Hi. I'm Hippie Mike!

Hippie Mike is a man of many talents, many skills and many creations. A master of construction, Mike loves to build and create unique and custom projects, but he also takes the same mind frame to everything else he does.

Aug 9,2013 / By Protest Skateboards / No Comment

That’s right, it’s stop #3 of Hippie Mike’s 10^th Annual Tour de Surrey Series and it’s going down at South Surrey/White Rock Park this Saturday at 12 noon. So far the first 2 stops have been awesome with tons of kids pushing their abilities to the limits and trying their hardest to be the best, and lots of tough to beat dudes in Advanced showing up and laying it down. Cloverdale was hot, Fraser Heights was blazing and South Surrey is gonna be just as tight. It’s a great skate park with tons of transitions, a barrier, a spine, an old style bowl, and some unique street obstacles. The competition is gonna be tough like always, but no Andy Anderson this year so someone else is gonna have to win in Advanced. Who’s it gonna be? Can someone else beat The Dominator? Come find out.

$5 or 2 non-perishable food items to enter – registration starts around 11:30am

Check out this video from the Fraser Heights Contest which was filmed by Leah Bolton at JoyTV10 and is being featured on Channel 10 in between episodes until after the grand finale in September

And don’t forget that we have collaborated with Moonrider Productions and are making a full length documentary of this year’s Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey #10. Only one way to get in there, and that’s by showing up…

See you there

Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind The Bob Marley Quote of the Month

No Man No Cry

Aug 7,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

With yet another unexpected death in my family a lot of us are lost in sorrow and raw emotions. It gets tougher every day when you think about how we spend our lives meeting people and falling in love all for the times when it changes to watching all those friends and family around us pass away. Everything we do seems like a waste at times, but it’s not. Even when you lose someone very close to you there are always the memories that you have to continue on living with. That’s why it is so important to not hold grudges or get super bitter at people over minor things that happen in life, because you never know when the last time you are going to see them is until after it happens. Even through tough times with your friends and family it is so important to think positively and try to resolve your issues. I have so many friends and have lost, quite a few in strange situations that no one could have predicted, and I always think back to that final time we had together in hope that it was a good one, and it usually is, luckily. I never was the type of person growing up that said the words I Love You all the time and hugged people but I catch myself doing it a lot lately, and it feels good. I think some of that comes from worrying that the people around me might not know how much they really mean to me. Through skateboarding alone I have met thousands of people and a lot of them I consider my good friends. I try my best to care for everyone and treat everyone the same but there are definitely those who I cherish a little bit extra, who I have spent way more time with and just have so many amazing memories of. Today, as I write this I think of Josh Evin and how his 3^rd annual Memorial Jam was today, and then I think of all the sweet memories I have of Josh from Leeside, Hastings and Confederation Park and the old PM BBQ’s back in the day at 53^rd and Victoria. And I think of all the kids that don’t know who he is, or how amazing a person he was, or how high he set the bar when he skated. Who remembers the barefoot backside disasters on that 14 foot vert wall in The Project? And that makes me think of Lee Matasi and his crazy switch hardflips and 270 flips on the pyramids at Confed, and then there was Carver Don where 300+ people saw him go down at Seylynn Bowl and never recover. A tragic moment. For some that memory will be etched in their minds but I have to look past that moment into the reasons why I loved him and why everyone loved him – he was one of the most caring and inspiring individuals around and expressed himself even in his 50’s though his positive music and wicked skate styles. These are just a few of the friends we all have lost in our society. And I’m sure every one of you has at least one family member who meant the world to you that is no longer around to share a hug.

I quote the Bob Marley song No Woman, No Cry –

Good friends we have, oh, good friends we’ve lost
Along the way.
In this great future, you can’t forget your past;
So dry your tears, I say.

It’s not about the times you had today as it is about the times you might not have tomorrow. Take this time to think of all the people you have lost in your lives and what they brought into your life that made you love them. Pick the best memory you can think of and cherish it. Now go live your life and make sure that you create those feelings in others around you for them to remember you by…

To all my friends and family who are suffering

and to those we have lost

– LOVE

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Mathew McCauley’s first Sponsor – Protest Wheels

Aug 6,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

I’ve been watching this kid skate for a few years now, I remember seeing him the first time at one of my Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey contests and recognizing his talents right away. Mathew McCauley is a unique skater who has the mentality to go for it all the time. This kid can kickflip and frontside pop shovit 9 stairs on command, and he’s not afraid to go bigger. And as he gets bigger he starts to hit more ledges and rails as well as a little bit of transition. Now that McCauley is 13 years old I gave him a chance to make a big move in his life and step up to being sponsored. This is a huge move since he was still competing in Intermediate at contests, but last year if he was on point, his runs would’ve placed in Advanced at some of those comps. I still remember last July at my Fleetwood Contest when he showed up just as first runs of Intermediate were ending and I told him to get up there and throw down, it was his turn. He stepped up the stairs, turned around and blasted a huge kickflip down the 3 block and then just completely annihilated the rest of the park ending it with another big banger down the blocks. He hadn’t even warmed up and basically just won with his first run. I knew then that his time was coming but didn’t want to rush it.

