Skatin' Burnside; Portland, OR (photo heavy)

**pbourdon** · 07-30-2010, 07:11 PM

Cross-posted from Photo/Video. I know this is ski/snowboard, but stoke is stoke, and stoke belongs here...

I'm in Portland right now for a few days before I start work on the Clackamas River so I figured I had to get down to Burnside and get some shots while I was here. I used to skate a lot back in the day, but not too much anymore. Still this trip over to one of the most legendary spots in the sport was definitely a cool experience I won't soon forget. I did make the faux pax of not having beer with me, but that soon changed when one of the friendlier locals hinted that everyone would be a lot less leary of the lens if I went and grabbed some brews. Two 12'ers of PBR and a 6-pack of Olympia tall boys has a funny way of loosening everybody up. Needless to say I saw some sick shit go down.

Enough babble, on with the photos.

'No Bikes Fool'

"CrackerJack" with a nice 5-0 through the pocket

Another look at CJs 5-0.

Judd with headed into a backside disaster.

CJ with a smith-rock

Willis Kimbel with a frontside transfer over the hip...

I just dig this one.

Willis Kimbel; nosegrab

Sick.

Didn't catch this guy's name, but he was killing it too.

Willis with a nice frontside air.

Willis with a smith. A Will Smith?

Backside tailslide.

Ride Free.

Another Will Smith.

Willis goin' large. Frontside Air.

This dude, Ben Woo, calls this the 'Woo Grind'. He did it twice back to back so it wasn't just dumb luck. I've got sequences of all these shots on my photobucket.

Woo with a backlit Cannonball. We just couldn't make it work with me on the coping for what ever reason.

Any way, I've been out west more than I've been in Michigan this summer and have a pretty comprehensive TR planned for when I get back from OR at the end of August. I'll be in Portland through Tuesday if any one wants to grab a beer. I start research on the 3rd in Estacada.

advres · 07-30-2010, 07:18 PM

So sick!

that is all

**pbourdon** · 07-30-2010, 07:20 PM

Thanks man.

**lemmycaution** · 07-30-2010, 07:35 PM

me likey

**ectreeskier11** · 07-30-2010, 08:26 PM

i feel like i've been there after so may years of THPS playing in my youth.

**Slaag Master** · 07-30-2010, 10:10 PM

my ass hurts just thinkin bout all that cement - 1961 i rode for the first time but the "now" generation of skating is in the stratosphere

**pbourdon** · 07-31-2010, 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by Slaag Master

my ass hurts just thinkin bout all that cement - 1961 i rode for the first time but the "now" generation of skating is in the stratosphere

Heh...I hear ya man. I'm not that old at all, but still, I prefer my surface to be a little more forgiving than concrete. That's half the reason I'm ready to move outta the midwest again. I hate icy conditions. Looking forward to a winter on something resembling powder, although we'll see what CO has in store for me.

**Cyber Cop** · 07-31-2010, 01:27 AM

nice...
.......

**Name Redacted** · 07-31-2010, 08:32 AM

I skated burnside a few times. Luckily I showed up with some local rippers who showed me the ropes. We got there early and had the place to ourselves. As the day progressed, the session got sicker, pros and should-be-pros started showing up and absolutely tearing the place up, and this was just a random tuesday. The guys who skate there on a regular basis come up with some of the most amazing lines that you would never think existed. My mind was blown. That place is so organic, it was built by the skaters for the skaters.

**happytimefunbox** · 07-31-2010, 10:26 AM

Sk8ed that place a few years ago, showed up about 4 in the afternoon and there were 20-30 heavy hitters taking the place apart. The average joe schmoo portland/oregon/nw skaters are on another level. My rental had cali plates, stink eye was in full effect so I drank beers and watched it all go down. Went back the next morning and it was just me a few other guys. Hard park to figure out but one you get a couple lines down its on. Burnside is awesome, it changed the whole skatepark dynamic, spawned some of the best skatepark builders and the world has been a better place for it...

(typed one handed due to blown left wrist and thumb from a trainwreck slam at sojo last night)

**elchingonmancos** · 07-31-2010, 10:55 AM

Great pix!

**pbourdon** · 07-31-2010, 07:05 PM

More shots from today's session. Might be headed out later to shoot some video for a couple of the guys......sick.

Again, you can find full sequences of many of these here

Willis in the pocket

Next shot in that sequence

Willis' smith grind

I like this one better, but I'm pissed I didn't manage to keep the coping in the shot, so its kinda useless really.

Mason with a nice nosegrab

This shot makes me puke everytime I look at it, its so sick. Style for days....Mason stalefish

Mason Boneless

That's it.

**Nic.A** · 07-31-2010, 11:35 PM

I don't even skate, but I venture down to b-side with a sixer often just watch some awesome skaters. nice shots!

**noparking** · 08-01-2010, 11:15 AM

nice pictures

**SchralphMacchio** · 08-02-2010, 09:24 AM

this is very rad, both the move and photo

**HiGrade1** · 08-02-2010, 12:03 PM

you should have told them all to go fuck themselves for demanding beers....
only Red (the guy who actually built that place) is allowed to impose a beer tax at burnside... kids trying to act like they are the OG's..... funny.

**StuntCok** · 08-02-2010, 12:33 PM

that was pretty sick. On a side note, I was watching x-games skating last night and there seems like a lot of old guys (in their 30's) still hold there own at the highest level of skating but in park skiing it seems that once you hit 25 you are over the hill. For those that do both, what's up with that?

**pbourdon** · 08-02-2010, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by HiGrade1

you should have told them all to go fuck themselves for demanding beers....
only Red (the guy who actually built that place) is allowed to impose a beer tax at burnside... kids trying to act like they are the OG's..... funny.

Hahah...yeah, but shit, beers sounded good any way, so I didn't really care.

Originally Posted by StuntCok

that was pretty sick. On a side note, I was watching x-games skating last night and there seems like a lot of old guys (in their 30's) still hold there own at the highest level of skating but in park skiing it seems that once you hit 25 you are over the hill. For those that do both, what's up with that?

The simple answer is Shaun White....he started the whole 'x-jock' phenomenon...and his parents started the whole 'Vert parent' thing too....so the kind of skaters that I grew up with (ones with little in the ways of financial resources) have been pushed to the periphery at the highest levels of competition. Its a sad state of affairs that what was once an alternative sport is now over-run by rich white kids and their parents and the corporations who are cashing in on their abilities. That's why I don't watch the X-games any more. Its not about the sports, or the lifestyle or the soul at all. Its about making a quick buck off of circus tricks.

FUCK THE X-GAMES...IF YOU CARE ABOUT THESE SPORTS STOP WATCHING THE X-GAMES!!!

**Cyber Cop** · 08-02-2010, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by pbourdon

Hahah...yeah, but shit, beers sounded good any way, so I didn't really care.

The simple answer is Shaun White....he started the whole 'x-jock' phenomenon...and his parents started the whole 'Vert parent' thing too....so the kind of skaters that I grew up with (ones with little in the ways of financial resources) have been pushed to the periphery at the highest levels of competition. Its a sad state of affairs that what was once an alternative sport is now over-run by rich white kids and their parents and the corporations who are cashing in on their abilities. That's why I don't watch the X-games any more. Its not about the sports, or the lifestyle or the soul at all. Its about making a quick buck off of circus tricks.

FUCK THE X-GAMES...IF YOU CARE ABOUT THESE SPORTS STOP WATCHING THE X-GAMES!!!

good point, vert seems easily consumable by the mega media, but I doubt Shaun has anywhere near the technical skill of the guys skating pools and skate parks.

Loving these photos btw.