'It Was Mass Hysteria and Chaos’: The Terrifying Incident of the Las Vegas Shooting

36-year-old Mike Santilli from Vancouver, B.C had been enjoying a boys’ weekend for a bachelor party in Las Vegas when the shocking mass shooting initiated by 64-year-old gunman, Stephen Craig Paddock occurred, across from Mandalay Bay at the Route 91 Harvest Festival.

He recalls the fateful event and aftermath in this candid eyewitness account:

The Realization

‘’I knew there was something wrong when I started walking towards the direction of Mandalay Bay, just after 10 pm. There was a policeman on a bicycle and he was stationed there on his cellphone. He said to whomever he was on the line with, ‘’Just so you know, there’s been a shooting at Tropicana Boulevard.’’

‘’Right away my friend, Darren checked his phone and the story was all over the news, ‘Active shooter at Mandalay Bay’. So, we headed back to The Miraje, where we were staying. Suddenly, we saw a mob of about 40-50 people running towards the store next to the casino of the hotel and they were all yelling at us to, ‘‘Run!’’. I didn’t hear any gun shots, but all I could see were people scattering so Darren and I ran with this group.’’

‘’Security then started ushering us to the outside pool area, trying to move everyone into one section for an evacuation process. But that was so difficult, because it was mass hysteria and chaos around them, some people were even trying to jump the fence to get out.’’

False Reports

‘’We realized what was creating the mass panic, since we saw via Twitter false claims of multiple shooters, in multiple facilities. There were claims of a bomb threat at the Luxor, which is right next to Mandalay Bay and reports of a shooter at Caesars Palace. I learned from my friend afterwards why at The Miraje, people ran as they did. After the initial shooting, apparently a woman came into the casino and yelled that there was an, ‘’Active shooter.’’

‘’It was at around 11pm that we started to make our way to our room, without knowing if we were secure and safe, since security couldn’t tell us either way- they didn’t know themselves. It was eerily quiet as we got to the 7th floor and there was nobody around when we walked through the large, open hallway.’’

‘’There were still false reports coming through from social media online and one report read that there was a shooter on the 7th floor of the The Miraje. My buddy actually said, ‘’Should we barricade the door?’’

''When I looked out the window, there was police everywhere and a helicopter circling. It was low and darting between buildings, searching the whole perimeter of the parkade.’’

The Aftermath

‘’We were watching live news to find out all the details since the shooting was plastered all over the television. We checked in with our friends as soon as we entered our room, relieved to find out that they were all safe. I was so thankful that they weren’t hurt.’’

‘’It was kind of strange because the next day it really was business as usual in Vegas, but at the same time there was a dark cloud over the city. Casinos were fully operational again and people were out in the streets, but you could still sense this sombre atmosphere.''

‘'As my friends and I walked down the street to grab breakfast, we could see from our view that from Tropicana, the streets were cordoned off and police were stopping people from going any further. I could see Mandalay Bay’s smashed windows, which was a jolting sight.’’

‘’I’m extremely appreciative that I was safe, the incident was horrific. I can’t imagine what the victims and survivors went through, just thinking about it makes my heart pound. My thoughts are with those who were affected and their families.’’

Chris Russell Interview

I caught up with a wounded Chris Russell during the Vans Park Series, quite literally on his last legs. Ankle in cast, crutches in hand, the 20-year-old Creature contender hailing from Cali’ was nevertheless in high spirits and down to talk King of the Road madness, European skaters being less ‘fu-fu’ and getting himself on the road to recovery for China.

Hey Chris, how’s it going?

CR: It’s goin’ alright.

First off, your injury! What happened?

CR: I injured myself during practice, but I'm trying to keep a positive attitude. I was trying to do something in the deep end, a front side flip around the corner and I ended up kinda tripping on the back seat. Then when I tried to put my foot down on the back seat, it slipped off. Long story short, I sat on my back foot, twisted it around and the impact went through both of my ligaments. So it’s not looking too good.

