Fuse Snowskates

That's right, we've got Fuse. Available soon at Blankdecks.com

Check this out.

There are a couple of videos here that I ran into recently, I thought I'd blog about them. Well I guess really they speak for themselves. Check them out:

Blankdecks.com A-Team

Official List of Blankdecks.com A-Team Skaters

Luke Lorentzen

William Flanagan

Andrew Trager

Evan Alpert

Jeremy Vincent

Jeff DeChesare

Noah Hollifield

Daniel Crowe

Mike Taylor


(For all of those who have any questions...)

Street League on ESPN

If you missed Street League on ESPN, that sucks! But there is good news, you can still catch it online.

Street League

Daniel Crowe: Grom Champion

A-Team skater Daniel Crowe takes first place at Black Diamond Skatepark in the first annual Grom O' Rama under "Young Guns Street" and "Young Guns Mini Ramp". At Gardensk8 Daniel placed Second in Mini Ramp, First in Bowl, and First in Street. He won the All Terrain Skater Award at both stops.

http://www.gromorama.com/championship.html
http://www.gromorama.com/blackdiamond.html

If you see him around be sure to congratulate him!

Why I Skate - Mike Taylor

As a Team Manager I was impressed with the attitude Mike has toward skateboarding. I wanted to post this for other skaters to read, especially the upcoming skaters. Mike's got it straight:

Why I Skate

Ohhh man, there are soo many reasons for that...But for the most part it's just plain FUN! Personally I skate because I enjoy it, I love the feeling of grinding a ledge and landing into a ramp! I've been skateboarding for 10 years now, and I can't see myself doing any other sport!

What It Is I Love About Skateboarding

On your board, you're your OWN PERSON, you don't have anybody telling you what to do or when to do it! You don't have to chuck yourself down huge stairs and skate the mega ramp to be good, you can make it as easy or as difficult as you want! When your trying that ONE trick, you know what I mean, that new trick that's really hard for you to do, when u land that trick...there's no better feeling in the WORLD than riding away from something that takes you a while pull off! I mean, sure landing any trick any time is great, but what I think makes skateboarding such a great sport (or a lifestyle, whatever you'd like to call it) is that the possibilities are ENDLESS! And nothing beats getting a group of friends together, hitting up your local park; and filming a sick montage! Also I think it's pretty funny/cool that I have the same name as a Pro Skater!

The Right Attitude To Have About Skateboarding

SKATE FOR FUN!!! That has always been my motto through and through! It doesn't matter if your a pro or just a beginner, as long as you do what tricks you think are fun; and what tricks you think are cool...you'll progress because your having fun! If you've got neighbors or friends and they have kids, donate an old board to them, and get them into the SPORT(after all, they are the FUTURE OF SKATEBOARDING)! BE YOURSELF, HAVE FUN on your board and don't let anybody else judge you, because everybody has there own UNIQUE STYLE/PERSONALITY/& SKILL LEVEL that makes them...THEM!

Sponsorship

What I feel about sponsorships is...well, my 1st sponsor was a clothing company, and I didn't go searching out for a sponsor, they found me and liked the reason that I skate and the way that I skate. Eventually I sealed the deal with my sponsor tape http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDq6S8ErdPw. Filming a sponsor tape shouldn't just be somebody filming only just 1 day, my sponsor tape was a compilation of good tricks filmed from 4 different videos that I made over a couple years. I didn't realize that I could take all the really good tricks from those videos and make a sponsor tape until a friend told me I should! All that I'm saying is that when making a sponsor tape, don't just go out and make it...take your time and film everything from small tricks to BANGERS! If you skate just to be sponsored...DON'T, you should take PRIDE in your love for skateboarding! All that I'm saying is that if your looking to get sponsored, SKATE FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS: Fun/Creativity/Satisfaction!

Mike Taylor

Sponsor Me!

