The Wiley One Plays Krause Family YMCA

Last Friday July 23rd, The Wiley One, in connection with the Connect the Dots Biobus Tour, played a solar-powered concert at the Krause Family YMCA skatepark. This skatepark allows BMX riding, has a good street course, nice park area, smooth concrete pool, and a giant vert ramp that was first used at the 2006 X Games.

The Wiley One are currently on a tour of the west coast, leading up to their performance at the X Games on Thursday, July 27th at the L.A. Coliseum.

The Connect the Dots Tour is helping to raise awareness about our energy usage. The Biobus is a former school bus turned mobile classroom for renewable energy and climate science. It runs on recaptured vegetable oil and is equipped with solar panels, which provide all the energy they need to their deliver free multimedia presentations about climate change, as well as to power their concerts. If you'd like to help out (and you know you do!), text DOT (Do One Thing) to 30644. It's a free text but will show your support for sustaining our environment.

In between sets powered by the sun, The Wiley One, Sundawg Records staff and support crew hung out and skated with some of the local kids and passed out Peace Tea, who is another sponsor of the tour. 

It's apparent when watching these guys play and chill together that they're having a blast!  It's also clear that they really believe in the message of the C.T.D. Tour.  How many bands have a live beat box on stage with them?  Not enough, if you ask me!

Sundiego Vans Am Slam stop #3!

The Sun Diego Vans Am Slam hit Chula Vista on 7/17/10 for the third stop of the tour. The tour culminates with a championship contest at the Vans skatepark in O.C. If you are not familiar with this tour, take it from me that you need to get out to the next stop on 8/28/10 at the Carmel Valley skatepark. There is incredible amateur skating happening right here in San Diego. You will not believe how amazing these skaters are. These riders will melt your face with amazing tricks and powerful skating. Each stop I am blown away that the riders can keep up this level of riding stop after stop.
  

In the 13 and under division you had skaters as young as 6 showing the crowd what they have. It was great to see some of the smaller kids not being afraid to mix it up with the bigger kids. The three kids on the podium had great use of the park and tricks that were well above their age.  The results had Alexis Ramirez in third, Zach Saraceno in second, and Rene Serrano with the win. Zach and Rene are only 100 points apart going into the next stop.

Things started to get hotter with the 14-16 division.  They took the riding to another level.  Big airs, use of the whole park, and long grinds stuck out to me in this group.  I was impressed that at this age they were kick flipping down 6 stair sets and pulling long board slides.  In the end, creative use of the park helped propel the winners to the podium.  Diego Navarez gets third, Eric Winkowski comes in second, Peejay Encina gets the win.  Peejay has a big points lead going forward.

Moving into the 17 and over division the skating just keeps getting better.  Higher airs, longer grinds, kick flips into board slides, and tre flips and big spins down the 6 stairs stood out in this division.  Use of the park, creative and flowing lines, and big tricks were necessary to get on the podium. Patrick Swiggs had the best combination and took the win, Joshua Briggs gets second, and Dolan Stearns earns third.  Patrick and Dolan are very close in points, look for these two to step it up moving forward.

Now on to the money round. The open division is where the big show is, and these skaters delivered. This group is really close to making it to the big league AM contests, and you will hear about several of these riders in the near future. These guys really used the park to it's fullest.  The crowd had to get out of the way a few times to allow these skaters to go places that no one expected.  Kick flips into manuals, flip in shove it out board slides, the biggest airs, and tricking the biggest obstacles were par for this division.  There were lots of contestants so this division had 3 jams and a big final.  If you have not had the chance to watch a quality skating competition with 9 or 10 skater jams you are really missing out on a great show.  There are skaters all over the place with non-stop tricks being thrown each second.  In the final the skating only got better.  Full park use, the biggest tricks on the most difficult obstacles, and style had to all come together to place in this tough division.  At the end of the day Jake Hill gets third, Brandon Villanueva lands in second, and Bryant Chapo gets his second win of the tour.  Brendan has a 600 point lead on Bryant, but Bryant has two wins.  This division will not be decided until the end in Oceanside.

The trick of the day is usually quite difficult to decide, but Ivan Ortiz's frontside bigspin off the waterfall roll in to flat easily stood out.  This is a giant trick he did with a 12 foot fall to flat concrete. 

