Bustin out on the Streets of New York by Christian Hunter
Bustin out on the Streets of New York
 by Christian Hunter
 Friday, February 5th, 2010
 New York, NY
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I'm not a surfer, but I do surf. I'm not a skater, but I do skate. Growing up in California, you notice that people outside of The Golden State always assume any white male from So.Cal must be one of those "skater/surfer guys". A stereotype that I guess does come from somewhere.

 

Personally, I have been attempting to experience more of the world, in doing so, I moved to New York. Now living in Brooklyn and recently being ousted from a certain well known bowling/music venue, I have had to find a way to support myself, and it wasn't until I came across a local group of skaters that I was re-energized into believing that if you put your heart and soul into something you believe in, then you can truly get what you out of life.

 

For sometime I have led myself to believe I knew what I wanted, but I still have a hard time wrapping myself around the concept of being able to get what I want on my own terms. The commitment of seeing something all the way through, of getting up every day and grabbing life by the horns, it sounds like a bad cliché statement, yet it still holds true, it really does.

 

Well, to get back to this skate crew, or should I say family, I met, they really are a family, they have passed their good spirit on to me and I wish to tell you their current story. Walking into the Bustin Skateboard shop I knew I was going to feel comfortable. Growing up around beach communities where surfing in the morning and skating all day was the norm, this shop , minus the board wax and some trails of sand from the beach set me right at ease. The skating we did when I was a kid wasn't a bunch of nollie, kickflip, Fakie 180 Mc Twists, all though that was all there, really though, most of us skated just to get THERE, wherever that was. Sometimes we even skated to go surfing, hucking your stick under your arm while you kicked and pushed your way to the shore. And, today, when I was sitting with the Bustin family, I noticed a few members wearing a hoodie that had the words "NY PUSH" inked into them. When I asked the meaning, I got a group reply that pretty much went like this,

"We are trying to convey the message that we can literally streamline our walking society and get people "there" quicker on a skateboard, all the while, this is not only helping the environment but also keeping people healthy."

I totally agree with this, and the whole time they were explaining this all I could think of was the movie WALL-E(if you don't get the reference, watch the movie) and by the way, FUCK SEGUE'S!!!

 

A few of the boys in the crew, brothers in real blood as a matter of fact, went on a skate run to grab some beers and came back with a grab bag of 40's. They poured me some crisp rice brewed Bud upon their return and we all just sat back, sipping brew and talking skate. They told me all about their back story, most of which is available online at their site BUSTINBOARDS.com. The most I'll tell you now is they started their company in 2002, they are not originally from N.Y. and they just recently moved their headquarters in Hoboken to a new space on Grand Ave in Brooklyn, a keen move I must say. To date they are selling approx 200 boards a month, not too mention other schwag like clothing, trucks and helmets, etc. This small family is worth approx 500k annually according to some quick math I did in my head, not bad for a company that started just selling boards on EBAY.

 

The boards have an awesome range of shapes. These guys have gone from classic longboard shapes like a board they call "The Cigar" to some monstrosities like "The Boat", a new prototype that is almost as big and shaped just like the hull of a small fishing boat. One of the team riders and also a part of the working family, Solomon, or "King", as I heard him refereed to by several of the crew, took me out for a skate session on a deck which was unlike anything I had ever ridden before. The boards' body had a super low profile, with the truck of the board actually sitting higher than the deck, something I was not used to but I really got to liking just moments after I kicked my first push down the street. We shot down Grand Ave and headed toward Bedford. Pushing north onto Bedford, I was a few paces behind "King", who seemed to just be cruising the whole time, meanwhile I really had to hustle to keep up. We waited for the light on the top of the hill to change and then we both gave 4 or 5 good pushes and were headed down Bedford, weaving and carving in and out of traffic. The board I was riding they call "The Strike", and it brought me right back to the feel I used to get from bombing Sunset Cliffs in ocean beach back home. What a great ride!


When we got back to the shop I was greeted warmly with another beer, slightly out of breath, I have not skated in awhile, but the perma-grin I had showed how stoked I was from this quick little session, what an epic day. We all gathered round the computer and watched some skate videos, and let me tell you, I really felt at home.

 

All in all, the Bustin Family is rad. They have some serious momentum behind them, they staff is not really a staff, they are a family, a family fixed on the goal of getting their message out there, preaching the good word of skating and convincing there neighbors far and wide to PUSH, and I'll reiterate it for them here, PUSH NY, PUSH!!!

CH


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Last updated by Christian Hunter - Friday, February 5th, 2010 -  New York, NY

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