SOME DOORS DON'T NEED KEYS! Skatelegends Teamrider, Phil Hansen

10 year old Phil Hansen continues to shake up the Skateboarding world with achievement after achievement! This year, Phil traveled from Colorado numerous times to compete in the California Amateur Skateboard League (CASL) Series of contests and after winning and placing high in the events, Phil qualified for the California State Championship finals! Last weekend, the finals were held between the top young qualifiers from all over Northern and Southern California and I was proud to be sponsoring Phil in the same series that I personally competed in, all through the 1980's. The 2006 California finals consisted of three main events: Open Class Bowl riding, Sponsored class Street skating (10 year and younger division) and the Open Best Trick contest. The Skatelegends team has watched Phil's progression just explode over the last three years and we knew that he had a good chance of placing well in the California finals. When the smoke cleared, it was Phil Hansen that earned top honors in the Bowl riding finals. If that wasn't enough, he then took 1st place in the Street skating finals and also ended up earning 2nd place in the Best Trick event! So, what does a 10 year old skateboarder from COLORADO do when he wins the 2006 California State Championships? ...yes, Disneyland was on his list, but that's not all. One would think that this story ends here, right? ....well, not exactly!

Just one day later, Phil's back in Colorado, practicing at the Woodward skatepark. I went out to congratulate Phil and shoot some photos of him for a Skatelegends Ad I am putting together for Concrete Wave magazine. Pro Snowboarder and Skateboarder, Jimi Scott has been coaching Phil and was giving him some tips, as I watched Phil drop in on the 13 foot high vert ramp and attempt a 540 McTwist, nearly nailing the landing! I couldn't believe I was seeing a 10 year old try a McTwist. This is something kids only try in video games, never on a giant vert ramp! I remember the day back in 1984, when I just happened to film Pro Skater Mike McGill pulling off "The Trick", the first 540 McTwist ever done in Pro competition, at the Del Mar Skate Ranch. He surprised everyone that day! The moment was historical to say the least considering that he opened the door up to a new era of skateboarding that eventually led to a myriad of progressions, including Tony Hawk's 720 and 900 spinning miracles! Now, here I was 22 years later, watching mini-man Phil Hansen trying the same thing!

I quickly ran back out to my car and grabbed my Video camera... just in case! :) I was gone four minutes. When I arrived back at the ramp, Ryan Green just smiled at me and said "You were gone four minutes too long!" That's right, young Phil Hansen landed "The Trick", the same trick that only ONE of the worlds greatest Pro skaters of all time could pull off back in 1984. How could this be? Talent? Luck? a little coaching help from Jimi Scott (the worlds first snowboarder to pull off a 540)? or maybe it was Phil's lucky jeans, the same jeans he wore last weekend to win California over? Regardless, one would think that the story ends here... Wrong again!

I asked Phil if he wanted to try it again. Without hesitation, he started his climb back to the top of the vert ramp again. I quickly readied my video camera just as Phil dropped in... Backside mute, Backside mute, MCTWIST!!!!! We all roared, as I captured the moment! Jimi Scott almost hit his head again, as he jumped up so high that he just missed hitting a metal pipe. Phil continued his ride, elated, as he reached the summit of the vert ramp! I asked Phil how it felt, he just smiled and said "COOL!" To the best of my knowledge, I don't know any skater this young that has ever pulled off a McTwist, let alone two consecutive McTwists on the first day! I was thrilled to capture Phil's second victory on camera! As I climbed back down from the ramp, I could see Phil's board peering over the coping.

Without hesitation, I hit the Record button, as Phil's small frame dropped in from above and proceeded to repeat his prior run... Backside mute, Backside mute, spin, MCTWIST!!!!! A PERFECT LANDING!!!! THREE MCTWISTS IN A ROW!!!! ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! Jimi, Ryan, Dan, Phil's parents, me, all of us, just going crazy! This just wasn't happening! Young Phil Hansen breaking records and breaking new ground!

In 1984, Mike McGill opened the door to a new era of skateboarding and both Jimi and I were proud to have been witness to that great moment in time. Now, in 2006, young Phil Hansen just opened another door to a new era of skateboarding that is yet to be determined! These are exciting times I tell you! After 31 years of skateboarding, I sometimes feel like I've seen it all. Then in the moment of an eye, a small miracle happens that tells us, we haven't seen anything yet!!!!


ON BEHALF OF THE SKATELEGENDS TEAM, CONGRATULATIONS MR. PHIL HANSEN! - Lynn Cooper

Checkout out some new Band video link samples! Scroll to the bottom of this page to see some of the Bands we have been filming!!!

