d o u g b r o w n journal |
::August
2nd-5th 2005
The tour is going well. I just arrived in Duluth
Minnesota. My plane coming here from Detroit had about 12 people
on it. Gerry from SunRamp picked me up and gave me a private tour
of Duluth. Tomorrow morning I'll be picked up from the hotel to
meet with the staff at headquarters. Thursday I will be doing
demos and signing all day downtown. I'm fried off to bed.
(8/3/05) 8am wake up call, breakfast and straight to tour the
factory. The first room they walked me into was the one that
housed a custom halfpipe they built just for the demo tomorrow.
After meeting the crew the ramps were transported to the middle
of an astro turf football field. With no warm up and getting
ready to skate a ramp I've never ridden the ABC film crew started
filming me for a spot on the news. After filming and a photo
shoot they drove me to a radio station to do a live interview. It
was a huge station and a nice studio and the interview went
smoothly. Back at the hotel to crash and have a lonely dinner at
Applebees across the street. (8/4/05) Wow what a day. I met with
the crew at headquarters then drove into town with two flat bed
trailers carrying the halfpipe. This had a "circus is coming
into town" feel as we slowly turned the corner entering the
event. After the pipe was built by the stage the demo began.
Music blasting, a sea of skateboarders, perfect weather, it is
on. After 45 minutes of skating the first demo I was rushed into
the tent for an hour of signing. From signing posters, cell
phones, even someones laptop and many X-Air deodorant sticks it
was entertaining to say the least. There was a Dollar Tree across
the street and they were selling out of the deodorant. It didn't
take long for the store to figure out I was the person on the deo
stick. After signing I was rushed to do an interview with CBS
sports for the event. From there I snuck a lunch in and went back
up the ramp for my 2nd scheduled demo. Some locals joined me and
the session heated up big time. The streets were filled with
crowds of peope. Live bands, vendors, media, photos, skating. The
day was a huge success. Many events planned in the next few
weeks. I'm tired and sun burnt. Thanks everyone for the support.
Peace, Doug Brown
::July 22nd-23rd 2005
I'm many miles above the ground right now aboard a
Continental express jet on my way to Nashville Tennessee. The
past two days I had the fortunate opportunity to follow Tony's
Boom Boom tour in two different cities. Last night after the show
I had v.i.p. to the meet and greet. After going through security
I was walked down a long white hallway inside the Nationwide
Arena. The room was very classy filled with everyone from the
show. It was amazing talking with Tony one on one. He is an
amazing talent and a has had a strong influence on my life and
career. Today in Nashville I'm meeting with Yocaher's marketing
team at the Play it Again Sports convention. I'll be signing
posters at the booth from 9-5 then off to do a demo at 6th Ave.
Skatepark at 7. (7/24/05) What a day. After the
PIAS show the guys from Yocaher treated me to a nice mexican
dinner near the skatepark. It was damn good. From there we headed
to the 6th Ave. Skatepark in downtown Nashville. It was melting
hot indoors with no air con. The park had a good flow and a sweet
bowl. The reception was instant and positive. These kids were
stoked to have me there. Landing the finger flip off the wall
into the bowl was my personal highlight. Without the cheering
crowd it wouldn't have been possible. After a couple of hours I
made my way to the lobby to sign posters. I walked a few blocks
dripping wet to my hotel. It was now 11pm and I was feeling my
second wind. Going solo I headed downtown to check out the strip.
At the edge of Broadway and 4th I saw a few skaters. Right away
one of the kids recognized me from the Fuel channel. They were
stoked and wanted me to skate with them. Instantly a crowd
circled around us and a mini demo began. After a few street
plants and freestyle moves I was preparing to do an acid drop off
a ledge to the street. On my second attempt a policeman on a bike
put the action to a halt. I ended up shooting the breeze with
everyone then they took me back to my hotel. I have to be up in
two hours for a 6am flight. Next I'm headed to Duluth Minnesota
for some demos and a radio interview. My touring has been non
stop. Hotels and airplanes till November. My newest sponsors are
Softrucks and Navigator Truck Co. Special thanks to Bobby,
Anthony and Lenore Hawk. Till we meet again, Doug B
::July 10th 2005
It's 2:00am and I'm writing from a hotel suite after a
big day of skating. Yesterday was the first stop in the Show
Up & Skate Tour. It was a long hot
drive into Toledo's Highland Skatepark. One foot out of my van
and I was spotted by the locals. Lots of cement, sweat, free
product, and shredders filled the afternoon. The next nine days
will be consumed with traveling and hitting random skateparks
across the nation. I get to see Tony and his crew VIP on the 20th
and 21st. From there it's off to Nashville Tennessee for the Play
It Again Sports convention. Then the next few days I'm back on a
plane to do commentary for two different contests. Early August
I'll be flying to Duluth Minnesota for a demo then on to Los
Angeles for a photo shoot with Jock Clock. September will be
spent in San Diego for the ASR trade show. I'll go back for one
day for my bro's wedding then back to California for the Gravity
Games. July 4th some friends had invited me to skate with them in
their hometown parade to show support for skating in their
community so I said yes. It sounds lame but it was actually a
blast! We had a red BMW and ten skaters to lead the way. Doing
hand plants and flip tricks every 5 feet for 4 miles took its
toll but the crowd loved it. After that we sped off to a local's
backyard mini ramp to ride. It was 80s flashback for me indeed.
Loud music, spray painted surface, sketchy wood. It was heaven!
So the days are blending and I'm filling up the days with events.
In thinking lately, no one can bring me down or change my focus
about my skating. It's been an amazing year. Stay tuned for more
news. Peace, Doug Brown
::June 10-11th 2005
My life is airports, highways, hotel rooms, and
skateparks so far this summer. The Mountain Dew Action Sports
tour went well but the last stop was at 180 skatepark and was
indoor with no music and no airflow. The weather has been
dripping hot at all my stops lately. I just arrived in my hotel
room in Adrian Michigan and I have a big demo tomorrow so lights
out for me. (6/11) Well it's now 2am the day after the demo and
I'm beat. Today started smooth as I jetted out of my hotel,
scored some free breakfast then out to the Adrian demo. I arrived
and instantly saw a sea of bikers and boarders shoulder to
shoulder. Ramps.com had a nice setup with the company van and a
few vendors. The pres of the company gave me a nice intro over
the speakers and the crowd was ready. I insisted they crank the
music then I scoped my lines around the park. The crowd didn't
hold back and without them I never would've landed my fingerflip
off the top of the fence into the 6 foot quarter. Feeling the
crowd was still thirsty for some tricks I made my way over to the
halfpipe and scored a few runs. Later in the day I was handed the
mic to mc the best trick contest. Things started out well but
rain found its way and the comp had to stop. The rest of the day
was filled signing posters, doing radio interviews, and answering
questions. By six oclock I had found a cement park off the
turnpike and had a ripping session with a few locals. It was nice
to have a simple session without loads of people watching me.
Ollie Pop Gum gave me a good shot out, check them out at www.olliepop.com. Jockclock just
approached me for sponsorship so look for more of them this
summer. Lots of summer ahead packed with demos and events. I'm
back on the road. Talk to you soon! Doug Brown
::May 27-28rd 2005
It's hard to top last week with Mike V. Also I'm now
riding for NSS Shoes. It was an early wake up call to a long
drive then landed at Buckeye Valley grade school. As I approached
the building I could hear little voices saying "dude Doug
Brown's here" With my board in hand I was sent to the gym
that was filled with 400 hyper kids. I spoke for about 45 miutes
about my life, skateboarding, staying clear of drugs and alcohol
and believing in your dreams. For the next two hours I was sent
to four differnt classes to perform my speech. The staff was very
accommodating and fed me lunch. From there I found a skatepark
about 30 minutes away in a town called Marion. The park was a bit
beat up in a downtown area at a rec center but it was a place to
session. It was only one oclock so the park was a ghost town. I
decided to go site seeing so away I went. I ended up taking a
guided tour of a popcorn museum, it was funny. Going back to the
skatepark there were some dudes sessioning. Instantly they were
jazzed on my style and we hit off. We ended up skating some
street and I visited two of the towns skateshops. I signed some
posters, got some directions back to the highway and away I went.
