SHUT UP

I always thought this would be a funny gif, so I made it for you, Internet.

NJ Skateshop / Red Bull DIY Spot Supply

Halloween fun

The Art of Killing from Ray Sykes on Vimeo.

Konica

Gomer Pyle

Happy Birthday, Heath Kirchart

Gusace

Limited Edition Stamford Skatepark edit from a weekend trip in Connecticut.

San Francisco 2013

These photos are from a trip that Lawrence, Casey, Mike, and Billy and I took to San Franciso last year in July. Hard to believe that these photos are from that long ago. More to come later.

Casey exalts the skate gods: "I praise you. You have forsaken me." 

Casey Shaw in Blurry Front Nose

Casey Shaw riding the concrete waves in Chinatown. 

Lawrence's mom called 10 times while he waited for his breakfast sandwich. Mike missed his mom. 

Lawrence heads towards the Forbidden City.

The only thing Lawrence is looking to take home tonight after this wall ride, young lady, is a buzz.

Mike adjusts light beams for peak motion picture quality while Billy prepares to freeze them in time.

A rose among the thorns. Now move.

The view looking off the bridge.

Flagship Brewery

My cousin Jay is definitely one of my favorite relatives. Not only because he got me an entire case of Guinness for Christmas last year, but because he's driven, focused, doesn't take any shit, and always does what he says he's going to do. A man of his word. He's taken those qualities and fused them with his love for beer to create Flagship Brewing Company. This nascent brewery is the only one of its kind on Staten Island, NY (if you don't know, that's where these guys are from). And when I say the only of of its kind, I mean it's the ONLY one. There hasn't been a real brewery in Shoalin for over 50 year. And my cousin Jay, having to grow up on the island and witness such an injustice, is determined to change that. Flagship is all about supporting the local scene, so much so that it even grows their own hops on the island. He asked me and my friend Alena (Joan Rivers Conspiracy Theory ----->) to make him a promotional video for the brewery, and I am very happy to present it to the world and be a part of this movement. Keep your eyes open for Flagship, hitting shelves next year.

Flagship Promo Video from Ray Sykes on Vimeo.

Transcended Healing

Skateboarding has left as permanent a mark in Shaun Webber's life as the ink in his skin. Filmmaker Bill Marshall tells an inspiring story about how Shaun found his place in life after an devastating skateboarding injury led him to a passionate career as a tattoo artist.

Sam is smoking.

Beach Cooler

It's here, on the internet.

Beach Cooler from casey shaw on Vimeo.

Beach Cooler Premiere

I'm little late on this one, but the long anticipated Beach Cooler skateboarding video premiered last Friday at NJ Skateshop II in New Brunswick, and it was well-received.

The DVD came with a complimentary Beach Cooler koozie and sold faster than any Nike quick-strike.

This is where it went down, NJ Skateshop II in New Brunswick.

The screen onto which the 37 minute product of four years of gnar and weeks of insomnia was projected.

A sea of skateboarders surged through the shops open door and flooded its floors.

 

 

 

 

Beach Cooler Premiere Continued

There was hardly any room to stand,

but plenty of room to drink your beer.

Even the friends who couldn't make it showed some love,

and Billy would like to show them some love of his own.

After the premiere, the masses stumbled down to the Ale n' Wich Pub,

where we were welcomed with cold beer, whiskey, and a warm place to drink it in.

John's response to the bartender's foolish question, "How many glasses will you need?"

Neil laughs in the face of these bodily toxins.

Worst Human and Joe stoking out.

 

 

Beach Cooler Premiere Continued Again

The reactions of Mike and Lawrence as they watched the skateboarding that went on in the bar's patio.

 

The Aftermath.

 

Thank you to everyone that came out and made a night that no one will remember an everlasting memory.

The Philadelphia Experiment

Wow

Help the 660 Ramp

The 660 Ramp is an infamous skateboarding haven in Jersey City. It is operated and maintained by some really great dudes who took admirable initiative and gave a whole new meaning to the term "Do It Yourself." But, as practitioners of the old adage have come to know, doing it yourself is hard and tedious work. So, five years later, the guys at 660 are looking to pick up and move to a larger property and add a bowl to their arsenal of obstacles. They are asking for donations for the cost of such materials. 660 Ramp has given so much to skateboarding without asking for anything in return, and they need our help right now to keep being able to do so. Remember, expansion means bigger parties and infinite skating. Donate to their fund account HERE.

Beachkoozie

As the deadline for Beachcooler draws nearer, we are getting drunker. Free Beachcooler koozie to come with purchase of the DVD. Only 100 made. Get yours or get out.

Epicly Larry'd

Lawrence has ankles made of glass and peanut butter.

