Miika Adamov was the overall winner of the 2012 MAKE IT COUNT Contest at Epic Skatepark in Sacramento, CA. Miika will join contest winners from all over the world at the finals at Element YMCA Camp in August, along with a trip to The Berrics. The next MAKE IT COUNT Contest will be in New England on February 25th.

Even before the 6pm start people were queuing up outside and throughout the evening the ‘Made my Day’ gallery hosted hundreds of visitors keen to see the new collection and Thomas’ wall piece.

High Snobiety filmers and photographers were on hand to cover the event, so stay tuned for the video and photo gallery! In the meantime check out these few photos below and also Thomas Campbells’ website to see more of his work.

Julian Davidson and Nick Garcia came up with this special set of Travel Well cruiser boards, called “Day Trippin’”. Designing them was one thing, but what came next was the fun part; hitting the streets. Nick and Julian headed off to Skate Camp, and took the long road to get there. From bombing hills and crushing rocks to flatground and mini ramps, these boards are truly all terrain vehicles.

Music by:
Boom Chick
“Ghost of Bo Didley”
boomchickboomchick.com

GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DAY TRIPPIN’ SERIES:

The Element “MAKE IT COUNT” 2012 International contest series continues this Saturday Jan. 28th, 2012 in Sacramento, CA at Epic Skate Park. Entry fee for the contest is one canned food item that will be donated to local food banks. The overall winner of the contest will win a trip to Element YMCA Skate Camp for the Finals and get a private session at The Berrics with the Element team for the summer of 2012. Element special guests Levi Brown, Julian Davidson and Boo Johnson will be on hand to help judge the contest. See you in Sacramento for Stop #2!

For more information on the contest click HERE.

Click HERE to go behind the scenes with Nyjah as he revisits some of the worst slams during filming of “RISE & SHINE.”

For more information on The Transworld Skateboarding Awards and to see all nominees click HERE.

The brief on the show reads:
Slam Dance culminates the last two years of his art practice in the city. The show aims to beautifully reflect the various active components of the universe that combine to create mystery in our lives. Influenced by ritualized shamanic art practices, graffiti, and the spiritual path, Slam Dance seeks to stimulate the creative spirit within people in the gallery space to ripple outward into the larger world. The Slam Dance is the distilled force that comes from synthesizing the ancient and the modern psyches and the urban and natural landscapes.

Check it out if you are in the area, otherwise take the tour with grand opening video, zine download and photos.

In conjunction with stop #1 of the MAKE IT COUNT International Contest series, Nyjah Huston, Levi Brown, Evan Smith and Donny Barley traveled to Orlando, FL for a team signing.  The diverse crowd of people visiting Universal from around the globe made for a great event. Special thanks to everybody who came out and made this event possible. For more photos from the signing see the Flickr set HERE.

The Element “Make it Count” 2012 International contest series is scheduled to kick off on Jan. 7th, 2012 in Orlando, Fl at Midtown Skate Park.  Entry fee for the contest is one canned food item that will be donated to local food banks.  The overall winner of the contest will win a trip to California for the Finals and get a private session at The Berrics with the Element team for the summer of 2012.  Element special guests Nyjah Huston, Levi Brown, Evan Smith, Donny Barley and Matt Fink will be on hand to help judge the contest.  See you in Orlando for Stop #1!

For more information on the contest check out our events page or click HERE.

Join Nyjah Huston, Levi Brown, Evan Smith and Donny Barley at the Element store at Universal Citywalk on Jan 6th for a team signing. Signing starts at 5pm.

The recent Travel Well video, featuring Chad Tim Tim, was set to a soundtrack by the band BOOM CHICK. Now, the band is preparing to release their new single “Shake Can Well” and the first 100 pre-orders will receive it on clear purple vinyl! We’ve already got our order in, and are checking the mail every day.

