Christmas was a great day for me. Beside enjoying some downtime, footage I have been sitting on for so long with my friend Michael finally came out. It is funny to see spots from Hagerstown, Maryland in a major skate video, especially one based in Europe. I know all the guys at home are getting a kick out of it. I can hear Dusty Ditch now! hahaha....
Enjoy the video and if you are a fan, support Michael and buy his board. The guy definitely deserves his name on one.
Hope everyones Christmas (or 'Happy Presents Day' to some) was a good one. Until soon...
It has been 18 months since my knee surgery from the Italy incident and I am stoked to finally get back on a board. I am physically able to skate again and the first thing I want to do is skate vert. As a friend told me when I said I going to the ramp, 'good luck with that!' haha..
So 16 years after I said I was going to learn how to skate vert, I actually started down the path. Thanks to Jürgen Horrwarth, I have the full pad kit and some wheels bigger than 52mm. Rocking 8 1/4" boards too, quite funny for a tech-decker like me. You have to take baby steps in anything you do and learning to knee slide was the first goal of the night. Who knew learning knee slides could be just as awesome as learning your first kickflip? You have to love skateboarding for that...
I picked up a camera in 1993/94 and have had the opportunity to film with a lot of people over the years. One thing that has had me geeked out more than anything was having the chance to skate with some of the Blueprint guys over the last year. I have been a fan of the company since the first promo they had in Puzzle and thier first video, 'Waiting For The World'. If you have not seen it, look for it online. It is still refreshing to have that 'litle kid' feeling after all these years when going skating with someone.
A few of the guys came through Berlin besides the main team trip. Chewy was here with Adidas and Brady with Matix in the summer. Look for Chewy's part in the new Adidas Europe video in the start of next year. They just started editing it and I wish Torsten Frank (Adidas Euro Filmer) many fun hours in front of his screen and sleepless nights. We are all looking forward to the video, no pressure there.. haha
So during a one day stop in the city at the end of the Germany tour, Chez (former Blueprint Filmer/ TM) and the guys stoped in to enjoy a little of what Berlin had to offer. It is hard to keep the motivation going after a full length tour and especially on your last day but they got business handled. Peep a bit of the footy from the tour they posted a few months ago. They saved back a few clips for their new video coming out in spring or so next year. For me, it will be another quality video definitely for the dvd library.
With the winter here, the work keeps going. I though since it was cold, I might get a little time off. That has not been the case but I am not complaining. I am now really motivated to start blogging again for some reason too. Spending more time in front of my computer than I do, can i really do that? Plus I don't know if anyone is reading this but I can at least ramble in cyberspace and keep my mom up-to-date on what i am doing. That is one way to think about it. So I go on on my drive along the Information Superhighway and see what happens along the way.
Check out Chris Pfanner's Mag Minute and Remix up on 'The Skateboard Mag'. I am super stoked to see friends over here in Euroland getting the coverage in the U.S. they deserve. I had been sitting on that footage for awhile and glad to get it out finally. Keep it up Chris! Glad to see you out there killing it!
PITCREW just launched their new website in which we have a lot of video stuff planned for. Visit the site when you have a chance: www.pitcrewskateboards.com We are also working hard on our Shopliftin' part for the DVS contest. We are 1 of 100 shops in the world invited to be a part of it and everyone has been stacking footage for it.
As for other PITCREW team riders, Bobby Worrest is now working on a Transworld part for the new video. Honestly... it is about time! It is going to be off the hook of course. It is from Mr Worrest, enough said.
Zach Lyons has just wrapped up his new video project with Organika. Look for it on store shelves during the holiday shopping sprees before Christmas. Besides that, he is all over the new Adidas commericals and website too. Is 2009 the year of the Lyons? We will have to see...
Josh Stewart was also through Berlin not too long ago. He was here with Vice shooting something on the European skateboard scene. It will be online in February or so and should be super interesting. I just was there for the interview with Claus Grabke. Jimmy Pelletier would have been in heaven talking with him. It will be a good one to watch so look out for it at the start of next year.
While he was here, I talked with Josh about his upcoming project which has no working title at the moment. I helped Josh out on Sean Mullendore's part in Static 1 & Soy Panday's part in Static 3. For the upcoming video, it looks like Jan Kliewer and Berlin will have parts. The DC part in Static 1 was pretty damn good! I am just hoping to match it in my new home. 2009 will be a big year again here in Berlin from the sounds. First, we have a long cold Berlin winter to get through then we are back to business.
