Ronnie & Co: Full Screen
August 15, 2008 @ 10:25 AM - by Niall Neeson
Watch more Kingpin movies >>
So this is our edit from our time in LA attending the IASC summit in the Californian desert. We bookended the trip with a week in LA to visit and act like tourists.
Outside Dave Carnie’s house, the morning of his stag do (crumbs!)
Skating Venice Beach- moody enough round here, so it is.
Problems. Note the pile of paperwork on top of the phonebox with Fabrizio Santos’ new company ads all over.
Many thanks to IASC, Bod and Whitney at Dwindle, Bill Weiss and of course Ronnie, Jani and all the skaters over at Blind.
Globe UBF4
August 13, 2008 @ 10:21 AM - by Deeli
Here’s the tease, the real thing will hit screens on September 9th. It’ll have a full video part from Luztka, no doubt including the insane 360 fs flip over the canal and we wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few 270 lip slides down big rails in there as well. All United By Fate episodes are free online at the Globe TV website.
More Skateboarding Videos >>
Controlling It
August 12, 2008 @ 9:15 AM - by Deeli
Control have their new collection out. Or not out as in sale, but out as in they have it in their office. Forgot to ask which season - SS must be spring/summer in the world of fashion? Don’t those guys work in like a year in advance?
Another new thing that’s out is the latest issue of Sahtel, the Estonian skate etc mag.
There’s probably a few other new things out somewhere else, but we haven’t got links to those ones right this minute.
Evelien Bouilliart Interviewed
August 11, 2008 @ 11:05 AM - by Deeli
Gets cross-examined on the Cooler website. We’re cross-referencing it here. Go see what she has to say.
Ollie in Pamplona
Bam’s An Angel, Plup Water Is The Devil?
August 07, 2008 @ 11:11 AM - by Deeli
A new bottled water named Plup was launched this past weekend in Finland with a front page ad in the biggest national daily and a TV spot featuring Bam Margera as an angle with a board strapped to his back. The music is by Him, and apparently the clip cost so much to make that they’ll only be able to run it once. The director insisted on shooting it on film to make it look good. Good job people will only see it on youtube. There’s also something deeply disturbing about the marketing ploy, which promises to donate 10 cents per bottle to the clean up and conservation of the Baltic sea, which is in such a sorry state that Finland and Sweden have had to apply for special permission from the EU commission to sell the salmon caught in the sea, because the dioxine levels of the fish exceed the allowed quantities. In a country of 50 000 lakes and basically Evian running from taps, who needs bottled water? Really, where’s all that plastic going to go? Some of it will end up in the Baltic sea for sure. Incidentally, there’s been some talk lately about the plastic garbage dump in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which basically contains every little bit f plastic ever thrown away that somehow made its way to the ocean from the past 50 years of the material’s existence. The floating dump is about twice the size of continental US at the minute, running from about 500 miles off Californian coast all the way to Japan.
In the ad campaign for Plup, the designer comments on the name as a reminiscent of the sound a stone makes, when thrown into the sea. How about a plastic bottle dumped into the ocean? Come on man, how lame can you be? We can’t buy our way out of the mess we’ve created, the only way is to consume less.
Innovators gather round
August 06, 2008 @ 3:42 PM - by Niall Neeson
Portugal skateboarding website
August 06, 2008 @ 2:26 PM - by Niall Neeson
In the meantime, here’s Dead Prez
Volcom CCTV
August 06, 2008 @ 11:50 AM - by Deeli
We could blog all the details here, but we figured the internet must be getting stuffed as it is, so we’re just posting a link to the rules of engagement here. The general idea is that there’s a new challenge every two months, involving you little mugs videotaping yourselves or each other and posting the footage on mpora. Check full details and the current challenge here.
Just so you know what you’re up against, this little clip won the last box of goodies. Think you can do better? Click this and enter!
More Skateboarding Videos >>
Japanese gangster Shinichi Ito
August 06, 2008 @ 9:59 AM - by Niall Neeson
New Traffic film online now
August 04, 2008 @ 2:26 PM - by Niall Neeson
Watch it in all its glory here
Taking pictures on the streets, are we?
August 04, 2008 @ 12:42 PM - by Deeli
“It’s proof of the power of a single photo’s ability to communicate something that well-intentioned projects with finely-honed artist statements spend years trying to find but miss, repeatedly.”
If that caught your attention, then read on here. It’s pretty full on, but basically it’s saying that taking photos on the street doesn’t necessarily produce interesting street photography. And that a lot of it doesn’t necessarily make it good.
Russians Have Left the Building
August 04, 2008 @ 9:08 AM - by Deeli
The Doski photo editor / Kingpin contributor Lev Maslov brought his entourage of 5 Russian riders to Helsinki last week. Samu showed them around a few days and then they went back. Suppose that’s how trips go. Nothing much to say here, but I’m bloggin’ it, cause I’m lovin’ it. Check out this bs 5-0 that Vlad did a few days ago. Lev shot it with his new D3. It’s the shit, I’m told.
World premiere now!
August 01, 2008 @ 2:59 PM - by Benjamin
In a couple hours, Moving in Traffic, the latest video offering from the good lads at Traffic skateboards will be premiering on-line!
Yes, you read it correctly: you’ll be able to witness first hand full parts from Bobby Puelo and Jack Sabback (with a support act from the rest of the crew) before the actual DVD hits stores. Now, grab some ice cream, call friends, and get that couch bouncing! It’s coming.
New Zines From Nieves Books
July 30, 2008 @ 8:49 AM - by Deeli
Nieves Books is a small independent publisher from the strange country of Switzerland. They put out an excellent assortment of books and zines with a dedication matched by no man in the publishing industry. Right now they’ve got 20 limited signed zines out, including one from the Lousy Livin company head honcho Stefan Marx. Go get yours while they last.
