Focus Skateboarding Magazine # 46 - Nov/Dec '12

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Matt Lane POPS on to the cover of our 46th issue, and helps us close out 2012, with this INSANE ollie up the 5. Good looks by Daniel Bleckley who’s behind the lens on that one. Winter is upon us, so stay warm and we’ll see you in 2013 with the next hot mag! Focus Skateboarding Magazine • Vol. 8 No. 6 • November/December 2012

Transcript of Focus Skateboarding Magazine # 46 - Nov/Dec '12

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38 mission impossiblehumble bragging

42 Frustration in Disguisehumble bragging

46 stephan martinezsmall talk

48 matt lanesmall talk

50 Chris blakesmall talk

52 inCentivesphoto section

10 forewords a little Dash oF skateboarDing

14 guest editor anthony shetler

18 hammertime triCk oF the month

22 fresh find Joseph DelgaDo

24 fresh find zaCk Whyel

26 fresh find anDre beverly

28 fresh find zaC Coyne

30 neighborhood watch Charles river skatepark

34 entrepreneur voiD skateboarDs

on the Cover: matt lane [ollie up] photography :: Daniel bleCkleyContents: kevin phelps [ollie] photography :: Daniel bleCkley

november/DeCember 2012 VoLUME eight ISSUE six

TableOfnovember/DeCember 2012 VoLUME eight ISSUE six

COnTenTs

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on the Cover: matt lane [ollie up] photography :: Daniel bleCkleyContents: kevin phelps [ollie] photography :: Daniel bleCkley

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p.o. BoX 31628phILaDELphIa, pa 19147pa 19147pa

215.310.9677

www.Focusskatemag.com

Focus Skateboarding Magazine is published bi-monthly, six times a year by Focus Skateboarding Magazine Inc. all contents are copyrighted by Focus Skateboarding Magazine Inc. 2012. reproduction of any material requires the written consent from the publishers. all letters, photos, editorial contributions, and advertisements are accepted upon the representation that they are original materials by the author and/or advertiser. the author and/or advertiser accept full responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of their ads and/or editorial contributions. opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author and may not reflect the views and opinions of the editor, staff, or advertisers of Focus Skateboarding Magazine. any similarities between persons or places mentioned or alluded to in the fiction and real places or persons living or dead are purely coincidental. advertisers assume full responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of their advertisements. the author and/or advertisers also will indemnify and save Focus Skateboarding Magazine harmless from any legal claims.

Contributing photographersMIKE BELLEME, DaNIEL BLECKLEy, MarK BraNDStEttEr,

roB CoLLINS, SEaN CroNaN, LUKE DarIgaN, aNDy ENoS, ryaN gEE, NICK ghoBaShI, MIKE hEIKKILa,

JaSoN hENry, BrIaN KELLEy, BEN KILpatrICK, StEphEN KNIght, SCott KraMEr, rIChIE McCorKLE, ChrIS McDoNaLD, StEphEN oLIVEIra, DaVID StUCK,

XENo tSarNaS, aLLEN yINg, DaN ZaSLaVSKy

Contributing WritersBUDDy BLECKLEy, aNDrEW CaNNoN, ryaN gEE,

LUKE DarIgaN, SoMa FULLEr, CLaIrE LaVEr, NIaLL NEESoN, ChrIS NIEratKo, StEphEN oLIVEIra,

ZaNDEr taKEtoMo, XENo tSarNaS, aLLEN yINg

mike mazur

[email protected]

Justin heister

[email protected]

zanDer taketomo

[email protected]

stephen oliveira

[email protected]

matt kosoy

[email protected]

James William

Co-oWner /

eDitorial DireCtor

Co-oWner /

art DireCtor

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Soup is sooooo good! I love it. It’s probably one of my favorite concoctions of food that has ever come about. Even cooking it… the process itself is actually just fun. Especially when it can sometimes turn into an all day event. From picking out the ingredients at the local market to preparing each one individually to go into the pot that has to simmer all day. In particular, I’m a fan of New England Clam Chowda’—as it be said in that area. the heart-warming deliciousness on a cold dreary day… nothing can beat that feeling.

It’s really only good though during the fall/winter months, which is exactly how I feel about skateboarding. I don’t know what it is, but these are the prime months to me… especially on the East Coast. Not really those 32 degree and below days, but the 45 to 65 degree days. those perfect days when you get to go out rocking a hoodie the whole session and not totally die from sweat.

Something about skateboarding in a hoodie always made me a little more adventurous with my tricks. I’m probably ass backwards from everyone else, but I always just felt like going bigger. Jumping down bigger sets, trying harder tricks, and even going a little faster. It’s going to sound absolutely insane, but for some reason that 1mm thickness of 100% cotton cloth covering my arms felt as if I had pads on… but with out the restriction of your typical elbow pads. and that was great for me, ‘cause most of my skateboarding career I’d always fall on my elbows.

the lightest touch and I still get grapefruit-sized swellbow.

then there are the fall leaves. they can go either way in a love/hate relationship. Sometimes you get those couple wet leaves at a spot that you end up landing on and slipping out and busting your head. Is it just me, or are those things like a frickin’ teflon coated pan when you land on them… and just slide you all over the place?

at the same time, leave piles can be a lot of fun. My parents would give me the awesome backbreaking job of raking the yard of leaves… and we had a pretty big yard. But at the end I would pile up a huge amount of leaves and turn it into sort of a foam pit, but with leaves. We’d set up the mini kicker ramp and just launch into them without much fear of getting hurt. Like I said, I’d pile the leaves up quite a bit. I’m talking like waist to chest high and it was like a six-foot by ten-foot pile.

the best part after a long, cold, fall day of skateboarding was coming home and relaxing and warming up with that delicious bowl of soup. I’m telling you, there’s nothing better! Fall weather skateboarding is the best, and especially on the East Coast. the West Coast doesn’t know what it’s missing… I mean, they don’t even have any good, original soups over there like clam chowda.