About 2 hours away I found my final destination for tomorrows big
event. After checking in the hotel I had the itch to skate agian
so I scoped out the skatepark, looks good but was wet from rain
so it was flat land skating with a few locals till sun down. I'm
gonna get some food jump in the hot tub then off to bed, later.
(5/28) Woke up and checked out of my hotel. Scored some Subway
then off to Miller Skatepark. Arriving at 1pm I thought I was in
Tony Hawk's Gigantic skatepark tour. There were hundreds of
people awaiting my arrival and my van was swamped as I rolled up.
The pressure is on. Somehow I made it to the ramps and all eyes
were on me. With no warm up, loud music, and a hungry crowd I
started skating fast across the course. I threw down some moves
and managed to stay on my board and entertain the audience. After
the demo I was signing posters for well over an hour. The
community was very nice and it was a great day. After a couple of
hours the rain rolled in and stopped the festivities. It was then
a rep from 88.5 FM WLRY invited me to do an interview at their
station. So after a 20 minute drive in the middle of nowhere I
was rushed into the studio. The interview went well and we
covered subjects from my Got Air program and discussed my career.
I'm back on the road and will be home for the holiday then grab a
plane tuesday for another demo. Special thanks to Deanne and
Dillon, Jen, and Tonya with 88.5. Peace out everyone, Doug
Brown
::May 22-23rd 2005
On the road nonstop. Yesterday I drove through my home
state and stopped by the new Lakewood park. I had a great long
session and did some photos. Today was a four hour drive and I'm
now in my hotel in Kentucky. I'm gonna score a nap then off to
the SoBe bus then to the demo with Mike V. I just got back from
the demo, holy sh*t tonight's demo was insane! It was great
seeing some of the SoBe guys and meeting new faces like Levi
Brown. I showed up at the park a little early and the signing
went on for an hour or so. Mike's skating was amazing as always,
he's always on. I've seen him skate a lot and he always steps up
and shreds. After a couple of hours of skating and a product toss
I got to chill with Mike after his mile long signing. He's always
an inspiration and i'm hoping to cross paths with him in a couple
months. Whew, it's now 2am. I just came in from getting some
fresh air from the deck of my hotel room. Nights like this make
me thankful to be in the skateboard world. I've helped promote
the sport and influenced kids to skate for the right reasons. I'm
a lucky man, night. (5/23) I had dinner last night at a Bob's Big
Boy and the waiter told me about a cement park down the road. So
at 5:30 am this morning I couldn't sleep so I checked it out,
super rad. After checking out of my hotel around noon I headed
over to the park. The session was a blast and the kids were
really cool. The responce to my skating always shocks me. Kids
seem to really react positively to my moves and my old school
flavor. So my body was beat from the past couple of days and I
had to head back on the road. This week I have 3 demos back to
back, life is busy. On the newsfront I just picked up Ollie Pop
Bubblegum and NSS Shoes. The X-Air deodorant has hit shops
worldwide. The preview for my dvd will be available for download
soon. Thanks for all the support, shot out to JB, Mike, Bob from
Ollies and wheelin Jeremy. See you all soon! Doug B
::April 22-23rd 2005
I'm back on the road again. Being home was nice but it
feels so good to go out and skate some real skateparks. Today I
made a pitstop at Area 57 skatepark since it was on my way to
Indiana. I skated for a few hours and busted back out on
interstate 80. The drive was a little long but I ended up in the
city of Defiance. Word must travel fast in this town because the
Fazoli's employees knew who I was. I received some directions for
tomorrows demo and headed straight to the hotel. I feel way to at
home in hotels now, it's a strange feeling. The grand opening is
to start at 11am and the weather calls for snow, in mid April? On
the newsfront the X-Air deodorant is scheduled for early June and
will appear in 3,000 differt outlets. Yes it's rather weird to
have your face on a deodorant stick. I'm beat, night all. (4/23)
This morning had a late start but I made it to the demo. To my
surprise there was a large group of people waiting in the YMCA
lobby for my arrival. Since it was raining I did my Got Air
program by default. The kids and adults were a great crowd and
had some entertaining questions. After signing a load of posters
I was sent to another room for the filming of a teen news show
hosted by local celebrity Austin-Nicole. The calander of tour
dates is filling up. I've got bookings all the way up till
November. I hope to see you all on May 22nd for Mike V's Man Vs.
Skatepark tour. Check the tour dates for upcoming events. Special
thanks to the Zachrich family for their company and feeding me.
See you soon, Doug B
::April 14th 2005
I've been home for a couple of weeks and it's been a
nice break. Chicago was great and the demo went smoothly. I'm
still skating everyday but it's nice to be home for a change.
Last week my new pro model was released to the world. I'm very
happy how it turned out, Yocaher is also reissuing the bunny
which was a nice surprise. I bleached my hair. There will be no
slowing down this summer with several tours planned and I'm
helping out at some skate camps. I just recently started riding
for Ogio. They are a great company with Bob Burnquist leading the
tribe. I'm hoping to cross paths with him in July. I'm looking
forward to going to Kentucky next month for Mike V's Man Vs.
Skatepark tour. I've been in contact with him and he will be
filming for his next video. Check the tour dates for times and
locations. The PBS guys from LA are coming to film me for their
skate show in Adrian Michigan on June 11th. Gravity Games will be
in San Diego this year so I'm headed back west. Till we meet
again. Peace, Doug B
::March 17th 2005
I'm still on the road, plane to plane. Today I flew to
Arizona then went to Fort Bliss in El Paso Texas. I was greeted
by a protocol officer and was sped off directly to the military
base. I received a private tour of the post then went to my hotel
room. I must say this has been a learning experience indeed.
3/18/05 Whew, today rocked. Oh my goddness it was jammed. I woke
up and met officer Ron outside the lobby. From there we flew over
to the youth center. Right away early morning I was rushed out to
the metal half pipe with tons of jazzed kids surounding the ramp.
I thought I was just going to talk, I had had no idea they had
this super sweet park. So there I was lack of food and sleep but
happy to bust some moves. The kids ate it up, they were really
really energetic and it helped me skate big time. After the demo
I was followed into the gymnasium. I performed my lecture on life
and skating and answered some entertaining questions. Then on to
signing some posters as always. From there my ride escorted me to
the Biggs skatepark grand opening. I was greeted by Sergeant
Major William Pope. The crowd was large and was ready to see me
skate. After the ribbon cuitting the sergeant gave me a warm
welcome and I was ready to skate. The music started and I was out
on the course. Lots of positive reactions and the crowd was very
receptive. After the demo the officers were so kind to give me
some gifts including a special military coin for my visit. I was
very moved and touched by how well they treated me. It was an
honor being here and very educational. After a couple of hours of
skating and poster signing I was takin back to the youth center
for another demo. This round it was older kids and they were
stoked on my moves. After signing posters and grabbing some pizza
I was sent to the military teen center for another appearance.
Special thanks to teacher Rita for her company and ride back to
my hotel. Tomorrow I'm off to Arizona then Ohio for a few days.
