Back again..

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!



Until next time...

Monster Mag article

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!

New Year... New look...

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?)...

Back to Euro 2008... It is football time...

Wonder where I have been????

it is hard work pull this video stuff off people! enough said...

Can I sleep yet.. please?????

I am 6 days deep into a non stop edit to get this project done for RedBull Germany. I just had the correct translations done for one of the kids in the piece. My German is not that perfect... yet! He spoke so fast in certain parts even slowing it done to 'Charlie Brown' speed did not help.

This is my break before I set forward and finish the whole project all out. It goes in the mail on Friday and I focus all my energy back to the PITCREW video. The video from Change Of Guard will be online next week for the world to see.

Back to the final stretch... 6 days... 14 hours on each everyday... it will be all over tomorrow.

I can't wait to catch up on the new season of 'The Office' after I am finished...

back to work.....

Physical Therapy

I am 2 weeks into my physical therapy after my knee surgery. Bending my knee and getting it back into shape is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my whole life. It is a lesson in patience and will. Plus, the doctors say it will be better in a month the way I am going now. 30 days is a long time and a lot can happen. Everyday I can bend it a little more, the better I feel.

This foto was taken a few days ago, only after I had my stitches taken out (oh did that hurt!) and the swelling had shrink by over 1/2. It was the size of a small melon before.



This is how it feels everyday trying to bend it. i am straining just like this to bend it to a 90 degree angle. I bet my neighbors love me right now...


At least I have a goal in site... back on my board by the end of April. I need to kick into gear but it has only been 3 weeks since my surgery. I can walk a bit now so life is a lot better.

So many video projeckt are jumping off now... PITCREW, Radio Skateboards, Search and Destroy... just to name a few....

Projekt 5.1 premiere is Friday in Hamburg.... See everyone there and don't forget to wear your 'Jan Kliewer has a fan club' t-shirts there. Time to send more mails and make some more movie magic happen.

bis Freitag!

Jan Kliewer and Projekt 5.1...

I am currently working on this video projekt here in Germany called Projekt 5.1. It is a one skater working with one filmer. I am personally teamed up with Jan Kliewer and stoked to be a part of it. Now with crunch time coming, we have to wrap the part up by the weekend.

Here are two parts for you to check out in the meantime of Jan. Get your fill of Jan's shred sled skills here in anticipation for the new part...

September 28th... mark your calenders!


Cliche : Bon Appetite




Jart: Now or Never

Now that I am a blogger...

For all that don't know me, my name is Mark. I am a kid who loves his skateboard and his video camera. Somehow I have found a way to make a living (or even part of it) for the last 10 years with my favorite things in the world. More about me later... lets talk about what is happening with me now.

I ran into some trouble in Italy earlier this year. Due to legal reasons, I can only say it involves a crazy girl, her hot temper, her hate of skateboarders, ill will toward non-Italians, a broken vx-1000, Italian police, a torn ACL and MCL ligament, and spending 3 days in jail with Michael Mackrodt. If you don't know who he is, he skates for Element Skateboards. Once the drama is done with and I tell the world and be shot into 3 minutes of my '15 minutes of fame'. The whole story will be told soon enough.

Due the actions of the girl's male friend in the situation, i had to have acl replacement surgery on September 4th. I know have the respect to every pro and amateur athlete who has ever come back from this injury. So after a 5 day hospital stay and time to start the recovery process, it looks like I will have a considerable amount of free time to update my blog more than once a month. Instead of 8 hours a day of skating and filming, it will be Yahoo, Youtube, and crazy black man videos my friends seem to always find. There are crazy white people to don't get me wrong but they are nowhere near as fun.

So for the skateboard side... big ups to Alex Mizurov for winning the Amateur 'Game of Skate' this year. I just went on a road trip with him this year and I was impressed. It is hard to go off a hype of winning a flatground game but the kid did it. He has flip tricks but the kid is more than just that. Looking forward to the Projekt 5.1 part from you. And we need to go off the mission when you come to Berlin next time Alex. Ich habe spots für dich!

