May 01st, 2007 - by
Stuff
Freestyle Rolling - An Interview with the Brown Brothers
Tags:
b unique, billy oneill, brown brothers, buergin, chris brown, courtney brown, freestyle rolling, lord brian
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What's up fellow rollas and rollettes. If you have logged onto the infamous Be-mag messageboard these past 2 weeks I am pretty sure that you have noticed the influx of posts/arguments regarding |B| UNIQUE and the term FREESTYLE ROLLING.
What's up fellow rollas and rollettes. If you have logged onto the infamous Be-mag messageboard these past 2 weeks I am pretty sure that you have noticed the influx of posts/arguments regarding |B| UNIQUE and the term "FREESTYLE ROLLING". I have read EVERY post and I read EVERY response whether it was supportive or hateful. One thing I noticed is that there seems to be a big confusion about what exactly the term means as well as who really owns |B| UNIQUE. So, yesterday after a day of freestyle rolling at NYC's RIVERSIDE skatepark I decided to visit the BROWN BROTHERS' in their home in order to sort things out. Enjoy the read and don't forget to check out the commercial below. Peace and keep rolling alive.
Exclusive Interview With |B| Unique&Co ®’s BROWN BROTHERS'
Lord Brian: The question that seems to be on everybody’s mind these days is what is going on with Checkmate: Mixtape 3?Court: CHECKMATE will be one of the best DVD’s in your movie collection period. The team was extremely dedicated to bringing the best skating, mixed with alot of excellent filming by the Kelso’s, and packaged by Chris’ editing style. Best video period. It will finally will be out in June, no joke this time.
How does this film differ from the last Mixtape?Chris: I wanted to make a film that was a little different in style than the rest. In a lot of skate videos now I saw a lot of people were heavily influenced by our style so I wanted to switch it up a bit to keep it fresh and a great representation of what freestyle rolling is to those who are yet unfamiliar.
For people who don’t know, what exactly is freestyle rolling?Courtney: Freestyle rolling is simply a modern day progression of our sport. With society labeling rollerblading with many negatives for the last 6 years and on top of that not giving us a true accurate description of what we do, a better description is needed. Freestyle Rolling has always been here. Freestyle rolling is a type of rollerblading.
What is a rollerblader?Courtney: People don’t realize the natural perception of a rollerblader is a fitness or recreational skater making up more than 70 percent of the market share of inline skating according to the SGMA [Sporting Good Manufacturing Association]. An image that we have been tangled up with for years. We are 10% of the market share! Fact
Chris: Freestyle Rolling is just a type of division of skating. With many forms of skating out there (recreational, fitness, roller hockey, even confused with skateboarding at times) freestyle rolling gives us our own identity.
Court: It’s important in keeping the legacy of our culture we have created moving forward. Freestyle rolling captivates, the originality, style, and creativity of our culture. Arlo said it best "If something is incredible, its incredible". This is something fresh, new, and exciting.
Where do you feel skating is going?Courtney: People always ask me where is skating going, and I tell them, it’s exactly where we are going. The previous leaders have left it to us to push skating the right way. It’s us, no one else. If we want to be a society that doesn’t help the push of our sport then we are like crabs in a bucket, just trying to bring everyone down and we’ll never get out the bucket.
Chris: I’m glad people are pushing freestyle rolling every day. When you bring your skates to school, or when you show someone a skate video, or when your improving your level at a skate spot and getting better. We live this.
What are some of the other ways that you are pushing freestyle rolling?Courtney: Well I’m happy that we help push freestyle rolling by contributing sections in every ECKO DVD that is distributed to over 400 Macy’s across the country! It’s great when Colin Kelso would call me up about to buy L-R-G jeans and then being surprised seeing himself on a t.v. screen in a clothing store in a mall.
Chris: We are all skaters, it’s just when someone wants to know in particular what kind of skating it is, it’s freestyle rolling. It’s the exact same thing on what we’ve been doing for years. But certain words or songs, or styles that existed in the 80’s aren’t the same things anymore. Its changed, shifted with the times but is the exact same thing. It’s going to be extremely difficult to break the mold of calling ourselves just rollerbladers because we have been so conditioned to label ourselves that for years, but we are more than just rollerbladers.
