High winds and an inflatable outdoor movie screen do not mix well so we’re taking it indoors.  BUT we’ll still be holding the Stay Gold Best Trick Contest(s) at the skateplaza tonight at 7pm.

After the contest we’ll all head back to Homebase to peep the video.

In honor of one of the most anticipated skate videos ever we’re going to dedicate the Best Trick Contest to what Emerica’s best known for- being consistently gnarly so of course we’re taking it to the gap, handrail and hubba.

The Overall Best Trick will win a Emerica Stay Gold Prize Pack.

Emerica prizes will also be given out for. . .

The Reynolds- The 1st to frontside flip the gap

The Romero- The 1st to grind up the hubba or rail

The Westgate- The 1st to ollie up the gap

The Hsu- The 1st to switch heel the gap

The Figgy- The 1st to nollie into a grind trick on the rail

The Kirchart- The furthest kickflip off the gap.

I could go on forever with this.  We’ll keep the contests going til I run out of prizes.

DONATIONS TO THE BETHLEHEM SKATEPLAZA WILL BE TAKEN AT THE DOOR.

Give whatever you can.

Don’t forget to come out to the skateplaza on Saturday for the outdoor premiere of “Stay Gold” on a huge inflatable screen after a Best Trick Contest.  Event starts at 7pm.

Emerica also delivered a new Herman 2 and Jinx just in time for “Stay Gold’s” release.

More Altamont apparel came in for the Fall including the clean “Won Up” Bomber Jacket.

L-R-G is bringing some high seas fashion to the streets for the Fall like the “All The Way Broadway” Jacket looking like some vintage Nautica.

Nike SB is going to have the vegans fighting over the newest “Stefan Janoski” in this dope canvas charcoal grey.  Oh wait- do vegan’s like Nike?

Everything else that came in this week is below:

Check what else has come in the past few weeks in INVENTORY.

I always loved that quote from Lance but it only shows one side of the griptape if you will. Being the most hardcore slasher,  skating 24/7, having the highest ollie, wearing the newest gear (or the oldest Dickies) or watching the most vids don’t make you a skateboarder.

It’s inside you. It’s the unexplainable urge and desire to ride a skateboard.

However, sometimes it’s the time off your board and the activities outside of skating that help  solidify you as a “skateboarder.”  The ability to bring skating into everything else you do then come back to that simple act of rolling.   If your a “lifer“,  sometimes it’s needed.

It doesn’t make you less of a skater to explore,its in our nature. It makes you a more of a well rounded person and perhaps in turn, it will make you a better skateboarder.

Here are some secret lives of some of the Valleys most stylish, long standing, and creative skaters.

Mike Emery: Avid Motocross rider and Photographer

Phil Chadbourn:  Fly fisherman & musician.

Matt Kayes:  One Tough Mudder, fixed gear rider & snowboarder.

Andy V:  Woodworker & furniture designer.

Pat Villa: Chef

Ray Gurz:  Musician & owner of Lost Soul Skateboards.

Andrew Colbert:  Artist.

Dustin Martinez: Golfer.

Luke Koch: Artist.

This is an incomplete list to show you that most of the Valley’s skaters have skills on and off their boards truly making them well rounded people.

Follow your desires; whatever they are.  Take a break from skating from time to time- it will be here for you when you get back. And if you have been gone for a while, what better time to come back home?

-NoNo

The un-sponsored skaters can send in 2 minutes of raw footage for a chance to win a prizes and possible sponsorship too.  Kevin Coakley won a few years ago and went from Krooked to Blueprint Skateboards.  Slap will also fly out the top 7 skaters to San Francisco to do a week long tour but not every skater will make it to the end of the week- kinda sounds like a skateboard reality show right?  The last skater standing will be the 2010 Slap One In A Million Winner.

Help us make that Nik Stain, one of the 610’s finest.

Nik’s 2 minute video defintely holding it down for the East Coast with crusty spots, good lines, a solid mix of street and tranny and a big ass smile on his face the entire time.  As good as he’s always been, he’s never really cared too much about finding a sponsor- all the kid does is skate.  He worked at Woodward ALL SUMMER just to skate because he wasn’t trying to get a normal Summer job.  We all have our homies we’d like to see “make it” in the skateboard industry because we know how raw they are- Nik’s definitely one of those guys.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s How to Vote:

1)  Go to www.SlapMagaine.com and click on the big banner that says VOTE!

2)  Scroll through the Top 10 videos and click the white box next to NIK STAIN.  You can vote for up to 3 videos but hey, that’s besides the point.  Watch Nik’s clip and you’ll know why he should win this contest.

3)  Scroll to the bottom of the videos are click SUBMIT VOTES & if you use

Supposedly you can vote more than once a day, I’m note really sure how all that works but if you’re bored, vote again and again.

B-SPACE vs ANT

NIC RIC vs ERIC NIEVES

BEN TAYLOR vs TYLER ZOSKY

. . . and some make-up matches from the previous week’s session.  Remember, if any of the skaters who need to skate in a make-up match miss this week’s Saugy Session will result in a loss.  Those matches are as follows:

Vince Kutish vs. Josh Lavranos

Michael Hlavinka vs. Jesse Gangwere

Got 1 of the 2 last of the missing Round 1 Matches online, Chris Roxberry vs. Ant and I’ll have Nic Ric vs. Dan Cilcagnetti up this week too.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Bethlehem Police Department have arrested the genius who felt it was easier to try and kick down the back gate because it was locked instead of riding his bike to the front gate to leave.  Fortunately for the culprit- he’s a minor so we can not show you the security footage or release his name.  We’ve created this artist rendition though.  Witnesses described the BMXer as a shaved head, “jock build” and wearing a sleeveless green shirt.