***NOTICE - ALL VIDEOS SENT BEFORE JUNE 2010 WILL NOT BE REVIEWED!***
This is due to sponsor me video overload! Many of the videos sent before then no longer exist or will play. If you still want to be considered, fill out the form and resubmit your video. Thank you.

Okay skaters, let's talk about sponsorship. That's right I said "sponsorship" not "sponsership" or "sponcership". ;-) Step one is knowing how to spell it. Of course you are being considered for your skateboarding not your spelling, but this will still help to give a good first impression.

Keep in mind that while a sponsorship would be awesome, if you don't have it life as we know it will not cease to exist. So if you are turned down, don't worry, the universe will not collapse in on itself. Life goes on. And guess what? I know that skaters progress over time, that means if we've said no last year, this year could still be a yes!

As the Team Manager at Blankdecks.com I would like to offer a few tips first on how to get sponsored, and how to NOT get sponsored. As well as how to lose a sponsorship once you've got it. Ready?

How to Get Sponsored:

1. Follow instructions! Learn what is expected of you from the beginning. There is nothing that will turn a Team Manager off to you more than not following basic instructions.
   
   Here are the Blankdecks.com Instructions:
   
   Blankdecks.com Sponsorship
   
   You get extra bonus points if you can recite the instructions from memory. Keep in mind also that all the extra bonus points in the world won't get you sponsored if you can't skate.



2. Kiss up a little! Remember flattery will get you nowhere (except maybe a sponsorship). While flattery can be helpful, generally it's good to just be polite. Don't over flatter, once you reach a certain point in flattery it starts to sound like sarcasm. It's been said that flattery is nothing more than telling a person what they think of themselves. So don't tell them you think they can fly and shoot fire from their eyes, because we all know it's not true. And it makes you look like a phony. For example, who do you think is going to consider your video? Arm yourself with knowledge. Just don't over do it. Respect is the key.



3. Your skateboarding skills will get you probably 75 percent of the way to sponsorship. Expand your tricks. Be creative. I can't tell you how many kickflips or shove its I've seen off a curb or up a curb. If you can't get some quality footage of decent tricks, don't bother. Please! It's painful to watch 1000 kickflips and shove its. As a matter of fact, I consider it cruel and unusual punishment. Here's a list of tricks to avoid putting in your video (you should be able to do them):
   
   
   
   
   • kickflip
   
   
   • heelflip
   
   
   • shove it
   
   
   • fs shove it
   
   
   • bs 180
   
   
   • fs 180
   
   
   • 50-50 grind
   
   
   • Grinding under 2 feet long
   
   
   • Ollie under 1 foot high
   
   
   
   
   If you have a kickflip bs lipslide to fakie in your video, I'll assume you also know how to do a kickflip bs 180 and a bs lipslide. Understood? If you have a fs heelflip fs lipslide to fakie, I'll assume you also know how to do a heelflip fs 180 and a fs lipslide. So it's really not necessary to film them all individually. As a matter of fact: PLEASE DON'T. Redundancy will kill the Team Manager. You don't want that. If what was said in this paragraph is confusing to you, please don't send me a sponsorship video.
   
   



4. Send your BEST. Consider these four kinds of skaters:
   
   
   
   
   • Really great skater sends his best footage, but calls it throwaway crap footage.
   
   
   My question: Where is your good footage and why can't I see it? What's to hide? Are you holding back?
   
   
   My thoughts: You're not going to give us your best, because you're 'saving it'.
   
   
   
   • Cruddy skater sends his crap footage and calls it his best.
   
   
   My question: Why did you send this to me? What made you think you were ready for sponsorship?
   
   
   My thoughts: Spare me.
   
   
   
   • Really great skater sends his best footage, and calls it his best footage.
   
   
   My question: N/A
   
   
   My thoughts: Offer this guy a spot on the team!
   
   
   
   • Cruddy skater sends his crap footage and calls it crap.
   
   
   My question: How is this going to help your ego?
   
