Febrary 27th, 2010 Book for Sale and Skate Straight Events
Welcome everyone to 2010. The past couple of months have been busy with projects related to my book release. The book will be in national book stores like Borders and Barnes and Nobel on April 21st but you can order and own the book now by visiting here on this site in the online shop or direct at www.beyondtheboard.net Writing this book has been quite the experience. Working with the publisher, editor, layout, and more. I'll be flying to New Jersey next month for a Skate Straight event and if you are in Ohio be sure to check us out in the city of Willard on Monday, March 5th. Click here for more info. I have a new board sponsor and a new pro model that will be available this March. Plenty of things ahead and I thank you all for being part of this fun journey! Doug

December 19, 2009 Merry Christmas, Beyond the Board Book Release
It's been a great year with lots of good things happening. My book Beyond the Board is set for release early spring in national book outlets. To view more about the release visit www.beyondtheboard.net It's been an amazing experience and has taken a bit longer to put together with the publisher but the wait is well worth it. I continue my efforts with my Skate Straight program and I've just released the Skate Straight tags available in the online shop. I just finished a Christmas video to cap off the year and have gone through some older footage of video journals that can be seen in the video section. Lots planned for 2010, stay tuned! Doug

October 25th, 2009 AGA Contest, Books 'N'More in Wilmington
It's just about midnight and I'm returning from a long productive weekend on the road. Yesterday I did my Skate Straight program at a bookstore in the city of Wilmington. This was a unique placed that housed a large deli, a bookstore, and a hangout for musicians to jam. The warm audience was very welcoming and aged in range from 5 to 55. This town had some major issues with their local police arresting kids for skateboarding so it was an issue I was sure to arise during my performance. One 15 year old skater was actually arrested weeks before for just walking with their board in front of the bookstore. The shop's owner Jen is heading the coalition and I was happy to assist in their efforts. Following doing autographs and meeting the locals we all marched down the street to the local skate shop called Reality Skates. The shop had a sweet mini ramp inside that we all shredded up the rest of the late afternoon. This tight knit skate community is what skateboarding is all about. They all had good vibes, eclectic styles, and had no shortage of soul skaters. Direct from skating it was on to the Holiday Inn a few miles out of town. The past couple months have been an array of skate events and notably my Skate Straight presentations at schools and libraries. No doubt my focus is on my program more than anything else I'm doing with my skating. I hosted an AGA event at Chenga skatepark with my Struggle team mate Johnny Whitehead which went well. Headed to Avon this friday for a demo and contest. I'm now a team rider for Goodlife wheels. Lots more to announce so stay tuned and check back! Thanks to Jen and everyone at Books'N'More and everyone for coming out to all the events. See you soon! Doug

August 26th, 2009
Its the end of August. This summer was just amazing. No shortages of events... contests, demos, hotel rooms, flights, appearances, camps, I survived. Just yesterday was the first stop of in-store signings at a Hot Topic in Summit Mall with the band High School Tragedy. It was a good way to celebrate the end of the summer with good friends like my Struggle team mate Johnny Whitehead, and the GS3 crew. I did more Skate Straight events than ever the past few months. That's been a huge bonus to my skate life, reaching so many people through my program. Check out the new site at www.skatestraight.org The Nucleus Special edition DVD is now available in the shop on this site, lots of new footy and bonus material. You can see me in the September issue of Thrasher Magazine in the Sneaux Shoe ad. I have some footage in the upcoming Concrete Wave's Evolutions DVD. Skate Straight ads will be on the back of Ollie Pop pouches on their next run. Be sure to check out the new Struggle Skateboards team poster Click here to view. My book deal is sealed and will be released soon, Click here for the promo page. The publisher is doing a lot of marketing and it should be well worth the wait. Again, this summer was a blast! Thanks to everyone who came to all the events, it was a summer to remember. Stay tuned, lots on the radar for this fall and 2010!! Doug

July 7th, 2009
It's 2:00am or so. Home from the demo in a small town called Wadsworth. The day began meeting the GS3 skate team in route to the demo. We looked like a skate train with six cars filled with skaters tail to tail on the windy drive. Stop one for us was a place called The Garage. We were invited to a cookout as a pre-party for the big event. It was a teen center with a parking lot filled with ramps and rails. Around the building housed a crazy half piped straight out of a backyard ramp in 1986, was sick. We downed chips, hot dogs, and pop then we all shot over to the skatepark at 6:30. Upon arrive I was pleased to see a huge crowd. Skateboarders, community members and on lookers. This was a grand opening event for the concrete park and everything was pristine. After the ribbon cutting the mic was handed over to me for my Skate Straight program. There local cable station was filming as the kids sat on the ramps during my presentation. After talking to the masses it was onto demo time. It was me with the talent of the GS3 skate team from my hometown. The kids were stoked the energy was great and it was overall a successful demo. A few hours went by along with a couple hundred signed posters. I might an effort to meet and greet with as many people as I could. This was a community that embraced their skateboarders, skatepark, and me and the team feel very welcoming. Lots of good feedback from parents in regards to my Skate Straight program. The sun began to set so we found our way back to The Garage spot to finish the night out. Was a perfect wind down to the demo. Hung out with locals and chilled with the skate team. Much thanks to Lou, Mike, Matt and crew, Christina, Joe, and everyone who came to the event. I'm back on the road Wednesday for a couple weeks. Summer 09 has been great so far, Till next time, Doug

June 28th,
My ears are still ringing from yesterday. 10 hours of non-stop skating mayhem, heaven. It was a demo set in the small town of Willard. These are what demos are all about. Grass roots skateboarding for kids who get what skating is about. We arrived late in Willard, a town in the middle of nowhere. Got booked in the hotel around 9:30ish. Could not find an open restaurant in site so we ended up at a random Country Inn for a BLT dinner. Woke up Saturday to a perfect sunny day set for a contest/demo. It didn't take long for people to fill up the fenced in area. My table was a swarm of kids wanting posters and anything free they could get their hands on. The owner of GS3 brought his crew to join in on the festivities. I did an interview with their local newspaper then on to host the comp. Skaters came from all over the state to compete, it was a diverse group of shredders. The rest of the day was non-stop skating and positive vibes throughout. By 10:30pm it was time to call it a day. Sun burnt and sore it was back in the van to a long drive home. Special thanks to Joe, Matt, and Brandon for all your help. Till next time! Doug

June 12-14, 2009
It's early afternoon. I'm miles above the sea flying in a Continental Express jet bound for Hartford Connecticut. So many events going on. Demos, contests, and I've been doing my Skate Straight program during the week. Skate Straight has really taken off and its been awesome speaking at camps and such. My book Skateboarder will be out hopefully this fall in book chains nationally. It's been an exciting time, the train is still moving forward. Being on the road like this is always a time to reflect. When I'm on the road its sometimes surreal. Today I'm heading to the ESPN Headquarters for Sports Center then tomorrow is a demo at a YMCA camp the straight to an in-store signing at the PIAS Skateshop. End of day one. It's now 11pm, I survived the day. ESPN went great, got a vip tour afterwards and meet lots of people. After ESPN it was on to a pizza shop called Wooster Pizza which was ironic cause my hometown is called Wooster. Loaded up on food, got back to the hotel, worked out, the lights out. End of day 2. Today was a jammed pack full day. Janet from PIAS shop picked me up at the hotel and downed some Subway before the demo. It was then on to the YMCA Camp Sloper. This place was very scenic. It had a mountain getaway vibe to it all. There was a huge lake, trails, and a great spacious skatepark. The kids were amped and ready to shred with me. After the demo it was on to the amphitheater tucked away in the woods. I've done my Skate Straight program all over the world but this location was truly breath taking. I was put on a stage in the woods and behind me was a gorgeous lake. Was unreal. After the hour program it was on to host the skate comp. No shortage of great skaters and talent. The product toss had plenty of goodies thanks to the contributions of the PIAS skateshop. After the comp it was great to just chill and session with the locals. These kids did their homework on knowing me. Lots of request for the DB Helicopter thanks to YouTube and Fuel TV. That trick I invented is following me around a lot lately. After the energized event I was rushed into the PIAS van and sped to the after party for an in-store signing at the skate shop. As we pulled up I could see kids outside the shop with their boards and I knew it was on. Was a blast, they had videos of me playing behind me, a table with my posters, music, the works. The kids were kind, it was good to see my new Struggle Bunny deck. Lots of these kids were riding them. After signing the owner John and I brisked through some songs on guitar, was a nice addition to the after party. After closing up shop and shaking hands with everyone the PIAS crew took me out to a nice restaurant and had a wonderful dinner. Tomorrow I have to grab a plane and be up at 6am so its lights out for me. CT was a great great event. Thanks to everyone who came out, Janet and John, the whole PIAS crew and everyone at Camp Sloper. Till next year, Doug

May 6th, 2009
Where to begin? Things are in full swing with being in springtime and summer is ahead. The Skate Straight events have been filling up my time visiting library and schools across the nation. I just finished filming two promo videos for Skate Straight which can be viewed in the new video section of the site. No shortage of videos here. This Saturday May 9th I will be hosting a comp in the town of Mt.Vernon. Click here to see the flier. June will be a huge month filled with events. I'll be flying to Connecticut then off to Texas, Click here for info on the contest on June 13th in CT. If you haven't had a chance to grab my new pro model with Struggle Skateboards click www.shop.struggleskateboards.com/ to order. Lots of new pics in the photo section. I'm filming my travels for a new skate vid. Skate Straight now has a new myspace www.myspace.com/sk8straight Thanks for everyone who came out to all the events! Till next time! Doug

March 25th, 2009
Stoked to announce that my new pro model with Struggle Skateboards is now available. The artwork was done from renown artist Laura Pflueger. The deck can be ordered direct from www.shop.struggleskateboards.com/ Spring is crawling near and there will be lots of skate events up ahead. Join me Tuesday April 21st, at the Brunswick library if you are in Ohio. Click here for more info. Skate Straight is in its fourth year and its really been an amazing addition to my skate life. The opportunity to go into communities and reach students, the people and the stories have been an education for me as well. I will have a couple special guests at the next few stops. I have a new clothing sponsor to announce soon. I'm pretty excited on this venture as they will be putting out an exclusive line of my own threads. My time off the board has been filled with skate related projects. My life really is consumed by skateboarding one way shape or form. The new book will be available through major book chains this summer. I'm finishing up my part in the upcoming Struggle video with Ruben and Tyrone. I think thats about it for updates, lots ahead I assure you. Till we meet again, Doug

February 27th, 2009
Here It's now the end of February, It's been sometime since I did an update. A few weeks back I got to join pro bmx legend Rick Thorne on the Join the Army Skatepark tour. I've seen Rick many times and it was good to rock out to his band Good Guys in Black. Getting to the event was another matter having more snow than Cleveland has seen in years and driving an hour and a half in awful roads, freezing temps with no heat, but that's another matter. I've been skating every week and enjoying some downtime with the winter months. During the summer of 2005 I was writing a journal while on the road. Long layovers at airports and hotel rooms at night gave me time to transport my life's ventures onto paper. With that I put it on my site as an ebook. The feedback was strong and everywhere I went I had people tell me how my story reached them, old and young. So the opportunity arrived for some publishing deals and I decided to take the leap and put a book out. I've been touring libraries throughout with my Skate Straight program so I figured this would coincide with my efforts. The book will be released this spring so keep your eye out at a book store near you. I've been riding for Struggle Skateboards and a second new pro model will be released this spring. The graphic was done by an artist friend of mine so I'm stoked. I've finished filming for the next Struggle vid with team mates Ruben Najera and Tyrone Olson, a trailer of the vid is in the works. Other than that its been skating and gearing up for spring/summer events. Lots of demos planned so check the tour dates and see you on the road! Doug

