Peregrination means to travel about by foot, my favorite form of travel (backpacking). I found the word when I was searching for an alternate word for travel because I wanted to spice up my heading. I traveled this past weekend to Jackson, Mississippi so the Rufus skate bandits could get their skate on and I could film them doing it. I loved meeting the people of Jackson and how well received we were to the locals. I have had this feeling a bunch on my travels of late while jaunting with the Bandits.
Self Portrait just before we left for Jackson. We got a late start that day because these Cackalackas' got detained by the cops just a block from my house for looking like thugs.
A Regal Self Portrait in the McDonalds on the road somewhere to jackson. I love the self timer function on the lil point and shoot.
Gnar Star's ass is a growing theme every where we go, it has its own personality. You either love it or hate it.
I like to rock out to Stoner Metal and take self portraits while driving. Look at Treydawg's expression in the back seat, he is saying SHIT CHRIS because we almost side swiped a big ass truck while I was getting the photo.
We made it to Jackson, Rampage Indoor Park. We caught Baby Skyler playing pocket pool when we arrived.
Early Picture of Rampage Park in Fall 2012 when I was stopping through, I forgot to take any stills on this trip here because I was filming 1080i video the whole time, wait for the video one day.
When Cackalackas' start drinking they like to take their shirts off and show people their tats. Look at Trey's under wear, looks like someone gave him a wedgy.
First of all, the local skate shops here in Memphis have been robbed three times I know about. The first one was Cheap Skates. Some African American dude walked in the shop, picked up a bunch of boards and some other stuff and just ran out of the shop. I think you call it Dine and Dash if you are at a eating establishment. The Second robbing happened with MidTown Skate Shop opening its doors as a new shop. Hunter, the owner, had not installed bars on the big store front windows when he opened. In the first week some body smashed the glass and stole a bunch of stuff. So he boarded the window up and a week later the other window got smashed with it more merchandise stolen. Brand new shop gets robbed twice with in its two week opening. Good job you deviants who think that stealing is a solution to a means when you don't have enough money to buy something you want. Go get a job you worthless pieces of shit and quit taking somebody else's hard earned cash. But this shit has been going on for years. The end looks bleak. I mean, Mark Gonzales, my favorite skater ever bought his first complete board from some guy in a parking lot. He said he strolled into the park, after his purchase, and one of the guys in the park yelled at him and said give me my board back, or something like that. Mark bought a stolen board basically.
Ok, so last night I was working on my skateboards. I get an Instagram, I have been tagged in some photo taken with a security camera. Its a picture of one of the dudes that robbed Joker Skate Shop this week. Apparently Gnarman tagged Hornlaker in the picture and accused the Hornlaker of robbing the joint even though, as Hornlaker pointed out, "I live in Hornlake God Dammit its just not possible, unless I could teleport, quit heckling me!!" Though it was to late by then, Ryan Sheckler had posted the same picture and BabySkylurker also posted that the person in the photograph was the Hornlaker several thousand miles away. By that time Ryan Sheckler had tried to friend the Hornlaker on FartBook while the Hornlaker was receiving droves and droves of new follows on Instagram. That's how I found out about the thieves in California.
Kick Balls!!
