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Steven Pineiro shredding on a Penny Skateboard

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Precision Trucks

In the last few years, more and more people have been upgrading to precision skateboard trucks.  For those of you unfamiliar with skateboard equipment, the trucks are the metal parts of the skateboard that attach the board to the wheels, and are responsible for steering.  On average, precision trucks cost about two hundred dollars more than traditional skate trucks which begs the obvious question, “why buy precision?”.  To answer this question, we reached out to Wayne Gallipoli, founder and one of the owners of Surf-Rodz, for a quick primer on precision manufacturing.

Words by Wayne Gallipoli

Photos Courtesy of Surf-Rodz 

There’s been a common notion within the skate community that precision trucks are made strictly for downhill skateboarding.  However, people are riding precision trucks for carving, commuting, and all sorts of cross-over skating.  If a truck is labeled as a precision skate truck, that means something about the manufacturing process, and not the way the truck is meant to be ridden.  In other words, precision-made trucks are not limited to a certain type of riding.

Cast Manufacturing

Casting is a manufacturing process by which a heated, liquid material is usually poured into a mold, then allowed to cool and solidify.  The mold contains a hollow cavity of the desired truck shape.  To complete the process, the solidified part, also known as the casting, is ejected from (broken out of) the mold.

Billet and CNC Manufacturing

A billet is a raw block of material that is shaped into it’s finished form by a milling machine.  CNC, or computer numerically controlled, milling is an automated cutting process in which material is removed from a block, or billet, by a rotating tool.

The major advantages offered by billets and CNC manufacturing are in the characteristics of the material and the quality/durability of the finished product.  The yield and shear strengths are greatly increased resulting in a stronger, safer truck. 

As skaters continue to push the limits with their skating, cast manufactured trucks begin to reveal certain limitations.  This is most evident when cast trucks crack, bend, or break.  CNC milled trucks, on the other hand, are able to hold accurate tolerances on any of the machined features with repeatability on all components. 

For more information about precision trucks and Surf-Rodz products, please visit: http://www.surf-rodz.com/

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Opening Roads For Skateboarding

Steve Larosiliere is the Founder and President of Stoked Mentoring, an NYC-based organization that mentors at-risk youth through skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing (more info at www.stoked.org).  We asked Steve to sit down with Paula Hewitt Amran, the founder of another local charity with a skateboarding focus called Open Road, and give us some insight into Paula’s efforts to help out kids in New York City.

Words by Steve Larosiliere

Photos by Francois Portmann

Paula Hewitt Amran plays many different roles for many different people. To some, she's a mother to a young child. To others, she’s the Executive Director of Open Road, a New York City based not-for-profit organization that develops programs and environments with, and for, young people that promote community, independence, and self respect. Ask Paula who she is and she says, plain and simply, that she's an artist.

A painter and visual artist for the past twenty years, Paula has always used the public space in her art. Her mediums are the open playground spaces and parks in various communities within New York City. Right now, her tools are her relationships with skateboarders, skateboard culture, and the next generation of youth, whom she calls her “bosses”. Paula has been a tireless advocate for what I call “maximum public space utilization”. A fancy phrase to describe the concept that no space goes wasted.

Through Open Road, Paula develops programs in partnership with neighborhood groups in need of new natural, educational, and recreational environments. These new environments create bonds between people of all ages who unite to establish a living community resource. Open Road’s programs engage kids in New York City by having them perform activities like gardening, skateboarding, and collaborating with professional skaters to design skate parks. And it truly is a collaboration. Paula has a team of skateboard advocates who she works with closely such as professional skaters; Billy Rohan, Rodney Torres, Rob Campbell, and Joseph Delgado. Together they created the Open Road Skate Park on 12th and Avenue A, the New Design Roof Skate Park, and have countless other parks in development. Further, Open Road offers free skate clinics during the summer months and has helped to get skateboarding included as a Physical Eduction class in New York City schools. 

In the genesis of Open Road Skate Park on 12th and A, she says, “It was under the control of crack dealers.” The nieces of the crack dealer asked if Paula could make it into a playground.  So, Paula had a dinner with the drug-dealing uncle and peacefully explained that the crack dealing would have to stop before she would create a playground and skate park.  The dealer agreed, Paula changed the locks on the park gates, and the rest is history. The transformation of that location has led to greater acknowledgement of skateboarding with city agencies and increased opportunities for skateboarding in schools. In the end, Paula doesn't care what people do in the parks so long as it is available to everyone regardless of age, race, gender, or language.

