Skateboarder Ryan Decenzo of the Greater Vancouver area in Canada's British Columbia province is one of the stars of "Shoot to Thrill," a unique production organized through the Red Bull energy drink.
Ryan Decenzo is among Shoot to Thrill skateboarders who formed 10 teams, with three skaters each, in 10 Canadian cities. Each Shoot to Thrill team was given a limited 10 rolls of film and 72 hours to record their best productions. Ryan Decenzo's team captured top prize money, and the compiled Shoot to Thrill footage made its debut shortly before Christmas in Vancouver.

Film for Shoot to Thrill was precious for Ryan Decenzo and other participants, because it would go to waste with a botched routine. "Sometimes it was hard to try and land a trick with the pressure of the 16mm film," recalls Decenzo, 23, who is among a rising tide of Canadian skateboarders who are cracking the world scene. "Or it was hard because sometimes tricks take an hour and you have to think like, 'OK, how long is this trick gonna take and when should I ask for these guys to use the 16mm?' There was pressure for sure. I think it only sprinkled for a minute during the mini-ramp session, so we got lucky weather wise."

For Shoot to Thrill, Ryan Decenzo came up with a skateboarding storyline based on a race. "The acting was minimal and funny, plus the story is sort of comical so it doesn't matter if we sucked at acting," Decenzo says in his usual modest and lighthearted way.

Greater Vancouver's winters are mild, compared to most of the rest of Canada, and so Ryan Decenzo says that as a youngster, he was a skateboarder for all seasons. "If I'm somewhere where I have some free space and my board, I'm definitely gonna be rolling around jumping on and off stuff or kick flippin' all over the place," Decenzo says.

See him in Shoot to Thrill, and in an array of other videos on YouTube.

Sources:
http://www.redbullskateboarding.com/articles/ryan-decenzo/2008/12/
http://www.push.ca/blogs/franksk/archive/2008/09/26/on-the-horn-with-ryan-decenzo.aspx
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=ryan+decenzo+skateboarder&ygmasrchbtn=web+search&fr=ush1-mail

Phoenix is a great city to live in or visit if you are a skateboarder. The city is dotted with great skate parks. One of the best is the Paradise Valley Skate Park, located at 17402 N. 40th Street, Phoenix, Arizona. To use this park, you will first need to visit the Paradise Valley Community Center and pickup a recreation card. It will feature your photograph, and you will need it to use the Paradise Valley Skate Park. It takes about a half hour to get your card.

Paradise Valley Skate Park - Features

The Paradise Valley Skate Park has a lot of features that you can explore on your board. It has one of the best collections of bowls in the state. For example, it has snake bowls, spine bowls and kidney bowls. Other features offered by this skate park include banked alleys, flat bars, grinding rails, sloped ramps, radial banks, street plaza, a fun box and pump pumps. As you can see, this is a great park for developing a variety of skateboarding skills.

Paradise Valley Skate Park - Hours of Operation

The hours of operation for this park are going to vary depending on the time of year. Between September and April, the park will be open Monday through Friday from 2:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. From May through August, the park is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. and from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. This park is closed on Sundays and all holidays that the City of Phoenix observes.

Using the Park

To use this park, you will need a recreation card issued by the Paradise Valley Community Center. If you are under 18, you will also need your parents to sign a liability waiver for you. This is a free park, however, bikes aren't allowed. It is primarily a skate park for skaters that have beginner to intermediate skills.

Dressing for the Park

To keep your body safe during your skate time, you need to dress for your activity. Start with clothing that will wick away sweat from your skin and allow your skin to breathe. Select skateboarding shoes that provide your feet with support and will not slide off your board. Finally, remember to wear a helmet and the proper padding to prevent injuries.

Asheville, North Carolina is a great place to go on vacation if you are a skateboarder. This city has great architecture and urban features that make it the perfect destination to bring your skateboard. This city has great skate spots, a couple of cool skateboard shops and a huge 17,000 square foot skatepark waiting for you.

Asheville, North Carolina - Street Skateboarding
If you enjoy street skateboarding then you will love Asheville, North Carolina. While it is technically against the law to skateboard outside the skatepark, the local authorities tend to just give you a warning and discourage you from boarding in the city. However, do not skateboard in downtown Asheville or on private property without permission or you will get a $150 fine. According to the locals a few of the best street skating spots are the AC Reynolds High School, where you can find ledges and handrails, the Beaver Dam, where you will find a great selection of challenging ledges, the HESS Rail, which has a very challenging flat bar rail over a large gap, and the Health Depot, which has three up and three down, flat bar rails, benches and a bump up.

Asheville, North Carolina - Food Lion Skatepark
The main skatepark for Asheville, North Carolina is Food Lion Skatepark, and it is found at the intersection of Cherry Street and Flint Street. This park offers about 17,000 square feet of skating terrain, and has three courses, a beginner's course, a street course and a bowl course. The fee to get in is between $2 and $5 depending on when you use the park and if you are a resident or not. The park is always open from 1 p.m. until dark. The opening times are going to vary depending on the time of year and the day of the week that you use the park.

Asheville, North Carolina - Skateboard Shops
There are at least two great skateboard shops in Asherville. The first is the Park Skateshop, which can be found at 25 Patton Avenue. The second is the Flipside Boardshop, which can be found at 88 N. Lexington Avenue. At these shops you will find everything you need to board in North Carolina including skateboards and boarding clothing.