Torrance & Garden Grove

**In this mission came two new skaters who we don't normally go with. Luke Perine and Derek Spear were kind enough to offer their talents for the day. With a mutual desire to skate ledges, we tried out the famous Bell Intermediate in Garden Grove. Bell Intermediate ledges. These ledges can be seen in Circa's very own "It's Time" video. Dennis Durrant does bluntslide on the first ledge and kickflip nosegrind to fakie on the second as his beginning line. During the warm-up game of skate, Luke managed to push his board into a classroom door, setting off an alarm. Our hasty departure thereafter was fueled by the fear of additional tickets (we were recently ticketed at the Torrance ledges a few weeks ago). With no footage and a set of unfinished games of skate, Bell Intermediate became an instant failure. Only more problems arose when in search of a 9 rail. Fortunately, my 'Torrance local' friend gave us directions to the rainbow ledge. Joe & Pork @ Torrance ledge. Cody had a very successful session on the rainbow ledge, as well as Luke. Luke 50-50, Torrance. Joe and Derek however did not land their attempted noseslide and tailslide. Tricks landed by Cody in the session include: boardslide, back 50-50, and crook fakie to just the top of the ledge. Realizing that the ledge was much steeper and chunkier than we had earlier thought, Cody amazed us all with holding down a very determined crooked grind all the way to the end of the ledge. Cody crooked grind, Torrance.

**Note: In a stroke of luck, my three brothers and I have recieved a chance to skate the legendary city of San Francisco. However because of this there will be no skate mission on Saturday. I apologize for the inconvenience. Anyway, this will probably be our only chance to film in San Francisco, so I hope we get something decent. The blog entries for the trip will be put up 2 weeks from Friday (November 16th), showing 1 blog entry each day until all 6 are shown.

Torrance & Redondo Beach 02

The last session of the day ended up with a $35 ticket for each of us, excluding Pork and Joe who were sleeping in the car. Cody getting a ticket (difficult to see). Although the authorities prevailed in the end, we did not leave empty-handed; lines and single tricks were in fact clocked. The first line of the session was a laid back trio of tricks done by Cody. This 'trio' was made up of a frontside tailslide to wallie to wallie 50-50. On a pyramid shaped flagpole base along with one of the ledges, JJ also landed a tight little line consisting of wallie with a smith grind pop out on one of the ledges. Sean filming JJ's line. In between tries of this line, JJ also did a steezy frontside wallie and frontside wallie 180 on the flagpole base. As the last trick of the session, Mikey landed a cliche yet considerably difficult wallie front blunt fakie. Mikey front blunt fakie, Torrance. This entry's Youtube contribution contains a 56 second clip of tricks that were actually landed this time, along with the regular behind-the-scenes footage. Enjoy!

Torrance & Redondo Beach 01

With a Torrance local at our disposal, we were fortunate enough to get hooked up with a few spots including the famous Mira Costa 10. Bliss at Mira Costa. Tricks contributing to the slaughter of this set would include a nollie backside 360 and a nollie frontside bigspin by Scott Kane. Also from the same school is the 13 stair hubba that Erik Ellington noseslides in Baker 3, which is now knobbed unfortunately. The Mira Costa 10 session is marked mostly by near landings. Joe stuck back 180, Kevin stuck switch frontside bigspin, Cody stuck heelflip, and Tyler stuck 'swollie' (switch ollie). On the brighter side, Tyler did manage to not only stick but land a kickflip. Next stop was another famous set; the Redondo Beach 13. Although not difficult to clear, yet high, no one was down for it except Tyler. He tried ollie but was prevented from rolling away due to his bad foot. Tyler ollie attempt, Redondo Beach. Tyler rubbing his injured foot. Sean & Mikey playing with the equipment. All I have for this entry are the near landings, but please enjoy nonetheless.

Chiro - First Generator Session

Our first night of using the generator was a hit! Hitting up our most prized local spot, Chiro 10 was all but a bust and failure. JJ chilling on the bed of Nick's truck hours before the session. Rolling up with over $6000 worth of equipment, we were lookin' pretty legit. After some generator difficulties, we finally got it started and were ready to clock footy and photos. Lookin' legit! Chiro 10 skaters were Matt, Kevin, & Juan. Warm-up tricks consisted of ollies by all, a frontside 180 first try by Kevin, and a cute Ragdoll jump to board by Matt. Tricks followed by this were a pop shuvit attempt that annihilated Juan's urge to skate for the night, a failed kickflip attempt from Matt, and a super steezy and clean nollie backside 180 (otherwise known as a nollie half-cab) by Kevin. Kevin nollie backside 180, Whittier. After Kevin's flawless landing, Matt wanted to try a more advanced trick than his previous kickflip. Landing rather perfectly on his board but slipping out, Matt stuck a sweet looking nollie bigspin. However, that was as far as he got. Nevertheless, we left the Chiro with a dope night session and some footy in the bag. Enjoy!

