according to the website. But it has some handy links to "partners" who will take your bets on either the contests or World Title Race.

You can check out the site yourself, but here are some of the more interesting picks for the title race:

- Andy Irons (7-1)
- Joel Parkinson (8.5-1)
- Taj Burrow (12-1)
- Jordy Smith (19-1)
- Dane Reynolds (40-1)
- Royden Bryson (250-1)

Travis Pastrana and Robbie Maddison Go Country
Published: 12:31 a.m. PT by Me

FMX rider Travis Pastrana and Robbie Maddison are going "country" for a commercial being filmed to promote a Red Bull X-Fighters stop in Ft. Worth, Texas. The two riders teamed up with five bull riders in the spot, which will be broadcast throughout the world. In the US, the event will be broadcast on Fox, but it will be webcast as well by Red Bull.

No word on specifics about the commercial, but soon enough it should be released. Get a few more details here.

If it's Sunday it Must Be Time For Surfing Mice
Published: 12:11 a.m. PT by Me

Times have changed. When I found mice in my house, we would set traps and that was that. Now I see how silly I was. I should have set them up with a longboard.

Actually, the best thing about this video is actually the comments on YouTube itself. Are they rats? Is it cruel to soak mice in water? I never realized the controversy surfing mice could cause. See the video below but read the comments here.

March 15, 2008

Hot Moves and Hot Dogs This Weekend
Published: 5:33 p.m. PT by Mike

If you’re a fan of yummy, delicious, skateboard tricks and gnarly, extreme, hot dogs, then don’t forget that the first tour stop of the “Hot Moves and Hot Dogs” skate demo presented by Vox Footwear kicks off this weekend in San Diego at the OB Park. Another date has been added at the Skate Lab on the 20th of April for a more convenient to those of you in the boon docks.

Check out the flyer below for all the info…



Nissan O'Neill Live Webcast Today
Published: 1:22 a.m. PT by Mike

Don’t forget that today is the Nissan O’Neill Extreme Live webcast on Freecaster.tv. The webcast will start at 9:15 CT and I’m sure many of you will be up early for that, especially those of you on the west coast. So make sure you don’t miss a thing at the grand finale of the Nissan Freeride World Tour 2008.



Yo OC'sters, Your Chance To Meet Sheckler
Published: 12:59 a.m. PT by Mike

How ironic? A few posts below I commented on the media’s influence on skateboarding and how it has given birth to thousands of posers worldwide. Specifically in the O.C. area where I have lately been spending a good amount of time. Well for you “Life of Ryan” fans, here's a reminder that Ryan Sheckler is coming out to you for a weekend of signing autographs. Where? The O.C! Cool! Now is your chance to meet one of your MTV heroes. I might go and ask him to sign one my biceps.

And what better place to do a signing for skateboarders than the mall? I’m sure all the real skaters will show up for these. First mall stop for Ryan is the Brea Mall. Now I know the Brea Mall like the back of my hand. Besides me being a mall rat, I had a girlfriend who worked at Macy’s there. The hours I’ve logged at that mall is close to amazing. Depressing actually.

The next mall is The Block At Orange. Can’t say I’ve spent much time there but I think that mall has a skate park so it has to be a hundred times as brocious as Brea.

Anyways I have to go. I’m going to camp outside to make sure I’m first in line. While I wait, I’ll be doing my bicep exercises.

Bye. Oh yeah, and be sure to check out the flyer below for the scheduled time and place. Good thing I already have a head start.



Steve-O is F***ing Crazy - Legally
Published: 12:35 a.m. PT by Me

Speaking of Jackassworld (see the item below), the site has an update on Steve-O, the Jackass/Wild Boy who was hospitalized a few days ago. You may have heard about it (if you don't read TMZ, well, then we're telling you about it now) but more details have come out.

First off, Johnny Knoxville introduces the blog post by telling everyone that he and a group of six friends (Jeff Tremaine, Big Regg, Swizz, Rick Kosick, Dimitry Elyashkevich, Cordell Mansfield and Trip Taylor) went, with the blessings of Steve-O's family to confront him at his apartment to convince him to get help for a spiraling out of control life. When Steve-O refused, they had him committed. Ouch.

