Stevie Williams Skateboarder. Stevie Williams is a great tech skater from the east coast. He grew up skating in Philadelphia, started skating at age 11. His friends and himself always got a bad rap skating Philly but that did not change anything, they still skated hard. Stevie was a long time rider for DC Shoes and in 2004 started the Reebok skate shoe line. His sponsors are; DGK, Reebok, Gold Wheels, Venture, Diamond, Wham Wax, Bones Swiss, Nixon, Mob Grip, and Zinetti. In 2006, Stevie and Nick Lockman opened a skateshop in Oceanside California. Williams has had some appearances in movies and music videos outside of skating. Stevie is the founder and owner of DGK (Dirty Ghetto Kids) Skateboards, and is now partnered with Reebok Shoes.

Stevie Williams

Corey Duffel Skateboarder. Corey Duffel is one narly skateboarder. He lives in Walnut Creek California and started skating at age 10, and turned pro at 18. Corey doesn’t compete in contests, he just skates for pure fun. His sponsors are; Foundation, Osiris, Split, Ruckus, Pig Wheels, CCS, Ammon Watches, Hoven, and Mob. Duffel is full of jokes and is always smiling. You may recognize him from the extremely tight pants that he always wears, or the white suits while he’s skating. He always has some crazy outfit on. One of his favorite things to do is bomb hills. Everyday Corey is awake at 9 am and out the door by 10 skating with friends. He uniforms every skateboard the same way and always draws on it. Corey doesn’t like a lot of things including jocks, but he says he likes more things than he hates. Duffel also plays bass with his friends in his spare time.

Corey Duffel

This past weekend I was welcomed into the world of manhood by turning 21.  This is an apparent photo that was taken at my house that I do not recall ever happening.  I am pretty proud of the prime product placement that was apparently achieved.  I hear the models over at Hubba wheels are getting jealous and want to shoot an add with me.  Haha.  Have a good day!

Chad Muska Skateboarder. Chad Muska is one of the most well known skateboarders out there. He was born in Lorain Ohio and began skating at the age of 11. Chad has overcome a lot of hardships throughout the years. He also has owned some of the biggest names in skateboarding, including Circa. His sponsors are; Supra, Krew, Ricta, Mob Grip, Element, and Brooklyn Projects. With his money that he’s earned in skateboarding, he started his own music studio in Los Angeles and produced Muskabeatz! A while back Muska started to fall out of the skate scene for awhile while dating Paris Hilton. He became a regular DJ at a popular club in LA. In 2005, Chad started to make his comeback into skateboarding and is now skating ever so good. He’s been in several of the Tony Hawk video games too. Muska is big into graphic design and is always designing shoes and clothing for his companies. He is traveling around the world now, documenting his skateboarding journey’s to release in a new video soon.

Chad Muska

Don’t let the word am fool you, the kids at the Damn Am are the best of the un-professionals and no doubt you will get to know much more some of these rippers well in the near future. One hundred and eighty kids were whittled down to thirty six for the 2 18 man heats in the semi finals today, then down to 12 for the finals. So you could say David Loy had his work cut out for him, this was not just like 20 kids but 180 son…damn.

Volcom lent the use of their parking lot as they always do in October. The event was run by the good folks at the Skatepark of Tampa. Not only does SPOT run a good show but Brian Schafer, Ryan Clements and Vern are darn funny to listen to as the mc the event. This event is super fun to watch and with free food and beer it is no wonder that veterans like Ronnie Creager, Tosh Townend, Jay Adams and tons more heads come out to see the who the next big deal may be. The skaters came from all over too, all over the world. Holland, Brazil, California, Minnesota, Florida were just a few of the locales represented in the finals alone. There was more than bragging rights and money on the line too since the top 12 get to go the finals in Tampa on December 5th thru the 7th as well.

Winning the best run of three format basically took sticking a run with your best tricks or possibly a bail with a lot of hard tricks. The results match what happened pretty well. There surely were some skaters that choked and could have done better, maybe next year.

The best trick finals were super hectic, maybe too hectic as kids were pretty much landing on each other. Even Ryan Clements said “This is the most ridiculous best trick jam we have had yet” There were people in there with no business and clogged the system; making a trick was more from negotiating the traffic jam. Twenty minutes of madness, dozens of dudes and like 10 makes, too crazy.

