Watch a young David Choe and his cousin hitchhike across america. their traveling band rock out with drunk drivers, vanlifers, and every commuters as they try to make it to east coast in one piece. a few ups a few downs but it’s always a thumbs up america!
Tag: vice
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Lone Skaters
One of my favorite things about skateboarding, outside of the actual act, are the personalities behind the skaters. A few people are dicks, most people are humble and super cool, and then some people are just loners. People that skate alone and don’t skate for the social interaction of meeting homies at the park or to have a community/family to rely on. These lone skaters don’t skate any different whether the camera is on or off, or wait for the homies to hit them up to hit the park they skate. They skate cause it’s what they do. It’s their therapy, it’s their solace.
I don’t know when I became a lone skater, but most of us start skating alone. When you’re first learning how to skate, it’s a lot of trial and error trying to figure out the basics. Over time you find a crew of friends and you guys usually meet up to skate somewhere, playing games of SKATE (or HORSE, for non-skaters), hang out and try to progress as skateboarders. But if you really want to get better you have to put in your own time outside of those crew sessions. You need to focus, not that you can’t with friends around but there’s a different level of focus when you are alone.
A lot of artists and creatives get lost in the comfort they find alone. With an unrelenting focus they can make their dreams or ideas a reality. One of the unofficial principles of skateboarding if you ask me.
A few weeks ago I watched a clip on Max Schaaf. A lone skater that came up skating a vert ramp in his living room in oakland. He had a long career, successful as a skateboarder and even a videographer. About 20 mins into the video they discuss what being alone did for him and his skateboarding and how it may have looked on the outside looking in. Then later in life what that solitude did for him as he moved into different avenues in his life.
I think you’ll like it, check it out.
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Ben Kadow x. Epicly Later’d
Ben Kadow has been an anomaly in skateboarding from my perspective. I don’t know where he came from, he doesn’t look like anybody else in skateboarding but one thing for sure is that he’s original. He is punk, and doesn’t have to try. And in a time where the majority of skaters are looking and dressing the same Ben Kadow is a breath of fresh air. Style is everything in skateboarding but it doesn’t always mean landing bolts, fresh clothes, and big shoe deals. It’s the person behind the board that brings an approach or a cadence that bleeds through their skating.
Ben hasn’t done much interviews or video interviews for that matter, I didn’t even know what he sounded like til today, which part of me likes. But what connects me to skateboarders nowadays is the person they are off the board. He’s anxious, he’s self conscious, and he rips. What more do I need to say.
I know Ben probably didn’t want to do this interview but I’m glad he did.
Burning in paradise 