We told him we wanted him to get help and when he refused we told him we were taking him to get help regardless of what he wanted. It was a helluva thing to have to do and a sad thing to do but it was the right thing to do. I lost a lot of tears when I came home from admitting Steve-O into the 5150 ward and I’m not ashamed to say I’ve lost a few tears since. Knoxville wrote.

Then he introduces a note from Steve-O himself, sent to friends by his assistant. Here's an excerpt:

I figured that, since I am an extraordinarily “tough” individual, I could handle it, and my legacy would be comprised of only that which could be described as “intense.” After four days in a psychiatric ward, a.k.a. “looney bin,” a.k.a. “cuckoo’s nest,” it has dawned on me that a great deal of what I produced, while on narcotics-induced “highs,” was a bunch of manic bullsh*t that made little-to-no sense and, furthermore, was devastating to those who love me the most.

At this point, I am no longer “5150-status,” which was the three-day “hold” on me, resulting from suicidal behavior. I am now “5250-status,” which means that the “hold” has been extended to 14 days, for the exact same reasons. I’m not getting out of this “insane asylum” any time in the immediate future, so I’m going to learn as much from the experience as possible. So far, I’ve figured out that I did a great deal of damage to my brain by abusing drugs and, now that they’ve all worn off, I’m facing the consequences. I suppose it is an ironic “eye for an eye” situation that I am in, coping with the lowest “lows” that I’ve ever experienced as a form of punishment for the emotional distress that I have put my loved ones through with the self-destructive behavior that led me here.

It's heavy stuff. And he's obviously reached the bottom of that valley that many addicts and people with destructive behavior have to get to before they can climb back out.

You should check it out. Let's hope this is the start of something positive.

And to show that Knoxville and company haven't lost their sense of humor about this, check out the image they have accompanying the blog entry. Lol!


Big Brother is Back!
Published: 12:19 a.m. PT by Mike

As far back as I could remember Big Brother Magazine was probably the most irreverent, visual, and mind-stimulating magazine encapsulated within an attractive, high quality, and glossy finish. A lot of the content back then got Big Brother into trouble a lot of the time with parents, and activist groups. That is why it attracted so many readers. It actually got a lot of my friends who didn’t read, to read. It was almost like the equivalent to having access to porno magazines as a kid. Ironically when it Larry Flynt Publications (a.k.a. Hustler) bought Big Brother in 1997, the content toned down dramatically.

Regardless, that’s why it is a triumphant day for skaters all around because after four long years, Big Brother Magazine is back. I’m not sure if the articles will have the same kind of aura it had back in the day since skateboarding is a lot bigger and people are sue happy, but with the same contributors involved including Dave Carnie, Sean Cliver, Rick Kosick, Dimitry Elyashkevich, Earl Parker, and Jeff Tremaine, the magazine should still be special.

Also if you are reminiscing about the old issues, don’t worry because Big Brother is planning to post all the back issues online.

“Right now the plan is that Big Brother will be a section of Jackassworld,” says Tremaine. “We’re going to put up all the back issues and anything we do skateboarding-related will be housed there as well.”



Epicly Later'd John Cardiel: Episode 13
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Mike

2003 was a time when skateboarding experienced a boom in big, marketable, names with even bigger paychecks to go along with multi-million dollar skate enterprises. The sport had experienced a wealth of indulgence like never before. It was a time when skateboarding was finally acceptable by all facets of society. With probably the best video games on the market and perhaps the best shows on MTV based around Bam and them, the skateboarding lifestyle was very appealing. And what happens when something gets as widely accepted as skateboarding? You get a whole bunch of posers or people skating for the wrong reasons.

These are kids who will buy a particular pair of kicks but are afraid to skate in them. Or something I’ve even been noticing a lot lately; kids who carry around their boards as if it were an accessory like a purse of some sorts. While visiting my friend in Orange County, I noticed that there are loads of skaters everywhere. But I would say only about one-third of them actually use their boards to skate around. What’s the point?