Ouch! So you’re out of the competition?

CR: I’m gonna work my ass off and see if I can get myself through this thing. And just like I said, keep a positive attitude. It’s like a 4 month injury. So yeah, we’ll see. See how everything goes, I’m a quick healer so...

You won the Men’s Pro Vans Park Series in Melbourne and Huntingdon Beach last year. Think you’ll be able to swing two wins this year, too? What with your injury…

CR: Yeah, we’ll see. I don’t think Huntingdon will be on the cards, but I'm hoping China still is so I can get out there. See if I can get my ankle better, so yeah I’m hoping so.

I've heard that you’re a fan of Sweden. Top spot to skate there?

CR: Well there’s Staple Park, a great spot and The Trains side D.I.Y, too. They got Berget (Bunkeberget) Skatepark, it’s the indoor park and there’s so much other stuff out there. Even the new Vans Park Series park we’ve got out there, built about a year ago in Malmo is amazing. There’s a lot of options- great concrete, great people.

Great spots or great women?

CR: Ummm, a little bit of both, you know? It’s definitely an add-on when there’s a lot of healthy people around and there’s definitely a lot of beautiful women. Beautiful people, in general.

What differences do you find in skaters from America versus Europe?

CR: The difference? There’s not much difference. Everybody rips, everybody has their own style. I think the only difference is how everyone approaches it. That’s the rad thing about skateboarding, there’s no way to approach it, everyone approaches it in their own way. You come here and see people skate their own way. You’re gonna see how raw they take it, which is rad. I think it’s less ‘fu-fu’ up in Europe than it is in the U.S. We're a little more picky in America, there are a lot more spots. But everybody skates rad, everybody skates different. America has more parks, that’s the only difference. Yeah, we are a little more privileged, we got great weather all the time and a lot of places to go, too. It is what you make it.

On King of the Road, you’ve been the king of the ‘Make Out Challenge’. On episode 3 you made out with three generations: daughter, mum and the grandma with tattoos. Who did you most enjoy pashing on with? Was it the grandma?

CR: (Laughs) Nah, I wish I was sweet enough to say that it was the grandma, but no it was the mum. I’m into older women, too. She was definitely the raddest, the most down for us. She knew the whole entire deal about King of the Road, because she watched the show. She was just cool.

The ‘Roy’ al-flush eggplant on transition trick (on KOTR) looked brutal. How many times did you try before realizing it was a no-go zone? Your body must have taken quite a beating the next day…

CR: About 200 times, they only showed about a quarter. Yeah, I tried it for hours, I tried it about 200 times or so. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but it's definitely the most I have ever tried a trick in my whole life. The reason I stopped is because I just couldn’t try anymore. Slam after slam after slam just kind of gets you.

What does the rest of your year look like?

CR: Well, not a whole lot now but we’ll see. There’s always shit coming out, there's always stuff on the back burner so hopefully if i heal up soon I’ll get a new part going. You never know, but it’s looking a little rough right now.

Wishing you a speedy recovery, Chris!

Bratpack Presents Christmas @ The Junction

Made in the summer of 2015, Bratpack have been entertaining on the weekly at Davie Street ever since. Drag queens Charlee Jem, Gia Metric, Valynne Vile and Jane Smokr are now into season three of the show. Just over a month ago they recruited their newest member, Synthia Kiss, through a succession of weekly challenges. 

Five harlots, a sprinkle of tinsel and an inflatable Santa in tow, the stage was brimming with festive spirit.

Opening with The Waitresses’ ‘‘Christmas Wrapping’’, Charlee Jem took to the centre and lip synced her way through the set, gesturing to the audience animatedly, her baby pink cardigan swinging in unison.

The group pointed out, ’’We had to start off with a shitty group number!’’, prompting guffaws from the crowd. A passing reference to the big freeze in the city, ‘‘Hell froze over’’, drew furious nods of agreement.

