Beagle brings you some throwback footage from the archives featuring Andrew Reynolds and Justin Figgy Figueroa.
BEAGLE Tapes: Episode 58 – Beagle and Dustin Dollin
A summer day in Cerritos, CA. The Skate Tank takes a trip down south to Jacob Park. Beagle, eyes a combo from block-to-block, while Flip Nasty remains in the vehicle enjoying an ice cold IceHouse. After several attempts, Beagle has a short victory ride from a 50-50 180 to switch 50-50 fakie frontside half Cab out. Beagle then takes control of the TRV900, so he can film Theotis Beasley while Reno retires and takes a short siesta on a hot summer day. Theotis lands a frontside switch manual in a head-to-toe getup, compliments of SoleTech.
The following day, traveling north to the San Fernando Valley, Braydon Szafranski attempts a backside noseblunt on a 8-stair rail. The crew stays lit on hot wax and Sparks on the grass.
Into the night, at 5724 Hollywood Boulevard, the Baker House has a un-welcomed eight legged guest. Reno attempts an Indiana Jones style kill, but fails. Beagle finishes the job with an execution by print media. Shortly following the insects death, an offender falls asleep on the couch with his shoes on and a beer in his hand. Reno takes no time to address the violation, draws a condiment gun and fires. Corysco becomes a “catsup charlatan.”
The day after, Dustin Dollin decides he wants to kickflip noseslide the Wilshire 15-stair rail. After a few attempts he asked to leave the property by building security. Quick to improvise, he finds a wooden 15-stair rail at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Similar to THPS, he “fandangles” one all the way down. Lance Dawes gets the sequence. Circa 2007 – BEAGLE
Hot Plate: James Coleman
James Coleman AKA “Young Guru” is an avant-garde skateboarder that has an approach like non-other. He rides the architectural waves of the southern United States on his spiritual quest with a strong presence in the moment. Feet on the board, head in the clouds. He’s your favorite skater’s favorite skater’s favorite skater (that’s not a repetitive typo). – BEAGLE
BEAGLE Tapes: Episode 57 – Justin “Figgy” Figueroa and Andrew Reynolds
The USS Bullhead Memorial park in Albuquerque, New Mexico pays homage to the USS Bullhead submarine. It was the last US Navy ship sunk by enemy action. It met its fate on the same day that the Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, August 6, 1945. On the road to SXSW, the Altamont team makes a pitstop at this particular monument. Justin “Figgy” Figueroa wastes no time and gets Norrin Radd on the rail. After a few grinds and a 5-0, there is an internal discussion that 5-0 grind had already been performed on this particular rail by a specific local. Without hesitation, Figgy gets back up there and sinks a 5-0 180 out.
Continuing east towards Austin, TX, the team pulls over in a small town called Lubbock, the birthplace of Buddy Holly. Garret Hill finds a crusty kinked hubba and decides to test his luck. After a few attempts he sticks on the kink and comes down harder than the Beechcraft Bonanza on the Day The Music Died.
To lighten up the mood, the gang heads over to some brick quarter pipes. Shane Heyl and Figgy are feeling the presence of a Rock N’ Roll legend and conspired a new song while Justin Regan gets some big air, dog. Circa 2009 – BEAGLE
BEAGLE Tapes: Episode 56 – Sammy Baca
Fresh off the plane from Las Vegas, a longhaired Sammy Baca touches down in Los Angeles. In preparation, Beagle had been scouting “Sammy Spots” in Beverly Hills and Century City. In the final days of filming for the “Bake and Destroy” video, Sammy starts the session off at a bench-to-rail setup in Beverly Hills. After a few slams the Beverly Hills Cops show up and shutdown the session. – BEAGLE
BEAGLE Tapes: Episode 54 – Evan Hernandez
“They want me talk about Evan, right?” – Dustin Dollin
Filming for his Transworld “In Bloom” video part, a young Evan Hernadez, (Pre Rolex Watches and Rubba-Band Bizness) skates the Franklin High School 18 stair rail in Highland Park, CA. After a close call with a concussion, he rides away from a frontside boardslide, which ended up being his last trick in his Transworld part. He is accompanied by the underrated Jason Jones.