Gonzalez, Capaldi, Pudwill all turn pro
July 25, 2008 @ 1:36 PM - by Niall Neeson
Gonzalez is semi- old news but his new graphic is just unveiled, Capaldi was reluctantly riding his debut model in germany last weekend and Torey’s board is due to drop next month.
In the meantime,
here’s Jay Z and Mary J, can’t knock the hustle (live)
411VM shitcanned
July 23, 2008 @ 12:24 PM - by Niall Neeson
Anthony Claravall now working for LRG, Vern Laird for Listen, Chris Ortiz we haven’t heard.
In the meantime,
here’s Bad Religion doing Big Bang live. Sweaty.
X- Games London shitcanned
July 23, 2008 @ 10:50 AM - by Niall Neeson
Oh well.
Could be worse- you could be a pole vaulter.
Thats gonna hurt in the morning.
Radio Kingpin- ill joints
July 22, 2008 @ 4:08 PM - by Niall Neeson
Bomb The Bass- Don’t Make Me Wait
Pop WIll Eat Itself & Nine Inch Nails- Wise up sucker.
Radio Kingpin in blue.
July 22, 2008 @ 9:23 AM - by Niall Neeson
Joni Mitchell- Both Sides Now
Janis Ian- At Seventeen
And a lighter one: Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King with Love Come Down.
Smoooooth.
Etnies in Barcelona
July 21, 2008 @ 2:36 PM - by Niall Neeson
http://etniesskateboarding.com/2008/07/20/etnies-barcelona-tour-2008/
Slam Trick
July 21, 2008 @ 12:00 PM - by Deeli
Some serious rippers in this clip provided by Globe TV.
Water slides
July 19, 2008 @ 10:55 AM - by Deeli
Even if our session got caught short yesterday by an eager security guard, we got a lot done at this deserted water park. Actually we got lucky the first time with Mika and managed to stay for almost 3 hours with no hassle, it was only when we went back with Pontus, Lewis and Ricky that we got the boot real quick.
Fully Equipped
July 19, 2008 @ 9:31 AM - by Deeli
New definition of high resolution: the R1. Those prints behind that link are 71.5 x 130 “ in real life, with about 100 times more detail than something like an EOS Mark III would have. More on how this is achieved in this here blog.
And then another one for moving image, the R2, a 360 degree HD video camera (in the picture above.)
I always thought the whole point for large format photos was that you can see stuff clearer and closer and for longer that you ever could in real life. Ross Clifford clearly takes it to the next level and kind of makes the whole debate about “digi this, film that, and how many million pixels does yours have” seem like a sand pit quarrel between 2 year-olds.
Working So Hard Right Now
July 18, 2008 @ 8:11 AM - by Deeli
Make My Life A Big Vacation
July 18, 2008 @ 7:37 AM - by Deeli
Yesterday was the first day of my 2 week long Sweden mission to shoot with Lewis Marnell, who’s here to visit his dad, and Love. As a bonus Pontus Alv is in Stockholm working on his new film, and since I’m staying with Mika and Miranda, there’s a good chance I’ll get something with him as well. They have a great little flat in Vasastan, complete with life-size James Dean and Marilyn Monroe woodcuts. Are these really life-size? Was James Dean that small? Then next week it’ll be the WeSC skatecamp in Linköping.
Lewis was in flames yesterday. It rained about every hour or two, and as soon as it would almost dry up he’d be jumping down stuff and onto rails.
We got rained out about 5 times yesterday, I think.
At one point we waited for 3 hours for the rain to stop and it to dry up. When we got to the spot, Lewis broke his board in about 5 tries. So we took the tube across town to his dad’s (who’s the producer who created the biggest TV show ever to air in Finland, Salatut elämät, by the way), picked up a new board and raced time and weather to get back before sun went down and it started pouring again. It was pissing down when we got back to the spot. Some more waiting and then an impressive drying operation with newspapers and towels we found in a bin next to the run-up. All worth it, 2 tricks in the bag at the end of play. Can’t wait for what happens today!
Oh, on a side note, there’s no word for “please” in either Finnish or Swedish language. Just thought of that while I was clicking through Epicly Laterd and one of the tabs was called “and the first word they learned was please.” I suppose “they” weren’t Scandinavian…
Lev Tanju Speaks
July 17, 2008 @ 10:12 AM - by Deeli
Straight from the horse’s mouth:
“yea man myskateordie is dead forever.... Don’t worry though mate in less than 2 weeks some other new hybrid kind of similarly shit site will be up and running the show:) U heard it first
Fresh start fuck art, watch this space x”
Under A Red Sky
July 17, 2008 @ 7:00 AM - by Deeli
Stolen Space gallery just off Brick Lane, east London, opens an exhibition tonight called ‘Under A Red Sky’ featuring:
Shepard Fairey (US), Vitche (Brazil), Jana (Brazil), Word To Mother (UK), Andrew McAttee (UK) & Vhils (Portugal)
Opening is tonight, Thursday 17th July, 6.30pm - 9.30pm. After that the show goes on until 10.8. Should be worth a nosey if you’re in London that time. If old signs hold, there should also be a whole bunch of new work by the above going up all over east London walls about now.
Vlad Esaulkov on Tensor
July 16, 2008 @ 9:08 AM - by Deeli
Our current issue slept on baboon Vlad Esaulkov was newly recruited to the European Tensor team. See those axles take a beating! On the US side of things, Filipe Ortiz has also been added to the US branch of the same outfit. On (a bit) related news, a Russian skater-boy called Lenia got run over by a drunken Ladaist on the pavement outside a Moscow night club. The drunk driver paid off the cops and disappeared into the night. Lenia on the other hand broke his pelvis, paralyzed his leg and got massive damage to soft tissues around his body. Luckily, he’s starting to feel his leg now so hopefully he’ll be jumping down stuff sooner than we think.
