New Rollerblade Ad in One Magazine

 

Here is the New Rollerblade ad that is featured in One magazine.  I shot this with Jeremy Stephenson while I was staying with him in Lawrence Kansas. This ledge is pretty perfect, aside from  the fact that you run right into a wall upon landing. Shooting this photo was extremely efficient. Probably the most efficient time I’ve had getting a “job” done for “work” considering we shot it in about 15 minutes after it was all set up.

Jero spent about 20 or so minutes setting up the flashes while I stretched in the sun preparing my body for what my mind wanted to accomplish. Once Jero gave me the go, I warmed up with a few back royal’s down a square rail in the middle of the stair set that is not visible. Then I royaled the ledge itself a few times before doing the alyoop unity. I hadn’t done a drop ledge in a long time, so there were some butterflies I had to overcome before going. 

It was funny to me because I hadn’t felt butterflies in I can’t even remember how long. The ledge and trick itself was something I knew I could do, however the butterflies still came. Perhaps its the part of me that still knows that anything can happen. In my mind the task was simple enough, but in reality, even though I didn’t deem it too crazy, it is still concrete going down stairs with a big drop on the other side. It’s funny how we take things like that for granted. We become desensitized to those things, where as the average human on the streets would be completely amazed. The mindset we have that has evolved due to limits we push within ourselves both physically and more importantly mentally is funny one.

Thanks goes out to Jero for going out with me to shoot this last minute. Thanks also goes out to Tom Hyser and Rollerblade for keeping the dream alive. Check out the Rollerblade Myspace page for updates with videos and pictures of the team at www.myspace.com/teamrollerbladeseries.  Also Check out One magazine at www.believeinone.com. I believe they have a downloadable version of this issue on their site that is free. 

 

 

 

A Sunny Day in Sunnyvale

    Jayson Reduta hit me up today wanting to go blade the new San Jose skatepark, but it wasn’t open so we decided to go to Sunnyvale. Sunnyvale skatepark is pretty much the only place I skate when I am back home in San Jose. You don’t have to wear pads, I’m always the only rollerblader, and if you go early in the day, it is usually only you and a maybe 3 other people. In words Erik Baily would use, it was a pull.

Julio was also supposed to meet us there, but he had business to attend to, so it was just Jay, his girlfriend, myself, and some hession skateboarder dudes that are always there. I have only ever talked to these hession dudes maybe 2 times out of all the countless times I have come to this park. One time a dude asked stopped me and asked me what music I was listening to. I replied “Beth Gibbons…from portishead,” in which he replied “I knew it!” to one of his buddies. After that I wondered what dudes might be saying about me to each other, and what they think of me in general. It’s funny because its like I know all the skateboarders at the park, but don’t know them or talk to them. Its like a mutual agreement of some kind. Whatever it is, it is nice and I have a good time there with out getting bothered at all.  I think its because I don’t wax anything, and I don’t snake anyone. Skatepark awareness is key.

 

This is pretty much my favorite hip to launch at the park. Whenever the park is not crowded, I usually launch this hip over and over and over.  Boosting big airs never gets old. This isn’t my biggest, but it was fun none the less.  It sets you up to either launch a corner into another corner, or go to the flat/down ledge and pyramid. The pyramid is fun also, even though you can’t boost much air off it. There isn’t a picture of the pryamid in here, but it is where I learned how to do switch fakie 540’s, and fakie illusion 360’s. Illusions 360’s feel cool.

 

My beard is getting pretty burly.  The reactions I get for having a beard are always interesting. Everyone seems to think there is a reason for letting hair grow out of my face other then just that, letting hair grow out of my face. The most common question is “Growing your beard out eh?” I really have no response to this type of question, and usually reply with a half awkward response. Hair growing out of my face is a happening more then a doing. Maybe I should start thinking of cool responses like “I’ve never owned a chia pet, and I don’t want to buy one so, this is the closest thing to maybe getting one for a christmas present.” When I do let it grow, its usually never longer then a month and a half, and then when I do shave, I get a slew of new and even more nagging questions to feel awkward about.