Generation II (1978-80): An economic downturn and outlawing of skateboarding sent the riders underground and the sport’s popularity took a deep drop in this era. Many skateboard companies came and went. Z-Flex was one of the few original companies to ride-out and survive the storm. Z Flex Generation II riders and product innovations continued to think outside the box, maintaining Z Flex as an industry leader. The transition from surfing waves to surfing concrete resulted in the development of the Transbeam, another first for Z Flex which started a revolution within skateboarding. With this built-in ramp, skaters were able to perform tricks which had rarely been attempted. Imitators called this product the “Lapper” or “Birdie”. The Winger board was truly one of the most innovative products ever with its concave design: the first skateboard in history to utilize a concave on the board’s top side. This revolutionized the direction of board design. You will find “concave” on almost every skateboard on the market today. Another great Z Flex concept was the Animal Alley series of boards that started out as a simple idea, but later created a phenomenon in today’s skateboard market. Once again following in Z Flex’ footsteps, nearly all of today’s board companies have a collection of decks that are titled and designed in a series . Generation II Z Boyz held their own. Team riders such as George Wilson, Dennis “Polar Bear”Agnew and Jimmy Plumer were well known for their slashing, break-the-coping-off-the-pool stunts as well as big inverts and backside airs.

Generation III (1985-95): Headlines in skateboard magazines read “The Z Boy Eastern Invasion”. The Z Boyz popularity spread beyond the US border, expanding internationally. The Z Flex team traveled all over the world. During this time, German bearings were known as the best on the market. They were designed and refined by Z Flex and German engineers. Z Flex became one of the largest makers and distributors of skateboard bearings in the world. Because of this, numerous “bearing only” companies were born. The Z Rails concept came directly from the Company’s Z Grabbers. The Z Grabbers were first designed for grabbing the board for airs, but it soon came obvious that you could incorporate not only grabbing the board better for airs, but also use the same hard plastic strips for sliding on coping or rails. Once again, Z Flex had originated a product that became a phenomenon. With the need for speed, Pasques experimented with the design of the trucks so that they rolled with energy instead of grinding metal. The aluminum Z Roller hollow axle kept the weight down, held a straight, true line and didn’t wear out. The Z Roller truck was the first truck to have a patented design and is a good example of Z Flex’ continuing innovation. You could have a super fun time with this truck because you could literally grind anything. Generation III Z Boyz became one of the toughest, baddest and most recognized teams with such pros as Jimmy Acosta, Butch Sterbins, George Watanabe and Aaron Scott.

Generation IV 2004-?: The major motion picture “Lords of Dogtown”, based on the original Z Boyz, made some waves for the resurgence of Old School skateboarding. Generation IV riders are a mixture of new and legendary riders. New star Z Boyz and future legends Craig Whitehead, Wrex Cook and Eric “Tuma” Britton are making waves not only on the concrete, but Craig and Tuma had parts in the movie as well. Tuma was the stunt double for Marty Grimes. And that infamous moment of Jay Adams riding into the sunset off the pier was Z Boy Craig Whitehead, who also did other Jay Adams stunts. Z Boyz legends Shogo Kubo, Jimmy Plumer, George Wilson and Butch Sterbins are back in action. Some are not only riding, but are part of the Company team in operations and sales (locally and internationally). The most famous Z Boy, Jay Adams, is back doing his signature classic pool and cruizer boards. The future is as bright for Z Flex as its past, and the Company is looking forward to making legends and innovative products for the next thirty years.

Copyright © 2006 Z-Flex and Cooper Productions LLC. All rights reserved.

Madrid Pro Designs

MADRID PRO DESIGNS - The name Madrid has been an icon in the skateboarding industry ever since somebody decided to stick four wheels to a piece of wood. Jerry Madrid made the successful transition from surfing to skateboarding back before it became fashionable. Since then, Madrid Pro Designs has developed into one of the top leading deck manufacturers in the world.

How it all started - Jerry Madrid started out shaping surfboards in his parents’ garage in Norwalk California. Skateboarding is an offshoot of surfing, so when the waves weren’t good, Jerry enjoyed riding the streets instead of the water. With his passion for shaping boards, it is no surprise that his shaping surfboards turned into shaping skateboards. Jerry Madrid started making skateboards out of fiberglass in the late 1960’s. He developed different types of laminations, shapes, and dimensions. Using the knowledge gained from making surfboards, Jerry Madrid turned to making skateboards for friends and laminating anything from stickers, magazine covers, or posters onto the decks. In the early 70’s Jerry brought his brother Jeff Madrid into the picture to help with new designs.

The Madrid brothers finally got a break when their father bought a piece of industrial property in Santa Fe Springs and allowed them to take over one corner of the building for their own shop. From this point on, Jerry and Jeff gradually started to build up the tooling equipment for their business. They actually made their own presses, machinery, and shaping equipment. Wood skateboards didn’t become popular until the early 70’s, and at this point the Madrid brothers were already on the ball designing more shapes and designs for decks. The Madrids pioneered the development of the concave shape skateboard, which had very high demand by the mid 70’s.

Finally, after establishing themselves as innovative and consistent leaders in the skateboard industry, Jerry and Jeff formed their company, Madrid Skateboards in 1976, which became incorporated in 1984. Their main ambition was to sell to private labels, which are OEM (original equipment manufacturers), selling their boards to other companies. In 1977, skateboarding got very popular, leaving a great deal of room for Madrid Skateboards to get into a strong position in the industry. In 1977, Jerry and Jeff’s other brother, Jim, joined Madrid Skateboards as the CFO and Executive General Manager, giving Jerry and Jeff time to concentrate on designing the new and improved projects that would lead Madrid Skateboards to success. Madrid researched and developed their products before going to large companies such as SIMS and SANTA CRUZ to manufacture boards for them.