I'll be skating with Mike V at Ollies in Kentucky this May so
check the tour dates. Other than that I'm ready for bed. This
weekend was amazing. Thanks to everyone at Fort Bliss. Regards,
Doug Brown
:::March 11th 2005
I'm writing from a beautiful suite in Newport Kentucky.
Today started with a four hour drive to Highlands Middle School.
I was invited to do my Got Air Program. The bleachers were filled
and I was on the gym floor with a table and my skateboard. When I
do these events I always get flashbacks of being back in school,
I don't miss it. The kids were super respectful and had some
great questions. I event got to bust out and skate around the
gym. I felt like Shamoo. I would perform a stunt and the crowd
would cheer. My one foot manual around the gym was the highlight.
In a couple hours I'm headed to Ollie's skatepark for a demo.
Alright, I'm back from the Ollie's demo and the vibe and the park
were crazy cool. The flow was much like the Orlando Vans I skated
a few weeks back. At the end I did a product toss from the top of
the vert ramp. My last item to throw was a deck, I saw bloody
noses, scrapes, and a kid even broke his thumb. I wouldn't of
jumped in this mosh pit that's for sure. The owner was a 41 year
old shredder, he had a great attitude and hosted an awesome time.
When in Kentucky, go to Ollies! I'll be back there with Mike V in
May. On the news front the X-Air deodorant is now available in
stores nationwide and over seas. Yocaher has just finished my
next pro deck, The Doug Brown Alien. I
just got Ogio as a sponsor last week so I'm stoked to be on board
with them. Look for me in Skateboarder Magazine and Transworld
for the new Negative 1 adds. Next I'm flying to Texas to do a
skatepark grand opening demo at a military base. The crowd is
anticipated to be over 700 people, this should be a lot of fun.
Night all - Doug Brown
:::February 17th 2005
Here I am, palm trees and airplanes again. I was home
for a few days then shot out to Atlanta and now today I'm in
Florida. The Play it Again Sports convention starts tomorrow and
I'm here a day early. I've been here a few hours and already I've
got some rays and had a swim. I'm headed to make an appearance at
the Orlando Skatepark. Afterwards I'm meeting my board sponsor
Yocaher for dinner. Taxis are a rip off here. From the airport to
the hotel cost me 40 bucks. (Friday Feb.18th) This is unreal,
Orlando has been good to me. This morning started with a wake up
from Bobby of Yocaher. We sped to the convention center. Right
away the meet and greet begin with all the Play it Again
distributors. I was shocked how many of these shops across the
world were selling the bunny deck. I spent the day signing
posters at the Yocaher tent for all the shop reps. It was crazy
cool to meet so many people within the skate industry all in one
building. By five I was scheduled to be at Vans for a demo. I've
done stuff at other Vans parks but I've been looking forward to
this one for months. (Later that night) I've skated everywhere,
and I mean everywhere. Orlando Vans has the best vibe and best
variety of skaters. Everyone was open to all types of skating and
styles. I was stunned at the welcome I got, the crowd was digging
my moves. I just do what I do. Sometimes I'm off and sometimes
I'm on. Well tonight I was on. I couldn't believe the variety in
this park. Cement, street, bowls, vert, banks, indoor, and
outdoor. Afer going through a hundred posters the park had closed
and I was glad to be all in one piece. Special shot out to Mike
and the boys for the ride back to my hotel. (Sat. Feb 19th) Today
started with Denny's then day 2 of the convention. In the middle
of the day I got to skate some street and do some photos. I had
to leave early so I grabbed a taxi and went right to the airport.
I had a flight to Atlanta in a private jet, let me tell you it
was pimp all the way. I'm fried and I'm going to sleep. Thanks
for visiting my site. You guys are great and I appreciate your
support. Talk to you soon, Doug B
:::January 15th 2005
Wow what a day. Got some new sponsors under my belt. ASR
was a crazy success. I skated the pro demo with a handfull of
guys. Eric Dresson was a hero of mine growing up and skating the
demo with him was quite a moment. I spent some time with some of
the Z-Boys. I had a nice chat with Peggy Oki, she was super cool
and still skates at 47. Had a chance run in with Travis of Blink
182, scored a snap shot. I finally got to meet Lance Mountain.
Powell Peralta had a museum room so the Powell family were in
house. I got to film TV spots with X Planet and X-Corps TV. I got
caught up with Svitak who was with Omar Hasson. Kris is also a
Cleveland native so its always good to cross paths. Today has
been very social. I've been to hundreds of events but never one
that housed this many riders. Special thanks to Bobby, Anthony
and Jeff for all their support. I'm headed to Florida next for
the Play it Again Sports convention. A few of my sponsors will be
there so it should be a blast. I saw Ray Underhill, he remembered
me from North Carolina and we talked a bit. I'm glad I got to
skate more today than yesterday. These demos have been so much
fun. Like yesterday I'm fried so night world. Always, Doug B
:::January 14th 2005
The time is 10:36 pm and I'm in San Diego California.
Today was insane. 7 hours of plane rides, no sleep, no food and a
demo to perform at 10am. ASR was freakin awesome. Yocaher has a
nice tent and its right by the Z-Boys tent beside the ramp. My
bunny board had a spotilght on it in the tent and it was like
seeing my child on stage, I was proud. I was stoked to see all
the Z-Boy legends right beside us. I spent most of the day
skating the knarly 16 foot ramp with some of the top pros of
today and yesterday. Skating with Blockhead's Jim Grey was indeed
a highlight. There was no time to warm up. Dropping in the snake
session was nerve racking at first. Things picked up and the flow
improved. I was relaxed and at home on the transition. On the
last demo I dropped in on the extention and flipped the board
with my feet while jumping on top of the fence. Jumping off the
fence I again finger flipped the board and continued up the wall.
The MC announced my name and said it was a great way to end the
demo. Hearing the crowd I was buzzing off my ass. Super stoked.
After having meetings with new potential sponsors and talking
with other skaters the Yocaher crew treated me to dinner. Talking
the skate biz and life was an enjoyable night out. I wanted to
thank Mike V for his email of encouragement. The guy has been a
big support. I'm going through a lot right now and its
appreciated. The view from my window is breath taking. It's truly
magic being here. I live for skateboarding. Lights out I have to
be up at 7am. Peace. Doug
:::January 1st 2005
It's 5:30 am and I just got back from the 180 Skatepark
New Year's demo. I'm in my hotel room recovering from 9 hours of
non-stop skating tonight. The session was great only I tweaked my
palm and had a slight sprain to my thumb. All and all it was the
best way to bring in 2005. I've never had so many kids ask who
I've met, where I've skated and the almighty "can you do
this or that" questions. I was grateful to be riding my
board at midnight. Last year I also had a demo on New Year's and
I'll never forget what was going through my head. I had thought
things were at an all time high. I had no idea what would fall in
my lap in 2004. This past year I've skated more parks, done more
demos and traveled the world. It's getting hard to recap
everything. Every week has been a new adventure or story. I'm
very thankful and I'm putting my heart into my skating. I'm
talking with skaters, offering support and sharing the positive
sides of skating. I hope to see more creative skaters in the
future. The sport doesn't need copy cats or robots. Speaking of
the future, looks like my summer will be spent touring the nation
with my sponsors this summer. I have some new sponsors in the
works. Props to my buddy Quim Cardona, he's blowing up. Check out
his interview in Skateboarder Mag. I'm off next week to Tampa for
the Volcom pro ramp conest. From there I'm going back to San
Diego. I'm stoked to go to an art show seeing Neil Blender, Lance
Mountain and Steve Olson. I'll also be at the ASR Convention in
San Diego with Yocaher. In closing this posting I want everyone
to know I'm not skating for the money but for the fun, the
people, the adventure and most of all the love of the sport.
