The World Round-Up Freestyle Championships

May 26,2012 / By Hippie Mike / 1 Comment

What an awesome event. Presented to you by 2 of the most memorable names in the skateboard industry, Kevin Harris and Monty Little, with assistance from Kai Dunkel, a freestyle skateboarder out of Germany. Unfortunately, Kai could not be there for the event but his presence was strong. For those who don’t know, Kevin Harris was and is the Number 1 freestyle skateboarder of Canada, and still rips up the surface. He’s the owner of Ultimate Distribution, Concrete Magazine, and has supported the generations of skateboarding over the years with such indoor parks as The Skateboard Ranch, and the RDS Park. Monty is the man behind the scenes of skateboarding who helped to create the entire Contest/Demo acceptance in Western Canada. He was the reason for skateboarding back at Expo ’86 and has promoted the sport ever since.

He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his hard work and dedication to the advancement of skateboarding in Canada.

We all thank you Monty.

With a lot of work from these 3 individuals and a ton of collaboration across the world, The World Round-Up was on the way to happening. The top Freestyle Skateboarders from around the world were invited to come and compete in Surrey, BC, at the annual Cloverdale Rodeo. With a beautiful indoor surface inside the Cloverdale Curling Rink, the competition was set. Shawn from Ollie North Skateboard Shop in Cloverdale helped to promote the event and then created a Live Streaming of the Finals world-wide over the internet.

Add one more amazing name to the list of Generals running the contest – Russ Howell, one of North Americas first skateboarders starting at age 9 back in 1958, and still to the day, the world record holder for Most Consecutive Spins on a skateboard with 163 rotations. Crazy! At 62 years old, Russ was wowing the crowd by putting down the microphone at any given moment and hopping on his board to do some tricks. This man has an incredible sense of balance on his skateboard, but also an amazing library of quotes that he squeaks into his MCing. I was loving the quotes all day, especially the way Russ says them, like he’s standing alone on the top of a mountain for the entire world to hear and understand him. He was awesome. With Russ, Kevin and AJ Kohn on the mics, it was a great show.

The crowds were happening, and the skaters were all performing at the top of their games. 2 of my Protest Team Riders were in the finals for the Amateur division – Ryan Brynelson and Andy Anderson. Ryan is super amazing at Freestyle, with tricks like Primo Handstand Kickflips, and a style that represents his mentor Kevin Harris, I knew Ryan would do well. And he did, with a 2^nd place finish. Andy on the other hand, is not a freestyle skater, but is a very quick learner and has always practised some freestyle tricks growing up. He was the “Wonder Boy” of the event, showing up on the Saturday and asking if he could enter. They let him, and within moments he had begun to impress everyone. My favorite part of the day was when Jim Goodrich, world respected photographer, came over to Andy and his parents and told him how awesome he was. His exact words were, “You`re an amazing kid and You’re stoking up the other skaters to try harder…” I loved it because it was true. But to have someone of Jim’s stature come over and tell you this is very impressive, especially for a 16 year old. I’m sure lots of people from the event will be googling Andy Anderson’s name to see what he skates like in his actual realm. The Amateurs were all great to watch, and Shaun Gladwell ripped it up with sick style. This guy has a serious sense of balance on his board and demonstrated that all weekend. No one was going to beat him at this event. The other amateur I was really impressed with was Takashi Suzuki. Such a creative and innovative skater, like a feather swirling around on a skateboard. You really need to watch some of his skating to understand how unique it is

[youtube id=”EEG4uA1_srk” width=”620″ height=”360″]

All of the Amateurs put on a great show Shaun, Ryan, Takashi, Andy, Felix Jonsson, Daniel Trujillo, Michael Sterling and the lonesome female, Mic Murayama. They all had unique style, and they all ripped the floor to shreds. Thanks for travelling all the way here for the event.

The Pros stepped it up about 3 levels though. You could smell the experience in the room. Most of these guys are in their late 30`s and early 40`s and have been performing Freestyle Skateboarding for most of their lives. They were all unstoppable.

