Words and photos: Max Dubler

I’m out here in North Carolina with Dex Manning for the next few weeks skating and generating pixels. We’re bouncing between Boone, Asheville, Flexington, and points in between. We went out skating with Matt Deitch in Asheville yesterday and got rained out halfway through our first run, so we had a little wet corner session on this crazy right hairpin, then drove to Boone. That’s Matt up top.

Dex spotting the clean inside line.

Skate face on point for the wet ‘n’ wild conditions.

Wide view. This hairpin has like a 3′ wide inside line of asphalt. We weren’t trying to hang out and get soaked, so Matt headed off to work while Dex and I drove up to Boone. If you aren’t already listening to it, the new This American Life and Serial podcast S-Town is a great way to pass the time over long drives.

We hit up the Castle skate house in Boone, picked up Garrett Gourley, and headed out to hit some neighborhood session spots. Garrett is stoked on riding his Comet Upcycle deck on inappropriately steep, technical roads, to truly shocking effect. Also, check those swagged out shoes.

Occasionally frustrating weather aside, western North Carolina in early spring is freaking gorgeous. This is Garrett.

Dexter with this textbook airplane mode toeside. Dude only grabs rail in the wet.

Moments later.

We peaced out from the neighborhood and passed this sad, broken-down mini ramp on the way to the next spot.

Garrett dropped into El Perro, a fast, steep hairpin spot, on his Upcycle in the rain. It was silly.

Dex sent it in the wet. Apparently the Harfang grooves make it possible to carve in the wet and not immediately slip out and eat shit. I’m pretty sure they aren’t ready for the chub scrub, so I don’t skate in the wet.

Garrett bringing up the rear.

And into the left.

We filmed a follow run of Dex going uncomfortably fast down this wet road, then peaced out when it started raining again. Here’s an ill-advised Instagram photo I took while driving down behind the homies. You can follow the trip on IG with the hashtag #trespassingintrumpcountry.

Metallic Footwear

Photos: A Wet Afternoon in Asheville and Boone