So it’s been a bit …. um lets say average snow and weather down South in the past few weeks….. but never fear the boredom busters are here, Nzsnowboard.com have a game of S.H.R.E.D going on at the mo which is more than entertaining to watch. It’s the same as ‘the berrics’ battle of the Berrics S.K.A.T.E

Check it for some rad ridding from the best NZ shredders. Its way better watching than Home n Away or something…

http://www.nzsnowboard.com/articles/917/video__game_of_shred_-_hamish_martin_vs_liam_ryan

http://www.nzsnowboard.com/articles/918/video__game_of_shred_-_nick_hyne_vs_ben_stewart_presented_by_billabong

Also look for Nick Brown vs Connor Harding its a few vids back, its awesome. ha enjoy

So the new temp Vic Park is finally up and running! it’s small and tight but super fun! I’ve only ridden it a couple of times as the weather has not been great! As seen here on the ‘official’ opening day! Chey and I with the crew from the Auckland City Council. A big thanks to Counciller Moyle & Keren Neal form the A.C.C for helping make the temp park happen. It’s pretty much split down the middle with one side for BMX and one side for skate. With the mini being open turf to anyone. We worked really hard to get the temp park, as some of the residents across the road werent too keen on it, so if you’re heading down there make sure you use the rubbish bins provided and if any crappy stuff is going down ring the po po straight away. We want to make this a safe place for people to come and ride and skate so we all have to work together to keep it clean and a safe place for people to be.

Myself & Chey along with a few others are going to be working with the A.C.C soon on the brand new super large central Auckland park. It will be going where the old Viccies used to be and will have something for everyone! It’ll be about a year away as the new tunnel needs to be completed first.  So watch this space! Hopefully in the summer we’ll  be having a few get togethers down there, I have a huge swag from Vans and MD that is just burning to be given away, so watch this space!

I’m so excited!!!! On the 15th Dru and I are going to Bali!!  We are going to go over to hopefully get some good video footage, pics and just work on our surfing!  I will let ya know more soon!

On the 21st of August we had our Massey University school ball on a boat floating around the Auckland harbour, it was awesome!! Also picked up a wicked deal to stay at the heritage hotel from “wot if” with amazing rates for hotel everywhere, check it out!! Started the evening off with a wee tennis match followed by a soak in the roof top spa and pool, so nice. Back to the room to get pampered and kit’d up before heading off to Auckland viaduct to catch our  boat! Was great fun!

The after Party was held at spy bar in Auckland city and as always, when you somehow find yourself party’n in up Auckland City- it was a 6am walk back to the hotel. I now respect how Wanaka and Queenstown’s bar’s close at 2 or 3am… Its a good thing for sure!!

Its not all play at uni I sware, we just got our first test results back yesterday and I passed with a healthy 79%!! Was very happy with that! Must say I was having my doubts of this ‘going back to school’ gig nearly 5 years later, but, there is hope yet!! =)

On the SNOWBOARD front, apart from the weekly shred at snowplanet, my good friend Andre and I are flying down south on sunday for a week of mayhem in Wanaka and Queenstown! So looking forward to snowboarding again!! I will be entering the rail jam in the Billabong Bro Down happening on the 10th-11th of September at snowpark and will be sure to post some pic’s up when I get back!!

Until then, -DO THE DEW!! =)

So after only 3 months I have departed Orlando… I am a bit torn about it to be honest.. I am happy to be going home to get my shoulder sorted out and also to see my friends and family, but I am also really gutted to be leaving Orlando so soon. Here is the last sunset Lake Holden had to offer before I left.

Now I am making my way up to San Antonio, Texas, to do some final filming for ‘In-Transit’. The plan is to meet up with local rider Gabe Lucas to hit up some winch spots and possibly build a rail to session. From there we will head up to the Dallas, Ft Worth area to meet up with Alex Brown, Joey Bradley and the rest of the iwake.com crew to do some boat riding. I have gone over most of the footage that Carnie has of me and I will be focusing on hitting a few ‘Bangers’ to complete my section.

The Trip is already off to a ripping start… Due to unfortunate events Chris’O and Carnie both missed their flight up to San Antonio so I was stuck waiting for them at the airport until their new arrival time 6 hours later. Then we find out that their next flight is canceled leaving me stranded at the Airport without much of a plan.. Here is the little spot I made into my temporary home..

Finally after about 6 hours of waiting I managed to get hold of Gabe who ended up picking me up and giving me a place to crash.. Stoked!

And this is the view I woke up to..

Today I will be heading down to Corpus Christi for the ‘Obscura’ Wakeskate movie premier. We will be rolling down there with a bit of a crew including Myself, Gabe Lucas, Aaron Reed and a few more. Looking forward to a good night!

