The New orion SHIRTS are available now at the Store in white, go check them out and get one for you before they are gone, only 40 Shirts will be made in this color ;).
Category Archives: Skate
JUN 21: Skateboarding Day ?
By Hali Estrada.
Today is NOT Skateboarding Day, today is “GO” Skateboarding day.
A lot of people gets confused about this day that was created and founded by the IASC ( The Internationatal Association of Skateboard Companies). Skateboarding doesn’t really have a day just like FUN doesn’t have a Day cause that would be one more nonsense holiday. I think it is a little funny though, that a lot of people everywhere think that this is the day Skateboarding was created or something like that. Today is just one more excuse to grab your board and do what you do all the time, go out and Skate, we don’t need permits, or rules, or teams or a coach, or schedules or training or sponsors to Skate. Thats why Skateboarding has always been super fun for me, you can do whatever you want, Skatebaording is 100% freedom. I remember there was a time when I entered contests and I was more competitive about it but I never consider it something serious, I never went out and “Train” for the next contest, I think thats something you do when you are a well payed “Athlete” like well known Basketball Players or Soccer Teams that will never go to the World Cup or the guys at Street League or at the X-Games, I think thats when Skateboarding becomes your Job and you literally sell all your time to “Soda” Companies and Giant “Running Shoes” Corporations and thats good but for Soccer.
Skateboarding is a different animal and its changing all the time, I see kids in the Street thinking that if they don’t have sponsors they are failures, or thinking that because they can Kickflip 10 stairs they deserve 10 sponsors, the whole idea the “EXTREME” media sells to this kids is exactly what Skateboarding is NOT about. Of course Im nobody to define Skateboarding but I think I have a pretty good idea of what I’ve been doing non stop since like 1985 and is just my humble opinion. So today is NOT “Skateboarding Day” but its one day of the year we have one more reason to go out and have FUN doing what we love to do :) No rules, no teams, no losers, no winners, no race, no social boundaries, no bosses, no schedules, no special days…GO SKATE EVERYDAY>>>>>. !!
Today is my Dads Birthday too so Happy Birthday Viejito !!! ;)
FEB 21: Coming March 10th !!!
By Hali Estrada.
I’ve been working on the new “Animal Spirit” PRO Series for some time now and they will be ready to be release on March 10th, I just need to finish all the little details and decide about the shapes of the Boards, this time you guys will have more than one choice :). In other news Choncordia international Flow Rider Gonzo Morales just send us a Video that shows his creativity and new tricks; he has so much energy and love for Skateboarding that Im sure he’ll be one of the best ones in the years to come and we can’t wait to see his progress. We are also working on the Second “Doll” PRO Series, this time we will have a Guest Board so stay tuned to see who’ll be the Guest and also to grab one of the Boards when they come out :).
CFL.
FEB 10: Gonzo Morales, The Future is NOW.
By Hali Estrada.
Sergio Galarza ” Tetio” was ( and still is, cause this is forever ) a member of Choncordia, we Skated together most of the 90’s and we cultivated a very good friendship. We came together to USA a long time ago but we went separate ways when I decided to stay here and he decided to move to Spain, I consider him not only a good friend but also a great Skateboarder (even tho he says that he never perfected his technique). Sergio sent me a message a couple months ago with a video of a little Ripper from Peru, his name was Gonzalo Morales, he told me to watch the video cause the Kid was super good. I think that Style matters and it always will, I rather watch an Ollie gracefully done with Style than a difficult trick done with none. Thats the first thing that caught my attention about the kid, He has an style that I wish I have and he breathes Skateboarding in every trick he lands; even tho he is only 5 years old and the board is almost as tall as him he manages to control that board with surprising ease and power, I’ve seen this before in another tiny ripper who grew up to be one of the best Skateboarders in Peru, Peter Chlebowski. Gonzo has a natural talent that not a lot of people have and Im very happy to announce officially that he is now part of the Choncordia Family. Gonzo will grow into his 8.25 Boards and Im sure people will hear and see more of him in the years to come; Sergio definitely has an eye for talent. THE FUTURE IS NOW, Welcome to the Family Gonzo :).
FEB 06: Jesus and Los Angeles.
By Hali Estrada.
