VentilationX

Sundance 2009

2009-04-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

As the Sundance Film Festival celebrated it's 25th year, VentilationX made its third appearance as a company. Arriving at Salt Lake City airport, VentilationX met up with manager/producer, Andre Robert Lee, and headed to Park City, Utah. Due to the troubled economy and the presidential inauguration, festival attendance appeared lower than usual; nonetheless, the company was able to network with industry professionals and promote various projects. The company also spent time at the Slamdance film festival (an offshoot of Sundance celebrating it's fifteenth year) and X-Dance (the biggest action sports film festival). After attending screenings, lectures, and events, the team headed to the slopes for a snowboarding photoshoot. Spending a full day on the mountain, the team was able to walk away with some great photos and move closer to establishing themselves within the snowboarding community. The trip was another successful Sundance experience filled with work and play. VentilationX continues to stay involved in the festival to further educate members about film and the entertainment industry.

Fresh Cuts Radio

2009-04-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

VentilationX was invited onto Temple Universities WHIP Radio Program, Fresh Cuts. Fresh Cuts is a student run Internet show that is focused on music and the entertainment business. VentilationX was interviewed about its' involvement in entertainment media and the various projects the company has been a part of. VentilationX debut tracks from their artists, Nemesis, and Gab Taryn on the program and spoke about the companies latest advancements. After two segments on the air, VentilationX signed out and was invited to come onto the show again in the future. The company was excited to have the opportunity to speak to college students and promote the efforts of the movement.

HipHopDX : Volume 2

2009-04-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

VentilationX teamed up with Mike Trampe of HipHopDX.com for a second time to create a behind-the-scenes look at the presence of the company in the streets. The second volume begins by following Trampe and producer, OZ as they travel to Duckdown Records in New York City to deliver mixtapes. Upon their return to Philadelphia, Trampe heads to the home of Natural, an up-and-coming Philadelphia producer to hear his latest work. The crew followed the two as they made their way to "The Black Pumpkin" bar to an open mic event hosted by LNS and sponsored by HipHopDX. After watching the various performances, the group spoke with LNS about their position in the music business and their plans for their clothing line, Silhouette. When the night comes to a close, the video picks back up in North Philly as Trampe and Natural spend time with a group called, The Bloody Murder Tribe. The group talked about their music, HipHopDX, and then spits rhymes for the camera before the episode shows footage and pictures from various parties hosted by HipHopDX.com. This volume illustrated the effort HipHopDX puts in to staying connected to the streets as it rises as a presence in the music scene.

Swamp Visions TV: Episode 1

2009-04-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

VentilationX partnered with Exponent Entertainment, a Philadelphia talent management and consultation company, to create 'Swamp Vision TV'. Swamp Vision is E. Ness' of Bad Boy Entertainment on-line reality show. The serious is designed to educate the public about the rappers life after being on Diddy's, "Making The Band" television show. Ness has been signed to Bad Boy Records since 2002 and is gearing up to release his first album. VentilationX was brought onto the project to direct, co-produce, shoot, and edit the show.

The first episode finds E. Ness in the projects of Philadelphia. A native to the SWAMP (South West Amplification), Ness tells viewers about his status as an artist in the record business. After spending some time with Ness and his people, the episode heads to E. Ness' celebrity birthday bash at Cebu nightclub. The party brought Dj NoPhrillz, Dj Ace McCloud, and Mike Knox of G-Unit Philly out to celebrate. Hood Alert TV also came out to interview E. Ness and film the event. The party lasted into the early hours of the morning before everyone headed home.

Cereal Killers

2009-04-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

VentilationX collaborated with Martial Arts athletes, Jesse Lehman, Eric Day, and Christian Crosby to create a short film entitled: Cereal Killers. The film was a comedic tribute to traditional Kung Fu movies which combined Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, and Mixed Martial Arts fighting styles. The project began as an assignment for Temple Universities' Film and Media Arts program but quickly transformed into a multi-discipline production that brought VentilationX and members of the martial arts community together. The film was shot on a 16mm non-sync camera with foley sounds that were recorded separately and added later. The cast and crew was granted access to the MCP Hospital campus for the production which was shot over the course of a single day. The choreography was created by the athletes featured in the film prior to the shoot date and was slightly modified upon arrival to the set. VentilationX signed on to the project due to its interest in the Martial Arts community and its plans to expand into the field. The film was well received by its audience and was a great introduction into Martial Arts.

Obama in Abington

2009-04-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

Senator Barack Obama made a campaign stop at Abington Senior High School in Pennsylvania. He visited the school with Senator Bob Casey, Governer Ed Rendell, and Representative Josh Shapiro just months after his wife, Michelle Obama, spoke at the school. Abington, Pennsylvania is ranked as a top 100 community in the United States. Presidential candidates and their wives have visited the high school while campaigning on multiple occasions. On the day of the rally, 5,000 students and local citizens gathered inside Schwarzman stadium to hear him speak. VentilationX has had many of its' members attend Abington Senior High School which motivated the team to document the event addition to simply showing support. We waited in line, made our way through the metal detectors, and squeezed through the crowd toward the stage. All of the local news channels were present documenting the event. The crowd went crazy when Obama appeared and took the podium. He spoke about his policies and plans for the oval office. After the speech, he made his way through the crowd shaking hands with supporters. As the audience dispersed, hats, shirts, and pins were sol to supporters. It was a momentous occasion for the candidate and the community.

Old Newsboy Day

2009-04-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

Old Newsboy Day is an annual fundraising event for Variety, an organization aiding children with disabilities. The event raises money for the organization by selling newspapers all around the Philadelphia area. ASharp Production, a local entertainment company, hosts the event and brings music to the streets during the course of the event. The local news networks, along with the sports mascots, attend the festivities to generate awareness and excitement for the cause. VentilationX was invited by ASharp Production to help coordinate the setup and breakdown of the music equipment and document the event. We were excited to take part in an opportunity to give back to the community while spreading awareness about our movement. Just before departing, a member of the team was interviewed for a television segment on Phillies player, Ryan Howard, and the possibility of becoming the MVP. The event was a great success that brought money and awareness to the Variety organization. VentilationX is thankful for the opportunity to help such a noble cause.

Hop, Drop, & Roll Tour : The Book of Knopf

2009-04-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Day 1:
Wow! The first day...
The very long first day. Last night before departure, we were running around doing last minute adjustments to the schedule, campgrounds, etc. Therefore, not only did we go to bed very ate, but we had to leave at 5 in the morning to make it possible to arrive in Atlanta at a reasonable hour. Faves started driving and Grubb and I would take over when he got tired. Grubb shotgunned second, I let him have his glory. As we hit Harrisburg, things started to get weird. Only in the movies had I ever seen a chicken truck, until today. A short time later, we saw a cattle truck, hauling feces covered cattle. But not until this did I truely realize that I was far away from home. While passing the Mason-Dixon Line, we drove over a small creek. Next to the road was a sign saying the name of the creek, "Blacks Run". But wait, theres more...While stopping to get gas at a rest stop, in a small town,we noticed some interesting characters. As we searched for a bathroom behind the gas station, becasue the last gas station had one, we caught sight of a man. Probably mid 20's, eating a sandwhich, in a phonebooth, using his bike as a seat(positioned sideways). As we passed him, he looked at us with curiosity. when we came up empty handed in the saerch for a place to relieve ourselves, we found that we were being followed by the mysterious hungry bicyclist that really needed to make a call. Post unsuccessful search, we went next door to a gas station that was 2 cents more than the last one. Not really sure how they get customers at all. Upon entrance to this certain establishment, we realized that it was the worst idea so far on the HDR tour. From the moment we walked in, our nostrils were filled with the scent of everything on the Subway menu. Whoever thought of putting a Subway in a gas station was brilliant. We were automatically yearning for just one bite of a five dollar footlong. Unfortunately no time to eat, gotta pce... As I entered the public restroom my sense of smell became confused. Do I smell...bath soap? Sure enough as my eyes catch up to my nose, I find myself face to face with a buff, black male, shirtless. I made my way to the urinal to do my buisness & notice the groown man cleanse himself in the bathroom. I proceeded to wash my hands and made my way out of this awkward position. Leaving Alex hanging. Sorry dude... From then on, we could not stop laughing with each other and feeding off each others energies. This is when the day really kicked off. We saw our first attractive female, six hours into the trip, North Carolina, definitely a cutie. There were certain highways of which's speed were monitered by "aircraft"! Could you imagine? Having them call in saying "yeah, there is someone speeding on I-85. Its either an SUV or a van. Cant see the license plate from here... Not really sure how that would work. Almost done. When Grubb was driving, he started hocking up something all kinds of gross. He reached back and attempted to let it loose over the window, but I don't know if you have ever spit out a window doing 80, but it doesnt always make it. Sure enough, it shoots back into the car, hitting Alex in the face... good times.
REFLECTION
And so it begins, the journey of a life time with two of my closest freinds. What else could a teenager ask for? Ok. Maybe an iPod Touch. Those things are pretty cool. In all seriousness, this is it. It didnt hit me untill North Carolina. We are on our own with not only the most freedom we would ever need, but we also have a purpose for our freedom. This is where we blow up & start living our dream. Not only will our freindship build, but we will learn so much in our travels, as well as see so much that even our parents haven't. This is an unbelievable opportunity, not only as freinds, but as buisness partners & we will make the most out of it for both situations. This is only the beginning...

Day 2:
People helping people...
This was the motto for the day. On more than one occasion in Atlanta today, we found ourselves helping others and being good citizens. Things started off slow today while trying to film the action portion of Atlanta. It was briefly interrupted by a homeless women telling us about her life to date. Her name slipps my mind but her image is engraved. She attempted to match her cloths with a few garments she posessed. She was forced to go to the bathroom eight feet from her bed, She approached us with her story. She is homeless, her mother in L.A. just passed away and she doesn't have the money to make the trip. The funeral for the cancer patient is next week. She doesnt want to sell herself for money, but she has no other choice. After we finish filming at the spot, we approached her with four dollars from our wallets (our only cash), a VX shirt and a Hip-Hop DX shirt. She thanked us a million and one times because her twenty dollars in her pocket was stolen from her while she was sleeping the night before. This seemed to be the first of many good acts by VX in Atlanta. The next came in segments. As we traveled down a random street searching for a new spot, we noticed a guy, seemingly frazzeled, standing next to the emergency phone booth frantically pressing the button. We continued walking until we realized that we had mix tapes and t-shirts to give away. We retraced our steps and asked him if he wanted some free shirts. He responded with "I knew something good was going to happen to me today." Curious, we asked asked him about his day. Apparently, he had just driven from New Orleans (Coincedence) and was in the car with females. They had gotten in an argument, which ended in him beining throw out of the car, luggage and dogs too. So he finds himself with duffle bag, and two baby pitbulls. No form of transportation, and no idea where he is. We handed over the free promo stuff and wished him luck. As we left, we asked him why he left New Orlands. He responded with "Too dangerous, man". So, looks like next couple of entries shoud be fun. Our journey continued, with him slightly in our minds. We procceded to getting two breakdance, one parkour, an one skate shot. After becoming hungry, thirsty, and tired. It was time to eat, drink, and rest. We started the long trek back towards the van, on which we would pass the place where we met the New Orleans guy. We joked about him still being there, only to find out he was truely still standing there. Meanwhile, five pitbulls are play fighting, like nothing else mattered. Thats the true freedom in nature. Not a care in the world. Anyway... We talked to him for a little while longer, mainly about his travels. Probably because we are now nervice that a black male with two pitbulls is running from New Orleans, while us three white teenagers with thousands of dollars worth of camera equiptment are just going to stroll into the city. As we depart, we tell him that we'll bring back a water from the car, seeing that he's been stranded for over two hours now. We find the van, rest for a couple and return bearing drinks. He graciusly accepted them, and explained that he was waiting for a cab and will probably be leaving soon enough. We wished each other luck and departed. We kept filming, for about five hours or so, only to walk by him still sitting there. Pitbulls asleep,(Too much freedom in one day?) We eventually offered him a ride because he was really chill. We made the hike back to the car, only to find hot water bottles and Gatorade. Truley a dissapointment. We returned once again to this spot, with our man from N.O. talking to some one, his ride. Can you believe that? It took him about 8 hours to get a ride from a friend. 5 different taxis never showed up. I have a feeling that this is only the begining of our experience with the homeless. For the next week we will be either sleeping in the car or a tent on the side of the road. Struggles... We, well, I... popped a tire today. I made too tight of a turn, and I caught a sewage drain that destroyed our tire, all because we went to McDonalds. We passed it by accident, so we went around the block. I guess I was a little too anxious for the cheeseburger. Immediatly after it happened, heart sunk. We fixed it up. Turns out, the McDonalds was closed. All that for nothing? Not really, if it didnt happen, I wouldnt have nothing to write about.

Day 3:
One down, two to go...
Very long day. Started off slow, our host made us banana pancakes. Traveled to Atlanta to begin filming. Frustration began when Grubb chose not to bring his board because he said that he didn't think he could get a shot. In my mind, laziness. While filming a skate shot in the very hot sun, Me and Alex got frustrated because I have no board to follow him with. I realize that as I begin to get burnt. A hustler came up to us an offered us a deal. We give him five bucks for a cigar, he comes back with a laptop and sells it to us for thirty dollars. We went along with it. It was only 5 bucks. The deal fell through, no worries. Booya, the flower man, needed a light; Grubb hooked it up. Let him keep the light. Exhausted, we made our way to the bakery... closed. We talked them into giving us alot of baked goods that were going to be thrown out. Also alot of water and ice. Took a while to get the last break shots. Man approached us looking for a shirt he can have. He follows us to our last couple of spots but eventually gives up and leaves. We traveled back to the car to move on. We spot the homless lady from yesterday, waiting for a customer. It's ineresting seeing true poverty. The struggle. Didnt realize how long the drive to New Orlands would be. We are now in a camp ground just outside of the city. There is a freight line right next to us. This will make great footage for later. The bugs were eating us alive while we set up the tent and sleeping bags. We are not really suppose to be here, we are just beating the system. It was very much a community of trailer homes that were just posted up in. The crows are Caww-ing. Somehow the handle to the trunk broke. Kinda confusing, so I'll draw it...nevermind, too tired. Would'nt look very good in pen. We're taking the car into the a shop to see if it could be fixed. It is now 6:04 in the morning, not really sure if this counts for day three or if I'm breaking the rules. I'll just do it by my sleep patterns. This could get hectic.

Day 4:
Independence day...
Happy forth of July! Interesting day started sooner than expected. When we went to bed last night (early this morning) we thought we'd have a good night's sleep. Boy, were we wrong. Hotter than hell, we woke up in puddles of our own sweet. Gross right? The reason is that Grubb, not pointing any fingers, insisted that we put the plastic cover over the tent to make sure that if it rained, we would'nt get wet. Skys were clearer that a brand new window. We went along with it...It just so happens that the mixture plastic cover over our tent and the burning hot New Orleans sun caused a greenhouse. I have never woken up so hot in my life. I recovered by splashing my face with cold water. Now, I'm awake for the day. I got back in the tent and Alex asked what time it was. Having fallen at around 6:15, reached for my phone, and read off the time, 7:56. That's right, we got less than 2 hours of sleep. To make matters worse, as soon as we concluded that we needed more sleep. We hear a horn. Alex states "I think we're in someones lot". Of course we were. We knew it from the begining, but now we think that they're here to park and campout. We tell Grubb to go out and try to convince her that we were just in the wrong lot. Turns out that the lady honking was the owner of the campground itself. Therefore Grubb tried to explain that the campground was free. She responded "Free?! Where you from, free?!" She added a threat of calling the police. We quickly packed everything up, and left asap. While leaving, we noticed a freight line behind us. This inspired a day of freight hunting. So it started with alot of freights and ended with rain. The downpour started while we were getting something to eat, and ended our day. We finished eating, and then looked for more spots for tomorrow. After that we tried to get a room in the Motel 6, but it's a '21+' thing. So we were left hanging. W went to the police station to see what they suggest that we do. The police station was closed. Found our way to the cheap, nice smelling, huge towel endowed Motel that I am in now. (A bit of sarcasm).

Day 5:
Exhaustion...
Today was a very long day. Definitely the longest so far. We had to get 15 action shots before we left New Orleans. We awoke from a good nights sleep in the hotel room at 7am. On the road by 8, we were looking forward to the most action packed day so far. We first stopped by the spot that looked like the L.A. river that we saw the day before. We knocked out 2 skate, 2 parkour, 2 breakdance shots with ease so we moved on to the next spot. Under the highway ramps, there are very interesting looking structures. We took care of 2 more parkour shots & one more breakdance. This is when the exhaustion sunk in. We went around the corner to look for more spots & we noticed a near perfect skate spot. Truly a diamond in the ruff. As Alex warmed up for his 50-50 180 Out, I looked for a makeshift bathroom. When I returned, Alex was about to land it. We filmed it & got a sequence photograph of it as well. Then Grubb attempted a Noseslide & succeeded twice. We began filming him, but while filming he became almost too tired to perform. He finally landed a couple more, but they were a little sketchy. His back was lobster red an covered with sweat. The frustation was building and so was the tension. We were all spent, but we had to keep our frustation to our selves to prevent a freakout. Grubb was finally too tired to go anymore. That meant we only needed 1 parkour and 2 breakdancing shots. Alex had yet to get a parkour shot on the trip, which upset him some what because he wanted to be well rounded in each city. Therefore, he wanted to get the last parkour shot of New Orleans. Also, since he is the main breakdancer on the team, he would probably have to get both break shots as well. But, since he was very tired, he was hesitant about the big jump that we noticed. So he turned to me and asked if I was up for the jump, as well as one of the break shots. He also mentioned that his fingers were becoming numb. I was immediatly filled with the pressure to do the shots. I just barged them out, doing my first dance shot, ever. Off to Dallas.

Day 6:
In the Big D...
We woke up in a rest stop that Grubb had pulled into while Me & Alex were sleeping, with the AC blowing & the lights on. This was about Sam. Alex and I shook Grubb to ask why we were wasting battery. He responded by saying " So we can sleep easier." We have been at this rest stop for about three hours now, & we're all asleep for two and a half hours. We told him to turn everything off, but he had fallen asleep again before he heard our plea. Therefore, I, being in the front seat, reached over Grubbs unconcious body & and shut everything down. I rolled down my window & shoved my head out, into the breeze. We all awoke around 7 and were ready to go to the Big D. Alex and I got out of the car & used the melted ice (water) from the cooler to shower. While we were bathing in this not so sanitary way, We caught sight of two dogs staring at us . We looked at them curiously as they mimicked our glances. It seemed like our roles switched as if instead of humans watching dogs at a local park or playground, these dogs were watching our natural behavior. Then, as Alex was walking to throw out some trash, the dogs started dashing towards him. He yelped in fear because of his oncertainty about the dogs' intentions. It turns out they were just going for the little bit of trash that Alex dropped. They were moving like a pack. These doggs must have been ferral. We were the only people in that part of the parking lot, so they weren't someone's pets. They soon trotted toward the woods, slowly disappearing into the darkness. We positioned our van closer to the bathrooms so that we would be able to brush our teeth. Van is running fine. After we feel clean enough to roll into Dallas, we went to start the van up again. Nothing, it didn't even turn over. Our battery was dead. We walked into the parking lot, for some reason no one ever had jumper cables. After a long search, we found a guy who was more than helpful. He helped us out and we were on our way. As we approached the skyline, we were baffled by the architecture of it all. As we rolled through the streets, it was silent, very silent. Not too much hustlin' or bustlin', it was very mellow. By this time, we were looking for a spot to film at for our stuntwork, as well as getting establishing shots of the city. We roamed into an interesting parking structure, and found plenty of opportunities. We were soon kicked out, which is the fist encounter with police since we got pulled over yesterday. We desided to use our GPS rather than the directions that we used in our itinerary in an attempt to save some time. In doing so, we ended up going through a small town in Louisianna, where they are very strict about speeding. Apparently we were going 57 in a 45. We therefore got our first ticket of the trip. Anyway, back to today. We filmed a couple more shots to bring our total for the day to 6 stuntwork shots. While looking for graffiti in the area, we came across this unbelievable field of big pillers with graffiti on them. We did our best to find it, and wound up right next to it after a few small turns. It's an unbelievable spot. Huge, with a skyline in the background unlike anything Ive seen before. We made the trek to find the graf because they were behind a couple of grown in hills and a small creek. Just as easily as we found the spot to park, we found our way to the graf. We were overlooking this immense field with a couple power lines. We walked down to a trail, where we could reach both graf locations.While walking, we see a man sitting all alone in this remote location, listening to a walkman for a cassett tape, on a makeshift chair composed of a perfect length log. He was a man of few words, but after we passed and retraced our steps to return to the car, he spoke his story. He makes signs? Very distinct voice, almost god-like, very intense. So here we are, at the park spot that we found a long time ago, watching the lit up city from a distance. Beautiful...

