Skating in Circles

The skaters from the 2023 Push Relay team came on the podcast to talk about their trip; the many things they learned, challenges they faced, and places they saw. It was a delight to see this crew reminisce about a life-changing experience they all shared in together.The team was made up of four skaters: Andy Andras, Rick Stubblefield, Paul Kent, and Miles Kipper. The team was formed by Jack Smith. A long time cross-country skateboarding veteran, Jack is no stranger to the open road and crossing the United States on a skateboard. He had first completed a cross country ride in 1976, and has done others since. The most recent being the crew chief for these guys in their 2023 attempt.Thanks to the team for coming on the show and thanks to Jack for igniting the spark so many years ago.

This episode is all about the 2025 Miami Ultraskate. I got to meet up with Landy Cook who was kind enough to share his perspective on the 24 hour skate marathon. This was Landy’s third time attending ultraskate and first time participating in the paddle only category. I recall speaking with him prior to the event where he told me he was going to “take it easy” and I suppose skating over 200 miles is easy for Landy because that’s precisely what he did! We go over the things that made this year’s event unique and dive a little bit into what got Landy to attend these silly events in the first place. He is a great resource, especially when it comes to pumping as he was 99% pump for several years before deciding he would give the whole pushing thing a try. We also talk a little about what being a newcomer in the scene felt like and how being around a group of like-minded individuals can make some of the most introverted people come out of their shell.

Back for another round on the show is Jeremiah Pascua, long time ultraskater and 250 mile club member. Last year we talked briefly with Jeremiah about where he was at with his training and some of the things we were looking forward to at the 2024 Miami Ultraskate. But we barely scratched the surface. In this episode, we revisit some of those same topics but we are 1 year the wiser! Jeremiah is by far one of the most consistent skaters in the scene. From his 50 push ups a day to regular attendance at the Miami Ultraskate, he has gained quite a bit of knowledge along the way. Knowledge he was kind enough to share with us! We talk about how you can make the most of your time while training, how to avoid cramps on those long days, and strength training to round off your abilities – core strength is important! Jeremiah also contributes to the event as a sponsor and will be providing a photo package for attendees so that they can focus on their skating and be able to lament over photos of themselves later on. It’s pretty impressive that he can manage to get all this done while also riding a skateboard for 24 hours.Instagram@jeremiahloveslife@skating.in.circles.podcast

This episode’s guest is current world record holder and owner-operator of Melonekacke Longboards, Lena Meringdal. We heard a little bit about Lena when listening to Paul McMahon’s experience at the UK Ultraskate 2024, where Lena set the new record of 425.5km, or 264.4mi, but this was an opportunity to delve a little deeper. And delve we did! I believe there’s a solid 15 minutes of us just talking about potatoes – Lena’s secret weapon! I learned a lot from her experience as she has a great way of explaining her process and reasoning behind her nutrition sources. We also got to talk about what goes into the board building process – how she comes up with new ideas, testing those ideas, trial-and-error, and much more. I would wager that Lena is more of an engineer than just a “board builder”. Her ability to assess problems and come up with unique solutions is quite inspiring. As she hasn’t stopped with just skateboards. Just this past summer, MK released a new LDP specific truck! Lena talks a little bit about what went into that and the reasons why it came about in the first place. She is a great example of what happens when you take matters into your own hands and apply yourself.Melonenkacke Websitehttps://www.melonenkacke.com/Instagram@melonenkacke@skating.in.circles.podcast

This episode’s guest is none other than Andy Andras, well-known and respected distance skateboarder from Miami, Florida. Most listeners will know of Andy’s many accomplishments, but not everyone may know the story behind those accomplishments. I definitely got more than I bargained for when speaking with him. Andy tells great stories and does so with tremendous humility. We got into some distance skate history, including how Andy got his start and leading up to breaking the 300 mile barrier, as well as where he’s at now with the sport. He also shared his latest idea which is something he’s named “Chasing Sunsets”.

