No skate photos. Just some low quality video stills, so check out the video for the real deal!

Video, words, and photos: Roadie

Matt Stine. Crail over the death box

Over the stairs, the hard way.

GRavEsIdE DeATh BoX

Matt Stine. Frontside grind

graVeside sTaiRs

To read the full article about Graveside Hawaii, check out CONFUSION Magazine issue #3. You can buy it here.

Webby in his shaping bay. Ballina, NSW. Photo: Roadie

A couple of years ago while on a boat trip in Panama, one of my friends kept raving about his new magic board, a tiny 5’6 quad fish that was his small wave destroyer, shaped by his friend back in Lennox Head. A few years later, I finally got the chance to visit Lennox and enjoy some of the local specialties, such as “The Point”, “Boulders”, “South Wall”, and “Speeds”. It seems that everywhere I went there was this reoccurring logo which stood out in the lineups. A few days later at a backyard grill party I finally met the shaper behind the logo, Wayne Webster. The following is a conversation I had with him in his shaping shed, just outside of Ballina. – Roadie

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Wayne Webster, I am 38 years old and I shape surfboards.

How long have you been here in Lennox?

I’ve been here in Lennox Head for maybe 18 years and I have been shaping boards for 22 years.

Webster team rider Luke Streader. Photo courtesy of Webster

I grew up in Newcastle, sorta down near Sydney. Yeah, living in Newcastle I kinda got sick of seeing big south swells with nowhere to surf down there, so, yeah, I moved up here to Lennox where we can enjoy the swells.

Perfect. So when did you start your own label here?

I’ve shaped for a lot of different companies for a few years now. I’ve started my own business here in the last 18 months, yeah, just kinda opened up a little showroom and pretty much this is the first shed I’ve had.

I see a lot of your boards out in the line-up. It seems that a lot of the locals are really keen on ‘em. What’s the proper board for the waves out here?

I think really just a good sorta shortboard, you know. Really for the waves we get around here, pretty much 99% of the time that’s what we ride. For summer it’s good to have something a little bit wider with a bit more surface area so you are kinda above the wave, to get you going a bit but we don’t really have much use for guns and stuff out here, well sometimes, but yeah, it’s pretty rare- it’s mostly shorties.

Tony Chavez. Riding a Webster at Uluwatu. Photo: Fred Turmel

So I have to ask, what’s your favorite wave in the world?

Wow, my favorite wave in the world, well, I reckon I’ve got a few, but umm…

…Top 5?

I just like off-shore clean days anywhere. But yeah, maybe Kirra, old Kirra was awesome. Sunset and Waimea, they’re fun… but yeah, I’d just be happy to go surf today, you know.

Lennox Head local gets pitted at the point. Photo: Roadie

So what’s the future like for Webster Surfboards?

Aww man, I don’t know. It’s pretty hard to plan stuff like that. I mean I started this shed just wondering if anyone was gonna walk in, you know, and 18 months later I kinda need a bigger shed (laughs). Yeah, I guess its kinda doing all right. (big grin).

Now, almost a year after that conversation, it seems like he has been doing all right. Webster Surfboards has a vibrant website which sports his official lineup of board shapes as well as some surfers proud to have his boards under their feet, such as big wave riders Mark Visser and 2010 Billabong XXL Winner Sebastian Steudtner, charger Anthony Walsh, ultra-grom Zac Wightman, local shredders Mark Hernage and Luke Streader, and longboarder Ben Dickens. For more info, check out the website: www.webstersurfboards.com.au

I’m looking forward to finally calling one of his hand-shaped boards my own. -Roadie

Tony Chavez enjoys his magic board. Keramas, Bali. Photo: Fred Turmel

This is an older unpublished interview with Ed Templeton from the “Good and Evil” days.
Interview by Thomas Reitmayer

What have you been up to lately?

I have been preparing two art exhibitions, one in Vienna, and one in Belgium. I had to paint, and get tons of photos printed and framed. It’s a big task sometimes! And I have to do all of this while continuing to keep Toy Machine running, doing ads and dealing with the team and their needs. And my wife has needs too!

The art exhibition in Vienna you just mentioned, Americans, was quite high-brow. Your photos were next to photos of artists such as Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, and Richard Avedon. How did this happen?

