Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey #10

Jun 26,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

It is almost time people – the 10^th Annual Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey starts on July 6^th at Cloverdale Skate Park on 64^th ave. This series of events is a huge part of my life, and the lives of many kids in Surrey, Delta, Langley and wherever else they travel from for the comps. It melts my heart to recognize the joy that I have brought to so many individuals over these last 10 years by running this series. It all began in 2004 with me asking the question to someone in Parks and Rec “What do I need to do insurance wise to be approved to run a series of skateboard competitions in Surrey?” This began a conversation throughout the Youth Functional Table and came back to me with an answer of “Why don’t we partner with you and make it a City run Event…” I said sure, and look where we’re at – 10 years later…

This year we’re hittin’ all the original parks on the map and finishing at Bear Creek just like we did the first 7 years. The reason I started Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey in the first place was because at that time we had 5 skate parks, which was more than any other municipality, yet we had no big competitions happening. Coastal Riders and Substance Sk8 Shop were having the occasional event, and Kevin Kelly had tossed a couple contests at Bear Creek Park. Other than that it was Board Kennel utilizing the South Surrey/White Rock Park for contests but not necessarily advertising them to everyone. We needed something consistent, not just for the kids to have, but for the skateboard community to recognize and a series that hit every park we had in one city was how to do it. So I made it happen.

With the help of so many others sponsoring the contests, kids were showing up in flocks. There are a ton of local skateboarders that I can think of right now who I may never have met if it weren’t for these competitions, but instead built a family style relationship with. I still remember JR Barron and his cousin Nick Logan coming out to Cloverdale contest 7 years ago. It was JR’s 5^th birthday that day and him and Nick were so tiny and they were just bouncing around on there skateboards together trying whatever they could even though neither of them knew what they were doing at all, and I can still remember the noise from the crowd being a roar of mixture of laughs and cheers. It made the day so awesome, and it made me realize how young some kids were that were coming to my events – I had to create a special Mini Category just for kids 10 & under. And now JR is turning 12 years old and kick flipping big gaps and hitting rails and stuff, and me and him are still great friends, he’s a Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey die hard who comes to every event. And there’s all the Langley crew that I watched grow up into the amazing skaters they are today – Dustin Locke, Hashbrown, Jordan Repin, Zaz & all that crew. And Magnus, the Decenzo’s, John Hanlon the Man Child, all these guys used to hang at these contests too back in the day, and Drew and Stu and Jay Mykyte – Cisco Goding, Jeff Cole and Jon Irvine, Andy Anderson, Jaden Easton-Ellett, Brad Muscat, so many friends… They were a great place to learn how to compete and to have a great time with friends, and that feel is still there. The generations change each year a little bit, but the majority of regulars still come to every single stop on the tour. It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about the milestone we are reaching this year. 10 years!! If anyone had tried to tell me 10 years ago that the world of skateboarding would be accepted in the way it is today by now, I wouldn’t have believed them. And in fairness, I think that this series has had a lot to do with that acceptance that has become reality in and around the Lower Mainland with competitions and skate parks in general. I work hard every year to make this happen and I thank everyone who has been and will be a part of Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey. We have taught safety, we have taught freedom, we have taught style of competition, but most of all we have built a family of skateboarders who love to have fun together…

See you at Cloverdale Skate Park

July 6^th, 2013

Noon

For a recap of last year’s Tour de Surrey 2012 check out the link below

http://www.protestskateboards.com/sponsored/andy-anderson/hippie-mikes-tour-de-surrey-2012-comes-to-a-close/

Eve Feaver Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Protest Skateboards knows how to Party

