May 19th, 2008 In Wilmington with 3rd Lair Team
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 In Connecticut
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 Tony from DBS for helping us out. So many events
coming up and I'm filming more than ever for the next
dvd. Till next time, DougSportstalk
Network 3/22/08 5-8pm EST - New shoe sponsor Sneaux Shoes
|
February
7th, 2008 Hometown Brown
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 11, 2008 Skate Straight Hits the Road
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 American Red Cross Festival of Trees
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 DARE America, 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.
Saturday, November 10, 2007 A Positive Impact
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 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.
Wednesday,
October 24, 2007 I’m still strummin.. Best of CD
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
Saturday,
September 29, 2007 Out on the road and lovin it!
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
Sunday,
August 19, 2007 Lexington stop, on the road again
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
Wednesday,
July 18, 2007 Dew Tour
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!
Monday, July 16, 2007 See you at the AST Dew Tour
July 19-22 -
North Coast Harbor
Cleveland, OH See ya there!
Saturday,
July 07, 2007 From the road, Dew Games, Ollie Pop dvd...
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
Sunday,
June 10, 2007 Bliss of the Unwind
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. Regards, Doug
Monday,
April 02, 2007 5 parks in 3 days, life on the road...
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 rollin 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 Total Extreme Sports Show
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 Orlando, car crash and filming
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 ASR and updates
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 AST Dew Tour will be in Cleveland this July. For those
who don't know everything started for me as a result of the
Gravity Games 02 in Cleveland. 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
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