November 11th, 2008
Here I am in mid November. It's been a bit since I've done an update on things. The past couple months have been filled with demos but mainly my efforts have been geared towards my Skate Straight Program. A couple weeks back I had the unique opportunity to do the program at the junior high I went to back in 1987-88. It was a trip to be back in the halls once again after all those years. My third DVD Nucleus wrapped up and is out and about in shops and is available through my website. Nucleus has a space theme and a mix of me on the road, skating, with a "day in the life" vibe. I'm in the November issue of Focus Magazine with my Skater's Night Before Christmas poem that some of you are familiar with. Grab a copy if you get the chance. Most notable update is the announcement of my new board sponsor. I've joined Tyrone Olson, Ruben Najera, and Anthony Johnson as a pro rider for Struggle Skateboards out of Imperial Valley California. My first pro model with Struggle is part of the Roar series and is available at www.struggleskateboards.com It's an exciting time and I look forward to what is to come. Lots of projects on the radar, stay tuned. Thanks Everyone. See you round' Doug

August 25th, 2008
Its been airplanes, rent-a-cars, my van, and hotels all summer non-stop. Even the weekend I thought I had free a couple weeks back ended up getting a booking for a demo. So without a doubt this summer has been incredible. Last weekend started with a drive to the city of Alliance. Most of the summer involved planes so it was fun to be back in the van and reminded me of the demos I did years back when it was long drives from park to park. The van now has 280,000 miles all from skate trips and such. I arrived into the city and found the hotel thanks to mapquest. This was a pretty fancy hotel so I knew the weekend was gonna be smooth as far as lodging. After a nap, jog, then shower it was off to meet the Phillips family for a dinner at Grinders. Jeana was someone I went to school with years ago and she coordinated this event. It was about a year in the making. Her and her family went to one of my Skate Straight events so she was committed to getting me to their local skatepark. They worked with their parks and rec depot and my agent and now here I am. After some quality sleep it was off to the demo. I got there pretty early and hid out in my van. To my surprise there was a huge crowd. I don't think I've ever done a demo where people brought lawn chairs lol Their local paper had me on the front page promoting the event so I think that kicked things up a gear on attendance. The dj they had coming didn't have his act together and forgot cables so thankfully I brought my back up sound gear (a guitar amp, mic, and cd player) After being introduced it was out into the sea of people. Normally at an event I skate first then end up at a table signing posters but this time it was reversed. This community was hungry so I found myself in the eye of a hurricane signing posters. Even the local paper was trying to interview me while kids in front were shouting "me next" and someone behind me wanting to take a photo with me. This was the rhythm of activity that took place for the next hour. It was a little overwhelming. Jumping on my board was a relief but it does suck to have to warm up in front of hundreds of people. Not only that it was a park I had never skated before. It was a great park with awesome elements. Had a decent slam mashing my wrist but the show must go on. Did a big phat 360 over the spine, an indy kickflip over the spine and a handful of my other tricks throughout the park. Later I saw the pipe was empty so I figured I could slip over there but the large crowd followed me and there it was, a vert demo. This was a nice big ramp with some height and a killer transition so I was stoked. A product toss followed. Lots of smiling faces that day and it was a great demo. People were so nice and always willing to help with this or that. After the demo the Phillips family took me out to dinner with their crew. Was a great closing to a great weekend. I spent a lot of time talking with the local skaters and their families. I had a grandmother tell me she had cancer and bringing her grandson to the skatepark and watching him gave her energy and made her forget the cancer. Stories like these stick with me in my travels. The positive things skateboarding does for people and communities. I feel honored and lucky to play a part in the whole thing, being able to inspire people. Doing events and demos is such an amazing experience and never gets old. Summer 2008 kicked ass. Highlights were definitely the Dew Tour, Muskoka Woods skatecamp in Canada, and all the countless demos throughout. My plate is full of things to do, the new DVD Nucleus is being edited together and will be available this fall. So for this weekend many thanks to the Jeana and crew for everything. Jeremy for filming, and the whole Alliance staff for everything. Throughout the summer thanks goes to all my sponsors, all the skateshops, skateparks, and skatecamps for having me. It was one of the best summers indeed. Lots more ahead so stay tuned. Best Regards, Doug

August 1st, 2008
It's been non-stop life on the road for the past couple months. Last weekend was the NCAA Skate Jam which was a blast especially after coming from the Dew Tour. It's fun to do the grass root demos and visit the small towns. After checking in the hotel it was straight off to a neighboring skatepark in Cambridge. This was cool park, looked metal but everything was cement. Skated a nice pipe with some of the locals. Was kind of a struggle since my leg was recovering from the Dew Tour slam but I wanted to session and the kids were stoked I was there. After skating the Reed family was nice enough to take me out to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant then it was back to the hotel for some rest. I ended up signing posters in the lobby to a whole little league team thanks to the efforts of the crew and their promotional posters around the town. Reports of rain were shadowing all week but getting to the demo it was nothing but blue skies. It was a great day of just full on skating and music. The small town demos are sometimes the best because the kids aren't jaded and are appreciative that you are there. Big cities have the funding to put together big parks. But these communities have to start at the bottom starting their own coalition. Its amazing to see the parents involved and the support they give their local skaters. These kids really didn't have a lot to work with but with events like this they are raising money and should see a bigger park in the future. After signing odds and ins including an interview with NBC Whiz TV it was back on the road. What a great day, lots of happy skaters and a great community that stands behind its efforts to get a park and improve their skate scene. Next stop is the Max Velocity Challenge. During the week I've been visiting camps with my Skate Straight program which has really been an amazing experience. Special thanks to everyone at NCAA, Joe, Robert, April, and Robbie for everything. Till next time, Doug

July 20th, 2008
Its the last day of the Dew tour and its been a crazy week. The first day was the qualify days. All was well till Thursday which was the official start of the event. Had a load of fun doing signings and spending time with my sponsor Softrucks at their booth. After the course closed my SMF team mate Johnny Whitehead and I skated around and kinda started a demo of sorts. Couple other skaters joined us and it was an all out jam. The sun was falling down and I knew time was limited so I had to step up and went into stuntman mode. I dropped in on a quarter piped and rolled to the other side of the course to a wedge, went to ollie up on the fence and I planted my foot. My intention was to plant my foot while the board shot into my hand and I would leap over the fence and drop outside of the park. Only I slipped and got tangled into a medal bench. It was a hard hard slam and I could here the gasp of the spectators. I jumped up and declared I was ok. In shock that I didn't kill myself I just collected my thoughts on what just transpired. I could feel my thigh stiffening up and I limped away with dizzy spells to the parking garage to call it a night. Was happy I didn't end up in a hospital but depressed that I wouldn't be skating the next few days. The following days were spent doing signings and obligations with my sponsors. Everyone was so nice and the vibe was great. Had a front row view to the finals and the skating was just insane! It was so cool to see a lot of people from my hometown and skaters I use to skate with years ago. So many highlights from the weekend. After the last day I got to go up on stage and play guitar with the group Texas Toast. They told me I could choose any song, in the middle of their set they introduced me and next thing I knew I was on stage. I limped up grabbed the guitar and started the opening riff to Purple Haze, the place went crazy and I made it through the tune. Was a great way to end an amazing week at the Dew Tour. I'll be back on the board this week. I have a demo next weekend so its back in the circus with lots of demos ahead including my Skate Straight program. I did turn 35 on the 10th which was a trip. Fortunately the week before I had an opportunity to skate with a guy that was 50 and he was shredding full on, gave me lots of inspiration. Special thanks to Joe and crew, Johnny Whitehead, Texas Toast, and all the people who came out to the Dew. See you at the next stop, Doug

July 2nd, 2008
Here I am gearing up to board a plane bound to Toronto Canada. This week will be jammed for sure. I'm heading to Muskoka Woods Skate camp. This place has an amazing set up, amazing. After a couple of days and some demos I'm flying back to the states then get a rental car, then a four hour drive to yet another demo. I just arrived in Toronto, went through customs which always sucks but I found my way to where I was suppose to be. To my surprise I was greeted by a chauffeur in this mini limo with tinted windows and all. From the look of things this is going to be a good weekend. After a scenic two hour drive to nowhere I was taken through the gates that let to the camp. There was so much to take in. I was given my own little cabin, no cell phone, no tv, no internet.. its a good getaway from the world for a couple days. After getting a tour of the facility in a golf cart I met the skate counselors then it was straight to an on air interview with their local radio station 104.9 Adrenaline. From there I got my long awaited meal at their killer buffet. The first big demo was set for 7pm so I snuck up early to feel the ramps out. This was an Xgames style course with lots of big elements. The crowd gathered quickly and there was a sea of kids ready for the mayhem. It was a great mix of bmx riders and skaters from all over the world. Music was pumping and the announcer was getting everyone pumped. I made the mistake midway into the demo of going huge doing a finger flip foot plant from the big quarter pipe on the wall behind it then back in the transition. After a couple failed attempts the crowd was behind me and there was no turning back I had to pull this off. Thankfully on my 4th attempt I rolled away successfully and the crowd was stoked. After a crazy product toss and signing posters I was sped away into a car and off for some down time. Today was just amazing and the Canadian skaters have the right vibe and attitude. I've skated big ol' Canada many times and the vibe is drastically different than that of the states. They love the word gnar and gnarly. There is a nice sprinkle outside and i'm heading to bed. Till then...(July 3rd 2008) Wow its the end of day two and its been filled to the brim. The day started with an early 8am wake up then into the cafeteria for some breakfast. Cheese omelet, the works, this place feeds their people first class. Today was a chilled day with only one demo at 1:20. B2 is a separate section of the skate camp for beginners and up top is B3 which has 3 huge separate parks including an indoor facility. The demo was with fellow Triple8 team member Mitch Brusco and bmx rider Mike Deon. The kids were amped as they aligned the park sardine style. Mitch did some sick kickflip transfers from a huge wedge to a roll in. Mike was killing the course till he had a pretty bad slam on the 10 foot landing sideways on his shoulder. My grand finale trick was one of my signature acid drop from the top of the fence into the quarter pipe down below. By 2nd try I was good to go and rolled away to a cheering crowd. After the demo was a taco lunch then back to a full day of skating with everyone. During a break I got to get out on the lake with a group of water skiers to help spot. The water, the breeze, was priceless, I made sure to get some footage. What can I say after today? I met so many cool people here and the skating in Canada is point on. The kids here are all about shredding and having fun. So much diversity in peoples skating compared to anywhere else in the world. Everywhere I went I was greeted with a "great skating today" or some hand shakes or some high fives. Tomorrow morning I have to leave at 9:30am to get to Toronto then the airport. It will be non-stop for the next couple of days with a demo tomorrow morning but I'm good to go. Summer has been great with events and a couple new sponsors. I'm filming for my upcoming dvd. AST Dew Tour is in a couple weeks along with a handful of demos, check tour page for updates. Big big thanks to everyone at Muskoka Woods, Ian, Matt, Mike Deon, Carter and all the skate counselors and skaters. I hope to get back soon. Doug

May 19, 2008
Its a Sunday night and I'm torn and fried from the road. Early Friday I headed out to Wilmington on a 3 hour journey for a demo joined with the 3rd Lair team from Minnesota. They hooked us up and put us in a nice nice hotel, flat screens and all. With a late arrival I hit up the tred mill and crashed to bed. The weekend was calling for rain but woke up to sunny skies and some hefty winds. the 3rd Lair crew didn't get in till 1am the night before and had to be up at 9am to set the course up for the demo. Things started late with the bands and the crowds but the demo started with a hungry crowd. These kids were stoked and the vibe was a good one for sure. The rough gravel was an obstacle but the set up had wedge ramps, quarter pipes, rails, and the resurrected picnic table from the 3rd Lair park in MN. Had lots of good skatin, over 8 hours non-stop to be exact, no joke. Not to mention lots of good entertainment from kickin bands, helicopter rides, and freak show wrestling to top it all off. The crew raised a lot of money for their skatepark fund and the day saw a lot of smiles. Somehow I survived the hours with a few good slams and I was all in one piece. After talking with a group of locals it was on to Pizza Hut to end the day. Was great to have an additional night in the hotel, normally when a demo is set up the sponsors only give you one night before the event so we took this additional night for sure. I was so damn sore from skatin the day before and all last week but we made our way out on the road with gas peaking 3.98 with three hours to go north. On the way out of this town which was in the middle of nowhere I might add there was a bridge out which caused some problems but we got set on the right path and it was onward. Ended up eating at Al's which was in a small town that I did a demo at a couple years ago, figured I would check out the park to see if it was still alive, there was a little dude skating the pipe as I showed up. He asked me if my name was Doug and his face lite up when I told him yeah, he said he skated the park everyday and his board was holding him back, without hesitation I brought out a brand new deck and gave it to him free. Christmas came early for this dude, as we skated the park a bit within 10 minutes kids were on their cell phones and it basically turned into a demo. The park filled up with kids and we had a good lil' sesh. I was fried and tired from the weekend but stepped up to the plate to give the locals something to remember. After signing some posters and some hand shakes I headed toward my grandparents hometown since it was on the way. They've been in Florida for the winter and my grandma has been in the hospital and not doing well at all, So I randomly showed up on their doorstep to see if they were home and they were. They were in great spirits and my grandma was doing much better. They are so sharp for being in their late 80s. They were reminiscing on when they took me to see my first pro event and this was way back in 1988. Was so good to see them and my aunt and uncle from Kansas were there also. Something about seeing my grandparents and visiting the hometown of my parents that just gives me and overwhelming feeling of life and purpose. I use to spend my summers with my grandparents and would skate this small town when I was like 12-13. Its always cool to go back there and remember where I came from and who I came from. My parents were high school sweethearts and grew up in this town. So the events continue and I'm back on the road, its been demos every week for 3 weeks in a row with lots more to come. I'm stoked to get some down time this week and skate a handful of local parks. I've been filming a lot for the next vid and continue to put my energies into the Skate Straight benefits and helping out my sponsors. Thanks for everyone involved in this weekends demo, 3rd Lair guys, Jen, Christina, and all the skaters, skate on, Doug

