cowtownissue two

Contents:

Scott Fluty Photo Feature|four Early Risers:Seth Berg|ten

Or Be Square|twelve

Mash Review|twenty one

Speechless by Seth Berg|two

CowtownIssue Two

Often times when asked what I am doing, I’ll instinctively reply “Working on my magazine.” For the bulk of these instances it’s true that InDesign will be open with Cowtown on display. It is also true that I’m generally scanning the pages with a critical eye, rearranging the pictures, and making slight corrections. Even though these things are taking place, it is hardly true that I’m “working on my magazine.” What I am in fact doing is trying to relive what has been captured in these images, while attempting to create a cohesiveness that adequately expresses each moment. To me, this magazine has become a visual catalog of sorts. It has become my task to suitably exhibit each trick in a way that fully accentuates its characteristics while integrating it with an aesthetically sound backdrop. Since starting this project I’ve become, somewhat to my surprise, aware of how closely skateboard photography and portraiture are related. For some time I was never really able to classify skateboard photography as art, or at least not what I did. In my mind it was simple: skateboarding is irrefutably art in the purest sense. I was just documenting it. Recently I was offered a showing at an art gallery to display my skateboard images and initially I

felt a strong reticence towards the idea. I made this same statement to my friend who runs the gallery. No argument was made to contradict it. If she was fine with that, so was I. Then slowly I began to recognize what I had been doing was art. It is an articulation that creates a marriage of aesthetic and expression. It is my hope that if nothing else, this magazine is successful in creating the notion that these are not just tricks and that these are not just pictures. If everything we do defines us, hopefully these can be viewed as us at our most conscious.

Cover:Michael Keck

Switch Heelflip photo by Nick Brown

Contents:Curtis French

Switch Frontside Flipphoto by Nick Brown

Back Cover:Sarin Smith

Ollie Over the Railphoto by Nick Brown

-Nick Brown

This issue’s photo feature was a struggle and generated too much frustration for all parties involved. If anyone was wondering why the second issue of the magazine was taking so long, this was it. Everything seemed to go wrong while making this section, whether it was Scott’s fault by blowing off shooting some days or our faults for screwing up the photo shoots with faulty gear, dead batteries, or just plain stupidity. We are all thankful that this is now finished and in your hands. I’ve known Scott for about four years and have seen his skateboarding progress exponentially. Scott is the only person I know, and I really believe, that has the ability and talent to do just about anything he wants to on a skateboard. Perhaps a lack of motivation is all that’s holding him back right now.

-Ben Hlavacekphoto: ben

Nosebonk

Backside Feeble to Fakiephoto: ben

BluntslideKickflip

Ollie up the gap

photo: nickphoto: nick

photo: ben

Tuck Kneephoto: nick

Hardflip

Nosegrindphoto: nick

photo: nick

Feeblephoto: nick

Front Blunt

Switch Three-Sixtyphoto: ben

photo: ben

Ollie

sethberg A relic from our past comes to pay us a visit and make contributions to our humble zine. You may remember him from our last issue as the mind behind Land-Locked Ninjas II. He’s been consistantly the most motivated to go out and get photos for this issue.I think he’s really neat, and so

should you.Photos by Nick Brown Lipslide

Tailslide

Varialflip

Early Risers Seth Berg|

Or Be SquareFront Noseslide

photo: ben

errol ringgenberg

Melon Over the Railmichael photo: nick

josiah tripoli Frontside Heelflipphoto: nick

ben hlavacek Gap to the Bankphoto: nick

errol Three Sixty Flipphoto: nick

tony garcia Nollie Backside Heelflipphoto: nick

josiah Frontside Noseslidephoto: nick

Frontside One Eightymichaelphoto: ben

errol frontside nosegrindphoto: nick

michael Frontboard two-seventy outphotos: ben

jake sneedphoto: nick

Kickflip

kyle reiter Nosegrindphoto: ben

michael Backside Flipphoto: nick

jayme barajas Frontside Boardslidephoto: ben

Backside Nosebluntjosiahphoto: ben

photo: nickpat dillman

photo: nickjosh foust Slide Drop-InHandplant

Headway Skatepark We regret to say that after three years of service, Headway Skatepark is closing its doors. Thank you for riding, and keep your eyes out Endless Ride, Penner’s new

shop, opening in April.

CowtownPublishers

Ben HlavacekNick Brown

*Editor

Nick Brown*

PhotogaphersBen HlavacekNick Brown

*Writers

Ben HlavacekNick BrownSeth Berg

*Thanks to:

All of the skaters in the magazine, Headway skatepark,

Moler’s Camera, One Hour Picture Perfect, Katie Savastano, Gabe Morford, Ruth Harries, and

most of all Taylor Pruitt.*

Cowtown is an indepentently published magazine based in

Wichita, Kansas. For more information, send an email

to cowtownzine@yahoo.comor to

Cowtown Magazine702 S. Terrace

Wichita, Ks 67218More at: www.myspace.com/

cowtownzine

Mash is a bike film documenting fixed gear riders in San Francisco. Fixed gear bikes are simply bikes that do not coast so the rider has to peddle the whole time they are moving. Why would any of the skateboarders who read this magazine care about that? To start off, Gabe Morford, the skate photographer, made the film with Mike Martin. Gabe brought his skateboarding background to this and anyone who skateboards will be able to tell it is formatted in a traditional skate video format. This video showcases the way that the riders navigate city traffic and, and we skateboarders are so familiar, bomb hills. There are very obvious similarities between the way the riders ride their bikes and the way we skateboard. It is very fast, aggressive and tricks are quickly beginning to evolve. Also, the bikes are growing in popularity with skateboarding with many well-known pros picking up the bikes. Gabe Morford obviously rides one and so does Keif Hufnagel. In John Cardiel’s Epicly Later’d series on www.vbs.tv he can be seen riding one of the bikes. Jovantae Turner even has a small part in the video while Frank Gerwer and Julian Stranger can be spotted in the bonus footage. The video is well made and the quality of biking is great. This video is so exciting to me though, because it is introducing skateboarders to fixed gear bikes. Hearing about this video is what got me hyped up to start biking and it seems to be doing that for many skateboarders. It could very easily be something you’d be interested in and it’s worth checking out. For more info go to www.mashsf.com.

MashA review byBen Hlavacek

photo: gabe morford

cowtown