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Skateboarding is rapidly becoming a living, breathing Xbox game. Elbow- and kneepads and a helmet covered in stickers from the energy drink that sponsors you? Way cool! Thank God for professional skateboarders Steve Berra and Jim Greco, two renegades on the front lines of urban terrain liberation. Skateboarding’s foremost guerrilla warriors, armed with only their skateboards and a manifesto of hardcore street skating, Jim and Steve have scoured the gritty and desolate back alleys of North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, and Van Nuys to find the most raw and real spots. Often spending hours stealthily waiting for the security-guard shifts to change just to session an Allstate insurance sign for five minutes, these outlaws are in it for the love and nothing but the love. And since Jim and Steve rarely bother to call a filmer or photographer, these pure sessions almost always go undocumented. These are street-skateboarding purists, hoisting a big “Fuck you!” to the Tony Hawk version of the “sport” where the “street course” is actually just a bunch of prefabricated spots with small stairs, perfect run ups, and low rails. Jim Greco and Steve Berra, in fact, have never, ever been associated with Tony Hawk in any way, having turned down sponsorships and promotional money from the fabled Birdman for decades now. Instead of cashing royalty checks and battling agents for endorsement deals, Jim and Steve would rather spend their time battling the harsh rough ground, imperfect landings, and cracked ledges of the real city environment. Both pros have recently released video clips showcasing their mastery of such spots, and let me tell you, if you’re lucky enough to find these underground gems (I’m talking about the videos, don’t even think about finding the spots), you will see that the proof is in the pudding. These spots are unreal, bro. I shit myself when I saw Steve, with his characteristic loose and unpredictable style, glide through a flawless manual where—get this—you could actually see the grime and dust floating in the air. And don’t think Jim’s any stranger to the obscure, imperfect spot either. He had back-to-back lines on a handicap-bump-to-flat-rail combo that made my heart stop with the sheer gnarliness that it must have taken to even step up to that thing. It’s like, where the fuck did you find it, and how the hell could you pull your shit together to rip it, and what filmer had big enough balls to go there with you and film it? Shit like that. CLYDE BONNIE |
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Comments:
Subject: up the pd Date: Jul 24 2007 12:17:19 PM Author: cal cake steve berra used to skate for birdhouse ken but it's good to expose real skateboarding. Subject: rock on Date: Aug 27 2006 10:07:41 PM Author: wahib all i want to say ,is jim greco rocks,its 2 much junkie business,,,keep on roking bro,never care,,,, Subject: birdhouse Date: Jun 08 2006 10:15:36 AM Author: ekene i am a geniosueue Subject: um... Date: Mar 21 2006 04:58:13 PM Author: The Coulson k, first... 1:Berra rode for Tony Hawks "Birdhouse" at one point...prior to that, Greko rode for "hook-ups" which was associated with birdhouse as well. 2:The spots that Berra skates were not all manufactured...and if they were? who gives a fuck? Do you have any footage anywhere close to that? No? okay then. In Canada, we use street signs for run up, and wood for some landings...and hammer more shit that anyone. 3:Scientology?...Is this actually a factor?!?!?Who in the fuck cares? are the aliens helping him skate? No, so shut up. 4: Lastly, any of you "...well, I used to skate but..." that wrote anything, your coment is not in any way valid...AT ALL. You don't know what it takes to skate anything nowadays, that's why most people up until this year have been peacing out to Bacelona, Leon, Athens, etc. but even those places are cracking down. Bottom line, Shut the fuck up, and go skateboarding, fuck the bullshit comments that are spewing out of the mouths of the "...i used to" 's. Fuck the money involved, cause if you all skated at the time that you're acting like you did, then none of this was even a factor in the first place...It's about having FUN. So get the fuck outside and keep skating. Subject: what the fuck? Date: Mar 13 2006 11:05:38 PM Author: steve greco Just to let you know, I get what good ole Clyde is going for in this article. A real sense of humor here. His painfully constructed prose is such work of an amatuer it makes only wonder, "who the fuck educated this guy?" In all his talks of the Tony Hawk endorsement deals and the battling of agents, etc. etc. (of course in his reverse sense of humor fashion) he