As Vallejo’s city government pushes to give the Vallejo Police Department a new headquarters on the city’s waterfront, community members have questioned why the controversial police department, known for killing 19 people since 2010 and marking on-duty shootings by bending the tips of their badges, deserves such a prime piece of real estate. The co…

It’s now been a year since veteran journalists John Glidden, Scott Morris and Brian Krans launched the Vallejo Sun. The three discuss their biggest stories, from dogged city hall coverage to deaths in Project Roomkey and local law enforcement ties to extremist right-wing militias. Since the launch of the Vallejo Sun on Sept. 15, 2021, the three rep…

Ian Rogers of Napa and Jarrod Copeland of Vallejo were arrested and charged with plotting to blow up the Democrats Sacramento headquarters in 2021. Investigators seized 49 guns and several pipe bombs from Rogers and more guns from Copeland. Prosecutors alleged that the two were specifically motivated to violence by President Donald Trump’s election…

Vallejo Police Det. Jarrett Tonn shot Sean Monterrosa in the back of the head on June 2, 2020, amid wide-scale looting following the police murder of George Floyd in Mineapolis. Since then, Tonn’s been fired — and soon likely rehired — and the California Attorney General is still deciding whether he’ll face criminal charges. At the same time, Sean’…

When a Vice film crew came to Vallejo to interview native rap sensation Nef the Pharaoh and others in its legendary music scene, Vallejo police officers showed up and detained everyone, giving cameras direct evidence of how police violence continues to shape the local rap scene. Using previously unreleased body camera footage, this episode illustra…

For the last two decades, some members of the Vallejo Police Department have bent the tips of the badges belonging to officers after they shot at someone while on duty. While the city promised to investigate, it has kept the findings of a third-party investigation under wraps. Now, a public defender is calling those officers to testify about the tr…

At least four people died in hotels in Vallejo, Calif., under Project RoomKey, a statewide initiative that put people experiencing homelessness up in hotel rooms to keep them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen to the Vallejo Sun’s ongoing investigation into the program and the death of 63-year-old Cherie Nicoletta. You can view photos and do…

On Feb. 9, 2019, six police officers in Vallejo, California, fired 55 times into a car parked in a Taco Bell drive-thru, killing Willie McCoy, who had been asleep behind the wheel just seconds before. The Vallejo Sun obtained audio recordings of interviews with those officers in the following hours, showing surface-level questioning with little pus…

Philip Moore and Brian Krans talk about how Phil broke his arm just before laying low in quarantine, cruising around our neighborhoods (separately) on some big wheels, and staying safe when going outside. Have something to say? Leave us a message at 415-569-0083.

Dr. Dave Tran, MD, is a rollerblader who also works with a vulnerable population during a pandemic. We talk about good skating tips during a global medical crisis, wearing masks while out and about, and the latest understanding of the coronavirus.

There’s a lot of information going on around the novel coronavirus, so Krans — who is now under a shelter-in-place — spoke to fellow rollerblading health reporter Alex Hogan of STAT News, a trustworthy source of health information. They talk about why the coronavirus is NOT the flu, how quickly it spreads, how being safe now could prevent hospitals…

Filthy Fiesta 3 is going down at noon on Oct. 12 at Third and Army in San Francisco Calif. The last two events have been hella fun because they’re not competitions. They’re fiestas. Phil, Cameron, ESG and I talk about past events, including the beloved long-jump contest complete with motorized acceleration. We find out what’s in store this time… wh…

Rock Town co-host Phillip Moore recently traveled to Australia to visit his partner's home and meet many of her friends. He took along his skates and a recorder to talk with some Aussie locals and a recent transplant. After coming back to Oakland, he shares his adventures. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possible thanks our …

Nate Herse is an engineer and a rollerblader who made some frames called Akerue that look like aluminum skeletons. He tells us about his thought process behind their design and construction and what it will take to make them available to the rest of us. We skated them and had a lot of fun.