Day 7:
Only the first week...
Interesting morning. Woken up by an ambulance, I know... apparently someone spotted us and called the police. The paramedics told us to get out of there before the cops got there because they would probubly ticket us for tresspassing. As we were talking to them, I realized my arm was numb. Because I was sleeping with arm under my head, out the window, I couldn't control my hand. It was flopping forward and back everytime I tried to move my arm. It felt like it was rubber. Anyway, we got out of there as fast as we could in fear of getting our second citation of the trip. We drove around to find a new spot to sleep for another hour or so. We finally came across a spot in the shade. Within 5 minutes, the shade dissapeared. I felt like we were in the sun, but I think I was the only one. For some reason, I was the only one not in the shade of the trees. It seemed like the sun was coming in the window and hitting me. I waited for Alex, who was in the driver's seat, to wake up and asked him to move the car into the shade again. 5 minutes later, the shadow disappeared again. I can't win. We eventually got up, washed our faces, and started looking for spots. We stumbled upon this middle school and started warming up. Alex and I banged out the last two parkour shots while Grubb practiced his bigspins and a four stair. We all rounded the building to find a huge stairset with what looked like the 'gnar-gnar' steps from Baldi Middle School. We finished up the stuntwork shots and met a writer. He writes Wrist1. He just tags mostly and does pieces in his blackbook. When we packed up, we went to get some food at a chinese buffet. This was our first meal other than fast food and Chef BoyArdee the entire trip. From there, I started driving to the Grand Canyon. I drove for about 5 hours or so and stopped at a rest stop because it was the last one for another 76 miles. Grubb volunteered to take over driving from there after our "meal" of Spaghettio's. I fell asleep in the back, only to wake up with Grubb driving in the rain. Only darkness surrounded us. I fell back asleep.

Day 8:
Nature's finest...
Today consisted of beautiful views and scenic drives. We woke up with Grubb in the front seat, trying to start the car. He left the lights on again. He and I walked through the parking lot looking for a generous human being with jumper cables. Finally got a guy that was willing and he helped us out. From that point on, I was driving. I drove starting from when we left that rest stop to when we stopped at our hotel for the night. The interesting stuff happened between them. Early in the drive, we used our GPS to find the Grand Canyon. In the " Attractions" menu, "Grand Canyon Park" showed up. This must be it right? We followed the directions for a long time. When we were only 10 miles away, we became anxious. Less than half a mile left and it still seemed residential. Weird... we follow a couple back streets, then we were there according to our GPS. But, although we believed it at first, we took a last turn and ended up in a very small dirt road behind some houses. Welcome to the Grand Canyon? Turns out it was a Grand Canyon Science Center for people studying about the history and origin of the Canyon. We went back the way we came and noticed a visitors center. Stopped in for directions. Another hour and a half drive, apparently. Thanks GPS. The rest of the drive was very scenic, thank god. I would've been so pissed if not. We caught sight of a hotel and got a room. The hotel's restaruant didn't open till 6, but because our phones didn't recognize the time zone change, there was a big mix up about times. We ate and set sail for the Grand Canyon. Again, very scenic drive. We arrive ony to find out that there is a $25 charge, per car, for a 7 day minimum pass. Cheap bastards. Always a way to make money. The canyon was breathtaking. We saw some people standing where there weren't any railings. We found out how to get there and went. It signified out freedom and independence. There was no one to tell us where to stand or what to look at, truely beautiful. Back to the hotel.

Day 9:
Rags to riches...
This morning we woke up at 4:30 AM to go to the Grand Canyon and watch the sunrise. It was an unbelievable experience. We found our way to a different peak then the night before. It was smaller which made it more exciting and free. I layed down on the edge with my head practically hanging off the edge. I layed there and just reflected on everything. We were so free. After experiencing all of this, we set off for the hotel once more to nap for a couple hours and pack. Now we set sail for Las Vegas. While driving, we realized we needed another oil change. After we found our hotel and a pizza place to chill, we came to the realization that it was also a bar. There were some interesting characters inside. A woman sitting at the bar was singing like she was in the shower, neglecting the existence of others. The DJ was a novice. He tried his best to scratch a record. FAILED. Our pizza was ready. We ate it at one of the booths near the bar. The bartender asked us for our ID's, we responded with " Can't we just eat our pizza." So when we finished eating, we left the bar and went to get the car. We checked into our hotel. Because Mr. Verruto booked it for us, and he's a platinum member, we got some perks. When we got into our room, I was ecstatic. To think that in the last week we slept in beds for only 2 nights, and now we're experiencing luxury like this. We got settled in and started to roam the room. We found a rubber duckie in the bathroom, mini bar under the TV, and a golden bible in a drawer. We stopped by the pool a little later to see if anyone our age was present at the hotel. Nothing was really going on. We jumped in a couple times and made conversation with the cute girl working the bar. Her shift was over so she went home. We receded back to our room to get ready for the night out on the strip. We all showered and got dressed for the adventure. We realized that we all instinctively got changed into jeans and a beater. I noticed it and stated " Is this too.... Boys II Men?" We laughed and Grubb put on a T-shirt. The night really took off. We met a bunch of interesting people. We interacted with a couple homeless people, a rap artist that was interested in giving us the rights to his music for our films, a 7 foot tall man in a fast food joint preaching about freedom of speech, and a group of prostitutes just tryin to get "broke". They were all from many different backrounds and at many different parts of their lives. We were out on the strip from about 9:30 PM until about 3:30 AM, with only one stop back to the hotel for a relaxation period. Unfortunately, I cant go into specifics. As you know, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Day 10:
The day after...
Today was very relaxed. It started up around 12:30 in the afternoon. We went into the Spa at the hotel. We signed in and the woman gave us keys to lockers. We shuffled into the spa, locked our valuables, hopped into our robes, and jumped into the sauna. Spent about a half hour in there, followed by the steam room. We then showered and got changed. We proceeded to our room to checkout of the hotel. Because Mr. Verutto was a platinum member, we had until 4 PM to checkout instead of the normal 11 AM. We hit the road road once again, we arrived in L.A. and got some food. We rounded the city to look for spots and filmed some establishing shots of the city. As we were making our way to the house where we are going to stay, we came across streets that were at 45 degree angles. Then, when we reached the top, the other side was about 60. Got to the houe, saw Andre. Now watching Entourage.

Day 11:
It's business, It's business time...
Woke up in L.A. Sat up in my sleeping bag and had an amazing view of the Hollywood sign. For breakfast, Andre took us out to a diner. We talked about what's happened so far on the trip and all that good stuff. We mocked Andre's motions while we all tapped glasses before we ate, the signature make eye contact and open up your eyes so the people across the street can see. We also mimicked the motion of pointing your index and middle fingers at someone, which apperently means they've heard the story before. Both of these were taught to us by him and since we haven't seen him in a while, we thought we would remind him of these motions. After we ate, we went to the counter to pay, and the waitress began to tell us about what TV shows were filmed in the diner. She then insisted on us taking a picture of the register. Not really sure why. After we finally got out of there, we went to meet up with Cameran Shayne, the creator of Budokon, a mixture of martial arts and yoga. He was a physical trainer and Courtney Cox and David Arquette came to him looking for something new. They'd done yoga and jujitzu, but they wanted something in between. He invented Budokon. Anyway, we met up with him so that we could share our techniques with each other. We stopped by his house where we had to take off our shoes before entering. There were no chairs, very cool. He showed us a training video of what we were about to get into. We walked to a park and stretched. I started filming it to document it all. Grubb said he would take the camera for a while, but 5 minutes later he handed it back to me. I was filming for about an hour and a half total and only got to train with him for a couple minutes. His wife joined us, very attractive, great work Cameran. We went back to their house and we gave them VX shirts. After that, Ernesto made us some Peurto Rican food. Delicious. To the end the night, we saw Hellboy 2. Back at the house, Entourage.

Day 12:
Living the life...
Woke up today after a couple hours of sleep and were forced out by the cleaning lady. Grubb fell back to sleep on the couch while Alex and I went on the back porch overlooking the Holywood sign and fell asleep on the chairs. We woke up a second time with Andre standing over us saying that it was time to go. We proceeded to clean up our spot in the living room and were out the door to brunch. We went to this little cafe and met up with an old friend of Andre's. He was another example of a person in the industry getting too carried away away with drugs and alcohol. He was telling us how it was breakfast, lunch, and dinner for him. Apperently he's now skipping it as his afternoon snack. After we ate, we went to the market to get some dessert to bring to the BBQ later in the day. We eventually found this small bakery in a strip mall, and bought a cake that looked delicious. Even though we just ate, we went to the BBQ. It took us a while to find the house because on Andre's GPS, her house didn't exist. When we arrived, we stopped inside and dropped off the cake. It was placed in the fridge and we left to find a place to interview Andre. We drove around for a while with no luck. We returned to the house and did the interview in the backyard under a cool looking tree. After that, we ate, then napped. We woke up and said bye to everyone. We realized we could give some shirts out. We went to the car and put the shirts inside. We also both grabbed pieces of cake. We didn't tell Andre or Grubb about it until a couple of hours later. They were pissed that we didnt bring any out for them. We went to the beach and relaxed for a while before hitting up another party. We promoted like crazy, and the focus of the party seemed to be on us throughout the entire time we were there. We made new connections with interesting people. After the party was when Andre freaked out about the cake. Back to the house.

Day 13:
Leaving Los Angeles...
Our last day in L.A. It started off with a lunch with Andre and Ernesto. We went to this place that had opened two weeks prior, but somehow had "world famous sloppy joe." It's amazing that you can be named anything world famous in only 2 weeks. Anyway, the food was good, but it was pretty hot where we were sitting. Ernesto was obviously upset that we were leaving. He was talking more than usual and kept trying to make us laugh. After we ate, Ernesto showed us how to get inside the LA. river to film the notorious graffiti. We explored the river while Andre drove Ernesto home. As we approached the water, we began to smell feces. It truely smelled awful. Then we noticed some graf on some of the pillars. We filmed the pieces and started walking the side of the river. As we peered downstream, we noticed people in the water. I, jokingly, said " They're bathing in the water." Strangely enough, there was a family bathing in the dirty, dirty water. As we get closer I began to realize one of the girls is not wearing a shirt, or bra. We passed them twice. We went to the other side to get more graf and Alex had to poop. As we were filming, I was picking up caps for spray cans that the writers left. Alex pooped and used a shirt to wipe. We then realized that the shirt had already been used for the same reason. Gross. We finished up there. Drove around more and eventually left L.A., but not after Andre gave us all $100 each. Thanks Andre, we don't have to eat fast food all day now. He offered to pay my ticket, but I refused. It really is my responsibility. Now we were on our way to Yosemite National Park. Home of half dome and el captain. Alex said he would be cool to drive, and made it pretty far. Grubb offered to take over, and he actually didn't have his regular license on him, his temp. expired. He was winding around all the turns. When we parked, I turned off the lights.

Day 14:
Back to the wild...
We woke up with a deer next to the car. We had entered the park when it was closed, so we would have to pay tonight when we left. We cruised until we found parking. The views were amazing and each corner held a new destination. We took the shuttle bus to the most interesting trail. We trecked it until we came to a waterfall. The cameras were getting wet from the mist, so we made sure to get what we could before the lenses got wet. We moved on and hiked for a while longer. We came to another waterfall. We decided to jump around a little. We left the cameras on a rock off of the trail and jumped around on the crazy rocks. This was a cool experience because I never parkoured on an obstical with so much potential and so many different ways of getting around it. We filmed Grubb a little, but it looked weird because he was somewhat off balanced at times. Then we decided to climb the rock right beside the waterfall. We got a couple of usable shots before going swimming. We wandered down to where the waterfall calmed. Alex and Grubb jumped in first while I took a pic, then I hopped in. The water was cold. We climbed out, and Grubb took the camera to take back to the bags, and then he slipped. The camera hit the ground. We looked at it, but the only broken part was the shutter thing on the lens. I fixed it temperarily with some toothpics. Unfortunately, one of them came loose so I had to fix it again, it's a foreshadow of what is to come. We then filmed our interviews and started the 5 mile hike back to civilization. About 3 miles into it, the rain started. It was just a drizzle at first, but it soon turned into a downpour. We jogged the rest of the way only to be crammed into a bus full of wet people, just like sardines as the busdriver was saying. Now it was off to San Fran. We stopped at an In and Out Burger, and had some kind of experience. When we got into San Fran. We had fun finding the place. Until tomorrow......

Day 15:
Reuniting with a friend...
Today we woke up and cleaned up our sleeping arrangements. We drove out to the other side of the city and picked up Cas from his Aunt's house. We pulled up as he walked out, his eyes lit up. He was thrilled to see us. He mentioned that he tried to meet people out here, but where he was staying was a largely Mexican population. Therefore, he was having trouble communicating with them. We went to a Cafe and got breakfast. We were laughing like we were back in Abington again. From there, we went to a handrail that Cas spotted while he was here. He tried to boardslide it for a while. Close, but no cigar. We moved on. Got a couple more shots throughout the day. We parked at a meter, but you only got 6 minutes for ever quarter you put it. Very expensive for those who pick up change off the ground like us. We jumped around on a very interesting looking fountain. We then found our way to a local skate shop where Cas got his trucks re-threaded. We got directions to some local spots while inside. After we skated those spots, we moved on and left for our house. It took about a half an hour to find a spot to park. We got inside, ate, and relaxed. Cas had to be home by 10:00 PM. So, around 10:15, we left to drive him to his Aunt's. We dropped him off and said goodbye until tomorrow. When I was driving home, Alex and Grubb fell asleep. I then spent about an hour looking for a spot. Finally, I came upon a spot that was just big enough for the van. After we parked, we rolled up the windows. Failed. The passenger window was going up crooked. We tried to push and pull it back into place. Failed. We called in reinforcements and a tow truck eventually showed up. While we waited, Grubb called Tee, Alex called Marina, and I stayed warm in the car and reflected about the trip. The guy in the tow truck tried his best to fix the window. He got it pretty close, but said we need to get to a repair shop. We locked it up, now we're back at the house. Until Tomorrow...

Day 16:
Grubb's B-Day...
We woke up and got Cas from his Aunt's house. From there, we went to the nearest auto body shop to get the window fixed. The guy seemed really cool and he said that for some reason they get a lot of extreme sports athletes at the shop. He mentioned some pro skaters. We didn't stay too long to talk, we had filming to do. We walked the streets and found spots on the trek. One by one, we knocked out the remaining necessary shots. Along the way, we found a couple graffiti spots that were worth filming. Eventually, as we were on our last shot, Alex's phone rang. It was the guy from the shop. Our car was ready. They said that the window was up, but not functioning. They also figured out how to open our back hatch with a screwdriver. For only those two things, they charged us $240. This is another example of a mechanic ripping off a customer. Unfortunately, after the confusing walk back to the mechanics, we were still left with a window that wouldn't go down. We thought that this would be the end of the day for us. But Becca, Alex's cousin who was housing us in SF, knew a professional photographer who was interested in doing a photo shoot with us. We found ourselves on the top of a roof jumping from one building to another while the owners of the houses were probably away from home. After we filmed our stuntwork, it was time for the photographer to show his stuff. He didn't have his strobes, so we just used our floodlights. He wanted to take a couple portraits of us for his portfolio. Unfortunately, the lighting wasn't the best that it could be. We ended up getting a couple mediocre shots and then getting pizza. We payed $45 for 2 large pizzas, not including the tip. We finished the pizza and went outside. For Grubb's b-day, he bought gifts from a store called "puff, puff, pass" on Haight street. We rescheduled our photoshoot for tomorrow.

Day 17:
The art...
Today was dedicated mainly to the graf in San Fran. While we have been driving around looking for skate spots, we've noticed more than enough graffiti to represent San Fran. So, after we woke up, we got Cas and started roaming. We found a bunch of what looked like legal walls. There were mostly full blown mural productions. One in particular had an Egyptian Theme with pharoahs, the Sphinx, and the pyramids. When we got there, there were two guys sitting on a car smoking weed. We acknowledged them and they did us. After we filmed it, we left. About 10 or 15 minutes later we passed the spot again and the guys smoking weed earlier were now finishing up the production. We went up and talked to them. Strangely enough, after getting to know their backgrounds, one of them said that they knew Alex's brother, who is a graffiti artist born in PA now living in Florida. Turns out we were talking to King 157 himself. It's such a small world. After about 10 minutes of talking, we left and gave them VX shirts. It was about the time that we planned the photoshooot with Brad. We called him and asked for his address. Alex and I left to pick up his equipment along with him. Becca told us that we could use the same roof as last night, so Alex dropped me and Brad off. We carried all of the equipment up three flights of very narrow stairs. After we got the last of it on the roof, we started setting up the lights. We made sure to be very quiet while on the other roofs, but one guy heard us. He came out cursing, saying "I Don't Give A F--k" to everything we said. He eventually said he was calling the police. We scurried back down the stairs with the equipment. So we guessed we needed a new location. Becca found another roof. We went up to the new spot to scope it before we lugged everything up. It was no good. There was no skyline view. We then ended up back at Becca's house, taking the photo in her backyard. We smoked cigars, then drove Brad and Cas home. On the drive, we saw a midget and a guy running for his life.

Day 18:
The twelve hour drive...
We awoke in Becca's house with a very long journey ahead of us. Our GPS said that it would be a twelve hour drive from San Francisco to Seattle. We needed to move our car before 10 due to two hour parking starting at 8, so we figured that we would just leave for Seattle then. Grubb offered to start driving as always. We drove for two hours and then I fell asleep. I woke up about two hours later to Grubb saying he was too tired to drive. I took over thinking only or a couple hours. I'm so naive. After we passed into Oregon, I realized we needed gas. Almost as routinely as going to the bathroom, I pulled into a gas station, walked up to the pump, and started pumping gas. I was awakened from my daze by a man saying, "You're in Oregon". I was very confused. Apparently, you can't pump your own gas in Oregon. He threatened us with the thought of getting ticketed. We let him finish pumping our gas while we used the bathroom. We stopped and got $5 footlongs and starred at the girls that worked there. Back on the road. We decided to go to the house that we were staying at and just crash rather than seeing the city. We're staying with the most random person. While in Yosemite National Park, we ran into Grubb's cousin and some of her friends who were taking a roadtrip as well, but they were going the opposite direction. She said that she stayed with a friend in Seattle for a couple days and he was cool about it. She gave us this contact information, and we got a hold of him. He was fine with us crashing at his place. We eventually pull up to his place and Lassie starts running around our car. It was a gorgeous dog and we assumed it was his since it followed us into the house. We brought our stuff inside and got to know him. He writes graf, sells drugs, and apparently doesn't own a dog. He found the dog earlier and it had been following him around all day. He made us some food, smoked some cigars, then we crashed.

Day 19:
The twelve hour footy day...
Coming into Seattle, we were a little stressed because we only had two days to get 15 shots with only three of us, instead of having three days and four guys like in SF. Although time was against us, we had to get it done. As we pulled into the city around 10 o'clock, we saw a bunch of spots right away. We came to this one building that was closed because it was Saturday. We figured that we could get 2 of the parkour shots done because there was so much potential. We ended up getting three of the five parkour shots there. We rolled down the street to another spot where we got kicked out. It was a post office, so they kicked us out very quickly. We went next door to a public storage building, but eventually had the same result, we got kicked out. But this time we realized that the place closed in 10 minutes. Therefore, we went to another spot and banged out a bunch of break shots. When we got back to the spot, Grubb dropped us off and went to get ice, water, and mustad. Don't ask...Alex started to warm up as I thought of angles to shoot his tricks. He eventually came to me and said that he wouldn't be able to land his ideas. We figured that we would just wait for Grubb to get back to see what he thinks. He returned and we ate some food and pondered. We eventually banged out the rest of the skate shots. All that was left was one parkour shot and one break shot. We drove to this pier and Alex got both of them. While he was getting the dance shot, there were people watching. One called down and asked what we were doing. We gave him the same old schpeil. Hearing this, another guy called down and said, "If you need a rapper in the movie, I'll get down on it." We were immediately interested because we always need so much music for films. We told him to come down and spit something for us. It was alright. We exchanged info. We got food and were thinking of seeing a movie. Theaters were closed. Grubb drove home. Alex and I fell asleep. I wonder if he did what I did last night; speed at about 110 MPH. When I hit 108, I saw lights. The cop passed me. The guys were asleep and I didn't tell them about it. I guess they'll find out when they read this.