Courtney: What we do is sooooo much more than just inline skating. My grandmother can inline skate. Freestyle rolling is something that we can do that others cannot. When they say “Oh rollerblading is easy”, I simply agree with them and say yeah but try what we do and you’ll bust your ass. ( laughing ).
Is it wrong to be called a rollerblader then?Court: No, not at all. To say rollerblading is what we do, is great, because yes a part of what we do is exactly that but it doesn’t stop there. To say that the delivery guy who is rollerblading to deliver food and what Brian Aragon is doing is the same thing, is insulting to our talent.
Any last thing that you would like people to know?Chris: I think it’s important to carry on the same legacy and commitment that you saw in pros in movies like the Hoax’s, Fast Shoes, FR, the F.O.R.’s, Amateur, Coup De Tat and others for example, and continue it today.
Court: And by the way, Jim Jones, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Marilyn Manson, Ozzy Ozborne, or any other music artists you want to throw in the mix DO NOT own b.unique. [ laughing ] 100% skating all day.
Check out the new video commercial featuring Billy O'Neill.
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Comments
August 18th, 2007 @ 14:29 - by flannajal
completly off subject but is that at the bank on clove road??
June 08th, 2007 @ 21:55 - by indecision
Really well edited clip, though slightly overdramatic for such a small spot. And after reading the term freestyle rolling a couple hundred times, I've come to the conclusion this isn't going to work as an all-compassing(?) term. It's too long and still requires the explanation you'd give someone if you told them you "skate" or "roll." But hey, to each his own.
May 20th, 2007 @ 12:39 - by Franchid
I like what the B brothers said about what we do being more than just rollerblading, cuz its so right! but i dont think putting so much emphasis on a specific term is really that important to making outsiders understand rolling, its not like people are going to hear the term Freestyle rolling and say "oh shit! i get it now that so cool!" it deffinately makes sense to show people that were not just a bunch of kids strappin wheels to our feet and rollin around, but the word just isnt that important
May 09th, 2007 @ 07:47 - by fratguyguyguy
I like the way our sport is shown in *HEAT* team video. So much fun with friends, so chilled!!! That's how it should be!
Anyway I cant hate on Bunique. If it helps to bring more people in our sport -> even more fun.. then its all good.
I just think theres been too much fuss over some terms. Be cool and do what you like, respect others. Thats how ppl will consider us, by our acts, not the names of it. Its the way they see it. Right?
May 08th, 2007 @ 12:36 - by babyforsale
This shit right here cracked me up like a mutha , hahahaha!!
On May 03 at 14:41, laughinginternational said...
Aggressive Jetskiing is not a motherfucking joke. Ive been aggressive jetskiing for 15 years now and am dedicated to the art, soul and spirit of Aggressive Freestyle X-Jet Skiing. There is a lot of hate towards our sport, but aggressive freestyle x-jetskiing will never die because we truely believe in what we do. When somethings Xtreme, its Xtreme. Period. A lot of bungee jumpers try to hate on us by saying that our Xtreme sport is less Xtreme because we wear less neon and have less taco bell sponsorships. They can take their double decker taco and mountain dew combo and shove it up their ass. Aggressive Freestyle X-Jetskiing is fucking on some next level type shit. We are breaking the boundaries of man kind on some Christopher Columbus type shit. All you bitch made spanish explorers are just perpetrators on the conquistador game. All you shit talking indians can shut the fuck up. We discovered America and we’ll take whatever gold and fucking expensive feathers and trinkets we want and then burn your village like what son. Aint no thing to that boy. We bout it bout it. Aggressive Freestyle X-Jetskiing for life on all you hoes.
www.myspace.com/aggressivelaughing
May 06th, 2007 @ 15:30 - by ausremz_rolla
that shit was way over the top, sick trick but by the way he was acting beforehand you would think he was about to do something way bigger
May 06th, 2007 @ 04:11 - by Be-Mag
It can be very difficult to describe what we do, to anyone outside our own circle. I'm glad these gentlemen are attempting to bring some new ideas to the table. The commercial may be dramatic, but it's well made. We've all seen much more dramatic visual illustrations of major sports stars hitting golf balls, or even sweating. I would think that these commercials are more about the visual presence of the athlete, or situation, than how hard it is to hit a tennis ball. Considering the amount of skating talent they have featured in B unique's videos, I'm sure anything they make will be outstanding. Some still do enjoy a well made, professional, piece of video work, over some of these latter, summer of 69, rollerblading concoctions. Good editing, or good skating..lets not lack both.