Happy New Year, Regards, Doug Brown
:::November 14th 2004
I can't even begin to add up the miles I've traveled the
past few days. It's been five parks in three days. Yesterday I
had a crazy demo. I stayed at a Travel Lodge which was a nice
change from the normal hotel my sponsors usually book me in.
After checking in I headed to find the park. As I drove up I saw
the big 180 sign and a sea of kids waiting my arrival. Even after
countless hours on the road once I saw the crowd I was stoked and
ready to skate. The kids were super cool and did their homework
of me. I couldn't believe how much these kids knew about me. The
park was great to me and had lots of my press shots and magazine
photos on the door. Trust me, i've skated parks with mixed vibes
and it was a blessing to have such a warm reception. So making my
way down the long freshly painted walkway I saw the new park. To
my right I saw their pro shop which had my bunny board in stock,
always a buzz. It was small park and flowed very well. I did a
quick interview with the media. Holy cow these kids were hungry
for autographs. I had trouble doing my first interview with
boards in my face. I was more than flattered and sped up the huge
wall. I wanted my appearance to be more of a jam session than me
just doing a demo. I encouraged the kids to come out and we all
had a blast. When there's a big crowd my wings spread and I seem
to be able to get a few extra feet of air. My personal highlight
was my foot plant from the big quarter to the wall then back
trick. I skated for 5 hours and went back to my room for some
well deserved Dominoes. I knew the park had an all night lock in,
since I couldn't sleep I left around midnight to hit the super
Walmart. I stopped by the park, loaded my arms with hats and
T-shirts and had a late night product toss. Today I had to leave
my hotel at 11am, I did Waffle House, then off on the highway. I
was two hours into my journey and decided to make a visit to a
park I did a demo at last June. I had a couple hours to kill so
why not. The town was Cardington. This park was outdoor so I
didn't know if anyone would be there with the cold weather. Sure
enough there were a load of dudes shredding the place. The second
I got out of my car I heard the call "Doug Brown"
So they knew me and it seemed I left a good impression with them
from my early summer demo. It amazes me that know matter where I
go I get the same questions. If you ask me a question forgive me
if it sounds scripted, I try not to slide into interview mode. I
just wanna skate guys! But that was a fun day revisiting that
park. Whenever I travel I try to hit all parks on route to a
demo. Stay tuned to ramps.com for some new photos, posters and
Thrasher adds. I'm looking forward to heading west to the warm
weather next month. Stay tuned and skate on - Peace, Doug
Brown
:::November 6th 2004
Here I am, on the road again. I'm doing so many parks
and events I'm starting to forget where I've been. Tonight I just
left the Adrian skatepark in Michigan. I did another photo shoot
with one of my big sponsors. They had some nice gear and a crane
for air shots. The shoot itself actually took 3 to 4 hours. I
like the park so much I decided to stay and skate till dark. This
place had a sweet pipe with perfect transitions. More than
anything I will remember the people at this session. No bad vibes
and everyone was very social and friendly, believe me its a great
feeling. Some parks skaters just stand around and no one cheers
one another on. In fact some demos back I saw a kid skating a
mini ramp without legs. The dude was shredding and doing 50-50s
on the coping. After his run no one said anything at all. So heck
I shouted, "come on guys, that was a sick run" I shook
the dudes hand and the other guys cheered. So anyway I like parks
where the skaters get into it. I've skated sessions where the
bikers and bladers are cheering me on while the trendy wanna-be
just stands there stumped. I always give a hand to bikers or
anyone else who's riding with their soul. So where to next... I'm
heading toward Dayton to make an appearance at 180 Skatepark.
It's a street park without a half pipe but I'll make the best of
it. I should mention about the Pickerington demo, I know the
skaters were bummed it was raining but you guys kept the spirit
high. I will be back this spring! I headed to The Flow skatepark
later that day since I was in town. That park is freaking rad! I
met some kids that just flat out shredded big time. Watch out for
Kyle Decot, damn that dude rips. Thanks Justin for the photo
shoot. While in airports I've been doing a lot of writing, look
for my webbook From New School to Old School to
be on the site within the next couple months. Looks like the
first of the year I should be on the X-Air deodorant labels, that
will definitely be something I never expected. Kids keep telling
me I was in Transworld a couple months back. I never get to see
my press so if you have a copy send one my way, thanks. Also keep
checkin Ramps.com for some cool photos. Thanks for reading, till
next time - Doug B
:::October 27th 2004
This morning I woke up in a cold room at 7am, I drove my
tour van 4 and a half hours to my photo shoot. Upon arriving I
saw these 2 huge ramps glowing in the sun waiting to be skated. I
went to the plant of one of my sponsors to have a photo shoot. It
went well but the parking lot was slanted and had lots of cracks
so getting speed was an issue. But after a few hours and some
lunch we got plenty of shots. The highlight for me was my method
air over the gap. It was crazy high but I had to go the extra
mile for the money shot. I got a quick tour of the plant to see
where the magic took place. Since I was in route back for some
demos this weekend the guys pointed me in the direction to a
nearby skatepark, Wauseon skatepark. It was small but the place
was loaded with skaters. I heard a few "Doug Brown"
from the kids accompanying smiles so that was good. It
felt like I met the whole town there, people were driving up to
say hi. Lots of good vibes and someday I might make it back. The
sun started to drop so I had to split and get back on the road.
This driving can be a pain, I always try to fly if the journey is
over 8 hours. The Fuel channel is still airing the Get HookT Up
Tour so you'll see me on that. I'll be fliming some more while on
the road for my dvd out the first of the year. My footage from
the Sushi Wheels video might make it in an upcoming 411 video,
i'm crossing my fingers. Anyway it was an awesome day, days like
today make me feel lucky as hell and I'm having a blast - see ya
soon, Doug B
:::October 25th 2004
Here I am, once again. This month has been loaded with
demos and tons of sessions. It's been so great just to skate
normal sessions without crowds or judges. Some highlights from
last week included the Woodville stop. I hadn't been there in
ages and the difference in the response from the kids was
amazing. Seems a lot more people know who I am now, sometimes
this is good and sometimes it sucks. But these kids were stoked
and I had one of the best sessions I've had in some time. Later
that night I got to stay in a great hotel and enjoyed the sauna
and the heated pool. Some new sponsors to announce, Booty Boards
from Canada, Ramps.com, and X-Air Deodorant. Oh yeah, check out
yocaher.com i'm on the front page. This Tuesday I fly out to have
a photo session with Ramps.com. I've teamed up with D.A.R.E. and
I'm going to be touring schools and libraries with their Get Air
program this fall. This is a fun venture and I feel blessed to
have the opportunity to be involved in this. I'll have more to
report soon, I'm headed west next. Later - Doug B
:::September 30th - October 2nd 2004
Here I am in Las Vegas. This morning started with a wake
up call at 3:45am. I headed to the airport and had a 7am flight
straight to Vegas. I arrived and got hooked up with a great suite
with a spa. I'm glad to be resting up because the next few days
will be 7 hours of skating a day performing demos. I have no idea
what to expect, I only know it's at a huge expo center and there
will be ramps to skate. Ok, it's now 7:30 pm Cali time and it's
been a long day. I got to check out the expo center and I helped
set up the ramps to my liking. I was surprised to see they had
big promo posters of me in the walkways of the center. My eyes
are wide open and Vegas is a live reality show indeed. I'm
feeling messed up from the time zone change and my first demo is
at 10am tomorrow, lights out for me. I can't sleep, I'm looking
out of my window and I got to thinking. I really need to be more
honest in this journal, for my sake and the reader. I guess
tonight I'm feeling sentimental about my career and life. It's
times like this I realize how much skateboarding means to me. I'm
thousands of miles from home in a hotel room with my board beside
me. I think people assume my life is just doing demos . This can
get very lonely and draining. You get very tired of people always
judging your skating. I just wanna go out and ride and have fun.
