(Click here for a Stay Gold Premiere Photo Gallery)
It’s been seven years since Emerica’s last skate video (This Is Skateboarding) and after viewing Stay Gold last night at John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills all we can say is it was well worth the wait.
After a pretty long set by the band Earthless (featuring Mario Rubacala on drums) and a shorter set by Dead Meadow, a small Stay Gold logo appeared on the screen with a countdown timer running below. The lights dimmed and people hurried to their seats. Those who’d been in their seats for more that two hours began chanting “Stay Gold, Stay Gold, Stay Gold.”
Follow the jump for the rest of the story. . .or click here and skip straight to the photos if you’d rather see it fresh, first.
The audience, made up of industry heads, pro skateboarders, 800 civilians who stayed up till midnight to grab tickets before they sold out two hours later, and those lucky enough to sneak in over the wall packed the outdoor theater. From 10 down to 1 the crowd counted along and then Heath Kirchart appeared on screen for his before-the-titles part that had people screaming in their seats (especially at his mega-ramp antics).
After the titles (a visually stunning update of the This Is Skateboarding opener) Brandon Westgate gave Stay Gold an ass kick into hyperspace with one of the fastest street skating parts in history. Following that was non-stop action from Bryan Herman (with his mile long Hollywood walk of fame nose manual), Marquis Preston, Kevin Long, Collin Provost, Jamie Tancowny, Aaron Suski, Braydon Szafranzi, Justin Figueroa, Jerry Hsu (with one of the most painful slam openers ever), Leo Romero (up rails), and then The Boss Andrew Reynolds shut it down with some of the biggest frontside and backside flips of his career.
Stay Gold is huge and the best way to see it is on the big screen. So get to one of the worldwide premieres or boot up the DVD on your big screen because this much skateboarding will definitely not fit on at little TV.
Next Stay Gold premiere: Vancouver, BC, Canada, Thursday, August 19, 2010 at the Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver, Canada. FREE ALL AGES.