You can listen to the new music on their Bandcamp page, and pre-order the album there too. For more information on the band, including music and tour dates, check out their site; BOOM CHICK. And look for the next Travel Well commercial, starring Julian Davidson and Nick Garcia, coming soon.

Nyjah Huston goes behind-the-scenes with an exclusive interview, discussing some of the worst slams and best tricks of his video part, “RISE & SHINE”.

Filmed by: Kirk Dianda, Marc Falkenstien, and Nathan Groff
Edited by: Kirk Dianda

“RISE & SHINE” is now available worldwide on iTunes.

http://bit.ly/Nyjah-iTunes

On Friday, December 2nd, Element and Elemental Awareness teamed up with the WLCAC in Watts, CA for a day of art and skateboarding.

Element Advocates Mike Kershnar and Todd Francis were there to help the kids create their very own hand painted board which they were able to keep. Afterward,  Element team riders Nyjah Huston, Mark Appleyard, and Ray Barbee skated with kids at the recently built skatepark.

Elemental Awareness would like to thank the WLCAC,  Create-A-Skate, Vitamin Water, and Kind Snacks for helping make this event great… See you next year!

Skateboardermag caught up with Thomas in New York and snapped a few photos from his mural at Max Fish and show at the Half Gallery. Click HERE to see the full article.

In part three (of four), Nyjah gets down and out in San Diego with a backside smith gone wrong.

Nyjah Huston goes behind-the-scenes with an exclusive interview, discussing some of the worst slams and best tricks of his video part, “RISE & SHINE”.

Filmed by: Cole Mathews, Kirk Dianda, and Nathan Groff
Edited by: Kirk Dianda

“RISE & SHINE” is now available worldwide on iTunes.
http://bit.ly/Nyjah-iTunes

Element Youth team rider Asher Bradshaw has been drawing some attention in the LA area at only 8 years old.  He caught the eye of film maker Kathy Herndl who has been filming a documentary about Asher for the past couple of years.  Now in the post production phase of her project, she needs your help to finish the film.  They have almost raised their goal but still need help.  To find out more about this project or how you can help, click here.

Now you can start learning how to skate from Element’s pros for free! Know Skateboarding Street Fundamentals Free gives you an exclusive first pass to becoming a great skater. You can use this app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, and you don’t even need any data connection.

Get the full version of “Know Skateboarding” featuring Element pros Chad Tim Tim, Darrell Stanton, Levi Brown, and Mark Appleyard. Between these four pros and the twenty-two tricks they teach you, this is the most powerful tool you could ever keep in your pocket.

Click HERE to download the FREE version

Click HERE to download the FULL version

Bon Dia!  I just back from Sao Paulo Brazil, it was an incredible voyage.  I was flown down there by OE Magazine to participate in the Keep Abreast Foundation’s I ♥ Boobies exhibition.  I hooked up with Roger Mancha from Element Brazil and we had a great time skating and painting all over the place.  I was very inspired by the vibrant Brazilian culture and delicious foods.  Check out this video and flix from the trip.  I feel so blessed to get to explore the world with my skateboard and spray paint and I hope to continue to do and see more.  Obrigado.  One Love.

Nyjah’s RISE & SHINE part was a long time coming and plenty of blood, sweat and tears were poured into the final product. This, the second in a four-part series of behind the scenes extras gives a behind the scenes look and Nyjah’s account of how the 24-stair smith went down. I, for one, can’t imagine how it feels to sack a rail while still twelve stairs up. Check out Nyjah manning up and handling business after one of the nuttiest slams ever. Download the full part HERE.

In in the end, Zach Payton (left) faced off against last years winner and defending champion Marcel (right) in finals. After a heated and very exciting final round, it was Zach Payton who overcame and now holds the Yorba Linda game of S.K.A.T.E. crown. Congratulations Zach and a special thanks to everybody who came out last night. We had a blast and can’t wait till next year.

