Banned From The Berrics!!
So the homie (Name removed) got kicked out of The Berrics. He was doing some stealth filming of the BATB (No filming allowed @ The Berrics), and got a little cocky and started filming some tricks afterward. He was caught, and Salman taped over his footage, and escorted him out at which point (Name removed) realized he left his cell phone and Digital Camera, there. Had to go back, and ask Salman to get his stuff (I'm still waiting on my wheels and speed cream...). Salman brought his cell, and camera after erasing all The Berrics photo's off (still photos are allegedly allowed), and (Name removed) is permanently banned. He thought I would be bummed when he told me. I was so proud of (Name removed). There is this blanket of mystery surrounding the Berrics, because it is so insanely private. You can't skate, and if you do there’s a list of rules you have to follow, beyond the "No spitting, no fighting, no smoking..." shit. And really it's a nice park, but not worth all the hype. I can find 30 spots with a 20 mile radius of The Berrics, that are awesome to skate, and you don't have to feed any ego's to do so. Here is a response to the E-mail I received from Salman @ the session I was scheduled for, "yeah, I knew it. I have drill this weekend. I understand that you have 500 people skating these sessions, but the movie was over a month ago. I get a 4 day heads up. I have a wife and kids. I don't get paid to skate. I can't rearrange things to go skate, especially when I made a commitment such as this one. I mentioned this to you a month ago, you never responded. Had I even had some sort of idea, when this session would have been I would have made arrangements with my commanding officer. I work for a living, and would have appreciated a heads up, more than 4 days in advance. I was really looking forward to skating the Berrics. Now it looks like my one chance will not happen. I imagine, since you work to put food on the table you would understand that. I am curious as (to) why you didn't respond to my original E-mail. I doubt too many, if any of the people skating in the Explicit Ills sessions are members of the military, however I am; and time to skate is one of the things I have to sacrifice for that. And as important as skating The Berrics was to me, my obligation to my commitment, and maintaining integrity will have to take precedence. It's too bad. I've been skating for 25 years now, and few things got me as excited as the chance to skate the Berrics. I feel I've been cheated. I only went to the movie premier, so I could skate The Berrics. I E-mailed you a month ago on 3/30/09, asking about the schedule. And now the one thing I was trying to avoid has happened. Thanks, but no thanks. I didn't want the pizza, the soda, the movie, or to be on "The Berrics.com". I just wanted to skate." So yeah I was a little bitch, but in all honestly I held back. I was pissed. I waited a month to get a 4 day notice. I sent this message to Steve Berra, Eric Koston, and Salman. Salman immediately responded from his Blackberry to the tune, "No worries, let us know when you can make it." I felt like a dick, because he recognized that A.) This was important to me B.) I am not a 15 year old kid with no life and C) I went about skating getting into The Berrics legitimately (Instead of trying to get someone to get me in). Things were good, I felt better, and apologized to Salman. Life’s Good! Then I get this: "Well... Although I'm a really put off by your email, I'm sending you an email back to tell you that we have been having pizza parties for the last 5 weeks and have at least 4 more weekends to go so is that enough of a heads up? Step in my shoes for a minute. I have a family too, you think I wanna spend my time and money on the weekends having people skate the Berrics when I already spend 90 hours a week here? No. I don't. But I do it anyway. You can come another weekend, it's not that big of a deal, you didn't have to be such a dick about it.
sb"
So yeah HE's been having pizza parties every weekend. Not me. He's at the Berrics every day, not me. He knows the availability of the park, not me. And they knew who was skating, and when. So how it's justifiable to make me wait a month then give a 4 day heads up is beyond me! Dude's complaining about spending 90 hours a week at a place he voluntarily created, and controls. That's some big balls. I suspect that he realizes how irrelevant he is in today’s skating. I think he's just trying to stay relevant. He's doing a good job, but I doubt we'll ever see a Berra part that can rival his "The End" part. Maybe the bad acting...
I got no beef with anyone there but they did make it rather frustrating to skate even when I finally got the green light. The session was awesome, and I did have a s**tload of fun while skating The Berrics. I have a friend that skates there fairly regularly. He says it's just another park. BUUUT since we have the web site, and featured pros, and cool projects like "United Nations" it seems bigger than it is. I can see pros shred without even leaving Ventura County. So to make a long question longer...who else has been kicked out of The Berrics? And Why?
