Skate Shop Showcase on June 20th

June 20, 2009: A warehouse space in downtown Los Angeles known as The Gallery 1018 was the site of the 2009 Skate Shop Showcase. The event delivered on its promise to “unite the skate community through music, art and culture” with a combination of live bands, DJs, and visually impressive art installations curated by various skate shops from around the country.  The crew from Skateboarder Magazine and Ollie Pop contributed along with a strong list of sponsors, putting the spotlight on the shops and their people. In honor of Go Skateboarding Day the ASR team rolled out to LA and was honored to participate alongside such a talented group of artists and skaters.

The vibe was mellow early on, with some artists still adding the finishing touches to their installations and the Fuel TV crew making their rounds catching up with everyone who contributed to the event. A donation at the door went to the Noah Carter Memorial Fund and scored you some tokens to vote for your favorite skate deck on the Ollie Pop wall where 8 different artists had their hand painted decks on display. A walk around the space left you inspired by the hundreds of pieces of eye candy lining the rest of the white walls of The Gallery.

As the red Solo cups continued to empty out, the conversations got a lot more unpredictable and everyone switched into party mode. Music courtesy of DJs Patric Melcher and Tim Martinez kept the heads nodding and before long it was time for a trip to Rasta Tacos on the outside deck where I was able to fill my stomach with amazing carne asada without having to empty out my whole wallet. Perfect party snack.  www.rastataco.com

Ending the night around midnight, I walked out to a band of ninja-suited rockers (Ninja Academy) tearing it up on stage. Overall I had a great time celebrating the people and the artists that make skateboarding culture so unique. Thanks to Tim Martinez, Monica Staniec, and Caroline of IMA Imagine Marketing Agency for making it happen.  Tim Martinez’s roots and love for skate are undeniable and he is such an amazing person, we knew the event would rock.
http://imaginemarketingagency.wordpress.com

-Dan Moylan
www.classatasr.com
www.asrbiz.com

An artist adds the finishing touches to his installation while the first of many bands plays next to him.

The Noah James Carter Memorial Fund - contact Tim Martinez at IMA to contribute. The community always tries to give love and hope - this night was no exception.

Ninja Academy. Rocking. www.ninjaacademy.com

Nine Star was among one of the shops to submit art and had an incredible gallery display. The artist Rain collaborated on their project. www.9star.com

Some of the crew from Liberty Board Shop with ASR’s Darren Bridges after hitting the Rasta Taco stand.

The Showcase Flyer