Epicly Larry'd from Ray Sykes on Vimeo.

HOUSE OF VANS - NJ SKATESHOP

Check out this edit of the NJ Skateshop family shredding the House of Vans in Brooklyn on Monday.

New York's finest, NJ Skateshop. Video by Kevin Winters.

Jamaican Us Late

Last weekend, my good friend Casey and I were preparing ourselves for a night of art, music, and beer. But, as we already know and have come to accept, you can never really arm yourself with enough artillery to protect yourself from the impetuous vagaries of life. It started at 4:00pm. I had just arrived at Casey's house. We were going to Wal Mart to pick up a few 8x10 prints of some photographs that we were going to hang at our friend's "art" party later that night. We had to be quick though, because Casey was scheduled to speak about a photograph he had on display in the Alfa Art Gallery in New Brunswick at 6:00pm, and I had planned to see a friend perform in a Rutgers version of Saturday Night Live at 7:00pm. We decided to take separate cars. I had never been to that particular Wal Mart before, and the wintry snowfall deemed iPhone map usage too dangerous, so I relied on Casey to lead the way. Of course, about halfway there I got stuck at a red light after Casey blasted through it, thinking I would do the same. He impatiently waited on the shoulder for me to catch up. Not too much time lost there, but still irritating. When we got to the emporium of self deprecation at half the price, there was no one to assist us at the photo center. So, we searched for an associate that would be able to lend a hand (looked at cell phone for the time). We found an insipid employee who made us feel like we were bothering her to help us for two seconds. Casey received the packet of prints after briefly proving his existence to the casual cog. We inspected our envelope to discover that one of my prints was missing. Wal Mart fucked up. We thought about going back to to get the hard drive with the file, come back, and print out the forgotten photo, but time waits for no man. Casey and I quickly picked out frames in which to hang our images. I went for the the more frugal option, whereas Casey went with style. We hopped on the line that seemed to be the shortest, but as they say, looks can be deceiving. We waited eagerly as we watched the other lines move like a time lapse as people happily paid for their purchases before we moved an inch. We remained in our line, out of fear that if we moved we could make it worse, like the traffic jam scene from Office Space. After paying for our frames, we walked carefully through the crunchy snow back to my car. We didn't want to slip on any hidden ice and have to sue Wal Mart for a million dollars, especially after all the great service that had just been provided for us. It's about 5:00pm now. I turn on the heat and some tunes while get our photographs ready. Much to Casey's horror, his fancy frames lacked the proper fittings for wall hanging, so he had to go back into that fraction of the cost hell hole of human hostility to exchange them. Tick tock. My frames fit my photos perfectly. Casey returned about 15 minutes later with correct plastic image holders, so it was a real shame when my car wouldn't start. My car battery sacrificed its own life so that I could be warm and listen to music. Following Casey's lead, I whipped back into Wal Mart with the rest of the losers to buy some jumper cables. I returned after another endless 15 minutes to find a group of Jamaican women having a girls night out in the parking space across from mine, severing any path to battery resuscitation. I stood there in the cold like a fool for another 15 minutes, both Casey and I waiting for them to put their wine down and get the fuck out of the parking lot. They might still be there to this day. Casey was able to squeeze in the spot next to them after another shopper left, and finally charged me up. Another five minutes went by as I had to chip away the ice and brush away the snow that had piled onto the car. We raced out of the parking lot and back to New Brunswick. Casey and I arrived at the gallery just in time, and it seemed that life had rewarded us for having to endure such trivial obstacles and frivolous hindrances. There it was. Right as we walked into the gallery was a table filled with all the red wine and cheese we could consume. We ate, drank, and we satisfied. Casey's photo was the only one purchased at the gallery, making it the best one. He was way better than the rest of the guys who spoke anyway, especially since they took so damn long talking and I ended up missing my friend's SNL performance. Anyway, afterwards, Casey and I got drunk with our friends and hung our photos at the party with great pride where they were met with critical acclaim. We even go to see The Former Reunion play a last minute reunion show (they were a band, then they weren't, then they were again, but now they're not again). And besides for that red headed fucker who stole all of our beer, it ended up being a really fun night. So, thank you, life, for kicking our asses but then feeling bad about it afterwards, even if its only for a minute.

Thanks a lot, mon.

Women flocked to Casey to ask him, "What's your inspiration?" "Who is your muse?" to which he replied with a sip of his wine.

Artists among the artist.

A lawyer bought Casey's photograph of New Brunswick to hang on the wall of the building of the town in which it stands.

Mine and Casey's exhibit (my two photos and stencil on the left, Casey's photos on the right).

Tim, Jimmy, and Sonia of The Former Reunion.