On August 2nd, 2025 the fine podcasters at The Nine Club— Chris Roberts, Kelly Hart, Jeron Wilson, and Roger Bagley, make their first ever event come to life. The Nine Club Classic took place at the iconic West Los Angeles Courthouse, featuring a full day of cash for tricks, giveaways, and good music. Check out the full recap above and hear from Chris, Kelly and Jeron on what having their own event is all about.
Lilly Erickson: From Hawaii to Global Podiums | Then/Now – The Platfrm
Hawaiian ripper Lilly Erickson got her start on a Target skateboard covered in hearts, but she’s since leveled up to riding for Birdhouse Skateboards and traveling the globe for international competitions. These days, she’s best known for her moves in the transitions—whether it’s bowls, vert ramps or parks—but Lilly has always embraced all types of skating. Early on, she could be found hitting the streets, too.
In this episode of Then/Now with Lilly Erickson, she shares the video parts, skate crews, and music that lit the spark early on—and what keeps her pushing the limits today.
Jaime Owens: Founder of Closer Skateboard Magazine in Short Documentary | CORE
Founder of Closer Skateboarding Magazine, Jaime Owens has witnessed a significant slice of skateboarding history firsthand. Today, his mission is to capture and preserve it through his publication. Originally from a small town in South Carolina, Jaime was first introduced to skateboarding when he saw a kid down the street riding a board. But it wasn’t until his sister handed him a copy of TransWorld SKATEboarding—the December 1986 issue featuring Rodney Mullen on the cover—that he became hooked. Shortly after, his mom wrote him a check for $40 to buy his neighbor’s skateboard.
Fast forward a few years, and Jaime picked up his first camera to capture the action while skating with friends. After college, he took a leap of faith and moved to California to chase the dream of becoming a skateboard photographer. From interning at Skateboarder Magazine to becoming its photo editor, then serving as editor-in-chief at TransWorld, and eventually founding Closer, Jaime has devoted his life to skateboarding, photography and publishing—and for that, we thank him.
Steve Caballero – Life at 60: Still Creating and Ripping | Portraits – Platfrm
You know him for his impact on skateboarding culture, but are you up to speed with everything else that makes up the life of Steve Caballero? At 60 years young, Cab sat down with us to talk about it all. He describes how his mastery of the wooden toy has ultimately led him to seek out new hobbies to keep growing. Although he skated in the final, farewell edition of the famed Combi Pool Party, Cab admits that he has spent much less time competing in recent years—and that’s just fine with him. This shift has opened up room for more motocross, art, and, of course, music in his life. If you didn’t already know about Cab’s first band, Faction, you’ve got some catching up to do. Since COVID, his new band, Urethane, has been in full swing with a full album and tour dates. Go deep into the current happenings of Steve Caballero in this episode of Portraits.
Braden Hoban on Early YMCA Sessions, Van Tours, and Pro Shoe | Then/Now – Platfrm
Growing up in Encinitas, California—surrounded by skateparks and local rippers—Braden Hoban was perfectly positioned to become the powerhouse skater he is today. In this Now/Then interview, he takes us from his first shop board at McGill’s to the two-year process behind his pro model shoe with Emerica. As a grom, Braden’s go-to spot was the Encinitas YMCA, where he honed his skills on rails and hubbas that laid the groundwork for his street style. Now, the same skaters he once watched in videos—like Leo Romero and Jeremy Leabres—are his crew for van tours. Braden has made a smooth progression from hometown sessions to riding with his heroes.
Raw Pool Skating with Jesse Lindloff and Salba | Spot to Spot – The Platfrm
Raw and without filter, Jesse Lindloff invites us along for a day of backyard pools and everything that comes with it. “What you see is what you get,” he says. Kicking things off in San Bernardino, Jesse hits a new pool with the help of Steve Alba showing him the pin and proper carve grind. The crew gets clips over the triple horse fish and the cake stack before taking off to hit two more pools by the day’s end—but not without a few busts along the way.
After draining out putrid waters, grinding through overgrown grass on the coping and a few pics to add to his future coffee table book of pool photos; they hit the final spot with a rub brick and a dose of lacquer so Jesse can stack a clip he’s tried for in the past.
