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| Q&A: Michael Brooke - Publisher, Concrete Wave Magazine (7141 Posts)
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why do you think they call it programming? ;-)
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On 7/24/2003 snoball
wrote in from
(68.200.nnn.nnn)
The majority of marketing for skateboarding is geared
towards kids and has been for decades. Sat morn cartoons don't show old people riding skateboards while they chase
colorful cartoon drinks and candy around. Skateboarding
has just always been associated with kids. And it
wasn't different in the 70's. The Zephyr team weren't
a crew of 40 year olds after all.
Personally it's understandable to me when people react
like that. Usually they also don't or never have skated.
The youthful images have been drubbed into society's collective unconscious so while it might be occasionally
uncomftorable to have it pointed out that you're doing
something unusual, it shouldn't be surprising to anyone.
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Too Old to Skate
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On 7/24/2003
Stillboardin
wrote in from
(12.87.nnn.nnn)
Why is it that someone over 40 who snow skis or water skis is considered normal. But us, who are approaching 40 or god forbid over 40 are looked at like WTF???
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Ditches baby!
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On 7/24/2003 Gary in VA
wrote in from
(63.188.nnn.nnn)
8 pages of ditches?!?! That's what I'm talking about! That's the first thing I look for in CW when I open it up. Makes me think of the ditches back in El Paso.
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evolution...or devolution....are we not men!
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On 7/24/2003
michael brooke
wrote in from
(209.183.nnn.nnn)
Wow,
there is a huge amount to glean from that post.
I had to reread it twice.
For many of us skategeezers, we left skateboarding only to have it change so radically that we can barely identify with it.
But now, change is rampant...and things are progressing.
This why i put my heart and soul into publishing the mag. Whatever I can do to cause more change...
DUTY NOW FOR THE FUTURE...
WHIP IT GOOD...
SATISFACTION
see, I always knew Devo was way ahead of their time
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Skateboarding Evolution - Outsider's Perspective
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On 7/24/2003 Craigo
wrote in from
(208.255.nnn.nnn)
Like most of you, I have skated for a while, and am fast approaching my third decade of skateboarding. It is interesting to me how skateboarding has NOT been accepted by my family and some friends.
When I was a teen, my parents referred to it as a "PHASE" I was going through.
In my twenties, some called it an "EXCUSE for EXERCISE."
My wife has referred to it as an "OBSESSION" during my thirties.
She now calls it a "MID-LIFE CRISIS."
How long does it take to be accepted as a normal, fun activity like golf, or bowling, or tennis? Why do so many consider it abnormal to participate in skateboarding after the age of 40? or 30? How can we change the attitudes of the laypeople?
Skateboarding has always been to me a source of good fun, provides comraderie with fellow boarders, relieves stress, and is my psychotherapist. Not to mention the exercise I get from it (much needed!).
As I get older, I may change the type of riding I do, or the level I perform at, but I will skate as long as I am able. I only hope that the people around me will accept it as a normal part of my life.
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memories: past and future
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On 7/24/2003 hugh r
wrote in from
(24.48.nnn.nnn)
I have a lot of skate memories packed into this oversized mellon of mine. The first was in '72 when a little clay wheeled board magically showed up in our garage one day.
What I remember most about this board was that it was HARD to ride... very squirly on our slick garage floor and sloped drive way. Any pea sized gravel or crack in the sidewalk was sure to stop those rock hard peices of rolling clay in their tracks!
A few months later a set of trucks with softer wheels also magically appeared in the garage. I don't remember what kind they were, but this was before we had heard of Caddillacs or Chicagos... probably some sort of Rollersports.
The problem was that we didn't have a deck to mount these too. My dad, who had been building some bookshelves and desks in his spare time, decided he would build us a board. He shaped it out of some scrap pine he had laying around... routed the edges... stained and finished it... then drilled and presented it to us.
It really wasn't much to look at, but the shape was decent and fairly wide to fit our big feet.
We mounted up the trucks and we were rolling!
As time went on, we saved up our money from doing yard work for our neighbors and bought ourselves some Chicago's and Cadillacs! By this time, the pine deck my dad had made us was ready to replace. Rather than make us a new one, he supplied us with the materials to make our own.
Now days this isn't such a big deal, but then, to these 9 and 12 year old brothers, working with power tools was a huge step. We made many boards over the next 4 years. Long ones, short ones, slow ones, fast ones. The fast ones were all 44" long and we'd ride these things being timed by our neighbors Fiat. Got some pretty impressive speeds out of them considering it was 1977 or so.