   
   My thoughts: I feel bad for you.
   
   
   
   
   
   I hope that makes as much sense to you as it does to me.
   



5. Become a regular customer and a fan of Blankdecks.com, get to know the company and the skaters who are involved already. It's not going to help you much to talk down about the skaters we have already. Your video will say enough. Here is a hint for you:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Read up.	Become a Fan.
   Peep this.	Follow us.

   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Join our Mailing List.

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Believe it or not, keeping in touch with us will help your sponsorship chances. It's much easier for a Team Manager to accept a new skater to the team when that skater is already a regular customer, and cares about the company. Skaters who support the company before sending a video are more likely to be seriously considered.
   
   

How to NOT Get Sponsored:

1. Send in only a link to your video, without filling out the form. It says 'Hey! I'm bigger than the company, I'm so big, I don't even need to acknowledge your presence, or the fact that you have a structure for this sort of thing.' Not to mention it tells me from the start that you're not going to do what I ask when you're sponsored. Don't care how good you are at that point. I think wow, that guy's good! Too bad he's not suitable for a sponsorship.



2. It's not all about one trick. Contrary to popular belief, there is not a secret trick that will get you to the next level! There is not a certain height you must ollie! Or a time required to manual! I know, shocking isn't it? But it's true, life is not a video game. Neither is sponsorship. Don't be afraid to expand your mind, be creative and shock me with something I've never seen before! If you come into it with the idea that because you landed a single trick once in your lifetime, that you are worthy of sponsorship, you will probably NOT get sponsored.



3. Film the entire video inside of your garage! The scenery is thrilling and it will be carefully considered. Your lawn mower and refrigerator sometimes can make the difference. The darker the footage, the more likely I won't be able to see you skating. This will prevent sponsorship for sure.



4. In order to guarantee your NOT getting sponsored, when you're politely turned down, burn all bridges by letting us know that you were never ready in the first place. You can do this in a number of ways (in no particular order):
   
   
   
   
   • Use offensive language and degrade the company or it's skaters/affiliates.
   
   
   • Argue about the decision made, and point out other skaters who are supposedly 'sponsored' by Blankdecks.com
   
   
   • Resort to self abusive behavior, like threatening to punch yourself in the face if we don't sponsor you.
   
   
   
   
   I could go on, but I think you get the point.
   
   



5. To prevent yourself from getting sponsored, you might try sending a video with yourself and 7 other skaters. Or you could send a link to your channel of videos rather than just submitting one simple condensed video. Believe it or not, it's not enjoyable to search through the videos trying to decide who sent it and who I am considering for sponsorship. As a matter of fact, I probably won't, and you will just be turned down.

How to Lose a Sponsorship:

There are some excellent ways to lose a sponsorship that you've earned. Let's review a few of them...

1. As soon as you are accepted, start demanding free stuff immediately. Drive the Team Manager up the wall with your begging.


2. Assume that you are now the company's #1 priority, and start trying to get everything you possibly can out of your sponsorship (even if you haven't earned it).


3. Show severe lack of patience and an intense level of irritability. That's a great way to drive a Team Manager insane. You can bet you'll be removed from the team as a nu-sense to the company and the Team Manager's time.


4. Be a jerk to other skaters rather than helpful and rub it in their faces that you are sponsored. We listen to our customers and complaints. You can quickly lose a sponsorship based on a single complaint from a skater you disrespected.


5. Don't do anything unless you are specifically asked to do it. Your sponsorship won't last long as long as you just wait for the Team Manager to push you along. Self motivated individuals who love skateboarding and promote, skate, and excite other skaters, tend to keep their sponsorship much longer. So if you want to lose your sponsorship faster, just avoid being self motivated.

I hope you found this helpful! I look forward to watching your next video! (I think...I hope...Do I?)

Jared Rich

Team Manager

Blankdecks.com

Interview with Andrew Trager

What do you love most about skateboarding?

the possibilities are endless, theres always something new to learn, or something to improve on. you do what you want to do, and dont have people telling you what to do.