Save Southbank Petition
July 16, 2008 @ 9:00 AM - by Deeli
Remember the petition to save Southbank, initiated by Toby Shaull we believe? Well, if you signed it, you had a positive influence on the task at hand. Read the big man’s response here.
Brave New World
July 14, 2008 @ 3:59 PM - by Deeli
Kodak is bringing out a medium format sensor with 50 000 000 pixels. “We can’t help notice that about 25 million of those 6-micron pixels would fit into the approximately 24mm x 36mm space of a full-frame (small format) digital SLR sensor” says the popphoto blog. At Kingpin, we cant help but wonder whether that full frame small format digital SLR would shoot sequences at 8 frames per second. That way you could print a single 20 frame sequence across 40 pages of a magazine, which means we would only have to shoot about two and a half sequences every month to fill the mag. Divided between the four of us snappers that works out less than 2/3 of a sequence a month. If it comes to that, I’m claiming the first two thirds, let Sem and Benjamin worry about the landing when Dom and I shoot the take offs.
Radio Kingpin is back!
July 14, 2008 @ 3:11 PM - by Niall Neeson
Mellow
Less mellow
Traditional Irish ‘lilt’ played on the tin whistle
Woodcamp Enters 2nd phase
July 14, 2008 @ 11:49 AM - by Deeli
Check daily updates on what goes on in the woods on their official blog
Ben Raemers Cover Sequence
July 11, 2008 @ 8:27 AM - by Deeli
Here’s our current issue’s (KP55) cover boy Ben Raemers flipping into that bank and stairs in a few more frames. Every bit as gnarly as it looks.
Knee Trouble
July 11, 2008 @ 8:07 AM - by Deeli
Blueprint’s Tuukka Korhonen has had a quiet summer, discovering in June that his knee was in a mess. When he got back to Finland after a few month stint in London and Barcelona he had it checked and it turned out that there was some cracks in there plus a bit of growth that you really don’t want, so he had it operation to get it cleaned up. The state of affairs has not only kept him from skating but also got him out of - are you ready - a real job at the post office he was supposed to be doing this summer. The operation went well and the doctors are estimating three months to full recovery.
Get well soon, son!
Blog real big!!!
July 08, 2008 @ 11:44 AM - by Benjamin
JB Gillet, apart from being the epitome of French technique on board, is known as connoisseur of everything gangsta, and as a proof you’ll find here his pick for street anthems that should be (or should have been) in a skate video…
Once again, a great journalism job, from Seb Carayol!
What happened to Monomotion?
July 08, 2008 @ 9:27 AM - by Niall Neeson
So we have had a quality blip so we’re remastering it here- couple of days, lets say?
Change in DC Tour schedule
July 08, 2008 @ 8:00 AM - by Deeli
Wednesday 16th July:
3.30pm North Team Skate session at Cutteslow Park, Oxford
5.00pm “Afternoon Tea” at SS20 Skateshop everyone invited
6.00pm BBQ at Meadow Lane ramps – everyone welcome to come along
7.30pm Charity gig at the Carling Academy to raise money for Oxford skate parks.
Thursday 17th July:
North Team skating at several spots around London shooting some team footage
Friday 18th July:
3.30pm North Team meeting at Half Pipe Skate shop, London to decide where to go skating.
Like, damn!!!
July 06, 2008 @ 12:27 PM - by Benjamin
When we received a mail with this attached:
and the following text: “Hello, hello, after 12 days of hospital, 2 surgeries and 1 meter of missing small and large bowel I’m back at my girlfriend’s house and looking forward to take a shit without pain…”; we got worried Tom Derichs might have been stabbed with a chainsaw or something. When we contacted him to find out, here’s what he told us:
“Three four weeks ago I got crazy bellyache and went to the hospital to see what’s up, they just told me I had a little infection and gave me something for the pain and told me to drink tea. Over the week, I went to different doctors and everybody told me some different shit, like kidney stones, or whatever… At one point it got so crazy that I collapsed and went straight to hospital and had emergency operation… My appendix was already not existing anymore and parts of my big bowel and small bowel where missing too.
And the rest is history… Fucking doctors. I’m happy I was in Germany at that time. I lost 15 kilos and won’t be able to do any sportive activities for the next three months. But I can eat again now and that is already a pretty good feeling.”
Well, Tom, we wish you all happy bowels movements from now on and see you soon on those mean streets!
Oh, and you guys stay tuned for more Derichs — on board this time!
Osiris Demo Tomorrow, Sunday
July 05, 2008 @ 8:25 PM - by Deeli
The Osiris squad are arriving in Helsinki tonight form Leningrad and they’ll be signing shoes and t-shirts at Ponke’s skateshop tomorrow, Sunday, at noon and then showing some tricks at the new skatepark by the seaside at the eternal flame monument. In attendance Corey Duffel and Clint Peterson among other top pros who rock the brand.
Monomotion begins tomorrow.
July 01, 2008 @ 9:31 PM - by Niall Neeson
Its hard to explain it- Monomotion was a skate cinema exhibition arranged by Gaston Francisco last year in Barcelona. It invited 5 (I think?) editors to submit a short sequence on the subject of skateboarding. Thats it, free rein. We watched it in the kind of small creaky apartment Barcelona seems to specialise in and thought we’d bootleg it out to you. Let us know what you think.
Ravenna: biggest comp turnout across Europe this weekend?