From Gunter Mokulys, Rene Shigueto and Per Caguru, to Stephan Akesson, Darryl Grogan and Greyson Ashton, these guys all blew us away and hovered over the rest of the competition. Mike Osterman was one of my favorites to watch throughout the day because he was super technical and loved to please the crowd. He would toss out some amazing pogo flip ridiculousness and give the crowd a look-back in the middle of it. He was definitely a showman, and with age will gain more experience. Stephan Albert, Jesse Whalen and Sean Burke also all ripped it up the whole day. Everyone`s techniques were very different from one another`s, and it must make for some painful judging decisions, but all in all, they were amazing.

Kilian Martin put on a demo for us prior to the Pro Division that was absolutely mind blowing. This kid is the next biggest name of Freestyle Skateboarding. He has already surpassed Tony Hawk for the most hits on Youtube and is not slowing down. Stay tuned for his newest video release coming up on May 29^th…

Results:

Pro:

Am:

I loved this event. I still can`t get over the support that was present behind the scenes. Kevin Harris, Monty Little, Russ Howell, Jim Goodrich, Bill Robertson, even George Powell was there.

This is what skateboarding is about – building and maintaining a community in which we all support each other and work together to promote the one passion that we all share – Skateboarding…

To me, that`s what this event was all about. Family, and what it means to these older guys to help their “kids“ to continue on with the love of skateboarding. Skateboarding isn`t about who is the best at what tricks, and who landed the most that day, it`s about who you meet on your journeys, the experiences you have with those people, and why you love to surf around on a piece of wood on 4 wheels. Anyone who understands this statement knows that your life can be changed by this skateboard, your dreams can turn into reality, and your individual passions can fulfil your soul, all from just hopping on your board and riding down the road…

Here is the Compilation Video of the Finals.

[youtube id=”HMnRXf4VSWk” width=”620″ height=”360″]

Read more about some of the special guests that helped to support this event.

Jim Goodrich

I got into skate photography by accident…literally. After breaking my arm while skateboarding, I started shooting photos of my skateboard buddies. That eventually led to a job as a staff photojournalist for SkateBoarder Magazine. I made a lot of great friends, traveled the world, and experienced things that few people get the chance to do. I’ve since moved on to other things in life but the skater lifestyle will always be a part of me. – Jim Goodrich

http://jimgoodrich.net/skateboardportfolio.htm

You have to check this site to see how many historic Father Figures of skateboarding Jim has shot photos of, pretty unbelievable – from Stacy Peralta, Shogo Kubo, Tony Alva, to Lance Mountain, Mike McGill, the Gator, even Duane Peters – one of my favorites. Check out his Studio Site to learn more about what this man has done for the world of skateboarding.

Bill Robertson

Dr. Skateboard is Bill Robertson, Ph.D., currently an associate professor in science & technology education at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Dr. Bill Robertson is no ordinary guy and his identity as Dr. Skateboard comes from his expertise in the fields of education and skateboarding.

A skateboarder for over 35 years, Bill has entertained 1000’s of spectators at schools, special events and festivals throughout the United States.

http://www.drskateboard.com/

Russ Howell

Just an all around amazing person, and obviously a born genius. At 62 years old with 54 years of experience on the board, this man has been through a lot in his life, and has so much to share.

http://www.skatewhat.com/russhowell/index.html

Contest Results Contests Extreme Sports Skateboarding World Round Up

World Round-Up… The Footage Begins

May 24,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Man, I got so much footage at the Finals on Monday. I’m still uploading it into my editing program. The final article along with a compilation video will be posted by Friday or Saturday. I know you’re all waiting to see some wicked performances, so here’s a little bit to get you going.

These were the demos that some of the Pros put on during their introductions prior to the actual Finals, along with Shaun Gladwell’s final run in the Amateur Division – 1^st place finish – and a solid example from the master, Kilian Martin showing off why he is considered to be the next biggest name of Freestyle Skateboarding. Mind Blowing.

