Kevin "Spanky" Long #8.

Defy.

Emerica has reissued an updated version of Kevin's first pro model shoe from 2005. It's great to see him keep on cranking out video parts and doing some of the art direction at Baker.

The new version looks like it turned out pretty good. The shoe retains the look of the original with a few modern updates.

The shoe photo is from the Emerica website.

Thrasher - August 2005 Volume 25 Number 8

Louie Barletta #8.

It's weird how some skaters can ride for companies that aren't exactly considered the freshest of the fresh and nobody bats an eye, but other skaters are forever doomed by one poor sponsor choice when they were younger. The opposite also occurs when a particular middle of the road skater is deemed cool simply because their sponsor happens to be the hottest thing going. Of course there are a multitude of factors, some valid, others arbitrary, that all go into deciding what is hip on any given day. Skateboarding is a strangely fickle creature.

Thrasher - August 2012 Volume 32 Number 8

Austyn Gillette #7.

The Walkman.

There was a recent internet dustup between Austyn and Elijah Berle. All that we really learned from the beef was that secretly nobody likes Habitat, but everybody loves Fred Gall and thinks Mosaic is a total classic of a video. Skateboarding is stupid sometimes.

The photograph is by John Bradford.

Transworld - January 2010 Volume 28 Number 1

Elijah Berle #2.

Five facts about Elijah:

1. He was sponsored by Foundation. He wasn't sure if he fit in there and was hanging out with Mike Mo Capaldi a lot. Mike helped him get on Chocolate.

2. He won the 2010 Tampa Am contest at the Skate Park of Tampa.

3. Elijah plays a little bit of electric guitar. He also likes working on cars and motorcycles.

4. He contributed some backing vocals on a Suicidal Tendencies song. He's friends with Jim Muir's son so that's how that connection came about. Jim's brother Mike is the frontman for the group, in case you somehow didn't know that.

5. Elijah lived in a skate house with Cory Kennedy. They had a mini ramp and a pool. He said he found all sorts of mold covered beers, Taco Bell, and Nike sneakers in Cory's room when he cleaned the place out before moving. There was even a dead rat in the ceiling.

The photo is by Jason Hainault.

For the info: Thrasher - June 2015 Volume 36 Number 6

Transworld - July 2010 Volume 28 Number 7

Shiloh Greathouse #2.

Killing Moon.

Shiloh would have gotten on Dekline during or after his part in First Love, the Transworld video from 2005. It looks like he is wearing Lakai a bunch in the video, although I'm not completely positive on the shoe ID.

The Kevin "Spanky" Long KS1 reissue from Emerica looks good. Actually, they look better than the shoes did the first time around.

I got a pair of Lakai Manchester Selects for chilling. They are the same as Manchesters always have been. That being said, I preferred the Sheffield model they had been running the last few years. It's the same dang shoe, but the Sheffields are superior. I'm curious to try a pair of the Telford Low, too.

I was thinking about grabbing a pair of Last Resorts, but my taxes were not nice this year so frivolous footwear spending has been scaled back for the time being.

How long before that one new ugly shoe brand with the big advertising budget realizes skateboarding doesn't want that crap? Does anybody who isn't paid to wear or review them really support the company?

The photo is by Deville Nunes.

Thrasher - May 2005 Volume 26 Number 5

Zarosh Eggleston.

Zarosh is from Monterey Bay in California. He rides for Death Skateboards. I think he was also on Consolidated. Zarosh has built a skatepark on some of his family's land. He runs a screenprinting company, too.

The photo is by Chris "Rhino" Rooney. Congrats on the guest board from Creature.

Thrasher - March 2006 Volume 26 Number 3

Ben Gilley #5.

Buildings in a state of decline.

Ben takes a break from the handrails to do a sketchy wall ride in an abandoned building.

Thrasher - September 2005 Volume 25 Number 9