Day 20:
Not another one...
We woke up today with one goal, to capture as much of the local graf as possible. When we got up, we asked our hosts if they knew where any spots for graf were. They had a couple good suggestions, but we didn't know Seattle that well, so we kinda needed a map. Sure enough, they pulled out a map of Seattle. Although it was pretty outdated, it had all we needed on it. From there we went to one of the spots that they suggested. As we arrived at the certain area, we noticed that it wasn't looking to promising. It just wasn't the normal, graffiti covered, neighborhood. After we drove around the area for another 10 minutes, we moved on. We stopped by a local freight yard to see if we could catch anything. Fortunately, there was a line with some boxcars. We walked the line and flicked the pieces that were worth it. We called Tyler up to see how he was doing. He told us how is skating has been. He also gave us an update on the graffiti in the Tri-State area. Seeing graf all around the U.S., it was interesting to hear what was going on in our area. After the yard, we were very hungry, so we stopped to get some food. After we ate, we decided to go a little outside the city so that we could drive into the city and see the skyline lit up. As we went outside the populated area, we found another train yard. While I was turning around, we caught sight of a skatepark in the making. It was almost like FDR in Philly. It was well developed and had a lot of potential. We flicked the graf and headed back to the city. We filmed the skyline and then saw a movie, The Dark Knight. It was very good. By far one of my new Top 10 films. The acting was stellar, especially Heath Ledger, Rest In Peace. After we saw the movie, I started driving home. I guess I lost focus on the speedometer because I got pulled over. I was going more than enough over the speed limit.

Day 21:
To Yellowstone...
After Seattle, we have a slight rest before before our last three-city push. It's mostly because of the large distance between Seattle and Minneapolis. Its going to be about a 24 hour stretch of straight driving. Therefore, we're gonna make a couple of stops to ease the pain of the long drive. Our first stop is going to be Yellowstone National Park. We are bound to see some amazing things. So, when we woke up, we thanked our hosts for everything they did for us and we gave them VX shirts to rock. They told us a good place to get some breakfast, a bagel spot down the street. We went to eat, when Grubb realized that he left his phone charger at the house. We stopped back once more and we were on our way. Grubb started driving, as usual. He made it about 4 hours before he needed to switch with someone. Alex took over. We realized that we were both hungry and in need of gas. We took the first exit that we saw and came to the gas station. We spotted an attractive girl and asked her where the closest pizza shop was, she was kind of a b---h. She just pointed us down the street. We started down the road and noticed a couple of girls on the street. We looped back to make noise and see what was up. Turns out that they were having a cheerleading practice and there weren't only four attractive girls, there were about 20. We were listening to "Sexy Lady" with the windows down as we passed. We were gonna say what's up, but the instructors were guys and we've annoyed cheerleading instructors before, and they're all a--holes. After we were obnoxious and loud, hunger hit us again. We noticed a couple pizza places on the street. We debated about which one sounded better. When we finally chose one, we parked, walked up, and walked back to the car. Closed on Monday's?! We went to the other one, also closed. What's with this town? We settled for some fast food.The fast food chains that are based on the west coast don't cook the food until someone orders it. That means that you aren't eating meat that has been sitting in a drawer for multiple hours. Our first experience with this type of chain was In n Out Burger. This time we stopped at a Zips. We ordered and ate it in the car. Back on the road. Alex drove for another couple hours, then we stopped at a rest area. It was my turn. Alex fell asleep in the back while Grubb smoked in the front seat (one of his cancer sticks). After he was done, he fell asleep. Now it was just me, awake, on another post-midnight shift. Grubb drifted in and out with the iPod. I would hear a song or two, then there would be about 10 or 15 minutes of silence. Then he would wake up and repeat. Eventually he completely passed out and I confiscated the iPod. This is where I started getting tired, with more than 3 more hours of driving ahead of me. Struggle. I started listening to songs that I know all of the words to so that I could sing and stay awake. Eventually my mind started f--king with me. I started seeing s--t that wasn't really there. Fortunately, I was able to stay awake for the entire drive. I pulled up to the gate of Yellowstone and we decided to sleep outside of the park so we could get breakfast in the morning. We parked on the side of the road where there was a guard rail made of logs on one side. We went and sat on the guard thingy and smoked cigars. We slept in the car, in our sleeping bags.

Day 22:
Coming of age...
We woke up to workers sawing down the guard rail thingy. I guess we were the last ones to use it. It was a pretty good send off if I've ever seen one. We eventually made our way to the local diner to consume some food. To our delight, we got the most attractive waitress that worked there. We were all flirting back and forth as she served us. We asked her about the park to see what the coolest part of it all was. She recommended the hot springs. When we left, we took her advice. En route to the spot, there was a traffic jam. A wild bison was strolling in front of the cars, just foreshadowing the rest of the day. We saw some sulfur deposits and hot springs and were fascinated by all of the sights and sounds of the park. We spotted a couple deer while driving. As we were leaving, we caught sight of what looked like snow on one of the mountain peaks. We explored and found it. We climbed to the top and chilled on the snow. We interviewed each other. I talked about the environment and how we need to do something to stop polution and prevent global warming. We went back to the car and were on our way out of the park. We began to drive out, when traffic stopped. There was a heard of bison walking across the road and blocking traffic. There were a lot of them. Probably fifty to seventy five of them. We eventually got passed and were officially on our way to Mt. Rushmore. After a couple hours of driving, we passed a freight yard. We stopped to get some flicks. Got kicked out by a worker, so I pooped in a boxcar. After that, it started to rain. Thunderstorms are totally different than back in Philly. Out here the lightning is unbelievable. While Grubb was driving, we hit a wall of rain. He was going about 70 and couldn't see ten feet in front of him. We slowed down and eventually stopped to stretch. We were in the middle of nowhere. It soon stopped raining. Not a single car other than ours was on the road. We actually did 20 push ups each in the middle of the highway. Got close and slept in the car.

Day 23:
Back to civil living...
We woke up only ten minutes away from Mount Rushmore. Grubb drove there. We slept in an interesting spot, between an 18 wheeler and a small shack. Grubb parallel parked it, very humorous. We approached Mount Rushmore. Some said it was too small and that they expected more. As we pulled close, it was unbelievable. We payed the ten bucks to park and approached the entrance. We tried our best to soak it all in and really admire the art and what it represents, while trying to avoid the overweight Americans trying to get a picture with Rushmore in the background. After we saw the sight, we were off. We passed a lake and since we haven't showered in a couple days, we figured that we would jump in. We heard a big splash followed by an, "Oh my God, that kid jumped!" We looked around and saw this big rock where people were cliff jumping. We jumped in a couple times and promoted to some locals. After we were done, we got in the car and left due to a thunderstorm that rolled in. We were back on the old dusty trail. While in the car, we were talking about what food we all craved. After a couple good ones, I suggested an old favorite, grilled cheese. We now had a new mission, to get to a diner and get a grilled cheese. The day turned to night and we decide to use our GPS to find a diner. Willy's Diner sounded good and it was relatively close. We made the journey to the location and found out that it doesn't exist. We drove around and saw two girls in the street, so we asked them about the diner. They had never heard of it. We talked, a third girl came and things got interesting, We promoted the ish out of VX to them. It was such a small town that they only have one police officer. We kept talking and eventually Alex got with one of them. The other two weren't feeling it. They got picked up. Back to the mission: grilled cheese. We looked up a couple more diners and called each one, all closed. Therefore, we made the rest of the drive on just the food in the car. We arrived at our host's house around 2 AM. The doors were locked. We slept in the car, in their driveway.

Day 24:
Back to the action...
There has been a couple day break since our last day of filming our stuntwork. This will be a pretty difficult challenge due to our lack of rest. We woke up today just like every other time we slept in the car, with someone tapping on the window. But this time we weren't getting kicked out of an area. This time, it was the most welcoming wake-up ever. Our host came down, tapped on our window and spoke to us like an angel, "Hey, do you guys want to come upstairs? You can come in and shower or eat or sleep in a bed if you'd like." You best believe that we practically sprinted up those stairs. The family welcomed us with bagels and cream cheese. We talked as we ate and got to know what they were really about. Then we took them up on their shower offer. I went first. It was so refreshing after not showering for about 5 or 6 days. When I got out, I looked for the guys only to find them in an enormous TV room on a gigantic couch dozing off. Grubb got in the shower next. I sat on the couch and realized why they were dozing off. Alex showered last and then we were on our way to roam the city. We found this industrial area that had a lot of potential. We took care of a bunch of shots that we needed. We went from spot to spot and knocked out all the parkour and break. We'll get the last of the skate shots tomorrow. We went back to the house to wash up. We jumped in the pool and ate dinner, twice. We ate Mcdonald's on the way home and they offered an actual meal. We couldn't say no. Our host's son showed us some places downtown. Not very exciting. Then we hung out with an old, old, friend. When I was in 7th grade I "dated" this girl. We did the whole cliche, go to the movies and kiss at the end thing. At that time, that was a big deal. Anyway, while we were "dating", she moved out to Minneapolis. We talked still but at 13 it's hard to do a relationship, let alone with 1000 miles between you. So, we got a hold of her. Grubb grew up with her, so he was taking control of the situation. We went over, chilled, had fun. Grubb got with her and unfortunately her friends never came. Alex and I were disappointed.

Day 25:
What's next?...
I woke up on her couch sweating. She was getting ready for work and the guys weren't fully awake yet. She said bye to Alex and I. Grubb drove her to work. Alex and I slept for another couple minutes waiting for Grubb to get back. Woke up a second time and we leave. It was raining, which meant that we couldn't get the skate shots. We were bummed, but we needed to flick some graf before we left for Chicago. We went to a couple spots and did what we needed to do. From there, we went to the house that we should've stayed at. Our hosts were slightly confused as to why we never slept at their house while staying with them. We walked down to the basement to find their son playing Call Of Duty 4 on a humungous screen. We talked, Grubb played a little, and then we went upstairs. We used their sauna and then showered. It was so refreshing. We did some interviews and then it was off to Chi-town. I started driving, take that Grubb. I drove for a while and Alex and Grubb fell asleep. I started getting hungry and tired. I listened to music until they woke up. I suggested food and they got excited. Then it came to me. The f--king grilled cheese. GPS'ed a diner and got there as fast as possible. Moes's Diner, Almost World Famous. Ate the grilled cheese and drank our chocolate milk. We were so happy. I kept driving and eventually we were getting close. We pulled into view of the skyline, beautiful. Drove across the city, made our way to the house of Andre's friend. As we pulled up, I noticed that the neighborhood wasn't so welcoming. We rang the buzzer and she let us in. The place is a lot bigger than it looks. She is giving us full range on her basement. We are also able to do our laundry, which we haven't done since LA. It really blew me away. Now we're about to crash. Only two people can fit on the couch. Struggle.

Day 26:
Back on the Grind...
We woke up today at around 11. We got a lot of sleep. We eventually got up and out the door, only after we ate some bagels. Our first stop was FedEx. We heard that FedEx Kinko's scans their boxes and it has the possibility of completely wiping our tapes. Therefore, we use Federal Express, which is where the major shipping headquarters are. This way, as we are told, if we go to the source of the shipping, they won't scan it. So, we put it into our GPS and it said that it would take about an hour to get there. We were on our way, then we hit some traffic. We sat in the car for 2 hours before we hit the FedEx. We sent our tapes home and we were hungry. We stopped at McDonald's once more! Then it was time to jump around. We made the drive back to the city and found a great skate spot. Alex did a 50-50 and we were back to the searching. Our filming day pretty much consists of us searching for spots. We'll drive around until we see a spot for any of our extreme sports. We'll find a place to park legally, or illegally, and bang out the shots we need before we get kicked out. Then we move on to the next spot. So, back to today. We found a high school with some crazy railings. I got 2 parkour shots and Grubb got 1. I did a very big drop multiple times. I tweaked my knee a little bit, which may have affected my MCL, which I pulled before the trip. This is the first time that it has bothered me since I finished my physical therapy. We went to McDonald's again, unfortunately. We returned home after we ate, only to find our hosts about to cook some burgers themselves. Only if we held out until we got home. They offered us some and we couldn't deny it. We went downstairs and did some interviews until they called us up. We went upstairs and ate some turkey burgers with other delicious and healthy treats. We talked over food and eventually went back down. We watched Click and some of Talladega Knights. I finally watched SportsCenter. First time this trip.

Day 27:
Promotion, Promotion, Promotion...
Although it was scheduled to be an intensely action packed filming day, we ended up doing the most promotion this trip. We started our day with our host making us pumpkin waffles and sausages. They were amazing. From the house, we went to the skatepark that she suggested. When we got there, there were only a couple other kids skating. Alex got a manual and then wanted to 180 out. It took him a while, but eventually we got it. I was sitting on the fence for about an hour and a half or 2 hours filming it. My legs were numb and it exhausted me. Grubb stuck an Indy. Then the promotion began. We gave all of the skaters shirts and postcards and got pictures of them rocking the gear. While talking to one of the parents, he asked if we wrote. He practices writing while his kid skates and wanted to know if we needed help finding local spots. We exchanged numbers and look forward to meeting up with him. From the park we wet to Subway, but as we approached it, we saw heaven. White Castle. We got about 20 burgers and 4 fries. Then Grubb's leg cramped up in the middle of a story he was telling. We came home to rest before we finished the shots. Grubb passed out while Alex and I watched Hook. We then finished the necessary shots and went back home to shower and rest once more. We all showered and got clean. We were deciding what to do for the night and we settled on going to the movies. We parked at a meter since they don't use them on Sundays. We walked to the theater, only a block. We approached the ticket counter and got tickets for Wanted. We thought that was the only movie we were going to see tonight. We were wrong. The movie didn't start for another hour so we went into a Batman showing. We watched the first half hour or so. Because we already saw it, we had no problem walking out and going into the movie that we paid for. We watched Wanted and were pretty impressed. I definitely liked it. When it was over, we went back into the same Batman theater. We watched the end. Then we went into another Batman theater and watched the middle. Home.

Day 28:
Close Encounters...
Today we woke up around 11 and left our housing for the last time. We left our keys on the counter and were on our way. Today's mission was to capture the cities' culture and graffiti. We were thinking of meeting up with Dwel, the local artist, and have him show us around. Our schedules conflicted. We were forced to wander the city without the eyes of a native. Since Chicago wanted to stop graffiti in the city, it is illegal to sell or purchase spray paint inside city limits. This also makes it difficult to find any good productions in the city. We were on the highway, we saw an old factory that was plastered with graf. We stopped and found a way into the property. We flicked a couple things around the factory. We approached the major building and I saw a door. There had to be some crazy s--t inside. On the first floor, it was mostly tags and throwups. I saw some stairs. We started going up them. Then things started getting crazy. We realized that the staircase wasn't entirely there. It was pretty much a fire escape without the landings after each set of stairs. This means that we could walk up a flight of stairs and then walk on the iron bars that remained there to get to the next set of stairs. We made it up a couple stories and realized that if we were to fall, we would fall down 5 stories and probably die. We were trying to decide whether we should go up more to see the graf, or if we should just get more stuff outside. As we were deliberating, we heard a noise. Footsteps above us. I looked up and saw a guy coming down the broken down stairs. I signaled to Alex to get the f--k down. He may have been a writer or a lunatic hiding from the cops. We bounced and got back to the car. On to Colombus. Grubb drove to start. He got pulled over and got his first ticket. He was really upset and called his Mom. She was pissed. We ate at a buffet and Alex drove the rest of the way. We arrived at Niko's Aunt's house and gave them a rundown of the trip so far.

Day 29:
Send in the Reinforcements...
This is the last day that we have to get action footage. Our last city and our last big push. We woke up to Niko and our hosts making breakfast for us. They wanted us to go to the lake before we went into the city, but we didn't have the time. It was on to our last day of hardcore filming, and it helped to have Niko skating with us. We scoped a couple spots before we parked. Our first find was a museum. Not the best idea. We got kicked out. We moved across the street, same result. We moved on, found a 5 stair, Niko hardflipped it. By far the best skate trick so far. Then we went to a spot that we figured could take care of most of our shots. We parked and walked to the spot . We jumped around and took care of about half of the shots. Then we got thirsty and our tape ran out. Niko and Grubb went to the car with the intentions of dropping off a new tape and then driving to get drinks. Alex waited on the street for a while until he saw them finally pull out of the parking lot. As he waited for them to turn left and drop off the tape, they turned right to go to the supermarket to get the water. They forgot about the tapes. They called us and said that they were turning back around. Alex and I, in the meantime, got a couple more shots with the still camera. We waited and waited. Niko came down with a tape and then they went back to the store. We moved to another spot and waited for them to get back. Another long wait. We saw a squirrel lying down. Never before had I ever seen a squirrel not on its 4 legs or perched on its back legs. This squirrel was laying on its stomach. We got a couple good pictures of it and tried to get close to it. It ran away and then Niko walked down the steps with a gallon of water. Our savior. Grubb followed with a cooler full of food. Our other savior. We got the last shots and went back home to eat. We drove past a park with music, moonbounces, and fun. We got to the house and our hosts were on the way to the park. We joined them, jammed, and got promotional frisbees. That night, we ended up on the back porch of the house smoking cigars with Niko's grandmom. Interesting.

Day 30:
The Last Stretch...
Our last day, in our last city. We woke up and said goodbyes. I told Niko's Aunt that we'll stop by next time we're in Ohio. Holler? We were on our way, we just had to find some graf. I went to a spot that we bookmarked on our GPS yesterday. We flicked the pieces. We wandered a little bit to where we remembered seeing a freight line. I drove practically right up to it. We approached the line, but saw a wall that was coated with graf. Some pretty good stuff. We eventually began the drive to Niagara Falls. I drove the whole way. We stopped for gas once and spent time looking for skate parks. We mapped out a skatepark in Alcron, Ohio before we left for the trip. We followed the directions to the address. We were in the city, downtown, with no skatepark in sight. We stopped the car and asked a guy on the street if he knew where the skatepark was. He said that he never heard of a skatepark in the city of Alcron. We asked another person on the street if they knew. He said that there was one a couple cities away. We noticed that it would make us backtrack our route so we decided to just move on. We drove on and saw a skatepark off of the highway a couple hours later. We took the first exit we saw and eventually found it. It was closed. We were slightly confused because the sun was still up and the sign said it was open from 8 AM til Dusk. Some of the ramps were wet, so that might have something to do with it. We got back on the highway and continued the long drive. We finally got to the city of Niagara, New York. We stopped in a parking lot to see where we should sleep for the night. We decided to get some food and saw this girl with one of the fattest behinds we've ever seen. We jammed out with cigars and music until we fell asleep.

Day 31:
Only the beginning...
We woke up today at Niagara Falls. When we all got out of the car, we stretched and washed our faces. We then went into the state park and proceeded to the Falls. Grubb has been there before, but I haven't, so he did his "I know everything about this place" talk. As we made the journey to the water, the anticipation built up. Finally, we saw the American Falls. It was truly amazing. Although it was cool, it was nothing like the Grand Canyon. Niagara Falls was way too loud, while the Grand Canyon is so peaceful. Niko's Mom told us that for some reason, you are more happy at Niagara Falls than any other place (something about electrons). Niko found a hat. He climbed over the railing at the falls to get it. He also made up an accent? I didn't think it was possible to make up an accent...check it off the list. After the Falls, we started on the last long drive. The last moments on the road. We made a stop in Ithaca, NY. We knew of a skatepark in the town that we hit up before. We got there and I cleared out the van while the guys got some shots. It started to rain as Niko was skating. Grubb met some locals who were smoking out of a straw? Weird. We got Niko's shots and started to head out. Now is the last of it. We slowly rolled into PA. It was the first time that we were in Pennsylvania in a month. It was a weird feeling and I don't know what I thought of the idea of being home. I was torn. As we approached Abington, we started noticing that we knew just where we were. When we rolled into Lancer's Diner, it hit me. I was home. As Wastle's van pulled in I couldn't help but jump around. We all finally reunited. We went inside and told some stories and caught up with what we missed while on the trip. It's been a fun trip, but it's only the beginning.

