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.

Nov 22,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

(Here’s a little write up from Sean Campbell about the “new” UBC Skate Park which was planned out years ago and is now finally about to be constructed. Sean has voiced how the plan that was revealed by New Line Skate Parks is old and out of date, and straight up, not meeting the standards that New Line has recently proven themselves to be capable of. In my opinion, I have to agree in a sense that this Park Design is lacking in potential. I have my own opinions about all these smaller Skate Parks popping up around the Lower Mainland which “Yes” they are great because there is no Park in that area, but “No” they are not so great because they are too small and and not thought through all the way by the community, waste of space in my mind sometimes. Look at Mt. Pleasant Park and Mackin’ Park for examples, to me these Parks hurt my feelings when I show up to them. I understand that these Municipalities are the ones to blame as they are the ones who decide how much the Skate Park will cost. But when I show up to a brand new Skate Park and my first thought is about how you couldn’t skate there with more than 7 people, to me that’s a bit of a waste. Maybe I’m just spoiled with all the Skate Parks in Surrey being worth more money and better designed to allow freedom of direction. Don’t get me wrong, I love New Line, these guys are amazing, and they do awesome work. Skate Park Construction has evolved so much since they built LaFarge in Coquitlam and we all thank them for the efforts they put in, but I look at this photo of the design for UBC Skate Park and wonder “Is it worth building just to have a park there? Or should there be consideration to take it back to the drawing board and redesign something that will benefit more people at once? Is this gonna be another Strathcona Park?” I think that no matter what happens from here, the UBC Skate Park will be awesome, and will be well utilized. And we are guaranteed that New Line Skate Parks will doing an incredible job constructing it. Read Sean Campbell’s Story below and add your comment to the pile…. – Hippie Mike)

I tried my best all last week and up to today to try and get NewLine and UBC to review their park plan. As many people are discussing online and in the real world – the plan is remarkably outdated and offers no modern terrain other than the bowl. Not only is the park insufficiently out of tune with current trends in skateboarding – the elements that are present are all repeats of features that have been readily available to skate in the community for decades already – with in easy reach of the UBC campus.

I wrote to NewLine , I wrote to the President of UBC ( maybe a little over the top there but it worked real good ) , and I asked them both to review the park. Both UBC and NewLine replied with the same statement – that the park plan was a product of the planning meetings that were held. The relative obscurity of these meetings – as well as the fact that they automatically exclude anyone who has a scheduling conflict from providing their input – left me wondering if there isn’t a better way to handle the process of gathering public opinion. After speaking with people who were actually at these meetings I get the feeling that overwhelmingly the voice of the skateboard community was not taken into regard at all and that the park design that resulted is a bland , outdated , budget-over-function fail.

To be fair I think the bowl is amazing. Every park should have some sweet transition – especially the UBC park considering it serves a wide area – but to go and waste ALL that other space with some big grey pads and two f’n banks is not only a shame – it’s a concrete crime! There are countless more inventive ways to use that space would provide modern terrain that is anything but a repeat of every other park in the city. NewLine is famed for their inventive terrain – what happened here? I made sure to ask the University planning committee why an institution dedicated to preparing people for the future would build such an outdated facility?

Lastly – and why I wrote this – is that the guy from the UBC plannig committee offered me the slimmest sliver of hope. UBC called me on Tuesday to discuss my concerns with their current plan – and I think that’s pretty cool. After hearing my arguments and getting my input I was given the opportunity to go ahead and gather up opinion and support for my own arguments – if I could find it – and present it to them before the end of the week. I was told that if I could pull together enough local opinion that there might – just miiiiiiiight be some tiny sliver of hope that the design could get a review.

This morning I woke up and decided not to put a ton more effort into this. I wrote my letters to give what I felt was a diplomatic and informed opinion and to offer some suggestion. To go and track people down and try to gather statements and signatures and put it all together is too much. However – if everyone else who is concerned about the poor design takes the same steps that I did and sends an email directly to UBC and to NewLine – perhaps if there is enough of THAT – then they will realize that I’m not the only one who thinks the design is a real bummer compared to what it could be. Shit – it’s not even up to the standards that NewLine themselves have set!