May 2-3rd, 2008
Here I am miles above the ground in a Continental express jet headed for Hartford Connecticut. Events are picking up and summer is right in front of us. Things are moving forward and I'm proud to announce I'm a member of Athletes for Hope which assists in my Skate Straight Program. This weekend I have a demo in Southington Connecticut for Play it Again Sports. I'm now booked into my hotel. Janet and the crew from the shop picked me up from the airport in their PIAS van and sped me here. The room is amazing and was greeted with a gift bag from the crew upon check-in. (Sat. May 3rd.) Woke up today, slept so so. Was disappointed to see rain outside and received a call letting me know the 2pm demo was canceled but we were still on for the in-store event at 4pm. With plenty of time to kill I moved the table in the room, got the ipod, and had a flatland session till it was time to go, hoping the people down below don't mind. After some lunch Rob shuttled me off to the store to an awaiting crowd. My buddy John from DBS clothing had his plasma screen tv behind me playing promo vids of me. The crowd had a great energy. I'm always flattered that people took the time to come out and hang with me. Was good talking to the locals and the parents. The skate community here is very tight knit and has a positive energy. After some time the guys were hungry to skate so we all rushed out the back entrance to a parking lot. First order of business was jumping on top of Robs jeep for an acid drop. After some bails the crowd got behind me and I landed on my third attempt. After some hungry product tosses the rest of the afternoon was filled with flatland skating and chatting with the skaters and the locals. After the event John, one of the shop managers had seen one of my videos and knew I played guitar. With this, he set up a PA system and to my surprise a jam session was in order. After some conversation and strumming the owners took the crew out to a nice dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. Since I was in Southington it was imperative that I visit the ESPN headquarters, so after food we went there. Special thanks to everyone at PIAS, Janet, John, Jenn, Rob, and for John and Dave from DBS for helping us out. So many events coming up and I'm filming more than ever for the next dvd. For more info on Athletes for Hope Click here. Till next time, Doug

February 7th, 2008
Skate Straight is in full swing and last Tuesday was a very special stop for me, it was my hometown that I grew up in. This was a higher production than most of my stops. The city just got a new library so we had the luxury of a huge screen and top notch gear. Promo videos played as the audience filled the conference room. I had no idea what the attendance would be. I was kept away till I was introduced and came in through a side door to a packed room with applause. It was surreal and was awesome to see so many familiar faces. Normally when I do these events I don't know anyone in the crowd so this was personal and I put my heart into the program more than ever. I talked for about an hour and invited my buds Jesse Deal and Joe Vykopal to also speak. We reached a lot of people in the course of the evening and I felt I gave back as much as I could to the community I grew up in. After some Q and A I signed posters for everyone and got the chance to reconnect with loads of people. People I had graduated high school with brought their kids. I couldn't believe how many people drove hours to get there. I felt blessed and it reminded me of the importance of my position, especially with the young crowd. I'm still skating a lot and visiting skateparks along the way of each stop. I have some exciting new sponsors to announce very soon. Spring demos are already being booked so I have a handful of plane rides ahead of me and I'm extremely stoked for whats to come this spring and summer. For those who have come out to my Skate Straight program I can't thank you enough for being part of all this. Doing this means more to me than the contests and industry events. Special thanks to Christina, Linda Uhler, Jesse and Joe, The Daily Record, and all the skaters for their support. Till we meet again, Doug Click here to view the Daily Record article.

January 11th, 2008
I'm still skatin but if you haven't seen me round' I've been busy touring schools, libraries, detention centers, and everything in between. I'm performing a program where I talk about my life and the effects drugs and alcohol have on our youth culture. I'm doing a homecoming of sorts and will be visiting the town I grew up in to perform my Skate Straight Program. If you are in Ohio join me Tuesday January 29th from 7-8pm at the Wayne County Public Library. Click Here for more info. It's hard to believe we are now in 2008. It was a great year with so many highlights. The Dew Tour was an amazing experience and I'll be back on board for 08 as well. Lots of tour dates are booked for this year so check tour dates for more info. FUEL TV has been playing the Olie Pop vid so you can see me in that if you haven't seen it. I'm gathering lots of footage and I'm filming my new dvd out this spring. A handful of new vids have been added to the video section. Hope everyone is doing well and thanks for the support.

December 18th 2007
On November 27th I was invited to join the American Red Cross Festival of Trees.The auction was a fun an successful evening raising more than $40.000.00 for a local county chapter of the Red Cross. This money is designated to Disaster Services, which helps local victims of disaster or crisis. My donation was my signed shoes and helmet that I wore in the 2007 AST Dew Tour which went for $275.00 It was an honor to contribute to this auction. Looking for a shoe sponsor is not my top priority compared to getting involved in organizations that are meaningful and bring benefit and a good cause. During this holiday season don't forget the less fortunate. Support organizations like Make a Wish Foundation, American Red Cross, and Athletes for Hope. I'm most proud of my involvement in causes like these. I've done demos and toured skateparks across the globe but I always remember the importance of the appearances I do at schools, libraries, detention centers, churches and even some military bases. The time you spend off your board is just as important as the time you spend on it. Get involved on any level, it's well worth it.

November 10th 2007
Today was a special day on many levels. A few days back I got an email from a friend of mine from school. Her friend's 12 year old nephew Nino who was badly burnt and was in a children's hospital. Nino lost his younger brother in the fire and the family lost everything they had. Apparently he was a fan and had seen one of my dvds through a friend. After some phone calls and emails the family had arranged to pick me up and drove me an hour to the hospital to surprise him. He had been in the hospital for two weeks and I was more than happy to bring a smile to his day. I gave him a load of goodies including t-shirts, stickers, dvds, skate mags and one of my old helmets from one of my first big competitions. The significance of the helmet was that the last time i wore it I ended up in the hospital after I fell 12 feet onto the ground splitting my chin completely open. I told Nino how brave and strong he was after being in the hospital for 2 weeks and I was only in for one day. I assured him that everything he is going through will make him stronger and to keep his chin up, good things will come his way. Later we talked the nurses into letting us all go to the cafeteria for some food. They loaded him into a wheel chair and off we were. Spirits were high and it was good to see him and his family enjoying themselves. Through my hardships in my life I know how people can bring support and I know it makes a world of difference. As we all left, Nino changed into his t-shirt and hat that I gave him. He even had Vans so he looked like he was ready to jump out of that chair and go skate. I assured him that one day I will see him again and we'll skate a skatepark sometime. Helping Nino today was more important than any trick I could ever do on a skateboard. Skating demos and doing personal appearances are an important part of my job however its moments like this that truly matter. I'm blessed to be in a position to give back and to hopefully make a positive impact on someones life. These are unseen tricks. Who I'm sponsored by doesn't matter. What skate tricks I do don't matter. My experiences do matter and from those experiences I've learned a great deal. That's what I have to offer. With my involvement with Athletes For Hope and the Make A Wish Foundation I do get to meet very special people who are going through traumatic events. But it doesn't take being a professional skateboarder or a doctor to help someone. We all have something to offer or bring to the table. Words of encouragement are important. You can make a difference with people and the little things do matter. Today reminded me of that. Doug Brown

October 24th 2007
For those who know me well I have had a musical life before skating. This new 19 song compilation is a mix of funk, pop, electronic, and everything in between. It will be available on Tuesday October 30th in various music outlets throughout the US and Canada. The cd can be purchased now in the shop section of www.dougbrownskate.com. It's been a fun project getting back into these tunes and I've included 3 live bonus tracks. I won't be showing up at skate demos and events with my music gear don't worry! I've always kept the two aspects of my personal and professional life separate. Sadly my music has taken a back seat to my skateboarding as the skate biz has taken my time and energy the past few years. I've never stopped writing and my guitars stay in tuned. So much has been going on, the Dew Tour ended last weekend in Orlando. By far the Dew Tour was the highlight of the summer. I've been filming all my travels and adventures for the next dvd due out this spring. I will be touring different Play It Again Sports stores throughout the US with SMF Skateboards. Thanks for all the support and emails. See you round'
Doug Brown

September 28-29th 2007
Its 3am and I'm on a laptop at the Days Inn, can't sleep. Last week was a roller coaster. We went to different skateparks in Maryland, Pennsylvania, the to West Virginia and now back for the demo tomorrow. Today began with a wake-up call, loaded up the van then met my assistant Brandon. We loaded up his pimped out ride (22inch rims, black shiny Honda Element) and headed out to the city of Hillsboro. Got stuck in a traffic jam for over and hour which landed us in the town around 10pm. We were greeted by the event coordinator Ron Hennison at the Alley21 restaurant. A neat place, a bar and grill with cloth napkins and a hill billy dance floor complete with line dancers from the 80s. To my surprise I was on the cover of two different newspapers in the town about my demo. So the management was expecting us and dinner was on them, thanks Sam. With some extra crew people we scored some fun footage of the day and tomorrow should be a trip. After the demo we are headed to a few other skateparks. Feels damn good to be out on the road. (Saturday September 29th) Nobody from our crew seem to sleep to well, we ended up watching a Reno 911 marathon to get through the night. Got a few hours asleep, wake up call, scored the free breakfast and we were all ready to roll. The weather was to die for with sunshine and a fall breeze. We found the park without trouble and unloaded the beast that was our van. This little park was jammed with kids and it looked like fish rapidly swimming round the park. Followed by Brandon, my camera dude we entered the park to some smiles and high fives. Ron and his crew went out of their way and had posters of me surrounding the park and they were very welcoming in lending us a hand to setup. DARE was also there to lend there time to the days festivities. With a warm intro Ron sent me up on the platform and handed me the mic for my speech. I'm more comfortable skating but I hate to just come into a town with a planned demo and not talk to the kids and let them in on who I am and what I stand for. Music cranked then it was onto the half pipe to shred with the locals. This was like a vert metal mini ramp and it wasn't just a ramp to jump on and bust tricks out. Took me a few rounds to feel the ramp and position myself to do some moves. Locals always have the advantage cause they know every nick scratch dent ding and feel to the park.. I know how that is when I'm at my hometown park. The day was filled with skating, music, free food, and signing odd things like a finger cast, cellphone and a gameboy. By 2pm we head on out and I was content with the days events. The coolest thing happened when this little dude was talking to me seconds before I took off. He was bout 12 years old and was stoked out of his mind to meet me.. He had done his homework on who I was and was just full of energy and questions. Throughout the day he kept cheering me on. At the end we did a drawing for 2 decks and he ended up winning one. Anyways, he told me he was crying cause he was so happy.. saying this with a calm sincere voice. Just reminds me of how impressionable these little dudes are and as skateboarders we all have a job to give back and to inspire. Getting back on the road a couple hours north we took a stop to the small town of Cardington. This was a place I had visited for 3 summers in a row to host a contest. They didn't have the event this year so when I pulled in the kids were very jazzed to see me and I was happy to have some people to skate with. It turned into a mini demo and we ended up filming some and having a blast. Sun was coming down and mosquitoes were enjoying my wet shirt so it was back on the road. Only 15 minutes down the road was my grandparents hometown.. these are the grandparents in my Solo dvd. We made a surprise visit and it was great to see them. They are both nearing 90 and are still very active. My grandmas memory is so sharp its stunning. Today couldn't of gone better, to reach so many people in just a day was great and everyone left smiling. That means a lot to me. Some updates to report.. I can be seen in the Concrete Wave Evolution Volume 3 dvd. I'll be on Sports Talk Network again in October, check the site for details. And I will be heading to the Dew Tour's last stop in Orlando in mid October. Special thanks to Ryan, Christina, and Ron and his wife for everything this weekend. Thanks everyone in Hillsboro for having me out. See you all soon! Doug