forgot to remind himself when he was crafting those clever, again, reverse sense of humor quips, that steve or jim do not have agents and do not ride for anyone outside of skateboarding and have nothing to do with anything sell outs like, well, you know who, have to do with. Again, his wonderful sense of humor implies that they do. There's much more I could go on about in describing how unfunny and lame this article is, but I'd rather watch the O.C. So to this I say, you're a fag, Clyde, and just because you never learned how to kickflip, you don't have to take it out on Steve Berra or Jim Greco. They love you despite you're inadequacies. Subject: birdhouse Date: Mar 13 2006 04:27:36 PM Author: Eken's a fucking genius "just read 'the lies issue' and was reading the article 'The real deal' in this article you claim..." THIS IS A NEW ONE. SOMEONE ACKNOWLEDGES IT'S THE LIES ISSUE AND THEN, 12 WORDS LATER, HE POINTS OUT SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TRUE. ARE WE ON THE SAME FUCKING PLANET HERE? WOW! Subject: these guys Date: Mar 13 2006 05:14:45 AM Author: adam i love it when people dont get it. Subject: choose a style greco... Date: Mar 09 2006 12:34:24 PM Author: Steveland berra pre-fabricated spots you say? have you seen Berra's DVS video part...that fucking knee-popping pussy barely skates anything remotely normal...fuck him... Subject: done that Date: Mar 08 2006 07:08:39 PM Author: been there does it also show greco shooting up? really? hot! Subject: forget it Date: Mar 05 2006 11:57:10 PM Author: Bill Conway so what if spots are manufactured? the guys still have skills, and that is the point of skateboard videos. to display skills and rake in the cash. berra and greco are living the high life and all they are doing is something they enjoy, big deal. the only people bitching in these comments are guys that skated for two years then got a crappy honda and "tricked it out" and then quit skateboarding, but kept wearing the shoes and the shirts in a desperate attempt to still look "cool". Subject: fuuuuuuuck Date: Mar 05 2006 06:25:36 PM Author: L. Infamous this is fucking hilarious. Subject: birdhouse Date: Mar 05 2006 07:04:31 AM Author: Ekene ikedife Hello people at vice land' just read 'the lies issue' and was reading the article 'The real deal' in this article you claim and i quote ''jim greco and steve berra, in FACT have never, ever been associated wuth tony hawk in any way, what about the classic birfhouse film 'THE END' in which steve berra is featured and on the front cover' and mabey if you spend some more time reseaching instead of making shit up' you will find he was skating for birdhouse. emo mugs Ekene Ikedife Brighton level army Subject: is this shit real? Date: Feb 28 2006 09:12:03 AM Author: c i couldnt even read it all. Subject: grec and berrr Date: Feb 27 2006 08:19:23 PM Author: hollywoodhigh wow this article sucked. fucking skateboarding Subject: wow Date: Feb 26 2006 10:02:50 PM Author: steve berra Jesus, people at Vice know who I am? Hot Dog! Subject: da huh Date: Feb 26 2006 07:25:10 PM Author: twistedbydesign Nihilistic sarcasm is mackbangin gully right now. Subject: crack. Date: Feb 24 2006 05:30:57 PM Author: piece of ass andrew reynolds and jim greco used to be crackheads. once a crackhead, always a crackhead. now do the chicken dance, bitches. Subject: froth Date: Feb 23 2006 07:52:18 PM Author: santorum your ideas are intriguing, I would like to subscribe to your newsletter. But a good article would be on scientology, what with all the intergalactic warlords named Xenu and shit. Seriously, scientologists are fucking crazy loons. Just like mormons...and jehovas witnesses...and muslims....and catholics....and jews....and protestants...and hindus...and every other godamn belief system that puts ridiculous dogma before reason. Fuck, I gotta take a shit. Subject: Get your facts straight Date: Feb 22 2006 09:07:41 AM Author: Fucking idiots Steve berra used to ride for birdhouse skateboards....which in turns he did take money from tony hawk, Baker is a spinoff of Birdhouse but AR running it. This article is a piece of shit. Subject: taste the warmth Date: Feb 19 2006 01:51:39 AM Author: Tim Carr my dad takes me skateboarding then fucks my mouth.grown men. Subject: oh, yeah Date: Feb 18 2006 01:07:54 AM Author: kyle ha! you fuckin' guys! Subject: Hey Date: Feb 17 2006 11:19:58 PM Author: Ricky Rip skateboarding is not underground. berra is married to that one famous movie bitch. dumbasses Subject: oh check this out Date: Feb 14 2006 10:05:46 PM Author: Timmy Empire I seen him just the other day with some other underground guy ,that one guy Andrew reynolds , I heard Andrew hides and skates in the mountains . your not