Tag Archives: Freestyle

Andy Anderson Archived Videos Hippie Mike Skateboarding Video Reviews

Andy Anderson 2015 Video – Previously Unreleased

Previously Unreleased video of Andy Anderson in Vancouver Canada showcasing his All-Around Skateboarding Talent – Street, Tranny, and Freestyle, accompanied by some awesome piano playing skills.
Back in 2015 we made this video as a send off for Andy leaving the Protest Skateboards team and starting off his sponsorship with Powell Peralta but we never actually released the video. Some of the clips were used in a “Skateboard Stories” video that Stacy Peralta made in 2018 but most of it has still never been seen, especially not the way it was originally created. I filmed the video over 5 consecutive Saturdays with Andy while I was transitioning from a full leg brace to walking again after a knee surgery.

Enjoy

Read More
Extreme Sports Skateboarding Video Reviews

Kilian Martin – Artistic Maniac

Another amazing and unique video montage of Kilian Martin created by Brett Novak. Named “Internal Departure”, it looks like it was filmed in some art gallery somewhere. Either way, it another chance for you to boggle your brain trying to figure out half the tricks that Kilian lays down. Primo Slide to Crooked Grind… what?

It awesome because there isn’t much comparison for Kilian Martin’s skateboarding style other than Rodney Mullen, but even at that, they are very different. Rodney Mullen invented tricks that changed the world of skateboarding forever and helped it to progress to the point it’s at today. Kilian lives in the generation of today where boards have not changed for almost 2 decades and the population of skateboarders around the world are fixed in their ways. The only other younger skateboarder I can think to relate to Kilian is William Spencer. Not that they do any of the same tricks, but they relate by being inventors. Maybe we could have a battle video between them one day like the old Rodney Mullen vs. Daewon Song (A-Team vs. World Industries) videos…

Watch this new video of Kilian and be amazed by his talent once again, and if you’re interested in seeing him skate live, make sure you show up to The World Round-Up Freestyle Championships this May 17-20 at The Cloverdale Rodeo.

Read More
Extreme Sports Kaelen Faux Ryan Brynelson Skateboarding

Kaelen’s 1st Skateboard Demo – with Ryan Brynelson

Kaelen Faux loves skateboarding, which was pretty much inevitable since both me (Hippie Mike) and mom (Carrie Williams) are skateboarders for life. It’s Kaelen’s 3rd birthday on Sunday, November 11th  and I asked him if he wanted me to get a Clown to show up at his Daycare on Friday, and he said he wanted Ryan Brynelson to come instead and do a Freestyle Demo for all his classmates. I talked to Ryan and of course he was down. Kaelen really loves watching Ryan skate and I figured this might be a great opportunity for Kaelen to join in to the Demo and show off some of his skills in front of all his friends that know absolutely nothing about skateboarding. And so it happened. Everyone was super stoked!

Here it is – Kaelen Faux’s 1st Skateboard Demo – with his idol, Ryan Brynelson

Read More
Glory Daze Hippie Mike Ryan Brynelson

GLORY DAZE – Episode 5 Ryan Brynelson – A Rare Fish in a Massive Sea

Welcome to Episode 5 of GLORY DAZE with Hippie Mike. Today we are hanging out in North Delta with a very unique skateboarder. He’s one of the only Freestylers in Canada, his pockets are overflowing with tricks, and he’s always ready to put on a Demo. Sponsored by Protest Skateboards, Kilian Clothing and West 49, he’s the Number 2 ranked Amateur Freestyle Skateboarder in the World – give it up for Ryan Brynelson!!

Hippie Mike: What’s up Ryan? How’s it feel to be on GLORY DAZE with Hippie Mike?

Ryan Brynelson: Oh, I was very surprised when you called me yesterday and asked me if I wanted to be on GLORY DAZE. I thought it was so great, I watch it on Youtube every now and then and I definitely enjoy it, so thank you so much for having me

HM: Cool. First off, can you tell us a little bit about the history of Freestyle Skateboarding and how many people actually still do it?

