Boomtown 5: A Downhill Skatepark
Boomtown 5 was a blast! Janky ramps littered the hill everywhere. The road itself was definitely steep and windy enough to get the blood flowin’ and the ‘thane lines thoroughly distributed. The cast of skaters in attendance was both large, and in charge. The weather was fine, the industry kicked down some serious support, and the shred was shredded. A downhill skatepark indeed!
Upon our arrival to Eugene, Oregon and the Boomtown 5 event, we were made aware of a wild-hair somewhere up near the vicinity of our rear end. In accordance with the social protocol of such a finding, we were prompted to join forces with our homies over at Muir Skate, and instead of the usual photo article, we made an event video. Sorry in advance for any inconvenience that this may cause.
Anyway, here’s what we came up with. A big thanks to the event organizers, the event sponsors, and all the skaters who came out and shredded heavily. Please enjoy this Boomtown 5 visual extravaganza:
The Andrew Mercado Interview: A Builder Of Bridges
Gargoyle Grinder. Photo: Barney Newbson.
There are a lot of things you could say about Andrew Mercado. You could call him opinionated, antagonistic; and, depending on where you’re standing, you might even mark him for a straight-up rebel rouser. But it’s important to understand that much of what’s said about a person by others ain’t the entire truth. You really have to get to know someone for yourself in order to make a real and truthful assessment. I did just that a few years back and have been skating and traveling around with Andrew for a while now, and can honestly say for a certainty that his love for skateboarding burns brighter and with more heat than 99% of the motherfuckers out there. Andrew’s passion for shredding has, and continues, to bridge gaps in the skateboarding community. Dude’s a rad dude. He’s inspired a whole hell of a lot of skaters. Please enjoy the Andrew Mercado Wheelbase Interview.
The Catalina Island Classic: A California Comeback
A stacked heat, cornering close. Photo: Bandy.
The 2012 Catalina Island Classic was, hands-down, one of the most epic downhill skateboarding events we have ever been a part of. Not just because we were a media partner, but more so because it was an epic weekend of skateboarding and chilling with the homies. The Island itself is such a magical place, with a rich history and an undulating, inexplicable beauty. The rolling, 22 mile long island’s colorful past is filled with native tribes, Spanish explorers, pillaging pirates, Chinese slave smugglers, roving Russian otter hunters, grimy goldrushers, Hollywood starlets, and fat-pocket tycoons. And, oh yeah, we can’t forget to mention that back in 1977, Catalina Island, California was home to one of the first downhill skateboarding races ever: the original Catalina Classic. That was 35 years ago. Much has changed over those three and a half decades, yet much has remained. One thing is for certain and that is that downhill skateboarding has made a huge comeback and is alive and thriving. Which brings us back to the here and now and the Riviera Skateboards presented 2012 Catalina Island Classic. Read More
The Laguna Seca Invitational: A Race Reborn
Andrew Chapman, Zak Maytum, Jeff Budro, and Chris Chaput battle it out in the semis. Photo: Justin Preston.
The Laguna Seca Invitational happened just about a month ago on Thursday, April 19th ; up in the rolling hills above beautiful Monterey, California. This event was the first downhill skateboard race at Laguna Seca in over 30 years and consisted of a one-day, hit it and quit it, 34 man invitational race; and was presented by NHS’s recently rebirthed downhill line: Road Rider. Read More
Road Agents: Postmarked New Mexico
Phil Ginn carving off some speed somewhere in the heart of New Mexico. Photo: Joel Lipovetsky.
New Mexico is at the south end of the Rocky Mountain range. Geologically, everything here was brought about by volcanic activity. (You can see something like 60 plus extinct volcanoes from the foothills of Albuquerque.) Due to the fact that everything is made from hard granite, nothing erodes—and this means steep, unbanked roads. We get somewhere around 8 inches of average rainfall in Albuquerque annually and somewhere near 350 days of sunshine! Translation: year-round shredding. Read More
