Last Day at First Glance Skatepark

Last Tuesday we celebrated my last day with First Glance Skatepark Ministry. It was a fun relaxing time just to be with everyone one more time before I leave Akron, OH. It was definitely a bittersweet time, skating hard with everyone but knowing it was the last time I would see a lot of these faces or at least for a long time.

We had a little farewell time and all the guys prayed for me. They gave me a departing gift that had all the signatures of that skaters that were there on the bottom of the deck with my favorite brand of trucks and wheels. I'll be using the trucks and wheels but I'll hang onto that board with their signatures!

Jeremy DePace made a Farwell video for me. I didn't realize he did this but am so glad he did. It really means a lot to me seeing all these faces in this video that I have spent time with almost every week and almost every day for some of them. Thanks for the video!

FYI: There was kind of a joke that got started tonight, the kids in this video refer to me in a way that isn't very nice but its all a joke, they don't really think of me that way....I hope. :)

Normally when the park closes at 10pm I'm eager to shut the doors and leave. However this last session I didn't want to end. I stayed at the park till 11:30pm skating with one of my favorite dudes Isaiah Jones and Joe Simpson. There was one trick I really wanted to do before the night was over and they stayed there and pushed me to get it!

Bellevue Skatepark Trip

Kickflip Tailslide

I've been trying to land a kickflip front tail on and off for five years now. Finally I started landing them on a normal height ledge about two weeks ago. Then I decided to take it down the hubba...

First Glance Skatepark: Game of S.K.A.T.E. hosted by Sun Vally Sports

Sun Valley Sports called me asking if they could host a contest to get canned food donations. I was actually planning on doing a Game of S.K.A.T.E. contest anyway. It worked out perfect to have them come in and host the contest. I am always happy to work with other people in our industry. The First contest was on June 10th and the next one will be July 15th.

Skater: Alex Kuss

The game of S.K.A.T.E. went great. Our local favorite Alex Kuss placed second as Ryan ??? came in First. It was a close game with both skaters coming down to the last letter. 

Skater Ryan Photo taken by Tim Pryor and edited by myself

After the match we took a 10min break then had a best trick down the stairs. I normally don't compete because I am generally hosting/judging the contest but I decided to join in this time. I don't have that impressive of a list of tricks. I kickflipped the stairs, did a tailslide and then tried to do a kickflip to front tail down the hubba but never got it. Ryan and Alex Kuss skating amazingly. At one point we had 4 or 5 people land the tricks they've been trying each after one another. In the end, it was declared a tie for first between Alex and Ryan, with Ben placing 3rd. 

New Boards: Bearded Man

Jeremy Depace has come out with another sick board design for First Glance Skatepark. I am excited to order these in. The kids where super stoked on his last design.

Power Line: Isaiah Jones

This is a video I filmed of Isaiah Jones doing a First Glance Skatepark "Power Line". This is the first Power Line video we made so far and plan on posting more weekly on the youtube channel. Isaiah kills it with how consistent he is. It took him less then 10 tries to film this line.

Cyle Calmese - BS Feeble

When Cyle isn't throwing his board around in frustration, he's throwing his arms up from landing stylish tricks. I've been wanting to get a picture of his feeble for a long time. It only took two takes to get this picture because he lands this tricks every time he tries it. The only reason he had to do the trick twice was because I didn't like the first angle I took the picture from.

Double Crooks

A friend of mine, Drew Keiper and I doing crooks together.

Jalen Six - bs Feeble at First Glance Skatepark

First Glance Skateboard Deck Commercial

I filmed this video in one day, however the project got kinda pushed off to the side as I waited for an ending slide to be made for it. Eventually I just decided to make my own ending slides just so I could get the video posted. Alex Kuss is an amazing skater, I love watching his switch fs big spin in this video. He recently hurt his foot pretty bad and still tried to skate our the Holiday Hubba Contest and also film for the First Glance Christmas Video. During the filming of the Christmas Video he hurt it more trying to nollie flip the stairs in the dark. I hope his foot gets better soon. I can't wait for him to get back on his board, so we can do some more projects like this.

FG Christmas Video 2013

FG Christmas Skateboard Video Coming soon...

We had about 10 skaters out here to film for the First Glance Skatepark Christmas Skate Video. We filmed for about three and a half hours this time. The Halloween Video was filmed in only one hour. This time I didn't film the whole thing and was actually able to skate in it.

Skating the stairs is hard enough, but imagine doing it with the lights off! The Christmas lights didn't help much but we managed to make it work. I hope to have the video out by Christmas.

Free Try Friday with Isaiah Jones

Isaiah is one of the best skaters that I've seen at First Glance Skatepark. He has amazing control in switch and nollie. I've been wanting him to come out for a Free Try Friday and he finally did and it was amazing.

Free Try Friday with Gary Dean

Free Try Friday with James Amato

I'm trying to do more videos with the skatepark for promotion purposes and also to create a fun community and culture among the skaters that go to our park (First Glance Skatepark). A popular online website The Berrics, features daily videos of professional skateboarders. Now I don't want to try to copy everything they do, but I did take this idea from them, with a slight twist.

The first skateboarder to show up to our park, after he pays $5, we will give him a chance to win his $5 back and skate for free the rest of the night. All he has to do is land the trick we choose for him, first try. If he doesn't make it, we still give him a chance to redeem himself with more tries but doesn't receive his $5 back. This was our first "Free Try Friday".

Tyler Blackert - FS Flip at FG Skatepark

Tyler Blackert skate a lot like myself but better. I'll be thinking of a trick I want to try and then later see him try the same thing. His kickflips and fs flips are probably some of his best looking tricks and are always high.

Jordan Maselli - Airwalk at FG Skatepark

Jordan Maselli does airwalks better then anyone I've ever seen. He extends his legs out super far while doing 2-3 kicks. Most airwalks I see have very lazy extension and are only one kick.

FG Skateboard Decks

We have just received our first order of decks. We will be selling the boards for $35 plus free Jessup grip tape. Our boards are made by South Central Manufacture the same company that makes 5boro skateboards.

First Glance Skatepark Halloween 2013

Nick Welsch - Big Transfer at FG Skatepark

Nick Welsch took many air to ankle compressing lands before rolling away. Then after he did he only wanted to get it better causing more ankle compression from landing straight to his feet into the quarter's wall.