I took the time recently to create a YouTube playlist featuring the majority of the music I've used for various Red Telephone video projects over the years, taking you on a journey from my first full length production - 2002's "VIDEO" - all the way up to the last song in my most recent endeavor - G9 2020. From Sabbath to Starang Wondah, Droogs to Daptone - this mix dips into the classics and the obscure. Throw it on and clean your house. You know your house is a mess. C'mon. Click that ^ link and enjoy!
G9 2020 has arrived! After one of the most frustrating and confusing years many of us have ever experienced, the boys wrangled enough footage to finally bring you the sequel to 2015's G9 Summit.
For those not familiar, the G9 series is based around Adam Cassidy's unique set up of a Canon G9 Powershot coupled with an original Century MK1 fisheye - the bulk of both videos being filmed with that camera/lens combo. The original G9 suffered a fatal blow in 2018, and the replacement that was found had some lens flaws and sensor issues, but the final product is surprisingly crisp and colorful. The look is very much akin to that of a VX1000 when the sun is shining, with slightly more detail in the center of the frame. Lacking some key manual controls while in video mode means the G9 has it's limits, though it's small size and memory card storage system offer some clear advantages as well.
Edited over the Christmas holiday, G9 2020 starts off with a solid montage of Vancouver skating (and a guest spot from old friend Kris Foley who's long since relocated to Ontario) before heading south for some California sun, including a trip to Los Angeles with the Motion crew.
Ben St Aubin fakie 5-0's one of Emily Carr's amazing ledges on a brisk winter day.
First, we follow @steezygeezer John Sandlin and his North County, San Diego friends as they make the stars align for some reunion sessions at a fun looking ditch to curb, with Adam Cassidy and John bringing things back to LA before linking up with the Motion crew as they arrive from Toronto and Vancouver. Ghetto birds and the beginning of a pandemic be damned - clips are going down. Thankfully, it wasn't until everyone got home that things started to get serious and the restrictions kicked in. The Motion trip happened in the first week of March, 2020.
Motion crew a the West LA Courthouse.
Joey Maher, frontside crooked grind.
Bud Patterson, Frontside Kickflip, Griffith Park, LA.
Photo: Nik Sexton
Bud and Ian enjoying the amazing Air BnB spot in the Hollywood Hills that Nik secured.
No big D.
He who shall remain nameless gets a beauty of a frontside rock on some hard to skate bank to brick action in Culver City.
The California Motion trip was really productive for a crew that boasted 3 injured skaters out of the 6. Adam dislocated his elbow at the courthouse on the first day, Ian St Aubin wrecked his ankle at the Crenshaw dugout ledges the next day, and Joey Maher had a bum knee before he even arrived in LA. Even with the injuries, all 3 got some clips, and the boys were still on every session filming and keeping the crew hyped up until the next stop to fill up the ice bucket for Ian's ankle, and the beers. Nik got a kickflip over a hydrant on Sunset right at the buzzer on the last day and that was a rap for California Motion 2020.
Joey takes in one last morning vape before heading out on the endless quest for more vapes.
Photo: Nik Sexton
After the California section, G9 2020 keeps the Motion flavor going with a solo part from Bud Patterson who skates oh so stylishly to a classic Souls Of Mischief track, revisiting some familiar spots like Vancouver's Empire Field ledges for a few lines and getting some beautiful manuals at brand new spots around the city. The diy spot in Burnaby with the granite block opened and closed G9 2020 and Bud was no stranger to that spot either. Check the video for his approach to G9's star slab.
Bud fine tuning at the Slocan Banks.
Right after Bud, G9 2020's editor and main producer Adam Cassidy has his 2.5 minutes of fame. Adam and Bud are both 43, but there's still a lot of juice left in the tank and Adam put in some serious work to come away with a part that proves it's still possible to eat like a stubborn child and flip into ledges in your 40's. Something to aspire to? We'll let you be the judge. One thing's for sure - these guys like that granite block.
Emily Carr's awkward kinked rusty wall thing gets 5050'd by Adam Cassidy.
Adam vaults a pole at another one of Vancouver's new spots.
After Adam we find ourselves smack in the middle of Vancouver's most popular new pile of soggy ramps, the Britannia Courts. The spot has actually undergone some improvements over this summer and the people making it happen deserve a lot of respect and thanks - you'll find one of the main proponents fakie nosegrind shoveing his way across the box in this section. Chris Haslam was a regular fixture of the Courts this year as he was spending more time back home in Vancouver, and he also put it a lot of work fixing up ramps and creating new, somewhat unorthodox obstacles that you would come to expect from someone of his creative capabilities. He closes out the Courts section, and the whole video with some classic Haslam wizardry. And where does it all end? Yup. The granite block. Although not planned, that big block somehow managed to provide the setting for some of the most significant clips in G9 2020. Word is it's days may now be numbered, so if you live in Vancouver cross your fingers it's still there this spring and go check it out for yourself.
Chris Haslam catches a frontside kickflip at Ambleside skatepark in West Vancouver just before filming for G9 2020 began.
Now that you've read some of the backstory behind the video, grab a big bag of your favorite chips and get ready to watch a bunch of old guys who still like to play with skateboards doing just that! See you in 2021!
