At night the skaters go away and all that is left is concrete and the sound of the breeze down the valley. The Slocan Valley in British Columbia, Canada is a pretty majestic place. The mountain range the Vahallas tower above; its got a massive lake with crystal clear water; and a river that spills from it that runs warm. There are only a few hundred people that live here. It is real low key. You can pretty much camp anywhere and nobody cares. Plus there are no cops within 45 km to hassle you. There isn’t that much to skate in this part of BC, but its got one of the better bowls in British Columbia. If I ever write a book on skateparks to session, which I might, this off the beaten track place will be included. If fate brings you to these parts, this is a must hit.
Overview of the bowl. Night image 15 sec exposure. No lights.
Some bowls have it and some don't. This one has it. Smooth and lots and lots of lines.
Tucked in the BC Interior is this bowl – Slocan. By far the best thing around of its kind. We had an insane session last weekend. Wish I had more photos of everybody ripping. I’m sure everybody is still riding the session’s high. Funny how skating does that.
Frontside rocks come and go. Glad to have them back.
Let it begin, the skate season is upon us. I’m fired up. Yesterday, three of us headed from Revelstoke to skate Slocan, Kalso, and Sky’s bowl in Trout Lake.
There is nothing like wiring frontside grinds on concrete coping after the annual five month hiatus forced by BC’s winter. The feeling is unbelievable. It seems that it always takes a few tries to get them. After a little while though they come back and the mighty frontside grind goes down with force and grace.
Slocan, BC is a town of a few hundred about 75 km from Nelson, BC and somehow they managed to build the best bowl in the BC Interior. It is so smooth and endless lines flow. It has an 8’ deep end, with various other heights, pockets, and hips to hit. I’m not sure why they didn’t put any vert in the bowl and really is the only major drawback.
Kaslo has a fun park if you are passing through. Pretty rad little street zone and the bowl is fun, although kinked in spots.
This fella Sky built a bowl in his yard in Trout Lake and was nice enough to let us skate. It is a very fun bowl in a very chill and great setting.
The drive from Kaslo to Trout Lake is 100 km of back roads. It is unbelievable and one of the most awesome spots in BC. We checked out spawning trout along the way. The biggest I’ve ever seen 10-20 lb each.
There is a very good chance, the only person to skate this mini-ramp is in this photo. Few people love skateboarding as much as Dave. One of my favorite people of all time. Haven’t seen him in a few years. Ha.
Dave Phillips. Pivot to fakie on an atypical transtion. Classic.
My life changed when I was about 12. I’ll never forget learning to ride a skateboard. I never stopped and it shaped my life. All aspects of it. It is only now, do I realize its vast and super positive influence on me. In many ways it set me free.Skateboarding was an avenue for me to be creative with my lifestyle. I think back about music, where I’ve lived, my attitude, relationships, and even why I came to the mountains. Skateboarding.Skateboarding was the basis for me to pick up a snowboard and head to the mountains, which in return lead to climbing them on rock and snow. In a way, snowboarding for me is simply an extension of skateboarding. Climbing is simply an extension of snowboarding, by being in the mountains. For me they are all connected. That is awesome.I’ve always had a way of evading authority and the norm. A gift of the 80′s and early ’90′s skateboarding lifestyle. Everyday I go to work and see people that clearly can’t see outside the box. I go to the coffee shop and see people confined by the norm. They simply can’t see out.I am now at a point in my life, where I can see outside the box on so many levels. Rules don’t apply. We make our own. We decide what is right and wrong for us. We don’t have to play by the confines our our society at any time during our lives. Our jobs, marriages, raising kids, and how we live can all take unique and beautiful paths.Thank you skateboarding.(2)
Since November, my life has taken an alternative unplanned path. I’m working pretty hard not to go down a bad road and stay super positive and healthy. I’ve also managed to have a bit of fun along the way. For Christmas, I traveled to Hollywood to visit my sister and my parents came out from Detroit. Seeing them was awesome.
Little frontside air. I was there for two full days and I had the opportunity to skate the Venice Beach park one afternoon for a few hours. The bowl there is downright awesome and the locals are great people.
For a few weeks each year, I have the opportunity to work at TLH Heli. I traveled directly from LA to Tyax for staff training and set up. Such an awesome crew of people to work with. We didn’t get tons of shredding in, but was nice to cruise the east side of the Coast Range in a jet black A-Star. I love the Coast Range.
New Years, I uncorked a bit and a buddy and I ended up in Bralorne for a party. That place is cool and way remote.