August 19th, 2007
Weekend in Lexington. Its been pretty crazy lately with these gigs I've been doing. Since the Dew Tour its been a series of demos. Friday afternoon I set out to Lexington. This was the first trip I've taken my van on since it broke down in Cincinnati. It has survived a tornado and 4 break downs. For those who have seen my new dvd you saw my van broke down.  Normally I fly everywhere if its over 6 hours away. With 275,000 miles set on it I was off and running. The city put me up in a real nice hotel and I was takin care of. It looked ghetto from the outside at first and I was weary entering this place. Entering the lobby I was corrected as it was first class all the way. Scored some down time in the heated pool and hot tub, checked out the local mall, skated the parking lot then off to bed. This was a relaxed demo and didn't start till 1pm. I never quite understood any skate event that started before 10am? Those are the worst and I've done some of those in my time. So with a relax vibe and perfect spring like weather I was off to the demo. This was all being held during a festival for the city so I was stuck in a parade which caused an hour delay as I couldn't get my van through. The late arrival ended up working out... the dj was blasting good tunes and my tent was ready for me. It was a wide variety of ages. The little guys took to my van right away as I jumped out. They were all very enthusiastic with comments and questions. I got on the mic and the party started. It was kinda a small park but the locals were attacking these ramps like they were 20 feet tall. It was 6 hours of non-stop skating. In the middle of the day I through a best trick contest to keep things entertaining. My dare devil moment was when I climbed on the fence of the quarter pipe to do my cave dive into the ramp. The park froze and the crowd took notice. I was screwed, I had to pull this whether or not I wanted to. As I climbed up the kid beside me said "thats nuts why are you doing that" and I replied "it's my job" I wasn't gonna leave without trying something memorable or something no one there had done. On the first try I placed my tail on the fence.. grabbed out with a finger flip and rolled onto the tranny with a smooth finish. I was happy to land but I think it would've been more dramatic had I slammed 10 times to build it up. But I was just happy I lived and took the trick. The kids ate up the product tosses, 3 in all. After the long day I jetted out to another hotel. I was near my grandparents hometown so I made a visit. It was great to see them. They are both in their late 80s and are sharp as can be. They've been married over 50 years and everyone falls in love with them. If you've seen my Solo dvd these are the grand parents that were in the vid. I'm off to bed, my bed finally. I love the road but its damn good to be home. Lots of videos added to my website and Youtube so check em out if you get a chance. Special thanks to Tina from CD Jungle and all the skaters for making the event happen. Till next time as always,
Doug

July 27th, 2007
Since I've been back from the Dew Tour I've been hitting up strange hidden skateparks cross the states, today was the craziest I've had in awhile. I was asked about a week ago to visit a ramp in a town called Wayne. Its called The Warehouse. Its just a big ol' warehouse with a killer ramp and a vert wall. I didn't plan on setting something up since my schedule was booked. Well Friday rolled around and some plans were changed so I called the dude from the Warehouse and said we'll be over. It was about a 2 hour drive.. jumped on Mapquest, called some friends up and away we went into the unknown. I didn't know any of these people at this place so it was a leap of faith on my part, this was just some random kid that contacted me on MySpace saying come to our skatepark. After driving forever into the cornfields and pastures we met up with their star skater Joe at Arbys so we could follow him to the spot. Upon arrival I saw a load of kids hanging out waiting outside. This was the craziest last second demo I've ever done. Andy, the owner had a nice freshly spray painted sign that read "Doug Brown Skateboard Exhibit Tonight" It was funny and the guy is a kick ass dude, he's old school like me. He took us up the stairs to the 2nd floor where the ramp was. This place was gnarly! It was straight out of the movie fight club. I loved it, lots of spray paint, couches, carpet, recliners, and skaters shredding about. The ramp was pretty wide but was super quick, almost like a vert ramp so it took some time to get use to. Thanks to Andy's influence these kids were busting out old school stuff like boneless and flip stuff. I was at home lol. When you get a group of dudes in their 30s skating a pipe, watch out! The younger kids were super nice and were very welcoming having me there. I was sweating my ass off tonight, I've never been so soaked from head to toe in ages. We shredded to some old school tunes on a tape player and skated for hours on end. It was well worth the drive. I love it when I take a gamble on a skate spot and it pays off. The vibe was right, the home made ramp was right. It was a good night. So round' 11pm I gave some goods out, signed some posters and everyone had a smile on their face including me. I'll be back to Wayne someday. Thanks Andy and Joe for letting me skate with your crew. Thanks to Scott, Denise, and Dianna for the great night. I'm headed toward the shower. Peace, Doug

July 18-21st 2007
What a day, its day one of the Dew Tour Right Guard Open. Its bout' 1am and I'm fried. I drank more Mt. Dew today than I think I've drank in a lifetime! My day started with an early wakeup call and straight to a parking garage and then to athlete registration. We couldn't warm up till bout 3pm so I was stuck skating around downtown Cleveland and running into some cool people that I've met in my past travels. It was then back to the athlete lounge to score the free lunch then out to the street course. Normally on the Dew tour stops they have a bmx course and a skate course, this time it was mixed. It still made for some great skating and some good lines. After skating 2 hours on the course in the blistering humidity it was time for heat 1 of the comp. The fellas through down some serious dope sh*t. I was 4th in line and had a 45 second run. My first run I stuck everything to my surprise. People seemed to appreciate my old school stuff. If there is one thing I've learned from comps its do what you know and do what you can land. My second run in the 2nd heat was so so. Had I had a bad first run I would of been bummed but I was happy with round one, they drop your lower run. They are only choosing 7 skaters out of the 27 that competed today and I doubt I'll make it into tomorrows heats. I was glad to skate with some of my homies and spend the day riding. I even scored an interview with ABC Sports to end my day out. Might rain tomorrow so not sure whats ahead, till then.
DAY2:
Today started to early, I did an interview with my hometown paper about me at the event then joined up with some kids from my local town to session a bit and we all headed to the games. I didn't make the finals so today will be a chill day. I was happy to make it to heat 2 and got further than I thought so I was content with that. It was just great to skate the killer course ad ride with some of todays top pros. It was cool to watch the vert warm-ups and walk around checkin out the village festival. Ran into lots of people who seem to know me from this demo or that. Mid way through the day it poured down heavy ran and my vip pass into the athlete lounge paid off.. stayed dry, got my buddies in so they could stay dry. After clearing the crowds left and the event was held off for the day. It was cool, we all did some flatland skating in downtown Cleveland where all the skaters were talkin and just havin a nice chilled time as the sun went down. I'm tried and worn down, till tomorrow.
DAY3:
Today was much more eventful than yesterday. On the way to the event my buddy Scot and his family all climbed into his mini van and we found Brunswick outdoor skatepark. Scot and I use to skate together in the late 80s. The gates for the games didn't open till 3 so we sessioned about an hour or so at the park. Today was filled much like yesterday with shaking hands and having short conversations with people who knew from this or that. It was great to connect with so many people. I'm super stoked to be involved in the Dew games this year.. even know while I'm writing this I'm checking my email and its pages of kids thanking me for signing their posters. Its awesome to see all these sports getting so much positive attention from the city of Cleveland. It was sentimental to be back because everything started for me there at the Gravity Games 02. The setup was almost the same as Gravity. With it nearing dark we headed out to the street and I treating Scot and his family to a horse driven carrage ride round downtown Cleveland. It was pretty cool. I felt like we were in a parade, especially when dudes would yell out "you Doug b whats up, yo Doug.. etc." So after that we actually drove back to the Brunswick park to finish the day out. Its lights out, special thanks to Scot, Dean, and Denise for keepin me company today.
DAY4:
With the skatepark finals finished, Ryan Sheckler of course took the prize two cities in a row, it was today that held the vert finals. I love to watch the vert dudes. This year the ramp was 100 feet wide and had two roll ins on each side. Shaun White took 1st. Bucky, Bob, and Andy Mac were my favs to watch. Lincoln Ueda was robbed and got last. After the event I scored some great food from the athletic lounge and checked out the Free Flow event on the street course. For those of you who don't know the free flow is the contest open for the am skaters in the surrounding area. There was loads of local talent and the future of the sport is a bright one for sure. Today was a bitter sweet day. It was the last day of the games and I survived the week. This was my first year involved in the Dew tour and it was an honor to skate the pro event. I had come a long way from Gravity Games 02 which was held in Cleveland where my professional career began. I couldn't help but get sentimental and look back at those times. All the demos and travels I've had since then. I saw a lot of smiling faces coming up to me and that to me was the biggest achievement. So if you saw me there and gave me a high five or a shout out, thank you. The next stop is Portland Oregon. I have a few demos in between, till then!

::July, 7th 2007
Its 11:49pm and I just got back from todays events. The past couple weeks have been a load of small demos in small towns across the states. Today I was in the town of Willard. Just two days ago I got an email from a kid wanting me to come to their event in Willard. I was heading back home on July 7th to visit my family for a get together anyway and Willard was about an hour away so it was on. Next thing I knew I was getting a call from the head of their parks and rec and a demo was set up in less than 24 hours. With no transportation I pulled some strings to get some wheels and filled up the van and away I went. Much to my surprise as I pulled into town there was a huge yellow sign stating that I was gonna be at the skatepark at 4pm for a meet and greet. This was a nice small community skatepark and I was more than happy to donate my time and skate with the kids. I brought a sound system, popped some banners up, talked with the local paper, and spent the whole day just chillin with the locals while skatin the park. Sometimes the smaller events are actually more fun than the huge ones. Things were more laid back and there was such a positive vibe and energy throughout the day. I felt welcome into their town. The rest of the summer is filled with more demos and most notable the Dew Games in Cleveland from July 19-22nd. Also be sure to check out the new Ollie Pop video featuring Danny Way and the rest of us on the Ollie Pop team. I scored some tricks in the vid and it can be downloaded at: http://schurkemediaarts.com/downloads/olliepop_video1.mov My new dvd Bliss of the Unwind is in skate shops now and can also be purchased at www.dougbrownskate.com The preview clip can be seen on YouTube or MySpace at: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=10831956 SMF has released my new deck so grab one if ya can! Check out their new myspace at www.myspace.com/smfskateboards
Special thanks to everyone in Willard today, Jesse, JT, and Bryson. Its been a great summer so far. Its hard to believe it was a year ago I was on tour in Canada. More updates coming soon, until then skate on!
Doug

::June, 10th 2007
Its been sometime since I've done a journal entry. Let me tell you life has been a roller coaster of events. Lots of highs and lows have been filling up my days. I even survived a tornado a few days back. I lost three huge trees in my yard. Thank god I decided to park on the right side of my driveway other wise my van would be smashed. Although I did lose a window and a mirror. It was a pretty freaky sight. My newest project will surface this Friday June 15th. My new dvd is titled Bliss of the Unwind. Its footage from the past year, on the road, adventures, craziness and of course skateboarding... my way. You can get it directly through www.dougbrownskate.com or your local skateshop. I don't leave as many journal entries as I use to. All the demos/events the first year were so surreal I found myself running to the page to capture what I was going through. Now and days I've seen more airports and hotels than I ever thought I would in a lifetime. The skate life is fresh and getting involved in demos and events never gets old. I'm more chilled out now and days. During my downtime I've been finishing the dvd and skating anywhere and everywhere. SMF is releasing my new pro model to the world later next week. Its a great new cut and the graphic is as simple as can be. The decks are made by the same people who do Zoo York so  the quality is top notch. Lots of gigs popping up this summer and I'll be making some appearances at some skate camps as well. Check dougbrownskate.com for updates. Thanks to all those who have been stading behind me throughout this crazy life of mine. More to report soon. Click Here to view the dvd preview. Regards,
Doug