Paul McMahon is a distance skateboarder from Dublin, Ireland who has been dominating a lot of the European distance skate events. He was also the winner of the 2023 Le Tour de Longboard IDSA challenge. In 2024, the European Race series consists of 6 races and we got to talk about each one of them. Paul has already locked in 1st place for the series. We also discussed what his entry into the sport was like and what it means to be competitive in something like distance skateboarding. Paul told some stories about training as well as his experience during UK Ultra skate where he got to ride with Lena Meringdal as she broke the 24 hour women’s world record.Instagram:@the_hobby_ist@skating.in.circles.podcast

This episode's guest is Travis Upshur, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Travis has what I would call an infectious energy. He’s relatively new to distance skateboarding and has a very strong passion for it. The second he heard about Miami Ultraskate, he was cooking up plans to go. And with his first go at the 24 hour challenge, he managed an impressive 150 miles. Philly has an amazing community for distance skateboarding and Travis is a great ambassador for this community. I think you’ll all enjoy getting to know him.Instagram:@ttrap_400@socialpush.philly@philly.longboard.crew@skating.in.circles.podcast

Moondog Roop and Justin Bright are two distance skateboarders who managed to ride the entirety of the Natchez Trace Parkway, which is a 400+ mile road in the south eastern United States. Moondog and Justin don’t limit themselves to just adventures on a skateboard, they have done some pretty gnarly things on foot, too! I tried to extract as much as I could from them but, truth be told, I don’t think one episode is enough to cover it all. It was a real treat to get to listen to these two chat with each other. As always, thanks for listening and I’m Max Frank.Instagram:@moondogroop@just1nbr1ght@skating.in.circles.podcast

Randy McClelland has been skateboarding for a very long time. In that time, he has seen and done a lot of cool things. When he was growing up in the late 80s/early 90s, Randy was a sponsored skateboarder in Japan; and he’s got the pictures to prove it! He talks about how back then skateboarding was much different than it is today – without big name brands, olympic level athletics and social media. Also, unrelated to skateboarding, we go in depth on a project that Randy is working on through the hospital he works at. Part of the goal emphasizes curating the “healing environment” for patients. The healing environment is a really cool concept I hadn’t heard of before. It emphasizes curating an environment around patients to be more welcoming and pleasant. Things like making sure the walls have art on them and windows with nice views are just a couple examples. We did our best to circle back to skateboarding but even with the slight departure, I think you all are going to really enjoy this one.Instagram@hafupotter@skating.in.circles.podcast

We’re back on Skating in Circles where we are talking about… skating in circles! This episode will be a bit of a Miami Ultra skate recap as we get to hear Cori Wolff talk about her experience during this year’s 24 hour challenge. Cori was able to hammer out a grand total of 246.74 miles this year. We got to talk about how the event went from our perspectives, and shared insight into what went well as well as the things we plan to do differently for next year. Cori also runs the Social Push Cincinnati group where she heads up weekly rides and meet ups for skaters in the area. I’ve always thought that the Social Push concept was an excellent method for generating a community around skateboarding so it was great to get to hear more about how these groups are curated and maintained.Instagram:@wandercrust@socialpush.cincy@socialpush.nyc@socialpush.dc@socialpush.moco@socialpushcentralnj@skating.in.circles.podcast

Calleigh Little is, put simply, an adventurer. Most recently, she completed the Appalachian Trail, but her resume of trek related challenges does not end there; she’s also a “thru-skater”. Thru-skating is basically backpacking on a skateboard. Her adventures range from crossing state lines, crossing an entire country, riding down coastlines, and everything in between. We got to talk a lot about what these adventures look like and what compels individuals to even do them in the first place. Calleigh also shared what’s next on her calendar, although, full disclosure, part of that adventure has unfortunately been cut short because tornadoes aren’t skateable. She has plans for Miami Ultra skate though. If you are going and listening to this before the event, best of luck to you! If you are hearing this after, you will indeed have an interesting perspective on this episode.Instagram:@fossils.for.all@skating.in.circles.podcast

In this episode of Skating in Circles, we hear from Shreddie Mercury – an individual who has a lot going on right now. We talk about what it’s like to ride a skateboard 50 miles without pushing, how it feels to move across the country at a young age, the origins of skateboarding, what inspired him to become a skateboard instructor, and all things in between. Shreddie is a person with whom I imagine almost everyone finds easy to chat. I look forward to skating with him in the future, and you should, too! He can probably even teach us a thing or two. As always, thank you for listening.Links:School of ShredAthletic Brewing CompanyThe DC wheelsInstagram:@shreddie_mercury_@skating.in.circles.podcast

We talk a lot about community on this podcast - what it means to be a part of one, how to contribute to your own, the things that keep them healthy. I think one of the most important parts of a community is having a safe space to gather. Insanity Boardshop in San Antonio is one such place. Captained by Ehren Mohammadi, the shop has been around for over 10 years now and supported various skate events in that time. Ehren is also planning out a big event for the 2024 Distance skateboarding calendar. It is a 3 day event in his local area of San Antonio consisting of about 160 miles. It’s shaping up to be quite the event.Insanity Boardshop:https://www.insanitybs.com/Instagram:@insanitybs@ehren_skate@skating.in.circles.podcast

