My son and I went blading this past weekend at Starr playground to break in his new skates!

Aidan Charles section from The Traveler

A short while ago I requested questions from all of you about anything and now the ShutupandSKATE Inbox has been flooded with some great questions! Here are the first 5 that I have answered so far, so enjoy and thank you for all of your support!

Titties-N-Beer: One of my rollerblading friends is a member of the homosexual community. I don’t really care that he prefers dix, but I love rollerblading so much that I feel like he is perpetuating the stereotype that rollerbladers are gay – all he does at the skate park is talk (like, verbally) about the toned upper bodies of the guys on bmx’s and how he wishes he could exchange blowjobs with the ‘more fashionable’ skateboarders. He’s a cool guy after you set him straight by letting him know that you’ll bash on him if makes an advance, but I feel like he is simply too much of a faggot to be wearing blades around my crew.

I’m also wondering how I can keep my mom’s friend (Chris), from spending so much time at my house when my dad is at work? He is an alright guy but I’m starting to feel a bit like, disregarded, because he hasn’t taken me camping after making the promise multiple times over the period of a few months.
LB: Wow, now this is sounds like something that would be on the MTV “True Life” series haha. I don’t know if this is a serious question or not but I’ll do my best to answer it for you regardless First of all, there are gays in every sport, company, team, hobby, job, industry, etc so it really shouldn’t be no surprise to anybody at all. I don’t even acknowledge that “rollerblading is gay” stereotype either because only idiots embrace it. If your friend always tends to talk about who’s hot or who he wants to suck off instead of blading when you go to parks then simply tell him to ShutandSKATE or take his blades away since he doesn’t seem to blade anyway. Why bring him around if he’s not going to contribute to the session?

But, if you are uncomfortable with him just because he is gay and happens to rollerblade then what kind of “friend” are you? You either accept him as your boy and support him or don’t associate with him if you can’t be true to him as his friend. I do have a morbid sense of humor that is influenced by my dark side which is full of horrible ideas but if I gave you any ideas to embarrass him that was actually used I would feel horrible haha. And transferring him to another scene wouldn’t really do anything but put him through more bullshit since rollerblading is pretty homophobic anyways.

As far as Chris goes…(your life seems to be full of experiences that would make a successful reality show!) he shows signs that he has interest in your Mom since he spends so much time there when your Dad is at work. And offering to take you out camping is a way to butter you up so you’ll keep your mouth shut if he decides to pursue things with the Mrs. Or, he could just be gay and that is your Mom’s new B.F.F.

Tra aka Kris Troyer: Which is better for the image of rollerblading to the outside world:
Massive dangerous stunt blading with “simpler” tricks on the biggest scariest obstacles with no regard for physical well-being or controlled style,
or
well thought-out and planned technical blading on agreeably smaller obstacles but with more control and attentiveness to style?
LB: Remember, the outside world likes anything that looks “cool” and easy to comprehend. So, I would present them the dangerous stunt blading since it would blow their collective minds away. Seeing a blader lace a simple trick on a double kink drop rail would induce the “ooooohs” & “aaaaahs” since it simply looks dangerous and would remind them of “Scarred” if the blader misses the trick. But, if you show the same people a clip of…let’s say Chris Farmer lacing a 360 topsoul on a waist high ledge it may not have the same effect since that trick may be too complicated or difficult for them to fully grasp and appreciate.

estiloskater: Do you think that “shutupandskate” is a good name for your blog?
Why don’t you just shut up and skate?
LB:I do think ShutupandSKATE is a good name for my blog since it is a term that I have been using since I first started blading in ’94. I wish I would have copyrighted the name back then though haha. And I actually do ShutupandSKATE. I roll mostly by myself so I don’t really have anybody to talk to so I basically have to ShutupandSKATE regardless.

Anthony DeToma: Question 1: What was the first trick you learned?
Question 2: What is your “Safety Trick”?
LB:The first aggressive trick that I learned was a 180 over a sewer cap while blading down the streets. And the first grind that I learned was a Frontside on a park bench. My safety trick would have to be a Mizou or Soul Grind but I love rollerblading so much that I embrace every trick.

Winston Neo Henry: Here’s one for ya. who do you consider ambassador to the sport in and from the NYC-Tristate area?
LB: A few names instantly pop up to mind. Victor Callender for his pure heart for blading and putting the NYC competition series back on the map with his Last Man Standing series as well as creating great sessions with his Let’s Roll NY sessions. Not too mention his blading clinics to get kids into our sport, a great man he is. Jon Ortiz does clinics as well and introduces blading to all types of people and all ages, he promotes blading across the globe, does a great job judging various competitions and sets up great after parties for blading events.

