Posting this picture...

...because I like it.

Don't forget:  Barrier Kult Interview in the upcoming issue #5.

Less Than a Week Until Push It!

We're less than a week until the big event.  Okay, a lot of people are asking me exactly what it is so let me clear it up a bit. It is an event to get females to the skate park, and more importantly, to get them skating!!! Kim has tons of sponsors for the event including Hoopla, Fickle, and Luchaskate. We're looking forward to it!  Here is a link to facebook event page.

Also, let me just add that you can reserve a copy of luchaskate #5 featuring a Skate Rock photo spread, a Barrier Kult interview, Keith Reese of Jolly Roger fame, Wrex Cook, and a First Word by Kyle Duvall of The Parking Block Diaries...

$5.00 shipped (or hand delivered by moi in Memphis). Your five will print 2 copies so you get one and you buy one for someone else. Consider it your good deed for the year.  Just click the link to paypal it, yo!

New Issue Pre-Order

Okay, y'all...

...The new issue now on presale. Yes, it is a free local publication, but you can guarantee that you'll get a copy (reserve one for yourself) and help pay for more copies to be made with the presale. It is $5.00 shipped (CONUS only) or hand delivered by yours truly (Memphis only). All presale orders will get stickers too. All funds from the presale will go to printing.

Where the Heart is

Most of my trips back home to Russellville, Arkansas (where I attended high school, college, and briefly went to grad school) are with my son. We go to visit my parents out in the country. Sometimes we don't even make it in to town at all. He wants to be out in the open with the horses and his "Meme" and "PaPa."

This weekend I made the trip solo, and got the chance to skate and visit all my old favorite spots. Some are gone now, but I managed to find a possible new spot along the way. Other than with my son and a list of friends whom I care for very much, this is where my heart remains. It is here with my family, my town, my old skate spots...

This ditch wasn't there 10 years ago. Looks so fun!

This used to be a bank spot that went from a low of two feet up to 10 feet tall. Gritty yet fast. R.I.P.

My favorite ditch! Looks like it hasn't been hit in a looooong time.

Somebody needs some wax.

The Lot. This was the old meet up to skate spot. It still looks the same (just without the stuff to skate).

Lot 2

Another of the new ditch. I want to skate this!

Russellville Skate Park. Small but so fun!!!

This little bowl has so many possibilities! I can't wait to hit it again!

My ankle doesn't let me do stairs anymore.

Overview.

I'm planning a trip back to Russellville next month. We used to think there was nothing good to skate there. Now, I can't wait to hit it again.

new issue is started/jolly roger

First off, I've started the layout on luchaskate issue 5.  It will be available at Midtown Skateshop in Memphis in mid June. It will also be available for purchase from magcloud/luchaskate.com as a download or full glossy print.  AND you'll be able to read it on issuu (which will be embedded on the website).

So...

print (free while supplies last) at Midtown Skateshop.
print (around 5 bucks) available online at magcloud
download (like a dollar) available online at magcloud
read online without downloading (but embeddable) free online from issuu

That is a lot of different options, and I'm stoked to have them all especially Midtown Skateshop! Thanks again, Hunter!

Now, I'm also stoked to get these from Chad today:

So, anybody wanna sew that rad patch on the back of my patch/cammo/cold weather jacket? Come on, I know you want to.

Anyway, I'm stoked to learn more about these guys.

Duane Peters, Skate Rock, Me

As I mentioned in a post earlier this week, Thrasher Magazine's Skate Rock Tour came through Memphis on Wednesday, and I loved it.  To see that many top notch pros at a local spot was awesome. Heck, to see that many people at a local spot was awesome.  The skating was great, and the envelope was pushed to new levels (see video).

It seems that as they moved south toward Jackson (their next official stop) they picked up an impromptu music gig at a place in Oxford. From what I understand, things didn't go so smoothly in Oxford. In fact, there was quite a bit of online noise about the gig. Negative things have been said about both the skate/music crew coming through town, and about the Mississippi natives.