Recap:
I've grown alot on this trip. I've experienced the worst of the worst and the best of the best. To do this at my age, with 2 of my best friends and not have to deal with the Abington bulls--t, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life, so far. This is only the beginning of the road. Hop, Drop, and Roll is just the 2nd of many trips and experiences that VentilationX will take part in. We plan to do everything that we dream of. Find something you love to do, and then find someone to pay you for it. We want to become more than just who we are now. This means taking over in every outlet. Back to the trip. We now need to take the one of a kind footage that we've captured and create a masterpiece. It will blow XYZ out of the water. We truly captured the people behind the action sports. Until next time, I need to catch up on some sleep. Keep watching...

Hop, Drop, & Roll Tour (Back Home) : The Book of Andy

2009-04-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

July 1:
I f--kin' cried today for the first time. No homo, I don't think I've ever been away from the dudes for a month since I met them 3 years ago. I'm siked for my aunt, uncle and cousins to come in on the fourth. I don't know how I'm gonna handle this bull s--t.

July 2:
Iight so today was mad boring. I went swimming at Tori's. OMG! Traci is so hot. I watched part of the movie Crash...intense. I remember Faves saying it was a beastly movie. Me and Vaughn have been chillin'. We made a fort in his bamboo forest. Apparently my aunt and uncle are bringing in some hot babysitter chick.

July 3:
My fam came and we prepared for the fourth. That chick they brought over was hot. Shorter then expected, about 4 foot 5. I'm totally gonna try to talk:] Shes 19. YEAH!!

July 4:
WOW...I'm bummed as s--t cause I don't have any of the older dudes there to party with! Cas came through, wavy. It was fun though, I hooked up with Allee!! Yeah. Now I gotta work on getting with DQ (the older chick). She was smashed and I almost made a move but I wasn't feelin' it my way. The party rocked and is still going on down stairs.

July 5:
Just as crazy as last night. We had a fire and sang songs and were having a good time.

July 6:
S--t is starting to wind down. Everyone's leaving and the 3 nights of fun are over. It would have been more fun if the dudes were around. Just talked to them and there doin' great. I'm so pissed at my mom.

July 7:
I'm going back home soon. I'm so jonzin to ride.

July 8:
I'm so siked that I'm already packin' even though my train doesn't leave until the 10th. I can't wait to get back on the iron horse and keep practicing for when the dudes come back and film!!!

July 9:
Its like 5AM. I can't sleep. I'm so excited to ride. Omg, the sun is coming up, I gotta try and get some rest. Peace.

July 10:
No more nice comfy desk and chair. It is the first night in J-Town. I woke up mad early for summertime (9:00) Ha Ha. Packed and said my goodbyes. I'm here for 21 days. Brew drove me to the train at 11:30ish. We were freaking out cause we were wicked low on gas, stuck in traffic and we were really late, but I made it! Last time I came home I had to sit next to Osama. JK. But this time I sat next to some dude who worked for septa and he was getting off at Lancaster, so he let me get the window seat. We got mad delayed and I thought about the time when I rode the train up to NY with the dudes and I just thought about how much I f--king missed them. I talked to Grubb last night and he seemed busy. Well...he was walking up and down the strip. Anyway, so after that dude left, I fell asleep. Now that I had two seats all to my self I took a little nipper napper. I woke up next to some hottie sitting down next to me. We started talking. She said she was 21. I told her I was 17. She had a boyfriend though. But we got to talking and she was pretty cool.

July 11:
Today I woke up and we went for a ride. It was pretty fun. I got a lot of work to do on my bike. When we got home I cleaned it off then I started working on it. My oil bolt was loose so I lost a s--t load of oil. So I rode my bike down to the shop and picked up some oil, then I went home and refilled it.

July 12:
We didn't ride today cause some bulls--t happened and my bike needed more oil and a new bolt. So instead of riding I went and saw family and worked down at the shop. I got a 73 Kawi running. Fun s--t. Well I'm tired, too bad I didn't ride. Oh well, plenty more riding this summer! I got to get some rest. Tomorrow is gonna be a big riding day. I'm siked.

July 13:
I broke my f--king arm! So now I can't write with my right hand.

Hop, Drop, & Roll Tour : The Book of Grubb

2009-04-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Atlanta Part 1

"Oh My Lord, What Have I Gotten Myself Into?"

After waking up from a slightly unpleasant 3:30am, 1/2 hour nap, I hopped into a Sienna with two of my best friends and scrurried off to "Hotlanta."
My first thought went something like, "Here goes nothing" or "700 miles on Day One: Uh-oh." I have to be honest with myself and this journal: As we pulled out of that driveway or even going through the motions of saying goodbye to everyone I love, part of me was scared shitless. Who knows what could happen over the next thirty one days. The other part though, "Who the hell cares? This is how it's supposed to be." It's too late now", but thats how I want it.
So anyway, here we go. We're on the road again. One hour down, and I already want to kill myself. Everybody knows how little sleep we got, and despite us having two perfectly functional iPods, my best friends decide that they would rather have sing-a-longs from Mulan and even give their own little remix to songs we already know. After that, I convinced them it was time for some real music; even though Alex still feels we should release a CD of us singing Disney songs. Imagine that sales pitch, right? As usual, I fell asleep while Alex drove and Knopf navigated the highways. And as usual, I woke up to a new picture of me passed out in the backseat.
I woke up, Knopf asked me to drive. Despite my initial hesitation, I had a cigarette, drank some Monster, and was ready to go.
On the way we saw all kinds of rarities that the locals would see as normal: a tractor carrying the "Bulls-with-diarhea mobile", an area monitored by a speed detecting aircraft ("is that a Sienna or a Ford Explorer?," "Who's dumb idea is this?"), a stream called 'Blacks Run' found shortly after the Mason Dixon Line, and only one speed trap.
So after sitting behind the wheel for 11 hours, a couple of pee breaks on the side of the road, and a lot of trail mix, we made it to Atlanta. Judging by our conversations along the way, this trip is not going to get boring.
There's more to say, but for now: Goodnight moon, Goodnight knife who chased the spoon.

Day 2: Atlanta Part 2

"So Today We Met a Man Named Poo..."

Waking up today wasn't nearly as bad as it will be tomorrow. First stop was a place with a sweet ledge. We came across a homeless couple and the woman ended up telling us all kinds of personal things. Her mother apparently died a week ago, she's been selling her body to earn money for a bus ticket, and six dudes ran a train on her. We gave her some shirts and money, moving on with knots in our throats.
After skating and parkouring on a few other spots around Georgia Tech, we found our way into a sports complex where Alex interviewed me. It was really fun being in the middle of an empty stadium. It was almost eerie.
So about Poo... this man came all the way from New Orleans to Atlanta, only to be thrown out of his rental car with just his bags and his baby pit bulls. That man sat at an emergency phone, trying to call a cab for eight hours. Now continuing with our People Helping People ideas, we brought him water and more promo gear, and even offered him a ride. Hope dude is sleeping safe tonight.
All we had to eat before dinner was some ravioli and granola. I'm tired, hungry, and in a lot of pain; but everything is all right. We were about to go to Micky Schmee's until Knopf popped our tire. I put the spare on through an unusual amount of effort and prayed that my Shmeeseburgers would McMake my day.
The line was long, but talking with this attractive, black, british woman, got us to the front without even thinking about it. We ordered our 9 Burgers and Sweet Iced Tea and peaced to eat outside of Larry's Bar.
I found a ledge to poop off of. After Alex popped a squat on the wall next to me, Knopf figured he would come document the hilarious scene. We made our way back home and called the fam, showered, and filmed each other ranting on some really good topics.
I need to eat something before I crash. Despite the fact that it's always been better microwaved, this idea of cold ravioli and Spaghettio's is starting to grow on me. This trend may continue after we arrive back in Abington. Good day tomorrow, Goodnight this morning.

Day 3: Atlanta Part 3 + 4 -> Road to New Orleans

"Karma is Not a Safe-Haven for Our Shortcomings."

Despite our efforts to give back, we have still faced a lot of obstacles. Now don't get me wrong, we have had many blessings along the way. A hustler named Derek managed to get five dollrs out of us. A long day of trying to put together stunt footage took it's toll on our already exhausted bodies. I worry for Knopf and Alex because they seem to be falling vicim to some sort of congestive problem. Dehydrated and sore, they pushed on even after I got my last shot for Atlanta. We had to get food and water.
At a little place called the Corner Bakery, an angel named Patrina saved us. She let me fill our water jug and a few cups with ice water. After describing our situation and hunger, instead of giving us a bagel or a cookie, she blessed us with a full grocery bag of cookies, bread, and a tuna sandwich.
After that we hit the jack pot of Atlanta graffiti. Trains, tunnels, walls: all covered with art. Closing in on eight o'clock, We left for New Orleans. I could see, a few hours in, that Alex wasn't healthy or awake enough to drive, and Knopf needed some rest. I volunteered to take the wheel. Two hundred and some miles of cruising to Led Zeppelin really made it go by fast.
We finally made it to New Orleans and, after two and a half hours of looking for a place to sleep, we decided to set up our tent in a private camping ground. By the time we set up the tent, we realized the back hatch of the van was broken. I smoked a few cigarettes, it was 5 AM.
Turns out instead of keeping us cool, the cover to the tent turned it into a green house and left us laying in a puddle of our own sweat. So I woke up to an older Asian woman beeping her horn, trying to get us off her property. After explaining our situation of desperation, the only response I got was, "Free? Where you from free?"
We made it out before we could get breakfast. We saw a freight line. I took a nap while Knopf and Alex explored because I was exhausted from driving. We found a few other freight spots to film, dealt with Military Police, and headed towards downtown.
It was nice just cruising around, filming the sights. New Orleans is a very bizarre town Post-Katrina. It's a ghost town. The streets were full, but as you scan the sidewalks, you begin to wonder if all the cars are just thru traffic to the next city.
So we still managed to be productive during our slow and fragile day. We had a conference call with Andre and went to Juan's Flying Burrito. I have to add that the Flying Burrito is flying right through me as I am writing this. It's begging for a landing strip.
We had a failed mission trying to get a room at Motel 6, but found our way into a bizarre motel outside of the city that we saw earlier in the day.
Tomorrow is the day for action before we head off to Dallas. Two cities down, 13 stops to go.
H,D,R Baby!

Day 5: Dallas

''You Can't Push Harder Than Me''

After spending Day 4 recouperating, we woke up ready to bang out all of the action footage in one day. We had some really cool spots to hit, including a mini L.A. river.
I was surprised by how much skate footage I got. I haven't had much confidence with my skating lately, but I think thats going to change. I got a pretty sweet nose slide that I worked on for a while to get perfect. When I ran completely out of energy, I declared "Bob Dylan" and walked away with something we could use.
Knopf stepped up with a sick drop jump for some pk and got a pretty sexy break shot. Alex pushed hard to get the other skate shots and most of the break footage. I walked away from the nose slide mostly satisfied, yet I was extremely tired and very sunburnt. I called home to find that my dog was not doing so well. She's got congestive heart failure and is having trouble breathing. My parents said that she probably wouldn't be alive when I got back. It's rough to think about, but at least the rest of my family is healthy. We didn't do a lot of promotion while in New Orleans because of it's depleted sidewalk population. We got a few shirts out, got some burgers, and set off for Dallas. Technically it is day six, but there is no way I could have written something in my journal last night. Knopf drove for a while, most of the way actually. We got to our rest stop/temporary home at one thirty, barely. I thought I was dozing off at the wheel, jealous of the two snoozers in the car. I downed some snacks so I could make it to bed. I didn't actually move to go to bed. We all got in the most comfortable position we could and crashed until about nine. Turns out I left the head lights on for a while. Our car charger overloaded the battery so we couldn't start our car. After a quick jump start and promo to our saviors, it was back on the road. After dropping a stop on our list, we'll have two days in Dallas. Let's see what it has in store for us.

Day 6: Dallas Part 1

"We Built this City on Skate, Break, Parkour"

Dallas is, so far, a lot more then I expected. The architecture seems as if it was built to fit our needs: Interesting back drops satisfy our break dance shots, building structure gives us great stops to parkour, even the obstacles we skate encourage us to try new things, not to mention the graf we've seen so far. The day started off with some great establishing footage. I woke up in the car as Knopf and Alex pulled alongside a running freight. We benched it, got great pictures, and moved on to find some action. While watching the car as it sat in an illegal spot, Alex got his first parkour shot of the trip. I went and got a nice vault, though it took longer than expected. We kept moving, getting a few more action shots before arriving at a great scenic spot, right outside of the city. Instead of there being nothing but more buildings, there was a plain of grass and a few trees. We found a drainage pipe/dam where we got a break and parkour shot, both looked awesome. We took some great pics of the city scape and a graf spot along side a dirt road, beyond a huge hill. Down by these spots was a man drinking out of a 32 oz beer can while listening to his cassette player. The man had been a sign maker for twenty-eight years. He had an adam's apple the size of a kum kwat and a voice that made Barry White sound like a twelve year old boy. We grabbed some food and started looking for a place to stay. We ruled out a motel and decided to crash behind some masonry company and a power grid service station. We cleaned out the car and took some pictures of the lit up skyline. After a few interviews, we all chatted over some cigars and sat down to write in our journals before sleeping. Day 6 is over.

Day 7: Dallas Part 2

"Ready for the Long Haul"

So today we awoke to a paramedic tapping on our window and an ambulance in our rearview mirror. After making sure that we weren't just carcases in an abandoned vehicle, they told us the cops were on the way and we might want to leave. We left and went to a park nearby to get a few more minutes of sleep. Then we headed to Hector D. Garcia High School, where we managed to get our last six shots. At first I was struggling to get my balance on my board right. After Alex and Knopf got a few shots, I had to step up. Still feeling awkward on wheels, I twisted my knee. At that point, Alex started getting pissed off and took most of it out on me. He said that I was slackin' and that I was on the phone with my parents when I could be getting moves. I needed a minute to sit and cool off. First of all, my dog is dying and that's been on my mind, my parents were at the animal hospital, and other then that I was really stressed out. We've never had to get fifteen shots per two days with this few people. With no real time to heal, my body just felt sore all the way through. I sat down and had a cigarette. All of a sudden, I started feeling homesick. A lot of me just wanted to be home in my own bed, or eating dinner with my family, or hanging out with the girl I left at home. A lot made me want to be home, but I know that this is such a rare opportunity and it would cool out in a little while. I also knew that, just like every other time me and Alex got like this, we just cool off and the issue disappears. I came back to where they were filming. I managed to get two shots for break and started working on a skate shot. My knee was already sore, but I was getting close so I kept pushing. I got so close when my board snapped up and hit me in the knee. My leg buckled and couldn't put and pressure on it at first. We decided we could use that bail as the last Dallas skate shot. I was starving, exhausted, and now in a lot of pain. I just wanted to move on to the Grand Canyon and Vegas to rest up. We went to a buffet and stuffed ourselves before we got on the road. Knopf started off the driving at six and I took over at about ten. We made it to a pretty nice rest stop to lighten the ride a little bit. Unfortunately, as I was checking out my less unstable hair situation, an old dude walked in and turned the whole situation awkward. We burst out of the bathroom laughing our a--es off. I hopped in the driver's seat and started to head for New Mexico. After the border, I was going to look for a rest stop that we could boondock at for the night; however, there wasn't a single place for about 250 miles or so. Since I was the only concious one in the car, I had a lot of time to think to myself. Seven days and we've already seen so much. I feel like I'm going to become somewhat of a different person since I left for this trip. This trip has taught me so much and I have so far to go. I looked forward to the rest stop that was at the end of a seventy-six mile drive past the border. The only problem was that a line of orange traffic barrels blocked the entrance; it was closed. I was drowsy, but felt I could make the forty-eight miles to the next rest stop. It would have been much easier had it not been for the immense rain pelting our van. When I made it to the rest stop, I hit up the bathroom and then crashed for the night, after checking in at home. A few hundred miles to the Grand Canyon and we have a full day to travel. This rest will be good and the images we take from our next two stops will be fantastic, not to mention Yosemite soon approaching. There's nothing but everything out here and I can't wait for what's next. Goodnight.

Day 8: Grand Canyon

"Just Soakin' It In"

I woke up this morning feeling pretty well rested. It was weird hearing a clicking sound coming from the dashboard, though. Turns out, I somehow left the headlights on...again. And I killed our battery...again. After we got a jump from a guy at the rest stop, we got back on the road. Knopf was driving so I got a chance to catch a nap.
While I was sleeping, I dreamt about a party that all my friends threw me. People were just giving me presents and having fun. Wastle got me candy and some cigars. Alex and him must have been MCing the party, judging by their tuxedos and microphones. Knopf was in a dress, in a comical way. He was walking around with a whole bunch of hot girls in dresses that fit them a lot better. The only other thing I can remember from the dream was a woman with big 80's hair and a spandex, tiger print, suit that kept falling off.
When I woke up, we pulled into a pit stop and had something called a Laguna Burger. It was great, but it was easier to eat with a fork than my hands.
Following our GPS to "Grand Canyon National Park" actually took us to some residential driveways in Flagstaff, AZ behind the Grand Canyon National Park Science Center. Why it was an hour from the actual park? I don't know. When we finally made it near the park we checked into a motel. While waiting for the motel restaurant to open, we saw the dude from the front desk just hanging out on the bench out front. Alex was trying to talk to me, but I was distracted by the strong smell of marijuana coming from his area. The guy was sitting at the front entrance of a motel/restaurant/gift shop on the only road, smoking a joint. Wow.
After some more burgers, we headed for the park. We had to pay $25 for a seven day pass that we would only be using for the next twelve hours. We parked our car and went to check out the sights.
The pictures you may have seen of the Grand Canyon may be great, but nothing compares to the first hand experience. I felt something in my gut when I stepped to the edge of that cliff. With no railing to hold me back from falling hundreds of feet, I was on top of the world. Looking over this immense valley that seemed so untouched by man, it was refreshing beyond description.
We took some video and pictures and just sat to absorb it all before we headed back to the motel. I threw on some of my favorite chill music and we just cruised through the plains.
The hot tub was broken and loaded with beetles. At that point I decided it was time to go to bed. We'll be up before sunrise to get to the canyon. We want to see the sun return from a different angle. From there, it's on to Vegas. I'm so glad I came here and can't wait for morning.

Day 9: Las Vegas Pt. 1

I was so exited to see the sunrise that when my alarm went off, I kicked awake. We got our cameras together and threw on some slightly warmer clothes (apparently it gets pretty cold in the grand canyon).
On the drive there, all I could think about was how far I've come in becoming an adult. I just wanted to get out of high school. It just wasn't for me. I graduated to give myself options, to make my family proud; however, I really wanted to start my life.
As I sat on the very edge of an unfenced cliff, I saw the whole world in front of me. This massive landscape made me think that there's so much for me to do. So much to learn and teach. So much for me to live.
After filming some of the landscape, interviews, and taking pics, we went to grab some more sleep. We rested up and got on the road to Las Vegas.
There was a lot of interesting scenery on the way there. Winding roads through mountains and plains of just about nothing We actually passed over the Hoover Dam. That's something we weren't expecting to do. The traffic there was pretty thick, but the sights on the way were great.
We made it to Vegas. That city is something special. There is always something going on, no dull moments. After some cruising and promo, we headed to our hotel. It turns out that one of our financial backers has a Starwood Platinum card and had us upgraded to a delux room. In addition to that, they sent free pretzels and Becks to our room. We settled into our room, which was easy considering the incredible beds and bathroom. We spent sometime in the pool and hot tub before we went out.
We walked the strip for awhile, but only found those family groups sightseeing. My leg was getting sore from walking, so I convinced the guys to chill in the room for a minute so I could head back out when it was more exciting. We enjoyed our complementary gifts to make us more social. It worked. The second time we hit the streets we were talking to all kinds of people. First were the girls that were checking us out for about a block, we said: "What's up?" Turns out the one girl had a house party and wrecked her father's home. So in order to save her a--, she stole her dad's GTO and drove it to Las Vegas. Yea, that sounds like a good plan.
After we parted ways with them, we met two guys outside of a casino close to Treasure Island. The dudes turned out to be pretty cool. One dude was kind of the producer for the other, who had a rap album and some dvds in his backpack. We exchanged info so we could use their music in our movie.
Then we met a man in a burger joint not to far from the other dudes. He was about 6'9" and drunk as he can be. He was friendly, but he was loud and swearing all over the place. So of course, I wanted to talk to him. At 12 years old, this dude was taking care of his crack head aunt. He was in the airforce and he believed in nothing more than living a true, free life. He sat with us while we ate and entertained us with his semi-commercial rant against unconstitutional bull s--t. All in all, he was really cool, really funny, and really big.
After that, we somehow ended up partying in front of Caesar's palace. That really made the rest of the night interesting. At the end of it all, we went back to the room and crashed around 3.

