In case you haven’t heard yet, Eric Koston is ‘Limey’ in the latest Bud Light commercial. Limey is the character that Koston plays. They call it ‘Behind the Lime’ and I think it’s quite hilarious. There are so many people hating on it though, calling Koston a sellout. For many, it’s quite a shocker that Koston would actually do something like this. Personally, I think it’s rad and fun to watch. I’m positive Koston got a hefty sum of money for doing this and I am super stoked for him because of that.

Anytime you can make a gripload of money while doing the thing you love most, it’s great. Plus, I could only imagine what else the guys over at bud light hooked him up with. We only have one life to live and making a living off of skateboarding is super hard to come by. So everyone stop hating on Koston , it’s what he does on a skateboard that’s most important and we all know he rips. So kick back, watch the Bud Light Limey commercial, and be prepared to laugh.

Right off the bat from the way he pedals you can tell it’s him, not to mention Ty Evans was involved with this whole production. Yes, he’s the guy behind Lakia’s Fully Flared video. So there’s a lot of skateboarding influence and personnel that were involved in this commercial. And realize that the entire industry has been shook by cooperate sponsorship. This isn’t the first time a major company has jumped in to endorse a skateboarder. Some of the biggest names in the biz are involved with mega corporations. Andrew Reynolds with Boost Mobile, Paul Rodriguez with Mountain Dew, and Tony Hawk with Jeep?

If you ask me this has all been going on for a while. Props to them for living comfortably, and for taking opportunities that we ourselves would jump at the chance if we had them. Just as long as they keep pushing and pedaling for life, it’s all good.

eric koston

Vincent Alvarez has been inducted as the newest Chocolate Am and this is the first new Am added to their team in as long as I can remember. He has a premiere video part set to be released to the public in June and I am positive it’s going to be good. To be on the same team with the likes of Marc Johnson, Kenny Anderson, Chris Roberts, Chico Brenes, Gino Iannuci, and various others must feel amazing. Not to mention, getting welcomed and accepted by the entire crew.

Vincent placed 3rd at this year’s Phoenix Am contest. His switch stance skateboarding will make you think he naturally skates that way. He also recently got hooked up with Lakai footwear which adds another top notch sponsor to his already built list of legit backers. He came in a little late though with Lakai’s stunner of a flick, Fully Flared, already out. But be sure that whatever future projects they have in the works, you will see some Vincent Alvarez footage thrown in for sure.

If you have some spare time on your hands, head on over to the Chocolate skateboards website and check out the video of the Chocolate team inducting Vincent. They basically invite him over with him not knowing what’s planned. He has no idea the whole team is there waiting to congratulate him on his team acceptance. It’s pretty cool video and well worth the watch. Check it out for yourself.

chocolate skateboards

Skateboarding is the greatest thing in the world. For many of us, it’s all we know. It’s what our entire lives revolve around day and night. And for many others, it’s a hobby and something you like to do in your spare time. Either way we can all agree that skateboarding is fun. And that is why I am writing this post, to remind you to keep the fun in skateboarding.

I know the world of skateboarding has gone to ridiculous death-defying heights but with all honesty, it’s not always about doing the gnarliest trick or one upping the other guy. To tell you the truth, stressing yourself to hop onto that 20 stair rail doesn’t sound like much fun at all. Seriously, don’t forget why you started skateboarding in the first place. Go out and cruise the streets and just have fun. Carve that pool or skate the little flatbar at the local park. Just do what you feel is fun and stop worrying about what everyone else thinks.

We all have our preferences when it comes to skateboarding obstacles. Most importantly, just make sure to always keep it fun and cherish it while you can. Your skateboard will never forget you if you don’t forget it. It will always be there for you when times are harsh. So pick up that board go outside and push like your life depends on it. Feel the breeze brush against your face as you glide through the pavement. Absorb the energy and good vibes that come from riding your board. Pop those ollies and grind those curbs. This is what skateboarding is truly about. It’s about getting away and having fun. Pushing the limits may be part of that fun for some but the greatest enjoyment comes from skateboarding, period!

Nowadays, many of the skate spots are totally blown out, especially here in California. I won’t even get into full detail of how unskateable or blown out the spots are here. Basically, you roll up to a “known” spot only to find excess security and recent skate proofing that’s been done. If not, then you’re due for a ledge that has had its fair share of grinds and is chunkier than ground meat.