Just to give you a dose of what you’re going to see in the upcoming video,

Enjoy.

Kilian Martin – Demo

Stephan Albert – Demo

Guenter Mokulys – Demo

Mike Osterman – Demo

Per Canguru – Demo

Rene Shigueto – Demo

Shaun Gladwell – Final Run in Amateur – 1^st Place finish

Stefan “Lillis” Akesson – Demo

Extreme Sports Protest Skateboards Ryan Brynelson Skateboarding Team Riders

Ryan Brynelson Has Joined The Protest!!

May 24,2012 / By Hippie Mike / 3 Comments

The Protest Team just keeps getting bigger, but also more and more diverse.

We got bowl rippers, flip trick masters, old-schoolers, new-schoolers and of course myself – who will skate anything and everything. But there was one thing missing, a Freestyle Skateboarder.

Over the evolution of the skateboard era, board shapes have changed dramatically, and the style of obstacles and the scenes of which we skate have changed with it. But there’s one thing that still exists, and that is the freedom of expression. Freestyle Skateboarding is a way of life. It’s you and your board making magic happen together. You don’t need a skate park, you don’t need an audience, you just need passion. I’ve been watching this kid grow for about 4 or 5 years now, and the one thing I always recognized in his skating was passion. He loves to learn and loves to try new things. And with a lot of mentorship from the legendary Kevin Harris, I knew he was only going to get better.

I talked to Ryan on the phone the night before the World Round-Up Freestyle Championships and laid down an offer of having him join the team. I was not surprised at how stoked he was about it. This kid is an amazing person, who loves to skateboard and be good at it, but is also one of the most humble people you’ll ever meet. Reminds me a lot of Rodney Mullen.

In this lifetime, and with the right support behind him, I believe that he will make a memorable mark on the skateboard community world-wide. And I am stoked to help him with that.

Ryan Brynelson… Welcome to PROTEST!

Contests Extreme Sports Ryan Brynelson Skateboarding Team Riders

The World Round-Up Finals (Just a Taste)

May 22,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

I went to the Finals on Monday, May 21^st, 2012 of the first ever “World Round-Up Freestyle Skateboard Championships” held at the Cloverdale Rodeo in Surrey, British Columbia. I’ve been watching Freestyle skateboarding for many years so I knew what to expect, but I don’t really follow the names that much, so I wasn’t exactly sure WHO to expect… I knew Kevin Harris would be there since he was involved with making the event happen, but I also knew he wasn’t going to be competing. I knew Ryan Brynelson was going to be there since I just added him to the Protest Team, but I knew he was going to be in the Amateur division. I did not know that Andy Anderson, another one of my riders on the Protest Team was going to show up as a late entry and compete in the Amateur. He did really well too. But it was the big names people came to see, Per Canguru, Rene Shigueto, Darryl Grogan, Stephan Albert, Stephan Lillis Akesson, Guenter Mokulys and the man of the freetstyle board – Kilian Martin, who unfortunately was not competing. There were lots of people to watch, all putting on amazing displays for the crowd. No matter how they placed, they were definitely all seen as champions. The coolest thing about going to a Freestyle Contest as a spectator, is it’s almost like you transferred into another dimension. Freestyle Skateboarding is very rare, and these guys live it so they’re used to it, but any other skater now a days, gets their mind blown away when they’re watching it. It can almost knock you down a couple notches in your confidence level of how good you are on a skateboard, because these guys are frickin’ amazing. I’ve been skateboarding for over 26 years and I am still baffled by half the tricks people do in freestyle. They are definitely one with their boards.

It was an awesome event, with a great purpose.

Both my Team Riders qualified to the finals in the Amateur division with Ryan Brynelson landing in 2^nd place, so close to winning behind Shaun Gladwell, and then the unknown wonder who showed up out of the blue, Andy Anderson finishing 5^th. Yeah Andy!

