Powell premiered its sixteenth video, Magic, to a crowd of about 800 at the historic Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara in November. The event was billed as a fundraiser for the approved, planned, but unfunded Skate Garden beachside skatepark. Money raised at the door, as well as a few checks from various donors, earned the skatepark fund over 78,000 dollars. Santa Barbara Mayor Harriet Miller was present, and seemed to especially enjoy the slow-motion sequences of Powell’s vert dogs Andy Macdonald , Giorgio Zattoni , Jon Comer , and Jason Ellis shot at the Encinitas YMCA Skatepark . Bones Brigade newcomers Pat Channita and Moses Itkonen had impressive parts in the video as well. Their addition to the Brigade rounds out a talented squad: Steve Caballero, Pat Channita, Jon Comer, Jason Ellis, Joe Hutchison , Moses Itkonen, Rodney Jones , Andy Macdonald, Javier Sarmiento , Danny Wainwright , Giorgio Zattoni, and Gianni Zattoni .
The festive evening also saw a screening of Skate Street Ventura ‘s video, Time Machine , which is a collection of new and old footage from the skatepark, Nude Bowl , and the old Powell-Peralta Skate Zone .
In other Powell news, Shawn Storch from Stuntwood, Washington is the lucky grand-prize winner of the one-week expense-paid trip for two to the Powell/Skate One factory in Santa
Barbara. He went into his local skate shop, The Slant , in Burlington, and purchased his winning pack of China Bones Red bearings.
Steve Caballero left the U.S. in December to join the Vans Warped Tour in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Hawai‘i. When he gets back, Cab will reintroduce his classic Dragon graphic on his next board. Jason Ellis will be competing in the Australian X-Games before joining Steve on the Australian leg of the Vans Warped Tour. Being the good scout he is, Andy Macdonald will be featured in February’s issue of Boys’ Life . Pat Channita has been seen at the Vans Skatepark skating vert. Jon “Word” Comer’s new board will be out soon. Jon is currently busy with videographer Preston Maigetter filming for his upcoming Rookie part in 411VM . Danny Wainwright has a Mini Logo pro model in stores now, and will be releasing a full-graphic pro model soon. If you’re ever in Bristol, England, stop by Danny’s shop, 50/50 , and give a cheers or maybe buy something. Giorgio Zattoni was recuperating over the holidays in his hometown of Savarna, Italy. During a contest/filming/business/pleasure trip to California, Vancouver, Canada native Moses Itkonen spent some time at Powell working on his new pro models.
One of the most memorable scenes in Magic is the fingerboard segment featuring a guy named Barb . Anticipating great demand for the little replicas, Powell has released the Angel Boy fingerboard series.
Also realizing great potential in the current fingerboard craze, X-Concepts of Escondido, California has released its Tech Deck series of realistic mini skateboards, complete with adjustable metal trucks, removable wheels, griptape, and actual board graphics licensed from World Industries , Tum Yeto , and Birdhouse . The first series of Tech Decks includes 102 models, and X-Concepts is securing licensing agreements with other popular skateboard companies.
Tech Decks are packaged with tools and an extra set of wheels in hangable J-hooked blister cards. For more information, contact X-Concepts at: (760) 740-2625.
The Element pro team, consisting of Jeremy Wray , Bill Pepper , Reese Forbes , Tim O’Connor , Kenny Hughes , Kris Markovich , and Donny Barley , will be heading down to Australia in March. Mike Frazier is also on the team but will not be going. After the trip, Eleme will release a video titled World Tour , which will feature footage of the team’s travels through Europe, the United States, and Australia. Look for a short section of new secret footage at the end of the video, including Donny Barley ‘s switch hardflip down the Santa Monica triple-set–as seen on the cover of TransWorld SKATEboarding.
Black Label is planning an extensive North American tour for late spring. A Black Label video is also in the works, with a tentative release date of Fall ’99. This will be The Label’s first video in the company’s ten-year history.