Exactly one year later I laid it down, I said “Do you wanna be sponsored and live the life of a sponsored skater where you are expected to be places and you have to compete against the big guns and throw down all the time and show up for photo shoots when I tell you to and be in the eye of the public all the time? Or do you wanna just keep living your life having fun skateboarding?” I told him if he was ready then I would put him on the Protest Wheel Team and he would get free wheels plus cost on decks. Matt thought about it for a few minutes and answered “Yes”…

He entered the Fraser Heights contest that same day in Advanced and threw down some serious tricks. I’m stoked that he was ready for this, and now it’s time to make him even better than he already is. Be prepared to see lots of footage of this kid in the future…

Welcome to a new life buddy –

Protest Wheels proudly welcomes Mathew McCauley to the Team

Here’s his welcome filmed at Chuck Bailey Skate Park

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Tsawwassen Sun Festival 2013 Results

Aug 6,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Another amazing day in Tsawwassen, what a place to live! The sun was definitely cooperating for an event named The Sun Festival, and to be honest, we have no idea what happens at this so called event except for the fact that Michael Ray and the Local Boys set up an annual skate comp at one of the best skate parks in the lower mainland. Any contest at Tsawwassen Skate Park is gonna be a tough one to win, the energy is always solid and so is the skating. Hippie Mike and the Protest Crew showed up ready throw down with Brad “Fighter” Muscat and Andy Anderson. All 3 were on their game all day, Hippie was blasting big out of the launch and threw down his patented “Hippie Hop” through the 2 bump to rails and then early roast beef down the 3 block to finish off his 2^nd run, Fighter was flying high over the Van City Sign, hittin’ ledge and rail tricks everywhere, bustin’ benny’s over the skinny hubba and just plain skating fast and hard, and Andy, well he’s Andy – trick, trick, trick, trick, trick….. Can you hit every obstacle in the park in one run, maybe, if you’re Andy.

It started out with Beginners and came down to 3, Parker Sherwin, Nick Bachmeier and Lucas. All 3 of them ripped it up, Luke blasted the 3 block, Nick was boardsliding the green rail and Parker was popping big ollies and flip tricks all over the place.

The Intermediates were just as tough and the Top 3 came down to Colin Gallagher, Matt Hill and Jacob Drescher. All 3 of these guys are on their ledge and rail tricks and were landing tons of stuff, Jacob even double kickflipped up the step up. They were all tight in the standings but Colin took 1^st place.

Protest Skateboards pulled out a crisp $50 bill for a Best Trick up the Step Up and Hippie Mike took over the microphone. Judge Mike Hastie said 5 minutes only so they went for 7. It was literally a person jumping up the step up every 5 seconds the entire time and tricks were getting stomped left right and centre, 3 flips, double flips, ghetto birds, late shoves, blah blah blah blah blah, but Ryan Leport laid out a sick nollie double heelflip 180 twice in a row to take the money. Solid both times buddy! Even if you landed on 1 foot only the first time.

The Advanced Category was insane of course as everyone who actually entered knows how to shred in competition. Top guys to watch were Ryan Leport, Andy Anderson, Riley Antonik and Andy Classon. Somehow Tyler Burke made the Finals as well and then skated really good in them. Everybody skated solid in Advanced but these 4 were the ones to beat all day. Ryan Leport and Andy Anderson just basically rode around really relaxed and did a zillion tricks each on the ledges, the flat bars and rails, up the step up and even on flat just for fun. Andy Classon wowed the crowd with his insane wallie skills and big pops but couldn’t come through in top 3 this year. It was Riley Antonik with his barge and charge style going as fast as possible on the worst flat spots and hitting every big ledge and rail in site. Riley killed it, but he was no match to Andy and Ryan. Sick contest!