Here are the results for the Top 5 in the Professional division:

1st Place – Darryl Grogan (USA)
2nd Place – Guenter Mokulys (Germany)
3rd Place – Stefan Lillis Akesson (Sweden)
4th Place – Rene Shigueto (Brazil)
5th Place – Per Canguru (Brazil)

For the guys who didn’t make top 5, no worries. The scores were all decimal points apart through all 10 riders. Tight competition…

This is just a taste about the World Round-Up Freestyle Championships. Stay tuned in a couple of days and I will have a full story about the event, along with some seriously mind blowing footage…

Until then, click the link below

Kevin Harris – PNE Story

http://youtu.be/NAGMKe2JlVU

Contests Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Street League 2012

May 22,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

[youtube id=”c6R_9PWaLOo” width=”620″ height=”360″]

Man, it’s finally started. Last year, 2011, the world changed with the drop of the Street League Skateboarding Championships. All you could do as a skateboarder was sit in your chair and scream at the top of your lungs for every trick that went down. The competitors are insane, Ryan Sheckler, Chaz Ortiz, Sean Malto, Chris Cole, Nyjah Huston and so many more. Nyjah dominated the entire series last year and I’m sure is planning on doing that again. But the momentum of all the others is going to be driving 800 miles per hour to try to stop him. I just realized today that the 2012 Street League has begun. Hopefully I can catch a repeat of the first event since I missed it on Saturday. But here’s the schedule so now we all know when it’s happening.

Tickets for the Street League DC Pro Tour Fueled by Monster Energy will go on sale April 2 at streetleague.com.

Stop one: May 18-19
Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
Live on ESPN2, May 19, 9:00 p.m. ET

Stop two: June 15-16
Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, Calif.
Live on ESPN2, June 16, 9:30 p.m.ET

Stop three: July 14-15
Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
Live on ESPN2, July 15, 7:00 p.m. ET

Championship: August 26
Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
Live on ESPN2, August 26, 5:00 p.m. ET

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Crazy, Crazy, Crazy…. and a little more Crazy

May 22,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

I’ve been flippin’ around on Youtube lately and I came across this skateboard video called “Crazy tricks skate compilation 2012” so of course I checked it. Wow, I don’t know where this guy’s been grabbin’ all this footage from but he’s definitely found some of the most intense and insane skateboard tricks of all time and put them together in one video just to blow your mind. You know Chris Cole is in there a couple of times, but no Rodney Mullen, Danny Gonzales, or Chris Haslam. Still an amazing display of chaotic masterpiece tricks, and my favorite tricks in the video would be tied between 2 people I don’t recognize –

Backside Willy Grind to Nollie 360 flip on a bleacher

Straight Wally to back foot impossible over a barricade

2 tough tricks I didn’t think I was ever going to see in my lifetime, but whammo, there they were.

Check the video when you’re ready

Uploaded by skateboardtimefull on Jan 22, 2012 I have to rate your video 4 out of 5 stars, only because I did not see Dan Pageau in it. Maybe you haven’t heard of Mr. Pageau, the Canadian Wonder straight out of Montreal. Dan now lives in the Vancouver area of British Columbia and is still representing hardcore. Hangin’ with Ben Chibber and riding for Monke skateboards now, he’s been putting fresh insane single trick clips on Youtube regularly. I loved your video, but I have to request another Crazy Tricks Compilation from you, with a dash of Pageau…

Check out this link to The Best of Dan Pageau. Dan’s gotta be really close in age with me, and you can tell by watching him that he’s definitely been skateboarding for a long, long time. From the baggy pants, small wheels era, all the way to the flip trick fiasco we live in today, you’re gonna see a ton of bluntslides, kinked rails, and unheard of flip tricks. My 2 all time fav’s from Dan’s video part in “Underworld Underrated” just happen to be in this video –

50-50 across and down a long, round handrail to kickflip out

The infamous: Nollie Lazerflip Bluntslide across a raised up picnic table

Go Pageau…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsCnIrGHK7E

Remember, if you have a video you want me to review, just email it to me

reviews@protestskateboards.com

Extreme Sports Hippie Mike Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind Skateboarding Stories of the Board

2×4, By 36

May 18,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

It was about 2004 when I built the 2×4 skateboard.

