Pose and destroy

I took the bus/rode a skateboard to work today, and there's nothing like having new wheels--except maybe new everything. The pieces on my new ride include a Pat Washington board by Western Edition, Shepard Fairey trucks by Destructo, Jacked bearings, Dooks, and blank wheels (can't have label everything). I can't remember what the hardware is, but the grip tape is from the folks at Blitz. The unit looks like candy and feels good under my feet, but now I look like a poseur since everything is too perfect! Gotta take off some paint on a curb.

I took some pics for posterity:







There's been a lot of debate over store decks. Kids buy shop brands because they're cheaper than something from Rasa Libre, Girl, Almost, Hook-Ups, or what have you. People say that it's hurting the companies and their pros. But what can you do? Non-sponsored skaters can't afford to buy decks every month. But it sucks for the pros and core companies that push the art of skateboarding to take a hit. I'm not sure what the answer is, but it's become a fact of life--just like free skate videos in magazines or on YouTube.

Western Edition is the brand of the FTC shop in San Francisco (just around the corner from the GRSF), but it gets a lot of distro in Japan. It's for a shop and it's a pro model, too, so it's sort of in between. Sorta.