Happy New Year!
by: Brink | Saturday, December 31, 2005
Hey all you little manics! 2006 is here. Have a happy freakin' new year and let's make it fun!
Happy Birthday, Ryan Sheckler!
by: Brink | Friday, December 30, 2005
etnies would like to take a quick moment to wish Ryan Sheckler the happiest of 16th birthdays! Not that you forgot, but you'll see his etnies pro model shoe dropping in shops really soon.
Caught In The Crossfire!
by: Brink | Thursday, December 29, 2005
- Carmen Electra has nothing to do with Crossfire. But she's hot as hell. So why not put her picture here?
Skate, music, interviews and more. Caught In The Crossfire is a UK site worth bookmarking.
etnies Christmas Baby Sticker Party!
by: Brink | Wednesday, December 28, 2005
One of my favorite things to do is stick etnies stickers on babies at Christmas parties! So hot right now!
Happy Birthday To Lauren!
by: Brink | Wednesday, December 28, 2005
We’d like to wish a very happy birthday to etnies Girl skater Lauren Perkins. Happy 17th, Lauren!
Passed Out and Wearing Artos!
by: Brink | Tuesday, December 27, 2005
So I'm in the airport the other day, en route to the NJ motherland for the holidays and I see this dude just passed on a bench and rocking some Artos at the Orange County airport. So I grab the trusty cameraphone and snap a picture, all proud of myself for getting something funny for the site. Well, a few days later, I look at the photo in my phone and its one big harsh blur. Oh well. I suck.
More Holiday Festival Photos!
by: Brink | Monday, December 26, 2005
- Ronnie and Santa!
We've added some more photos to the Holiday Festival Gallery!
Happy Holidays from etnies!
by: Brink | Friday, December 23, 2005
etnies would like to wish you, your families, your friends, your pets and your lovers happy holidays and a happy new year. See you in 2006!
etnies '05 Holiday Festival Recap!
by: Brink | Wednesday, December 21, 2005
- Ronnie Creager got snagged by the sexy reporter chick!
Pierre André Senizergues, owner and CEO of etnies, hosted etnies’ second annual Holiday Festival at the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest last friday and it was a blast. Arto Saari, Bastien Salabanzi, Ronnie Creager, Kyle Leeper, Elissa Steamer, Lauren Perkins, Leo Romero and Austin Stephens were there skating and signing autographs.
- The Mayor, Arto, Leeper, Pierre, Mrs. Claus and Santa!
The entire etnies crew along with Santa, Mrs. Claus and Peter Herzog, mayor of Lake Forest, came out to ring in the holiday season and hook up more than 500 needy kids with new etnies while everyone ate lots of free food, and engaged in arts and crafts and more!
- What is Santa whispering?
If you weren't there, you only have about 360 days to wait until next year. See you there!
You can see more photos in the Holiday Festival Gallery
- This 'lil guy is stoked on his new etnies!
- Arts and crafts dude!
Mag Overload!
by: Brink | Wednesday, December 21, 2005
The February '06 issue of TransWorld features a Stefan Janoski Top Five, Bastien Salabanzi Trick Tip and a bewildering sequence of Bastien and a backside 360 flip up like, 55 stairs.
The February Skateboarder has a lovely Stefan sequence and a prophetic quote from the man himself. Spend more time reading.
- KF BS TS!
Conhuir's Mini Interview!
by: Brink | Monday, December 19, 2005
What are your top 5 favorite songs of the moment?
That's a hard one. Ummm, well here they are in no specific order:
Holiday season is approaching—do you like Halloween, Thanksgiving,
Christmas or New Years the best and why? Or is their any special Holiday in
Ireland you’d like to educate us about?
Nah I like them all. We dont celebrate Thanksgiving over here, I'm not sure many people know what it is. But I really like Christmas and Halloween. Halloween because when I was a kid (like all of us) I would get up to so much shit egging houses and hastling people. It was great! As for Christmas I just like it because I get to chill with the family!
The etnies team has added some new talent, both am and pro, in the last
few months, how do you feel about the current lineup?
I think its amazing, the team now is so strong. We are all different in every way and yet we all click together its brilliant! I love it!