I built it to prove to the kids I was teaching that you can balance on anything. But I made the mistake of taking it down to Bear Creek Skate Park the evening I put it together and realized that I could actually skate it. I even did a kickflip off the bank launch on it that first day. It was gonna be trouble…

I started skating this thing all the time. I kept it in my trunk and pulled it out whenever I thought of something to try. I let the kids ride it every Friday at the Skateboard Camps I was running and they all thought it was awesome. All it was, was just a straight up 2×4 – 36” long, gripped on top and sitting on original Gullwing Pros and Powell Peralta Mini Rats. It’s in my laundry room right now, just waiting for another ride. I think the last trick I ever did on it was a switch blunt – indy out on my ramp, or maybe it was the jitterbug. Either way it’s been a year or two.

We had some good times, me and that 2×4 – kickflipped a roof gap on some portables, pop-shovits, manuals and boardslides, all kinds of craziness. I still remember early grabbing the 10 stair at Brookswood Skate Park on it and everyone going wild. One time I showed up at Brookswood for a contest in 2005 and I only brought my 2×4. 75% of the people there didn’t even know it existed, but they’ll never forget it after that day:

First run, I threw down a solid line to start, Kickflip on flat, then a big pop shovit, and then boardslide down the 4 stair kink rail; turned around and blunt transferred over the spine in the bowl to a 50-50 and then a rock fakie; jumped out of the bowl, cleared the path and early grabbed the 10 stair… Killed it!

Second run, started off with the same line, then went back and forth in the flat banks with a kickflip fakie, a fakie kickflip and then pop-shovit body varial; and of course, one more early grab off the 10 stair.

The crowd loved it, and somehow I got 4^th place. Nice! I didn’t do it to win, I just did it for the fun, and I was stoked that I had 2 flawless runs.

I was filming way out in Aldergrove Skate Park about a month ago for my “Show UP Mike” contest and this kid showed up and the first thing he said to me was, “Hey, did you used to ride a 2×4? I remember you from a contest at Brookswood.” I just laughed. Good times.

Another great one was this Volcom – Wild in the Parks thing at Tsawwassen Skate Park in 2006. I had ridden my 2×4 at Tsawwassen so many times it was basic. I kickflipped up the step up no problem, early grabbed both sets with different grabs, and some other stuff, but this was a day for historic moments so I decided I was going to boardslide the Blue Rail down the 6 stair. Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t ride rails any more, but here I was hopping on to this handrail on my 2×4 and making it. So I stuck it down, Blam!! I had never even attempted to boardslide this rail on my normal board, so I have to admit I was pretty stoked that I just did it on a 2×4, maybe a little toooooo stoked. I stuck it down again for my video camera so I could watch it myself, and then I talked shit: “Joyce Rail, tomorrow. It’s goin’ down.” Any locals to the Lower Mainland should know the Joyce Rail – long green 6 stair rails, fairly high, out of a tennis court and you need plywood to land on. About 12 of us went out the next day for me to do this boardslide.

First try, got on it and jumped off;

Second try, slid the whole rail and jumped off;

Third try, came up strong, full commitment, knowing I was going to land it…

Nope.

I clipped my front wheels on the bottom of the rail, leaped over the rail trying to clear it and caught my inner thigh on the end. Smash! Faceplant.

It took me 3-4 weeks to massage out this blood clot trying to form in my leg, but it was worth it. I was getting way to cocky with that 2×4 board and needed a good dose of reality as to why I should not be riding it.