In a brief session at La Cañada High School, Jeff Lenoce attempts a switch heelflip down the 11 stair while Beagle tortures Knox Godoy by throwing his board up in a tree. After a short duration and a juvenile name calling dialogue, Knox retrieves his board by giving the tree a shake, but only to find it was now inhabited by a creepy crawler.
At the Santa Monica Courthouse, Beagle films Ako Jefferson perform a frontside kickflip down the four stair in dual t-shirt Laker getup with a pair of éS Koston 3s. As seen in “Chomp On This”. Handing the camera off, Ako films Beagle perform a frontside bluntslide shuv-it. As seen in the original Shake Junt video entitled “Shake Junt”. Peep the steez (style) on the nollie shuv, post landing. Circa 2001 – BEAGLE
BEAGLE Tapes: Episode 54 – Reno
Dr. Joong Gun Kwon has been practicing dentistry in Los Angeles for over 30 years. He still enjoys being in a profession that helps others, not only with their teeth, but also with their self-image. He believes that the condition of one’s smile can indirectly affect a person’s confidence. Before J. Kwon Orthodontics Center was a hotspot, a majority of the skateboarding occurred only on the outer parameters of the plaza. The gap-to-ledges were the spot to “test your might.” A young slim Reno steps on the scene, flossing his color-coordinated outfit. Reno goes into battle with a sample pair of blood red Ellington One combat boots. The varial flip noseslide is a very unique trick that requires a “mob flick” technique with precision timing. 40 something attempts later and he locks the paddle in with a momentous slide to fakie that changed his life forever. The famous “Wooooorrrd!” heard round the world in the BAKER 3 video. All it takes is one and every dog has his day. No one is really certain about what happened to Reno. Last we heard is that he lives Los Altos, CA and does narrative writing.
Tripping to the dessert, Beagle and Flip head out to Victorville, CA to skate “Donny’s Hubba.” When they arrive they meet a young Antwuan DIxon, also known as “Big Kandy” at the time and light up the spot. Flip gets a backside smith grind and Beagle films Antwuan’s effortless style for the first time in history. Woody the dog closes the session out with a gap to slide. Give a dog a bone. Circa 2004 – BEAGLE
BEAGLE Tapes: Episode 53 – Neen Williams and Patrick “The Sinner”
Filming for Shake Junt’s “ChickenBone Nowison” and the “Deathwish” video, the crew heads to Luther Burbank Middle School in Highland Park, CA. A more slender Neen Williams, steps up to huck a heelflip over the 16-stair rail. With a couple warm ollies, Neen mentally prepares himself for a heelflip. After several atempts, Neen stomps a graceful heelflip with more flavor than OG Veggie spice on a piece of organic free-range chicken. Not a damn chance…
Heading southwest, the Skate Tank docks at the LA Library for a good an old-fashioned “jump-sesh.” Patrick “The Sinner” Pasquale stomps the yard with a hardflip and fakie flip on opposing sides of the gap. Moose performs a tribute to Brad Staba and Furby has fun with a switch varial heelflip.
Back in Hollywood, Beagle spots Macaulay Culkin running late for a movie audition. Circa 2011 – BEAGLE
BEAGLE Tapes: Episode 52 – Lizard King
Off the Interstate 10 Freeway, in the Mojave Desert, the sun beats down on an outlet mall. In route to Arizona, Beagle and the boys stop by to do some shopping when a gap-to-rail is spotted. A young Lizard King, who was in-between board sponsors, thrives in his natural environment. A few clips and its back in the van and back on the 10 East.
In the backseat of the Skate Tank, while the rest of the crew is preoccupied with “Fitty Joints”, Theotis Beasly watches skate videos and listens to Cam’ron. Dreaming of a skate/rap lifestyle… “I see your headlights, they looking dead nice. They got me saying D-D-D-D-D-Damn.”