Paula, who's nearing fifty and just taught herself how to skateboard this past year, finds many similarities between skateboarders and artists. Paula characterizes skateboarders and artists as "Self motivated and able to be solitary. They are not restricted by space and are able to play in it while making it better for everyone." To her, the city is full of potential opportunities, and if youth have the means to fully utilize their space, that space is improved.

As Paula points out, "Skateboarders crash the gates for everyone. If a spot is locked, they climb the fence, or they go around and make it available for others to use". From her work with skateboarders, Paula has learned that skating is about consistency and progression. Whether you’re landing a trick, or working with people, consistency and progression are some of the most important things. Of course, skateboarders naturally define themselves according to these traits.

The future is limitless for Open Road. Regardless of how many cities they expand to, or how many parks and plazas they collaborate on, you will find Paula following the lead of the kids she serves who simply garden, play, and skateboard in the parks where they live.  For more information about Paula and Open Road, please visit: http://playgrounddesign.blogspot.com/.

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Short vs. Long

There’s a longstanding rift in the skateboard world between long and short skateboarders.  As a skater, you’re probably aware of this unspoken, and sometimes spoken, “dis” within the skate community.  If you’re not a skater, then here’s some brief insight into the little skate feud that continues to brew.

Words by Nethanial Cohen and Jeff Gaites

Photos by Francois Portmann and Alex DiNuzzo

Generally, short skateboards are what most people think of when you refer to a “skateboard.”  Shortboards are designed to be light, versatile, and consistent in shape to allow riders to develop highly technical, aerial maneuvers. The specific niches within this sport can sometimes be categorized as a “Street”, “Pool/Park”, and/or “Free-style”.

Longboards, for the most part, are longer skateboards with larger, softer wheels and reverse kingpin trucks that allow the rider to cruise fast and turn well.  Because long skateboards are easier to ride and steer, the longboard is a pretty simple thing to pick up.

And here lies the rub.  Traditional shortboard “skaters” develop extremely technical maneuvers that require a great deal of practice, time, along with some serious lumps and bumps along the way.  Longboarding, on the other hand, provides an easy, fun way for a beginner to enter the sport of skateboarding with an extremely short learning curve. 

Which, then, raises the question of exclusivity vs. accessibility.  The shortboard world is made-up of talented skaters who have spent years perfecting their craft and creating an entire culture in the process.  Here comes a middle-aged mom who learns to longboard in fifteen minutes, and presto, is she now a “skater”?  Where are her scrapes, scars, broken-and-healed bones?  Not to mention, her absence of tattoos, piercings, or any other counter-cultural skate aesthetics.

It’s easy to see why the hardened skater harbors some level of contempt for the newbie longboarder who may be diluting and changing the current definition of “skater”.  Hopefully, people will continue to respect the past while embracing the future with open hearts and open minds.  Ultimately, skating has always been more about fun, and less about how any one of us labels the sport, or it’s participants.  So, here are a few photos of “skaters” doing what they do best, having fun.

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Hot On The Scene: Camille Best

Photos by Ruedi Hofmann

Camille Best, Age: 22

FPM: What’s on your mind?

CB: I need new shoes.

FPM: Where do you live?

CB: Brooklyn all day.

FPM: What is your heritage?

CB: Jamaican.

FPM: What do you think makes a great skater?

CB: Using one hundred percent of your body to optimal efficiency, having heart, and wanting to take your skating to the next level.

FPM: What would you like to work on?

CB: Going sideways downhill. I kind of feel like I’m stuck in a rut with my skating right now. When it comes to tricking it up, I want to start being more creative.

FPM: Ever street skate at all?

CB:  Yes, that’s what I first started on.  I started skating when I was nine, and then got into street skating around 13 when I started going to parks.

FPM: Do you feel that there’s a double standard for male and female skaters?

CB:  There should be separate podiums for men and women at races…it’s only fair!

FPM: Shouldn’t you compete equally with the guys then if you want the ultimate in fairness?

CB: When I race, I’m racing against the other women because I know that I can’t beat a skater like Jeff Vyain.  We need the co-ed race so we can showcase female sportsmanship. I think if we had separate races we would have a social divide.  Not to mention, I don’t want to be skating against just seven other girls.

FPM: You skated in the Adrenalina marathon in NY and Puerto Rico breaking two world records.   How does it feel?

