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.

Mar 24,2013 / By Hippie Mike / 1 Comment

10 years ago I met Jaden Easton-Ellett as he was barely 9 years old and had just started skateboarding. He came to one of my Skateboard Camps at the Cloverdale Skate Park in Surrey. Just another tall, skinny kid covered head to toe in skate pads and a helmet, it might have even been a bike helmet. But right away in that set of lessons I recognized some things about Jaden. He had a natural ability to learn and adapt quickly, and he was somewhat fearless, or clueless to danger, whichever one it was. Jaden learned a lot in that camp and he was signed up in another one a couple weeks later. I figured I was going to see a lot of him and I thought that was cool.

Jaden started coming to almost every camp or lesson I had scheduled for Cloverdale and I was always teaching him so many tricks. Since each lesson begins the same by teaching all the basics to a bunch of newcomers, I would just send Jaden off on his own and watch what he was trying. Then later I’d go over and give him some stuff to try that related to his interests. He was learning fast and his creative side was showing. This went on for years, and Jaden would sign up for tons of lessons and camps and come out to all the Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey Contests and it just evolved into a really awesome relationship between us. When he turned 14 he was super sad because he wasn’t going to be able to come to the lessons anymore since the age category maxed out at 13. So I hired him as a Volunteer and he began to help out at the lessons. He was good at it too, so the next year we started paying him when we could until eventually he took over teaching the camps as the main instructor.

Jaden always showed a good sense of responsibility and had a lot of self-motivational drive inside him. Then one day he told me that he designs websites and would like to set one up for Protest. So we did – that was in a about 2010. As Jaden’s knowledge with internet and website management was growing, he was learning about how the website could actually begin to produce income. So last year we decided to take our friendship to a whole new level and work together to help make Protest Skateboards Website a place where the skateboard world can stay connected with what’s happening in the Lower Mainland and we made some changes. Jaden became a partner in the business, and invested some funds into it, but wasn’t legally old enough to sign on as a full partner, until now.

I’d like to congratulate Jaden Easton-Ellett on his 19^th birthday on all of his accomplishments and officially welcome him on as my full Business Partner to Protest Skateboards.

To many more years of great friendship and success…

A Toast

Extreme Sports Skateboarding Video Reviews

Humbleness Goes a Long Way

Mar 19,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Vans Canada just recently welcomed Vancouver’s Russ Milligan to their team of rippers and it was awesome when I read what Vans Canada Team Manager Alex Forbes wrote about it –

“He’s been holding it down for a long time, he’s not only an amazing skater, but his humble attitude and personality fit perfectly with our brand and the rest of the team.”

That statement said a lot, and it gives respect to Russ as an individual, but also to Alex and the way he wants to see Vans Canada represented. I have a good relationship with Alex and he says a lot of the same things to me whenever we are talking on the phone or by email. He is always appreciative of all that I create and do for the world of skateboarding in the province of British Columbia, and he expresses these feelings constantly. It’s not just about being the best skateboarder any more, it’s about being a solid role model for skateboarding itself.

In the 1980’s and 90’s it was about being hardcore, and some teams today are still all about that. Look at Emerica, Baker, Shake Junt and Krew, these guys just wanna party, and they want the world to know it. It makes the younger generation a little jealous to see kids get hooked up with a team where they can live in a mansion and party like Axl Rose or Billy Idol all day long, as long as they get some tricks on film they’re good. But how far is that going to lead you, and how accepted will you still be as the world evolves around you? Let’s look back at the 80’s – The Bones Brigade was probably the biggest Skateboard Team in the history of skateboarding, Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Lance Mountain, Tommy Guerrero and Mike McGill, plus add in Rodney Mullen and Kevin Harris representin’ the freestyle world. You most likely have still to this day never seen any footage of these guys partying, and that doesn’t mean they never partied, some of them did I’m sure, but they kept it behind the scenes. They were making big money and weren’t flaunting it. And still to the day you hear all of these names in the industry in positive ways.