Learn from this kid’s example because you don’t want to get banned from the skateplaza before its completed. . .

Take care and respect the skateplaza because that’s the only way we’re going to see Phase 2 & 3 get built.  We need to earn the City’s trust and backing that this skateplaza was a good decision- we do not simply deserve this plaza. Local politicians have gone out on a limb to help the skate and BMX communities out by building this for us.  They have stood up publicly for us telling the naysayers that the skateplaza is a positive place that the skaters and BMXers will take care of.  How do you think it looks when we as skaters and BMXers stand ideally by when someone is litering, smoking weed, fighting, cursing at kids or kicking at fences?  We as the community using the skateplaza daily need to be its first line of defense.  If you see something that should not be happening, stop it in a peaceful and respectful way or call the Parks Dept who’s phone # is posted on all the rule signs.

If you don’t, you’re just as responsible when they shut the plaza down- temporarily or permanently.

This is a perfect example of what we don’t ever want to see at the Bethlehem Skateplaza.  Apparently Darren Harper and Stevie Williams got into some beef at the Red Bull Manny Mania Finals in NYC- maybe they were bummed that the rain ended the contest early?

Not sure how it started but a few choice words were used. . .

Click here to view the embedded video.

. . . and this is what followed.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I sat next to Darren Harper on a flight from Philly to San Diego, he was a nice guy but i definitely wouldn’t want to be trying to swing on him.  Who knows, if DGK really is ghetto then maybe Stevie ought to give Darren a pro model for being extra hood.

In more peaceful skateboarding updates. . .

IV Skate put out an amazing clip featuring Dylan Rieder destroying everything and looking extra stylish while doing it.  Here’s the preview:

Click here to view the embedded video.

He probably takes forever picking is outfits and getting the right cuff at the bottom of his jeans before every session.  GO HERE FOR THE FULL CLIP.

I posted this up on Facebook a few days ago after our Insight Clothing rep put me onto the story of the Ugandan Skateboard Union. If you think you have it tough or you get DIY at spots- take a lesson and be thankful for these rough and cracked streets.

The Full Story.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Help Save Their Park. skateboardugandadonate@yahoo.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Geechybond pulled together a clip of digi footage from random skateplaza sessions.  Peep Steinert’s line- so steezy.  Then watch man and get bummed.  Haha.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Don’t forget to keep Saturday Sept. 4th open for the premiere of Stay Gold.

Lorna Doone has been working with Homebase and The LVAN as long as we have been doing group art shows. Working under the title of Lornography , Lorna has always brought a feminine touch to our mainly manly crew.  Stop out to the shop to celebrate the opening of her first solo LVAN show, “9 Muses-portraits of women who inspire through their complete beauty.” This will also mark the release of a special print with all proceeds being donated to the The Nature Conservatory to help restoration efforts in the gulf.

Join L.Doone , Homebase, and the LVAN on Friday September 3rd from 7-10pm at Homebase.

Westgate.

Reynolds

Hsu.

That’s the order of who’s parts I’m most looking to watching in Emerica’s newest video “Stay Gold.” Sure I’m down to watch Spanky and Herman skate but hey, those are my picks.  Pick your own and then save this date:  SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH.

Homebase & Emerica proudly premiere “Stay Gold” to the 610 at the Bethlehem Skateplaz with the help of our friends at Stoketoberfest & Movies, Games & More* who will be providing a HUGE inflatable outdoor screen and sound system.  We will be taking voluntary donations for the Bethlehem Skateplaza before the video plays so come wit ha few extra bucks to help us put money in the bank for Phase 2.  People keep asking when Phase 2 will be built- my answer to you is, WHEN WILL YOU START HELPING US RAISE THE MONEY FOR IT?

Warning: There may be language used in Stay Gold not suitable for younger kids.  Please respect the skaters that put in the work for this video and DO NOT ATTEMPT to bootleg the video.  You be put on blast when the video stops playing.

*Stoketoberfest is a ski and snowboard film festival happening in Bethlehem in October at the Ice House.  You can check out some of the latest ski & snowboard films and get a FREE ELK MOUNTAIN LIFT TICKET for the $15  admission fee.

It has been a great example of teamwork from all of you.

But everyone once in a while you get a person in there that doesn’t care about the community, about his/her own actions and they do some REALLY STUPID.

Yesterday, a BMXer decided that he did not want to ride through the front gate to exit the plaza and decided to take his frustrations out on the back gate by kicking at it.  GENIUS. The gate was damaged and City workers had to come and fix it so it could open and close properly again.  The really sad thing is this happened in broad daylight between 2pm-4pm and there were skaters and other BMXers in the plaza that DID NOTHING.

Obviously we can’t control everyone but what you do when you see something wrong happening makes a huge difference.  We’ve all worked hard to see this skateplaza get built and have worked hard to take care of it but we must remain on top of our game.

Now we all face the same punishment for 1 person’s idiotic temper tantrum- possible closing of the skateplaza for an undetermined amount of time.

I’ve pleaded to the city on our behalf to take a different course of actions but we all need to really take more public responsibility for what happens at OUR skateplaza:

Ralph & Parks Dept,

The kids have been great at cleaning up, telling neighborhood kids who try and smoke weed in the park to leave and in general policing it peacefully.  Let’s keep encouraging that instead of punishing those who are doing whats right because of 1 idiot.

Andy

**IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

HOMEBASE: 610-8660540

BETHLEHEM PARKS DEPT: 610-865-7081