Jeff Grosso: On Vert Ramps

When did the transition from concrete parks to wooden ramps occur?
It was between 1980 and 1984. A four-year timespan. A year in skateboarding is a long fucking time. It was kind of sad for all of us, out here in my world. The skateparks were our babysitters, it’s where we grew up. We spent a lot of time there. You’re either in the streets, street skating, at somebody’s back yard ramp or if you were fortunate enough, you were at the skateboard park on the weekends. It was sad because all of the stuff was going away but it was also kind of empowering. A lot of people were dropping out and growing up, going to school, getting jobs and moving on with of their lives. The rest of us were left to fend for ourselves, to figure out what we wanted to do with it. I was fortunate enough to grow up near Lance Mountain so we started riding Lance’s a lot.” Read the rest of the article here.

Shreddin’ Lines and Intelligent Designs

“She’s {Alexis Sablone} an architect, illustrator, and all-round experimental designer, who has grown as one of skateboarding’s most competitively decorated women. She’s designed skateable sculptures in Sweden, spoken on conference panels in London, and put her artistic mark on brands who sponsor her.” Read the rest of the article here.

Multisensory Exerience

General interest announcement:
(closing of the lights and temporary partial closing of the Van Horne skatepark between Wednesday the 25th and Saturday the 28th)
Why?
The Mapp festival is organizing an interactive projection event that will take place at Skatepark on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th.
Three things to know:
1- The public is invited to participate in different ways from 18:30 on 27th and 28th
2- Some of the best skaters in Montreal will be present. It should be a good show!
3- The ASM is enthusiastic about all this but we have absolutely nothing to do with the design of the project. If it’s nice then all the credit goes to the mapp organization and their Moment Factory collaborator.

Opening Of The Van Horne Skatepark

Van Horne skatepark (Plateau-Mont-Royal) opening
15h30 – Skateboard lessons by JM Court
4.30 pm – Jam session
17h30 – Demo with special guest
7:30 pm – Bottleck Jay and High Hills concert
9:00 pm – Time to start enjoying the skatepark

Montreal Skaters Light Up The Olympic Stadium’s New Bowl

“Once the competition ends, the Vans Skatepark will be free for skaters of all levels — and that’s a good thing for Montreal, says local pro Annie Guglia who is busy training for Tokyo.”

“It’s crazy to think that this is in Montreal, right next to the Olympic Stadium,” she said. “This is the best terrain park we have in Canada.” Read the rest of the article here.

How Does A Vans Bowl Contest Get Built In Montreal

“This year, Vans Park Series is officially leaving Vancouver and heading to the East Coast, making Montreal home to their Canadian headquarters, and VPS stop. So we took the opportunity to look at the behind the scenes of what it takes to organize an event like VPS and talk to the unsung heroes that make it all happen. ” Read the rest of the article here.

Skateboarding Defies The Neoliberal Logic Of The City By Making It A Playground For All

Skateboarding today is a global phenomenon, with around 50m riders and thousands of skate parks worldwide – it will even feature as a sport in the 2020 Olympic Games. From the full on testosterone of Thrasher skateboard magazine to the fashionable styling of Vogue, the skater girls and boys of Kabul to the Native American reservations of South Dakota, the skate parks of Brazil to the streets of Shenzhen, skateboarding is no longer just for punkish, subcultural rebels – it’s everywhere, for everyone. Read the rest of the article here.

Vancouver’s First Skatepark Celebrates 40 Years Of Carving And Community

The year was 1979 and a small patch of park near Clark Drive and Broadway had a similarly life-changing effect on generations of Vancouverites past and present. The China Creek skatepark turns 40 this year, and members of Vancouver’s skating community will gather July 19 for a birthday bash at the Smiling Buddha Cabaret (SBC).” Read the rest of the article here.