It’s crazy really. I was asked by my gallery in LA to do an installation for an art fair they were doing in Madrid, Spain. An art fair is just like the action sports trade show, but for art. So it’s a huge exposition center filled with booths where galleries set up a temporary gallery space. I went there and set up a big show, covering the walls with photos, over 200 pieces. By chance the curator of the Americans, Peter Weiremar was at the fair, and walked by the booth and took a look. He was so impressed that he proclaimed, “I want this guy in the Americans!” He didn’t know who I was, or that I was a skateboarder, or anything I have ever done in the past. It was his first time seeing my work. I think it’s crazy to pick someone for such a big show on only one thing. But I guess he was sure after seeing my photos.

I remember you explaining your photography to a group of people, half skateboard kids and half art crowd, and you seemed to be kind of shy and uncomfortable.

It’s scary to talk in front of people. I get very self-conscious. I much prefer answering questions or explaining certain photographs to just doing a lecture. I want to interact with people, and make it informal.

Bam, Elissa, Laconia.

Do you sometimes get the feeling that certain people are only interested in your art because you are a professional skateboarder? Or, the other way around, do the “serious” art peeps not take you seriously enough because of that?

It goes both ways. There are in fact people who like my work because I am a skater, and the only way they could have heard of me was through the skateboard community. I am fine with that. I don’t think I have been dismissed because I was a skateboarder by the art establishment, or at least not that I know of…
I think the work speaks for itself. I don’t advertise the fact that I am a pro skater, so it is possible for a person to see a show and leave having no idea I skated. They may wonder why there were so many young kids with skateboards at the show.

Ed Templeton. Nosegrind. Toronto, Canada. Photo: Dave Swift

You are 34 years old now, and you’ve had your first solo exhibition in 1994, one year after you started Toy Machine. At this age, do you think about a life after skateboarding, as cheesy as it might sound?

I thought about life after skateboarding before I turned pro! I advise all of my team to do the same. I think it is a tragedy if you are placing your whole life on being a pro skater, because the reality is you will not be a pro skater when you are 40. You will have 40 to 50 more years of life to live! What will you do with the rest of your life? Now I can’t say that I had my life all planned out, but I always worked towards doing something creative with my life after skateboarding, and this is where I turned up! So for me life after skateboarding will be doing my company, Toy Machine, working with RVCA clothing as a graphic designer and magazine editor, and doing my artwork. I get to continue having my feet in both worlds.

Drowned by own words

You turned pro when you were 18. Do you feel that the professional side of skateboarding has taken away some of the fun?

Yes, but only in recent years. Up to 1997 – 98 it was still pretty much 100% fun. Of course there were the regular responsibilities of doing demos and contests, but around 1999, 200, 2001 it started getting real intense. Money started coming in from the mainstream, and rider salaries went up. All companies started wanting to do videos. So as a pro, it became important to be constantly filming. You need to be traveling and getting footage at all times. It became more important than contests, and demos. If you are not filming a part for your shoe sponsor, you are filming one for your board sponsor or your clothing sponsor. It never ends. On top of that, all your sponsors need a steady flow of photos of you. Not only in the magazines but also for their ads. So where you used to have time to relax, you now have to travel and be doing something every single month of the year, not get hurt, and be sure that every part you do is better than your last one! To answer your question simply, in any line of work, once you are getting paid to do it, it changes. The fun of just skateboarding will never change. Just the job part has become less fun. You can’t fuck with pure skateboarding.

Duncan Girls. Photo: Ed Templeton

How do you see the current state of skateboarding, with all of its positives and negatives? In which way does it differ from the New Deal days of the early 90s?

Mostly what I said above applies here. In 1990, video was not even part of the picture. It was coming real quickly though. I remember for my first video part in 1990, the “New Deal 15 minute promo video,” they called me up and said, we will be by your house this weekend to film your part! I got two days. In 1990 you didn’t call up a photographer and tell them what you were going to do, they called you and asked to come out skating with you, and they shot whatever you were doing. Everything was new and being discovered. I am not bitter about these changes at all. I love it. Skating is always changing and evolving. Those were good days, and these ones we are living are good days too.

Ed Templeton. Australia. 1990. Photo: David Pang

Way back when, your pro model on Sheep was something like the first Vegan skate shoe ever. Now I know how easy it is these days to live vegan, but I am wondering what it must have been like trying to find some vegan grub on tour in the early 90s…

It was pretty hard! I remember going vegan and the soy milk tasted like shit. Vegan ice cream? No way, it didn’t exist. Those early years were pretty rough. I ate a lot of Taco Bell bean burritos, and shitty iceberg lettuce salads from restaurants. We would bring a cooler in the van. When we did find a health food store we would stock up on veggie burgers and stuff. When the team was eating at Red Lobster, I would be in the van making a sandwich.