::April 1st, 2007
It's 9am and I'm sitting outside my hotel room in sunny Paris Tennessee. The past few days on the road have been surreal. 5 parks in 3 days! Friday I sped up to the Cleveland airport to meet J. Mack. We've been doing demos together for the past few months. I met Mack years ago at a park called Area 57. To make a long story short we ran into each other at a skatepark and got to talking. He was down with touring and off we went. We boarded the Continental express jet and flew out to Nashville. We were greeted by Clark and the crew from 3rd Floor and Alex from Dirty Shirty. He rented a 15 person van and filled with us and we went directly to the concrete paradise that was Two Rivers skaterpark. We were tired but stoked. Took a bit to get the jet lag out but we were amped and skated our brains out. Before leave we scored an audience as I climbed up on top of the van and went for a finger flip acid drop to the floor. By the third attempt and people cheering "Mike V" I landed it and rolled away smiling. Still in Nashville going towards downtown we were lucky enough to go to the 6th Ave. skatepark. Super sweet indoor with a killer bowl and a 15 foot rol lin to a 10 foot quarter pipe. I had been at this park a couple years ago while on the road with Yocaher and it was a blast I always wanted to get back to. After the crew and I downed two pizzas with pineapple we shot out on the highway 2 and half hours to the town of Paris Tennessee. Clark took us up to check out the 3rd floor park, its a great old school vibe wooden floor with quarter pipes, spines, and anything else that could be placed out was visible. It was round' midnight so it was back to the hotel and lights out. I have to hand it to Clark and his crew, they took wicked care of Mack and I, filling our fridge with loads of drinks and stocking us up with chips, pop tarts, and everything else they spread around the room. With little sleep day to arrived and by 10am the filled van was on its way to Paduka Kentucky bout and hour and a half away. Glen from Mission skatepark knew we were coming so the park was jammed and the locals were very welcoming to us. We filmed, we skated, we have a freakin blast at this place. The attitude was everything a skatepark should have. The kids weren't jaded at all, great mix of new and old school. We got lots of footy and skated full on. Driving back to Paris TN took a bit but we went back to our hotel to prepare for the demo madness. My body was sore but my brain was pumped with adrenaline ready to face the masses. I felt like Rocky entering and arena. Clark introduced me as I entered the shop with 250 kids cheering and greeting me with high fives and smiles. I signed a load of posters and kept thanking the kids for having me come to their park. It was special to be there, they were cool kids and treated me with repspect. I was taken back how many kids knew about me and my travels and who I rode for and everything. After the meet and greet Mac and I took the back elevator to the top floor which housed the huge skatepark. We both sped into the session and skated our brains out. The highlight for me was the demo when along the perimeter of the park the people lined up were cheering me on for my huge finger flip launch on the big spine. I went from one end of the park to the other which had the launch. So the cheers followed me and made all the difference in me landing this trick. After a few bails I landed it high and smooth. We continued skating throughout the event and the contest went well. Lots of talent in Nashville no doubt. Even the young kids were doing boneless tricks and we original in their styles and trick selection. This is something I don't often see on the road. Mack was in heaven as this was his first demo he's done that involved this kind of energy and life on the road. Before we left the kids were relentless having us sign everything from cell phones to sunglasses. It was crazy but I was flattered and hoped I delivered some inspiration and hope to the kids. A big group of the parks employees and friends all followed us back to the hotel for some after hours mayhem. Got to bed by 5am and could've used some more sleep. We got up round 9am, scored the free breakfast and packed up again for another plane ride. Clark's van came around the corner as we were sessioning and filming in the parking lot. Again we loaded up and drove 2 and half hours to another concrete paradise in Nashville by the airport. By this point I could barely walk and was struggling to find juice to get skating. Never the less we shreded till about 2pm then got back to the airport. Its been go go go and go so far on this journey. I'm getting dizzy from everything but one thought keeps coming back to me over and over. I just want to skate. When I skate I'm focusing on the feeling, not thoughts of stress or business.. just skating. I hope people pick that up with me, I'm really into just riding and enjoying good vibes and good people. I met a lot of great people on this Shut Up & Skate Tour so far and many more adventures to come. Thanks Mack for joinin me in this circus and Clark and everyone involved in Nashville. Lots more to report in the upcoming weeks. See you round'
Doug

::March 15th, 2007
What a couple of weeks. On March 3rd the Extreme Sports Show went well with my buddy J Mack and Johnny Whitehead. It was 3 hours of talking about life and skateboarding and taking strange phone calls. Since Orlando its been non-stop travel. Last weekend was the first weekend I got to go home and chill, never happened. So I get the bright idea Friday to head out 4 hours away to Ollie Skatepark in Kentucky. After driving a couple of hours my van dies on the highway and I'm stranded. With good luck it speeds away and about an hour away I brake down again as the van slowly dies in the parking lot of a Red Roof Inn. While in the town of Blue Ash the cops are eager to help only when the cop got behind me to ease my dead van up the hill he dented the back of my van. This was only the beginning of this saga. I was stuck in a hotel for two days with the days filled skating the Red Roof Inn parking lot's curbs. The car was supposedly fixed Saturday so I went an hour north only to have it break down again, so here I am stuck in Columbus. My van is on tour right now jumping from car shop to car shop, its on stop #3. I scored a ride back home and I'm leaving tomorrow for the Ramp Shack demo. Its gonna be kick ass to get back on the road. Thanks to J Mack and company I'll be mobile.So the next four weeks I'm on the road. On the 23rd I will be skating Ollies in Kentucky with Fuel TV. I was there two years ago with Mike V and the SoBe love bus so it will be cool to get back. Fortunately the gigs comping up involve airplanes and not my van. From there it's on to Nashville for the 3rd Floor demo. I've got a few new companies I'm riding for including Dirty Shirty out of Atlanta www.dirtyshity.com I will be flying there sometime this month to do photos with their team, I'm stoked. So lots goin on and things are really picking up. I'm skating every second I can. I find myself constantly saying "God it feels good to skate" when I'm riding. I'm having a damn blast! I will be teaching at some skate camps this summer so stay tuned for details. I'll check back soon, thanks everyone for the emails and support. Peace, Doug B

::February 18th, 2007
The adventures of me, never ending. I'm many miles above the ground flying on a plane leaving Orlando Florida. The last couple weeks have been a little too busy for my taste. It's been hotel to hotel and plane to plane, and a car wreck today in a rental car on my way to the airport. Missed my first flight. I've never had so many hurtles in my traveling. Days ago I was fighting an out of control snowstorm at 3:00 am to get to the Akron airport with delays, cancellations, and iced planes. My first stop was the Skatepark of Tavares in Florida. The park was all concrete and spacious. Scored a lot of footage and hung with the locals after the event. That evening I had the opportunity to visit my grandparents about fifteen minutes away. For those who have seen my dvd Solo its those grandparents in the vid. They spend their winters in Florida and it was great to see them. The are in their late 80s but are very active and holding together. We did dinner then had to speed off to a hotel thirty minutes away. This was a nice 5 star hotel and it was a nice change from the hotels I'm usually booked in. Vans skatepark was next and was an hour drive into Orlando the following day. This was by far the highlight of the tour. Its my favorite park in the world and I haven't been there in two years. The park is indoor, outdoor, wood, concrete, big stuff, small stuff, vert, street, everything!! The kids were great and it was good to see some familiar faces. The following day was a day off was spent at MGM Studios were I got to take the day playing tourist and sight seeing. From there it was a shuttle back to the hotel straight to bed for the 7:15am wake up call for the next day. My schedule has gone like this for well over a week and I look forward to getting home after a handful of more events. My career and life are at a strange point at this time. Its been over five years since the Gravity Games and my start as a pro skater. I don't jump on my journal as much as I use to. I look back to old journal entries and I would write with pages of excitement for every plane ride and road trip. Life is still great and I feel blessed to do this for a living just some days it gets to me. It's my audience, the kids, the communication with the people that has really enriched my life. I've gotten much better at skating and I've never lost focus that I'm skating for the right reasons and I truly enjoy the art that is skateboarding. I love to skate. I haven't let those who are misinformed or confused on who I am get me down. I've kept moving forward and become internally stronger as a result of always moving forward. I've recently signed with SMF Skateboards out of New York and have left my prior board sponsor. I'm now in a great position to reach more people with the right attitudes. I'll have a new pro model out this spring and I'm in the process of choosing a graphic. I'm more and more surrounding myself with positive people and positive vibes. Lots of SMF events to be announced including some stuff in Juice Magazine and an appearance on MTV's new show Scabs. The calander is packed and lots goin on. I truly thank those of you who are behind me and share my visions. After being in the car wreck this morning and waiting two hours on the highway for the police to show up I had time to think about where I am in my life. I got a pretty good jolt to my head and it freaked me out. I was thankful to be alive and had an overwhelming feeling of being alive. I'm living every second to the fullest. With my board in hand I will continue to make a difference in peoples lives anyway I can. I found myself through skateboarding and I wanna give back and help those who are facing adversity in this journey called life.  Well its back on the road for me.. Till we meet again! Doug B

::January 25th, 2007
Hi everyone, Doug Brown checkin in. This is the weekend of ASR in San Diego. Life has been busy and its the season of changes. I have a new board sponsor that I will be announcing very soon.You will see my new pro model this spring. I'm riding for Mass Minority Clothing now. With my roots in Ohio I'm super stoked to report the Gravity Games will be in Cleveland this June. For those who don't know everything started for me as a result of the Gravity Games 02. I'm really looking forward to going back. I'll be flying to the Orlando Skatepark in Florida on Feb.16th. Then on Feb.17th I will be doing a live on air interview on the Sports Talk Network from 4-6pm EST. The radio/webcast can be viewed live on www.sportstalknetwork.com, call in if you can! I'll be making an appearance at the Extreme Sports Expo for the 2nd year in a row, should be fun. On March 31st i'll be flying to Nashville Tennessee for a demo at the 3rd Floor Skatepark, check tour dates for details. I'll be traveling with some special guests so stay tuned. So much goin on. I'm doin it. I'm out there skating like crazy and getting to know thousands of skaters. I can't believe how many emails I get a day from skaters across the globe. Thanks for the support and know my head is on straight and i'm out there letting my skating do the talking. I keep trying to push myself and my creative limits. I still encourage everyone to make their own mark in skating and not become a follower. I'm being myself and its paid off. Ok enough preaching. For further updates check out www.dougbrownskate.com I'm filming for my next dvd now so if I see you guys out there on the road my filmers will get some shots of ya. The Softrucks team will be heading on a summer tour so i'll keep you posted on that. Thanks again for all those who came to the recent events. For those who understand what I'm all about and have supported me through the years I thank you. Doug Brown

::December 11th, 2006
I'm now recovering from the long weekend on the road. Friday night I had the chance to catchup with my dad. He invited me to go to see the Cleveland orchestra at Severance Hall. I sported the suit and it was first class for a night. It was a long night and I knew I had a demo the next morning but knowing how much this meant to my dad I wasn't gonna miss it. Scored some good dinner at Club Isabellas, a bad ass jazz club on the east side. Got home late and had to pack to leave for PA. Woke up about 10am and fled for the highway in my tour van. It was a long lonely drive with mapquest leading the way to Natrona skatepark. It was indeed in the ghetto of Pittsburgh and I wasn't sure if my hubcaps were gonna be there when I got back. I got completely lost winding around the town but eventually ended up where I was suppose to be. I entered the park and was stoked. They had skate trucks as door knobs! The kids were cool and the vibe was a positive one. The locals ripped. The park was connected to a shop, it was a shoe box small compressed park being about 25 feet wide but they actually had a sweet setup. I loved the ramps and it was great skating. For some reason the kids didn't roll up the posters so there were little kids walking around with the posters unrolled throughout the park. I got to do some footage for my next vid and got some shots of the locals. After helping judge the comp and doing some skating everyone gave me a good good-bye as I exited the park. It was back on the highway for another long drive to the next stop. The coolest thing some kid said to me right before I left was that he liked that I smiled when I skated. I thought what a cool thing to tell somebody. I don't even realize how much I do that when I skate, I'm a happy skater, guilty as charged. I'm in my element when I'm out there skating with new people and haveing a good time. It's just moments like that that make me feel like I'm doing something positive and right. Ramps.com wanted me to write them a Christmas greeting for my blog on their site so about a week ago at 4am I came up with this fun ditty rendition of the Night Before Christmas, enjoy, Click Here to view. So I have a few more gigs till Xmas and 2006 will come to a close. I'll be heading back to San Diego in January for the ASR show. The preview for my new DVD Solo is available to download at www.myspace.com/dougbrownskate Its been an amazing year filled with demos, adventure, and new freindships. Thanks everyone for the support throughout the year. See you all somewhere on the road. Regards, Doug Brown

