Recently in Ron Deily Category
Red Bull Skateboarding went on a trip to Hawaii around the same time last year during our HELD UP IN HAWAII tour.
This year was no different, tons of skating, tons of good times and just plain ole' Hawaii, everyone needs some of that.
Check out the random posts from our trip, sorry it's not more extensive, but hey.. we were having a good time.
This is how most of the mornings started:
Then quickly following with this wonderful drink;
This last weekend was the Am Getting Paid contest in wonderful Montreal Canada, where the woman are beautiful, the weather was warm and the skating was off the freaking charts.
I flew in a couple days early to hang out and see some of the city. Enjoy life, if you will. One of the things I enjoyed about Montreal is the public transportation. They have something called Bixi, where it was rental by the hour bikes! Soo sick!
Regardless, Red Bull Rider Ryan Decenzo was already up there, and happened to have his 23rd birthday while I was in town! Lucky me. We ate some poutine, had some shots, ya know.. the canadian usual.
Starting about thursday the skaters started flowing in. We had everyone from everywhere. Vancouver locs, the Zoo am crew flew in, the Montreal homies already in town, showed us all around, and we ripped around until the contest started.
Lil Kieran Riely from Austrailia, was shredding through the course, with gap to bs smith's on the double kinker, man that Aussy is good. Plus other Red Bull'er Ron Deily made the semi's with some hippie skating that was smoother then ever.
The finals were a barrage of insane skating during the finals.. I mean its all right here in the footage. Not to mention the night life, with Souls of Mischief playing at the official "Am Getting Laid" party. Either way, things were going off.
Magnus Hanson ended up on top, with a winning and just destructive skating.
Manny Santiago right behind Magpie, with some amazing bigspin boards and craz.
Then Micky Papa (above) just flawlessly landed everything in the world for a close 3rd place.
Check out all the photos from the trip below, plus check the Am Getting Paid site, for hella video updates. Thanks to Zoo York, and Am Getting Paid dudes, for hooking it up and showing us a great time.
Extra Video Clips from SBC Canada
On Saturday morning our group gathered poolside at our hotel to tape stacks of boards and assemble completes to be donated to the Cuban skaters. After a couple of hours of work we loaded up the skate goods into a pair of taxis with our raw and ravaged griptaped fingers and made our way over to the skatepark. The Skatepark of Tampa's "Board for Bros" program was soon to deliver many rolling planks of freedom to the youth of Havana. Upon our arrival, a small contest was underway with a close to a dozen of Havana's more accomplished skaters. As the government doesn't necessarily acknowledge the positive affect of skateboarding (even in an organized event of that nature), a PA system and amplified music was not permitted.
Nonetheless, as each of these competitors skated around and landed their tricks and finished their runs, the cheers from the crowd of skaters gathered were loud and clear and filled the humid afternoon air with energy. At this moment it became very apparent to us that these kids possessed something that was uniquely special. They shared a common bond through skateboarding that wasn't influenced by advertising, branding, the internet, and high hopes of sponsorships. The beautiful thing here was that they all shared the freedoms and fun of skateboarding...plain and simple.
Next up, Rick, Ron, Mike, Quim and Zered got to business out on the ramps for Havana's first-ever professional skate demo that had the kids screaming in approval and disbelief.
They were so hyped and charged up to see first hand the rapid-fire display of tricks going down in front of them. Ron went ballistic with huge frontside ollies and lengthy back smith grinds, Quim followed through on some stylish melon grabs, McCrank delivered a heap of technical tricks and originality and Mike got wild with front blunts and a looseness all his own. Dropping into the mini mega set up from the shaky roll in ramp, Zared blasted a head high ollie over the gap and connected a line of tricks that fueled inspiration amongst the crowd gathered. The place erupted in excitement. He then followed up with a frontside kickflip disaster and also mixed it up with Rick on a doubles "over and under" line. Without a doubt, the Cuban skaters had been enlightened of the power, diversity and beauty of skateboarding in their own backyard.
We capped off the afternoon with the moment the kids had all been waiting for - the donation of skate products. As Che was the guy in charge, he made it clear that he wanted to do it in an organized manner. He stressed to us that the government is not very welcoming or patient with the gathering of crowds and pandemonium. With several soldiers positioned and watching our every move, we totally understood the situation. A product toss would've landed all of us in jail. So, in a very orderly approach 40 or so completes were handed out one by one as Che read off skaters' names from his list. The decks were then handed out more in a random manner for about 30 minutes and the crowd began to get more and more rowdy. Shouting and shoving ensued as Che attempted to maintain some control of the situation. He finally called it off to avoid any confrontations. The remaining product would be saved for another day.