What’s the last trick you learned?
Wow its been a while. Haha. Backside flip fakie nose grind.
What’s the last trick you lost?
All of them. Haha.
Refreshing...
by: Brink | Monday, December 19, 2005
Ritchie Jackson doesn't skate like anyone I have ever seen. That's a good thing. He's even rocking some etnies.
Ronnie Creager Mini Interview!
by: Brink | Thursday, December 15, 2005
Ronnie took a few minutes out of his busy holiday schedule to check in with etnies.com:
Holiday season is approaching, do you prefer Halloween,Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years the best and why?
I like Halloween the Christmas the best. Scary stuff, candy and presents are always a lot of fun.
The etnies team has added some new talent, both am and pro, in the last few months, how do you feel about the current lineup?
Everybody on the team gets along really great while the level of skateboarding gets pretty intense at times. I've learned a bit from everybody on the team so far and hopefully can learn a lot more. I'm happy with the line-up Etnies has for the team. Stoked that I can be part of it.
What’s your best golf game score thus far?
My best? Uh oh. Let's just say I shouldn't quit my day job. I've broken into the 70s about 5 times on some nice courses. (73,74,75,76, 78.)
What’s your worst?
My worst… Ha ha. Probably 115 when I first started playing. I'm pretty consistent with shooting in the low to mid 80s. My golf game has been suspended for a while since I'm in skate mode. I tend to pick up the golf game when I get hurt and can’t skate.
etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest Holiday Festival!
by: Brink | Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Santa, Mrs. Claus, their friendly elves and Pierre André Senizergues, owner and CEO of etnies, will bring holiday cheer once again to needy children of Orange County by hosting a Holiday Festival complete with Christmas crafts, a pro skate demo, refreshments and more. Plus, each child will receive a brand new pair of etnies shoes just in time for Christmas.
The shoe donation and Holiday Festival is on Friday, December 16, 2005 from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00p.m., and marks the success of two years for the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest. Nearly 1,500 youth use the park each week.
etnies professional skateboarders scheduled to appear include: Arto Saari, Rune Glifberg, Bastien Salabanzi, Ronnie Creager, Kyle Leeper, Elissa Steamer and Lauren Perkins.
“The etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest is a staple of the community,” states Senizergues. “What better way to celebrate the holidays and give back to the youth in Orange County than by giving them a new pair of etnies, the chance to see Santa Claus and meet our pro skateboarders! The skatepark is about giving back to the community – and we’re doing just that with our Holiday Festival and shoe donation for the second year!”
Orange County nonprofit organizations that will be bringing children to the event include: Big Brothers Big Sisters; Boys and Girls Club (Westminster, Santa Ana and Garden Grove); Human Options (domestic violence shelter in Irvine); Orange County Rescue Mission – House of Hope, Olive Crest; Orangewood Children’s Foundation; Hannah’s Children’s Homes; and Girls & Boys Town.
Goofy Footy!
by: Brink | Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Don't say I didn't warn you yesterday...the winners of GvR '05, Team Goofy!
Tom Penny Spotting!
by: Brink | Tuesday, December 13, 2005
- I Lurked on Penny so hard!
So I'm wandering around the building the other day and I see Tom Penny checking out Bastien's shoes! SIIIIIIICK. I got all stealth and snapped a photo for you guys.
More GvR Video! Team Regular
by: Brink | Tuesday, December 13, 2005
We got some more Regular footage from GvR for ya! Team Goofy footage coming soon!
Holiday '05 etnies Catalog!
by: Brink | Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Wanna do some shopping or make wish lists for your parents? Download the new Holiday ' 05 etnies catalog. Enjoi!
etnies / THAW Holiday Contest!
by: Brink | Monday, December 12, 2005
We have some leftover copies of THAW and tons of shoes floating around, so we came up with the etnies / THAW Holiday Contest to get rid of it all!
No Levels. No Loadtimes. But Ryan Sheckler and the newest etnies gear are there, along with never-ending action that doesn't stop until you leave the game! Tony Hawk's American Wasteland gives you—for the first time ever on a Hawk game—the freedom to skate, or bike throughout a rich, expansive environment. And etnies wants to give you a free copy of the THAW (X Box or Playstation) and some free etnies shoes to go with it! Just fill out this form and we'll do the rest!
