During last summer the Gnarmads started to fundraise for their trip to bike across the country and stop at numerous cities to skate. Here’s the link to their go fund me page, http://www.gofundme.com/gnarmads . Right away I thought it sounded like a neat original idea and I donated 60 bucks to their efforts. Funding athletic feats for charity has been going in other sports for decades and I’m glad that skateboarding can also raise money for charitable causes.
I know the Gnarmads, they are Bog Dan and Matt Cruz who are part of the NYC skate scene. Although I don’t know his last name, I know Bog Dan a little bit more through Sloppy Sundays. They both are nice dudes full of energy. Both are really good at skating, and I guess their good at speed biking.
Now that they’re a few months into their trip, I really enjoy seeing their updates and progression. Currently they are in Atlanta, and they biked there from NYC. They are taking a southern route so far, and with the upcoming winter I’m sure the rest of the trip will be a southern one. So far I’ve seen photographs from Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Richmond, Charlotte, and maybe a few more. Each place they stay several days to a week, and part of their efforts is to engage each city somehow.
They are organized. The skate community seems to be far reaching, and in each city they have a place to stay. The locals take them to the spots. They get product packages from sponsors while on the road. One thing I really enjoy is their posts of various DIY (do it yourself) spots they have gone to along the way. Transworld covered Mighty Healthy’s video of their stop in Philidelphia and that highlights a DIY spot and an art show. Here’s the link to that. http://skateboarding.transworld.net/1000185514/web-videos/gnarmads-in-philadelphia/ To me, it seems that every city they go to they are going to DIY spots.
Living in NYC for so long, I’m used to the city skate parks and the streets. But Gnarmads instagram feed proves that nationwide there is a DIY revolution going on. People are building what they want to skate in cheaper cities across the country. The Gnarmads also have gone to a lot of indoor private parks including a sick looking bowl in Baltimore. Their instagram feed is @gnarmads , anyone interested in skating should add it. They are also on facebook under the same name.
I’m truly looking forward to seeing their journey unfold day to day via my social media feeds!
*Below is Mighty Healthy’s youtube edit of Gnarmads in Baltimore!
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