"Flora" Dispatch: Detroit Photo Feature
6/29/2023
For ten days last summer we didn’t really have anything to care about. It was the longest days of the year, we were surrounded by friends we’d be with regardless and had more spots than we could ever hit. We got around on hotel bikes and a van that came without a team manager—almost an oxymoron in the skate world but as liberating as a horse without a rider. All we wanted to do anyway was skate and explore Detroit wih Justin Bohl. He’s a kind of a god of skate spots. Wherever he points, there’s one he Bondoed, rub-bricked or ‘creted—and if not, he will fix it if you ask. He radiates good vibes and thrives on the energy of others. Before we arrived he’d challenged himself to fix up 30 spots in 30 days. It was like a whole new skateable city had risen up from between the cracks of the existing one.
In the mornings we all met on the large shady patio of a cafe. Everyone was lazy but it was hot and it didn’t matter. We jumped in the van and skated until dark, rounding up clips for our Flora edit. When there was nothing left of the day we went to bed. That was all there was to it: summer. It was ten days that we’ll never have to remember as anything other than exactly what we wanted. —Mark Suciu
Photos by Justin Ching
Uncovering the crust, Mark and company come through with a beautiful depiction of Detroit
First one to it—Tristen Rowean, back 50 pop back 50 right after he touched down in Detroit
Warming up my legs for a long trip
Gapping out to nosegrind before Jahn showed up and the real rail onslaught began
Drake Johnson showing off his Waller-honed tech side, Front 180 fakie 5-0 revert
Me and Drake
Tristen dusted himself off and made this back tail over the gap
Back Smithing in front of some classic Detroit visuals
Drake, massive front 180 at a spot we saw from the car
Jahn Perez crooks across the median and pops over the curb
Dan in the drink
Dan “The Man” Mancina back tails at our favorite ledge spot
Then one-ups himself with a kickflip back tail
Kickflipping in the sweltering heat of downtown Detroit
Dan, front crook to fakie at a much-appreciated shady spot
Feeble to back tail, I shoulda held on longer but that bear trap had me spooked
Mikey Crack unleashing his signature heelflip back nosegrind on a very awkward hubba
Kris Bachtel’s strategic sign placement gets him high up on this backside wallride
Drake, switch varial heel up in the clouds
If you Bondo five cracks, Drake will land his ollie first try. This is the biggest ollie I’ve ever seen in person
Justin Albert and Drake celebrate with another clip on the card
Tristen front tails to fakie before a gnarly car crash scared us off the session
Jahn, front crook at a spot that was fun for everyone
Joey Guevara feeble grinds off the drop
Back noseblunting beneath the pylons
Jahn, back 180 nosegrind—not an easy trick on a wide circle rail
Kris was at home on this prop-up bump to bench. Smooth Smith
Kris balancing a front 5-0 on loose trucks
Kris releasing his ectoplasm on this front noseblunt
Joey back tails outside of an abandoned school
Joey G, ball is life
Inside the school, Kris wallride nollies on a wooden wave
Jahn in the spotlight
Drake put on a demo over this can, tré flip
Passing the zoot
Drake handles a hardflip
Tristen, proper backside flip form
Jahn, kicking it with a kickflip
Kris, crispy nollie 180
Jahn switch flipping for the crew
Drake goes the distance with a three-bin ollie
And back 180s it for good measure
Jahn up against a big ol’ 13—lipslide
This rail had the roughest landing and Jahn had to pay to play. Frontside 5-0
Front blunt transfer by the author
Mikey, back Smith
Kris kickflips a long bump to gap immediately before navigating a sketchy stairway. The formula for a solid summer trip really isn't that complicated: rent a van, pick a new city and pack in
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