35 Years of Skull

Jan 28,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Sean Mortimer and SBC Business Magazine have just released a huge article about one of the biggest skateboard legends Vancouver has ever experienced. At 50 years old, Peter Ducommun, or PD as everyone knows him celebrates the 35^th anniversary of one of the most recognized hard core brands in existence – Skull Skates.

This article is a must read if you want to know any history about skateboarding in Canada. PD has been around for a long time, as a skateboarder, a snowboarder, a BMX rider, a skimboarder, and a fearless and intelligent Businessman. Never backing down from his beliefs PD has made his point across the world through Vancouver’s own PD’s Hot Shop and Skull Skates. He is one of the few people in the world that didn’t give up on skateboarding when the “Fad” died out in 1990 and it’s those people we need to thank the most for what skateboarding has become today.

Show him the respect he deserves and read this article to learn some important history

http://www.skullskates.com/2013/01/25/skull-skates-featured-in-sbc-business-mag/

http://www.skullskates.com/

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Mini Mini Ramp with Django and Theo

Jan 26,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Last week Hippie Mike and Jeff Cole headed down to East Van to hang out with 2 of the craziest little dudes around – Django and Theo. These guys are super young and love to skate. You might know them from Kensington Park, China Creek, or have seen them shredding in the Beginner Category at any of the Bowl Series Competitions. They both qualify as “Long-Hairs” so that gets big points from Hippie Mike right away, and Django is very unique as he only skates on his knees – Friggin’ Maniac!

Anyway, they told Jeff about their Mini Ramp when they were at PD’s one day and invited us to come play on it. It was tiny, tight and lots of fun. And under cover, which in Vancouver, is the probably biggest bonus of all. This ramp is going to produce 2 awesome skaters.

Thanks for the session boys!

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Blinded by Bravery

Jan 23,2013 / By Hippie Mike / 1 Comment

What is the definition of brave?

brave

[breyv]

adjective

possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance.

Making a fine appearance.

Archaic . Excellent; fine; admirable.

noun

a brave person.

A warrior

This kid is amazing, and may be the most hardcore person to ride a skateboard. We’ve seen many interesting cases of physically challenged people take up skateboarding over the past few decades and actually become famous from it – Pancho Moler, Jon Comer, Og de Souza. All of these guys changed the way we looked at skateboarding by competing with the best of the best at it. To me it’s an amazing feeling to think of what goes through the minds of someone who can’t walk, yet decides they want to skateboard, and hit 12 stair rails….

There’s a new young hero to add to this unique list of people who will blow your mind. His name is Tommy Carroll and he is a major inspiration to many. Blinded at the age of 2 by cancer in his retinas, Tommy has lived his life in the dark so to say, but has brought his ambitions to the light. This kid goes out there and skateboards by the powers inside him, with absolutely no vision. He can drop in, grind, air and carve with no fear, using only his other senses to know where he is. What I want to know is how did this even begin? Who decided to let Tommy learn to skateboard? And how did he get to the point of confidence he is at right now?

I’ve taught many people how to skateboard and I can definitely see the benefit of taking someone who cannot see and getting them on a board rolling around and just learning those balance skills and repetitive motions. But skateboarding has an addiction attached to it, the addiction of learning. Once you begin to experience new obstacles, and tricks, you want more. So Tommy learned how to shred a bowl, and I only see him getting even better as time goes on.

This video is inspirational in so many ways, it makes you think about trying to drop in with your eyes closed. I’ve done it, and it’s terrifying. It makes you wonder what drives his motivation. And it proves once again that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and commit.

Watch this video with respect, and try and put yourself in his shoes. Would you be this brave?

My favourite part is when the lights go out at the skate park – and it doesn’t matter. Go Tommy!!

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Dazed… but not confused

Jan 21,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Sometimes people spend their entire life searching for answers about who they are and what they should be. And sometimes there are those rare cases where life just comes together and happens on it’s own. You have to find yourself eventually, but are there “Yellow Brick Roads” out there to hunt down, or do you just wait in one spot for a sign? Who knows how it happens but it does, and one day you realize who you are.

This young teenager has definitely found himself this past year. Pumping out video montage after montage, and focusing on local talents that others might not recognize, Ethan Craig has proven himself to be an amazing skateboard filmer and video maker. His filming is creative, and captures what matters, but his editing is just becoming phenomenal. At a mere 16 years old, Ethan has already made a name for himself in a community of thousands of skaters. And one thing I really like about him is that he can kill it on the board too. Sometimes you get guys that go out and purchase the best of the best for video equipment and just start hanging out at the skate parks. This can be their ticket to chillin’ with the Big Guns, but that doesn’t make them a filmer. Just because you film the best dude out there, doesn’t mean for a second that the video’s gonna be any good. You need to have talent when you film, you need to have visions prior to filming, and you need to be dedicated to making videos that people enjoy watching. And Ethan has all of these assets.

I remember Ethan from when he was younger and used to hang with Jeff Cole and he was always determined. He had talents, he had confidence, and he had visions. It’s awesome to see this young kid bring these visions to reality, and find himself. After a summer of releasing a bunch of unique Hi8 videos of multiple rippers, Ethan Craig has announced that he is now filming for his first Full Length Skate Video –“Daze” – which will be premiered near the end of 2013. Can’t wait to see it buddy.

Here’s the first trailer to get you hyped

[youtube id=”lnkSRiNtpiU” width=”620″ height=”360″]

Thrashin’ Thursdays Begins

Jan 16,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

The start of something awesome, and dangerous, happens tomorrow January 17^th, 2013. Kevin Kelly and BLVD Skate Shop, along with Antihero, Thunder, Spitfire and Cariboo, present Thrashin’ Thursdays at the Whiskey Bar in Vancouver – 303 Columbia St. at 9pm.

