Haulenbeek & Yakovleff are partners in crime. Haulenbeek carries a big arsenal of camera equipment. Comrade Yakovleff catches big air. They both have big (and hard to spell) names. Haulenbeek is obviously Spanish. Yakov-eh-lev-a-lev-lev is undoubtedly French.
Anyway, we’re glad that both of their ancestors got marooned in Vermont during the Great Green Mountain Franco-Spanish Incursion of 1972.
Every once in a while this melting pot media duo turn out something sweet. Here’s a little evidence of a big idea come to fruition.
Says Staff Photog’ Ben Haulenbeek:
Back in September I was driving north on Rt 7 through southern VT on my way home and Sasha happened to be in the are too. He had been wanting to show me some trails on Magic Mountain that’d he’s been riding for years, so we took advantage of the opportunity. We decided to link up in Manchester, partially because one of my favorite breakfast places is there, and they have a skate park. Being early autumn with the colors in the hills just starting to turn, and ideal weather, I was eager to spend as much time on shooting and riding as possible, so it was a welcome detour.
Like most small town parks Manchester’s is an amalgamation of random and questionably constructed features with no flow. However there was one feature there that Sasha was insistent we shoot, a giant wooden bank. It takes a skilled rider to make use of something like this, but as always Sasha delivered. I’m glad he dragged me over there, he had a good variety of tricks to throw down on the lowly feature, and I think we got some pretty good content. The transfer onto the bank is impressive, I still don’t know how he can boost so high of that tinny little ramp!
Says Resident Prorider Sasha Yakovleff:
I grew up in Southern VT, so I seize any opportunity I get to come home and ride the amazing terrain in the region. I happened to be in town helping out some family friends when I heard that the Manchester skatepark had a crazy new feature. My friend John Kelly builds and re-models the park, so I gave him a call and that sealed the deal; he said he had just built a tall weird new vert wall/quarter that I had to check out.
I coordinated with Ben, who was swinging through the area, and we made it happen. Manchester is a super scenic little town tucked in a valley surrounded by mountains so I knew the park would shoot well. We started the day at the park and then headed up to some of my favorite DH trails on nearby Magic Mountain. I had a few more spots in mind but we ran out of time, so stay tuned for more coming soon!