I'm not going to join up with either side on this.  I just have something I'd like to point out:

The skater in the video below is Duane Peters. His nickname is the Master of Disaster. He has fronted tons of punk bands including "The Exploding Fuck Dolls" and "U.S. Bombs." It is rumored that he is the person who first came up with the term Thrasher that was adopted both in name and theme by the magazine.

Part of me would love to see skateboarding be a squeaky clean activity that I could go out on weekends and do with my son. And, in fact, it can be just that. I think of a good friend of mine who has brought so much positive media to the local scene by being himself: a father, a skater, a caring citizen. However, we can't ignore the history of skating. Skateboarding was and is a sport for the misfit that doesn't fit in with the team mentality. It is an individual sport that smears the line between sport and art. It has reveled in a rebel image since the first young skaters were banned from riding the first skateboards. It continued through the punk rock heyday when the name Thrasher was born. It was the refuge of the small town weirdo kids in the 80's.

And finally, the rest of the world caught on that skating is amazing.

But we're still the misfits.

I'm not condoning behavior. I'm just pointing out history, and let's just say the name "Bad Shit" might just be a clue that this ain't gonna be Rodney Mullen doing a freestyle demo in short shorts and knee pads.

Jeff's Skateboard Page: Common Criminals: The Anthology of Stoke

Jeff's Skateboard Page: Common Criminals: The Anthology of Stoke: We skateboarders are a diverse and opinionated lot, each of us with our very own story about how a seven-ply maple plank with four urethane...

Holy $#!+: Skate Rock in Memphis

What a day!

I got up about 8 a.m. and headed down to Al Town where Thrasher's Skate Rock Tour was passing through today. I knew the event wouldn't start for many hours, but I haven't been around Al Town much for the last few pours of 'crete and I felt guilty.  So, I grabbed some trash bags and picked up trash while Chad did his thing to get the spot ready (and then Jenks came by to weed eat).

Then, an hour or so later, we were met up with by the guys from K.M.A. a skate rock band from Cookville, TN (also the founder of skatezine.com). What a great bunch of guys!

K.M.A.

 We skated around Al Town for a bit, then headed over to Tobey for a session before taking in a little Mexican food.

I took off for a while, and went to my kiddos parent/teacher conference.

When I got back to Al Town, all of the pros were there, and the skating was getting sick!

Chad with Frank Gerwer, a statue Chad made and a copy of Common Criminals

 Photo totally stolen from facebook.

 It isn't often a kid from small town Arkansas via Nebraska gets to session with a large group of some of the most outstanding pros. It was amazing. I kept pushing myself to skate more until finally, my body said, "No."  I started feeling weak around 4 p.m. I went to Midtown Market, got a banana and some more water. It helped enough to allow me to skate a bit more, but by the time I had to leave to pick up my son at 5:00, I was sunburned, weak, hungry and exhausted.

Today was one of the most amazing skateboard days of my life. Thanks, Thrasher Magazine!  And thank you to everyone past or present, that has worked on the D.I.Y. spot Al Town. Without the efforts of everyone, this day would not have happened. You can see some earlier pics of Al Town in the very first issue of Luchaskate.

The kiddo didn't want to come back. He had the choice of what he wanted to do because he had such a good report at parent/teacher conference, and he chose Chuck E. Cheese. So, we headed off to play games and eat pizza. Man, what an amazing day of skating. Look for a full photo report in the next issue. Lindsey was there with her camera, and she always gets some amazing shots.

From the Ashes

From the ashes of luchaskate.com as a blog, comes a new blog post.

I've been in a rut lately. My skating stopped progressing. I've been getting into shape via other exercise methods (running, lifting weights, yoga). I have only skated about 3 times in the last 6 weeks.

This has happened before, and it will happen again I'm sure, but this time I was able to snap out of it pretty quickly. I had to have a session where I didn't try ANY real 'tricks' and lo and behold, skateboarding was fun again. You'd think I'd learn. Kickturns, slash grinds and (okay this is a trick) rock and rolls are all I did this afternoon and it felt great to just move and keep moving. Screw progression. Skating just got fun again.