The sight from this window is incredible. Without skating I
wouldn't be viewing this. I'm thankful for my board tonight. So
skaters kiss your board because there's no limit to where your
wheels can take you. (Oct.1st) It's now the end of day two. Today
was jammed. I skated non-stop for seven hours. I felt a bit like
a dog jumping through hoops in a circus ring. I was performing
all day by myself to crowds of people. My sponsor only had a cd
with 6 songs so I was stuck skating to the same six songs over
and over. After the show I got back to my hotel and geared up to
brave the Vegas strip. Seeing the sights as the sun was going
down was breath taking. I never walked so much in my life, my
feet are killing me! Keep in mind I skated 7 hours non-stop
before walking 6 miles. You might of heard food was cheap here,
wrong! A turkey sandwich and a pop cost 11 bucks! Tomorrow after
the demo I'm headed to a park called Skate City. I'm off to bed,
Peace. (Oct.2nd) It's late friday night and each day has topped
the day before. I've now skated 14 hours in two days. Today's
highlight was meeting Arlo Eisenberg. He was a great skater from
the early 90s. I got a snapshot and we talked for a few. After
the day's work I took a taxi to the House of Blues and saw
Roseanne Barr perform. Yes I'm a fan and own all 9 seasons on
tape. I met her agent and he hooked me up with Roseanne's
autograph. Tomorrow I'm performing till 2pm then off to Arizona
and then back to Cleveland. Vegas was truly a highlight in my
travels, I hope to get back soon. See ya, Doug Brown
:::September 20th 2004
I survived Gravity Games. It was one of the craziest
weeks of my life and career. Each day I did demos and signed
posters. Today was the most hectic day of all. I started signing
posters from 10 to 2:30 at te SoBe booth. Then I drove to my
hometown to make an appearance at their skatepark's grand opening
at 3. It was wild to see all the skaters and people from my home
town. I could only stay an hour and I didn't even get a chance to
skate. I really wanted to! I just had to be back up at the
G.Games at 6pm. So I drove all the way back up to Cleveland and
finished the night off. There were some serious highs and
sentimental moments. I met some very special kids. Special thanks
to Johnny, Trudy and Bill for all your help at Gravity. I got 2
new sponsors from the event I will be announcing within a couple
weeks. Tomorrow morning I leave on tour at 8am to head to
Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia then off to Las Vegas.
Thanks to everyone at the demos and signings, it meant the world
to me to have you there, Truly - Doug Brown
:::September 17th 2004
Where do I begin? I've made it through the 2nd day of
the Gravity Games and already my feet are blistered and my body
is getting a beating. Both yesterday and today were filled with
signing posters and skating demos. The vibe is very cool and
things are way different this year than last. It was a treat to
be able to eat in the V.I.P. room, let me tell you its all first
class. I've met people all over the globe from England to
Australia. Weather has been good except a small storm earlier
today. Of course yesterday in my first two minutes of skating I
go for a finger flip over a huge gap and tweak my middle finger
back so it's feeling sore. Before I left tonight I had a group of
kids approach me at the exit asking for some posters. I hooked
them up and gave them all T-shirts. Afterwards they started to
skate some curbs and this one kid asks me if I would join them in
a session. So I grabbed my bunny, did some street plants, a few
360 bonlesses, and a some other moves. These kids were buzzed and
it was a good moment for me. The weekend is coming up so plenty
of more stories ahead. Night people - Doug Brown
:::September 14th 2004
Whew, it's 2am and it's the night before the Gravity
Games. Today I got up at 8am to be at the Burke Lakefront Airport
to participate in a seminar about skateparks. It was an honor to
be involved in the event and I got to get into the Gravity Games
a day early to scope things out. I skated for a group of 50 parks
and rec people at the RocknRoll Hall of Fame looking to get
skateparks in their community. After the demo I had a chance to
do some photos with the press then a meet and greet with the rec
people. At the airport everyone caught a glimpse of Laura Bush as
she made her way from Air Force One. Upon exit I headed downtown
to the Hyatt with one of my sponsors and we got all the Gravity
Games passes and such. So I'm ready and super stoked for the long
week ahead. I'm looking forward to meeting up with the SoBe team
manager. I should mention the Fuel channel started airing the Get
Hook-T Up Tour so you can see me skating and running around doing
MC. It's on weekly now so check your local listings. I'm buzzed
to be in TV land and I appreciate all the emails letting me know
what stations I'm on, thanks! So much happening, the Joe's
Skatepark tour was a blast, thanks to all who showed up at the
parks. The last day of the G.Games I'm headed to my home town to
make an appearance at their skatepark's grand opening. The day
after that I'm headed on an east coast tour for 4 days. Then that
weeked I'm headed to Las Vegas for four days to do some demos
with my new sponsor. I'm off to bed, thanks for stopping by my
site and seeing what's up, hope to see you at the Gravity Games,
Truly, Doug B
:::August 29th 2004
A Michigan skate weekend, I made an appearance at Vans
in Novi Michigan. I had a good session, thanks Johnny Whitehead
for joinin me. I got a hotel, woke up and headed to Dearborn
Michigan to a park called Transitions. It was a great day, met a
lot of skaters, signed a load of posters, I even ran into a
couple kids skating my deck. So all and all it was a great time.
The crowd and the owners gave me a nice reception. By 7 I headed
on the road and onto my next destination. This September is gonna
be a huge month for me. Starting on the 4th I'm headed on a tour
with a team. Mid September is Gravity Games week. Then off to a
west coast tour, then out to Las Vegas. I have a few big
sponsorships I can't wait to tell you guys about. Look for me on
the Get Hook-T up Tour on the Fuel Channel, they will be playing
the shows throughout the fall. Summer is coming to a close and I
have to say this summer has really been the best of my life. The
parks, the people, the sessions, the travel. It's been so unreal
and I'm living my dream. Thanks to everyone who came to all the
events, see you soon - Doug Brown
:::August 19th 2004
Just got home from being filmed by Fuel Channel,
Time-Warner and Fox Sports. Tonight was a blast, I've been
traveling all day like always. Upon showing up to the event I
overheard the Fuel Channel directors saying "ok Doug Brown
will be doing the commentary" So sure enough I knew I would
be involved in the event but had no idea I would be the MC.
Things went smoothly and I enjoyed running around and getting the
crowd amped. I did make some time to get some skating in and I
got some shots on the half pipe. A nice bonus to the day was
skating with X-Games Caine Gayle for the 2nd time. We had a
chance to talk about skating and the biz. Check your local times
for show listings. After the night came to a close I headed to a
nice cement park. The kids were stoked I was there and I got to
meet some cool people. This summer has been unreal and the demos
keep rollin on. Negative One will be sending out my new posters
within a week or so. I will be at this years Gravity Games in
Cleveland. Thanks to everyone who came out to the Get Hook-T Up
Tour today, Doug B
:::August 3rd 2004
Gravity House demo, I spent the day on the road, got
some pizza then pulled up into the lot of the park. I heard a few
"there he is" and my van was swarmed with kids. I knew
right off the bat this was gonna be a wild demo as these kids
were stoked I was there to skate with them. I made my why into
the building holding loads of goodies to give out. For a Monday
evening there were so many people and the place was jammed. I
never really had trouble padding up but at this demo I actually
had to go under a table to get space to gear up. I went ahead and
signed some decks and helmets and made my way through the crowd
to the ramps. I was intstantly under the microscope and started
skating. My personal highlight was the death drop fingerflip from
the top of the fence. I wasn't sure what I was thinking but I
landed it first try and the crowd went crazy, I was buzzed and
had a sea of high fives. The product toss was hungrier than most
demos I've done, these people were out for some product! After
signing posters I had a heated session on the pipe and the night
came to a close. I had to post something today becuase the last
few demos were so surreal and intense for me. Seeing kids skating
my bunny board and following my career is a blessing. I
appreciate all the support. Next I'm off to New Jersey then Cali.