I also think it’s important to be respectful of the Campus and NewLine here – they ARE building a skatepark and we should ALL be grateful for that .. but the waste of an opportunity like this is something worth trying to change .. and considering the track record NewLine has and the parks they build everywhere else – it’s baffling why the UBC park is so remarkably bland and out of touch. If you write them emails please be cool about it – don’t go off and try to tell them how to do their job! I tried to be brief and diplomatic and honest while making sure I drove my points home – and it seemed to be very effective.

I’m ONE dude and I received way more feedback than I could ever have hoped for .. if lots of other people put the effort into giving input there is a very good chance that the planners and designers would get on board and provide UBC and the skate community at large with something worth the effort.

For newline I just went to their website and found a ‘contact us’ link .. for UBC I kind of went nuts and sent my letter directly to the president – but his email address was front and center on their contacts page so why not?

Lastly – the park is schedule to start RIGHT AWAY – as in maybe even Monday. The reality is that it would be a true miracle of the heart if both UBC and NewLine were wiling to change the plan – and that’s why I decided to drop the issue – erase the stuff I had posted previously from my feed – and let it be. All I wanted to do with my emails was put the opinion out there. I’m not prepared to champion the fight that could cause planning delays and scheduling nightmares for people I probably know – but if NewLine and UBC show some love and do what should have been done in the first place – build a relevant skateboard facility that provides modern terrain for all skill levels and ages – and if that happens because a bunch of us were genuinely concerned enough to provide informed opinions and constructive input … well shit – that’s how it should be!

Anyhoo – that’s my park story.

please share this article with anyone you want to spread the word . I tried to tag a ton o peeps just to share this. Time is very short but the internet is a great way to get the word around …

And to be blunt – commenting on MY note here is pointless. Like it or whatever to show some support for the idea if you feel the plan needs reviewing – but if you want to type – send the planners a letter!

– Sean Campbell

UPDATE #1: Sean Campbell Gets his Point Across

Glory Daze Hippie Mike

Glory Daze – Episode 6 L.S. – “Pushin’ for Change”

Nov 22,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Hi, and welcome to Episode 6 of GLORY DAZE with Hippie Mike. Tonight we’re travelling through the internet to Barrie, Ontario to hang out and to learn about the styles of a Neighbourhood Rapper who wants to change the world for the better. An amazing snowboarder, a positive creator, and part Owner of Unity Market and Studios, he is known on the Hip-Hop scene simply as L.S., give it up for Shane Dennis!!

Hippie Mike: What’s Up Shane?

L.S.: How you doin’? I’m excellent

HM: Let’s start out with a little bit of History. You and I were very close friends in our teenaged years, almost inseparable. We skateboarded, snowboarded, and got into a lot of mischief together. In that entire time period, I cannot recall either of us imagining about becoming a Rap Star. Can you tell us when you’re life changed and why you took the path that you did…

L.S.: Well let me start by saying that I do think back to those years a lot and you were definitely a mentor to me, though we were a lot younger then. But how I got started on that path, I mean I was writing music when I was young and listened to Hip Hop. I was in a band when I was in like Grade 5 or 6 and writing some music, you know, and had been taking piano lessons when I was a kid and I always listened to Hip Hop and loved it, and then it was after that I moved in to like those teenage years of being like, taking some of the lyrics I was writing with music and started writing “Raps” with it. You guys moved out West and from riding/snowboarding, I hooked back up with Jordi LaForty [Jordan Peters], and we just met up again. This was years and years later and we were just talking and I was like, “Yeah, I’m writin’ some rhymes” and he was like, “Man, I’m makin’ beats” and that was a huge step in the right direction by linking with Jordi. That passion definitely grew with me for a long time and I knew that i wanted to do things with music, but I think really the lyricism and the poetry and the creative wits about Hip Hop and certain styles of Hip Hop for me just struck that passion again and that’s really the start of how I really skewed into the life that I live of Music and Hip Hop…

HM: When we were kids, I recall you learning a lot about snowboarding from myself, and you were reaching a very high skill level when I moved away to BC in ’98. What happened from there with your “Snowboard Career”?