 

This wall is very…vertical.  The bowl it is apart of is super fun. I havn’t done too much on this vert wall. In fact, out of all the times I’ve been here I’ve never done this trick. The only reason I did it this time is because I thought it would look cool. Usually i just to 270 back royals to set me up for the rest of the bowl line.  When i feel really comfortable i can get a few feet of air out of it. I have to be REALLY relaxed and comfortable to do this though, or else I will flat bottom and that is a big no no. I definately want to come back and get a legit air photo. B. Smith Lets do this!

 

This was my first mistrial attempt. It didn’t go so well as you can tell. I  did this exact fall maybe 2 more times. Being up that high with that much vert was pretty hairy. Thats all I have to say about that.

 

This launch is pretty fun when I’m not getting super squirrely. I havn’t skated this park in a while, and it usually takes me a while to get used to this launch. You have to launch into it from this bank, that can be a bit sketchy if you don’t do it right. I definately wasn’t doing it right in this photo, but thought it was a pretty cool photo even if I’m not grabbing or anything. Its like a semi running man, or just a bummy looking dude flying through the air crouching tiger style. Well not really, but. Make it what you will. The best thing I’ve ever done out of this was a switch cork 540. They rarely come out…and I don’t think anyone has seen them, but maybe you will get lucky some day.

Thanks goes out to Jayson Reduta bringing out his camera and taking these photos, as well as  always coming out to blade with me when I’m home. Sorry I’m not home more often. I enjoy every minute with you brother.  Thanks also goes out to Donny Garcia for showing up unannounced.  It was great to see you rollin around. And thanks to all the skateboarders at the skatepark for being cool…or at least letting me do my thing when I’m there without hassling me…in my face anyways.

Sorry there hasn’t been an update in forever, but there will be more coming soon. I still havn’t given an update on the Them Goods tour Julio so Graciously let me randomly Jump on…more to come soon. 

Dude, I’m totally listening to NoFx right now. Leave it alone is a great song. Anyone who grew up in the era I did knows what I’m talking about. Or anyone who was into Harvesting The Crust. I loved that Video.  My Grandma gave it to me for Christmas back in either 94 or 95. That year for christmas she also bought me a pink Cosmo T-shirt, along with 8 minifly’s.  I love you Grandma.

 

SDSF Hooks it up!

Receiving packages in the mail is probably one of the greatest feelings on earth. Its right there with waking up in the  morining to open presents on christmas. I just had that feeling about 5 minutes ago when I heard the UPS truck outside my door. What made it even better was that I forgot Matt Morrison was even sending me a package. I saw matt while on the Them Goods tour at SDSF in escondido and had  mentioned that I needed new wheels. I ride 72mm wheels so they are pretty hard to come by  when you don’t have any extra’s on you.

When I met up with Matt again in Arizona at James and Gretchens house (revolutionskate.com), he mentioned that at the shop they had some oldschool skates with some Pleasure tools Mac Oh Boy wheels, and that when he got back he would mail them to me because otherwise they would go unused. This of course was music to my ears.

So, I opened them, and they are in amazing condition. They are not new, but the hub is even better then the ones I have rode before. HUGE THANKS to Matt Morrison and SDSF for coming through with the rareities that I need to survive.

Visit them at www.thesdsf.blogspot.com.

 

Mad City Throwdown

  

Thanks to Lake Owen Camp, I was able to attend the Mad City Throwdown a couple of weeks ago, and blade my heart out. Adrian taylor and I went out there to go promote Lake Owen, and throw out some give aways, as well as some free time at Camp. If you have never been before, I highly suggest it. The facilities are not as Grand as Woodward East or West, but the overall vibe and experiences you take from there are what make it so great.

So yeah I got to blade alot. Maybe even the entire time I was there. There was a 20 minute period where I did not have my skates on the entire day I was there. My favorite thing about the contest was that you were still able to skate the mini ramp while runs were going on. When I go to contests the main thing I am interested in is purely blading with my close friends that I rarely get to see at a skatepark I rarely get to skate. Thats all I really want to do while I’m there. The 16 year old definately comes out and takes control of the reigns even though the carriage (my now 27 year old body) has a hard time keeping up.Its funny how young your mind can stay. I still have for the most part the same youthfulness I had when I began. That is what makes rollerblading (and this goes for any childhood passion in general) so great. It’s like a fountain of youth. You and I may have acquired some baggage along the way (i.e. bad mental habits, worn out body) but there is a place you go that is not of your ordinary day consciousness where you are that kid again, and rollerblading is the time machine for that. The only bummer is that the body at times can be harder to maintain then the mentality. What also comes along with being young is thinking your invincible and that whatever you do has no consequences. Like throwing yourself off roofs all day, and then going to taco bell right after. You will feel it some day, trust me.

