Author: Pushing Canada ’25

July 1st will be the send off from Jack Layton ferry terminal skating from Toronto to St Johns to complete the coast to coast.

Meet up will be 1pm Push Off will be 3:33pm

I arrived downtown after a lovely stay with my cousins. Rested showered, shaved, laundry did and full of gratitude it’s now time to visit Canada’s 2nd oldest skate shop SK8 SKATES. (something I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time)

Even with the directions I had been given I found that once again I’m skating in circles… Winnipeg’s main street seems to want to bend and turn and change all over the city. So I go back to the FORKS Skate Plaza (another life long skate destination I can now cross off) it’s early in the day there’s only 1 skater at the park he’s rolling about and takes notice of me as soon I enter the park. I give a friendly wave and a smile he returns the gesture I approach him and ask “how I can get to SK8 SKATES” ”hmmm…” he looks in the direction of the shop and pauses ”you know what? I’ll just take you there it’s not far” not even an exchange of names and I have an escort to the shop by one of the the locals (my new friend Matt standing to my left)

After a quick cruise through the bustling downtown core of The Peg we arrive. It’s everything I thought it would be, core to the core with an elegant modern clean touch. One of the first faces I see inside is FANE SMEALL (standing to my right) a very recognizable face if you’re tapped in to Canadian skateboarding. Fane had 50-50ed the Commerce indoor 20, something that 100s of Toronto skateboarders myself included had only dreamed of. We get to some scene talk and all I said was that the treads on my pushing shoe were beginning to bald while talking about the wears of the road and such.

A moment later Fane walks out from the back holding a Vans shoe box containing Curren Caples new pro shoe (hanging from my shoulders) an enormous upgrade from what I had before. I know it’s been talked about at length but there’s simply few groups on this planet that act the way skateboarders do to one another. When I see a skateboarder making their way down the street I want the very best for them and would do much of the same as Matt and Fane did without hesitation. As good ol’ “Dubs” (Jeron Wilson) had Dubbed on the Nine Club “skaters supporting skaters” indeed.

Much love and good fortune…

NT THE SAGE KNIGHT

Live from Kenora Ontario!

From Vermillion Bay to Kenora Ontario had been one of the hardest challenges I had been through in a very long time.

Blessings…

NT.THE SAGE KNIGHT

To achieve something very great 100% entirely on your own is nearly impossible. Day 1 & 2 brought very hard and enduring lessons to a very stubborn knight whom thought he could navigate the seemingly endless back roads of the Nations 2nd largest province with no map and no phone… ”you stubborn fool” I cursed myself as I wasted about 15km of leg power trying to find my way in the hot sun with a big knapsack on my back that grows heavier as the KMs pass.

Ian Digby and Susan Watson of Holy Trinity are literal modern-day saints.

Compassion, wisdom, grace and selfless generosity are just a few words that come to mind when I think of this incredible duo. I can’t imagine how things would have turned out if I didn’t stop by. I can certainly say the start would not have gone as well. Now I know exactly where I am and where I’m going next and the support network is just a call/text away anywhere in the nation.

Gratitude and lessons learned…

Ok friends this well be the last update until Thunder Bay now I must hit the ground pushing.

TSK.NT

When my chess mentor and dear friend Monte Greene said to me ”your family must be proud you” a few days before sendoff I shook my head ”yes” vigorously. Yet the family I was thinking of at that moment compiles of these beautiful boys and thousands more (girls to) all across the globe. That family I’m referring to is the Global Skateboarding Family. I practice gratitude every morning to be a part of this very special family.

TSK.NT