Wow, where do I begin? To be a part of something as big as this DVD premiere is completely mind blowing. A bar has been set in our sport, one that probably won’t be topped until the next PROTO release. A level of professionalism was definitely attained at this premiere. Overall, seeing the sport reach this point so early really shows the rate at which it’s growing and the attendees at both premieres definitely got to witness a part of history unfold. Andrew Broussard, Alex Steadman, Brandon Kilbury, Jon Reyes, Brian Murphy, Chema Cardenas, Dylan Kasson, Dan Barrett, Elmer Ferreiras, and Steve Sanchez are… PROTO Scooters.
So what did over two years of hard work pay off to? One night, two cities, one DVD. I was clearly not able to attend both premieres, so Andrew shared some insight with me as to how the West coast premiere went down. “Smaller showing but still an awesome evening. Friends and family came out to support and the people who really wanted to be there made it there in the rain so I just wanted to thank those who came to show their love and support!” Just looking at the photos the entrance of their theater looked slightly different. The location for this premiere was at the Regency Theater in San Juan Capistrano, California, which lies between two huge southern California scooter cities: San Diego and Los Angeles. At the theater, a large overhead board showing movie titles, just like the ones you’d see at your local Cinemark or Hard Rock Café, proudly displayed PROTO CATALYST. On other side of this entrance, there were two lit frames containing the movie poster inside. These posters featured a map of the United States as a logo; it also had ten PROTO stars, each of which complete with the rider’s faces in the center.
As Andrew stated earlier, this event was a smaller showing but definitely still packed a ton into one evening. With just a $15 entry fee, attendees received a special copy of the DVD they were about to witness, as well as the chance to enter some raffle drawings for PROTO parts. At the West coast showing there were 52 people who attended. Two PROTO riders, Andrew Broussard and Alex Steadman, were able to make this showing. Chema Cardenas was also the only rider on the team unable to be at one of the premieres. People definitely didn’t leave this premiere empty handed, on top of getting a DVD the raffle for the West Coast included 2 pairs of Sliders, 2 Strikers and a pair of Baby slaYer Lites. From my understanding this was an awesome premiere on the West coast and Andrew has every intention to have another dual-premiere on each side of the country for the next PROTO release, so hope you guys stay stoked for that!
As you guys probably already know, the East Coast showing was in Manhattan, one of the five boroughs in NYC. The day of the premiere started out with some setbacks for sure. I flew into La Guardia airport around 1pm greeted by Murphy, BK, and Dylan. We headed back to Murphy’s house in the Bronx. After reaching his house, Murphy told us about huge banners that Andrew had hired someone to make. When completed, however, they were incorrect. The updated banners were overnight shipped from California with a delivery time of 3:00pm promised by Fedex. After waiting almost three hours and three calls to Fedex later, we decided to leave for the premiere.
This is when it truly started to amaze me. A group of people from all over the east coast were here, New York City, for just one thing: a scooter DVD premiere. Using Murphy as our guide we were able to navigate the NYC subway system to Helen Mills Theater in Manhattan. We met with the audio/video technician at the theatre and began to work out exactly how we wanted the night to go. PROTO had provided the venue, but the logistics of actually putting this plan into motion took so much effort from the dedicated volunteers at the event. Margaret Mulligan, Brian Murphy’s mother and grandmother, and all of the ‘PROTO girls’ at the event are what helped admission into the theatre run smoothly. Also behind the scenes were myself, the rest of the PROTO team (especially Brian), and the OG Casey Murphy was lurking around taking some photos (which you can see throughout this article.)
A large group started to accumulate outside of the theater and I decided that I had to check out the “curb appeal” of the event. Stepping outside I was greeted by many familiar faces that were waiting for showtime. Corey Winard, Conor Davidson, Shane McNulty, Phil Kerzhner, Matt McKeen, and “lil” Steve Esposito are all people who come to mind when thinking about the large group outside. Determined to see the premiere, they withstood very cold temperatures in the 20’s, some light wind, and the threat of snow showers. From the outside of the theater people were greeted with a few things. A large set of double doors with six circular windows were all fitted with PROTO stars, a large banner was placed above the entrance, and finally there was a large banner in a vertical showcase for the event.
When the doors were finally opened to the public, madness ensued. All said and done, there were 136 attendees at this event. I don’t know if I’m the only one amazed at that number, but here we are, talking about a scooter DVD premiere, getting 136 attendees! Just knowing that you’re a part of a benchmark like that in the sport is an honor. Brandon Kilbury, Jon Reyes, Brian Murphy, Dylan Kasson, Dan Barrett, Elmer Ferreiras, and Steve Sanchez were the riders featured who were also able to make it to this showing. Each of them was given a silver sharpie marker, and like the scooter stars they were, gave out autographs to kids who requested them. Also with these, they decided to add a little bit to the raffle: three signed proto shirts and one of the premiere copies of the DVD complete with autographs. With those last-minute additions to the raffle, the East coast winners received a pair of Baby slaYer Lites, two sets of Sliders, a Striker fork, a Baby SCS, three PROTO shirts, and one of the premiere copies of the DVD.