This episode’s guest is one of the kindest people I know. Angel has been in the competitive distance skateboard scene for over 8 years and has recently been kicking it up a notch in preparation for the 2024 Miami Ultra skate. He had a lot to share around his training practices as well as some insight into the forces that drive him to compete. It goes without saying that we are not health experts or trained in medicine in any way, however, we do have quite a bit of experience when it comes to riding skateboards for long periods of time. So that is primarily where all of this comes from. Everyone is encouraged to do their own research and discuss these things with the larger community.  He also has a pair of wonderful cats who you will probably hear throughout the recording.Music RecommendationsEL1011TransitionsNew Years EveAnd So I Watch You From AfarAll Hail Bright FuturesThe Endless ShimmeringBear Cubbin’Girls With Fun HaircutsInstagram@thedudewiththelute@skating.in.circles.podcast

Something we’ve discussed a lot on the show is the role that events play in developing a community. Put simply, the more events we have, the better. But it’s really not that simple. Scott Ziegler is the event organizer for Skate Camp. Skate Camp is a three day long event that takes place in and around Titusville, FL. Scott has big plans for this year, including a fully sanctioned marathon race that is sure to attract some of the scene’s most competitive riders. It’s important to know, however, that Skate Camp is for everyone; the marathon is really the only competitive component. It’s mostly about riding skateboards, being in nature, and around good friends. When it comes to running events, Scott likes to stick to a few main principles: “low-cost, high value” and “quality over quantity” being two of them .We go in depth on what Skate Camp is and what can be expected this time around. It seems like a truly one-of-kind experience. In addition to all of this, we also got to talking about the IDSA and the many things that currently being done, as well as the many things that can still be done. If you’re interested in what happens at the IDSA, or are interested in helping out yourself, be sure to listen through to the end.Links:Skate Camp page: https://www.facebook.com/events/771929597927338Thane Travel page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087931541783IDSA website: https://theidsa.org/Skate racks on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/skateboard_rackInstagram:@theidsa@szeig@skating.in.circles.podcast

Many will probably be familiar with today’s guest. Adam is great because he’s a super humble athlete who has put a lot of his own resources into distance skateboarding. You can always expect a genuine conversation when speaking with him because he has no hidden agenda. He is truly a man of science… and jazz (which, it turns out, is a science of its own). We talk a lot about some of the contributions he’s made, especially recently with the new Pantheon Karma wheel, as well as general distance skate talk. No surprise, you can expect to hear Ultra skate reflections, but also much more. Adam has an excellent vision for what the future of distance skateboarding could look like and some of the things we can all be doing to get there.Blueridge Longboard Project@blueridgeprojecthttps://www.youtube.com/BlueridgeLongboardProjecthttps://www.brproject.org/@skating.in.circles.podcast

When I started this podcast, I knew I wanted to bring on passionate individuals who had spent a lot of time and energy on distance skateboarding. Gavin Conti is definitely one of those people. Gavin has been skateboarding for a while and has a great perspective on what it takes to overcome the challenges distance skateboarders face. We discuss the mental side of Ultraskate, Gavin’s skateboard collection, a little bit of gear talk, as well as an event happening in November called Skate Camp, and a handful of other things. This episode is a bit longer than the previous ones.Instagram:@gconti13@skating.in.circles.podcast

Sitting down to talk with today’s guest was a pretty refreshing experience. Jeremiah Pascua is an ultra distance skateboarder from southern California who has been at it for about 10 years. In this episode, we talk about what got him into skating, what some of his achievements are, and what the future holds for him. Listening back to this I found a lot of what he had to say to be pretty inspiring and I hope you do, too. As always, thank you for joining us.Instagram@jeremiahloveslife@skating.in.circles.podcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcooa0FLT0AJaE5VHo_265g

Chatting with Earl Stout III about some of the exciting things going on in the Philadelphia area. We got to talking about an event he is throwing called the Truekill, which will be taking place this September. Earl is a great dude who has been at it for while so it was truly an honor to have him on the show.Truekill:https://www.facebook.com/events/6283660841742272Instagram:@socialpush.philly@push2survive@organic_hogwash@livelikebrent@wanderdust.starlust@broad_street_bomb

Talking with Joe Burnham from Kansas City, Missouri about his local skate scene and all the fun stuff the Burning Spider Stoke Community (BSSC) has been getting up to. Joe is full of stoke and was a real joy to have on the show. He has been organizing skate meet ups for almost 10 years and his experience shows. People like him truly understand the core of what skateboarding is all about.Burning Spider website:https://www.burningspiderstokecompany.com/Instagram:@burningspiderstokecompany@skating.in.circles.podcast