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Basic info, when and where were you born and where are you residing now?

April 7^th 1988, born and raised in Vars, Ontario (Ottawa) and currently residing in Whistler B.C.

Why Whistler?

We’ll I’ve been snowboarding longer than I’ve been skateboarding and growing up I had always heard how good it was to live in Whistler. I had never planned on moving up here until my good buddy Karl Windle moved up, told me all about the Creekside Skatepark and how I could still skate all winter. After hearing all the good news I moved up for the season last year and now I can’t picture myself being anywhere else during the winters.

Photo Russell Brown.

How long do you plan to stay in Whistler?

I was planning on coming back every season for the next few years, but now that the Creekside Skatepark might not be here next year I might not be coming back………

When did you start skateboarding?

I started skateboarding in grade 7 just staying after school using all my friends’ boards. Then on my 13^th birthday my family and I were in Victoria, so using all my birthday money I bought some second hand board from a skateshop down there as my first board.

Who do you usually skate with?

Anyone who’s down to skate like ALL the Orleans locals, FOKUS boys, EQ guys, Mitch Barrette, Matt Canadien, and my little brother Nick Gauthier

You recently got hooked up with Annum clothing, what has that been like working with them?

Working with the Annum guys Steve Wilson and Brendan Cavanagh has been sick. I only met them last year and since they’ve put me on their team I’ve become good friends with them. Instead of them just giving me free product like most companies they let me be a part of the company. I’ve been helping with some designs and other business aspects while they’ve been showing me all the tricks of the trade. They’ll be having a bunch of new clothes coming out soon so keep your eyes open for it.

Where have you traveled skating?

This past year was the first year I started taking actual skate trips besides to Montreal.

I was living in Whistler for most of the spring so I skated around there for a bit, and then moved to Port Coquitlam for 2 months. I skated mainly the Poco Park, and didn’t get any filming done the whole time I was in Vancouver. I ended up getting ragged on from all my buddies back home for that. Then moved back to Ottawa and took a trip up to Quebec City, MTL, then me and some buddies took an epic week long road trip down to Austin, Texas.

Favorite skate spot?

The Creekside underground mini bowl.

Got any travel plans for this year?

I want to live in downtown Vancouver for most of the summer, then take a greyhound from Vancouver back to Ottawa, stopping at all the big cities to skate and see some friends, and then a few more trips to the states. Then where ever else I get a chance to go travel and skate.

New Years resolution?

To stop falling on my wrists.

What is up with your wrist, it seems like you have been rocking casts for the last 6+ months?

Yeah about that…….well a few years ago I broke my right hand scaphoid and ended up getting a bone graft from my hip to my wrist along with a cast for 5 months. Then the next year I broke it again, ended up getting another bone graft from my other hip along with a pin and a cast for 4 months. I find out in a few weeks when I’m getting the pin removed. As for my left wrist I found out just over a month ago that I’ve had a small broken bone in there for most of the summer that I didn’t know about. Since I never got it checked out it’s too late to fix it, so now I have a broken bone in that wrist permanently. It sucks sometimes………..

Shout outs?

Thanks to my Mom and Dad for everything they’ve done for me, my brothers, all the older guys I looked up to skating, Garrett Dagenais, Jesse Ringer, J.I.P.S, everyone that’s helped me out, Annum Trading company, and to Lenny for making this happen.

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In the spring of 2004, Whistler/Blackcomb was gracious enough to offer the use of a dedicated space in the then newly constructed Creekside Underground Parking structure. Since that time, much hard work as well as over $10,000 have gone into the creation and maintenance of a small skateboard park. Although the ramp has seen phenomenal use, and has been recognized as one of the best things to happen off-mountain to this town in recent history, the actions of some are ruining it for all. A small group of people have not been treating the space with any respect, leaving garbage all over, vandalism, making unnecessary graffiti markings (we allow proper graffiti art, not “tags”) as well as, disgustingly enough, urinating in the underground area. Now because of these people’s actions, W/B is forced with the very difficult decision of having to possibly close the park due to the never-ending costs of cleaning up after us.

Hopefully it is not too late and are optimistic that if the community steps up this week by committing to reform the way we have been acting, then possibly we will be allowed to keep this park.

At this point we must make one thing clear. Whistler/Blackcomb is the good guy here. They gave us the space, gave us two years to prove we can use it responsibly and now because of the actions of the skateboard community as a whole, they might have to close it down because of the insane amount of money they have been spending to keep it clean and safe.

Next Friday, November 9th, all the people involved in the Creekside Skatepark from the Whistler/Blackcomb side will be meeting to decide whether to continue to support the project or close it down all together. We are hoping that enough of the skateboard community will make their voices heard as to affect their decision.

Quite Simply, our actions this week will decide the future of the Creekside Underground Skatepark. If you want to see it kept alive then it is up to you to get off the couch and spread the word. One thing you can do is to write a letter to the editor of one of the local papers. We are hoping that next Thursday’s paper will be filled with letters of support (you must get your letter in by Tuesday to be included in that weeks paper). Explain why you think the park should be kept alive, how it has changed your experience of living in Whistler. Don’t forget to mention how much of a valuable community resource it is. Below you will find some key contact info

Pique Editor: Editor(at)piquenewsmagazine.com or go to their website and follow the link

Question Editor: general(at)whistlerquestion.com (put Letter to the Editor in the subject     field)

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1920's, 30's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks some of us took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds, KFC, Subway or Red Rooster.

 Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Fruit Tingles and some fire crackers to blow up frogs and lizards with.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and cubby houses and played in creek beds with matchbox cars. 

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, Xboxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape or DVD movies, no surround sound, no mobile  phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no Lawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!

 

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross buns at Easter time.......no really!