Is that what drives you to skate?

the feeling of success when landing a trick, or doing a new set or rail is what drives me to skate. i guess thats also another thing i love about skateboarding haha

The accomplishment I guess. What's it like to be on Blank decks A Team?

its sick! it gives me another reason to go out and skate and film. its also rly kool working with Jared, hes a sick manager!

Oh thanks, I'm flattered. Don't just say stuff like that for the fun of it. You make me sick. ;);)

its the truth bro

What's the latest trick you're working on?

front boardslide, 270 out and fakie half cab airs in the mini

I'm not going to lie, that's pretty sick.

haha thanxx

i love doing air tricks in the mini

like airwalks and frontside indys

Sick. Have you heard about this new full color griptape?

not at all lol

it is thru blankdecks?

Of course not, it's cutting edge. Vile has it right now, we're working on some for Blankdecks. I might surprise you with it one day, who knows...

that would be sickk! blues my favorite color ;);) hahaha

I'll keep that in mind. What would you like to say to your fans?

whats up guys! keep skating! and enjoy every minute of it!

I respect that. Have you thought about skating for Vile?

never really thought about it, but it sounds like a good idea to me lol

if the chance came about id definitely take it

So is there anything you do as far as keeping in shape for skateboarding that we could benefit from knowing?

try and skate as much as possibly, even if its only for an hr or 2 durring the day. practice the harder tricks so i dont lose them, and try and skate a few different sets a week. just to stay on top of everything

That's good advice, we'll need to talk more about some ideas for skateboarding fitness. Tell us about one of your more serious bails.

hmm...lets see

i would prolly have to say

the time i was trying to throw a treflip down this drop

my board got cought up around one of my feet, and then i landed it primo with one foot under the board, and the other on top. i broke my toe and lost my nail

it was rediculiously painful

OOOOOoooooooo... *Backs up a little and puts head down... Clinches fists holding onto fingernails.

yea it was pretty bad haha

That's nuts! You're an animal! Super human! Something!

haha thanxx

One question, was it worth it?

of course

made a sick story haha

There you have it folks, Andrew Trager. Never quits. Thanks for your time Andrew, I appreciate it.

Now go skate!

any time! thanks for putting me on the team!

haha im actually on my way out to go hit the skate park...u cought me just before i left

You earned it my friend. You're going to throw another casperflip manual no doubt.

haha i wanna do that at the roslyn banks, a pretty sick manual pad spot on long island. never been done b4 down that

That's tight, hey I'll send you a set of Softrucks today. Any last words?

YOU ARE THE MAN! haha

just for everyone reading this, go skate, and have fun!

just wanna say hi to my friends and family! and my girlfriend amy <3<3

and that blankdecks is a sick company!

Hey thanks Andrew. We'll catch you later. Keep it real.

Vile Griptape

This new griptape is beyond sick. Full color! Printed. So I set up my new Vile deck with the new griptape. And took it out for a little testing and photos. Let me just say that I'm stoked on this new idea. The full color griptape is incredible.

My only worry when seeing the new griptape is would it effect the way I skate. Turns out it does just fine. I had no problem landing all of the regular tricks I do.

I'm stoked on my new Vile griptape!

Interview with Evan Alpert

Evan, what is it that drives you to skate so much?

So much haha. I feel unaccomplished if i don't skate, it's all I ever think about, the feeling of landing what you were trying to do is the best feeling ever.

What advice do you have for skaters looking to get sponsored?

Practice, and have fun. Don't get to obsessed with trying to get sponsored, enjoy skateboarding, and when you have a lot of great footage go for it.

What's the latest trick you're working on?

Well haven't really been working on anything, but I've been having fun with double flips and bs 360 kickflips, those are mega fun.

How many times has a pebble prevented your greatness?

hahah too many.. way too many. If you guys saw my video with my hand.. not sure if that was a pebble but man did that take of a large portion of skin off my hand.