Ryan: Alright, so Freestyle Skateboarding is the essence of skateboarding. It came out first in the 1970’s and people would nail 2×4’s to roller skates with clay wheels and they would just kind of ride around on that. It was Freestyle Skateboarding but it was definitely not the same compared to what Freestylers do today. They were mostly just doing tic-tacs and handstands and it was very limited. Then of course the urethane wheel came out and that changed a lot. But it was still pretty much the same. People were still doing tic-tacs, maybe a little more fancy footwork you know if they did have the urethane wheel. And then of course came Rodney Mullen, the Number 1 Freestyle skateboarder in the world ever, the number 1 skateboarder in the world ever in my opinion on the planet. And so what Rodney did was, he sort of saw Steve Rocco doing like 50-50 tricks and then he started doing that, but he made a ton of variations that I’m sure you’ve all seen in videos like Almost Round 3 and stuff, so, pretty much like all truck variations, caspers, that all came from him and then Freestyle started to become more than just footwork and handstands and people were starting to like ride their boards you know on the truck, on the side, upside down and things like that

HM: So how many people in the world are Freestyle Skateboarders?

Ryan: Laughs… Ah ha, yeah so it’s funny, ’cause I get called like the  2nd Top Amateur in the world, but really there is seriously like about 120/150 Freestylers in the world. Very few of us, so…

HM: How old are you, and when did you start skateboarding?

Ryan: I’m 20, and I started skateboarding when I was 8. I got my first board you know like most kids, at some point in their life they get a skateboard for Christmas, and of course it’s a Walmart Skateboard, and uh, so I just started puttering around on that. I would just kind of ride around on that you know goofing around and stuff, and then when I was 14 I saw Lords of Dogtown and Dogtown and Z-Boys and something about those movies just made want to start doing tricks and stuff. It showed more of a community in skateboarding for me you know where normally I’d be skateboarding with the kids up the block, but then I was introduced to the Dogtown Movie and I kind of saw more of a community there and it was very attractive to me. I saw that and I thought it was really cool you know.

HM: And that’s why you leaned towards the Freestyle?

Ryan: Well part of it. I saw them doing like the Burt Slides and stuff like that, but of course everybody’s doing street skateboarding and not many people skate that 70’s style and whatever. So at that time I thought, Okay I have to learn how to Ollie, so I learned how to Ollie. So then it was like, now the pressure’s on, you know, you gotta learn kick flips and pop shovits, and then I kept kind of going but I didn’t really like that aspect myself. I was still just kind of doing Burt Slides and just playing around with that and then I saw Freestyle Skateboarding when I got invited to a barbeque at Kevin Harris’s house and it was kind of like a Jam Session for the 2007 World Freestyle Championships of Skateboarding and since then I’ve just been doing Freestyle Skateboarding and yeah, I enjoy it very much

HM: How much has Kevin Harris taught you over the years and what other influences has he had on your life?

Ryan: Ohhh, Huge, Huge. I mean, you know, Kevin has always been such a great mentor to me. He showed me Freestyle Skateboarding and because of him I am doing this. I would say my spins and any kind of my footwork, flow work, that all comes from Kevin, and then truck tricks and everything after that, you know, that’s just me wanting to be just a rounded skateboarder.

 

HM: You are very into Japanese Culture. You work at a Japanese Pub, you study Japanese at school, and usually have Japanese girlfriends. What sparked this interest and where is it leading you in life?

Ryan: Laughs… Oh that’s very interesting… Well, skateboarding you know, you’re always using your body and stuff and I was very into that using my body thing, and then at school my marks were always low and people started thinking I was like stupid or whatever, and um, then I went twice to Japan on Exchange Trips and I liked it very much, so I took a Japanese Course and I decided to make it as much of a passion as skateboarding is to me. So skateboarding, I’m using my body, and then Japanese I get to use my brain and stuff, so I thought it was cool to do both

HM: So therefore you’re always learning both

Ryan: Exactly,exactly. Yeah, yeah

HM: And the girls just came with it, right?

Ryan: Laughs… I don’t really think of it like that. I just study and stuff. Laughs…

HM: Say your favourite sentence in Japanese

Ryan: My favourite sentence, ohhh, I got a few. それはたわごとの価値がありません。 “It’s not worth shit” – Laughs…

HM: There are so many skateboarders in the world, but so few of them are into Freestyle. It’s a whole different way of life. Do other skaters treat you different because your strictly a Freestyler?