I’m not trying to alienate those who are new to skating. I’m just trying to encourage you to quit posing. Don’t look at all gaudy diamonds and nice cars that a lot of the top pros like to flaunt, but rather look at the lifestyle and opportunities that it can open for you.

And that is why I encourage you to watch this episode of Epicly Later’d with John Cardiel. It’s part 13 of 16 and probably my favorite episode thus far. It features the making of 2003 Skate Documentary “Tent City” directed by Buddy Nichols and Rich Charnoski. The film went against the grain of what was then, the standard of skate culture. You wouldn’t see any flossing SUV’s or flamboyant hotels. It was a 4-week skate tour across Australia that gave you a sense of appreciation for not just skating, but life itself. It was a refreshing yet gritty look at skaters who skate for the love of it all. The film makes one realize that taking the slower method of the roads less traveled are much more fulfilling.

If you’ve got any cool road trip stories and pics, send them over. We’d like to hear about them. And maybe post them. In the meantime, enjoy this.

March 14, 2008

Prepping For the Tampa Pro
Published: 2:01 a.m. PT by Me

As you can probably guess, we're stoked about the upcoming Tampa Pro, which is only about a week away. First of all, we're hoping Austen Seaholm will win second and throw his trophy again. Barring that, maybe Rob Drydek will make it rain again.... But whatever is this year's defining moment we'll be watching. In advance of the event, check out this interview with the guys behind the event at SPoTlight Productions (The SPT stands for Skatepark of Tampa -- makes sense, right?). While it's not really a preview of the event, it gives you an idea about the crew that puts on some of the top skate events across the globe (and that's not just our opinion).

Anyway, it's a good read. Check it then prep for the Tampa Pro which kicks off on March 21 and ends the 23rd with a webcast of the action...

Sam Page Is Back Surfing
Published: 1:49 a.m. PT by Mike

About a year ago we wrote an article about young professional surfer Sam Page who last year was celebrating a huge stepping stone in any young man’s life: his 21st birthday. Unfortunately, while clubbing at a bar, he fell victim to a bouncer bashing, which left him in a coma for nearly a week and had him clinging on to life. The bouncer is now facing charges before the court.

A year later, I’m glad to report that Sam Page is back on the professional circuit and yesterday made an appearance at the Arrive Alive Pro on the Central Coast. Not only did he make an appearance, he made it past the 2nd and 3rd rounds and will be back in action today.

"It's so good to be back surfing competitively again. It's a relief as I was really nervous out there but right now I just feel great," he said after advancing through the third round.

"Hopefully I can keep going further here - it's just so good to be back. I don't want any revenge for what went on," he said last month. There are worse things going on in this world."

His attitude and words regarding the incident are inspiring for the fact that he can look beyond what had happened to him and focus on surfing again.

But really, I think something needs to be done about these bouncers because I’m sure you’ve all had to deal with them before. Especially the ones at the clubs where I tend to stay away from but am sometimes forced to shwo up. I like to call them the “shiney shirt clubs”. Now this is a complete generalization and not all of them are like this, but some of these dudes are either college football or law enforcemnt rejects that have pinto beans for brains. Dudes get these power trips and this sort of thing happens.

But really glad to have Sam back.



Shaun White: HAHAHAHAHA...
Published: 1:22 a.m. PT by Mike

…HAHAHAHA. Sorry I couldn’t get over the ESPN The Magazine 10 Year Anniversary Issue cover. First of all, of 10 years covering every sport from football, to golf, to basketball, to poker, how did Shaun White get the cover? Not only did he land the cover, but landed such an awesome photo frizbee’ing a hat? I hope that one day if I get married, my wedding photos would be similar to this. And I guess that if you were to choose an athlete to do that same pose, Lebron James, Tiger Woods, Dale Earnhardt Jr. or any other athlete would not do. Only Shaun White can pull such a sweet photo.