Now you look at Christian Hosoi and Duane Peters, and even Natas Kaupus. These guys were just as big a part of helping skateboarding evolve through that era, but where are they now? The guys that used that hardcore image to get more likes, maybe weren’t liked for as long, or by as many. And these 3 are all legends to any skateboarder from those times, but they just weren’t humble enough to utilize all of their skills. In the 90’s it was still about being hardcore, except now people were bringing it to the streets. Skaters were fighting security guards and spitting in people’s faces. Mohawks and dyed hair took over and the image of skateboarding was on the edge of acceptance and could go either way. If it wasn’t for those humble guys continuing to be the representatives in the public eye we might have lost all respect from society and would not have all the luxuries we are spoiled with now.

So think about this as you are growing up and plan your “dream future” of becoming a big name Pro Skater and ask yourself what the companies are looking for in their riders. Russ Milligan got on to Vans for more than one reason, he’s an amazing and consistent skateboarder with a huge array of tricks and mad switch pop, but his attitude had to fit with the image of the Team that the Team Manager is expecting from them. And if it didn’t, they wouldn’t have chose him. Times are changing, I say it all the time, so chill out a bit and instead of doing it all for you all the time, do it for skateboarding as a whole. Maybe it’ll get you somewhere…

And that’s from someone who was all about being hardcore and loved to party growing up but made some big changes in life to become accepted by society and be able to share his skills and devotion with the rest of the industry to help build us up to where we are today.

Now check out Russ Milligan killin’ it in the streets – humbly

Andy Anderson Extreme Sports Skateboarding Team Riders

Andy Anderson at Damn Am

Mar 16,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

For those of you who don’t receive the Protest Site’s Facebook Updates, maybe you need to push the LIKE Button on the site, or maybe were just too busy being crazy the past couple weeks, we’re gonna give you the low down on Andy Anderson’s trip to Costa Mesa to compete in the Damn Am Contest held at the Volcom Warehouse in Costa Mesa.

Andy is about to turn a big 17 years old next month and is trying to get his name out there in more places than just the lower mainland. Andy has been on a skateboarding rampage for many years, he’s actually been skating for over 12 years and he’s been hanging out and learning from Hippie Mike since he was 7. Andy has won his fair share of competitions and awards in many different categories and styles of skateboarding over the years. He can place in a street contest, a pool or coping bowl, the original old school bowls, or even at Freestyle Contests, and all on his custom old school shaped deck and setup. He took home the prestigious King of the Bowls Trophy at age 15 and won the King of Surrey Plaque the same year. Last year he got around a little more and participated in tons of different events and seemed to win some dollar bills at most of the ones he showed up to. So it was time for Andy Anderson to head down to Cali and compete against a whole new crowd of Amateur Skateboarders that raise the bar to a whole new level – The Damn Am.

Andy had a great time down there and got to meet, and make friendships with lots of other amazing skaters around the same age as him, like Curren Caples and Louie Lopez, who happened to place 1^st and 2^nd in the contest. Andy had a killer run in the qualifiers, flawless of course, and the crowd was super stoked on his unique style and technical tricks. But unfortunately Andy didn’t make the cut of the 30 people out of 200 who made it to the Finals. He did however get his whole run filmed and published by Nigel Alexander and even did a small interview afterwards. The classic part of everything is Andy had himself registered on his profile as Andre Anderso and now he keeps getting all this publicity with that name on it, hilarious… but in the actual videos it states his real name. He represented well down there for all of his sponsors, including Skull Skates, Monke Hardware, The Dry Spot, Vans, Kilian Clothing, and of course Protest Skateboards, and the experience that Andy got from his first “real contest” is irreplaceable. Now with the knowledge of what to expect from a competition in this setting, Andy will attempt again to qualify at the Damn Am in Atlanta coming up in a few weeks. Top 12 go to Tampa.

We wish him the best of luck.

Until then have a look at some of the publicity that came out of this attempt

http://skatematic.com/skateboard-news/308781/andy-anderson-at-costa-mesa-damn-am/

http://skullskates.jugem.jp/

http://skateparkoftampa.com/skater/5729/Andy_Anderson/?T=Results

http://damnam.volcom.com/

Contest Results Contests Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Spring Break BBQ 2013

Mar 16,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

March 15^th, 2013 started off Spring Break with a bang or two for the kids at Chuck Bailey Skate Park where Hippie Mike and the CBYPC organized and held a little Bike/Skate Jam in the Bowl along with a free BBQ.