Thanks to Michael Ray and Mick Bey along with anyone else that helped to organize this event, Geoff Howe for coming all the way out to MC, Mike Hastie for judging, and of course to Hippie Mike for wearing the worst outfit of the year. Great day everybody, see you all there next year…

Results

Beginner

Parker Sherwin
Nick Bachmeier
Lucas

Intermediate

Colin Gallagher
Matt Hill
Jacob Drescher

Advanced

Ryan Leport
Andy Anderson
Riley Antonik

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

When all you do is Hurt – you are stuck in a DAZE

Aug 3,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Ethan Craig is a young but talented skateboard filmer/videographer in the lower mainland and has been dedicating his life to making amazing videos the past couple of years. Ethan has a solid following and gets a lot of respect from the top dogs of the local skateboard scene which he totally deserves. Through all of this filming he has been invited to participate in video recaps of many historic events like Goskate Day, The Burrard Hotel Takeover, and more. And in amongst all of this Ethan had begun to film for his very own first big full length skate video called “Daze”. The whole internet craze with Youtube and Vimeo has really impacted the way skate videos happen and full length videos are becoming more and more rare and obsolete, so for someone so young to be thinking this way got a lot of people stoked. 4 trailers have been released so far to show what type of amazing skating to expect, and also display some of the talented individuals we were going to get to watch in it. The hype is fully alive right now and Daze was gonna be sick…

Then yesterday, the unthinkable and unimaginable and literally the worst think possible happened to Ethan. Someone stole Ethan Craig’s hard drive containing all the footage for his video. And now he feels like he has nothing. And in your mind you still have everything planned out for how the video was going to piece itself together. A true filmer edits his video in their head as the footage happens, and Ethan Craig is a true filmer. This is a very tragic thing to have happen to anyone, and coming from someone who films skateboarding and has for many years, I completely understand the emotions that are running through young Ethan’s mind right now and sympathize in every way possible. It makes you hate everyone, it takes away your ability to trust anybody in this world, and it feels like a humungous part of your soul was torn out of your body and run over by a semi. I have had the same thing happen before where my house was broken into and all my video equipment was taken, and all I cared about was losing the footage. Objects are replaceable, but footage is not. Sometimes there are things that happened on camera that will never happen again and you were lucky to have filmed it. I quote Ethan here –

“I have today learned how only a few seconds can really change a lifetime. as well has how sentimental value it worth, millions and millions more then per-say it’s “retail” value.”

Nothing is more true than this sentence because that is exactly how you feel when you lose something that you put your heart and soul into and cannot replace in a store. You can go back to the same spots with the same people and try and relive what was already filmed but it’s just not the same. It’s not as real.

I wish Ethan Craig the best of luck on getting his hard drive back. But if it doesn’t happen, he now has a lot of work to do to regain his focus on that end goal he had – Daze, a full length skateboard video…

It’s time for everyone involved to step back up and really come together with Ethan to support him and help him get back on his feet and recreate his dream. It’s not gonna look the same as before, but it can have the same result.

Nothing but sympathy for my friend Ethan Craig

Here are all 4 of the Trailers he had put out for DAZE

Eve Feaver Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Protesting in White Rock

Jul 31,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

There’s a thing people do a lot when they live in South Surrey, they tell everyone they’re from White Rock. But I always ask the question, “What’s it say on the envelope when someone mails you something?” Surrey – that’s what. And the funny part is that even the Original Surrey Skate Park still lives by the name “White Rock Bowl”…

It’s referred to by many as The Deep Pit and it was built around 1990 following the roll in styles of all the other parks at that time like Seylynn, Griffin and Whistler Bowl but taking away the snake run aspect, White Rock Bowl is a fun one but can kick your ass without warning at any moment. As Mitch Salter was reminded during his run in Advanced when he lost control on a fly out from the deep end and land fully upside down. Ditch, halfpipe, deep end and 2 big tits, that’s what this bowl is about, and there’s only one way to skate it – fast.