Yeah, I saw that, it was heinous! --Did you get your revenge?

haha I'm actually planning on to, not gonna lie I'm pretty scared, but I'm defiantly wearing a glove this time.

Nice. Have you ever gone back to slay such a pebble with your bare hands for vengeance?

hahah literally? I don't know bout that, those things have their ways

Evan the merciful. I respect that.

ahaha yee :]:]

Anything you'd like to say to your fans?

Thanks for watching my skating. I've been holding back a lot (my friends know that) and I have major plans of changing that.

Who is the best team manager you've ever known?

Pfftt Jared Rich obviously haha. This guy is the man and has done everything he can to help me out. He is an awsome guy and I got major respect for him ;]

I respect that. Thanks. ;)

haha no problem man, meant all of it

What's it like to be on Blankdecks.com A Team?

Pretty awsome, these decks/ other gear are the best. I haven't gotten one thing from this site that I didn't like.

Definitely a privilege

Do you think you'll ever skate for Vile too?

haha I realllly hope so, their graphics are so tight and there boards are sick. I'd love to, but I've learned to keep my hopes chill. But that'd definitely make me stoked.

You've skated a Vile deck right?

i put my trucks on it and tested it out, but i'm saving it for some boss footage

That's sick. Those decks are something else. It's a shame to assemble them on less than quality trucks, wheels, bearings, hardware, risers, and griptape.

That's it! Thank you for your time Evan, I'll let you get back to your skating/filming.

haha no problem man :]:]

Any last words?

Never quit shredding

NEW TEAM PAGE!

We have a new Team Page at Blankdecks.com! I just wanted to let you all know. Featuring Blankdecks.com Team Manager Jared Rich, and A Team skaters Andrew Trager, Evan Alpert, Tyler Brekke, Justin Pellman, Ryan Donovan, Daniel Crowe, and Cooper Pickle.

The page features interviews, videos, fan pages, and twitter accounts!

Read up.	Become a Fan.
Peep this.	Follow us.

Join our Mailing List.

Interview with Cooper Pickle

So I took the time to write up this interview for our own A Team skater Cooper Pickle. We are proud to have him with us at Blankdecks.com.

How long have you been skating?

Probably about three to four years going strong.

What made you want to start skateboarding?

My uncle used to skateboard and many of my friends were skating at the time so my uncle bought me a board for my birthday and everything else just kinda fell into place.

Tell us about some of your injuries.

Head to toe: I've gotten three concussions, broken nose, deviated septum, fractured left eye bone, left shoulder dislocated, broken rib, racked and credit carded numerous times, pinched nerve in my left side of my back bone, ripped my shin open and had 16 stitches, fractured right ankle twice and left ankle once. That's about it though.

How do you stay fit and healthy to skate?

Occassionally i'll go to the gym and work out with a friend or run a mile or so. I skate just about every day starting with a quick warm up and then whatever else i need to do. Warming up helps me prepare alot for a long, strenuous day of skating.

What advice do you have for skaters looking to get sponsored?

Just keep skating your hardest and eventually someone will notice you. It helps to have connections and travel when possible.

Who is your favorite skater (besides yourself) and why?

Either Sean Malto or Torey Pud. Their style is rediculous and near flawless.

How does it make you feel to skate with people who are maybe better than you?

It doesn't bother me at all. I've skated with plenty of people who are better than me in contests and whatnot and it's fun to just chill and hang out, watch other people's tricks and style and learn from it. A good example is my friend Kechaud Johnson from Dallas area. He's a sick skater and has an incredible style. i've skated with him a couple of times and it's an eye opener. He's on City Stars skateboards so check him out.

If you could have just one new sponsor, who would it be?

Either Nike SB or Etnies

What are your thoughts concerning Jared Rich? ;-)

Really cool guy. I can't thank him enough for everything he's hooked me up with. It's great to see Blankdecks.com moving quickly and taking a step up in sponsors and whatnot.