See you soon, Doug B
:::July 30th 2004
I had to drop a line tonight, I just got home from the
Cardington skate demo. Today was a highlight because my family
traveled to see me skate. It was great to see my nephew and I
even got him to skate my board. These demos lately have been
amazing. I keep traveling non-stop going from state to state,
demo after demo. I can't complain because I'm having the time of
my life and I'm meeting so many great skaters. A few days ago I
did a demo with 98.1 WKDD and I got to do an on air interview. I
spent last week in Michigan doing some demos at Vans and the
Concrete Jungle. The vibe there was great and the skaters were
stoked. I had a photo session on the way home at a park in Toledo
for my upcoming posters. Tomorrow i'm headed to a demo with the
Teen Extreme program so I'm crossing my fingers for good weather.
In August I will be filiming with Fuel TV on their Get Hook-T Up
Tour with pro biker Jake Finley. So much ahead for the month so
check the tour dates for special events. Be sure to check out my
newest sponsor Ritalin Bearings, they rock! I'm hoping to skate
with Mike V early August. Thats all for now, thanks to everyone
at all the events and especially everyone today at the Cradington
demo, it was a blast! Peace out - Doug Brown
:::July 10th 2004
Mexico, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toledo,
Cleveland and Youngstown. The past couple of weeks have been
amazing. I skated 4 parks just today, the Youngstown demo was a
blast. The ramps that were shipped in were a little small but I
made the best out of it and the crowd seemed to appreciate my
stunts. I met one skater today that had the worst deck i've seen
in years, this kid was skating this thing to the fullest. After
telling him all morning he needs a new deck I gave him one of
mine for free five seconds before I left. The look on his face
was priceless. I couldn't believe how many kids showed up, it was
a great day and I'm happy to be spending the night on my own bed
as for weeks I've been in hotel after hotel. Some highlights...
the Rock&Roll hall of fame demo was great and I got filmed
and interviewed on Fox sports. July 4th was fun doing a demo then
skating some cement with my Negative One teamate Kristian Svitak
then off to another park then fireworks. Look for my bunny board
in CCS in the near future. I've already ran into my bunny board
in many states so I'm very jazzed its getting out. The
distributor has been sending them as far as New Zealand. Lots of
tour dates, my calander is jammed and I can't believe how much
I've been traveling. There has been a lot of pressure but I'm
keeping my head on straight and I'm simply skating for fun. I
have the next two days off before I'm on the road again so I plan
on doing some solo street skating and some home stuff. Till we
meet again, DB
:::June 21 2004
More airports and traveling... Friday I skated the Alive
festival all day, good jam with lots of people and ended around
9pm with a huge rain storm. Got up 6am and flew a Continenal
Express plane to Atlanta Georgia. I arrived at about 11:30 with a
demo planned in thirty minutes. My pal Mike Deluca of Progressive
Skatepark picked me up in his phat ride and we sped to the event.
As we drove up I saw my name in lights on the big sign and got
jazzed. Opening the doors to the park I saw a sea of kids that
were ready to skate. This park was by far one of the sweetest
parks I've skated in years. The kids were super cool with me and
I spent nearly an hour signing decks and posters. I can't tell
you how much I liked this park and demo, it stuck out as one of
the best indeed. After skating nearly 10 hours it was off to
lodge with Mike and his family. Let me tell you, this guy is to
cool for words. His whole family skates and him and his wife have
been skating since the early sixties. So Mike's son Blaine and I
ate some cold pizza then walked about 20 feet to his amazing
outdoor vert ramp. By this time it was 11pm but after the lights
were turned on I just had to skate this beast. The ramp was super
fast and we had a great session. Finally got a few hours of sleep
then it was off to yet another demo in the morning. Woke up, got
out of bed, went to get some fuel, picked up a doughnut and some
free SoBe (wink). So 70 miles later we pulled up to the Factory
skatepark. Entering the building I saw a wall of boards, my eyes
glance to the left and there I was. I can't lie, it was a buzz to
see the bunny in a store. That puppy is making its way across the
globe slowly but surely. This demo was a hot and sweaty one. It
really reminded me of a park I use to skate in the mid 80s. After
three t-shirt changes it was rollin around 3 and my plane was
leaving in an hour. I missed my check in time and was on stand by
for my flight out, thank god I made it and was set for my next
destination. I had some of the best demos I've done in years in
Atlanta. The vibe down south is a vast improvement on the Ohio
scene. In my recent travels I see a more excepting audience, non
competitive skaters, larger age range of skaters. People weren't
counting stairs and they were open to creativity, progression and
individualism. Many skate events planned for the next few weeks
so stay tuned. Thanks to everyone for your support at Progressive
skatepark. A very warm thanks to Mike, Blaine, Britt and Briana
for their hospitality. Peace, Doug Brown
:::June 12th 2004
Whew, I'm home from a long skate trip in Mexico and a
short stay in Houston. I'm so glad to be back in the USA. The
trip was fun but the skate spots were limited in Cancun. Flying
took two days on the way back but I got a snap shot with Randy
from the Real World Mtv. Believe me after being in the airport
for as long as I was, I was up for any entertainment. A lot of
the kids I skated for in Cancun were amazed at any little thing.
One fingerflip and the kids eyes lit up. I got sunburnt the first
day cause I spent too much time in the ocean. Most of the skaters
I met were all from England. I will only be home for a few days
so I'm gonna check out some favorite spots of mine here then its
off to Georgia for two demos. I'm having a blast but its hard to
find time to relax. The summer has just begun and I have a
crammed calander. With my signature deck in stores worldwide its
hard to complain. I'm having a blast and I appreciate everyone at
all the events. See you soon - Doug B
:::May 29th 2004
I just got the call from the X-Games people yesterday
about being the demo skater for all their parks in the usa. I'm
so stoked to travel and work with the X-Games people. It's
Saturday night and I just finishing skating 3 parks. I'm in Ohio
to make a personal appearance at Big Happys. The morning started
slow and I got lost trying to find this place at 10am. Finally I
found the spot and there were a couple hundred kids shredding the
park. It was a cool comp using the game "skate" as the
premise which was cool. Did a demo, some product tosses, signed
some posters and took off around 3pm. The owners were really nice
and I had a great time. Then since I was in Ohio I went to
Svitak's hometown and spent an hour at the Garfield Heights park.
It was fun despite the fifty kids that told me I looked like Tony
Hawk over and over. After there I was craving cement and jammed
North Olmstead. It was a good session and I was happy to see an
ol' Roller World buddy Dave Moon still killin it. This week was
special to me being back home and I got to speak at my old Jr.
High I went to. I hadn't been there in 17 years so it was big
time memory lane. I spoke to a couple hundred kids about my life,
skateboarding, saftey, and staying drug free. I signed a box of
posters then headed up to a great spot, Joes Skatepark for the
night. My calander is jammed, I'm heading to Cancun next week
then I come back and fly to Georgia to make an appearance at 2
parks www.progressiveskatepark.com. I'm super buzzed about
my board being out. For shops and people wanting to get it direct
call, 1-877-665-5660. I'm leaving Ohio tomorrow morning to skate
a couple parks in Michigan so I best be going. Thanks for jumpin
on my site, talk to you soon! Peace Out - Doug Brown
:::May 26th 2004
I'm letting out my joy that my pro model deck finally
came out in stores across the globe, it's called Doug Brown
Rabbit. Thanks to Yocaher for making the deck available.
