Brett Nichols

PREMIERE / "Blunt x TACo." / Alfredo Franco / INTERVIEW

"I met Alfredo “Blunt” Franco on a skate trip in Mexico City back in 2006. At the ripe young age of twenty-one, I was immediately impressed this thirty-one-year-old was skating as hard as he was - still seeking out spots, filming, and getting photos, doing legitimately impressive stuff. This was the mid 2000's, where staple nineties pros were about the same age, and we were just beginning to learn what longevity is. And here's this guy from an unfamiliar skate scene, skating just as hard (or harder), but doing it only for the love.

I had a blast skating with him, hearing the early stories of Mexican skateboarding, and checking some of his spots; crazy transitioned fountains and old skateparks. We stayed friends and have been in regular contact since, visiting each other's cities.

As years progressed, my skating has slowed down, but Blunt seems to only progress. At my 36, I look at his 46, and can only be in awe. He's in the small group of skaters that seem to have found the fountain of youth.

But there's another layer for Blunt; he’s one of the originators in Mexico, skating since the eighties, and still keeping it moving to this day. He's seen his scene grow from nothing, evolve, progress, and explode. I can say from my first trip in 2006, every time I've returned I've noticed the changes: more skaters, more skateparks, brands, videos, and the level of skating has grown and grown. Blunt has lived it since its infancy, and still keeps the wheels turning as the years pass." - Brett Nichols

Max's tip: "MERLOT"

Max Guyot (interviewed on the topic of his video "BROTHERHOOD" filmed in Nancy and Paris, here) most definitely knows what's up as he was the first to bring "MERLOT" to LIVE's attention - that is, two whole hours before its author could even find the time to e-mail us the link!

So, this "MERLOT" tastes like forty strong minutes of San Francisco brillance, equally brillantly collected by Ryan Flores featuring, on the other side of the lens, la crème de la crème of the modern local scene: Jameel Douglas (whose Parisian peregrinations you might remember from here) wraps up no less than a part in the pure tradition of the genre, then followed by the likes of Chris Athans, Ryan Barlow, Jesse Narvaez, Tom Farrell, James Sayres, Alex Greemann or Harry Hafner, amongst others, dotting the timeline... Even some classy visitors showed up: Léo Valls, Connor Kammerer, Jimmy Larkz or César Dubroca too are in, and that's without even counting Tobin Valverde, Kyle Cielencki (to get more familiar with here), Justin Henry, Simon Isaksson, and even renowned filmers such as Zach Chamberlin and Brett Nichols who both broke free from the record button for a minute. And then more, with Evan Collison and finally Cody Rosenthal, who completes an eventual picture that's vibrant of many a color, style and spot (all read with science, those ones).

"MERLOT" is the result of years worth of skating and filming; it is therefore only logical that its aromas feel so fine and sweet, with a punchy aftertaste to boot!

So, will you be grabbing that bottle or what?...

Groovy Science

Science Skateboards is Chris Morgan's company, launched in London back in 2006 and now relaunching in San Francisco, right now, a couple of years after the aforementioned owner's move to the City. From the bricks to the hills; a rough-to-rough transition that warrants a fresh website, an article in the latest, fifth-second issue of Skate Jawn, and the addition of three S.F. skaters: Harry Hafner, Bobby Groves and Josh Paz, to the team roster. A move that warrants this brand new ten-minute promo by itself, don't you reckon?

Also on the menu: clips of the British Joe Sivell and Josh Cox, visiting the hills and back alleys for lenses manipulated by Brett Nichols and Zach Chamberlin, amongst other brillant skate filmmakers.

Distrito Federal

Here is a little exploration of the back alleys and hidden gems of one of the largest capitols in the world, featuring amongst others Josh Paz, which you will recognize from his recent appearance on Live… A nice change of scenery!

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