The 2×4 skateboard was built to prove a point to kids, but instead it ended up proving a lot about skateboarding to myself. I learned that I can ride anything and still rip it. It helped me express my inner self and I realized that this board would push my limits to another level, and I thank every day I got on it, and every trick I did. I’m sure someday it will rise again, but can’t say when.

Until then, enjoy what might just be the strangest skateboard video part you ever see:

From the video “Never Give Up”, 2005

To the song “This Was My Life” by Megadeath

Hippie Mike – The 2×4

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

MONKE Skateboard Camps – Tiiiiiiiiigght!!

May 18,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Now this sounds like an amazing opportunity for the skateboarders of the Lower Mainland to experience a whole bunch of skate parks that they might not usually be able to get to. An awesome way to spend a week out of your summer. Plus I think you get to hang out with Ben Chibber, owner of Monke Skateboards, The Dry Spot, and one of Vancouver’s skateboard legends…

Check the flyer or go to the site for more details: www.skatethedryspot.com

Extreme Sports Ryan Brynelson Skateboarding Team Riders World Round Up

World Freestyle Skateboard Round Up

May 18,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

[youtube id=”OuYU20hfZUs” width=”620″ height=”360″]

Here’s a write up from the Cloverdale Rodeo webpage about the amazing World Freestyle Skateboarding Competition being held over the weekend. Monty Little is from the Cloverdale area and is one of the main promoters of the event along with the legendary Kevin Harris and up and comer Kai Dunkel. I had Kai, Kevin and Ryan Brynelson here at Chuck Bailey Skate Park almost 1 year ago for the Grand Opening and they were all ripping it, I hope all 3 will be competing at this event. Freestyle skateboarders are a dying breed, but the ones that are still out there in the world practice every day and all seem to able to blow your mind at any time. Check out the video link below to see some of the competition they will be facing from around the world. I’m definitely going to try to get out for the final day of this event. It’s gonna be crazy…

From www.theworldroundup.com

We are Rounding-Up the top pro and amateur freestyle skateboarders from around the world to compete at THE WORLD FREESTYLE ROUND-UP for a chance to win part of the $10,000 in Prize Money. The four day event will be held at the CLOVERDALE RODEO & COUNTRY FAIR, just 25 miles east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from May, 18 to 21, 2012. Over 77,000 people attended the annual Rodeo and Fair last year making this an ideal high profile location for this contest.

The World Freestyle Round-Up will take place inside a venue on the Cloverdale Fair Grounds, that has an arena setting featuring a 80 foot by 140 foot flawless concrete floor that is ideal for flatland freestyle skateboarding. Several freestylers say it’s the best surface they have ever skated on. Each day there will be several shows featuring freestyle demos and contests in three categories, Best Routine, Best Trick and a 360 Spin Off all using a Battle Format making it more interesting for the riders and audience as well. Several skaters will compete as a group each going one by one performing a routine. If a skater misses a trick, they are out until everyone has skated and it is their turn again. There will be two heats, (20 minutes each) for each show, with an announcer and DJ spinning tunes to keep the crowd and skaters pumped.

The contest also has a new judging system that has never been used before combining the scores from the five judges with the scores from the riders and audience. Note: The contestants cannot vote for themselves.

Contest promoters Kevin Harris, Kai Dunkel and Monty Little have one goal in mind. To create a fun energy packed annual event that will help put Freestyle Skating back where it belongs and move the level of competition up a notch or two. We envision something new and unique to give freestyle a chance to be back in TV, back in major magazines, and back in the forefront of the sports world.

