Friday, October 23, 2009
Changes are coming...
I am about to start blogging here again... I need to keep a different style from my Youth Noise stuff. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Skate for Good: A Night at Norwalk Skatepark
Norwalk Skatepark opened up a few years back and I frequented it often with a lot of the friends I grew up with. Like anyone else, life hit me and I got into other things: girlfriends, bands, politics, pretty much anything but ride my skateboard. That lasted a couple years until late last year, when I decided to start skating again for good.
The last time I went to Norwalk Skatepark, there were so many little kids just starting to learn how to skate for the first time and trying to figure out what tricks were cool and going through the awkward stage of pushing mongo and just not knowing the ettiquette. Upon my return, I noticed that a lot of these kids got bigger, and they definitely got better. Now that I've been fully back on board(no pun intended) for almost a full year now, I brought my camera to the park the other night to try to figure out why some of these guys skate for good.
Based on a pre-determined set of questions, I found that although the skateboarders varied in age, they found skateboarding or decided to keep skateboarding for the same reasons. Most of them came from a mainstream sports(baseball, basketball) background but succumbed to skateboarding's appeal because of the personal responsibility and the comraderie that came with it. It requires athleticism but doesn’t require an organized team, or coach, or regulation area to skate in. That was the unanimous sentiment based on the responses to the questions.
If you’re ever in the area, feel free to stop by Norwalk Park and watch the kids tear it up.
P.S. The grown-ups could hold their own as well.
The last time I went to Norwalk Skatepark, there were so many little kids just starting to learn how to skate for the first time and trying to figure out what tricks were cool and going through the awkward stage of pushing mongo and just not knowing the ettiquette. Upon my return, I noticed that a lot of these kids got bigger, and they definitely got better. Now that I've been fully back on board(no pun intended) for almost a full year now, I brought my camera to the park the other night to try to figure out why some of these guys skate for good.
Skate for Good: A Night at Norwalk Skate Park from nando yiv on Vimeo.
Based on a pre-determined set of questions, I found that although the skateboarders varied in age, they found skateboarding or decided to keep skateboarding for the same reasons. Most of them came from a mainstream sports(baseball, basketball) background but succumbed to skateboarding's appeal because of the personal responsibility and the comraderie that came with it. It requires athleticism but doesn’t require an organized team, or coach, or regulation area to skate in. That was the unanimous sentiment based on the responses to the questions.
If you’re ever in the area, feel free to stop by Norwalk Park and watch the kids tear it up.
P.S. The grown-ups could hold their own as well.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Skateboarders go through great lengths
to get the "perfect angle". We climb things, hide under things, get dirty, sometimes even hurt to get that perspective that most people would never even think of getting. How many people do you know see things from 8ft high? Or from under a loading dock. Some are impressed, others just click on through.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day Mobbin Mack Maniacs Minimalizing Mimes Missioning Mental Murfs
Lakers lost today.
Dodgers lost today.
So, we went skating(only two of us really cared about the above):
Jacob stayed MEX
man crush
Ended the night by jumpin the fence at the park. Good sesh. Got our fill.
Dodgers lost today.
So, we went skating(only two of us really cared about the above):
Jacob stayed MEX
man crush
Ended the night by jumpin the fence at the park. Good sesh. Got our fill.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Hate Crime...
My dad enjoys eating snake.
Its true, my aunt brought some snake jerky for him from Cambodia. I shared this interesting story with some people at work at I received this threatening and highly detailed hate letter on my desk:
Can you believe it? Someone wrote down what my dad does and has done. How can they do that? This is an agrigious act.
Its true, my aunt brought some snake jerky for him from Cambodia. I shared this interesting story with some people at work at I received this threatening and highly detailed hate letter on my desk:
Can you believe it? Someone wrote down what my dad does and has done. How can they do that? This is an agrigious act.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
First Dodger Game of 2009
I went to my first Dodger game this year on Friday.
Jakes hooked it up with sick field level seats.
Randy Wolf gave up 3 runs in the first but pitched five more stellar no run innings to keep the game in reach.
The boys came through with a 4 run inning in the 7th.
I was particularly impressed by Jonathan Broxton, who was brought in a little earlier to record 5 outs. He inherited bases loaded with one out and a 4-3 lead and kept it out of the hands of the rockies. He threw as hard as 99mph....!!!
Thanks Jacob and thank you McCourts and Colletti for putting together an excellent team this season.
look at this view!
the homie luis hooked it up with some dodger dogs!
