City Back to Magazine

Chico Brenes may live in Los Angeles, but Minagua, Nucaragua, is his second home. He fled the country as a child but still has family there, and about six months ago he opened up Central, Nicaragua’s first skate shop. Chico’s regular visits help the thriving skate scene, and he is current lobbying for the city’s first public skatepark. Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America, bordering Honduras in the north and Costa Rica in the south. The currency is Cordobas and the exchange rate is about 21 Cordobas to one dollar. And Don’t believe everything you hear, Nicaragua is also one of the safest countries in Central America.

Take a break from the cold weather and head to a city with beautiful beaches, discos, and lots of places that start with ‘Ng’.

[ o ] DEBERT

PARIS

wordsby benjamin debert

If a city is made of its people and what they do with their days and nights, Paris is a subway ride to some hidden gem. The public transport system makes it easy to explore the neighbourhoods and suburbs, and this is how people get their way around here. You might not find the best skate spot ever, but you’ll get back home with more good memories and maybe more friends… Bienvenue!

The lowdown on Color’s hometown, covering all the basics: where to eat, where to skate, where to drink, and where to pass out afterwards.

[ o ] DOUBT

photosby gordon nicholas

“Back in it’s heyday, downtown Vancouver was a skate mecca, drawing skaters and media like MACBA. Pro sightings both at skate and night spots were commonplace. Justin Lukyn, Colin McKay, Moses Itkonen, Tony Ferguson, Ben Chibber, Sam Devlin, were but a few that helped put the city on the skate map. Rick Howard has always been one of our favourite exports. We asked about his classic spots, and revisited them with some of the city’s current interesting folk…”

[ o ] OLSON

SEATTLE, WA

listby creighton barrett

Seattle is a really big, small city with some quality humans doing radical things. The air is clean, the girls are babes, and a good chunk of the music on your iPod is from there. The skate scene is tight, hosting some of the most talented shredders that have ever graced a skateboard, the art scene is bangin’ and everyone keeps it weird. Most of the photos you are looking at are from some very radical art shows and parties over the last few years. Local artist NKO and his Free Sheep Foundation organize these speakeasy-type art venues with bands, booze, beautiful girls and, of course, completely mind blowing art. Usually the events take place in buildings that have a set date for demolition, and when the element of destruction is in the mix, things can get completely out of control. To get you non-Seattleites hip we’ve enlisted Creighton Barret from Band of Horses to compile a list of the best things in the Emerald City. If you want the golden ticket to Seattle take note! Tear out this page and glue it to your forehead, because this list is so perfectly righteous!

[ o ] TAIT

VICTORIA

wordsby kynan tait

To the gluttonous eye of a big-city skateboarder, there may not appear much to this antique city. And while the resident skate community may tend to agree, I believe its only out of frustration. It is apparent among most that, subconsciously, this city has done well by them. We’re blessed with one of the best skateparks in Canada (Vic West), and I’m sure anyone who has ever skated there will attest to that. Unfortunately, our offerings in the realm of street skateboarding leave much to be desired and due to the lack of established photographers in the area, the tangible rewards are few and far between. However, there remains a small group of dedicated kids without a shred of entitlement or expectation. It is this inherent quality that makes our exports so endearing: Brett Stobbart, Keegan Sauder, Trevor Ribeyre et al. With little possibility of outside sponsorships, the helping hand of our local skateshops is a welcome one. HtO, Coastline and Threesixty are all of the most charitable disposition, never allowing the worthy to want for much of anything. Whatever skate community we have, it is owed completely to these stores. No one could argue that we haven’t some formidable talent here, but it is in getting that talent recognized that lies the challenge. Because save for a character-building backdrop and a few helpful skateshops, there isn’t much else carrying our sleepy scene along. In a pinch, though, Vancouver is only a short ferry ride away. To the dedicated victor go the spoils!

[ o ] KOOP

THE SALTON SEA

wordsby dustin koop

In 2002 I had rented an amazing movie called The Salton Sea – you know, the one with Val Kilmer. This is how I learned of this post-apocalyptic ecological disaster of a community and all its craziness. In the summer, all 110 miles of this abandoned American dream smells of rotting fish, which may have something to do with the seven million dead fish that end up on the beach every summer, sometimes stacked three feet high, as far as one can see. This is the spot to go to if you want to live off the grid as a recluse and fraternize with the most interesting and inspiring characters of ours and your grandparents’ generation.

[ o ] DELONG

FREDERICTON

wordsby josh clark

Fredericton is a small city filled with nice people who seem to enjoy the mellow lifestyle. If you’re from a big city, you might feel like you’re walking around in a ghost town sometimes at night, unless you’re around the concentrated bar area. Fredericton is a place most enjoyed while visiting rather than as a permanent resident. However, if you are looking for a place where you can just keep to yourself and maybe have some fun once in a while, then it might be just right for you. It’s the type of town where everyone knows everybody.