Schedule

Friday, May 18

4 pm to 6 pm Open Ceremonies and Practice Session (6 to 7 Dinner Break)
7 pm to 9:30 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest
9:30 pm to 10 pm Contestants meeting

Saturday, May 19

9:30 am to 11:30 am RODEO PARADE
11:30 am to 12:30 pm Practice Session
12:30 pm to 2 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest (2 to 4 Late Lunch Break)
2 pm to 4 pm Women’s Rollerderby
4 pm to 5:30 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest
6 pm to 10 pm Women’s Rollerderby

Sunday, May 20

10 am to 11 am Practice Session
11 am to 12:30 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest (12:30 to 1:30 Lunch Break)
1:30 pm to 3 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest
3 pm to 5 pm Women’s Rollerderby
5 pm to 6:30 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest
7 pm to 10 pm Women’s Rollerderby

Monday, May 21

10 am to 11 am Practice Session
11 am to 12:30 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest (12:30 to 1:30 Lunch Break)
1:30 pm to 3 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest
3 pm to 4 pm Practice Session
4 pm to 6 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Finals and Awards Ceremony

Click this link to see Kevin Harris, Kai Dunkel and Ryan Brynelson last May 28^th at the Chuck Bailey Skate Park Grand Opening in Surrey, BC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzLx_lDFcZo

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

God Damn Broken Arms

May 15,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

It’s ironic because I’m the one that feels like I’m having a rough go right now, but it’s the people around me that are in pain. 26 years I’ve skateboarded, and I’ve been out here in British Columbia since 1998. When you’re at skate parks a lot, you’re gonna see lots of people get hurt, and unfortunately, I always seem to be the one who helps them.

In the past 2 weeks I’ve had to deal with 3 arm injuries with kids, one was just a really bad sprained wrist, last Friday was a dislocated elbow on a 7 year old, and today this mountain biker decided to break both bones halfway up his forearm in Maple Ridge. All 3 of these kids were crying, half out of pain and half out of fear of not really knowing what was wrong with them. I’d have to say that the 7 year old kid, Isaac, was the toughest out of all 3 of these guys. The other 2 were 11 & 14. This little dude had his elbow completely dislocated and when I told him that, he asked me what the word “dislocated” meant. That’s how young he is. When I explained to him what was wrong with his arm and what the doctors were going to do to fix it, he got very nervous. Understandable. But the part I’ll remember forever was how no matter what, he was going to tough it out. He was one tough kid. We had to call the ambulance for him and when the paramedic asked Isaac if he could cut off his shirt to see his arm, he got no for an answer. This shirt was awesome, I wouldn’t have wanted to cut it either. And original E.T. shirt with the slogan “It’s All Good in the Hood.” So Isaac toughed it out and the ambulance attendant took off his shirt the hard way. Awesome!!

It’s always really painful for me to be the one providing people with the first aid they need and helping them to get to the next stage of getting assistance because I think of my own kid when I’m looking at them, and I think of all the times I’ve been in that much pain myself. I remember when I was 17 years old we were skating these gaps behind the CIBC in Barrie and my board shot out on me when I landed. I flipped over upside down and put out my hand to try to stop my face from hitting the ground. Of course, my arm bent straight backwards, dislocating my elbow, and then I hit my face anyway. I jumped up, screamed and shook my arm in pain – bad idea. The bones ended up locking back together with my upper arm and lower arm completely reversed. I just looked at Clayton and Malcolm that I was with and said Hospital…

It took 5 doctors and a lot of medication to put my arm back together the way it should be. They had to knock me out completely, pull my arm apart and then twist it back to normal. Damn I’d hate to be a doctor in the hospital. But they did get it together, and it works fine. And all these kids in the past 2 weeks are gonna be alright too. We have an amazing medical system in Canada, and I am very thankful for it. I’ve had a lot of bad injuries over my lifetime, and I’ve helped out so many people when they go down – broken bones, dislocations, concussions, all kinds of stuff. The biggest thing I think about whenever I see someone in need is what would I hope the other people around me would be doing if that was me lying there? Or my kid lying there? I would want them to help me, even if all they did was call someone else to help.

So when you’re at these skate parks all over the place, that we are soooooo lucky to have, be prepared for people to get hurt, it’s going to happen. But remember, when it does happen, please assist immediately, especially for head injuries, even if all you do is call 911.

You may end up someone’s hero; you might even save a life…

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Author Archives: Hippie Mike