Authors: Giuseppe Ventrella
Weekend at Jimmy’s/Benny’s
Most birds fly south for the winter. Some birds are crazy enough to stay. I am a tropical being: I hate the snow and cold. Yet, I choose to live in Utah which has “The Greatest Snow on Earth.” So, the first time I felt the cold weather coming onto my arthritic ankles that years of skateboarding have given me, I headed south. … read more
Class of 2010: Seniors Rule
I’m nearing my mid-30s now and have been skateboarding for a while. I can honestly say I have wheels older than some of the kids at the skatepark. However, I have no problem going out on a Saturday for a day of skateboarding with Matt Winskowski and Garrison Conklin, who are currently in their teenage years. It doesn’t seem creepy at all, even though if I were to talk to anyone else from their school or even close to the same age, I would have nothing to talk about. … read more
I Left My Liver in San Francisco
I don’t really know how it all happened or where to start, so I’ll start as far back as I can remember. About a year ago, Mike Murdock invited me to a barbeque. But it wasn’t any ordinary barbeque: it was a barbeque to induct me into his gang, which shall henceforth be known as the International Gang of Awesomeness. Not only was I made a member, but I was now privy to all the rights and privileges pertaining to being a member of this gang. … read more
Movin’ On Up to the Westside
The rush for westward expansion is alive and well in the Salt Lake Valley. Cheap land is available by the acres. You could think of places like West Valley, Rose Park, Kearns, West Jordan, Riverton and Herriman as the Louisiana Purchase: big, fertile land just waiting to be exploited by some rich white man. The exploitation of land, however, has an unexpected side effect. This side effect is advantageous for a skateboarder. … read more
TobalVision
If you’ve been following Utah skateboarding for a while, you may or may not know Cristobal Napoleon Keller. Even though Keller has been around for a long time, he’s remained pretty underground. He’s been keeping it real for quite a while and doing some really stylish tricks along with some really amazing artwork. This guy always has a smile, enjoys life more than most and is really fun to nerd out with on ‘90s skate trivia. … read more
Swamp Life with Lindsey Kuhn
Lindsey Kuhn was making art and skateboarding way before it became the cool thing to do. Most well known for his work as a poster artist under the business name Swamp, he also founded Conspiracy Skateboards in 1994. The Denver based artist has also become a mainstay at the Salt Lake City Tattoo Convention, and this year’s convention marks his seventh year in attendance. … read more
Killa Cam
I met Cameron Starke two years ago on April 20, or 420 if you’re into that stoner kind of thing. Thanks to all the stoners in the world, it makes it easy to remember our Bro-Anniversary. The most memorable part of the day was watching a young couple on fixed gear bicycles run into each other while riding and crash in the middle of the road near Trolley Square. Basically, if you spend the whole time laughing the first time you meet someone, you know you’re going to be great friends. … read more
Leaving Las Vegas
I’ve heard it said that in times of recession, two industries thrive: alcohol and prostitution. Las Vegas is undoubtedly familiar with both these industries, but something else is thriving out there in the desert wasteland: skateboarding. The city is teeming with empty foreclosed pools and new, never-occupied construction left over from the boom that led up to the current economic state. … read more
Electrifying Late-20s Skateboarding: The Bolts of Thunder Story
Bolts of Thunder Gone Wild is an upcoming skateboard video due to premier August 12. This video is a little different than what you would expect to see from most professional and local videos. It’s not filmed in HD and there probably aren’t any names you will recognize from local or national videos. What this video does have is a bunch of skateboard “lifers.” … read more
Ramp Locals on a Sunny Day in the Northwest
This year for Go Skateboarding Day, I decided to explore something new and head to the Northwestern United States. I had never been to Seattle, Wash. before and felt it was time to experience some new terrain. I flew in early the morning of June 21 ready to skate and have a good time. I am lucky enough to quickly jump into a skate gang in any town I visit, and Seattle was no exception. I was inducted into the Ramp Locals upon arrival. … read more
Skateboard Drive-In
Milosport Orem owner Benny Pellegrino noticed that there were a lot of kids in his community who skateboarded, but didn’t really care about the contest circuit. In an effort to decrease the emphasis on competition at skate events and get back to having fun, positive sessions, Pellegrino decided to do something different this year. Instead of throwing contests at the skatepark, Pellegrino and Milosport are throwing a series of Skateboard Drive-ins in their parking lot. … read more
Weekend Warriors
By the time you read this article, school will be back in full swing. Just like all the grown-ups, all the teenagers and college students will be confined to weekend skateboard missions. Being a weekend warrior sounds like a severe loss of freedom, at least when you think about it during the relaxing summer months. However, fall often brings some of the best skateboarding. The best way to enjoy your free time is to have less of it. … read more