Now that I have a bunch of kids myself, I try to pass down my love of skating to my children. I do this by skating with them and giving them the opportunity to upgrade their equipment by doing well in school. I try to skate with my kids at least 3 or 4 times a week... sometimes more.
Anyway... that's part of my story... HR
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Stubbs
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On 7/24/2003
-JC-
wrote in from
(63.184.nnn.nnn)
Heh-heh, I even use the term "hall pass"!
Michael; I can't wait to see it. Even more, I can't wait to get back downstream and ride 'em some more. I've got some pics posted, but I need to take more.
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Hey JC....
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On 7/23/2003
Stubbs
wrote in from
(65.70.nnn.nnn)
....you sound familiar with the "hall pass" concept. Hope you liked it. Roll on.....
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please Mr. Postman
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On 7/23/2003
michael brooke
wrote in from
(209.29.nnn.nnn)
Thank you Lords of the Post office!
next issue after this one (November) features 8 pages
of new mexico ditches...
you will freak
cheers
michael
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Finally
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On 7/23/2003
-JC-
wrote in from
(65.179.nnn.nnn)
New Mexico reporting...
the postal person brought joy today. 2.1 in the house.
Notes;
Thanks for the focus on my bro Dino at MauiLine. He does bee-yoo-tiful work.
I had to read the opening paragraph of "EZ7" to my wife... she concurred.
You're giving schwag for letters now? Dang, missed it by one issue...
As for parents;
When I was a young skater, Mom thought it was dangerous. Now that I'm 44, she says "I guess it's too late to tell you to be careful?"
But she watches me carve the hills by her house. She never grew up, guess she doesn't expect me to do the same.
Props, Michael... the CWArmy grows larger.
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Finally!!!!!
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On 7/23/2003
Stillboardin
wrote in from
(12.87.nnn.nnn)
It finally came today and worth the wait. Thank you Michael for the plug in the mag.
I agree with Stubbs about the pic of Christian. Awesome is all I can say!
Scott
Stillboardin.com
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MR. SHERMAN.....
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On 7/23/2003 Stubbs
wrote in from
(65.70.nnn.nnn)
....excellent work!!!!!!! That pic of Hosoi laying back at the PINK gave me a lump in my throat. WE WANT MORE!
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Ring me...
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On 7/23/2003
Steve Sherman
wrote in from
(68.111.nnn.nnn)
Michael,
Love the photo spread...Give me a call,I got something to run by you.. Steve Sherman 760-634-9860 cell 760-445-9552
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Dad
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On 7/23/2003
Lisa
wrote in from
(152.163.nnn.nnn)
My dad would always stop at yard sales to see if there was any skateboards, He would pull the car over so I could jump out to ride some great hill that we happen to come across while on a drive somewhere (I never left home without my board), or he would give me his old welding gloves from work (I was never interested in the welding hats though for various reasons) and everytime he took me to the hospital he would'nt yell he would just say " oh holy crap ".
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Michael's bombing
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On 7/23/2003
PaulW
wrote in from
(194.223.nnn.nnn)
Michael (UK Octane...i presume) asked if anyone had bombed past some kickflippers, putting the fear of God into them?
Well, I've certainly bombed past a few of London's "yoof", and recently steered a course around them, when they've blocked my path and made a rendezvous with a London Plane a dead cert. Incredulous looks and mutterings of "ohmigod, he made it past that f***in' tree".
It's a joy to have a board that goes fast/can be steered.
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Dad's compromise
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On 7/22/2003
Duane
wrote in from
(64.223.nnn.nnn)
Having built several small portable ramps, that had to be rolled out to the street to use, we were itching for something big and permanent. We begged dad to help us build a big half pipe in the back yard. Dad being a pro contractor made this feasible, but there was the small issue of $1000 of lumber to pay for. So dad pulls in one fine afternoon, with a dump truck, and dumps an entire load of scrap 2x4 he had gotten for free. The catch: about 10,000 nails embedded in the boards. The deal: if my bro and I pull all of the nails and neatly stack the load, we'll get started. We must have worked for weeks pulling nails. But finish we did and build we did. Dual sheds under each end for lawnmowers and car parts. To this day, there are two sheds in that yard, with strange curved rooflines with a radius of exactly 10 feet.