Yesterday I did my first D.A.R.E. event for a group of graduating
students. It was a pleasure to make an appearance and to do a
speech on how turning to skating kept me clean. The kids were
stoked and I signed a load of posters. Another date had been
added to my Georgia visit which I'm happy about. This week I find
out if the X-Games skateparks will be using me as a demo skater
for all 5 parks in the USA. New T-shirts for Negative One should
be out later next week, these things are cool and have the whole
team listed with photos. I have a demo tomorrow and I'm headed
back on the road. Thanks for stoppin by - Doug B
:::May 23rd 2004
Today is Sunday and I'm back from my long skate weekend.
Saturday morning I arrived at the Clarion hotel and was treated
to a very nice suite to spend the night in. Took a quick nap and
shower then off to the Sandusky demo. I was stoked to see all the
kids at the event and everyone knew who I was. My sponsors have
done a great job contacting the press and letting the world know
who I am. It was cool seeing a huge picture of me on the front of
the sports page in the paper there. Boardz skateshop was very
generous and had my poster in their window on the main strip. So
upon arrival I sat in my chair and started signing posters right
off the bat. I later got to skate the park that had a sick egg
shell shape, the thing was huge and supposably there are only
three ramps like that in the world. Special shot out to Myron and
Lisa for everything they did for me. A good friend of mine died
in a car wreck a couple of days ago so I was skating for him all
through the day, special shot out to Twig. The people were so
nice to me and the vibe couldn't be better. I should mention SoBe
sponsored me and it has opened up so many doors. I will be flying
to Georgia in a couple of weeks to do some personal appearances
at Progressive skatepark www.progressiveskatepark.com and the
Factory skatepark. Tomorrow i'm headed to do a D.A.R.E. event
where I'll be talking about drinking and drugs. The calander is
slammed till August and I still can't believe all that has been
happening to me. I had a big involvement with the new Negative
One griptape called the Hybrid. You guys are gonna be amazed at
this break through new griptape. So much going on, I'm sun burnt
and ready for bed. Airplanes, hotel rooms and skateparks are now
my daily routines. Seven skateparks in seven days, met loads of
new people. What else can I say. Thanks for reading and all your
support - DB.
:::April 26th 2004
O my what a weekend!!! To begin Friday I went to the
Cleveland airport to meet with my bud Jim and the Yo's team. From
there we got on a sweet small jet that took us to Raleigh North
Carolina. Next we jumped to our rental van and had a two hour
drive to Wilmington where the Eastern Supply event took place.
After checking in at our phat hotel we shot out to a nice outdoor
park called Greenfield Grind. This place was saaweet. It was all
cement and a nice tropical breeze was in the air. To top it all
off I saw some dude ripping the bowl. I asked his name and he
told me Ray. After skating away I thought, "dude, is that
who I think it is?" So I went back and asked his last name.
Sure enough it was Ray Underhill, what a buzz, I was super stoked
to meet Ray. We talked for awhile about the Powell days and he
showed me appreciation for saying hi. Went to the hotel got maybe
two hours of sleep then woke up at 6am for the Eastern event.
Found the huge warehouse and got the v.i.p. in the event early
thanks to Negative One. I was so buzzed to see our table right
next to the stage and the halfpipe. After setting up our boothe
it was time to check out the pipe before the loads of people came
in. As the day rolled on I met tons of cool people and made loads
of great contacts in the industry. Meeting George Powell was a
big highlight! The whole day was spent skating the halfpipe then
running back to the boothe to sign posters. I was stoked that
many people around the world sold Negative One griptape. Thanks
to my pal Jim this all went smoothly. The bands were amazing and
the catered lunch rocked. I can't tell you enough how amazing
this day was for me. I even got sponsored by Unkown Souljah
Clothing on the spot. After the event it was back to the hotel
room for dinner and rest. Next morning got up at 6am, drove two
hours with bags almost falling off our van, headed to the airport
and off to Cleveland. As we arrived I was nervous to see rain as
I had a demo in an hour in Brooklyn. Got some lunch then headed
over to a huge crowd in the skatepark. It was windy with just a
mist in the air so the kids were skating regardless. I signed a
lot of posters and did some product tosses and I think the kids
were happy. It started to rain so I was unable to skate for the
grand opening of this park. I was so dissapointed that I couldn't
skate for the crowd, I wanted to sooo bad! I hope while i'm in
Cleveland again I will get back to skate there. Headed out for
some food went home and crashed. My body is sore today but I'm
happy to be in one piece. My calander is now jammed with events
and I'm greatful to be doing this job, I love it! Thanks for
reading, peace, Doug Brown
:::April 10th 2004
10 parks in 3 days. What else can I say? Thanks to all
the kids at the Area 57 park, without you I never would of done
that death drop from the top of that fence. Lots of great times
and footage - Thanks Dustin. So much goin on, next stop Raleigh
North Carolina. Till next time, DB
:::April 8th 2004
It's 3am and today was worth writing down. Today was the first
day of filming my part for my video and the Negative One video. I
headed out with my photographer to a park called 9th street in
North Canton, the park was iffy but the vibe was cool and we got
some sick street shots. I ran into my bud Heath and he told us
about some getto park I've never been to off some highway. So
away we went. The kids looked surprised to see someone new there,
I got the vibe the park was filled with regulars but a few kids
recognized me and made me feel at home. I caught myself bitching
about the park but quickly stopped when I realized for some of
these kids this was the only park they got to skate. Let me tell
you though these guys ripped up this little park like it was
Woodward West. We snagged some tight shots, I signed a load of my
new posters then off to good ol' Joes. When in Ohio I always make
an effort to get there. My pal Jack was sweeping the place and
keeping the park in tip top shape, I love this park. The footage
in the pool was the highlight. A few hours later and the sun
going down a dude mentioned another park 15 minutes away. We all
got in the tour van and sped away to the next location. This park
was in a tennis court and had a phat spine ramp. We did some rad
night shots in some parking lot with a night vision effect so I'm
looking forward to seeing that. Four parks in one day and a load
of footage I'm ready for bed. I'm headed to Vans this weekend to
do some more filming. So much going on, stay tuned! By the way,
special thanks to Dustin. Peace out skater dudes, Doug Brown
:::March
29th 2004
Hotels and skateparks, what else can I say? Things are going well
in camp Doug but the biz has its ups and downs. My board through
Yocaher is due out by the end of the week but the date keeps
getting bumped which has been a bump in the road but if there is
one thing I've learned from all my sponsors is that everything
takes LOTS of time. I have posters coming out this week through
Negative One that should be in skate shops and skateparks. The
past week I ended up going back to Vans Michigan where I skated
with X-games medalist Caine Gayle and got filmed for Fuel T.V.
Not sure when it will air but I definitely got filmed. I'm flying
to North Carolina in April for the Eastern Supply open house,
Tony Alva will be there, thats gonna be sick! I'll get to skate
and rep a couple of my big sponsors. Something else on the radar
is this years Gravity Games. I must say for the record I'm having
the most fun skating and meeting new people compared to the
business side of everything going on. There are lots of pressures
that go along with getting a pro title, and its not always easy.