June 30, 2008 @ 5:03 PM - by Niall Neeson
Alessandro Sorgente_USA
Alessandro Sorgente_USA
Ben Raemers_UK
Cristian Vannella_Spain
Daniel Cardone_Italy
Danny Lorenz_Germany
Dominik Dietrich_Austria
Giorgio Zattoni_Italy
Gregory “Marley” Laufersweiler_France
Helder Lima_Portugal
Henrique Conçalves_Brazil
Jan Kliewer_Germany
Jimmy “The Greek” Markus_USA
Jo Lorenz_Germany
Jorge Barreto_Spain
Julien Merour_France
Kris Vile_UK
Luca Crestani_Italy
Lukas Danek_Czech Republic
Manuel Margreiter_Austria
Marco Lambertucci_Italy
Mathieu Hilaire_France
Matteo Storelli_Italy
Neil Smith_UK
Roman Erhart_Austria
Ross McGouran_UK
Sasha Steinhorst_USA
Severin Von Ow_Switzerland
Simon Stricker_ Switzerland
Tomas Vintr_Czech Republic
Arnost Ceral wins King Of Wood
June 30, 2008 @ 3:58 PM - by Niall Neeson
Full blurb tomorrow. Arnost took a well deserved first on street, Guillaume Mocquin devoured the brand new bowl and Adrien Bulard won best trick with a switch back heel down the double set. But thats just the start!
If you’re in New York area code…
June 26, 2008 @ 8:53 PM - by Benjamin
Mike O’Meally, the Oz originated photographer, now a TWS staff photog, will be exhibiting tomorrow at the Dactyl gallery, under Jason Dill’s invite. Big solo show in NYC? You’re made, Mike!
Send us pics of the opening night, please!
And if you are even slightly interested in either/or both photography and skateboarding and will be in New York in the next days, do have a go at that one. O’Meally won’t disappoint.
David Luther and Kingpin:
June 26, 2008 @ 2:02 PM - by Niall Neeson
Where did that silly rumour start? Stop contacting us to ask, folks, homie is here for keeps.
Unless....
Back from Barca, off to Rouen for King Of Wood
June 26, 2008 @ 1:59 PM - by Niall Neeson
Vans’ month long, 13 country Roll WIth Us tour ended up with a fiesta in Barca 2 nights ago, and we just escaped MACBA in time to catch a flight back to London before heading out to meet the Metropolitan guys in Rouen. Either see you there or back here Tuesday!
Monomotion coming online next Tuesday!
June 26, 2008 @ 1:53 PM - by Niall Neeson
Maybe you’ve already heard of Monomotion, but if not it was an exhibition in Barceona where editors were asked to create a short edit of what they interpret skateboarding as meaning. Bottom line is that its really good, and we have secured it for release here next week!
Slap that shit on your wall!
June 25, 2008 @ 5:18 PM - by Benjamin
Hmm, so I don’t know how to start this one entry…
You guys might know of Jim Phillips, the artist who amongst many things designed a lot of the iconic late 80’s Santa Cruz skateboard graphics. Many of your older bros at the spot might even have one of his inked somewhere tough on them. And I can’t diss that.
This guys does/did a great job!
Images such as those…
All good, you might say, and if you’re stoked on him, you can even find a really good book documenting his best surf and skate related work…
But, now, I just received a mail from a site that sells those designs as laminated prints or something, amongst such things:
You know, the type of cheap prints you see on “edgy” young stoke brokers walls, the kind that do cocaine while listening to The Streets and then stares at this guy
in the eyes, all pumped up and daydreaming about another gangster life they could have chosen. Only if their parents had allowed…
So, yeah, something that could be summed up as “WACK!”
So this makes me a bit sad, but hey, brother gotta make a living I guess.
Plus “skateboarding culture” is one puffy smoke bomb, isn’t it?
Dem wooden bowl thingy
June 24, 2008 @ 3:07 PM - by Benjamin
“So, I opened me mail, and got some link to people riding dem goddam snakeboards around some Tony Hawk ramp that look like where ya eat put yer cereals in… Or something.”
OK, OK, here is some footage from some copping and tranny carnage that happened in Aberdeen and Dumbarton, which are places in Non-France (Scotland out of all places!).
Good shit.
Freewheelin
June 24, 2008 @ 10:24 AM - by Deeli
Radio Kingpin playing now
June 20, 2008 @ 8:37 AM - by Niall Neeson
They might be miserable sods, but that gets pretty heated in the middle.
Shake your hips if it helps you work it out.
New Ollie Record?
June 18, 2008 @ 12:05 PM - by Deeli
Trauma for free!
June 16, 2008 @ 8:25 PM - by Benjamin
Trauma skateboards, the cool french company out of Montpellier, worked hard on their new video (the animations are real cool, actually!) and you can now download it for free here!
Enjoy…
Down with all boros!
June 16, 2008 @ 2:18 PM - by Benjamin
Sooo…
Just back from a quick, but action packed, stint in New York in order to sample what’s been going on this side on the water, lately. As you would expect, a lot…
Sorry, no boutiques reviews here, or neck tattoos updates. We were more into checking out rooftop skateparks (!!?) or getting our sweaty asses eaten alive by Brooklyn’s back alleys mosquitoes. Skate stuff, I mean.
And for that, what better guides than the 5Boro homies? Always on the move, those guys do skate the whole city and know their fair share of hidden gems.
Meet here Willy Akers
and Dan Pensyl!
To tell you the truth, that day, the winner was…
…the jersey barrier!
On another day, we met with Danny Falla…
…teaming up with TM/buddy extraordinaire, Tom Colabraro!
So, yeah, good times!
And more in the mag, soon, I hope!
