glimpse

| A Look Inside Philadelphia’s Skateboarding Scene |

Glimpse.

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MW

ichael

ojcik

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PRINTED 2013 PHILADELPHIA, PAPHOTO SEMINAR 2013

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GLIMPSEPhiladelphia

VOL. 1

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Dedicated to all of the people who help make their skate scene what it is. All of the shops,

local companies, park builders, D.I.Y.-ers, zine-makers, filmers, ams, pros,

fundraisers and elbow-greasers. By the homies, for the homies.

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ContentsIntro.........................................12FDR ..........................................14Ditch.........................................38Spot Trouble..........................44Bam’s........................................66Pigs .........................................72Darigan......................................76Closing......................................86

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-Intro-

Skateboarding has been a part of me since I was very young. Come to think of it, its probably the only thing I’ve been doing consistently for the last ten years. Since I started I never saw the world the same again. Every single stairset, handrail, hill, plaza, city, and piece of architecture was a constant daydream. I’m fairly certain that I’m not the only one who thinks this. Skateboarding can teach you to think creative and be innovative all while teaching self-discipline at the same time. Everyone who’s stepped on a skateboard knows the feeling. I decided to start shooting photos of skateboarding in high school. My friends and I were always filming and making videos but I was never a good filmer,

and since iPhones and Instagram weren’t really around yet, none of us were shooting photos while we were out for sometimes 12 hours a day. Getting a camera was the best decision I’ve ever made. Slowly (and I mean slowly) I learned to shoot people doing tricks. I would look through magazines backwards to see the photo sections first and study how pro photographers would frame their shots. From there I’d try and apply what I had learned (or at least thought I’d learned) to when I was out shooting. I figured out that what I was doing was documenting things that happened and realizing that helped shape the way I shot from there on out.

This book is a collection of photos that serve as documentations of tricks that happened, people I’ve met, and things I’ve seen throughout my time being a skateboarder in Philadelphia. It centers around a number of good friends who spend just about all of their free time exploring the city and surrounding areas, getting the most out of everyday, all for the sake of the one thing they all have in common: skateboarding.

- Mike Wojcik

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Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park Philadelphia, PA

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Christian Richards:Rock to Fakie

16 Andrew Wilson: Slash & Grab

17Andrew Wilson: Slash & Grab Christian Richards: Lipslide

18Andrew Wilson: Frontside Air

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Mitchell Wilson: Frontside 5-0

20 Jake Heid

21Thread The Needle / 16th St.

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Left: Ed Duff: 50-50 / Cecil B. Moore, Philadelphia, PA

Above: Brian Dolle: Pole Jam to Tailslide / Newark, Deleware

24A rooftop of an bandoned building on 5th and Master Streets. Philadelphia, PA

25Joe Marchese: Ollie over rail / Philadelphia, PA

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David Shiraki: Hippie Jump17th & Callowhill

Philadelphia, Pa

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Grant Sobocinski: Frontside Bluntslide / 15th & Susquehanna

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Kyle O’Neill: Wallie Tuck Knee / Broad & Cecil B. Moore

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Jake Heid: Beanplant to Boardslide /

Fairmount, Philadelphia

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Backside Tailslide /30th Street Station

Grant Sobocinski

33Frontside Smith / S. 17th Street

34 S. 17th Street

35T.J. MacConchie / Broad and Susquehanna

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37Isaac Jaeggi : 180-Nosegrind / E. Girard

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Somewhere towards the Northeast of Philly,

there lies a ditch. Who knows why its there or

what it was used for? The only thing that matters now

is that with a little care and motivation (along with the help of skate god-like

legends) a new spot is born.

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Pictured right to left: Mike Steinbock, Christian O’hara, Christian Richards, Frank Castineira

40Adam Vizy: Feeble

41T.J. : Ollie / Jersey City, NJ

42 Dan Wojcik : Sw. Heelflip / Jersey City, NJ

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Joe Marchese:Pipe Dreams12th & Pearl Street

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Christian, John-Boy, Joe, and myself decided to head up north. We had all seen this spot in videos before, and luckily a buddy of ours was able to show us the way. Way up north near Torresdale Avenue lies this warehouse just down the track some ways. Along the way you can find old needles, spray cans, and the finest in used contraceptive technology. But once you get there its nothing but smooth angle iron for a solid 50 ft.

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After squeezing through the fence one at a time, we got a quick session in before some gentlemen decided to give us the boot. Likely their property, not likely we cared. It was nothing personal to us, but they got pretty sour. And so it goes twenty some odd minutes later we were back down the track. John-Boy and Joe skipped some rocks and we grilled burgers all night.

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48 Kyle O’Neill: Crook / Broad & Susquehanna

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52 Kyle: No Comply / Columbus BLVD

53T.J. : Front Board / Whitehall

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Colin KeatonWallie Tuck-Knee /

Art Museum - Fairmount, Philadelphia

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Joe Marchese: Ollie In /Philadelphia Musem of Art

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Dan Wojcik: Benihana / Philaadelphia Museum of Art

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Downtown Philadelphia / seen from Spring Garden Street

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Benjamin Franklin House / seen from an adjacent parking garage

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Swing and a miss.

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Joe Marchese: Boardslide / S. 17th St.

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Dylan Theil : Varial Heelflip

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Washington St. & Columbus BLVD.

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Upwards view of South Penn Square / The Wanamaker Building

6530th St. Station

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Bam’s Park / West Chester, PA

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Christian Richards : Pivot Nosegrab Grant Sobocinski : Noseblunt Kyle O’Neill : Pivot Fakie

68 Isaac Jaeggi

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Kyle O’neill : 50-50 wallride down / Broad & Cecil B. Moore

70 Exit Skateboard Supply at 825 N. 2nd St.

71Kyle O’Neill : Backside 50-50 / Olde City

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No matter how big the fines, how severe the penalties, how uneasy bike pigs may get, the streets will always belong to skateboarding.

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75Philadelphia Museum of ArtKyle O’Neill: Ollie In

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Here is FOCUS photographer Luke Darigan shooting Neil Herrick on the Columbus BLVD barrier. Luke’s photos have gained him a respected name in the industry and have allowed him to get involved with companies such as Effigy, World Industries, and both FOCUS and The Skateboard Mag. He is also a shop manager at Nocturnal Skateshop located at 533 South Street in Philadelphia.

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(Counter Clockwise from above): Luke setting up flashes; Kyle O’Neill, Grant Sobocinski, Luke Darigan, and Paul Overstrom; Flashes.

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Nik Stain: Lipslide / Columbus BLVD

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Christian Richards: Front Board

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Dan Wojcik: Benihana / Drexel

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Kyle O’Neill: Ollie / Race St. Pier

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All photos shot with

Vivitar 3800n / 35mm Nikon D90 / Digital

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Thanks

To everyone who helped inspire me and get material for this book, especially my brother Dan Wojcik, Kyle O’Neill, Christian Richards, Colin Keaton, Jake Heid, Grant Sobocinski, Joe Marchese, T.J. MacConchie Dr. Destroyer, Rob Campbell, Luke Darigan, Jesse Clayton, Sean Spelissy, Funky, Walt Wolfe, Zander Taketomo, Pat Carmody, Chris Fireoved, Grandpa, Exit, Nephews, Nocturnal, Skate Jawn, Organized Grime, Caste Quality, Void, Skateswords, Pusher Wheels and many others.

GLIMPSEPhilaadelphia

VOL. 1

GLIMPSEPhiladelphia

VOL. 1