San Francisco

R.I.P. Waldo Autry

 

Waldo Autry 1957-2013. On January 23, 2013 Waldo Autry, a skateboard legend, street luger and the definition of an adrenaline junky passed away. Waldo was a friend to everyone that knew him. He touched the lives of many and his passing away was a shock to everyone who knew him.

Waldo was best known for inventing the kickturn on an invert in the Baldy pipes. He raced in the Signal Hill speed runs and made the cover of many skateboarding magazines. He was always pushing the limits with everything he did. “If they were going to jump over a car, I was going to jump over a garage” Waldo said in an interview with Juice Magazine.

Not only is Waldo well known for skateboarding but he was also a well known street luger. Most people who don’t know much about street luging know him for his participation in the Red Bull luge launch in San Francisco.

The skateboarding he did in bowls far exceeded others of his time. Anybody who skateboarded in the 70′s would know who Waldo Autry was and anyone who has ever had the chance to meet or ride with the man has a story to tell.

My first time meeting him was at Barrett Junction and it was obvious that he was willing to push the envelope. Waldo only knew how to charge into things hard.

At Barrett Junction I saw him crash twice and both times were crazy. I know he liked the way I told the story of his crash. I was street luging right behind him and almost got tangled up in his wreck with Niko Kroha. “It was probably better to crash there then to make it,” Waldo said after I told him my recollections about watching his crash and how crazy it was. I pretty much had first row seats to the crash following right behind him down the hill.

Waldo Autry’s crash with Niko Kroha was one of the gnarliest street luge crashes that I have witnessed in person.

Niko was out in front of Waldo, I was right behind them and Tabitha Mitchell was right behind me.

Waldo went for the pass on Niko on the inside. Niko was pretty far inside though and there wasn’t much room for him to pass.

Instead of throwing his feet down and braking Waldo was trying so hard to pass Niko two of his wheels left the road for a second. As soon as this happened he got the speed wobbles and wobbled straight through the right hand turn before Docs corner.

As he wobbled through the turn he clipped wheels with Niko causing him to lose his line.

Waldo hit the rock and dirt covered wall at around 45 mph and the wall exploded around him.

After his wheel was clipped Niko was also headed to the dirt and rock wall. As soon as his luge left the road the front dug into the dirt and catapulted him into the wall.

Me and Tabitha Mitchell threw our brakes down because we were right behind them when all this went down and the crash looked pretty intense.

I looked up to the crash scene and waldo was laying on the side of the road not moving. His street luge was flipped upside down on top of him.

Niko was also walking towards Waldo. “Waldo? (no response)…….Waldo are you there?” said Niko.

All of a sudden Waldo started shaking around and shoving the street luge off of himself. “I was just checking everything out, making sure I was alright” said Waldo.

Waldo Autry was a man, a legend and a friend to everyone who knew him. His passing is definitely a big blow to the community but he is a man who will never be forgotten.
The stories about him will live on forever. – Lee

Red Bull Flugtag San Francisco 2012

An entertaining day full of cheesy dance skits, colorful costumes and many unsuccessful attempts at flight. The Red Bull Flugtag event brought 116,000 spectators to McCovey Cove, right outside of the San Francisco Giants stadium.

Thirty-five teams lined the streets getting ready for their turn to launch their homemade crafts off a 30 ft tall ramp. These crafts had requirements to be under 450 lbs including the pilot and to be less than 30 feet wide.

The Red Bull Air Force Team skydove in and landed on the dock. Soon after that a song that must have been named “jump” started playing. All I could see was orange hair and pom pom’s bouncing around everywhere as the team danced around their float.

“Extra long, super talented, their sweating. Time to get into your pizza tub. ” said the announcer.

The pilot got into the craft as the other 4 members of the pilot crew pushed the craft off he end. The craft flipped off the end catapulting the pilot off the top. He ended up in the water at about the 30 ft mark.

Each team had their own little skit they performed. Everything from men painted in full body paint as different cats, to guys in American flag speedo’s. There was a banana float, a Nyan cat, a flying Dia Del Muerte style skull (2nd place) and even a flying dragon.

Team Movember decked out with fake mustache’s won the contest flying 58 ft. “The superior engineering of the most distinguished of mustaches cannot fail,” said team captain William A. Hinkamp.