Day 10: Las Vegas Pt.2 -> L.A.

So this morning was the first day we really slept in. We didn't have to go to L.A. until that night, so we went down to check out the spa, sauna, steam room, relaxation room, $100 robes, and showers. This place was hooked up. Chilling in the sauna with pineapple juice while Knopf wasted 19 towels; it was exactly what I was looking for.
We sweated out all the burgers and other crap we've been eating on the trip, got a nice shower, and packed up our stuff to go to L.A. I can't tell you much about the journey because I slept most of the ride. What I can tell you is that we drove through all kinds of amazing scenery. Freight lines climbing mountains just spells awesome.
We cruised around downtown for a little before we went to our host's house in the hills. His back deck overlooks all of L.A., it's beautiful. Tomorrow we have a breakfast meeting with our producer. Afterwords we're training with the creator of the martial arts/yoga exercise called Budokon. It's looking to be pretty interesting. Time to crash.

Day 11: Los Angeles Pt.1

"This Place is Amazing"

After a cup of coffee, Andre, our producer, took us out to a full breakfast. It was awesome. We haven't had a full meal like that since we left home.
After that, we went to train with Cameron Shayne. Cameron invented Budokon, a hybrid of martial arts and yoga. We strolled to a park and began war-ups.
He showed us a lot of different, what they call, floating techniques. They're a real test in strength and balance. We even got a chance to give him a few moves that he could use for his program. Overall, it was a great workout. Cameron even helped me with my backflips. I've been so close with those for a while and he helped me get over the mental block.
He hooked it up with some dvds from his program. Keeping in touch with him will definitely be beneficial.
After that, we went back to our host's home. He made us our first home cooked meal in two weeks. We spent the rest of the night at the movies. After one night in L.A., I can't wait for two more.

Day 12: Los Angeles Pt.2

"Another Chill Day in L.A."

After we slept in until about 11, we went out to breakfast with Andre's friend Doug. The traffic in L.A. can be pretty bad, it takes forever to get anywhere. They do have some good places to eat, though. I had a barbecue chicken salad that satisfied my taste buds.
Doug is a really smart guy. He told us about his career in show biz. He's done it all; acting, directing, producing, promoting, etc. That's the kind of stuff I want to be doing with my career. I don't just want to be talent for a company that owns my image. I have to be a multiple threat. Talent in movies, making the movies, music production, restaurant management. We went to a barbecue to meet a few people. We were so tired. Me and Alex spent 2 hours early that morning talking about life and such before we went to bed at 5 A.M. We ended up falling asleep at the barbecue for over an hour. It was a good little afternoon nap.
Next we went to Venice beach so we could swim in the Pacific Ocean together. Pretty cold water. We headed to the board walk and came across the famous Venice Beach art walls to see some good graffiti. There were a few artists working on pieces and some girls taking pictures in front of the art.
We saw a circle of drummers. They were not professionals. Most, if not all, were intoxicated, whether it was just alcohol or something much stronger. It was interesting to see people being so active when they weren't aware of themselves.
We left Venice to go to a party at Andre's friend Fiona's house. There was a good amount of food and the house had a very relaxing environment so we didn't feel awkward. I got into a few conversations around the party, talking about what we do. The only difference with these conversations and ones with other industry people was that these weren't sales pitches, they were much more. I guess that's why the people were so captivated. I didn't just explain what we do, I told them why and where I see it going.
I ended up sitting in a circle of about ten people around a fire, with all eyes on me. Knopf and Alex came to jump in once in awhile. I didn't realize how focused they were on what I was saying until I broke off to talk to Alex. We stayed to listen to some of the other conversations, including one about California medicinal marijuana laws. Eventually we got tired and went home to crash for the night.

Day 13: Los Angeles Pt.3 -> Yosemite

"Our Last Day Here"

We had a pretty chill day today. We woke up slightly late and went out to breakfast with Andre and Ernesto. It was a pretty cool spot not too far from Ernesto's place. I had a Ruben for the first time since we left. It wasn't corned beef, but it got the job done.
I had fun staying at Ernesto's. His pets were cool and his house was just comfortable to stay in. Ernesto told us about some possible graf spots around the neighborhood that we could film. After breakfast, Andre dropped us off at the L.A. River and we explored.
We didn't get to see the legendary Saber piece, but we got a good amount of decent graf before Andre swung back around to pick us up. We drove around town for a while to finish getting our footage before we set off for Yosemite.
The drive was pretty long, but the sights were varied enough to keep you interested. I stayed awake for a while but, as usual, I dozed off for most of the ride. As night fell, and we got pretty close to Yosemite, Alex and Knopf began to get pretty drowsy themselves. We still had about an hour of driving left. I felt awake as a result of my decent nap, so I took over.
As we approached the park, the roads became windy and really fun to drive on. We pulled into the park before I pulled off to the side of the road. We could finally sleep for the night.
When I got out for my last cigarette of the day, with a flash light I could see charred trees all over. Also, as I held my breath I noticed a silence that made my ears ring. We were very far away from the cities we had been exploring. Tomorrow is going to be awesome.

Day 14: Yosemite

"Nature At it's Finest"

Waking up, I could still hear the silence like the night before. We ate breakfast at a hotel in Yosemite Valley before we headed up the trails. We don't really get the chance to eat a good breakfast often, so we took our time.
Our waiter offered us some good trail suggestions. We decided to take the Mist Trail up to Half Doome. I knew it was one hell of a hike, but the sights would be worth it.
On our way up, we saw Nevada falls from top to bottom. When we got to the second set of waterfalls, we felt the urge to do some real climbing. We went up an near flat wall and got within twenty feet of the falls.
Afterwards, we decided to climb down a bit to go in the water. It was freezing cold but really refreshing, clean, and an experience on its own. On our way out of the water, I slipped and damaged the camera almost to the point of not being able to use it. After we fixed it to use, we decided to climb down and get on our way to San Fran. The walk down was also pretty hefty, but we made it alright.
We still had enough time to make it to San Fran without stopping over night. The landscape between was so varied, it was really awesome. Desert, plains, farmland, cities. We even got to see a lot of freights before it got too dark. Overall, the ride was a lot shorter in comparison to our other trips so I was able to stay awake for a lot of it.
We made it to Alex's cousin, Becca's house and set up camp in her living room. She's really friendly and seems like a very active person. Our stay in San Francisco is bound to be fun. Plus we meet Cas tomorrow to film. It's going to be great.

Day 15: San Francisco Pt.1

After a good night sleep we went to pick up Cas. The hills in San Fran are really something and the architecture was so fun to look at. This city is going to be fun for action sports.
We picked up Cas. He already had a handrail picked out to skate. We went to check it out and he gave it a whole bunch of tries before we exclaimed "Bob Dylan" and move on. After that we went to the famous 3-up, 3-down set that has been in many a video. Cas did a nice finger flip there to start off our action footage for the city.
We went around racking up shots like it was our job. I even filmed my first flat ground backflip in the downtown park. The whole day went by and we managed to get 9 out of 15 action shots, bookmarking graf spots along the way. We hung out at Becca's for a while and then took Cas home. Apparently, we have a shoot with a professional photographer tomorrow. Very Exciting.

Day 16: San Francisco Pt.2

"Welcome to Legal Manhood"

Well, it's my birthday. I'm 18, and it feels awesome. I got a lot of work ahead of me today, but it's VentilationX work. So, I'm good. Although we got a lot done yesterday there's still some more shots waiting today.
We had to start off the day dropping off the van to get the window fixed; somewhere along the way it broke. After that, we found a few spots in the industrial district to get shots. We ended up going all over that area, walking along the waterfront to find obstacles and managed to make a few spots out of nothing.
Walking around on foot felt like old times. Back when no one had a car to get around. It was exhausting but refreshing to get that kind of walk.
We managed to get the rest of the shots pretty easily before we had to go pick up the car. The car wasn't perfectly fixed because of time and money reasons. Before calling it a day, we went down to Haight Street to look around for a special birthday present for myself.
So Becca, our host, set up a photo shoot with a professional photographer she knows. We went to her old apartment, (she still had a key) and went up to the roof. While waiting for the photographer to show up, we did some filming of roof gap jumps. It's been a while since I jumped around on a roof too.
When Brad, the photographer, came with his camera, we set up our spot lights and he took some group photos of us. The work he did, even without his own equipment, was still the s--t. He wants to do the same thing tomorrow with more advanced equipment. That I want to see.
I'm getting some rest because we have establishing shots to get tomorrow.

Day 17: San Francisco Pt.3

All that needs to happen today is some filming of graf and another photo shoot with Brad.
We drove around to a whole bunch of legal walls that we bookmarked. We even found some writers while they were working on a wall outside of a tavern. They were cool to tell us about themselves and they even gave us a run down of Santa Clara.
When it got closer to 6 o'clock, we split up. Alex and Knopf went to go pick up Brad and set up our rooftop location. Me and Cas hung out at Becca's until they were ready. Only they were gone for over 2 hours. We were able to watch a movie and even start another before Alex called. Turns out they were in stand-still traffic for an hour and a half before they made it to Brad's.
When they finally started setting up the equipment, we got kicked off the roof. We were forced to find another spot. We drove all around the city looking for a spot with a view of the city lights. The highest point in San Fran sounded cool, but when we got up there we were literally in a cloud. All kinds of water and wind made it impossible for a photo shoot, let alone even standing up there.
We ended up making Becca's alley our spot and it turned out to be really epic. Brad's equipment was so extensive compared to what we had. So, after about 45 minutes of setting up, we got the perfect picture. We broke down the equipment and celebrated our last day in San Francisco with some cigars.
Tomorrow were off to Seattle. It's a long drive but Alex says that the city is awesome. My cousin Jenna even got us a place to stay nearby, in Olympia. So long for now.

Day 18: San Francisco -> Seattle

After sleeping in until 10am we took off to go to Seattle. I started the drive. While I was driving we saw a few freight trains. Even found a guard in the middle of hooking up a new train.
I drove a good six hours before I started to nod off. The sun was actually putting me to sleep, so I switched with Knopf and crashed in the back seat. That took care of, basically, the rest of the ride to Olympia.
It was about three in the morning when we arrived. Our host, Matt was still awake and he welcomed us in. He even made us vegan tacos. While we were feasting, the rest of his friends came in from the movies and we all sat around talking. Me and the guys all ran out of energy at the same time. So now I'm going to just finish this journal entry and rest up for tomorrow's action footage. All finished, see you in the morning.

Day 19: Seattle Pt. 1

"One Day for Action. Let's Do It."

A good night's rest put us in position to get all our action shots so the rest of Seattle could be a breeze. We drove along the water front piers spot hunting. A little past the busy section of the pier we found the perfect spot.
This place had a lot of potential and no one around. First shot of the day and I smacked my knee into a wall running at full speed. It put me right on the ground. The adrenaline in my body helped me get that shot and one more move in before the swelling made it hard to walk.
We started racking up footage and got 9 out of 15 shots before lunch. After some fast food, we found a few more spots that we had previously got kicked out of. By the time the sun was going down the swelling in my knee dropped enough to got the last two skate shots of the day.
We went back to the busier part of the pier to finish filming for the day. After a good amount of effort on Alex's part, he got two more moves in. We were outside an aquarium that was hosting a wedding. One of the caterers came out a rapped for us. Apparently he's got a CD with some "sick tunes" on it. We gave him a t-shirt and some mixtapes and he went back to work.
Exhausted, we attempted to find a movie theater to see a movie before heading back to the house. After seeing lines around the block we decided to take the hour journey home to sleep. I got a second wind on the way home that kept me awake right up until I stepped out of the car. In desperate need of sleep, I went right to bed.

Day 20: Seattle Pt. 2

Matt suggested a few graf spots to see around Olympia and Seattle. We found some walls around Olympia but a lot of the art was dissed all over.
We drove to downtown Seattle to see what we could find around the University of Washington, one of our suggested areas. Absolutely nothing. So, we went to a yard that we had seen the day before. We saw a decent amount of freight art.. Afterwards we talked on camera about our teamate, Tyler.
A drive along the waterfront took us past some more freight trains and to a cement skatepark under the highway. There was enough graffiti there to finish our graf footage.
Now we had the rest of the night to experience the city. We drove to a movie theater to buy tickets for a midnight show. We got to walk the streets and interact with people walking around.
The city was pretty active at night. A few hours and some burgers later it was time to see our movie. It ended at about 3 am and with an hour drive home, I was prepared for some passenger seat sleep.
Everyone at the house was asleep when we got back so we just cleaned up a little and went to bed.
Tomorrow we have a long drive to Yellowstone National Park. I don't really know what to expect other than what I've seen on the Discovery channel. Anyway, it's 5 am, time to sleep.

Day 21: Seattle -> Yellowstone

Twelve hour drive today, I started it off. We left at about 11 so we could make it to Yellowstone that night. I never realized how big Washington state is. The entire six hours I was driving I didn't even make it into Montana.
By about four in the afternoon I had to sleep. Alex took over for me and I fell asleep in the back seat. I woke up in a town called Cheney, where we stopped to grabbed some food. Besides a burger place and a cheerleading squad, the place was a ghost town.
About an hour before midnight, Knopf and Alex switched and I hopped up front to jam out to some music. We drove until 4 am when we finally arrived outside the Park's gates.
There was a fence nearby that acted as a bench while we talked over some cigars. Tomorrow we get to explore the park. Can't wait.

Day 22: Yellowstone & Trip to Mt. Rushmore

"Our Bench Was Gone"

We awoke to chain saws this morning. There was a crew outside our car dismantling the fence we made into a bench the night before. After we wiped our tears over the loss of our wooden friend, we headed to a diner to get breakfast.
Alex claimed to be starving and ordered up all this food. Now, whenever I go to a diner, out of my love of breakfast food, I order a lot and a good variety of choices. So when my food came, I was ready. I had pancakes, bacon, eggs, and a big cinnamon roll. I finished most of it when I saw Alex had eaten half of one pancake out of three and some of his oatmeal. I think he was just trying to show off to our cute waitress.
Now it was time to go explore Yellowstone. This park turned out to be more of a "look-at" park than Yosemite. A lot of the sights were along roads so you could just pull over and take a picture, not that that was a bad thing. We saw a lot of wildlife and interesting scenery. There were hot springs, sulfur deposits, mountains, and untouched forest for miles. We even saw some deer and bison. I think the highlight of the park was when a herd of Bison completely blocked traffic. Anybody outside of their car was at least 50 ft from the ones on the road. I had to get closer. Next thing you know, I'm 10 ft from an 800 pound bull. They were gigantic animals.
We coasted through the rest of the park and headed towards Mt. Rushmore. It was also the most ridiculous driving I've had to do on this trip. I spent hours weaving on ridiculous turns through the mountains.
On a break between one set of mountains and the next, we found a freight yard. I dropped the other guys off and went to get gas from a station near by. When I got back I could see a big storm coming in. You could feel the heavy wind and see the lightning surrounded by dark clouds. The guys got kicked out of the yard by a guy driving around the trains, but they stuck around to get a few more pictures, anyway. They didn't get back in the car until the wind started kicking up huge clouds of dust, making it impossible to take pictures. We had to get back on the road anyway.
The storm caught up surrounded us for miles in every direction. The rain wasn't too bad, but the wind made it difficult to drive on the winding road. I hit the worst rain after I came out into the valley. The wind and rain hit so fast, it pushed the car over a lane. I couldn't see five feet in front of the car and I was now going less than 20 mph. The rain continued for a good 20 minutes without letting up at all. So when we finally got out of the rain we had stop for a pee break. There was no one around on the highway so we decided to drop and do 20 push-ups in the middle of the road. Just for the hell of it.
After we got all stretched out we got back on the road and drove the rest of the way to Mt. Rushmore. We stopped about 20 miles from the park to find a place to sleep. We ended up parallel parked between a tractor trailer and a wooden shed in a vacant lot. In order to guarantee a good night sleep, we unwound with some cigars.
Tomorrow is our, in my mind, least exciting stop. Who knows, it could be terrible or it could be awesome. I guess we'll find out.

Day 23: Mt. Rushmore

"Face to Face with some Amazing Presidents"

For the first time on this trip, we have woken up in our illegally parked car without being chased out of the area by the authorities. With the normal 4 hours of sleep we were ready to take on the day. We grabbed some budget cereal and milk and had breakfast in the car. It was a half hour drive to the park. On the way we saw a lake that we decided needed to have us swim in it. But that had to wait.
When we got to the park, it wasn't as busy as everyone kept telling us it would be. We payed the fee to get in and parked our car. The mountain itself was larger than I thought. The park was really well set up and decorated. We took pictures and filmed the sights. On our way back to town we went to the lake.
When we parked the car and got out we heard a splash followed by a kid saying some just jumped off those rocks. Alex immediately demanded to know where they jumped from. The kid pointed us over to a collection of cliffs around the side of the water.
We made our way around and up the cliffs to measure up the jumps. They were pretty hefty but nothing we couldn't handle. Alex went first and I followed while Knopf filmed. Soon enough we were up there with three more people, along with a boy scout group watching. Eventually I switched with Knopf and Alex started filming from the top of the cliff. After a few jumps, some dark clouds rolled in and it started raining which was nature's way of saying we needed to start driving to Minneapolis.
Listen, we've been craving a grilled cheese since we left Seattle. So the search for a diner was on. All the diners we found were miles and miles off of our route. That was the story until we found Willy-D's Diner. The only problem is that it didn't exist. The GPS brought us to bar where Willy-D's was supposed to be. So now we're in a bumble-f--k town with a population a third the size of my graduating high school class. There we saw two girls walking around. We stopped to ask if they knew where Willy-D's was or if they knew where we could find some grilled cheese. They had no idea of either except for a town twenty miles in the opposite direction.
Next thing you know, we're handing them promo gear and t-shirts. Eventually we had to get back on the road because we still had an hour and a half of driving and it was already 1 am.
When we continued the drive I called an old friend that moved from my home town about 5 years ago. She was so surprised to find out I was in Minneapolis she invited us to hang out tomorrow. That brought us to our hosts house. Everyone was sleeping and we were locked out so we decided to sleep in the car in the driveway. After we do our action I'll get a chance to catch up with someone who used to mean a lot to me.

Day 24: Minneapolis Pt. 1

"What A Freakin' Day"

So the day started off with the husband of our host tapping on our window. Instead of saying "What the hell are you guys doing sleeping in our driveway," he said, "Do you guys want to sleep inside, shower, or have breakfast?" My eyes lit up. It was if God had sent the nicest people down just to host a haggard extreme sports team.
So we went inside and did a little bit of everything. We had some bagels, showered, and took a power nap before getting into the city to film. This house was awesome. As the creator of NutriSoda, Leslie, our host, had the drink everywhere, along with cool artwork that incorporated the can. Not to mention, they gave us use of the entire third floor. A workout room, a huge living room, a bathroom with a walk-in shower and sauna, became ours for two days.
After we freshened up, we went spot hunting. We went down to the industrial area and started with some breakdancing footage. After a little while Alex got sick of the spot and we decided to move on.
We drove around and found enough spots for us to get 8 out of fifteen shots. At that point we decided to head back to the house and film by the pool. I did some flips with Knopf into the freezing water but it was all worth it. After we dried off we ate dinner with our hosts, a sweet home cooked meal. That got us ready to go out for the night.
Now at this point I'll have to end my journal entry early. We're going over my friends house and I'm not sure when I'll be back to finish this. So until tomorrow...

Day 25: Minneapolis Pt. 2

"What a Night..."

