HUSH!HUSH!DISTRIBUTION

Ask Me Anything: BCSD Judges

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to judge a blade contest? Maybe like many bladers you’ve found yourself cursing the bone-heads that make the tough decisions? Or thought you could do it better? Or maybe just wondered how these guys reach their decisions and what they look for in a blader? It’s understandable. Few people actually do ever judge a blade comp, so not many understand the pressure, responsibility and difficulty that goes with the job. What seems straightforward quickly becomes incredibly complex when taste, bias, adrenaline and personalities mix, with the roaring crowd providing constant reminder that what you are doing matters. So we thought it was worth talking about. This Thursday (3/7) from 2–4 pm PST join John Adams, Jon Robinson, Frank Stoner and Mark Vanderboegh at Facebook.com/oneblademag for your chance to ASK THEM ANYTHING about being a Bitter Cold Showdown judge. Look for the thread (we’ll post first) and jump in with comments to join the conversation. We’ll see you there.

Long Beach bound.

Retail Warriors

The retail marketplace for rollerblading has changed drastically since many of us first discovered the Team Paradise catalog in the ’90s. The bloom of local shops came and went and came again and then seems to have shuttered for good. The big box stores that still survive, for now, may carry a model or two of RB or K2 skates, but that’s hardly any use to your specialized needs. So you probably go online and order from one of about five places (talking about United States). But of the couple options you have, only two or three actually stock all the items they list on their websites. And as more bladers are pointing out on messageboards and Facebook, why order from a store that has to then order your products from another location? Though I understand the reasons of why, it’s hard to argue that it makes sense or is in any way an ideal situation.

TAGS: EXPAND • FRANCHISE • GROWTH • POP UP • SHOPS

Skater of the Year! Latvia’s Nils Jansons is quickly emerging as a dominant force for blading. He’s calculated, technical, and ruthlessly convinced he can accomplish whatever he sets his mind to. Last week he won Winterclash. A month before that he took 2nd place in the WRS Uploaded contest. And now we’ve got 12 pages of issue #20 displaying his undeniable abilities. But this year’s SOTY is doing more for blading than just blading — he also organizes the largest blade event in Latvia along with his friend and photographer Kaspars Alksnis. To say that Nils is committed to what is does is a gross understatement. Everything about his blading shows his desire to challenge himself and see how far he can take his “fear is just in your mind” belief system. So far, we’d say he has yet to find his limits. Read it all in ONE #20 — premiering at BCSD XIII.

Retailers, pre-book HERE.

Check your subscription status HERE.

Buy your back issues HERE.