suppose to talk, take pictures of him ,ask him for anything ... yeah and if you put garlic on him he snarls and his eyes turn red . Subject: fake spots Date: Feb 14 2006 03:27:47 PM Author: tom.d chicken delves hahaha so many people don't get the sarcasm. you dumb fucks! Subject: fake spots Date: Feb 14 2006 08:51:45 AM Author: Dock Manager DANGER ZONE NO DELIVERIES Scientology melts minds. Subject: fake Date: Feb 13 2006 04:08:22 PM Author: jiveturkey its funny because all of berra's spots are fake he made them himself. if you look carefully you can tell. DVS video. it's cool though whatever. keep skating Subject: IDIOTS! Date: Feb 12 2006 09:57:06 AM Author: james to all these people repying correcting the author on his factual ignorance... are you THICK!?!?!?! THIS IS THE LIES ISSUE! dont you get it!?!?? Subject: nerdhouse Date: Feb 12 2006 03:48:13 AM Author: crain "Jim Greco and Steve Berra, in fact, have never, ever been associated with Tony Hawk in any way, having turned down sponsorships and promotional money from the fabled Birdman for decades now." :lol: hilariously inaccurate... top notch effort. Subject: bad style Date: Feb 11 2006 06:52:04 PM Author: jake Here's a word for you dude, it's called fucking 'research' - Berra was one of Tony's top pros for Birdhouse...so like it was already mentioned, this article was meant as a joke or you are one of the laziest journalists ever. Let skaters write about skating, you stick to roller-blading. Seriously, did you just make it all up James Frey style? Subject: Jesus loves Scientologists Date: Feb 11 2006 03:11:33 AM Author: Dan Sturt They are both Scientologists. Baker is a Birdhouse subsidiary. The Birdman wasn't paying Grecs $5000 a month to sit on his couch ordering takeout heroin from 18th Street gangsters, though. Vans was. No hammers for a year, just rigs. And what happened to the Johhny Thunders transvestite gear? Subject: m'eh... Date: Feb 10 2006 08:00:02 PM Author: knife mcdagger hallo vice. please do article magazine on rollerblading thank you, it is rad and no article in any magazine write about rollerblading, and i think is time for something rad like rollerblading or my chemical romance have article in vice magazine! i am 12 and i love xtreme sports and mtv real punker rocker music. go vice yeah! Subject: dudes Date: Feb 10 2006 07:30:36 PM Author: dude Jim and Steve would rather spend their time battling the harsh rough ground fuck. Subject: noho Date: Feb 10 2006 07:10:05 PM Author: evnut fuck yeah the dirty noho! Subject: BroDell Date: Feb 10 2006 11:20:56 AM Author: shredwise the above comments show you how little you f'n stupid you idiots are. Yes, they know they rode for Birdhouse, yes, yes, YES!!!! Pull your head out, the article's semi whatevs, no big deal. O'Dell had nothing to do with it is my guess... Subject: . Date: Feb 10 2006 11:20:14 AM Author: . Is This the almost believable but fake issue then? Beacuse all skate nerds will know that Berra built the street spots for that video i cant remember the name of. Still good though. Subject: faux spotz Date: Feb 10 2006 10:13:09 AM Author: chandler evans this article is whatevs. Theres better skate industry satire on supercentral.org..... Subject: "sarcasm is the lowest form of wit" Date: Feb 10 2006 02:12:11 AM Author: Benny Ohhhh! I get it now. Now that I think of it, every single Vice article is exactly like this one, just with slightly different subject matter. Subject: this is funny. Date: Feb 10 2006 12:34:50 AM Author: me It's sarcasm guys. That's what Vice does. It's mildly funny but I've read funnier quips posted on skateboardrumors.com. You know...the stuff about how people have found half pipes growing out of the side of a mountain and nobody should build anything in skateboarding. It's skating...not soccer. You can do whatever you want as long as it's fun for you. I bet Berra thinks this is funny. I think it's funny. Skateboarding is funny. Let's all laugh and wear pink fannypacks and take polaroids of them. Subject: skateboarding Date: Feb 09 2006 07:39:17 PM Author: shitsticks The "fake spots" are no secret for a reason, because they're not tryin to pull over your eyes, they know you're not that stupid. Skaters have been slapping jump ramps in front of stuff for years. Besides its just skateboarding. Fun! Remember? They get paid so they gotta go the extra mile spotwise I mean what unsponsored no-name isn't switch flipping Hollywood High these days. They gotta stay ahead of the game n shit. Fuckin haters!!! Subject: You must include a subject. Date: Feb 09 2006 07:33:10 PM Author: koots the article is lame. the comments are lame. sarcasm is overplayed. It must take a lot of effort for VICE to be so "cool" and different"...YEAH