An Asphalt Romance: Pizza Takes a Slice of Asia

After spending two months in Spain, we were due for something completely different: Asia was the answer. Thanks to Bp Trading and Kadence Sk we were able to visit Japan and Korea to see what they had to offer. We arrived as strangers and left as friends. We learned very little of either language, but we learned a lot about each other. Damn, It just got deep. Wish we could have stayed longer and skated more. Until next time! —Ref


ASPHALT ROMANCE 001We had nine people in a traditional small Japanese Airbnb. All 18 of our shoes filled up the hallway alone, so board maintenance was done out front. By 10am we were skating down to the local 7 & Holdings (the Japanese 7-Eleven) to meet up with Take from Bp Trading and Tk from High Sox

ASPHALT ROMANCE 004Overcast skies brought rain so we took shelter under this freeway overpass. Joogy, front nose pop over

ASPHALT ROMANCE 005Plenty of coverage for the media

ASPHALT ROMANCE 006Despite it not being a big handrail, Chase still threw down a back lip shove it

ASPHALT ROMANCE 007Foreign-type spots

ASPHALT ROMANCE 008Foreign-type security

ASPHALT ROMANCE 009Mandatory photo in front of cherry blossoms

ASPHALT ROMANCE 010You've arrived at your destination

ASPHALT ROMANCE 011TK: Legend

ASHPALT ROMANCE 012Chase handled this tré flip lip moments before the cops arrived

ASPHALT ROMANCE 013Which isn't a big deal when there's meters of marble just across the street

ASPHALT ROMANCE 014FIXMichael did this same trick frontside in our last video, so he thought why not do it backside for this one. Mind = blown

ASPHALT ROMANCE 015Line spots are nap spots for photographers

ASPHALT ROMANCE 016Jesse and AQTY at the famous Shibuya crossing

ASPHALT ROMANCE 017It was AQTY's birthday so why not sneak onto the roof of a 20-story building and crack some cold ones

ASPHALT ROMANCE 018Mark your territory

ASPHALT ROMANCE 019Shark sighting

ASPHALT ROMANCE 020The meltdown was real

ASPHALT ROMANCE 021Ran into some cute Italian girls outside of Tokyo Hands. Numbers were exchanged

ASPHALT ROMANCE 022Pit stop

ASPHALT ROMANCE 023Dimas from Popcorn Hardware in Madrid. One of the best humans on Earth. Can always find the acid and Molly

ASPHALT ROMANCE 024Never did figure out the number. Karma, if you're reading this email: [email protected] #missedconnections

ASPHALT ROMANCE 025Demo day in Yokohama. Luckily it just stopped raining

ASPHALT ROMANCE 026The metal pre-fab ramps were cold and wet but that just makes everything a little more interesting. Choose your obstacle wisely ;)

ASPHALT ROMANCE 027Joogy talks shop with some locals

ASPHALT ROMANCE 028Backside noseblunt on something dry

ASPHALT ROMANCE 029And that's time! With so many rippers on the team, it's hard to find time to put down the camera and skate for yourself. Fifteen minutes after we got there I had already knocked out my front tooth

ASPHALT ROMANCE 030As a skater, I've waited my whole life to knock out my front teeth. I figured it was a right of passage—it's going to happen eventually. Well, I finally got my wish. I hated my big front teeth anyways, so I was hyped. I smoked a cig through the gap and pretended to be Andy Roy. Coincidentally, it was April 1st (April Fool's Day) and before I knew anyone had even posted a picture, my mom was calling me asking if it was some kind of prank. I was in good hands, though. Within 20 minutes, Hiro from 5nuts Skateshop had an icepack, a box of sake and a dentist appointment scheduled. I didn't know what to expect as he drove me to the only dentist he could find open on Saturday. We were buzzed into the clinic and I was pleased with how similar it all looked to my own dentist's office. Hiro told them I only had 100 yen and was flying out to Korea the next day. Bare minimum, I needed my shit sterilized before I ended up in a new country with an infection. They agreed to help and I signed the papers. After about an hour and a half they handed me a mirror and I was quite surprised to see they had given me a replacement tooth. A little crooked and discolored, but I was beyond grateful. I had prepared myself to be slurping noodles through my gap for the next week. They even gave me some change, so I bought some beer to test out the new Bondo job.

