VOX Footwear and COLOR have something in common: we both recently stopped by Jordan Hoffart's Vista California dream home (I say dream home, but really it's only a skater's dream, because most people wouldn't consider a chicken coop, a goat and a skatepark as must-have features of a dream home).

Check out this Day in the Life with The Hoff and take a tour around his house via a clever moustache-chasing intro. Also, stay tuned for the next issue of Color (11.2 Summer) where we give you an in-depth look at the house plus all the background info on what it took for Jordan to turn a piece of foreclosed property in SoCal into a never-neverland for never-gonna-grow-ups.

portrait by Alana Paterson

I'm going on the record and saying that my interview with Matt Berger that I did for the new issue was one of the best I've ever participated in. There was a lot of speculation heading into this one—nobody really knew what to expect, since skateboarding is pretty much all this kid has ever known—but once we got into it, I found out quickly that Matt's really bright and was eager to get into some deeper discussion than he was used to:

Excerpt:

What if it meant being away from your family for more than two years? Is that something you could do? [Laughs] This is getting to be a fucking intense interview, man….

Is it too early for this? I told you to grab a coffee...I know. I had some tea this morning so I’m good. But ya, I always keep in contact with my friends. And it’s not like I’m gonna be away for two years and never come back to Canada. There’s always gonna be ‘time to come home,’ right? So I mean, ya I go away all the time, for like a month or two-month periods, but it’s fine. It doesn’t seem as long as it sounds for me anymore, I guess, I’m just getting used to it, so it’s good.

Do you have any brothers or sisters? I’ve got an older sister.

How old is your sister?[laughs] I can see where this is going man.

Where’s that? [still laughing] She’s 22.

I’m not going anywhere with that… Ya, I know, I’ve just had some Kingshit interviews…

This is not a Kingshit interview, I can guarantee you that. Thank god.

spread from Color 11.1  [ o ] odam

Once he got settled in, we got talking about his travels and what they've taught him. Coming from a small town myself (St. Thomas, ON represent) I understand what it's like to get trapped at home and never experience all the wonderful and strange things the world has to offer. Luckily, Matt's recognized that skateboarding changed his life and has given him the opportunity to leave Kamloops in search of bigger and better things.

At home in the 'loops [ o ] paterson

Sometimes, you see a guy out at the park, or you watch the web edits that people put together, and you start to formulate an opinion about who you think they are, but it's not until you really get to know someone, and give them a chance to talk that you really learn about their character. That is why I love making a magazine, because it gives us the chance to tell the stories that just don't come through on Instagram or HellaClips.

Plus, I knew Matt was doing something right when Rowley hand-picked him for FLIP:

"I liked that he was humble, from BC, and you could tell straight away that he was driven to progress. The happy go lucky attitude was a big plus also, and the fact that we was well rounded on the street, tech and the gnar!"

He even had these travel tips for the young jetsetter:

"Carry a knife. Watch your back, stay protected down under, get in the mix and enjoy every moment. Skate like it's the last time, every time."

another spread from Color 11.1

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW IN COLOR 11.1 (on newsstands or buy your copy online)

I bet you didn't know Toronto had place called Oasis Alternative Secondary School where at-risk youth can earn highschool credits and that they have a program to teach students how to build and design skateboards, even working towards starting and launching their own company. It's called Oasis Skateboard Factory and I bet you also didn't know that it existed right inside the community center beside DUNBAT skatepark.

"OSF provides an opportunity to work to real-world deadlines in a small setting with personal teacher assistance and mentorships," says artist/designer/teach Craig Morrison, "allowing students to re-engage, re-focus, gain confidence and achieve personal and community-recognized success."

from: "Alternative Tentacle 8": Annual Alternative Schools Art Show at Xpace Cultural Centre in Toronto

Right now, the program needs help from the community to purchase screenprinting equipment and have set up this crowdfunding campaign to ask for your support:

"Screen printing equipment will support at-risk students as they learn to design original graphics, work with local artists, and market and display their own skateboards and other branded items as they operate a socially responsible entrepreneurial business... Screen printing equipment will support at-risk students as they learn to design original graphics, work with local artists, and market and display their own skateboards and other branded items as they operate a socially responsible entrepreneurial business."