I am constantly running across friends of mine that used to skate when I was about 14 to 18 (the greatest time to be a T-dog in my opinion,) and when they go skate, they complain how they suck, or that they are “too old.” This is also referred to as OMS or “Old Man Syndrome.”This is one of the biggest delusions that plagues the generation I grew up with today.Well this may be the biggest fallacy of rollerblading history and this is why. You still have that young mind, and it is activated as soon as you put on your blades. Now as soon as you do put on your blades, you want to go and start doing all the things that the 16 year old in you used to do, but the catch is that you don’t have the 16 year old body any more and in fact the 27 year old you is feeling all of those roofs and taco bell you once did. You are expecting your body to do what your mind says but the reality is its not going to happen. Unless….

You prepare your body. The truth is that you CAN skate like that 16 year old and even BETTER if that is really what you want to do. BUT, you have to work harder for it then you once did. Depending on the degree you want to skate like that youthful child and even better you have to do things like stretch and excercise. Also the chemicals (food, drink, etc.) you put into your body also effect you MENTALLY, and everything in the material world all begins in the mind or consciousness. A thought forms in the mind (or wherever the place actually is that they take form), and then you make a choice on whether to materialize it or not. And what do you think helps makes this process more efficient? Chemicals.Wow that was quite a tangent. Back to the Throwdown…

My body was performing like a race horse that day, and I was able to blade pretty consistently all day. It was great. I had been doing hotlaps around Tom Hyser’s house while staying with him almost ever day on my Marathon Carbon blades. “Hot Laps” consist of a 3 mile hilly loop, which I would do on average 2 to 3 laps of depending on how focused I was. Sometimes I would do it with no music, and other times with. Doing them, I began to take notice of things like how I use my lower back when I don’t need to, and how I should use my legs more. These things are hard to be aware of and even harder to change, but when fixed can make blading alot easier for you.

I know another tangent…I think I’ll just let them roll from now on and not call them out. I write best when it just flows naturally from my fingers and it feels the best doing so…so…yeah. And seeing that this is my blog and I can put whatever I want on it, the only true critic is me so I’ll try not to be so hard on myself and let the tangents fly, because I Love them.

There was some really good blading that went down that day. Quite a few people caught my eye. Matt Luda was one of them. He was doing some cool lines and making them look fun at the same time. I have been seeing Rory Malehan and P.J. Pencac (sorry if the spelling is wrong) alot lately as well, and they have been skating amazingly every time. Young gun Mike Froemling was also hucking very precise manuevers all over the place. And oh man…homeboy who did the sweaty and fishbrain on the down wooden ledge that your not supposed to skate, he got big kudos from me. There was another dude who had the valos with the black toecap as well who was skating really good. And if you were there, you definatley saw the mizu to misty flip off which I called out to everyone to watch because I knew it would be a crowd pleaser.Overall I had a great time at the contest. Any time I have the freedom to roll for as long as I want I am going to have a good time. Its usually the in between times that throw me off. Also i have a habit of wanting to do everything in a very untimely contest fashion. I find myself skating my best when there is no category or time constraints. I’m not really too worried about this because I don’t HAVE to do good at contests, but it would be nice to. Just have to let myself relax and calm that 16 year old inside that just wants to do everything here and now in one big bang.

“Must have patience Daniel Son.” – Mr. Miagi

This blog was inspired by Mark Davidson who was once a young camper at Lake Owen camp, and is now a good friend of mine. He sent me these 2 photos today, which sparked the rambling you see above. Thank you Mark for being a great friend. AND, thank you for having an amazing family. We were seriously treated like royalty while Staying at the Davidsons household. Every morning we woke up to a breakfast buffet and every night we feasted like we were eating at sizzler. (actually it was way better then sizzler, but I couldn’t think of a resturant). 

Here is me experimenting with heel stalls. i was able to do one earlier in the day for maybe a foot or so. I definatley took some hard falls trying it. And I must say it looks a little fruity but, here it is. It happened.