Who or what made you consider veganism in the first place? Do you consider yourself a role model for the kids? You’re a “famous vegetarian” and all that stuff…

My friends Mike Vallely and Christian Kline got me interested in Veganism. Since then Mike V has reverted to being a carnivore. I started off doing it for animal rights. Once I read the literature on the subject I couldn’t go back. And now, over a lifetime of eating this way and learning, it is as much about being healthy as it is for animal rights. Again, I don’t advertise my Veganism, and it does not define who I am. To me it is just the only logical and compassionate way to eat, but it is just food choices. Having said that, I get asked about it all the time in interviews, so I am always talking about it. If I am a role model, that is fine. I am happy to be a role model toward something I see as a positive way to eat for your health and the planets’.

Empty Plastic Echoes

This is something I’ve always wanted to talk about, but I rarely – if ever – see it mentioned in interviews… you have said numerous times that you have a DIY hardcore punk background. Please elaborate.

I say that because I started skateboarding, and the only people who accepted me at my school, this was 6th grade, were the punks. They had skateboards, I had a skateboard, and so I could hang out with them. I wasn’t a punker. I was just a dorky kid. These kids let me hang with them, and gave me mixed tapes of the Dead Kennedy’s, the Germs, and Black Flag. I went to the punk mini ramp near my house and they owner always played Minor Threat full blast. This time is when I became a real person. Before I was just a lost kid, with no real friends. I was entering a whole new world of music and skateboarding. My punk friends’ rooms were covered with flyers for punk shows, they drew pictures from album covers on their school folders. Skaters and punkers were a do it yourself group. The kids organized their own punk shows and made their own flyers, and punk ‘zines. Skaters made their own ramps, own skate ‘zines, organized our own sessions at different skate spots, and even organized a few local skate contests. Soon enough I was making my own ‘zines, and going to see Fugazi…

Ed Templeton. Boardslide. Photo: Gabe Morford

Do you still follow the contemporary underground music scene? Is there a chance that some young skateboarder would find himself standing next to Ed Templeton at a basement show? What is some of the stuff you currently listen to?

Yes! You could see me at a basement show. I have gone to this place called the Smell in LA; they book a lot of very small experimental bands. I like some of the noise music coming out of Providence, Rhode Island, and my friend BARR just got signed to a major label. I am always looking for new music, although I have grown very picky with what I really like. I still follow Sonic Youth and Fugazi, although Fugazi is broken up and I don’t see a comeback anytime soon. But Ian has a new band, The Evens that is very good, and I still jam out to all the old punk stuff like Husker Du, Germs, Bad Brains, etc. Classic rock, classical, anything that is good, regardless of it’s label, you know?

Fugazi. Photo: Ed Templeton

Let’s talk about Toy Machine. In which ways has it changed since you first started it?

Not much. In the early days it was just about not caring at all. Doing something totally different, and trying to be funny. There was no care what went into an ad, or graphic. Because of the aforementioned changes in skateboarding as a whole I have to be a little bit more thoughtful about what goes into an ad or graphic. It’s still the same attitude, just a slightly different approach. Team choices are more important too. That changed during the Welcome to Hell days.

Big Virgin triptych

The current Toy Machine team is pretty bad-ass, with the likes of Billy Marks, Josh Harmony, and the Butcher on your roster. Yet some people still seem to miss the “glory days” of Jamie Thomas, Chris Senn, and Bam. What do you think about that? What’s your relationship with these people like today?

I still talk to Jamie Thomas pretty often; we have some of the same riders on Fallen and Toy. I still talk with Brian Anderson once in a while, and e-mail with Brad Staba all the time. Elissa calls me late at night drunk at least once a month. When I see Muska, Bam, or Chris Senn it’s like old times, everything is cool. I take great care to be people’s friends first, and boss second, so when people want to part ways, it is all done with honor, and I can see them and still be friends. Those were some good old days, but Good and Evil and Suffer the Joy will be the good old days to this generation…

Arto with Scar. Photo: Ed Templeton

I think especially someone like Bam Margera is all over the place, and kids just go nuts over him. Do you sometimes feel that you could have been in his shoes, with a fat bank account and lots of fame?

