SKATEBOARDING GYPSY ADVENTURES

Harrow Skatepark . . . London, England

2012-01-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

I turned up to have a skate and take some photos for this website (http://www.skateboard.com.au) that im now helping out with building a skatepark directory/guide for Europe. I laughed from start to end joking around with the kids at the park, all from different racial backgrounds and all speaking with an individual sculptured accent. Whether they were African, Pakistani, English Anglo-Saxon or Pikey they were just down to be kids and light fires in the half pipe, pose for photos, joke around and make fun of the Australian guys funny accent . . . 'SO WER'D YOU'VE BE FRUM BRUV? YOU'VE GOT A WELL FUNNY ACCENT INNIT!'

LONDON . . . DAN CATES

2012-01-04T20:33:00.001-08:00

My good Australian friend Dean Palmer talked me into meeting him in London for a couple of weeks in late October to catch up with all our amigos at Death Skateboards. Deans brother booked him a flight from Berlin to London for the wrong month, so i ended up having the whole house of doom lounge room to myself but was mega bummed that Dean couldnt make it out.

In the end it was a blessing in disguise, I got to spend lots of time with Steak, Zorlac and Moss Boss and we had 9 out of 10 days of sunshine which is well rare . . .

Unfortunately i didnt get to kick it with Cates as much as i would have liked as he is busy studying a Fine Arts degree. On my first morning he came down from his room his room with his face painted (literally the strongest smelling paint fumes and paint dripping from his face) and asked me to take some portraits of him so he could paint a self portrait for school.

'GYPSY LIFE' TRAILER

2012-01-04T20:30:00.003-08:00

Over the past years many Skateboard Films have become big-budget productions. This and the addition of Hi-Definition cameras has contributed to the films losing their character, feeling and more importantly their spontaneity.

In 2011 i decided to carry an old point and shoot camera with me at all times to document the day to day skateboarding and street happenings of my friends and people i met while living in Barcelona and traveling through Europe, Asia, England, Mexico, U.S.A and Australia.

This video is dedicated to everyone that is in it ! ! ! It was a pleasure to spend time with you all and more importantly see, learn and experience everything that crossed our paths.

I hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed living it ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

GYPSY LIFE TRAILER from gypsy life on Vimeo.

GALICIA, NORTH COAST 6

2012-01-04T20:29:00.001-08:00

This was our final day of the trip. We ended up camping riverside in Asturias the night before and enjoyed driving back along the windy mountain roads. Galicia, like the rest of Spain has a heavy Catholic influence and crosses, elaborate cemeteries and religious institutions are often littering the countryside. Thanks Cira, Yason and Chay Chay for the fun trip ! ! !

GALICIA, NORTH COAST 5

2012-01-04T20:27:00.001-08:00

While traveling i end up unfortunately having my first animal sightings in the form of a corpse either on the side of the road, displayed on someone's trophy wall or on a market table for food. This trip proved no different as these were the only wild animals i saw on this trip. ):

GALICIA, NORTH COAST 4

2012-01-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

We ended up finding a really sweet place to camp, when we woke up in the morning there was another heard of wild horses and some cows wandering around our makeshift campsite. Poor Cira woke up and was feeling a little bit sick with the flu, but it was easy for her to ignore when surrounded by the natural beauty that Galicia has to offer.

GALICIA, NORTH COAST 3

2012-01-04T19:53:00.001-08:00

We stopped of in this really old little town for lunch and Yason bought a sweet sling shot. We then travelled up and over the mountains searching for a place to sleep among the cows, wind powered energy turbines and trees.

GALICIA, NORTH COAST 2

2012-01-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

We travelled along the North coast and were blown away by how green the mountainsides are. We also came by a heard of wild horses, Yason was friendly enough to offer one horsey some beer, but he ended up a little weak in the knees.

GALICIA, NORTH COAST 1

2011-12-27T17:44:00.001-08:00

Cira and Yason came up for a 1 week visit. We decided to hire a car and explore the North Coast of Galicia and maybe end up in the neighboring state of Asturias. If u have ever been lucky enough to hang out with Chay and Cira its a show!!! Cira is always good fun and excited to explore the outdoors as u can see bellow!

BARCELONA . . . SEPTEMBER . . . POINT AND SHOOT 1

2011-12-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

La Merce festival was on, so it was all out madness in Barcelona when we arrived from Gallicia at 11.55pm on a Friday night. We met with our friends at Macba and as usual, what was going to be a couple of street beers ended up being a sunrise stroll home. Styles pissed his pants on the regular when he was drunk While he stayed. Matzi was pumping weights with a red face in the mornings, all the Aussie gang were occupying my couches and Papi got a crazy ass tattoo. The summer was coming to an end and everyone was making the most of it!!!!

BARCELONA SEPTEMBER.

2011-12-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

My good Australian friends George kousoulis, Jake Demos, Dean Palmer and Englishman Adam moss all came to stay for what ended up being a wild, wild 10 days. Many memorable things happened, from drunken Styles jumping into the harbour to save a pack of cigarettes, drunken/screaming late night hill bombing through the little winding streets in the centre. But i would like to share with you one story that we will never forget.
One night we were walking to Macba and a man of Moroccon appearance was hanging of a balcony 6 stories up while Police bellow shon torches on him while others busted in the front door. The man then balanced with one hand on the railing and one on some old unsecure pipe and swung of it to the next balcony. Like a game of cat and mouse as the man leaped from one balcony to the other the police would appear on the one he was on 5 seconds to late. The game continued for 2-3 minutes and then we heard the brute force of the Catalan Police, the man was screaming and it sounded like they were beating him heavily with there batons. 5 mins later 6 Police officers dragged him out the front door and with extreme difficulty may i add. Like trying to pack away a large sleeping bag into a small case they slowly worked the mans body into the police car . . . In doing this the man was completely upside down at one point with his feet in there air kicking, trying to break free . . .
While watching this i remembered that Chay had told me that some guys scale up buildings and rob peoples apartments if they have left there balcony doors or windows open. The little streets of Barcelona always provide some kind of wild entertainment when u least expect it ! ! ! ! ! And for some reason more often then not on a sunday, monday or tuesday night!!!