May 06th, 2007 @ 04:08 - by Be-Mag
May 04th, 2007 @ 00:26 - by Jcup
Thanks T-Boy for yet another senseless slur of Schizophrenia. As far as freestyle rolling goes I'm cool with it, but the edit was kind of funny. It was definitely a little over dramatized for just a soyale IMO.
May 03rd, 2007 @ 14:41 - by Username565
Aggressive Jetskiing is not a motherfucking joke. Ive been aggressive jetskiing for 15 years now and am dedicated to the art, soul and spirit of Aggressive Freestyle X-Jet Skiing. There is a lot of hate towards our sport, but aggressive freestyle x-jetskiing will never die because we truely believe in what we do. When somethings Xtreme, its Xtreme. Period. A lot of bungee jumpers try to hate on us by saying that our Xtreme sport is less Xtreme because we wear less neon and have less taco bell sponsorships. They can take their double decker taco and mountain dew combo and shove it up their ass. Aggressive Freestyle X-Jetskiing is fucking on some next level type shit. We are breaking the boundaries of man kind on some Christopher Columbus type shit. All you bitch made spanish explorers are just perpetrators on the conquistador game. All you shit talking indians can shut the fuck up. We discovered America and we'll take whatever gold and fucking expensive feathers and trinkets we want and then burn your village like what son. Aint no thing to that boy. We bout it bout it. Aggressive Freestyle X-Jetskiing for life on all you hoes.
www.myspace.com/aggressivelaughing
May 03rd, 2007 @ 08:02 - by Chun dong-min
Look man, no disrespect to Fish, cuz Fish is sick, but Latimer could have done that trick switch 10 years ago.
Why not show where Rolling is @ today. Outsiders are not impressed by that, if thats what B is trying to achieve. Outsiders are impressed by say Alex Browscows section in Leading the Blind. Way too much drama for a rail a million no name skaters
out there could do way harder tricks on. Rollerblading is about diversity and freedom and no one company can define that. B unique heads keep doing your thing, but recognize that what we call the "sport", "art", whatever, doesnt mean a God Dam thing to people who dont ROLLERBLADE!
May 03rd, 2007 @ 02:39 - by moises.dl
I have to say I think its cool what Bunique is trying to do with the industry, but I do have one little issue. Do they have to make a two foot rail that intense? I mean damn. Fish is getting a proskate, they could have gotten him laying down a nice hammer or something. The trick was perfect and Fish steezed it out nice, but I don't think there has ever been that much drama over a little rail like that.
My only concern with the way this type of ad is that it doesn't show the fun that rollers have. I own both of the Bunique mixtapes and think they are some of the hottest videos dropped in recent years. However, I think there has been a recent trend in videos such as The Meantime and other more rock driven videos that gives off a different vibe. When I watch those videos though the people in them may not be doing the gnarliest stunts you have ever seen it is clear they are enjoying rollerblading. This is not to say that you don't see this in the Bunique videos as well, but it is usually in the bonus footage. I just think that its not totally necessary for there to be extended introductions with Tony Mantana, regardless of how badass he is, in skate videos. I think there is a certain point where it can go overboard. But, this is just my opinion.
I want Bunique to know that I support them and I am definitely looking forward to their newest video. Sorry if I brought some negativity, I just think its important to examine our sport and the way we represent ourselves.
May 03rd, 2007 @ 02:25 - by Loki976
i don´t think we need another name skateboarders can make fun off.
i skate, i´m a skater, that´s it. that´s what i started and what i do for over 10 years now.
May 02nd, 2007 @ 21:50 - by barbra streisand
nicely done, but way too melodramatic and literal. could be simplified and just as effective.