Visit their donor page here —  https://myclassneeds.com/en/project/12/ — and help support a really great program.

For more info or to apply, call the OSF Classroom at 416-393-0845 of drop in to one of their Info Sessions held every Wednesday at 9AM in the classroom.

Contact:craig.morrison@tdsb.on.calauren.hortie@tdsb.on.ca

In thick French accents they tell us not to take the Wallie World Cup too seriously. I'm standing in a dark parking lot at midnight, watching them mix bags of concrete in a pile in the corner, shovelling little scoops to the base of a barrier where one of them is now on his hands and knees delicately smoothing out a transition with a hand trowel. I would love to know what their idea of "too seriously" looks like.

This unnamed builder really wants you to know that this is not the extent of his concrete abilities. The barriers on the West Coast are just too good!

The whole time I couldn't help but think about the major sting operation that happened in the news earlier that morning. A bunch of high-ranking Quebec officials were arrested for white collar crimes that cheated people out of millions, and on the flipside, here are a couple of great Quebecers using the cover of darkness to hide from the cops, but not because they're cheating people out of millions, but because they're building a really fun spot that contributes to the well-being and personal enjoyment of hundreds.

SKATE or DIY!!

The WALLIE WORLD CUP (presented by VANS, Antisocial and Polar Skate Co.) is going down today at 4pm. If you haven't already figured out the spot, go follow @Jamcouver on Twitter and Instagram for the location announcement.

J.F Taiillon sets the record last year in Montreal at P45

Can I just say: it's so fucking nice to see Jorden Murray back on a skateboard again! Dude busted up his ankle (really bad too) a few months back and it's kept him out the game, but now it looks like one of the nicest homies I know is rolling again, and by the look of this video, having more fun than ever before.  Don't call it a comeback!

Remember when Smarties were all the rage and they had that whole, "eat the red ones last" thing going on? But then it came out that they used some poisonous Red Dye number 9 (or something like that) and people were getting sick and you always wondered if that ever actually happened? Well you can forget that whole scenario, because these days RED=GOOD.

Collaborating on a movement that has already helped raise millions for HIV/AIDS, Girl and Chocolate have each released special (PRODUCT) RED decks from Kenny Anderson and Mike Carroll to help contribute to an HIV/AIDS Free Generation by 2015.

The Special Edition Decks are the same regular cost, but a portion of the sale will go to the Global Fund to help those living with HIV/AIDS. The contribution generated from each deck can provide support for more than 21 weeks of HIV medicine that will help prevent the transmission from a pregnant mother to her child.

The Special Edition (PRODUCT) RED decks are distributed in Canada by Supra Distribution and are now shipping, so go cop one!

Watch Sitka team riders Chris Haslam and his forest friends in this cinematic short "Into the Thicket" and get ready to explore the adventure in greater detail when my short story "The Few & Far Between" (from the new Color 11.1) hits newsstands any day now.

If you're in Vancouver on April 16, grab a copy of the new issue at the London Pub release party and start tearing out photos for your wall. We'll also be playing this film on the big screen in all its HD glory.

A friend at Powell-Peralta sent this video along to me today of italian skateboarder Giorgio Zattoni and I thought you'd like to see it too. Do yourself a favour and turn up the sound. Once you get past some of the noisy intros, the sounds of this guy boosting massive airs and slashing the coping is a sound for sore ears. Or something like that.

Spring has sprung, at least in the apparel world, and The Quiet Life has just released a look at their newest (dare I say best?) new gear for Spring '13. Seriously, this stuff just keeps getting better. More of those bitching 5-panels, pocket tees, socks and curious extras that QL is known for. Head over to their site and see all the photos from Andy Mueller's visit with artist/designer Christian Morin.

(The Quiet Life is distributed in Canada by Supra Distribution)

I love this "Following" series that John Rattray has been putting up on his Predatory Bird blog, and this new one with Kyle Leeper is no exception. In my humble opinion, more skate videos should be filmed this way—one, long continuous line. It gives you more time to get to know a skater's style and how he moves about his surroundings and it certainly shows off the talents of the filmer/editor as much as the skater. It's attention to detail and imagination at its finest.

Check out "FOLLOWING KYLE" and look out for John's new Predatory Word column in the redesigned COLOR (Spring 2013)