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a liTTle dash Of skaTebOarding

Dillon buss [kickflip backside noseblunt to fakie]

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STEPHAN MARTINEZBACKSIDE 180

TEAMICECREAM.COM

JAMEL MARSHALLCHICKEN AND WAFFLES

WESTGATE__Tailslide_FOCUS.indd 1-2 10/8/12 12:04 PM

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STEPHAN MARTINEZBACKSIDE 180

TEAMICECREAM.COM

JAMEL MARSHALLCHICKEN AND WAFFLES

WESTGATE__Tailslide_FOCUS.indd 1-2 10/8/12 12:04 PM

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I hated growing up on the East Coast; everywhere I went there were angry, hostile and bitter people. I did not experience a childhood in the popular New England two-story home complete with white picket fence and friendly neighborhood. I was raised in the projects of New Bedford, Fall river and Brockton… the thing is, when you grow up in the projects there’s a lot of kids having kids, and a lot of alcoholics and drug addicts… It’s a different lifestyle. I never judged these types of people because they are my family and neighbors; I understand that they have most likely been through a version of hell that I have never been to. that being said, I desperately wanted to move away from the East Coast when I was younger.

around the time I was graduating from high school I got a life changing call from Donny Barley. he told me there was an amateur spot open at Birdhouse and he asked if I wanted to move to California and be the newest amateur for the Birdman. the feeling of leaving the projects of New Bedford to pursue my dream in California was surreal happiness. I had been living in Long Beach for about two years when I started to realize that I missed my home… I missed everything about it… I missed my family, I missed the struggle that comes with growing up on the East, and I missed the attitude and lifestyle that comes with being an East-Coaster. as far as skating, what I really missed was the character of East Coast spots. they may be harder to skate with rough landings and cracks everywhere but the spots look incomparable to any other area, in footage.

From the moment I moved back to the East Coast, about five years ago, I’ve been using the money I made skateboarding to try and build a successful healthy skate scene in my area. I’ve done a lot with Solstice Skate Shop and Skaters Edge indoor skate park to help build the epic skate scene, which exists here today. My next goal is to be successful with my skate brand, aLL I NEED. I want to help skaters on the East Coast chase and live their dreams without having to uproot their whole lives and move to California. I want to end this by saying that we are lucky to live and skate on the East Coast; we have amazingly strong, passionate people. We have one of a kind skate spots and the rough winters allow us to appreciate and take advantage of beautiful days. I love the East Coast… it is my home for better, or for worse.

WorDS :: anthony shetler

easT-COasTer appreCiaTiOn

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anthony shetler [noseslide]

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I don’t know why, and maybe I am just insane, but I always liked this dumb trick for some reason… no matter what it’s on. of course, it also helps that this dude’s name is Spike. I wish my name was cool like that and not as boring, but I guess we can’t all get what we want. I feel like this could have even been better had he had some bandanas flairing from his pants and some sort of mohawk haircut from the 80’s. Either way, this is pretty cool and why I pointed it out as this month’s hammertime. I’m sure you’ve seen people do some tricks off the lower level, but he stepped it up one. plus, if you don’t pull this just right you’re going straight to the ground and smacking it like a rag doll. Do not pass go or collect $200… just straight to the concrete for you!

noseblunt-piCk inWorDS :: mazur

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Focus Skate Mag.pdf 1 10/8/12 12:25 PM

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BUSENITZ CURTIN IANNUCCI JOHNSON LADD WAIR WILLIAMS

WWW.BRICKHARBOR.COM

THE WORLD’S LOCAL SKATESHOP

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BUSENITZ CURTIN IANNUCCI JOHNSON LADD WAIR WILLIAMS

WWW.BRICKHARBOR.COM

THE WORLD’S LOCAL SKATESHOP

PHO

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hometown: South ozone park, Queens, Nysponsors: DgK, the hundreds, Supra, rockstar Bearings, Bronze hardware, gold Wheels, homage Skate Shop Favorite trick: Nollie Flip trick you Just suck at: hardflips Favorite non-skateboarding activity: Eating different foods from all over the world. last Words/shout outs: I thank my family and friends for always motivating me with everything I do. I love Inca Kola and Queens, Ny is my playground for life! Big thanks to all my sponsors.

“Joseph Delgado was born and raised in Ny. he exudes what East Coast skateboarding was iconic for. Smooth lines, buttery ledge tricks, good selection of flatground and a gangsta steeze. he’s like a low rida. you don’t haul ass in those, you cruise around so people can see the candy paint and rims. he rides for the illest board company, DgK, and skates in shoes that rappers wear out to the clubs, Supra Skytops. this dude is a humble guy and looks out for me every time I go to NyC. a true brother to me. y’all are gonna see more of him in the near future. Kiss the ring.”

~Daniel KimFriend

nollie bigspin FrontsiDe nosesliDe

JOsephdelgadO

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hometown: Charlotte, NCsponsors: Quintin Co., osiris (Flow), tork trux, o1NE, the Embassy Boardshop, WhyELFILESFavorite trick: heelflips trick you Just suck at: I try to learn at least every trick once, but backside 360’s have never been my forte.Favorite non-skateboarding activity: Working on WhyELFILES, painting and enjoying life!last Words/shout outs: god, My wonderful parents, Satish and the whole o1NE family. Steve at the Embassy. Nate Stout and all the WhyELFILES Family in CLt and La! Ben, Curt, Luca Brazi, Stereoloud, Seeko, Maurice Jordan, osei Key. Love you all. Find something you love and live it! Make the best of this life we are given!

“Zack Whyel is one of the hardest working, most dedicated skateboarders I’ve even known. Everyday he wakes up determined to kill it in whatever he does. Between his drive and skate ethic there’s no question my young buck is the future in skateboarding. Not to mention one of the nicest dudes you’ll ever meet or skate with, I’m proud to have him part of my family! If you see my homie, say what up but don’t stand too close, his hair will get in your face and it’s kind of gross.”

~Satish CherianO1NE, Owner

sWitCh heelFlip

ZaCk Whyel

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hometown: Flatbush, Brooklyn, NyCsponsors: hopps Skateboards, ICECrEaM apparel, Supreme

Favorite trick: Kickflip Crook trick you Just suck at: Switch hardflips

Favorite non-skateboarding activity: going to the movies. last Words/shout outs: My family, friends, everybody in

Flatbush and everybody on the East Coast.

