Simon Archambeau

Simon may have taken a brief hiatus from toronto in the past few months for some unclear possibly laundry detergent related reason, but don't second guess the guy. Simon has always been outspoken and forthright with out filtration, and if anyone doesn't like him its probably because he didn't tell them what they wanted to hear. He has never stopped skating although he did perhaps stop lurking, which is most likely something all of us could probably benefit from doing now and then.

Bs Boardslide

Im not sure if anyone has ever skated this rail, but its about ball height from run up and belly height on the lading, and you have to pop before the wheel chair ramp starts. Fourth try no footage.

Crappy lighting, quick crook, why not?

Sw Fs Heelflip. Gangst.

Ollie.

Simon also did nollie halfcab, but I liked this one a lot more. Yup, Simon's much better than you.

Andre Besner

One day I met up with Hammer team rider Andre Besner at dunbat, he didn't have much shoe left, but we went street skating anyway.
It was nice out, but for some reason we skated an indoor spot first. Backside Tail slide.

At this next classic toronto spot, during our session we were excitedly told by some construction workers that the ledge we were enjoying slippin and slidin on would next week be capped with sharp metal bars, meaning no more tailslides, ever. But Andre got one, which may also be the last, frontside tail slide over the long step.
Nope, Andre doesn't stop there. One more look at the ledge over gap that will soon no longer be and Andre summons this frontside 5-0 front shove.

DUNBAT GLORY

Jason Rodziewicz proves the park is still skateable after lights out...

What is there to say about the now nationally infamous Dunbat. Not much that isn't already common sense to all the locals who pretty much treat the park like a second home. If you don't already know you probably never will, but the simplicity and perfection of this skatepark is, in my opinion, unrivaled by any other skatepark in the world

Poyner gets the ramp up in three days, rain or shine

It's got a mini, if you can call it a mini, the things almost got vert on it. Its got flat,

if you can call it flat, being used as a hockey rink in the winter time the park is not

only the smoothest, but also the most even (sorry ashbridges speed bump ground) surface. Its got rails, 18 feet long and circular, its got ledges and manny pads, and my favorite obstacle, even a triton

barrier Master skate architect Rob Poyner

Jason again, this time with a rather large fs ollie the day the ramp was up. Directly after this photo we proceeded to guzzle brews, and then skate street with relative success.

Designed and built the park, so the naturally dunbat is also occasionally referred to as Poyner

Park. So bag your cans and roll your phillies, or at least a large water considering the lack of park shade, cause with DYAR Pizza Falafel and Shawarma right around the corner (c'mon, one push from McShits), you can skate all day till lights out at 11. Where? You dun know? DUNBAT fool

Lee Yankou, ollie.

Shayne Eldridge

Lakeshore ledge, two tricks, two angles. what do you prefer?


Fisheye crook shove, or long lens crook bigspin? can i get some feed back please? please cut my photos up!

ASHBRIDGES GLORY

Seemingly my whole life has been a lead up to this skatepark. Ever since i've known skateboarding (ever since ive know fun) the idea of a legit place to skate in the beaches has been a like a holy grail. Downtown missions, day trips to cummer, sauga, and markam skateparks, or a ghetto old rail and box set up on the block were usually the only things you could count on to skate all day, short of going to greenwood and getting robbed and roman candled by some pint size slim shady in a night gown.

Tyjae Farrugia-Armstrong is practically a park local he's at the park so often, even though this nollie back bigs on the huge wall/bank came all the way from Pickering, Ont. Just a testament to the legendary status Ashbridges has gained since its creation, much less than a year ago.

Joel is a real local, watch out for this guy hanging out at the park. He needs no warm up for playing skate dice or games of skate, so don't even think about it. Ive been left penniless a few to many times. Front Smith.

East York Skatepark came as a glimmer of hope after the years consistent failure to follow through on the cities pledge to build more skateparks in toronto. I couldn't possibly count the number of skate comps events and demos in hockey arenas or rec center skateparks that fund raised for the hope of a permanent place simply skateboard.

Shawn Whitten brings this nollie flip all the way from Oshawa, but much like the set wasn't quite finished.

Frontside boardslide by a homie from brantford, let me know if anyone knows this guy's name.

Bobby De Keyzer of Whitby drops off a quick first try backside flip

on the double as if it were part of his morning routine, before heading off to Arizona and then California for more backside flips, backside flips of perhaps epic proportions if the ease at which he copped this is any indicator.here we have yet another younger skateboarder, Kevin Tio, putting the older dudes to shame as a result of the rigorous training that goes down here on a daily basis in normal sessions. But you cant blame him for his advanced skills at a young age, five years ago you just didn't have a park with a perfect set of every size. Bigflip.

The STSA (Southeast Toronto Skate Association), Hammer skate shop, along with SBC skate mag and the goons of East York skate team all played a large part in organizing the massive funding for the Ashbridges Skate Complex, including countless other people, even I remember running around the school yard getting petition signatures in elementary school.

Fog Banks

Kai drove us to fog banks, what a good sesh!
DANG! Nolan demonstrates his never ending progression on transition in park or street with this front 5-0 to switch back crook. And this ain't no skanky stall, count those frames of switch crook, yup five frames of grinding.

He then proceeded to boost this frontside ollie over my fisheye and back into the bank, only after flinging a few bunts at my camera and flashes.

Mr. Kai Hoecke of frg films then found time to put down his camera and put up this back tail stall, fancy styles.

Tanner Grisbrook then backed the back tail by rollin up and smokin a blunt stall on the beastly bank, which may be a little steeper than it appears on a screen.

Nate finishes up the session with a throw back to the old school days with this hyper speed boneless 5-0 stall, can't no flash freeze this guys fast feet.

Lucas Strezos

Click Here for the lipslide 360 shove sequence. I tried to make this small 2 set ledge look as big as possible in this sequence, and with a wide fisheye and a few a quick wrist moves i think i was able to do so. Unlike lucas's other sequence this did not come quick, in fact we got pretty lucky with the natural light, 10 more minutes and I would have needed to use flashes.

click here to view sequence

this gem of a ledge proves that there's always more to find and skate downtown, you've just got to check enough alleys and parking lots. Lucas flings a quick boardslide pop out, over a sewer and into a hill bomb nonetheless, not that anyones keeping track.