Ryan Sheckler Mini Interview!
by: Brink | Monday, December 12, 2005
- Large.
We caught up with Sheck for a few minutes this week to see what he's been up to lately:
How many cars have you won in your life and what did you do with them all?
I have only won one car, and I am going to drive it!
Your top 5 favorite songs of the moment?
- Are You Dead Yet? Children of Bodom.
- Hate Me Children of Bodom.
- Like the Angel Rise Against.
- BYOB System of a Down.
- Blue Jeans David Bowie.
Holiday season is approaching—do you like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years the best and why?
Christmas for sure. I like being able to chill and hang out with the family its supper fun and relaxing!
The etnies team has added some new talent, both am and pro, in the last few months, how do you feel about the current lineup?
The team is deffinetly supper sick I am stoked on everyone on the team.
Its about time etnies had another great team!
You have a shoe coming out in the spring, what do you like best about it and how do you feel about being the youngest pro to have a pro model shoe?
I am so stoked to have a shoe. I like everything about it and being the youngest pro to ever have a shoe just adds to it! Thanks etnies for all your support!
If you signed up for the etnies Newsletter, you'll see an exclusive Ronnie Creager interview in your inbox this week. If you haven't signed up, what are you waiting for?
The Blown Out Shoe Contest Winner!
by: Brink | Friday, December 9, 2005
- The Winner!
- BLOWN OUT!
Congrats to Kevin from Albany NY, for submitting the most blown out etines photo! There were a lot of good entries, some with completely missing toecaps from so much skating, but Kevin was chosen based on pretty much having the gnarliest overall damage to a single pair of etnies we have ever seen. These shoes have done some mileage! Kevin will be flown out to the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest for a weekend of skatin' and hangin' with the etnies team. Golf anyone?
Thanks to all who entered. More contests to come. Maybe even sooner than you think. Hint: Holiday time.
- Fire-induced blowout!
- Lots of tre flips
Skart Alert!
by: Brink | Thursday, December 8, 2005
- Artsy!
Check out some of this photography from Arthur Tress
Eric Fletcher In Slap!
by: Brink | Thursday, December 8, 2005
- KF BS NG!
Be sure to grab the new issue (Jan. '06) of Slap for the Eric Fletcher sequence and some other fine reading...
F'East Recap From Nick The RV Guy!
by: Brink | Wednesday, December 7, 2005
- Ravenous fans and the etnies RV!
Saturday, November 19
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh was our first port-of-call on this six-stop tour, which was to take place over the next 10 days. Shortly after all of the Flip and Firm riders had arrived at the hotel, it was decided that an impromptu visit to Project 58 skatepark would take place, and at round midnight, we loaded everyone up and headed over. Kindly enough, the park had agreed to stay open late for the lads, and for the next few hours, they carved out a few lines to get ready for tomorrow’s demo.
Saturday, November 19 was day one of the F'east Tour, and the first demo was at the aforementioned Project 58 in Raleigh. This park is very well hidden in a strip mall, and although from the front it just looks like a regular skate shop, it is in fact quite a bit more. It's actually two stores connected, one side being a skate shop and the other a coffee shop. Behind both of these is the park itself.
We arrived just a little after the scheduled time, and there was an orderly line outside the shop consisting of those who were unable to gain access due to the exceptionally huge crowd. After some signing, the skaters managed to make it into the park, which was packed with wall-to-wall spectators and barely any room for the guys to skate.
The official viewing platform was fairly small, so the park had spackled the crowd wherever they could around the main street course area. The riders used whichever areas they could, despite the sardine-like crowd situation. Nevertheless, this horde witnessed some of the best skating ever seen here.
By about 6.00 p.m. the skating had simmered down somewhat, and the riders began signing anything and everything thrust in their faces, including but not limited to: boards, shirts, posters and more. We left the park at around 7.30 p.m. and headed back to the hotel, where most everyone ate dinner at Waffle House.
- Fletch with a front blunt.