“the first time I had ever seen andre skate was a few years at the Lower East Side spot better known as 12th and a. he was a tiny little guy with a big board and a lot of charisma. at the time Billy rohan was hooking him with up boards via acapolco gold. I kept my eyes on him over the next few years as I did with all the young kids at 12th n a that I thought had a lot of potential. one day I reached out to Billy and mentioned that I thought he was rad and I really wanted to take him under my wing and work with him. Billy thought it was a good idea, and then with the green light from ag at acapolco gold, I began flowing him product from hopps and was skating with him as much as possible. I soon found out that for a little guy he had the worst temper I had ever seen. yelling, screaming, you name it. We worked on his temper a little bit and got him more focused. his rate of progression was insane over the next few years. his board control got crazy and he was soon schooling me in games of S.K.a.t.E. he has grown up a lot since those days, both on and off the board. andre is really passionate and has an incredible drive. I believe he can do what ever he puts his mind to... as long as he maintains a positive attitude. andre Beverly has a bright future ahead of him.”

~Jahmal WilliamsHopps Skateboards, Owner

360 Flip

andrebeverly

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hometown: Florance, Kysponsors: Instrument Skateboards, anonymous SkateshopFavorite trick: 360 ollie, either way. trick you Just suck at: Impossibles Favorite non-skateboarding activity: Schoollast Words/shout outs: Shout out to the Instrument team and the guys at anonymous.

“as an older guy it’s easy to dismiss younger guys as park rats, shitheads, or whatever. the bottom line is when you see Zac skate, it’s impossible to do that. his natural style and command of the board is obvious right from the get go, and we re hyped that he rides for Instrument. I can’t remember the last time a met a kid his age with more talent.”

~Gary CollinsInstrument Skateboards TM

Feeble grinD pop-out

ZaCCOyne

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WorDS and photography :: Daniel bleCkley

bOsTOn’s Charles river skaTepark

I first heard about the Boston skate park back in 2002, when I was 12 at the tony hawk Boom Boom huck Jam tour when the tony hawk Foundation made a donation. It’s crazy to think that it has been over 10 years and they haven’t even broken ground yet. however, after a trip to action Sport Design’s Boston office and a recent public meeting unveiling the layout of the park it seems we are closer than ever.

the park, now named the Charles river Skatepark, has always seemed to be a myth to Boston skaters; every few years some new rumor starts spreading only to disappear again for a few more years. the history itself actually started in 2001 when the town started planning some sort of park, nothing really took off ‘til about 2004 when skaters had meetings to begin fund raising. It wasn’t until 2007 that Boston hired grindline to scope out the potential site and begin soil testing. this news was huge to skateboarders in Boston, and the word started spreading. however in 2008 with the recession starting to hit state budgets, the DCr (Department of Conservation and recreation) started to worry about long term financial maintenance and the further actions were pursued. a few years passed and in 2010 federal stimulus funds allowed for further park creation and that helped push the skate park forward. then, in 2011, the DCr agreed upon the long-term upkeep of the park and contracted action Sports Design to start designing the park.

this past September I was asked through a friend to photograph some of the behind the scenes stuff for aSD and the meeting unveiling the layout. I met up at the Boston aSD office, and got a behind the scenes look at the project. the aSD team includes Mike McIntyre who founded aSD, long-time pro Kanten russel, who has been working on and planning some of the best skate parks across the country, a variety of designers and engineers. Boston born pros, andy Macdonald and anthony Shetler were there as well giving their input on obstacles, materials, and design.

Upon first walking into the office you see boards and skate posters on the wall,

the people who work here are skaters and know how to build a skate park. on the main table in the office were several different renderings of the park, ranging from full color, elevation levels, and several underneath covered in red marker with changes and ideas. the design layout on the top was by far the most impressive park I have seen. No obstacle or terrain was left out of the design. Everything from manual pads and ledges, stairs and hubbas, as well as a flow bowl, and andy Mac was busy drawing plans for a full sized competition bowl. the park is also planning on having a replica of the famous Boston hospital volcano spot, which has been gone for many years now. also in the office was a computer generated 3D rendering of the park, and while the park looks big on paper, when you see it inside 3D modeling software you really get a feel for how massive the park plans to be. the estimated 2.5 million dollar budget is using every penny to make the best park on the East Coast. With something this big and this well built, it will certainly be a destination point for many skateboarders from across the country.

We then took a short trip over to the actual location of the future park, and the size of the site just reinforced what the 3D model showed in size. While on the site, the team explained some of the delays in the construction. the biggest delay is the soil the skate park will be built on. It is contaminated from construction vehicle waste, and wouldn’t be able to hold the weight of the concrete without constant maintenance. to solve this problem they plan on digging out about 6 ft. of contaminated dirt and replacing it with engineered soil to hold the weight. as a result of them replacing the soil, they are actually able to build higher terrain, which will lead to the first pro competition sized bowl. the bowl is looking to be about 11 ft. deep, which is significantly larger than the old grindline design.

With construction bids to be finalized by the end of 2012, construction should start in the spring of 2013, with a grand opening by the end of 2013. With all the support from the aSD team and all the people who donated money, this skate park is actually being built. More information is available online at CharlesrriverConservancy.org, where you can find up-to-date news, videos, and images.