Jun 24,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

With Summer finally arriving I wanted to show my appreciation to the dudes that rep Protest Skateboards for me so we had a big ol’ BBQ and Ramp Jam at the ranch. It was a combination of generations of people who have been in my life and helped out with everything I do behind the scenes and on the front lines. I was most stoked to see my old pal Homer walk into the yard. Me and him went through a lot together over the years and it meant a lot to me for him to show up. He took over the Carnivore Barbeque for me which helped also since I don’t really know how to cook meat. But of course having Homer there pretty much confirmed that his son Randy was showing up, 8 beers in and with plenty more to go. Majority of the deck team showed up – Andy Anderson, Carrie Williams, Cisco Gooding, Bushman, Jeff Cole, Fighter, Jordan Strong, Kaelen Faux, Jaden Easton-Ellett and of course myself Hippie Mike. We were missing Ryan Brynelson, Eve Feaver and Surrey Stu but we made it through without them. Jay Mykyte and Allen Handley were shredding the ramp the whole time with Dylan Dombroski, and everyone was having a great time together. Carrie learned Fakie Crooks, Brad learned Rocket Blunts and Randy kept leaping off the cliff from the ramp like a maniac. He’s lucky he didn’t get hurt. Drew Boyle made an appearance and Justin James rolled his ankle on the ramp like 5 times. Bushman was checking out my yard and spotted a car jammed vertically in the ravine that I’ve never noticed in the 7 1/2 years we’ve owned this house. So then of course everyone was climbing down to check it out. Turns out to be a Simca which was one of the most popular car manufacturers in France until it was bought out by Chrysler in the 1970’s. Gotta love Google, but even better, gotta love the fact of how many people have pissed off the cliff right beside this thing and no one’s ever noticed it there. Bocce, Burgers, Hot Dogs, Pool, Skateboarding, Loud Music, Drunk idiots and great friends.

It was an awesome time. Thanks to everyone who came out, and of course I bought waaaaaaaay to much food so I guess we’ll be meeting up again real soon.

Protest Forever!

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Sponsor Calvin Dignard

Jun 22,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Calvin Dignard – one of the roughest and toughest Surrey Loc, and also one of the most solid skaters you will meet. He always has a stern look on his face, and he’s always determined to land his tricks. Fakie, Switch Stance, Regular & Nollie tricks, Ledges, Flat Bars, Hubbas & Down Rails, Big Gaps, Small Gaps, Pole Jams & Launchers – this guy is fearless in the streets. I’ve been watching Calvin skate for years and he is always impressive. He wins a lot of free gear at all the local events and contests and you can depend on him to throw down on camera anytime if you wanna film. He’s got skills, tech tricks, determination & consistency. The only thing Calvin doesn’t have is someone with a camera to take him out and get shit done. He is sponsorless right now and that needs to change. I just gave him a set of Protest Wheels on Go Sk8 Day for him to test out. If he likes them, maybe he will be reppin’ ’em on the team. Who else is ready to help this dude blow up?

Check out Calvin Dignard’s Raw Street Footage video and remember that he barely ever has a filmer around.

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Go Sk8 Day 2013

Jun 22,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

This year was large and in charge in Vancouver. There were hundreds of people at the plaza for the Vans Waffle Breakfast and then they went venturing through the streets together in a huge mob. It was craziness! Cyrus led everyone around downtown from street spot to street spot with handfuls of cash that he diligently handed out when worthy tricks went down. Andy Anderson walked away with a handful, Fighter 50-50’d the kink rail at Victory Square and Cory Lakeman back lipped it, Mikey Ray switch heelflipped over the rail at New Spot while Paul Trepp laid down a couple lines down the sets there, Trevor Greig stripped down to his boxers and jumped in a fountain, and a mob of kids took over the downtown streets between spots. This part of the day was crazy.

The group made it’s way across the Georgia Viaduct like always and headed over the Strathcona Park for a BBQ and a mini ramp jam on a mini-mini ramp that Kevin Kelly provided. That was fun too.

Then off to Hastings bowl we went. This was way more mellow with The Vans BBQ and a bunch of bowl shredders of all ages drinkin’ beer and chillin’ out. Andy displayed some fresh lines that he’s got going on, and Frontside Kid James Clarke showed how fast he could go and how big he could stalefish in the deep end of the bowl. Chris Macallum, Chris Timmers, Surrey Stu, Sheldon Barr, Baxter, Adam Richter, Jeff Muirhead & Jonny B along with many others were going hard in the bowl, but the highlight of the night came when Chris Steggles pulled his skateboard out of his trunk to shred. Steggles said he hadn’t skated yet this year, but it didn’t show once he rolled in – long grinds, vertical handplants and he even aired over the fence out of the 4 foot a few times. Steggles is the man, and he made the day awesome…

Happy Go Sk8 Day 2013! Hope you enjoyed it.

