Cream City

Cream City is an indoor skate park located in the friendly neighborhood of Butler right out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Once a member, your able to shred for six bucks every visit. If your in need of new gear or you snap a deck during your session you can stop right in the shop available at cream city. Along with supplies for a good day of riding, you can snack on munchies and get whatever beverage the guy behind the counter can reach.

The park itself is a welcoming experience. There are riders from all over Milwaukee and surrounding areas. Many skate competitions, are held here at cream where pro skaters hold and jam competitions with local skaters. Its a great way for our locals to build street cred and eventually become seen. I was able to roam about as I wished with the "VIP" card in hand.

I was filming with a Sony HDR Fx 7, as well as capturing images on a Nikon D3000. Either or in hand allows access to any spot in the house. As soon as the red light appeared, I noticed changes that occurred over these dudes and the way they skated. The jokes that are exchanged between friends and strangers provided echos throughout he warehouse. Funny face, shout outs and fueled energy roared my way. The filming, "hyped" them up, and gave them a reason to skate harder, because potential people of interest could one day get a hold of skate videos my friends put together from the footage they collect. Its the way pro riders have become recognized, through videos, that captures tricks, and consistency from a skater,  and hoping for the attention of many.

I see much respect for "seniors" of the club or the "best" skaters that attend the park. Many will stop their trick or get out of the way completely to witness a good trick and give a good skater room to get a good shot or quality time landing tricks on rails or sets around the park. When tricks are not landed and boards go flying, a helpful friend stops it from jetting across the park or from smashing into something else. When someone takes a hard fall, a friend on wheels rushes over to encourage them back up. When a gnarly trick is landed, claps, shouts, screams and high-fives are tossed in the air. Skateboards are tapped on ramps or rails to produce loud noise to encourage and congratulate the skater on their landed trick. You can see guys from across the park, that will take the time to come over and shake a hand of a good skater and ask for tips.

The relationship and friendship throughout the park fuels the energy of others to pump, push and force tricks to the next level, constantly pushing things to the limit. I one of my final glimpses through the lens as I scan the area, i see a warehouse full of men , teenagers and boys with hair dripping with sweat. Their pro-skater logo-ed t-shirts are distinctly lined darker once again from sweat stains. Jeans are tore and dirty, their shoes are worn to the soles and patched with, "shoe-goo," caused from impact during tricks, shes rub against the grip tape causing shoes to shred apart in three skate sessions. Shoe laces are used as belts, and beanies are used as sweat bands or head towels. Smiles and laughs head toward the camera, along with echoes of boards hitting metal coping edges and ply-wood ramps.