I met Jesus a long time ago at a place called Multired, he was a little Kid at that time but his style and skills were already there. Jesus was part of a Crew called NI (New Incident), he was one of the founders of the Crew. I met him at a time when lots of my friends already quit Skateboarding and only few of us were still there, it was 1993 and we didn’t know it was the beginning of the best time of Skateboarding, not only in Peru but all around the world (even tho Skateboarding wasn’t as Popular as today). After Plan B’s “Questionable” Video, Skateboarding took a natural turn, progression was a natural thing…..
What comes after mastering a trick ?? You look for the next challenge, you look for a different approach, I think thats why Switch Stance came to be a big thing in the 90’s, It came natural to all of us, it was the obvious next step and Jesus was a Master of Switch tricks. Jesus became in my opinion one of the best Peruvian Skateboarders of the 90’s, I’ve seen so much stuff going down every time I skated with him that it blows my mind how he could pulled all that stuff that to me seen Impossible, and on top of that he was the most humble guy I ever met, he never said he was the best, everybody knew that.
Sometimes people approach me asking me what is my criteria to turn somebody PRO, every company has their own reasons, sometimes depends on how popular is the rider and how much coverage he or she is getting or sometimes you just have to know the right people, there are no rules for turning somebody PRO. In my view a PRO Skateboarder is not only somebody with skills, a PRO Skateboarder is a person with vision, an innovator that is doing what he loves and a person that NO MATTER WHAT never quits Skateboarding, even after a bad injury or a problem or a hiatus he is always back on his feet ready to do it again, a PRO Skateboarder is somebody with style and grace, somebody who takes risks and somebody who is down to earth, most importantly a PRO Skateboarder is somebody who understands that the essence of Skateboarding is having FUN; and that boys and girls is why Jesus has his name written on a Board.
Its easy to say and maybe is becoming a Cliche, but having Fun is very important, as soon as you take Skateboarding seriously it looses its meaning.
Jesus Olcese has been Skating before most of you were even born, he is one of the most talented Skateboarders I ever met and he will be having fun with his Signature little wooden toy for many more years.
Choncordia For Life.
DEC 04: Longboarding is NOT Skateboarding.
By Hali Estrada.
The other day I was going to meet with our Am Rider Leon for a night session and on my way to meet him something weird happened. I was crossing 9th Street and I ollied over a little hole on the ground and by the time I landed it I heard somebody shouting at me: “Skate or Die Bro!!” as I turned around I discovered this guy wearing sandals, cargo shorts, a tank top, sun glasses (It was dark already) and carrying this huge LongBoard, then he proceeded to ride away trying to do what I think is a “Hang Ten Nose manual”…. follow him were this other two Hipster Guys riding this little colorful Plastic Toy Skateboards and hardly keeping balance on this little “grip less” things.
I’ve been seeing more and more of this “Longboarders and Extreme Tiny Plastic Cruisers” here in LA but this incident in particular was the inspiration for this Tshirt. I have nothing against Longboards but I think Longboarding is a completely separate thing from Skateboarding, I can never see myself wearing a tight full leather suit and a motorcycle helmet to go down a hill on my Skateboard, Longboarding is NOT Skateboarding and anybody with common sense will notice that, it would be like comparing Hokey and Figure Skating, they both Skate on ice but they are completely different things, of course Longboarding could be maybe fun and exiting ( If you go extremely fast ) or maybe a good way to go to the Beach but lets be clear that is definitely NOT SKATEBOARDING.
I’ve seen this not only in LA but also in my home town Lima, Peru. I’ve seen people confusing Longboarding with Skateboarding many times, specially among the upper class, I’ve seen many “Surferitos” and also “Surferitas” riding their $200 Longboards and calling it Skateboarding, even trying to Kickflip on those things ( Which is Possible but in my opinion it looks RIDICULOUS ).
I think you “Bro’s” should embrace your Longboards, go out with your leather suits and “Power Ranger” helmets and go nuts on a hill or just cruise by the beach with your dog, get together and create a “Longboard Association” and make events to get more people to Longboard, Im pretty sure a lot of people will join your “Sport”, but please, DONT CALL IT SKATEBOARDING. (And by the way Skateboarding is not a Sport).
So, this is the message we would like to share with you: “LONGBOARDING is NOT SKATEBOARDING”, and here at Choncordia we only make SKATEBOARDS, if you want a Longboard please go somewhere else.
T shirt is now available at the STORE, Sorry “Bro’s”.