These kids were SO thankful and enthusiastic about the day's events and their gifts. Several of them were crying with tears of joy and disbelief. It was very surreal for us all and felt very empowering to provide something so little that meant so much to them. We signed autographs for another half hour and gave away our own skateboards and then made our way back to our hotel. Mission complete.
Huge thanks go out to Tomas, Che, Girl, Black Box, Dwindle, Globe, Deluxe, Tum Yeto, Kayo Corp, Dakine, The Skateboard Mag, Sole Tech, and Zoo York for the gifts of goodwill and good times. Cuba is unlike any other place on our planet. Be sure to plan a visit soon before it changes forever.
To read up more from this crazy Cuban Skate Revolution day 2
Over the first few days of our visit we took in the sights, food, music, and culture of Cuban life along with Tomas and Che. The first thing that you will notice in the Havana area is that the imposed 1962 US embargo has had a significant affect on the city's antiquated infrastructure. Of the small amount of US goods to make it to these shores most have come through other countries or via the black market. We also checked out the city's skatepark that was set up with an array of sketchy metal ramps and rails and hit up a small selection of rugged street spots with photo and video opportunities.
Although Havana was the Cuban playground for Americans throughout the 1940 and 50s, the city has become a deteriorating shadow of its former self under Fidel Castro's socialist regime. Evidenced with the longstanding embargo, there is no Coca Cola or US based globally franchised chains like McDonalds, Starbucks, 7 Elevens, Pizza Huts or Walmarts as seen in parts of China and other developed nations. Instead, what you see is the crippled appearance of the city's barrios and arrested decay of historic Spanish colonial buildings mixed with a society void of capitalism. If something breaks, there are no replacement parts or hardware stores nearby. As a result, the Cuban people rig up their own quick fixes or locate needed components from discreet sources.
Along almost every sector of the well-worn city, we witnessed clusters of classic aging American cars humming and churning onward through the streets of Havana. Beat up and partially restored, Chevys, Fords, Buicks, DeSotos, and Cadillacs rule the streets ‑ each of them spewing thick black smoke into the atmosphere and the lungs of passersby as they have for the past 50 years. In truth, Cuba - specifically Havana, truly feels like the land that time has forgotten.
Despite Castro's acclaimed nationalized health care and education programs, the 
Cuban people have very little material wealth to distinguish themselves apart from their neighbors or fellow citizens. In fact, a great majority of the population lives a life void of modern communications including cell phones, and personal computers. The socialist principles of the long standing Castro government can be seen and felt throughout the city just by rolling through those streets. But regardless of the political climate, the Cuban people are generally happy albeit they don't have the freedoms that we do in a democratic society. At least the skaters there have skateboarding to move their lives forward.
Read up on the next segment of Cuban Skate Revolution
Check out what happened in Day 1 of the Cuban Skate Revolution!
Cuba's Skate Revolution by: Bryce Kanights
Throughout my lifetime as a skateboarder I've been more than fortunate to visit and explore far-reaching countries and diversified cultures all over this planet. However, none of those previous travel destinations come close to the surreal experience that I witnessed while on the streets of Cuba. This rare juggernaut of travel all began with an invitation from Dirty Jersey's very own Chris Nieratko with an invitation join him and several others for a goodwill journey to provide skateboards and goods to the Cuban skaters. Without any hesitation, I was all in - committed to the plan come hell or high water, despite the illegality of it all. My father and brother had visited Havana in the late 90s and returned with great stories of the Cuban culture and people with stunning photographs to back up their enthusiastic accounts - and ever since, I became attracted to visit the visually alluring, yet politically charged Caribbean island forbidden by US travelers.
Our collective and skate able crew included Chris and his pregnant wife Cris Nieratko, my wife Donna, Skatepark of Tampa's Barak Wiser, Rob Meronek, Ryan Clements and his fiancé Jenna Becker, Quim Cardona, Felipe Agudelo (owner of four skateshops in Columbia and discoverer of David Gonzales), Red Bull's team riders Ron Deily and Zered Bassett and his girlfriend Jenna Perry, Rick McCrank, Mike Anderson, Scuba Steve Chalme, and Tum Yeto's Tod Swank. Argentine filmmaker, Red Bull field rep and now part time Cuban resident Tomas Crowder was our group's connection and guide for this tour to Havana.
