#SummerofBrooke: August 2-8th

Holy shit, it’s August? Guess Normals are starting to think about snowboarding again and it’s time to start riling up the Internet. Unfortunately, too much time behind a computer screen means not as much excitement IRL, but I did participate in a few board-world related activities this week you may or may not care about.

As his name would suggest, Yobeat’s unofficial mascot Party Time Nate loves to have parties. And warm summer nights in Portland are perfect for beers around the fire. Because we are in our 30’s and actually pretty boring, I always try to invite some twenty-somethings to spice things up. This is the point when Maxwell Carl Scott, Brendan Gerard and their friends got bored with us and left. Oh well.

Although I received an email this morning which read, “I can’t believe you call yourself a writer. Hacked writing for sure! You should apply at Buzzfeed am sure they would love to have a talentless writer like yourself,” one of the local alt weeklies in Portland hired me to do some restaurant reviews. If you want to know the truth about the places I visited, you’ll have to check out the Willamette Week Restaurant Guide when it drops in October. I’m sure you will be on the edge of your seat until then.

Unlike Americans, Canadians are not too cool for things and Will LOVES Adidas. At the beginning of the summer I told him that if he did a good job and didn’t blow it, I would take him on a field trip to Adidas, and this week, it happened! Our tour guide, Adidas skate and snow apparel designer Ashley Anson, was not that excited about getting a tourist shot with the giant shoes out front, but I made her be in it anyway.

Fun fact: Adidas actually employs a security guard who’s only job is to tell people not to climb on said giant shoes.

 

Things just kept getting weirder as the day went on, and Will probably changed six times. Of all the ensembles he came up with, this one is probably my favorite.

After our Adidas tour where we saw all sorts of super new technology, gear and learned how boots are made from start to finish, it was time for a skate session. I have officially checked off three tricks on my list off on this mini, which is pathetic, because it’s basically a bank with coping, but whatever. Dale is still better than me.

The other big excitement this week was the Think Thank premiere for the HCSC staff at Sandy Cinema on August 6th. We arrived promptly at 9:30 for the 10 pm premiere, only to remember it was happening on “snowboard time.” It’s cool, the parking lot party was hopping, even though it was too dark to tell who you were talking to most of the time. Plus, Jesse Burtner brought his newborn spawn, Ollie, to hang out.

Oliver Dixon was excited to learn that baby Burtner shared his name. Wouldn’t you be?

I’ve adopted a few new children this summer (seems easier than having my own) and one of them is Nick Noneman (right.) He turned 18 this week, so I can’t yell at him for smoking cigs anymore. But seriously you guys, that shit is terrible for you. Jeffy Gabrick is cool too.

 

Sean Genovese and Chris Grenier’s Blue Steel would have been better if the iPhone flash didn’t suck so much.

Midwest legends-in-the-making Chris Brewer, Dern and Jack Harris might look angry, but I promise they were really excited to check out the movies.

And while we’re throwing in some regional hype, the Mainerds were psyched too! L to R: Ian Daly, Pops, the Catfish and Jack Dawe.

 

After a summer together a Hood, Grant Giller, Max Tokunga and someone who I can’t identify from this pic are totally besties. Poor Chas looks so alone.

 

And finally the movies! After a rousing introduction of the crew by Jesse Burtner, the double feature began. First was Right Turn, Left Turn, a project that Jesse dreamt up his senior year of college. The short film featured Max Warbington and some other guys talking about boarding, and definitely had me smiling the whole time. It’s deep, man. Next was Almanac, the first directorial effort from Sean Lucey, which is some of Think Thank’s best work to date. For a full review, stay tuned… we have plans.

And finally, this shirt exists.