Then I got the new Shark Bait zine in the mail yesterday (its a first read for me but this is issue 47 for them). As I read it the theme the writer is conveying is about how he loves his surroundings, that he is never jaded. The writer is originally from somewhere in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is not known to be a desirable place to move. Nobody says "Yeah, lets move there!!" The writer is living and skating in Albuquerque, New Mexico presently. Have you ever been to New Mexico?? I drove to Santa Fe once and then up to Colorado after a sleep over just so I could see Santa Fe, it was great. Really laid back. I also had this friend once from Albuquerque, he always said it was the best place to grow up, even though he lives in California now. So back to Shark Bait, the writer expresses how he can't get mad or angry at anything in Albuquerque, everything is so positive and forgiving. The people, the environment, the skating (tons of ditches and parks), everything is at peace. Then he compares growing up in Oklahoma compared to growing up in Albuquerque. In Albuquerque, "You want to skate and start a punk band in the garage? People's parents here would probably not only condone it, they would encourage it and try to make you listen to the Melvins or some other 90's nightmare." And that is what I am talking about parents, no, don't move to Albuquerque because I am. Seriously, here in Memphis, the heart of the Bible belt, God's Country, if it ain't in the bible you can't do it. If you don't go to church you are a Heathen. The South is known for poor people, dumb bastards and Preachers. I am not hating, I love the South because I know what is good about it, you should know if you have ever read this blog. But it is true, because of the poverty and because of the narrow minded brain washing there are a lot of bad parents. But that shit is everywhere you know every where. Encourage and support, I love it. Albuquerque is living proof. Maybe less people would steal if they were from Albuquerque, maybe....
And back to Videos, did you think I would forget, I love You Tube. I am addicted to it, I need help.....?
maybe not.... I encourage it and support it, hah.. And here is one for Gonz, thought I had seen this but I have not. I watch like a dozen other videos of skaters that rip so hard then I watch Gonz and my thoughts are saying "The Gonz invented most of what they are doing". Which I could be very wrong about since I do not claim to know anything. This guy has such grace on and off the board, its like watching ballet but gnar. I mean there are a couple of tricks that no one has done or I have seen. Late.
Have you thought about what the future is going to be like on the web and as well other standards of media like television and print?? I mean, what are web sites in 20 years going to look like and what will the content be like? We have already moved further and further away from actually having anything much to read on some sites. Do you go to YouTube to read?? I can also say the same thing about Thrasher's web site, Transworld's sites and a slews of other sites strewn across the web that are catering to our youngsters. I am just saying we are turning into a visual/ video culture. I can't say I have done the research, I don't know enough about the target demographics of video on the web but its every where, video video video. I don't necessarily think that kids will stop reading but it will drop off further than it already has. It will be even more shocking when they add those stats to their studies, just wait and see because its coming. Is it a bad thing?? I don't think it is a good thing but its where we are at and where we are going it seems. What is the point you are making?? I don't know, I was looking for something to read on Thrasher's web site and didn't find anything. Even the magazine does not have a whole lot of reading. Good content does not include well written articles anymore, face it. At least not for the target demographic that Thrasher is gearing their sales at. Pictures and Video, that's all the kids want to see and that is how you sell add space to big companies that pay the bills. Its a vicious cycle that does nothing for the intellectual development of kids these days. So come on, in 20 years what are these kids going to grow up like?? Could be scary, I mean some of these kids can hardly read now LOL. Who knows.....
Then I have been working tirelessly on new graphics for the skate decks. I have posted some pictures below of what I have been doing. I have retired the one Rufus graphic and have moved onto another graphic that has bears, arrow heads and goolish lettering....
Then of course there is the Black Label team of skaters. The more I watch different street footage the more I like certain styles of skating. I guess I have been in the dark to have a huge opinion on it. Any way:
Black Label Footy
Then you got the guys from Gnarkansas. They visited AL Town and other memphis spots, its rad, they rip. And guess what, Cole is in it.
Gnarkansas Comes to Memphis
And then there is Gonz doing shit you never thought was possible. This clip is short but so rad you will watch at least five times.
Late.
It all starts with Al Town and all ends with Al Town for me this weekend, at least this part of the story. Sessions seem to kick into full swing around 630 and by 7 pm there are a ton of people ripping the the spot. Friday evening was the second time this week that I have been to Al Town, the place gets a little addictive because of the effect it has on my level of being stoked. Nothing major to report here, it went like many of the other early evening sessions I have been in attendance for, fun as it gets.