P.S. "The Homie" took 60 of Steve Berra's dollars with one trick on "Skate or Dice!" as featured on "Skate or Dice!" Posted on 5.17.09, with a cameo by your truley...
sb"
So yeah HE's been having pizza parties every weekend. Not me. He's at the Berrics every day, not me. He knows the availability of the park, not me. And they knew who was skating, and when. So how it's justifiable to make me wait a month then give a 4 day heads up is beyond me! Dude's complaining about spending 90 hours a week at a place he voluntarily created, and controls. That's some big balls. I suspect that he realizes how irrelevant he is in today’s skating. I think he's just trying to stay relevant. He's doing a good job, but I doubt we'll ever see a Berra part that can rival his "The End" part. Maybe the bad acting...
I got no beef with anyone there but they did make it rather frustrating to skate even when I finally got the green light. The session was awesome, and I did have a s**tload of fun while skating The Berrics. I have a friend that skates there fairly regularly. He says it's just another park. BUUUT since we have the web site, and featured pros, and cool projects like "United Nations" it seems bigger than it is. I can see pros shred without even leaving Ventura County. So to make a long question longer...who else has been kicked out of The Berrics? And Why?
P.S. "The Homie" took 60 of Steve Berra's dollars with one trick on "Skate or Dice!" as featured on "Skate or Dice!" Posted on 5.17.09, with a cameo by your truley...
Tags: 360, alien, baker, berra, berrics, board, deathwish, enjoi, footage, girl
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by cory tate on -
They have tons of shit to do, their customer service isn't that great, but they aren't a customer service oriented business. No excuse for them to be dicks though. I think the chance to skate the berrics is a much bigger high to people from outside of the Mecca of cali, such as myself in rural NC with no spots and no pros.
All I gotta say other than that, though, is that I felt like Berra's part in Skate More at least rivaled that of his Birdhouse part, though The End is an absolutely amazing video.
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Permalink Reply by BLANE on -
And you're absolutley right. I am speaking from an advantaged point of view. However the "Explicit Ills" sessions were designed specifically for those of us who live in the LA area. And if you did live out here, you would have 100's of killer spots to skate. So move to California. I could have tried to weasel my way in with friends, but I chose to go about it in a legitamite "fair" fashion. I've never had to put so much effort into skating a spot before. And yeah Steve's part in "Skate More" was good, but He'll never achieve the same skating as he did in the height of his career. That will not happen. I hope it does, but I am doubtfull.
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Permalink Reply by cory tate on
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all valid points, sir
And I can empathize with having to plan your skating time due to military concerns, I have several close friends in the service and it's very hard for them to even keep skating at all.
and I'd love to move to cali!
lol
I think I'll just continue holding out hope that NC will get over the bogus full pads laws and supervised shitty pre fab parks
lol
there are some very nice parks here though, just a couple hours away
hopefully one day I will be able to figure out a way to skate the berrics, I'll probably have to weasel my way in though
lol
keep up the good work man, and keep up having strong opinions and not being all up on anybody associated with the Berrics' balls just for being associated with the berrics, as so many kids on here are wont to do
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Permalink Reply by Samuel Robert Mitchell on -
I live out in the middle of nowhere in NC as well, I didn't start skateboarding here though. I started in Colorado. From a skateboarding standpoint comparing CO to NC is like comparing The Berrics to a dirt parking lot, a dirt parking lot that requires helmets and money for entry. I can totally see the point that as far as terrain is concerned The Berrics is nothing "That Special" it has pros and what not but you would get that pretty regularly at Denver Skatepark (probably bigger than the berrics and it has pools) Don't get me wrong I would love to skate The Berrics but it seems a bit too elitist, I don't think Skateboarding needs a country club.