I would also like to commend Ray Mendez for all of the behind the scenes work that he has done for the NYC blading scene. I cannot end this list without giving respect to the hardest working woman that I know Tee Tirado from Spoil’d Bratt Sk8shop. She films blading, travels with her shop team, sponsors amazing local talent, put together meet and greet with the biggest Pros, sets up local comps and in her spare time she runs a clothing line born from rollerblading iDentity Clothing Co. I know that you asked for one but there are many that do their thing for blading in the Tri-State area. Shout to Angelo Ferrer & Hyper Mike too!

Photo by Ryan Loewy and Mikey Roman
SUAS: Let’s start this off with a fury! How long have you been rolling, where do you reside and how is your day going so far as you are typing this?
MA: I’ve been rollerboot’n since ’05 and my day is swell because I’m eating leftovers from turkey day haha.

SUAS: You forgot to say where you reside but I know that you rep the almighty BX so it’s all good. You just dropped a fresh new edit right in time for the holiday season and you have clips in pretty much every edit coming out of NYC. What are you building towards with all the work that you are putting in with the blades?
MA: I started roll’n for fun and I’m still just doing this to have fun basically.

SUAS: And “FUN” is the key word! With all of your current exposure I’m sure that your sponsors are more than satisfied with you as a team rider. So, what companies do you currently represent?
MA: I’m reppin’ USD, Flatlines Skateshop, and getting some M1 support through Flatlines as well.

Photo by Lonnie Gallegos
SUAS: Quality coverage right there and how do you feel about the current resurgence of the NYC blading scene?
MA: I just love that there is mad f#^&ing new bladers because every park you roll in NYC there’s always someone to teach or learn from.

SUAS: I agree, every session there seems to be bladers that I have never seen before. If you had the opportunity to create a new blading company what would you put together and how would it be different from anything that is out now?
MA: I wouldn’t want to make anything new, just simply resurrect B.Unique clothing as a whole.

SUAS: |B| Unique is definitely missed. When you were first infected with the blading virus who were some of your earliest influences and who are some of your current ones?
MA: Muh-fucking Mel Boogie Knight, FISH, Sam, Willy, CK & SK, SWAGONA, RJFRSH and my boy Jeremy Lopez….Currently, still the same dudes + my boys OZBE & RZL, Ryan Many, Loso Montenegro, Mikey Roman, Jeff Mateo, Evan Darkness Grimball, E$, Christian Delfino, Jake Rod, EROD, RIBS, Pedro, Jordan Baez, Jeremiah D., VAL and Jash Ruiz…sorry for the list but love rolln with my homies……hahaha!

Photo by Ryan Loewy
SUAS: I am curious about your background, you say that you know Spanglish & Canadian French. What exactly is in your bloodline?
MA: My Mom’s mulatto. Dad’s Dominican. Born in Montreal raised in the Bronx. Mom’s speaks French and the rest of my fam speaks Spanish.

SUAS: For those of you that do not know, Mulatto is a term for a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Where do you see rollerblading 10 years from now?
MA: With all the advance technology Powerslide is creating, I see rollerbooting becoming more of an everyday lifestyle for people who don’t even roll now.

SUAS: Technology increased participation by tenfold! I remember you posting up some info about a Unique Lo grand opening party or something like that, are you into fashion as well or just a fan of whatever looks good?
MA: I’m a big fan of fashion. Some of my friends study or graduated from FIT and Parsons so I’ve learned ALOT about fashion design and the basics in the past four years. ( no homo) haha.

Photo by Cesar Macay
SUAS: Don’t worry, there are straight males in fashion haha. When you are not blading and if someone was spying on you what would you most likely be caught doing?
MA: When I’m not blading I work in a private school for pre- k and kindergarten students as a teachers assistant and a substitute.

SUAS: Well, my son is a hyper-athletic child so I’m going to register him for your classroom What would you like to see more of in rollerblading and what would you like to see less of?
MA: This is an excellent question. Lol I would like to see more LOVE for every roller & from every roller and less HATE.

SUAS: And that is an excellent answer, do you have plans to travel next year and take part in some of the big contests that are coming up right around the corner or are contests not too big on your radar?
MA: Yes, I’m going to enter BCSD and I have to go back to LA a.s.a.p. I’m just waiting on my bro Ryan Many.

Photo by Victor Vizcaino
SUAS: I’ve also been thinking about heading back to L.A., the weather is blader friendly 24/7 365! When you work to put out an edit and fellow bladers begin to tear it down and question your ability what goes through your mind and what would you like to say to them?
MA: Oh, you mean haterassfools. I have a career and skating is my hobby not my life so shit doesn’t bother me.

