Last night, my wife Brittany and I flew to LA. After a late night landing and amazing airport pick-up by our friend Lanna with a beer and non-cocktail ready in the car for a pregnant Brittany, we went straight to bed to prepare for an early day of what I guess is work even though I don't have a job right now. Work being high fiving everyone, talking general bid'niss, figuring out my plans, sorting through opportunities, and just watching some skateboarding. When we were'nt skating or watching skating it was couples lurk through LA random spots. I've got a few photos from the weekend on site at Street League and the X Games, plus a cell phone edit from the whole thing.
Street League and X Games Los Angeles
Published 8/5/2013 by Rob Meronek
Photos
Here in LA is a greasy spoon diner with bow tied servers called The Pantry. They have not closed their doors at all since 1942 and have been open 24 hours since. It's a great place for an early morning meal if you're up at the crack of dawn, or up until the crack of dawn if that's your lifestyle.
This guy definitely has a job.
Hash potatoes and scrambled eggs, breakfast of champions with no job.
The LA traffic is insane as usual.
Over at the Street League course, Lutzka is setting up a freshie. Would you want to skate a contest with a new board? I would. New board and new shoes I think is the best thing ever and makes me feel like I can ollie higher.
The course is wired up for the sounds of skateboarding to go over the airwaves.
All the broadcast ladies are entertained by these pros, especially Manny Santiago. Everyone is entertained by Manny!
All the skaters get briefed by the coordinator guy on when to go and not go. It's how it has to be when there's the boob tube involved.
An hour away from where Street League is, the Mega Ramp cannonball launching is going down. I'm hanging out with the judges admiring the vintage scoring system while they mow down snacks.
I learned a lot today.
Filmer Jared aka #asstotrick has to barge into Tony Hawk's announcing time and get a board autographed for his brother.
There are babies in the air.
And there are babies on the ground. That's Sloane, spawn of Ryan Clements, sleeping as sound as she does.
I had a nice chat with Chad Kagy about what to do when moving on from professional BMX. There are tons of options from TM type stuff to being in front of the camera to creative work similar to how many retired pros in skateboarding do.
Elliot Sloan's fans wear flip flops. Hmm.
After the Big Air, we had some super mall rock go down. What a nice first day in Los Angeles full of all kinds of skateboarding and bid'niss chatter.
I've always seen the Hotel Figueroa in LA because of those giant billboards on the outside, but I've never been inside. It's old school like something you'd picture Will Ferrel in Anchorman living in.
The artwork is painted on the walls.
Michael and Lanna, yet another LA local transplanted from Tampa, showed us their local nightlife spot and gave us a neighborhood walk with some skateboard street spot trivia.
The elevators are hand painted here in the hotel, too. With a preggers wife, we call it an early night.
I'm back on site at Street League now. There didn't seem to be too many people hitting this skinny quarters. David was floating nicely leveled out stale fish grabs on them.
Jon Cosentino and Ben Paterson are here for the am portion of Street League called Red Bull Phenom.
Jared Lucas takes a break from #asstotrick to film #puppytotrick. That's Felipe Gustavo's dog.
One time I had a grand idea for a Tumblr blog called People Doing What Statues Do. Brittany had the camera for a while she and the girls hung out while we were working and I got it back with a bunch of people doing what statues do.
Bottega Louie in downtown Los Angeles served up a bangin' brunch. Chicks love brunch and I was with a full table of them.
A small sample of the grub at Bottega Louie.
Lana was in the circle of girls at brunch. I've got the Leica lens adapter on the Fuji X-Pro 1 right now for you image capture fans.
Brittany through the Leica glass.
Rounding out the circle of female bruncher company was Andrea.
Now we're at Supreme in Los Angeles where the guard dog makes sure no one takes any photos.
At a store nearby, Andrea gets some Huf weed socks from a vending machine. Until next time, Los Angeles.
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