I guess the past few weeks working with all these companies and
having lots of patience is wearing on me. I really just wanna
skate!!! Special thanks to Craig for a fun interview and Jim for
helpin me out. The next few months are very important to me so
I'm just gonna sit back and go along for the ride. I'm living my
dream and just taking it day by day, Peace - Doug B
:::March 13th 2004
Got up at 8am jumped in my tour van and drove 4 hours to
Detroit Vans Skatepark.I should mention I only got 2 hours of
sleep. Wow it's midnight now and i'm at a Red Roof Inn in
Michigan. I skated hard all day at the Vans park. This park had
it all and then some! A vert ramp, huge bowl, and the best street
course I ever skated. I was buzzed to see my name and my
involvement with Negative One Grip Tape had reached Michigan and
the kids knew who I was. A lot has happened in just the last
year. My old school bud Jim was there and that was nice so I
wasn't jamming solo. I met a 10 year old skater tonight that was
shredding with an old Vision Gator. He was unreal for his age and
his was tearing it up on the huge bowl. Some parks I show up at
the kids aren't sure what to think of me. This park was great and
welcomed me with open arms, the kids were very social and the
vibe was great. I'm off to sleep then back to the park at 10am
tomorrow, I'm living my dream. Peace out everyone - Doug B
:::March 12th 2004
I'm home from the Scrape contest and it was a cold one,
the place was freezing. But I did the MC stuff and had a good
time hangin with everyone. The product toss was my fav part
indeed. I never saw so many kids fight over T-shirts and hats.
The park has improved with new stuff. I also had fun doing some
juggling in the lobby with some dude. I'm off to bed cause I'm on
the road all weekend. Later skater, Doug B
:::February 7th 2004
It's 9am and I'm getting ready to leave yet another
hotel. Yesterday I hooked up with the D.A.R.E. people and I'll be
skating for them in some events for the near future. Looks like
I'll be skating for Negative One grip tape, I'm super stoked
about that one! Last night's session was one of the best sessions
I've had in years. Thanks to all the dudes for cheering me on to
do the fence transfer, it felt sick and I couldn't of done it
without you. Just as the lights shut off I rolled away in glee
and pulled the stunt off, a great way to end a night! It's now
late Saturday and I'm beat. After driving three hours to the ASA
demo I showed up in a freezing warehouse filled with some awesome
skaters. ACDC was blasting from the speakers and the event was
on. I enjoyed trading old school tricks for new school with the
guys. It was an amazing weekend, I met more people and signed
more stuff than ever. I'm off to bed and headed to another park
tomorrow. I'm hopin to get to Michigan next week. Thanks guys -
Peace, Doug B
:::January 24th 2004
I'm here Saturday morning in Erie Pennsylvania and it's
snowing out like crazy. This hotel is a big step up from the last
one I stayed at! Last night I skated Shebang skatepark and did a
ton of promo pictures on the vert ramp for Yocaher. Not sure what
to think of this park, I was yelled at for taking a camera bag
into the park?! The place was freezing for being indoors thats
for sure. But I got a good nights rest and I'm looking forward to
going back to Ohio finally. On the Yocaher front the board is
still being designed and they are looking at doing ads in
Transworld and Thrasher. If you are on the mailing list you will
be notified when it comes out. I just found out my hometown put a
board and photos up in their Applebees as a tribute which is way
to cool but strange. Be sure to check the tour page for the ASA
demo planned for February for my Ohio pals. Biz is good and its
been great skating with everyone at these parks, see you soon! Doug
Brown
:::January 11th 2004
Its Sunday night and I'm doing a review on my weekend. I
left early Friday morning to head out to Woodville skatepark to
do some demos and skate. Let me tell you guys, if you're ever
near Toledo go to this park! Its set up in an old JC Pennys in
the Woodville mall. I skated for 5 hours and met some really cool
people. The locals were shredding and I was amazed at the talent
pool at this place. After the skate I went and found a super
sketchy motel but it had a warm shower and cable so I was a happy
guy. Woke up to housekeeping, went to Bob Evens and ended up
going back to Woodville skatepark to join the first session. It
was darn cold but it was a great skate since I knew the park
better from the night before. For all that saw me jump off the
big wall I hope you appreciated it cause my hip is feeling it
still. I skated till 3pm then drove three hours to the Scrape
skatepark contest. The place was jammed and the kids seemed
really stoked to see me. I did the MC for the contest so I went
into my radio voice and had a few kids beside me to help with
some of these cutting edge trick names. The park was freezing but
I got to heat up and skate a few hours, signed some press photos
then off to home sweet home. All and all it was a great skate
weekend and I hope to skate with you all soon. - Doug Brown
:::January 1st 2004
I just got home from my New Year's skate road trip. The
all night skate demo in Austintown was great. The kids were cool
and the session was heated all night. It felt a little strange
jamming at 3am but other than that I managed to stay in one
piece. Doing a year in review I can't believe everything thats
happened. Meeting so many of my heroes, doing television, skating
the Gravity Games, doing comps, new sponsorships and more. So
this past year has meant so much to me I can't even begin to
explain. Special thanks to all the skaters and skatepark owners
for all your support. I hope to see and skate with you all in
this 2004. I'm off to catch up on some sleep, peace - Doug
Brown
:::December 16th 2003
Home from the Sushi demo in Cleveland. What a great
night and great skate. The guys from Grime Skateboards and Sushi
Wheels were way cool and had plenty of sick moves. I'm a bit beat
up from my death drop from the top of the fence, hope you guys
appreciated it! I'm happy to announce that this coming February
Yocaher will be putting out my official pro model. I'm super
buzzed about the footage Sushi filmed tonight. I'll be in their
new video coming early 2004. Lots of demos planned before
christmas so check the tour page often. Special shot out to
fellow pro skaters Quim Cardona, Rob Owens, Rob Campbell &
everyone else for a great demo tonight. Peace out! Doug Brown
:::November 28th 2003
Wow what a demo and what a day. It's about 12am and I'm
writing this in a hotel room in Toledo. Woodville was a great
skatepark and the kids were great. I've skated almost 30 parks
the past few months and this one is by far one of my favs. I'm
planning on heading here again later next month along with a
couple other parks in Michigan. The tour page will be updated
soon with many new stops. The Out and About tv show
filming went well but everything was one take. So with the crowd
and the camera crew I managed to stay on my board as they filmed
my one run on the pipe. The show will air Sat 11/29 and Sun 11/30
from 5:00pm to 6:00pm on Clear Picture Channel 21 and Massillon
Cable TV Channel 22. Thanks for all the emails about the Yocaher
deck. It looks like this is in the works and I'll have more info
the first of the year. Next week I'm to do a live interview on
WSTR T.V. and the time and cable listings will be sent out to
those on the mailing list. Now skating, I have a bag of new
tricks I been working on. For those who know me I'd say 90% of my
stunts don't have names. But the couple I've been mastering
involve a fingerflip and a varial on vert. I've been landing some
new vert tricks I've been dreaming of doing for years lately. My
"street" fans will be happy that I did some phat rails
in a photo sessions for the pic page and the Yocaher calander.
I'm off to sleep, Thanks a million for stopping by the site.
Keepa skatin, Doug Brown.
:::November 24th 2003
Welcome to my little corner of the world known as
dougbrownskate.com This is a new section of the site to let
everyone know what I'm up to. First off thanks for jumping on the
site and checking us out. I can't begin to thank all of you for
all your support at the demos and contests. This summer was
amazing, I had no idea of all the great events and memories that
would take place. So what's going on with me? I skated 7 parks
this weekend and I got filmed for a TV show called Out and
About Friday. I'm doing some photos this coming week to
appear in Yocaher's 2004 calander. I jumped on the Skate4Cancer
demo team with the American Cancer Society, so check the tour
page for upcoming demos. Even more rewarding will be my future
involvement with the Make-A-Wish Foundation helping kids with
life threatening medical conditions. This winter there will be no
slowing down as I'm planning lots of demos across the states.
Thanks again for checking out the site and keep skating, Doug
Brown