Sick ollie over a car. 

My favourite skatepark - Stronach in London, Ontario

In London, Ontario (Canada) there is a place called Stronach.  It is a community center and hockey arena which happens to have right beside it a skatepark.  This skatepark is the park I skate the most out of all the parks in London because it is the closest to my house.  In terms of the park itself it has a rail (want to own your own rail? - Element Flat Bar), a box/ledge (6' Long Grind Box (Wood, 6' Long)), a little bank, and sort of a round quarterpipe (sort of) (want to own your own halfpipe - 4 Foot Wide Quarterpipe). Personally, for me this is a solid park because all of my needs in terms of a skatepark are covered. To me all I require at a skatepark is a bank, a rail, and a ledge or box. In my opinion the bank is the perfect size. It has a great incline and a box at the top. If I could say one thing that i wish that they would add is a new box. The old box that is already there is a little big and can take some effort to get to the top. I wish they could add a box that is half the size of the one that is currently there and put them right next to each other, one after the other. All and all the park is not bad and as long as I am where I am I will continue to skate it.

My first real Skateboard Deck - The Element Section Black Skateboard Deck - 7.75 Thriftwood

My very first skateboard I ever owned was a Walmart board with a shark on it (don't ask - you can read a previous article on my review of the "Plan B OG Team Light Blue Skateboard Deck") but my first REAL skateboard deck (right after I was finished with my Walmart board) was the Element Section Black Skateboard Deck - 7.75 Thriftwood...and I absolutely loved this board.  Especially, when it became a big part of my life and skating life for around a year and a half.  I can honestly say I believe this board is a great choice for any skater.
     So whether you are just starting to skateboard or you are a seasoned "pro" the Element Section Black Skateboard Deck - 7.75 Thriftwood is a great choice.  First off, this board is very durable, after riding it for a year and a half there were no chips in the board, barely any razor-tail and even the bottom of the deck was still in good condition.  I personally usually skate flatground, but I do enjoy a rail or ledge now and then and the board never chipped or snapped on me!

   Another great selling point is the fact that the board is quite light.  As most skaters know lighter boards have their advantages for certain tricks.  It is not the lightest board around but the lighter the board is the more susceptible it is to snapping or breaking.  But you don't have to worry about the Element Section Black Skateboard Deck - 7.75 Thriftwood as it is very stable and will take a lot to break it. 

   Another fact worth pointing out is that the concave on this board is excellent; it makes it really easy to flick my foot for doing kickflips or heelflips because of the steep concave.  You can also feel where your foot is on the board.  With the The Element Section Black Skateboard Deck - 7.75 Thriftwood your pop will surely improve because of the concave and the way the board is made; it all seems very solid.

   Lastly, I really enjoy the graphic on The Element Section Black Skateboard Deck - 7.75 Thriftwood; it is simple and enjoyable to look at. The colours all compliment each othe well.
     Overall the The Element Section Black Skateboard Deck - 7.75 Thriftwood is a great deck that you should definitely check out if you are in the market for a new board.

Check it out: Element Section Black Skateboard Deck - 7.75 Thriftwood

I love this game. I play Skate 3 all the time.

Chaz Oritz getting ready for his run at Street League in Germany.

Cool shot of everyone getting ready for Street League.

Prod at Street League in L.A. doing a backside lip slide.

Shane O'neill doing a nice feeble grind down a very sketchy rail.

Shane O'neill is one of my favourite skaters. Through back to him at Street League in Vegas.

Nyjah Huston has one almost every stop in Street League. Its almost not fair. 

Greg Lutzka doing a one-footed crooked grind. I've never seen that before.

Okay, how does this even happen? What were you doing to your skateboard?

What is your favorite song to skate to? Mine is another song for the weekend (acoustic) by A Day To Remember.

Who thinks this is a sick skatepark outline? I wish that was somewhere close to me.

Eric Koston doing what he does best... Skating. No one skates like Eric.

Street League Skateboarding in Germany. The very stop where Chris Cole won his first Street League win. My favourite skater. 

Paul Rodriguez is one of the greatest skaters right now, and he shows it with a switch bluntslide.

Wow. I wish that the toy army men that I had as a kid did this.

SpongeBob admiring one of, if not the best street skater to ever live. Rodney Mullen!!

"Thunder Sonora Teal Fade Light Hi 147 Trucks Review"

Thunder Sonora Teal Fade Light Trucks - Pair

      Thunder Sonora Teal Fade Light Trucks - Pair have to be without a doubt my favourite trucks to skateboard on; and i am going to tell you why. 

       Thunder Sonora Teal Fade Light Trucks - Pair are my first exposure to the brand Thunder Trucks, they are now my favourite brand for trucks. 

       When I first used them I noticed how well they turned; everything just felt very responsive and simple. The bushings for these trucks are very soft and make for an enjoyable ride. These trucks grind very stably. They lock in nicely and there are no real problems with grinding. You feel like you are locked on the rail using the Thunder Sonora Teal Fade Light Trucks - Pair.  

       Another important thing about the Thunder Sonora Teal Fade Light Trucks - Pair is that they are very light.  This will allow you to get off the ground more and increase your ollie height.  These trucks have an amazingly soft feel to them and they turn great, grind great, and are very stable. They pass all other types of trucks in every department for me in my opinion.  So for your next pair of trucks try these out. You won't regret it.

"How to do a Varial Kickflip"

Before even thinking of attempting a varial kickflip there are two tricks you need to be able to do in order to nail this trick; they are the backside pop-shove-it and the kickflip.  And when it comes to these two moves the pop-shove-it is more of the main necessity, however, you still need to be able to flip the board around like you would during a kickflip - so both are necessary just slightly different in terms of rank of importance.  

        Really all a varial kickflip involves is a combination of a backside pop-shove-it and a kickflip together.

         To begin your front foot should be set up in the Kickflip starting  position; except for on more of an angle and set up further south on the board. 

          Set up your back foot by placing it flat on the tail; in a similar way to how you would for a backside Pop Shove-it. However, you should move your toes more off the edge to get a scoop. 

          The next step is to from that position perform an ollie.  And when you are about to ollie Pop the tail and pull south with your back foot in a scooping motion to start the spin.  Just spin the board enough to cover 180 degrees of rotation.  Make sure you pop the board hard. 

          As far as your front foot goes when you are popping just give it a flick when the board is turning backside.  That will make the board do a pop-shove-it and a kickflip at the same time. Make sure you pop the board first and then give the board a flick with your front foot otherwise your varial flip will look ugly.  When the board comes around slap your feet back on the grip tape and ride away. 

          Like most skateboarding tricks it sounds harder than it actually is and it also looks cooler than it sounds.  So keep practicing these moves and eventually you will nail it.  So that in a nutshell is how to do a varial kickflip.

          Oh and one last thing to add...I have been doing varial kickflips for a while now and personally I think the best board to do them on is the Plan B OG Team Light Blue Skateboard Deck 7.75.  It is my favourite board in general.  I love it.