SKATEBOARD FILE VII: BUCHI & THE RELIEF WHEEL
Hirotoshi Kawabuchi is a young amateur skater living in Japan and the United States. “Buchi’s” recent skating caught our attention with his involvement in relief efforts for the March 11th earthquake. Buchi and his sponsor, wheel maker Autobahn Wheels, have released a unique set of wheels, the profits of which go directly to the Red Cross. Now skateboarders from around the world have been able to contribute to the flow of donations through their purchase. The Papersky Skateboard File wanted to know more so we grabbed Buchi for a quick interview about this, yet another, unique relief project for Japan.
Tell us first, now that you’re skating with Autobahn Wheels, how did this charity project to help Japan after the March 11th earthquake come together? …»
SKATEBOARD FILE VI: OTAKI AND T-19
“The idea for T-19 was always in my head. What I saw when I was living in Venice [California] was just the essence of a “local style.” I had seen Venice in all the magazines- the music, the punk rock, the skulls and thought, ‘whoah.’ I thought it was- “the real thing” so to speak. It just resonated with ‘local’ and didn’t seem concerned with making a ‘statement,’ rather it was just about doing things and living in a certain way and I can’t say I wasn’t inspired by that ethic. So I tried to make T-19 something local for Tokyo- for who we were.”
From its heyday as one of the initial start up skate companies in Tokyo, Otaki has remained at the helm of T-19 Skateboards and ensured the company and team remain no less creative, defiant and community-focused. When I spent time with Otaki at the T-19 house in Setagaya, what came to the fore of my mind as the history unravelled and our conversation progressed? …»
ストリートのカリスマ / トミー・ゲレロ
「生ける伝説」と称されるアーティストは、いまや絶滅危惧種だ。ある日突然、才能ある新人アーティストが彗星のごとく現れ、我々を驚愕させインスパイアさせる一方で、かつてのスーパースターたちは徐々にその活動ペースを落とし、昔日の栄光の日々にすがって生きているのが現状。しかし、いまだに我々に刺激を与えつづけているトミー・ゲレロは、まさに「生ける伝説」と呼びたくなる存在である。
最近ではギター片手に世界中をツアーしているトミーだが、かつて彼は、もっとも著名なスケートボードチームの主要メンバーだった。ボーンズ・ブリゲードは、最高にクールなスケボーブランド、パウエル・ペラルタのチームで、80年代にはトニー・ホークやランス・マウンテンなどのすぐれたスケートボーダーを数多く輩出した。トミーは当時、サンフランシスコのサンセット地区の丘陵地で培ったスムースでたくみなスケーティングテクニックで名を馳せ …»
SKATEBOARD FILE V: DAISUKE TANAKA
Skateboarding needs art as much as it needs skaters. One of the pros and artists operating at the intersection of the two forms is Daisuke Tanaka. Although more affectionately known as “DEE,” Tanaka goes by a few other best-not-published nicknames you will just have to ask him about; another one of them, “Diskah” was given by West coast pro Matt Rodriguez. Daisuke “DEE” Tanaka grew up in West Tokyo and his continued balance of painting, photography and skateboarding through exhibitions and appearances in skateboard films has made him one of the most recognized faces in the skate community.
“Since I was a kid, I had been painting with my mother, who had done a lot of ceramic painting and my dad actually worked for a paint company so I had endless supplies. I actually wanted to be a comic artist but I ended up getting so involved in skateboarding that I somehow forgot about that dream. …»
SKATEBOARD FILE IV: SB EDITOR SENN OZAWA
The current issue of Sb, The 2010 Photo Annual, bears an attention-grabbing gold reflective font and runs the musing title, “A life with a piece of wood and four wheels.” More than a quote, this phrase is enough to adequately echo the Sb editorial ethos of portraying skateboarding. Featuring a series of thought pieces on the aforementioned adage from a diverse array of contributing pros and photographers such as Taro Hirano, Deshi, Anthony Van Englen and Honma, Ozawa establishes the issue’s tone with a pensive pen in the opening editor’s note, “Today, the fascination and power of print is endangered and I would like to restate the appeal and excitement of printing photos on paper, or should I say, printing skateboards on paper.” …»
PERSPECTIVE REACH I: YURI SHIBUYA
The first in a new series taking a closer look at Japanese photographers.
Whether a photographer’s vision constructs the photographs or the it’s the photographs which construct the vision, Yuri Shibuya has achieved a style that allows her to operate like a Venn diagram, in intersecting circles of documentary, reportage and travel. Yuri Shibuya initially started documenting her surroundings, “with no preparation” as she frankly puts it. Although Shibuya’s initial interests in photography developed from early trips to New York as an art student, upon returning to Tokyo Yuri soon switched out of her design program at university for the adventure of photography.
One of the early forays into photography was coverage of the flourishing …»
Skateboard File III: Professional Skater Deshi
“I grew up in nature- my house was surrounded by it, I used to play in the mountains and venture into caves and spent endless hours at the beach swimming and trying to catch sea urchins.” Its been years, since the second grade, when Deshi moved from Ehime prefecture to Tokyo with his family. Growing up in West-Tokyo ward Ota, Deshi took up skateboarding when he was thirteen years old and recalls the spark that lit the friction, “When I was living in Ota-ku, I remember being in my earlier teenage years and I was hanging out at the local arcade. One day I saw some gangster-type kids skateboarding. One of them was actually pretty good and when he popped a kickflip I was totally stunned. I knew I couldn’t do something like that but witnessing it was just etched into memory.” Deshi continued his story as Paper Sky listened. …»