Well I'll tell you that this was no normal night for me. Nor will this be a normal Journal Entry. I'll start off by giving you some background of the situation. Me and Aubree have somewhat of a history. We were friends since Elementary school. So naturally as we got older we had the usual crushes on each other. Only two things went wrong here: 1.) We never told each other 2.) until she moved to the Midwest. We didn't see each other for a year and a half, during a spring break visit, and not for another 5 years after that.
Because of our friendship and occasional conversations online or on the phone, some feelings always stuck with me, even through my other relationships. I didn't really know what to expect from her or the night in general. I was anxious as we pulled up to her apartment. I open the door and she stepped out with a huge hug. We all stepped inside and started to catch up. She told us about what she's been up to and what she planned on doing and we went through the usual schpeil about VentilationX when people ask about us.
Next thing you know she's going through a bottle of rum like it was lemonade. That's when her and I really started to catch up. We reminisced over the old days. Then I realized she was truly drunk when I saw her stumbling around the house. After I came back from the bathroom, she was gone. Neither of the guys noticed her leave. I ran out the door looking for her, I found her down the street.
A few houses down, she was sitting by the curb and, when I got there, she told me that she was feeling sick I knew I had to talk her stomach down because thats what I usually do when someone feels sick.
We walked to a nearby park that had the perfect view of the Minneapolis skyline. It was really amazing, especially at that time of night. I thought it was really cool of her to bring me there.
We started talking about our days back in Glenside. After a few minutes I realized how delirious she was. She didn't refer to me by name but she did continue to tell me about her friend Ben who was coming to visit her. She said that she wanted to look cute for him when he came over, and went on to tell me about how crazy she was over him. She didn't even know how I felt about her.
In efforts to try to bring her back to earth I began asking her questions that stated clearly that I was Ben Grubb. While she did stray back to forgetting who she was talking to, she finally realized it was me and told me she wanted to tell me something.
At first she told me that she could trust me with anything and she knew i wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Surprising enough to myself, she was right. I cared about that girl. I felt like everything she was saying, despite her current state, was how she really felt. This showed what was in the gap between us after all these years. The secret she told me was only shared between two other people, but I still hold my tongue for my own reasons.
I felt like I was in a dream. Years ago, I couldn't have seen this happening. Someone I had feelings for years, even after she had moved away, was spilling her heart to me.
Only problem was, it was a dream. After I brought her back to the house and got her to her bed, I crashed. I figured we could talk more in the morning when we were clear minded again.

She woke me up and asked me to take her to work. This was my chance to find out if it was all real. However, her entire aura felt different. When I asked her about what she remembered from the night before, she couldn't really give me all the details. I told her some of the things we talked about but she was more embarrassed than ready to talk. She wasn't the same. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. It was a total flip from the night before.
I dropped her off at work and told her to keep in touch. I drove back to the house trying to up my spirits with my favorite music; it didn't help much.
It wasn't until I got back to the guys that I noticed the wet ground. It was our last day in Minneapolis and we still had four skate shots to get. I woke the guys up to formulate a plan.
We decided we didn't have the resources to get those last shots in the rain. So we went through the motions of getting back on the road. We went back to our original host's house to get showers and collect our stuff. We hung out in the sauna for a bit too.
Because of my long night, I slept most of the way to Chicago. Occasionally waking up to read and hit the bathroom. We filmed on our way into the city and found our new host, Sonya. She will take care of our shelter for the next three days, thanks to our manager Andre.
We have three days in Chicago and I've heard great things. I'm not quite sure how we'll split up the filming but I'm sure it won't be that stressful.

Day 26: Chicago Pt.1

"All This for Tapes?"

So we decided the first important thing of the day was to ship the 18 tapes we had sitting in the car. We should have mailed them back weeks ago, but we've been letting them build up. Its only an hour drive according to our GPS. However, with all the traffic it took us over two hours to get to the Fed-ex. Alex showed his restlessness more than Knopf and I. He could not stand sitting in a car, when we could be filming.
When we finally got there the guys went in, while i stayed outside to call to my family. Its been rough being away from my parents and my sisters this long. I know i get more homesick than Alex and Knopf, but I do want to be home again, even if this trip has been a blast. We had the same trouble in traffic getting home, and when we got back to the city. We only had a few hours left. We got right to filming.
Alex worked really hard on getting a shot on well waxed set of stairs. After that we saw a school with some amazing Parkour possibilities. Knopf and I both got some shots there. We decided that we would get the remaining ten shots tomorrow, so we could space it out and get more substantial footage for the time ahead.
Showers and sleep were both necessary so we went back to the house to rest up for tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow we'll go out, but tonight, I am exhausted. Sonya even invited us to some burgers her husband had cooked up. Not going to bed hungry. Goodnight.

Day 27: Chicago Pt.2

"Just a Walk in the Park"

After a decent night sleep, we had to get to filming. Sonya told us about a skate park nearby and we decided to start there. The park was awesome. Not too crowded, clean, and all cement. Perfect. We started off riding around and Knopf filmed us carving all the curves.
Alex found a big manual pad to skate but I couldn't find anything I wanted to film. That was until I found this really awesome drop in set up into a set of bowls. I could hit the hills and get a trick out of the bowl. It was hot but I stayed hydrated enough. My knees started to kill. I landed a few but then I finally landed the perfect Indy on to the flat.
We still had a lot of promo stuff and shirts in the car and I had a lot of fun handing to the younger skaters around the park. A group of them actually sat on the edge of the bowl and cheered me on while I was skating. We rode around the park handing shirts and postcards to all the kids and their parents. One of the parents happen to be a local graffiti writer, DWEL, who offered to show us around to a couple of good graf spots to take pictures.
Next, we went to refuel on some food and liquids because I felt pretty dehydrated. White Castle Burgers made me feel worse. I started feeling sick and light headed. I don't attribute it to the food actually. I just sweated out all my fluids to the point where my leg completely cramped up. I couldn't walk. I felt sick. I needed to just lay down and recharge. We went back to the house and took a nap.
Afterwards, we found another spot close by and killed it. We got the last two parkour shots right off the bat. Some cool trees near the spot provided some good breakdancing footage. Alex and I banged them out. Then we went to a tunnel where we finished off the dance footage.
At this point we had to kill the night with something fun. We went to the movies, again. It isn't the most exciting thing but we were exhausted. When we went to the theater and bought our tickets. We had enough time to jump around to other theaters. Three theaters and a movie and a half later, we left to go home to rest up for graffiti filming and the trek to Columbus and met up with Niko.
Chicago was awesome and it is my top 5 for cities I would go back to, definitely.

Day 28: Chicago Pt. 3

All we had to do was get some pictures of graffiti and head to Columbus. We were supposed to meet up with Dwel but since he was at work, we were on our own.
We realized how useful it is to have a local writer with you when you are looking for graffiti. We found a little here and there but we decided to just take off for the next city.
On our way out, we noticed an abandoned building that was at least ten stories tall. I pulled off the highway and parked outside of the barbed wire fence. Alex and Knopf got out of the car and went to look for a way in. We wouldn't have gone into this building had we not seen the blockbuster pieces on the roof. They were in there for a while before they came running out, telling me we had to leave now. Later I found out they had been making their way up a dilapidated staircase in the huge building when someone apparently started coming down the steps above them. When you're in an area dominated by graf, you don't just approach someone because you could be on protected territory. Some crews are peaceful, some can be aggressive. That is why it is important to be careful, always.
The only eventful thing to happen on the way to Columbus was that I got a speeding ticket. I know I was speeding, but I was still irked about the situation. As I was going 30 over the speed limit, I realized I should slow down. So, of course, I drive by a cop. Now, he was going the opposite direction across a 3 lane median while I was a driving with about 4 other cars. Not to mention he was an off duty cop and I dropped to 80(20 miles over) before I saw him. He marked me down for 86 mph, which is funny because 26 happens to be the slowest to be going for the maximum ticket. It's also the difference between a $145 ticket and a $190 ticket. So now I have $190 dollars hanging over my head when I get home.
That put me in an instant bad mood and when we stopped for food, I told he guys I wanted to switch drivers. My dad was calm about the situation and told me I could call the local judge to talk about it. My mom just freaked and threatened to take my car when I get back. That just isn't going to happen.
I slept most of the drive to Columbus. When we got there we were greeted by Niko and his family. We're staying with his Aunt who lives right outside of Columbus. They wanted to hear about the trip so we gave them a summary. It took a while and included a lot of laughs. Now I'm exhausted so I'm going to sleep.

Day 29: Columbus Pt 1

We got a little bit of a late start and we still had to get 15 action shots before the sun went down. We went downtown. Our first stop was a museum, but we got kicked out before we finished setting up to skate.
We went across the street to skate another ledge but we were booted from that spot too. We even went further down the street and Niko spent some time working on a hardflip on a fresh set of stairs, even landed sketchy a few times. But then, we were kicked out again. We finally found a spot that we knew we wouldn't kicked out of.
It was underneath a bridge. There were some homeless but you really couldn't call them homeless. It's not the same image you'd expect. They had a mattress, tables and even a television. They talked to us while they were fishing in the river. We managed to get more than half of our footage there before Niko and I went to get water and supplies for lunch.
We still had a few shots left to get and were drained. I took what strength I had to finish up my shots. Alex and Knopf banged out the breakdancing and next thing you know, we were finished the action for the entire trip. Luckily for us we had a barbecue waiting for us when we got back to celebrate. Before we ate we went down the street to check out a block party going on at a park nearby. Me and Alex were jumping around dancing and doing flips for all the kids. We handed out postcards and went home to eat.
After we ate and talked for a while, everyone but myself and Niko went to bed. We talked about all kinds of life topics over a few cigarettes. He eventually crashed and I'm going to bed soon. Right after I help Niko's Aunt Vanessa with the laundry. It's 5 a.m.. Late Night.

Day 30: Columbus Pt 2 -> Niagara Falls

All we have to do is film graffiti and drive to niagara falls today. You have no idea how happy I am to know that my whole body hurts and I got no sleep last night. It's okay though, we had some breakfast and said goodbye to everyone. Niko is going to come with us until the end of the trip.
We drove around columbus for a while but we couldn't find any art that was worth filming. But then the guys saw a freight line and followed it to a bridge that was full of graffiti. We spent a good half-hour filming there.
We then left for Niagara. On our way, we were going stop at the DC plaza and the Akron skate park. We missed our chance for DC so we followed the directions to Akron. We drove another hour to find that no one ever heard of a skate park in Akron. Whudya know? I guess when your planning this much, some mistakes can be made.
When we finally made it to Niagara, it was just about time for bed. We actually ended up parking our van behind a beer distributer off a main road. It was our last night in paradise and we wanted to do it right.
Tomorrow is our last official stop on this crazy train and then we have to get home and put this all together. It's gonna be tough leaving the road behind but I'm ready to be home. So from a parking lot in New York, Goodnight.

Hop, Drop, & Roll Tour (Back Home) : The Book of Wastle

2009-04-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

July 1:
Home again. Just got back from Disney. The guys are gone, and it already sucks. I'll probably chill with Liz tonight. We might see Wall-E.
Chilled with Liz. Got in a fight because she was being ridiculous. Now she's off to Germany. Maybe I'll talk to Angie or Jess Mann. New people are always welcome. Freedom here I come.

July 2:
Liz is gone, Hallelujah. So I guess it's time to meet some ladies. I need to get at Marina about some of the biddies at Roman Delight. They're pretty acceptable. Chillin' with Dan and all the girls and guys tonight. Should be fun. It's cool chillin' with Dan because I know we're going to be skating and playing parkour tag. Good training.

July 3:
Work blows. I don't like the cooking so much as I do the people who complain about the food constantly. I had to remake the same sandwich 3 times. I'd rather be crammed in a mini-van.

July 4:
This whole average life thing is interesting. I'm not used to chillin' and doing like nothing. My body is getting really jumpy really easily because I'm accustomed to jumping everywhere. Went to the mall with Dan and Kyle. I think i might get with Vi Lee.

July 5:
Started running in the morning to get in shape for when the guys get back. It helps my body calm down for when I'm sitting at Dan's or talking to Angie. Angie is fun but boring, better than Laura, but Liz is an easy target.

July 6:
Work.
Skated.
Danced.
Ninja Tag.
Today was a good day of training. I got like everything done.

July 7:
I need to start working on some new moves so when I have to film, it won't be the same old schtick.
Ideas:
360 Flip.
180 Heel.
Hardflip.
Backflips.
Flares.
Airtracks.
Headspins.
Handspins.

July 8:
Work.
I'm really glad I already had a good base for the tre-flips. They're not going to be hard to learn. My dancing needs the most work. Mostly just my popping. I hope Grubb and Knopf get some b-boying shots. Grubb also needs to do a backflip.

July 9:
Work
I need a break from work. Thank god I don't have a 9-5. Chilled with everyone today. Got to skate a lot and we watched Beerfest. I love that movie. Things are slow at the moment. I'm pretty excited for my day at college. Gonna run that s--t.

July 10:
Brother had a major freak out. Threatened to kill me. Parents are making him get help or get out. Made my Dad cry. I thought he didn't like me. Turns out he's extremely proud of me.

July 11:
Today was pretty good. I had work, where I cut up veggies all day. Talk about tedious. After work, I waited til I had the car and chilled with Matt. We got his tattoo priced then I went to Dan's. We slacked for a while. Then Jess called me. I chilled with her for like 2 hours. That situation is really stressful. I got back to Dan's and Tee, Marina, and Val came over. She's a cutie. We went to the Fig, which was sickeningly relaxing. Then to the Sr. High to breakdance. Might try to get with Val. Liz comes home tomorrow.

July 12:
Hung out with Paul today. Videogames are not nearly as fun. Then I saw Liz. It was fun, but then she peaced early. Went to the diner with Tee and Marina. Jess Mann attacked us. Bad Day.
Christina is the worst scout ever. Drama in the shower!

July 13:
Saw Angie and all the girls today. Peaced on Liz, she's boring. I was supposed to go to the beach with Angie, but I'm going to Delaware tomorrow so it's gotta be an early night. Going to bed at 2:00. Early for me. Off to college.

July 14:
UDEL:
Not funny kid.
Nicole.
Chem guys.
Game.
Slept over Tee's.
Almost got with Ashley Bromer, but I fell asleep.

July 15:
Went to the mall with the girls (Ashley, Tee, Marina). Did loan work with my Mom. She's in a bad mood. Shock seeing as my brother is the ultimate tool. Chilling with Ashley is weak because she is really shy. I think I need a more forward girl. She wants me to make the 1st move, but she doesn't act like she wants it. I don't want this to become another Meg Martin. Dan + Sarah = What the f--k?

July 16:
Work today.
It was beat because I know there is like ten thousand better things I could be doing. Skated and danced today. Woot. Guys need to get back soon.

July 17:
No work, parties all da' time. Got some college work done. I'm mad excited for college, but I'm more excited to be filming in August. Really picking up my game for filming. I might be going to Jess Mann's for her meeting tomorrow. Don't know what I'm gonna tell Angie. Oh well, I don't really care.

July 18:
Work is the s--tiest thing ever. I can't wait to quit. It is physically exhausting. The only good thing was that I worked with Michele today. So hot. She's coming to the party in August. I need to chill with Peanut and Jackie. I keep forgetting to call back. My computer comes tomorrow. Pretty hype for that. Jess Mann's one year was tonight. We went to Lancer's. I got an omelet and pancakes. Gew.

July 19:
It's actually the 20th, but yesterday is easy to remember. I went to work. Left only cuz I was throwing up every 5 minutes. Literally. My dad picked me up. I stayed in bed for 3 hours. Called Knopf while pooping, ha ha. Set up my comp and slept for another 12 hours.

July 20:
Woke up feeling better. Hung out with Tee and Marina at Dan's. Then we took like 15 people to see the Dark Knight. It was pretty sick, but I still feel like crap, so I'm just going to bed.

July 21:
Went to the pool today with Dan, Alex, Kyle, and Scott. Fish came later with some young biddies. They were pretty ugly. I mean good god. So then we were at Dan's skating. I felt sick and went home and slept for like an hour and here I am. 10:30 bored as hell.

July 22:
Work= Not today. Slept in and went to giant with my Mom. After that I met up with Kyle and Lily Pyle. She is weird but it was cool. I saw Liz today. That is a VentilaitonX decision. She still meets my needs, even if she's psycho. Hung with her til like 12:00, yah mean'd, and peaced. I feel bad but oh well. Tomorrow is a new day.

July 23:
Angie is getting really irritating. She is a little too needy for me. So, I'll probably just ditch her. Oh well. I need to increase the rate of my life. It's really annoying to not get a lot done in one day. Still training, aw yea.

July 24:
Work today was so easy. S--t goes real quick with Kyle there. Hung out with Lily and Meg and Kyle. I would have gotten with Lily but Angie got in the way. We talked about being friends then we decided we still wanted to holler. Marina also thinks shes going to come around a lot. I hope she's good or this isn't going to happen.
Status: Needing to bop off.

July 25:
Mom's birthday. She went to the beach. No party. I went out with Dan and all, but we split up. I ended up hanging out with Sarah and her hot friend Nicole. Pulling her would be sweet.

July 26:
My parents came home today. They had a good time at the beach. I went out to skate for a while then we all went to the pool. Learning how to do flares. Hopefully I'll get them down before the guys get back. Starting to get sick of drama with girls.

July 27:
Work today sucked. Talk about long and tedious. The closer I get to the 30th, the longer my days are getting. I just want to start filming and to get back to my regular life. I know it's not permanent, but college should be OK. I need to set dates to call the guys so we can update a lot.

July 28:
No work today. Hung out with everyone at Dan's house. I just found out that Angie's birthday is like tomorrow. I'll probably get her nothing. I hope once the guys get home, I won't have to see her, but that's going to be really difficult with Marina being her best friend. Shes down to ride, so that's OK. But so is every other girl I could want.

July 29:
Opening work at 6:30 was painful. I only stayed to open though. At 10:00 I went home. Me and my Mom went to Cape May. I'm really glad I thought to bring my journal. We went to the boardwalk. Boppers are so everywhere. Me and Knopf need to do damage.

July 30:
Beach was fun. Angie's birthday went horribly. I peaced on everyone. The guys would have been proud. The guys come home tomorrow. I'm so excited to start business.

July 31:
Last entry.
Just got back from Lancer's. The guys talked all about the trip. The more I heard, the more spiteful I felt about how my parents handled the decision/conversations. I would have rather been sick in a van then home. Business starts tomorrow.

Hop, Drop, & Roll Tour : The Book of Faves

2009-04-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

Introduction:
Hop, Drop, and Roll came from VentilationX wanting to further it's development and branch out beyond the much explored East Coast. Before taking it's movement overseas, the team wanted to cover North America in a single tour to experience the United States as it stands amidst much global tension. Hop, Drop, and Roll would also serve as a film that could humanize the individuals that make up the team and develop an inside look at how they stay inspired to push boundaries and test limits.
VentilationX set out to make this vision into reality with less than six -- months. The team threw benefits and fundraiser parties to bring together various movies and energies to make it happen.
As VentilationX sets out on their journey to define their place in the world of media entertainment, athletics, and entrepreneurs, they will investigate who they are and what purpose they will fulfill. As these young men develop into adults and work to make a difference, they will ask the questions that must be asked and decide what they want to become.
-Hop, Drop, + Roll Tour.
-VentilationX, LLC.
-July 1st-31st, 2008.
-Alex Favin.

Day 1- Philly to Atlanta:
We began our journey at 4:45 AM on July 1st, 2008. We got ourselves ready, said goodbye to family, and hit the road. It was liberating to remove ourselves from the comforts of home life once again and embark on a quest for creative freedom. Driving the length of the Appalachians and experiencing the East Coast in its' rural setting was refreshing for a group of people who embrace urban culture and feed of off of the fast pace lifestyle. We pulled off of the highway to get a look at a freight train lay up on a highway overpass in North Carolina. The lay up was bare, but an engine roared by with a line of cars so we benched it and caught some solid graffiti pieces. Atlanta was a very unique city to experience for the first time. The buildings sprawled out in every direction and had some rough areas just blocks from seemingly well-to-do neighborhoods. We arrived as the sun was setting and got to see Atlanta at her finest. We filmed some establishing shots and familiarized ourselves with the city layout before heading to our housing accomodations arranged courteously by our producer, Andre Robert Lee. We set up camp, got comfortable, and settled in for a few hours of sleep before having to wake up early for our second day on the road. Atlanta will propel VentilationX into a new playing field from the East Coast base it came from. Atlanta can bridge the gap from the teams' early work, into the adventures sought in H.D.R..

