Words & photos by Matt Ramirez
Day 3 and it's our last full day in Montreal. Today we have a shop signing at Empire Skateshop followed by a demo at Taz skatepark. After the normal morning meet up in front of the hotel and a coffee run we're out. Empire is only about 15 blocks away so we can skate to the shop. We almost lost Leeper when we bombed the hill, but we all made it to the bottom okay. Empire in Montreal is a big shop… two stories. The signing was really mellow. No table and time schedule. Just checking out the shop, shaking hands, and hanging out with the kids.
We found Danny and Bill outside, bright and early.
Groundhog Day.
Skating to Empire Skateshop.
Bicycle built for 30.
We finally found the bus.
Empire Skateshop in Montreal.
After the signing we piled into the bus to head out to Taz. The demo doesn't start until 7:00 so we took a detour to a spot outside of the city. The spot was a good call. There's a little skatepark with a mini, fun box, manual pad, flat bar quarter pipe, and ledges. But, right next to the skatepark is a steep bank in the shade. The little park wasn't too bad, and it's a nice warm up for the bank. Danny, Omar, Riley, Jordan, and Corey all got shots on the bank and we were done. Off to Taz for the demo.
Danny Garcia signing for the kids.
Jordan Hoffart signing for the kids.
Corey Wilson and Riley Hawk signing for the kids.
This little skatepark is a solid warm-up for the real spot 20 feet away.
The line-up to skate the bank.
Jordan getting warmed up.
Omar gets it going with a front 5-0.
Taz skatepark is huge. It's an indoor park that's half private funded and half government funded. There are basketball courts, some weird racing circle, a gigantic indoor street park, 2 mini's and bowl upstairs, and a crazy outdoor street park that uses rocks and pieces of the land in the design. The demo was fun, but the park was so big it was impossible to take any pictures with the crappy point and shoot. After the demo some guys hucked themselves off the mini mega, some guys skated the bowl upstairs, and Leeper searched around outside with the photographer and ended up getting a shot on a vert rock. Out front everyone signed posters for the kids, threw some high-fives, and the day was done. Off the clock and back to the hotel to clean up and get dinner. Midnight Thai before a 9:00 bus call for the drive to Toronto.
Outside Taz Skatepark it just looks like a huge warehouse.
Everyone is still high on the Laker win.
The indoor street section is huge and it took three shots to get it all. Here's the first shot.
Second shot.
Third shot.
Danny Garcia nosegrind drive-by.
Demo's done. Sign posters for the kids and we can eat.