Jakes was hyped!
Let us on the field after.
Dodger dirt. Hes holding dodger dirt!
Left my mark.
Sorry for the crappy resolution. Photos were taken on my phone w/ no flash.
Jakes hooked it up with sick field level seats.
Randy Wolf gave up 3 runs in the first but pitched five more stellar no run innings to keep the game in reach.
The boys came through with a 4 run inning in the 7th.
I was particularly impressed by Jonathan Broxton, who was brought in a little earlier to record 5 outs. He inherited bases loaded with one out and a 4-3 lead and kept it out of the hands of the rockies. He threw as hard as 99mph....!!!
Thanks Jacob and thank you McCourts and Colletti for putting together an excellent team this season.
look at this view!
the homie luis hooked it up with some dodger dogs!
Jakes was hyped!
Let us on the field after.
Dodger dirt. Hes holding dodger dirt!
Left my mark.
Sorry for the crappy resolution. Photos were taken on my phone w/ no flash.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Ain't no Hollenbeck Girl... pt. 2
Two hours. Three Lines. Watch yo backs.
Ey foo. Your cute.
Call me Michael Jackson:
And boys being boys:
And the hombre with the ice cream cart seems to always find us:
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
It was just this kind of day today...
With the wind blowing the pile of dirt across the street at us, our resident skateboarders decided to sit this one out.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Random#5
Whenever we find a gap, we figure out how big it is by having Jacob lay down on it. Hes 6'3. If its longer than him, we might have quite a challenge on our hands.
What Dreams May Come
On Saturday April 4, 2009, I had the privilege of skating at the Berrics. Through a promotion, Steve Berra(co-founder) had come up with, if we went and saw his friend Mark Webber's film "Explicit Ills" at the Sunset 5, we will be able to skate at the Berrics and have a pizza party. We did our part, and they kept their word. My friends and I are in our mid twenties and we were giddy to be able to skate here.
John and Jacob trying to warm up before we got in the car.
We made it to the address that was given to us and waited in anticipation.
Salman checked us off his list and many others were still waiting.
John was ecstatic.
Watching Steve Berra unlock the gate was kind of like the scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory where the crowd eagerly waited to see Wonka himself.
Our first glimpse of the park.
In hour into the session, Jacob already suffered a casualty.
I tried to get 10 years of skateboarding into a three hour session at the Berrics and it just felt like I was starting over again. Either way, the skating was intense and we all had a great time. We played some skate dice, I choked on the two tries I had on tricks that I had down, but it felt awesome to really experience it. I saw some of the kids shaking.
Its Koston. How many times do you get a chance to take a photo with a legend.
I got my photo-op with him as well.
Salman was awesome, a legend in his own right, he really kept things in order.
When I stepped up to lose a dollar at Skate Dice, Berra looked at me and shouts, "Nando Kalrizian!", he remembered my name. I was psyched and missed the nollie flip.
It was a great experience and everyone who was in the building was definitely feeling it. It was everything we expected and more. Thank You Steve for your crazy promotion and to everyone who helped accomodate us.
John and Jacob trying to warm up before we got in the car.
We made it to the address that was given to us and waited in anticipation.
Salman checked us off his list and many others were still waiting.
John was ecstatic.
Watching Steve Berra unlock the gate was kind of like the scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory where the crowd eagerly waited to see Wonka himself.
Our first glimpse of the park.
In hour into the session, Jacob already suffered a casualty.
I tried to get 10 years of skateboarding into a three hour session at the Berrics and it just felt like I was starting over again. Either way, the skating was intense and we all had a great time. We played some skate dice, I choked on the two tries I had on tricks that I had down, but it felt awesome to really experience it. I saw some of the kids shaking.
Its Koston. How many times do you get a chance to take a photo with a legend.
I got my photo-op with him as well.
Salman was awesome, a legend in his own right, he really kept things in order.
When I stepped up to lose a dollar at Skate Dice, Berra looked at me and shouts, "Nando Kalrizian!", he remembered my name. I was psyched and missed the nollie flip.
It was a great experience and everyone who was in the building was definitely feeling it. It was everything we expected and more. Thank You Steve for your crazy promotion and to everyone who helped accomodate us.
WTF?