To be clear, White's not the only cover boy (or girl) for the issue -- there are actually FIVE versions of the mag with TWO covers.  Confused yet?  Well, maybe if I tell you the hat is a prop each person has to pose with it begins to make sense.  Actually, not really, there's more.  Five of the covers signify the "future" and five the "past."  So which is Shaun part of?  The past -- after all, he was all of 11 when the magazine launched and really, aren't his best years behind him?  Other "past" greats are people like running back LaDanian Tomlinson and tennis players Venus & Serena Williams (okay, yeah they are the past). 

And in case you care, the "future" athletes include QB Vince Young and race care driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Oh, and 14-year baseball vet Alex Rodriguez...  Yes, he is absolutely the future of baseball.  What, Barry Bonds turned them down?

Whatever...  if you're really interested in the 10 years of ESPN Mag, check out more info here.



New Hi Shredability Series: "Pipeline Masters"
Published: 1:03 a.m. PT by Mike

VBS.tv has a knack for making people interested in different cultures, whether it is gun manufacturers in Pakistan, the grueling and competitive world of Mixed Martial Arts, or guys that like to bone donkeys. All of these topics and many others can be found in the immersionism-type journalism found on VBS.tv.

So if you’ve never really had an interest in surfing, here’s your chance. VBS.tv show Hi Shredability has a new 6 part series called “The Pipemasters”, which is obviously about the Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. The event started back in the 70’s that consisted of a card table, six guys, and $1000 first prize.

Since its conception, it has turned into one of (if not) the most anticipated surfing events in the world. The event is characterized by its one-of-a-kind waves only found at the Pipeline.

In addition to talking about the surf culture it includes interviews with Sunny Garcia, Jamie O’Brien, Ian Walsh, and Mick Fanning.

Episode 1: Hi Shredability attends the Triple Crown of Surfing’s grand finale. It also includes what kind of crap you can get into if you cut someone off, namely Sunny Garica. Quite funny actually.

Episode 2: Sunny Garcia is interviewed on poaching waves, and also features his charity work during Christmas time. This episode also includes my type of Santa Claus with a nice tan and shades. He also has a cool accent.


Click here for past episodes of Hi-Shredablity.

Tony Hawk: Young Leaders Club 08
Published: 12:56 a.m. PT by Mike

Yesterday someone had asked me what names automatically pop into my mind when it comes to young people who have achieved a lot within their youthful fulfilling lives. Well, I responded, Ryan Cabrera, Perez Hilton, and Ryan Seacrest. Unfortunately none of these guys were among the 242 overachievers named as ‘Young Global Leaders’ by the World Economic Forum. But Leonardo DiCaprio and Tony Hawk were.

Read the article here. Hopefully it will inspire Ryan, Perez, and Ryan to make it for next year's list. They better not let me down!


Pastrana Has 190 More Lives Than A Cat
Published: 12:29 a.m. PT by Mike

Although I’m not a big fan, I would have to say that Moto X not only tops all other “Extreme Sports” as having the crappiest name, but also has to be the most difficult of all the sports. Well maybe not the most difficult, but probably the most grueling on one’s body. Those guys make neck braces look like the newest "in" thing.

But anyway, there’s a new film called “199Lives” that documents “Extreme Sports Legend” Travis Pastrana as he cheats death. The documentary had won Best Film at this past January’s X Dance Film Festival but for most, the only way to see the movie will be when it comes out on DVD, right? Well, not in this case, actually. The movie is actually getting a limited theatrical release on April 16 and 17 at 385 theatres across the nation. So you can see it on the big screen

Read more about the film here and to see if it will be playing at a theatre near you click here.



Silver Truck Paul Rodriguez Style
Published: 12:12 a.m. PT by Mike

Man, if they were ever to make a truck look like a Mercedes Benz, I guess they pulled it off. Check out this clip featuring Paul Rodriguez or as I like to call him Rod-Rig and his new trucks. Nice. It seems that no matter what Rod-Rig is apart of, it just personifies his style. Smooth! Wow that sounds pretty homo erotic but still, even with that burley stash he's got in this video, it's still clean.

