Big screen chills and spills

Suzie Harrison

Wide-angle shots, close-ups and action has been the center of the

universe for a few local Laguna boys who sought to bring skating to

life on the big screen.

The goal will become a reality with the premiere of the

skateboarding film “FTW” at Laguna South Coast Cinema on Monday.

Barely into their 20s, Cory Sparkhul, Derek Dew and Cyrus Polk are

the three who have put in the most intensive hours to make this

project happen. Sparkhul prefers to be behind the camera with Dew and

Polk doing their maneuvers out front.

Miles O’Grady was the point man when it came to public relations,

helping with the promotion and making the posters.

“It all began freshman year in high school and we got serious

about it after our senior year,” Sparkhul said. “I’ve been filming

most of our lives, making videos since high school. I’m the filmmaker

and editor.”

The “FTW” moniker stands for Freedom Through Wheels. “This project

is almost a year and a half in the making,” Sparkhul said. “It’s been

shot all over Orange County, roughly Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo,

Newport Beach and even a little bit of L.A.”

The hardest part for him was putting it all together and dealing

with getting kicked out of spots, which is a menace skaters deal with

on a daily basis.

“I’ve been skating for nine years, basically handrails,” Polk

said.

His learning has progressed because he’s been inspired by pro

skaters Tosh Towned and Matt Ball.

“I just saw them, watched them -- the atmosphere they gave off,

the feeling of confidence to do what they were doing,” Polk said.

Other Laguna skaters in the film are Malia Hunt, Wes Verdugo and

Ed Proctor.

“I feel skateboarding is an amazing sport and I think Laguna each

has to realize that,” Sparkhul said. “They think it’s about

skimboarding and surfing, I think after they see the film they’ll

realize it.”

Big handrails are a part of it and it’s about having fun on a

skateboard.

“They’ll see Derek’s part and realize it’s about having fun,”

Sparkhul said.

He said that people will notice the variety with tricks over big

stairs and gaps, filmed everywhere from pools to streets to high

schools and skate parks.

“FTW” emphasizes how safety and skateboarding go hand in hand.

“After this video they’ll realize skateboarders need to wear

helmets,” Sparkhul said. “We have a portion with all these spills,

it’s brutal -- why don’t [some skaters] just wear a helmet?”

He gave the opening of the film to Jesse Isais, 16, whom he met a

year ago.

“More than anyone he’s made it so much better,” Sparkhul said.

“All together there are about 18 skaters, ranging from 5 to 30 years

old, in the video, with seven separate parts, where one person has

their own section just of them skating.”

He picked those who had been with the project the longest to

highlight.

“Cyrus, I gave him the last part because he deserves it more than

anybody, he skates the hardest,” Sparkhul said. “He has this tattoo

that says skate or die and it really is skate or die to him, he

skates every single day.”

The editing was hard. “Hours during the middle of the night, when

we felt we could do something good with it,” Sparkhul said. “And my

friends would be there to help me.”

He was thrilled that they have some 16mm, which is one of the

advantages of his film class at Orange Coast College.

“We had the most fun just being with our friends, no matter if we

were filming or not or being kicked out, we’re having fun,” Sparkhul

said. “This is what we do every day.”

They chose a variety of music from jazz to rock and hip-hop,

tracks that best suited the mood of skating. “I’m really proud we

compiled ideas to produce such a great film,” Polk said. “It’s going

to stand out -- we put our heart and soul into it.”

The film will premiere on June 21, which is National Skate Day.

“FTW” will have two showings one at 9 p.m. and the other at 10

p.m. Tickets are $7. The cinema is at 456 Coast Highway. For

information, call (949) 338-1666.