The Californauts won the people’s choice awards flying a huge surfboard into the sea.

My personal favorite was Team Skyjackers which was the third place team. The team all dressed up as Jack from Jack in the Box in all suits and a big white bobble heads. They all started bouncing and dancing around “kinda in coordination” to a popular rap song….”Poppin’ bottles in the ice. Like a blizzard. When we drink we do it right getting slizzard……” After shaking their buts around and dancing like corporate geeks the pilot climber up a ladder and into the taco pilot cabin on top of the aircraft. “You gotta go faster then that, you gotta go faster than that. Go, go!” Yelled the announcer. They pushed the craft off the end and it soared to about 60 ft. The pilot didn’t even get wet, still safely on top of the craft in the taco he sat.

At the end of all this hilarity Team Movember got the bragging rights and won an unforgettable day of skydiving alongside the Red Bull Air Force team.

The second prize winners Team Sugarskull won a chance to sail the sea’s with ORACLE TEAM USA in ttheir chase boat.

The third prize winner s Team Skyjackers won a chance to go to iFly and participate in some indoor skydiving with a member of the Red Bull Air Force team.

Freebord team invades So Cal

When you have a growing and innovative sport like freebording, gather up all the best riders in the sport and take them on a trip, epic times are to be had.

Traveling south through L.A and finding a great hill with fresh wet slurry on it was fustrating. It was time for the team to head farther south to Orange County.

After finding some of the best hills in Southern California it was not long before the cops came to tell us to leave. They told us about a ban on hills in the city and gave us a pamphlet showing all the banned hills.

Thinking we had won after finding a hill that wasn’t on the list the Dethbox (Freebord van) crashed into a parked Mustang.

It was time to move on to other hills. Heading down south to a popular road in San Clemente everyone got some shredding in without being hassled.

The trip wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the skate park. The shreddage and elbow/hip/ass carnage was exhilerating to watch.

Nicolas Gaillard does a 360 at San Clemente skatepark

After another day of shredding the team was headed back up north.

Epic hills, cops, car crash, more cops, shredding, getting yelled at by the locals, camping, more shredding, road rash, swell bows, skate parks, and more shredding. Wouldn’t be a Freebord trip without all of this.

Related articles

• R.I.P. Sam Trowbridge (adrenaline-fueled.com)
• What a year so far… (adrenaline-fueled.com)

R.I.P. Sam Trowbridge

Sam Trowbridge caught a heel edge riding his freebord with no helmet on 4-20-2011 at around 4:25 p.m. He hit his head and was rushed to the hospital where doctors did what they could to help him. Sam was pronounced brain dead this morning 4-21-2011 and died this afternoon surrounded by his family, girlfriend, and many of his friends.

Doctors say he did not suffer since he was knocked unconscious right away. Sam a member of the freebord pro team 2011 was at the beginning of a freebord journey that was to end up in San Francisco. He was in Auckland at the time of the accident.

Sam’s riding abilities, video editing skills and love for the sport was seen by all. He inspired many riders and touched peoples lives who he had never met.

The following are some of my favorite videos Sam has edited. A lot of these inspired me to get out there and ride.

SAM, WE WILL MISS YOU BUDDY!

So Cal Represent 2010

The Dethbox crew rolled down from San Francisco for an epic weekend of riding. Filled with some of the best roads in L.A and Southern California and lots of blood and sweat. I lagged hard making this video but here it is for all of you to enjoy.

Film/Edit by Lee Eisler and Dan Shanker

Riders: Dub C Rider(John Laudin), Bently , Bob Glashan, Lee Eisler, Dan Brunner, Chipper(Nic Ruiz), Gooner(Austin Lin),

Alex McClellan, Tyler Stoehr, Damian

And Freebords version made and filmed by Bently Anderson

L.A. Sessions Part 2

This edition of L.A. Sessions occurred when the Dethbox and crew rolled down from San Francisco for their So Cal Represent 2010 ride. Bently Anderson handled filming duty with the GoPro for a run and pumped out some awesome footage!  Here is some raw footage from the top of one of my favorite roads.

Who is that skateboard dude that snuck into the Dethbox???

Video: Bently Anderson

Riders: Dan Brunner, Bently Anderson, John Laudin (Dub C Rider),  Bob Glashan, Nic Ruiz (Chipper), Alex McClellan and Max Capps