March 13, 2008

"Insight" Gets Premiere at Red Bull
Published: 1:42 a.m. PT by Greg

RideBMX held the premiere of "Insight," its latest video, at Red Bull's Santa Monica headquarters last night. As guests arrived, they were treated to an open bar featuring (what else) Red Bull and vodka and a DJ playing some choice tunes next to a huge wave-like sculpture that dominates the buidling. There was a solid representation of the west coast BMX community (it's no State College, but it's home) including some of the featured riders in the film, along with most of the RideBMX staff.

The magazine's editor, Keith Mulligan, introduced the film to a raucous crowd of about 150 people inside Red Bull's own theater and the action didn't disappoint.

Dakota Roche's segment kicked it off with a L.A. flavor, followed by Chester Blacksmith -- a crowd favorite -- whose injury-shortened segment featured a crazy trick on a tree that brought the house down. Darryl Tocco and Jerad Washington's segments followed before Mike Brennan came on the screen. Shouts of "Iron Mike" greeted his sick part, probably the best of the whole night if only because of using "Eye of the Tiger" for music. But he backed it up with some tricks including a huge barspin down an insane set. Davey Watson closed out the action with another crowd-pleaser before the audience was treated to a crash reel.

The audience hung around the bar for a good while before people started to leave for the after party but a few attendees were sure to take full advantage of the free Red Bull, including Watson, who liberated a couple of cases to go along with a bottle of Skyy Vodka he had procured. But who could blame him -- he put on quite a show and deserved his fun.

Check out the RideBMX for more about the DVD and check out the trailer below (plus a couple of pics from the night).



X Games Brazil
Published: 5:33 p.m. PT by Mike

The X Games is going even more international. With already an X games in the North America and in Asia, X Games Brazil is about to make a dent in the Olympics of extreme sports. That’s pretty extreme! A lot of Brazilians like Sandro Dias and Bob Burnquist are well known skaters in the industry but there are plenty of other Brazilians and other South Americans that aren’t able to make a name for themselves because of location and lack of exposure. Well here’s there chance to show off their skillz, (with a Z) in the discipline of either Skateboarding, Vert Skating, BMX Vert, BMX street, Moto X Best Trick, Blading Flare, Blading Big Air, and Best Blading Spandex. Acutally those last three I just made up right now, but maybe the X Games officials will read this and agree that they should be included.

"We are very excited about bringing the X Games back to Brazil," said Rick Alessandri, managing director, X Games Franchise. "The excitement of the X Games transcends cultures and borders and we‚re thrilled to bring our event to a region of the world that shares such a strong passion for action sports."

"We are pleased to work with Reunion Sports & Marketing to bring X Games Brazil to Sao Paulo" said German von Hartenstein, Managing Director, ESPN in Brazil. "We look forward to hosting these world-class athletes in Brazil and watching them compete with the country's best action sports athletes"

ESPN will be producing 15 hours of original programming from the X Games Brazil . This should be a fun event and hopefully they will incorporate the Brazilian Wax Special. This will take place on April 25 – 27.



Some Extra Cache Footage
Published: 1:11 a.m. PT by Mike

The new redesigned Cliché website is pretty fresh. They have updated the site with plenty of content, including some newly shot footage. The Cliché Déjà vu DVD’s will be available for sale on the site in April, but for now, they will be releasing 9 short clips to help ease the pain of not getting it right away. For the first clip, check out Ricardo Fonseca shot in Brisbane back in 2002.

Tahoe Instead of Mexico???
Published: 12:51 a.m. PT by Mike

It looks like many other resorts are trying to convince spring breakers to come out to the mountains instead of south of the border. Like I wrote yesterday, I wish I liked snow so that I could be up there enjoying the snowfall with girls in bikinis up at Bear Mountain. Well the Tahoe Resort is doing the same by offering plenty of attractive events this coming April. Let’s compare the pros of the mountains vs. TJ, Mexico.