P.S: Oh, by the way, if you were wondering how massive Pensyl actually is, this is him next to a “regular sized” human being, ehrm, me!
Hahahahahaha!!! MegaLOL, kid!!!
Controlled Controversy
June 12, 2008 @ 8:57 AM - by Deeli
The winner of this year’s Supernova catwalk showdown in Tallinn, Estonia, has been dragged through the muddy waters of rip off rag time and accused of appropriating other peoples ideas and presenting them as her own. Namely, Kristel Kuslapuu’s winning jumper has been noted to bear a striking resemblance to the
one in Finnish street wear brand CTRL’s collection. Interestingly, the designer who started the scandal was also a competitor in the show and has since then been banned from entering again, ever. Freeman, the art director over at CTRL, was asked to comment for the jury investigating the plagiarism accusations in order to decide whether or not Kristel gets to keep her price of 22 000 EEK (1400 euros) and her slot representing Estonia at the Berlin fashionweek. In Freeman’s opinion the pattern at the heart of the hassle is so common that its use can’t really be considered plagiarism. Kristel gets to keep her title. The real winner, however is Reede, the shop that sells CTRL in Tallinn. The whole episode has guaranteed that the shop has had a tidal wave of fashionistas and other enthusiasts having a nosy to see for themselves what the fuzz is all about.
On related news, CTRL, along with Grey Market Supply skate shop are holding an amicable sample sale this Saturday 14.6. at the CTRL headquarters in Helsinki, Finland.
High Grade Flow Team Edit
June 11, 2008 @ 9:53 AM - by Niall Neeson
Fittest Guy In America?
June 10, 2008 @ 9:45 AM - by Deeli
You’ll say you couldn’t care less, but we’ll bet you can’t resist clicking this though to find out.
High Definition
June 07, 2008 @ 8:59 PM - by Deeli
It sure is now, Feds is seeing to that.
And so are Arto and Dylan.
Do You Have A Permission For That?
June 07, 2008 @ 5:57 PM - by Deeli
...has somehow become more and more common. I get asked all the time if I have a permission to be shooting whatever I’m shooting- mostly a skater doing a trick specifically in order to be photographed. Yes, it’s come to that, sorry to break your little hearts, but a lot of the photos you see in mags aren’t just documenting someone having fun, the tricks would never have happened if it weren’t for the photo and the video clip making it happen. But we’re getting sidetracked here. The point of this entry is that because of various reasons, the omnipresent General Public has become wary of photography and the site of a camera. Last weekend, Love Eneroth wanted to one-up himself on a ledge-manual-combo we only shot a couple of weeks before the last time I was in Stockholm. So we returned to the spot and almost got the boot, not because you can’t skate there, but because you supposedly can’t film and shoot photos there. The spot is a public children’s playground. It’s surrounded by hills, perfect for getting high up above the spot for a nice birds eye view, making the whole spot look really simple and graphic. Well, when you’re up there looking down that is, from the playground I imagine the situation might look quite different. A scrubby young man hiding in the bushes pointing a long lens camera apparatus at the children playing down below. Half way into the session an angry dooschebag wanted to have a word and know whether I had a permission to take photos. I didn’t, of course, but guess what: You don’t need one. In most places, as long as you’re on public grounds, you do not need a permission to take a photo. The schmuck trying to give you the boot thinks you do because he’s heard about terrorism and paedophilia and papparazzis and celebrities and privacy and they’ve all merged into one vague idea he’s labeled permission, but the fact is that none of that matters. “Make sure there’s no faces in your photos or you might get in trouble” the guy shouted. Yawn. Love didn’t make his trick this time, so I expect to be right back in the bushes stalking the playground in the near future.
instapundit.com has a nice little thing about this on their site:
Since 9/11, there has been an increasing war on photography. Photographers have been harrassed, questioned, detained, arrested or worse, and declared to be unwelcome. We’ve been repeatedly told to watch out for photographers, especially suspicious ones. Clearly any terrorist is going to first photograph his target, so vigilance is required.
Except that it’s nonsense. The 9/11 terrorists didn’t photograph anything. Nor did the London transport bombers, the Madrid subway bombers, or the liquid bombers arrested in 2006. . . .
Given that real terrorists, and even wannabe terrorists, don’t seem to photograph anything, why is it such pervasive conventional wisdom that terrorists photograph their targets? Why are our fears so great that we have no choice but to be suspicious of any photographer?
Because it’s a movie-plot threat.
From Art Fag City’s Fresh Links
June 07, 2008 @ 5:47 PM - by Deeli
I’m sure is something that Colin Kennedy and Seb Charlot would have no problem recommending.
We broke a bit, but we rich a lot
June 07, 2008 @ 4:53 PM - by Deeli
Santogold is touring Europe and some other continents this summer. Check dates below and make sure you’re there. So what if her long awaited album is supposed to sound like a lot of other people’s albums. It sounds like other people that sound sick.