Ryan: Yes. They do actually. You know, a lot of it’s been very positive, and I go to a skate park and I kind of stand out and stuff. There is times where there is a little bit of a negative side of it and I think that it’s kind of weird because so many skateboarders got into skateboarding because society kind of pushed them out and then they started skateboarding. And then I’m doing Freestyle Skateboarding. I’m doing skateboarding, I’m just doing a different style, and then by that group I get pushed out by them because of it. Not all of them, but there is definitely a group for sure and I feel like it’s kind of hype-critical…

HM: Right. Do you think people don’t respect Freestyle Skateboarding, or is it just a sign of insecurity?

Ryan: You know, I feel like it is a sign of insecurity… I feel like a lot of people respect it, but at the same time, it’s not taken as seriously

HM: They don’t understand it

Ryan: They don’t understand it, that’s exactly it. Like when Longboarding came in at first that was very like separated from skateboarding, and this is very much the same

HM: Yeah, except Freestyle created what skateboarding is and Longboarding just….. I mean like, I’ve skated 26 years and I don’t even attempt Freestyle

Ryan: Laughs…

HM: Who’s better – Rodney Mullen or Kilian Martin? Right now?

Ryan: Ohhh, that’s a hard question… Uhhhhhhh. You know, rodney is just so tech tech tech, and as far as being the tech-master it’s Rodney, but Kilian with his creativity. I mean, damn. Honestly I gotta say hands down, my favourite skateboarder is Kilian Martin. I have much respect for Rodney Mullen but my absolute favourite – Kilian Martin.

HM: What do you love the most about life?

Ryan: Life… just so many great people, so many great people.

HM: Alright – Shout out to anyone?

Ryan: Shout out to anyone, oh my gosh, I just want to say Kilian Martin I’m seriously so stoked to be riding for you on Kilian Clothing, thank you so much, uhh, I appreciate all the advise you’ve given to me before, and um, Kevin Harris, absolutely one of my greatest mentors and it’s because of him I’m even doing this, so thanks

HM: Okay Ryan, I’d like to thank you for being a guest on GLORY DAZE and I’d just like to say I have always had respect for you as an individual. From the moment I met you many years ago you were a Freestyle Skateboarder, and no one was going to change that. You’re an artist, you’re a solid skater, you’re a leader and a role model. A rare fish that swims alone in a massive sea of followers

– Ryan Brynelson everybody…

Read More
Extreme Sports Protest Skateboards Ryan Brynelson Skateboarding Team Riders

Ryan Brynelson Rips it

Well we sponsored the Surrey Pride Festival went as a vendor. There were tons of people there having a great time, it was super sunny and hot. The music was pretty good, I liked the first band – Goatface Killaz. They were pretty funny, and they were totally stoked when Ryan Brynelson walked up and threw down his board in front of the stage and started ripping it up Freestyle. Handstand kickflips, Pogos and Spins, and just Walking the Dog across the entire park, the crowd’s attention was suddenly turned to him and the band recognized it right away, calling him “Skater Guy” and giving him props over the microphone while singing their songs.

Ryan attracted many people over to watch him skate as he put on short demos throughout the day and lots of people were taking photos of him. I heard a lot of people talking about how amazing he was.

We showed up, me and Jaden sold some gear, and Ryan Brynelson ripped it. It was a good day.

Protest.

Read More
Extreme Sports Skateboarding Video Reviews

Kilian – Killin’ it!

K – I – L – I – A – N

Kilian Martin is a maniac. This guy just might be the next Rodney Mullen. A freestyle wizard, with some serious street skills, and combining the 2 together to create tricks out of some other dimension.

This video has been anticipated for quite a while, and after watching it you will understand why. Kilian has passed Tony Hawk’s record for the most hits on Youtube with over 5 million, and just to prove how, this video was released yesterday on May 29th, and at this moment has been viewed 42,824 times. That’s insane!!

Filmed, edited and directed by Brett Novak, in association with Mercedes, there is some serious production value behind it. It looks like they were at an old abandoned amusement park somewhere in California. Kilian makes good use of any obstacles that are still existing, and straight up kills it.

Watch the video, screw your head back on, and go learn this stuff…

Read More
Contest Results Contests Extreme Sports Skateboarding World Round Up

World Round-Up… The Footage Begins

Man, I got so much footage at the Finals on Monday. I’m still uploading it into my editing program. The final article along with a compilation video will be posted by Friday or Saturday. I know you’re all waiting to see some wicked performances, so here’s a little bit to get you going.

