Since JENKEM couldn’t believe this place existed they went to meet up with John Hilding, the artist behind the park, to chat about his artistic background, run-ins with Andy Warhol, and the story behind the park’s creation. JENKEM brought along two Washington natives, Elise Hedge, and Caden Smith, to test the valor of a frying pan skate park. Enjoy!
Ground Glass: Ronnie Kessner – JENKEM
Very few skate videographers attempt to capture skateboarding on 16mm film. And for good reason! At $50 a minute, you’re at the mercy of high costs, old equipment and the consistency of skaters. Videographer James Thomson was up for the challenge and has Ronnie Kessner skating through Thailand for his newest episode of Ground Glass. Settle in and get ready to watch some warm, ultra-analog skating caught on technology invented in 1923.
The Search For Steve Rocco, OG Skater & Founder of World Industries – JENKEM
If you know Jenkem, you know this is about as close to a magnum opus interview as there ever was. Steve, along with being a pioneer of 70s, 80s and early 90s skateboarding, owned World Industries, and spearheaded the street skating movement alongside some of the best skaters around at the time. After many years we Jenkem was finally able to get Steve in on an interview and damn, this feels good to write. Raise a glass, ’cause they did it, baby.
Hotdogs, Beer and Treflips: The 999 Challenge – JENKEM
Skateboarding has always been one big sausage fest. So Jenkem figured why not actually throw one? Enter the 999 challenge. What ensued was one of skateboarding’s most glorious sporting events. No ramps, no pros, no big shoe sponsors, just a hot grill, a cooler full of ice, and straight flat ground tricks. The boys were quickly separated from the men as their twisted idea became a reality.
Fred Gall & The Origins of One of New Jersey’s Longest Standing Board Brands
We met up with Fred Gall, Lou & Donny Binaco to discuss Metal, a skate brand they started in 1994 out of New Jersey that’s still running today. Birthed from one too many acid trips, late night skate sessions, and a desire to start a no frills, evil skate company out of the East Coast, Metal is a part of skateboarding history often forgotten.
The Magician That Sweeps Venice Beach Skate Park l LOCALS – JENKEM
JENKEM’s series “Locals” focuses on the often overlooked characters that surround skateboarding – the eccentrics, weirdos and local legends who are staples in the community for reasons outside of having a great back tail. It’s the people with no sponsors to answer to and no paychecks to lose. The people who skate for the love and have a routine unique to themselves.
Goofing Around LA with Lakai’s New Prodigy, Kyonosuke Yamashita – JENKEM
Recently dropping a two-track, seven-minute part within Primitive’s AM video and getting comfortable in LA, Kyonosuke is just getting started. Jenkem hopped around LA, picked up some souvenirs, and tested Kyo’s knowledge of his beloved Dr. Pepper.
Buddhist Temples and Alligators with Billy Rohan – JENKEM
Jenkem writer Ben met up with 90s and 2000s pro Billy Rohan in Gainesville, Florida. They skated a Buddhist temple, got dangerously close to alligators, and checked out Billy’s skate shop Samurai.
Mindfield, Jake Johnson and Music with Animal Collective – JENKEM
There’s no denying Animal Collective deserves a seat at the table when talking about music-skate video pairings, so when Jenkem heard about their latest album “Isn’t It Now?” they used the opportunity to hit them up and talk skateboarding.
JENKEM PREMIERE: Christian Maalouf in Static VI
Remember Christian aka the guy Jeknkem went toy shopping with? They ditched the toy store for this one to bring you his new part in Static 6. It includes spring-loaded pop, an angsty Built to Spill song, and a better kickflip than 90% of skateboarding.
A Glimpse Into The Baker Has a Deathwish II World Premiere – JENKEM
With the hype building around “Baker Has A Deathwish Part 2,” a long-awaited sequel to what most would call a skate cult classic, JENKEM knew they had get a little coverage, so they had their friends Marco Hernandez and Austin Leleu bring the dad cam along, and get a little coverage, Raspa’s Tapes™ Style.
PREMIERE: “I Survived 500 Days Filming The Worst Skate Video Ever” – JENKEM
Miss when skating didn’t take itself so seriously? Look no further, Hitopp Video’s latest masterpiece is here to complete the trifecta trilogy of past Canadian classics like “Horny Mom Busts a Phat Tre Flip” and “Weed is Tight”. The highly anticipated third installment doesn’t disappoint either and delivers on all fronts with classic goofy mashups, tasty slams, and some proper skating.