Skateboard Class if taught would be in the Spring 2012

I along with Gary Holl founder of Board Rescue have taught a few classes that filled up quickly. We enjoyed teaching the classes and have had many parents and friends ask if we would do it again. It is a big commitment since you have to fill out a 5 page form, plan it 8 months ahead and I have always made good swag sticker bags and a signed Skate certificate per each student. I've asked all the local shops to offer a discount for that week which they all have. (Much appreciated.) We have taught a Slide Class with Cliff Coleman and slalom Class at Pacific Collegiate School, and a beginning class at the Santa Cruz Skatepark. Big kudo's to all of the skaters that let us take over the park and respected the little ones. And to my many friends that have helped teach the class and give up a skate day which I know is a big deal when you work all week and give up a day for young tikes that aren't even your own. I will turn away any Mothers that try and drop off their child who isn't signed up. You know who you are and shame on you for doing that and putting your child in that uncomfortable position and putting me on the spot as well. I'm not taking in flakes if I teach again. I have a poll to see which kind of class and if I get enough interest. Thanks.

City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department. We are currently accepting class proposals for our Winter - Spring 2012 session.
No classes will be held on Martin Luther King Day
(January 16), President’s Day (February 20), Spring Break (April 2-8) and
Memorial Day (May 28).

The best female vert skaters hit the Santa Cruz Skatepark

Allysha Bergado


Lizzie Armanto


Allysha Bergado and Lizzie Armanto two of the best vert skateboarders in the world. They are as sweet as they are rippers.


Group shot with my kids and Joe Fong and his son. Joe and I skated back in the 70's together. Oldschool as we call it. We still skate together. I skate Lake Cunningham better than the Santa Cruz park.

Skateboard book in progress by Ben Marcus

Steve Olson

Tony Hawk


Skip Engblom




Ben Marcus a local surfer/skater/writer originally from Santa Cruz is working on this skateboard book. Very cool imagery. Photographer Lucia Griggi does amazing work. Shooting around California and heading to NorCal soon.

Team work pays off for the Design + Innovation Skateboard Show

We started this process in April. Via I sent Chris Yonge and email suggesting a skateboard version of the bike show. 6 months later we did it. These are photos Chris Yonge took leading up to the final opening and a page of opening night images. We had over 750 people the first night. Goes to show anything is possible. I told myself the week before we were doing the show not to try and do anything like this again. Well after all said and done I'm ready to help with the surf version of this show at the MAH March 2010 with Surfing in Santa Cruz.

Praise the Board Skateboard Show set up day 4 & 5

No pictures from last night's event yet. A full house of over 500 people came out and a 1,000 people total throughout the day. Who'd of thought so many people would be stoked on skateboarding. (I did) It was great to see so many of my old skate buds as well as many other design folks throughout NorCal. Thanks to all those that made it to the opening last night. I guess, I can check off curate a skate art show on my list of things to do in my lifetime.




End of work day 4

Santa Cruz Design and Innovation Presentation

These are the Powerpoint slides that I put together for the event. I was super nervous last night and worried that the crowd was small which was around 50 people. According to the past events that was a good number. The evening started off with Tim Piumarta - the Director of R+D, NHS who was a great speaker and talked about the history of NHS and the skateboard wheel from the break through of the sealed bearing. The crowd was totally into it and so was the panel. It was exactly what I had hoped for when I asked Chris Younge about holding a skateboard panel. Tim was passionate and excited with tons of knowledge. Stories get passed on from person to person and I don't think that Santa Cruz Skateboards story has really been told. I hope some of the stories that came out last night will get passed around.
Next up was Connor Welles - Hard Goods Development Coordinator, NHS. His parents were in the audience and it was nice to see their big smiles. He did great and talked a bit about the process of getting things manufactured and working with product managers.

After Connor was Don Bostick -President/Director World Cup Skateboarding (WCSK8) he runs all of the X Games and other skateboard and snowboard judging world wide. He spoke about his skateboard passion early roots of owning retail stores, playing music and having the Hawks call him about taking over retiring Frank Hawk's job and how he hung up on them thinking it was a crank call. They called back and he has been running events ever since and traveling the world.