Santa Monica Shores & Santa Monica High School 02

Next stop was the high school, with the infamous drake pool gap and 14 stair. JoJo was the most eager to skate, beginning a series of nollie flip attempts. But to his disappointment, failure was the only outcome. Contrary to this situation, Cody busted a nice half-cab bringing the drake pool session to a half success (don't sweat it, JoJo). We had little time after drake pool due to a concert Joe was going to, starting at 5:00pm (it was roughly 3:30pm). JoJo had been thinking about the 14 for some time, so he and the rest of us skated over there. With 12 people watching, two of them filming and one taking photos, JoJo was undoubtedly 'pumped'. Although nervous, back 180 was at the top of his 'to do' list, so his first try went down only after a few run-ups. He ate shit pretty hard, but he was still down for more. I had a feeling that he would stick it the next try, since he's got them on lock, and that he did! Popping such a powerful back 180 he landed practically bolts, but sadly enough, the landing was too much. Knowing he can land it for sure, JoJo gave it another try, which became his last. Again, JoJo was bereft of success as he slid for the third time on his hip. Beaten, scarred, and bruised, JoJo decided he was done for the day and walked home empty handed. What a shame... Enjoy the bails by the way!

Santa Monica Shores & Santa Monica High School 01

As our first attempt for Santa Monica was thwarted due to undesirable weather conditions, the second was a sunny success. To warm up for the day, we hit the most relaxed spot there is in Santa Monica; its shores. Group chill session. With ledges, sand gaps, and passersby getting in your way, one can never go wrong here with a skateboard. However, most of the group was sulking on the ledges waiting to go to a massive pool gap and 14 they had no intention of skating(but let's not mind them!). After a good ledge/flatground session, Pork, Joe, and I began filming on the sand gaps. Pork killed it right away, with a hardflip first try and a 360 flip minutes later. Pork 360 flip, Santa Monica Shores. In succession, Pork landed two pressure flips, one being advanced in cleanliness to the first. In the midst of this, Joe landed a backside heelflip, which was a new trick for him (bravo!). Joe drinking victory water. Since this took Joe a while, everybody saw the landing as a signal to leave and started getting up. With an urge to clock one more trick, Pork landed a double flip third try, ending the sand gap session. Congrats! Enjoy the media!

Frost Middle School & Sylmar High School 04

As we were quickly losing sunlight, we booked it from Frost Middle School. In a hurry to get to Sylmar, yet hungry, we got Jack in the Box and ate that shit on the way. Lurking at Jack in the Box. To our surprise, the rumors about Sylmar 11's unskatable landing were false, so we began the sesh pronto. JoJo and Matt hopping the fence into Sylmar 11. JoJo and Matt began throwing themselves down the 11 as fast as possible. But to their dismay, they encountered back to back failed attempts on heelflip and back 180. Matt, especially, was robbed by the 11 as he stuck countless back 180s, which only ended in a dome check from the landing. There was a measure of success, however, when JJ came out of nowhere and landed a high altitude kickflip with considerable steez. To wrap up the day, JoJo thought it would be cute to have Cody ollie over him and Tre as they are chillin' on the 11. Although I won't show the footage of the ollie, I will post a great picture I took of it! Cody ollie, Sylmar. Everyone waiting at the burban. Also included is the footage of Matt's rejection by the Sylmar God! Enjoy!

Frost Middle School & Sylmar High School 03

As JoJo watched the footage from the 8 rail, Cody and Joe began prepping for new tricks over the the top of the double set rail and into the bank. Cody started with a warm-up frontside ollie over the rail as Joe began attempting a back 180. As he grew weary of the trick and stopped, Cody began trying 50-50 through the kink. Cody mulling it over. As time wore on with near landings, Cody was burdened with a nice tripping over the rail bail. Nonetheless, he immediately got back up and landed 50-50 down the double set kink only a mere 3 tries later. Cody 50-50, Granada Hills. Here's the video of the frontside ollie, Enjoy! I also put up a picture of all of us sitting on a wall, watching a session go down. From left to right: Garrett, Cody, JoJo, JJ, Tre, Matt, Kevin, Mikey, and myself. Joe's was taking the picture, so he couldn't be in it. But thanks for the sacrifice! I think it's a dope picture for its purity of just chillin' on a Saturday afternoon, after clockin' a bucket of footy. Yet again, enjoy!

Frost Middle School & Sylmar High School 02

After the successful 10 rail session, we parted into two separate groups, hitting up different parts of the school. VX1000 creeping up on Joe. Tre, Cody, Kevin, & I went to a manual to manual pad, as Joe, Garrett, JoJo, JJ, Mikey, & Matt went to the well-known double set kink thathappened to have an 8 rail across the street from it. At the manual pads tre filmed a stellar line consisting of half-cab flip to ollie up the first manny pad to a gapped out nose manny. Tre and I filming the line! Cody then got a quick manny to gap out manny on the dual pads as Kevin and Tre boned out of there to meet up with the rest of the group. After clockin' the manny pad footy, Cody and I met up with everyone at the double set kink/8 rail. Garrett and JoJo were skating the 8 rail. The latter landed a nice front board fakie as I retrieved the VX1000 from my bag, JoJo frontside boardslide fakie, Granada Hills. Although I missed a second angle for JoJo's trick, I was able to film Garrett 's 50-50. Here is a little clip of Cody and Tre skating the manny pads. Enjoy!