Jan Kliewer's Projekt 5.1 part due this week. Thanks for the shout out Michel. I am handling it....

more useless information to come your way soon...

lights out from Berlin...

Saying so much, without saying a word

A word can give someone power but the lack of usage can leave someone powerless. Sometimes just acting without saying a word can be way more empowering than saying anything at all. I have spent a lot of time in my life trying to empower kids with words and forgetting exactly how I really did it, through action. Thinking back, I have not done everything I said I was going to. I did try but it never panned out always. So I have a new motto starting today. It is an old proverb that is so simple yet so wise; 'Actions speak louder than words...'

Another thing you have to have is a purpose. What are you doing it all for? Money, Power, Respect... or the chance to hear Lil Kim sing it and it sound catchy??? hahaha... There is a method and a reason behind every madness.

So what does this have to do with skateboarding? everything really and nothing at all. Just an idea I had cross my mind and I needed to get out. Maybe it can be a reminder to me as well to get up, get out, and do something since we all need that swift kick in the ass sometimes. I just recorded my to a digital format for the world to see.

So this is what I ask of you, the blog reader... find something you said you wanted to do or have promised yourself you were going to do for a long time. Next, go to it! Who knows what it might lead to, it could be nothing or it could change your life forever. Small things can be a catalyst for change that lead you somewhere in the grand scheme of it all.

So there is some knowledge Plato, Confucius, or Oprah would have drop... in another language and time. Just be glad you didn't have to sit through any commercial breaks. This photo below says it just perfect to me. I saw it on New Years Day and has set a tone for me I feel.




Please Inspire... hope, ambition, the drive to better ourselves is part of what pushes the human race. Without inspiration, the world would not be where it is today (good and bad). The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Be inspired to take that step today. Why should you?... 'Why Not?' is more the question you should ask. Take what you want from these words but I know I will re-read them numerous times over. I like to take my own advice sometimes too.

And here my spirit guide has left. I have nothing else for you. Maybe next time I can channel a leprechaun and find out 'where the gold at...'
thanks for tuning in and don't forget to visit the guest shop on the way out.

My Fully Flared Blueprint Moment aka London

London was amazing even thought the weather had been off and on.
Colin Kennedy showed up at Southbank out of nowhere one of the days. I have know Colin for years and it was good to see him again. To everyone out there he did the DVS 'Skate More' video. Good stuff for sure...

So while there, one of the guys working with Ty Evans on Lakai's 'Fully Flared' was shooting... That video is going to be AMAZING!!! Check out the kit below. Fully HD Flared...



The Girl Demo was pretty rad at Southbanks. I got to see the hype man himself, Brandon Biebel, in full effect. I just wish I could have seen the Milton Keynes session afterwards.

After $10 extra value meals, $4 cokes, $8 subway trips, etc... I had to come back home. London is great but a little too high stress for me. Thanks to the Matix UK guys for a good time, Will Harmon, all the kids in London, and anyone who helped make the trip good. Good looks on a crazy trip Vivien. Next time, I am all about the Wales sessions. Going back to family roots then.

Videos coming soon...

To the start of a good trip London

I am in London now shooting with my friend Vivien Feil and the Matix UK team. Day 1 of the trip has been a blast and some good footage already logged to the Lappy 486. I should have some new clips up on the youtube site soon from the looks. London is calling and yes i will accept the charges at local dialing rates.

For all the kids in the States, check out American Misfits starting next month on FUEL TV. I have a segment on the show this season called European Misfits. It is the reason I am here in London shooting. Click here for more info on the show.

Bedtime for me now. Until the next entry... skate krooked..

First Blog Entry... Welcome to the Web

So welcome to a start of an adventure I don't know how often I will keep updated. It was only 3 months ago that I finally started posting my old videos online. I have been so out of of the tech phase for so long that I felt like I lived in rural West Virginia in the age of the Pony Express. Knowing my OCD, I will have it updated all the time..haha...

Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls... welcome to the madness I call my life. I hope you enjoy a brief window into my existence.