Go Skateboarding Day and Wild in the Streets: Detroit Article at Skatepark of Tampa

Go Skateboarding Day and Wild in the Streets: Detroit

Posted on Saturday, June 23, 2012 by Rob

By Rob Meronek

Schaefer, HiDefJoe, and I spent Go Skateboarding Day in Detroit for a Wild in the Streets push through town with the Emerica team. What a day...

Andrew Reynolds
We're at Hart Plaza downtown right now the day before just to check out the site. That's Dee Ostrander trying king sized heelflips off the blocks while Andrew Reynolds watches.
Behind us is Canada across the water. I feel like I'm going to get detained in Customs just for being this close.
Welcome to Detroit, knuckle pounds, bruh.
Brian Schaefer
We're just getting lost skating around the city right now. Pause for an @dailybs Instagram post.
Joe Pelham aka HiDefJoe
HiDefJoe's on the Zip Zinger ready for tomorrow's long skate.
We didn't go in since it was the middle of the day, but I do wonder what the strip bars are like here. That's a wacky name.
Most of downtown is pretty empty. With so many closed businesses it's hard to just get a cup of coffee. There is one block that's got some life, though.
One of the few corners downtown with an open business.
More playing in the streets.
It's now Go Skateboarding Day and we're back at Hart Plaza. I'm sure that's some kind of gambling boat.
Every block at every level is like a diving board right now.
Look at how many firecrackers have destroyed the bottom lip.
Luke Hampton
Back there is downtown where we're about to push through. That's Luke Hampton on a switch bigspin. He's rolling with the Emerica team on this tour.
Who Dat?
This guy's got a classic street grab down that thing.
You'd like to think all of Detroit looks like that back there, like any large American city. It sure isn't. I'll have a whole separate set of photos and banter regarding that.
Don Brown
Don Brown has some good Instagram photos from the weekend. The local news has no idea about this partying jailbird they're interviewing.
Brandon Westgate
The whole Emerica team is here to make the long skate through town with us. Brandon Westgate will probably just crack one giant ollie from block to block.
Andrew Reynolds
I spy Andrew Reynolds.
Nice shirt, son!
It's all getting started from here.
Leo Romero
I looked over and found Leo Romero leading the pack. Which side of the road would you start on? Flowing with traffic or going directly against it? We picked against it. I want to see the cars coming at me, not try to fly around them from behind.
Packed streets, confused drivers, bewildered pesdestrians, hyped skateboarders, hell yes.
Even longboarding hippies are in on it.
Some sections of town have some pretty harsh ground.
Officer Doofy
Going through the foot traffic going to the old stick and ball was crazy. This cop was so pissed he was clotheslining any skaters he could.
There's some more of that amazing East coast ground for you.
Jerry Hsu
I spy Jerry Hsu.
Ed Templeton
Ed Templeton's Instagram is amazing.
We're getting cheers from the Anime Cafe staff.
Andrew Reynolds
First stop was this set of stairs that had the police on scene pretty fast. Andrew Reynolds got a clean kickflip in before it was broken up. See my cell phone edit from today for the rest of what went down.
Mark Davenport
Now we're over at these tennis courts with a bunch of DIY spots. That's Mark Davenport smith grinding up a very bouncy rail.
The tennis courts are between several large abandoned buildings. It's amazing how there are miles and miles of buildings like this that have all been left to rot.
Several people went up into the buildings to watch, break stuff, and throw things out the windows.
One crusty launcher.
An accidental dedication to Fabrizio Santos with the one foot crook up.
I took a walk up the stairs in one of the abandoned buildings. Past this point of entry, it's pitch black going up the stairs.
The view of the DIY tennis courts from one of the abandoned buildings.
Some people went all the way to the top.
Homies of Ryan Gaynier, a detroit local who died in a car accident. Another reminder: Get wasted, slap your friends and do silly crap, hang from the ceiling, laugh your ass off, lose you inhibitions, but just don't drive while you're doing it.
Don't drink and drive, fools.
Brian Schaefer
We had a bike with us so we could cover the event better. Schaefer's getting a tow from HiDefJoe after a long, long skate through town.
Leo Romero
Later that night, the autograph sessions are still going on with Leo Romero scribbling sharpie.
There's a straight up club room at Modern Skatepark.
Preston Maigetter aka P-Stone
Good night P-Stone and everyone in Detroit. We're waking up at 5:30am to get back home. Thanks to Emerica, Modern, and everyone who was a part of this crazy day. I know you're all already back on the wood and wheels. Thank you skateboarding.

Sketchy Cell Phone Edit

HiDefJoe will have a full SPoT Life episode from today out soon, but for now, here's some footage from my phone: Go Skateboarding Day in Detroit: Andrew Reynolds and Crew Boss Past Police.

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