Coming Together

You've heard the horror stories of people "meeting" eachother online and then deciding to meet in person and things go totally wrong. People go missing, end up dead, yada yada, the regular "internet horror story." This was something totally different though, that's for sure.

I am a regular lurker on the Slap messageboard and had happened to come across a post from a dude looking for directions to spots in Toronto. Initially I just wanted to see what was up but when this guy from Detroit had also mentioned passing through Waterloo I had to throw up the invite and show him and his friends around, I had no idea what to expect. Eventually Justin(our internet skate friend) told me that he just wanted to come skate London, Toronto and whatever else was around for the weekend, showed me some clips of his (really dope) friends and him and I told them I would gladly show them around for the day.

Saturday came around and we made the meet up point the Kitchener park. After warming up for a few we headed downtown. Turns out they decided to really kill it at all the spots we went to. I'm talking in the first 15-20 minutes just start throwing out bangers on the ghetto grays, gap to manny pad, etc. I was stoked! We went to all the regular spots that everyone in the city was over by now and like they say, one man's trash is another's treasure. Tricks everywhere! On top of the dope tricks they were the nicest people too. Good thing, I didn't want to end up with internet kooks for the day.

We skated long into the night, ending our skate date at city hall where we got a really nice cool-off session in, bust free! Like any other visitors, Justin, Daryl and Garza all got the classic downtown Kitchener treatment. Front row seats to a gang fight, the fine downtown lady meat, super drunk people and other fucked up people all the while taking it in stride and just trying to land some tricks. Mid-way into the night I was getting calls and text messages from people super worried because they had heard "some Detroit dudes" dumped me in Cambridge, beat me to hell and robbed me of all my camera gear, thanks Josh.

Big ups to Justin, Daryl and Garza! I was stoked to show you guys around and hopefully I can make it down there before the summer is finished.

Justin, first spot of the day and
having no mercy with this super
poked back smith.


Daryl, switch back tail, first try.
Yes.


I was super impressed, Daryl put this down in
about 15 minutes. According to Justin and Garza,
"it's normal."
Kickflip gap to nosemanual nollie flip out, chea!


Garza, backlip to the end.


Garza's kit. He might never do back lips on
ledges again.


A taste of downtown! From left to right:
Justin, Garza, Daryl and Downtowner. Dude
was going off drunk out of his mind about his
son being in jail for crack.


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