MEXICO
1.Legal age to drink is 18.
2.Cheap sombreros.
3.Delicious donkey meats tacos.
4.Donkey shows.
5.Wonderful reggae-tone music.

But when you compare all these positives, which can also be considered negatives btw, there are definitely many negatives in TJ. I’ve experienced them personally and I’ve got to say, they make some great stories. Email me if you would like to see some of the footage!!

Anyway, check out what Tahoe has to offer (forgive me for pulling from their PR, but it gives you the idea...):

Spring 3-Paks are now on sale! Adults can ski/ride for $45 per day while Young Adults (13 to 22) can take advantage of lift tickets for only $37 per day. A roundtrip to Sierra Resort from Sacramento only takes about one tank of gas - making the entire experience one of the best value-oriented day trips from California 's capital city. Spring 3-Paks are non-transferable.

Spring Fiesta events include:
BLOCK Party Rail Jam on March 29. Professional snowboarders will throw down on custom-built features in Sierra Resort's terrain parks. Sponsored by pro-rider Mark Frank Montoya, this competition is a who's who of snowboarding's top freestyle riders.

Dog Days of Spring on March 30. Hosted by the Sierra Resort Ski Patrol, this 1st annual event includes a rescue dog demonstration, an avalanche beacon hunt and a visit by CalStar's rescue helicopter as well as the Ski Patrol Olympics!

The 5th Annual Telegrass on April 5 & 6. Nothing says "springtime in the mountains" like enjoying a beer and live bluegrass music in the sunshine while trying to dance in ski boots. The Telegrass festival offers two days of telemark clinics, bluegrass music, free telemark equipment demos and a carefree vibe that comes naturally when you free your heels. New Belgium Brewing will be on hand with their seasonal brews.

Queen of the Park on April 12. Girls rule at this slopestyle event complete with female djs spinning tunes. Competitors can nominate a "token male" to compete in a separate rail and box competition.

Guests can take advantage of great deals on lodging packages in nearby South Lake Tahoe . Sierra Resort's convenient online central reservations page makes it easy to book a spring weekend in the mountains. Guests can also call 877-SKI-2-STAY to book.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort:  Known for its wind-protected slopes, incredible tree skiing, family programs and parks and pipes that are among the best in the nation, Sierra Resort is committed to being part of the solution to environmental conservation. Environmentally responsible operations that include parking spots reserved for guests driving hybrid vehicles and the use of eco-friendly cleaning products resort-wide let our guests know that we care about the land around us as much as they do. We have also partnered with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and the National Forest Foundation to offer our guests a convenient way to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.

World Quarterpipe Championships
Published: 12:29 a.m. PT by Mike

In recognition of Easter Sunday, the World Quarterpipe Championships and its re-birth will celebrate being re-born. It will be taking place at the Timber Ridge private resort in Londonderry, Vermont, on the backside of Magic Mountain on March 23rd and 24th.

And the awesome thing about this competition is that it’s an open event. So whether you’re pro sponsored by all the top brands with the freshest gear and nicest style, or if you’re a wuss and you hate snow (like myself) and you borrow your sister’s snowboard and snow cap and get made fun of while your snowboarding down the bunny slope... this competition is for you. Plus this year will have the best quarterpipe that the event has ever seen.

Check out the flyer below for all the major details and for the bunny slope riders entering this competition, make us proud! I’ll be thinking about you while I’m doing my Easter egg hunt.



Verte X Etnies
Published: 12:03 a.m. PT by Mike

So you think you can ollie high huh? Well think again, because with this gear you can increase your ollie height. So if right now you can ollie like Josh Beagle, wearing these will allow you to ollie like Kien Lieu.

If you haven’t seen these yet, this is the new collaboration between Etnies and NYC apparel company Verte. These leathered out sneakers are pretty dope and if you want to look really fresh, there’s a matching jacket. Now all they need are some matching leather pants, preferably the tight Twisted Sister type of leather pants. These will be available at the to cool for school skate shops starting this summer in June.

View Previous Quick Hits Entries From March 6 - March 12, 2008