These were the demos that some of the Pros put on during their introductions prior to the actual Finals, along with Shaun Gladwell’s final run in the Amateur Division – 1st place finish – and a solid example from the master, Kilian Martin showing off why he is considered to be the next biggest name of Freestyle Skateboarding. Mind Blowing.

Just to give you a dose of what you’re going to see in the upcoming video,

Enjoy.

Kilian Martin – Demo

Stephan Albert – Demo

Guenter Mokulys – Demo

Mike Osterman – Demo

Per Canguru – Demo

Rene Shigueto – Demo

Shaun Gladwell – Final Run in Amateur – 1st Place finish

Stefan “Lillis” Akesson – Demo

Read More
Extreme Sports Protest Skateboards Ryan Brynelson Skateboarding Team Riders

Ryan Brynelson Has Joined The Protest!!

The Protest Team just keeps getting bigger, but also more and more diverse.

We got bowl rippers, flip trick masters, old-schoolers, new-schoolers and of course myself – who will skate anything and everything. But there was one thing missing, a Freestyle Skateboarder.

Over the evolution of the skateboard era, board shapes have changed dramatically, and the style of obstacles and the scenes of which we skate have changed with it. But there’s one thing that still exists, and that is the freedom of expression. Freestyle Skateboarding is a way of life. It’s you and your board making magic happen together. You don’t need a skate park, you don’t need an audience, you just need passion. I’ve been watching this kid grow for about 4 or 5 years now, and the one thing I always recognized in his skating was passion. He loves to learn and loves to try new things. And with a lot of mentorship from the legendary Kevin Harris, I knew he was only going to get better.

I talked to Ryan on the phone the night before the World Round-Up Freestyle Championships and laid down an offer of having him join the team. I was not surprised at how stoked he was about it. This kid is an amazing person, who loves to skateboard and be good at it, but is also one of the most humble people you’ll ever meet. Reminds me a lot of Rodney Mullen.

In this lifetime, and with the right support behind him, I believe that he will make a memorable mark on the skateboard community world-wide. And I am stoked to help him with that.

Ryan Brynelson… Welcome to PROTEST!

Read More
Contests Extreme Sports Ryan Brynelson Skateboarding Team Riders

The World Round-Up Finals (Just a Taste)

I went to the Finals on Monday, May 21st, 2012 of the first ever “World Round-Up Freestyle Skateboard Championships” held at the Cloverdale Rodeo in Surrey, British Columbia. I’ve been watching Freestyle skateboarding for many years so I knew what to expect, but I don’t really follow the names that much, so I wasn’t exactly sure WHO to expect… I knew Kevin Harris would be there since he was involved with making the event happen, but I also knew he wasn’t going to be competing. I knew Ryan Brynelson was going to be there since I just added him to the Protest Team, but I knew he was going to be in the Amateur division. I did not know that Andy Anderson, another one of my riders on the Protest Team was going to show up as a late entry and compete in the Amateur. He did really well too. But it was the big names people came to see, Per Canguru, Rene Shigueto, Darryl Grogan, Stephan Albert, Stephan Lillis Akesson, Guenter Mokulys and the man of the freetstyle board –  Kilian Martin, who unfortunately was not competing. There were lots of people to watch, all putting on amazing displays for the crowd. No matter how they placed, they were definitely all seen as champions. The coolest thing about going to a Freestyle Contest as a spectator, is it’s almost like you transferred into another dimension. Freestyle Skateboarding is very rare, and these guys live it so they’re used to it, but any other skater now a days, gets their mind blown away when they’re watching it. It can almost knock you down a couple notches in your confidence level of how good you are on a skateboard, because these guys are frickin’ amazing. I’ve been skateboarding for over 26 years and I am still baffled by half the tricks people do in freestyle. They are definitely one with their boards.

It was an awesome event, with a great purpose.

Both my Team Riders qualified to the finals in the Amateur division with Ryan Brynelson landing in 2nd place, so close to  winning behind Shaun Gladwell, and then the unknown wonder who showed up out of the blue, Andy Anderson finishing 5th. Yeah Andy!