Next up was Erik Florio - CEO and Founder Whagaa/Go Learn to Skate iphone app which is based in Scotts Valley. Talked about the early days of wanting to do apps before the iPhone and his connection with DK. It was nice to hear everyone's connection to skateboarding and career paths.

I was next and did my presentation with my PowerPoint slides. A good program to know and have in your back pocket.

DK talked about retail, Grind out Hunger and social networking. Twittering...I can't believe he turned 40 last week. He still looks like a kid. He was asked questions about retail now verses the past. How parents are buying boards with their kids. Longboards are a growing segment and how he likes to encourage kids to skate and how lucky they are to have so many skateboard parks.







I wanted to share that design comes in many forms. Graphic design print, clothing design, magazine, and book, product, and tried to show products that were all skateboard related.




Showed this skateboard park slide to show the possibilities of park design. I had asked Zach Wormhoudt to join us but he was too busy with work and couldn't make it.



Showed more gear designs.



Showed interior design via skate shop in NorCal.



Well thought out plans and end design all skateboard related.



Clean well designed shop.



Santa Cruz Skateboard projects hanging 26 inch POP before computers all hand produced production. Ad for inside back cover ASR magazine mid 80's.



Tracing paper hand drawn rough layout that was approved for EA ad's that ran in Thrasher, Transworld, Gaming magazine and one pager in Spin. Bonjovi was on the cover and big then if it tells you anything.




Black and white photo I hand colored the skater jumped 40 times and this was the best shot. Didn't know until you saw proofs. I airbrushed the wall and layout out all of the props, where the graphic screens shots were white taped foam core in position so it could be dropped in via old school production. I was sick as a dog the morning of the shoot and had to just act like all was good when the client showed up. I would of been in bed if I had my choice. You work through it. I didn't go into details like during the talk.



Years later Nike comes out with a shoe color combo after the game. Go figure. I heard it sold well to boot. Nike had no clue that they were a popular shoe back in the early days of skating. They paid there way into the sport twice and finally got in.



Bulky. I had to put him in. I mentioned if you ever get a chance to eat at the Apple head quarters check out the photo on the wall that has a bunch of famous rock stars and artists. You'll see a diagram of all the players. Steve is in the photo and is the only person not called out.




I wanted to hire Moshe Brakha who did the Sky Vodka imagery for a Rockshox Ad Campaign. The manager Mike (we are still friends) said you can't afford us and was super rude. Some how talking about skating and knowing Olson made things better. Moshe wanted to do the job and we did it. Skating actually opened doors.




Giro trade show booth graphics and illustration work by James Jean was one of my favorite projects.



Photography by BK (Bryce Kanights) founder of the Skatedaily.net, amazing skater and photographer. Imagery of Aaron Brookes who was at the event. Soon to launch his BrookleBee marketing company.



Jimbo Phillips wave design collaboration. I think I mentioned throughout my talk how important it was to network via linkedin, facebook, twitter...and how it really works.



All in all I think it went well. I think it would of been a full house if we had no charge at the door. $15.00 bucks a person is pretty steep. At the end of the evening the Raffled a Santa Cruz Longboard a super stoked winner. I had a ton of folks tell me what a great event it was. Stories are meant to share and I think that we gave enough info for the next generation to share to keep the history of skateboarding in Santa Cruz and it's roots in check.

Thanks Maya, Chris, Davy, Ruby, Paul, Jeremy, Iris, Ryan, and everyone that believed.
Thank you Nextspace
Santa Cruz Skateboards, Khiro Skateboard Products, Clutch Courier, Santa Cruz Skate Outlet, and Parachute Design

Flickr Photo mapping

Santa Cruz skate locations. Rainy day busy work to avoid house cleaning.

Found Skate Memories

Today I was going through some old boxes of skate stuff and found this old photo taken by John Krisik when I skated for Santa Cruz Skateboards. I remember we were at a the Sierra Wave in Sacramento and it was cold and windy out. Stayed with the Merricks and remember skating a contest there with Jamie Hart, Dave Criddle, Tom Merrick and Cliff Coleman. Fun days.