Sunday, November 20
Virginia Beach, Virginia
The following day, we left Raleigh at about 9.00 a.m. for the 200-mile journey up the coast to 17th Street Surf Shop in Virginia Beach. These guys have a number of stores in and around the area. Fortunately, we arrived about 45 minutes ahead of time, and already the crowd was surging at over 500 people.
Just a signing was scheduled today, and the parking lot in front of the store had been set up with tables, a tent and crowd control barriers to funnel the fans past the first table and down to the next, ensuring that everyone was able to meet each of the skaters, get some signatures, have a chat and in some cases, get a picture with their favorite skate celebrity.
We parked the van and the RV next to line of eager spectators, and as the pros unloaded, you could see the excitement in the faces of the crowd. The pros took their seats and instantly began signing away. There was some product tossed from the RV, and for a while there, it got pretty rough. A few spectators even managed to climb through the window into the bus.
The crowd didn’t seem to dissipate much over the next few hours, but finally by about 6.00 p.m., we were ready to hit the road. After a little confusion, we headed toward the hotel. Well, at least most of us made it that far. Some decided to stop on the way and feed themselves, while the rest of us headed down to the Ramada and ate some dinner. Day two had come to an end, and I’m sure many happy kids--and in some cases even parents--went away with some great memorabilia.
- Bastien and Appleyard
Monday, November 21
Frederick, Maryland
Day three saw us traveling about 250 miles north to Frederick, Maryland to an outdoor park, the only outdoor one scheduled. This signing was hosted by Pitcrew, and from what I gathered, all of the pros were looking forward to skating after taking a day off on the previous day. They were especially keen on skating an “outdoor” park.
Unfortunately, the weather forecast didn't look good, and as we traveled Northward, the drops started falling. I don’t think it stopped raining all day. To make things worse, traffic around Washington DC was some of the worst I’ve ever witnessed, and that means a lot coming from a Southern California local like myself.
As we neared Pitcrew, reports from those who had arrived there some hours earlier were not promising. As our proposed arrival time approached, there were a few schedule changes that put a damper on the day. First off, it was decided that there could not be a demo due to the non-stop rain, and secondly, there was no way we were going to make it into the area before 6.00 p.m. We were two hours late!
The demo had by now turned into a signing at the Pitcrew store. By the time we’d arrived, we were indeed about two hours late. The rain had not stopped, but there was still a sizeable crowd waiting inside the store. Tables had been set up, and the boys got ready to sign their little hearts away. Could they last two days without skating? Due to the inclement weather, this visit had wrapped up by 9.00 p.m. and the store was reverted back to its normal floor plan.
Fortunately, the boys got hooked up by a few of the locals and we headed 50 or so miles back down the freeway into downtown Washington DC, where an underground park of sorts had been made available to skate. It’s been some time since I’ve seen a park like this, which was pretty much put together with whatever materials the builders could scrounge up. It featured a low ceiling, little if any air conditioning and no entrance fee. This, to me, is the true spirit of skateboarding.
Not to take anything away from established parks, it’s just that ramshackle, homegrown parks like this exemplify why many of us got into skateboarding in the first place. The session here lasted a few hours, and due to the location, I unfortunately couldn't leave the bus alone for too long, so I was only able to witness this special shred fest for a short time.
By the time we made it back to the hotel, it was already 3.00 a.m., and most of us were ready to hit the sack to prepare themselves for the next day's 500 mile slog to Florence, Kentucky. Tuesday was going to be a long day.
- Free Stuff!
Wednesday, November 23
Florence, Kentucky
Ollie's was the name of the next skatepark. Fortunately for us, we weren’t scheduled to demo there until the day after the travel day. However, it had been arranged for us to skate the park after-hours upon our arrival. Snow had been threatening to make an appearance, but as of yet we hadn’t seen any.
Another late-night session ensued at this huge park, which has to be one of the biggest ones I’ve seen. It even has a halfpipe and bowl behind the street course. If you ever happen to be in the Kentucky area, you need to pay this place a visit.
After the session, the first busload went back to the hotel around 2.00 a.m. with the others showing up shortly afterward, pleased that they had the opportunity to skate after having been on the road for so long.