With his help and understanding of the Cuban government's inner workings we were able to clear customs at Havana's airport and roll more than 10 large travel bags full of skateboard gear, a half dozen board boxes and products into a land where the small population of skate starved kids really needed them. Tomas soon coined our weeklong mission to Havana as "Operation Skate Revolution" and from there on out, that is exactly what we set out to accomplish.
For the past few months Tomas had been in production with his new documentary film, "The Other Che" which features Havana's legendary skater/tattoo artist Che A. Pando Napoles (nicknamed after Che Guevara) who in his mid thirties is armed with DYI convictions and ethics to inspire and improve Cuba's small and fledgling skate community. While we were in town, Tomas proposed to document our visit and our interaction with Che and the Cuban skaters including a planned skate demo with the pro skaters from our group and the delivery of skate goods that we hauled into the country with us. His film crew was on hand and we were down for the cause. All systems go.
Ok, I am writing this realizing that obviously film is dead for most people. But for a photo novice like me, I still wanna experience what guys i looked up to did when they shot 35mm film. When it happened to me today.. I AM UNDERSTANDING IT, NOW!
The story is, I shot a bunch of film on our Red Bull Nevermind the Bullocks trip to London, and I guess I had lost a roll of film, or left it in my camera. Eitherway, I just recently got developed and it was like a tour back through time to that tour. It highlighted a lot of the people on our trip, and the places we visited. I know I am getting kinda emo/artsy fartsy, but you get the point right? I guess, that it never happens to me much, so might as well write about my bit of excitement. Is that so bad?
Well to really push the point, I posted a bunch of the photos here for you to view.
Plus I saved one for a later TARP post.
1. This was Kris Vile, in our typical travel mode... London Taxi's. How many quid?
2. One of the best views in the world. You really feel like your in a movie or something.
3. Obviously being Red Bull, we have tons of great hats to wear, and this was one that once Joey got his hands on it.. He wore it the entire time, even in bed.
4. Jereme was skating in front of our super nice hotel, so I guess our own hotel called the cops. This was the horse cop, giving us crap.. british style!
The final day of our travels, we attempted to try and get something going for the last and final day. Started off tho at this wonder place named Dukes, who was one of the first surfers in Hawaii, and now owns a chain of restaurants not only in Hawaii but across the US. We ate and were merry, things were looking up. Sun was out and we jumped in the car to get things going. First spot BOOM! Rain pouring down, no luck, no love nothing.
At this point, I am feeling a bit sad. Hawaii's weather is very fickle, and I don't know my thoughts on it fully. When I first arrived, I thought it was gonna be like in the movies, where Hawaii girls came up to you in the airport and offered you a lei, maybe more. My imagination was filled with hours and hours of beach times, beer time, all while wearing boardshorts and having a flock of woman behind me. (ok that last part was a little overboard..) It was obviously not this way.
But the day had just dusked, and tho the night had just begun. The Wing Girls had some hookups with a Bad Brains concert at what looked like the only venue in all of Hawaii (I say that because I believe everyone from Oahu was in inside). As we kept the week consistent with more drinking, we enjoyed entertainment from Bad Brains. Not a bad way to finish off the night and tour.
Waking up late from a snoring overly drunk guy in the next bed (ahem Nuts), we all left to the airport. As we dropped everyone off at the airport, "Good bye everyone, hope you have a great flight, travel safe" I would say. "Lets do this again!" I would chant.
Cleverly as I watched everyone on the tour take off to their respective cities, my eyes shifted to another plane land and watched my lady friend whom I imported from Los Angeles walk directly off the plane and into my arms.
As you can already guess, I extended my flight, to have a little vacation of my own. My official vacation. You wanna know what's funny? It was sunny the entire time she was here and we sat on the beach with beers for hours and hours. Ahhh the irony.
Also if you haven't already ready DAY 1 / The Tour Explodes or DAY 2 / Paradise in Paradise or DAY 3 / Seriously we didnt do anything or DAY 4 / The North Shore Game
Sequentially, we continued our vacation errr.. I mean skate trip, with a visit to the radio station where Mr. Ron Deily was at the peak of his verbal game.
Your only really able to get the full effect when you watch the full on Hawaii Red Bull Video posted at the bottom and wait for the end. Quite hilarious, and maybe you just had to be there. We quickly exited, because it was partially sunny, and we needed to break out, and get this skate thing going going. These sunny days don't come around very often. Ron had a bumb wing as he rolled his ankle it about two days before, but Ryan Decenzo and Mr. Webb, still handled all the skating for the group and produced enough to make everyone including themselves happy. Nothing like a good day of skating, oh not to mention it was cooking, sunny and hot! The boys from the freezing East Coast were loving life, and texting everyone they knew back there with quotes like "Damn, its great in shorts and no shirt" or "Were drinking Margaritas on the beach" It makes me smile.
