Le Dep Montreal

In a time where skateboarding and just about everything else in retail seems to be moving toward big box chains and mall shops, its always refreshing when a small skater owned store pops up. The problems with letting the wallmarts and zellers of skateboarding run the industry are not few and far between. Shops like West 49, Groms, Zumies, Sport Check, and S3 in Quebec don't support the small details that cultivate and nurture local skate scenes. Homie brands, skater run events, local videos, zines, and homie contests are all swept under the carpet at corporate shops. In most cases one crappy corporate sponsored contest a year and a few loosely established shop riders getting 25 percent off is all mall shops have time for. They're too busy advertising on MTV selling your little sister ROXY "boarding gear". The scenes created by core shops create lasting bonds and relationships that stand the test of time, where as the little groms crawling out of mall shops rarely keep skating past high school. Another upside to keeping shops small and skater operated is the quality of the goods and service. Owner Kris Rose and manager Adam Green know the importance of keeping stock fresh, unique and limited; even if it requires going direct to stores in New York. Le Dep is your montreal spot for brands like Black Scale, Vans Syndicate, DIME, SUPREME and Diamond. It's also your spot for grip, PLEASE don't make the same mistake I did and spend twelve bucks on grip at underworld, when this place has it for three bucks just down the street. So far the team consists of Charles Rivard and photographer Nathan Éthier Myette, but I would expect it to blow up with other big names by the end of the year. Le Dep is located right at peace park on Saint Laurent just north of Rene Levesque at the old location of Temple skate supply. So if you find you self in montreal be sure to stop by and support real skating. Ri and D

Rangefinder Scans II

I can't seem to be able keep these cameras in functioning order for longer than a few months. These where shot on a Canonet QL17 with a 40mm 1.7 that i really never should have taken out of the case, I jammed the shutter my last week in montreal at a halloween party. kodak 400tx. Justin David front blunt with half of Matt Roberts lurking had too Worth having to walk back up Joe Yates stressing on traffic Peanut gallery Josh Forges switch ollie Harbor Front Joel, Evey, Pat, Fulton, Pep Malcolm and McCourt Front and York Mornings Accidental double exposure. This lady went though the whole train switching cars at stops and blessing every single person with a rosary-in spanish. Apparently occasionally religious fanaticism can be somewhat endearing. Everett has a wife and a kid, owns and operates a skatepark and still finds time and motivation to skate street. If there's anyone in this world I look up too, it's this dude.

rangefinder scans

All of a sudden i felt an odd compulsion to start shooting much more film. I bike downtown and back just about everyday always roll with a camera. Living in a huge city like toronto there's just soo much you can miss if you aren't observant and fast enough. I guess I'm quite a people watcher cause just about everyday i see people at their worst/best and cant help my from shooting it.









Devon and Mariella


whatever's going on here, they're enjoying it


Graffiti or a despondent message


FLOCKA SWITCH BACK TAIL


38mm f/1.8


Regent

TANNER GRISBROOK BLUNT FAKIE


Filming for Erick Vallentic's video was momentarily disrupted


DON VALLEY


BEN PATTERSON FRONT LIP


BURGER KINGS
i realllly like this

morgan smith goes pro

This is obviously old news, most of the people reading this probably even knew when it was going down long before it had been made official. Certainly anyone who has had the pleasure of actually sharing a session with Morgan knew years ago. Morgan's ability is simply uncanny, there is just no way to describe his skateboarding with words, it's something you just have to experience. It's not just the skateboarding either but rather- his attitude towards it. Morgan skates because its fun. In fact he had so much fun they turned him pro. Im sure you will see more than a few people around here riding his board in the near future.


ollie quick kickflip



front tail bigspin heel

Built To Grind

One of the best things about skating street in a city like Toronto is having such a great diversity of skate mediums available to us. A metal ledge in the streets is always a great find- but the most of the time you're trying to skate old chunky ledges blown out by years of smith grinds and bike pegs, or any obscure material with an edge- occasionally with dire consequences to the surface. Everyone gets bored of skating parks with nothing but metal ledges, but often granite ledges at parks get destroyed due to bike pegs and contractors cheaping out on poor quality granite. Although thats not to say all granite is bad- of course there are many granite ledge spots like mustard and sunlife that have stood the test of time and even bikers. This is where the genius of Everett MacLean kicks in, Evey did his research and sourced the Skate Loft's new granite ledge from a granite that is known to skate properly- the same ledges that were skated for years at BMO plaza. The new ledge has been in for quite a few weeks and though it has rounded slightly as any ledge should, no big chunks are missing.

Obviously anything as awesome as this deserves a proper christening- so come out March 3rd for a three hour skate jam with prizes by indy, DC, and HAMMER skate shop!

HAMMER skate shop

For years HAMMER skate shop has been the only proper place to go to for skate goods in the east end of the city. Since the Shop's creation in 2004 the teams has slowly grown from dudes I looked up to as a gerb, to some of my best friends. I couldn't be more stoked that Dave found a spot for me on the eclectic team. Im really looking forward to filming a video with these homies this year, I can allready tell you- it's gonna be a good one.


Rob Carley- sw fs crook


Promo featuring HAMMER riders Joel Scullard, Andre Besner, Nolan Waller, Zack Ferguson, Rob Carley and Will Baigent


HAMMER team welcome video featuring yours truly


Nicky Young- fs crook to fakie


Will Baigent- fs Smith as seen in the SBC 2011 photo annual.


Joel Scullard- nollie


Andre Besner- fs tailslide


Nolan Waller-bs smith pop out HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDAY!!

A No Damn Good Montreal Winter

Something about the skateboarding thats going on in Montreal is really sick right now. I think it has something to do with how skaters there are a product of their environment. The Big 0 (pretty much the best natural mini ramp you could ask for) has been skated for decades in Montreal- so it's no wonder transition skating is seemingly allot more developed there in contrast to the tech ledge skaters that toronto seems to produce. Perhaps it also has something to do with the mass availability of cheap booze the place has- after a few wobbly pops the homies might feel a little more like just cruising some transition rather than freaking out on some flip-in flip-out trick for hours. Whatever it is it Montreal definitely has a more diverse skate vibe than Toronto, and the newly revamped NO DAMN GOOD skate shop and park is an excellent example of something really sick thats coming up fast. NDG as one of the youngest teams in montreal right now- but thats not to say they can't hold their own against MTL big 0 legends such as Barry Walsh and Marc Tison, two dudes who are now regulars at the best indoor bowl the city has to offer- NDG SON


Vince Baldo fs air to the roof


Joey Marcogliese bean plant


Devante Crudup and Rasta editing the NDG SCVM promo video with max and chad lurking


MTL would be nothing without late night downtown sessions with Rasta- regardless of temperature.


Saw some dilapidated shit along the Canal


Yum flour!