It was a beautiful day outside once again, we have been blessed this summer so far. Not as many people as there used to be at this stop but it is very far for most people to drive to. But a good chunk of the Protest Team showed up and were ready to skateboard. Don Bushman Wilson has been skating this park since day 1 and showed his experience with fierce lines that never ended while Brad Fighter Muscat went huge out of the deep end and into the halfpipe, Eve Feaver proved early that he was going to be the man to beat as he blasted airs all over and laid down a whack of technical lip tricks while (myself) Hippie Mike reminded everybody that I’ve lived in Surrey for the past 12 years and have taught many a kid how to shred that park, including the infamous Andy Anderson who for once was not present at this competition due to a Freestyle Demo in Maple Ridge that he was working. The action was hot in all categories starting with Beginner where little 5 year old Presley Huska dominated but ripping down the entire bowl and wrapping around the deep end as well as making out of the end of the bowl. This kid’s crazy! The Intermediates were insane too, Rylee Wong was shredding like he was born in the early 80’s and Purple Pants Riley Allen was pretending he was Andy Anderson with huge flyouts and boneless tricks all over the bowl. Kai Searle and Ross were also ripping hard and laying down lots of tech tricks. When it came time for the ladies we had Carrie Williams for Protest, Krystal Clear from Squamish and Malia who I don’t really know. They all went hardcore, as much as they could but Carrie dominated with her many years of experience at this competition popping fakie tricks on the top banks, doing stalls in the halfpipe and carving the bowl. The Advanced was tight and everyone was skating good. Tons of speedlines, lots of solid huge airs in and out of the bowl and plenty of style form everyone. Jay White carved it up like he knows how while lil’ Mitchie went fast and tried not to hurt himself, Gary Harris was in the house and ripped it up too, and Lil’ G threw down some tough gap ollies and tailslides, Fighter used the whole bowl and stuck some tough tricks as Tyler Wong showed his old school styles inherited from his Dad, but it came down to those Top 3 –

Eve Feaver
Bushman
Hippie Mike

We’ll see you guys in Sqaumish on August 17^th and Whistler on the 18^th

Check out the photos from Mark Halliday @ Moonrider Productions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonriderpro/sets/72157634868254074/

Extreme Sports Protest Skateboards Skateboarding

Protest Summer BBQ#2

Jul 29,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Saturday we had another Protest Team BBQ which only half the team showed up but we had lots of other friends I had invited too so it was still busy. A lot more mellow than the last BBQ mainly for the fact that Randy Madland showed up sober this time and didn’t drink 20 beers, but don’t worry, Brad Muscat took his place on that level. But at least Fighter wasn’t hucking himself of the cliff like Randy liked to do, he was just hucking himself around in the mini ramp.

Everybody had a good time and we all just hung out having fun. There was ladder golf for the kiddies and mini ramp for the big boys, and plenty of food for everyone. Homer was the BBQ master again, and one my old friends from high school in Ontario, Ray (Turner) Fox showed up to hang, and Dennis Regan was in the house as well. The ramp was kind of the highlight area of the party and it seemed like everyone was on there game – Cisco Gooding was dropping 270’s out of every type of grind all over the ramp, Fighter learned yet another variation of Judo Blunt by popping them to frontside tail, Jaden Easton-Ellett was slashing everything super fast and stylish, Randy Madland was hitting primo stalls out of 50-50 and then landing them back in, Giver (Michael James) was going frontside like usual, and Justin James skated the entire time and probably took the most body slams of everyone, in amongst landing a ton of tricks. I jumped on the ramp for about 10-15 minutes for a doubles photo and video of me 5-0 grinding the hip over Justin doing a bigspin going the opposite direction. That was about it for Hippie Mike‘s skating on this day both my legs were super cramped up from the day before. Later in the evening Jeff Cole and Andy Anderson strolled in and of course both got up on the ramp for a “fresh legs demo”. Jeff is injured right now so he was taking it easy but still slashing with style, and Andy had just come from an all day Freestyle Demo out in Maple Ridge so he was on top of his game, and itching for tranny. He threw down a couple perfect nosegrinds over the hip and Jeff called him out to do nosegrind on the first side and then revert into sugarcane as he transferred the hip. It took Andy a whole 2 tries to stick it and then he did like 3 more in a row. All these guys are great to watch skate mini, and that was pretty much all we did. Food was good, drinks were good, weather was good and the people were awesome.

Not so many at this one, lots were out of town or just didn’t show. I’m sure they’ll be at the next one…

Contest Results Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Griffin Bowl Series through the eyes of The Bushman

Jul 25,2013 / By Don Bushman Wilson / No Comment

Second stop on the King of the Bowl Series #19 saw the circus show up at Griifin Snake in North Van. Plenty of skaters on hand to lay down some awesome runs and lots of pleased spectators.

The beginners contest was great to watch as always, love to see the stoke in those kids eyes, kinda like the stoke that’s still in mine after all these years on board! Congratulations for my fellow Squamish ripper Jacob Leblanc for taking first place in beginners!!!

Intermediates was a great show too. Some of these skaters should maybe have been in advanced I think, with the tricks being displayed and them nailing the landings, showing that they have the cajones for the next level. Congratulations to whomever won, I can’t recall who it was (old age and sitting beside Chalmers didn’t help), but you guys were rippin.

