Sometimes People Love to be Hated but still Love to be Loved

Mar 18,2014 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

It’s coming up on 2 years that Brad Muscat, best known as Fighter, has been on the Protest Skateboards Team. I’ve known Brad since he was a little kid that skated North Delta Park and came out to my competitions. I originally put him on the team because of how depressed he was at the time, it’s a usual occurrence every Spring for this kid, but the main thing was I not only saw the potential of an amazing all around skateboarder in Brad but I recognized the fact that the only thing that ever truly made him happy in life was skateboarding and snowboarding, and I understood that. Brad is not only full of sick talent, but is a machine of a human. How many times have you seen this kid skating in a cast, and goin’ hard? And how many times have you seen him get completely annihilated into the concrete and after laying face down in pain for multiple minutes, get back up and stick what he was trying? In my opinion Brad is a true skateboarder, and a Skater for Life, and I wanna keep him that way. Life can get you down, sometimes you don’t have a place to stay, sometimes you have no money or food at all, and sometimes it feels like every direction you turn there is someone else standing there hating on you, but if there’s one thing you always have it’s your skateboard.

Brad Muscat rides for Protest Skateboards and we’re proud of that.

Protest Skateboards Welcomes Shawn Rowbottom

Mar 7,2014 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

I met Shawn Rowbottom through the internet and just started following his ventures of nasty skate spots and crazy tricks he would do at them and I was always stoked on his commitment to skateboarding. As time went on we communicated a bit here and there and finally met face to face a couple months ago in Victoria. As we sat and chatted about life and skateboarding I began to realize more and more how we were very similar, the long hair, the crazy ambitions, and the will to go for it when there’s something we want. The offer was put on the table, and it’s time for Shawn to get some recognition.

This guy represents the Langford scene on Vancouver Island and he’s a dedicated Six Side Local which says a lot about someone’s skating right there. If you’re favourite place to skate is the toughest and gnarliest skate spot around, chances are you’re pretty good. I’m stoked to hook this guy up and see what changes happen in his life from here on out, but most of all I’m stoked to skate with him. For his welcome to the team video we decided to show off a compilation of old and new footage that shows Shawn’s crazy side, the last trick says it all.

Have a watch, and enjoy the show – this is definitely just the beginning…

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Mar 4,2014 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

It’s awesome to watch a child learn on their own in any activity, but skateboarding is kind of it’s own story. There are so many kids that skate now a days and they all seem to get really good really fast. I think the main reason for that is how skateboards stopped evolving about 20 years ago now and so from that point on all the evolution of skateboarding was more focused on the tricks, the style and the skill level. So to a person who is out skateboarding for the first few times they learn to try what they see, and what they see is insane…

I’ve been super proud lately of my son Kaelen who is barely 4 years old, but of course has been playing around with skateboards since he could roll around on the floor. What’s cool about Kaelen is he has this ambition to learn moves and tricks and talks about them all the time, but no one has ever forced skateboarding on him nor do we instruct him at all, just a little guidance now and then to keep him on the safe side. But growing up with a Dad that is so active in the skateboard community Kaelen goes to a lot of events and sees a lot of different levels of skateboarding, plus he participates in the competitions as well. He has a couple different ramps to skate on at home and once again spends lots of time watching the bigger guys shred. So the point is, in anything you do while growing up you are learning by watching, acknowledging, and then attempting, and Kaelen is classic for this, as was I when I was a kid. Since we built the newest Protest Ramp indoors he has had lots of time to play on it and it actually amazes me the stuff he tries. They see what we do, and try to replicate it, but a lot of the time they end up doing something else that none of us would ever dare try. That’s skateboarding for ya, and each generation makes it their own…

Extreme Sports Skateboarding

Fundraising for a Covered Skate Park in Toronto

Mar 2,2014 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

I met Nicky Young last Fall when he called me up out of the blue and wanted to talk to me about Leeside Tunnel and the history of DIY spots. I was all for meeting up and giving some input but needed to know why of course. When Nicky explained to me that he was trying make a short documentary about how skateboarders sometimes have to take control to build their own spots now a days because of lack of support from some municipalities, and then he was planning on showing it to council in Toronto. I thought it was a great plan, but I get a lot of these random phone calls and emails from people all the time and never fully trust anyone at first. So I did a little research on Nicky to find out more about this random guy who found me out of nowhere only to discover that he was actually a really talented skater. Being a native of Ontario myself, and always being excited to help build a stronger skateboard society in places that are lagging behind, I decided to meet him. The meeting went great and Nicky left more than satisfied with the info I shared to him.