This leads me to the topic of creating a skate spot. Yes, it means having to actually put effort into making something. But in the end you will feel really good about yourself and depending on where you created it, you may have very well constructed a new spot you will never get kicked out of. You could pretty much make your own little ghetto skatepark if you wanted to. Pole jams, quarter pipes, manual pads, and even ledges are all new obstacles that you can create.

Many spots created by skateboarders have gone on to become famous spots in videos too. Pole jams can easily be created by simply digging a hole and sticking a metal pole inside of it. Cementing it would go along way and ensure its longevity as well. Or how about those barricades you see out on the freeway or abandoned in old cement yards? Those could be used to shape quarter pipes or other obstacles. And if you can get a hold of some old grey cement bricks and shape them up into a ledge then the possibilities are endless.

You can buy the wet cement at your local Home Depot or hardware store. I mean, you could go with building your obstacles out of wood but they are so much easier to steal that way and on top of that the weather gets to them within the first couple of hits. So try it out, get inventive and put your mind to work. The possibilities are endless.

Pro skateboarder Ali Boulala has been sentenced to jail for four years with a non-parole period of two years and has been disqualified from driving in Victoria for three years. All this was bestowed onto him for his relation to the death of skateboarder Shane Cross. Shane was a passenger on Ali’s motorcycle when the accident occurred.

Of what I remember previously, Shane’s parents originally didn’t want to press charges on Boulala, due to the their son’s friendship. But either way, it looks like the authorities have laid penalties upon Ali Boulala.

This whole incident really hits hard for us skateboarders; I mean sure, we all knew both of them were party animals, but did we really expect an accident like this to occur? I sure didn’t. Honestly, when I heard Shane Cross had passed away I thought it was a joke. It really hit hard to find that he wasn’t here on earth with us anymore. He was such a gnarly skateboarder and had so much more talent to show the world. And Ali Boulala was already a fortified legend in skateboarding. His innovation,charisma, and presence were one of a kind. I have read articles stating that he may never skateboard again due to the trauma taken to his head from the incident.

I think not being able to skateboard and knowing you had played some part in the relation to a good friends death is punishment alone. You could only imagine what burden he has to live with for the rest of his life. We all know Ali didn’t mean for any of this to happen. Both Shane and him were super good friends and unfortunately these events occurred. Now he must face time behind bars, without friends, without family, without skateboarding. Hang in there Ali, keep your spirits up. And Shane Cross rest in peace my skateboard friend. We are all shredding for you Shane!!!

The new scheduled stops for the éS Game of S.K.A.T.E. have recently been announced. Contests like these are great because everyone can get involved as the éS game of skate is and always has been free to play. This means you can basically enter and have fun because you’re playing with nothing to lose. Don’t you just love that? Plus, it gives you a shot to try out all the tricks you have been practicing all year long when going up against fellow skateboarders.

Last years championship finals were intense. It was a show worthy of the wait and it’s always awesome to see two perfect match-ups going head to head. Landing tricks back to back, hearing the crowd get into it… It truly is amazing.

I really wish they would do more stops on the tour though and hopefully that’s the direction they’re moving. I strongly encourage local shops that want to get more involved with local riders to throw these kinds of events as well. They work wonders for bringing the skate community together and because they’re so inexpensive to put on, they don’t have to be hosted by some major skate brand. Anything that gives all skateboarders a chance to participate is rad in my book.

(more…)

Recently, I viewed a video of Ryan Sheckler attempting the mega ramp for his first time. Other than Pat Duffy, he is said to be the only other street skateboarder to have attempted the Mega Ramp. Rumors have gone around about various other street skateboarders sparking interest in launching off the monstrous launch ramp.

You can write out a short list of all the individuals that have successful skated the mega ramp and it’s always the same individuals facing off against each other in the X-Games. But is all this due for a change? You bet it is. I recently viewed a show about Camp Woodward and they were teaching kids how to skate a mini mega ramp. It was mind blowing to see all these young kids dropping in and hucking themselves in the air.

