Up and over

Above: Ollie to hill bomb in a town with very few hills.
Here's some pics of Kyle jumping over some stuff.

Above: Higher learning back 180. I hate shooting at this place.
The Dorfus guy at the end of this is crazy.
Hey Mastrovito, when do we pour?

Frosted tips

I spent yesterday standing in the freezing cold shooting photos. By the end of the third quarter, I couldn't feel the tips of my fingers. It got to the point where my hands were so cold I couldn't change the memory cards in my camera.
Gotta support the team.

In Living Color

Snuck this sequence of Keegan Callahan into the Fall 2010 issue of Color.
We rolled up to this spot in the middle of a weekday. It's at an apartment building with several small businesses on the main floor. I didn't think we were going to last five minutes. Once again the Keegan karma came through. Instead of kicking us out John (below) was stoked to watch Keegan stomp an over-crook pop out.

Above: New friends.
I'm hearing vague rumors of a new unlit, unheated skatepark somewhere within driving distance of Edmonton. It's funny what you'll consider reasonable after only a couple days of -30.
Skate artist.
Not usually my bag, but this is sick.

What's up Watcho?

A while back I did a short interview with Dirty and I liked the way it turned out so much that I decided to try and do more of them. Here's a short email interview I did with former Plush/Famous rider Hiroki "Watcho" Watanabe. Watcho now runs his own distribution company and skateboard company back in Japan.

Above: Tokyo 360 flip 2006.

What is a Watcho?
It's just my nickname. Someone started calling me Watcho when I was 7 or 8 years old.

Why did you come to Edmonton the first time?
Just for learning English. I was taking English class. I feel like I learned English from skateboard friends more than English class.

Did it piss you off that when talking to you, for some idiotic reason, I start talking to you like a little kid? Somehow I think it's easier for you to understand me if I cut out a bunch of words or act out what I'm saying to you.No, it’s OK. I sometimes still don’t know what you are saying. Thank you for your kindness.

Of all the places in the world to learn English why on earth did you decide on Edmonton?
I heard it’s safe there.

Did you think you had made a horrible mistake when you experienced your first winter in Edmonton?
Not at all. Winter in Edmonton is so cold outside, but inside the houses are so warm. It won’t get too cold here in Kanagawa, so we don’t really need a heating system. But in winter when it gets cold, the inside of our houses are cold too.

Above: Nollie heelflip.

I just watched this Japanese documentary film. How often does this sort of thing happen? Say on a regular day in Tokyo?
Everyday things?

Mothra or Godzilla?
GODZILLA

When you were learning English did any friends give you any bad translation advice? You know like teaching you obscene phrases or anything?
I learned some good ones from Glenn Suggitt.

Several Canadian friends have now visited you in Japan. Have you ever tried to get even with them for any of these English language tricks they played on you?
I told Nathan some funny words, but he already knew some bad words.

When you first came to Canada what where some of the Canadian cultural things that you found really weird?
I don’t know, everything was fresh and nothing felt weird for me. One thing weird was when Oilers win a game, Whyte Avenue gets wild.

Above: Watcho under an Oakland overpass.

Generally speaking, what do Japanese skaters think about Canadian skaters? Or do they even think about skateboarding and Canada together? For instance, I get the feeling that a large section of American skaters think Canadian skaters are all a bunch of tall t-shirt wearing hip hop kids.
I think Japanese skaters think Canadian skaters are gnar. We know it because we watch some Canadian skate videos and clips that are crazy good. And the scene there is so much bigger than here. Lately, some of my friends have been going to Canada to skate and they love it there.

Is there anything about Canada you miss when in Japan? When I visited you I remember it being super hot and muggy. I would have killed for a slurpee, but could never find one.
Slurpee is not common here, but we have ice candy call Garigari-Kun. You can get it in most of the convenience stores here. I miss the Pizza there! I want to eat it everyday. It’s so good! Last time I went to visit I ate so much of it and didn’t get enough. However, what I miss the most is my friends.

Skateboarding has blown up in the last few years. When you first came to Edmonton the skate scene was still pretty small. What's the scene like in Japan? Is it acceptable to be a skater there?
I thought skate scene in Edmonton in 1998 was still big back then compared to my city skate scene. Yeah, it’s getting big here too, but not like Canada though. But, we are getting some good skateparks and some good skaters and so many kids skate now.

Above: Bluntslide 270 out.

Are you a samuri or a ninja?
I wish I was a ninja.

What is the best brand of throwing stars?
I don’t know.

What is the stupidest misconception people have about Japan?
???

Above: Crooked grind circa 1988-89.

Much like Nathan, I don't think I've ever seen you in a bad mood. Your last night here you watched me almost get in a fight with that guy reading poetry at the bar, what would it take for you to get really pissed off?
At first, I didn’t know what happened. I thought Leslie saw her friend there. Later, I realized because you looked so mad at that guy. My mind was different place. I was thinking how good that pizza was. I wished I could eat more, but I was too full.

Above: 2010 thumbs up.

Why do the Japanese love Monke skateboards so much?
Because, me, my friend Trevor Houlihan and distributor Mori-san were trying to promote Monke in Japan. We did a Monke Japan tour in 2005 and showed people their madness and made some friends.

What are some of the English sayings, slang, euphemisms that didn't make sense when you were learning English?
There are so many. I’m still learning.

Pinhole Photography

Above: Spruce Grove noseslide. Another name lost in the void. In my defense I'm pretty sure this was the first and last time I ever saw this guy. I think he was a friend of Travis Stuve's.
I had hoped to start scanning some of my old 35mm slides, however, my first attempt resulted in images that looked like I shot them with a Holga while using 3600 iso film (see above example). I hate scanners.
Because I dream about concrete.
This should be in my iPod.

Rolled

I wasn't the only one with a hurt foot in SF. Swaim gets some Japanese physiotherapy on a BART train. Derek looked like he was smuggling an oversized softball in his ankle for most of the trip.
Holy smokes, this is awesome.

Business in the front. Party in the back.

Watcho watches as an SF transit bus turns into some sort of weird booze cruise. Pretty sure he's trying to take a photo of this stupid chick as I'm shooting a photo of him.

Rebels without a car.

Yeah, you crazy.
Sure, I guess? I mean, if you like skateboarding.
And yeah, I'm almost out of SF photos. Almost.

S.F. personalities

Derek, Watcho, Kento, and Keita enjoy a Chinese bakery pit stop in Oakland.

Derek waits for a bus to Fort Miley.

Java is the most dedicated filmer I've ever meet. I don't think he ever took the camera away from his eye the entire trip.

While in SF, we missed getting to skate this by one day. Whoever did the coffin rainbow ride is crazy.
Videos of jumping off stuff never really makes me want to go skating. Stuff like this does.
If a skate sock company now exists, I'm guessing an underwear brand with some sort of patented shoelace support system can't be far behind.
Forget socks go buy one of these beauties immediately!!!