First act of the night Jane Smokr dived straight in, clad in a minute, cocoa, suede dress and thigh-high matching boots, a flimsy set of reindeer ears upon her blonde bob. Kelly Clarkson's ''Run Run Rudolph'' pulsated through the speakers. Smokr thrusted her form energetically on the dance floor, prompting some onlookers to hand her $5 bills. Coyly, she slid them into her rack.

Vancouver’s entertainer of the year, Gia Metric then strode in to Lady Gaga’s ‘‘Christmas Tree’’, swinging her waist-length, flaming hair. Lights dimming an iota, the tone shifted from upbeat to suggestive. ''Ra pa pam pam’’ shimmying her chest in unison to the lyrics, she beckoned to the audience spurring them on to cheer merrily. Wrapping up her performance by dipping to the ground seductively, the squad were quick to point out her availability, ‘‘She’s on Kijiji and she’s on Craigslist!’’.

Charlee Jem in full swing.

Chief queen, Charlee Jem was next up and launched into a medley of songs. The former Miss Cobalt 2012 mimed to The Sound of Music hit, ‘‘My Favourite Things’’. Fuchsia ball gown billowing, the stage fan generated a breeze around her. Piano chords submerged the room, as ’‘Let It Go’’ from Disney’s Frozen erupted. Jem impetuously let her hair go, it tumbled from a chignon. She tore off layers, revealing a snow white jumpsuit, face contorted with emotion, completely immersed in the moment.

An interval followed and the Grinch awaited to be unleashed upon The Junction. Leading into a performance of South Park’s ‘‘Dead, Dead, Dead’’, Valynne Vile exchanged Christmas cheer for Christmas fear. Sporting a sexy Mrs Clause costume, grin theatrically on display, she mouthed the hook directly at onlookers throughout. 

Soon after, bounding in to the Lizzie Mcguire theme tune, newcomer Synthia Kiss and her twinkle toes appeared. Flexing her feet she gracefully pirouetted outwards to the beat, Hilary Duff’s sweet vocals guiding her. Re-enacting a series of sound bites from the popular noughties show, her flow of entertainment was almost outshone by her attire. Abs on show in a sequinned crop top and skintight leggings displaying shapely calves was a distracting sight.

From left to right Jane Smokr, Synthia Kiss, Charlee Jem, Gia Metric, Valynne Vile, Kendall Gender.

The surprise of the evening arrived in a enormous parcel, conducting a ripple of anticipation. Season one O.G member of BP, Kendall Gender jumped out to a round of applause and dropped an impressive improvisation of Xtina’s ‘‘O Holy Night’’. Her comeback victory was both dirty and brilliant, writhing against the tiles in her white leotard paired with stiletto boots, she mimed her heart out.

United, the six of them closed with ‘‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’’, laughing all the way as they paraded off the platform. Jesus Christ, they had sleighed.

(Images via Chase Porter).

Rehydrating with Ryan Slater: Co-founder of The Juice Truck

South- African born Slater is one half of the refreshing duo behind Canada's first mobile juicer joint, The Juice Truck. Having grown significantly since its launch in 2011, The Juice Truck now has two carts, located at Gastown's Water Street and the corner of Robson & Burrard. It's become a permanent fixture as a colourful retail space at West 5th & Manitoba. Voted as Vancouver's #1 Juice Bar by BC Living and successful fashion forays with Native Shoes and Party Skirts, five years in it's apparent that sippin' on juice is working out just fine for the 30-year-old entrepreneur. 

How did the idea for The Juice Truck come about?

My business parter (Zach Berman) and I have been best friends since we were 10. My father was our soccer coach, and we went to the same high school. We worked every summer since we were 13 at his father's architectural glass studio. 

He studied painting and I studied city planning at UVIC in Victoria. After graduating university, we decided to go backpacking around India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. 

