[Two things you don't usually see, a delightful surprise on the internet and a spontaneous skating jam session in one of the most unlikely of places . We've got a surprise and a story, both coming to you from the face -changer of skateboarding, the 100% Michael Brooke]
CONCRETE WAVE RIDES THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY.
"There's a funny expression that keeps running through my mind: "Information wants to be free." The internet, by and large is free...you can access reams and reams of information without paying a cent. The problem is trying to get a handle on it! Both regular paper magazines and digital magazines organize content. The difference is that a paper magazine is a bit like when you went to the circus and you bought a program as a memento of your experiences. When it comes to the internet, you can bookmark and print out things to your hearts content - but there is nothing like the feel of a printed and perfectly bound glossy magazine to remind you of what has happened...or what could happen. "
That's the link that will take you to a 60 page "special digital edition" of Concrete Wave. It's an experiment that I have been deliberating with for quite some time. The truth is that I love paper. I love the reproduction quality of magazines - at 300 dpi they can deliver some pretty impressive results. I also love the portability of magazines. I call this the "bathroom factor." After all, it takes a huge amount of finesse to go to the bathroom while reading from your laptop. Magazines are also the perfect way to preserve your memories of a time and a place and in this case, a movement. A movement of change within skateboarding.
For a number of people who visit the Fish, getting their hands on a copy of Concrete Wave cnn be somewhat difficult. Sure, they get a taste of it by downloading PDF's or by reading my rantings in my CW blog. The link I've provided will take you a magazine style digital reader and it will provide you with a digital experience of the magazine.
Again, I must remind you, I wrestled with doing this for quite some time. In the end, I decided to do this as an experiment. If 100,000 people see CW online and dig the content, well, perhaps a small percentage will subscribe. (which you can do via my website at www.concretewavemagazine.com. And of course, if some of those people get affected by what they read and realize there is a whole movement afoot, well, that's great too.
I like to think of magazines as snapshots that capture a time and a place. They are tangible memories that can be instantly recalled. This is why I kept my 70's collection of SkateBoarder Magazine. Sure, you can get overly sentimental about the past, but the truth is that for many people who visit the Silverfish website, the memories of skateboarding are just as important as the act of skateboarding itself.
Concrete Wave started with a simple idea: skateboarding needs to broaden its variety. Thanks to numerous people, we have taken that idea and broadcast it around the globe. We've built on this idea by taking a stance when we felt it was correct - even if that runs in the face of every other skate magazine. CW stands for inclusion...it stands for the ACT of skateboarding and it is determined to shed light on all the people, places and things that are ignored by other skate mags.
If you've never seen a copy of CW, well, now is your chance. This is not the entire magazine. It's a test issue...so we put up 60 pages-mostly editorial. But as some folks will tell you, every ad in CW, because it is skate related, reads more like editorial.
So, now it's over to you. I'd like to hear your feedback. Digital CW...yeah or nay?
Also, I want to encourage you to think about where you will be in 10, 20 or 30 years. Ask yourself if you want to own a permanent time capsule. This is a time capsule that is printed on very nice paper that can be easily fitted into a big box or a milk crate. It's a time capsule that covers what's happening with skateboarding and chances are, if you visit this website often, you know someone connected with this time capsule. The time capsule is called Concrete Wave Magazine and it gives me great pleasure to deliver it to you every two months.
Contact me with your thoughts at mbrooke@interlog.com
Now, Bonus Material from Mr. Brooke: proof that adventure is where you make it, the glass really is half full and that when life is crap you should look for the pony. CONCRETE WAVE RIDES THE REGULAR SUPERHIGHWAY. My family and I had spent the past few hours up at Wasaga Beach, Ontario and when we decided to head back home to Toronto, we had no idea what we were about to run into on the infamous Highway 400. The 400 is a three lane highway folks use to get to cottage country. It's a well travelled highway with three lanes both north and southbound. We hit the highway around 7:00 pm, content in the knowledge that we'd be home within the hour. It wasn't to be. We hit the mother of all car jams. Traffic had come to a complete dead stop. I parked the van and jumped out with my Loaded Vanguard to see what had happened. Always be prepared! You never know when you might need your skate! Pick a lane, any lane. Turns out there had been a massive car crash a few miles up the road on the northbound side. Eleven people were sent to hospital. The guardrail between the southbound and northbound lanes had been totalled. So, all we could do was sit there and wait for things to get cleared up. With traffic at a standstill and no cars being allowed to come northbound, it was time to turn lemons into lemonade: this is known as bombing hills without any cars to mow you down. I immediately jumped over the guardrail and took my first run. As I hit the hill, people started to hoot and holler. Some even pulled out cell phones and took photos. "Gee, an old guy on a big skateboard! Better get a shot of this!" It was surreal. I skated for what felt like 1/2 a mile and decided to come back to where I'd park the car. That took some time but eventually, I met up with my wife and children. I pulled out my other skateboards and proceeded to hit the hill with my two other sons. It was a terrific skate session and it went on for about 2 hours. I was sweating like a madman! There is no doubt in my mind that this will go down as one of the all time best skateboarding experiences. While the road isn't super smooth, the pitch is perfect. The fact that it happened in the early evening made it nice...but the best part was skating with my kids on this car-free road. Eventually, traffic started to move and we were able to get back to the city...3 1/2 hours after we should have been there! All photos were taken by Jozko Krulik
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