The Bonzing Art Opening opened at Everyday on Thursday.
PHOTOS & WORDS Marcus Bandy
New works, selected pieces, and live music by skateboarders. This is what it said on the flier for this year’s 2015 Bonzing Art Opening and it was exactly what I needed to hear to get me in my whip and truckin’ toward San Fransisco, California for a few days of inspiration and shredification-relations. A serious late-night Karaoke episode went down as well, but that’s a whole other story and I’m gonna leave it up to the JSM crew to tell it. Ha ha! That said, this year’s Bonzing Art Opening featured the rad visual and audible creations of these talented skateboarders: Alec Sucala, Austin Graziano, Brandon Coon, Carly Bizama, Ali Mehraban, Chad Lybrand, Dead Fred, Ian Powell, David Hiltbrand, Kip Westerfield, Yvonne Byers, Michael Carson, and Stephan Kaiter-Snyder. I was there and lurked heavily and then spent the rest of the week and weekend continuing to lurk heavily and also skating in SF with the Bonzing crew and with Liam Morgan & James Kelly in the East Bay.
The event’s host, Austin G, getting lit up in front of Yvonne’s creation.
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, I believe that San Fransisco is a true mecca of skateboarding, especially downhill street slashing. I also believe we really need more creative community events like this one, and all over the world—they support a much needed sense of community, connectivity, and creativity. And it was so awesome to peep such inspiring art via a broad range of mediums. I thoroughly enjoyed all the amazing works at the show, but Yvonne Byers definitely showed my fav creation of the evening—it was so lovely and was made from so many intricate pieces of nature. The pic I shot with Austin in front of it does it zero justice. It’s texture was so intense and my inner wildebear was fully aroused and awakened. Ha ha! Anyway, It was great to hang out with many of the Sunset Sliders and other skate homies I had not seen in a while. Thanks for the hospitality, y’all!
So yeah, this is what I was able to capture between throwing shakas, sippin’ brews, and trying to skate a bit myself.
The Bonzing Art Show first debuted at the now defunct Purple Skunk Skate Shop. This is our forth show. We host the show because we believe skateboarding is about expression and skateboarders make great artists. We are here to support that. - Austin Graziano
Dead Fred and Brandon Coon discussing that highbrow artist life.
Ali in deep thought about art, life, and things.
I didn’t know Ali was gonna be in attendance. He was, and so were some of his rad photos.
Dave the Funky Homosapien.
Dead Fred loves to bitch-slappy crusty red curbs.
Alex Ameen and Stephan Reinhardt hard at lurk.
James Kelly and Max Capps curb-side chilling. Homie Brett chill-trolling.
Subsequent Shred-Sessions:
Chad Lybrand kicking out his back wheels and heading down into the city.
Bonzing bombers.
Michael Carson like cats and also gnarly, fast ollies.
Michael also likes to slide on steep-ass asphalt.
James Kelly ripping a steep corner somewhere in the heart of the East Bay.
Another pic of James going fast, sliding, & grabbing rail.
Homie Liam getting barreled. Wait, someone call the glove Nazis!