Bon Voyage!

It is time to say farewell to three people who have meant a lot to me over the last couple of years. Wrex, Kim and Mike are heading to ColoRADo for a new life in beautiful weather, surrounded by skateparks. Luchaskate wishes them all the best.

Thank you for your contributions to Memphis, Luchaskate, and my life.

Issue 5 online

Here it is, folks. Issue 5 is online for your reading pleasure.  If you'd like to buy a download or paper copy (and help us fund stickers, t-shirts etc...) go to the luchaskate.com website.

Luchaskate is always accepting submissions to the magazine and website. Email me at luchamag@yahoo.com to get in touch with me. We are adding product reviews to the ever-growing website. Get in touch with me! So stoked that this is blowing up as big as it is!!!

Please feel free to share the link for this 'zine on your own blogs, facebook pages, and websites. It is super easy to get the embed code or just put the link into facebook. You can read it directly from facebook! Oh, and stop by the luchaskate facebook and click like!

And now for something completely different.

What a weekend?!

Friday night we were all worried about rain, but the morning turned out great for the Push It event. Great job Kim! Unfortunately, the rain came in a couple hours in to the event and we were all forced to scatter.

Lew and the rest of the Fickle crew from Cincinnati, Ohio along with the En Joy folks didn't make it before the rain, but they did make it.  After a quick lunch we met up with the Fickle guys and En Joy at Midtown Skate Shop.

 

It was a great opportunity as Lew got to meet skate enthusiest and Lucero band member, Brian Venable. Lew, as only Lew can, told Brian about Fickle Skateboards.

When the rain stopped, the squeegee and towels came out, and then the skating started again.

And the rest of the weekend was ON FIRE!  The Fickle guys were killing it. Wrex was killing it. I nearly killed myself (just kidding, mom. Total safety first, all weekend).

Early Sunday morning. Pre-session.

Sunday brought more rippage with an appearance of Jungle out who gave us a sideways acoustic jam.

And some proper skateboarding (in a mask).

Who is that masked man!?

Good stuff

Somehow, it seems odd to me that I have a  friend that rips as hard as Wrex Cook. If I lived on the west coast it wouldn't seem odd, but I'm in good 'ol Memphis TN.   He gave me a copy of this video as a holiday gift, and my son made me rewind it five times.  It includes Tom Knox, Lance Mountain, Salba, Wrex...the list goes on.  Sickness.  Absolute pool skating sickness.

Speaking of sick...I'm feeling sick today.  Head cold.  I blame it on parasites.  Not really...but a couple of the guys working on Parasite, the D.I.Y. in New Orleans were in town, crashed at my place and left a trail of sneezing at this sticker in their wake.  Good times skating with stoked skaters.

Parasite sticker on my cruiser

Last, but not least, here is something I posted on the luchaskate facebook (join us...there is a link at the top of this page):

I just finished reading another skater's story. I'm stoked on reading all of your stories. Why do you love skateboarding? What is the defining skateboard moment? Is it standing in the shallow end of a pool? Is it watching a skater who's style and dedication sparks a stoke within you? Is it a session with your friends? Describe it. Spread the stoke you feel with all other skaters in the world. Common Criminals is going to be about 150 pages in length. Get your submissions in as soon as you can. Email a word doc to luchamag@yahoo.com. I have some "this is how I started skating" stories. They're rad, but be careful about sending any more of those. A few of those is enough. Yours should be more about the thrill of a moment or a defining moment after you first learned to ride so we give a huge variety of stories to the reader. Thank you to everyone! This project is going to be amazing! And yes, I may end up doing a volume 2 if the need arises.

Get your submissions in while it is cold outside!

Oh, one more thing:  A Luchaskate video is happening.  More details to come in the next issue of the mag.  Book first, video second.

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography

>Thanks to a very kind person, I received a gift certificate to the newest skateshop in Memphis, Midtown Skateshop.  I went in knowing I needed griptape for the new fickle punk point I have on the way, but not sure what else I would buy.  I have a million skate shirts so I knew I didn't need one.  I have two sets of brand new bearings (one I bought and one via Wrex Cook...look for a review in the next issue of Luchaskate).  Hmmmm...what would I get?

I gave a hard thought to getting the Creature video.  Those guys always make me want to skate, but really I knew I wanted the new Bones Brigade documentary.

Now, I was not a Powell Peralta fan back in the day.  I always liked Lance Mountain (who didn't), and Rodney Mullen was so shockingly brilliant (and so odd) that he was fascinating, but I was more into Skull Skates, Santa Cruz and Alva.  In retrospect, the Powell guys were a little too smiley, polite and clean cut. I wanted my skateboarding to be more punk rock than that.  Hey, I was a rebellious teen looking for more rebellion.  I didn't care about contest results.  I cared about Danforth's shaved head and dirty t-shirts, Salba's weird leopard print pads and Tod Swanks lo-fi graphics.  I am not and will never be a technical skater.  Style was everything to me, even back then.