To view the schedule for the remaining stops of the tour click here., or visit SunDiego.com.  To view all my photos, more than 150, from this contest, click here!

Photographers protect your images!

I stumbled on this article from twitter, and I am shocked that a company with the reputation Grenade Gloves has that they would treat another professional in the same industry this way. This post is from Chris Messevery Photography, a great photographer whether shooting action sports or not. He has been taken advantage of, had his copyright violated, and all this could have been avoided with some communication and a small fee for using his image for commercial gain. Read his post on the subject, and remember to keep your images protected.

Travis Rice - Monarch Post

Check out the Red Bull Chronicles Teaser with a great interview as posted by the Monarch Post:

Travis Rice Exclusive Interview from Trinity Ludlow-Monarch Post on Vimeo.

Travis Rice born October 9, 1982. Whilst shooting in Alaska last month ‘The Red Bull Chronicles’ had Curt ask Travis a couple of Q’s for us on a down day. The interview features in Ep 12 of the 24 part series about to launch on the global networks. In 2008 Rice co-produced with filmmaker Curt Morgan one of the biggest budget blockbuster snowboard films of its time “Thats It Thats All” NZ not only featured in the opening section but also hosted the World Premier in Wanaka. It took film making in the mountains to another level. Amid the never-ending mission to find pure adventure Travis has already begun production on Chapter 2 – “Flight” With Brain Farm Cinema on your team who come armed with the in house Ciniflex V14, a Phantom HD Gold Cam, A Red One and a Varicam 3700 + enough glass to blow out any rockstars excess baggage allowance. Add in a mass heli budget, a storage shed with trucks, quads, sleds, camera rigs.. Then top it all off with a dream line up of riders… oh and a 730 day window to produce it all! You know when it comes out its going to once again step it up a notch and set the bench mark for all those pro riders trying to build their film sections and leave winter film makers to dream some more. Here is what Mr Rice had to say. Chur Chur boys… Looking forward to seeing it all happen! Phantom that Shizza up! Stock footage: Red Bull NZ www.redbull.co.nz/ www.thatsit-thatsall.com www.brainfarmcinema.com

Sun Diego Vans Am Slam hits Chula Vista!

The Sun Diego Vans Am Slam arrives in Chula Vista on Saturday. This is the third stop on the tour leading to the championships at the Vans skate compound in LA.

If you have not been to this great, FREE event, I want you to realize you are missing some amazing skating right here in the best city for action sports, San Diego!  Want to see what went down at the last stop?  Take a look at my pictures!

Ryan Nyquist Returns to Vert!

If you follow Ryan on twitter (@ryannyquist) you already know that he accidentally checked the vert box when signing up for the Dew Tour (@thedewtour).  He asked his twitter followers if he should go through with it, and we all told him to.  Showing us he is not afraid of a challenge, Nyquist will ride vert at a contest for the first time in 8 or 9 years.  Have a look at a teaser of him on a vert ramp; so nice to see him getting 10' above the deck.  Jamie Bestwick, Chad Kagy, Steve McCann, and the rest of the vert riders better watch out!


Ryan Nyquist Vert Session from Haro Bikes on Vimeo.

The Dew Tour BMX Open goes down in Chicago July 23&24, so get there or set your DVR so you don't miss Nyquist making a great contest a little more interesting.

Pierce Howell & Parker Heath - Future BMX Stars!

At the Gatorade Free Flow Tour stop in Perris, CA on June 24, 2010, I was lucky enough to meet Pierce Howell and Parker Heath. They are best friends from right here in San Diego, call Krause Family YMCA skate/bike park their home park (mine too!), and completely rip it up on their bikes. In Perris, Pierce won the Junior Division and Parker placed 3rd. Recently I was able to meet up with both of them at the park, get some shots, and ask them a few questions.

Let's start with Parker:

• He is sponsored by Freestyle USA & Psycho Wear.
  
• His dad took him to Boom Boom Huck Jam and he has been into action sports ever since.
• He is a big Dave Mirra fan.
• His favorite bikes are Haro, Sabrosa, and Hoffman.
• His favorite tricks include Tuck No Handers, No Foot Cans, and Nothings.

What really sticks out to me about these two riders is the way their friendship helps to push each other to better riding. At the park, it was clear they are a level above most of the other kids. Even older teenagers were staring at the moves these two had. They encourage each other, feed off each other, and really dig landing tricks.