Rockstar Energy Crew Chris Joslin, Braden Hoban, Lazer Crawford Shut Down SLS Santa Monica
The Rockstar Energy crew pulled up to Santa Monica and shut down the pier with heavy hits and big energy! Watch Lazer Crawford at his first ever SLS competition, Braden Hoban take over the real Santa Monica triple set, and Chris Joslin take the overall big win. #RockstarEnergy #platfrm
Josh Douglas Hits Iconic & Hidden Gems in LA | Spot to Spot
Cruise through Covina, just outside East LA, with Josh Douglas and the homies Jack Olson and Christian Dufrene as they mix mellow lines with heavy tricks. For Josh, it always looks too easy. His style is effortless and his attitude always appears to be carefree. The dude is seriously beaming with positivity and has an impressive lightheartedness to the way he carries himself. But his definition of a “rocket” flip is more strict than most, and his desire to do things right shines through in his skating. In the streets, he handles his business. Follow the boys to a few parks and then into the streets to stack a few clips, with ease, in this episode of Spot to Spot: Josh Douglas.
The History of Skatepark of Tampa—Short Documentary | Core
Ready to learn about the origins of the emblematic Skatepark of Tampa, aka SPoT!? It all started in response to Paul Zitzer’s vert ramp being deconstructed in 1991 when Brian Schaefer sought out a warehouse to give it life again. The warehouse in Tampa, though, doubled as a temporary home in order to make their dream a reality. What has happened since will be forever etched into skateboard history.
The legacy of the Tampa Pro claims the longest running contest in skateboarding (BONUS nugget: the first prize purse was $1,000 sponsored by Airwalk) dating back to 1995. Fast forward 30+ years and SPoT has become the quintessential proving ground in skateboarding.
Today, Tampa Am and Tampa Pro are considered THE events that solidify a skater’s path to being a respected professional, and skateparkoftampa.com has become a cornerstone of the skateboard e-commerce space.
Tap in with Schaefer and Zitzer in this episode of CORE to relive the series of events that created SPOT, hear iconic stories, and get a glimpse into the world that created and continues to breathe life into the legendary Skatepark of Tampa.
Jimmy Wilkins First Skateboard, Influential Pros, and Fave VHS | Then/Now
From pushing around on a Pokémon complete from Target to skating Tony Hawk’s vert ramp nearly every day, Jimmy Wilkins’ skateboard journey has come a long way. In this Then/Now episode, he opens up about his first real setup, the chaotic music that defined his early skatepark days, and the unlikely Frank Sinatra and Biggie Smalls mashups he’s into now. He reflects on the VHS tapes he wore out and skate legends—Bob Burnquist, Chris Miller, and others—who shaped his journey. Hit play and hear it all from Jimmy.
A Look into Skateboarding’s Road Culture | Life in the Van – The Platfrm
Get in the van! Life In The Van is a series documenting the most quintessential part of life as a professional skateboarder. Since the beginning, skateboarders have been packing into vans and taking to the open road in search of new towns, new spots, and places to stack clips—not to mention drop in for demos and autograph signings to stoke out the local skateboarders along the way. Skate, eat, sleep, and repeat. Whether it’s for a few weeks or a few months, the bonds formed and the footage captured are what make these trips so special. So, what’s it really like?
“It’s like a family experience,” says Chris Roberts. “You start to hate these people.” Sean Malto, Braden Hoban and Greyson Fletcher explain the importance of a van’s seating chart, or hierarchy, while Tom Schaar, Georgia Martin and Lazer Crawford describe some of their first van memories. And Felipe Gustavo poetically sums up his van experiences as, “That’s where your heart is.” Hear from each of them and get a look into the behind-the-scenes, the falls, makes, and more —slide open the side door and experience Life In The Van.
Aaron “Jaws” Homoki’s Life in Arizona, Skate Culture, and Injury Recovery | Portraits – The Platfrm
Nobody jumps like Jaws. Aaron “Jaws” Homoki is the undisputed best in the biz (see his Thrasher covers). He’s got so much more in his bag than that, though!
In this episode of Portraits: Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, check in with the man and all that his local scene has to offer. The newest rider for Faces Skate Shop, Jaws explains his choice to buy a house in Arizona, where he grew up, and not plant new roots in California. Simply put, it’s where he feels comfortable, and he’s also able to make an impact of a different sort for the skate community. Reflecting on the days before social media, Jaws remembers the endless days of making edits with his homies—a special time that he still cherishes, and hopes to instill with others.
Jaws also gets us up-to-date with his recent knee injury, a torn ACL and meniscus. To all the people that told him, “You got to be careful, you’re going to be hurting when you’re older.” He didn’t listen and he’s glad he didn’t. So are we.