However, this DVD is fantastic.  Rodney Mullen is the true star for me.  His brilliance and oddness shines through.  When he speaks it is full of imagery, metaphor and thought.  Lance Mountain expressing his worry about not being "good enough" touches home as well (although he had style for days).  It has its downsides as well, of course.  Stacy Peralta's interview parts show him as trying too hard to show emotion.  And it would have been nice to see more skating or nice to have some bonus footage of skating.  I will say, this thing is worth every penny I didn't have to spend on it.  This will be rewatched again and again.

Get it at your local shop, or you can get it here:
Bones Brigade: An Autobiography

Sunday Funday

Good people to skate with, a fun Sunday session, and cupcakes.  What more could a guy ask for?  A little belated birthday celebration for me?  I was stoked.  Even got a new shirt (thanks Wrex and Kim!)!  I probably didn't show my gratitude well enough.  I was a little embarrassed with the attention.  Thank you everyone for coming out today and skating with me.

My new Old Man Army t-shirt

Last three cupcakes swimming in a sea of ciggie butts.  You can just see my truck hanger in the bottom right of the screen.

Miranda and Kris

Ed, Kim and Wrex (Mike is hidden)

Jonathan acting a fool.

I'm still addicted to learning kickflips on banks.  Next deck, I'm going with an 8.5 to see if it helps out.  Just about have 'em figured out.  I was never good at flip tricks.  I guess I'm learning to be patient. Ha!  Flat ground, I got 'em.  On a bank?  One out over every 5 right now.

I had to leave a little earlier than I wanted.  Old man wasn't feeling too well, but I had a blast as always.

West Point Grand Opening

This day was a blast despite a few minor setbacks.

1.  It suddenly became fall (for real) this weekend producing a rainy pre-opening Friday with temperatures dropping down into the 40's.  If you were sittin' you were cold.  Get up and skate!

2.  We got pulled over and Kris (I wasn't driving) got a speeding ticket right at Tupelo.

Busted!!!

3.  Somehow I got dog crap on my grip tape.

Dog Crap on my beloved Outlaw El Bandito

 4.  For some reason the people at the bbq joint we all went to after the opening didn't want me to eat which pissed me off (more than) a little bit.  Of course, as soon as I gave up, and walked away they had my food ready.  It was good.  Worth the wait?  If I weren't starving, yeah, it probably would've been.

Set backs aside, what a blast.  Little Rock was well represented, and Matt Clark hooked me up with the new issue of their 'zine, Chaos Ninja, which features a little somethin' somethin' I wrote about the bros over at Fickle (who also sponsored the grand opening, thanks Lew).

Chaos Ninja Skate 'Zine

Some of the highlights of the contest portion was seeing old dog Mike Lasiter grinding 13 pool blocks to win the longest grind contest, all the groms who learn so quickly, Zach Galinas backside tail slide revert in the deep end of the bowl (& his 10 pool block grind), and the trophies that Catfish Chad made with his own two hands.  However, I think my stoke of the day was (and I could kick myself for not getting a pic) was when Zach gave the deck he won for best trick to one of the groms who needed one. Good job, Zach. The stoke spreads.

The smile says it all.  Mike Lasiter. Long grind king.

Special thanks to all the sponsors (I know I'm gonna leave somebody out, my apologies): Silly Girl, Fickle, Assault, Dream at En Joy, Tork Trucks, Iron Horse, ATM Click, Old Man Army, Chaos Ninja and anyone else that my tired brain can't think of...

Also:  Special Thanks to the people at West Point Parks and Rec, Kim Cook for her tireless efforts, Wrex Cook who donated decks from his own collection, Catfish Chad for making the trophies (why don't I have a picture of those!!!!), and everyone who came out to make the day special.

Pat "The Rake" Rakestraw killing some Tedder's Pool Coping

This Weekend!

Poster image stolen from Kim Cook

 The grand opening of the West Point, MS skatepark!  Built by Grindline Skateparks including Wrex Cook who will be at the event.  It is going to be a rad event!

https://www.facebook.com/events/354013901348943/

Sponsored by tons of great companies including Fickle and Luchaskate.

Also, check out local Memphis board shaper rufusskates.com.  They've joined the Lucha Alliance.  For more advertising info on luchaskate check out www.luchaskate.info.

Read Issue 2 Here

Here it is folks:

Issue 2 of Luchaskate Magazine.  Read it.  Download it.  Print it.  Embed it on your blog or website.  Email it. Share it and like it on facebook.  Spread the stoke!

Open publication - publishing - More d.i.y.

One correction in this issue: Dustin Dattilio rides for Shipwreck Skates NOT Shipyard Skates. Sorry, bro!

The Gay Ocean

I spent a little time this morning washing clothes ('cause they stankin') and reading through my favorite blogs.

The first to mention is, "The Gay Ocean."  This is a good friend and contributor to luchaskate mag.  A must read.

The second to mention is Jeff's Skateboard Blog.  Always fresh content from a person who loves skateboarding.

Cover V 1.1

Sneak peek.  Less than two weeks away from the first issue.  The first cover. Wrex Cook.

Hey, we're on facebook now! Like us here.