POINT AND SHOOT PHOTOS FROM GALICIA, SPAIN.

2011-12-27T17:38:00.002-08:00

FINISTERRE . . . GALICIA . . . SPAIN

2011-12-27T17:38:00.001-08:00

This was the first of many weekend we spent on the road camping in Galicia. We ended up doing this ritually every weekend i was there, and look forward to doing it when im back.
Finisterre, the name derives from Latin meaning 'Lands end' and there is still a misconception that this is the most western point of continental Europe, rather it is Cabo de Roca in Portugal. None the less it holds incredible 360 degrees views and proved to be a great place to camp for the night. Although we nearly rolled our hire car of the side of a mountain while searching for a camping spot. I was directing Chay back and the land gave way and the front right tyre of the car was completely hanging over the side of the road. Some how we got it out after pilling up a mountain of rocks and firewood under the jacked tyre.
On the sunday we followed 'Costa de la Muerte' (Death Coast) down to Rias Baixas, the views and countryside was incredible! We swum on an empty, clean, white, crystal sand, clear-watered beach and then headed to 'Santiago de Compestela' to have a wonder around and eat some dinner.

LA CORUNA . . . GALICIA . . . SPAIN

2011-12-27T17:35:00.000-08:00

Chay and i recently moved to La Coruna in North Western Spain, on the Atlantic coast as Chay received an amazing job opportunity. The change has been incredible so far, every weekend we have been hiring a car and exploring the incredible countryside and doing a lot of camping. So far i have made some friends and to my surprise there is a really tight skate scene. All the skaters i have met have been super friendly and helpful!
My weekdays consist of waking up and editing some photos, and working on a new edit that will be done this January surprisingly titled 'Gypsy Life'. In the afternoon i skate to the other side of town which takes a solid hour of pushing and skate a fun little park in Eiris with my friend Rodrigo.
We are living across from the oldest lighthouse in the world, the fresh seafood from the markets is incredible, the beaches are empty and the sunsets into the ocean are incredible. There is also an abandoned jail out front of our house, i have been cleaning up a bit in there, trying to get a little d.i.y spot skate spot. I found this semi preserved sea bird in there to.

CAMPING . . . CATALONIA . . . SPAIN

2011-12-27T17:34:00.002-08:00

My friend from Berlin Mimo came down to Barcelona for a week visit. The day she arrived she called us up and invited us on a camping trip with her friends. We were about to go for a skate and were lucky enough that there was extra seats in the car. Unfortunately for styles he loss a game of scissors, paper, rock for the last seat with Marcus. We were also in luck because my friend Papayo had hooked me up with a bottle of Sailor Jerry rum.
We winded up and up, deep into the mountains with Albert behind the wheel and everyone in high vibes. When we arrived we lifted the toll gate boom up and the 3 cars snuck through evading having to pay the camping fee. We were not suppose to have a fire as there was a fire band in Catalonia at the time, due to many fires and the extreme dry weather throughout the summer. We ended up running out of wood later in the night and Marcus found some old fence posts which worked a charm. It was amazing to get out of the city and enjoy the incredible nature that surrounds Barcelona. In the end we danced around the fire with the young man leading with a smile from ear to ear singing 'baila! baila!' (dance, dance).
The following morning i was nowhere to be found, during the early hours of the morning i went in search of a nice shady tree to sleep under. Everyone went searching for me and came to the conclusion that i had just left. Luckily i found them 2 mins before they were about to drive off.

CAMPING SLR

2011-12-27T17:34:00.001-08:00

So i nearly got left behind at the camping ground because i was sleeping in the shade under a vacant cabin and everyone thought i had bailed. Then we did a solid 2 hour hike at 8 am in the morning through the mountains to get to this magical swimming spot. Yason, Marcus, Mimo and myself were not one bit feeling the walk as we had only slept for around 3-4 hours and were still well drunk. In the end it was all good times, only bummer to the day was that we found a baby snake that someone has half chopped in half. Amazing times, thanks to Albert and Mimo for hooking it up!!! Hope u guys are well!!!

BARCELONA IN AUGUST.

2011-12-27T17:29:00.000-08:00

It was amazing to be kicking witt the baddest men marcus olson and yason on the regular. Mary got a real bad ass tattoo on her palm. Styles came over for a visit and pissed many a bed and scored a huge black eye the first night. Hammond was cheeky as always and Mimo came down for a visit!!!

CHECK OUT MY HOMIES PART: AUSTRIAN FACE PISSING SPECIALIST FRIDO . . .

2011-12-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

Untitled from fridofiebinger on Vimeo.

MERRY X.MAS FROM AUSTRALIA ! ! !

2011-12-23T18:42:00.000-08:00

VOTE FOR RICHIE ! ! !

2011-12-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

http://hellaclips.com/

CHECK THIS SHARED PART CLIP FROM 2008 FROM OOKS VIDEO. THIS WAS AN AMAZING YEAR WERE I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A BUNCH OF AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS (RICHIE BEING ONE OF THEM) COME TO BARCELONA FOR A VISIT.