L.S.: Yeah, I got hooked up with Burton when I was like 16 or 17 with Eric Frankcom and Dennis LeBlanc, which you know both very well, and we were kind of a trio riding hard and doing all the comp and stuff. I rode for Burton for a long time, I had some other hook ups through Quiksilver as well and Skullcandy, which is a newer company. Obviously you know of Skullcandy but this was more when like Skullcandy was first coming out. And yeah I did some National Circuits and did well in some of the competitions in halfpipe riding. Snowboarding was, as you know, was like my life, and then music, so yeah

HM: Yeah , so it just went together. Back in those teenaged years you were a little younger than the rest of us, and a little bit shorter. We always called you “Lil’ Shane”, is that where L.S. comes from?

L.S.: Well, yes. That’s a very sturdy stand point of where that comes from. Little Shane Dennis but I dropped the”D” so it just became L.S.. Yeah and I remember you used to call me Lil’ Shane and it’s too funny because even before like Lil’ Wayne and stuff, that was back before that. And like when you guys left to go out West I was like thinking about a name and it was actually my boy James D that’s here at the Studio, he’s an Engineer, and he was like…. man I contemplated for like years about what am I gonna call myself and then it was just like okay, L.S….

HM: Hey, and it worked out! How hard is it to make a name for yourself in the Music Industry as a Rap Superstar without following the trends of Gang Life and the other negativities portrayed by most Rappers?

L.S.: Well I was lucky with a great upbringing and you know through struggles and stuff, I had the support of parents and my grandparents that were very culturally musical people. And I wanted to make a positive difference in music and as I got more into Hip Hop I really looked at these things and you know, I’m in Barrie, Ontario, which is just North of Toronto and I’ve lived back in this city for like 5 years and worked with a lot of kids from different turfs in Toronto and just using music as a tool and that same very thing of helping them to realize the influence that they are. And a lot of these kids are hardcore in Gang Life, and they’re not faking anything you know. There’s a settlement in lots of big cities, especially in Toronto, from like the 70’s where like Bloods and Crips. There’s this one youth that we worked with, his father was killed, he was raised by his uncle, and they were Bloods. He’s an incredible young rhymer, he’s a huge influence to his surrounding peers and stuff, and his community and trying to help build a positive light of it. Because really I feel like where Hip Hop started from was that it was an outreach for people to voice things of oppression and stuff, and unfortunately in the mix, there’s so much that we can’t really get into, it’s where a lot of the Pop Culture of where Hip Hop is directed, or the machine that is directing it is to project more violence and all that kind of stuff. So, I probably could have taken an easier road for “making it” as a Hip Hop Artist or whatever that is, but I’m really just at the beginning still, but just passionately feeling and wanting to make a positive change and knowing how much and powerful the music is and that kind of kept me from getting on the negative side of expression… I mean, not like my stuff is all Lodi Doddi and everything’s great, it’s definitely not, but you know it’s about the message of what’s being said

HM: Yeah. So I’m personally not a huge fan of Hip Hop, but I do enjoy meaningful lyrics and I find a lot of deep thoughts about the ways of the world in the words you write. Your songs are mainly about bringing out controversial truths for the blind world to recognize, but do you think your lyrics might be too powerful for the majority of listeners to understand?

L.S.: (long pause and nodding) Yeeaaah… What I was gonna say with that is Yes it is definitely. I have a message and so there is some simplified stuff, because I do really love the complexity of lyricism, and that part was the thing that really got me into Hip Hop huge so, the complexities of it yes, sometimes it combines with a lot of things that to the masses are already going over their head anyways, or they maybe aren’t awake or whatever to certain things in the ways of the world and I combine that with complex lyrics about it, it like definitely can go over people’s heads. But when you add passion into that, like truly, and really expressing things, then it becomes more tangible. But there’s also more stuff to grasp, and there’s gonna be a variety versus, I don’t wanna say dumbing it down at all, but in a sense it is more musical, and there’s singing and maybe parts that are made more clear or easier for people to get, because there’s an important message I’m writing about, and I don’t want people to miss it. But there still will be the stuff that like the heads will go crazy for the lyricism and be like “What did he just say???”