Showtime was originally intended for 8:30PM EST, but as is consistent with many scooter events, we fell behind. As the last of the attendees began to find their seats, the team retreated to the back room for the final preparations. They debated on if they wanted each rider to say something to the crowd as a means of thanks, or if they wanted to save time and have each rider introduced. Overall, it was pushing 9pm and they didn’t want to delay things further. So I grabbed the microphone from Murphy and hit the stage, literally. Not sure how exactly it happened, but I pretty much fell directly on my face in front of everyone. My own little “ice breaker” I suppose, haha.
Still remaining focused on the job at hand proved to be difficult, but I was able to laugh it off and continue onward. I did a short introduction, telling the audience briefly about the hard work that had went into the DVD they were about to witness. Each rider was then introduced, saving Brian Murphy for last. He had something he wanted to share with the audience, a personal reflection of the DVD process. He told everyone of the countless hours poured into the DVD, and of his high hopes for how the audience would receive the film. This was it, slightly after 9pm. It was showtime.
Each rider had a full-length part as well as a throwaway part on the DVD. The audience in the NYC theater was acting as if the entire video was being performed live in front of them. Plenty of cheers/claps were heard throughout as the bangers were thrown down. There was even a person who brought an air horn, and were using it to help the crowd cheer after each part. Andrew started off the video and I know there were some people who thought he wasn’t going to have a solid part. These people were proved wrong. Some definite bangers came from Buff – on some street stairs/ledges, bombing massive hills, and of course the coveted Nitro Circus clips you guys have been waiting to see. The next part in the video had such a mellow vibe, coming straight from Alex Steadman. Doing many of the things you’d expect – manuals, sliders, and just overall a completely unique edit. Most riders visiting the same spots as Alex have a completely different outlook as how to ride them, which is what makes his part so interesting. Tons of originality for sure.
The next part in the video goes to Steve Sanchez. From what I’ve heard on the forums already is in complete agreement with my thoughts – really wish he had more time to film! Being the most recent addition to the team proved to be difficult for him to get all the clips he wanted, as many riders who have seen him ride in person know how insane he is. Not to belittle his part by any means, it was awesome and super solid. No shortage of bangers from this guy, not to mention how flowy and stylish his riding is. Elmer Ferreiras was next up in the DVD, and just threw down. Tons of stuff you would and wouldn’t expect from him – crazy noseblunt combos, huge tuck no handers, massive handrails, and just doing tricks over gaps others would be scared to jump. There are also a few double barspins in his part and when you see the width of his bars you can imagine how crazy these are. Next part goes to an amazing rider and one of my best friends, Brandon Kilbury. I think with his part he was looking to prove that he is able to ride street. His previous edits (most notably his BLT2 part) included street, park, and kicker. His riding is just so dialed and there are plenty of bangers as well; some of his first-try tricks could easily be enders for other riders. BK uses his riding ability to leave the audience wishing his part was much longer.
So what did over two years of hard work pay off to? One night, two cities, one DVD. I was clearly not able to attend both premieres, so Andrew shared some insight with me as to how the West coast premiere went down. “Smaller showing but still an awesome evening. Friends and family came out to support and the people who really wanted to be there made it there in the rain so I just wanted to thank those who came to show their love and support!” Just looking at the photos the entrance of their theater looked slightly different. The location for this premiere was at the Regency Theater in San Juan Capistrano, California, which lies between two huge southern California scooter cities: San Diego and Los Angeles. At the theater, a large overhead board showing movie titles, just like the ones you’d see at your local Cinemark or Hard Rock Café, proudly displayed PROTO CATALYST. On other side of this entrance, there were two lit frames containing the movie poster inside. These posters featured a map of the United States as a logo; it also had ten PROTO stars, each of which complete with the rider’s faces in the center.
As Andrew stated earlier, this event was a smaller showing but definitely still packed a ton into one evening. With just a $15 entry fee, attendees received a special copy of the DVD they were about to witness, as well as the chance to enter some raffle drawings for PROTO parts. At the West coast showing there were 52 people who attended. Two PROTO riders, Andrew Broussard and Alex Steadman, were able to make this showing. Chema Cardenas was also the only rider on the team unable to be at one of the premieres. People definitely didn’t leave this premiere empty handed, on top of getting a DVD the raffle for the West Coast included 2 pairs of Sliders, 2 Strikers and a pair of Baby slaYer Lites. From my understanding this was an awesome premiere on the West coast and Andrew has every intention to have another dual-premiere on each side of the country for the next PROTO release, so hope you guys stay stoked for that!
As you guys probably already know, the East Coast showing was in Manhattan, one of the five boroughs in NYC. The day of the premiere started out with some setbacks for sure. I flew into La Guardia airport around 1pm greeted by Murphy, BK, and Dylan. We headed back to Murphy’s house in the Bronx. After reaching his house, Murphy told us about huge banners that Andrew had hired someone to make. When completed, however, they were incorrect. The updated banners were overnight shipped from California with a delivery time of 3:00pm promised by Fedex. After waiting almost three hours and three calls to Fedex later, we decided to leave for the premiere.