Richard Mulder will be turning pro for Chocolate this spring. Be sure to look for the new Chocolate video this spring.
Robbie McKinley has joined Girl as the only amateur on the team.
Shorty’s amateur Sammy Baptista will be featured in an upcoming Thomas’ English Bagels commercial. Also to be seen on television, Shorty’s skaters Toan Nguyen , Tony Tieu , and George Nagai are all to be skating in an upcoming Adidas commercial.
Snowboard maker Mervin Manufacturing has introduced a composite skateboard design under the Lib Technologies brand that the company believes is not only lighter, but stronger than conventional boards. Lib Tech was founded in 1986, experimented with skateboard manufacturing, but made a name for itself producing high-performance snowboards. This new skateboard construction signifies Lib Tech’s return to the sport. The new Lib Tech board utilizes a 62-piece multi-wood laminate with fiberglass and graphite reinforcements, and a plastic top and semi-slick bottom skin with flushly integrated UHMW polyethylene nose and tail skids. The rails are made from a hard “hockey-stick” wood, while the core wood is a lighter, fast-growth type. The board was developed by Mervin’s head of R&D Mike Olson , who says this type of construction produces a board that is a quarter-pound lighter, more durable, and retains its pop longer than conventional laminated-maple decks.
Prodigy wheels has introduced Mach speed bearings, which are available in ABEC-3 and -5, as well as various anodized metallic colors, including chrome in the ABEC-5.
The True skateboard team will be touring from Montreal, Quebec to Atlanta, Georgia in early spring to promote its new video.
Hurricane Alloy is a new truck company out of Southern California. The Hurricane team includes pros Willy Santos , Jason Carney , and Buster Halterman , and ams Toebee Parkhurst and Brazilian Harold Daltin .
Momentum , the Vancouver, Canada wheel company, has launched a new Web site at
www.momentum skateboarding.com
where photos and video of new am team member Arto Saari and teammates Rick McCrank , Sluggo , Moses Itkonen , and am Keegan Sauder can be viewed.
The Matix team will be going on tour to Japan this spring. So far, Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song are confirmed for this trip. The Matix Web site will be up and running at the beginning of 1999.
After four years as a loyal amateur, Santa Cruz is proud to announce that Tony Tieu ‘s pro model will be debuting this spring.
In Tum Yeto news, Pig wheels has added pros Mike Vallely , Charlie Wilkins , and Neal Hendrix to its strong team. Landspeed Wheels is releasing a video/CD package called Camp Killyourself . Look for the video this spring.
East Coast skateboard manufacturer Chapman Skateboards will debut its own line of decks and apparel at the ASR Trade Expo in Long Beach this February. The New York-based factory has quietly been churning out boards for the past seven years and is now ready to make its mark on the skateboard scene. Owner Gregg Chapman is proud to sponsor an innovative and technical team that includes pro riders Billy Rohan , Mathias Ringstrom , and new addition Danny Gonzales . Am riders are Scott Pazelt and Anthony Furlong .
London, England’s Blueprint skateboards has released a promotional video, Build & Destroy , featuring pros Colin Kennedy , John Rattray , Paul Shier , Rob Selley , and Flynn Trofman . Check it out at their ASR Trade Expo booth in Long Beach. Also, New Zealand am Simon Lockett is now living and representing Blueprint in Japan.
Equal skateboards, a board manufacturer for kids, has announced their first two riders: thirteen-year-old Kurtis Colamonico and nine-year-old Jenna Balestar , both from Huntington Beach, California. “How can a 70-pound kid get any flex out of a seven-ply board?” asks Equal. Their answer is boards made of five- and six-ply Wisconsin hard-rock maple.
Beer City Skateboards has released their first video, Tanked , featuring the whole team: Duane Peters , Scott Smiley , Davey Rogers , David “Shag” Palmer , and Chris Benge . The video includes street, ramp, and pool skating, and the soundtrack contains punk rock from bands on Beer City Records .