 

We were given BB guns and sling shots for our 10th birthdays,

We drank milk laced with Strontium 90 from cows that had eaten grass covered in nuclear fallout from the atomic testing at Maralinga in 1956.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!

 

Footy had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

Our teachers used to belt us with big sticks and leather straps and bully's always ruled the playground at school.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

Our parents got married before they had children and didn't invent stupid names for their kids like "Kiora" and "Blade"..... 

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

  The past 70 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned

HOW TO

DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!

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There’s a few things going on over the next month for anyone who feels inclined to help out skateboarding in Vancouver. China Creek, The Plaza, Vancouver Youth Week… a facefull of fun’s to be had:

Thursday, Feb 15th at 6:15pm China Creek Clean-up: As you may or may not have noticed, the barrier disappeared from China Creek last week. The good news is that it was relocated to The Sweatshop by Fat Chris, Little Buddy, and Co., not to the scrapyard by the city maintenance crew. Thank yous can be directed to long-long-time skate scene support crew, The Jaks. There’s a few other small ramps still around though, and we’re going to be moving them on Thursday. Probably to the ghetto spot. Any help would be highly appreciated. After moving the ramps, go watch The China Creeps rip shi*t up at Pub 340.

Monday, Feb 19th Youth Week Meeting at the Douglas Park Community Centre: The Coalition is going to throw some kind of event for Youth Week (early May) this year and we’re going to do it in conjunction with the D.P.C.C. because our man Jeff Cole is in charge of the skateboard program there. I’m not sure of the exact time (early afternoon… around 1:00… I think) but I’ll update as soon as I know.

Monday, February 26th at 7pm - Park Board Meeting about The Plaza: Things are looking great for the future of The Plaza, and we want to make sure that it stays that way. Show the city administration types that we’re not spoiled kids who take skateparks for granted by coming to this meeting at the Park Board Administration Building (2099 Beach Drive) and telling everyone why The Plaza rules and should stay right where it is. Keep in mind that people who don’t want The Plaza there will be free to talk too. It’s better if there’s more of us.

Thursday, March 1st at City Hall - City Council Meeting about The Plaza: Because The Plaza is on both City and Park Board land, any decisions about its future have to be deliberated on in a whole whack of meetings. Again… not sure on the time, will update asap.

Now go watch Southern Slaughter, the new Bacon Skateboards video.

Oh yeah, and do something nice for your girl/boyfriend tomorrow, not ’cause it’s Valentine’s day but because it’s what you should do. Over and out.

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Hello,

This is to let you know that the final report on the upgrade to China Creek South Park is scheduled for the Park Board meeting on Monday, January 15th, 2007. The meeting starts at 7 pm, and will be held at Park Board Administration Building, 2099 Beach Avenue, in Vancouver.

Here's the link to the staff report:
http://vancouver.ca/parks/board/2007/070115/China%20Creek%20South%20Park%20-%20Concept%20Plan%20for%20Park%20Upgrade%20-%202007%20january.pdf

Here's the link to the meeting agenda:
http://vancouver.ca/parks/board/2007/070115/index.htm

Members of the public are invited to attend and make presentations. If you wish to speak at the meeting, please register with Julie Casanova at 604-257-8451 or email her at julie.casanova@vancouver.ca

Please contact me should you have any questions/comments.

China Creek South Park Website: http://vancouver.ca/parks/info/planning/chinacreeksouth/index.htm

Thank you.

Michel Desrochers
Park Planner
City of Vancouver
Tel: 604-257-8529

 -----Original Message-----
From:   Desrochers, Michel 
Sent:   Wednesday, December 13, 2006 4:59 PM
To:     Desrochers, Michel
Subject:        China Creek South Park - Planning Committee recommendation

Hello,

This is to let you know of the outcome of the Dec. 5th meeting regarding China Creek South Park. This was a meeting of the Park Board's Planning Committee, which is a sub-committee of the full Park Board (there are 7 Park Commissioners on the Park Board). There were 3 Park Commissioners present at the Planning Committee meeting: Korina Houghton, Spencer Herbert and Loretta Woodcock.

Park Board staff did not recommend Option 3 (as had been announced at the community meeting in October). Instead, Park Board staff recommended a phased transition:

- phase 1: implement Option 1 but remove the noisiest elements from the skateboard area (i.e. wooden ramps and metal rails);

- phase 2: remove existing skateboard area once a replacement facility is built at a nearby park OR if the existing skateboard area needs major financial investment.

A total of 20 citizens spoke at the meeting. Thirteen spoke in favour of Option 1. Seven spoke in favour of Option 3.

The Park Board's Planning Committee decided to recommend Option 1 to the full Park Board subject to the following:

- the removal of the noisiest elements (wooden ramps and metal rails) from the skateboard area;

- the construction of a grassy berm south of the two skateboarding bowls to buffer noise;

- the addition of extra garbage bins near the skateboard area;

- the installation of signs near the skateboard area stating appropriate park etiquette;

- the formation of a park committee, consisting of residents, skateboarders and Park Board staff, to monitor, assess and act on operational issues in the park.

What's next?
This project is scheduled to be discussed by the Park Board (all seven Park Commissioners) on January 15, 2007. We expect the Park Board to make a final decision about China Creek South Park at this meeting. Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting and, if they wish, to speak to the Park Commissioners. Park Board staff will write a report which will be available during the week of January 8th. I will send you an email in early January confirming the date of the meeting, how to register to speak and where you can find the report on the internet.

Please contact me should you have any questions/comments.

Website: http://vancouver.ca/parks/info/planning/chinacreeksouth/index.htm

Thank you.

Michel Desrochers
Park Planner
City of Vancouver
Tel: 604-257-8529

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