CB: I wasn’t expecting it to happen. I was just pushing a good race and ended up at 1 hour and 59 minutes.

FPM: Any tips on training?

CB:  The number one thing is learning to switch push; using fifty percent of your body just doesn’t cut it. I wouldn’t have made it through the three day, 188 mile Chief Lediga race if I didn’t know how to switch push.

FPM: How do you feel about the NYC skate scene?

CB: It’s my favorite…it’s the capital of longboarding at the moment and there is no place  I would rather skate! I love it. 

FPM: Any shout outs?

CB: Everyone that shows me love.

FPM: How would you describe your style in one word?

CB:  First word that comes to mind is whimsical.

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Hot On The Scene: Drew Hofmann

Photo by Ruedi Hofmann

Drew Hofmann, Age 22

FPM: How would you describe your style?

DH: I don’t know funky, different? I don’t really stick to one style, but if I had to give an answer, I’d say cross-stepping style.

FPM: What does dancing on your board mean to you?

DH: Flowing while you carve it up!

FPM: Top three favorite tricks?

DH:  Any dance combo you can pull off is great; like a backwards peter pan, there’s a great shot of an old school varial flip with a body varial in one of the newer Loaded videos - just a cool trick I wish I could get down.  Anything funky that’s a little out of the norm.

FPM: Have you ever gotten into street skating?

DH: Well, I used to street skate when I was around thirteen. I stopped skating for a while until my friend showed me an Adam Colton video and before I knew it I was riding a Longboard Larry Old School Dancer thanks to a generous donation by the parental units. At the end of the day, dancing is all about having fun the same way skating in other styles is supposed to be about having fun. Skating should be about having fun no matter what style you’re skating,

FPM: What makes for a good dancer set-up?

DH: You can dance on any board as long as it’s got wheels.  Generally, the larger it is, the easier it gets.  At the moment, I’m producing boards from start to finish with my partners, David Hoffman and Julian Melendez in my workshop.

FPM: What are your feelings on the NYC skate scene?

DH: It’s awesome. I like it over the other places I’ve skated because there is a buzz from the growing longboard community that is very tangible.  New York is just one of those places where you can start talking to a longboarder you’ve never met because you share a certain sense of camaraderie.

FPM:  In your opinion what makes a skater great?

DH: Someone who skates creatively and makes the tricks their own.  Versatile skaters always amaze me. People that do tricks just cuz they can, you know? Going with the flow…like my buddy Julian Melendez who just early grabs a three-stair bombing at 25 mph.  It’s a great display of being able to use the environment to add creativity to your skating.

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Ricky Powell Photo Essay

Ricky Powell is a self-described lazy hustler, bummy-sophisticate, illy funkster, and horny dog-walker, among several other colorful handles.  All the while, he’s been a smooth-talking, charismatic, street photographer with his lens focused on hip-hop-n-pop culture spanning the last three decades.  Please enjoy a brief photo essay from Ricky…and check out the expanded slide-show narrated by the suave swash-buckler himself.

Portrait shot by Craig Wetherby

Here's a cool slideshow narrated by the Lazy Hustler himself...enjoy.

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Freshpaved Mag - Volume 3

For our third installment of Freshpaved, we chose a cover shot of the Beastie Boys by Ricky Powell.  Taken in front of the legendary 9:30 Club in Washington D.C., we catch a glimpse of the Beasties as fresh-faced kids hanging on the street with a fairly sizeable boom-box, even by 1980’s standards.  As city-dwellers and city-visitors, we’re all an integral part of street culture.  And as such, we’re often times more inspired by the culture of the streets than the culture served up in museums, concert halls, and art galleries.  So here’s an ode to the streets and a reminder that we’re all part of something bigger.

Thanks very much to Daniel Rechelbacher at Salon2b.com, Jenna Pace, Ricky Powell, Justin Meredith, Ben Hoey, Craig Wetherby, Ruedi Hoffman, Wayne Gallipoli, Alex DiNuzzo, Steve Larosiliere, Earthwing, Bustin Boards, Push Culture, Uncle Funkys, Loaded, and Sure Skateboards.

Free copies of Freshpaved Mag #3 are now available through select partners and retailers, including: Earthwing, Loaded, Bustin, Longboard Loft, Push Culture, Sure, Paragon, Burton, Quiksilver Soho, Uncle Funkys, and Saturdays.