Incredible story of a skater from detroit who got shot by one of his best friends. . . Ross Capicchioni

2011-12-21T18:00:00.001-08:00

HANNOVER . . . LOLLYPOOOOOOP

2011-11-16T01:30:00.000-08:00

These funny young girls were hanging at the 2er skatespot everyday with their fat ass lollypops. Usually guys would be all over them, especially young skater groms, but everyone was way more interested in shredding the new bowl . . .

HANNOVER . . . AROUND

2011-11-16T01:21:00.000-08:00

Just some photos i took over the week i was in Hannover while i wondered about! The peaches were really nice and so was Daniel May and his beautiful girlfriend Janas hospitality!!! Thanks for having me again guys, had an amazing time, hope to see u soon! My bank card wasnt working so i was on a severe budget, 50 cent cans of goulash saved my life!!! Robin was also a fan!!! Keep up the amazing work on 2er guys!!! Cant wait to get up there again this summer for the jam!

Once again check out the 2er (Shhf-vi-ER) website!!!

http://2erskate.de/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/2er-Skateboarding-eV/156038904427595

HANNOVER . . . PARTY

2011-11-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

This party ended up getting out of control and continued well into the following day. Unfortunately one of the Intus guys (http://teamintus.blogspot.com/) got bottled and he was on the ground half dead getting injected up with stuffs. I found the little biker kid who did it. He ran away after it and later i heard him bragging to some other guys and i dragged him over to apologize to the guy and demand he pay his medical bill. This nearly led to an all in brawl with his friends and in the end the kid ran away and we couldnt catch him. DIE FUCKER!!!

HANNOVER . . . 2er . . . DIY SPOT

2011-11-15T09:15:00.001-08:00

I met Daniel the mastermind of '2er' back in Barcelona in 2007 through German Max who spent some time in Australia before hand. We remained friends via email and i went and visited them in Hannover in 2008 before meeting up with the Death guys in Berlin. When i told people and still to this day tell people that i have been to Hannover they ask, were, what, why (even Germans) ? ? ? When i first arrived in 2008 i was only suppose to stay for 2 days and ended up staying 6, Daniel was extremely hospitable and all the guys were just great to skate/hang with.
Over the past few years Daniel started telling me about this D.I.Y spot which they were working on. I had been to the spot while i was there in 07 and there was only a ruff quarter pipe, block and maybe a pole jam. When i saw photos and videos of all the hard work and new terrain they had sculptured with funds from their owns pockets i knew i had to get up there for another visit. While planning this sort of D.I.Y skatetrip in Northern europe to my shock again the flights from Copenhagen to Barcelona were through the roof and as it worked out it wasnt so bad to fly from Hannover - Barcelona. Daniel advised me that they were having a huge Party to celebrate the birthday and opening of the new bowl 3 days before the date of the flight i was pondering to buy and it was all done, Hannover scheduled in as the final destination of my trip.

HANNOVER . . . BY BUS

2011-11-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

I met Daniel the mastermind of '2er' back in Barcelona in 2007 through German Max who spent some time in Australia before hand. We remained friends via email and I went and visited them in Hannover in 2008 before meeting up with the Death guys in Berlin. When i told people and still to this day tell people that i have been to Hannover they ask, were, what, why (even Germans) ? ? ? When i first arrived in 2008 i was only suppose to stay for 2 days and ended up staying 6, Daniel was extremely hospitable and all the guys were just great to skate/hang with.

Over the past few years Daniel started telling me about this D.I.Y spot which they were working on. I had been to the spot while i was there in 08 and there was only a ruff quarter pipe, block and maybe a pole jam. When i saw photos and videos of all the hard work and new terrain they had sculptured with funds from their owns pockets i knew i had to get up there for another visit.

While planning this sort of D.I.Y skatetrip in Northern europe to my shock again the flights from Copenhagen to Barcelona were through the roof expensive and as it worked out it wasnt so bad to fly from Hannover - Barcelona. Daniel advised me that they were also having a huge Party to celebrate the birthday and opening of the new bowl 3 days before the date of the flight i was pondering to buy. So i added Hannover as the final destination of my trip.

A 7 hour bus from Copenhagen to Hannover which i nearly missed, the boat crossed on the ferry again back to mainland Europe and i finally arrived at Daniel's house at around 1:30am. Although he had to be up for work in 4 hours and had a million things on his plate he was so excited to show me the spot which was a short 5 minute push from his apartment. When i arrived Eike and some other guys were enjoying some beers and finishing up a new obstacle for the event on saturday. I was now dying for daylight to be able to go skate and no doubt was going to have a restless night sleep with this spot in the back of my mind!!!

check out the website!!! http://2erskate.de/

COPENHAGEN . . . LAST DAYS

2011-11-15T06:29:00.001-08:00

We just spent the last few days skating Fellen Parken and then on the last day were lucky enough that the bouncer cruised over from malmo to skate and party. Thanks to everyone up there in Malmo and Copenhagen especially Peter, Thomas, Noah, Johan and Maria ! ! ! AMAZING TIME . . . hope to see u all again soon. (:

COPENHAGEN . . . PETERS AND THE CAN MAFIA

2011-11-15T03:25:00.001-08:00

We were lucky enough to stay with a legendary Copenhagen local Peter, who Papayo had met through a friend of a friend. He has been skating/travelling since he was a kid so was more then willing to help us bums out not only with a place to stay but also by taking us to some killer parties!! Thanks a million mate!!! Hope u and Oda are ruling!!
We went to search for cans and have a skate at 'The Hole' D.I.Y park that Danger and the boys had been working on. When we arrived Danger and Noah were hard at work so we helped out for a few hours with building up the platform. Thomas's shoes had holes all through them so he had to bag them up to keep out water.
The can collecting continued as per usual and one night at Christiania we came up with the loot of a lifetime . . . around 200 cans, so many we had to carry them to the other side of town in a trolly. When we came down in the morning to cash in our stack someone had beat us to the chase . . . The lowest time of our can mafia career ! ! !