RIGHT. Subject: vice mag has run its course... Date: Feb 09 2006 06:16:39 PM Author: meh ...regardless of what vice mag thinks it represents...in truth it is nothing but a posers mag full of 'negative nelly' writers and oh-so-uber-aware self absorbed toss pots sponsored by nike. Subject: Hellooooooooo Date: Feb 09 2006 04:40:56 PM Author: Don Rickles Sarcasm alert! Best skate article I have read in awhile and the only one that made me chortle out loud in years. High comedy, if you don't get it, well then you don't get it, too bad. Subject: uhhh Date: Feb 09 2006 04:18:00 PM Author: jrock guys...i think this is a joke...sarcasm if you will...anyone who has seen the baker vid knows that greco and berra manufactured those spots and painted them to look like real skate spots...it was one of the lamest moves in skate vids since the "powell magic" of the 80s... Subject: shred filth Date: Feb 09 2006 03:04:49 PM Author: c'mon man, you fuckers are getting lazy with your facts. berra is indeed a scientologist who used to eat out juliette lewis as he cashed his tony hawk chex from birdhouse. yeah, didn't grecs ride for them, too?? sloppy..... Subject: horse and horse-face Date: Feb 09 2006 01:10:10 PM Author: Mr Magilicutty These guys were a hell of a lot more interesting when Grecs was hooked on heroin and Berra was balls-deep in Juliet Lewis. Subject: put it together Date: Feb 09 2006 01:02:12 PM Author: Rory O'Dell is strongly associated with the Baker guys, so when they ran out of crap to write, he shat this gem out. That's my guess. Subject: "corporate" Date: Feb 09 2006 11:44:12 AM Author: never "this article is brilliant. i wish real skate magazines were brave enough to print stuff like this" why? its obvious a lot of street skating is manufactured nowadays, but then skating always goes through cycles of popularity and cultural relevance etc. a skate magazine wouldn't print it cos they actually care about what they do, and tempting as it is to take the easy option and hate on everything, they make the effort and try and write something that matters. i m sure jake phelps or any other editor thinks a lot of these fads are wack, but does that mean they all get up and write a whiny article about it? no cos there are better things to be concentrating your energy on Subject: jeez guys Date: Feb 09 2006 10:24:36 AM Author: tru$t seriously, they were both on birdhouse. i can find you interviews where steve tongued tony's corporate asshole. and he's a SCIENTOLOGIST. either this is a joke or you're incredibly lazy. Subject: unreal bro Date: Feb 09 2006 09:51:14 AM Author: Leonard meanwhile, I am looking at an ad in the middle of the article with some fucking cel-phone salesmen drinking absinthe. God, ok. Let me write this all down: um, 1) don't watch the Baker video because it is 'fake' and 'corporate' or something, and 2) get a tie and drink absinthe. Subject: shit like that Date: Feb 09 2006 08:36:10 AM Author: Leonard Yeah, dude. It is so not cool to still skate and get footage of your skateboarding. It is way cooler to have used to skate and get footage of drinking in LES bars. Subject: wow Date: Feb 09 2006 09:09:15 AM Author: wtf? no one mentioned that 90% of the spots in his dvs skate more part were man made to look like real street spots, urban terrain liberation my ass. Subject: huh? Date: Feb 08 2006 10:29:28 PM Author: L Ron douchebag steve berra is a scientologist.... and greco eats dogfood and has signature stretchy jeans complete with bleach lines. definately keeping the scene alive. Subject: ha Date: Feb 08 2006 10:02:30 PM Author: cropduster <end sarcasm> Subject: ohmygod Date: Feb 08 2006 09:58:33 PM Author: lurkstatus this article is brilliant. i wish real skate magazines were brave enough to print stuff like this. Subject: skating Date: Feb 08 2006 08:56:12 PM Author: never "Skating to the soothing sounds of Moby, as I recall" oh really vice, i don't get it. are you dissing berra and greco? are you dissing people that don't get your double bluff? is skateboarding officially over? or are you trying to raise a boner by tittering at the ensuing ire from skateboarders? just keep pushing back against everything Subject: Bullshit Date: Feb 08 2006 08:28:44 PM Author: Seez Obviously Vice has no fact checkers on staff otherwise they'd realize that in fact, Steve Berra has been associated with Tony Hawk in a big fucking way. How about the time he was a sponsored pro-rider for Birdhouse (Tony Hawk's board company)? Have you ever even seen the Birdhouse skate flick "The End"? Asides from being one of the most popular skate movies of all time, Steve Berra is in it. Skating to the soothing sounds of Moby, as I recall. |
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