I have thought that. And if I pursued that path I have no doubt I would have a show on MTV right now too. I was hanging out with the Big Brother guys when Jackass was being planted as an idea. I could have easily been involved with that show. But I kept my feet more in skateboarding and artwork. The money part of those jobs sound nice, but I don’t want to be all over TV selling ad space for giant companies that I hate. And fame. Instant fame comes quickly and goes just as quickly. Fame without a base of respect means nothing, it’s temporary. To me, someone like Robert Frank is famous, and very respected. His fame isn’t going anywhere. They teach him in art history classes. They will never teach Bam Margera.

Going back to the art aspect a little bit, how do you feel about Toy Machine being regarded as some kind of a company for younger kids? Does this bug you?

Not at all, that means it’s successful! If only 28-year-old dudes are buying Toy Machine, I am in trouble! It’s a skateboard company. Young people skateboard. When I make ads I think about 15-year-old boys and what they will think is funny, or great. And I also keep in mind that some older skaters will see the ads, and I try to put something in that will make them laugh too.

You’ve always designed your own boards. How much of an impact do your team riders have on the graphics? Is there something you would never print for them? Or do they even care at all?

My guys are involved in whatever way they choose to be. If they have an idea for a graphic, I try to make it happen, or get someone who can. Other riders just say, “I like this or that.” And I try to come up with something along those lines. Lately I have been asking artists friends to do a whole series, and then we let the artist decide what we all are getting. So it goes both ways. If a rider brought me a graphic that I thought was terrible and wouldn’t sell, I will tell them. But ultimately, it is their decision.

Portrait of Cel

I was asking this question because there are a lot of sexual components in your photographs. Do you consciously try and separate this kind of imagery from what Toy Machine stands for?

I think what I do for Toy Machine and what I do as an artist is very different. Of course some elements of what I do are inappropriate for the skateboard audience, and I keep that separate. I have had some strange cross over. One time in New York I was doing a show and a young skater kid came in with his mother. They looked around, and then I saw them arguing. She was shocked! The kid came up and told me he was expecting drawings of characters like the stuff in Toy ads, but really liked what he saw, but his mom was very angry, and he had to leave.

Do you even feel that you do – or have to – separate your art from your skateboarding career?

I do feel that. Only because I don’t want to be an artist with a gimmick, like, “Hey everyone! I’m the artist who is a pro skater!” So I separate it for the art audience, I don’t have to separate it for the skate audience, because they already know. My artwork wouldn’t be here without skateboarding, and the person I became through skateboarding. That is inseparable.

- Interview by Thomas Reitmayer

For more of Ed Templeton’s photography check out his website:
Ed Templeton’s Traffic Jam on the Information Super-Highway

A few days before Elzo’s opening, a pre-session went down with the likes of Impakt Skateboards’ Jan Wermes, Tobi Hees, Aries Riepelsiep, and Minus‘ David Conrads. The video is more or less a fail with dark and blurry footage and mostly slams, sending Jan Wermes home battered, bruised and swollen suffering the agony of defeat. David Conrads had the trick of the session with a blunt kickflip to fakie, shown at the end of the video. It is what it is, you can’t win them all.

Photos and video: J. Hay

Arty Farty - Deadwood on Wheels - opening night

Aries putting down new wheel marks on the vert wall.

Artwork by Elzo Durt

Tobi Hees - frontside rock

Artwork by Elzo

David Conrads. Transfer from the loveseat to pivot on the vert quarter.

Elzo trying to stop his posters getting ripped off the wall from dudes bailing into them.

Bobby. Kickflip to fakie.

Tobi Hees. Frontside Air.

Elzos screen printed posters.

Fallen

Elzo Durt is currently on a european tour with his exhibition called Amen.
More info about Elzo’s tour and Elzo himself here.

More artwork from Elzo can be found here.
More photos from Arty Farty Gallery BLOG here and here.

Filmed & Edited: Jonathan Hay
Additional footage: Björn Klotz

“This is an inspiration for the rest of the world to get back into vert skating“
(Christian Hosoi at Vert Attack 5)

VERT ATTACK 5 – the (european) Resurrection of Vert!
Malmö, Sweden
February 5th, 2011

Words by Volker Lux
Photos by Fred Ferand and J. Hay

VERT ATTACK 5 was one hell of a contest at the huge vert skater gathering in Malmö, Sweden.
VERT IS BACK! After the fifth edition of the “European Midvert Championships” it’s getting ridiculous to deny this. That was already the case even after last winter’s Vert Attack 4, when 67 european vert skaters had celebrated an incredible day of vert at its best.