“Steadily we rock, no force can hold us; Enemies we watch, remote control us; We’d better beat the clocks as the voice of soldiers, deadily we stop, the Broken Warrior…” – L.S. (Broken Warrior)

HM: In the song “Face Odds”, which I consider one of your most powerful messages, you’re focusing on George W. Bush and publishing the lies he portrayed and the negative influences he had on so many people while he was the President of the United States. What provoked you to write this song? It’s a pretty serious song

L.S.: Ummm. I’m always involved in society and doing things like digging in to the deeper side of certain subjects and I had kind of a hardcore thoughts at that time of making that song. And that song, though I think it is a positive song, it definitely has a like Rah Rah kind of feel to it, like we need to Wake the Fuck Up!! kind of vibe and maybe that kind of degression with it. That song was coming from judist things from seeing in the news or reading about or just seeing in the world, and I do you know follow, I mean I’m no politician or whatever, but I do follow these worldly issues that are going on and it’s just a lot of researching things. And from watching documentaries to digging into readings of people and conversing with people about those things and that’s where that song came from for me, and uhh, yeah… It’s kind of like how Bob Marley, he would speak about some things that are horrible things that happened in the past or whatever, but it’s got a vibe to it. It’s uplifting. So yeah, that song came from just all of these depths into the things that were going on in politics and with that you know people were like, oh I don’t follow politics or whatever, but we are all creating the system of all the things that we don’t like, or taht we do like. I mean, I really believe that. I’m really about trying to make people recognize how powerful we all are, you know, how much of an influence we are

HM: In the video for “That Summer”, you’re surfing the wake behind a boat while rapping. How good are you at Surfing?

L.S.: (laughs) At real surfing?? Uhhh, yeah, at real surfing… I haven’t had the privilege or honour of real surfing behind nothing but Mother Nature. But it’s pretty easy to do behind a boat. We go out sometimes and have fun, and then the environmental side of me is like more and more conscious of like Man this is wasting a lot of gas for us to have fun here. I don’t do it that much, but yeah, the wake surfing’s pretty easy so I was like rapping the tune while I’m surfing (laughs)

HM: I caught you on Youtube on the Howard Stern Show and he was dissing you hard calling you a “White Guy” and telling you to start up a “Hip Hop Construction Company” How tough is it to be respected in the Hip Hop Industry when you’re white?

L.S.: Oh that’s such a great question. I could talk a lot about that question, but I think these days it’s becoming kind of easier and easier. And it’s funny, the funny thing is though, there’s always been white dudes in Hip Hop since Hip Hop started, I mean look at The Beastie Boys, you know what I mean? But the Howard Stern thing, that was pretty funny. I don’t want to say anything negative about anybody but people were like Man he’s a Dick. Whatever… it was the same when I was on The Dean Blundell Show on 102.1 The Edge, when they were like ripping me up and then I went down there one day and they wanted to be my best friends (laughs)

HM: Tell us about the Unity Market and Studio and how you ended up partnering with Andrew Miller

L.S.: Well, Andrew and I have known each other for a long time through Snowboarding as well and my boy James Dasilva who’s the Engineer here who is a very good friend of mine and also the main person who I’ve worked on all my music with over the years. I had came back from Tour in Europe and we started this thing with Andrew. We called it 40 days and 40 Nights of Holistic Care, and Andrew had his Farming certification and had done a lot of outreach, and I had previously done a lot of outreach with music and we actually did spend 40 days and 40 nights harvesting carrots. We had a lot of time to talk during that and we were thinking of getting some type of spot to do outreach and to involve music and the whole Urban Garden thing. Just somewhere to be , and to be working with youth and stuff. So this place that we’re at now, I had been here from like years and years before as it was a studio before us. And Andrew went by and saw that this building was for lease and he called me and was like, “You know 25 Toronto Street?” That’s the address here, and I was like, “What that place is for lease, man we gotta make that happen.” ‘Cause I had been here and knew that this spot was amazing so I spoke with James who had a studio and it all came together. Fortunately we were able to add in the Cafe and we have an amazing collaboration of people working towards all the things that we believe in.