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TEAM RIDER / RONNIE KESSNER

PHOT

O / D

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DIM

AURO

ESTABLISHED IN 2003

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BOARDFEEL

DONOVON PISCOPO

7729_D_Piscopo_Focus.ai Trim: 16.0" W X 10.0" H Bleed: 0.25" Layout Scale: 100%

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BOARDFEEL

DONOVON PISCOPO

7729_D_Piscopo_Focus.ai Trim: 16.0" W X 10.0" H Bleed: 0.25" Layout Scale: 100%

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a recent bill is on the docket in philadelphia that has the potential of locking up violating skateboarders a max of 90 days, or a $2,000 fine. Does this relate to voids presence in the D.i.y. scene?that shit’s crazy. they want to treat skateboarders like some sort of criminals, when really, we’re just minding our business, trying to do our own thing. I don’t know if the city sees it as easy money... or if they’re actually concerned about how much damage we’re doing. It was fantastic to see the number of skaters show up to the bill hearing and have it get put on hold for the time being. We made our presence known, and we’re not just going to lie down and die.

there’s seems to be a consistency of underlying culture in your graphics, stemming from all over the gamut. What’s your process from designing a board to it being in a shop?It’s all things that have inspired me in some sort of way, music being one of the biggest influences on the company. I can listen to a song, get a certain feeling from it and try to transform that into a graphic. that, and also things that I’ve looked up to in skating growing up. Just taking everything and putting it in a blender. Do you have any contributing artists?Not at the moment. I’ve been in talks with friends and artists about working on future projects but up until now, I’ve just been interested in learning how to do everything myself. I have always liked it when the owner of a company did the graphics and was the main driving force behind the image.

With the internet and how accessible skateboarding is to people, there’s a developing place for niche brands, yet at the same time one has an international assortment to choose from.

how do you see void falling into this storm?there are so many companies out there and it’s pretty hard to do something truly original. all I can do is focus on what really inspires me. there have been a couple graphics I’ve had to put on hold because other companies put out the same idea. It happens a lot more than one realizes and most of time companies will still put it out. I guess you can’t get too caught up in what other people are doing.

For a day in the life of void, what’s the process of getting a board under people’s feet and into the streets? I feel that a lot people want to support their local brands and I’m fortunate enough to have the shops get behind it and help out. the shapes are one thing I wanted to make sure we got right. you can have the raddest graphic known to man, but if the shape blows, nobody’s going to skate it. We like options, and it’s fun to skate different boards, so we tried to make a little something for everyone. With the bigger decks, I wanted to make it where you can set it up as a cruiser but also skate it like a normal board. Can we expect any media in the near future?Currently, we’re trying to get a video/promo out by Spring of 2013. Some of the guys have other projects going on right now or have just had video parts drop. So, we’re just trying to put together as much footage as we can until then and see what we can make of it.

What’s your next move for expansion?Just keep spreading the word and start trying to get into some more shops. I wanted to get a solid foundation, so I’ve really been focusing on the shops around the philly area. Being an independent company, I don’t want to spread myself too thin. Everyone’s been

super supportive so far and I’m psyched to see the progression.

if you could collaborate with a company outside of the skateboard industry, who would they be and what would be produced?Coffee? Nah, Formation just had a collaboration with La Colombe... and Beer is too easy... Cadillac! there we go. I’d love to be able to design my own car, like in Chuck Berry’s, “No Money Down.” I’d hold off on the aviation fuel though, I don’t have the money for that. Do you consider voiD a philadelphia company?of course. the idea was spawned from living and skating in philly, so I wouldn’t consider it anything else. the idea behind it is to bring out the grittiness in the philadelphia skateboarding scene. I felt like everything was getting so polished and lacked the roots I relate to. the whole concept was to fill a void and give people who share the same ideas something to be a part of.

thanks pat. any last words or advice for the people reading this who are trying to do their own thing?I want to say thanks to all the shops and their support, anybody that’s bought a deck, shirt, hat, sticker, etc. Mitchell, Nate, andrew and Brian for being psyched on the idea, all the photographers and filmers that helped contribute to the ads and commercials, you (Zander), Mazur and Focus for giving me this interview, my fiancé, Sara, for understanding when I need to lock myself in a room for hours on end and work on stuff and also anybody that’s just help spread the word in any way, shape or form. thank you! If I forgot you, I’m sorry. I know as soon as this is done, I’m going to remember.

For the people who are trying to do their own thing... go for it! Just make sure your heart is in it.

WorDS and photography :: zanDer taketomo

vOid skaTebOardspat poliDor [5-0 across channel]

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SHOPS & COMPANIES!We make custom grip for

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WorDS :: aliCe groesbeCk photography ::photography ::photography ashley rosemeyer

missiOnimpOssible

When ashley first saw this spot, it was about the size of her thumb. “Look!” said her friend, Sean while driving around with her in his car on the interstate.“I know it’s up there.” he gestured up towards a small clearing near an incline in Mt. Washington;a neighborhood nestled atop pittsburgh, known for its steep hills and its hillbilly tendencies. although it only takes about 5 minutes (in neutral) to drive up the Mt. Washington incline, it would take ashley and Sean about year and some change before they would ever skate the top of that mountain.

While ashley knew the general area of the spot, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it for nearly a year. there’d be times when the combined confidences of Sean and ashley would rule the day even after the spot had eluded them. “We’re going to find this spot,” ashley would say to herself, even after hoursof driving through the sometimes-shady streets of

Mt. Washington would prove to be fruitless.

While driving around with the doors locked and the windows open, they’d daydream about the things they’d do at this spot on the day they’d find it.Sean would talk about doing a hardflip on the platform, while ashley would try to imagine the different lenses she’d use to frame the shot just so. In between conversations about tricks and camera angles, the two of them still kept an eye peeled on the possibility of this spot peeking out at either of them at any winding turn in the road. and one day, ashley got the call. “I found it,” said Sean while he was working on a moving job for his family’s moving company in Mt. Washington. “I finally found it.”

Sean knows the city like the back of his hand and according to Sean, it was only a matter of time before the spot revealed itself. Sean was just waiting

for the spot to find him. almost immediately after getting off of the phone with Sean, ashley accompanied him and made the trek up to the spot.