Everyone was invited and lots showed up. There were some Best Trick Comps for the different age groups and Mike handed out a bunch of prizes, but mostly it was just about hanging out together with some tunes blastin’ and having a good time. Amazing job once again for the City of Surrey building a Skate Park with a covered section, proving the opportunity for another successful event that ran while the rain was pouring down. It’s a luxury to have.

Thanks to all the sponsors that supported – Protest Skateboards, Ollie North, Coastal Riders, Street Dreamz, AXS Gear, Bike Zone, Fiend, Ten Pack, Almond, Norco, RDS, Fallen and Safeway.

And thanks to all who came out to skate, it was great fun.

Adam Hopkins and Max Bayko shredded the deep end along with Allen Handley, Andy Anderson and Grant while the young bucks all shredded in the mini ramps. JR Barron and Riley threw down lots of tech tricks and Theo and Django Caseley impressed the crowd with their tranny skills. Especially Django at 6 years old dropping in on his knees and grinding coping in the 7 foot – Crazy!

Best Trick in the Deep was pretty tight. Hopkins was obviously killing it but didn’t want to win of course, so it was pretty much between Max, Allen and Grant. Max was hitting every tough transfer in the place, but it was riding between Allen Handley’s Melon Grab Feeble Grind Fakie and a sick handplant by Grant for 1^st place. Then at the last moment and final attempts, Max Bayko busted out a clean Nocomply Tailslide across the big wall. He shut it down and took home a sweet Protest Deck and Tshirt. Everyone that showed up got some sort of prize, ate too many hot dogs, and most of them left in a new Protest Skateboards Tshirt. That’s how we do it…

Here’s a couple photos of the older dudes having fun on the big wall

Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind The Man I Am

Been Old for a Long Time – but that don’t stop us

Mar 14,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Entering into the One Love Kickoff Contest in a special 30 & Over Category last weekend brought back some funny memories of back in the old days when by age I was still pretty young, but even then felt way too old. My favourite series of contests is the Bowl Series specifically for the reason that I’m not even close to the oldest competitor, but they are great because it shows a fact of how the older guys still rule the bowls, and even these young rippers have trouble placing against dudes in their 40’s.

I want to go back in time and tell you about a story from a contest held at the Skate Park in New West, and I’m not talking about Queensborough. I’m talking about the real New West Park on 8^th St, old style bowl with coping in strange places, and tons of speed lines as long as you’re prepared to push 15 times as hard as you can before going into the bowl. It was a great park in it’s hayday, produced some solid skaters like Damon Kerr and Lil’ G, David Helmer, Ross Mcleister, and Dennis – you know Dennis. Between Lil’ G and Alex Chalmers, I think every gap remotely possible in this park has been done. I used to always say I hate New West Skate Park, but then I would always place Top 3 in every contest there, it was strange, there was something about that place that just fit my style back then I guess. So 1 day in about 2005 or 2006, Ross and Dennis decided to hold a competition there. The Bowl Series had removed New West off there map for contest locations so nothing else was ever happening there. These guys decided to throw a “Low Budget” contest and tons of people showed up. It was back when I was Team Manager for Substance Skate Shop and I showed up with a good chunk of the Crew – Jon Irvine, Cisco Gooding, Stu Benoit, Jay Mykyte, Drew Boyle, and of course Homer came for moral support. So they had a category called the Washed Up Category and you either needed to be Too Old, Too Injured, or Too Drunk to skate in the normal Advanced Category. Some of us fit all 3 of those assets. So there was only 3 of us in this category and really only 2 of us had the ability to win – me and Barry. I can’t remember Barry’s last name but I would recognize his face in a second after this day.

