EDMONTON AINT PLAYED YET

I know what your saying “wood? sideways? nuh-unh!” Ryan Hotchkiss is quite yet calculated. Here, he one ups everyone who’s ever stepped to this Edmonton landmark. 

Gnarcore rider/manager David Rouleau just got back from a brief stint in dirty ‘ol Edmonton Alberta where he did what all good Edmonton trips should consist of which is get in, get hammers and get the fuck out. I don’t think Rouleau did any snowboarding himself but rather, hooked up with Ryan Hotchkiss and buddy Anthony Welgan to document the hard and hungry nature that is an unsponsored snowboard amateur.

Welgan and Hotchkiss…who are these kids? 

You see the thing about being young and unsponsored is that you kinda have this semi-magical-nothing-to-lose aura about you that no can fuck with. Its kinda like a big bag of “whatever dude..you have no clue what i’m capable of”. When the public doesn’t yet know your potential you have nothing to live up to and everything to gain. This can either be detrimental to a young man or highly empowering. Ryan and Anthony were obviously affected by the later. 

Am getting paid! Hotchkiss earns three bones and change from our native homies for his efforts on the wood rail. 

Rouleau told me he only has two rules when it comes to hanging in Edmonton back away from any fights with anyone ethnic and never fuck with any one drinking beer at 11 am. If you’ve been to Edmonton to get down you know the shaw rails. a.k.a. the rail garden, the feng-shui rails gardens, or “them wood ones in the river valley”. in the last 3 years the spot went from being unknown to damn near blown out. Being it’s Alberta there is a large amount of drunk native dudes just kicking it by these rails drinking beers or snorting coke off the near by benches.  At first people have the tendency to shy away and be scared of these permanent fixtures in the northern landscape but Rouleau assures us that the best approach is to throw your arm around them and start side-hugging and bromanceing them like you’r old buddies from grade school. Then its all smokes and jokes until every one gets their tricks and you all head home.

What went down on that thing? i think Anthony knows 

Don’t tell ‘em i said so but Rouleau’s kinda a scary guy to go on a trip with. He flies by the seat of his pants and thrives on spontaneity. He flew out for this trip at the last moment with out planning and with out a photog. Luck for him he had horse shoes up his ass and Ryan knew a talented young skateboard photographer that was itching to try his hand at shooting snowboarding. Enter Keith Henry. Keith made the cross over quite nicely.

Of course we can’t show you all his picks……… 

Here’s a tiny taste. With out a ridder as reference it’s hard to grasp what this thing is all about. If you look close, down to the left of the jutting L on the corner of the wall you can almost make out what looks like a rock field covered in about an inch of snow. Ya that was a rock field covered in about an inch of snow. You’ll have to waite for Gnarcore’s new film to find answers. 

“”and one day the meek shall inherit the earth” Hotchkiss treading in waters even Rouleau claims he would’nt swim in…Damn!

No visit to E-town is complete with out stopping by PLUSH.

(T to B) PLUSH on whyte, The dick who owns the place (Glen Suggit) with Hotch, Rouleau Grinding, and store manager/skater Leslie Miller.

note:

Ryan Hotchkiss is on RIDE (flow in Alberta)

and as of Yesterday Anthony Welgan will be repping the hot shit from  WESTBEACH.

shit …get crack’n boys.

-Ronnie