SUAS: And with that being said any last words or shout-outs?
MA: Big ups to GK, Bladergang, Vine St, NYC, LA, SF, SD, NJ, PA, FL and all my true friends.

Photo by Shardy Nieves

Malik Ashby Summer 2011 Edit

Malik Ashby USD Flow Spring/Summer Edit Part 1

          Ruben Perez my brother, Solone the artist & Bang Bang the blader are just pieces of the puzzle which make up the man. If you know him you’ll be treated like one of his family, if you cross him you will be checked on the spot and if you blade with him then you will definitely be infected with the frenetic energy that he brings to every session. Ruben is 100 miles per hour in human form and it is this energy that makes his skating stand out. He has style that shows he has paid his dues for years and now he is bringing his creativity to his musical plateau. Here is a rare look behind the mind and thoughts of Ruben Prez.

SUAS: Ruben mi hermano, que tal manito?
RP: Bien brother. Thanks, how’s the fam??? Yo, I was just thinking we’ve known each other for a while lol.

SUAS: Mi familia is doing mas bueno and we have known each other well over 10 years easily. But, for those who may not know you, how long have you been in the blading game and what keeps you going after all these years?
RP: Well, I’ve been skating since I was 8 years old back in the Dominican Republic. To me, it’s like breathing or eating..just a part of me…guess it comes natural haha. I feel free I guess… and that feeling is addictive. Kinda the reason why I’m still skating and will be skating for years to come.

SUAS: You also have a great style when it comes down to making blading look good, who are some of the bladers that influence you style-wise?
RP: Thanks brother for the compliment. My energy [as you know] is constantly accelerated and it reflects alot in my skating. I LOVE SKATING FAST and flying, gapping…feels great! But,I’m influenced by various things and ways in which some bladers perform their art. In terms of showmanship The D-Clan, Ozzie and Nene Tejada spins were dope. I’ve learnt alot from them when it comes to spins and grabs. I still enjoy watching Jon Ortiz skate, Daniel Ortiz, and from back in the days; Ryan Jacklone & Dave Ortega too.

Photo by Angelo Ferrer

SUAS: Those are true school legends right there! Another thing that I noticed about your skating is that it is very well-rounded. You got gaps, ledges, rails, spins, park, street and wall rides. With all those skills under your belt what is your favorite terrain to blade on?
RP: I don’t have a favorite terrain to tell you the truth brother, as long as the sesh is fun and we are all rolling I’m a happy rolla lol.

SUAS: Bang! Bang! I’ve seen a Facebook post where you wrote that wall rides don’t count if you just hit the wall with your skates haha. What made you call people out on that?
RP: Hahaha, I remember that..I love this sport and I would like to see people do it the right way, feel me? If its a wall ride then ride the wall…don’t kick it lol.

SUAS:What is your opinion on the current scene in NYC?
RP: Kids nowdays sit at the skate park to talk shit or talk about what set-up they have or what skates they are going to get..STOP THAT shut up and skate for real.

Photo by Angelo Ferrer

SUAS: Another outlet that dispels all of that energy that you have is music. What kind of music do you currently do and how long have you been creating it?
RP: I currently do Spanish Hip Hop infused with alot of other genres because I’m a lover of all music. Alot of you guys have no idea that music is in my blood, my father use to play the trumpet and I grew up around music back in the Dominican Republic where we used many instruments to make music. Coming to the US as a young child, I felt disconnected because alot of kids here don’t play instruments on a regular basis like back home in DR. I stuck to my roots though and still dabbled here ‘n there over the years which all lead up to my music today. It’s all inspired by a fusion of Hip Hop and Dominican instrumentals.

SUAS: Music is indeed in your blood and you are definitely talented on the mic so when will we see a mix tape or album from Solone?
RP: I don’t have a set date. I don’t put a time frame on my art. I just express myself musically depending on life. So, when the time is right everyone will know.

SUAS: Thats kind of like how I create my posts for ShutupandSKATE! Have you ever thought of dropping edits with your own tracks mixed in as a type of double promotion?
RP: Of course!!! Right now, I’m not skating as much as I’d like to because I’m working on other projects which consumes alot of my time. However, I’m open to exploring that form of double promotion in the future.

Photo by Angelo Ferrer w/ Eduardo Enrique

SUAS: So, when you do find the time to blade what is your set-up at the moment that you are rolling on?
RP: I have a pair of Razors with Ground Control Bullet 8 frames which I love cus they don’t brake like the feather ones.