So our turn happened later in the day and we were all feeling extra comfortable on our boards. The run began and off we went, I was killin’ it inside the bowl and on the outer obstacles. Ross and Dennis had no sound equipment for this event so there was just music blasting really loudly from a big ghettoblaster and then they would yell their instructions across the park. So of course it was really difficult to know what the hell was going on most of the time. So I thought that I heard them yell out “Last Tricks” and so I shot this crazy line through both bowls carving and wrapping in figure 8 loops as fast as I could and then finishing it off with a wild wallride across the ledge on top of the bank, and I fell riding away. So I went over and sat around in our Surrey Corner, had a few sips and hung out for about 5-10 minutes. Then I got up and went back to land the line. This dude Rob filmed it and afterward he gave me a big hi five and said how awesome that line was. I just returned with, “Yeah, too bad I couldn’t land it in my run though.” That’s when Rob looked at me funny and said, “Dude, it is your run…”

So I went over and asked Ross and he was like, yeah you’re run’s still going. And I’m thinking what the hell has been happening during this 10 minute minute pitstop I just took, so I just ran back onto my board and started tearing it up again. So we’re going for like another 5 minutes or so and then I hear Ross yell out “Last Tricks”. This time, I know I heard it, so I drop a clean nose manual 360 shovit right in front of them and the crowd went crazy, then Barry busts a solid bigspin flip on the bank and the crowd went crazy; so I do a kickflip manual kickflip, Barry ollies some crazy gap, so I do a hands in the pockets kickflip on the bank, Barry tosses something on the quarter pipe, and it just kept going and going and going until finally Ross just told us to stop, and said it was a Tie!! I think we must have skated for like 25 minutes just the 2 of us, and we probably landed way more tricks then all the other guys that weren’t in the “Washed Up” Category. And after all that we each won $10 and a Tshirt. The shirt I won was an AXS Gear shirt, which I was already and still am sponsored by, and I paid for 4 people to enter at $5 each, so I was still out $10.

But it was a great battle that I’ll never forget about, and the crowd got a major Demo out of us that day.

Whether you like New West Skate Park or not, it’s always a good time…

Contests Extreme Sports Skateboarding Upcoming Events

Spring Break BBQ @ Chuck Bailey

Mar 12,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Join the CBYPC and Hippie Mike at Chuck Bailey this Friday March 15^th, 2013 4-8pm for a BBQ and Jam Session. We’ll be giving away Hot Dogs, playing music, having fun together and celebrating the fact that all you kiddies are out of school for a couple weeks.

Prizes to be won for Skateboarding and BMX.

Dogs will be ready around 5

Carrie Williams Extreme Sports Hippie Mike Skateboarding Team Riders

Surrey/Delta demoed at The Spring Kickoff

Mar 11,2013 / By Protest Skateboards / No Comment

It was one of the first big contests of the 2013 season, and Dan Pageau couldn’t have chosen a better date. The Spring Kickoff Contest at Pitt Meadows lived up to it’s name by being on a beautiful Spring Day, and the day the clocks move ahead. Tons of kids showed up, lots of Locals for Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge, and lots of the One Love Skate Shop Crew. Lanny Deboer and Andre Tsougrianis both hung out and skated a bit, Lanny won the highest air contest out of the bowl, and then MC’d a bunch of the contest. But we had a full sized crew show up from Surrey and Delta, including Jordan Strong, Brendan Nielsen, Ryan Barron, Jacob Drescher, Mathew McCauley, and JR Barron, along with Hippie Mike, Carrie Williams and Jaden Easton-Ellett with the Protest Skateboards Tent.

It was a solid competition, everyone was throwing down. In the beginner category there were lots of little rippers all doing different tricks left right and centre. JR Barron shredded it in the qualifier run and then smashed his face on his first trick in the finals chipping a tooth. But he just bounced up and fought through the pain to finish an unstoppable run, winning the Beginner competition. That’s how we train these kids in Surrey.

Jacob Drescher showed everyone how Delta does it as Chis Sommerville from Street Dreamz Board Shop sat and watched him beat out all the Intermediates with ease.

Ryan Lepore kept Delta’s reputation of amazing ledge and rail skating in full effect as he terrorized the entire course in both runs. The way it worked was you got to skate until you fell off your board twice. It took over 3 minutes for Ryan to slip up twice in the finals, beating out some tough skaters like Jordan Repin, Jesse Holland, Dominic Devries and Ryan Prasad.

Tsawwassen Represent!

They decided to have a Master’s/Senior’s division for people 30 years and over, so Hippie Mike got in there with Carrie Williams, Jonathan Reichert, Tim R and Dan Pageau. After complaining all day about his injured back and how hard it was to move, Hippie Mike went to town when it was his turn, utilizing the entire park and lasted a long time before falling twice. Of course his second fall was a crash hard enough to rock a nation.