Eve Feaver Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Canada Day at Seylynn

Jun 18,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

I moved to BC in 1998 with my wife Carrie and was welcomed into the skateboard community here right away with open arms. I met a lot of amazing people right away just through skateboarding in Burnaby, and some of those people are still some of my closest friends, what I consider to be family. But the day that changed my life forever was the first year I went to a Seylynn Bowl Series Contest. I had heard about them for a few years but never made it out, and then when I started riding for Substance Sk8 Shop, Mike McManus took us the Bowl Series contests in White Rock and New West and I saw all these guys that I knew from the Burnaby Park and they were shredding the bowls super hard. I learned the lines quickly and had a great time, I’m pretty sure I even placed 2^nd at New West that year. I now knew what The Bowl Series was and understood that I needed to be part of it just for the fun factor. The next year we made it out to Seylynn for the kickoff which is always on Canada Day and there were hundreds of people there. I was stoked!!

Since then, we have never missed a year at Seylynn, and have hardly missed any of the Bowl Series contests at all. Seylynn, Griffin, White Rock, Squamish & Whistler (and New West used to be in there, even Bonsor had it’s times a couple years), these are the original parks that made people like Colin McKay, Alex Chalmers, Dave and Rob Boyce who they are today. And Eve Feaver and Bushman have been repping at these parks forever as well, that’s how I met them, and now they are on the Protest Team. It became a lot more than a series of skateboard contests every year, it became a family reunion, especially Seylynn. Canada Day is the day I think about most of the year, just for that reason. You know the people you’re going to see there, you know the positive vibe that will fill the air, and you know that there’s gonna be some serious talent to watch skate too.

To all the legends of Seylynn Bowl Series – Seb, Cuz, Carver Don, Dave Priest, Stevie D, Johnny B, Hippo, Langer, Jamie Sherrat, Jay Balmer, Mike Strato, Surrey Clint, Clinkhammer, Mitchy, Big Jay, The Faulkner Twins, Bushman, Eve, Stu & Drew, Andy Anderson, Giver, Adam Tagg, Dave Boyce, Alex Chalmers, Rosie and Trevor, McCallum, Pidgeon, Adam Hopkins and so many more. Legends from every era all coming together every year to kick off this event and make it what it is.

This is where I belong, and these are the memories that we make as a family to remember forever. Bowl Series – Year #19 starts July 1^st, 2013 at Seylynn Bowl. Who will show up? Who will win? Who will end up this year’s King of the Bowls at the end of the series? Only one way to find out…..

Here’s some footage from last year’s kickoff put together by Dennis Regan from Rollingbonespodcast

Extreme Sports Protest Skateboards Skateboarding

Protest Spring/Summer 2013 Gear now Available

Jun 18,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Hi Everyone – our new line of 2013 products are now for sale online. You can check out our store to see what you like and make a purchase through paypal.

We have 2 new designs for our standard decks – The Protest Peace/Rasta Team Deck and The Hippie Mike-Uncle Sam Deck which both come in 5 sizes 7.5”, 7.75”, 8”, 8.25” & 8.5”. The 2 bigger sizes are made with a longer wheelbase to properly match the widths!

Then if you love to cruise, you can grab one of the Old School Cruiser Decks specially constructed by Folk Skateboards for Andy Anderson. They have the new Protest Crest Design and every single one has different colour patterns in the crest. They measure up 33” long and are 9.25” at the front truck and 8.5” at the back truck with custom wide tail. These boards are amazing!

Protest Skateboards has now started manufacturing wheels as well. There’s only 1 design but 4 different sizes to choose from 50mm, 52mm, 54mm & 56mm. The price is good and they are built to last.

We have 3 standard T-shirt designs – The Protest Peace, The Protest Fist, and The Protest Peace Sign on Tie-Dye shirts. And there’s also the option to customize your own T-shirt or hoody with some of our other special designs.

And lastly, we of course have stickers. Rectangle vinyls, and 2 types of Dye-Cuts. Have you seen The Statue of Hipperty before?? You gotta check that one out.

Click here for the store

http://www.protestskateboards.com/protest-skateboards-online-store/

Anyway, we love all of you whether you buy stuff or not. Protest Skateboards is a company that exists for the love of skateboarding and just wants to promote the positive benefits of living life as a skateboarder.

Peace!

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Go Skateboard Day Vancouver 2013

Jun 16,2013 / By Hippie Mike / 5 Comments

Less than a week away from one of the most anticipated days of the year if you’re a skateboarder. Go Skateboard Day is celebrated around the world now and every skater knows about it. Different shops and skate companies all over the place will be hosting events at local skate parks for kids and adults of all ages to come out and enjoy. Living where we do, there’s always lots going on but the main one is always the Vans Waffle breakfast at the Skate Plaza downtown, followed by some street barging and then a trip to Strathcona Park. All the kids usually tag along on this portion of the day and it’s worth coming out just to see the young bucks goin’ wild. But if you’re stuck at work all day, or that whole scene just doesn’t appeal to you, then you might be hittin’ up the Hastings Bowl for a little BBQ action and shredding. This is where the hardcores hang and the kids don’t always fit in. After that there’s an afterparty at The Princeton Pub 1901 Powell Street where bands The Tubuloids, Futur Tits and SELFIST will be blowing ear drums. I’m sure it will be a drunken display of democratic rebellion. Sound like fun.