HM: Cool. Can you explain the “Back to Basics” project

L.S.: Back to Basics Social Development is a Not-For-Profit and Andrew started that about 3 1/2 years ago now. It’s about the outreach of sustainability, the three main things behind Back to Basics are Food, Water, Shelter, and just how many people there are living in some type of poverty, not to compare to 3^rd world countries, but locally and all over Canada, and the world obviously. But yeah, Shelter and Water, and what’s happening to the world’s water, and the food that we’re taking in, GMO’s and just so many chemicals on the food, so there’s a lot of consciousness of that. And with Andrew and I teaming together closer and my experience with the youth and also my music, speaking about these things, and even my movement relating with the arts world, really it’s brilliance to convey these messages. The knowledge of these things, healthy food, living, a community, connective collaboration. People actually care about what’s going on. And trying in these difficult times, like that Face Odds type of song of mine, and that world is a messed up place feelings, and then trying to combine all these things in positive ways. For me, it’s Positive Hip Hop, or conveying messages through Music and Art. Back to Basics is like the outreach where we can create opportunities and experience and there’s that element of like re-skilling. A lot of what’s taught in today’s education system isn’t right, and people need to get connected with the Earth, you know??

HM: (laughs) Can you tell us about the 45km Clean Up fundraiser

L.S.: So I skated 45kms around the perimeter of the city. I picked up 7 big bags of garbage. We organized Volunteers to head up different parks and help clean up the parks and the community. Pretty much every Sunday we do a big clean up

HM: Okay, some quick questions…

What’s your most meaningful song?

L.S.: Of my own?? It’s not out yet (laughs)

HM: Name your 3 favourite musicians

L.S.: Okay, Cee Lo Green, Al Green and Mos Def

HM: Beautiful. Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?

L.S.: In a Neighbourhood near you (laughs)

HM: (laughing) Hopefully. And the last question – How is L.S. Gonna change the world?

L.S.: Two feet and a heartbeat, a drum, my tongue, my set of lungs, where I been from, and definitely my heart

Well thanks Shane for being a guest on GLORY DAZE with Hippie Mike. I really like everything that you’re doing, the positive attitude you bring to the table, and you’re mind frame to never give up on your dreams. I’m glad that I was part of your life growing up. I miss you lots and hope to see you out here on the West Coast soon for a Tour.

L.S. Everybody….

Extreme Sports Hippie Mike Skateboarding Team Riders

Hippie Mike’s 34th Birthday

Nov 20,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

34 years old, 27^th year on a skateboard. It was nice to get to skate with someone the exact same age as me, with the same amount of experience, but who hasn’t gotten overweight and lost his pop like myself. Thanks Paul Machnau for reminding me that age is just a number. Unfortunately, I can’t erase all the massive injuries that have slowed me down over the years, but I’m happy just rippin’ around and throwing down the occasional banger. There’s one thing I know about being a “Skater for Life” is that your life constantly changes, and you gotta just go with the flow. Good thing we have amazing places like Seylynn Bowl and Griffin, Queensborough, Chuck Bailey and White Rock where us old dudes can go and just surf as fast as possible and not worry about obstacles, ’cause I feel lately like I’m really losing my street skills.

Either way, it was a beautiful sunny day last Thursday and we headed out to skate one of my all time favourite Skate Parks – Tsawwassen. I skated this place so much for the first 5 years it was there that people actually thought I lived in Tsawwassen. So many tricks on the lock there it still amazes me what I can land there that I wouldn’t try anywhere else. Jordan Strong, Ryan Barron, Justin James, Paul Machnau, Chris Haslam and the Birthday Boy himself – Hippie Mike all tore it up that day with the park to ourselves. It was great to skate with all these guys that have all been part of my life at different times and eras.

Thanks for the fun birthday boys, check the video

Extreme Sports Skateboarding Video Reviews

6 Shreddly Sins – Final Part

Nov 20,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

So here’s the Final Part of the Vancouver Island Plunder Tour presented by Ultimate Distribution and Concrete Skateboarding Magazine. 6 Shreddly Sins comes to a close through Campbell River, Courtney and Victoria. You can tell these guys had a great time on this trip and got to skate some rare and funky street spots amongst all the beautiful Skate Parks scattered across Vancouver Island. In this episode, Desmond Hoostie really shows his technical talents on the manual pads and Adam Hopkins finishes it off with a 50-50 down a tough kinked handrail. It seems like it was a good time for all, congratulations to the 6 Shreddly Sinners:

Drew Summersides, Dan Redmond, Jorden Murray, Danny Tumia, Desmond Hoostie and Adam Hopkins.

Read the whole story at

concreteskateboarding.com/?page_id=21685

Andy Anderson Extreme Sports Skateboarding Team Riders

Andy Anderson Flies at Leeside

Nov 19,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Had a good session today at Leeside Tunnel with Protest Skateboards Team Rider Andy Anderson. Andy destroys this place so hard, just shows up and starts going on 15-20 trick lines throughout the whole tunnel in the nasty flat light shadows. At one point we were all just chillin’ on the sidelines watching Andy and he started hitting the newest obstacle down there, the 9′ pool corner pocket and then blasting huge airs over the knob to flat. As soon as the lights came on I asked Andy if he wanted to shoot a couple photos, here’s what he gave me…

For more photos and videos of Andy Anderson check out his Team Rider Profile.

Extreme Sports Skateboarding Video Reviews

Pretty Sweet?? More like Pretty Fucking Awesome!!

Nov 18,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

We new it was going to be a spectacular event as everyone out there in the skateboard world loves Girl Skateboards and their videos are always over the top production wise so therefore they are usually super anticipated. This one was definitely worth the wait, although I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of the older dudes like Tony Ferguson, Rick McCrank, Rick Howard and Mike Carroll. Marc Johnson had a full part though which was sick.

There were hundreds and hundreds of people lined up down Granville Street and around the corner waiting patiently in hope that the tickets they got weeks ago were gonna get them in the front doors. The theatre filled up quickly and the rowdiness began. I think I saw Dave Stevens pouring beer on to Majed Salem from the top deck. There was a couple firecrackers that went off and of course a huge poster sized paper airplane went flying by. Just another event in Downtown Vancouver, but at least nothing was smashed, flipped over or burned at this one. Once again the skateboarders, who are judged as the crazy ones, and the bad boys of the world, look better than the Local Sports Fans.

The video was awesome, the crowd was in awe, and everyone left with the urge to go skate hard. All I’ll say about the skating is that these guys went off inventing tons of new tricks on deadly obstacles, and to be honest, Vincent Alvarez pretty much shut the whole video down in the first section, but it still got better. Raven Tershy, Sean Malto and many, many more.

If you didn’t get to see it at one of the Premieres, then be sure to grab a copy as soon as it hits the store shelves. This one is a definite must see video….

Pretty Sweet

Andy Anderson Extreme Sports Protest Skateboards Skateboarding Team Riders

Andy Anderson Shreddds Leeside – Like Usual

Nov 17,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Another masterful Hi-8 Video by Ethan Craig, this time featuring Protest Skateboards Team Rider Andy Anderson. Andy might be the most underrated skater in the Lower Mainland right now. Everyone who knows this kid knows he is a natural ripper, especially in any tranny, and lands everything he tries, but there are still a lot of people not recognizing him. Fact: how often do you see Andy Anderson in the magazines, yet he wins almost every contest he enters…. King of the Bowls and King of Surrey in 2011, places in the finals at every Bowl Series Contest, 2^nd place at the BLVD Kensington Pool Contest and placed 5^th at the World Round-Up Freestyle Championships this year, plus took Best Skater Award at Ledge n’ Dairy Best Trick Contest at Chuck Bailey. Street Ripper, Rail Killer, Tranny Destroyer, and even a Freestyle Demo Machine along side Kevin Harris, but where’s the coverage???