Madrid Today - Madrid skateboards has since become Madrid Pro Designs, and has done nothing but achieve a well-respected and well-deserved name in the skateboard and surf industry. Madrid Pro Designs still uses their traditional recipe for making skateboards, with a few modern improvements here and there. We are located in Huntington Beach, California and doing business at an incredible rate. They are producing more products and generate more business than ever before. At Madrid, they have made and still make boards for just about anybody and everybody you can think of. They make the tooling and shaping machinery themselves, giving them the ability to innovate and design new and improved concepts for implementation into the skateboarding industry.

Madrid Wood - When it comes to decks, Madrid knows how to make them. They still make their decks out of hard maple or birch. These woods work well because they are dense, which means they that they adhere well with their glue and laminating material. They have many different shapes and designs that carry the Madrid label and also have shapes and designs that they create for other companies.

Currently, they carry several short board configurations, all having different lengths, widths, and concaves. They also manufacture a series of long boards . These boards also come in many different styles and shapes. They make both flat and concave long boards for your cruising pleasure. Madrid has also created the perfect balance training deck for whatever sport you play. Working closely with its original creator, Hunter Joslin, Madrid has perfected the art of balance products in the Indo Board line. The “Indo Board” can be used to train for skateboarding, snowboarding, or just about any sport simply for the fun of it. The Indo Board is one of Madrid’s biggest selling products.

As a buyer, you can order any Madrid deck (short or long) right here on our www.skatelegends.com website! Just click on the "Skateshop" button and you will be directed to our shopping cart!

Madrid Trucks - Since Madrid Pro Designs has been so dedicated to manufacturing some of the best skateboard decks in the industry, they decided to make improvements to the underside of your skateboard as well. For quite some time now, Madrid Pro Designs has contributed to the development of great trucks. One of their truck lines is the Cadillac high performance line. There is no question as to why these trucks have been rated as, “#1 and #2 best all around truck” in Big Brother Magazine. Madrid's Cadillac trucks are made from a super high-grade aluminum poured around an already-set, high-grade still shaft for incredible durability and weight. After being poured and set, these trucks are heat-treated for superior strength and then smoothed out for a great look. Most trucks weigh in at about thirteen ounces. Madrid's Cadillac trucks weigh only 10.8 ounces, one of the lightest trucks in the industry to date. These trucks are made to stand tall so that spacers are not needed (also cutting down on weight). They offer their Cadillac Silver Clouds, which are polished and buffed out for that shiny Cadillac look. They also manufacture their Cadillac Classics, and for long boards, they use the Cadillac Invaders. The Invaders are designed for maximum turning capacity, and are one of Madrid’s best sellers. They created these trucks to be used on all their various sized boards, short or long, to be sure that you get the maneuverability and quality you would expect from any Madrid Product.

Madrid Wheels - Skateboarding just wouldn’t be the same without a great set of wheels. At Madrid, they manufacture a full line of wheels ranging in size for all board riders to enjoy. They make short board wheels ranging from 50mm to 60mm with a durometer of 99a. Madrid also produces street wheels for long boards ranging from 61mm to 76mm with a softer durometer of 78a for the smooth cruisin’ feeling. We also have racing wheels that are a 78a durometer made for downhill.

More Madrid - Another product that you can currently get from Madrid Pro Designs is Fly Paper, which has been a standard in gripping your skateboards for the past 20 years.

Also, you may not know it, but Madrid Pro Designs has been a huge innovator in the design and application of body boarding technology. Jerry Madrid started using his talents for creating body boards back in the early 80’s. The body boards are no longer produced, but they currently have developed a line of skim boards, skim skates and wake skates.

The Future For Madrid Pro Designs - With everything that Madrid Pro Designs is capable of doing today, they are looking towards a very prosperous future. They are still going to keep producing the Madrid decks in the traditional manner, but are looking to create new and improved technology for their products. This is where the youth inside Madrid Pro Designs come into play.

Madrid Pro Designs has been a strong company for a quarter of a century now. Wood decks have become the staple product in the skateboarding industry. Madrid will continue to manufacture quality skateboards and work hard to design the best possible product for a long time to come. As a company that creates the tooling and machinery for its own designs, which are on the cutting edge of technology and product development, Madrid Pro Designs will proceed to help form new and improved instruments for the skateboard, surf, and snow industries.

Here at Skatelegends.com we are proud to be able to offer you many of the Madrid Pro Designs' products! If you have any questions about any of the products in our Shopping Cart, please don't hesitate to contact us at: 720.851.8251. We wish to personally thank Jerry Madrid and the entire Madrid crew for all the years of dedication, innovations and contributions that Madrid has made to support our world of skateboarding! Keep up the great work all!

Copyright © 2006 Madrid Pro Designs, Inc. and Cooper Productions LLC. All rights reserved.