Two years ago, Brian "BFree" Freeman started skating every day, first recording clips using a shoe tripod and soon developing a thesis: Let’s Get It Forever. Rock Town Podcast Co-Host Levi Sebastian talks with BFree before one of his three sessions on Day 731, his two-year anniversary. They talk about inspiration, the Bfree Blading Academy, demos a…

Taylor Kobryn is a college student and blade filmmaker living in San Francisco. He’s current filming for Hit It Whet, a video with an impressive amount of talent, largely filmed in the lovely San Francisco Bay Area. We talk about his video, skating-friendly architecture in San Francisco, heroes like Danny Beer and Isiah England, billing for mandato…

Grant Hazelton is a skater out of Rochester, New York, who was in the Bay Area for the Gold Comp. Despite feeling under the weather that day, he was still able to skate some iconic spots in the area and spend some time talking (and skating) with Rock Town co-host Levi Sebastian. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possible thank…

The Gold Comp was held April 27th, 2019 in San Jose, Calif. With $2,500 on the line, it brought out some talent from far away. Levi was there recording most of it, so he and Brian go through some of the major events of the day. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possible thanks our supporters on Patreon. That’s Dustin, Nate, Za…

The Gold Comp is a new NorCal park contest by Josh Goldberg. It’s being held April 27th at the Stonegate Skatepark in San Jose with $2,500 in cash on the line, so, if you’re coming, make sure to get there before 11 a.m. to cheer for the kids' comp. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possible thanks our supporters on Patreon. Th…

Phil and Brian talk about the death of Rollernews, blade books, blade memes, Filthy Fiesta 2, fresh Skookum Tunes, our recent skate sessions, and podcasting at Winterclash.

Matt Mickey, Cody Norman, Chad Tannehill and Anthony Luna are the local core of the Intuition Skate Shop in Bakersfield, California. Since Luna and Tannehill are on a streak of winning the Lux Street Open, Krans and Levi took a road trip to check in with our local skate shop to the South. We talk about the DIY park known as Kernside, shop cats, coo…

Cameron Talbott recently got his first rollerblading product with his name on it: a 60-millimeter wheel from Sic Urethane. Since Philip Moore also has a pro wheel from Sic, we needed to sit down and talk. We talk about what projects they're working on, DIY skate parks, and wheelbarrows. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possib…

J.P. — better known as butterTV — quit his construction job to become a professional filmer and his recent contest edits have shown it. Phil and Brian talk with him and BFree, who has now skated for more than 500 days straight. We talk about experiencing collective tragedy and how skating gets us through it all, as well as all the J.P. Butter edits…

Theresa Choi is a 17-year veteran rollerblader who actually did her first grind BEFORE she could even skate. We talk about the daunting task of finding skates that fit small feet and her first time competing at the Blading Cup. But we mostly got together to discuss a Blading Cup-exclusive pin inspired by a 1991 Playboy cover. Stay tuned to the end …

Philip Moore won the Blading Cup last weekend in Santa Ana, Calif., earning him the title of professional rollerblader. Back home in Oakland, Phil talks about his win, diversity in rollerblading, and he answers question from a Reddit AMA. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possible thanks to our supporters on Patreon: Dustin, E…

Cavin Brinkman is a rollerblading filmmaker from Amsterdam whose latest full-length feature is the Adapt Brand Team Movie. While visiting the United States, Cavin came up to the Bay Area after the Blading Cup. We talk about Winter Clash, the infamous Sprite fight, VG memories, The Offspring, and, of course, the Blading Cup. This and every episode o…

Held as part of the Blading Cup in lovely Santa Ana, Calif., the Veteran's Cup is for people over the age of 35 with a bunch of adult responsibilities. For those of us who qualify, it’s not only the chance to skate with people of a similar cohort, but we also get to session with guys we looked up to as kids. This episode features interviews with Da…

On this episode, the whole Rock Town crew heads out to the Lux Street Open. Held in some pretty iconic old-school spots, the second installment of the Lux Street Open was another day of some pretty intense competition. But more importantly, it was a day to hang out with some good friends. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made poss…

Held Oct. 13 at Third & Army in San Francisco, the Filthy Fiesta is a new contest put on by Cameron Talbott and Erick Garcia. They say it’s not solely for aggressive skaters, but it will involve a motorcycle. Rock Town hosts Philip Moore and Brian Krans talk with Cam and ESG about everything you need to know about this year’s comp, especially if yo…