We were completing a 3-week hike in the Annapurna mountain range, and we were in a small, mountain town called Manang when it started to snow and this turned into a blizzard. We weren't allowed to continue on until the Yaks made the trail for us. So, we spent a couple days in this town and soon learnt that all the locals were drinking this vibrant orange coloured juice, called sea buckthorn.

This really important berry grows at the high altitude of this town, and provided them with a huge source of nutrients compared to the limited vegetables and fruits that could survive the weather. This inspired us in how a community could be so reliant on a berry! For the rest of our trip we tried every juice cart we could in India, and much like coffee shops in Vancouver are community gathering spaces, these carts had the same community feel.

This further inspired us to want to do something juice related with a community feel. Thus, the street side juice truck was dreamt up! 

Your business supports local. How important was this factor when setting up shop?
When we launched we both knew that supporting community farmers and the actual community in Vancouver was important.  We both grew up in a really connected community in Richmond, and getting to know our neighbours in Gastown when we first launched was part of our first marketing campaign. We went store to store introducing ourselves and made it our mission to learn everyone's names! We even had a book where we would write down names of our customers and what some interesting facts were about them!

What makes The Juice Truck different to other juiceries around Vancouver, such as The People’s Juicery, Chasers and The Juicery Co.? 
We are one of the only companies in North America that cold press our juice per order! This technique is generally done exclusively with bottled juices, but when we launched the business we actually didn't know that was the norm! So when we started in the truck, we used the Norwalk cold-pressed juicer which allowed customers to customize their          cold-pressed juice. 

How exactly does the juice cleanse work? Take us through the stages ranging from the 3, 5, and 7 day cleanses.

The juice cleanse was designed with a local nutritionist company called Feed Life. Customers were bringing Mason jars to our truck and asking if we could fill them up, and eventually it become too much to make on the truck, so we knew there was a big customer demand for home delivery and juice cleanses. After teaming up with the nutritionist company, we created a 3, 5 and 7 day program. Here is some info on each day: 

3 day- for beginners. The stressed-out or those who suffer from chronic inflammation or digestive upset. The 3-day cleanse is a gentle flush of your system. It normalizes digestion and helps regulate hormones, remove impurities from your colon and supports your liver. You will feel refreshed and revitalized. 

5 day- for repeat-cleansers who work out regularly and eat a healthy diet. The 5-day cleanse starts by removing impurities that have built up in your colon. By first supporting your colon and regulating your digestive system, we ensure that when your liver and other organs begin to cleanse, the way out is all clear! We designed this cleanse to renew your body while stimulating and supporting all your cleansing mechanisms.

7 day- for experienced cleansers who work out regularly, eat a colourful, plant-rich diet with very few refined foods. Designed to reset and rebalance your body, the 7-day cleanse is intensive, but your body will be cleansed from head to toe. Plus, it's a juice feast! Since this is such an intense cleanse, it is best to try this when you have some down time for rest and relaxation.

The juices sold are $9 a pop. A rather steep price point for a 500ml bottle of fresh juice...

Each juice we make contains 2/3lbs of fruits and vegetables! We strive to use as much organic and local produce as possible, and this does create a higher price for some products. It goes back to our desire to work within our community and help elevate all of our partners. $9 on a cocktail or $9 on a juice is the comparison we always get! 

Highsnobiety recently wrote an article ‘How Hipster Food Trends Are Literally Ruining The World’. With a passing mention of how kale is ‘‘more hip now than it was 10 years ago’’, what’s your say on it? (The Green, The Remedy and The Kale Caesar all contain the popular vegetable). 

I would argue that if ‘hipster’ foods are notoriously plant-based food options, then they are in fact saving our planet! The environmental impact of animal-based foods are having the largest environmental impact on our planet. This is even larger than the transportation industry.