Now on to Pierce:

• He is sponsored by Division 26 and Psycho Wear
• He has always loved action sports, drifted towards BMX after seeing a Triple Crown event.
• He is a fan of Dennis Mc Coy.
• His favorite bikes are Haro, S&M, and Sabrosa.
• His favorite tricks are No Foot Cans, Tuck No Handers, and Supermans.

The point of this story is to show you the level of talent coming up. These kids are already great riders, riding the biggest obstacles, throwing great tricks, and they're only 12! I can't wait to watch them grow into big name pros. If you own a company, you'd be foolish not to sponsor these kids and ride their coattails. They will rep your brand right. To see more shots of these two awesome rippers, click here.

Mike Vallely #13 - DIY or Die!

Here is Mike's new Mondays Episode #13.  In this episode we get to see a retrospective of Mike's leading up to this moment.  The moment he starts his new company, Do it Yourself or Die!  Check the video, and support this team started by one of the best in the biz!

The Wiley One Connect the Dots Tour hits So Cal 7/21

The Wiley One are bringing their new songs and environmentally conscious message to Southern California. This video talks about the innovative bus they will be traveling on:



To see the tour poster with all the dates, click here.

The biggest shows on the list for me are 7/23 at The Krause Family YMCA skate/bike park and the 7/24 Surfrider Mission Beach Clean Up. The Krauss Family YMCA is located at 3401 Clairemont Dr, San Diego, 92117. At the skate park, there will be a skate demo, solar powered concert, and green education. The following day, The Wiley One will team up with Surfrider San Diego for a beach cleanup and acoustic performance at Mission Beach. Come on out, help do some good and have a blast at it!

By the way, both of the above events are FREE! Yes I said FREE! There's no excuse to miss either of these great events!

If you like the track "Never Bored on a Board" playing in the video, you can download it for free (for a short time longer) by clicking here.

Twinterview with Adam Banton - Exclusive

Adam Banton, a BMX ripper, is in San Diego this week. He agreed to a Twinterview, check it out:

Q. Who do you ride for/who sponsors you?


A. @easternbikes @odysseybmx @Armourdillo @Fender @OsirisFootwear and C. T. I. Kneebraces 

Q. Why are you in San Diego? (sorry the weather isn't great at the moment)

A. June gloom in July huh? Lol. I'm here recording my 3rd full length album in Encinitas. Avail on iTunes in October.

Q. Do you prefer riding in parks or at spots?

A. I'm always down to ride anything as long as it's a fun setup or spot. Park,street,pool, ledge. What ever!

Q. Which trick gives you the most satisfaction to land?

A. Anything really. As long as I can visualize it in my head, it always feels good to pull it.

Q. How many frames have you broken in your life? - Feel free to add any last words, and thank you for playing!

A.  Hmm, probably broke only about 30 frames in my life? Not really sure. Not many though. Keep life simple& have fun riding your bike!

For more information about this great rider, click here.

Double Corks Rock, but Triple Corks are Smokin'!

You saw Shaun White, Kevin Pearce, Louie Vito, Danny Davis, and others doing double corks in the half pipe at the events leading up to the Olympics. I cannot tell you the amount of work, dedication, and brass ones it takes to throw a double cork in the first place, but all of the riders above threw them in their runs. An interesting little factoid, Kevin and Danny are members of the same crew, Frends. If you have been paying attention, you would think Louie is a Frend too, but he is not officially listed at the site. Louie definitely pals around with them at least. If you are not familiar with these tricks or the riders, Kevin Pearce and Danny Davis both suffered crippling injuries and did not make it to the Olympics to give Shaun the challenge of a lifetime. That said, Kevin was nominated for a Teen Choice Award, you should sign up and vote for him here.

The impressive display left many people wondering what was next, can you say triple cork?

Torstien Horgmo landed the first triple cork ever filmed, check this out:



I watched that footage 10 times and was just as stoked as I was the first time. Watch it again, it's free!

This morning, lighting up Twitter, is Sammy Carlson with a switch, triple corked, 1260! Sammy always uses his feet sticks to their fullest, but I am blown away by this, have a look:



I know that both of these tricks were done on some of the biggest jumps ever seen, but they are getting the rotations down, and soon enough we will see these tricks in slope style events, and then, if we are lucky, in the half pipe. Shred on and keep the progression going!