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Permalink Reply by cory tate on
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true, true
I have friends that moved to the Denver area and they improved skating-wise so fast! it was insane, the parks and people there are just so much better for the most part.
hah the country club comparison was spot on man
It's kind of like a miniaturized version of that in NC itself though, if you think of it
Raleigh/Durham area, Charlotte, and the coast, are like the western skateboarding mecca states like CO, OR, WA, and CA
especially damn carolina beach skatepark
that park is amazing to me, because it's open 24/7 and unsupervised
and well lit
and concrete
and well made
and free
lol
love NC though, just gotta work harder to get better
Justin Brock and Chet Childress can do it, gives people like me hope
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Permalink Reply by cory tate on
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related topic, it sucks that sideproject had to close man
that mini ramp at least was sick
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Permalink Reply by Samuel Robert Mitchell on
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I live about 3 blocks from Side Project so I was pretty bummed about that. If you are talking about the same Carolina Beach skatepark that I have been to I would have to disagree, the Unsupervised, Concrete and lit part are all true but whoever made it appearantly didn't measure anything or have a straight edge. One of the worst designed and built concrete parks I have ever been to. Yeah North Carolina has been a shock to me, Skateboarding is difficult when everything is neatly put out for you to do it on, NC takes that away, Charlotte is the only place that is palatable for street skateboarding and there are maybe, just maybe no spots at all, and that is being generous. I have written some nice e-mails and some pretty angry ones to my parks and rec dept. they are yet to respond. North Carolina is a hell hole.
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Permalink Reply by cory tate on
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hah too true
we had a DIY park on an abandoned lot here shut down
they didnt let us know they were shutting it down though, they just took everything and threw it away
great people around here
the neighboring town is pretty cool with street skating, but they barely have anything to skate..
raleigh/durham has some spots though
the universities at least
and nice diy stuff
but yeah, so hard to come by nice spots here
can't wait to go to NYC for christmas!
going to be fucking amazing being able to skate even what little bust free spots there are there
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Permalink Reply by BLANE on
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We had a similar problem in Ventura Ca., former home of Skate Street. WE were tired on being harassed, and hassled for basically staying out of trouble. We were getting kicked out of spots on the regular, and we we're not getting any slack. So we did what any minority group who feels they are being wronged in the great state of California. We caused a fuckin' scene! We produced fliers and distributed said flyers for a month. On a set day of the week, we would ALL get together at the most notorious of kick out spots. We did. We brought signs, skated got interviewed by the local dirt bag news, but that was just the start. Once we were all together 200+ skaters mobbed Main St. blocking all traffic. Imagine 200 skaters in the streets and sidewalks jamming everyone up. We took over downtown. Then we all walked up the hill to the City Hall meeting that was going on. When the council saw us all walk in their jaws hit the floor. We demanded public skate parks, and insisted we would never stop making life difficult for those who oppose us. A year later we got shafted, however because the money utilized for a park, went into 3 small dinky useless parks. We failed to see the entire process through and left people who have no interest in charge. There are organizations that are still fighting to get a real public skate park in Ventura, but with really awesome parks in Fillmore, Santa Paula and Oxnard it's hard to keep the fight alive. So get 200 of your closest friends, and mob City Hall. Be prepared have statements written, get whoever isn't afraid of public speaking (and is intelligent) to make your statements for the group, and make it clear you are being discriminated against and really only want a safe and legal place to skate. Good luck, and take pictures!!
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Permalink Reply by cory tate on
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we actually went through most of this as well, people around here aren't dedicated I guess, because none of the assholes showed up to the city council meeting where I spoke, except for one of my friends, who I picked up. I think the people who skate in NC are just little shits for the most part, looking to get shit handed to em but not looking to fight for something.
Oh, and we also set up some stuff back at the site without city approval, some kids stole it.
lol
great people, eh?
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Permalink Reply by Samuel Robert Mitchell on
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Yeah, anytime in charlotte we find like the foundation to a building we would get some cinder blocks and concrete and make some DIY ledges Those take maybe 2 days to build correctly and some regular maintenance. Some people got pissed that people would chose to skate there instead of actual "street" skating so they decided to demolish the ledges there. skateboarder in charlotte are way to picky.
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Permalink Reply by BLANE on
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Fuggit. Seriously. Move to California. I may be in a skate mecca, but it may have alot to do with the fact that we take skating seriously. Mikey Taylor, makes spots. In fact "The Secret Ledge" that has appeared in several videos including DVS Skate More and Girl Yeah Right was built by Mikey. It's funny how the L.A. mentality is all those kooks take away from what we crank out. Fuck em, Sam. They'll be talking shit to you next year cause you "Still skate" and they're over it.
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