A mini ramp in a bar every Thursday, For how long? Who knows…

It starts tomorrow. $10 to get in and skate. You know it’s gonna be insane.

Read the flyer

A Cold Summer Day at Chuck Bailey

Jan 14,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Last Friday Dave Stevens came out to Chuck Bailey Skate Park to do a little of what he does best – film and edit a montage with some of the locals. Francois LeBlanc, Calvin Dignard, Jordan Zazula, Magnus Hansen, Hippie Mike and Kory Laan all represent in style utilizing the majority of the skate park. The day was gorgeous and you would actually believe it was the middle of summer if everyone wasn’t decked out in toques and winter jackets. It was actually -2 degrees out there, which in this neighbourhood is extremely cold and definitely takes away your desire to really go for stuff. But shit went down, like always. Kory Laan even shut the session down with a couple banger bigspins over the big gap.

Check it out

M-I-C-K-Y P-A-P-eh?

Jan 10,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

M-I-C-K-Y P-A-P-eh?

Micky Papa, what can you say? A natural born skateboarder. Glad he’s Canadian so he can represent us all in the next decade of destruction that he’s about to throw down.

I remember Micky from back when the RDS Indoor Skate Park was open in the early 2000’s and even back then at a very young age, he was throwing down. I actually have footage somewhere of him shifty kickflipping Secret 10 when he was like 12-13 years old and you’re guaranteed it was butter. And ever since Poco’s Railside Park opened up Micky has been the legend there. And what about the Varial Heelflip over Black Ice??

Micky’s had a solid year placing in Top Positions at some high end contests across North America, which is not easy to do in this day and age. He invested some of his winnings in opening a One Love Skate Shop in Maple Ridge with Dan Pageau and success is starting to hunt him down. Looks to me like Micky Papa might be the next Canadian Icon of Skateboarding.

This Friday – 1-11-13 – Thrasher Magazine will drop a big video part of Micky Papa

Here’s a small taste of what’s to come

[youtube id=”JG6ILzQZ1yY” width=”620″ height=”360″]

Each day this week Thrasher will release something new featuring Micky Papa so tune in and when Friday hits, chaos strikes…

Won’t you help me sing these Songs of Freedom?

Jan 7,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Some days are such a struggle, you always go to bed at night with hope that the next day will be awesome, only to be let down by some mind crushing experience. It was a hilarious start to the New Year 2013, good thing I have a sick sense of humour. 2012 was a terrible year for me mentally with so much death and pain that i just wanted it to be over. We had a great time on New Year’s Eve as a family hanging out and playing pool with our neighbours and was glad to see the year finally come to a close. The last thing I said to myself before sleep was “please let this next year be better…”

So the day, and New Year 2013, began with me waking up to the distant sound of 3 year old Kaelen calling my name, “Daddy, Daaaaddy.” I got up and found him locked in the bathroom and couldn’t get out. I told him how to unlock the door and he did it no problem and opened it up only for me to be surprised by him standing there naked with poop all over his legs and smeared all over the bathroom. I asked him what the heck happened and he told me that he couldn’t get his jammies off in time because of the button at the top and he pooped his pants, then tried to clean it up by himself by taking baby wipes and wiping up the poop. It was definitely a classic start to the New Year.

The funny part about it was I was hardly fazed at all by it, just more concerned about why it happened and whether or not he was okay. I woke up Carrie as I walked by our bedroom with my poo covered son to go downstairs to the bathtub and told her she needed to get up right away and there was a mess to clean. Happy New Year!

The morale of this story is that no matter how bad it is, we’re still alive. We still have our health and our happiness as a family, and we can laugh about most situations. I didn’t look at this as a bad start to the new year, but more as a sign that we are going to be spending this next year cleaning up all the shit that happened in 2012.

This month’s quote from Bob Marley is from one of his most well known songs – Redemption Song –

“But my hand was made strong by the hand of the Almighty. We forward in this generation, triumphantly;

Won’t you help to sing these songs of freedom?”

We all have someone or something we look up to and pray to, whether it’s God or Religion or just some imaginary structure, and that is our Almighty. And as a group in this world we learn how to overcome sad, painful and depressing situations, and together we can find our Freedom.

So next time the shit hits the fan in your life, or the bathroom floor for that matter, don’t worry about it. Just sit back, relax and think of the humour that comes with it. Remember your strengths and stand up tall. We will overcome, we will have our redemption, and we will find our freedom – together…

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David Martin

Jan 5,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

David Martin is a young kid from Surrey that skates at Chuck Bailey and Fleetwood Skate Parks a lot. He hasn’t been skating very long but I’ve gotten to know him pretty good. He comes to my Skateboard Competitions and has been in a few of the Camps in the past couple summers. He’s one of those kids that loves to learn new tricks but isn’t really worried about being the best. He’s a fast learner and tends to be consistent with his tricks. Once he learns a new one, he’s on it. I’m sure if he sticks with it, he’s most likely gonna be really good in about 2 more years.

Here’s a little video David sent me of him rippin’ up Fleetwood Skate Park

Check it

[youtube id=”Qxr4QyYGtFo” width=”620″ height=”360″]

Local Boyz gettin’ Buck!

Jan 5,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

I think that’s a saying that the cool kids now a days might say, but who am I to know? I’m not gangster…

Here’s some of the younger Surrey/Langley Loc’s throwing down some solid tricks filmed yesterday at Skate Plaza, Chuck Bailey and some random street. Props for being out there filming in these icy-assed conditions.

Kory Laan, William Savage and Mathew McCauley – 3 young rippers that all love street style skateboarding, and all like to land bolts on every trick they try…

Give ’em props

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