Here’s a photo from when Dew Sippawit was staying at my pad here in SF. When it comes to filming we’re always trying to find unique ways to get the shot. Some of my favorite clips are shot from over head. It creates a forced perspective and simplifies the background. Think out of the box and try a couple of different spots to film from before committing to one and pressing record.
I recently rediscovered this photo of Mike Schmitt doing a downhill smith lurking in the archives. This whole block has a series of out ledges starting out low and ending high. The crazy amount of hills in SF makes for some pretty unique street spots if you’re willing to make the trek uphill in search of them. If the journey to the spot doesn’t strip you of all energy the ride up and down the hill to hit the spot might.
Seitaro Iki took this photo of Devon Lawson and I on our way home from riding the industrial part of San Francisco. We’ve been broadening our reach in search of new spots in areas of town we rarely visit. What makes this photo even better is that Devon did the barspin on a flat rear tire. Ringing or walking home w/ a flat tire blows, no pun intended, which is why we’ll do anything we can to make it interesting.
Last month I spent some time w/ Ed Wonka at his pad in Brooklyn NY. We started off most days by hitting up a safe spot skate spot for a quick session before venturing off into the city for a full day of riding. New York had a ton of skateparks in comparison to SF, but lets be honest, who needs skateparks when you’re surrounded by some of the best street terrain in the country. Be on the look out for more photos from the trip.
Jeff Dempler recently hooked up with the guys at Kali Protectives down in Morgan Hill, and got some riding in at their new backyard compound. Photographer Phillip Ritti was there to capture some of the action and sent over this sweet shot of Jeff hitting a table top off one of their ladder drops. Their setup reminds me a lot of the “WheelTalk Compound” from back in the day. Expect to see more from the Kali Compound in the near future. Photo Credit : Phil Ritti
I recently picked up a filming board and have been catching a lot more follow shots. It definitely beats running around w/ a tripod or glidecam, and often times comes out looking much more stable. Seitaro Iki shot these photos of me filming with Devon Lawson (top) and Anthony Combs (bottom) on the 4th of July. It’s great having someone around to capture some behind the scenes shots of the filming process.
On the 4th of July we went out and rode parts of the city that we rarely ever visit. The homie Seitaro Iki snapped this photo of Devon Lawson filming me hitting a curb cut to wallride underneath the freeway. I’ve been doing some serious spot lurking lately and have been coming across some hidden gems. San Francisco is stacked full of shit to shred. Sometimes you just have to open your eyes, climb some hills, and take a deeper look at the surrounding architecture.
The day before we left to New York, I caught this shot of Dew Sippawit clicking one of the first turndowns he’s ever done on a fixed gear. I’m sure the lower seat tube on his new SKYLMT frame has something to do w/ it. I’m stoked to have Wallenburg up the street from my pad, is a great place to practice new tricks. Especially considering it’s one of the few spots where we don’t have to deal w/ security.
Yesterday we explored the more hilly areas of San Francisco in search of some new spots to shred. We ended up kicking it at this park where Devon Lawson hucked this huge 180. What the stair set lacked in height, it made up for in length as he charged full speed at the beast trying to avoid washing out on the gritty ground below. 180’s are one of those tricks that landing it is only half the battle, sticking a clean cab out when you’re coming in hot is a much greater challenge. Seitaro Iki from Devour Films shot the sequence photos below.
Dew Sippawit was clicking table tops while we were all riding around and warming up at the first spot of the day. He seemed surprised when I asked him to do it again so I could take a photo. There aren’t many people that are able to table top, let alone have them as dialed as he does. They’re definitely one of those tricks that is easier to do off a transition, which is why it’s always rad to see someone do them on street.