But if you don’t wanna go there, there’s the afterparty and Sk8 Mafia video premiere at the Fortune Sound Club as well.

It all begins at 9:30am – June 21^st, 2013

Go Sk8!

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Skaters on Edge

Jun 13,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

There’s a lot of stuff in the media about skateboarding right now, and a lot of it is negative. There’s positive features like the memorial session for Jamie Kehoe and stories about upcoming positive events happening over the summer, but these topics are only making the smaller local papers. Unfortunately the ridiculous controversy at Mt. Pleasant park and stories about longboarders getting hurt and losing lives are what the people are going to see and read because it stands out more, and gets publicized way more. The way the news works is the most popular stories are usually the ones that people suffer to have written about them. Skaters have always had issues with the eye of the public and it’s really difficult when we are all looked down upon over stuff that only a small group of us are involved in. But with all this in mind, recognize that when you carry a skateboard in your hand you are categorized as a skateboarder, and everything you do represents all of us. So even if you are not a “longboarder”, understand that what is happening in the news right now with them affects you as well. There have been 11 serious incidents in the past 2 weeks involving Longboarders in the streets and it is the golden topic in the media right now. Things happen in spurts, and unfortunately these accidents are all making headlines making it look really bad. One of my Police Officer friends said, “When you get something big that happens and creates a lot of attention, the public expects action. But sometimes it is the only time that it ever happens and then all that action is for nothing…” Enforcing more rules against the longboard nation and skateboarders as a whole is not the solution. Of course there should be consequences for anyone mistreating the laws of the roads no matter what type of vehicle they are utilizing – car, motorcycle, bike, skateboard, walking/running – you gotta be safe, and make sure you’re not creating a dangerous situation for anyone else. When there’s an incident between a car driver and a skateboarder or a bicyclist it is usually the driver of the car that suffers the most mentally. As the one riding down the street on your board or bike, you are always aware of the chance of being hit by a car, but the person in the car is definitely not expecting that to happen on there drive that day, so we gotta respect that. The solution is not more laws, bans, restrictions and tickets, the solution is more education. In today’s world, skateboarding in all forms is taking over as the most popular pastime. And because of that, we are getting a lot of kids that are buying longboards and cruiser boards just to ride from place to place. They’re not really “Skateboarders” but they are considered that by the public eye. And if they’re just buying one of these boards that gets them going super fast and they don’t know what they are doing then that is going to get them hurt, and that adds to negative statistics against skateboarding as a whole.

How do we get the information out there?

Who is responsible for providing and sharing this information?

And what is our target audience?

I think everyone needs to recognize this issue right now and help to fix it. It’s just like when you’re in the skate park and there’s a new kid that obviously doesn’t know what they’re doing and keeps cutting people off, standing in the wrong spots and constantly getting in the way. You make the choice to ignore them and live with it, or go over and educate them about park etiquette. Which one will go further? People need guidance in these situations, and this is where we’re at with longboarding in the streets. If you see someone riding dangerously, try and stop them and let them know that what they are doing is representing all of us and they need to be more respectful and cautious. And when you see these people on their penny boards and cruisers that are obviously not real skateboarders, ask them if they know what they are doing and if they need any advice. Let them know there is information online to guide them to what they need to know. They are setting our reputation. And if you are a really good skater or longboarder who is ripping through the streets, let’s try and follow the rules of the road for the next while and not be another statistic that affects our entire community. Remember that there is actually a bi-law against skateboarding on a city street, let’s not get that turned into a full law.

This issue will pass eventually but until then we are walking on broken glass. Skateboarding is actually way down on the list of sports related injuries but most people consider it way more dangerous than all the organized sports. Basketball is actually the most dangerous sport according to who visits the hospital the most, but the news is not displaying that, they are only talking about us right now.

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Dermer Squad is Headin’ Your Way!