Saturday rolled around, the plan today was a morning session that started around 930am. Wrex and Kim made the journey down from Oxford. So the stoke meter was high, I had not seen Wrex skate in person until now. And skate he did, Wrex along with Hammond tore Al Town up that morning. Then David was killing it on that monster long board and we were pleasured by some nice wall ride transfers from Chris Ulander, front side no less. Wrex was hitting the spine and doing some gnarly airs. Dont forget Mike showing us how to Rock and Roll on the spine while John rocked the BMX bike with some excellent airs. It was fun times, great way to start the day. Not to mention, I think it was Chris's daughter, Tara Torture, she picked up all the trash in the area, made the place look real nice for any unexpected guests. Right around 1230 most of the bunch split over to Barksdale's for grub, after that to take a peek of Tobey Park and later to hit a unnamed wooden bowl which produced wonderful photos like this. I would have loved to tag along with those guys but I promised people I would play golf, so I played golf.
Sunday sails into the harbor with a bright and early morning session on my backyard mini ramp. David and I skated a couple of runs, sat down and said forget this, we feel wrecked. Both of us were beat up from skating Al Town all week. We want to skate but our bodies are saying no way, go sit down old guy. I really feel for Hammond who lives near Al Town and complains the burden pays its price, skating through pain. So David and I say screw it, lets go it eat lunch and get wasted. So we go to Dan Mcguinness for some Sheppard's Pie and Fish-n-Chips nicely accompanied with a nice Belgium Ale. Right, I had one beer to David's two waters, so lame I know.
Are you going to get to Toy Machine in this story?
So I get home after lunch and are sitting there surfing the net. I get a email from David, he left his phone at home (he can't call me) and he needs me to pay attention to the Cheap Skates FB Wall. Ron Hale posted that Team Tum Yeto were about to roll into town and wanted a place to skate. He was unclear on the facts but I jumped into my car and headed toward Mid-Town never the less. By the time I got into Mid-Town Ron had posted they decided to go to Sun Studio's for a tour (I got the smart phone). I was not far from Sun so guess where I went. Sure enough, there was a van sitting in Sun's parking lot with big Tum Yeto stickers on it. I parked my car and just waited, sure enough Matt and Dakota - from Toy Machine- came out of the front door, sat down in the alley way and had a smoke. I just started talking to them and ask if they wanted to skate which they where down. The team manager came out with the 6 other guys and asked me if our DIY spot was on the way to Nashville? Uhmm, yeah dude, it is totally on the way. Ok then, he said, we will follow you. In a matter of minutes we were pulling up to Al Town. They were impressed. Half the team popped out of the mini van and directly dropped in on the quarter, the sickness had begun. The only people there were a few neighborhood kids skating the great Tusk. These guys from Toy Machine just started flying every where, I thought I was in another world. I see Wrex skate on Saturday and then these guys on Sunday. My life could not be any better at this point.
After a little while some locals started to trickle into our converted basement called Al Town. They were like, ok, some other people are here. Then they would see Leo Ramero ollie and clear the swamp while Taylor Smith was smashing a wall ride on the left side of the quarter to melon. The expressions on their faces when they started to realize this was not just local regular rippers was classic. Then more locals show and more show. They may have come to skate but all eyes were on Toy Machine at the moment. Little Jack was in on the action showing how to represent, Jack the Ripper. I was trying to take pictures but the level of mayhem that Toy Machine were inflicting on Al Town over shadowed any good photos. The high light of the show was Leo Romero, he kept trying this one trick over the swamp. Over and over, bail after bail, then we all knew it, he was going to land the next one, we could just see it. Yep, he landed a 180 Back Side Kickflip over the swamp, total madness. Soon after, they packed it up, the team manager and Leo shook my hand in thanks as they sped off to Nashville on their way to the Maloof Money Cup in Washington DC. Maybe look for some photos in Thrasher of Al Town in the future, who knows, Toy Machine's photographers were busy it seemed.
Hope yall enjoyed that as much as I did. Here is the photo album, take care now.