Hippie Mike takin’ it home for Surrey!

It was a great event and I think everyone had a blast. We sold some gear, hung out with lots of dudes we haven’t seen in a while, and skated.

Here are some photos from throughout the day, mostly of the younger kids since they ripped it so hard.

Thanks to Dan Pageau and One Love Skateboard Shop for hosting the event. Support your local businesses

Extreme Sports Hippie Mike Skateboarding Team Riders

Hippie Mike at Chuck Bailey – Winter Styles

Mar 7,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Way back at the end of January, during that nasty spell of Cold and Foggy Winter, I met up with Ty Williamson, aka Tyler the Film Creator at Chuck Bailey Skate Pak and filmed this little montage. It was a tough day for filming as the entire park was soaked when he arrived. I threw down a couple quick tricks on the mini barrier and then proceeded over to the flat bank where I tripped over my own feet after landing primo and knocked my knee slightly out of place. This happens often when you don’t have an MCL. We finished off filming anyway and later that night the old knee popped back into its proper position.

I know I’m not the best skateboarder out there anymore and it’s difficult to compete with the crazy kids of today, but I will point out that I haven’t seen anyone do 95% of the tricks in this montage. Especially when there’s ice on the ground….

Peace – Love – Respect

Skateboard for Life

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

What we Know is Just What They Teach us

Mar 7,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

In life, it is easy to be ignorant and just believe in everything you are told or taught. The media is the number one criminal for pulling you along in a story and having you itching to find out what’s gonna happen next, and the school system is just as bad sometimes for only teaching one-sided opinions. Just because there is a text book about it doesn’t mean it’s the only information out there.

We’ve been through this before recognizing the fact that all people are different, they have different interests, follow different religions, and believe in different ways of living. If we are not all the same, then why are we all forced to listen to the same content as if it is the only information that exists. We must stand up for our beliefs and express our feelings in a positive way by exploring the truth behind the lies we have been forced to listen to over the years and figure out how to change the world from having to experience the same ignorance.

I quote Bob Marley in a very powerful song, Ambush in the Night, from the most powerful album he produced, Survival –

“They say what we know is just what they teach us

And we’re so ignorant ’cause every time they can’t reach us

Through political strategy they keep us hungry”

This song was written just days after an attempt to assassinate Bob Marley in 1976. It talks about the political and economic turmoil that was constantly happening in Jamaica during this time frame and reminds us all not to trust anyone. As Bob Marley was pushing more and more towards freedom for all and creating the bonds of unity in Jamaica, some people were against his beliefs. And they did with Malcolm X, John Lennon and JFK, when they don’t like your beliefs and the force that you are creating, they try to put an unjust stop to it.

Do not trust the government, do not believe everything you are taught. Realize that we are all just fish in a barrel, expected to live a certain way, and those who explore other possibilities can easily be removed from the barrel and flushed down the toilet.

Bob Marley was extremely lucky that he was not killed during this attempt and it gave him more strength and more power as he continued to make music that changed the world.

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

Extreme Sports Hippie Mike Skateboarding Team Riders

Further On Up The Road Hippie Mike Finds Ollie North

Mar 5,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

The times are always changin’ and it gets tough to keep up sometimes, but one thing that’s always kept me goin’ is my skateboard. After many years of living life as a skater I’ve always been able to adjust with the changes. As I get older, I get wiser, but I also seem to get bigger and slower. And it makes it tough to be who you were back when you were just growing up annihilating the streets and livin’ life in your Glory Daze. But I always find my way home.

Surrey is the place I call home, and I’m very proud of what I have helped to create in this city for the skateboard community to enjoy. But as the population of skateboarders seemed to be constantly growing here in Surrey, the population of Skate Shops was diminishing. And now there is only 1 true “Skater Owned and Operated” Skateboard Shop left in this city.

So I went on a search to find that little shop hidden away in the heart of Cloverdale, venturing through the streets and skate parks of surrey until I finally got there. It was calling my name to come home.

I found my destination, took off my jacket and prepared to stay a while.

Hippie Mike has returned to Surrey

And joined Ollie North

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