The Jimbo Philips artwork cover of the Winter '09 edition of Concrete Wave magazine, in large, hi-res format large enough for poster printing or wallpaper use!

It was early May in Colorado, and it was supposed to rain all weekend. The Buffalo Bill Downhill on Lookout Mountain, organized by Comet conspirator and Pagan pioneer Justin Dubois, was slated for May 9-10. Lookout Mountain was paved in 1917. The road was graded to accommodate Model T cars, so the average grade is 7% and is littered with hairpin turns – albeit flat hairpin turns – but we’ll get to that later.

In the mid seventies, I remember reading about Lonnie Toft. One of the first skaters to be seen riding a wider board and also the creator of the 8- wheeler. One of my all-time favorite skate photos was from that same era. The one of Lonnie cruising outside City Hall in Toronto, Ontario on his 8-wheeler, wearing a tuxedo, top-hat, and red Vans deck shoes while holding a cane on the deck. To this day, that photo is timeless and a classic. I was honored and lucky enough to be able to catch up with Lonnie.

Where was that dream that Original was building anyway? The fluid carving flow of one moment into the next, the gratifying sound of urethane wheels wearing down ever so slightly, and a touch of wind in the hair. Ditch the hassles of work. Past escapes had led to a chance encounter with Acadia National Park in Maine. Investigation yielded Cadillac Mountain a sweet dream of 1,532 vertical feet of pregnant pavement. The time was right.