What’s Next? 10:00

Shut up and Skate! Skate Tough or Go Home! Get Rad or Get Lost! All three of these calls to action are based on the same premise: Don’t talk about it, be about it! This “put up and shut up“ approach to skateboarding picked up in my earlier years has affected me greatly. The concept is definitely, and openly, aggressive—there’s no doubt about that—but the tough-love instilled in such ideology has made me a better skater and a better person in general. It has allowed me to err on the side of action and activity rather than complacency and mediocrity. Today, as skateboarding grows and expands to include a broader and more diverse range of riders than ever before, it seems only prudent to instill in the new generations the essence and vibe of those that have paved the way. I was taught at an early age to “Shut Up and Skate!” I listened and followed suit—I am extremely grateful for such awesome advice. Now it’s my turn to pass on the knowledge: Get Rad or Get Lost!

I was introduced to the concept of Shut Up and Skate back in the mid eighties while shredding the Corridor Ditch near Austin, TX. I remember one of the older dudes, Chris Ore, was shredding with us at this ditch we frequented after school and on weekends. One of Chris’ legs was almost a foot shorter than the other, and he always wore special, black Chuck Taylor Converse high-tops. The shoe on his short leg was equipped with a tall extended rubber sole attached to the bottom of it. We were not sure why his leg was like that. We tried not to even look at it, but sometimes we looked. Chris was one of the best skaters in our area despite his leg, and I remember him as one of the nicest dudes ever. He skated up that day and saw us bickering and talking shit to each other. He let it go on for a few minutes but soon he asked us to either join him in skating or to get the hell out and let him ride in peace. We all stopped talking after he spoke. He was special to us—he was the Shredder. We all looked up at him in silence for a quarter-moment. He turned away from us soon enough, dropped into the ditch, and began skating. We quickly got up from sitting on our boards and followed his lead. What he said that day affected me greatly. I cannot speak for the others, but that session is logged in my memory as one of the rawest and most memorable sessions I can remember. Read More

What’s Next? 9.er

Midnight garage bombin' on my custom LBL Penguin (click on image above to view larger). Photo: David Marano.

One of the raddest and most distinct features of this growing section of longboard skateboarding is that of the custom skateboard builder. I’m talking about builders such as Larry Peterson of Longboard Larry and Scott Moore of Subsonic Skateboards, and that’s just naming two of the many. Custom builders, like these, bring us back to the roots and essence of what it’s all about: skateboards for skateboarders, by skateboarders. Through creating each skateboard one at a time, and allowing the individual rider to have input into the building process, they provide every board with the attention it deserves and thus allowing the process to remain focused where it should be: on quality, detail, refinement, performance, and distinction. I’m not sayin’ that the large brands don’t make great skateboards—they definitely do—but if you’ve ever had a board shaped specifically for you and your style, then you know there is a certain pride and confidence built into that unique skateboard which is somewhat inexplicable, yet wholly undeniable. Read More

What’s Next 8.Go

Style is critical! And I’m not talking about some fashionista bullshit, nor am I speaking of any other showy display of Vanity. What I’m interested in is the particular way an individual does a thing that reflects Flow, Finesse, and Liquidity—and more specifically, how that fits into the act of skateboarding. Let’s just say that I believe style and skateboarding are best in bed, with each other. Read More

What’s Next? 7.OMG

We just received the above photo from a skater who recently obtained one of our Wheelbase Shadow Shooter tees. On the surface, it’s just an amateur image of some college kid standing in his dorm room, and from the looks of his pants, waiting for an eminent flood of some sort. He, he, he! But on a more serious note, if you take the time to look a bit closer at the photo, you begin to notice other things—details which reflect to what extent skateboarding has influenced this Michigan skater’s life. Looking closer you’ll spy various skateboard-inspired art donning the walls, skateboards lounging here and there, an unmounted set of trucks & wheels sitting eagerly on a coffee table. If you look even closer you’ll notice a stickered-up helmet lying in wait on the floor, as well as “Skateboarding Is Not A Crime” & “Earthwing” stickers calling out their anthems from the mini fridge. Nick’s picture reminds us of why Wheelbase began in the first place, and why it continues to provide so much stoke on so many levels—why we’re just as fired-up about it, if not more, than the day we went live. Skateboarding rules! Read More

What’s Next 6.0

When I think about the global skate community it blows my mind. There are skaters riding skateboards in just about every nook and cranny of this planet you can imagine. The growth of longboard culture within the skate community has paved the way for a broader, more diverse future for skateboarders the world over. It’s crazy to imagine, but there are skaters right now, as I write this, mobbing hills and shredding the streets in Bolivia, Africa, New Zealand, Sweden, The Philippines, Mexico, Slovenia, Canada, Russia, the US and even China. And that’s just naming a few. It trips me out to think how big the skateboarding family has become and how many cultures and people it has connected.

All of this has got me to thinking a lot about “Gratitude” —thinking about how grateful I am for our thriving skateboard community—how stoked I am to still be agile and healthy enough to ride and tell the tale—and how awesome it is that skateboarding always finds a way to reinvent Radical. We are no doubt living in some troubling times, but whenever I pick up my skateboard and ride, I am reminded that the flaws and imperfections of our daily lives are only part of the bigger picture.

Skateboarding and the community surrounding it have provided me, and many others, with so many unforgettable experiences and opportunities, and for that I have Gratitude.