Snowboard maker Burton has announced the creation of Gravis Footwear , a shoe company that will offer a small line of functional casual shoes to be available through selected dealers in Summer ’99. With input from skateboarders and snowboarders, the three or four Gravis styles will be designed as shoes for athletes when they aren’t riding. The designs are still unreleased, but the first line is reported to include low-, mid-, and hightop styles.
Reef shoes welcomes pros Buster Halterman , Pat Channita and Jaya Bonderov , and ams Diego Bucchieri from Argentina and Gianni Zattoni from Italy to its team. Buster will be working with the Reef design staff to develop new shoes, and Pat and Jaya will be working on their signature shoes.
Kastel ‘s current line features the new Air Impact Control (AIC ) cushioning system, which the company designed specifically for skateboarding. In early 1997 it was apparent to Kastel Head Designer Dustin Deardorff that all of the stock air bags available were not functional enough for skateboarding. “The cushioning that you need for skating is very different from that of running, basketball, or cross training, what most air bags are made for,” he says.
AIC was developed for over a year to meet the intense level of cushioning needed for skateboarding standards. The final product contains two separate air chambers. The center chamber controls direct impact upon landing, preventing heel bruises. The surrounding chamber controls outer impact and ankle roll from off-center landings. The AIC system is cradled in a full length, lightweight polyurethane midsole, allowing for entire heel-to-toe cushioning. The AIC system premiered in Kastel’s Holiday 1998 line and will be included in the 1999 lines in various styles.
Peter Smolik , Chad Fernandez , Josh Kasper , and Mathias Ringstrom are the most recent pro riders to join the Osiris team, which already consists of Dave Mayhew , Tyrone Olson , Kanten Russell , and Chad Knight . The latest amateurs to be added to the team are Brandon Turner , Chris Dobstaff , Rodney Torres , and Dave Coyne .
Internally, Osiris is restructuring to become more responsive and efficient to the needs of its retailers. Domestic Sales Manager Todd Ballard has taken over Shoe Designer Brian Reid ‘s role as team manager and will also be in charge of marketing and promotions. Tom Tarrant is the new international sales manager, and recent addition Michael McGinnis will be supervising domestic sales. Dave Schlossbach wipro riders Billy Rohan , Mathias Ringstrom , and new addition Danny Gonzales . Am riders are Scott Pazelt and Anthony Furlong .
London, England’s Blueprint skateboards has released a promotional video, Build & Destroy , featuring pros Colin Kennedy , John Rattray , Paul Shier , Rob Selley , and Flynn Trofman . Check it out at their ASR Trade Expo booth in Long Beach. Also, New Zealand am Simon Lockett is now living and representing Blueprint in Japan.
Equal skateboards, a board manufacturer for kids, has announced their first two riders: thirteen-year-old Kurtis Colamonico and nine-year-old Jenna Balestar , both from Huntington Beach, California. “How can a 70-pound kid get any flex out of a seven-ply board?” asks Equal. Their answer is boards made of five- and six-ply Wisconsin hard-rock maple.
Beer City Skateboards has released their first video, Tanked , featuring the whole team: Duane Peters , Scott Smiley , Davey Rogers , David “Shag” Palmer , and Chris Benge . The video includes street, ramp, and pool skating, and the soundtrack contains punk rock from bands on Beer City Records .
Snowboard maker Burton has announced the creation of Gravis Footwear , a shoe company that will offer a small line of functional casual shoes to be available through selected dealers in Summer ’99. With input from skateboarders and snowboarders, the three or four Gravis styles will be designed as shoes for athletes when they aren’t riding. The designs are still unreleased, but the first line is reported to include low-, mid-, and hightop styles.
Reef shoes welcomes pros Buster Halterman , Pat Channita and Jaya Bonderov , and ams Diego Bucchieri from Argentina and Gianni Zattoni from Italy to its team. Buster will be working with the Reef design staff to develop new shoes, and Pat and Jaya will be working on their signature shoes.
