Chris is in the new Transworld Business twice. Once for the Shop Spy (this is where someone calls from Transworld acting like a customer and quizing the person working) and next for a little interview about buying strategies. Chris received a thumbs up along with a few other core shop owners. The bigtime mall chain stores received thumbs down. This is why you buy your stuff from skateboarders!

Check out our very own Trace Blam on I am Chaundon's website by clicking HERE.

Chris' family lives in Florida and he went down there to visit them for the holidays. Before he left, he received an email from Skatepark of Tampa's GM Ryan Clements mentioning about their party. With an invite, Chris took his mom and his aunt to the party to have some fun. Here are some pictures taken from good friend and Traffic Skateboard's own Pat Steiner along with Skatepark of Tampa's photographer, Stalker Steve. Visit their websites when you get a minute and check out Pat's part from Static 3. It's amazing!

Pat's blog: http://youcantlitterwithabanana.blogspot.com/

Stalker Steve's: http://www.sayersphoto.blogspot.com/


Chris used to work at SPoT and these are his friends who he met along the way. From left to right is Traffic Skateboard's Pat Steiner and Baker Skateboard's Jeff Lenoce.


Chris' mom getting hugs


Chris' mom feeling the social sauce in her hand


All the gifts were handed out in ghetto wrapping paper (newspaper). This was one of the gifts.

So the other day I (Ryan Boblits) was checking and updating the Shop Facebook and I got the following message from one of our supporters and customers. This is why we do it!

"Over the years skateboarding has evolved and changed just like any other sport but corporate greed has found its way into the game. Kids are being sold on the idea that you need to buy from stores like Zumiez, Pac Sun, and any other machine who could give 2 shits about skateboarding... but you don't need to! These companies only sell skateboard products cause they know they can make a profit, its a shame nowadays that people only care about making money off something that people all around the world love. I love skateboarding with all my heart and want to see it grow along the years! But at what cost? The more you buy from big retail the more your local shops go out of business so please join me and the Produktion skate team in helping keep local shops alive. Everybody over the weekend go to your local shop and give the finger to the retail stores that want to ruin the sport we love so much!

Vu Skateboard Shop has done something that most skate shops can't do and thats have a personal relationship with every one that comes into the shop and I thank you guys I want to do whatever it takes to help you guys out and become a part of the Vu family if u ever need any help let me know.

Your pal,
Ian Staines"

Well Ian we really appreciate you and the business you bring to us "The little guys''. We need all the help we can get against the corporate greed known as "The Big Guys". Here is also a little known fact about a certain mall store, at the end of the year they fly all the sales people that had over $100,000 in sales to a huge party on a ski resort. Last year the White Marsh location had over 5 employees at this event, I am not a math genius but that means this particular location alone made at least $500,000! And to make matters worse there are 3 other locations in our area alone. How are we supposed to compete with that?

Back on topic here though, you might not know this but you are already apart of the Vu Family, and so is every other customer that has step foot into the shop. Here at the shop we feel grateful that you choose to spend your hard earned dollars with us versus the the corporate stores. And anyone else that wants to support us here at the shop all we can ask for is stay away from the mall's when shopping for skateboard gear and go see people that know skateboarding inside and out. I mean a real skateshop shouldn't sell Hacky Sacks and Rubiks cubes right?

SHOP AT A REAL SKATEBOARD SHOP! Not one where you get this: "can you comeback in like 10 minutes when the dude that knows how to put that black stuff on the top of the board comes back from lunch".- Ryan Boblits

We are heading to the Focus Show in January and want to invite you as well. The show is being hosted by our good friends at Focus Skate Mag. It takes place January 4th & 5th and is getting covered by Fuel TV. There will also be a mini ramp contest along with the Brian Tucci High Ollie Challenge. For complete details, check out www.phillyskateshow.com. See ya there!!!

Our good friend over at Redbull, Andrew sent this over to us. Maryland's Travis Pastrana is doing the New Year, No Limits. Read the link below for more details.

Even though this is not skateboard related, Redbull and Andrew support our shop. Also, this is just stupid so be sure to check it out New Year's Eve night at 11PM.

www.redbullnewyearnolimits.com

http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Video/Pastranas-First-Practice-for-New-Years-Jump-021242804771186?p=1242797773354

Tampa Am 2009

Tampa Am, wow, If you are skating in the contest this can be one of the most stressful and overwhelming weekends of your life. But I want to point out the right way to come to Tampa am, because if you look at it with the right attitude it will be awesome. Everyone at the contest is the same we are all simply people who love skateboarding, so once you get your skating out of the way good or bad, if you have the right attitude you can sit back and enjoy the mind blowing shredding, and the good company of skaters from all over the world. This was my fourth year being here, and I have never done as good as I would like but I have some really awesome memories from the years, and I have made friends from all over the world, so over all tampa am has been great and done only good for my skateboarding.