Before getting too detailed, it’s important to note the following: the spot is nothing special, but that doesn’t make it anything less than perfect for skateboarding. It’s situated in-between an area of haves andhave-nots along a particularly colorful stretch ofMt. Washington’s incline. It’s in the kind of neighborhood where you’d feel safe parking your car, but only after stowing everything you own beneath the seats tucked away and out of sight.

the first time they got there, the spot was gone. their anticipation had gotten the best of them, and they couldn’t navigate the winding streets ofMt. Washington with clarity. Just when they thought they had the spot, it let them go. Determined to

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sean stumpF [hardflip]

make it happen, ashley and Sean came back a week later, eager to conquer the concrete. the two were immediately met with another setback: some strange rain. Still charmed by the fickle nature of this spot, the two ventured out a third and final time. the sun was shining as the music was bumping from the car’s stereo. this was their moment. If ashley had reached her thumb out onto the spot like she did a year ago from down below on the interstate, it would have lost its shape and had become just another tiny speck among the windows of the skyscrapers dotting the pittsburgh skyline.this was the place. they were finally there.

to any other persons besides Sean or to any other persons besides Sean or t ashley, the spot itself is fairly unassuming. one could easily write it off as another place that time forgot. and sometimes, it feels that way. What was once a nicely maintained area un-sure what its purpose was intended for; looks to be the go-to place for 15 year-old teenagers in rebellion who want to write their feelings of anarchy on pavement, while drinking 40’s with their girlfriends. While the community sees failure in this public space, ashley and Sean see opportunity. More importantly, they see a place to skate.

after hiking around bits of broken Colt 45’s and remnants of late-night Sheetz runs, ashley finally found the perfect spot to situate her camera and tripod. once she marked her spot it with sticks, ashley packed up her equipment and ran down the steep hill to hoist Sean up onto the platform, all while making sure her equipment wasn’t getting damaged or stolen. after running back up the hill and quickly re-assembling her equipment, it was time to take the shot.

If any of the Mt. Washington homies had a chance to sneak a peak at Sean and ashley taking pictures that day, they could have made the fair assumption that the two of them were arguing. they appeared to be, anyway. Since ashley and Sean were so far apart from each other, they had to shout back and forth to communicate their ideas. “Do it again!” ashley would shout to Sean after finishing his 15th hardflip. “Did you get the shot?” he’d yell back to her after doing the trick for the 20th time. “I think so!” she’d finally shout after Sean did about 40 hardflips.

When he was done, Sean jumped off of the platform and ran up the hill to help ashley make a clean getaway.

Sean and ashley were in and out in about a half hour. they were criminals in broad daylight.

a year of yearning and searching ended with a half hour a year of yearning and searching ended with a half hour aof shooting and shouting. there were a lot of things they didn’t know going into that spot beforehand. Would they get hurt? Would the cops show up? Will the photo even turn out?

“you never know what will happen when you go out and you never know what will happen when you go out and ytake pictures,” says ashley. “you can go out and take a you can go out and take a yphoto, and it could end up being in a magazine like this picture did. If you never take risks when you’re shooting and don’t find new spots, you’ll never live up to your possible potential.”

a few, young skate photographers have been calling a few, young skate photographers have been calling aashley up in recent weeks since this photo has received some publicity. they’ve asked her many things like where the spot is and how they can take better pictures, and ashley just doesn’t have an answer for them. “all I can really say is to shoot as much as you can whenever you can because you never know what can happen with what you take.”

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WorDS and photography ::photography ::photography Justin broaDWayDWayDW

frusTraTiOnin disguiseas most skateboarders know, the idea of looks being deceiving is one that is all too common when it comes to traveling to a new spot that you’ve previously seen footage or photos of. Something that looks perfect on film ends up being sketchy in person, or a spot that looks fun in a photo turnout to be gnarly upon arrival, and so is the case with thisspot here.

Jordan had called me up with an idea in mind for a photo at a spot that he thought looked really sick, and after showing me a cellphone photo of it, I couldn’t help but agree. We planned out a day and departed on the forty-five minute drive with the hopes of skating the spot without hassle. Being that the business sits on the side of a major road and you are practically on the roof, we were hoping any and all employees there would be long gone when we arrived. Fortunately they had, but daylight was quickly running out. Jordan proceeded to climb his way up to the mini pipe having to use the assistance of some shrubbery below. as soon as he set his board down though we both realized that yet again we had been fooled by the apparent good looks of a seemingly amazing skate spot. Since the transition is essentially that of a tiny fullpipe cut in half, the walls are steep and the flat bottom turned out to be non-existent, with your front and back wheels each on separate walls when your board reaches the middle. Skating it already looked to be difficult enough, and on top of this was the story high drop you’d have to look over

when you hit the coping. I watched for a bit as Jordan got a feel for the transition and warmed his legs up from the car ride. after some tries I could tell that the spot had turned out to be much more difficult to skate than either of us thought it would originally be. our time soon ended up being cut short as darkness set in and skating without any lights was undeniably a little sketchy.

Some time later, and after a bit of last minute planning, we decided to take another trip out to the mini pipe with hopes of getting a second chance to skate it. Unfortunately, this time as we pulled up we noticed a few cars still in the parking lot and decided to drive around a bit while an employee packed up his car to head home. When we returned a couple of cars still remained but after about an hour of total driving time we decided to take our chances. Jordan had only gotten a few tries before I noticed an employee in the front window looking up at him and as expected. We received the boot quickly thereafter. thankfully the woman who kicked us out was super cool and referred to us a better time to return without hassle. another trip was soon planned to return and get the land. once again a skate mission had refreshed our minds with the lesson to never judge a spot or trick for what it appears to be until you’ve seen or experienced it firsthand. Ultimately though, discovering and stepping to these unanticipated challenges makes the accomplishment of landing something that much more satisfying.

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JorDan garlanD [pivot to fakie]

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you were born in belize. When did you move to the states? Do you have memories of being there?I moved to the states when I was like 5 going on 6. Belize was tight. I remember a lot of stuff. I use to see wild horses running around, fools fishing at the pier, which was right next to my school. Even crabs walking across the street sideways, claws up, getting ran over by cars and shit (laughs).

Where did you move to when you came to the united states and what was life like then?When I first moved to the states I ended up in Brooklyn. I lived with my mom and my sister at this shelter for a bit. Shortly after that, we moved to Sheepshead Bay projects. It was crazy adjusting to american culture. It went from dirt roads and shit to huge streets with cars. Even the food was weird. I still remember eating my first oreo (laughs).

i know you had some rough years. Do you want to talk about how your living situation was then?yeah man, shit was wicked for a while. My moms had kicked me out when I was 16. probably the lamest shit. I had to couch surf it for a minute. Even sometimes I had to nap outside on some real shit. honestly, if I didn’t have a skateboard or good friends that supported me, I wouldn’t be here right now. thanks guys!

sTephanmarTineZ

WorDS :: mazur photography :: sean Cronan

“Stephan Martinez. Intelligent, humble, down to earth, kills it and a real homie. Brotherhood shit. he’s just at the beginning of getting some long overdue shine. read this interview, it’s crazy. Some american dream realized type shit. From Belize, to on the streets in Brooklyn, to traveling around the country because of skateboarding. he’s been through some rough shit and made it out all good. What can I say? the kid’s wavy.”