Andy Scott killed it last time, worth to watch it again and again on vimeo.com. And he did it strictly based on lip tricks, so many, wall-to-wall.

Almost everyone came back this year. And everyone made promotion for VA5 among their friends. It started with Jeff Hedges, confirming american legends were confirmed for this comp as well.
Cab and Hosoi followed. Neal Hendrix had already confirmed, followed by Alex Perelson.

Alex Perelson

Christian Hosoi

Steve Caballero. Photo: Hay

Sounds like a huge event with the biggest financial support by a major sponsor, but hardly any money was involved – the main sponsor was again the city of Malmö! No prize money was needed to attract the scene. It was a troop of vert warriors and veterans, hitting the drums for the Vert Attack via facebook and other new social medias. The tension grew larger each day as skaters posted about Vert Attack. The latest confirmation, a day before the comp was that Rune Glifberg would also be showing up! Rune is from Copenhagen, Denmark, just a bridge away from Malmö. But he has lived in the USA for almost two decades and hadn’t shown up for the first five years of the event.

In 2010 for Vert Attack 4, the time was already tight to let 67 vert riders compete in only one day. How many would come this year? Over 100 competitors seemed possible, especially after the US-Masters had confirmed. Hard to say how many vert riders there were among the crowd… luckily the number of competitors stayed manageable. 16 young guns, 51 pros and ams, and 20 masters (over 40 years). A total of 87! Never before in europe had such a big vert comp gone down!

At this point one name should get dropped for the first time in this report: John Magnusson. The VERT ATTACK is his master piece. He is an all round skater with biggest skills in bowl and vert. Besides running his own skate companies he works for Bryggeriet, the skateboard club of Malmö, to which the skatepark where VERT ATTACK took off belongs. In the past decade he’s been working really hard to get Malmö on the map with new skateparks and events. He brought Quiksilver Bowlriders to Malmö and organizes the Malmö ULTRA BOWL, which last time was dominated by US-rippers from Bacon, Addikt and Powell.

Cab, Hosoi and Ffej visited a classroom of the school and were impressed by their standards. Scandinavia, especially Sweden, is well known for high standards in education and youth work.
Cab: “Stoked to see that they actually have a school where you can learn media and skate.”

Steve Caballero. Photo: Hay

Christian Hosoi

Jeff Hedges

Like every year the one and only skatedoc Patrik Bergholtz made the introduction of the event – on his guitar! Lights off, spotlight on, and Patrick played the guitar hero with his own vert attack song!

The youngsters were the first to go. Rippers from four different nations made it to the final: Germany, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom. The 13 year young Mathew Carlisle from UK won the juniors, with Frontside Rodeos and gaytwists at coping height or backside 180 varials over the channel!

Pros and Ams still competed together in one group. (In 2010 there was no separation at all: all competitors joined well mixed heats!) The biggest contenders were last years winners Andy Scott (in 2010), Sam Bosworth (4th in 2010), Sam Beckett (5th) from UK and Jussi Korhonen (2nd) from Finland, next to “newcomers“ Alex Perelson, Neal Hendrix, Rune Glifberg and Adil Dyani. Adil now lives in Norway again, after many years in California, which had improved his skills a lot.

Adil Dyani

Sam Beckett. Photo: Hay

Jussi Korhonen

Sam Bosworth

There are more names to mention, talking about a top european vert comp: Oskar Gydell, Mattias Svensson, Jocke Olsson, Stephen White and Macki “Vertboy” from Sweden, Alex Halford and Jake Anderson from UK, Thomas Madsen from Denmark, Jon Pedersen from Norway, and local Mattias Nylen played major roles in last years’ Vert Attacks.

Mattias Nylen. Photo: Hay

Most of them didn’t make it to the finals this year. But who did was the second youngest pro/am competitor, Jake Anderson from England. Ever heard of this guy?? I had seen him at VA4 for the first time, but did not think of him again until this year. One thing to keep in mind from now on is that he became a father last August! At the age of 16! I was told he rips much harder since his son was born. At Vert Attack 5 he proved that, especially with his amazing last run, adding spin and twist airs wall to wall as if he’d be Andy Mac Jr.! How incredible that this “unknown father kid“ could beat the whole european vert elite, Alex Perelson and Rune Glifberg, who were also ripping like hell!!!

