Skatechurch sessions 2 from Bruce Bales on Vimeo.

Josh Hudson. Marquette Heights, Ill.

Words and photos by B.J. Bales
Assisted by Codee Jennings

No, Josh Hudson hasn’t really been hiding. There is a reason you haven’t seen much of him since the last Deft production “Visions,” in which he threw down a killer section (which you can watch here). Hudson, originally from Pekin, Ill., has been hard at work on his Doctorate of Medical Dentistry at the University of Southern Illinois in Edwardsville, Ill. Spending eight hours in the classroom and three to four in the lab nearly every day, Hudson rarely has time to put aside the fake teeth, and to forget about fillings, bridges, and crowns, to skate. When I recently asked him how much he has skated, he solemnly replied “about ten times this semester.”
Continue reading ‘Know your neighbors: Josh Hudson’

Old downtown. Las Vegas.

Words and photos (via cell phone) by Brian Krans

Look at Las Vegas and you’ll see a love affair with neon lights, disgustingly large hotels, promises of loose slot machines and even looser women.

Stare deeper into the traditional Vegas landscape and you’ll see nothing but a void of originality, personality and hospitality. They want your money. Then they want you to leave, perpetuating a cycle of anonymity and promiscuity.

That’s not why I chose to tag along with Dante Muse and Josh Ray on a six-day venture out to Vegas. We all wanted the non-Vegas Vegas. We wanted a city rife with skate parks, a vast utopia of unforgiving steel and concrete set in an even more unforgiving desert.
Continue reading ‘Vegas baby, Vegas’

Logan Clark. Alleyoop unity. Des Moines.

Words and photo by Adam Morris

Just got the new Be-Mag, and our boy Logan Clark is in it. Logan and I shot this in early spring 2008 in Des Moines. We had unfinished business at this spot: We’d intended for this trick to be in his Iowa Connection interview, but when we went there in fall 2007 his new skates at that point (USD Kelsos with Kizer Fluid frames) didn’t allow him a comfortable stance on alleyoop unity. So he nailed a baller frontside instead.

Be-Mag ran this photo in black and white (above is my original edit), and it shares a spread with Ucon Clothing co-owner Jochen Smuda of Germany. It should be noted that this photo wouldn’t have been possible without some teamwork. It was a blustery day, so Jefferson steadied the lightstand holding my main flash. Ben Gross stood at the very back of the runway to angle another flash/lightstand just so. And, of course, Logan came through with the motivation for this first-try alleyoop unity.

Other treats in this issue: Some really nice shots of Brian Shima. A rare photo of Jon Elliott skating. Ill tricks/spots in Japan.

But anyway, if you’re interested in seeing some outtakes from the day Logan and I shot this photo, click on over to www.wearenotfamous.com.