Chad Bartie Powell-Peralta Tour – Common Thread part 1 By Ozzie Ausband I had the fortunate opportunity to go on the road with the Powell Peralta team recently. We would be visiting The Berrics, Mammoth, San Francisco, San Jose and all points in between. I would be on the road with some seriously amazing street riders as well as linking up with Steve Caballero for a few sessions. We packed the van & drove to The Berrics in LA. The team had spent the week filming there and finished everything that evening. Chin was found and laughter was in abundance. Deville, Steven, Shane & Aldrin at The Berrics Not Chin Vanimals I sat and observed the different personalities of the Powell Peralta riders. Chad Bartie is very versatile. He can crush street, vert and bowls. He has power and technique. Quiet and reserved, Chad said little at the Berrics… he was in his zone. Once up at Mammoth, he pushed himself hard and filmed some insane lines. Shane Borland is a super grom coming into his own. Someone can say – “Shane- try this trick over there.” - Shane will do it… He is like a burning fuse. Aldrin Garcia is funny. I think he might be inhuman, because he could ollie up onto a building! He really has super pop. He continually made us laugh and hit the switch in–virtually–every session. He would look at a gap and say – “Yeah- I will try it.” Then, he would. Success. Jordan Hoffart is gnarly. He is pretty intense in his drive and commitment to excellence. Focused. He kept the van laughing with Juicy J lyrics and funny stories… ”You must have Nikes on your lips, the way you run your mouth.” During the trip, if Jordan stepped up to something, something got demolished. Steven Reeves is a super rad dude. He was always energized and ready for anything. If there was a choice of something to ride, Steven could always be heard to say – “I’m backing that!” He brought it to every session. Even when the guys were trying to dissect an up- ledge, Steven was over in the parking lot doing full speed FS slappy grinds on the painted curbs! He is a death metal head and loves pools so we hit it off pretty directly. Chad Bartie Shane Borland Aldrin Garcia Josh Hawkins is really, really good. He is a force to be reckoned with. I watched him skate and gained a whole new respect for street riding. He has beautiful flow, style and threw down some of the heaviest tricks... He is quiet and unassuming. Josh is a riddle. He's hard to figure out. The world hasn't heard the last from this amazing skater. Micaiah rides really well. He threw down in every session and never let up the entire tour. He was filming, skating and doing about five things at once. Terry filmed, documenting the whole trip. Deville was the fearless leader and I tried not to get in the way. After The Berrics, we hit Mammoth and stayed at a picturesque lodge tucked high up on a ridge line. Trees marched off in every direction and not one of us wanted to ever leave. Mammoth park was unreal. The locals were cool, the scenery perfect and the terrain flawless. We had an epic two days there. I will fill you in on the Mammoth sessions in part II on Friday. Thanks. Skate-Ozzie Jordan Hoffart Steven Reeves Josh Hawkins