Thrasher Magazine

After spending two months in Spain, we were due for something completely different: Asia was the answer. Thanks to Bp Trading and Kadence Sk we were able to visit Japan and Korea to see what they had to offer. We arrived as strangers and left as friends. We learned very little of either language, but we learned a lot about each other. Damn, It just got deep. Wish we could have stayed longer and skated more. Until next time! —Ref

We had nine people in a traditional small Japanese Airbnb. All 18 of our shoes filled up the hallway alone, so board maintenance was done out front. By 10am we were skating down to the local 7 & Holdings (the Japanese 7-Eleven) to meet up with Take from Bp Trading and Tk from High Sox

Overcast skies brought rain so we took shelter under this freeway overpass. Joogy, front nose pop over

Plenty of coverage for the media

Despite it not being a big handrail, Chase still threw down a back lip shove it

Foreign-type spots

Foreign-type security

Mandatory photo in front of cherry blossoms

You've arrived at your destination

TK: Legend

Chase handled this tré flip lip moments before the cops arrived

Which isn't a big deal when there's meters of marble just across the street

Michael did this same trick frontside in our last video, so he thought why not do it backside for this one. Mind = blown

Line spots are nap spots for photographers

Jesse and AQTY at the famous Shibuya crossing

It was AQTY's birthday so why not sneak onto the roof of a 20-story building and crack some cold ones

Mark your territory

Shark sighting

The meltdown was real

Ran into some cute Italian girls outside of Tokyo Hands. Numbers were exchanged

Pit stop

Dimas from Popcorn Hardware in Madrid. One of the best humans on Earth. Can always find the acid and Molly

Never did figure out the number. Karma, if you're reading this email: [email protected] #missedconnections

Demo day in Yokohama. Luckily it just stopped raining

The metal pre-fab ramps were cold and wet but that just makes everything a little more interesting. Choose your obstacle wisely ;)

Joogy talks shop with some locals

Backside noseblunt on something dry

And that's time! With so many rippers on the team, it's hard to find time to put down the camera and skate for yourself. Fifteen minutes after we got there I had already knocked out my front tooth

As a skater, I've waited my whole life to knock out my front teeth. I figured it was a right of passage—it's going to happen eventually. Well, I finally got my wish. I hated my big front teeth anyways, so I was hyped. I smoked a cig through the gap and pretended to be Andy Roy. Coincidentally, it was April 1st (April Fool's Day) and before I knew anyone had even posted a picture, my mom was calling me asking if it was some kind of prank. I was in good hands, though. Within 20 minutes, Hiro from 5nuts Skateshop had an icepack, a box of sake and a dentist appointment scheduled. I didn't know what to expect as he drove me to the only dentist he could find open on Saturday. We were buzzed into the clinic and I was pleased with how similar it all looked to my own dentist's office. Hiro told them I only had 100 yen and was flying out to Korea the next day. Bare minimum, I needed my shit sterilized before I ended up in a new country with an infection. They agreed to help and I signed the papers. After about an hour and a half they handed me a mirror and I was quite surprised to see they had given me a replacement tooth. A little crooked and discolored, but I was beyond grateful. I had prepared myself to be slurping noodles through my gap for the next week. They even gave me some change, so I bought some beer to test out the new Bondo job.

Back on the train

Thanks for everything!

Exit strategy

Found some parking space so Joogy and Jesse could go handle some last-minute clips

I think it's a left?

The decisive moment

Time to roll up ye finest Golden Virginia and have a toke for the road

Picked up in Seoul, Korea, thanks to Kadence from Sk Distribution

Pin. Hint, Jake Johnson, switch tré

Story

Jesse Vieira, breakfast bigspin

Your favorite switch hardflipper's favorite switch hardflipper

Yup, siccc

Chase took us across the street to a nice skinny 20-stair he found

The 50-50 was too easy so he had to backside 180 out of it

That's a make

We decided to go check out an amazing marble bank-to-ledge at the Nexen Heroes baseball stadium—only to find out they were hosting Seoul's new presidential debate due to the previous president being impeached for accepting bribes

Barged it anyway

Ol' Head. Not sure who he's rooting for

Out front, Chase was getting to work

He did a couple varieties of this trick until we finally got the boot

Jason on the Kadence Sk story

Right down below us, an empty fishing pond soon to be filled. Contractors weren't feelin' us

We came back and brought the poles. Jesse caught a bigspin powerslide

Chase reeled in a backside flip manual

Catch of the day. Joogy, kickflip backside noseblunt

Spot was so fun they had to send the army to kick us out

Tourist stuff when it rains

But when the sun comes out you know were going to the best ledge spot ever

Downhill marble ledges. No push lines. A filmer's dream

Pay the toll to skate in Seoul

Classic spot, although a little harder to skate than it looked. Chase makes the transfer

Jesse went head over heels on one of these but that didn't stop him. Switch crook pop over

Stretching the legs. I smell lines

Time to sit down for Joogy's pier 7 session—bigspin fakie manual

He didn't like the way he did this one for some reason. Nollie half Cab flip fakie manual

We had a signing at Timber Skateshop and Jesse found this little wallride before we could get the Sharpies out

Last spot on the list, this triple-kink hubba. Jesse, signature crooked grind

Chase, kickflip 50-50 for Shark

Thanks to Bp Trading, Take, Hiro, AQTY, TK @highsox, 5nuts, Instant, Stormy and everyone else we met in Japan. Thanks to Kadence Sk, Ryan, Jason, Yang, Timber shop and everyone in South Korea!