Landyachtz's News

New board information videos

landyachtz — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:46:25 +0000

We’ve taken the time to do a few informational videos on a few of our boards. Go to the board page here and check out the Drop Hammer, Bamboo Totem, Chinook, Bamboo Pinner and Battle Axe. Were working on getting videos done for many more of the boards as well, so keep on checking back!

Landyachtz Eh-Team Episode 6

landyachtz — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:38:02 +0000

In Episode 6 we start out by taking a stroll through a few of our favorite back alleys. Vancouver is packed full of alley’s, some mellow and smooth, others steep and gnar. Back alleys are a favorite skate spot for most of us here, tons of fun and great training grounds.

Then we’ll take a look at 2 very different events, the 8^th annual Sullivan Challenge and the Paskapoo downhill Rodeo.

The Sullivan Challenge takes place in Kimberley BC, it gets it’s name from the Sullivan mine located just outside the town. Legendary mad man Jody Willcock has been at the helm of this wild ride right from the begging. Kimberley has been home to a weekend long festival of bocce, sports and partying since 1971, “July fest”. About 10 years ago Jody was creating a deadly downhill skateboarding scene in the little Canadian-Bavarian town. July fest organizers began working on the idea of a skateboard race with Jody. He had a track in mind and wouldn’t budge on the route, part of it happens to run right across the highway!

In 2002 the first Sullivan Challenge was held, minimal hay, ski pads, rough roads, across the highway, potholes and a big party. Perfect. Most events change, grow and evolve, not the Sully. Except for the addition of some great freeride sessions and a bowl race, the event is still the same, party Friday and Saturday, race at noon on Sunday. A wicked throwback to what all of the original Canadian races were like.

The Paskapoo Dh Rodeo is an entirely different beast. The organizers set their sights super high right from the beginning, a world class event with the biggest payout in the world. After a hic-up in 2008, the event is back better than ever in ’09. $10,000 pay out, Jumbo-tron, beer garden, camp ground, battle of the bands, a chairlift, and a very wicked live internet feed so people from all over the world could tune in and check it out.

Enjoy!

Maryhill Race 2009

landyachtz — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:36:53 +0000

If you’ve ever been to southern Washington, you know the landscapes could be considered breath taking. This past week was no exception. With hundreds of new windmills scattering the skyline, unpredictable weather, and skateboarders from all over the world, the Maryhill Festival of Speed was better than ever.

The week started with riders trickling into town and ready to skate. There was a bit of a hiccup due to some miscommunication with the EMT’s, which resulted in a late start on day 1. Spirits were far from dampened and the U-Hauls made their way to the top. The free-riding commenced along with the smiles and we rode Mary hard into the night.

This year the junior’s were out in full force with over 20 riders in total. Fellow Canadians George MacKenzie and Nick Jean did us proud, while young guns like Liam Morgan and Samuel Rojas Jr. (Tactis Sk8 Shop Team Rider) from California caught everyone’s eye. With their style and recently acquired racing skills, they were a force to reckon with. The women were well represented with a solid crew from the Great White North. In the end it was the one and only Brianne Davies taking the win. Dominique Vukorep of North Van was giving her a run for her money but crashed in Cowser’s (aka Seismic) Corner, allowing Brianne to maintain her lead to the finish line.

An interesting twist kept our spirits up when in house Aussie, Adam Yates, decided to compete in Classic Luge (aka butt-boarding). In a field of 22 racers, Yates finished 3^rd after battling his way up from 10^th position off the start line. Not to mention having almost no experience on one of these contraptions… I guess living in Vancouver has paid off as the rain didn’t seem to faze him!

As per usual, the Downhill Skateboarding Open Class was the race to watch. With insanely talented riders from around the globe, there was never a dull moment. The heats were stacked right off the bat and proved for tough competition all day. As the heavy rains set in, riders were scrambling for grooved wheels like Aqua Hawgs and a pair of dry socks. This didn’t deter anyone and the competition was on! Crashes were frequent which kept the audience in anticipation, never knowing who would cross that line first. Matt “Hoodie” Shaw was there to get the side bets going, and Bricin “Striker” Lyons pumped the crowd full of energy all day long. Douglas “Dalua” Silva of Brazil surprised everyone with his consistency in the rain and ended up finishing 2^nd. Nate Lang finished behind Dalua in 4^th after James Kelly made a pass just before the finish line for 3^rd . Heavy hitters like Mischo Erban (who was dominating all week ) and Scoot Smith ended up in the bales, but still finished an impressive 5^th and 6^th amongst all the carnage. In the end it was Patrick Switzer of Ontario taking the win.

The awards were held at the race course for the first time, and Chris Chaput of Abec 11 made sure it was nothing short of green, pink and spectacular. We had boxes of shwag to toss to groms, who were especially frothing on the new Monster Hawgs, while some fresh decks were awarded for things like “most heart” and “up and coming juniors”. People were stoked.

The night continued with barn parties and dice rolling, which proved to be profitable for some.Rumors have it that Team Canada held it down and continued to win the party. With the clouds blown over, the windmills spinning and broken tents being disposed of, the Maryhill Festival of Speed came to an end. Until next year sweet Mary, and God Bless America.

Episode 5 of the Eh Team Videos is out now

landyachtz — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:35:09 +0000

Lyons Urban assault started 5 years ago and hasn’t become any less ridiculous since. 11km of downhill bombing followed by 14 grueling km of cross town endurance racing. In the 5^th installment of the Landyachtz Eh-Team we’ll cover the legendary cross city event held by the commissioner, Bricin Lyons of Coast Longboarding.Starting at the top of Cypress Mountain, at 4:20am, and finishing on the other side of the city at the Molson brewery, this is truly a one of a kind event. We’ll check in with Landyachtz riders Meatball, Nate Lang, Liam McKenzie and Hoodie to get the inside track and hear what they think of the event. We’ll also shed a little light on the controversy that developed during the so called “no-rules” event!

Making sure no one is left out and everybody gets their roll on, the 9^th annual “Longboarders take over the Seawall” cruise starts the same day at 4:20 pm. We’ll join in on the cruise and see what 300+ longboarders look like on the trails of downtown Vancouver.

Check out the new episode here