Skateboarding
Join the road trip to skate the middle of nowhere
Ride with a hardy crew of adventurers as they explore the uncharted and unknown spots of Alaska.
Alaska is an elusive place. I had been trying to plan a trip there for years and every time I was close to having it fall into place, something would happen to dash my hopes. The crew couldn't make it, I couldn't get sponsorship, it got pushed back until it was too cold or Alaska didn't have enough spots – I'd heard it all and something would always come up, at least until this year, when things fell into place.
With the help of RedBull.com and a willing crew, Thaynan Costa, Justin Brock, Marius Syvanen, Bobby Worrest, and Daryl Angel joined filmmaker Steve Marino and myself,and it was on!
We decided to start off in Juneau, a city where no pro skaters had yet visited, then fly to Fairbanks and rent a van to drive to Anchorage. Postcard-perfect landscapes awaited us, and a plethora of spots.
Tune in on Thursday, December 10 for Chapter 1 of Alaska Bound and Down. Until then check out the images below.
Views in every direction
Campsite in Juneau
© Jonathan Mehring
Alaska doesn't disappoint the eyes. One of our camping spots overlooked this lake that was only a few feet deep. There were bear tracks but we didn't see any actual bears – or get eaten by them.
Instant BFFs
Thaynan Costa – Wallie
© Jonathan Mehring
Thaynan Costa, a Brazilian living in Portugal, hadn't met any of us before but he was so positive and hilarious that we all loved him instantly. He also crushes it on a skateboard. Here he Wallies off a barrier in Fairbanks.
Moving mountains to skate
Marius Syvanen – Backside Tailslide
© Jonathan Mehring
Sometimes you have to make things happen. We moved this barrier about four feet over so it could be skated like a gap to ledge. Marius Syvanen locks into a steezy Back Tail in Fairbanks.
Hurricane Bobby
Bobby Worrest – Hurricane Grind
© Jonathan Mehring
A little bevel didn't stop Bobby Worrest from slashing a Hurricane through this barely-skated curved ledge in Fairbanks.
Method to the madness
Justin Brock – Method Grab
© Jonathan Mehring
Fairbanks had a few spots in the streets, but most of the locals kept telling us about 'The Block', an old foundation spot with rugged wooden ramps decaying all over it. It was sketchy as hell but that didn't stop Justin Brock from blasting a huge Method Air out of the mega launcher.
Fox in the road
Foxes play in the road
© Jonathan Mehring
These Foxes on the road didn't even acknowledge us when we stopped and shot photos for a few minutes.
The fast road to nowhere
The fast road to nowhere
© Jonathan Mehring
Cruising down a highway in the middle of nowhere in Alaska, bombing hills for days. Middle of nowhere, AK.
Look, a moose!
Moose
© Jonathan Mehring
Moose are one of the most dangerous animals in Alaska because they will charge at a perceived threat instead of running away. One of our local homies, Bryce, and a friend were charged by one a few days after we left. They had to shoot it while it was running straight at them.
All aboard
Sea plane’s are a common sight in Juneau
© Jonathan Mehring
Juneau sea planes are a dime a dozen at the docks. Cruise ships bring tourists in by the boat-load on a daily basis, and you can see why with a landscape such as this.
Sculpture surfing
Daryl Angel – Frontside Boardslide
© Jonathan Mehring
Daryl Angel front boards up a fish rail in Juneau. This was one of the first spots we skated and got us hyped on our first day.
Cruising the mountain spots
Justin Brock – Backside 180
© Jonathan Mehring
Justin Brock hucked this Backside 180 over the rail in Juneau to switch hill bomb into a perfect picture postcard.
Beauty of a DIY spot
Justin Brock – Noseblunt
© Jonathan Mehring
Alaska's blue and green colours made even a DIY ledge a good photo spot for Justin Brock's Frontside Noseblunt slide in Juneau.
Making Alaskan lemonade
Thaynan Costa – Feeble Grind
© Jonathan Mehring
The last spot we hit in Juneau was this broken fence rail. Thaynan Costa put it down with a Feeble Grind up it while the crew watched from the van.
See you back here on Thursday, December 10 for part one of Alaska Down and Bound.
#SkateAlaska