Episode 5 brings the 2011 Arbor Skateboards Get Elevated tour to an end. The crew is exhausted after a week of filming, but still determined to finish the project. Things get even more fun when Brad Farmer and the last team member, Josh Hunt, show up in the middle of the night. While at James’ cabin, they give some thoughts on the dynamics of filming with 6 people at 50mph, and spend some well earned R&R time on the lake with some brews.
The skating is rounded out with one last session on a road near to James’ heart and his place on the lake. It proves to be a monster as well, boasting hairpins, a 60mph straight, and countless sweepers and bends. Not everyone comes out unscathed, and a couple close calls coupled with the guys being at wits end brings the trip to a solid finish. The preparation for the long trip back to the “valley of scum” gives everyone time to reflect what they had just experienced on the road over the last week.
In this episode the Arbor Skateboard team including Duke Degen, Eric Singer, James Kelly, Max Myers, Kody Noble, and Jimmy Riha moves from one unbelievable locale to another. After leaving the twin facing roads behind, they make the commute to James’ cabin further north where they meet up with his Grandpa to share a drink and some laughs. The next day takes them to one of the most iconic and heaviest roads in downhill skateboarding. With sections of 55+ mph and others with 22% grade, this road is nothing to scoff at, and requires the team to be on point with their skills to ensure that they leave safely.
The theme of unsure destinations and no plans continues in Episode 3 of Get Elevated. The crew decides not to head back into Yosemite and instead point the caravan in the opposite direction, heading on what they believe is the right path to the next stop. After getting lost, asking the mountain folk for directions, and purchasing several coon-skin hats, the group finds what they’ve been looking for, a spot with special significance to the downhill skateboarding community.
They come to the top of a canyon, with roads extending to the left and the right. One is the old grade, the other is the new truck bypass. The left path takes you down 2 miles of narrow and outrageously steep pavement, narrowly splitting guardrails and uphill traffic on either side. The other is a busy highway, with lots of large trucks, and 50mph chutes. The crew sleeps next to a lake, and tries their hand at fishing again, but to no avail, and end their day with more travel by making their way to James’ lakeside cabin in Pinecrest.
This episode documents Day 2 and 3 of Arbor’s team trip though the Sierra’s also known as Get Elevated. James Kelly, Kody Noble, Max Myers, Eric Singer, Jimmy Riha and Duke Degen wake up after their first day of travel and gets into the “meat and potatoes” of the trip…skateboarding. They hit several spots, and continue out of Mammoth east and deeper into the Sierras. A lack of available camping spots in Yosemite forces them to camp in the middle of nowhere on a random dirt road. In the morning, they find that they pitched their tents eerily close to large piles of bear poop, and and even more trippy, they find out they camped on a road right on top of an amazing hill. They end an eventful day with a swim in a cold river to wash off the sweat of hard riding.
In the first installment of the 2011 Get Elevated Series, the Arbor Skateboards team including James Kelly, Kody Noble, Max Myers, Eric Singer, Jimmy Riha and Duke Degen meet up at the Skate House in Los Angeles before heading Northeast into the Sierras. After a long drive and by sheer serendipity, they find a driving guide which leads to a road nestled in the mountain range nearby. Turns out the pavement is super burly with huge cracks across the road the entire way down. After the impromptu session is over, the team rests their heads in Mammoth Lakes in preparation to skate the area the following day. Days 2 and 3 will be featured in the in episode of the Get Elevated Tour.
