Festivus: Street League
Words: Rob Brink The Skateboard Mag, December 2010
It’s a little surreal finding yourself sitting in an arena full of screaming kids, watching some of the most amazing skateboarders on the planet going berserk on a custom-made street plaza and competing against one another for their share of millions of dollars … really.
Ask anyone who was at Street League—a pro, an industry dude or a fan in the upper level who’s been skating for half his life—they’ll share the sentiment, because none of us (people who’ve grown up with skateboarding) ever expected to be in this position.
No matter how popular, rich or mainstream skateboarding gets—or how much we should be used to it by now—skateboarding always feels like a small little bubble for the lifers.
New Jack: Justin Figueroa
Words: Rob Brink The Skateboard Mag, December 2010
Interview conducted March 4, 2010
“They say there's gold but I'm lookin’ for thrills”—a lyric from Pink Floyd’s “The Gold It's In The … ” is tattooed across Justin Figueroa’s forearm. Fitting, considering he’s declined offers from companies in order to be where he wants to be, rather than skating for the company that pays the most. Admirable indeed. But when you’re hand-picked by Andrew Reynolds to be a part of Baker, Emerica and Altamont, like Figgy was—you’re more than admirable—you’re downright golden.
Figgy isn’t the kid that knows he’s golden though. And that’s what makes him amazing. For example, if you were to say to him, “Hey Figgy, you’re amazing!” He’d smile really big and respond with something like, “No way fool, you are!” Then go back to figuring out how he’s going to break into his car because he locked his keys inside it … again.
You have some epic classical music for your ringback tone …
That shit’s whack. Fuck that. It’s someone else's phone. My phone … I went into the ocean with it. Yeah, I fucking blew it.
You forgot it was in your pocket?
I just walked in there.
Keeping your cell phone in your pocket kills your sperm and gives you ball cancer.
Shut the fuck up. I’m gonna put my shit on a necklace.
You’ll probably get chest cancer.
We should just delete them from our lives. It’ll save us all some stress.
Storefront: Epidemic
Words: Rob Brink The Skateboard Mag, November 2010
In 2001, Glen Coy was a senior in high school when he and a couple friends decided to open a skate shop.
“For some reason, my family went along with it and gave me a huge loan. I don’t know what they were thinking,” Coy jokes.
Almost a decade later, Coy and staff are strictly skate and still holding it down at Epidemic. They spent their first year in a small 600-square-foot spot in Cathedral City, California, then upgraded to a 4000 square foot location in the center of town a year later.
“It was so crazy looking at that much empty space and thinking we could fill it up with product. Now we’ve practically outgrown it again,” says Coy.
These guys definitely skate better than I film. Love this event. It was the only reason I drove up to X Games this year. Thanks to ADACS and everyone involved!
New Jack: Ben Hatchell
Words: Rob Brink The Skateboard Mag, October 2010
Interview conducted October 2009
After surveying many powerful and important people in the skateboarding industry, the general consensus is that Ben Hatchell’s part in Powell’s 2009 release, Fun, is officially awesome and ridiculous.
In 2008, Ben won Tampa Am Vert and placed second in Street. In the last two street-centric decades of skateboarding, that’s not something many up-and-comers like himself (or even pros) have accomplished. In 2009 Ben won the Make-A –Wish bowl contest. Early this year he placed second in Tampa Am Street … again.
He will cab flip a pyramid nearly every try and never misses blunt kickflips out. Pretty enviable, kinda like Ben’s newly-acquired spot on the Zero team is.
"Ben's in his own world, he doesn't get caught with who's done what and what's cool like most people in his position. He just simply wants to skate with his friends in Virginia, which is admirable. I've never seen anyone be so mellow, yet so gnarly. I just hope his body can hold up to the carnage he has in store for it."
—Jamie Thomas
So Ben, I hear you didn’t even know you had an interview coming.
I don’t have a "New Jack" do I?
You do actually.
Really? Shit! That’s awesome. I probably should’ve known that.