Advanced saw a nice large field of well seasoned riders, my own old ass included. Speed lines galore, huge ollie-fest and a ton of old school trickery to be had. The heats were full on and in the end, came down to eight men in the final. I was stoked to make the final, having missed it last year and skated like I was 20! I wish. After all was said and done, the top five were as follows: 1-Danny Hagge 2-Andy Anderson 3-Adam 4-Rob Rickaby 5-Dave 57 Krystof and Bushman (me)

See you all at the next stop Whiterock/South Surrey – July 28th!!!

Bushman

PS, the highlight of my day at Griffin, was airing over my teammate Fighter as he laid inside the shopping cart I was blasting over out of the bowl. That, or maybe laughing so hard, as Alex Chalmers tried to pass off his judging duties on the girl Nora, a skater visiting from Denmark, sitting right in front of us. After some coaxing, she was a judge… skateboarding rules!

For all the photos from Mark Halliday and Moonrider Productions click the link

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonriderpro/sets/72157634787834588/

Uncategorized

Vulcan Bolts welcomes Hippie Mike

Jul 24,2013 / By Protest Skateboards / No Comment

Vulcan Bolts is a new hardware company created by Dennis Regan who also runs www.RollingBonesPodCast.com Dennis decided to start this new bolt company and chose Protest Skateboards owner Hippie Mike to be the first Team Rider. Maybe he figured a 200lb hippie would be a good way to test the strength of the bolts…

Here’s what Dennis had to say about it –

“In the winter of 2013, there came the idea, ‘Start a bolt company!’.

I was sitting in Las Vegas and the idea came to me over dinner. After much liquor, a hangover, and losing a bunch of money, it was a go.

The premise behind the company is to provide the best bolts, bearings, and clothes that we can make.

It officially started in July with the launch of Vulcan Bolts. Forged Hardware available in both allen and philips.

I wanted to have a team of dedicated skaters. Not dedicated to their skateboarding, but dedicated TO skateboarding. That is why the first person I wanted on the team is Hippie Mike.

Mike has been promoting skateboarding in Surrey, BC for 10 years with his own creation, Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey. This is a series of contests based in skateparks in the city of Surrey, BC. Every kid is invited to skate and walks away with something. You enter, you win a prize. His goal is to share the joy that he has experienced through skateboarding over the years with every skater. He started his own skateboard company ( Protest Skateboards ) to sponsor young kids that had talent and passion for skating. He does everything possible to encourage his riders to push themselves and supports them in every way.

His own skateboarding comes from the soul. He does the tricks that he loves. In 10 years from now he will still be pulling body varial nose blunts because it makes him smile. Not because it was on the cover of a magazine.

Vulcan Bolts is proud to have the Hippie Mike ride Vulcan Bolts.”

Dennis Regan

Check out the site

http://vulcanbolts.com/team/

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

It was a Booze Bash

Jul 23,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Friday night was pretty hectic but it wasn’t much different than most Friday nights at Hastings Bowl, except of course for the huge coolers full of beer and boxes of prizes. Tons of people showed up to skate and to just sit and chill and check out the show. Surprisingly no one got drunk…

There was a Best Trick over the spine to get the jam rollin’ and Adam Hopkins won it with a solid Miller Flip. Fighter dropped a Benihana over it right afterwards too. They had a wooden extension on the 8 foot just like last year’s Battle at Hastings Real Box except way sketchier. Skylar Kehr did this crazy hippie jump off to hand on his board wallride to fakie and got nothing for it. That’s life I guess, but it was sick. Jeff Muirhead stuck a super awesome nosepick on it too. Surrey Stu Benoit took the golden prize of 2 Old E’s taped together for snaking everyone in the 6 foot bowl and then Chris Macallum fell hard on a shotgun speedline and cracked his head open bad – 9 stitches at the hospital and then he was back to chill. Hardcore!!

After everyone mellowed back down it was time for some good ol’ Canadian Flyouts from the 6 foot. Methods, Judos and backside 360’s, and that was just John Baker. Everyone was killin’ this section, and a few decks got snapped hard. Even I got up and banged out a couple Madonna bucket kicks off the garbage can. This got Brad Muscat going and along with 8 beers or so, he all of a sudden started eyeing up the fence gap. There’s a pretty short list of people who have air this gap over the fence from the 4 foot bowl to the bank in the street section, and add his name to it. Fighter dropped a melon grab over it and then went back to method it for the crowd.

Everyone had a good time, there were tons of awesome people there and a lot of crazy tricks. For an event named “The Booze Bash” it ended up being pretty mellow, which was good.

Thanks to Sheldon Barr for putting it all together.