riding wild

Late last June, the Emerica team went on their Wild Ride, a motorcycle tour through Northern California. I went along to film for Epicly Later’d and here is some of what I saw. It’s a long one.


This is Heath’s bike. He started riding first and became the inspiration for the yearly tour.


We camped in each town. This is Jon Miner, the real filmer.


Braydon. Probably pretending not to look psyched even though he’s always psyched.


Slash. He’s only 20 years old. No lie.


The first night we arrived at Lake Shasta where Emerica had a houseboat for us. Everyone was hanging on the boat and this creature was lurking in the shadows.


It was Sabermaster. He’s a 17 year old kid that lives near the lake and stalks through the woods with lightsabers he bought on ebay because of a lack of friends or at least peers to make fun of him.


Honestly, I really liked Sabermaster and even met his parents to get them to sign a release for the show. But the kid is seriously so out there that I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around it.


The next morning started off like this. We spent the whole day on the houseboat.


Emerica encouraged anyone to come on the tour. Most people were too intimidated, but a mom and her two sons followed them all the way from Oregon.


Every houseboat should have a slide; it’s like a more fun fire escape.


Too many dudes and not enough skis.


More dudes.


There were too many of us on the boat to begin with and just all day people were jumping, sliding or falling off.


Except Erik Hamamoto. He wrecked on his bike the day before and broke his collarbone among other things.


Chill mode.


There was a bridge that everyone was jumping off of.


Shane Heyl and Justin Regan jumped off the top.


Shane was the first one to go and looked pretty psyched.


Matt Ball jumped too. He’s got nothing left to lose.


Spanky’s knee was wrecked so he liked the off days when he didn’t feel bad for not being able to skate.


Miner.


Kirchart.


Austin Stephens is a good dude.


It gets a little weird here. Blair Alley let me borrow his tilt-shift lens. It does this to photographs.


Neckface bought a slingshot and the kids took it over.


Target practice.


Anakin was fishing.


Hiking.


Boozing.


Brocano.


We docked in an empty cove and called it home.


Sabermaster showed up again.


He performed for us. He actually climbed the bank and made animal sounds did a lazer light show. You’ll have to see the footage to know what I’m talking about.


Fireside Hsu tells the gnarliest campfire stories.


Nightscape one.


Nightscape two.


Heath looked all refreshed in the morning.


Leo wore a coonskin cap most of the trip.


Andrew autographed his signature model.


Yuba City ripper.


This kid was just trying to come up. He did a fatty-to-flatty backflip.


Senn, Herman and Suski.


Skatepark not prison.


Herman self-medicates.


We never got to the campsite before dark.


Grass Valley was actually the dustiest campground.


Blair made a friend. He probably ate a full pack of graham crackers.


Spotted this etching down at the swimming hole.


Jeremy and Herman.


Austin really roughs it.


This doesn’t stop anyone for taking your stuff. Purely decoration.


Suski’s rad. He should be playing lullabies for his newborn girl soon.


Jerry got a lot of good photos on the trip. Ask him about the drunk girl in the laudromat. Priceless.


This was Jerry’s idea.


Riding in the RV was a joy. Neckface sprayed this in people’s tents.


Customized Powerbooks.


Almost as good as the U2 ipods.


Jam session at the Sacramento campgrounds.


Peter.


They’ve really captured the essence of my youth at the Sacramento skatepark.


Westgate.


Jeremy Moore.


Matt Ball.


Sean Eaton.


Just in case you have to punch someone’s shin.


Emerica Motorcycle Club.


The next day we did a Zumiez demo in Milpitas. They had a backstage area for the VIPs.


Autograph #329 of the day.


Ed drove up for the day.


Marquis has the weirdest frontside shuvits.


There was only half a screw holding the rail in.


Figgy tried to steal some guy’s girlfriend.


Heath is sometimes over it.


Petaluma diner.


Our RV was much more glamorous than those crappy motorcycles.


Heath interrogated Figgy for hours, trying to see if he could handle himself on Emerica. It wasn’t looking good when Peter asked Figgy why he brought cologne on tour.


Westgate solidified his spot by trashing a hotel room on the first day of the trip.