23 Jun 2008 20:00 Hove Festival Hove
26 Jun 2008 20:00 Glastonbury - Q Stage Pilton
27 Jun 2008 20:00 Glastonbury - Park Stage Pilton
28 Jun 2008 20:00 Festival Show Dieterswil
1 Jul 2008 20:00 VisionAire / Lacoste Paris
2 Jul 2008 20:00 5 Days Off @ Paradiso Amsterdam
4 Jul 2008 20:00 Roskilde Roskilde
5 Jul 2008 20:00 Eurockeenes Belfort
6 Jul 2008 20:00 B’estfest Bucharest
8 Jul 2008 20:00 Montreux Jazz Festival (MDH Club) Montreux
10 Jul 2008 20:00 Finlandia Park Helsinki
18 Jul 2008 20:00 Summercase Barcelona
19 Jul 2008 20:00 Summercase Madrid
20 Jul 2008 20:00 Central Park Summerstage New York, New York
26 Jul 2008 20:00 Rock The Bells Boston, Massachusetts
27 Jul 2008 20:00 Rock The Bells New York, New York
1 Aug 2008 20:00 Lollapalooza Chicago, Illinois
2 Aug 2008 20:00 Rock The Bells Miami, Florida
3 Aug 2008 20:00 Rock The Bells Washington, DC, Washington DC
9 Aug 2008 20:00 Summer Sonic Tokyo / Osaka
10 Aug 2008 20:00 Summer Sonic Tokyo / Osaka
14 Aug 2008 20:00 Pukkelpop Hasselt
23 Aug 2008 20:00 Reading / Leeds Reading
24 Aug 2008 20:00 Reading / Leeds Leeds
3 Sep 2008 20:00 Koko London
5 Sep 2008 20:00 Bestival Isle of Wright
Daily Nice
June 06, 2008 @ 8:40 AM - by Deeli
Book mark this. Photographer Jason Evan’s site has a new photo of somethingsomething every day. Just one a day, but everyday. It’s quick enough to click on every morning before you get on youtube and start talking shit on the slap forum. Mostly, it gets me on a good mood. Today is your rare chance to see who’s behind the thing, as today’s photo is of Jason himself. If you’re old enough to have been active on the London skate / music / fashion scene in the mid to late 90’s, you might know this chap as Travis. He was also my tutor for my final project when I was studying photography at the time. He hated my project. I still think it was probably the best thing I’ve done, maybe the best thing I’ll ever do, all because of the time in my life they remind me of.
There’s a great quote in Monica Ali’s “Brick Lane” that goes roughly like this: “When you’re young, everything is possible. But as you get older, you don’t need everything to be possible. You just want some things to be certain.” Technically, these photos are shite, but it goes to show that no amount of technical finesse will ever be a substitute for the personal memories stored in photographs. Because that’s what photos do best: They remind us of the past. Here’s a bit of mine. Jason’s is there for you to see, as it unfolds in the daily updates at Daily Nice. Enjoy.
Isn’t She a Beauty?
June 05, 2008 @ 4:13 PM - by Deeli
Designed and built as part of Antti Yli-Vepsä’s degree in industrial design, this beauty will be finished and ready by teatime tomorrow.
Sponsored by Etnies, the mini will see a little best trick comp at the opening ceremony, fought out by skaters too hungry and drunk to 5050, no doubt. Should be a good one! the ramp will stay put outside the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki until the closing of the current exhibition Fluid Street on 21.9.
Hackney Olympics
June 05, 2008 @ 3:59 PM - by Deeli
Check their desperate attempt to get coverage here
KINGPIN 54 KENNY REED PHOTO
June 03, 2008 @ 3:53 PM - by Niall Neeson
Yes, sorry for the confusion with the caption, clearly he had to run into it, sorry for not explaining that better!
Townend off Element
June 03, 2008 @ 2:13 PM - by Niall Neeson
Thats all we know- off boards and shoes.
Tom Knox on ‘A Visual Sound’
June 03, 2008 @ 10:53 AM - by Niall Neeson
World Is Sick So Kiss Me Quick
May 31, 2008 @ 9:38 AM - by Deeli
Someone asked Kiss why they haven’t released a new album in such a long time. They said if their fans don’t want to pay for the music, they’re not going to get anything new. This guy didn’t even want to pay for the gig. He got stuck on the fence, the spike went through his thybone, connected to his hipbone, connected to his neckbone, maybe.
Love’s flatmate Mark Pullman, whose couch we’re sleeping on, went to see the gig. They played everything, except Heaven’s on Fire. While they were playing, Eniz did this bs smith at the Medborgar bowl.
We checked out some other spot that Ricky Santström had found, but it wasn’t skateable. Aroundthe corner we caught some dude taking a dump at a busy intersection 50 meters away from a free public toilet. So it goes.
Stockholm Revisited
May 29, 2008 @ 11:09 AM - by Deeli
Everyone else can go to Berlin, we’re going to Stockholm, and we’re watching the Berlin thing from the internet while we’re there. It’s another mission to get photos with none other than Love Eneroth. Going along to take advantage of Love’s blender are Eniz Fazliov and Samu Karvonen. Wait, Samu doesn’t eat fruit? Screw him, then. Keep checking back for throwaway footagesky and substandardwebsequenskies on our daily updateskies. Off you go.
Bloopers R US
May 27, 2008 @ 1:27 PM - by Niall Neeson
While we’re flagellating the underlings, here’s the Directors Cut:
Boozecelona
This is probably coming from the wrong person and the saying “the pot calling the kettle black” springs to mind, but let me tell you this for everyone’s benefit; I can feel my brain trying to force itself out of my head to freedom, why? Why? Why? I keep thinking to myself “why did I go out boozing last night?”.
Attention….Please try not get caught up in the cheap booze, street beers or extremely ridiculous measures you will get in any bar in Spain. I’ve seen it so many times before, kids arriving with dreams in their head of all the footage they are going to get while on their two month holiday in Barcelona, as soon as they hit that sun with a cheap can of Estrella they are already on the slippery slope to drinking away the hangover every morning and spending their evening drinking cheep wine with the homeless at Macba.
I’m not saying everyone falls victim to the horrors but I’ve seen them come from all over, American kids stoked to be in the boozer at 18 years old chatting up every doll they can get their seedy little eyes on… English and Irish in awe at the value for money they think they are getting hitting Lidel for some 4 euro whiskey… groups of skate tourists all away from home, set loose to run the streets because they are not under the watchful eye of their unsuspecting parents… and of course the hardcore, guaranteed to see every night posting up some corner outside the bar surrounded in clouds of smoke.