This is when it truly started to amaze me. A group of people from all over the east coast were here, New York City, for just one thing: a scooter DVD premiere. Using Murphy as our guide we were able to navigate the NYC subway system to Helen Mills Theater in Manhattan. We met with the audio/video technician at the theatre and began to work out exactly how we wanted the night to go. PROTO had provided the venue, but the logistics of actually putting this plan into motion took so much effort from the dedicated volunteers at the event. Margaret Mulligan, Brian Murphy’s mother and grandmother, and all of the ‘PROTO girls’ at the event are what helped admission into the theatre run smoothly. Also behind the scenes were myself, the rest of the PROTO team (especially Brian), and the OG Casey Murphy was lurking around taking some photos (which you can see throughout this article.)
A large group started to accumulate outside of the theater and I decided that I had to check out the “curb appeal” of the event. Stepping outside I was greeted by many familiar faces that were waiting for showtime. Corey Winard, Conor Davidson, Shane McNulty, Phil Kerzhner, Matt McKeen, and “lil” Steve Esposito are all people who come to mind when thinking about the large group outside. Determined to see the premiere, they withstood very cold temperatures in the 20’s, some light wind, and the threat of snow showers. From the outside of the theater people were greeted with a few things. A large set of double doors with six circular windows were all fitted with PROTO stars, a large banner was placed above the entrance, and finally there was a large banner in a vertical showcase for the event.
When the doors were finally opened to the public, madness ensued. All said and done, there were 136 attendees at this event. I don’t know if I’m the only one amazed at that number, but here we are, talking about a scooter DVD premiere, getting 136 attendees! Just knowing that you’re a part of a benchmark like that in the sport is an honor. Brandon Kilbury, Jon Reyes, Brian Murphy, Dylan Kasson, Dan Barrett, Elmer Ferreiras, and Steve Sanchez were the riders featured who were also able to make it to this showing. Each of them was given a silver sharpie marker, and like the scooter stars they were, gave out autographs to kids who requested them. Also with these, they decided to add a little bit to the raffle: three signed proto shirts and one of the premiere copies of the DVD complete with autographs. With those last-minute additions to the raffle, the East coast winners received a pair of Baby slaYer Lites, two sets of Sliders, a Striker fork, a Baby SCS, three PROTO shirts, and one of the premiere copies of the DVD.
Showtime was originally intended for 8:30PM EST, but as is consistent with many scooter events, we fell behind. As the last of the attendees began to find their seats, the team retreated to the back room for the final preparations. They debated on if they wanted each rider to say something to the crowd as a means of thanks, or if they wanted to save time and have each rider introduced. Overall, it was pushing 9pm and they didn’t want to delay things further. So I grabbed the microphone from Murphy and hit the stage, literally. Not sure how exactly it happened, but I pretty much fell directly on my face in front of everyone. My own little “ice breaker” I suppose, haha.
Still remaining focused on the job at hand proved to be difficult, but I was able to laugh it off and continue onward. I did a short introduction, telling the audience briefly about the hard work that had went into the DVD they were about to witness. Each rider was then introduced, saving Brian Murphy for last. He had something he wanted to share with the audience, a personal reflection of the DVD process. He told everyone of the countless hours poured into the DVD, and of his high hopes for how the audience would receive the film. This was it, slightly after 9pm. It was showtime.
Each rider had a full-length part as well as a throwaway part on the DVD. The audience in the NYC theater was acting as if the entire video was being performed live in front of them. Plenty of cheers/claps were heard throughout as the bangers were thrown down. There was even a person who brought an air horn, and were using it to help the crowd cheer after each part. Andrew started off the video and I know there were some people who thought he wasn’t going to have a solid part. These people were proved wrong. Some definite bangers came from Buff – on some street stairs/ledges, bombing massive hills, and of course the coveted Nitro Circus clips you guys have been waiting to see. The next part in the video had such a mellow vibe, coming straight from Alex Steadman. Doing many of the things you’d expect – manuals, sliders, and just overall a completely unique edit. Most riders visiting the same spots as Alex have a completely different outlook as how to ride them, which is what makes his part so interesting. Tons of originality for sure.
The next part in the video goes to Steve Sanchez. From what I’ve heard on the forums already is in complete agreement with my thoughts – really wish he had more time to film! Being the most recent addition to the team proved to be difficult for him to get all the clips he wanted, as many riders who have seen him ride in person know how insane he is. Not to belittle his part by any means, it was awesome and super solid. No shortage of bangers from this guy, not to mention how flowy and stylish his riding is. Elmer Ferreiras was next up in the DVD, and just threw down. Tons of stuff you would and wouldn’t expect from him – crazy noseblunt combos, huge tuck no handers, massive handrails, and just doing tricks over gaps others would be scared to jump. There are also a few double barspins in his part and when you see the width of his bars you can imagine how crazy these are. Next part goes to an amazing rider and one of my best friends, Brandon Kilbury. I think with his part he was looking to prove that he is able to ride street. His previous edits (most notably his BLT2 part) included street, park, and kicker. His riding is just so dialed and there are plenty of bangers as well; some of his first-try tricks could easily be enders for other riders. BK uses his riding ability to leave the audience wishing his part was much longer.