May 02nd, 2007 @ 13:28 - by zoostuff
lol why's everyone so quick to hate on B-Unique when they use the term Freestyle Rolling??? big deal i didnt see anyone complaining when they dropped Freestyle Rolling as a dvd cuz ya all kno its one of favorites ;-) cant wait for checkmate dropp that alreadyyy
May 02nd, 2007 @ 12:08 - by murdaskater02279
"By the end, everybody had a label -- pig, liberal, radical, revolutionary ... If you had everything but a gun, you were a radical but not a revolutionary."
May 02nd, 2007 @ 11:32 - by emmett pope
nay sayers can nay say but lBl unique is actually doing something to spark change in the way rolling is perceived by the mainstream.Their making it look as cool and hip to the masses as we all know it is.If you dont embrace the concept its cool whatever works for you but dont hate on something thats working for rolling.
Whats up with that Know Difference DVD? I'd like to see it
May 02nd, 2007 @ 02:31 - by Village Idiot
any oh yeah, I'd prefer to be considered gay because I rollerblade, than fucking retarded because I "freestyle roll".
May 02nd, 2007 @ 02:29 - by Village Idiot
higgsboson has hit the nail on the head.
May 01st, 2007 @ 20:48 - by ugarolla
"This is more than rollerblading"
-
-
yeah.........that was something alright...........
completly off subject but is that at the bank on clove road??
Really well edited clip, though slightly overdramatic for such a small spot. And after reading the term freestyle rolling a couple hundred times, I've come to the conclusion this isn't going to work as an all-compassing(?) term. It's too long and still requires the explanation you'd give someone if you told them you "skate" or "roll." But hey, to each his own.
I like what the B brothers said about what we do being more than just rollerblading, cuz its so right! but i dont think putting so much emphasis on a specific term is really that important to making outsiders understand rolling, its not like people are going to hear the term Freestyle rolling and say "oh shit! i get it now that so cool!" it deffinately makes sense to show people that were not just a bunch of kids strappin wheels to our feet and rollin around, but the word just isnt that important
I like the way our sport is shown in *HEAT* team video. So much fun with friends, so chilled!!! That's how it should be!
Anyway I cant hate on Bunique. If it helps to bring more people in our sport -> even more fun.. then its all good.
I just think theres been too much fuss over some terms. Be cool and do what you like, respect others. Thats how ppl will consider us, by our acts, not the names of it. Its the way they see it. Right?
This shit right here cracked me up like a mutha , hahahaha!!
On May 03 at 14:41, laughinginternational said...
Aggressive Jetskiing is not a motherfucking joke. Ive been aggressive jetskiing for 15 years now and am dedicated to the art, soul and spirit of Aggressive Freestyle X-Jet Skiing. There is a lot of hate towards our sport, but aggressive freestyle x-jetskiing will never die because we truely believe in what we do. When somethings Xtreme, its Xtreme. Period. A lot of bungee jumpers try to hate on us by saying that our Xtreme sport is less Xtreme because we wear less neon and have less taco bell sponsorships. They can take their double decker taco and mountain dew combo and shove it up their ass. Aggressive Freestyle X-Jetskiing is fucking on some next level type shit. We are breaking the boundaries of man kind on some Christopher Columbus type shit. All you bitch made spanish explorers are just perpetrators on the conquistador game. All you shit talking indians can shut the fuck up. We discovered America and we’ll take whatever gold and fucking expensive feathers and trinkets we want and then burn your village like what son. Aint no thing to that boy. We bout it bout it. Aggressive Freestyle X-Jetskiing for life on all you hoes.
www.myspace.com/aggressivelaughing
that shit was way over the top, sick trick but by the way he was acting beforehand you would think he was about to do something way bigger
It can be very difficult to describe what we do, to anyone outside our own circle. I'm glad these gentlemen are attempting to bring some new ideas to the table. The commercial may be dramatic, but it's well made. We've all seen much more dramatic visual illustrations of major sports stars hitting golf balls, or even sweating. I would think that these commercials are more about the visual presence of the athlete, or situation, than how hard it is to hit a tennis ball. Considering the amount of skating talent they have featured in B unique's videos, I'm sure anything they make will be outstanding. Some still do enjoy a well made, professional, piece of video work, over some of these latter, summer of 69, rollerblading concoctions. Good editing, or good skating..lets not lack both.