MALMO . . . SUNDAY MORNING

2011-11-15T03:24:00.000-08:00

It was our last day in Malmo, i woke up relatively early so i went down to Steppen solo to make the most of it. When i arrived there were 2 guys who had rode these old motor bikes from Hamburg in Germany and had been visiting the parks around Malmo and camping out.
When all the guys arrived we decided to go and check out Sibbarp Skatepark. It was a mission to get there by public transport, but ended up well worth the effort. The park is about 800 square meters big and filled with bumps, hips, parking blocks, pool coping, shallow end of a pool with steps, wallrides and everything else you could wish for. We skated there for a couple hours and then the rain set in just after we had finished skating. So once again we got back on the train and went back along the loooong bridge to Copenhagen. Thanks to all the good people i met and helped us out in Malmo, hope to see u guys again soon ! ! !

STEPPE SIDE . . . SKATING

2011-11-14T05:28:00.001-08:00

A seriously hung over skate went down on the Saturday. The session ended up getting out of hand with Johan going out of the qaurter to landing hangup on the side of the beam and rolling it in . . . wild wild man . . . The session finished in the dark with some guys drunkingly sliding down into the wet bowl were Pontus had taken a cheeky piss 10 mins earlier.

MALMO . . . TRAIN BANK SPOT

2011-11-14T05:25:00.001-08:00

The longest lasting of all the D.I.Y spots in Malmo, TBS (Train Bank Spot) was created in 2004 after the death of their original park 'Savanah Side'. It originally just had a wall ride and china bank type bank but in 2009 Pontus and his friends gave it a full blown renovation and extended it into a 100 meter long trackside walkway/skate spot.

MALMO . . . THE HOUSE AND AROUND

2011-11-14T05:15:00.001-08:00

Malmo is not the prettiest place ive been to, but very nice to photograph with nice light, amazing skateparks and a lot of run down old buildings which seem to be getting whipped out more and more from were im from.
The house i was staying at was rad. Johan, Will and Scotty were all to cool to share the floor space with us. Thanks a million guys! I also wonder how many people have slept on the couch/floor at your place over time. In the 4 days i was there Noah, Thomas, Bouncer, Jackson, Brodie, Will, Scott, Johan and myself all slept there at some point. Takes me back to my apartment in Barcelona were in January we had 28 people stay within the first month of having it.

MALMO . . . BEER CAN COPING . . .

2011-11-14T05:01:00.001-08:00

The beer can coping completely blew me away ! ! ! The beer cans serve as an amazingly cheap alternative to concrete coping and no doubt adds character. I have watched a lot of movies on alternate off-grid housing and in many cases they utilize old materials: jars, cans, tyres filled with clay. If u havent seen any movies/documentaries about off grid, self sustainable housing here is a must see inspiring movie . . . dam imagine an off grid, fully sustainable skate community with parks to go with it ! ! !

or u havent got time to watch the movie please take a look at the trailer:

STEPPE SIDE . . . THE NEW PARK . . .

2011-11-14T04:53:00.001-08:00

In the same abandoned block were the original sledge hammered steppe side bowl rests in peace, the guys have made this original new D.I.Y park. Its incredibly inspiring how quickly the guys put the destruction of their place of worship behind them and begin on a new 'Social Sculpture'. KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK!!!!

MALOMO . . . ITS FRIDAY . . .

2011-11-14T04:42:00.001-08:00

Believe it or not Malmo was also a wild town to party in. Very extremely expensive to have a full night of drinking in a bar but good times to be had no doubt. Australians Jackson Pilz and Brodie Sellars also arrived in town for the upcoming bowl jam, so we had a serious Australian crew (which i have been missing for the past years)!!!
We began the nightly ritual of cashing in our cans and stashed a few fresh cans down our pants and ventured to the big pub again for some gigs. We randomly ran into some skater friends from Barcelona who were renting an apartment in Malmo for the month to escape the heat and enjoy the big concrete parks/bowls which Malmo has to offer. Will from the Southern states of USA was also in Sweden building parks. No doubt one of the funniest characters i have ever met in my travels, and in saying that this very night he turned up to the pub with an Osama Bin Laden tank top!!! This cat has stories for days.
Thomas was once again abducted by the females so i ended up cruising home with the Spanish guys. On the way we got locked into a fortress of a unit block, and escaping involved a drunken climb up a 5 meter fence and then squeezing through a 30cm (1foot) gap at the top . . . Miki also nearly got into a fight with a kebab shop owner who forcefully removed us from his shop because Miki was taking the empty cans from the bin.

MALMO IS THE SHIIIIIIIIT ! ! !

MALMO . . . STEPPE SIDE

2011-11-14T04:05:00.000-08:00

In 2004 in the smoke of the bulldozers that was tearing up the first d.i.y park in Malmo at Savanna side, Pontus Alv and his crew stayed positive and put their efforts into creating Steppe side. For three years they developed this little bowllike creation, making it to a unique place that grew bit by bit every year and sessioned by people from all around the world. They were sharing the space with the homeless, rats, junkies and thieves but fitting in nicely nevertheless. In 2007 after dodging a few bullets over the years they lost the fight in the end and Steppe Side was smashed to bits with a sledge hammer to a near un-skateable state.

MALMO . . . OVER THE BALTIC SEA . . .

2011-11-14T04:00:00.001-08:00

We had been talking to Noah for a solid week about going over to Malmo, but the going was so good in Copenhagen it was so hard to leave. The weather was starting to turn for the worse so we decided to venture over the Baltic Sea by train along the longest road/rail bridge in Europe, and within 40 mins we were in Malmo.