Jake Anderson

Alex Perelson. Photo: Hay

Rune Glifberg

The pro final was rad, but the masters final was more important to me. My expectations for the master heats had risen pretty high after I had become aware that there would be a reunion with legends like Cab, Hosoi, Anders and Ffej. I’ve known Ffej since 1988 when he visited the first vert ramp I had built in my hometown of Bonn, Germany. In that year he became World Champion of Vert Amateurs in Münster, taking out previous year’s winner Anders Tellen (“Pulpanek“). Now, 22.5 years later, they were put in the same heat again! With Cab and Hosoi, also the two winners of the pro division in 1988 entering the Masters of Vert Attack! By the way: in 1988 Cab took first place in vert, Hosoi second, and Hosoi took first in street, where Cab took second! Ffej had won both Vert and Street Amateur!

Anders Tellen

Steve Caballero. Photo: Hay

My emotions grew even stronger when I found out I was in one heat with Hosoi, having to skate right behind him! Would I have imagined this in 88?? Hearing Hosoi talk in the well-prepared interviews by vert skaters Bjorn Handell (Malmö) and Robert Ayton (UK), there was no doubt Christian had changed a lot since then. On the ramp it was still the old Hosoi: tons of style, highest unique airs and his characteristic pro allures. Such a pleasure to be able to witness this again after so many years. That Cab would also be ripping like hell was not that surprising – Cab has always been around. But seeing Jeff “ffeJ“ Hedges after his 15-years-riding-break almost made me shiver.

It’s always a pleasure to see Sean Goff doing his never ending variety of rare tricks, with many foot and handplants and layback airs.

Sean Goff - bastard plant. Photo: Hay

Anders Tellen had such amazing runs he almost could have won the masters final. Tuck knee inverts to fakie, over the channel, high airs, aggressive style, endless runs… Anders will always remain a candidate for the masters’ podium, but missed it slightly this time.

Hosoi launched himself into 3rd place with rocket airs and the highest backside air pulled in this final. Nicky Guerrero took second place. Now he skates even better than when he turned european champion frequently in the late 80s. Steve Caballero really enjoyed the ramp (as most riders did!) and did the longest runs with a great mixture of all kinds of tricks. He took home the nicest trophy!

Christian Hosoi

Nicky Guerrero. Photo: Hay

Talking with John Magnusson about the big success of VERT ATTACK he stated the following:

“I think there is one thing that‘s been a key for success of Vert Attack….
The ramp. It’s smaller, oldschool dimension but with a new touch, corner, blocks, channel. This makes it possible for more dudes to do good in the contest. I love vert but the last 10 to 15 years I‘ve been missing a lot of liptricks. You have to spin to make good. It was so good to see Andy Scott win vert attack 4 with almost only liptricks. One strategy with our vertramp has been to try and get more bowl skaters into vert skating instead of building it bigger for only the vertskaters. I think if the bowl skaters learn how to skate vert we can get that good feeling of vert skating again!!! We need to get new riders in to spice it all up. I had that feeling at Vert attack 5. It felt like a resurrection!!!”

Stan Postmus once again did a great job as the annual VERT ATTACK speaker. This dutch skater is already well known from the BOWLBASH series and many other skate comps.

Big thanks goes out to John Mag, and also to his crew at Brygerriet – Nils, Tobias, Pata, Erik, Kami, Pekka, Morgan, Kent and Andrea.      – Volker Lux

Don’t Miss the LIVE WEBCAST of VERT ATTACK 6
Friday 27th at 14:00 and Saturday 28th at 13:00 on skatemalmo.se

PROS & AMs:

Alex Halford. Photo: Hay

Kevin Wenzke. Photo: Hay

Andreas SNOKEN Lindström. Photo: Hay

Sam Beckett. Photo: Hay

Andy Scott

Neal Hendrix

MASTERS:

Anders Tellen. Photo: Hay

Christian Hosoi. Photo: Hay

Nicky Guerrero. Photo: Hay

Anders Tellen. Photo: Hay

Nicky Guerrero. Photo: Hay

Jeff FFEJ Hedges. Photo: Hay

Anders "POOLPANIC" Tellen. Photo: Hay

Cab and Ffej. Photo: Hay

Nicky Guerrero. Photo: Hay

Sean Goff. Photo: Hay

Nicky Guerrero

Bruno Rouland

Anders Tellen

Anders Tellen

The author of this article, VOLKER LUX, invert at Vert Attack 5. Photo: David Östlund

VERT ATTACK 6 – January 27th & January 28th!
LIVE WEBCAST – Friday 27th at 14:00 and Saturday 28th at 13:00 – skatemalmo.se.