Tonight, Norwalk was falling apart:
1. Car accident on rosecrans and graystone...
2. Cops blocking off streets and ghetto birds out and about searching for something...(we later found out that someone had been shot at a party)
3. On our way back from TGI Fridays, a pick-up truck was on top of a little rice rocket. Looked like a head-on collision of some sort... Or a monster truck rally.
4. Fat Ursula looking lady with no shirt and only a bra on sticking out of the moon roof of an SUV screaming and pointing(I honked...positive reinforcement).
Can't believe this...Sorry no photo evidence so please use your imagination.
'Til next time...
1. Car accident on rosecrans and graystone...
2. Cops blocking off streets and ghetto birds out and about searching for something...(we later found out that someone had been shot at a party)
3. On our way back from TGI Fridays, a pick-up truck was on top of a little rice rocket. Looked like a head-on collision of some sort... Or a monster truck rally.
4. Fat Ursula looking lady with no shirt and only a bra on sticking out of the moon roof of an SUV screaming and pointing(I honked...positive reinforcement).
Can't believe this...Sorry no photo evidence so please use your imagination.
'Til next time...
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Random #4
Hey Muninanado Yiv,
Your time has come. This Saturday April 4, 2009 at 11am you are cordially invited to come skate The Berrics.
Things to remember! Your Explicit Ills movie ticket to come skate is for one time only! We ask you to respect the the skate park and The Berrics staff. Please kindly refrain (this means don't do these things please) from asking if you can bring your friends or your parents, your video camera, chewing gum, asking for product, to return again at a later time for another session. We have over 500 of you coming to skate the park at different times and can't possible accommodate all of your special needs. If you can't come during your designated time, we can't promise that you'll be able to come again unless it is part of some other type of promotion we do in the future. Don't forget that you must have your waiver signed and notarized if you are under 18. If you are over 18 you can sign for yourself. If you don't have a waiver signed and if you are under 18 and it is not notarized you will not get to skate (no exceptions). If you did not receive a waiver please email me salman@theberrics.com and I will email it to you. We will have Pizza and drinks during your session.
Day to meet April 4, 2009 - Where to meet: (adress removed to honor the berrics) Los Angeles, CA 90023 Time to meet: 11:00am sharp - Time to Skate 11:15am - 2:00pm sharp- Time to get picked up 2:00pm sharp Look forward to seeing you at The Berrics. Bring your skills because Chase will be filming the whole thing.
thank you, Salman Agah
Your time has come. This Saturday April 4, 2009 at 11am you are cordially invited to come skate The Berrics.
Things to remember! Your Explicit Ills movie ticket to come skate is for one time only! We ask you to respect the the skate park and The Berrics staff. Please kindly refrain (this means don't do these things please) from asking if you can bring your friends or your parents, your video camera, chewing gum, asking for product, to return again at a later time for another session. We have over 500 of you coming to skate the park at different times and can't possible accommodate all of your special needs. If you can't come during your designated time, we can't promise that you'll be able to come again unless it is part of some other type of promotion we do in the future. Don't forget that you must have your waiver signed and notarized if you are under 18. If you are over 18 you can sign for yourself. If you don't have a waiver signed and if you are under 18 and it is not notarized you will not get to skate (no exceptions). If you did not receive a waiver please email me salman@theberrics.com and I will email it to you. We will have Pizza and drinks during your session.
Day to meet April 4, 2009 - Where to meet: (adress removed to honor the berrics) Los Angeles, CA 90023 Time to meet: 11:00am sharp - Time to Skate 11:15am - 2:00pm sharp- Time to get picked up 2:00pm sharp Look forward to seeing you at The Berrics. Bring your skills because Chase will be filming the whole thing.
thank you, Salman Agah
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Blood...
Always reminds us that we are not immortal.
There are people who fall or bleed once and that is enough for them to stop whatever they were trying forever. Self-preservation is a switch that is very difficult to turn off. Most people obey the orders of self-preservation and find safer ways to have fun.
Some people like Hector just know how to turn it off. Only two options:
1. You roll away unharmed.
2. Prepare to put your body in shock because its not going to like whats coming.
Most of the time, he picks the first option.
There are people who fall or bleed once and that is enough for them to stop whatever they were trying forever. Self-preservation is a switch that is very difficult to turn off. Most people obey the orders of self-preservation and find safer ways to have fun.
Some people like Hector just know how to turn it off. Only two options:
1. You roll away unharmed.
2. Prepare to put your body in shock because its not going to like whats coming.
Most of the time, he picks the first option.
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