I believe food trends do come and go. But plant-based diets have, and will continue to grow more and more as the education behind the health and environmental benefits of a vegan diet continues to hit the mainstream. 

The Juice Truck X Native Shoes loafers successfully dropped back in 2015. Any other collaborations in the pipeline?

Our goal is to always think outside the box on collaborations. This year we did a watermelon skirt with Party Skirts! Next year we have a really big launch coming out in the summer, but for now it's a secret.

You’re in a buzzing city with a booming business. What’s the secret to the juicy life, Ryan?

Having a business partner to share this experience with has made it 10 times more fun than it would be going at it alone. I'm a strong believer in complimenting one's talents, and having a partner to balance out all your ideas only strengthens one's business!

Also, finding time to meditate and relax is vital. This doesn't mean the conventional form of meditation, but rather find the activity in your life that truly allows you to remove your thoughts of work and stray from the present as much as possible. For me, it's the movie theatre! That place is the secret to adding extra ‘juiciness’ to my life. 

The Juice Truck, Gastown location.

Keep up with the latest news at The Juice Truck on Twitter,

Facebook and Instagram.

Converse Rubber Tracks Live x Boiler Room with Run The Jewels @ 100 Club

As part of Converse live sessions, putting on a show at the legendary 100 Club for a rare, intimate gig were U.S hip hop group, Run The Jewels. 

From 8pm onwards the guest-list only event was rammed. Security at the renowned night spot gave out neon green wristbands to revellers before they rushed to the jammed bar. By 9:45pm on the dot, the duo bounded on stage in shades and beanie hats to “We Are The Champions”. Announcing their excitement of performing in London whilst Queen played in the background, they deftly went into a live rendition of their top hip hop track “Run The Jewels”. Raising their fists and two fingers throughout the performance encouraged a wave of hands to mirror the trademark gesture, and gradually a mosh pit ensued.

Revving it up with “DDFH” they rapped at break-neck speed between a perspiring Killer Mike shouting “Lemme hear you say” as he urged the audience to repeat the hook, “do dope f*ck hope”. 

During breaks from songs, they made references to political issues across the globe, mentioning the Paris attacks and sending prayers to all those who suffered, which sent out wolf whistles of support. 
As they sang to their track “Banana Clippers”, the animalistic beat took over and the energy amplified. The duo were giving out high fives and EL-P even managed a quick crowd surf. By the time they got to “Lie, Cheat, Steal” they were bellowing the lyrics, lowering their microphones, welcoming everyone to sing the chorus.
Wrapping up the hour-long set with festive spirit they ended with “A Christmas F*cking Miracle” and the jingle of bells could be heard as they thanked everyone for enjoying the show.

The Converse Rubber Tracks Live sessions took place over a three-day marathon, showcasing other acts including Kelela and emerging new talent on a River Thames boat party.

Watch Run The Jewels perform Banana Clippers: 

Vase by Isle Skateboards @ Prince Charles Cinema

The premiere of Vase by Isle Skateboards made its debut at Prince Charles Cinema on the weekend to a full house, eagerly awaiting the much-talked about independent film by Jacob Harris. Starring Nick Jensen, Tom Knox (who is now pro with Isle), Casper Brooker, Paul Shier, Jon Nguyen, Chris Jones and Sylvain Tognelli, the full-length feature lasting 40 minutes was a gritty watch of some gnarly skateboarding predominantly filmed in London. 

The boys left no ledge unturned as they scored their way through everything from council estates and supermarkets (Asda was a memorable moment as parents pushing trolleys stared at the skaters in shock), to the front entrance of a baptist church and a disabled wheelchair slope, which Jones slid down with ease. 

Standout performances were prevalent from Knox as he swooped into Monument tube station with a smooth nose grind and Brooker, landing clean across the width of Southbank's steps in one full motion. 

This one is a must-see for skater fiends and is available to download here.