Confusion Magazine - Issue #4 cover
Stevie Thompson - FS Rock. East Sussex, England. Photo: Richard West

CONFUSION MAGAZINE issue #4 is at the printers and will be released the end of January!

SUBSCRIBE now and CONFUSION will be sent to your doorstep anywhere in the world before the end of the month!

You can also buy tshirts, mesh caps, and back issues here:
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Issue #4 features: ADAM BENSON (USA), MATT GRABOWSKI (Germany), BALDER LEHMANN (Denmark), FERIT BATIR (Austria), PHIL JACKSON (USA), and SADAM YOSHIZAWA (Japan).

And on-location reports from: Mellowpark DIY (Berlin, Germany), Pumpa Bowl (Slovenia), Felem Bowl (Japan), and Owl Bowl (Cologne, Germany).

Confusion Magazine represents the underground, DIY international skate scene and culture; the under represented, not the over promoted. Available at hardcore skate shops around the world.

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Rampenlicht – Berlin. Street Culture and Skateboarding

Today, there is a major part of society that acknowledges skateboarding as a sport, yet there are still many who are not familiar with the word and the idea behind it.

Even though outsiders can easily recognize the appearance of a skateboarder, it is difficult to fully understand the movement as a whole since it seems to be somewhat of a closed off culture.

Typically consisting of specific behavior, clothing and the unavoidable noise, a neutral opinion, or even disinterest in skate culture is understandable.

In addition to the fact that skateboarding is a complex sequence of movements, what is also fascinating is the skater’s unique translation of architecture, however many of these artistic elements, especially including creativity and aesthetics, are not commonly recognized. Still, the few that do proceed to take their boards, cruise around, learn the first tricks, go to the closest skate park, check out the ramps and create ways to use them, hit the streets, and search for materials and geometric forms creating their own imaginary skate park.

Skateboarding.
An urban art that stems from surfers in the 60s looking for a way to ply the waves inland by attaching skate wheels to a piece of wood hence the beginning of ‘Sidewalk Surfing’ and the skating of empty swimming pools. A new spirit was born that evolved to a whole new level of surfing in the streets. Now where has this spirit gone?

"An empty swimming pool is an attractive riding site, but it's even dangerous for a competent rider."

As skate culture advanced, it changed with the rise of modern society and created a conflict between the existential spirit from the past and the prospering of the skateboard industry.

In search of a balance between these two extremes, we are returning to the empty swimming pool.

From the water, to the pool, to the street, now back to the pool, this time modifying it with a triangular ramp normally only found in the streets.

The project will be a transformation process, altering the original purpose of both structures.

Within the exhibition at Stattbad Wedding, skateboarding should be experienced in its purest form, separated as far as possible from its contemporary influences.

The ramp is now being extracted from its natural environment, and becomes an artifact one would typically find in a museum.

The experience requires an innocent involvement with a subculture, which is still very young, yet seemingly fully developed.

Striving for an open perception.
Resisting socialized behavior.
Rampenlicht.

Rampenlicht (German ‘Spotlight’, but also a combination of the words  “ramp” and “light”) is an art project conceived and financed by a group of young students and artists residing in Berlin. Everyone participating in this group exhibition will get the chance to experience their own creativity without selling out or pursuing any another purpose to their art but expression and development. For this reason, the young collective 3eck, (German ‘Triangle’) developed a concept in cooperation with urban arts gallery Stattbad Wedding, which will be briefly introduced in the following.

The name of the project “Rampenlicht” stands for a nine-week happening, which can be divided into two parts:

A three week “construction and preparation phase” where all the participants work side by side to install the exhibition, followed by a six-week phase during which the results of the work will be open to the public and a comprehensive program will fill the exhibition with life.

The first phase of the project begins with the construction of the focal piece: a triangular skateboard ramp, which will be extracted from its ‘natural’ environment and modified to serve a different purpose than originally intended. It will be a symbol of harmony within the collective, and at the same time a symbol of disharmony within today’s society. It is representative of the main topic of the exhibition and will therefore be the central point of the happenings.Around this piece of carpentry, the collective will create an atmosphere that opposes a dystopian, exaggerated reality with a surreal dreamlike utopia. Various forms of contemporary art, such as painting, videography, photography, sculpture, installation, etc., will be used to reach this goal.

