Goodbye 2012

Jan 1,2013 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

At the end of every year I like to reflect on what happened and what needs to happen in the upcoming one. This year was full of mixed emotions for me. I read a post that Dan Pageau had posted recently about how 2012 was a solid year for him – got a new Pro model with Monke and opened up 2 Skate Shops “One Love” and just how he was down in the dumps and then life just turned around for him and everything is awesome again. This is what I’m really hoping for myself for next year, is just to have a full year of positivity. This year was very tough. Both my cats died at separate times and so did my Dad, and that crushed me, big time. He was everything to me, my strength, my power and my love, and I lost a lot of that when he passed away. Life was just hard this year and we fell into more debt, I closed down one of my businesses and depression was definitely existent in both mine and my wife’s minds every day. But when I look at all the good things I can’t complain forever – I got a partner to help me out with Protest and revamped the Team and the Website and now it seems to be taking off again, I have one of the cutest and smartest kids in the world who makes me laugh everyday and keeps me proud, I won a few contests and got a video clip on America’s Funniest Videos, I made tons of new relationships this year and I really got back on to my skateboard. I can’t wait for the New Year 2013 just so I can start off fresh from here. There are some seriously positive opportunities just waiting to happen in our lives right now and they will change everything if they do.

The one thing I always know I have is tons of great friends, and no matter what happens, or how shitty I feel, they are always there.

Thanks 2012 for helping me find myself once again – Now bring on something better…

Happy Halloween!!

Dec 31,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Strange time to say it, but it’s for a good reason. Anyone who was present at this year’s Leeside Halloween Jam has been patiently awaiting the Fun City Video by The Zenga Bros….

Well, here it is, full of chaotic tricks, crazy costumes, and a buttload of fireworks.

Adam Hopkins – The Ultimate Warrior

Dec 30,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

One of my personal favourite Local Skaters comes out with yet another video part for 2012. Ultimate Distributors, in association with Black Label, Bones Wheels, Bones Bearings and Concrete Skateboarding Magazine proudly present this edition of On the Reel featuring Adam Hopkins. Adam has been in the province of BC for about 4 years now and has made a big name for himself since his arrival from Thunder Bay, Ontario. Known by most for his unique and stylish vert and tranny skills, especially those padless 540’s, but also being known for killing it in the streets, Adam is a go-getter when it comes to skateboarding. He’s young, tough, determined, ambitious, innovative, and skilled. Put all that together and it equals amazing.

Once again – give it up for this year’s King of the Bowls – Adam Hopkins

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blacklabelskates.com
bones.com
bonesbearings.com
ultimateskateboarddist.com
concreteskateboarding.com

Brendan Nieslen gets Hooked Up!

Dec 30,2012 / By Protest Skateboards / No Comment

Brendan Nielsen took 1^st Place in the recent Online Protest Best Trick Contest. Here’s Brendan collecting his prize pack, looking happy about it. He got a Protest Hippie Mike Deck, A Protest Old School Deck, 2 Tshirts, a hat and a Custom Protest Hoodie which is still being made. We’ll get you that soon buddy. Don’t Worry.

Congratulations again to Brendan, and check out the winning trick

Smith Grind Hardflip

http://www.protestskateboards.com/online-skateboard-competition/brendan-nielsen-smith-hardflip/

Credit for The Dominator

Dec 28,2012 / By Protest Skateboards / No Comment

16 year old Dominic DeVries entered a video into Ride Channel’s “Shredit Cards” to win Credit at Tampa Skate Park and totally came through. Congratulations Buddy!!

Anyone around here knows Dominic, and understands fully why I refer to him as The Dominator. Flip Tricks, Rail Tricks and huge Gaps, put ’em all together and it’s worth big bucks… Now he just needs a ride to Florida.

Check the vid.

Protest Decks are Built Tough

Dec 22,2012 / By Protest Skateboards / No Comment

Protest Skateboards has been around for over a decade and there’s one thing they were always proud of – having strong decks that don’t break easy. Over the years Protest has dealt with a few different manufacturers and always liked to keep it Local. They have now found the best of the best to produce their decks, they’re strong, durable, solid and tough to break.

Thanks Folk Skateboards!!

Check out the owner Hippie Mike trying to break a Protest Deck on the ramp (it had been cracked for 3 weeks prior to this)

You can purchase Protest Decks through the site, just click here to email them

The End of the World is here…

Dec 22,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

The end of the skateboard video filming world anyway. Spencer Hamilton just raised the bar with a completely flawless video part for Expedition One releasing his new Pro Model. There’s not much to say about this part except – “Damn, Spencer Hamilton is sick!!”

Watch the part and buy his decks – support your local skaters.

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Protest Online Best Trick Contest Winner Is…

Dec 20,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

It was a great contest and I’d say majority of the tricks entered were definitely sick tricks. Some were big, some were tech, some were just weird, but all were awesome. You, the public, narrowed down the Top 10 by voting for your favourites, and then it was Team Protests turn to decide the winner. We narrowed it down to the Top 3 with Allen Handley’s Miller Flip over the fireplace at Chuck Bailey, Brendan Nielsen’s Smithgrind Hardflip on the ledge at White Rock Res, and Lanny DeBoer’s Frontside Kickflip 360 over a big wedge gap in the streets. All 3 of these tricks were super unique in their own ways but we were forced to choose just one. After lots of debate back and forth and asking the opinion of a couple outside sources it was confirmed…

Congratulations to Brendan Nielsen!!

The winner of the 2012 Online Protest Best Trick Contest!!

Brendan has won a huge Prize Pack containing:

A Protest – Hippie Mike Deck, an Old School Shaped Protest Team Deck, 2 Protest T-Shirts, a Trucker Style Protest Skateboards Hat, and a Custom Protest Skateboards Hoody.

Check out the winning trick

http://www.protestskateboards.com/online-skateboard-competition/brendan-nielsen-smith-hardflip/

and click here to see the rest of the entries that Brendan beat

http://www.protestskateboards.com/leaderboard/

Thanks to all that entered.

Last 3 Standing – Protest Best Trick

Dec 19,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Alright the team has narrowed it down to these Top 3 Tricks

Congratulations for making this far.

The Winner will be announced tomorrow – December 20, 2012

Gonz is God

Dec 19,2012 / By Capn Old Ballz / No Comment

‘ve been watching skate videos since the bones brigade were formed ( mid-80’s) I love to watch the progression of skateboarding happen right in front of my eyes. I still watch a couple of video parts per day and I’m always thinking about skating. In my opinion the best skate video part of all time is Mark Gonzales part in Blind – Video Days. This part has it all. Never been done before street tricks( at the time) vert, mini and handrail tricks. There is a reason why The Gonz is a legend, the dude was way ahead of his time. When you watch this part remember it’s 1991! Look at all the switch and nollie tricks he does. His style is effortless and second to none. Game changer right here…

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