Noah was the ultimate Australian born, Malmo, couch surfing local and took us under his wing for the whole time! Thanks a million mate!!! He was up there building parks and enjoying the Scandinavian summer. We hooked up with his crew and went cruised down to 'Steppen Side' which is D.I.Y Skatepark funded, designed and sculptured by the locals. The energy was high and everyone was really friendly and just down for a good time.

Thomas and i continued our can collecting ways and ended up with enough cans to buy as a roast chicken dinner. Thomas was also lucky enough to get some shoes flowed to him by the generous, legendary Nick Guerrero . . . ended up being the same shoes as mine which we coped a bit of shit about . . . After the feast and street beers we went to some huge pub and there was some insane live bands playing. One of the homies got bottled in the head by a Roller Blader . . . eventful night to say the least!!

COPENHAGEN . . . PARTYING . . .

2011-11-14T02:51:00.000-08:00

Fun town. There was a HUGE 'Obey' party in the 'Meat Packing District' that got really wild with free beer and some good bands playing. Thomas got eaten alive by a scary beast of a woman, just the way he likes it. Shepard Fairey (Obey) was there and ended up getting beaten up by some locals who were pissed at him for painting a huge 'peace' like mural on an old squat house wall. The squat had recently been torn down in a really violent 'non-peaceful' way which really added salt to the ex-occupants recent wounds . . . The hotdogs are also the goods up there ! ! ! Also stoked to see my first big Red Squirrel. Bummer he wasnt moving to well, a little like us after the intense weekend of partying. ):

COPENHAGEN . . . MARIAS HOUSE

2011-11-07T02:42:00.000-08:00

The Austrians were lucky enough to meet Maria on the first night when they were homeless and she was kind enough to let them stay a night which turned into 6. We ended up having some good times there eating feasts, watching IT and just a lot of joking around. After the first night i stayed there Jonas came round for breakfast followed by a swim in the river. On the way we found Thomas's bike suspended on some scaffolding in the middle of town were we had drunkenly placed it the night before.

COPENHAGEN . . . MORE FROM CHRISTIANIA . . .

2011-11-07T02:36:00.000-08:00

So we spent the afternoon wondering around and exploring the outskirts of Christiania. AMAZING place!!!

COPENHAGEN - CRISTIANIA

2011-11-07T02:31:00.000-08:00

My friend Matzi from Berlin was living in student mansion and hooked us up with a sweet room, the place was HUGE with a really nice garden and there was over 20 students living the student high life in the house. Thanks a lot for hooking us up bro! I was even lucky enough to find a city bike the night before so everything was working out nicely.

We pedaled our way down to Christiania to meet up with the guys and Maria at Wonderland bowl for a shred and to explore around. Christiania is a self-governed neighborhood with around 850 permanent residents covering 34 hectares (85 acres). The Government refers to it as a large commune and has been trying to shut it down for years due to many 'unjust' reasons. It has a hustling and bustling drug trade were street venders have shops set up were u can openly buy all different strains of Marijuana, Hash and prepared joints. Theres an indoor skate bowl 'Wonderland', a lot of fun bars which u can freely smoke at and also a nice lake surrounded by forrest.

We skated the bowl for 30 mins and when we came out Papayos bike was stolen (stupid us as everyone told us a zillion times not to leave them outside) and mine got an A-grade graffiti paint job. We ended up spending the remainder of the day wondering around exploring the what Christiania had to offer.
When we were about to leave Papayo spotted a gang of junky looking guys and one of them was on a bike that looked like his one that had been stolen hours earlier, we raced over to confront them but the guy swore it was his. As they rode of Papi realized 100% that it was his bike as he had raised the seat the day before and noticed the rust patch on the seat pole. We followed them as they ventured out of Christiania territory back in to european land and we chased them on our boards. When we caught up to them the guy who had stolen it slipped into a little store and the other guys swore still it was his bike, it got a little heated as Austrian Thomas started transforming into his hometown hero, ex Californian Governor Arnold the Terminator Swartzenegger. In the end the guys gave it back and we were cruising off back to the big Skatepark at Fellen Parken with smiles from ear to ear.

COPENHAGEN . . .

2011-11-02T05:29:00.001-07:00

I caught a 6 hour bus from Berlin to Copenhagen, crossing the sea by ferry and finally made it after failing miserably to hitchhike. I had planned with my good Austrian friend Thomas to spend August up North, we decided that CPH would be a perfect placr to start and from just wing it from there. My Colombian bro Papayo from Barcelona also had some time off work and made a last minute power move, and booked a ticket to come for a week! I couldnt have been more hyped to be cruising around with these dudes up there and then on top of this Noah, Jonas and Danger were all in town.

As soon as i arrived we booted it down to the new huge outdoor park at Fellen Parken. Papayo and Thomas had already aquired some bikes so i was luckily enough to be getting towed behind. When we arrived to the park i noticed there was a big abandoned building in the distance. Not sure of were we would be sleeping in the next weeks i decided to check it out. While searching around i found a wallet on the ground which seemed to have its contents already stolen, but i had a search through and found 1000 Danish Crones which is around $200. I raced to the shop and bought a case of beers to celebrate the good fortune.

The vibes were incredible!! The locals were all so welcomming and down to have a good time. The Weather was amazing, with the sun not setting to around 10 at night. People were just really excited to be out and making the most of the summer, riding bikes around town and drinking on the streets rather then inside bars was the norm.