The next morning, I awoke on the bus only to find that it had indeed started snowing. The fluffy stuff came down for quite a few hours, but fortunately didn’t really affect the roads--although a few inches did settle elsewhere. The park was only three miles from the hotel, so we were pretty sure it wasn’t going to cause any problems.
We turned up only slightly late for this event, arriving at about 5.30 p.m. By this time, most of the snow had melted off and the weather forecast predicted that there would more than likely not be any more for a while.
Like most of the stops on this tour, Ollie's was indoors, so weather really wasn’t a factor. Even with the size of this location, the place seemed packed, although it did afford a little more room for the riders. There was so much going on between all of the riders, however, that sometimes the only way you knew a rad trick had occurred was by the roar of the crowd. Each rider had his own line and the crowd knew where and when to look.
Rune Glifberg spent a lot of his time in the halfpipe during the autograph signing session, making many attempts at some insane trick of which the name now escapes me. I’m not sure if he pulled it off in the end, but he sure came close. The night came to an end at around 11.00 p.m. and we headed off back to the hotel, where we ordered pizza. Damn! Pizza can be so good sometimes. Tonight was one of those occasions.
- Fashion
Friday, November 25
Chicago, Illinois
Now it was time to head to Chicago, Illinois, which was about 300 miles Northwest of out present location. In November, going North means it’s going to get much colder. As we loaded ourselves off of the bus in downtown Chicago at 6.00 p.m., we could feel the wind biting through our jeans. It was that cold. The journey that day had been somewhat uneventful and everything ran on schedule.
Krush Skatepark is about 30 miles from downtown, and the demo wasn’t scheduled to start until 7.00 p.m. the following day, so that meant some of us took off for a quick trip around downtown Chicago the next morning. Being that this was the day after Thanksgiving, it was fairly quiet downtown. The Sears Tower was our goal, and up we went. You could see for dozens of miles from the top of the building, which was very impressive.
Right around 4.00 p.m., it started snowing and it kept up until our departure time of 6.15 p.m. This worried us a little, but it was nothing we couldn’t overcome. It was decided that an all-rider photograph would be taken before we left, so the lads had to stand out in the snow for about 15 minutes while the photo was taken. After that was all taken care of, we loaded up and took off.
Fortunately, the snow had all but disappeared about 15 miles outside of our departure location, so it was smooth sailing from there. We arrived right on time to this demo, and as usual, a good-sized crowd had already formed and the park itself was absolutely packed. We parked the bus around the rear of the building and the boys walked up the hill and into the park. Every spare platform was covered with kids, and you could tell they were eager to see their favorite pros ruin this park. They were not disappointed.
Everyone ripped this place, as the constant shouts of approval proved. It seemed every time you turned your back, one of the pros would pull off some nearly impossible trick, causing the throngs to roar. This was a hard crowd to control, as everyone kept creeping forward and reducing the skateable area, In the end, the crowd pretty much took over whichever area they chose.
This signing was not quite as organized as the others, and after a product toss, the riders just randomly signed whatever was thrown at them. Chaos was the order of the night. We left shortly after the mayhem and made our way to a restaurant around the corner, where we pigged out on Italian food before heading back to the hotel. Day five had come to an end.
- Rune cast signing
Sunday, November 27
Golden Valley, Minnesota
The following day found us back on the road, again heading even further North to Minnesota. In fact, it was another 400 miles further North, and yes, it got even colder. If we would have gone much further North, we would have been in Canada, home of Peter, who is more North than anyone you can name.
We made great time after leaving only slightly later than scheduled, and pulled into town right around 8.00 p.m. There were a few inches of slush, snow and ice lying about, and now it was no longer just cold, it was bloody freezing.
The next day saw a great improvement in the temperature, and by the time we had to leave, much of the snow and ice had melted off. Another group photo was the order of the day. This one took a bit more time to complete, however, which made us about 30 minutes late for our sixth and last demo.
The 20-minute journey completed, we pulled into the parking lot of the 3rd Lair skatepark, and before the lads made their grand entrance, I ran in and took a few photos. This park was a little short on spectator area, but they managed extremely well, and crowd control was not a problem.