Check out the trailer, below:

Trailer Park Boys Epic Evening in Cambridge

From the hit mockumentary Netflix series, Trailer Park Boys, Bubbles, Julian and Ricky hit up Cambridge’s Corn Exchange as part of their September European tour. And they brought with them decent humour, dirty hamburgers and a good f*ckin’ time.

The trio could not have picked a better place to voice their new ventures than to a highly enraptured audience sipping on liquor and de-stressed from dope, in a venue that is also used to examine genius students. Something Ricky strategically used to his advantage when explaining his grand plans of opening a school where youngsters could learn about ‘’bones and sh*t’’ and ‘’real life stuff’’. A much more thrilling aspect than what the kids are currently learning, no?

Julian held his own while presenting his business plan of a make-shift burger joint, handing out the goods to giggly females who rushed on stage as he gave out the treats. Which turned out to be cold cheeseburgers from McDonald’s. But considering Julian was clad in his Swayze trademark black tee, it was clear the ladies weren’t too disappointed.

Bubbles ended the show by ‘filming’ a demo for his Hollywood debut, featuring a live rendition of ‘Liquor and Whores’ from the TPB soundtrack. 

With season 10 being released next year and rapper, Snoop Dogg, due to make a cameo after having the Sunnyvale studs on his GGN talk show and announcing that TPB ‘’is one of the greatest shows ever created’’, the Canadian comedians demonstrated why the hype is real.

Their brotherly camaraderie was hilarious to witness IRL and the chemistry undeniable.  

The shirt sums up everything Ricky’s about.

Bubbles and Julian in action and repping Nova Scotia with their patriotic maple leaves on show.

Julian’s hamburgers, come get ‘em.

Check out Bubbles belting out Liquor and Whores:

The 30 Best Pictures of Copenhagen Open 2015

July saw Copenhagen taken over by skateboarders across the globe to battle it out for a purse prize worth up to $40,000. All the heavy weights were there: Nassim Guammaz, Ishod Wair, Luan Oliveira and Evan Smith. The competition was on fire (quite literally). The Danish capital provided different spots each day for the skating to take place, with locations including Refshale Island, The Meatpacking District and the world’s oldest theme park, Tivoli. A D.I.Y plaza was constructed at Tivoli specifically for the Open and CPH Skatepark was reconstructed just days before the event.

Carlos Ribeiro won the Copenhagen Open, with Luan Oliveira coming in at second place and Louie Lopez at third.

Take a scroll through the photos below to see what went down at the five-day tournament. Oh, and there's also footage of skaters jumping through a flaming heart for your viewing. No skaters were hurt during filming, FYI.

Check out the Ring of Fire at Faelledparken:

In Conversation with Mads Christensen London AM 2015 Euro Series Winner

I caught up with the humble Mads Christensen after his victory at BaySixty6. The 27-year-old Danish champion was happy to talk about his win and other competitions that’s he’s been skating his way around.

How do you feel about winning the contest?
‘’I didn’t expect it because everybody was killing it out there. And I was feeling like I was getting the last straw out of the semi-finals. I was one of the fifteenth qualified for the semi-finals. So, in that way I feel really lucky.I didn’t expect it, I just tried my best.’’

You competed in a bunch of other skateboarding competitions before London AM, right?
‘’Yeah, I’ve competed in Basel, the European Skateboarding Championship and the Redbull Manny Mania contest in New York.’’

Are you excited to compete at the Berlin final in July with all the other European skaters?
‘’Yeah, really excited. I actually just right now was thinking, I did not expect to go there before today. But now I’m definitely going!’’

So, are you also going to be at the Copenhagen Open in July?
‘’Yeah, I actually live in Copenhagen so yeah, for sure!’’

Christensen won the £3,000 prize for coming first place and competed in the final leg of the series in Berlin the following month. Runner up, Ross McGouran and Joao Santos who came third joined him.

Joao Santos (left), winner Mads Christensen (centre), Ross McGouran (right).