::November 27th, 2006
Today I'm relaxing and recovering from a long skate weekend on the road. Friday morning I set out for the long drive for my demo at 180 Skatepark. Joining me at the demo were skaters Johnny Brown (no relation) Ron Rupert and their crew. It was a nice addition to the show and it was good having them there. After checking into the hotel we all sped down the road to down some cheap Taco Bell. We got into the skatepark before the public and put up some of my sponsors banners, checked the park out, and setup the speakers. Johnny and the guys got things goin and skated early with the kids when as the doors opened at 9pm. I took off to lay low and prepare for showtime. I've had a few injuries lately and slammed my butt bone a couple weeks back. So I was nervous about that and my leg muscle I pulled. After stretching in my hotel room I headed back to the park. With Enter Sandman blasting from the speaker I entered the park with my adrenaline. The pain from my injuries were the last thing on my mind at this point. The kids were cool and it was nice to share the light with Johnny and Ron. So often when I do these type of things it's always just me. Midway through I got the nerve to climb up the top fence over the 10 foot steep wedge ramp. With Shane filming and the crowd doubting I was actually going to do this it gave me more courage to land it for sure. I put the tail of my board on the top of the fence, poped out with an added fingerflip and landed solid first try. I was stoked to land the stunt but for a demo the crowd wants to see a trail of slams till ya get it. But I'll take the successful 1st try. After all the skating and the Metallica Black album finishing out it was onto product tosses and poster signing. We later hosted a best trick contest around midnight, skated till about 4am then back to the hotel. With a few hours of sleep we meet up at 10am at the Waffle House across the street. From there we played detective and found an outdoor park in the city of Springfield. The weather was so perfect and it was good to just free skate without feeling like we were doing a demo. The kids were super cool and I made sure to hook them up with plenty of free goodies before we left. The rest of the crew had to go back to their hometowns so we all went our seperate ways. I went ahead and found another skatepark by myself a couple hours down the road. It was Cardington skatepark where I had done a few demos at the past couple summers ago. It was were my grandparents that are in my dvd live. There were just a couple kids skating and they welcomed me and remembered me from last summer. One kid had the worst worn out shoes I've seen in ages. He said he wore size nine and a half shoes so I did the good deed, reached in the back of my van and pulled out a brand new pair of NSS shoes still in the box. He was stoked and I was happy to help the dude out. The sun went down and I had my fix of skating from the past couple days and the 3 parks I hit. There are lots of events going on in December so check back often. Also, you'll see me in the Triple 8 Helmets catalog in 2007. I'm already filming for my next dvd so thats been a blast. So that's all for now. Special thanks to Johnny Mac Brown, Ron Rubert, Jenn, and Shane for all your help at the 180 demo. Till we meet again!
Doug B

::October 25th, 2006
Greetings everyone. Hope all is well and skate life is treating you well. I was out from skating a couple weeks ago, I pulled a muscle in my leg during a demo up by Cedar Point. It was early in the morning and I showed up without stretching or warming up. People were stoked and kept asking me "when you gonna skate" So the cameras were rolling and the music was blasting. I slamed pretty hard on a 360 bonless off a 6 ft. high wedge ramp that was about 1 foot in width. With the hungry crowd I kept going for the trick even though I was in deep pain in my leg. After a few attempts I finally landed the move. It was ok to have some down time to skate my local park and enjoy the normal things in life. Last summer I was on the road every weekend in a new location. It was great but it took its toll by late Sept. I'll be riding for some new companies in 2007 and will be dropping a couple sponors as well. Hope everyone saw me in Yocaher's full pager in Transworld a month ago. I was pretty stoked about that. Well my leg is back and I'm skating spots all over the place. I was back in Ohio last week and some new parks are popping up. I had a chance to skate Medina's skatepark and its pretty sweet. This coming Saturday the 28th I will be skating at Big Happy's in Bedford Hts Ohio. There will be 14 bands playing and it should be a blast. Its not a demo so anyone who wants to come out and hang it would be great to see you there. www.bighappys.com Till next time.. Doug Brown

::September 2nd-3rd, 2006
It's about midnight and I'm writing from my cabin here in Nashport. I survived the summer demos and all the tours. This month is booked every weekend so there is no slowing down this fall. This morning was a long rainy drive on the bus to the city of Nashport. Tomorrow afternoon I'm to do a demo and I'll be hosting a comp at the Dillon State Park for Family Fest 06. I got here early before the Ramps.com bus so I had the cabin all to myself for the day. Its pretty pimped out complete with a fireplace that starts with a touch of a button. Finally around 5 Neil and Tim showed up and we prepared the huge tent for tomorrow. Neil treated us to a dinner at the local bar and grill. Hopefully there will be blue skies tomorrow. Till then. (Sept,3rd) Today was insane! Woke up in the cabin to hear rain, not good. The guys went ahead for some breakfast and I stayed behind to sleep more. Things cleaned up mid-morning with some sun and a breeze. The crew set the ramps up and filled the two tennis courts fenced in park. To my surprise there were thousands of people and the event was bigger than I imagined. The day consisted of signing posters, t-shirts, and anything else people could find to bring to me. Before my demo I got to do a tv spot with NBC4 for their news show. After that Neil got on the mic and gave me a warm welcome and the tunes started blast from the speaker. Originally they had a little boom box but fortunately I had my huge guitar amp in my gear so we plugged it up and some serious juice. I did my demo through a few songs and all went well. The croud ate up my 360 bonless off the top of the 6 foot wedge the most. People dig that old school when I bring it out. The crowd was buzzed, I was buzzed, the event was great! I went on to host the comp and the locals were filled with talent. In my dvd, Solo I talk about the importance of conecting with the crowd. Today was one of the days I really had an opportunity to reach a lot of people. Between signing posters I always made my way out to the course to join and help the younger dudes out. As the sun went down we packed up to head to the next city. Everyone left today with something. Ramps.com was so generous that gave out well over 50 ramps to the skaters. Tomorrow I'll be stopping by my Grandparents for their 65 year wedding anniversary party. From there I'll be in another hotel room then back on the road. This weekend I'm hosting another comp then to San Diego for the ASR convention for a day. Thanks to the Ramps.com guys for an awesome demo and all the skaters who came out to ride. I met some great people today. Thanks everyone! Doug Brown

::July 29th, 2006
Life on the road, let me tell you I'm living it. Yesterday was spent in the van driving to Lancaster. Thanks to Mapquest I rolled into town around 7pm or so. Checked into the Hampton Inn and scored some Pizza Hut for dinner. I stayed at this same hotel about a year ago and knew I had to hit up the heated pool and hot tub, so I did. With the demo on my mind I couldn't sleep at all basically all through the night. I was walking circles around the hotel around 4am listening to some random tunes. Woke up around 10am today and the weather was not promising at all! Found a scetchy breakfast place and had some pancakes. The demo didn't start till 3pm which is definitely different as these things usually start in the am. It was killing time at their mall. I saw some flyers in Hot Topic and some other spots so it look liked the event orginizers did their job.I rolled up to the park about five till three and there was a sea of hungry skaters. The heat and sun was now blistering in the air. As I emptied the van and headed toward the table I was greeted to the masses. Normally I would jump in the skate park and do a demo right off the bat. With a swamp of kids hovering over my table starving for some free posters and stickers the signing began. I signed for well over an hour and was handed a mic for a short speech about my life and all. These kind of speeches are sometimes uncomfortable but can sometimes reach a few people and give them an insight to who I am and where I've come from. The skating went well but was insanely hot. It was product tosses throughout the day. I did this event last year but this year the hunger of the crowd was triple from last year. I did some of my death jumps off of some platforms and fences but still felt the crowd deserved more. I was there for them and wanted to step up. The announcer got everyone to gather around the spine. I had just randomly tried a 360 over this huge spine to see if it was doable. My brain said yes but my body said no. I took some really hard slams and landed from 10 feet onto my left heel which didn't feel good at all. The kids kept cheering and the music was increasing in volume and speed. I had to pull this. After five or six times I finally stuck the full spin and rolled away. Everytime I go to a park I try to make sure to leave my mark and do something no one has ever done or thought of. The day continued with questions, skating, and signing goofy things like cell phones and shoes. As always I made a point to talk to the kids and get to know them and their skate scene. The day ended well and even though I was limping I was happy how things went. Its the end of July and its been so unreal how this summer has played out. Demo after demo after demo. I'm tired and off to bed. Special thanks to Deann Kirkwood for everything and getting the event set up. There were a few people who drove a crazy amount of hours to see me, and I do appreciate it. And everyone from Lancaster for the warm welcome and great skate event. Till next time, Doug B

::July 26th, 2006
I'm in the van heading home from the Evolution Skatepark demo with Mike V and Revolution Mother. Ears are still ringing and the band was incredible. Mike even told me he couldn't believe that when he looked over Doug Brown was jammin to some Revolution Mother. It was an insane night! Before the set Jason from RM directed me to skate the half pipe before the show. I ran down the stairs and took a run. With the bass drum beating and the crowd chanting my name I was on 10 and threw down what I could. The set was super energetic and I was right up front jammin with Mike and the boys. Mike's ankle was tweaked so he didn't get to skate which was difinitely a bummer. The day was filled with the usual product tosses and poster signings. After the demo and the band finishing up I helped carry some gear to the bus. It was awesome to catch up with Mike and the band. A couple of weeks ago we were both at the same airport in New Jersey on the same day but they were there earlier in the day. It's been demos every weekend and will continue till mid september and life is good. The travel and adventures have been a blast! Special thanks to everyone who came out to Evolution tonight, Larry for diggin the dvd, Mike V for the support and kick ass night. Next stop is Lancaster for a demo Saturday. Till then peace out, Doug Brown