That is it for the moment. I am going to unwind after finishing a music video I have worked the last two weeks on non-stop. Color Correction and Color Grading is a b*%th! So for now, enjoy Sean and Soy's parts from the Josh's past videos and have a Glühwein. It is one of perk of the cold German winter! Until soon...
After a long break and cold weather coming quicker than most people want, I am spending a bit more time home sitting in front of my computer. My days are now full of logging footage and enjoy a little time zuhause.
With all this extra time, I plan on playing catch up from all that has happened over the summer and continue with all the new things happening.
To start it off, enjoy the Matix road trip I did this summer with the US and Euro teams. Good times for sure!
I am also sad about the Germany loss in the final of the Euro 2008. Such a fluke goal to be honest. I really expected it to be better with how well Spain played the whole way through. But a goal is a goal... what can you do?
Too much work and not enough time equal disaster in my book. I am trying to recollect myself now, which has been harder to do then I thought it would be. I would like to thank two broken externals hard drives (luckily with no footage lost), a re-installed OS, and computer almost too slow for HD, and there not being 32 hours in a day... plus not having enough time for you own personal life can hurt that department too. But I have to remember it will be worth it all in the end (which will be next week with all the current stuff) but a headache in the present.
Next week is the Matix trip so I am super stoked about that! I love being out and about filming but finding studio time afterwards can be a pain when you are in film mode.
I am saying this... I am taking a vacation at the end of the month!!! I have to do something nice for myself on my birthday. You only have one per year... or one every 4 years if you are born on Feb 29th.
back to the jobs I wanted to do... I forgot the stress involved sometimes being freelance but i sure do enjoy it too.
Tomorrow is the Germany vs Turkey Match to go to the finals of the Euro Cup 2008. With Germany having the second highest Turkish population outside of Turkey, you know it will be insane. I live in Kreuzberg, the Turkish neighborhood in Berlin, and the flags have been flying around since the start of the Euro 2008.
After Turkey pulled off the second miracle win of the tournament, Kreuzberg went insane. Below were a few photos of what happened afterwards... I love living overseas. The cops would have shut this down in 10 minutes if it happened in the US. The party went past 5am in the morning and remember most people from Turkey are Muslim so they don't drink. They were just that hyped!
Tomorrow Kreuzberg is on fire no matter the outcome! Thank you Football (Soccer) for bringing everyone together here. It has been a fun month here for sure!
I have had Bas Janssen staying with me for the last few days filming for the Element Europe video due out at the start of next year. With the Euro 2008 also going, he had to rep the homeland while here in Berlin. With the way Holland has been playing, this foto of Bas in front of the local shop was pretty accurate. Can not wait until the match with Russia this weekend. It should be a good one!
In the meantime, Germany is in the semi-finals after beating Portugal 3-2. The Turkey match will be insane tomorrow. If Turkey wins, Kruezberg is on fire! Germany/ Turkey to go to the finals... lets see it!!!!
Back to importing. I have video deadline around the corner right now. More news to come soon on new projects in the works.
Here is an article online of my trip back to the US in late April with the Berlin crew and Vivien. It was fun taking all the guys back to the East Coast for their first trip. It was just funny to have the crew back in Waynesboro for a bit. I think the kids at the new skatepark were just as surprised as well. Good times for sure!!! article link > Here
As for Vivien, the French consider him a German since he is from Strasbourg while the Germans say he is French. His skateboard skills are on point for Matix to say this below. Someone wants him in this world at least!
The only think I have to say about it is, you have to keep the phase' Where Brooklyn at?!?!?!' in english. It sounds much better i think... But if i say 'Whats poppin'?' here, I will either get slapped or I will make some female quite happy with my directness toward her. Poppen... You can look it up for yourself. In English, it means, 'whats going on.' That is the part i love about learning new languages... You truly never know what you are saying sometimes.
Good looks to Oli and Skateboard MSM for looking out!!!! Danke noch mal alta!
I have not been blogging for a good amount of time. The last post was when I was finishing up the new PITCREW video and I was ready to take off some well deserved rest and relaxation. Since then, my focus has been in other areas and only now i think i should get back on the blogging tip. So many amazing things have been going on and now with an iPhone.. it is much easier to take those fotos while out.
So here begins a new chapter in my blogging (can i really say that?)...