Nothing makes a trip more fun'er then rubbing it in the friends face who aren't there.
After a great day of skating, we found out that the North Shore Red Bull House was available for keen visiting and we decided to pay them a visit. Now, I have never been to North Shore and especially during the Pipeline Classic which to be honest is solely a reference from that movie North Shore, so I dunno how true that contest name is.. but this party was wilding! With Wing Girls in toe, we discovered a place with unlimited booze, and woman scantly clad coming in and out of the house. 
What I noticed was at the blink of an eye, it would be packed with millions of guys, girls, snap your fingers, turn your back, and they had all moved on to the next house (Oakley North Shore house) and your party was empty and non eventful. What was also a bit weird, was the surfer dudes would hang out all the time with their shirts off and barefeet, so it kinda made me feel like I was over-dressed or something. That was rather strange.
If you really think about it, we been in hawaii for about 4 going on 5 days. We never really even hit the beach, or touched the water. At least I haven't, since I arrived 1 day late. So off to the beach at midnight, drink in hand and sand in toes. Ahh this really is vacation!
Watch the entire video here:
Also if you haven't already ready DAY 1 / The Tour Explodes or DAY 2 / Paradise in Paradise or DAY 3 / Seriously we didnt do anything or the FINAL POST Held Hostage in Hawaii / Day 5 - Irony mixed with Bad Brains
So the following day, it was looking rather bleek for a day of skateboarding. Awesomely tho, we kept the movement going by ripping away at bowling. I wish I had my own ball, like Louie Barletta (his bowling balls is called "The Wolf") but, I made due with the stock rentals of both ball and shoes. I forgot who scored the best, but I wont tell you who scored the worst. 
A couple hours of that, and some time spent at the Wing Girl Paradise, we all headed out to the bar and met some surfers whom I didn't know were big time, until flipped through some magazines and saw their faces plastered on every ad. Time in Hawaii seems to be very lazy time, people kinda go about their business as they feel. Its very laid back, I rather enjoy it. Sorry about this post being soo short, but seriously, we didnt do anything.
But, actually I will throw in this photo from the first day.. cause its soo goshdarn awesome.
Check out the day 3 picks here.
Also if you haven't already ready DAY 1 / The Tour Explodes or DAY 2 / Paradise in Paradise
And stay tuned for DAY 4 / The North Shore Game
The next day was a bit of a pickle of a day. Now those who have never been to Hawaii, its quite rainy, and can rain at the drop of a dime, yet also dry just as fast as it rains. This throws a cog in any skateboarders plan. Imagine you are out and about, then pouring rain, so you go inside, it dries up, then you go back outside, then boom, rain again.. Very frustrating, really. Its like watching that movie Groundhogs Day, it just keeps repeating. But as my friend from Hawaii once told me, "Its in the middle of the ocean, the rain clouds will dump rain, and just pass right by." Pretty spot on.
We headed over to the collage for this impromptu demo, which consisted of just skating around the campus, getting kicked out, then skating through class rooms. Kinda different, but I believe it worked, I guess within 15 mins of us leaving their was already a post about 
our visit on the campus website. Then we skated the rest of the day at just local spots around the island, and of course finished off the night with some drinks and more drinks. Knowing that Steven Webb is only 19, not sure how he was able to get into every single bar, but he was there.. Right with us! I asked Steven about what he thought, "Man, I am just hyped to be on this trip." True that Steven, true that.
Are you familiar with girls who drive around in those Red Bull Coopers with the Red Bull Can on the back, and pass out drinks at events and parties? Those are called Wing Girls and we have a crew in every city in every country.
The best part, is we stayed at the Hawaiian Red Bull Wing Girls house, which was fully stocked with beers, Red Bull's and a huge freezer of frozen pizza and the wing girls right up stairs. Plus the Red Bull Wing Girls went out for nights on the town (considering they knew everyone and every party) brought their girlfriends and we just joined along. Quite nice really, all the work was done for us. No calling out to girls, no going out to get beers, I would say that it made our rainy days, not so gloomy and rather pleasant. Props to those girls, THANK YOU! Simply, it was paradise in paradise!
Click here to view Day 1 of Held Hostage in Hawaii
Click here to view Day 3 of Held Hostage in Hawaii
View photos from Day 2:
Watch the entire video here:
