True Friends are Forever Friends

Jun 29,2020 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

KAM crew and Andy

You ever run into someone or get a phone call from someone that you haven’t talked to for years but automatically it feels like you were just hanging out the day before. These are your True Friends.
Sometimes in life you get separated from family and friends as you travel down different paths, but you always keep certain people in your heart and thoughts each day. You think, Hey I should call so and so and get caught up, but the days get busy quickly and you just never get to it. But when it does happen it’s always awesome.
I took a few years to be by myself recently, with my family of course, but just to mentally regenerate after going through some tough times. And certain friends would come visit or call, and others wouldn’t. Or maybe they did reach out and I just didn’t answer. But either way I always knew they were there for me, and I hope they knew the same about me.
Lately I’ve been getting back into skateboarding and filming again now that I’m not as injured anymore and it’s interesting to see how people react when they see me. I love the surprised look on someone’s face who didn’t expect me to be there that day, and it’s always an exciting moment as the good times flash through your brain. My goal was to get back to my own roots of what I’ve loved to do my whole life and remind myself of why I loved it, drop all my sponsors and just skate again. It was never about fame to me, it was always about having fun with my friends and sharing that joy with others, That’s why I was always so specific about the people that rode for Protest.
I have Friends all over, some of them I haven’t talked to for 20 years or more but know that we are Forever Friends just by the way we grew up together. And I think about all the True Friends who have passed away over the years and regret the ones I didn’t get one last visit with. Time only happens once and it’s important to spend as much time as possible sharing happiness with your Friends.
I think social media plays a bit of a part in confusing people as to who their True Friends are, and who are just people that want to say they’re your Friends, but do you recognize each other out in public? Or have each other’s phone numbers? Everyone gets wrapped up in this Web of Non-Reality where anyone can be a celebrity if they have the right audience, but have you ever shut all your social media off and see who actually calls you?
It’s a weird world we live in, I sure am glad we didn’t have cell phones, facebook, Instagram, etc. when I was growing up. Back then if you had Friends, you knew them personally, and those Friends last Forever.
I think it’s a great day for everyone to think back to who their True Friends are and recognize them for that. Give them a call, or a visit, and catch up on real life…

Protest Skateboards Full Video – What the “F” were We Thinking

May 1,2020 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Released in 2010, and filmed for over 3 years before that, “Evolution Revolution – What the “F” were We Thinking?” was a very unique skateboard video put out by Hippie Mike and Protest Skateboards. Inspired by hearing people complain that too many spots around Vancouver have been shut down and there’s nothing to skate anymore, the Protest Team decided they were going to make their own spots, and skate other spots that were not necessarily “Made for Skateboarding”. Rocks, Grass, Dirt, Logs, Fridges, Cars, and any obstacles that just needed some plywood to become skateable, watching this video should change your perspective on what can be skated, and if it can be skated these guys are ready to go…

Filmed and Edited by: Justin James and Hippie Mike
Starring: Jon Irvine, Cisco Gooding, Nathan Lintunen, Jeff Cole, and Hippie Mike

Protest Skateboard Original Team Video – Never Give Up!

Apr 30,2020 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

In tribute to my Dad who passed away on this day 8 years ago (April 29th, 2012) I have released the Original Protest Skateboards Video – Never Give Up – on YouTube. My Dad always taught me to believe in myself in everything you do and that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to, as long as I was committed to never giving up. I’ve lived with this mentality for as long as I can remember and can definitely think of some awesome success stories that came from it. That’s probably why I’m over 40 years old and still skateboarding.

Filmed for between 2003 and 2005, The Original Protest Skateboards Full Length Video – “Never Give Up!” contains Street Footage, Park Footage, and YES, riding on 2×4’s. This video stars some of the original Protest Skateboards Team Riders such as Cisco Gooding, Jon Irvine, Jeff Cole, Carrie Williams, and myself Hippie Mike, as well as a full part from Brad Danyluk and the original Hippie Mike 2×4 Part. Previously unavailable online, check out the roots of Protest Skateboards, and why we will Never Give Up… Edited by Hippie Mike – 2006

Here is the full length video released on YouTube for the first time
Filmed by: Justin James & Hippie Mike
Starring: Cisco Gooding, Jon Irvine, Jeff Cole, Brad Danyluk, Carrie Williams, Hippie Mike, and more…

A Day to Remember

Nov 12,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

With today being a day to reminisce I would like to pay tribute to some of the local skaters who were my friends who we have lost over the years and we all miss every day:

Major Dave, Rachel Hunter, both just uncalled for tragic losses to the skateboard community.

Lee Matasi, chased down by an ignorant kid with a gun in 2005 and shot in the head on the streets.

Chris Whitmee, hit by a random bullet in a public washroom. The guy it was meant for took 5 shots and is still alive.

Josh Evin, tragic motorcycle accident.

And Don Hartley, The Mad Carver, a solid face to face collision with one of his best friends during a Bowl Series Contest at Seylynn Park.

These are just to name a few, and unfortunately I’m sure I missed some people.

All these people were great influences on us in many ways, when they were living, and even after we lost them. And they all shared a passion for skateboarding, a passion for friendship, and a passion for Freedom.

We pay our tributes on this Day of Remembrance

Major Dave Rest In Peace

Carver Don Hartley Rest In Peace

Josh Evin – Video by Premium Skateboards

Leeside – Tunnel Visions

That’s Life – The Final Teaser

Oct 4,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

This is the last Protest Teaser I had in my collection to share. Right in the heart of the filming time frame for the What the “F” Video a lot of these tricks didn’t make it in. Cisco Gooding, Jeff Cole, Jon Irvine, Nathan Lintunen and my self Hippie Mike all laying it down. If anything you need to watch for 3 reasons

The Christmas Morning Cannonball off my roof
Jon Irvine’s Fandangle Fingerflip
Cisco Gooding attempting to need a Proctologist Appointment – Ouch!

But Hey, That’s Life!!

Loosey Goosey

Oct 3,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Well, the title says it all. We were definitely gettin’ loose back in these days. The video starts at one of my birthday parties back when they were like 150-200 people getting wasted in the yard while we put on a ramp demo. Then it moves into Leeside Tunnel where it was time to get tech, and of course there’s some rocks and dirt spots in there too. You can figure out the Time Period by what stage Leeside was at, if you’re hardcore enough to be a part of that scene.

Some crazy tricks in this video, especially thrown down be myself and Jon Irvine, the master of Ridiculousness – blunt kickflip rock on the volcano in Leeside?? I think it’s safe to say no one else wants to do that one…

SLO – MO – JOE

Oct 2,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Another old Teaser Video made pretty much to play around editing. This one has the heart of the old Team Protest in it, myself Hippie Mike, Cisco Gooding, Jeff Cole, Brad Danyluk and Jon Irvine, along with some lines from my long time filmer Justin James, or “Numb-Nuts” as I call him. The only one missing from that era of Protest is Carrie Williams. I’d say this video was from around 2005 or 2006, close to the time when Never Give Up!! was released.

The entire video is in slow motion, even the tiny full pipe, which was soaking wet by the way and very slick.

Nothing too special in this Teaser, just a bunch of dudes having fun and doing weird tricks

Tizzy Tizzy Toe Toe

Sep 30,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

I used to have this thing about giving all my video tapes really weird names. I would copy skate videos 3 or 4 onto 1 VHS tape and write something totally strange on the front which would somehow relate to one or more of the videos on the tape. So a lot of my Teasers have strange names too. Take Tizzy Tizzy Toe Toe for example, what the hell is a Tizzy?? It basically stands for the fact that this video starts off with one of the drunkest moments ever at a Whistler Bowl Series and ends with Jeff Cole’s toes taking out the entire set of lights while we’re filming at a spot. From 15 tall cans and 100 Gravitrons in a row at Whistler, to tons of grass and dirt rides, Clint Proulx skating mini-ramp on a huge longboard, and finishing off with some tree ridin’ fun times, it’s worth a watch.

I’m guessing this video around 2007 sometime

Summer’s Here – Time to go “Tarpless!!”

Jun 29,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

One of the moments I long for all Winter every year is getting the tarp off my ramp. It’s a luxury to be able to float a tarp over the ramp all winter so that we can skate it any time we want but it’s two completely different worlds – tarp or no tarp. When the tarp is up, it feels more like you came out just to skate, not to hang out, and you skate more like you’re on a mission. When the tarp isn’t up, you’re surrounded by the beauty of nature and the atmosphere seems way more relaxed and you just skate to have a good time. Plus everyone can actually see the ramp from anywhere in my the yard and we don’t all have to crowd into the floating fortress. We had a good chunk of the Protest Team come out to enjoy the first tarpless skate session, Jordan Strong, Cisco Gooding, Brad Muscat, Jeff Cole, Jaden Easton-Ellett, Andy Anderson, and of course myself and Carrie were both there since we live here.

[youtube id=”HHtnEFD3G3c” width=”620″ height=”360″]

I love where I live and the fact that we can even have this funky mini-ramp and make tons of noise all the time with no complaints from anyone.

Skate to live – live to skate.

Summer’s finally here, tarp’s finally off. It’s gonna be a beautiful Summer.

Watch: What The “F” Were We Thinkin’??

Dec 12,2011 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Are you tired of the same boring skateboarding videos with the same spots over and over again? Well, brace yourself because the revolution is finally here! There are no rules, restrictions or standards. We are the ones making the rules, and we make the spots while we skate everything that shouldn’t be skated. Watch Protest Skateboards team riders John Irvine, Jeff Cole, Cisco Gooding, Nathan Lintunen and Hippie Mike in What The “F” Were We Thinkin’??

Tag Archives: Jon Irvine