Marquis was just trying to sleep. Damn.


Slash’s coordinates.


Stolen stakes.


I left my $300 camera light out and found it in the fire in the morning courtesy of Leo. He paid for it.


Heath’s had the same flag for the last few years and the states of the union continues to decrease.


Westgate is an eastcoast powerhouse. 360.


Epicly Later’d in progress.


Farmscape one.


Farmscape two.


The young ones enjoy nature.


Down To Fuck. Spanky and Neckface shared this one.


The Goat is Shane, Andrew and Spanky’s band.


Neckface made a shank out of his toothbrush. That was the only thing he used it for all ten days.


Jerry will skate anything.


It’s weird how all anyone does when camping at night is stare into the fire.


More signings.


The kid didn’t like the swastika they drew on his forehead, so Slash replaced it with Manson.


Peter Hackett is a badass.


This kid rips the Santa Rosa park.


Back at the campsite, staring into the fire.


Sean.


Matt drunkenly told me all about his ex-girlfriend and wanting to kill the owner of American Apparel. We really bonded that last night in Petaluma.


Check the fire reflection.


Blue and green.


This was the start of a really good night for Herman.


Bryan earned that one.


This was our last day in the RV. Trip’s coming to a close.


The Phoenix Hotel in SF. Last stop.


Gimme some shoooooes!


Since I was 12, I always wanted to go on a pro skate tour. I’m really glad I got to do it. But I’m also glad I don’t have to do it. Here’s to hectic times, unfavorable conditions, adventure and friendship. Thanks to Patrick, VBS and Emerica.
Goodbye.


The Black Lips played a free show at Sound Fix that turned into a parade. It only went about eight blocks, but it was a damn fun eight blocks.


Cole dumpstered some tickertape.


A Black Lip with Gold Teeth.


Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch. MTV News. You hear it first!

We went to Farm Aid last weekend to get weird. Craig Murphey scored us free tickets to see Neil Young, Willie Nelson, John Cougar Mellencamp, Counting Crows (and goddamn Dave Matthews Band was there). It was awesome.


Stein attacked Lyssa with a handful of sprouts. Lethal sprouts.


High schoolers that scored some brewskis. Sweeeeet!


That little guy on stage is Neil Young himself. That’s about as close as we got all night.

Despite having little inclination to go out nor a girl, this post is dedicated to the duo ofEddie Murphy & Rick James.


Happy Birthday Craig Murphey.


And Kelsey.


Hair Metal party at 538.


Blessed by Jesus.

Deitch Projects put on an art parade in SOHO last weekend.


The Heartschallenger was in an episode of The Cute Show.


My good friends Ben and Hiromi got married last month.


They did it at the Swedish American Hall.


Will made it from London. Cheers, ol’ boy.


Jethro Tull was the wedding singer.


The ceremony was beautiful. Half-Japanese, half-Jewish.


To Ben & Hiromi.


The wedding cake was vegan and so good. While everyone was on their fifth or sixth champagne, I was on my fifth or sixth slice of cake.


Tablemate Elias all the way from Austin, TX.


Gabe cleans up nice and Shannon always looks nice.


Hiromi’s mom kicked off the reception.


Ando.


My bad.


That’s Ben’s father in the suspenders. He was so rad, the life of the party. I heard a bunch of folks ask the secret to his vitality. Everytime he said, “39 years of brown rice.” He’s a happy macrobiotic.


Little feet.


There was a mobile studio for guest photos.


Euro Alex.


I some point Strubing picked up my camera and started capturing the magic.


Frankie, Alex and me had a dance off. Somehow we all lost.


Satva was DJ and Goto was Kingpin.


Warming up for his Bar Mitzvah.


Keith’s got moves.


Father and son.


Husband and wife.


Strubing at the end of the reception.


Congratulations.

a couple days in the bay

I feel as if I haven’t much to say these days.


Cameron is moving to Mozambique for two years to be a good person. I will miss him dearly.


Cameron’s to-do list numbers into the 200s.

good morning benders

Morning Benders. Bottom of the Hill. 24 August 2007. Rocked the house.