Later on that night while drinking in a square we found out that u can make around 10-30 cents for cashing in old bottles and cans. The following day we cashed in our stash and had enough to buy a bunch of food to last us the day!!! Every night for the next weeks ended in the same manner, Thomas and i scrambling around collecting everyones empty cans to turn into food the next day.
Thomas and his Austrian friends were lucky enough to be able to stay at our friend Marias place. Thanks for saving us many wet/mosquito bite free nights Maria!!!
The following day Papayo and i met with the guys down by the river with our can salvaged food for a picnic and swim. We then shredded around town over to the hole to end the day with an epic barbeque while getting eaten alive by the mosquito plague.

BERLIN . . . MiMO

2011-10-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

So i met Mimo back in Barcelona town in 2008. When i arrived in Berlin i gave her a call to hook up. She told niels and i to meet her the following day for a dance casting at vice, were we would get paid 50 euros just for showing up.
To niels disgust we got up early and dragged our hung over carcusses there and it turned out to be a dance audition to go tour with Madonna . . . In the end we did a group dance but Niels truly stole the show!!!
Im a real fan of Mimos (My Monsters) monster paintings and other works!!! Check her website for more work ! ! ! http://www.mymonstersworld.com/

oh dam, i forgot to mention that u can buy a whole Pizza or Kebab for under 2.50 ($3.50) in Berlin.

Big thanks again to to Berlin once again for the amazing times, especially Niels and Mimo!!! Hope u guys are ruling. (:

BERLIN - BUILDINGS

2011-10-17T10:12:00.002-07:00

The buildings in Berlin have so much character and each one tells its own story from past or present times ! ! !

BERLIN . . . NIGHTS

2011-10-17T10:12:00.001-07:00

In most places anything can happen, but for some reason in Berlin this concept really gets pushed to the limit every time you step out the front door.

First night out while having a chill beer on the street i ran into Hammond, a friend from Barcelona who was so hyped he covered me in beer, thanks dog.

After the hitchhiking episode i needed to shake that experience out of my head asap so i decided to try all the different wheat beers that were available at the super market. Having a good little buzz, niels and i decided it would be a good idea to pick up a bottle of Vodka. We then met up with my friend Mimo and her friends and bombed it to the party. The videos were rad, the two hippy dudes from iceland were killing it, the fat dog was fucking funny as hell ! ! !

The Following night we went to a few parties around town and while trying to find mimos house to have a beer before hand niels and i got completely soaked once again from head to toe . . . luckily mimo hooked us up with an umbrella . . . . .

BERLIN - HITCH HIKING

2011-10-17T10:11:00.001-07:00

The whole reason why i was in Berlin was because i was on my way to Copenhagen and Malmo to spend August up there skating and searching for good times. I left it pretty late to book my ticket so it was cheaper to go the Berlin first and catch the bus which is only a 5 hour 40 euro ride. In the end all bus tickets were sold out for the next week from when i arrived so i tried to hitch hike it there. I ended up walking along side the autobahn in ankle high water for 3 hours with no luck. Soaked to the bone i hesitantly turned around and started the long lonely walk back to the train station, went straight to the bus station and booked a ticket for the next available bus which would be 4 days later . . . It was Friday night and Niels friends were having a skate premiere of 2 videos and a big party, things started to take a turn for the better i thought while removing my cold, dripping, wet clothes ! ! !

BERLIN . . . MELLOW PARK

2011-10-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Mellow Park is a new d.i.y spot in the outer suburbs of Berlin. Niels and i ended up being glued to the spot and couldnt believe that we had it pretty much to ourselves each session. We ended up skating there everyday of my stay in Berlin. Cant wait to hit it again with u next years niels man!!!

BERLIN . . . TRANSPORT

2011-10-17T09:59:00.002-07:00

Walking around in Berlin one day i realized I havent owned a bike or a car in a long long time. I especially have never owned a boat, but if i ever did this one would be it hands down! ! !

THE LAST 2 WEEKS IN BARCELONA . . .

2011-10-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

I had my good friends Dean, George and Jake from Australia and English gentlemen Adam Moss come out for a 2 week visit. Amazing times were had and i am already missing them dearly. Check out the clip George made from the trip . . . and also be sure to check the upcoming Death Skateboards video 'Ordinary Madness' for the real bangers from the trip ! ! !

BERLIN . . . WALK AROUND TOWN

2011-10-11T03:51:00.000-07:00

A HUGE, MEGA, DOUBLE thanks once again to niels for hooking me up a place to stay and good times as usual! Hope you are ruling buddy.
I went for a long walk one afternoon and met a cool looking dog and a little Romanian kid who sure could play the accordian. I then found a little Polish restauant and couldnt resist the smell of pirogis. The sweet lady working gave me a shot of vodka when i saluted her while she was doing shots with her work colleagues.
I love the energy on the streets in Berlin on a warm summers day!!!

my 700th blog

2011-10-10T03:34:00.000-07:00

The ex-govenor of California visiting carnaval in Rio . . . AMAZING ! ! ! I cant believe this has not got more hits . . . o.g. badman!!!

George Kousoulis

2011-10-04T05:07:00.000-07:00

George and Jake from sydney have been sleeping on my couch for the last week. It was amazing to see them in Barcelona. This marks georges 5th consecutive year that he has made it out!!! Hope he keeps that ball rolling. Hope u guys have a safe trip home, it was a pleasure to have u guys once again!!

AUSTRALIAN FRIENDS . . .