SUAS: Products aren’t built for your blading haha. You seem to travel ALOT and you usually post up the pictures on your Facebook. Where have you been recently and how was the blading scene there?
RP: I try haha..I went to the Dominican Republic this past February where the blading scene is small but they do skate there (lol), there’s so much stuff to skate out there but it’s hard for them to get wheels and skates when they need them because they don’t have a blading store..and the aggressive sports shop out there doesn’t sell skates…this is why with the help of some really cool people I put together a box full with frames, used skates and parts so they keep doing what I love which is what they love too. In April I visited Jamaica and I didn’t see nothing to skate on, nor did I see any skaters at all.

SUAS: One country at a time hermano, do you have any shows coming up that you would like to plug-in right now to give everybody a heads up?
RP: No shows right at this moment but I will def keep you guys posted on all my music projects.

SUAS: Any last words or shout-outs?
RP: Yeaahhhh, shout outs to Andrew Steirer who without knowing me helped me to get lots of stuff for my project, Guillermo Cruz and Matt Panskins from Florida as well.
Also, AoR mag for keeping us all rolling together as a family and helping people with skates if they don’t have any (bless)…www.alexdsgn.com for believing in me and my art… to all my NYC OG rollers who keep it real and still do this for the love of the sport, Shut Up And Skate for giving me the opportunity, of course, and my whole family who I love dearly….don’t forget to check www.solonemusick.com

SOLONE VIDEO SHOOT INFO
On Thursday, November 17, 2011, your invited to the making of “No Pueden Conmigo” www.solonemusick.com by the artiste Solone @ Billy Hurricanes located at 25 Avenue B | Between 2nd and 3rd Streets East Village, New York, NY 10009 (917) 338-7090. Friends are welcome to be apart of the video. Come party like a Rock Star or an Animal [u choose] and support your boy.

SOLONE Official Website
http://www.solonemusick.com 

SOLONE “No Pueden Conmigo” Preview

SOLONE “Aqua Caliente”

          The biggest blessing in my life just turned 4 amazing years old on November 3rd and being that he loves watching blading videos with me it was a no-brainer to pick up his first pair of skates. While watching his big smile as he took his first strides I decided to write this product review so that any blader interested in getting their child a pair of these skates can get a pretty good idea of what to expect.

FISHER PRICE SKATE REVIEW

The Physical Appearance

          These “My First….” skates are visually different than any other kids brand that I have seen. I love seeing products that stand out and being that these resemble a crossbreed of Xsjados and a kid’s skates they immediately caught my attention as well as my son’s. The vibrant Grey, Light Green, Blue & Yellow are a great color combination that reminds me of the joy of being a child.

Sizing

 These babies are a money saver for the fast growing feet of a young child. With a flip of a switch they literally go from a size 1 up to a 3. And since Brian can wear his favorite Adidas with them they give him a comfortable feel straight out the box. His feet weren’t floating around in them so I’m guessing that they run true to size which is important.

Ankle Support

Just like the Xsjados these skates have a velcro strap going across the bridge of the ankle so the tighter you pull it the more supportive they get. Personally, I’m not a big fan of a Velcro strap instead of a buckle since Velcro loses it grip after many uses so we’ll see how durable it is for the young ones that like to play with the straps in order to make that annoying sound. It’s holding up great obviously since it’s brand new but only time will tell.

          There is a thin layer of cushioning for the area behind the ankle where the cuff and skin meet so at least the cuff won’t dig into my son’s leg. It seems to be crazy glued on there so if it ever wears off at least I know I can easily customize a replacement cushion when necessary.

Wheels, Bearings & Wheel Function Capabilities

There are 5 wheels per skate and positioned in a way so that there are training wheels to keep the kids balanced out. If you look at the bottom of the skates the wheels form a “T”. It’s a good idea and actually work out for the benefit of the child so that it builds some type of balance. It looks weird but it kind of grew on me while seeing Brian have the time of his life trying out his new skates. But, the wheels are made out of hard plastic and they make that horrible grinding sound when they meet the pavement. Another thing is that they tend to slide a bit on smooth surfaces since the plastic is smooth itself so I would recommend to be careful where you take your child to skate.

Bearings? There are no bearings unfortunately since Fisher Price wanted to cut costs as well as your child’s speed while using these skates. What keeps these wheels moving you may ask?…well, it’s a hard plastic wheel with an axel through it.

