Thrasher Magazine

For ten days last summer we didn’t really have anything to care about. It was the longest days of the year, we were surrounded by friends we’d be with regardless and had more spots than we could ever hit. We got around on hotel bikes and a van that came without a team manager—almost an oxymoron in the skate world but as liberating as a horse without a rider. All we wanted to do anyway was skate and explore Detroit wih Justin Bohl. He’s a kind of a god of skate spots. Wherever he points, there’s one he Bondoed, rub-bricked or ‘creted—and if not, he will fix it if you ask. He radiates good vibes and thrives on the energy of others. Before we arrived he’d challenged himself to fix up 30 spots in 30 days. It was like a whole new skateable city had risen up from between the cracks of the existing one.

In the mornings we all met on the large shady patio of a cafe. Everyone was lazy but it was hot and it didn’t matter. We jumped in the van and skated until dark, rounding up clips for our Flora edit. When there was nothing left of the day we went to bed. That was all there was to it: summer. It was ten days that we’ll never have to remember as anything other than exactly what we wanted. —Mark Suciu

Photos by Justin Ching


Uncovering the crust, Mark and company come through with a beautiful depiction of Detroit

First one to it—Tristen Rowean, back 50 pop back 50 right after he touched down in Detroit

Warming up my legs for a long trip

Gapping out to nosegrind before Jahn showed up and the real rail onslaught began

Drake Johnson showing off his Waller-honed tech side, Front 180 fakie 5-0 revert

Me and Drake

Tristen dusted himself off and made this back tail over the gap

Back Smithing in front of some classic Detroit visuals

Drake, massive front 180 at a spot we saw from the car

Jahn Perez crooks across the median and pops over the curb

Dan in the drink

Dan “The Man” Mancina back tails at our favorite ledge spot

Then one-ups himself with a kickflip back tail

Kickflipping in the sweltering heat of downtown Detroit

Dan, front crook to fakie at a much-appreciated shady spot

Feeble to back tail, I shoulda held on longer but that bear trap had me spooked

Mikey Crack unleashing his signature heelflip back nosegrind on a very awkward hubba

Kris Bachtel’s strategic sign placement gets him high up on this backside wallride

Drake, switch varial heel up in the clouds

If you Bondo five cracks, Drake will land his ollie first try. This is the biggest ollie I’ve ever seen in person

Justin Albert and Drake celebrate with another clip on the card

Tristen front tails to fakie before a gnarly car crash scared us off the session

Jahn, front crook at a spot that was fun for everyone

Joey Guevara feeble grinds off the drop

Back noseblunting beneath the pylons

Jahn, back 180 nosegrind—not an easy trick on a wide circle rail

Kris was at home on this prop-up bump to bench. Smooth Smith

Kris balancing a front 5-0 on loose trucks

Kris releasing his ectoplasm on this front noseblunt

Joey back tails outside of an abandoned school

Joey G, ball is life

Inside the school, Kris wallride nollies on a wooden wave

Jahn in the spotlight

Drake put on a demo over this can, tré flip

Passing the zoot

Drake handles a hardflip

Tristen, proper backside flip form

Jahn, kicking it with a kickflip

Kris, crispy nollie 180

Jahn switch flipping for the crew

Drake goes the distance with a three-bin ollie

And back 180s it for good measure

Jahn up against a big ol’ 13—lipslide

This rail had the roughest landing and Jahn had to pay to play. Frontside 5-0

Front blunt transfer by the author

Mikey, back Smith

Kris kickflips a long bump to gap immediately before navigating a sketchy stairway. The formula for a solid summer trip really isn't that complicated: rent a van, pick a new city and pack in