CULTURE
UPDATE: Watch the Ben Raemers Foundation’s ‘SMiLe’ Interviews
In the wake of Ben Raemers’s tragic passing in May 2019, the Ben Ramers Foundation was created to bring awareness to mental health issues that are often stigmatized by society. One of the nonprofit’s initiatives is SMiLe—a short film that consists of a series of interviews with pro skaters about their own struggles with mental stability. The premiere screening will take place on February 6 at Rich Mix in London. Have a look at the trailer’s featuring Aaron Herrington and Nick Jensen below. We’ll update with information on the wide release of the film when more information becomes available.
UPDATE 03.16.20: Aaron Herrington’s SMiLe interview was released earlier today. It’s a cautionary tale about the darker side of the party lifestyle that’s embedded in skate culture, and the effects that can have on your body and mental health. Listen and learn above.
UPDATE 02.10.20: Following last Thursday’s screening, the SMiLe interviews are being released online starting with Nick Jensen. We’ll continue to update this post as more become available for streaming. You can also watch the full Q&A that took place after the premiere via The Ben Raemers Foundation’s YouTube channel. Watch Jensen’s interview above.
CULTURE
Super Skate Posse Gives Back to Kids in LA
Super Skate Posse teamed up with Punk Rock & Paintbrushes and gave away Powell Peralta skateboards, Converse Cons shoes, and ProTec helmets to 25 children from Alexandria House, a transitional home for women and children in Los Angeles, California.
Skateboarding legend Christian Hosoi graced the event and taught the kids to skate.
Founded in 2020, Super Skate Posse is a nonprofit that aims to remove the cost barrier to skateboarding for children in underserved communities nationwide.
The organization tours nationwide and partners with local communities to give away skateboards and gear to kids at events hosted by pro skaters.
The partner in this event, Punk Rock & Paintbrushes is an art management company and art show production brand.
CULTURE
Eric Koston and Steve Berra Take Back Control of The Berrics
The Berrics founders Eric Koston and Steve Berra are now 100% back in control of their company.
Established in 2007, The Berrics was a portmanteau of the founders’ names — Berra and Eric.
Back in 2018, Hypebeast acquired the majority stake in The Berrics. Hypebeast is a Hongkong listed company founded by Kevin Ma in 2005. It started out as a sneaker blog and became an online magazine covering fashion, culture, and other topics and also ventured into retail among other businesses.
But after five years, it appears that the partnership didn’t go that well. In their statement, Berra and Koston said they had little control over their company.
Contrary to popular belief, it’s been almost 5 years since we’ve effectively had any influence over what we created, how it was run, what we made and what it stood for. Five years forced to the sidelines, largely silent, being told what we can and cannot do… or else suffer the consequences. Suffice to say, it was painful watching and experiencing some of the things that transpired.
The two also mentioned that The Berrics website, social, content, and e-commerce will all undergo changes. They also thanked everyone who supported the company through the years.
CULTURE
First Annual Abloh Skateboarding Invitational Held in Miami
The first Abloh Skateboarding Invitational was held in Miami’s Lot 11 Skate Park last December 4 in honor of Virgil Abloh.
Abloh was a skater turned architect and fashion designer. He was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection and also collaborated with Nike.
The event was organized by Architecture, Abloh’s Nike-housed creative studio. It featured cash for trick contest, food trucks, live DJ, and a professional skateboarder demonstration from the dozens of professional skateboarders in attendance.
Zion Wright, Ishod Wair, Dashawn Jordan, and Sal Barbier were among the attendees of the said invitational.
Abloh died in November 2021 after his battle with cancer.
Before his death, he was involved in the building of Ghana’s first ever skatepark which opened in December last year. Abloh is of Ghanian descent.
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