2011-10-01T05:07:00.000-07:00

The last week has been amazing. I have been back in Barcelona with Demos, Palmy, Yase, Georgie and A-Moss . . . good times and some serious fun sessions have been shared . . . last night Barcelona proved to be a little real for Jakey ! ! ! Great to have all u guys here again!!! (:

PART WE FILMED FOR OOKS VIDEO IN 2007/08

2011-09-30T01:25:00.000-07:00

Dam these were some good times! For one it was my first time in europe and met my beautiful wife. When i arrived back to sydney schoon daddy was always down for any weird kind of mission and then Alan arrived to sydney for the bowlarama and shit hit the fan! I just had the pleasure of walking through my lounge room and seeing george kosoulis sleeping on my couch (joined by daddy demos and adam moss). Hawley u should have come ! ! ! fourth year running u have missed out ! ! !

Hope all u guys are ruling right now and a shout out to all the homies that i havent seen in a long time. Hope to see you all sooner then later ! ! !

SCHOOL FRIENDS CAME TO VISIT

2011-09-28T05:58:00.001-07:00

Its a long long long way from that shitty school i went to in Peakhurst. But thanks to that school, i made some real lifetime friends. They came for a visit in july to Barcelona and I showed them around over a few drunken nights.
First night i was apparently crawling around a dance floor and my finger got broke. But the bomb night was the friday night when we paid a 4am visit to the olympic swimming pool with 50 odd street beers in hand.
One of the homies Pete had just finished a loooonnngg hike 'the camino to santiago' were he walked from the south of france alllll across the north of spain finishing at the grand church in Santiago de compestela . The Way of St. James has existed for over a thousand years and it was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times. The walk takes 30-35 days. When Pete arrived to Barcelona and saw all is good friends he was throwing his body deep into hell of the top diving board at the olympic pool. In the process he busted his shorts and got a red raw ass . . . there was also some funny Scottish girls that we met on the way to the pool, one of them froze when she was climbing the fence and everyone had to jump up and literally help her over . . .

JOHN CARDIEL . . .

2011-09-28T05:57:00.001-07:00

BEWARE . . . only watch this before skateboarding ! ! ! !

meri fone

2011-09-26T04:13:00.001-07:00

These photos were taken on marys magical phone thats like a computer over the past 3 months . . . Also photos of her turbans which she is now selling worldwide . . . If u are interested in ordering one shoot her through an email. They are available in all the colours of the rainbow, even tie-dye, gold and all sorts of other crazy prints . . .

maryjane.ayayay@gmail.com

MENORCA . . . LAST DAYS

2011-09-22T03:06:00.003-07:00

We were lucky enough to be able to use Nurias scooter to wing around the island and on the last day we went on a lonnnng mission. Along the way we found lots of Bougainvillea covered houses, ate a dick sandwich, swum in a hidden bay we were lived in a cave for 3 nights 3 years ago, explored our old cave home and other caves, found a prehistoric skull imbedded in a rock and some cool rock carvings . . . a BIG thanks to Chay and Nuria for showing me a grand time!!! Menorca is an incredible powerful place ! ! !

MENORCA . . .DEAD CAT

2011-09-22T03:06:00.001-07:00

Im also an animal lover, so sorry if these photos offend you. Whenever i see a dead animal it takes me back to Christmas 1991 when i was 6 and my cat got killed by a car . . . I always feel sorry for the poor animal and the family who are now searching for their lost loved one . . . But why are dead, motionless animals always interesting for photos ? ? ? R.I.P in cat heaven my little menorqui friend.

MENORCA . . . CASAS . . .

2011-09-21T01:47:00.001-07:00

I love the old Mediterranean style houses; they all look individually sculptured and were built to last and withstand the elements. Painted white to reflect the suns heat and with thick walls which act as a natural insulator eradicating the use of heating/cooling devices.
It must suck when your neighbour repaints or renovates their house. But in my opinion the rustic one with the older paint job looks a lot more like home ! ! !

MENORCA . . . BEACHES . . .

2011-09-20T01:42:00.001-07:00

Menorca straight up has the most unspoiled beautiful beaches i have seen in my life... You can see deep down to the ocean floor for hundreds of meters out to sea. Majority of the time you will also have the place all to yourself. A few years ago we came here for a 10 day trip and camped on the beaches and in caves every night. Although u have to beware for the police who sometime turn up at 6 in the morning and dish out 700 euro ($1000) fines. If you ever get the chance pack the sleeping bag, blow-up mattress, very little clothes, some cans of tuna, bread, tomatoes and be ready for an incredible time ! ! !

MENORCA . . .

2011-09-18T14:32:00.001-07:00

This stereotypical Mediterranean beach side town was incredible ! ! ! When we were on our way there it was a little cloudy but as we stepped out of the car the sky opened up and the sun shot down and made the little town glowwwww . . . We weaved through little ally ways that resembled cave passages more then streets. Got to remember to bring my mum here one day ! ! ! Thanks a million for taking us there Nuria ! ! !

MENORCA . . .

2011-09-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

Theres the most incredible hidden little bay swimming spots scattered around the south of the island. The water is transparent and deep blue . . . no rubbish and unfortunately no Pakistani beer sellers. While going for a snorkel we unfortunately stumbled by a couple in there 60s performing some wild menorqui oral sex . . . The old man was posted up in a cave covering 1/4 of his obese wifes body with a body board as she proceeded to engulf his penis. We laughed so hard we nearly blew there cover. Later on in the evening we ventured to the north of the island because mary had to sell some turbans at a market. Before she began work we went to watch the sun slide away to the west of the island . . .

MENORCA . . . SPAIN . . . END OF JUNE 2011

2011-09-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Mary Jane bailed from Barcelona over to the little island of Menorca to enjoy a more relaxed summer lifestyle with one of her best friends Nuria. They were sharing a room on this amazing property owned by an older hippy Catalan couple. The girls were also surviving over there by selling there turbans in little markets around the island.
The property was surrounded by oak/pine tree forests and there was even little turtles that cruise around on the forrest floor. Every morning we would go out for a walk around the property to find and feed the turtles. The huge dog would also come and was always down to chase a stick at million miles an hour into thick shrub or just post up for a portrait. Paella feast the first night was off the hoooooooook ! ! !