Day 2- Atlanta:
If Day 1 was a reintroduction to tour life, then Day 2 was a full fledged understanding of its ideas and concepts. We woke up tired, hit the road, and made our way to the city early. The day started off without breakfast… well, do multivitamin pills count? Our early attempts at tricks and stuntwork brought us nothing but cuts and bruises as we struggled to get into the game. We focused our minds and energy and disregarded our hunger and lack of sleep to pull it all together. After several encounters with the police, we decided to chill out and reminisce on our first film, “X.Y.Z.” or ‘Examine Your Zipper’. We talked about all aspects of the team and the production in VentilationX’s early years. After capturing enough moves on video and still cameras, we decided to scope some different parts of the city. We wanted to crash with some sense of the obstacles we would hit in the morning. Knopf accidently hit the curb while driving the van and put a hole in the back right tire. We swapped the flat tire with the new spare and got back on the road. Throughout the course of the day we gave out t-shirts, mixtapes, postcards, business cards and stickers. We were also able to help out a few homeless people and a guy kicked of his rental car by his friends. It felt great to have a very successful day while giving to those who are in need. There is so much laziness and lack of creativity caused by our society; VentilationX and our movement is about supporting all forms of positive expression. When we create, communities develop and expand to celebrate diversity of ideas.

Day 3 - Atlanta to New Orleans:
Our third day was very long. I would call it, “What day is it?” We started our day at 10:00 AM EST and, well, it’s now 5:45 AM Central Time and we are arguing about whether or not to try and fix the trunk door which just broke. But, let’s go back to the beginning. Our host in Atlanta made us banana pancakes for breakfast which were extremely appreciated because it was one of our first cooked meals that was not fast food. We hit the streets and had a rough time getting started. The sun was blazing and the homeless kept bombarding us. We lost five dollars and a water bottle in a bad investment, which lowered our spirits when we needed them the most. A kind hearted woman gave us water and food at the mere sight of us. After capturing all of our stuntwork, we filmed various well known graffiti spots and soaked in the creativity of the southern aerosol artists. Paralleling the arts’ audible counterpart, the south is staging a takeover in the world of hip-hop. We left A-town at around eight in the evening and did not find shelter until four in the morning. When we found a safe (but illegal) location, we pitched our tent and tried to settle in. One of us made a trip to the car only to discover that the trunk latch was broken, preventing us from accessing the supplies with ease. I write to you as the sun dawns; sick, hungry, thirsty, and without speech. This trip is incredible…a true knowledge and understanding of nomadic life is sure to be gained along with our successes.

Day 4 - New Orleans:
Two hours after falling asleep, we awoke in pools of sweat. The tent had trapped our heat in and was being cooked under the scorching sun. The result was a devastating greenhouse effect. We stood up as a woman pulled onto our plot. She got out of the car and said that if we did not vacate the premises immediately, she would alert the authorities. We packed up and began our search for sustenance. We had little sleep and required food. As always, we got distracted and wound up filming some graffiti at several yards we stumbled upon. The Military Police appeared briefly to see if we were vandalizing property or not, but they wound up being friendly. We made our way to downtown New Orleans to shoot establishing shots. We saw the divide in wealth and economic status between casino goers and homeless natives left stranded post Hurricane Katrina. When we were ready to shoot some stunt-work it began to rain, so we decided to find shelter and re-charge for the intense work we had looming over our shoulders. After being turned away several times, we found a location that would suit our needs. We needed a place with a shower that could assure us that our stuff would be safe. That wound up being a run-down Inn next to the freight yard. We settled in and prepared to sleep, a concept that we forgot existed. We had full knowledge that we had a packed day of stunt-work ahead to meet our quota.

Day 5 - New Orleans to Dallas:
Waking up in the morning feeling refreshed, we got an early start to the day. It was unbearably hot, but we stayed focused on our goal and filmed at a consistent rate. We hit obstacles that were unusual for the team due to the changes in architecture around different areas of the country. We also stepped up our game and tried new moves and concepts in each discipline. The shoot was fun, but also took much longer that we anticipated. Once we let go of our fear of falling behind schedule, we loosened up and enjoyed our time without stress. Upon leaving New Orleans, we drove through the swamplands and bayou which was a beautiful view to witness sunset. It sprawled out in every direction and took our minds away from the fast paced lifestyle of touring. We let the GPS system guide us rather than our step-by-step trip itinerary. It wound up being a poor decision that resulted in a speeding ticket. Knopf went 57mph in a 45mph speed zone and was slapped with a citation. We got back onto the highway promptly and headed straight for Dallas. We located several locations for Boondocking, but decided to drive to a rest area an hour outside of Dallas and sleep in the car. We left the car running as we fell asleep. It was a long day.

Day 6 - Dallas:
We awoke at a rest area on the side of a highway. Two feral dogs were watching us clean out our trash, looking for something to scavenge. Upon arriving in Dallas, we moved through the city capturing footage of the skyline at a quick pace. Club hoppers were using Sunday morning to recuperate while church goers arrived for Sunday worship service. We benched along a freight line and got familiar with the Texas climate, which reaches its peak temperature at 5 PM. With a largely empty city, we progressed rapidly and found time to explore some city outskirts and capture interviews and stuntwork. So, it was productive considering we woke up with a dead car battery. Basically, we woke up in the middle of the night/wee hours of the morning to find our car off, but the lights and AC were running. We had to find people with cables, bring them over to the van, and jump start the automobile. We somehow managed to overcome major hurdles and finish our day strong and positive. We have one more day to wrap Dallas, to make time for the long journey to the Grand Canyon. After we finished shooting for the day, we parked our van between an electrical power station and a meadow that rests along the highway. We nestled in and got mentally prepared for Day 7.

Day 7 - Dallas to New Mexico:
When I opened my eyes to see an ambulance behind our vehicle with EMT’s approaching, I thought about how we had such difficulty finding a place to get a full night’s sleep. The EMT’s told us that we were parked illegally, and the police were on their way. We pulled out immediately and wondered around Dallas until we found a park with shade, a lake, and a giant fountain. We slept for another hour or so until we were ready to film. We drove about four blocks until we found a local middle school that had enough variety in architecture to suit our needs for the rest of our stunt footage. We spent several hours filming and tried to avoid getting sunburnt by practicing and warming up in the shade. A local graffiti artist approached us and talked about the local scene and the developing image of the south. After we finished filming, we found a buffet and ate our first substantial meal of the trip. Once we finished eating, we jumped in the van and headed towards the Grand Canyon. We drove through the desert in a thunderstorm and got to experience the vastness of the plains. The lightning would illuminate the entire sky and open up our vision before disappearing and filling the world with darkness. We pushed through the rain and fog until we reached New Mexico. We found a rest stop and parked in the dirt next dozens of big rigs. We dozed off by 4:30 AM.

Day 8 - New Mexico to Grand Canyon:
I woke up in the passenger seat of the van, with a cold. Our car wouldn’t start again, so we asked around for jumper cables. The drive to Arizona was long. We saw camels, Indian reservations, and the beginning of the Rocky Mountains. The journey was beautiful. The temperature was perfect and we only hit one patch of rain which lasted for under ten seconds. We thought we were close to the Grand Canyon, when our GPS system directed us to a back alley in Flagstaff. We reoriented ourselves and made our way to the Canyon. We stopped off for gas and paid $4.49 9/10 which is the most spent to date for us; both on and off the trip. We checked into a hotel by the gas station which was about thirty minutes from the National Park. We took our first shower in five days and cleaned up before heading to the Canyon for sunset. There were tourists everywhere, but everyone was silent or spoke in an incredibly hushed tone. We deviated from the tourist heavy perches to climb around the Canyon walls by ourselves. The stellar magnitude of the Canyon was enough to take your breath away, but witnessing it all at sunset added to its majesty. We made our way back to the hotel to get into the hot tub before bed, but it was broken. I am sick, tired, and having the most amazing time of my life. This is an eye opening journey. I love tour life!

Day 9 - Grand Canyon to Vegas:
Today began at 4:30 AM when all of our alarms began ringing is unison. Sunrise at the Grand Canyon was scheduled for 5:15 AM, so we had to get up early to made the trip to the park. When we arrived, the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon and shine light into the canyon. We spoke on where we were as individuals, and as a team. Standing on the Canyon's edge was incredibly powerful for all of us. After we finished absorbing the beauty of nature, we prepared for the journey to Las Vegas. We went back to our hotel, got cleaned up, and set off for Nevada. The drive out of Arizona was great. The terrain transitioned from completely flat to totally mountainous. We crossed the Hoover Dam and saw the tourists flocking to get pictures on the man made marvel. When we arrived in Vegas, we checked into our hotel and got settled. After we went swimming and chilled in the hot tub, we got ready to hit the strip. The phrase coined for Las Vegas is certainly true. What happens in this city, never leaves.

Day 10 - Vegas to L.A.:
We woke up several times throughout the morning to room service trying to clean our room because we forgot to hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign. When we finally woke up, we headed straight for the spa. We started with the sauna, headed for the steam room, and cleaned off in the showers. After check-out, we promoted on the strip, and headed for Los Angeles. When we got to L.A., we checked out some locations and got familiar with the city. We headed to our host’s house and met up with our producer, Andre. We talked about our tour and our stay in L.A. and planned a couple meetings. Once Andre split, we talked with our host about his job as a costume designer. After the conversation, we chilled out and watched TV to relax and get hype for the West Coast. Kicking it in the house that overlooked the Hollywood Hills and the city of Los Angeles was awesome. The view was equal to that of Vegas, but more opportunity awaits us in L.A. We have meetings, parties, and filming scheduled for the next three days. It will certainly be action packed, we just need to keep our heads on strait and move forward like we always do. The West Coast appears to be everything it is said to be and more. I hope this city brings good things.

Day 11 - Los Angeles:
Today started out with a breakfast meeting with Andre. We sat down and talked about Hop, Drop, and Roll and our time in Los Angeles. Once we finished our meeting, we made our way to the Palisades to meet Cameron, the founders of Budokon, a hybrid movement of martial arts and yoga. We talked about the origins of Budokon and watched some training videos that they release to their fanbase through their website. After our discussion, we headed to a local park to share our skills and techniques. We exchanged moves and exercises that could be valuable to each other and had a jam session. We filmed and took pictures of the session until we ran out of energy. We walked back to Cameron and his wife, Liz’s, house with their daughter, Phoenix, and talked about art and the cost of getting involved with sponsors and corporate money. Cameron had great insight into the world of entertainment and making a living and a lifestyle out of what you love to do, instead of corrupting your ideals through commercialization. We wrapped up our time with Cameron and Liz to hit the road and grab some dinner. After two hours of sitting in traffic, we made it back to the house to eat an amazing, home cooked, Puerto Rican meal. After we ate, we headed to Sunset Blvd. to see a movie. After the film, we crashed.

Day 12 - Los Angeles:
We began our day by meeting up with Andre and heading to a breakfast meeting with friend, Doug Spearman. We talked about jobs and future aspirations for the entertainment business at a small coffee shop. Once we finished chatting, we went to a barbeque lunch party and talked to various people about Hop, Drop, + Roll and VentilationX. After we delivered our cake, ate, napped, and socialized, we left the party and made our way to Venice beach. The beach and promenade were full of life, the sun was beginning to set and the air was cool and breezy. It was strange to be on a beach that had mountains within sight. We swam, chilled, and talked on the beach until we were ready to explore the promenade. We saw the vendors and musicians who lined the path as we made our way to the famous legal graffiti walls and skatespot. There were two artists doing pieces on the wall in front of tourists and on lookers. We watched for a few minutes before heading to the skatespot. After we soaked in Venice beach, we headed to Andre’s friend, Fionna’s house. She was throwing a party with her husband. A large group of people came and we were able to promote a lot. We socialized with different folks from the L.A. area and some people who were in town from overseas. We gave away different items and told the various guests about VentilationX and our future plans.

Day 13 - L.A. to Yosemite:
We started our last day in L.A. by talking about the skate scene on the West Coast, and the East Coast’s attempt to put Philly back on the map. We discussed The Franklin Paine's Skatepark Fund and VentilationX’s involvement in the effort. In North America, the East and West Coast are known for their thriving urban skate scenes; VentilationX is working to redefine Philadelphia as a major force in the skateboard industry. Once Andre and our host were ready, we went to eat and talk about NYC and L.A. The entertainment business is centered around these two cities, and there seems to be a rivalry between the people who live in each place. After we ate, we started looking for L.A. graffiti. We hit the L.A. river which is a well known spot and then explored the streets. We accidentally ran into an artist who introduced himself and showed us some of his work. Once we saw some walls around town, we got on the highway and began the journey to Yosemite National Park. It was a long road to Yosemite, but the drive was amazing at sunset. When we were finally arriving at the park, it was late enough that we didn’t need to pay admission. We drove into the park and parked our van on the side of the road. It was pitch dark and completely silent. The conditions were perfect for sleep.

Day 14 - Yosemite to San Francisco:
We awoke on the side of the road with a deer several feet from our car. We filmed the deer before making our way into the heart of the park. We grabbed breakfast in a hotel and jumped onto a shuttle bus that took us to the hiking trails. We climbed up the mountains and saw several beautiful waterfalls. We hiked until we got hot, jumped into the freezing mountain water to cool off, and then climbed some more. We talked about the wonders of our journey and our positive outlook toward the future of VentilationX. On our way out of the mountains, Grubb fell and dropped the camera. The camera was only damaged slightly...the lens cover basically won’t open. Knopf took toothpicks and bark and rammed them far enough into the lens that it was slightly fixed. We then began the journey out of Yosemite. We wanted to stay later, but the clouds rolled in and the rain began pouring down. We avoided paying a fee on the way out of the park and slowly drove away from the national park. We caught several solid freight lines on the road to San Francisco. One after another could be seen from the highway; however, they were nothing like the lines we found in a yard just south of Yosemite yesterday evening, but it was still exciting. Once we arrived in San Francisco, we made the journey to our host’s house. We parked the car and carried our gear inside.

Day 15 - San Francisco:
We woke up this morning and made our way across town to pick up Cas. When Cas opened the door and walked up to the van, it felt like we were back home again. Even though we were on the other side of the country, the vibe was just like any normal day with the team. We ate breakfast together and spent time catching up on everything. After we ate, we searched for spots and began filming. We moved through shots quick and traveled all throughout the city. Talking to Cas and having a fourth person ride in the van added a lot to the overall charisma of the tour. Once we finished shooting, we watched TV until it was time for Cas to roll out for the night. We drove Cas home and brought the car back to our area. When we finally found a spot and parked the van, we tried rolling up the passenger window. We had trouble before, but now the window would not raise past half way. We called roadside assistance and a tow truck arrived to try and help. We worked together and got the window about three-quarters closed and left it for morning. When we wake tomorrow, we will need to take the car to a shop to look at the trunk, window, and tires. The van and cameras have taken a hit, and I hope we can slow (or stop) our damages.

Day 16 - San Francisco:
Once we picked up Cas, we found an autobody shop and left the van behind to be repaired. The shop was apparently frequented by extreme sports teams who needed work on their vehicles. We set out on foot and started searching for spots to film. We got kicked out of our first spot, but we quickly found more that suited our needs. While filming the remaining shots, we walked for miles. We wound up taking a bus back toward the auto shop when we learned how far we were. When we finally got to the shop, we were charged $240 for them to successfully roll up the window and teach us how to open our trunk with a screw driver. We knew that they were taking advantage of us, but we needed the job done. Once we left, we went to Haight Street to shop for Grubb’s birthday celebration. After we bought everything he wanted, our host took us to a set of rooftops that she had access too. We filmed parkour and took photos until a professional photographer arrived. We set up lights and posed for portrait shots that overlooked the city below. The air was cool and the view was awesome. The footage and pictures turned out great. We packed up the equipment and carried the supplies down from the roof. When we made it back to our housing, we unwound and relaxed. It was time to celebrate Grubb’s birthday.
Day 17 - San Francisco:
Today we began by traveling around the city and documenting the graffiti art. We ran into several local artists and talked about the art scene on the West Coast and around the country. After we filmed and photographed the graffiti, we hit some local hot spots and promoted/advertised for our own purposes. After our promotional stops and deliveries, we ate and rested up for our second evening photo shoot. We left to pick up the photographer and his equipment with the van. He lived across the bay in Oakland. We were told it would take about 40 minutes round-trip. Instead, it took two and a half hours; we left at rush hour. We eventually made it to the location to get setup. While parking the van and setting up equipment, an old man who lived in one of the buildings we were above came up and threatened to call the police. We packed up quickly and searched for another location. In our search, we found the highest point in San Francisco, but we didn’t shoot there because it was inside a cloud. When we got out of the car, the air was damp and misty. We left the peak and traveled back to our host’s house and set up the equipments in the backyard. We got some portrait shots taken before packing it all up again. We dropped the photographer off with his equipment and then dropped Cas off. We had a long journey to Seattle ahead. We rested up for the big drive.

Day 18 - San Francisco to Seattle:
We woke up today prepared for the massive journey to Seattle. We loaded up in the car which was already packed, and headed north. The landscape was very mountainous with scattered farms throughout the flat regions. We walked along several freight lines and benched a few more. We needed to refuel and stop for food a couple times throughout the day. It helped break the routine of driving up and down steep roadway through the mountains. When we arrived at our host’s place, we got a tour of the house. We learned quickly that our host and his friends were totally and utterly anti-mainstream. They were mellow and liked skateboarding, graffiti and music; but, they were angry and militant when it came to government and regulations. It was interesting to hear the ideas of people who were different than us, but it was frightening to hear some of their extremist mentalities. When we settled in, a neighbor’s dog, Danan, walked into the house. Danan joined in the evening festivities and ate with us. We all bonded and talked about the Hop, Drop, and Roll tour with everyone before getting ready for bed. We set up camp in the living room and thought about the diverse people and ideas that exist within our own country. This is an incredible place, but I must say, it’s a nutty world.

Day 19 - Seattle:
We awoke to the sun shining in the window. It was a beautiful, warm morning. We got up and headed for downtown Seattle. We documented the different views of the city and then dove into action shots. It was a warm day, and the sun was shining. We progressed through the shots well, but we were hungry and thirsty. We pushed through the heat and got all the shots we needed. We met some people who were interested in what we were doing so we talked to them about the tour and the team. We ate as much food as we could and our bodies could not handle it. We were so hungry and tired that food was not sitting well in our stomachs. We wanted to go out and party after our long day of work, but we were simply too exhausted. We decided it would be better to head home and recharge for the next day of filming. We drove back to the house in Olympia and found the living room packed with guys drinking and talking about herbs and guns. We promoted the team and talked about the local scene. One of the guys went to my school for a year or two before moving. He was real cool to talk to and brought some Philly flavor to the night. The guys were cool and we all sat around and told stories into the early hours of the morning. This day was fun, but totally exhausting.

Day 20 - Seattle:
Today we were going on a graffiti run. We found some wall spots in Olympia that we documented before heading into Seattle. We explored different spots around the city, but spent a great deal of time walking the lines of a freight yard. We saw a good balance of pieces and monikers and even caught an authentic hobo sketch. We called up Tyler from VentilationX and caught up with him. We talked about his filming and the Philadelphia/ Tri-State graffiti scene. Tyler was once one of VentilationX’s graffiti enthusiasts and became known in the local scene by artists and the vandal squad. After he updated us on the happenings of the Tri-State, we said our goodbyes. Once the sun went down, we hit downtown Seattle to experience the nightlife. It was a beautiful night, the weather was incredible. We saw a movie and didn’t leave the city until the early hours of the morning. When driving out of the city, a state trooper pulled us over for speeding. We were doing 90mph in a 60mph speed zone. The trooper gave us a $250 dollar ticket and sent us on our way. When we finally arrived at the house, we got right into bed. We have several large days of driving ahead and we need a good deal of rest. We are about to head East for the first time during the tour.

Day 21 - Seattle to Yellowstone:
When we awoke, we said farewell to our hosts and began to long ride to Yellowstone National Park. We knew the drive was going to be long, but we were in high spirits because our host gave us a fantastic going away present. The scenery was amazing; we passed through mountain after mountain as we traveled East for the first time during this entire trip. The journey East had a bittersweet feel to it. We had a lot left to experience, but it marked the beginning of the road home. The day-to-day lifestyle we have adopted to make this tour possible has become engraved in who we are. It will be difficult to transition back to the lifestyle at home; we live face paced lives, but we are never forced to move as quickly as we do on the road. When stopping off for food and fuel, we passed a cheerleading rehearsal. The temptation to stop and talk was unparalleled. We’ve met and interacted with plenty of famous people on the road...but this was so much more exciting. We stayed focused, and pushed onward. When we finally arrived at Yellowstone, we parked outside of a motel and found a bench/fence to sit on and open our gift. We sat under the stars and talked about life and our various ambitions for VentilationX. Once we were too tired and removed to stand, we huddled up in the van and settled in for a decent night of shut-eye.

