John Cardiel DJ Set During Sled Island
Legendary pro skater, John Cardiel will be performing a DJ set at LESS 17 as part of Sled Island. Details below:
Bearspaw Ramp History – By Stephanie and Erika Savage
From 1986 to 1988, our backyard was the home to the largest outdoor skateboard ramp in Western Canada. In truth, it may have been the biggest in all of Canada, or even North America or, hell, the world. But we couldn’t really be sure about that and, being Canadians, we all decided to err on the side of understatement.
Its masterminds were Scotty Jensen, Jason Briscoe and Mark Quan. Briscoe and Quan were high school friends of Steph’s who had been out to our place and rightly suspected that its geography would be perfect for hiding what they were planning. We barely knew Scotty at the time (and he disappeared to Huntington Beach soon after), but his wide, innocent smile and good Alberta manners were perfect for convincing the unconvinced that whatever these kids might be up to, it couldn’t be that bad.
We were pretty sure that our parents wouldn’t know what a “ramp” was, so our one shot at getting them to say yes was keeping them ignorant. We expertly dodged all relevant questions by repeating the same mantra, don’t worry Mom, you won’t see it, you won’t hear it, you won’t even know it’s there! Somehow, after consulting with our step-dad (an orthopedic surgeon who would one day have to personally repair Erika’s Collis fracture after she broke her wrist on one of the City of Calgary portable ramps), our mom came back with a tentative okay, provided we adhered to the usual farm rules: no bottles (broken ones cut the horses’ hooves), no cigarettes on the grass (fire hazard), and watch the noise (don’t want the neighbors complaining). The guys had gotten the green light.
We knew not to ask where the wood came from, and soon lost count of how many random sweaty skateboarders tied their shirts around their waists, popped the tops off cans of Pil, and hammered nails. Steph, at 16, was already too cool to express any outward interest in the project, but Erika, who was 12 at the time, lived by the sound of those hammers and saws (power saws, hooked up to a generator – this sh*t was legit!). She ran through the gully in her rolled Levi’s and Vans, hoping to offer to fetch pop and (sometimes) sneak beers from the downstairs fridge or, on a really good day, get invited on a McDonald’s run.
You could tell from the wood plank skeleton that this thing was going to be big, but it fit the scale of the scenery, flanked by the Rockies on one side and the Calgary skyline on the other. It wasn’t until the final sheets of smooth masonite were hammered into place that you realized just how effing massive it was. 30 feet long, 11 feet tall, with a foot and a half of vert. Although there was a perfectly constructed channel, those who chose not to use it were faced with an instant rite of passage. Every time someone let their board go, pushed down and dropped in, all hearts stopped for just a second.
Cars would pull up and out would spill Jim Thorburn, Bryan Alberstat (Erika’s future brother-in-law!), Stevie Friedlander, Paul Sheppard, Lindsay Rogers and Barry Hiebert – the best vert skaters in the city who effortlessly transcended above the coping and crafted their own unique style of pulling air. Other times, parents would drive out and drop off the younger generation like they were going to Karate Kid II at Market Mall. However they got there, gathering around the fire in the garbage barrel beside the ramp meant being part of a movement at its inception point, when skateboarding truly was a crime and wearing baggy jeans meant risking getting your ass kicked by a redneck.
It came to be known as The Bearspaw Ramp. It was a gathering spot, a point of cultural reference. Friendships were forged, couples formed. It was a part of our epic backyard bonfire parties that closed down city clubs and turned our fields into parking lots.
We never thought to document the ramp until fears of lawsuits and complaints from neighbors spelled its doom. On the day it was to be torn down, Erika head up with her Kodak Disc Camera (!) to snap some shots for the first – and last – time.
Please use this opportunity to share your own photos or other ephemera, write about a memory, and get back in touch with your Calgary roots.
Stephanie and Erika Savage
Southwood Rhubarb Fest
CASE will be set up at Rhubarb Fest in Southwood this Saturday. The 
Southwood & Huntington Hills Construction Tender
The bids for the construction of sites 2 and 3 (Southwood & Huntington Hills) are in. They are as follows:
PCL Construction: $2,167,221
Graham Construction: $2,900,415
We’ve been told that construction on both parks will begin later this year but probably won’t be complete until 2016.
Southwood 3D Concept
Huntington Hills 3D Concept
Editorial — Skateboarding Is Not A Crime?
Go Skateboarding Day 2009
“It’s the cops! RUN!”
That was a very common thing to yell amongst my group of friends when we were 13-16 years old. We didn’t know how we’d be punished if we were caught and we didn’t want to find out. Would it be a fine? Jailtime? Would they take our tools away?
Were we robbers breaking into homes and businesses? No. In this case our “tools” were skateboards. We were a bunch of kids that weren’t interested in anything else but skateboarding. All day, every day.
It’s nearly impossible for a non-skater to understand our obsession. Skateboarding is truly unlike anything else. On the surface, it’s a demanding physical activity that requires discipline and practice. But it’s SO much more.
Most physical activity can be categorized as a sport: basketball, hockey, football, baseball. Skateboarding lacks the team aspect of the aforementioned, which makes it even more particular. Skateboarding has an entire culture around it, with art, music, fashion, and even language that’s exclusive. It’s relatively inexpensive to get into and can be practiced, to some degree at least, almost anywhere at any time.
This is why it’s so hard for the layperson to understand. It’s never been an Olympic sport and may never be. Even skateboarding competitions go against the grain– many of them are judged by the riders themselves.
To me, skateboarding is not just a hobby. It’s something that my life revolves around. I’ve worked in the skateboard industry, I try to ride my skateboard as much as possible, and I talk about skateboarding probably every day. Hell, I’m writing this damn blog about it.
It’s crazy to me that the thing I’m most passionate about is frowned upon by so many. And that I had to get together with a small group of people to start a group that speaks out to try to allow myself and others to practice this passion.
Non-skaters don’t understand. They see grown men hanging out with teenagers and it’s strange to them. This is one of the great things about skateboarding– it smashes down barriers like age, gender, religion, race, and things that might otherwise segregate people. It’s second nature for me to join in on a game of SKATE with skaters far younger than me, or yell, “Yeah!” when I see a skater land a trick whether I know them or not.
It’s sad that to this day I’m uneasy around police officers. I must admit, it’s a little embarrassing running from police or security guards that are far younger than me. I’ve been skateboarding for over 25 years and I still feel like I’m doing something wrong every time my feet hit my griptape.
Zev Klymochko
Co-Founder and Co-Chair
Calgary Association of Skateboarding Enthusiasts
Gromfest Skate Competition at Westside