If you missed it live or online, check it next year

P-Stone from Thrasher came down from San Francisco to film the ams; he even dressed for the occasion

A good portion of the course

Rob Maatman won the Amsterdam Am and came over from Holland. This gap to back smith was so sick!

Felipe Ortiz kickflips to crooked in practice, this kid did not even make finals and he can crack tricks like this

Colin Provost front feebs to front 180 out, it takes some intriguing body language to pull that trick. Colin is an all around ripper, seen ripping trannies at the Basic Bowl and beating Ryan Sheckler in a street contest

Kechaud Johnson with a giant kickflip into a top 5 finish

Nick Merlino pulls a switch heel down the double set in the semis

Kechaud Johnson nollie to front feebs

Kyle Walker kickflips the 12 foot gap

Go spread some Helloween terror this Friday night

Curren Caples is a good looking kid that rips, he kinda reminds me of a young Jay Adams, here is a gap to front lip

David Loy skated so much faster than anyone. He has been around and tricks like the transfer to back smith on the bank to wall helped him get the win

David Loy had at least one run in the finals with no bails. Here is a crazy transfer from the quarterpipe to nose grind on the bank to wall

Andrew Cannon, the oldest am in the world and dressed as wet Willy to boot

Abdias Rivera kickflip shifty

Felipe Gustavo nollie back one into 3rd place overall

Cody Davis was not as big and gnarly skate wise as say David Loy but his board control was spot on enough for 2nd place, frontside hurricane

Felipe Gustavo nollie back one into 3rd place overall

Louie Lopez did so well in the qualifiers that he got to skip the semi finals and move right into the finals

Tommy Fynn - back blunt

Kyle Walker – feeble

The SPOT crew and judges watch Rob Maatman do a tre flip

Timmy Knuth also got to skip semi finals by doing so well in qualifiers, he ended up in 4th place overall

best trick mess

in all the best trick craziness I failed to get this cat’s name, if you know it, let us know

Grant Muller switch Dolphin flips in the best trick contest

Damn Am Results

1 David Loy, Santa Ana, CA
2 Cody Davis, Ramsey, MN
3 Felipe Gustavo, Brasilia, Brazil
4 Timmy Knuth, Melbourne, FL
5 Kechaud Johnson, Dallas, TX
6 Louie Lopez, Hawthorne, CA
7 Shawn Hale, Joplin, MO
8 Rob Maatman, Holland
9 Kyle Walker, Moore, OK
10 Tommy Fynn
11 Will Marshall, Canada
12 Donvan Piscopo, Covina, CA

Best Trick
1 Daniel Espinoza, front blunt kickflip to fakie
2 Ryan Reyes, smith kickflip out
3 Moose, cab flip
4 Cody Davis, front board kickflip
5 Grant Muller, switch dolphin flip

MCGILLS Skateshop - Today was a strange day in the shop, it’s like it was a full moon or something. People acting, driving, and just being wierd, doesn’t help that halloween is around the corner. And then, in walks Kyle Leeper, one of our shop favorites, a seriously good guy, and an amazing skater. Leeper stopped in today for his usual, a couple sheets of MOB grip, newest SkateboardMag, quick glance at the board wall, and a little something different this time … He had been on the hunt for a Skate Mental Ski Mask. Why, you might ask? I wondered the same thing as he ran around the shop wearing it, because you know we got that shit for him. Planning on a little robbery? Apparently its going to be part of sick Halloween costume, so he says. FYI: If you see a tall skateboard looking guy with a vibrant multi-colored ski mask on his head, slowly back out of whatever store your in and head straight towards the door …
 
Check Leeper’s shoes, never before seen Etnies? Possible Leeper model in the works? Didn’t hear it from us …

For more info visit mcgillsskateshop.com

- Skate Mental Ski Mask

More Frontside airs and fun times. Here’s the wrap up of my East Coast to West Coast trip.

Photos by: Brooks Fritz

Doesn’t Pierre Luke De Gay Won look like he’s having a super fun happy time?

Captin Booh Jah doesn’t like his neck getting sun burnt. It Uneven’s his sun tan when he has his shirt on so he brought his camel jockey hat along with him on this flight at Orcas. I’m pretty sure Ryan has never put knee pads on in his life. Why would you need to nanny up if you don’t plan on bailing?

Life is what you make of it..