~Ben OleynikFriend

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With all that going on, how did you get into skating?I got into skating from being bored one day. I never really had any friends where I lived in Sheepshead, so I would try random shit. Skateboarding was the only thing that stuck with me. I realized how fun it was and I didn’t need anyone to really do it.

you had a few video parts come out in homie videos. how did you start filming with that crew? Filming for, “going ham,” and “Film Me,” was awesome. I used to see my homie harry Corrigan around when he was younger and stuff. It wasn’t ‘til my other homie Nate started filming with him and I saw them getting some good stuff. I then decided it would be rad to start getting shit done, too. It all started from there. Be on the lookout for, “off the Braxx,” that’s coming out.

now you’re a part of the revamped iCeCream team with Jamel marshall and andre beverley, who i know you’ve skated with for years. What’s that like?Being apart of the Ice Cream team is crazy. I never thought anything like this would happen. Just yesterday me and Jamel was watching the first Ice Cream video dying laughing. Definitely a dream come true, man. It’s like nothing changed, too. andre and Jamel are the homies. We take our NyC swag with us everywhere (laughs).

so there’s a real family feel to the team?yeah. having the bros on the squad makes everything feel mellow as hell. We’re pretty much doin’ what we do everyday. It’s kinda funny.

Were you happy how the welcome video turned out?I was super hyped on the welcome video. I woke up dumb early to check that shit that day. When I saw that shit it had one view (laughs).

you were on a four day trip to philly to film recently. how was that? going to philly was rad. We were mobbin’ hard. Me and andre had everyone laughing the whole time. that was the first trip I’ve ever been on with Dre and Emmet (Duffy). he goes hard. It felt good to be out there though. I love traveling. I think you get the best stuff on trips. I hate skating the same spots all the time.

you were just in Chicago too, right?yeah, Chicago was ill. Emmet took us to all his spots. Shit was real tight. Kinda like NyC. I forgot where I was sometimes (laughs).

What’s the last song you listened to that got you real hyped?hmm... Last song?! I’m really feelin’ Dom Kennedy ‘Designer Shit’ right now (laughs). What up, Dom!

What about the last video part?Last video part would have to be Chaz’ Zoo part. that shit gets me hella hyped.

What do you have planned for the rest of the year?I’m just tryin’ to skate, man... and travel. hopefully a few interviews, too. also, I wanna put out an ICECrEaM part.

Do you have any thank you’s?I wanna say thank you to the big homie, Big Ben oleynik for everything. all the guys at Supreme, everyone at Zoo, all the NyC and Jersey homies. Bernard, BK, Jamel, andre, Emmet, rB, Cronan, pharrell, aymayne, Fat Johnny, Louie, Mexican Mike, KJ, Markie, Davante, Black Dave, Stunna, my aunt Catherine, my baby girl Jenn for all the support in the world, Brooke and Mat. all my New york niggas, what up! If I left anyone out, y’all know who you are. thank you.

stephan martinez [varial heel over rail]

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maTTlane WorDS :: mazur

photography :: Daniel bleCkley

so matt, let’s start this out with a life altering event... Whatcha got for me?Well I guess a life-altering event for me would be when I quit soccer. this is because for as long as I have been skateboarding I have been playing soccer. My dad played soccer and always loved that I played. I really enjoyed it, but it got to a point where I wanted to focus more on skateboarding. I started playing soccer for my school at gordon College where my dad played, and that is where I started thinking about quitting. It was a big process because one I had to make sure it was something I really wanted to do, and two my dad played for the school and was in the hall of fame for soccer there. So he always loved that I played there as well, plus a lot of people who knew him worked there and knew me because of it. I took a whole semester off of soccer to get a feel of not playing and see how it was to just attend school and only skateboard for the first time in my life. Needless to say I loved it, and it was the best thing ever. Fast forward two years later, and I still love it with no regrets. plus I’m doing better in school now compared to when I was on the soccer team. oh, and my dad used to skateboard when he was a kid and he ripped. So he understood when I quit. It wasn’t like I got shunned afterwards or anything. awesome, that’s a good start. now let’s get the basic stuff... What’s your age, hometown, favorite tv show? stuff like that.I am from reading, Massachusetts and I am 21 years old. I really don’t watch tV right now but if I do watch it would have to be, “It’s always Sunny in philadelphia.” When I grow up I hope to be just like Charlie from the show.

how did skateboarding begin for you?Skateboarding began for me when I was about five years old. I was visiting my dad’s mom’s house, and like I said before my dad used to skate. My grandmother had kept one of my dad’s old skateboards from when

he was a kid and had it as a decoration in his room. So when I went in there I noticed it and immediately became intrigued with it. It was an old school g&S board with no nose or tail. I asked if I could use it and I took it outside and started trying to ride it by just sitting on it and pushing around with my hands. I even had my dad’s old school helmet to wear when I used it. Ever since then I kept skating and about a year later my grandparents bought me a think complete for my birthday. We still have the g&S board, and to this day it’s cool to think that this old school skateboard is what got me into skating even when I had never seen anyone ride one before. you had mentioned earlier that you are in school. What are you majoring in?I am majoring in recreation and Leisure with a sports concentration. It sounds like a weird major but it’s actually really rad. you can do things like coaching, events coordinator, or like team management. It’s not limited to that either there are many other things you can do with it. I attend because hopefully I will be able to get a job one day in skateboarding because I don’t really picture myself doing anything without skateboarding in mind.