I’ve been a huge supporter and massive influence on Andy as he has grown up to this still young age of 16 years old that he is now. I used to teach him stuff all the time since he was 7 years old, and I still push him to learn more and more every day. I’ve taught him a ton about skateboarding, and just as much about life, and I am very proud that he represents for Protest Skateboards when he skates. Andy is amazing. He invents tricks by thinking of it and landing it right away, usually first try. I’m stoked to see him in this profile video by Ethan Craig shredding one of his favourite places to skate – Leeside Memorial Park. Here’s what Ethan had to say about Andy after filming this day, “Andy loves to thrash every little nook and cranny there is at Leeside, here is evidence of Andy shralping nearly almost every DIY obstacle there is. Please, enjoy the rawness of Andy’s skating filmed on a Sony Video 8 camera. In Loving Memory of Lee Matasi and Don “Mad Carver” Hartley in which Andy shows his love and support by continuing to wear his helmet beyond his premature years of skateboarding” – Ethan Craig.

Straight to the point, and very true. Andy Anderson is a skateboard machine. He’s calm, cool and collected, but also overflowing with energy. Now please, somebody give this kid the credit he deserves…

Extreme Sports Hippie Mike Skateboarding Team Riders

North Delta gets 2×4’d by Hippie Mike

Nov 17,2012 / By Hippie Mike / 1 Comment

[youtube id=”e7LIGQdlQ0c” width=”620″ height=”360″]

Well the title boldly says it all. But some people might wonder what the hell it means, that is if they don’t know that I used to ride a 2×4 skateboard all the time.

My Halloween costume this year was a Caveman and so I brought out the 2×4 board as part of the outfit to a couple contests/jams. One was at Leeside and one was at North Delta Park. I hadn’t pulled this deck out for years until earlier this spring for a couple clips in a video part, and then I put it right back into it’s spot hidden away in my laundry room. But when I started riding it at ND for the Coastal Riders/Street Dreamz Jam it brought back the memories of how hard it was to skate but how fun the challenges of learning tricks on a 2×4 skateboard were. So I told Jordan Strong that we were gonna have to go back to North Delta Skate Park with it on a quiet day and film a quick video part.

That day was November 14^th, 2012

Wet, slippery and empty – Hippie Mike represents on his legendary 2×4 skateboard at North Delta Skate Park

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

The Proof is Here – Magnus is the Best…

Nov 16,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

The Skullcandy Best Skater Award for the Store Wars entries has been announced and the winner is Surrey’s own – Magnus Hanson. If you live around here, that would come as no surprise as Magnus is one of the best skateboarders this Lower Mainland has ever seen. Super tech, and very consistent, he can go big at any time and rips tranny too. Magnus was always one of my favourite kids to watch grow up, and sometimes it’s still hard for me to recognize how old he actually is now. I still picture that goofy little 12/13 year old kid that I would simply call “Mr. Varial Heelflip” tearing up the parks and competitions way back in the early 2000’s.

You’ve come a long way Magnus, and we are all stoked to skate with you all the time. Keep keepin’ it real man.

Give it up for Magnus Hanson for being the King this year, winner of Skullcandy Aviator Headphones, $1500 cash & a crazy sabre sword. And congratulations to Coastal Riders for having Magnus representin’.

Check out Steve Berra and Eric Koston deciding the winner

http://www.push.ca/storewars/news/p/63400/default.aspx

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Another Year Begins

Nov 15,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Each year I write my feelings

how I feel at that time

and what I foresee in the year to come –

Last year I stated that it was going to me “My Year”

And it was probably the worst year of my life…

This year I’m not looking ahead

This year I’m taking what comes

This year I’m looking back on what I have:

I look at my Wife, I look at my Son,

I dream about my Dad, and I talk with my Mom,

I think of my Sister and all of her Kids,

I thank all my Friends for being there through all this,

I wonder how life would be different without me,

What would have happened, where would you all be?

I’m happy for every day that I’ve lived,

I know the world is thankful for all that I give,

So this year is different, I have no big plan

I’m just gonna be me – The Man That I Am

And take what is given whether I like it or not

Smile every day, and be thankful for what I’ve got

– Hippie Mike

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