The pond in the middle is fun but the salmon run is the reason why you go to Orcas Island. At least that’s why I do. Ryan with a gap to lip slide.

Forest has hit his head so many times he has to wear a helmet full time these days. Pretty gnarly if you think about it. Not thinking about not being able to take any more to the head Forest does a front side air off the hip into the pocket.

Obstruction pass ( the camp ground on Orcas ) became Destruction pass one night after a few bottles of asshole gasoline. Tables were burned, wrestling in thorn bushes and Kyle single handily offending everyone outside of our campsite were the highlights.Kyle was yelling till his voice was gone. Families, Kayakers, hippies, everyone was bummed when we were around.

This picture needs a closer look.

See those marks on Jamie’s face? He took a beer can to the face when we were having a super happy fun time.

After some time on da island we left and headed back to the main land brah. The town Mcminville has really fun Grindline park. Feels like 3 separate parks in one good park if that makes any sense. Here’s Booh Jah with one of those front side airs.

Ryan’s friend Joe the Jeweler with a 12+ block front side double trucker.

I remember Ryan saying something about hating this photo since he had his shirt off. So I decided to draw one on so you could see this speedy smith.

Ryan bailed his board on one of these alley oop 360’s right onto my head. It’s pretty awarding shedding blood pushing a button on a plastic box.

whats next?

Port Angeles - Another great park. Cousin It was there doing crail airs

Everyone was gone by this time of the trip. Where else better to go? I guess back out to Orcas again. Why not? I had a few more days till my flight home. Seriously why is this place so fun?

maybe this has something to do with it

This is a nice place to have a couple cold ones.

For the last few weeks of my trip it was pretty much just me and Ryan cruising around. Thus the abundance of photos of the guy. gap to 5050 at Arlington

STREET SKATING?

Tired of always being in front of the lens. Ryan shot some photos of me “street” skating.

Took it to another level with this back tail!

Then Booh Jah stepped it up even harder with ORV 4WD pillow line!

HAVE A SUPER HAPPY FUN TIME THIS WEEKEND….

Tags: bainbridge island, northwest, orcas island, road tripping

Chaz Ortiz Skateboarder. Chaz Ortiz was born and raised in Chicago Illinois and grew up skating there. He is currently 14 years old and one of the biggest names in skateboarding right now. He started skating at 6 years old and practiced night and day. When Chaz was 13, he competed in the Free Flow Tour and became the 2007 champion! In the same year he took 2nd and the annual Volcom Damn AM contest. In 2008, he had his first pro contest touring with the AST Dew Tour and getting podium positions at every location. His sponsors are; Zoo York, DC, Bones, Silver Trucks, and Warp Skatepark. Chaz throws insane tricks that you see older skateboarders doing, like flip in flip out variations. Ortiz is a sick skateboarder, and is top of the line in my book.

Chaz Ortiz

John Cardiel Skateboarder. John Cardiel is a great all around street skater and an amazing bowl skater. John was born in San Jose CA and lived all over California including Utah. He has 2 sisters and a brother. John started skating in the 2nd grade and was a natural at it. Growing up by the ocean, John used to do a lot of skim boarding and riding his bike. He was noticed back in the day, and picked up on Dogtown, Venture, and Spitfire, around the early 90’s. His sponsors now are; Anti-Hero, Vans, Independent, Spifire, and Freshjive. Cardiel skated everything back in the day, from pools to ramps to street. While riding for Black Label, when the checks stopped coming, John and Julien Stranger created Anti-Hero. He has some of the most tweaked out grabs in skating and goes big every time. Check him out!

John Cardiel

Pierre Luc Gagnon Skateboarder. Pierre Luc Gagnon started skating in 1988, started competing in 1992 and went pro in 1997. He gre up in Monteal, Quebec, Canada and currently resides in Carlsbad CA. His parents gave him his first skateboard when he was 8 and his dad built him an 8 foot ramp in the backyard. In 1992, his dad bought a skatepark in Boucherville and Pierre started competing. His sponsors are; Darkstar, Osiris, Boost Mobile, West 49 Board Shop, Monster Energy Drink, Electric Eyewear, RDS Apparel, and Ace Trucks. Pierre’s first language is French and his favorite tricks are flip tricks. Luc Gagnon is also known as PLG and can skate street with the best of them. Iv seen him shred hubbas before.

Pierre Luc Gagnon (PLG)