Street Art/Skate Life Collage

SkateboardingandGraffiti

Mix of Banksy’s street work and skating

Victor Garakan-Video Shoot

Featured skater Taylor “Abu” Licklider

Video Rewind: Darkstar Battalion

This video was released in 2003 and features some great skateboarders including Chet Thomas, Paul Machnau, Chris Dubstaff, Mike Hastie, Sven Kilchnmann, and alot of others.

*The video starts out with a black and white montage of high flying stunted action from the team, alot of which is tightly slo-moed, and then fades into a sequence of a huge black and white darkstar flag blowing in the wind while a trippy voice laughs in over it with psychedelic like repitition. A h A h A h ah ah ah.. 

 High points of the video are the nice selection of musical tracks from rock to rap, as well as, crazy clips of Mike Hastie bustin into a skate spot after being hastled by security guards many times before.  While it might be a bit harsh, at one point he yells”F*(&^ into one older security gaurds face  and persist to skate even while she tells him to leave.  His antics are  out of the ordinary and what some might call” rediculous” at this point, but the video part definetly shows a strong commitement to the board.

One whack sequence is when Guy Kampfen tries a nollie half-cab down a ledge drop along some stairs but slips back at the heels before landing, and crunches his arm at the elbow.  There is a moment in slow motion that shows the hyperextending of his arm into the opposite direction just before it breaks.  So nasty looking, but again, shows the commitment to the board.  

Here is a clip from the video of Chet Thomas showing his power on the board and representing the Darkstar Team.

Skater Inside View: Cody Glenn.

What’s your name? Cody Glenn

How long have you skated? I have been skating heavy for 9 years.

How old are you and where do you live? I am 23 years old.

I live in Elizabethtown, Ky.

What is your main thrill as a skateboarder? My main thrill as a skateboarder is just going out traveling seeing new places. While at the same time just being out in the open rolling around with the wind against you. On the occasion doing something big and getting props from some of the local skaters.

How do you feel about street skating over park skating? I feel that street skating allows me to express myself more. When I street skate I can go wherever the wind takes me, and just cruise. Also when I street skate there are not a whole lot of spectators. When ever I skate park it is the complete opposite, it’s almost like your competing with the other skaters at the park so you can hit the ramps. At parks you have to find the right opening and if you accidentally get in someone’s way they will act all shady and pissed. In parks everyone skates the ramps the exact same way which limits are creativity.

What are your favorite types of street spots? My favorite type of street spot is one where I don’t immediately get kicked out of for starters. The spot has to have lights during the night, has to have something mellow like a manual pad, and it also has to have a mellow stair set with a handrail no bigger than an 8 stair.

What draws you to take extreme action down, say, a set or gap? What draws me to take extreme action against a stair set or a gap is just knowing in my mind to take it to the next level. If I see a gap or handrail that I have not hit yet I will try to do all the tricks that I can to conquer or own the gap. So I can let the spot know the Cody G. was there.

Why is street skating illegal? I think that street skating is illegal in most towns because skateboarding does chip concrete a little, but compared to BMX riders it is practically nothing, and yet you can still ride bikes almost anywhere. Another reason is because the authorities don’t know what to think about the skaters. Think about it if you see a lot of teenagers that look a little rough and they are all out in public skating or sitting around in a group you might not think much of it. At the same time you see the same bunch of people later that night at a closed business you’ll probably think that they are up to no good which is completely the wrong message that everyone is sending about skaters.

When you go out street skating are you looking to lay down a nutty trick or for a law suit that you can press on a business if you get hurt? When I go out anywhere I am always looking for that lawsuit. Not really, when I go skate you try not to think about getting hurt, but if you do that is all part of the game. As a great rapper once said, “you knew that this job was dangerous when you took it”. That’s how I feel and I bet a large percentage of all other skaters feel the same way.

If you could explain to people who ban skateboarding in their business area, what would you tell them in your defense? In my defense against a skateboarding ban I would say that we are not the ones making messes and breaking or chipping the concrete. Its should be recognized as a sport just like football, baseball, basketball, and all other sports. It’s a healthy activity and a good way to keep kids off drugs. There are all kinds of other people breaking major felonies and the cops are going to be worried about me skateboarding a stair gap, even more than that skating down the side walk. I know I want my tax dollars going to keep the real thugs and criminal off the street. If you’re going to ban skating for chipping concrete a little you might as well ban bikes, roller blades. While you at it cars and other means of transportation because cars account for more concrete repairs than a skaters, bikes, and roller blades put together.

How do you feel about cops hassling you for skating? Cops harassing skaters is a waste of my tax money and a waist of their time. There are so many other crimes that go on during the day that it seems like non-sense to me to be chasing down skaters. Are prison systems areas already over crowded with petty criminals, go out there and catch some killers, rapist, and pedophiles.

What can you say about Handrails? Handrails are gnarly. I definitely get a big rush from hitting handrails. The bigger the better is how I feel. In my book nothing feels better than laying down a grind or nasty flip trick down a set.

Describe what skateboarding is to you in its essence… Skateboarding is everything about the board and my surroundings. Once I jump on and my feet grip the board it is at that point when the board and I become one. I can lean in any direction and the board will do the same I can control the flips, and spins. When I go skate it is like I am closer to the natural elements, all I have is my board and my surroundings, whether it hot, cold, muggy, clear, wind or not it’s just about being out and on a board traveling and seeing everything. It’s about the whole experience.

