Authors: Giuseppe Ventrella
Devin York: A Cinderella Story
Devin York is a bit of an anomaly. He was a child prodigy who could salad grind handrails at the age of 13. He grinded a double-kink that most pros wouldn’t touch during his sophomore year of high school. Yet in this day and age of Shecklers and Hustons, York never quite received the “extreme” sponsorship he deserved. … read more
If Jesus Can Walk on Water, I Can Walk on...
Just like Christopher Columbus when he discovered the world wasn’t flat (I know you history buffs are cringing at this reference), I’ve decided to see the world. And by the world, I mean the area beyond North Temple and 2100 South. The world isn’t divided into corners—it’s limitless. So, I went to Ogden. … read more
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