Two hours outside of LA is a place called Bombay Beach. This area was a popular resort town for beachgoers and celebrities until the ’80s but due to a destroyed ecosystem what’s left these days looks closer to a Mad Max scene than anything else, with streets populated by loners and outcasted creatives. Jenkem caught wind that someone was building some DIY skate spots out there, so they decided to let their imagination get the best of us and checked it out.
Shop Talk at The Vans Block Party in Brooklyn – JENKEM
Jenkem hit the Vans Block Party at 198 in Brooklyn, New York for their newest episode of Shop Talk. As usual, people were lurking, booze was flowing, and shit was talked.
Hjinx And New Beginnings With Videographer Tristan Warren – JENKEM
Tristan is a young videographer from California who started gaining recognition from his independent video “Hijinx Unlimited”. It featured a talented new skate crew and a bunch of old school Hijinx that ended up being so controversial that he eventually took the video offline. Jenkem met up with him to see how his new company, Medieval Skateboards, is shaping up and grabbed an inside look into his world.
JENKEM – Life After Skating: The Couple Behind Buddies Coffee In NY
At some point, every pro skater is faced with the age-old question of, “What’s next?” And for Taylor, coffee was a chance he was willing to take. Being that Jenk HQ isn’t too far, Jenkem stopped in one day and the coffee drinkers in the crew were impressed. A week later they linked up with the duo in Brooklyn to get the behind-the-scenes on how their new endeavor is shaping up.
JENKEM Flew to Sweden to Find Out How Some of The Fastest Bearings Are Made
From Boeing jet engines to your spaghetti-stained microwave, chances are if you crack them open an SKF bearing will fall out. We had to know what this behemoth of a company wanted with the crumbs that is the skateboarding industry, so we hopped in the Jenkem private jet (aka Spirit Airlines economy) to do some digging.
Meet The Family Raising The Next Generation Of Black Female Skateboarding – JENKEM
Once known for his street lifestyle and insane pop, former pro skater Darren Harper left the spotlight behind to embrace a job and kids. He’s passed his love for skateboarding down to his daughters, and the spotlight is returning to the Harper family, only this time for his eldest two daughters Tink and Demi.
Meet The Seattle Artist Who Designed A Bacon ‘N Eggs Inspired Skatepark – JENKEM
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.