Here are the results for the Top 5 in the Professional division:

  • 1st Place – Darryl Grogan (USA)
  • 2nd Place – Guenter Mokulys (Germany)
  • 3rd Place – Stefan Lillis Akesson (Sweden)
  • 4th Place – Rene Shigueto (Brazil)
  • 5th Place – Per Canguru (Brazil)

For the guys who didn’t make top 5, no worries. The scores were all decimal points apart through all 10 riders. Tight competition…

This is just a taste about the World Round-Up Freestyle Championships. Stay tuned in a couple of days and I will have a full story about the event, along with some seriously mind blowing footage…

Until then, click the link below

Kevin Harris – PNE Story

http://youtu.be/NAGMKe2JlVU

Read More
Extreme Sports Ryan Brynelson Skateboarding Team Riders World Round Up

World Freestyle Skateboard Round Up

[youtube id=”OuYU20hfZUs” width=”620″ height=”360″]

Here’s a write up from the Cloverdale Rodeo webpage about the amazing World Freestyle Skateboarding Competition being held over the weekend. Monty Little is from the Cloverdale area and is one of the main promoters of the event along with the legendary Kevin Harris and up and comer Kai Dunkel. I had Kai, Kevin and Ryan Brynelson here at Chuck Bailey Skate Park almost 1 year ago for the Grand Opening and they were all ripping it, I hope all 3 will be competing at this event. Freestyle skateboarders are a dying breed, but the ones that are still out there in the world practice every day and all seem to able to blow your mind at any time. Check out the video link below to see some of the competition they will be facing from around the world. I’m definitely going to try to get out for the final day of this event. It’s gonna be crazy…

From www.theworldroundup.com

We are Rounding-Up the top pro and amateur freestyle skateboarders from around the world to compete at THE WORLD FREESTYLE ROUND-UP for a chance to win part of the $10,000 in Prize Money. The four day event will be held at the CLOVERDALE RODEO & COUNTRY FAIR, just 25 miles east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from May, 18 to 21, 2012. Over 77,000 people attended the annual Rodeo and Fair last year making this an ideal high profile location for this contest.

The World Freestyle Round-Up will take place inside a venue on the Cloverdale Fair Grounds, that has an arena setting featuring a 80 foot by 140 foot flawless concrete floor that is ideal for flatland freestyle skateboarding. Several freestylers say it’s the best surface they have ever skated on. Each day there will be several shows featuring freestyle demos and contests in three categories, Best Routine, Best Trick and a 360 Spin Off all using a Battle Format making it more interesting for the riders and audience as well. Several skaters will compete as a group each going one by one performing a routine. If a skater misses a trick, they are out until everyone has skated and it is their turn again. There will be two heats, (20 minutes each) for each show, with an announcer and DJ spinning tunes to keep the crowd and skaters pumped.

The contest also has a new judging system that has never been used before combining the scores from the five judges with the scores from the riders and audience. Note: The contestants cannot vote for themselves.

Contest promoters Kevin Harris, Kai Dunkel and Monty Little have one goal in mind. To create a fun energy packed annual event that will help put Freestyle Skating back where it belongs and move the level of competition up a notch or two. We envision something new and unique to give freestyle a chance to be back in TV, back in major magazines, and back in the forefront of the sports world.

Schedule

Friday, May 18

  • 4 pm to 6 pm Open Ceremonies and Practice Session (6 to 7 Dinner Break)
  • 7 pm to 9:30 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest
  • 9:30 pm to 10 pm Contestants meeting

Saturday, May 19

  • 9:30 am to 11:30 am RODEO PARADE
  • 11:30 am to 12:30 pm Practice Session
  • 12:30 pm to 2 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest (2 to 4 Late Lunch Break)
  • 2 pm to 4 pm Women’s Rollerderby
  • 4 pm to 5:30 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest
  • 6 pm to 10 pm Women’s Rollerderby

Sunday, May 20

  • 10 am to 11 am Practice Session
  • 11 am to 12:30 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest (12:30 to 1:30 Lunch Break)
  • 1:30 pm to 3 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest
  • 3 pm to 5 pm Women’s Rollerderby
  • 5 pm to 6:30 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest
  • 7 pm to 10 pm Women’s Rollerderby

Monday, May 21

  • 10 am to 11 am Practice Session
  • 11 am to 12:30 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest (12:30 to 1:30 Lunch Break)
  • 1:30 pm to 3 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Contest
  • 3 pm to 4 pm Practice Session
  • 4 pm to 6 pm WORLD ROUND-UP Finals and Awards Ceremony

Click this link to see Kevin Harris, Kai Dunkel and Ryan Brynelson last May 28th at the Chuck Bailey Skate Park Grand Opening in Surrey, BC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzLx_lDFcZo

Read More