What the heck are you doing this interview for? Shouldn't you be out skating?

Well right now it's 1:40 A.M. and i just got home from skating, so for now I'm resting.

Anyone you would like to give a shout out to?

My girlfriend Taylor, and the family. All my friends i skate with, Chase, Johnny, Qualon, and all my friends in Paris and Henderson!

Longboarding the Canyon

Wow! We finally took that longboarding trip down the canyon. It's something else to fly through the trees next to a river on a longboard. With the kicktail longboard I was able to manual for quite a while through some of the flatter areas. I even threw in a kickflip at the end. I knew the other guys probably weren't going to be as prepared so I brought along some of Consolidated's Super Hydrocarbon Bearing Spray (Warning!! Extremely Flammable - Keep away from children.) We had been talking about this for some time. So of course I came prepared and willing to share. After all, I figured they would need the extra grease to keep up. ;-) I worried as I traveled that my bearings might catch fire due to the extreme rate of the trees zipping past our heads. It wasn't until later... just now in fact-- that I glance at this can of spray and notice the bullet point that finally calms my trouble heart. "Withstands heat and high speeds" NO WONDER! If it wasn't for that... Well you know. Charred remains. The can of spray also hold true to the promise "Girls will like you". (Results may vary.)

I'm telling you man, these kicktail longboards are LEGIT! (Emphasis added.)

Jared Rich

Starting to Warm Up!!!

I'm getting excited about the weather. Seriously, it's starting to get warmer outside, snow is disappearing, and you know what that means. Time to skate. I don't know what you've got for your skate scene, but I'm going to take a little longboarding trip down Provo Canyon in Utah once it warms up where I am. Get air and a view of nature as we cruise down the asphalt path between the trees and cliffs. I just asked Jordan Sprinkle what he thinks about that. He thinks he'd like to be sponsored and travel more. I respect that. Welcome to the B Team Jordan.

Anyway, so it's time to toss out that old warped and tattered skateboard, grip up a fresh deck with new bearings and hit the streets. I love the feel of a fresh skateboard deck as the tail hits the pavement and lifts off the ground.

And of course there are those on and off days, snow, no snow, rain, melting snow, etc. Those are the days when I practice a few tricks indoors with my Softrucks complete. Softrucks are legit! I must admit.

Kicktail Longboard

I set up a kicktail longboard for myself and rode it to work today. Sure there was some snow on the ground, but the streets were clear enough to ride it to work. It was really something. I was able to grip it with several sheets (and pieces of sheets) of Jessup. Don't know why... We have Longboard Griptape available, maybe I just wanted Jessup, and I wanted to do something a little different. I made a little design for the grip. It's interesting to overlay griptape on a longboard as part of a design.
Anyway, so here I am. Longboarding to work, I make a pit stop to see an old friend. I tell him I can kickflip this beast. (42.5" x 10" the standard skateboard being 32.5" x 7.75") Not to mention the trucks and wheels are also quite larger in size than your usual skateboard trucks and wheels... So I'm leaving his house and I tell him to watch. I place my feet and there I was airborne with this massive chunk of wood, metal, and urethane flipping underneath me. All I'm thinking is I hope this 10" wide 8 ply board doesn't find its way to my shins. I land somewhere within the 42.5" available landing space and roll away clean. Nailed it. Later I call my friend and all he says is, "It was kinda mob dude." ...!?! Alright, that's cool. I'll work on my longboard kickflips I guess.

Jared Rich

Blankdecks.com Team

I've been making calls for the new skate team, we're forming an A Team and a B Team. It's been exciting talking to many of you about being on the skate team. We've got some awesome plans for the Team. If you would like a shot at being sponsored by Blankdecks.com please visit the sponsorship section of our website. We're always considering new skaters for the Blankdecks.com skate team.

Jared Rich
Team Manager