After 8 days in Texas I will be heading up to LA to catch up with a few friends for about 4 days and then I will be headed home to NZ!!

Stay tuned for more on our In-Transit Texas trip..

I have really been getting into the TV show on Discovery… WHALE WARS!! Good to see a group of people standing up for what they believe in..

As a bit of a tribute we re-painted Dieters Jet ski with a bit of a Whale Wars Stealth theme. Check it.

Really, it’s been two weeks and I don’t have much news!

I’ve got a few more photos so I’ll throw em on and if you don’t mind a bit of rude humour I have attached a iTunes clip of a pod cast from the Ricky Gervais show. Just click and it shooooould work!

—> Knob Eater <—

Otherwise here is a few facts of the place and a few things I’ve been seeing.

I would love to throw a bit of skate photos and a lil clip on but I haven’t been doing much of that because of Uni work! Gah.

But I met a few locals on Domingo (Sunday) and will go for a roll this weekend sometime…so there may be a little skate clip – but it will probably be very chilled out!

These are a few headlines we have been hearing, all from within the city, Monterrey, where I am living and studying…in the last month.

At least six people kidnapped in Mexico hotel raid

A convoy of between 10 and 15 vehicles carrying as many as 30 gunmen pulled into the Holiday Inn at around 2 a.m., Garza y Garza said.A businessman from Mexico City, Luis Miguel Gonzalez, was kidnapped,A hotel receptionist, David Salas, was also kidnapped, together with another hotel employee,A security guard at the hotel was missing,Northern Mexico, particularly the states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, have seen a recent uptick in violent activity, much of it blamed on warring drug cartels.

Mexico apologizes after soldiers kill two students

The Mexican government has apologized to the families of two students killed early Friday who officials initially said were drug gang members.

Jorge Antonio Mercado Alonso, 23, and Javier Francisco Arredondo Verdugo, 24, were mechanical engineering graduate students at the Technological Institute of Higher Learning of Monterrey, the Mexican Interior Ministry said Sunday in its apology for the shootings.

Mexican soldiers chasing criminals who had fired on an army patrol shot and killed the students, the Interior Ministry said. Some of the criminals had fled onto the college campus.

There are no official government tallies, but more than 16,000 people are estimated to have died in the drug wars. The vast majority of the deaths are among reputed criminals, with some police and military also being killed. Relatively few of the deaths have been civilians.Even so, the United States and Canada have issued travel warnings, particularly along the border area. The Texas Department of Public Safety took the unprecedented step this year of recommending that students on spring break not go to border areas inside Mexico.

72 bodies found in Mexico were immigrants, officials say

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/world/americas/26mexico.html?_r=1&ref=americas

Them 72 bodies were found today, just outside of Monterrey. Mexico is real! …and it’s kinda freaky being in the middle here! I used to feel safe walking around with my skateboard as a weapon if I was skating at night in Auckland. Here I would rather carry something with bullets in it…

The difference is, these crimes often happen during the day, so it’s basically saying the Drug Cartels don’t give a damn cause they run the show and theres nothing to hide.

Eek!

I just got back from the WWA Worlds where fellow Ronix and Skull Candy team rider Dean Smith won his first major event in the US.. not to mention the fact that it was the WWA Worlds!!!

Dean was first off the dock in the final and was riding against Danny Harf, Trevor Hansen and the Soven Brothers. His run was off the hook with tricks like his huge indy moby dick, toeside and heelside 720s, Nuclear Whirly, front mobe 540 followed by a switch front mobe.. His trick off the Double up was the one that sealed the deal.. the biggest and most legit hoochie glide to backside 360!

Congrats Dean… There is going to be a loose party in the hood tonight!!

Pro Men Final
1. Dean Smith (AUS) – 78.33
2. Phillip Soven (USA) – 73.33
3. Trevor Hansen (USA) – 66.67
4. Danny Harf (USA) – 58.33
5. Bob Soven (USA) – 45.00

Pro Women Final
1. Nicola Butler (GRB) – 81.67
2. Amber Wing (AUS) – 75.00
3. Raimi Merritt (USA) – 65.00
4. Hayley Smith (AUS) – 56.67
5. Melissa Marquardt (USA) – 50.00
6. Meagan Ethell (USA) – 41.67

Pro Wakeskate Final
1. Reed Hansen (USA) – 94.67
2. Brian Grubb (USA) – 83.33
3. Stuart Shinn (USA) – 71.67
4. Danny Hampson (USA) – 53.33

Jr. Pro Men Final
1. Nick Galotifore (USA) – 83.25
2. Steel Lafferty (USA) – 80.75
3. Daniel Powers (USA) – 80.50
4. Raphael Derome (CAN) – 80.00
5. Freddie Wayne (USA) – 75.00
6. Michael Dowdy (USA) – 50.00

For the press release and for all results go to www.allisports.com