The Bacon Video

Bacon skateboards is a small, skater funded and operated skateboard company that some of you might have heard about from their huge advertising campaigns in Concussion, Lowcard and other smaller regional skate zines. The majority of the Bacon team consists of park rats and bowlriders, but all the same, like you and me, they’re skateboarders that give a fuck about having fun and love doing what they do. While Bacon’s first, full-length self-titled video won’t necessarily appeal to the street skating purists out there, the footage is stacked with some of the rawest park skating in one 30 minute sitting. To break it down roughly for you, 85% skateparks, mixed with 5% street, 5% backyard pools, 2.5% ditch and 2.5 % ramp footage is what you’ll witness with this video. If you’re looking for some flip in, flip out ledge tricks or flat bar ringers, they aren’t here pal and the same goes for those repetitive and impressive rail hammers. The following paragraphs give you a little idea of what you can expect.

Following the short intro montage, Bacon’s young gun Kevin Kowalski opens things up with a barrage of skatepark stunts mixed with a heavy dose of death metal in the audible form of Belphegor’s “Swarm of Rats” blaring out of my speakers. I turned down the volume to pay more attention to his lines, skill and energy to murder the concrete beneath his wheels. And Kowalski does just that. At only 15 years young, this kids got time on his side, plenty of sessions ahead of him and he’s only going to get better. Look out for him. Next up is Oudalay Philavanh backed by the sounds of “Fireball” by Deep Purple. His part tosses out a few select street lines and tricks mixed with random park footy. He handles a couple of solid kickflip wall rides that you’ll notice as well.

Moving forward with a team montage, Noe Chavez is another hybrid skatepark ripper that shares a some visual goodness with Mike Barnes, a bandana adorned heshian known only as Rogormortis, Jesse Nelson, Ryan Lewis, and a guy going by the name of Road Kill. All of these young badasses take to the concrete and trannies with adaptive effort and moments of fun. The Motorhead jam “Tear Ya Down” adds a powerful touch to their part as well.

“Bloodfeast” by the Misfits gives proper traction to another shared part with Bacon’s lesser-known California Team. Together with Fresno’s pool king Lincoln Nass and his cohorts Bart the Steed Duck, Chris Latour, Brant Austin, and Ryan Spaulding they shred a bunch of backyard swimming holes and leave you asking yourself, “Where in the hell is that pool at?” Another relatively unknown ripper from California’s San Joaquin Valley, Frank Faria stands out amongst the rest of the squad with sick tricks and lines. He’s a personal favorite with his selections of tricks and lines. Backed by the Beatles “Helter Skelter” in his part and he really can’t lose. More park footage peppered with a few street joints brings a friends section with “Gimme Danger” by the Stooges.

Due to an untimely injury, Mason Huggins produced a shorter part than I originally expected. His footage was tracked with some death metal, “Slit your Guts” by Cryptopsy that really doesn’t kick up the jams if you know what I mean. I found it unlistenable at best and quickly turned off the volume and watched on as Europe’s Stephen White and the Northwest’s Donovan Rice came through with some unique moves and more transitioned trickery. A guy known as Popcorn and Tim Johnson finished up the collaborative part at Washington Street.

Johnny Tergesen aka Mud Butt is one cool cat and he gets down to business with a style of his own. His backside Smith grinds and frontside ollies are some of the best in skateboarding right now. No lie. He looks good on his board. And get this, as a bowl skater he’s the only skater to flick a nolllie heel in the video. His part has a great ender as he scales up the foundation of Portland’s St. Johns Bridge and drops a precarious ollie into its sculpted transition high above ground level. Matched with “Have Love Will Travel” by the Black Keys, good ole’ Mutt Butt has the best part of the video hands down.

But, not to be out done, Bacon’s established pro Benji Galloway gets the curtains with an extensive and versatile attack on numerous concrete parks and illicit bowls. A two-song offering of “I Hate” by Buzzov.en and “Take Back My Alley” by The Spits backs his travels and stunts upon a smorgasbord of obscure spots and skate sessions.

All said and done, if you live for skateparks, bowls and curved concrete then this is the video you need to get your hands and eyes upon. Bacon skateboards is sticking to skateboarding’s backyard bowl rippers, park skaters and underground movement…at least for now.

Don’t know where to get a copy of this video? Well, get this. Drop over to Skateboarder magazine’s site where you can watch the Bacon video via web stream or download it for free!

Good to go!

-bk

02/19

03/21 - Nike Zoom Tre A.D.
02/19 - The Bacon Video
01/05 - SkateBook - Issue 1
10/24 - Brixton Fall/Winter 2007
- Full Archive




October 11, 2008