Some have survived and others haven’t, a lesson learnt when you’re laughing at some drunken kid, filthy, lying in the corner… then someone tells you “that kid was fuckin rippin everyday last year”. Just take it from me; I am starting to feel old and I’m only 27. I think it’s time to calm down… for a while at least.
A wise man once told me, “Don’t forget to leave your water in the fridge; it’s going to be your best friend tomorrow morning”.
- Liam Rea
New Gravis Site
May 25, 2008 @ 12:13 PM - by Deeli
While Arto’s getting a new bit of spandex fitted in his knee in Austria, the new Gravis site goes on line. Looking real good, by the way, both for the knee and for Gravis. Artificial ligaments get old way faster than real ones, so it was time for Arto to change his. He was up without crutches within 24 hours of the operation, back on handrails in less than a month. Austrian efficiency, that, if ever I saw some. And as for the shoes, they’re looking sweet as tits, available in shops on the 25.7.
Even When It’s Over…
May 22, 2008 @ 8:25 AM - by Deeli
This is the latest lastets update on the C1RCA Europe Greece tour. Towards the end of our stay, we went to this mad hiphop mega event and saw more headspins and windmills than Run DMC had stripes in their collective shoe stash. I have to say I was skeptical at first, but how can you diss a brother with his feet in the air and his head on the ground?
Samu bought a little snapshot camera on our second day in Athens and this is what he got up to with it. I think those dudes haven’t really cracked the ice cream van business yet, so they’re peddling citrus trees off the back of a truck with a megaphone in the meantime. Lest we forget, lemon groves were the cradle of the Sicilian Mafia as well. These guys might be graduating into extortion and racketeering any day now. You’ll have to lose the megaphone though, you can’t run the underworld wif dem shits.
More Skateboarding Videos >>
You so funny, uh!??
May 21, 2008 @ 7:56 PM - by Benjamin
So, if you ever consired labeling you as “funny” or even worse “ironic”, check this out:
Now, go back to your talentless life. Thanks…
Frogs video alert
May 21, 2008 @ 5:31 PM - by Benjamin
On vous avait prévenu, mais, ça y est, c’est la saison des avant-premières pour Trauma, alors, si vous habitez dans le coin de l’une des dates annoncées, contactez votre skateshop, ils devraient être au courant, ou alors jetez un œil à leur site.
Frogs comp alert!
May 21, 2008 @ 1:24 PM - by Benjamin
Ce week-end, si vous êtes dans la région bordelaise, faites vous plaisir et allez faire un tour au park des Chartrons, et vous serez gratifié d’un contest par team où s’affronteront dans la bonne humeur, des teams aussi variés que Supra, Flare, 5BORO, Metropolitan et bien d’autres…
Et puis, si ça vous démange, un petit “best Trick” sera ouvert à tous!
Allez, allez!
New Carhartt skate website
May 20, 2008 @ 3:48 PM - by Niall Neeson
Chock full of little nuggets of radness:
http://www.carhartt-streetwear.com/skate
Frogs News alert
May 16, 2008 @ 2:40 PM - by Benjamin
Le Team Bones est sur Paris depuis quelques jours, et si vous ne les avez pas croisé sur un spot, vous pourrez skater avec eux si vous avez les épaules, ou les regarder participer au Rail Contest qui aura lieu demain samedi à Chelles au CosaNostra.
Ça se passera à 17h30!
Entrée gratuite à partir de 17h00
L’inscription au Rail Contest est gratuite et est ouverte à tous.
Things Don’t Change!
May 15, 2008 @ 7:30 PM - by Benjamin
Even the mostest stoned of you must have noticed this new feature we’ve added to the renewed Here Comes The Rain a couple months ago, called Things Done Changed. This month installation features a picture of mine portraying Keith Hufnagel pre-shoe stores holding the streets of New York like only he did.
Well, to keep it in context, watch his “Non Fiction” Real video part here and realize, that, believe it or not, folowing him to a spot then, meant witnessing more or less the same casual mastery. I guess this was before the “I worked on this line for two weeks” era that started a few years later. Raw power!
We couldn’t keep our big mouth shut any longer…
May 15, 2008 @ 8:49 AM - by Benjamin
This month Kingpin mag (the printed version of this site!) interviewee, Vincent Bressol, just found a new home where to nick boards from. He’s now part of the Blind Europe team, and seems well happy with it. Now, get back to our issue 53, and see how he passed the tests to get on Blind.
Lost Laptop
May 13, 2008 @ 3:33 PM - by Deeli
Last night, on the way back to Athens form Thessaloniki, the Flipside magazine filmer Kostas got his laptop nicked from photographer Damian Argi’s car. While the two were enjoying a suflaki on a pitstop burger stand, some dipshit elbowed in the shotgun side window of Damian’s car and took off with the MacBook Pro. Lost in space, along with the harddrive? The latest Flipside video in all its glory, due to be mastered, burned and packaged no sooner than today. If you filmed some incredible hammers with Kostas over the past 6 months, fear not, he won’t be calling you to kickflip the 17 again. The footage is safe on the tapes. But what is permanently lost is months’ worth of capturing, editing and organizing. That, and the inflated price that these Apples go for.
Who Turned off Internet?
May 13, 2008 @ 2:51 PM - by Deeli
Little Pusta layover update on the C1rca squad’s adventures on the Peloponnesos peninsula. Yes, the trip is now over, but as Rocky once put it: Even when it’s over, it ain’t over. Here’s a little tidbit of sequential supremacy from the first demo the dudes did in Thessaloniki, the capital of Greek province of Macedonia.