Jun 13,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Be ready in the valley, Geoff Dermer and crew are heading out for a Demo Tour starting right now. Kitsch Skateboards has paired up with Studio Skateboards and they are making stops at 5 different skate parks in 5 days. Starting off at the Abbotsford Skate Park on June 13^th, onward to Kamloops Park on the 14^th, over to Salmon Arm for the 15^th, across to Ben Lee in Kelowna for the 16^th and then finishing it off in Vernon at Coldstream Skate Park on the 17^th. This is a hefty list to conquer if you’re over the age of 16, there’s gonna be a lot of cramped up bodies by the 3^rd day I’m sure. But nothing a bunch of veteran rippers can’t handle. They do it for the love.

Jai Ball, Chris Melvin, Bryan Wherry, Seth Cardinal, Stacy Gabriel, Geoff Dermer and more. Keep watch for them and be ready.

All demos start at 6:30pm

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

JK ALL DAY

Jun 10,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

On Saturday June 8^th, Donny Chang, Coastal Riders and the real ND Skate Crew celebrated the late Jamie Kehoe’s birthday by throwing a big shindig at the skate park where they all hung out together. Friends, family and everyone else showed up and had a great time together and lived the day for someone who can’t anymore. Jamie’s life was stolen from him in 2010 at the young age of 18 when he and his friend tried to stop a fight on the bus and he was stabbed in the neck. A brutal scene and completely uncalled for situation, and once again, an innocent man robbed of life for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Remember Lee Matasi, Rachel Hunter and Chris Whitmee, same thing – shot dead in random acts by people they would have never associated with normally, but they happened to be in the wrong place that day. The days have come when it’s too dangerous to be a hero, and sadly when there is an act of violence happening it is almost better to run away and let that person suffer while you call the police to come and deal with it. We all grow up knowing right from wrong and when we see someone doing something wrong it is difficult to step up and try to stop them, it takes great courage and honour to not just sit there and let it happen. But in today’s society – is it worth it?

We’ve lost too many people in our skateboard family to these random acts, and I can name 5-10 more locally that have been in the same situations and barely survived. It’s scary.

I didn’t get to be at Jamie Kehoe’s 2^nd annual celebration as we were away this weekend, but I know tons of people showed up and paid there respect in so many ways. And I’m sure he was looking down watching the whole thing from above.

Read this message below that Hermann Puschel wrote for Jamie to recap the way the event went down and feel the love, feel the pain, and recognize how many people an act like this affects.

RIP Jamie Kehoe…

“Hey Jamie Kehoe. Boy what a weekend this was LOL I know you are proud of us, we skated we partied but most important of all we remembered you. Donny Chang worked so hard to make your skate jam the great success that it was it shows how great a person he is and the love he has for you. The boys Tony Casano, Aaron Fermill, Majed Salem, Kurtis Day, Stefan Alvarez, Eric Pereira and all the rest of them were all at the park remembering you in their own special way, some skated some drank but it was all for you buddy and always with much love and heartache for you not being here. Tylor Joseph Faucher and Chris Faucher came by and it was great seeing them man, let me tell you those 2 have such a deep love for you and miss you more than I can describe. Your dad man you are so lucky to call him father and for him to call you son, he works so hard to never let anyone forget the amazing person you were and I respect him so much and the rest of your family as well, they were all there just for you telling stories and sharing memories of you. JK ALL DAY could be seen all over the park parents skaters girls homies everyone was there to show their love and it was strong. The girls Jacquie Stipec and Richelle Day came just for you man you still have a way with the ladies, and those 2 miss you SO MUCH they really loved you and you’ll always be their Jamie baby and you can’t forget about Marlee McAllister your always in her heart and on her mind. It was a great day but it wasn’t the same without you. I miss you man I tried my best to shred for you as hard as I could. You gave us so much in the short time we had together and when you were taken from us our hearts broke but you left us with one last gift. It was through your example of being a hero and the love we have for you that brought our crew back together and I just want to thank you Jamie, you brought the family back together and we will forever be grateful to you for that. Together we suffered cause of your lose, together we remember you everyday in our hearts and in our minds, and together when we meet again we will drink heavenly champagne and remember the good times as well as create new ones. I just thought you should know this weekend was yours and personally from the bottom of my heart thank you so much for bringing us back together everyone of them and you mean the world to me and I have a love for you guys that I just can’t put in words or possibly describe and I can’t wait till we are reunited with you. You will forever be our Hero and we will forever be indebted to you from the bottom of my heart and everyone elses thank you, we love you, and we miss you deeply” – Hermann.

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Category : Skateboarding