Who is Mark Korte and what does he have to do with rollerblading?

I can basically answer that by saying… I am the USD Enforcer, one of the founders of the Stretch Crew, and a Powerslide veteran… since a lot of kids might not know what in the hell that means, I will break it down.

I came to be part of USD in the late part of ‘98, when the team was Arlo Eisenberg, Champion Baumstimler, Dustin Latimer, Jon Julio, and Josh Petty. At the time I was only hired by Powerslide to push papers, but that changed after a week or so.

To make a long story short, I had found my calling. I got to know all of the USD team (which was going through a transition period, much like we are now) and I ended up being the filter between the company and the team; I might even go as far as to say the glue, and at the same time I was the International Sales Manager at Powerslide.

So I was able to combine all of that into helping make USD (and The Conference Brands that followed) the hottest thing available. During this period, of which I am very proud to be a part of, we had the undisputed best team in Rolling, I built a worldwide flow team to rival all others at the time, and worked with distributors in over 40 countries building USD.

I was very adament about everything having structure, and working with the best team of rollers in the world has moulded my personality to this day, and I am grateful to each and every one who ever rolled for USD. […]

Full Interview on Oneblademag.com.
Originally posted on Believeinone.com | backup on Archive.org.

up: Barely Dead Packaging, featuring Arlo Eisenberg and Jon Julio ; artwork by Andrew Tunney. Photo source: Be-mag.

In 1995, just four years after rollerblading became the fastest growing participation sport in human history, the first X-Games made its way into households across America. While millions of people were already familiar with the idea of inline skating as a recreational activity, the X-Games was the first time most viewers ever saw a side of the sport known then as aggressive inline skating.

For any young sport, getting so much exposure was a triumph – seen at the time as testimony to the sports’ longevity; a sign of widespread public acceptance. But what no one seemed to expect was public backlash from the recently united action sports community that nearly erased the sports’ mainstream marketability.

More than ten years later, a young sport that many wrote off as unoriginal has discovered the truth behind its origins and progressed to levels of unfathomable athleticism. Traits once viewed as weaknesses have evolved into strengths, and while the world slept, rollerblading — and those who live to do it — built a formidable international network of the dedicated and industrious nature.

Barely Dead is a film about an underground culture that has grown beyond ethnic, economic and social boundaries- a culture brought together by a shared love for rollerblading. And why that culture is going to be the next great anti-establishment movement for the 21st century.

up: Barely Dead Packaging, featuring Chris Haffey. Photo source: Be-mag.

Download the teaser : BDtrailer.mov (quicktime, 12mb) - Link Down

up: Jon Julio & Chris Haffey from the Barely Dead Dvd Packaging.