Held Sept. 29th in San Jose, the Lux Street Open is a street competition organized by Mike Jiminez and Kirk Chang, and the after party is hosted by BJ Bernhardt. We talk about everything you need to know about this year’s comp, as well as memories from last year’s inaugural event. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possible tha…

Adam Johnson is a prolific filmmaker and brand connoisseur in rollerblading. Forever linked with legendary skaters and legendary skate videos, Adam just also happens to be a really good dude. We talk about what it takes to be a good guest in someone’s home, the current marketplace for rollerblading goods, and, even just though a few hints, some of …

Michael D’Andrade is a New York City native now living in the Bay Area who's always going picking for vintage gear. On a sunny July morning, Mike and his girlfriend, Liz, give me an insider’s tour of the Oakland Coliseum flea market. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possible thanks to our supporters on Patreon: Dustin, Edward…

Mike Torres is a cinematographer and Big Wheel sensation living in New York City. Rock Town Podcast correspondent Levi Sebastian talks with him about the early Wizard frames, Big Wheel trick names, and more. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possible thanks to our supporters on Patreon: Dustin, Edward, Jose, Nate, Steve, Zach,…

Jon Ortiz is a New York City rollerblading legend. After a short session at the Chelsea Piers skate park, Rock Town Podcast correspondent Levi Sebastian talks with him about the pre-ASA days of skating, Go Sports USA skate camps, and more. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possible thanks to our supporters on Patreon: Dustin, …

Late last year, Kennan Scott went rollerblading and hit his head. Now, seven months into his continuing and dedicated recovery, he talks about what it means to be head-injured and his new YouTube series, “Blading on the Brain.” You can check out the episodes — including video snippets of us recording this podcast — on his You-Tube channel. This and…

Rollerblading may be a visual sport, but there are wonderfully rich sounds generated while doing it, from the ting and hum of skates locking onto a rail to the thunderous applause when a trick is landed. That's what this episode is all about. So, here’s a Saturday session in Northern California with skaters like Philip Moore, Korey Waikiki, Erick G…

FOR SOME REASON, THIS EPISODE WAS DELETED. THAT'S NOT COOL, SO HERE IT IS AGAIN. For lack of a better description, Brian Bina is a nomadic adventurer, back in the States on a brief hiatus from his international travels. We talk about the creation and future of Haitian Mag, growing up as a Chicago kid, and his many, many travels. This and every epis…

From blistering hot concrete to icy cold lakes, the Northwest Shred Tour, yet again, brought us together to shred, camp, and remind ourselves why we’re all alive. Reported extensively by Levi Sebastian — with limited help from Philip Moore and Brian Krans — the Rock Town Podcast gives you a complete look at the full four-day weekend through Califor…

Photographer and bladie Megan Petersen tells us about her ambitious Bladies project. Starting out with a few T-shirt designs, she hopes to expand it out into a central hub for bladies content and possibly get some money into hands of bladies. Joining us in the conversation is Detroit native Stephen Durasa. This and every episode of the Rock Town Po…

Drew Costley is a born-again rollerblader. Born in D.C., raised in Virginia, and currently being educated in Berkeley, he is also photographer, multimedia journalist, and a fun person to be around. We talk about how the Disney movie Brink got him started rollerblading, why he recently took it up again, and what he’s been doing in the middle. This a…

Ryan Lindsay was the first friend I made as we both earned our masters’ degree in journalism from UC Berkeley. She, too, likes to use sports as window into the bigger picture. You can follow her on Twitter as @RLindsayReports We talk about her early days of rollerblading, representation in action sports, gun violence in America, and much more. Duri…

Phil Moore and Brian Krans discuss current events, including the racist incident at Lake Merrit that went viral, Kanye, Phil’s picky eating, and his new dog. Check out bladeordie.com for links to things we talked about on the show. This and every episode of the Rock Town Podcast is made possible thanks to our supporters on Patreon: Trudy, Dustin, E…

NWST founder Preston Villanueva and Northern California’s Shawn Oberg talk with me over Skype about what’s in store for this year. We cover the parks we’ll be skating, where we will be camping, and where to get hella wine and legal weed along the way. You know, for when you’re done driving for the day. Check out bladeordie.com to hear the podcast f…