Action Sports
Hungry Hungry Hipolito
When I agreed to interview Hippo, I assumed it would go just like any other interview: meet up, shoot the shit, take some photos, write the article. Man, was I wrong. Turns out he’s another struggling dude just like me. After three weeks of missed calls, no replies and failed meetings, we eventually chatted through his filmer’s email account (you have a filmer but not email?). Here’s how the conversation unfolded. … read more
Shop Talk with Brick & Mortar
Hondo opened SLC’s first ever skate-only shop, Brick & Mortar (561 W 200 S), on July 31. It’s a fresh lookin’ shop, but don’t get confused, it’s not FICE in there. Hondo says, “The way I see it, I can’t sell a pair of pants for $200 when that’s 20 hours of work or half of someone’s rent.” You’re only going to find useful skate products in this shop. … read more
Stuntin’ Like Yo Daddy
It was a casual, sunny Sunday afternoon when my phone rang. The call was about a super shredding session in Heber Park. “So sick,” I thought to myself, to escape the toxic carbon dioxide soup in the city and fill my lungs with the fresh mountain air. I was thinking it would be a mellow afternoon of snake lines and 5-0 grinds. Little did I know there would be a pack of heavyweight rippers, all literally old enough to be my father, going off in the deep end. … read more
Pivot-butter & Skate-jam Slamwich: S.O.D. Busk Till Dusk
The first event in SLUG’s annual Summer of Death skate competitions, Busk Till Dusk, was hosted on a hot-as-fuck July evening. Skaters from all around Utah gathered in the parking lot behind Burt’s Tiki Lounge to skate on ramps, quarterpipes, boxes and rails, some hand built by the Summer of Death crew and others donated by Ezra Moss of Annex Skate. … read more
Go Skate Day 2010 @ Annex Skateshop 6.20.10
As most of us skaters know, June 21st is National Go Skateboarding Day. Each year on this day, dedicated shredders grab their boards and hit up their local skateparks and favorite street spots to honor this glorious sport.This year, in Bountiful, Annex Skateshop owners Ezra Moss and Jason Salisbury decided to do something special for the skaters of their good city by working their magic, and with the grace of city officials, were allowed to use the pavilion at Bountiful Park. Rails, fun boxes, and a nicely built mini half pipe were created for the attendees skating all day. … read more
Skate Lake City Chronicle
SLUG delivers all the news that’s fit to give a shit about in the local skate world. … 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
Picture Me Rollin’: Mark Judd
I met Mark Judd a long time ago but it was back in the day of Connections. I saw him skating in a competition there and he was throwing bangers on the rails and shredding the park harder than anyone I had ever seen. He was pure energy. “I got like fifth place, but I thought I should have gotten better,” Judd recalled. I agree he should have. After that contest was over I knew he was a lifetime ripper. … read more
True to Form: The Sofa King Interview
When considering the symbolic nature of the rat in parallel with Willy Nevins, it becomes obvious why his alias is “Ratchild.” His art, music, skateboarding and writings are the proverbial foods for you to devour. Infected with the disease of creation, he rapidly spreads it through the streets he scurries through. … 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
Water Loggin’
There are very few things that make for an epic day trip. The crew (one), the vibe (two) and location (three) can make or break a day trip much like a sharp sword can easily slice through skin. Mike Murdock, Sam Milianta, Mark Judd, Adam Dorobiala, Josh Joye, Conor Provenzano, Willy Nevins and myself recently traveled to the west desert to ride the Tree of Life’s (Sculpture by artist Karl Momen) outer wedges just off of I-80. With the first step of a great day trip locked down, it was time to move to the second step: setting the vibe. … read more
The Porter Pipe: Killing the Proverbial Panda
Ahh, the smell of fresh cut grass. The good lord gave us things like that and other things like half pipes and the American Dream to make life worth living. While the latter has become a thing of the past—stomped under foot by the big wigs in Washington, greed and anti-Americans everywhere—Kevin Templin, head brewer at Red Rock Brewing Co. in Salt Lake City, has taken it upon himself to make sure his eight-year-old son Porter gets a taste of the glory. In this case, a taste of cold refreshing glory is a three-foot half pipe in his very own backyard. … read more