::July 5th-8th, 2006
I'm thousands of miles above the ground in a Continental express jet flying to Newfoundland. Yesterday I got to chill and spend time with friends and family for the 4th of July. Today was Cleveland where I randomly ran into my uncle at the airport, then flew to Newark New Jersey and now to St.John's Canada. The past month has been non-stop demos and appearances every weekend. I had a police escort to the Hillsboro demo which was a first. I tried to get out of it but they insisted. I felt like the president going through their little town with sirens leading me to the awaiting crowd, it was hilarious but a good memory. This summer so far has been truly amazing with all the kids and positive energy. The next four days are a mystery to me I just know I'm doing 3 big demos in three different cities around St.John's.  This town is in Newfoundland which is deep deep into Canada. I looked it up last night online and its in the middle of nowhere. It's been about a 6 hour flight and I'm being picked up by someone from the city council. I did see Ryan Dunn of Jackass today in Jersey which was yet another random person to run into while on tour.
July 6th, 2006
It's now Thursday morning. The flight went well. During imigration/customs I ended up signing a poster for the officers son. It's always nerve wracking going through imigration with your passport but even stranger signing a poster in the middle of it. One of my bags was lost thanks to Continental so I've only got half my load and no posters. Conrad from Conception Bay South (CBS) picked me out of the crowd and drove me 20 minutes to my bead and breakfast hotel. I thought I've stayed everywhere in my travels but this was a first. It was kinda like staying with my grandparents, I wasn't very comfortable. The next few days I'm being sent to 3 cities to do demos, I've never seen any of the parks and I have no idea what to expect. I know tomorrow is the biggest event and there will be well over a 1000 people there. It's now Thursday night and I'm in yet another bread and breakfast now in the city of Conseption Bay South Newfoundland. This family is very nice and they are extremely kind and hospitable. Today I was picked up around 1pm and sent to the awaiting crowd at the skatepark in Portugal Cove - St. Philips. The kids were great and even made a big welcome banner with my name on it. The park was all metal amnd pretty small but you could tell the kids appreciated what they had and skated it to the fullest. My demo went well with a big ol' finger flip off the huge fence to steep quarter pipe as the finale. After some lunch and doing some signing I was rushed off to my new bread and breakfast hotel. I ended up taking a really long walk into town to scope things out. I ended up running into some of the local skaters. Tomorrow is the big event in their town of CBS so they were jazzed about me being there. After doing some sight seeing I was scoped out by Mark Strong who is in charge of the demo for tomorrow. Him and his buddy picked me up and drove me to a huge cement park about 20 minutes away called Munday Pond. The sun was quickly going down so I had to squeeze in a session. Upon arriving I rolled around the huge walls of concrete and all the locals took notice. I really do just try to blend in and not trigger a demo but after a few moves and some of the kids noticing me the place freezes and I'm in the spotlight. The kids were super cool and extremely friendly. I scored a photo session with a photographer as the sun went down on the vert wall. It was completely dark by this point so the flash from the camera was blinding me every take which was a challange indeed. The kids were cool and dug my moves. I signed a sea of ball caps and shoes and the guys took me back to my hotel. A huge day tomorrow so it's lights out for me.
July 7th, 2006
It's now Friday night. Today was a big big day. I woke up around 10:30. My missing luggage was dileverd to my door so that was a nice start to the day. The family at the bread and breakfast hotel made me blueberry pancakes with bacon and a muffin. I feel like I'm being treated like a king at this place. They are the nicest people. Conrad from the city picked me up around noon and drove me to the demo at Conception Bay South. Driving up I could see a huge crowd of skaters, punks, metal heads, and emo kids. The park was located in a tennis court with ramps sprinkled about. I hid out in the van till Conrad introduced me to the skaters. The crowed gave me a really warm welcome and I took the mic. I did my normal speech, but it was a challage as the mic wasn't synced up to my voice so there was a delay in sound. I then sped across the park and jumped around like a mad man doing a handfull of my signature moves. The locals ate it up and then joined me so it was an all out jam. I saw lots of tech stuff and some rail action. I just couldn't believe how many skaters were in this town. Newfoundland is a nest of skateboarders let me tell you. I would go into town to eat and you would just see them everywhere, it was unreal! Throughout the day I helped host a contest and did some demos. I climbed up the fence of the quarter pipe to go for one of my infamous death drop from the top. Everyone gathered round and I took a good spill as I jumped off the fence into the ramp. On try two I added a finger flip and rolled away with a smile. After signing a load of posters with bands playing throughout I went on the stage for a final product toss. The crowd was hungry and I tossed a load of dvds into the masses. It was back to my hotel then out for a nice sit down dinner at Jungle Jim's restraunt. From there I walked a mile or so back to the skatepark for a night session. It was a blast and it was cool to spend time with the locals. Special thanks to the Piercey family for the ride back to my hotel. I'm sore and in need of a shower. Tomorrow is the last demo in the city of Paradice. Till then, peace out.
July 8th, 2006
It's now Saturday night, I survived all the demos and I'm still in one piece. I have some scratches and a chunk was taken from my right palm from the top of a pointed fence but other than that all is well. The demo this morning was to start at noon but by 12:30 no one came to pick me up from my hotel. So with communications crossed and a phone call an escort was sent out so I could make it to the demo in the town of Paradise. The bands were playing and people were all about. Most of the skaters were the same crew that was at the Conception Bay South demo yesterday so it wasn't really much of a new crowd. The park was metal and had little to offer but the locals shredded it up with me and everyone was happy to skate in the sunshine. There were loads of security guards which made no sence and they even busted a few guys for fireworks. Like, actually in the back of a cop car "your busted" deal. By 4pm the skating died down and Sean from X-it skateshop drove me into the town of St.John's to the Munday Pond skatepark, thank god! this park was huge and the place was filled with rippers. The energy was high and the session was so alive, it felt great. I was in a great mood since all 3 demos were done and were successful. It was pure skating tonight, no crowds, no demos just a huge community of people wanting to ride. I scored a load of pics in the big bowl and some hip stuff. After a few hours, some slams, and signing a load of posters I was worn out and ready to head back. Everyone said there good byes with some high fives and several "thanks for coming to our parks" The kids in Newfoundland are soul skaters and have the right attitude about skating. In my position I get to skate so many parks around the world that I've experienced so many different vibes. Canada has the right vibe. They are way more open to originality and are very respectful. The kids from my hometown in the states could learn a thing or two from the Newfoundlanders. They are super appreciative of their park and skaters like myself coming in to skate with them. They understood I was there for them and not there being "hollywood" or anything. I truly appreciate their attitudes and I met some great people on this leg of the tour. I will be back hopefully next summer. From here it's off to Newark New Jersey, then Cleveland, then to Maryland. Special thanks to Sean Power from X-it, Humphrey and Ann from the Bed & Breakfast, Mark Strong for everything, Conrad from the city of Conception Bay South. But most of all thanks to everyone who came out to all the events. I will always remember this and it has been the highlight of the tour and summer so far. I have to catch a plane and be up at 5am so it's time for bed for me. Later, Doug

::June 6th 2006
I just out of the shower and I think it's 2am or so. I'm in Paris Tennessee in my hotel room. Yesterday I flew into Nashville and was greeted by Clark owner of the 3rd floor skatepark. We drove a couple hours to the city of Paris. He told me they advertised on the radio and lots of people knew I was coming, the pressure was on. I got the town tour then got to check out the skatepark after hours. I skated a bit then was treated to a nice sit down dinner with Clark and his wife. Today I actually got to sleep in which never happens on demo days so that was nice. Scored some lunch then was picked up by Clarks assistant Rani and was escorted to the skatepark for my appearance. Upon arrival I could hear a sea of kids that filled the skateshop lobby. The welcome was very warm with applause and smiles, they made me feel like the president was in town. They had a full stack of posters and my Alien decks. During my signing they had my new dvd playing throughout the shop. The kids were stoked with energy. After the signing we all went up three flights of stairs to the top floor which housed the huge skatepark. This park was long and seemed like it went on forever. I was soon handed a microphone and spoke to the crowd. It was a short speech as we were all hungry to skate. The band started jamming loud and all hell broke loose. I started skating and was flooded with adrenaline. The floor was wooden like an old roller rink. After the demo I kept skating with the kids and the vibe was positive. The skaters were filled with smiles and compliments. I wanted to give something back. This lead to me attempting the 360 over the huge spine. After many attempts and some heavy slams I finally rolled away and pulled the trick. I was mobbed by the kids with high fives and cheers. It felt good and I wasn't on planning on leaving that building till I landed that move. The place was blistering humid and through four t-shirt changes I was still drenched. It was a great day and I was fulfilled. Tomorrow is sight seeing then back on the plane. A very special thanks to Clark, Rani, Christina and everyone in Paris that came out for the demo. See you soon! Doug

::June 2nd 2006
Greetings from the road. I'm pleased to announce my dvd is now available. It was a lot of work but i'm happy with how it turned out. Check your local skateshop or order it directly through dougbrownskate.com The past few weeks have been mainly finishing up the editing and doing some traveling. The summer is filling up with bookings and events so it should be a lot of fun. I'm home for the week then flying to Nashville for a demo at the 3rd Floor Skatepark at 205 East Washington Street, Paris, TN 38242 - June 10th. So much going on this summer, check the website for tour updates. Thanks to everyone who helped with filming. This project meant a lot to me and I couldn't of done it without you guys. Yocaher did another Transworld add with me and its in this months issue. Its an upside down invert. Here is the itinerary for the Canada tour, Thursday July 6 - Town of Portugal Cove - St. Philips Friday July 7 - Town of Conception Bay South Saturday July 8 - Town of Paradise. Thanks for the support and I'll be in touch everyone! Doug - MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/dougbrownskate

::April 21-22nd 2006
I'm in my hotel room in Wilmington North Carolina. I flew from Cleveland to Charlotte then to here. It's been a real busy month. I've been doing some random skatepark demos across the states. It's been non-stop filming. My video is finally in full swing and I've had a load of people involved in the project. The approach has been a documentary style movie with a window into my life on the road. Filming will rap up mid July with my final stop in Newfoundland Canada for a demo. It should hit shelves mid August depending on distribution. I scored a photo in a Yocaher full page add in Transworld Magazine this month. It's cool to be back in North Corolina as it's been two years since I was here last. A lot has changed in my skate world since then. 4/22/06 It's 7:30am, last night was insane! I met up with Clark and his skate crew from Tennessee in the hotel lobby. We all went 20 minutes away to he Skate Barn skatepark for the Eastern party. The band The Needles were rockin the night away beside the sick bowl. I skated for 7 hours. I got to skate with Tony Alva which was feakin unreal. Greg Carrol, Jim Grey and a handful of old school cats were all there to shred with. The session was one of the best I had in years. The vibe was awesome and I was taken back how receptive everyone was to my skating. It was soul skating all night indeed. Today I'm off to the Eastern Supply Warehouse convention. The show was great. I signed posters all day long, met with owners of skateparks/skateshops, company reps, and I got to chill with some of my sponsors, Negative 1, Softrucks, and Triple 8. It was great to see lot of the same people I hooked up with in San Diego. Tony Alva was there and I got to talk to him for a few. I also got to talk with Z-boys ring leader Skip Engblom, that was a trip. I had a bad slam on the ramp though, I landed really hard on my left palm which was already in bad shape. It really hurt and put me out for the rest of the day. Fatigue from yesterdays session set in with most of the skaters. My bud Johnny Whitehead drove over 11 hours to join in the fun. It was cool to have him there and share the event with. It had been his first industry event and I remembered how it was for me the first time I did an industry event. I'm so tired mentally and physically. After the party my sponsor took me out to a killer dinner and it was back to the hotel for some rest up. I'm off to Long beach next. Till then.. thanks to everyone who helped filmed and special thanks to Chuck, Clark, Johhny, and Mel. Later - Doug Brown

::March 4th 2006
It's 10:35 pm and I'm chillin after a long skate weekend. I've been in Ohio for the week and things have been crazy. This morning started with an hour drive to meet Chris from the Sports Talk Network at Chengaworld skatepark in Cleveland. While driving up I saw a couple car loads of kids waving and stoked to see me. I gave a heads up a day before to some locals so they could get some footage on tv. Without warm up I slammed down some lunch and entered the park. They had a guy filming and a still camera guy for photos. Thank god tunes were playing and the kids were stoked, so that helped. My bud Johnny Whitehead showed up to help out and got some sick rail moves for the show. I had to step up and go big for a finale so I shot up the big quarterpipe to rail, then fingerflipped back into the tranny. After four tries I rolled away and felt content with the shot. With limited time I was rushed into a car and sped into downtown Cleveland to the TV studio. I had no idea what to expect but after entering the studio it was clear this was a legit operation and things were gonna go well. With two host that skate and the sound mixer that skates there will be no shortage of skate talk. It was a blast. Topics were worthy and most of all I got to speak out about Ohio skateboarding and clear some things up about my career. Being from Ohio there seems to be no end of incorrect rumors. After three hours the show came to an end. I did some photos, a couple voice overs for promo and it was back to the skatepark. I was dizzy and tired but happy to end my night out where it started, at the skatepark. After signing a load of posters and catching up with old friends it was back to the van for the long drive back. Loads of events ahead on the radar so check the site soon. Last week I hosted a game of skate that was fun at Evolution Skatepark, thanks everyone who came out. Before that I was in California and I will be going back mid-March. Keep a look out for Yocaher's Transworld adds in the next couple of months. You can see some of them in the front of the new photo section on this site. Thanks again for everyone who called in the show and showed up at Chengaworld. If you missed the show you can download it at www.sportstalknetwork.com Also I will be at the Eastern Skateboard Supply's open house April 22nd in Willmington North Carolina, check tour dates for more info. Talk to you soon, Doug Brown