ATHENS

wordsby giorgio zavos photosby gordon nicholas

Athens city is an amazing city to visit. You can find pretty much everything there. The best food, like Souvlaki for only two bucks, and really cheap beer and cigarettes. If you want to relax they have the warmest beaches and the nicest islands, complete with beautiful young Greek ladies. For skating, there are a lot of street spots and marble plazas all over the city, where you rarely get kicked out. And Athens doesn’t sleep — the night-life is out of control. At night it’s clubs and bars, with people partying all over the streets until the sun comes up.

MONTREAL

photosby dan mathieu

“I once found an abandoned tent on the top of Mount Royal in the dead of winter, it was so nice and cozy inside.” —other

“One of the best things about Montreal is the summertime, lots of raw natural skate spots to enjoy for all styles of skaters willing to take the risk to skate and destroy! Vive la Montreal… the tarnished city.”

—barry walsh

“If it was Wednesday I’d say free Museum night at the contemporary.” —mike giles, furni creations

“If you want to taste Quebec cuisine, check out Chez Claudette.” —bob le chef

“When walking into Off The Hook pay very close attention to the sign above the door that clearly indicates the mentality that the store was built upon, which reads “No Half Stepping Allowed!” —sterling downey

“[Go to] Blue Dog! We own the club, so the drinks are free for us.” —team canada djs

OAKLAND

wordsby max schaaf photosby tadashi yamaoda

Oakland is a tough city for me to sum up. My first experience with Oakland that I remember is being about 12 years old and taking the train there with my older brother to see a punk rock show. In the 80s Oakland was a place where artists and musicians could find an old warehouse or thrashed house, pay little rent, make a lot of noise and not really get hassled by nosey neighbors or the cops. This is why my brother and I were headed to Oakland, a friend of my mom’s who was in one of the heavier hoods was a having a big punk show and he had built a ton of skateboard ramps inside his place as well. That guy saw Oaklands potential way before the masses…

FORREST KIRBY’S MIAMI, FLORIDA

wordsby forrest kirby spreadby sean cronan photosby kathy lo

Welcome to Miami, the most tropical place in America. I call it home, and others call it party central. It is one of those places that when you say: “hey, I am going to Miami,” or, “dude, I was in Miami…” it rings a certain bell in most peoples heads. Those who have experienced a vacation here definitely have a story from their visit. Whether or not the story will end in a positive note is unknown to all but the traveler…

BALTIMORE

words and photosby liz flyntz

For a good time you can drive out to the Prettyboy Reservoir in the county and go swimming naked. Watch out, the cops are against it due to some kids drowning in the city drinking water last year. Also there are many good apartment pools to “break” into… the best top secret one being on the top of the Carlyle Hotel (500 West University Parkway). Just walk in like you own the joint…

MELBOURNE FOR THE HARD AT LURK.

words&photosby tim hillier

There were threats of calling Melbourne, Austrailia, Batmania. John Batman was one of the first white settlers in the area, in 1835. Essentially starting European Melbourne, his landownership was discredited and he died of syphilis in 1839. Melbourne was named in 1851 after one of the Queens favourite Prime Ministers.

Boring… What if this town was Batmania? The super hero town. I would be a Batmanian. Sweet. The Bruce Wayne rich industrialist exterior, with the dark night dweller alter ego. The hidden secrets. Trying to keep the super hero under wraps, its secret identity unknown to the ill-informed. And with the high population of bats that litter the sky at dusk, it would be the perfect name for this town…

TORONTO

words&illustrationby fighting

Finch Parket: long curved ledge over dirt gap. Commerce Court: right downtown. Moss Park: (on friday night) community run indoor park. bring a friend. don’t wander, you’re near the hood. Skydome Banks: of course, and right next to the tallest thing (man-made) in the world! Adrift: Flatground; skip school to miss the crowds at the indoor mini park. Need we say more? Well, we did.

BOSTON

photosby alana paterson

CHOPPING BODEGA 6 Clearway Street FILENES BASEMENT 426 Washington Street ORCHARD 1562 Tremont Street RAINBOWS 519 Washington Street STEL’S 334 Newbury Street THE GARMENT DISTRICT 200 Broadway EATS ANNAS TAGUERIA 1412 Beacon Street, 82 Somerville Avenue, 446 Harvard Street BUDDHAS DELIGHT 5 Beach Street EL PELON 96 Petersborough FLOUR BAKERY AND CAFE 1562 Washington Street JP LICKS 352 Newbury Street LEGAL SEAFOOD 255 State Street MIKE PASTRIES 300 Hanover Street…

NEW YORK

WINNIPEG

MALIBU

A few months back, Girl Skateboards wanted to hook up a place for Girl/Choc team riders to stay while in Los Angeles. Instead of renting some overpriced dump in Hollywood, they used their connections in the world of real-estate and found a fixer-upper mansion in the hills of beautiful (yet bourgeois) Malibu, just a few minutes outside the city. Recently, I spent a day there (at the Girl Mansion) with Mike York and Chris Roberts, watching them play a game of skate out front while the flooring was getting pulled out. The place came with old, cracked marble floors but they’re replacing them with 100% Canadian hard rock maple. I guess it just seemed appropriate. – Bob Kronbauer

SAN FRANCISCO

photosby bob kronbauer