Tuesdays With Miles has Gary Young this week

 This week on Tuesdays with With Miles - A Day with Gary Young stars a local BMX ripper.  Gary Young, an X Games athlete, shows us some moves in this footage. Gary is one of the many professional extreme/action sport athletes that call San Diego home.


Go to Tuesdays With Miles for more videos.

Don't know much about Gary Young, watch this clip about his joining and being a member of the Vans Team.

Vans Then and Now - Gary Young - More BMX Videos

Street League and ESPN, a great team!

Street League, the new invitation only street skating competition tour teams up with ESPN to televise the events! I cannot think of a better television partner, especially considering the real-time scoring that will happen in Street League. 

On June 24, 2010, Street League put on a demo in San Diego, and I was there to witness Paul Rodriguez and Chris Cole put on a clinic of top notch skating! The pictures you are seeing are from that event!  To see more of my photos from this demo, click here.

Below is the official ESPN press release:

STREET LEAGUE SKATEBOARDING™ ANNOUNCES MULTI-YEAR BROADCAST PARTNERSHIP WITH ESPN

Street League DC Pro Tour fueled by Monster Energy Secures Domestic and International Distribution

Street League Skateboarding™ announced today that they will be entering a multi-year partnership with ESPN for worldwide distribution in more than 198 countries.  The 2010 Street League DC Pro Tour fueled by Monster Energy is a prestigious, invite-only, three-event series featuring the top 24 pros in the world.  Founded by twenty-year professional skateboarder and entrepreneur, Rob Dyrdek, Street League™ raises the bar of competitive professional skateboarding with the most prize money in skateboarding history, skate plaza course design in world-class arenas and an instant-scoring format that makes every trick count. 

“What Dyrdek has done for skateboarding with the creation of Street League is right in line with the quality sports programming that is the cornerstone of ESPN,” said Chris Stiepock, ESPN vice president, sponsorship and content, X Games Franchise.  “We are excited to broadcast competitive street skating with the world’s best pros in a package that is both compelling and new for our audience.”

Dyrdek said: “ESPN is an absolute perfect fit for Street League, and it is undeniable that they have helped lay the groundwork for televised skateboarding 16 years ago with the launch of X Games and have stayed with it ever since. With this deal, competitive street skateboarding will finally move from afternoon programming on the weekends to consecutive primetime slots so the audience finally has a chance to tune in and watch the same time every week.”

Street League™ will air the first stop of the tour beginning Wednesday, September 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and will continue its coverage of each stop every Wednesday at the same time slot through September 29^th.

Street League™ features the exclusive participation of 24 of the best street skateboarders in the world. To assist their transition into the league, each pro has been given the option to compete in two non-sanctioned wildcard events until the end of 2010.  Beginning in 2011, the pros will compete exclusively in the Street League™ series and other Street League™ sanctioned events worldwide.  Street League™ will work in conjunction with ESPN to allow Street League™ pros to participate in ESPN-owned events for the duration of the partnership.

Using real time scoring and an exciting proprietary competition format, Street League™ will tell a compelling story about each skateboarder’s performance and will have fans on the edge of their seats from the first trick to the very last.  The inaugural year of Street League™ features a three-stop arena tour beginning at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona on August 28^th; Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California on September 11^th; and the final stop in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center on September 25th.  The skaters will be competing at each event for a total purse of $1.2 million.   For more information please visit www.streetleague.com.

About ESPN

ESPN, Inc., The Worldwide Leader in Sports, is the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia sports assets with over 50 business entities.  Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN Plaza includes more than 700,000 square feet in more than a dozen buildings on 116 acres.  The company is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. 

About Street League Skateboarding ™

Street League Skateboarding™ is the first sports entertainment property that gives professional street skateboarding its very own league for individual competition.  Street League™ features the exclusive participation of the world’s best professionals, the most prize money in skateboarding history with a $1.2 MM purse, and real skate plaza course design inside world-class arenas.  Driven by the need to enhance the experience of live professional street skateboarding, Street League™ utilizes real-time scoring and a proprietary format that makes every trick count. Street League™ is created and hosted by twenty-year professional skateboarder and entrepreneur, Rob Dyrdek.  More information is available at www.streetleague.com.

Pay attention for details, and get tickets to what surely will be one of the can't miss events of the summer!