So 2 days ago I saw this fundraiser announcement on facebook about improving and building a covered skate park area in Toronto and it was hosted by Nicky Young. Right away I was happy to see that he had been true to his word and was now taking action in the right direction to make his dreams come true and reach his goal. Protest Skateboards donated the first $100 to the project right then, and with a small goal of $10,000 to be raised I foresee this happening quickly. Once the goal is reached, repairs can be made and the park can be built properly. So wherever you live, think back of all those years we struggled to get the first skate parks all over parts of Canada, think of all the years of fundraising and finding companies to sponsor and donate, and help this cause by reaching in your wallet and lending a few bucks. I know I will appreciate it, Nicky will appreciate and the next generation of skateboarders in that area will love you forever….

Here is the link to read more information and donate to the cause

http://www.gofundme.com/76yzd4

For the Love of Skateboarding

Feb 26,2014 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Some people avoid everything in life to go skate, they put off their family, they put off their careers, they put off their education, they will even put off eating to fulfil their addiction. And then there are people like me who love skateboarding so much that they put off skateboarding to utilize their time to make more possibilities and opportunities for all the other people that will put off the rest of life to skate. It’s a messed up world but it’s just the way it is. I’ve watched many people over the years become so amazing at skateboarding and completely seem like they are one with there board, or more comfortable on their skateboard than when they are not. Sometimes skateboarding makes a person who they are and that lasts forever. It’s great when you are part of a team and participating in sports or activities with others, but nothing can teach you more about yourself than independent extreme activities where it literally is just you, your mind and your body out there as one and risking everything. I love skateboarding and everything about it. I love how I can hop and my board and cruise through the streets, I love how I can roll into a ramp and just starting poppin’ and grindin’, I love skating any obstacle I see possible, and I love how I can see others get inspired in their lives by doing the same. The coolest thing about skateboarding to me is how we as true skateboarders live in a separate society where we learn together, build together and battle together, and this society is really open to anyone of any age, of any colour, any race and any ability level to join. And once you are part of this world it feels good…

You can always pick out a true skateboarder. They just have this energy about them; This determination; This strength; This want for more. My favourites are the ones who just look like they are having the time of there life when they skateboard. It’s a great reminder of who we are and why we skate – because it’s fun. So many kids out there try so hard to get super good super quick in hopes that they might be the next Ryan Sheckler or Nyjah Huston and they can easily lose touch with reality resulting in them actually quitting at some point because they “didn’t make it”. But that’s not what skateboarding is about. A true skateboarder skates for the love of it, because it makes them feel good, because it allows them to express themself, and because it makes them free.

Grab your deck, throw it on the ground and go skate, don’t look at where you’re going, just go, and enjoy every second of it – that’s skateboarding…

Protest Skateboards Welcomes Merrick Orr

Feb 18,2014 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

I said it just about a month ago, is Merrick Orr the next David Gonzales? And when I said it, what I meant was, Damn this kid is such a shredder with awesome aggression in his skateboarding and with the right push he could be a household name one day. Merrick resides in Sooke, BC on Vancouver Island and skates hard as much as he can. He skates fast, with no pivot cups in his trucks, and he stays on his board no matter what. At a mere 14 years old he has serious potential to get a ton of amazing footage and we are stoked to be the ones showcasing it. From the first moment I saw this kid I was in awe and knew that I would know him for a long time. After some back and forth conversation Merrick decided to join the team of Protest and follow us along on the positive journey of skateboarding and mentorship that we are about to embark on. He came over to the mainland a few days ago and we took a few hours to skate the brand new indoor Protest Ramp together and film this part. Like usual, Merrick showed up with a vengeance to shred, and did just that blowing away everyone that was there. We are proud to welcome him onto the Protest Skateboards Team and this video will show you why.

Welcome to the Team Merrick – Protest for Life!

Surrey Slamma Jamma

Feb 11,2014 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

It was great to see so many people come out to the Surrey Slamma contest that I hosted the other day. All the kids and dudes of all ages had a blast. There were so many tricks that went down all over that were so sick, like Weston Ganger nosegrind revert on the top of a bench, Weston Hutchinson with a kickflip 5-0 on the fridge first try in his run, and Barrett Lediard with a 10 foot drop nosepick into a little tiny quarterpipe. It truly felt like an ’80’s contest which was exactly what I was aiming for. Skateboarding has gotten so big and it’s funny how that makes for more negative attitudes about what is skateable and what is even worth skating, and blah blah blah. What these people are missing out on is how skateboarding is about freedom of speech and freedom of action. You see something you could skate, you go and skate it. That’s what it’s about. So having all these guys show up of all ages that are used to regular old competitions where all the obstacles are perfect sparked some creative inspirations inside them, it was a great reminder to a lot of these skaters of what made them become skaters in the first place. And that’s what stoked me up the most.

Thanks to everyone that came out to enjoy the day, without asking I know everyone had fun. And thanks to all who partnered together to make the event a success – Authentic Board Supply, Coastal Riders, Protest Skateboards, Chance Skateboards, Red Star Skateboards, Vulcan Bolts and the Cloverdale Rodeo.