::January 30th 2006
Here we are in 06. I was planning on writing all weekend but never scored the time. It's Monday morning and I'm back from the long weekend at the Extreme Sports Expo. Friday morning was spent all day on the highway to my destination. It had been awhile since I did an event that didn't involve a plane so it was good to be back in the tour van. After I got into my hotel it was off to get some dinner which was at an authentic Italian restaurant. On the road I like to treat myself to a good meal and stay clear of the fast food. So upon arriving early saturday morning I navigated into the maze of the city. Entering the expo center I had no idea what to expect as this was the first run for this show. It looked small but I cold see the glisten of the ramps in the far back. I was jazzed to see they had ramps. Initially I was told they couldn't get any. So I was ecorted to the athlete lounge where I would spend the next couple days between demos signing posters. Along side me were my Ninja Bearing team mate and world champ of street luge David Dean, moto cross rider Aaron Smith, motoroad racer Larry Pegram and his team. The skate demos were shared with the Effort skateboard team. They had some amazing talent and helped the demo without a doubt. The setup was more street but they had a couple launches and transfers that grabbed my attention. The crowds were great and very receptive to everything. I got to do some media and hooked up with some cool new companies. I'll be on Total Extreme Sports TV and live webcast on March 4th, 3-6pm at www.sportstalknetwork.com I've been invited to perform at the Roller Girls intermission shows, that should be intersting. The highlight from the show was meeting all the kids and getting all the feedback from the public. Thanks to everyone who came out to the show it was a blast. I'm signing to do 2 summer camps this year. The first one in june is in Newfoundland Canada so I'll be flying there. So much more to report so stay tuned. You can see me in Stuck Magazine issue #11 this month in a photo spot. I'm home for a couple of days then head out to Cali for the Jay Adams benefit in Simi Valley. Till then, Doug B

::December 31st 2005
Well its new years and I had to get up at 6am to catch a direct flight to Kansas city for a demo. I only got 20 minutes of sleep as usual. It was striaght from the airport to the Sheriton. I called the front desk for a taxi so a few minutes later I rolled downstairs. Here it turned out to be a small limo being that this was a classy hotel. Oh man. So the driver interviewed me the whole way there about my skate life and such. I made it to KC Skatepark and the driver said he wanted to come in and see me skate. This was odd but I said what the hey. The park was huge and had a huge bowl that their website didn't show. I honestly had no idea what to expect from this place. The kids wanted the goods right off the bat. I didn't wanna sign anything without skating and doing my thing. The kids ate up my moves up and I was stoked out of my mind with Metallica blasting from the speakers. My driver was even up on the bowl cheering me on giving me the thumbs up. After the first leg of the demo it was into the lobby for posters. Normally these things are calmer but these kids were like fish starved for food. People were grabbing posters and stickers. I was nervous the little ones were gonna get squashed. After some convo and some stories it was back out to the street course. I got to do some photos and had some solid runs. I will definetly make it back to Kansas this spring and summer on the next tour. It was a blast and I left fulfilled with the day. My newest sponsor is Triple8 helmets. Next I'm headed to the Extreme Sports Expo 1/28-29/06. Check www.extremesportsexpo.com for more info. Also on the newsfront my pal Gordy Lienemann who is close with Jay Adams emailed me about a benifit jam for Jay. Apparently he is in some kind of trouble. The benifit will be at the Skatelab in Simi Valley California on Feb. 4th. Check my tour dates for more info. It's late and I'm on some hotel computer so I gotta jet. Be sure to check out the new photo section and the additions to my MySpace. Thanks to everyone at KC and Cory for his hospitality. It's been an amazing year. Thanks for all your support. Night all, Doug Brown

::December 18th 2005
I just got home from a long skate weekned. The road has been very busy even with winter here. I'm home for a week then I jump on a plane to Kansas City for a demo. Friday I got to join Bruce from Skatopia for an insane session that lasted till midnight. Their crew showed up in a phat limo complete with horns and a splash of stickers. It was great to catch up with some people I haven't seen in over a year. With a few hours of sleep I drove to E.M.S. Skate Supply for a poster signing at 1pm. The drive was long but the pay off was worth it. The kids were cramed in this haunted house vibe skate shop. It had three rooms, one even with blood painted throughout. It was actually a really cool place and the owner Randy was so much like Kip from Dogtown. Even with the freezing temperature I wanted to make sure to skate with the kids and not be "Hollywood" and just sign posters. We all went outside and had a rad flatland sessions complete with inverts and some ledge diving. After doing some photos I jumped on the turnpike and found my way to Chenga Skatepark. I hadn't been there in almost two years so it was great to be back. With a parade of kids following I was forced into demo mode. They were cool and liked what I dished out as I sessioned throughout the park. It's been a good time to lay low and have some chilled down time. I've recently put together a MySpace page due to the suggestion of my sponsors, www.myspace.com/dougbrownskate. Special thanks to Johnny Whitehead and Matt O for joining me on the road at 180 Skatepark for that demo. The kids had a blast and I was glad you guys were there. The Kansas City demo is at KC Skatepark at 7pm @ 9105 Flint, Overland Park, Kansas City on December 30th. I will be doing demos and signings at the Extreme Sports Expo 1/13-15/06. Check www.extremesportsexpo.com for details. Keep skating and thanks for the support throughout the year. You guys help me keep going. Happy Olliedays, Doug B

::November 13th 2005
Well the road has been good to me. I've had some demos the past couple of weekends and now I'm home for some much deserved down time. I was going to be in Nashville this week but sadly Mike V broke his ankle and had to cancel his tour. No worries he will be back soon. This Friday I'm headed back on the road to 180 Skatepark for a demo and I'm hosting the best trick contest. More info click www.180skatepark.com I'm bringing a special guest on the road, Johnny Whitehead. I just finished a tv commercial for X-Air deodorant that will air in China in the next couple of months. Keep your eye out for the Softrucks adds in Transworld and on Ollie Pop packages. Also Negative 1 Griptape will be running a new poster next month. I've been approached by so many skaters everywhere I go. It's been a blessing to be in this position and I'm living everday to the fullest. Meeting these people and sharing stories and sessions make everything I've been doing worth while. I'll write more next week when I leave. Peace out, Doug

::September 20th 2005
Here in Canada, second night here and I had to look at a calander to figure out the date today, I'm losing track. Yesterday I arrived in Niagara Falls and had the day free to play tourist. Lots of walking, a wax museum,a tour of Ripley's Believe it or not museum, and finishing the day in a big hot tub. Today was demo day and I had no idea what the park would be like. After a free breakfast and a visit to the falls it was straight to the skatepark. Upon arrival I saw a sea of skaters hungry to session. The park was super sweet with ledges, big wedges, nice hips, and a killer cement bowl. After one finger flip to tail the park froze. The kids were stoked and ate up every move I dished out. Lots of kids told me they've never seen anyone do the tricks I do. To me that was a huge compliment. The guy from the newspaper had me do some frontside airs in the bowl with the kids in the backround for photos. After the interview it was sticker toss and poster signings. Finishing the demo I wanted to extend the day and just skate with the kids. After a handful of slams I created a couple highlights for myself. I landed my 360 over the gap and ended with a finger flip shifty over the huge launch. These kids were sincere and so kind to my being there. I was putting my heart into my skating today and I was having a really good time. I scored a nap at the hotel then to Vinny's italian restaurant for a 30 dollar plate of spaghetti. Glad my sponsor was footing the bill. It's very pricey here. Canada wins the award for most Star Bucks per street corner hands down. I'm getting lots of mail and email about the X-Air deodorant, they're selling across the world in loads of stores. Look for me in Transworld the next couple of months with the Softrucks adds. Also I'll be in Skunk Skate Magazine next month. I'm now riding for Ninja Bearings. My ankle is in pain tonight so I'm off to bed, one to many airs today. Lots ahead. See you all soon, Doug B

::September 9th-10th 2005
I'm here in San Diego. Summer 2005 was absolutely amazing. I'm making a living skateboarding. My sponsors have been good to me and I've survived the demos. The kids I've influenced and all the people I've reached have givin my job and life a purpose. I'm grateful to be where I am. Last night I skated Coronado Springs concrete park. The park was sweet and housed plenty of old school shredders. Today at ASR was phenomenal. I got to meet up with lots of my sponsors and skate with some of the top pros in the world. I finally met Bam so I can say "yes" to the most common question skaters ask me. Other highlights were Danny Way, Steve Caballero, Christian Hosoi and John Lucero. MC Ryan got on the mic and told everyone to clear the ramp for me. He did this twice during the demo. The guy was diggin my style but damn it put me on the spot. All eyes were on me and my heart was pumpin. With crowd and rippers I wasn't planning on slammin. My run was alright but the crowd seemed to embrace what I was pulling off. In between ramp sessions I was joining the ES guys on flatland. Koston of course was on fire and was pulling some sick moves. Bobby and Anthony from Yocaher took me out to a classy dinner so much thanks. It's lights out. (9/10/05) Today had a late start and I took a cab to downtown San Diego. The show was jammed and I headed straight to the ramp. Lots of familiar faces and the vibe was much chilled compared to yesterday. Jon Reeves and I hosted the game of skate with Softrucks. Lots of talent showed up and busted some original stuff. Later in the afternoon I ran into Ron Jeremy, it was funny. Legendary skateboarder Gordy Lienemann is now riding for Yocaher so I got to spend a great deal of time talking with him. The guy is super cool and has been with the sport from the beginning. After the show Bobby, Anthony, Gordyand I all went into San Diego's little Italy for dinner. We had some laughs. I must say it was a very entertaining dinner. Lots of suit and ties and we roll in with are skate gear. Special thanks to all at Yocaher, Joe from Softrucks, Dan Macfarlane for the support, Justin for the transport from Coronado Springs, Tom Fain and Gordy Lienemann for the time and talks. Next I'm headed to Canada next week, till then peace out, Doug Brown

::September 8th 2005
I'm back in the air and on another plane. I'm headed to Phoenix then to San Diego for the ASR convention. The past three weeks have been intense. It was a week on the road doing demos ending on an eleven hour drive from West Virginia to Fushing Michigan. Clouds and rain filled the air on the drive but as I arrived to the demo it was nothing but sunshine. The kids were stoked and the reception was great. While doing MC for the contest I hosted I suggested someone drop off the nine foot tall pop machine. I had set myself up without knowing it. After my demo and signing a large crowd circled around the pop machine. Here I was a man of my word. Being the showman I found my way leaping into the air. First attempt was a slam. Adding a fingerflip the second time I landed to applause and high fives, I was buzzed. Yesterday I did an interview at 10am at a skatepark for the X-Air deodorant. After a hand shake and a brief talk it was straight to photos. Without warmup and lack of sleep I somehow landed a 360 indy over the spine. A few airs with the deo in the foreground all was done.

::August 20th 2005
It's 12am and I just got back from the show at Schottenstein Arena. Having 20,000 people cheering me on while skating the half pipe in the middle of the coliseum was an incredible rush. The crowd was super pumped and the show was a blast. Yesterday I arrived here and got to skate two local cement parks near Schottenstein. Today was busy busy. First I was picked up at the hotel by my sponsor at 10am. From there I got to scope out the setup in the arena and ride during sound check. Shortly after I got to perform a demo for the crowd waiting outside and the media. Directly after I was rushed into check in and then to my dressing room. The demo was with me on the half pipe, Kevin Bickel and Tim Byrne on flat land with Jon Greer and Aaron Johnson on bmx. Waiting to go on at 8:53 between bands was like a three hour lay over at an airport. Finally are names were announced and we walked out behind the black curtain. I felt like a tiger on a leash that just got cut to run wild. The energy inside the arena was powerful. My heart was pumpin and the crowd was very receptive to our performance. As I rode near the front of the crowd a sea of high fives would greet me. Jon and Aaron ended the show with back to back back-flips and the crowd was roaring. After our show the last band played and I was shot up to the arena lobby to sign posters and meet and greet. The people were very complimentary and thankful of our show. This is a night I will never forget. My mother would of been very proud and she was there in spirit. The next two weeks are non-stop travel. I will be in Maryland tomorrow, then West Virginia then onto a demo in Michigan then to San Diego. Special thanks to Gerry and crew, Rob and Robby, Travis, all the riders, and everyone with Jammin'. See you soon, Doug B

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