Beyond Robson | Vancouver Blog

May 05, 2006

I think anyone who skates in Vancouver knows about the Slam City Jam. It's been a yearly event here for how long now... 12 years? And if you know about Slam City Jam, then you are probably also aware that it's being moved to Calgary this year. Bad thing? Good thing? (where have ya gaw-hawn? doot doobiedoo) Depends who you ask.

First on the "Good Thing" list are the organizers. They get to promote their event to a brand new crowd of excited little skate rats who have never had such an event happen in their home town. The Calgary skate retailers are also stoked because they stand to make a killing that weekend. Personally, I'm pretty ambivalent about the whole thing. It's been an overpriced puffed-up commercial extravaganza since I moved to town four years ago so I've only bothered to go when I managed to score free passes for one reason or another. The most it meant to me was that there were a few days each summer where I might run into this pro or that pro whilst out getting my shred on... and if said pro happened to be killing it that day, well that's just fun to watch. There's people who are genuinely bummed about the whole thing though. And that's really the point of this post in the first place.

So let me introduce some of people who are not stoked. The Anti Slam crew, headed up by OG Cract Pipe locals Bryan Ball and Perry Mylnowski, are a bunch of cats who have been around since Slam's early years and have watched the event get progressively more commercial until, finally, it got bumped out of the scene that created it and plopped into the land of the rodeo (for an explanation read this message from the president). So rather than bitching and moaning, they're going to put on their own event at the same time as Slam City Jam... the Anti Slam Skate Contest. The whole thing is sort of reminiscent of the "Fuck Those Dudes" party that Big Brother Magazine threw during the X-Games, except this is going to be more fun because it's taking place at a skatepark during a skate contest. So what else is there to say? You should come check it out. Raging Hastings sessions are always fun, homegrown events put on by local skaters are a good thing, and who knows... if you're throwing down you might win something.

Photo of Jeff by Pete Raab

Comments

Nice photo Jeff! Slam was good at the Plaza of Nations, then It grew too big and got ruined! Something new and more cultured will be much cooler!

Posted by: Sarah at May 5, 2006 11:38 PM

TOTALY AGREE!!!!!. When those of us who really skate (not just because some one is paying us too)leave our houses on a sunny day, it's because its the way we live our lives. Over the thirteen years slam was in Vancouver, each year showed more and more distance from true culture we hold in such high standard. It became more about what big name can we get to draw people in. How much more can we charge people for access. I mean "COME ON" $30-$40 to get in just to watch a 20 minute final. Do these big sponsors actually think a twelve year old kid has up to $100 to spend just to watch skateboarding. Thats why people fight so hard to get skate parks built in this city. Our goal is make some time where we can all get together challenge each other, enjoy the life of skateboarding we all chose and leave all the politics and BS at the door. We need to stand up and not be affraid to tell people why we are who we are. I hope there are a tone more of you out there that are proud to be who you are Skaters.

Posted by: Bryan at May 8, 2006 08:13 AM