The second phase of the project embarks with the opening of the exhibition on January 21, 2012. From this day on, the exhibition will be open to visitors who can follow a path of exhibits to understand the thoughts and theories of the artists and delve into the imaginary world of the collective. Spiraling through all the gallery rooms, the visitor is guided towards the extensive hall, and finally to the ramp.

Aside from its symbolism, it is also an object to be experienced. It invites the visitor to interact. Everyone can touch the ramp, step onto the ramp, and discover the ramp.

The ramp will also be used as a stage for musicians and authors, performance artists, as well as comedians and actors during the 6-week exhibition period.

The intention of the project is to uncover something new in everyone participating, whether artist or visitor, it is supposed to get you thinking – without any expectations.

The project is entirely financed by the collective; no sponsors, no affiliates, no outside funding.

“Why?”, is the question that comes to mind when one is confronted with such a statement, and there are many reasons in response:

The chance to be able to realize a project in the way of ones own liking, without the limitations and restrictions that come from a third party.

The liberty of not being forced to ask for help or permission.

To experience the actual value of the cause itself.

The devotion to learn, and to not expect anything in return for efforts made.

To remain true to ones self, and exemplify what many seem to have forgotten.

When you are confident and ready to strive for what you want and overcome your limitations, you’ll accomplish things you never dared to dream of. Rampenlicht.

Article by Tim Herten
Illustration by Amy Centner

Henning. Boneless alley oop.

The making of Rampenlicht’s 3er.

More info: das-3eck@web.de
rampenlicht-berlin.tumblr.com
stattbad.net

This is how it all started:

Issue #4 is at the printers and is due out January 27th.

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Issue #3 featured: Josh Mattson, Dave Nelson, Johannes Gabler, Craig “Questions” Scott, Keith “Meekster” Meek (USA), and Jimbo Phillips.

And on-location reports from: Cuatro Casas (Baja, Mexico), Graveside DIY (Hawaii), Mooscrete DIY (Germany), and Innsbruck DIY (Austria)

Confusion Magazine represents the underground, DIY international skate scene and culture; the under represented, not the over promoted. Available at hardcore skate shops around the world.

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Cradle construction

“…so one evening we cut some transitions and were just trying out what we could do. With some cheating here and there and some big ass experience from jörg we took some time but finally we built a cradle which runs from a flatwall with 160cm tranny into a cradle and on the other side into a 220cm tranny. At least you must go for 10 o’clock or you will not make it over the hole…”  – Little Swastika

Marc 'little swastika' blunt to fakie. photo: pipeshots.com

Black and white photos by: Piper (pipeshots.com)

Disclaimer: If you have a problem with the name “little swastika” educate yourself on the history of the swastika on marc’s website, where he states: “fight against racism – the hate by stupid idiots, but not against a sign – because it’s innocent.”

“The Swastika: in Europe, especially in Germany, most people know it as a right-wing symbol of the Nazis, Hitler’s emblem and banner of the “German Empire” below which crime and war were brought to our world. However the symbol had originally a complete different meaning. The Swastikacrux is one of the oldest symbols. It has been used for thousands of years in nearly every culture as a positive sign of luck….” read more >

Building materials.

Kasp. Backside smith.

Construction

Alex.

And some crazy ballroom skate action in the Moos Barn…

Marc 'little swastika' smith grind around the corner.

Lukas frontside grinding the hip.

Juli. Backside air.

Full article featured in CONFUSION MAGAZINE issue #4, about the development of the Moos Barn due out the end of January 2012.

As we had finished the first building step, THE BEAUTY was ready for her first action filled night. A “MOTÖRHEAD ONLY” playlist, a bucket full of cheap, heated red wine and a good crew of friends was all we needed for an epic session.” – Nicolas Büchi

Luki. 7 foot long feeble on the pool coping of the concrete quarter.

Ivo on the otherside. Powerslide wallrides to fakie on a brick wall aren't easy!

Retro. Drop from the wood beam. Trick of the night! And he did it 3 or 4 more times, because he can and it's fun!

Schumi, the only one NOT drunk that night, having fun with back to the roof wallrides.

Ivo. Back tail.

Schumi tried to get the highest, but slammed his head a few times on the roof.

Möhre... having a lick.

Color photos above by Nicholas Büchi.
B&W photos below by Christoph Spiess.

Check out SEPTEMBER WHEELS for more Swiss D.I.Y. and more….

Issue #4 of Confusion Magazine features September Wheels road trip from Switzerland to Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. You might want to get yourself a subscription!