I also found the schedule for the ARA Another Roadside Attraction Slalom Series in Colorado, my worn number from sliding down the double yellow during the Capitola Classic, the Skateboardmania 6 month tour schedule that never happened, other numbers, the Hester Series fliers and scribbled race times from days gone by. A proof sheet with shots of Blackhart, Randy, Bryan Buck and myself at Winchester.

Newark, Winchester, Del Mar, Campbell. We too had so many skateparks that we were getting picky. Skated Campbell to warm up, Winchester to session and Milpitas to push one step further if you hadn't had any hard falls during the evening. The owner DOM would always try and give me a kiss. (That was one of the things I hated most about skating that park.) Loved the capsule and the snake runs and the water slide we could go cool off in right next door.

And then in a heart beat they were all gone.

Parents are great savers

My mom gave me a envelope with some old elementary school stuff and a skate image taken at a photo session with John Krisik for Santa Cruz Skateboards. Winchester's wash board was a great place to warm up. Broke my ankle and dislocated my foot doing a front side aerial there, waited to long to bail and by then it was too late. Other found items Skateboardmania flyer, Road Rider small poster and a host of other fun items.



Jumping Rivers at a Jr. High School show I helped put on with the Rhino's at the Santa Cruz Fairgrounds.



My cousin Ray took this image in Gonzales back in the 70's. Rode horses and skated. We use to tie the skateboards on the back of our saddles and ride up to fresh pavement in the Aptos hills and then go for a ride.

Skatepark Revival oh to be young again!

Back in my day there were 8 parks in San Jose and we would skate 3 parks a night. Warm up at Campbell (good banked area and half pipes) skate Winchester (washboard and pool) and then finish the night off at Milpitas (pill box, snake runs, big pool). Then poof they were gone within a year due to insurance hikes. Parks turned into storage lockers and that was the end of my park riding days. You guys are all so lucky to have what you have. Enjoy!
Soon you will have a new huge skate park in San Jose stop flapping the ole lips about what could be better just get out and skate the thing. We had back yard parks to skate and it wasn't pretty but it was the best we had.


New park Photo by Mofo park design by Zach Wormhoudt and skaters.
Top photo Steve Caballero when he was 14 on deck.
Mike Smiley Goldman took the photo.
Bottom pick was Ed DeRosa's backyard before he build Soquel.

Beginning Skateboard Class Santa Cruz Park

Next class will be March 1, 2008
Gary Holl, myself and a few extra teachers for another class through Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation. Class is now posted. Here is a link to the skateboard class. Thanks. The last class was a blast.

Skateboarding Beginning Class Nov. 3

Skateboarding Beginning

Description:
Join world-class slalom racers Gary Holl and Judi Oyama for this one-day beginning skateboarding workshop at the new Ken Wormhoudt Skate Park. This class is to help the first time park rider understand the basics of turning and doing kick turns on a banked surface. We will start out in the flat roller hockey area and work our way over to the street course. Students will be divided into different levels based on experience. Parents are welcome to give it a try as well. Skateboarders should be able to stand on the skateboard with balance. Bring your own skateboard. Helmets, knee pads and elbow pads required.


Put this on your calendar! Only two spots left.

11-03-2007
9:00AM - 12:00PM

Designs with impact

I started Maximum Impact Design in Santa Cruz, California in 1987, doing all surf, skate and snow graphics. I have worked with Billabong, Sessions, Electronic Arts, Santa Cruz Surf and Skateboards, Hotline Wetsuits and many other well-known brands. We create everything from stickers, advertising, logos, packaging, signage and tradeshow booths to forecasting the latest color trends to styling for American Express commercials.

My latest project was a Public Art Wave project for the Santa Cruz Skate Park. I teamed up with Jimbo Phillips and David Pettigrew from Diamond D Concrete. We stained the wave, sandblasted and sealed the 17 plus foot wave.

The next public art project I will be doing is two large 4 x 8 metal panels at the Felt Street Skatepark along with Eli Atkins the art director for all Giro and Bell graphics.

I spend my early mornings trying to help the next generation of skaters get a public skatepark in Capitola and revive the Capitola Classic.