Be-Mag Pic of the week

Blader:Rob Guerrero
Photo: Jeremy Stephenson
www.be-mag.com

Controlled Accidents Num. One

Here is the first edition of the Controlled Accidents monthly series. Every month an edit will go up and its contents will depend upon my location and environment. This particular edit was inspired by Lawrence Kansas and Kansas City Missouri. I have been here for the past month pretty much just blading and being influenced by a positive crowd.

 Lots of nights spent at the Lawrence skatepark shredding around with my ipod an maybe 3 or so skateboarders. I prefer skating at night to day. My theory for the enjoyment of night skating is that for the most part all the lighting if focused only on the park. This may help in reducing distractions, and sharpening focus on obstacles at hand. Maybe there is something to be said about the quality of energy in the day as opposed to the night and how those differences influence you.

For this edit Footage was contributed by Michael Garlinghouse, Adam Johnson, and Jeromy Morris. I think one of the clips that was used in his video “The Birdz and the Beez.” Other clips he provided of Jeromy Morris and Jero I don’t believe were used. All of Brandon’s clips were used in “Zombie Comatose,” by Adam Johnson (www.youhatetoloveit.com).The intro was made randomly during a Stay with Jeromy Morris. He had a peep hole from a door (no idea why) and thought it would be a good idea to use it as a fisheye. He was right, and I ended up using it. It was also filmed on a cannon “elph” handheld digital still cameras, which I thought was suprisingly good.

Waking up to fruit smoothies in the morning is a beautiful thing. Thank you Quinn! Another beautiful thing is Jeromy’s Daughter Opal. She is the prettiest little sponge always soaking everything around her in. Shes got her fathers crazy eyes and a crazy gaze to match.

Thats all for now..if I think of more I’ll put in…input.

Boring Sunday

Adam Johnson of Vibralux Denim and Straight Jacket Distribution(www.youhatetoloveit.com) just put up an edit of a sunday where everyone and their girlfriends headed down to the lawrence park to have some fun in the sun. It was truely a great day. The general pattern was this:  For the first 15 minutes everyone was shredding. Then A.J. brought out the camera and everyone was going down left and right like we were being snipered from the trees.  Then, we slowly started to shred again. Here are some of the shreddings of that sweet day.

Royally Ranting

Jeromy Morris told me to stand here so I did. It turned out to be a cool photo.

This one is of me and Alex doing back to back backsides. I told him we had to do it, so we did it first try. Backsides are the best.

I had a great ol’ time in Kansas City last week. I got to dance, which I havn’t done in a very long time. Dancing is great. Skating with Alex Broskow is hard. He is like a mirror reflecting all the inefficient ways you and I go about moving around on our blades. His level of confidence is up to par with the confidence birds have while flying through the trees connecting with twigs and branches. It doesn’t look he is doing tricks so much as melting and flowing into the immediate environment he chooses to be in. Sorta like a shape shifter, but more like maybe a space shifter. Space melter. Infinite transition blading….ok enough of the hippie talk.

.The best day was probably had when we decided to go downtown and blade some really long rail.  Long rails are my favorite. The feeling of balancing a grind (mainly backsides for me) is…uh…well its just fun. We had fun for maybe about 2 and a half hours. Down the street they were having some kinda “princess on ice” event maybe? I don’t know what it was, but there were lots of families out walking around witht their little girls all dressed up. There were also alot of traffic, which made for the ultimate non-demo demo. Tricks minus self consciousness.Everyone was getting a peice of the rail. Backsides were flying. KC Roche had the sit down topsoul on lock down, and was makin it look proper. After I saw him do one, then alex did one, and then I knew I had to do one. Three topsouls in a row is a great feeling. There is somthing magical about doing something right after a person does it, and keeping it going. It reminds me of maybe like Donnie Darko, where he sees a tunnel and goes with it to travel most efficiently through time.  Maybe you can create those wave tunnels then others can ride the waves right after.  Or maybe the waves were already there and you have to feel them out like surfers feel out waves in the ocean. Urban Surfing.