Do you party at all or are you pretty concentrated on school and skating?yeah, I am definitely down to go out and have a good time with my friends, but when it comes down to it, I would much rather go out on a skate mission at night than party. or, maybe both simultaneously? What sort of hobbies do you do in your spare time when not pushing wood?right now, no hobbies really. I pretty much skateboard as much as I can in between classes during the week and then all weekend long. I am usually hurt for a few days and in that time I am icing and catching up on all my homework… ha ha! But in the spring I usually play in a little soccer league at my school a couple nights

a week so that is fun. But besides that I am not really into anything else besides my skateboard. Do you work a regular job?I currently do not have a regular job. But I usually work odd jobs at my school for custodial service and I will ref soccer in the spring for my school as well. Last summer I worked for an indoor skate park called rye airfield, and I was a camp counselor for them at the skate camps. that was probably the best job I have ever had! all the campers were wicked cool and it was awesome to be able to skateboard for your job.

so you’re other job... Dunkin Donuts from what i’m told. how is it working there?ah yeah, Dunkin Donuts. I worked there for like four years, but I haven’t worked there in like a year maybe. I am probably going to work there again over the winter. I liked working there because the hours worked well with skating. I could work from like 6 am ‘til noon or 1pm, and be out in time to meet up with everyone and skate the rest of the day. It wasn’t the best job in the world, but I would try and make it fun with the people I worked with. We would do stuff like talking over the speaker to drive thru customers speaking like Borat or something like that, ha ha. My mom came through the drive through once while I was doing the voice and I just hear back through the speaker, “Matt, is that you?” It was pretty funny.

ha ha, that’s great. Do you have anyone you’d like to thank?I would like to thank my mom and dad for always supporting me. also shout out to Fred, Kevin, and rob pontes for always helping me out and having my back. and big thanks to gunner at omit, DLX, Mikey at Ipath, and Spada, Donfro, Mac, and tabor at Eastern Boarder Skate Shop!

last words?rISK It aLL!

“I’ve known Matt Lane for quite a few years now. It’s been a really cool experience to watch him evolve and progress into the person and skater he is today. he has been influenced by all the right pro’s but has the power and skill that lets his skating stand on it’s own. Not to mention that he kills all terrain. Matt’s a very stand-up and trustworthy guy on and off the board. this kid has become a complete animal on a skateboard and is currently on a tear like I have never seen! See for yourself in these pages and his upcoming, “Suede peach,” part. he has progressed so fast that I can’t wait to see what he comes up with in the future. Nice work Matt, I’m super proud of you!”

~Rob PontesDeluxe, Rep

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how long have you been alive, and where do you call home?Been alive on mother earth for 23 years now. I’m living in beautiful orlando, Florida and am happy to call it home.

skating for 5boro and living in Florida… Do you ever see yourself moving out to nyC to be closer to all of those guys?I’ve been to NyC every summer since 2007 and wish each visit were twice as long. My friends, family and the warm weather are what keep me here.

you mean it isn’t officer Fischer that’s keeping you here? Do you think he’ll ever actually arrest you for skating in orlando? i hear he knows your face pretty well and specifically always singles you out.hahaha. actually, every time I run into officer Fischer in Downtown I wanna leave orlando. I’ve never actually been to jail, but I feel like if it ever happens it’ll be him taking me in for riding my skateboard around the city.

if worst comes to worst, i think it’s safe to say that lil Wayne will bail you out. From what i’ve seen, you seem to be pretty well acquainted with the man. how’d all of that happen?hahaha, Wayne bailing me out! that would be amazing. Long story short, adam Ziegler use to be the Florida rep for 5boro, he took me under his wing and was a huge support to me. When Lil Wayne wanted to start skating, adam was the man who got to teach him and became his skate tour manager. adam moved to Miami to be closer to Wayne, and whenever I go down there we all skate. It’s the best too, because if we’re not skating a park or his rooftop ramps, were out street skating and it’s always a good time. he’s got the right attitude with skating and has fun doing it. he can take a slam, be a skate rat… WayNE IS DoWN!

Damn, that’s what’s up! Wayne has rooftop ramps at his house, and i hear you have a boat at yours and that you just love your yard in general. any comment? Do you have a secret garden or something? tell me why this yard’s so sick.Jay ramps hooked his roof up! he’s got 2 mini ramps, a street course, and now a bowl. ah, our boat is gone now. a good friend parked it in our canal to save money on storing it and to get some use out of it. good times while they lasted. We have an outdoor pool so I’m constantly trying to keep it clean. I love working in the backyard for some reason. But my pops and I have been doing renovations

Chrisblake

WorDS :: stephen oliveira photography :: stephen knight

“When he’s not out tagging walls with marks of nose wallrides and wallies Chris is on the lake. Well unless of course it’s thursday, then you can find him at BBQ Bar. But that’s beside the point. Chris and I have been good friends for quite some time and it’s nice to have someone you can count on 55% of the time. In all actuality the only flaw this man may have is he’s too nice. he’s always down to have a few house guests here in orlando, but if you’re here filming a wallie just know the person your staying with already did it. oh yeah, don’t pee on his roommate’s floor. that gets you the boot pretty quick.”

~Bert WoottonFriend

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on the house and it seems like when one project is done we move onto the next. It’s a good bonding thing for me and him and he’s taught me so many handyman things in the past year it’s amazing. If it weren’t for my dad I wouldn’t be who I am.

ah true. i guess all good things must come to an end eventually. you seem to have an undying love for wallies. you have them well too. What’s it about them that keeps you blasting them?I do love them, that’s for sure. there’s walls everywhere you go and once you learn them your hooked. you’re always trying to do something different at the spot or look at it differently and sometimes a wallie or wallride is the only answer. Well, for me it is.

it’s definitely a good way to keep a spot fresh. What’s up with this video that you and bert are doing with kevin perez?So we’re all in a group text together and our phones go off like crazy until we meet up to skate. We have a small but productive crew, we skate every chance we can and have been filming for sometime now. We don’t have a name for the video yet but it’s gonna have a full-part from myself and a full-part from Bert, as well as one gangster-ass friend section. oh, and everyday it rains hard Bert and I go street skating with the go pro camera and were making a rain video called “partly gnarly with a chance of pain,” which will be hitting the world wide web very, very soon.

haha that’s what’s up! i’m sure some fans have come up to Wayne while you guys have been out skating together. What’s the craziest thing that’s happened like that, if anything?Well, we tend to skate really late at night, but there’s always people on the street that recognize Wayne. We try to keep the sessions moving to stay away from trouble. But this one night he had a new bodyguard that was huge! and he ran full speed

with us from spot to spot to take care of paparazzi. one time I saw a group of girls all dressed up across the street and they recognized Wayne and ran over all excited. right past me...