Kastel ‘s current line features the new Air Impact Control (AIC ) cushioning system, which the company designed specifically for skateboarding. In early 1997 it was apparent to Kastel Head Designer Dustin Deardorff that all of the stock air bags available were not functional enough for skateboarding. “The cushioning that you need for skating is very different from that of running, basketball, or cross training, what most air bags are made for,” he says.
AIC was developed for over a year to meet the intense level of cushioning needed for skateboarding standards. The final product contains two separate air chambers. The center chamber controls direct impact upon landing, preventing heel bruises. The surrounding chamber controls outer impact and ankle roll from off-center landings. The AIC system is cradled in a full length, lightweight polyurethane midsole, allowing for entire heel-to-toe cushioning. The AIC system premiered in Kastel’s Holiday 1998 line and will be included in the 1999 lines in various styles.
Peter Smolik , Chad Fernandez , Josh Kasper , and Mathias Ringstrom are the most recent pro riders to join the Osiris team, which already consists of Dave Mayhew , Tyrone Olson , Kanten Russell , and Chad Knight . The latest amateurs to be added to the team are Brandon Turner , Chris Dobstaff , Rodney Torres , and Dave Coyne .
Internally, Osiris is restructuring to become more responsive and efficient to the needs of its retailers. Domestic Sales Manager Todd Ballard has taken over Shoe Designer Brian Reid ‘s role as team manager and will also be in charge of marketing and promotions. Tom Tarrant is the new international sales manager, and recent addition Michael McGinnis will be supervising domestic sales. Dave Schlossbach will be producing the much-anticipated Osiris video.
DVS is pleased to announce the addition of Mike Crum to the team. He’ll be working on a signature shoe which will be available next fall. Chico Brenes will be introducing his signature model this spring. The Chico is a technical, lightweight, all-synthetic shoe.
DVS donated shoes to Hurricane Mitch victims in Nicaragua. The shoes were given to the International Red Cross via team-member Chico Brenes , a native of Nicaragua. “So far 11,000 people have died and thousands of people are missing,” Brenes said at the time. “It’s a horrible situation and Nicaragua needs all the support they can get. I’m so happy that DVS can help.”
Sole Technology, Inc. also donated 3,000 pairs of shoes and clothing items through the Professional Service Center in Santa Ana, California to aid in the relief of Hurricane Mitch’s destruction in Central America. The PSC, working with the Nicaraguan government, will deliver the goods to a church in Nicaragua for distribution.
In other humanitarian news, DC Shoe Co. was recognized by the Beastie Boys for their “efforts in supporting common causes of nonviolence, economic justice, and compassion through their business practices.” The Beastie Boys wore DCs through the Summer 1998 tour, consisting of over 50 shows in Europe and America, the 1998 Tibetan Freedom Concert , and on the MTV Music Awards .
> will be producing the much-anticipated Osiris video.
DVS is pleased to announce the addition of Mike Crum to the team. He’ll be working on a signature shoe which will be available next fall. Chico Brenes will be introducing his signature model this spring. The Chico is a technical, lightweight, all-synthetic shoe.
DVS donated shoes to Hurricane Mitch victims in Nicaragua. The shoes were given to the International Red Cross via team-member Chico Brenes , a native of Nicaragua. “So far 11,000 people have died and thousands of people are missing,” Brenes said at the time. “It’s a horrible situation and Nicaragua needs all the support they can get. I’m so happy that DVS can help.”
Sole Technology, Inc. also donated 3,000 pairs of shoes and clothing items through the Professional Service Center in Santa Ana, California to aid in the relief of Hurricane Mitch’s destruction in Central America. The PSC, working with the Nicaraguan government, will deliver the goods to a church in Nicaragua for distribution.
In other humanitarian news, DC Shoe Co. was recognized by the Beastie Boys for their “efforts in supporting common causes of nonviolence, economic justice, and compassion through their business practices.” The Beastie Boys wore DCs through the Summer 1998 tour, consisting of over 50 shows in Europe and America, the 1998 Tibetan Freedom Concert , and on the MTV Music Awards .
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