ASPHALT ROMANCE 031Back on the train

ASPHALT ROMANCE 032Thanks for everything!

ASPHALT ROMANCE 033Exit strategy

ASPHALT ROMANCE 034Found some parking space so Joogy and Jesse could go handle some last-minute clips

ASPHALT ROMANCE 035I think it's a left?

ASPHALT ROMANCE 036The decisive moment

ASPHALT ROMANCE 037Time to roll up ye finest Golden Virginia and have a toke for the road

ASPHALT ROMANCE 038Picked up in Seoul, Korea, thanks to Kadence from Sk Distribution

ASPHALT ROMANCE 39Pin. Hint, Jake Johnson, switch tré

ASPHALT ROMANCE 040Story

ASPHALT ROMANCE 41Jesse Vieira, breakfast bigspin

ASPHALT ROMANCE 42Your favorite switch hardflipper's favorite switch hardflipper

ASPHALT ROMANCE 43Yup, siccc

ASPHALT ROMANCE 44Chase took us across the street to a nice skinny 20-stair he found

ASPHALT ROMANCE 45The 50-50 was too easy so he had to backside 180 out of it

ASPHALT ROMANCE 46That's a make

ASPHALT ROMANCE 47We decided to go check out an amazing marble bank-to-ledge at the Nexen Heroes baseball stadium—only to find out they were hosting Seoul's new presidential debate due to the previous president being impeached for accepting bribes

ASPHALT ROMANCE 48Barged it anyway

ASPHALT ROMANCE 49Ol' Head. Not sure who he's rooting for

ASPHALT ROMANCE 50Out front, Chase was getting to work

ASPHALT ROMANCE 51FIXHe did a couple varieties of this trick until we finally got the boot

ASPHALT ROMANCE 52Jason on the Kadence Sk story

ASPHALT ROMANCE 53Right down below us, an empty fishing pond soon to be filled. Contractors weren't feelin' us

ASPHALT ROMANCE 54We came back and brought the poles. Jesse caught a bigspin powerslide

ASPHALT ROMANCE 55Chase reeled in a backside flip manual

ASPHALT ROMANCE 56Catch of the day. Joogy, kickflip backside noseblunt

ASPHALT ROMANCE 57Spot was so fun they had to send the army to kick us out

ASPHALT ROMANCE 58Tourist stuff when it rains

ASPHALT ROMANCE 59But when the sun comes out you know were going to the best ledge spot ever

ASPHALT ROMANCE 60Downhill marble ledges. No push lines. A filmer's dream

ASPHALT ROMANCE 61Pay the toll to skate in Seoul

ASPHALT ROMANCE 62Classic spot, although a little harder to skate than it looked. Chase makes the transfer

ASPHALT ROMANCE 63Jesse went head over heels on one of these but that didn't stop him. Switch crook pop over

ASPHALT ROMANCE 64Stretching the legs. I smell lines

ASPHALT ROMANCE 65Time to sit down for Joogy's pier 7 session—bigspin fakie manual

ASPHALT ROMANCE 66He didn't like the way he did this one for some reason. Nollie half Cab flip fakie manual

ASPHALT ROMANCE 67We had a signing at Timber Skateshop and Jesse found this little wallride before we could get the Sharpies out

ASPHALT ROMANCE 68Last spot on the list, this triple-kink hubba. Jesse, signature crooked grind

ASPHALT ROMANCE 69Chase, kickflip 50-50 for Shark

ASPHALT ROMANCE 70Thanks to Bp Trading, Take, Hiro, AQTY, TK @highsox, 5nuts, Instant, Stormy and everyone else we met in Japan. Thanks to Kadence Sk, Ryan, Jason, Yang, Timber shop and everyone in South Korea!