A mega ramp revolution has come upon us here in America! People want to see athletes continue going big, bigger, and ever bigger. And when I say people, I mean the average Joe who’s never even stepped on a skateboard. Dudes flying 50 feet in the air are the ‘in thing’ right now. Everyone thinks it’s crazy and of course people love stunts where there’s a huge element of risk. I have had people in there early 40’s who have never skated in there life ask me about Jake Brown and the fall he took. Or Danny Way’s backflip over the gap off the mega ramp.

The mega ramp is the in thing right now which is strange because less than a decade ago it didn’t even exist. I myself will probably never skate a mega ramp, I could only imagine how gnarly it looks to even just drop in, let alone airing across the massive gap to the ridiculously huge quarter pipe. The mega ramp will be one of those events that will always attract people no matter what. We all have to accept the fact that skateboarding is actually a “cool” thing to do now. I have heard some skateboarders even call-out Mega Ramp skateboarding and say it’s not skateboarding at all. But we all know it’s just as much a part of skating as everything else. And we got to hand it to the mega ramp rippers; they got balls to do what they do. There’s no doubt about that.

Spring Break Yo’Self 2008 went down in San Diego this past weekend and none other than SD local himself, Brandon Turner took home 1st place victory.

Brandon has been in the game for a long time now and although he may not be a household name yet, his skateboarding certainly speaks for itself. You see, back in the late ‘90’s, Brandon aka “Lil B” was an upcoming Am for the world renown Shortys skateboards. He had standout parts in Shortys video “Fulfill the Dream” and later a pro debut part in “Guilty”. These were both vital videos in my personal skateboard upbringing. I remember both of these videos super well and most notably his mind blowing Switch Hardflip down the infamous Carlsbad Gap sticks out in my mind.

I am super stoked that Brandon is back in the spotlight again. He absolutely tore down the course at Spring Break Yo’Self this year. Nollie double flip over the chain to bank? Are you kidding me? I’ve skated the actual chain to bank and I am pretty sure Jeff King made this obstacle to its precise measurement. To do that trick over the chain down the bank is insane. The bank is so much steeper than you would think just from looking at it. His Nollie Noseslide on the side bank was huge as well and was probably scary as hell. Not to mention, he was the only one of the contestants to throw something down on that obstacle.

His win was highly well deserved and couldn’t have been done at a better time or place. The crowd was huge and the energy was amazing. Congratulations to Brandon Turner on the win and you will be hearing a lot more from this guy in the time to come. Don’t call it a comeback; “Lil B” has skills.

In recent skate news, young ripper David Gonzalez has turned pro for Flip Skateboards. If I am not mistaken David is only 16 years old. He hails from Medellin, Columbia and absolutely kills it on a skateboard. There are some who argue that he is too young to be turning pro, but if his peers at Flip are confident enough to bestow him with this honor – who are we to argue?

He has two huge video parts that will be dropping in the near future; his Globe United by Fate section as well as his long anticipated Extremely Sorry appearance. He is one of the new generation of foreign rippers that have been taking the skateboard industry by storm. Shredding on every terrain you can think of, he is an all-around versatile skateboarding fiend.

About the only notable fact I could question as far as his pro rank status goes would be the lack of video footage prior to being sponsored. To date, Gonzalez hasn’t really released a full video part. On average, even the young pros today like Sheckler, Tony Tave, and Garret Hill have had significant video parts during there Am years. I almost feel like maybe there should be a line drawn just before one can turn pro. To be a professional, there is more to it than just possessing an amazing skill on a board. He is undoubtedly gnarly enough to be a professional skateboarder. The question is – did he truly earn it?

The X-Games have decided to keep the skateboarding vert competitions around for at least one more summer. What was a widely criticized decision, ESPN had originally announced they were killing off the vert skate events from the Summer X-Games and that prompted me to write that they’ve officially jumped the shark.

While I still think the X-Games have been on a decline, it’s pretty refreshing that they have listened to their audience and changed their minds. They had a poll up on their site asking if the decision to drop the vert event was a good idea. The people spoke and 80% said it was a bad decision. I can’t help but think this decision to reinstate the vert comps was also influenced by the athletes of the games.

Even tough ESPN went back on their original decision, it says a lot about them to drop this event in the first place. I think it’s pretty obvious at this point where their intentions lie and they’re willing to sell us out in a second for the almighty dollar. I guess that shouldn’t really come as a surprise, afterall they’re owned by ABC and we both know ABC doesn’t care about much besides their bottom-line.

x-games