Found out there was a house rail nearby and went to go see how it went. It was skinny, which was a turn off for me but Jeromy Morris was killing it. Jeromy always kills it with ninja precision.  In fact, I was joking with him about how the sound of him grinding sounded like a sword battle. How Ironic/suiting/appropriate.I can’t say that I believe in reincarnation because I have had no experience in it and I feel no need in my present life to have a view on reincarnation, but if people DID live many lives with the same soul or essence…I bet that there were alot of rollerbladers who were ancient samurai…or dancers…and people who are good at mizus could have been excellent fencers. Or a combination of all. Chiaki Ito and all rollerbaders from Japan I believe have ninja genes.  All of them have amazing style. Looking at body styles in rollerblading is interesting. There are people who can bend their legs really well.  People who stand up really tall and dont bend at all…I’m a sorta in betweener.  Somtimes when I land I use my back too much to absorb the shock.  This is definately not good, but is a hard habit to overcome.  Also I have noticed that I lean too much to one leg over the other (my right) putting alot of uneeded pressure on the right side of my body.  I supose that also has to do with the lack of proper spine alignment. Always an excuse.

So yeah the session we had downtown was great. We skated the long rail for a really long time. then we went and cruised around and bombed some hills. There was this one hill which was really steep that was at a red light, and Alex decided to just say “F” it and thug it out. I was equally scared and not scared at the same time.   Scared because I have been in a similar situation, that is approaching a red light with no view of cross traffic. But not scared because well…Alex knows what he is doing. Just when we thought the day was over, we came across these aluminum rails that I have only seen in old videos like Plastic Balance and Elements.  The the 16 year old came out of me and just HAD to skate it.  Alex straight mizued it…which next to straight up soul grind is one of the hardest tricks to do.  And maybe a straight acid. Morris and I did topsouls and backsides. Sometimes its  just fun to do basic tricks down steep rails that slide wierd.There were alot of basketball players around walking in the streets and they were rooting us on.  There was some kind of big game. Our second downtown demo of the day. Its all about the live demo’s. When your just shredding unbeknownst to the spectators watching. Or hell, sometimes its fun to just do a long backside to show people something they may have only seen on T.V. Real life experience has the most direct influence on an individual. It can be a live commercial, and in fact is to alot of people regardless of whether you want it to be or not.

Jeromy and I made some nothing out of something.

I attempted to learn inverts today. Didn’t go very well as I kept putting both hands on the coping.  This however actually prompted me to mess around and attempt a handstand on the coping. I am farely well at handstands so I gave it a try, and gosh darnet what do know, by the third attempt I was able to do it.  Hope fully I can get some inverts by the barn burner.   It was scary to huck my body up like that, but once I did it once it got a little less scary. It’s good to start by putting your hand under the coping then work your way up…even easier to start at the bottom of a vert ramp, which is like playing on a huge slide.

Alright well here are some of the photos from the trip. I also filmed a bit for an edit that will go up soon.Sunshine and warmth are a hundred times better when your used to a dark and cold environment.

Fighting is stupid. Having to get in between stupid fights is even stupider. Coffee contains an interesting buzz.  Mate’ I like.  Couch surfing…Piano surfing.Surfing surfing….surfing…nothing.

I’ve been in Kansas doing some things lately…

…a little freestyle juggling.  Thanks for the dipskate t-shirt j. bidness! Brandon Mateer and I also had an epic doomsday battle on a peice of paper. I thought I had it wrapped up when I was getting the ether ready for annihilation.  He didn’t know it was coming. He had his dude shooting machine guns and I told him that my weapon was way beyond that of the material. After he saw that I meant business…his dude begin to morph into this alien creature (which was alot cooler then what he had before) but it was too late.  I had control of the ether. BUT, then he slapped “to be continued” at the bottom and finished it. The end result was a great time.  Thanks Bruce.The piano pictured is great.  Many Jam sessions have gone down on this thing.  I sat my laptop next to it and would record anytime something was going down.  I have a few sessions recorded with Yuri Zupancic, Jeromy Rockwell,  and Brandon Mateer.  Maybe sometime I can figure out how to put music up on this thing…This last one is me at Jeromy Morris’ house trying to figure out very basic HTML.  As you can tell by this post, I havn’t quite figured it out yet…but…I will, if I don’t get frustrated TOO much. I like to do that.

dude just post a random title right there

to see what it does