Day 22 - Yellowstone to Rushmore:
When we woke up, there were construction workers assembled around the fence we sat on the night before. They began disassembling the fence and sawing it to pieces. We were slightly discouraged. We drove into Yellowstone and found our way to some scenic locations with the help of some locals. We soaked in nature’s marvels as we drove through valleys and hiked up mountain slopes. We found a peak with snow banks and ate as much snow as possible while talking about the environment. After we finished exploring Yellowstone, we packed up and began the journey to Mount Rushmore. On the way to South Dakota we stumbled upon a huge freight yard. We walked the first string of boxcars before getting kicked out. We snuck around and caught several more pieces before a storm rolled in. Dust kicked up everywhere as thunder, lightning, and rain swept in and made for zero visibility. We slowly made our way down the highway at ten miles an hour until the storm passed. We stopped to stretch our legs which resulted in a group 'twenty pushup session' in the middle of the street. When we finally arrived at the town outside of Mt. Rushmore, we found a vacant lot and parallel parked between a tractor trailer and an old hut. We got our sleeping bags out and laid down in the van. The commute was so exhausting after driving through Yellowstone that we talked and then crashed.

Day 23 - Rushmore to Minneapolis:
We awoke overheated in stagnant, sweaty air. The van always heats up and forces us to wake up earlier than we want to. We pulled out of the parking space, sandwiched between an old hut and a tractor trailer, and headed toward the monument. When we approached the mountain, we were shocked at how large the faces truly were. It was an incredible sight that inspired me to pursue a path that would bring positive change, even if faced with adversity. On our way to the next stop, Minneapolis, we found a lake with a perfect place to cliff jump. We pulled off the road and climbed the rock face to get a good take off point. We jumped several times before a lightning storm came in and forced us off the cliff. We were frustrated because we were beginning to jump from higher parts of the rock and lost the opportunity to film some of the harder, more frightening, leaps. We packed into the van and traveled to Minneapolis. Our GPS system sent us off course and one point, but we ultimately found our way. We were off roading through wild turkey territory in our mini-van at one point. We encountered some girls in a small town who wound up kicking it until the early morning. We pushed onward until we found our host’s house. We could not get a hold of them so we fell asleep in the van. We slept outside again, but it was in a driveway. Hop, Drop, & Roll.

Day 24 - Minneapolis:
Today we were startled awake by knocking on the van window. We were fearful that we had parked in the wrong driveway, but it turned out to be our host inviting us inside for breakfast. We were thrilled. We had very few pleasant surprises when we slept in the van. After we ate, we headed downtown to familiarize ourselves with the city and hunt for spots. We had fun filming our stunts and got the opportunity to break-dance along the Mississippi River. After filming, we changed clothes in the middle of the street. A group of girls drove by while we were naked. We ate dinner and then hit the town for a night out. We walked across a bridge that ran above the Mississippi River into the heart of the city. We reached out to an old friend from home who moved to Minneapolis several years ago. She invited us to her apartment for a party. We drove out to her place and hung out. We talked about her developing art career and our various aspirations for certain artists breaking into the scene. Later, we partied and listened to music into the wee hours of the morning. We were so exhausted that we fell asleep there despite having sleeping arrangements at a mansion on the other side of town. We all found a perch and passed out. Our bodies are developing into machines that require very little sleep; but we’re still tired.

Day 25 - Minneapolis to Chicago:
We woke up early because people had to leave for work. We said our goodbyes before discovering that it was raining. We had not filmed all of our stunts required for Minneapolis. We were frustrated because one of our tour objectives would not be completed. Weather is a variable that is difficult to account for while on tour. We were still able to visit a few graffiti spots despite the bad weather. We saw as much as possible before heading to our host’s place to get cleaned up. We knew there was a long drive to Chicago waiting for us, so we took time to sit in the sauna, take showers, and play video games in their home theater. It was a pleasant escape. We talked briefly about the team’s history and future regarding sponsorships, a very complicated topic. When it was time to head to Chicago, we said goodbye and went East. The stormy weather continued and added hail to the torrential rains. We had no visibility and had to drive at less than half the speed limit for a major portion of the drive. We pressed on, even though people were pulling off the road under bridges to wait out the hazardous conditions. The weather cleared as we arrived in Chicago, and we saw the fantastic skyline. We drove past the city to find our host’s place. It was near the downtown area and felt like it would fit our needs perfectly. We introduced ourselves, made ourselves at home, and got ready for bed. We have not gotten a proper nights rest in days and need rejuvenation. It was time to unwind in comfort and recharge for the obstacles to come. Here we come Chicago.

Day 26 - Chicago
We began the day by driving outside of Chicago to find a place to ship some footage home. Our GPS told us that the journey would take us less than two hours, it wound up taking four and a half. When we finally got back into the city, we got right to work. We moved quickly and got some great shots! After filming stuntwork, we drove back to our host’s place and called Mike Trampe of HipHopDX.com. He was in New York with DJ Bedtyme 357 and the HateMoneyRadio crew. We talked business and planned some future collaborations. After business was through, we hung out and relaxed. Grubb jammed on the guitar as we recharged for a big upcoming day. We are down to the final stretch and are working to make the last days of our tour as crazy as the first. There are so many challenges to face while filming on the road; it is hard to find a healthy balance between living and working. We’ve learned to move forward and survive on the bare minimum of everything. We decided to stay in for the night to rest, eat well enough, and clean up. We planned to film a lot the next day and hit the town to party. We need to slow down long enough to let our bodies heal and our minds catch up to reality. Our days on tour are numbered and we want to maximize our time and experiences.

Day 27 - Chicago:
We started our day with some home cooked breakfast prepared by our host. We ate together before heading off our separate ways. We hit the local skatepark to film, but wound up taking over and throwing a mini demo and promoting to everyone. Kids and grown adults alike were wearing VentilationX gear and reading our promo flyers as we rode the park and entertained onlookers. It was painstakingly hot outside and after we filmed and ate we fell slightly ill. Filming in Chicago was great, but we were getting battered and bruised in this city. As the day progressed, we met a local graffiti writer who had suggestions about certain sports to hit. We were hoping to meet up the following day, so we exchanged contact info. We found out that it is illegal to purchase or sell spray paint within the city of Chicago and that writers were forced to commute to the suburbs to buy cans of paint. During the evening, we talked with DJ Bedtyme 357 and discussed his involvement in the Hip-Hop scene. We thought back to our time appearing on his radio program and how we first met. Once business was taken care of, we headed downtown to see a movie. We chilled in the city and wound up theatre hopping late at night. Chicago had been a blast, and although we’re here for a bit longer, it was becoming harder and harder to leave the various exciting cities behind. I didn’t want to stop moving forward.

Day 28 - Chicago to Columbus:
We woke up today having to film graffiti. We were hoping that Dwell would show us around after he finished work, but we had to begin the run without him. We began by looking for some freight yards. We found ourselves lost in a maze of roads underneath a shipping facility. Most of the yards were empty; we kept finding railroad tracks, but no trains. We found a couple of yards with layups, but we were unable to reach the lines. Railroad cops were out in full force and prevented us from accessing certain parts of the various yards. We hunted for good wall spots but only found one that was worthwhile. An old, abandoned factory had become a local graffiti hot spot. We infiltrated the facility and captured most of the outside work before heading inside. As we ascended the stairs that appeared to be deteriorating as we climbed, we heard someone else in the facility. We left as fast as possible and headed to Columbus. We saw gas for three dollars and fifty one cents today; it was the cheapest we’ve seen during the tour. When we got to the city, we met up with Niko from the team and caught him up on the news. He filled us in on local spots and we planned our time while in Columbus. Niko is a hard worker and will add a lot to the last leg of the journey. I was so hype to see my homie. We had not seen Niko since we left. Niko is wild.

Day 29 - Columbus:
Niko and his family made a big breakfast for everyone to enjoy. We ate as much food as possible so that we would spend less money throughout the day. We drove into Columbus to explore the city. It was a small, pleasant town. There were homeless people, just like everywhere else, but it was clean and safe. We got kicked out of the first three spots we hit and we were nervous that we wouldn’t get the necessary footage in Columbus, but we pushed on. It was a very sunny day and we had to fight to stay hydrated. When we finished filming our stuntwork, we went to the local fair to promote. We wound up breakdancing for everyone in front of a booth set up by a major Columbus radio station. When the fair ended, we went back to our host’s house for a barbeque. We ate a lot off food and talked about the successes of the day. After dinner, we went for a walk and talked about Niko and his feelings about VentilationX. We all opened up and reminisced on the past and what Niko meant to the team. We headed back to his families' place to chill. We eventually made our way inside, and fell fast asleep. It was a long, exciting day.

Paine's World

2008-10-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

Franklin Paines Skatepark Fund was given access to the Urban Outfitters Head Quarters within the Naval Yard in Philadelphia, for a massive party. The event was designed to raise money and awareness for the Paines Park Project by bringing people into the large facility for a night of fun. Buses were sent throughout Philadelphia to escort guests to the private facility. Inside the party, DJ's and musicians performed, skaters from the Nocturnal team and professional rider, Kevin Taylor, skated a half-pipe provided by Red Bull, and people played inside the Box n' Bounce before heading onto the dance floor. VentilationX helped the event go smoothly by managing the front gate, hosting the Box n' Bounce, and holding down the dance-floor while documenting the party. After a long night of partying, we collected as much untouched food as possible because we were preparing to leave for our cross-country tour, "Hop, Drop, & Roll," in two days, and we knew we would need the sustenance.

FAVES at Jinxed Gallery

2008-10-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

Freight train graffiti artist, FAVES, of NETWORK, WH, & FS, recently exhibited his work at Jinxed Clothing Company in South Philadelphia. He shared a show with artist, Ryan Beck, who studied at Temple University and is known in the Philadelphia skateboarding scene. FAVES, a native Philadelphian who grew up in New York City during the subway art era, took his art to the freight train scene. Known for his 'flying boxcar' moniker, colorful pieces, and outrageous photo collection of freight art, FAVES' canvas work successfully recreates the side of a freight car complete with a 'flying boxcar' streak. The opening night of the month long exhibit was a party that attracted legendary graffiti writers from all over the East Coast and skateboarders from Nocturnal, including professional rider, Kerry Getz. VentilationX attended the gallery event to support FAVES, whose work was featured in our first video, X.Y.Z.. The team also networked with various skateboarders and graffiti artists at the event, promoting the company and its interests.

Sundance 2008

2008-10-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Sundance Film Festival was the second team-wide appearance in Park City, Utah. The team met manager/producer, Andre Robert Lee, at the Salt Lake City airport after a long flight from Philadelphia. We drove from Salt Lake to our rented space in the heart of Park City. Our agenda for the festival was to promote the eminent release of, X.Y.Z., to network with other filmmakers, and spend some time developing the snowboard section of the team on the slopes to insure a future for VentilationX in winter sports. VentilationX attended film screenings, panel discussions, and music concerts, in both Park City and Salt Lake during the festival. Outside of the massive parties, the team spent a great deal of time with Andre Lee, meeting with industry professionals. The festival provides a fun environment to work, but play even harder. VentilationX continues to utilize the festival to develop a nation-wide fan base of people directly related to entertainment media who can help promote the movement.

The 50 MC Battle

2008-10-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

The 50 MC Battle in Philadelphia was a several week competition that was hosted by The Arts Garage. Contestants freestyle battle rapped to the final round in search of Philadelphia's best unsigned MC. The judging panel for the final round consisted of Mike Trampe of HipHopDX.com, DJ BedTyme 357 (Remy Ma's Official DJ), and J. Hatch of Inasirkil Music Group. DJ No Phrillz spun records and kept the event going late into the night. VentilationX attended the event to document the battle. We networked with various people from the music industry and got to see performances by East Coast artists like Sic Osyrus and Reef The Lost Cause. After a long night of battling, a winner was chosen and the event came to a close.

Don't Play Boys

2008-10-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

VentilationX directed, produced, shot, and edited the first music video for recording artist, Nemesis. Nemesis contributed songs to VentilationX's first movie, X.Y.Z., which began a business relationship between the two parties. When Nemesis decided to make a music video for one of the tracks he permitted VentilationX to use, he naturally approached the team to put it all together. The song, "Don't Play Boys", wrestles with issues that the rapper faced on the streets of Palm Beach, Florida. The video portrays the internal struggle between staying true to his gangster past while embracing a business dedicated future. The video portrays a diverse group of individuals from different walks of life, ushering in the new generation of hip-hop culture. The video was released under H2E Records, a Philadelphia group which has since broken up. Since the videos release, Nemesis has been working with VentilationX to form a section of the company devoted to music. Once negotiations are finished, Nemesis plans to be the first artist to sign with VentilationX, LLC.

The New Yorker Festival

2008-10-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

The New Yorker hosts an annual festival in Manhattan. This year, David Belle, the creator of parkour, was brought to New York from France to talk about and demonstrate the movement he developed. The author of the article, along with a translator, interviewed him in front of a large gathering before exhibiting his skills alongside fellow traceurs (people who practice the art of parkour). VentilationX attended the event to network with others traceurs, document the occasion, and meet David Belle. After the interview and group demonstration, we approached David Belle and spoke with him briefly through an interpreter. The New Yorker Festival was an extremely worthwhile experience for the team; we got to meet the leader of a movement and a community to which we belong, while promoting our efforts to a new group of people.

Campus Philly

2008-10-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

College Day on the Parkway is an annual event hosted by Campus Philly, an organization devoted to motivating college students to stay in Philadelphia to live and work. The event brings students together with different companies for free access to the cities museums and a public concert. Artists like Talib Kweli, Armor For Sleep, and The Cool Kids have performed at past events. Skateboarders and SuperCross Riders schedule regular demonstrations, setting-up ramps and obstacles for different tricks.The Franklin Paine Skatepark Fund has participated in the event to promote their front running project, Paine's Park. VetilationX was brought in to sell product and raise awareness for the effort by educating Philadelphia natives on the project. We danced, spoke to local students, and distributed product, while documenting the event. Our participation in College Day has brought new energy to the event, and spread awareness toward the Paine's Park Project and VentilationX.

Feel The Love

2008-10-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Franklin Paines Skatepark Fund threw a fundraising event for it's front running project, Paines Park. The 'Feel The Love' event was held in the Phoenix building adjacent to LOVE Park and City Hall in center city Philadelphia. Guests picked up passes inside LOVE Park and then followed the red carpet into the event. The ground floor and penthouse levels were devoted to the fundraiser. Information was distributed, promotional items were given away, and pieces were sold to raise money for the park. Prominent figures from Philadelphia attended the event to show their support and generate more attention for the cause. Paines Park Project would require about 7 million dollars to complete and would need support from the city, state, corporations, and private donors. VentilationX was invited to the event for our participation in the project and being members of the board. We talked about VentilationX and our involvement in Paines Park with other guests, documented the event, and partied on the penthouse deck late into the night. When the open bar shut down and the crowd dissipated, we made our way home.

Airforce NutriSoda

2008-10-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

VentilationX was introduced to Airforce NutriSoda through manager/producer, Andre Robert Lee. NutriSoda was an up-and-coming beverage company designed at making health friendly drinks. They wanted VentilationX to make a promotional video for the company to market their products online. The company flowed us product, we storyboarded our commercial concept, and we began shooting. The video took two days to shoot, one day to edit, and then it was posted on the web. It was an exciting development for the team to be flowed product from a corporation, but the video also attracted negative attention. Certain parkour and freerunning enthusiasts took offense to the commercialization of the activities and had criticism of our decision. The criticism was thoroughly considered; however, VentilationX still supports their decision to make the video.

Sundance 2007

2008-10-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

Members of VentilationX traveled to Park City, Utah, with manager/producer, Andre Robert Lee, to attend the Sundance Film Festival. After flying from Laguardia Airport in New York City to Salt Lake City, we drove to the house we rented for the festival. The teams goal was to promote the upcoming release of our movie, X.Y.Z., and to network with individuals from the entertainment industry. Alex Favin and Andre Lee had attended the festival previously which made the teams introduction smooth. We attended movie screenings, panel discussions, workshops, and parties throughout the festival. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the area, set inside the rocky mountains, and got to discuss VentilationX's expansion into winter sports. The festival was a success for the team and served as a great opportunity to promote our efforts and stimulate a larger fan base.

X.Y.Z.

2008-10-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

X.Y.Z.

'X.Y.Z. exposes the talents of VentilationX as they tour the East Coast. The team visits Philadelphia, New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, and Miami capturing stuntwork across multiple disciplines. X.Y.Z. is an insight into the creativity, style, and determination of VentilationX, a multi-faceted group of individuals striving to make their mark.' Excerpt from 'X.Y.Z.' DVD.

X.Y.Z. began as a VentilationX talent exposition filmed in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Our goal was to simply make a DVD the documented our various talents that we practiced in our neighborhood. We had vision, but we did not realize that we had all the tools necessary to make things happen until we linked up with our manager/producer, Andre Robert Lee. Andre acted as a mentor to us and helped channel our creative energy into a focused mission. Having already established himself in the filmmaking community, Dre was able to guide us through various steps in order to complete goals. Once we saw how far we could take our local talent exposition, we re-invented X.Y.Z. and started from scratch. We picked five of the most prominent East Coast cities and hit the road...

Philadelphia

'VentilationX's birthplace was the foundation of X.Y.Z. Long days and long nights were spent on the streets of brotherly love, filming and promoting for the team.' Excerpt from 'X.Y.Z.' DVD.

Philadelphia acted as a spring board for VentilationX's tour of the East Coast. Not only was the video concieved here, but it was the first location illustrated in the video. It is the most developed section of the project because of its close proximity to the team. Philadelphia was a wonderful place to shoot in. It was familiar enough to provide the team with a comfortable place to begin, but big enough that it had lots of exciting aspects to explore.

New York City

'Heading home for some of the team members, New York City was a hustle of it's own. Staying immersed in the heart of East Coast culture with manager/ producer, Andre Robert Lee, brought VentilationX's filming and networking to a new level.' Excerpt from 'X.Y.Z.' DVD.

New York City and it's five boroughs are the pinnacle of the East Coast. The team was able to make great strides shooting in the big apple with Andre Lee and the teams' native New Yorkers. The group shot with professional videographers and photographers in notable locations around the city and on Manhattan rooftops. New York provided the team with a closer look into the entertainment industry and the future of the company.

Washington D.C.

'VentilationX infiltrated the nations capital and took the city by storm. Pushing the movement to the nation's forefront was accomplished by filming at embassies and monuments, breaking all the rules.' Excerpt from 'X.Y.Z. DVD.'

Washington D.C. was a beautiful city to film in. Locations were abundant, but heavy policing made shooting difficult at times. The team had to step up their game and perform stunts quickly to avoid being hassled by law enforcement officials. Traffic in all of the cities visited was something the team had to take into consideration, but D.C. operates with strange traffic patterns due to government activities. Despite the various obstacles that existed beyond the extreme sports and artforms, the team completed their goals and enjoyed shooting in the nations' capital.

Boston

'VentilationX went North to Beantown where they spent the least amount of time touring, with the fewest teammates present. Nonetheless, the mission was completed and a good time was had by all.' Excerpt from 'X.Y.Z.' DVD.

VentilationX drove to Boston to shoot for several days. The team stayed with Josh Briggs of Dopamine Records in a small town outside of Boston. Even though the entire team was not together, the members who made the journey North were able to hold it together and do a solid job. It was abnormally hot during the visit which presented the team with another hurdle, but they group was able to stick together and do what was necessary for the tour.

Miami

'VentilationX took X.Y.Z. to the South for the final leg of the tour. The team was able to demonstrate it's interest in expansion through cliffjumping, and waverunning on the Gulf Coast.' Excerpt from 'X.Y.Z.' DVD.

VentilationX flew to Florida twice during the filming of X.Y.Z.. The first visit was spent in Fort Lauderdale and Miami capturing the diverse interests of the team, with an emphasis on graffiti and cliffjumping. The second journey was to an island on the Gulf Coast. The team was able to film on waverunners and celebrate the completion of their first tour in a house on the beach.

Mission Statement

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VentilationX is a movement and a way of life embodied in a company. The company consists of a group of filmmakers, photographers, artists, athletes, musicians, entrepreneurs, and more. Our mission is to become a healthy conglomerate, leading a positive revolution within the communities we belong, to develop a global unity among forward thinking people who want to creatively better the world. If you love the place you live, but want to challenge rules and authority to move forward positively, join the movement called VentilationX.