Element Advocate Michael Kershnar has a solo show opening this weekend, Friday Dec 10th. The show is called “Slam Dance” and will be held at the RVCA I VASF Gallery on Haight St. Opening reception starts at 7pm.

Nyjah’s RISE & SHINE part was a long time coming and plenty of blood, sweat and tears were poured into the final product. This, the first in a four-part series of behind the scenes extras, details Nyjah’s struggle in Costa Rica with a long, crusty seven-flat-seven handrail. As if the lengthy rail and janky landing area weren’t enough to contend with, Nyjah’s presence drew a massive crowd of onlookers. Whether or not they had anything to do with the cringe-inducing sack is anybody’s guess. Regardless, the nollie crooks went down. Download the full part HERE.

“Every dream should start with a passion.” That was the message that Element representatives Todd Larson and Todd Francis left with TWLC students in early November. Larson and Francis came as guest speakers as part of TWLC’s Career Exploration Program, wowing students with inspiring stories about their experiences working at Element.  Click Here to read full article.

While we’re on the subject of the TWS Buyer’s Guide and gift ideas, here’s a few for your rad Dad, best bud or yourself…
As rare as skateable pole jams are, you’d be a fool not to grab one of our DROP SPOT Pole Jams.  They’re strong, portable and fun as hell.
If you’re hitting the town in your ratty old skate shoes, it’s time to step up your game with Element’s Emerald Footwear collection. They’re guaranteed to stink less than your skate kicks and attract 2000% more ladies.

A Travel Well cruiser board is just the tool for a quick run to the liquor store or taco shack. If you catch an urge to shred along the way, they’re more than capable of enduring whatever you can throw at it, as proven by Tim Tim’s Berrics Bangin! clip.

Elemental Awareness hit the road to visit their friends on the Apache, Flathead, and Navajo reservations, where they were able to skate with the kids, and connect on a larger level…

Through the CHANGING LIVES THROUGH SKATEBOARDING program, they were able to give away more than 100 pairs of shoes, 50 skateboards and tons of other product. Needless to say, the kids were hyped and received some much needed gear.

Click here to see some photos from the tour. And for more information on Elemental Awareness and their programs, visit their site and Facebook page.

Indigo Youth Movement employs skateboarders from Indigo Skate Camp to coach in a nearby Zulu villages. Over the past 4 weeks coaches G and T have introduced skateboarding to the remote Zulu village of Number 9. The response they have received is overwhelming as most days there are over 100 Children lining up for a go.  It’s warming to see a mass of first timers embrace the enjoyment of pushing and coasting around.  Andres Bignasca our Swiss volunteer expressed his amazement at the sense of community.  One of his joys was his experiences in sharing.  Click  here to see more photos.

Matt Ward is a behind-the-scenes super hero at Element. He’s that dude that bends over backwards for anyone, does everything for everyone, and skates like a mad man. So when the sad news came in that his car was broken into (during the video premiere of Nyjah’s video), everyone at Element banded together to help him out…

On Friday, Matt had the day off, so we sent a shoe box around the office, and everyone anonymously donated a couple bucks. The money raised was to help him and his family repair their car, but what happened next is where good turned great. The creative geniuses and illustrative icons, Todd Francis, Bryan Arii, Esther Kim, Jerimy Lumia, and Bobby Sattler decorated each and every dollar bill to turn the dead presidents into pirates. You may be asking, why pirates? Well, because Matt and his family are certifiable pirate aficionados, just take a look at this family portrait!

Nevertheless, I was blown away by the pouring in of love, then the creativity, and wanted to share it with you. That’s a couple of bucks I’d never spend, and have framed instead.

In “Crossing Canada” the Element team linked up with West49 for a series of demo’s and signings from sea to shining sea. Mark Appleyard, Nyjah Huston, Levi Brown, Nick Garcia, Julian Davidson, Evan Smith, and Boo Johnson put on a show at every stop.

Music by:
Dirty Fences
“Kilsythe Rabbit Road”
facebook.com/dirtyfences