VIENNA - BARCELONA BUS TRIP . . . By Frido Fiebinger

2011-09-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

This clip is from a recent trip from Vienna, Austria back to Barcelona in Alexs bus. Clip filmed and edited by the one and only Frido Fiebinger . . . (all the photos from this trip are featured bellow)

ALSO check out more of Fridos clips here : http://bahöö.at

ENJOY!!! yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr

tour nach barcelona from fridofiebinger on Vimeo.

PERFECT LEDGE . . . MATARO, BARCELONA . . .

2011-09-05T04:12:00.001-07:00

SOUTHERN FRANCE . . .

2011-09-05T04:02:00.002-07:00

South France was really hot and expensive with tolls. We did find some cool ditch spots and enjoyed many a baguette . . . We also found this fun big spot next to the highway.

NICE . . . SOUTH FRANCE . . .

2011-09-05T04:02:00.001-07:00

Dam so we spent 2 days in Italy and i didnt take any photos. Now we finished the most epic drive through the Alps and have ended up in Nice in Southern France. We went for a little skate around town the night before and there was some bomb spots. When we woke up next to the beach the next morning everyone was hyped to be back in the warm weather out of the rain and to have the luxury of a morning swim. There was salsa music blasting from a roller skating mans self made bomb box next to his car and he was putting on a crazy cone skating show!!!

Tasmanian Tiger . . . 75th ANNIVERSARY OF ITS EXTINCTION

2011-09-02T03:23:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger . . . The Australian government set up a bounty scheme to exterminate the species due to the threat of profit to the sheep farming industry. It was thought that they were killing sheep but recent studies have proved otherwise . . .

SAVE BORDERTOWN IN OAKLAND!!!

2011-08-31T01:23:00.000-07:00

If u are in California PLEASE get down there FRIDAY 8am to help save the spot ! ! !

Save Bordertown from achilen on Vimeo.

BREAKING DOWN IN THE AUSTRIAN ALPS . . .

2011-08-29T03:33:00.001-07:00

Dealing with some serious hangovers with only about 4 hours sleep we decided to push on south to Italy. After a quick stop at a huge petrol station to check out the panoramic views the 'wan' wouldnt start. We all had to get out and push the heavy bastard up a slight hill and out of the way. When we checked underneath we found fuel pouring out from a broken fuel line!!!
After a few postcards for the family and friends, some photos of the views and a few more cheeseburgers we were on our way because of the helpful romanian truck driver. He could not speak english but helped us change the line and bleed the fuel through. We repaid him by buying him some brake fluid as he had ran out and had no money!!! Just as we were about to leave the sun broke through little pockets in the clouds lighting up some little alp farmlands with a single beam of light!
When we started driving again the energy was high and yason pulled out another cheeky bottle on schnapps for the ride! This time we all got involved taking shots from an empty half a lemon and it didnt take long until the wildness from the night before began again ! ! ! We spotted a really nice lake surrounded by picturesque mountains and decided to check it out . . . In a split second Frido had his clothes off and was in that not so inviting cold cold water!!! The rest of the drive to Italy was so incredible!; snow capped mountains with rivers, lakes, little towns with houses covered in seasonal flowers!!! Hands down some of the most naturally beautiful places ive ever seen!!!

ALEXS BIRTHDAY . . . INNSBRUCK . . . AUSTRIA

2011-08-23T15:36:00.001-07:00

This was the end of Alexs birthday at 8am sunday morning. On the way back to the van Alex and i found 2 bikes, at one point he rode off and i found him 5 mins later in the middle of a bridge knocked out (from falling off or wanting to take a nap, know one will know). When we made it back we cooked up some sausages that we had found along the ride while yason rapped songs and tried to prove that it is possible to suck his own penis.

D.I.Y BOWL WORGL . . . AUSTRIA

2011-08-23T04:16:00.001-07:00

Nothing better then a classic cock and balls shaped bowl. Well Romi and his friends built this one with all materials & labour for under $2000. This thing was so so so much fun to skate. Really hard and whippy but also there was a mulberry tree bearing hundreds of fruits next to the park. The only problem was they were behind a fence so yason and i had to spend a bit of time conspiring how to get to them while the otheres shredded the bowl! River bbq and diy bowl session with mulberrys . . . i didnt think this day could get any better but it did . . . Alexs birthday celebration next!!!!

BRIXLEGG . . . TIROL . . . AUSTRIA

2011-08-22T04:04:00.001-07:00

I have visited my fair share of rivers in my time and this one had to top the lot! We stocked up on meat and had an amazing woodfire bbq next to the river and went for numerous swims in the fresh fresh water. We also visited a really fun spot to jump of of a big rock into the water.

SHANE CROSS PARTY IN PEACE ! ! !

2011-08-22T03:36:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! ! ! FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS ! ! !

INNSBRUCK . . . TIROL . . . AUSTRIA

2011-08-21T06:20:00.001-07:00

We were lucky enough to be able to stay in luxury on the couches at Romis house! One of the nicest guys ive ever met and god can he shred!!! When we rose from a heavy slumber we hill bombed into town to check out the new plaza spot which everyone had been talking about. This new spot is skater friendly and is built out the front of the council chambers. After a few solid hours of skating the fine concrete edge i had completely stripped my back truck to the axel!!! Frido also got his first ever bs noseblunt slide on a bank. The surrounding alps made it s dream spot for photos!