Observant old bean that I am, I have made a curios observation as of late. Looking back, the average shelf life for a pair of skate shoes in the formative years of James Andrew Carolan was 4-5 months tops. Worth mentioning as well that at this point they were degraded well beyond any socially acceptable state and should have been canned much earlier. Currently I've been wearing the same pair of Vans Era Pro since about March and (almost disappointingly) they remain pretty much intact. Now I'm still shuffling around helplessly on a skateboard when the opportunity arises and my...
Downtown Showdown is back for another year, with this year's event taking place in Amsterdam. Having hosted the event in London last year, we are all too aware of howthis is going to go down so we are counting the minutes until everything kicks off later this week. As well as the contest, which will feature teams from the likes of Flip, Palace, Blueprint and Antiz. As well as the incredible skateboarding quality on display, surrounding the event is a ludicrous line up of activity to get excited about. A 20 year anniversary party for the Half Cab is...
June saw Vans instigate a new collection launch that was shrouded in mystery and intrigue. A chosen few were fortunate enough to receive locked boxes with a covering note informing them to await further instruction. The mysterious box gave very little away except for the LXVI logo printed on the bottom corner. The codes to the combination lock were sent out globally, allowing those in possession of the box access to the contents. Inside was an insight to the Vans amazing and progressive new collection LXVI (as in '66 in Roman numerals.) LXVI was always going to cause a...
This is a welcome and timely sight if ever there was one. Burton Snowboards is proud to congratulate Burton team rider Kevin Pearce on his first day back on a snowboard since he suffered atraumatic brain injury while training for the Olympics in 2009. Kevin has been a part of the Burton family for years, receiving his first snowboard from Jake Burton himself back when he was just five years old. In 2004, Kevin earned his first official sponsorship with Burton Snowboards after a Burtonteam manager was impressed with his riding during summer camp at Mt. Hood. From that...
Here's one to take five minutes out of your day to check out. This years Vans edit for The Big Push 2011 is brilliant and a great showcase of the skateboarding talent being cultivated on home soil, so to speak. Check it out and don't forget to vote for Vans as well so they have a chance to roll away as The Big Push 2011 Champions. Take a break now, you're working far too hard. Here's the link - Don't forget to Vote!...
Some people are enviable, aren't they? I don't know a singular person who doesn't hold a torch for everything Keith Hufnagel puts his hand to. I did a quick poll and it turns out that every single female and two male members of the office would define his charm as 'undeniable' and his talent as 'crushing'. In the video below Huf himself offers an insight as to how and why the beautiful joint venture between Huf and JanSport came about. Inspired stuff. ...
I am a simple man, I crave not material goods. I derive pleasure from the soothing patter of gentle rainfall on mossy rocks and the warbling of the mountain Yak addressing the calming silence of morning.
On Saturday, 20th August 2011, Old Spitalfields Market in East London hosted the biggest skateboard event the UK has ever seen. Over 10’000 people visited throughout the day, witnessing ten of Europe’s best skateboard teams battle it out against each other. The lion’s share of the prize purse went to the days winning team: Antiz. It wasn’t just the skaters having fun as the weather held out throughout the day, a thronging crowd of spectators and a high level of skateboarding were key ingredients for the success of this unique event. Vans selected the incredible obstacles from Cliché, Superdead...
The Burton Demo Tour is kicking off and bringing with it a tent full of the new Burton 2012 product. The tour is travelling around the UK and visiting all the major slopes this autumn so come along and take advantage of this great opportunity to try before you buy. The Burton crew will be on hand to offer advice on which kit is most appropriate for your riding style and to help guide you in the right direction for what is your perfect stick! So whether you are looking to buy your first board, or a seasoned pro...
This year the Vans Salinas Longboard Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary from July 28 - 30 in Spain. Situated in Piedra Blancas on the North Coast of Spain, Playa Salinas is the venue for what has become the biggest gathering of Longboard surfers in Europe. Whilst listed as a competition, the emphasis is definitely on the lighter side of life and includes Live music, BBQs and entertainment for the whole family throughout the weekend. What makes the event even more special is that Vans will be bringing the iconic Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational to Europe for the first...
