ABOUT A YEAR AGO I WAS CHATTING WITH DALLAS ROCKVAM AND WE GOT INTO THIS CRAZY CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DIFFERENT CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT DEVELOPED OUT OF THE INCIDENTS OF 911. I THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE AN INTERESTING READ SO I CALLED HIM UP AND GOT BACK INTO IT WITH HIM WITH THE TAPE ROLLING. BOTH DALLAS AND I ARE NOT CONVINCED THAT THERE WAS A GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY BEHIND THE ATTACK ON 911 BUT IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE IS PLENTY OF GOOD REASON TO WANT TO KNOW MORE. Read More
IN THE END EVERYTHING WILL DISAPPEAR. LOVE, HOPE, TRUST, LOYALTY, LIFE; NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY TO DELUDE OURSELVES WITH A BELIEF IN THE ETERNAL, THE FACT IS THAT THE ONLY PERMANENT THING WE CAN EVER HOPE TO EXPERIENCE IS DEATH. LUCKILY, THE ONLY DEATH THAT TRULY MATTERS IS YOUR OWN, AND AFTER THAT LAST GREAT ADVENTURE YOUR WORRIES ARE AT AN END. SO, EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY, AND DAMN THE CONSEQUENCES. AFTER ALL, BURNING DOWN OUR WORLD AROUND US IS BETTER THAN JUST SITTING AROUND AND WAITING FOR THE SUN TO KILL US. LET THE NEXT GENERATION DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES. IT’S WHAT OUR PARENTS DID. HERE ARE TEN LIKELY WAYS OUR WORLD WILL END. Read More
IN THE END EVERYTHING WILL DISAPPEAR. LOVE, HOPE, TRUST, LOYALTY, LIFE; NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY TO DELUDE OURSELVES WITH A BELIEF IN THE ETERNAL, THE FACT IS THAT THE ONLY PERMANENT THING WE CAN EVER HOPE TO EXPERIENCE IS DEATH. LUCKILY, THE ONLY DEATH THAT TRULY MATTERS IS YOUR OWN, AND AFTER THAT LAST GREAT ADVENTURE YOUR WORRIES ARE AT AN END. SO, EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY, AND DAMN THE CONSEQUENCES. AFTER ALL, BURNING DOWN OUR WORLD AROUND US IS BETTER THAN JUST SITTING AROUND AND WAITING FOR THE SUN TO KILL US. LET THE NEXT GENERATION DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES. IT’S WHAT OUR PARENTS DID. HERE ARE TEN LIKELY WAYS OUR WORLD WILL END. Read More
IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THERE WILL BE A MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU WILL BE FORCED TO RISE TO THE OCCASION AND BECOME A HERO. IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE POSITION OF TEAM MANAGER IN CHARGE OF A COUPLE OF VANS FULL OF SKATEBOARDERS, THAT MOMENT MIGHT COME SOONER THAN YOU THINK. THIS ISSUE LANCE CONKLIN TELLS A HARROWING TALE OF BEING IN SUCH A SITUATION. LANCE WAS TEAM MANAGER OF 88 FOOTWEAR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. Read More
INTERVIEW BY SHAWN RYLANDER
EVERYONE WHO SKATES KNOWS A GUY THAT GETS THE BALL ROLLING. WHETHER IT’S PUMPING A NOT SO PERFECT POOL, POURING RENEGADE CONCRETE, OR BUILDING ROLLER COASTER BACKYARD RAMPS. WELL, MICHAEL SIEBEN IS NOT EXACTLY THAT GUY. SIEBEN’S THE GUY THAT INSPIRES THE “NON-ARTIST” TO PICK UP THAT BALLPOINT PEN AND DOODLE FOR HOURS ON END. SO GRAB WHATEVER CHEAP BEER IS HIP TO DRINK IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS AND MAKE A TOAST WITH ME. “HERE’S TO MICHAEL SIEBEN FOR GETTING THE OL’ BALLPOINT PEN A’ROLLING.” Read More
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
BY PATRICK MELCHER
PHOTOS BY BRAD BISHOP UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE PRO’S WHO HAVE COME OUT OF THE MIDWEST SECTION OF AMERICA,
YOU’RE IN A VERY SMALL COLLECTIVE. AND WHEN MIGDOL CALLS YOU UP TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR HOME TERRAIN YOU THINK, “IT’S COOL THAT AUTOMATIC DECIDED TO DO THEIR ARTICLE ON NORTHERN ILLINOIS INSTEAD OF JUST THE CITY OF CHICAGO.” THE SUBURBS OF CHICAGO HAVE GOT PLENTY OF GOOD SPOTS AND YOU’LL NEVER SEE IT ALL IN A CHICAGO ARTICLE. Read More
TYRONE TAYLOR OF PACIFIC DRIVE
INTERVIEW BY MIGDOL
PHOTOS BY JON COULTHARD
TYRONE, JUST SO YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T WRITE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THIS INTERVIEW, WE’RE GOING TO WING IT.
OKAY I HAVE TO FIRST TELL YOU JIM RUONALA [OWNER OF THE SHOP] TOLD ME I AM NOT ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC BRAND, SHOP, DRIVE BY’S, OR ARSON. Read More
WELCOME TO SHIT TALK CORNER. EACH ISSUE WE GIVE ONE LUCKY PERSON THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEW AS MUCH SHIT AS THEY CAN ABOUT A FEW RANDOMLY CHOSEN TOPICS WE PROVIDE FOR THEM. THE ONLY RULE IS THEY CAN SAY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING POSITIVE ABOUT THE TOPIC. THIS ISSUE’S SHIT TALKER IS THE GREAT PAT RAKESTRAW. PAT HAD A BIT OF A ROUGH START FINDING SHIT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR TOPICS, BEFORE LONG THOUGH, HE GOT RIGHT IN THE GROVE AND GOT SOME GOOD HATING GOING. Read More
