#CrossCountryGravy

In contrast to previous posts, which perhaps two or three people reading this will know to exist, this one will be no more than a collection of images; and second-class images at that. No tongue-in-cheek sarcasm, no grammatical complexities, and few links to other distracting nonsense. These photos are left over from our cross-country trip, as was published in Skidmark Skate Mag in the current issue. There are still a few left, so go get one if you wanna see the good stuff! Due to having 9 dudes squeezed into 2 cars; plus camping gear, fishing rods, skating gear, photo and video gear and other assorted hoopla, I decided to pack light right form the get-go and simplified my photo setup as much as I reasonably could. Simplicity is liberating, but damn, I would have loved to have a 4x5 handy. This trip was amazing. It was everything I could have asked for, and I know we'll all remember it for a lifetime. 

Enough chit-chat. In loosely chronological order, here are the #CrossCountryGravy leftover photos.

Setting out for the road. Poor Hennesey. 

A canadian tuxedo in the wild, properly admired

second angle of Preston's overcrook in Fresno

Herra sustainable power

I guess nobody told Auby there's a ledge here

Rosecrsans crew

Matty gave up skating in favor of traditional Russian dance

Jason, ignoring the fundamentals

Tony fully locked into a front tail 

Lee Goldberg, bs tailslide bs flip

Spotted a moses in the wild

White tank state park in AZ

A bonfire shortly after we broke into the park a day earlier than they open

always ready for the cold gravy

Big daddy and some petroglyphs

Young explorer out here

i wonder who would win

everyone's favorite couple-a folks

Jro - lipslide in PHoenix

Aaron charging full speed ahead around the light. 

Tent city and backyard showers. Livin the dream. 

Tony, back feeble

The sun was getting to us. Daddy hidden away in the shade

Doubles at the wedge rails

Hey, we're out here trying to get clips. None of this softie fun crap allowed!

So much for getting clips...

Chill day

No thanks, I'd rather shoot a photo

Somebody's ready to give up...

I guess he couldn't believe his eyes

New mexico, home of the weinermobile

stray pup

Lee, tre flip, tony v heel in albuquerque

Erick, OK

The town with one stop light

scheming

Dan's aunt and the whole crew, save myself

Tony, crailslide in Birmingham

This place - the upsidedown plaza in birmingham stays open till 6am. As a bar should. 

THis place had an amazing spot, but we got booted immediately

late-night shenanigans in the making

Jro, switch crook. I blew it pretty good on this one. 

Jason, having shot the first roll of film through his new 35mm camera. Real men shoot film. 

Tony can fish anything... Moments before my face got smashed by the other car. 

dynamic duo

and lastly, matt lane in providence. 1st try, in a line, before noon, in the winter. And it's throwaway. Sure. 

keep on keepin on

It seems that updates of this website have clearly been solidified into a monthly cycle. Despite having left ourselves (let no one fool you into thinking this is a one man operation) wide open for jokes on the matter, the Kiln trudges on through the proverbial mud. Mud, because it's been raining far too much in the bay area.  Those of us who rely on dry, reasonably smooth and abundant concrete and asphalt for our recreational purposes have been forced to retreat to garages and mini ramps. But hey, we all need some bad with the good to make ourselves appreciate it more. You know the feeling of being conscious of feeling well after coming off of a bad cold? Yeah, it's the best, and the sunny, longer days to come will be just that.

This past week saw the release of Ilja Maran's epic, "Ground Control". (For the grammar nerds, of whom there are likely none, note that the intended use of "epic" is as a noun, which is solidified by the following comma, but its unintentional use as an adjective is also allowable in this scenario if you so please)

The video premiered in LBC and features parts from Phil Ceja, Josh Abernathy, Michael Leon, Gabriel Lopez, Jason Park, Mike Piwowar, Steven ban, Alex Miranda, and Chris Joslin. Check out the intro below, and pick up a copy from http://deadpixelproductions.com/

Photos. 

Here is Michael Leon with and FS Shove and the Kiln's signature stamp of lo-fi approval

Now, this man's name is Jason Park. He does thing that will make you scratch your head to the point of epidermal and possibly even skeletal trauma. Example one. 

Jason, Hang ten nosewheelie, more superbly lo-fi garbage

Brendan Herling has a few tricks in the friends section of Ground Control. This is fairly representative of their collective caliber. 

And now, for some shameless self-promotion...

I had 2 sequences of Auby Taylor run in the February 2012 issue of Thrasher for the Lunatic Fringe segment. Be on the lookout for Auby's full part in Index skateshop's video that will be dropping soon, and check out the gif files of the sequences below. (Click em!)

Auby - Fakie Flip Tailslide Big Heelflip out

Auby - Switch Heelflip, at 7AM mind you.

While were on the subject of published photos, Matt Lane's Fresh Find in Focus finally got printed...

Matt Lane - Nosegrind in Springfield, MA, at the end of what was a 16 hour day by the time we got back. 

The past week was an adventure through LA and surrounding vicinities with a great crew, and thanks in large part to the guy above. West Hollywood will do that to ya... Kevin Leslie.

Moses Salazar - 5-0 in Chula Vista, CA. 

Towards the end of the week, Nick G and his Homies Cyril and Tislam Met up to quickly destroy an unsuspecting Pasedena rail. 

Cyril Jackson, Overcrook and BS Tail Fakie

Tislam Smith, Lipslide

Nick Govatsos, Smith

Moses hadn't quite had his fill of rails in LA, so we hit this Fresno area bugger on our way back. 50-50 warm-up. 

And now for some adventurin'

This is a good place. Seattle, WA. 

Trail on the island. You know, that one...

The shipping industry in Vancouver is booming I tell you! Booming!

Speaking of adventuring...

Farewell for now, ol' chap. Ilja Maran, en route to secret spot in San Pedro, CA.