So much about learning photography is hit or miss- I just hope I get less shit at it before my endlessly patient friends are completely bored of hearing “Can you do that again? I missed it, sorry”. Thursday Night Skates are a bit up in the air at the moment- nobody seems able to co-ordinate far enough in advance that we all move as a Unit, so we end end up in tiny little groups across the GTA, grumbling about how no-one seems to want to skate together any more. Not true!

From a Downtown perspective it is difficult to get to parks outside the city without a car unless Kevin or Dan drive (and now we have enough skaters downtown that we need both to transport everyone out there), and with our little scene blossoming again in the city we’re exploring and finding new things to skate every time we go out. I promise we’ll start to see more of a united front in the coming months; it just requires better planning and co-ordination.

Enough waffle! Last night we ended up skating a great ledge that Dave recently spent the time bricking and waxing conveniently over the road from St George subway station. Its an awesome spot and once we’ve finished bricking everything it’ll be great for some awesome lines.

Jay Smith, one of Toronto’s secret weapons.

Taylor Ritchie spent the last two weeks in Vancouver and San Fransisco and was itching to skate. Fresh from Kevin’s skate workshop and a lot happier with his skates after some Dremel action, hai Taylor.

Aaron Wheat, the original cool snake.

And of course, the kendama kids.

Now, some skating! A grabbed true makio. Fucking steeze.

Jay fishbraining in the first of three pairs of skates he’d try on during the session.

Wheat LOVES his new skates, and well he should; they’re awesome.

Happy with your wax job, Dave?

Some people just know that ungrabbed tricks are incomplete.

Wheat looks so much more comfortable on his new skates already compared to his old busted ass skates.

Continuing his smiley destruction session, TR with a sick (grabbed) front torque.

Dan loves switchups, and he should- he’s bloody good at them.
This true mistrial switched to alleyoop top porn, but I’m rubbish and didn’t sequence it.

“I think I’m gonna go try a true fish” -Taylor Ritchie

Kevin wiping the ledge down with a true savannah in a quick break from Kendama. Pimping ain’t easy.

Wheat is a sexy bitch.

Dan wants… “but in a size 9″.

I hate to finish on a blurry picture, but the rest of it was so good…
sorry Jay, I’ll work the camera out by next time!

All the photos are available in higher resolution on our flickr.

We went street skating the other day, and decided for film some clips. I put together an edit of the best clips. Hope you like it! By the way, you can find all these clips on www.daveghent.com/BladingFootage

June 9th street session from dave ghent on Vimeo.

Jay ‘The Karate Kid’ Smith gets low on a backside unity.

Guy saw Star Trek before the session, and busted out this vulcanized 720. Come back to Earth buddy!

Ok, so I get mixed up with all the unity tricks. So here is Dub with a frontside savannah? Or perhaps an alleyoop unity. You decide.

Frans didn’t show his face today, so Hans had to ‘pump, pump you up’ all by himself. Front royale 540.

“Show a man a fishbrain; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fishbrain; and you have fed him for a lifetime” Jay Smith.

If Blair laced a full speed AO top porn, would you follow?

Maybe its not Karate, but some kind of zen state skating. My fav trick of the day, Jay with an AO fish 360 out.

Ever see a 40 km/h spike? Neither have I.

Second Spot, Garrison Creek. Dan with a styled out top acid.

Taylor is trying to steal this trick from me. Full speed mizou.

Dave will soul grind….your soul.

I don’t think I need to tell the story about the fish again. Blair fishbrain.