The building, however, was not designed to expel the amount of condensation being created by the lungs of the huge throng, therefore the floor and obstacles were continually damp, which created a sketchy environment for all the skaters. I myself witnessed a few nasty spills, but luckily nothing too serious.
Everyone was ripping this place, especially Geoff, Mark, Tom, Javi, David G, Rodrigo and Bastien. Not to say that the others weren’t having a good day, it’s just that these guys really stood out on this night. The crowd, as usual, were stoked on seeing some of the best skateboarding anywhere. They were lucky to witness almost three hours of hardcore skating, as these guys pulled off some insane tricks and took it beyond anything I’d seen on the previous demos.
The usual product toss came next, featuring a gnarly 15-minute wrestle between two guys for a deck that you’ll probably see on an upcoming video. It’s crazy what extreme lengths some of these kids will go to for a board. The tables were set up, a somewhat orderly line took shape and the boys did their last signing.
The mayhem that was the F'east Tour had now officially come to an end. The pros hung out with some fans at the bus for a while afterward, then we headed back to the hotel for dinner. They even had to sign a shitload of posters and boards in the hotel lobby. By this time, I was really tired, so I dragged myself off to bed at midnight and the signings reportedly went on into the wee hours. The next day, everyone went their separate ways.
Thanks to: Everyone at Flip and the Firm who worked so hard making this tour happen, all of the skate shops for having us, everyone who took the photos in this article, and especially all you fans for showing up. See you next time.--Nick Umbenhower
Slow Newsday. Default: Hot Chicks!
by: Brink | Monday, December 5, 2005
- Got redheads?
Sometimes there isn't always fresh etnies news to mention here. So in order to keep myself employed, I default to hot chicks and other nonsense. Check out Heather Christensen. She skates too!
etnies and Urb Are Givin' You Free Shoes!
by: Brink | Friday, December 2, 2005
Looking for a new pair of kicks, but don’t have the cash? Here’s your chance to win a free pair of shoes, courtesy of etnies and URB Magazine!
All you have to do is name three pro skaters who have released albums. But you’ve got to act quickly—the first to e-mail the correct answer to giveaways@urb.com along with your full name, address and shoe size will win. Good luck!
The F'East Tour Is Over!
by: Brink | Friday, December 2, 2005
- Fletcher back tee
Even though the tour has come to an end, we are tryin' to keep it alive a little longer by adding some more photos added to the F'East Gallery.
Some Contest Weiners!
by: Brink | Thursday, December 1, 2005
- Sheckler as seen in THAW!
Sorry for the delay folks, I'm super busy over here taking photos of horse poo and skating the etnies park or STI Lab for the good of the etnies.com readership, so sometimes things like this slip through the cracks.
As far as the THAW contest goes, so far we have to offer congrats to Stephen from Santa Barbara, California; Julia from Livonia Michigan; Tony from Marlton NJ; and Rollie of Placentia, California. All four got some free etnies kicks and a copy of Tony Hawk's American Wasteland! Whoopeeeeee!
As for the Best Skate Blog contest winners. Tim from Squaw Valley California pondered the unexplainable in this blog by asking:
Why does that guy have his head up that machine's ass?
It made me laugh enough to pick him as the October winner.
The September winner was chosen for using the "flattery" technique in this blog. Steven from Normal, Illinois won by stating:
etnies is the best shoe company ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And no, I didn't edit out any of his exclamation points. Keep in mind, no one else will win in the future by telling us we are the best. We already know it now that Steven told us. Thanks Steve, you're the best too.
Still waiting to hear from the August Blog Comment winner I contacted, but once again, if that doesn't happen soon, I'm cancelling his ass! Oh ya, and the November winner will be chosen soon!
etnies Invades The Skateboard Mag!
by: Brink | Thursday, December 1, 2005
- Conhuir!
Ronnie Creager, Conhuir Lynn, Kyle Leeper and Arto Saari...full-page photos, Quiksilver tours and First Things First. Don't miss the January issue of The Skateboard Mag
- Leepster!
Sheck / Hawk Tour In January TransWorld
by: Brink | Thursday, December 1, 2005
- Large
Check out coverage of Tony Hawk's Secret Skatepark Tour with Ryan Sheckler in the January issue of TWS!