Arriving in downtown Phoenix, the crew meets up with Kenny Hoyle to skate the Jefferson Gap. Off the top rope, Kenny lands a switch backside 180 with his smooth signature style. Lizard backs him with a 5-0 gap-out.
For many early migrants to Phoenix, the city was the difference between life and death. By 1900, tuberculosis was the second leading cause of death in the U.S., and Valley newcomers often came at the recommendation of their doctors, who prescribed Arizona’s sunshine and dry air for recovery. Tuberculosis patients, also known as “lungers” lived in squalid encampments north of the city in Sunnyslope. Fast forward a 107 years, at a ditch in Sunnyslope, Lizard King dump trucks off a fence to ditch grate. Circa 2007 – BEAGLE
BEAGLE Tapes: Episode 50 – Andrew Reynolds, Justin “Figgy” Figueroa and Furby
The Wilshire Financial Tower was built in 1962. This structure is commonly referred to by skateboarders as the WIlshire 10 or Wilshire 15. The building received a Merit Award from the Southern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1963. The entrance has an 88 foot wide forecourt framed by one story wings. The lobby features a four-section colored mosaic glass mural by Gyorgy Kepes, 12 feet high and totaling 57 feet in length. Welton David Beckett’s architectural firm designed this building. Interestingly, the architectural firm also designed some very interesting buildings and structures that are relevant to skateboard culture. His firm also designed the World’s Fair project in 1964, to NY skaters this is know as “Flushing Meadows”. Another famous skate spot designed by Welton Beckett’s firm is the Chase Tower in Phoenix, AZ. This pot is know as the “Bank Banks”, made famous by Chad Muska and Colby Carter. The firm also designed the Capitol Records building located in Hollywood, CA.
Anyways, let’s get down to brass tax. In pursuit of the completing the “Bake and Destroy” video which was available as a free DVD in every copy of December 2012 Thrasher Magazine. The BAKER skateboards team was in crunch time to get the final clips for the video. Warming up at the Wilshire 10 stair, Justin “Figgy” Figueroa switch backside lipslides the set and avoids oncoming traffic. Andrew Reynolds gets half Cab noseslide, while Michael Burnett documents with a photography sequence. Migrating to the big boy side, a young Franky Villani performs a coping dance with a feeble-to-50-50 and then considers a 50-50 to manual. Figgy, pursing the premeditated switch backside 50-50, get what he came there for. A cold blooded reptile (Lizard Kind) feeds off the heat of the make.
The next day, in San Pedro, CA, Furby nollie kickflips a fatty to flatty between the pam tree field goal. It’s good… Circa 2011 – BEAGLE
BEAGLE Tapes: Episode 48 – Erik Ellington and the Carlsbad Gap
Beagle brings you the raw footage behind Erik Ellington’s Bigspin at the famous Carlsbad Gap and more; circa 2004 and 2005.
BEAGLE Tapes: Episode 47 – Lizard King
In Irwindale, CA, the Baker Boys skate a hip in the blistering sun. In the pursuit of “web clips” an uncommon term at the time, Don “Nuge” Nguyen and Brian “Slash” Hansen get tricks while Andrew Reynolds and Jeff Lenoce bake in the sun.
At a local Home Depot, Beagle spots a character in an unusual attire. With a matching Homer Simpson shirt and shorts, the man continues to scratch his behind while discussing local politics with his entourage.
Back to skateboarding’s most famous stage, Lizard King and the Green Room crew roll deep to the Hollywood 16 stair rail. With the usual warm up chants, “For Satan”, “Green Room”, “No Batlle, No War”, and “Do or Die For The Homies”, Lizard King hypes himself up and slides a frontside noseslide all the way to the bottom, first try. Four attempts later, the Lizard surfs one out. The crowd goes wild including Molly the dog (RIP). Circa 2009 – Beagle