CULTURE
Make the world your skatepark


This is a guest post by Sarah Czarnecki. Check her blog out here.
Skateboarding is an urban sport.
Right?
I mean, just look at any city’s downtown scene. Even if there’s nothing built specifically for skateboarders, you’ll see them flocking to stairs, handrails, curbs, and concrete art installations. Anything bolted down or built up, really. The DIY concrete skatepark movement is so ingrained in skate culture, that visiting historic parks has become a rite of passage.
But what if skateboarding didn’t have to have such hard lines?
What if you could take your board into the wilderness for a realer experience?


If you thought cracked concrete was crusty, you’re going to have to get real creative, real fast when you try to boardslide a fallen log. Skating in nature demands innovation.
It’s imperfect, will definitely mess up your bearings, and requires a level of knowing one’s limits that not every city skater can achieve. Creativity unleashed.
And yeah, not everyone is up for the challenge, just as not everyone has access to choice skateparks and skater-friendly downtown areas.
So some skaters who don’t live in big cities, don’t have access to skate-mecca plazas like Kulturforum, or have done Burnside so many times it’s lost its appeal (heresy, I know!) — they’re forced to head out to the sticks. Literally.
Others just want to feel that connection between their board and the forest it came from.
Inspiration
The idea of skating in the great outdoors isn’t a new concept. Element’s “Nature Calls” is only the latest installment in the years-long trend of raw nature skating. It’s just that this one’s gained a lot of traction.
In just one month, this video’s had over a quarter million views on YouTube alone. Even more impressively, almost nobody in the comment section can think of anything negative to say about it.
In “Nature Calls,” Jaako Ojanen, Madars Apse, Phil Zwijsen, and other Element Europe skaters brought their boards to the Pyrenees to dig up a whole year’s worth of unconventionally — but undeniably — skateable spots.
They found bike trails. Aqueducts. Mountains. Desolate roads. Fallen logs. I-beam bridges. Breakwaters. Even a cactus patch looked like a good enough spot for these guys.
The creativity in this film is next-level. Not every trick was one for the record books, but how are you going to skate down a mountain or across a frozen lake and not be considered a badass?
Even if you’re not a skater, “Nature Calls” (and the subsequent extended version) is highly jealousy-inducing. Between shreds, the crew took breaks to go canoeing, swimming, throw rocks, and bother a cow. Like any outdoors adventurer, they couldn’t help but stop in awe and take photos that would never do the real thing justice.
One viewer said they felt like they were watching Planet Earth, but with skateboarding.


Brand purpose
Like practically all skate brands, most of Element’s vids are city-centric. This time, they’ve released one that embraces their.. ahem.. true nature. And if the rumbles from the skate community mean anything, “Nature Calls” has put them firmly on the cool list.
Element is not a new company, and it’s had its share of critics. Some snobs who insist on a minimum level of gnar (and a minimum pricetag) will turn up their noses at this affordable, tree-huggingly wholesome brand.
But for those of us who are interested in breathing fresh air while we enjoy outdoor sports, Element is a go-to. They know what’s up.


This brand is doing its best to be ethical, environmentally aware, and nature-promoting. Their sustainability commitments, recycled collections, and partnership with National Geographic have earned them some crunchy brownie points.
As much as Element’s trying to pioneer ethical skateboarding, Cariuma beat them to the B Corp punch.
It’s the very first certified B Corp skate company, and for good reason. Cariuma has made sustainability and negative carbon impact their priority, been transparent about their impact, and are actually participating in reforestation.
This is a big shift in messaging from the major skate brands.
Most brands have no comment about sustainability. There’s very little supply chain transparency and they have nothing to say about environmental impact.
And yes, skateboarding does have a significant environmental impact.
Deforestation is a serious global problem, and this particular industry is a contributor in a way we can’t ignore. Maple logging for skate decks, specifically, needs to be confronted. That, and fast fashion. Nike SB, the hottest skate shoe brand du jour, is working on lessening their environmental impact, so that’s good. But considering the immense demand for constant wardrobe updates, high rate of consumerism, and the broader community’s “edgy” low opinion of eco-conscious brands, this is more than an uphill battle. It’s a vert ramp.
Find your natural skatepark
Skating in nature isn’t exactly an anomaly, but it’s not easy to find groups willing to get off the streets.
The most common idea of a skatepark is decidedly free of vegetation.
Most of the info you can find about off-road, mountain, wilderness, outdoor, nature, or forest skating is almost exclusively geared toward longboarders. Sometimes electric skateboarders. Probably scooterers, too, but by then we’re way off track.


If you want to skate outside, just find a spot and do it.
Urban exploration is wonderful, but there’s something extra special about rural skating. If rural means farmland to you, skate it. If it means deep forests, beaches, deserts, or snow ramps, by all means. Skate it.
Bottom line? You don’t have to be a concrete surfer.
But there is a catch.
If you do decide to skate off road, be kind. Ride safely on bike and hike trails, and be respectful of the plants, animals, and geology around you. Don’t trespass, don’t damage fragile ecosystems, and if you’re in a park, don’t stray from the trails. And don’t crash into any pedestrians, either.
And nature skating has the same rules as hiking. Go with a buddy, tell someone where you’ll be and when you expect to be back, keep track of your location, and bring a first aid kit. You’ll also want a first aid kit for your board because your bearings are going to be toast.
But there’s a lot to be said for nature skating.
The silence, for one.
The challenge of making the most of the unknown.
The immeasurable, incomparable beauty of an untouched landscape.
Also, no cops.
For more nature skating inspiration, check out these classic films.
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.
-
CONTESTS6 months ago
Olympians Dominate 2022 Summer X Games Women’s Skateboard Park
-
INTERVIEWS5 months ago
The Nine Club Features Elliot Sloan
-
CONTESTS5 months ago
Get to Know the Red Bull Manny Mania Winners
-
CONTESTS5 months ago
Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert is Back
-
CONTESTS6 months ago
Gustavo Ribeiro Wins Dew Tour 2022 Men’s Street Competition
-
CONTESTS5 months ago
Yuto Horigome, Rayssa Leal Win SLS Seattle
-
CONTESTS5 months ago
Vans Showdown 2022 Winners
-
TEAM CHANGES5 months ago
Primitive Skate Welcomes Filipe Mota