DVD Review: Fade Nation

Tags: ben schwab, black fabric, brandon negrete, chris haffey, fade nation, fn, lee martin, lonnie gallegos

Do you like this? Share it with your friends and help Be-Mag to spread the word about Rollerblading. Like us on Facebook, add us on Google+ or follow us on Twitter to get the latest updates from the Blading world!

Fade Nation is one of the DVD’s I was really looking forward to since I saw the shots of Haffey doing a BS Torque on that gnarly ledge in their print ad. To see Ben Schwab’s name in the list of the profiled skaters made me want to have it. If you have seen any Lonnie’s and Brandon’s previous DVD’s you will expect to see hot shit as soon as you hear that Fade Nation is a collaboration of these two artists. Unfortunately the opening credits were a bit protracted and made me way to relaxed. Luckily the song Lonnie and Brandon used for the first skating section is way faster. This made it easier for me to fully enjoy seeing Stockwell, Haffey, Sagona and other guys do some sick tricks.

Lonnie Gallegos

Ben Schwab’s section is definitely hot. Although the song is a bit too relaxed for my taste it fits his style. Schwab shows some really technical stuff like Toe Roll to True Fishy. If you think that Schwab is more on the technical side and isn’t able to lay down hammers you are wrong. In his section he lands the sickest AO Soul to Drop since Feinberg’s Mindgame ad! The next section shows some of Dominic Sagona’s tricks. I would have really liked to see more of him. Nobody skates like Dominic. He combines sick tricks and style in a way nobody else does. Did you think that it is possible to Fakie 360 Safety Grab Monkey-Plant with style? I didn’t and Dominic shows that I was wrong!

Brandon Negrete filming for Chris Haffey's section

Thanks to Lonnie and Brendon I have now seen the first clips of JC Rowe on Xsjados and they turned out the way I like them. The rest of this section also shows great skating as well as Jason Howard’s attempt to start a new pants-discussion. If you want to know what I mean you will have to buy the DVD.

Chris Haffey - 540

Lee Martin surprised me with a dope section. Most of his tricks are really hard and executed with perfection. Still there is this thing that hinders me to say his section is perfect. It is something about his style but I can’t pinpoint what it is exactly. So I just want to congratulate him on his powerful section. The following few minutes of the DVD’s show Stockwell, Broskow, something that looks like a Marcus Benavides mini section and loads of other guys.

Lonnie Gallegos, JC Rowe and Ben Schwab chilling in front of the Westminster house after a filming day.

Haffey’s section begins with Alex Broskow talking and Haffey nailing a huge 540. His section definitely is the highlight of this DVD. The only thing I disliked about Haffey’s section was the song. I think that if Lonnie and Brendon had chosen a more powerful song it could have been even greater! Haffey skates like a robot and once again left me questioning myself whether he is human or not. It is simply unbelievable to watch him skate. Those of you who have seen his interview in Be-mag were lucky enough to see a little preview of his section. Most of the tricks which were printed in Be-mag can bee seen on this DVD.

Review by Lui Summer

All photos by Grand