One of the first things that I noticed about DC was its texture. It was beautiful. Sidewalks lined with brick, granite and marble made cruising so interesting—far more interesting than the generic concrete in LA. I was immediately taken back by how many untouched spots I’d seen. It really was a dream. There were untampered gems literally everywhere.

I didn’t want to leave without getting any footage, so I called up my friend Khidhr from Baltimore, but unfortunately spring showers settled making it almost pointless for him to make the trip.

On one of the days it rained I went into a shop called Palace5ive located just a little bit Uptown. It was probably the most grounded shop I’ve ever walked into. It wasn’t too small, but it was cozy. There was a sense of unity amongst everyone inside the shop—employees, customers, friends, rats, etc. that I have never felt anywhere else. One of the riders told me that it was the only shop located in the greater DC area, which is rad because the whole scene is ultimately being supported by one shop.
It was definitely refreshing to finally walk into a shop and see smaller board companies being supported, such as 5Boro, Polar and Magenta.

Having a tight knit scene like the one in DC makes skateboarders more grounded, which in turn makes skateboarding a hell of a lot more fun. -E.S.

Photos by Ethan Singleton. 2013.

DC

Photos by Ethan Singleton. 2013.

In places that dont experience weathered seasons too often, a midnight’s rain can completely drain the excitement out of the following day. Californians take for granted the clear skies that we wake up to every morning, and when confronted with drizzle, a plague of pessimism spreads like wildfire. School schedules change, the already crowded roads receive an influx of traffic, and pedestrians evacuate the sidewalks because apparently, rain does not allow you to get to where you need to go. On average, the East Coast receives about 3 months of unbearable heat, 2 months of heavy rain, and 7 months of restricting snow. Now, that means that skateboarders on the East Coast have somewhere around 4 months out of a year that they can truly take advantage of—a truly humbling experience nonetheless. Living in Los Angeles, an area populated by a bunch of ungrateful, narcissistic assholes fucking sucks. Especially on a rainy day. Rainy days in Los Angeles are beautiful, and could be ideal for skateboarders—unless of course you dont want to get water in your brand new P Rod bearings. Today, was almost like any other day on my skateboard. I went to the beach, alone. Cruising. The only thing different was that there were puddles, and oh boy are those things fun. My day was simple, yet unique and exciting, and through this experience I’ve learned that often times, the days that are most pleasing seem to involve nothing more than mere powerslides and ollies. -E.S. Photo by Ethan Singleton. 2013.

In places that dont experience weathered seasons too often, a midnight’s rain can completely drain the excitement out of the following day. Californians take for granted the clear skies that we wake up to every morning, and when confronted with drizzle, a plague of pessimism spreads like wildfire. School schedules change, the already crowded roads receive an influx of traffic, and pedestrians evacuate the sidewalks because apparently, rain does not allow you to get to where you need to go.
On average, the East Coast receives about 3 months of unbearable heat, 2 months of heavy rain, and 7 months of restricting snow. Now, that means that skateboarders on the East Coast have somewhere around 4 months out of a year that they can truly take advantage of—a truly humbling experience nonetheless.
Living in Los Angeles, an area populated by a bunch of ungrateful, narcissistic assholes fucking sucks. Especially on a rainy day.
Rainy days in Los Angeles are beautiful, and could be ideal for skateboarders—unless of course you dont want to get water in your brand new P Rod bearings.

Today, was almost like any other day on my skateboard. I went to the beach, alone. Cruising. The only thing different was that there were puddles, and oh boy are those things fun. My day was simple, yet unique and exciting, and through this experience I’ve learned that often times, the days that are most pleasing seem to involve nothing more than mere powerslides and ollies. -E.S.

Photo by Ethan Singleton. 2013.

Short day at Venice.

Photos by Ethan Singleton. 2013.

A night on the town | Patrick Kelly

Photos by Ethan Singleton. 2013.

Patrick Kelly | Hippy Jump | Santa Monica. Photo by Ethan Singleton. 2013

Patrick Kelly | Hippy Jump | Santa Monica.

Photo by Ethan Singleton. 2013

syn·di·cate

Noun
A group of individuals or organizations combined to promote some common interest.

Designed to preserve skateboarding in its purest form.

Downtown Los Angeles. A beautiful slum. A concrete jungle heedlessly constructed to support the likes of skateboarders from all around the world. Where everyday, white collar men and women carefully maneuver themselves around the carts and boxes of the homeless. It is where modern architecture translates into potential for the next nbd. Where ledges are more than just a place for one to have lunch, or curbs to park a car. It is optimism. It is an opportunity for skateboarders to showcase themselves. It is skateboarding at its purest form. Life. -E.S. Photo by Isaiah Xavier Gonzalez. 2013.

Downtown Los Angeles. A beautiful slum. A concrete jungle heedlessly constructed to support the likes of skateboarders from all around the world. Where everyday, white collar men and women carefully maneuver themselves around the carts and boxes of the homeless. It is where modern architecture translates into potential for the next nbd. Where ledges are more than just a place for one to have lunch, or curbs to park a car. It is optimism. It is an opportunity for skateboarders to showcase themselves. It is skateboarding at its purest form. Life.
-E.S.

Photo by Isaiah Xavier Gonzalez. 2013.