Damn. Wayne: 1, blake: 0, when it comes to the babes apparently. this is the last Wayne-related question i’m gonna ask... i swear. kind of… that 5boro chain you just got. Was that something 5boro did, or did you really just get some ice (and one hell of a conversation starter) from lil Wayne?hahaha I knew it was coming! Wayne has been down with 5boro since he met adam and has been a part of the crew since the team came to Miami. he made a few necklaces for the guys he’s close to, and one for me as well. It’s the 5boro logo, which is a pigeon with a crown, and there’s a yellow diamond in the eye. It’s really nice and I’ve actually never owned a chain in my life. It trips me out that my first one is from tunechi.

so you’re just iced out now thanks to Wayne. that’s what’s up! Wayne, if you’re reading this and want to throw me a Focus chain for shouting you out so many times in this interview, holler and i’ll send you my address, Weezy F! but really though, besides 5boro and diamonds/bail money flow through lil Wayne, who else is hooking up a wallie enthused skateboarder like yourself?the Midtown Skatepark family helps me out in so many ways which is awesome, and when it comes to my skateboard they fill in the blanks. Dickies pants thanks to Daniel Wheatley. Joey g. at Nike hooks it up with shoes when he can. My feet stay stuck to my board thanks to alchemy griptape. If you haven’t heard about it, check ‘em out.

it’s been good, Chris. Do you have any last words you want to get in before we wrap this up?thanks for hooking this interview up g. Focus Skate Mag is true East Coast!

Chris blake [frontside 180 heelflip]

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ARIZONA

Cowtown ........................... Glendale (602) 862-9804Cowtown ........................... Phoenix (602) 212-9687Cowtown ........................... Tempe (480) 379-3605

CONNECTICUT

Day One Skateshop .......... Fairfield (203) 331-9525DC

Art Under Pressure ........... Washington (202) 291-0110DELAWARE

Kinetic Skateboarding ...... Wilmington (302) 477-1533FLORIDA

Skate Park Of Tampa** ..... Tampa (813) 621-6793Westside Skateshop ......... Tarpon Spgs (727) 939-2308

INDIANA

Blacklist Skateshop .......... Lawrenceburg (812) 537-5483KENTUCKY

Cosmic ................................ Florence (859) 282-8068Cosmic ................................ Lexington (859) 245-1576Cosmic ................................ Louisville (502) 964-0670Galaxie ............................... Newport (859) 261-7292

MASSACHUSETTS

Boardwalk Skate Shop** ..... Winchester (339) 227-8259Credo ................................ Northampton (413) 586-8857Orchard ............................. Boston (617) 782-7777Skaters Edge** ................ Taunton (508) 823-4410Solstice ............................ New Bedford (508) 994-8675The Blvd Shop .................. Boston (617) 391-0233

MARYLAND

Art Under Pressure ........... Hyattsville (301) 779-2787Charm City** .................... Baltimore (410) 327-7909Skatology Board Shop ...... Bel Air (410) 838-7884Vu Skateshop.................... Baltimore (410) 254-2552

NORTH CAROLINA

Black Sheep Skate Shop ......Charlotte (704) 333-1423O1NE ................................. Charlotte (704) 910-4465

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Rye Airfield** ................... Rye (603) 964-2800NEW JERSEY

Black Diamond** ............. Moorestown (856) 235-5800Holmes & Co .................... Jersey City (201) 332-3322Kinetic Skateboarding ...... Haddonfield (856) 375-2236NJ Skateshop ................... Sayreville (732) 651-1123NJ Skateshop II ................ New Brunswick (732) 565-1300NJ Skateshop III ............... Hoboken (201) 792-2397NJ Skateshop IV ............... Princeton (609) 430-8494O1NE ................................. Ledgewood (973) 970-9700Prime ................................ Hillsborough (908) 281-2200Pro Skateboard Shop ....... Belmar (732) 280-7528Pro Skateboard Shop ....... Point Pleasant (732) 714-7528Shields Skatepark** ........ Flemington (908) 788-7168Standard Skateshop ......... Woodbridge (732) 634-7588Underground .................... Nutley (973) 320-2070

NEW YORK

2nd Nature ........................ Mamaroneck (914) 315-14642nd Nature** .................... Peekskill (914) 402-4624 House Of Vans** .............. Brooklyn

House Of Vans .................. New York (714) 330-4116Seasons Skate Shop ........ Albany (518) 729-2685Shut Skateboards ............. New York (212) 420-1469

OHIO

Anonymous ....................... Cincinnati (513) 651-3767Cosmic ................................ Cincinnati (513) 947-0777Old School Skate Shop ...... Westerville (614) 865-0421West Side Skates ............. Lakewood (216) 226-2470

PENNSYLVANIA

Ambler Skate Shop .......... Ambler (215) 542-8868Central Skate Shop .......... Uniontown (724) 430-0933East Coast Skateboards ...... Easton (610) 438-8758Exist .................................. York (717) 848-5544Fairman’s Skate Shop ...... West Chester (610) 344-9959Home Base Skate Shop .......Bethlehem (610) 866-0540Skate Penn ....................... State College (814) 238-1162

TENNESSEE

Pluto Sports ...................... Knoxville (865) 693-8990VIRGINIA

17th Street Surf Shop ....... Virginia Bch (757) 486-5055Elite Boardshop ................ Fairfax (703) 591-3003

WEST VIRGINIA

180 Skate Shop ................ Martinsburg (304) 267-1266

** Denotes in-door skatepark

PICK UP YOUR FREE COPY OF FOCUS AT ONE OF THESE PREFERRED SHOPS!

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