*If you feel gratitude when shredding a gnarly street spot at a corporate business, as though you have undermined its stairs, ramps, or ledges in their original sense of use…explain why…. I am always thankful for street spots. I do undermine that what the structures are originally there for, instead I just see places to skate. If I see stairs I don’t think that the stairs are there so people can get into the building. Instead I see front board slides, front side flips and other gnarly tricks. Like a lot of skaters we are trained to seek out the spots in the back of our mind almost like a filter to block everything that is not skate able. Skaters see these things and automatically start going through a process of all the tricks that we can do and totally disregard the structures original purpose.

Ending 2010.

Skateboarding filmed in 2 days.

Featured Skaters include:
Cody Glenn
Freddie Talbott
Joe Rosasco
Taylor Licklider
Travis Johnson

Music by: Harloquin’s Baby – I see I hear I think.   The Velvet Underground- Venus in Furs.

Special thanks to- Victor Garakan for burnable cd’s and excellent photography, Simon Lutes and his band mates from Harloquin’s Baby, and of course all skaters still pushing for wilder tricks and kicks that have always supported the skate life style.

Suggestions from the Editor:

Since I was young i have enjoyed all types of music, and i must say especially while skating. Things like Velvet Underground, Deer Tick, Tool, Ghostland Observatory, Johnny Cash, Social Distortion, The Smiths, Bad Religion, David Bowie, Lamb of God, and hundreds of others make up my mind’s library as i remember past times on the board.

Music to me has often been the source i use to tap into my own world of thoughts and creative sensibility; and on a board, well, music seems to make me feel weightless, fluid like, as i fly threw the breeze. Sometimes i put on some Lamb of God -Ashes of the Wake- or other high octane Metal and just push as fast as i can at something; other times i might set a slow melodic jam like The Velvet Underground’s -Venus in Furs, really think about a new ledge trick, and just work on it in chill mode, just vibin the twang of low fi guitar and bow strings.

Nothing is more compelling than a strong back beat to guide your mood; High or Low. In learning new ways to upload music, i hope i can provide a few suggestions for your listening ears and skateboarding pleasure. Below is a list of some more mellow things to check into. *Commenting further song suggestions to share with others are most def. welcome!

Messer Chups -Popcornos Revenge
-Finger in Vaseline

Woods -Rain on

Beach Fossils- Youth

Stereophonics- More Life in a Tramps Vest

Social Distortion- Ring of Fire- Johnny Cash cover

Ghostland Observatory- Sad Sad City

The Velvet Underground- Venus in Furs

Song suggestions by Skater Friendly

Jump in on your board, B.

The mixed recording found here was intended to capture the gnarly sounds of the skateboard and the fun times to be had with it. It includes sounds and ruckus from a vast number of local riders who are hitting up Bowling Green skatepark. The audio is accompanied by the Pretty Lights song – Finally Moving. Take a moment to check it out while browsing the page.

Skatesounds featuring Pretty Lights Track -Finally Moving by Skater Friendly

“Not the most respectable bunch.”

“Why is it that when you get pulled over by a cop every passerby wants to snarl there lips at you?” asked Taylor Licklider looking at the officer out infront of the 6 of us. 

Just before that, a fruit dressed woman passed by in her SUV; glasses like huge bug eyes staring, pearls a glow, and her face stuck like wood in disgust at us. 

 Ah, model citizen, i figured-depressed.  My pants dirty and torn, wind blowing stink, its no point to think of it anyway .

*Someone must have called in on us sneaking over the 7 ft barbwire fence to this abandoned factory, i had thought; a perfect spot for some hardcore street skating photography and fish eye video action.

 Except now we were caught.

“Well, your not the most respectable bunch,” said the officer to Licklider, pacing about and spitting curds of dip to the sidewalk as he decided what to do with us.

“I could take you all to jail for tresspassing” said the official.

Just before the officer had arrived, we had set up a 6 ft high tri pod with a high flash module atop it, and were preparing several cameras and other gears for a gritty session of some true street glory.  

  The idea was to capture some switch tricks and document the street life, if generally speaking.  Afterall, we had an experienced photographer and the right stuff for the job.

Then next thing known, just minutes after setting up, the camera bags are scattered out across a lawn back outside the fence, all six of us lined up infront of a city police cruiser and the officer, with high probability of facing jail time.

SkaterFriendly Mag, first edition.

Here is the beginning of my skateboarding magazine. Enjoy, you. =)

View this document on Scribd

Skater Friendly Logo

*The top logo has became the insignia for this cite.  Scratch the one below it, it was an early base idea.

I wanted something simple but appealing for the skater friendly logo.   When this thing comes together i would love to put it on a t-shirt!! Im thinking of making a duplicate image just inverted and putting it like….    < Skater friendly >  with both board pieces sticking between the main title of the site.  But i will say, that making logos or dealing with the technical aspects aren’t always easy.  I am currently having trouble embedding the photo code to the page and really want it up near the title.  As i said, making logo’s isn’t alwas easy kids!!  Though it sure is fun.  Yeeey. Any how i particularly like the posterized affect of the logo and given my current web theme it will stick out but remain cool in the overall atmosphere of the site given its glossy blue tones.  Hopefully it will be updated and on the page early next week.   If any one has any other kick’n logo ideas let me know.  -Brandon.