This year was no different, I got to hang out with some of my good friends from Missouri, Shawn Hale, and Alex Vestal. I met and hung out with Kris Markovich for the first time. Kris Markovich is a skateboarding legend and he is also a sick artist, make sure to check out some of his work! However, the best part was that I got to chill and skate with a few of my Maryland homies that I haven’t seen in months. Dan Corrigan, Brandon Wingate, Sean Powderly, Tony Massey, and Corey Huber. Everyone killed it, Brandon Wingate did a kickflip Fs blunt down one of the handrails. Sean Powderly did a switch back lip down the handrail. Tony did a b/s 270 lipslide down the handrail. Dan Corrigan killed it, and qualified in the best trick with smith bigspins, and smith 360’s. He was doing them like they are easy tricks. And if you don’t know yet or haven’t heard yet Shawn Hale from Vu skateshop Got 8th place over all! Shawn destroyed the whole park, skating it like it was a mini ramp. If you want to see his skating check any of the videos from the finals I am sure you will see footage from him all over. There were so many tricks that went down I wish I could tell you all of them. But I just don’t have enough time or paper to write them all. I think the coolest thing about my run was that I did a front shuv wallride, and they called me out for doing Gary Smith tricks! Hahaha, I am honored!

But anyway, Like I said this is my fourth Tampa am and the rate skateboarding is progressing is so incredible. Watching the finals was so gnarly it was like watching a video game. I am not kidding, these guys didn’t even mess up most of them had flawless runs filled with hammers and some trick names that I don’t even know!

Over all my trip was rad, it was with friends and skating, two of the best things in life. I have been blessed to get to be a part of such a cool skateboarding event 4 years in a row and hope to see you guys there next year!

Here are some pictures of the event check them out!- TOM GEILFUSS

We are heading out to visit the Berrics in January. We are super hyped on this. Head over to www.theberrics.com and/or http://berricsunified.com/MD/vu/

Check out Dan rocking the bright orange Vu tee while nose manual nollie down the stairs around the 28 sec mark.

Vu's Shawn Hale placed 8th out of 200+ at this years Tampa Am contest.

Dan Corrigan received a SPoT x Dakine backback along with an honorable mention for his lipslide 360 out during the best trick.

Thanks to Shawn Hale, Dan Corrigan, Tom Geilfuss, and Brandon Wingate for holding it down there for us!

Look for video footage, photos, and a story by Tom Geilfuss later this week.

In Friday's Tampa Am after going against more than a 100 people. For more info go to http://www.skateparkoftampa.com/spot/skresult.aspx?ID=509 and don't forget to watch it on Sunday on www.fuel.tv! Keep killing it Shawn!

Just opened up an email from the GM at Skatepark of Tampa that read "Shawn (insert bad word here) killed it yesterday. He's awesome!"

Thanks a lot Ryan and I'll see ya in a few days for the Skatepark of Tampa Ghetto XMAS Party!

Dan Corrigan has some footage from practice at Tampa Am 2009. It's around the 1 minute 15 sec mark with a smith 360 out.

http://www.tackyworld.com/skateboard/video/?id=136309


The link can be found on www.skateparkoftampa.com and www.theskateboardmag.com also

Our good friend Stefan just recently did a new mural on a wall in the ramp area. Stop by to see what he did and check out this video he a while back. If interested in getting work from him, just shoot us an email.

Transworld Business interviewed our friends over at Focus Skate Magazine and co-owner of Vu, Chris Donmoyer for the tradeshow they're hosting in Philly.

http://business.transworld.net/features/catching-up-with-justin-heister-and-mike-mazur-on-the-focus-show/

www.phillyskateshow.com

Tom sent this photo over to us saying he got the cover of this little skatebook that is being made. He's on the left doing a wallride.

Shawn is already getting shout outs just for showing up and checking in for Skatepark of Tampa's 16th Tampa Am. Some chick has a crush on him from Tampa. Good luck hotpants.

http://www.skateparkoftampa.com/spot/default.aspx

The rain moved the contest indoors to the mini ramp and there was a best trick on Halloween. Here's a little video that Sevenfold put together just in enough time for Christmas. Enjoy!

Team riders Dan Corrigan, Tom Geilfuss, Shawn Hale, and Brandon Wingate are heading down to Skatepark of Tampa for this years Tampa Am contest. There will be a live feed through our friends at Fuel TV. Head over and support our friends at www.skateparkoftampa.com for more information.