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Dear Old Dad
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On 7/22/2003
Anthony
wrote in from
(138.88.nnn.nnn)
I was lucky enough to have parents who supported skateboarding. We went to Ocean City all the time and I always got to skate the Ocean Bowl. Well, one time we went to Myrtle Beach instead of OC. I knew they had a few parks but I didn't know where any of them were, so we called a shop who gave us directions to a couple spots. My father and I (I was about 12) drove around trying to find one of the parks for about an hour. I was getting bummed. Dad was getting bummed. Then, there it was. A concrete park painted light blue. Wow! Problem was, they were closed. I got bummed again, then my dad says," I didn't drive all this way for nothing" and lifted me over the fence. He joined me, and there we were, father and son trespassers. This park was on the corner of a pretty active intersection and I was basically scared s#@!less. I kinda lingered in the shadows until my dad started hassling me to "skate the whole park". I figured, Oh well, he's got to explain it to the cops, not me. I was just a kid. I had the whole park to myself for a couple hours. Sometimes it's better to hide in plain sight.
Thanks Dad!
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Dad...
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On 7/22/2003 Stubbs
wrote in from
(209.117.nnn.nnn)
Yeah, MB, he was pretty impressed that he found it at B&N.
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joys...
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On 7/22/2003
Tom M.
wrote in from
(164.227.nnn.nnn)
Wiping out while longboarding (at any speed) and having my protective gear on. So far, I haven't been scratched while wearing.
Riding bowls. I'm not very good at it, but it's FUN!
Carving a hill. Something zen about the whole experience.
Already mentioned:
Setting up a new rig that turns out to be LEAPS AND BOUNDS beyond any former rig (still looking for the next step up from the Bozi MBII w/ABEC Fly-83s and R2-180s).
For that matter, tweaking any setup and having it turn out better.
Finding new terrain that turns out to be super. This happened to me two weekends ago: A (relatively) new addition with about a hundred tracts in the middle of no where that had fresh asphalt and only about 6 houses in place (i.e., no gravel/dirt/etc. -- finished asphalt!).
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dad
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On 7/22/2003
mbrooke@interlog.com
wrote in from
(209.183.nnn.nnn)
Stubbs,
I know that phone call must have been one of your memorable...
It's weird, but looking back, I don't think my parents really understood my passion for skateboarding. While they enjoy the magazine and books, they still wonder where it will all lead to...
"Concrete Wave is growing. It's a real business, dad."
Look of incredulity on my father's face...
"Honestly, it really is growing."
I am approaching 40...I am no longer a child, but for some strange reason, every now and then I am reminded why it's fun to be a parent...
I recall when it was like getting blood from a stone to get a new skateboard accessory... "Please dad, my birthday is in ____days..."
My parents didn't realize that the skate stuff wasn't a toy. It was something that was a key part of my life.
Nowadays, dad (that would be me)and sons (that would be Jonathan aged 7 and Ethan aged 2) ride with me...skate stuff is an essential item...like groceries.
Anyone else want to pay tribute to dad or mom?
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Concrete Wave in Amarillo
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On 7/22/2003 Stubbs
wrote in from
(65.70.nnn.nnn)
My dad is on business out in the panhandle of Texas and found the mag at B&N there. He called me from a hotel last night asking me to define some of the terms I used in the EZ7 Outlaw Ditch Jam piece. "Roundwall action" and "schwag" were at the top of the list. This coming from a 57 year old Ward Cleaver type: "It is a beautiful magazine, easy to look at and lots of wierd products in the ads." Ha!
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Joy... Cops...
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On 7/21/2003 Chuck
wrote in from
(199.183.nnn.nnn)
How 'bout when the cops are called because of "juveniles skating in the parking deck" and you actually know the cop!!! He radios back, "There are no juveniles here."
Heck, we weren't in the parking deck, either...we were playing in the street.
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re:20 Ideas...
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On 7/21/2003
chris olden
wrote in from
(67.121.nnn.nnn)
Howdy,
Just a few things that bring me "skateboarding joy"...
edgers
grinding the coping just because
being told by "the groms" that it looks like I'm surfing when I skate
watching my daughter skate
scaring "the groms" as I blast past over their heads on the coping
getting to the park early and no one's there
putting together a new deck(and tinkering with it until it's just right)
skating a new deck for the first time
just the simple stuff.
Chris Olden
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CW 2.1 (#6)
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On 7/21/2003
Brady
wrote in from
(66.21.nnn.nnn)
O just picjed up my 2nd copy at the Barnes and Noble at the Oakwood Plaza in Hollywood, FL. There are still 2 copies left. So now I have 1 copy to tear through and another for the archives.
Kudos Michael and all who had input in it.
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CocreteWave Jacket
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On 7/21/2003
Markintosh
wrote in from
(65.95.nnn.nnn)
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