Plastic wheels suck but the functions of them are pretty cool and makes sense so it makes up for it a little bit. With the slide of a button they go through 3 functions:

1st Function: The wheels lock so you child can walk with the skates to get used to the feeling of being slightly elevated.
2nd Function: The wheels move but only forward. They are set this way so the child can begin learning his stride slowly without having to worry about moving backward by accident.
3rd Function: Full movement and full usage of the skates. They will freely roll forward and backwards.

Brake System

            I am weary about this since the brakes are made from the same hard plastic material as the wheels. I am a bit fearful that once my son gets used to these skates and begin to experiment with speed than he will not stop properly since the brakes will just slide and not actually slow him down. They are positioned on the rear of both skates but no matter how much pressure will be put on there I guarantee that the child will not stop at a safe point. Maybe I can swap it out for a rubber piece…hmmmm.

Flex

          The shell in the ankle area are more stiff than the area covering the foot so at least the designers kept in mind that more support should be incorporated in the ankle area since that is where the most tension will be. It holds up pretty good and while watching my on skate it didn’t seem to warp out at all. The plastic in the area around the foot is a bit more flexible of course o that they child can slide his/her foot into with relative ease.

Final Verdict

         My son seems to have the time of his life skating with these and it makes my heart smile seeing his love for skating developing right in front of my eyes. Overall, I give these skates a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars rating. They are a pretty good 1st pair of blades and I can see Brian getting a ton of use out of them until his foot grow big enough for the USD JoJo’s

Today is the 2nd year anniversary of my rollerblading blog ShutupandSKATE!

I would like to thank everybody for their positive encouragement, feedback, honest opinions & support. It means more to me than you’ll ever know. Thank you for putting up with 2 years worth of my blading ramblings. It’s only going to get worse …stay tuned!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHUTUPANDSKATE!

Jordan Baez is a talented young blader who is quickly establishing a name for himself. He is part of the foundation for a solid future in the NYC blading scene. Not only does he kill everything he blades, Jordan also puts together competitions to help grow the NY/NJ scene. In this 5W’s profile he gives us a sneak peek of what he’s about.

Photo by Sam DeAngelis

I look at you as one of the young up & coming talents that is the future of the NYC blading scene. WHO were some of your earliest influences when you first decided to strap on the blades?
JB: My earliest influences were my boy Suki Davilla and Matt. One of my main influences was and still is dave lang! As for Pros, it was Murda, Julian Bah & Billy O’ Neill.

You make me wish that I could grow my hair back so I can have hair like yours. WHAT kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use to keep your fro so light and fluffy?
JB: Haha, to keep my fro so fluffy I wash my hair with Dove shampoo.

Photo by Craig Benabu

Putting together a rollerblading contest is a lot of work, WHEN did you decide that you wanted to wet your feet in the blading industry by running your own competition series?
JB: It wasn’t me by myself. My cousin Jason Rivera and I wanted to help out the NY/NJ scene by doing little comps to get new kids into blading and into other areas besides the same ones kids blade nowadays. The last turn out was pretty good, I got interviewed by a New Jersey mag and alot of people came and showed love!

There comes a time of the day when we all unbuckle our skates to relax so WHERE would we find you if you weren’t out there blading?
JB: Honestly, if I weren’t blading I would be caught up in the streets and I doubt alive the way I was going. That’s why I thank God for rollerblading each day and for my friends that do it.

Photo by Ryan Loewy

You always seem to bring a positive vibe and a great mood to every session, WHY do you always have that trademark huge smile on your face all the time?
JB: Because I am a happy person with no hatred in my heart!

…HOW did you acquire the almighty RB as a boot sponsor?
JB: Rollerblade isn’t my sponsor yet, Tom Hyser has just been one of the illest guys and helping me out. I thank him all the time for the free stuff.

2010 Quick Clips with Jordan Baez
http://vimeo.com/27426192

          Here is a live performance of a song inspired by our lost brother Brian “Cozmik” Scott. The name of this song is “Un Dia Caliente” which translates to “A Hot Day”. The song is in Spanish but the story of this track is about the deadly results of a loose bullet hitting an unintended target. It is performed by my brother and NYC blader Ruben Perez aka Solone (in the Red hoodie) along with the talented JohnnyO & Wilkins.

Hurricane Irene pushed The 2011 Last Man Standing Comp back 1 week but she couldn’t wash away the hearts of those who attended to show their support for NYC blading. After the last drops of sweat dryed up it was a top 3 that was deserving of the positions and a top 3 whose names deserved to be on top for the blading they displayed throughout the day. Here are pics that I managed to capture in between working on background things to keep things on schedule and organized. Enjoy and take from these pictures a story from beginning to end.