Click the link to read the full recap and see photos

http://authenticboardsupply.com/authentic-surrey-slamma-recap/

Uncategorized

Leeside is Okay

Feb 6,2014 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

After many years of many people putting in a lot of effort towards constructing Leeside Tunnel into a concrete skate park, the rights to use the space were suddenly jeopardized. On the night of January 21^st 2014, 2 men walked into the tunnel and lit fire to an area that was set up with forms and fill to build the next big piece to the park. This fire got hot fast and actually burnt through the concrete of the wall causing it to crumble and leave bare re-bar showing. All of a sudden the city of Vancouver had cause to worry, and this has happened before in the past. At that time the city actually did try to shut down this place by filling it with gravel and steam rolling it down. Every day since the skaters started to build concrete obstacles down there there was always the concern that the city would just come down one day and bulldoze it all down, but we kept on building. And it got to a point where the city accepted it and knew it was happening. Now an issue like this makes for scary moments.

According to Anti Social Skate Shop, the Vancouver Parks Board has responded in the best way they could. The Engineers who showed up to inspect reported that the structural damage is not a s serious as we feared. The city will take initiative to pressure wash the smoke damage and do whatever repairs necessary right away and hopefully the Leeside Memorial Tunnel will reopen in the next week or 2 which means the construction can continue.

This is a great lesson to everyone in many ways and it always comes down to one main lesson – never take things for granted. We work so hard as a group to build something amazing, and then 1 or 2 people ruin it for everyone just like that. The tunnel will reopen luckily, but there are still 2 guilty people out there who need to be caught…

Watch for random fundraisers coming up to help bring this place back to life.<b

Uncategorized

Original Seylynn Bowl Blueprints for Sale

Jan 31,2014 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Calen Sinclair was a man who loved parabolic curves, the defining beauty of every woman on this earth, and we love him for this desire as that is what he focused most on when he designed our beautiful mother of Canadian skateboard parks in 1978 – Seylynn Bowl.

Did you know that Seylynn Skate Park is now 35 years old and they are trying to make it a Heritage site which will protect it and preserve it forever? Pretty awesome! Did you also know that you can purchase copies of the original Blueprints of this historic piece of Canadian Skateboarding? Check it out here, there are 2 versions, one that is framed, signed and dated by Calen Sinclair himself, or another that is just a poster style print. Both are sweet!

Seylynn Bowl has helped to build skateboarding in Vancouver to what it has become. So many legends of the world travelled there to skate in competitions throughout the 1980’s including Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero and many more, but it also molded some legends of its own like Carlos Longo, Alex Chalmers and the forever missed Carver Don Hartley. Every skate park has history, but not too many have as much as this one. Jump on the horse and grab some memorabilia while you can. And while you’re spending money, make sure you garb a copy of one of the coolest documentaries ever made – The Seylynn Story, by George Faulkner

http://seylynn.bigcartel.com/

Inspired to Make a Change

Jan 28,2014 / By Hippie Mike / 2 Comments

Recently there has been a lot of emotion in my life and it’s well overdue to come to this. As you grow older lots of things tend to happen, you learn who your true friends are, you start to lose a lot of people close to you and you begin to really learn who you are and who you have become. Although some people might have guessed me to be older, I’m only 35 years old, but I have done a lot in those 35 years. Being a skateboarder for 28 of those years has helped me become the person I am by giving me the senses of commitment of creativity and dedication of following through and getting things done.

I love when people judge skateboarders as children and look at guys my age and say things like, “When are you going to grow up?” The funny part is there’s a reason that people think that I’m older than I am and the reason comes down to me being a skateboarder for my whole life. Skateboarders tend to mature faster than other people, we have more danger in our lives and have to premeditate a lot of what we do, and we all go through lots of injuries which makes us learn how to overcome difficult times and push ourselves to succeed, but most of all we are one of the only “societies” where everyone hangs out together no matter what their age, which benefits the young kids to have more mentorship in their lives and help them grow up faster with extra guidance. And this is where my frame of mind has been going lately, continuing to provide that leadership and mentorship to all those around, but more in the sense of creating more leaders and mentors. In skateboarding we were always pushed away, and opportunities were taken from us.

The skaters of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s were not spoiled with skate parks and in honesty were not as tight knit with each others groups. But times have changed a lot and we have all learned acceptance. We now know that if your a skateboarder than we’re on the same team, and this team will fight the battle to the finish line to win our rights to be skateboarders for life and not have ignorant people ask us when we are going to grow up. If you’re with me on this say your opinion and let me know how it makes you feel to be part of this revolution. We are here to make a change, to help better the world, and to provide straight pathways to success for our next generation.

Are you with me?

Author Archives: Hippie Mike