Geoff gets in front of the lens.
Samu tailslides into sunset
Notis, a local ripper and the subject of much speculation after this evening. Also look out for Notis in issue 54 of Kingpin.
Notis chilling after a successful polejam varial heel.
Is there anything more beautiful than a beautiful girl in a beautiful sunset after a beautiful demo, and also, you’re very drunk.
Matt Rodriguez, you fools!
May 12, 2008 @ 8:25 PM - by Benjamin
So, yeah, it is now “official” official, Matt Rodriguez is back on Stereo skateboards, and it’s a GOOD thing! Not in a “all parties involved will see their stock options raise in the new six months” way, but just in a “this is how things should be” type of things. Now, all of you might be familiar with Matt’s amazing contribution to skateboarding over the years, so just as a reminder, here is his recent part in the I-Path promo.
Some might say, he was the only one actually skating in that one, but that’s another debate. All you need to know is the man with the mostest loose trucks in business, and who offered tricks such as fakie feeble grind on ledges or fakie backside 50-50 frontside half cab out (in lines), is going to have a board out soon in the Stereo Classics Divisions, and hopefully, a part in their next video.
P.S: this is coming from the least irie of our staff, believe or not. Hell, even Jim Greco backs Matt Rodriguez, that says a lot!
(as a reminder, here’s an excerpt from a TWS interview Greco gave in 2003:
“-What are some of the things you don’t like about the skateboard industry?
-Some things I don’t like? How about a so-called righteous company like IPath giving a guy, their team rider Matt Rodriguez, the option to design a signature shoe, and then when it comes out looking really good they just say they’re going to call it the “Cat, and he doesn’t see dollar one of the royalties. That’s something I think is f—ked up about the skateboard industry.")
Call yourself a photographer?
May 08, 2008 @ 2:41 PM - by Niall Neeson
Yoni Weitzman is a friend of the mags from our pioneering trip our there in 2004. As well as shooting skateboarding he also worked as a stringer for Reuters. You may recognise some of the photos from Kingpin, Time magazine and every major syndicated newspaper in the world. Take a look at his website and swallow hard before you squawk about your ‘professional photographer’ credentials, chaps.
http://www.yonathanweitzman.com
OG Cliché rider!
May 08, 2008 @ 1:15 PM - by Benjamin
You could buy a second hand super 8 camera from a market and try to see if it worked, still.
Here’s a gem…
Genève local, Rolland Gueissaz was one of the fist pros of Cliché in 1998, and here is why he was:
This one got posted by long-time scene documenter Stéphane Farion. Great skating, and a nice way to display it. Always refreshing!
The Wrath of Greek Gods
May 08, 2008 @ 7:54 AM - by Deeli
Yesterday was a bit less than perfect for the c1rca skate tourists in Athens. We lost two limbs and one camera. The notorious F.A.B. and Popeye van Hoecke had to fly back early to pay visits to their doctors to fix a few brakes and things. The camera on the other hand remains mangled and it remains in Greece. No quick fix for that, and as long as some of these clowns are still standing, there’s work for Mr. Fisheye at the bottom of the stairs. It is what it is. On the upside, the sun is still shining, the hellenikos are still strong and the girls’ hips are still in sweet swing as they waltz on by. Jesus, the shape of these girls.
Rene takes it up with Zeus.
Samu puts on a show for the 10 year old Albanian 50 Cents
Said small fiddies check some footy
Today we’re off to Larisa aka LA Rza for the demo that got shitcanned yesterday so we could stay in Athens for one more day and destroy some legs and equipment. It’s all uphill from here, though, on to Thessaloniki for the night and start getting ready for the encounter with the infamous Herr 16 Stufe from Arto’s Analog ad. Keep yer eyeholes peeled for more websky rays, beamed bright to your brain by bedwetting bloggers gone Greek.
Art Paris Attack
May 07, 2008 @ 10:08 AM - by Benjamin
All you spazzes with no attention span may not have notice, but Todd Bratrud has been designing many things skate related that you’ve been wearing/shralping over the recent years, and he’s recently been kidnapped by the Volcom Stone and is currently touring the world with an exhibition of his artwork and other goodies.
This Thursday, he’ll be in Paris, at Street Machine.
12 rue des Halles
M: Chatelet-Les Halles
From 19h00…
Have a look, here to learn more about the man and his work.
Athens Über Update
May 06, 2008 @ 7:29 PM - by Deeli
So what if you can print sequences out of the HD Panasonics? Wait a couple of years and Nikon will bring out a still camera that shoots 24 full frames a second and you can use that as video AND print it as billboard ads. The photographer might be useless at the bottom of the stairs shooting 9 frames/s next year, but in the long run it’ll be the filmer who’s stacking shelves in Lidl. Look at this mega sequence of Magnus Hansen. You’re looking at the future, dickhead, and it’s not looking bright.
If you want to see something that’s not rickety-rack-whacking it’s limbs all over the place cause there’s loads of pixels but half the frames are missing, check Danny Wainwrights blog on last weekend’s 7 Ply event. And if you happen to be in Greece, then tomorrow’s your chance to see Magnus move all nice and smooth and IRL at the C1RCA demo at the Larisa bowls at 6 pm.
Surprise, surprise?
May 06, 2008 @ 8:23 AM - by Benjamin
We’ve just been told that Crimson skateboards and Kris Markovich have “parted ways” as many PDF’s of this hard hard digital world state…
Now, I hear you saying "But, isn't that his company!?"
Well, ask your local skateboard historian about Kris Markovich and his various sponsors amongst the years, and this strange twist could actually seem normal. Don't ask me why, I dunno, but this just seem like a recurrent nightmare for Kris.