Thanks T-Boy for yet another senseless slur of Schizophrenia. As far as freestyle rolling goes I'm cool with it, but the edit was kind of funny. It was definitely a little over dramatized for just a soyale IMO.
Aggressive Jetskiing is not a motherfucking joke. Ive been aggressive jetskiing for 15 years now and am dedicated to the art, soul and spirit of Aggressive Freestyle X-Jet Skiing. There is a lot of hate towards our sport, but aggressive freestyle x-jetskiing will never die because we truely believe in what we do. When somethings Xtreme, its Xtreme. Period. A lot of bungee jumpers try to hate on us by saying that our Xtreme sport is less Xtreme because we wear less neon and have less taco bell sponsorships. They can take their double decker taco and mountain dew combo and shove it up their ass. Aggressive Freestyle X-Jetskiing is fucking on some next level type shit. We are breaking the boundaries of man kind on some Christopher Columbus type shit. All you bitch made spanish explorers are just perpetrators on the conquistador game. All you shit talking indians can shut the fuck up. We discovered America and we'll take whatever gold and fucking expensive feathers and trinkets we want and then burn your village like what son. Aint no thing to that boy. We bout it bout it. Aggressive Freestyle X-Jetskiing for life on all you hoes.
www.myspace.com/aggressivelaughing
Look man, no disrespect to Fish, cuz Fish is sick, but Latimer could have done that trick switch 10 years ago.
Why not show where Rolling is @ today. Outsiders are not impressed by that, if thats what B is trying to achieve. Outsiders are impressed by say Alex Browscows section in Leading the Blind. Way too much drama for a rail a million no name skaters
out there could do way harder tricks on. Rollerblading is about diversity and freedom and no one company can define that. B unique heads keep doing your thing, but recognize that what we call the "sport", "art", whatever, doesnt mean a God Dam thing to people who dont ROLLERBLADE!
I have to say I think its cool what Bunique is trying to do with the industry, but I do have one little issue. Do they have to make a two foot rail that intense? I mean damn. Fish is getting a proskate, they could have gotten him laying down a nice hammer or something. The trick was perfect and Fish steezed it out nice, but I don't think there has ever been that much drama over a little rail like that.
My only concern with the way this type of ad is that it doesn't show the fun that rollers have. I own both of the Bunique mixtapes and think they are some of the hottest videos dropped in recent years. However, I think there has been a recent trend in videos such as The Meantime and other more rock driven videos that gives off a different vibe. When I watch those videos though the people in them may not be doing the gnarliest stunts you have ever seen it is clear they are enjoying rollerblading. This is not to say that you don't see this in the Bunique videos as well, but it is usually in the bonus footage. I just think that its not totally necessary for there to be extended introductions with Tony Mantana, regardless of how badass he is, in skate videos. I think there is a certain point where it can go overboard. But, this is just my opinion.
I want Bunique to know that I support them and I am definitely looking forward to their newest video. Sorry if I brought some negativity, I just think its important to examine our sport and the way we represent ourselves.
i don´t think we need another name skateboarders can make fun off.
i skate, i´m a skater, that´s it. that´s what i started and what i do for over 10 years now.
nicely done, but way too melodramatic and literal. could be simplified and just as effective.
lol why's everyone so quick to hate on B-Unique when they use the term Freestyle Rolling??? big deal i didnt see anyone complaining when they dropped Freestyle Rolling as a dvd cuz ya all kno its one of favorites ;-) cant wait for checkmate dropp that alreadyyy
"By the end, everybody had a label -- pig, liberal, radical, revolutionary ... If you had everything but a gun, you were a radical but not a revolutionary."
nay sayers can nay say but lBl unique is actually doing something to spark change in the way rolling is perceived by the mainstream.Their making it look as cool and hip to the masses as we all know it is.If you dont embrace the concept its cool whatever works for you but dont hate on something thats working for rolling.
Whats up with that Know Difference DVD? I'd like to see it
any oh yeah, I'd prefer to be considered gay because I rollerblade, than fucking retarded because I "freestyle roll".
higgsboson has hit the nail on the head.
"This is more than rollerblading"
-
-
yeah.........that was something alright...........