Perched on the half-pipe @ PJay

Okay, so what if the closest thing Saigon has to a half-pipe is still resting at a construction site waiting to be formed into a cable viaduct? Or that Tony Hawk himself will more likely be seen doing trick flips here on a bmx than on a skateboard? The point is skate boarding goes beyond gravity defying 720's into strong anti-establishment fashion statement - A statement every youth reaching the "No one understands me" and "I cannot die!" period can connect with. Skateboard fashion transcends stuntman mentality and dives into youth bravado in a heartbeat. I mean seriously, how many of us fans of X-Games and Console sports gamers out there have actually crashed off a railing of a staircase?

So when a new skateboard shop finally opened in Saigon, I felt completely at ease knowing that the teens here will pretty soon be proud owners of ball-busting injuries like smashing their groin into a random bench on the sidewalk or scraping their teeth from the asphalt when they fall flat on their faces. At least they will have truly 'legit' street-wear and boards their groupies can respect.

PJAY
148 Dien Bien Phu, Ward 6 District 3 HCMC.



PJay is in town and ready to pull out all the stops to make you skid the catwalks or sidewalks of Saigon in true form. One of the most striking thing about PJay is that the proprietors of the shop are themselves 'street legal' youths looking like a they just came off the set of an Avril Lavine MV. Ask for their photo collection and you'll understand why.

Let's sample the decks. Though laminated maple decks are the standard offer, designs are well chosen with a good range of graphic choices ranging from angsty quotes to cracking skulls. What they lack in board kits for the moment is amply made up with a slew of funky caps, pumps, sneakers, t-shirts, skater pants, skirts, dresses, belts and accompanying knick-knacks to ramp up your skating style.

The selection on offer are carefully kept within the skater territory, meaning whatever you choose won't make you feel like Mickey Mouse on wheels when you decide to go for the 'broken fingers' or a Japan Air.

For any newbies wondering how to get your gear in order for the next X-Games qualification, here's a quick guide of must haves from PJay:

1) Deck = Board with wheels
Pick up a deck, make sure it relates to you. If you're going to choose one with a quote, at least make sure you understand what it means. Otherwise, here's a size guide to help you roll correctly.

Under 4’ = 29” or smaller
4’ to 4’10” = 29” to 30” long
4’10” to 5’3” = 30.5” to 31.5” long
5’3” to 5”8” = 31.5” to 32” long
5”8” to 6’1” = 32” to 32.5” long
Over 6’1” = 32.4” and up

For your skateboard’s width, it all depends on how big your feet are. Most skateboards are around 7.5” to 8" wide, but can be wider or narrower. If you have larger feet, get a wider skateboard deck.
(for more tips on board choices, go to: http://skateboard.about.com/od/boardmaintenance/ss/ChoosingSkBoard_2.htm)

2) Pumps = Shoes
Shoes are essential to your ability to do tricks without breaking your ankles. Try a snug Nike Air Classic Midcut on for size and feel your feet ready to do whip up a storm on the decks as well as in your classroom. Selections include brands like DC, Vans and Triple Crowns.

3) Board Shorts to Skate Pants
A good pair is often worn slightly baggy with a good pair of boxers showing at the top so that if you get a skin burn, its much easier to pull it down for your mates to see. Pockets also come in handy as you don't really want to be holding all your gadgets while you're flipping your decks. Feel free to accessorize with silver chains, buttons and safety pins on torn bits for good measure.

4) T-Shirts, Button-up shirts and Jumpers
It's not uncommon for riders to go around shirtless showing off their washboard stomachs but on days when you feel the cops might take you in for questioning or you've just had a pint of beer, put on a real mean t-shirt to go with those shorts. And maybe you're ready to ride off a cliff in Dalat or just happen to have a date waiting at the next staircase, then make a statement with a cool jumper or a slick shirt to complete your look.

5) Caps = Worn tight, loose, sideways or backwards
Caps are essential to blocking out the blazing sun as you focus on your forward leap down that 3-storey car park. Worn loose when you're off the deck, sideways when you're part of a tribe and backwards when holding on to the tail of a car, the cap is every riders key to skateboarding glory. Choose from basic duck tipped baseball caps to hip-hop genre round tipped ones with proud emblems, all available here for rotation.

6) Accessories = Yeah...extra blings!
Today's riders don't just come looking like a back-alley cat, they are ready to accessorize with a host of style options. Hold your pants up with a bright yellow belt, sling on a backpack for all your additional kit or hang a Bape keychain onto your belt loop; riders today are as ready to hit the yogurt bar as they are rampaging through the fashion magazines.

Are we missing something?

The girls! Yes!

Even though the skate park has been a male testosterone release playground, skater girls are slowly making their presence felt the world over (Admittedly thanks to Avril Levine's hit record). Even if all you can do is ride from your campus to the convenience store, the skater girl too needs to look truly 'legit' with her own style and cuts.

PJay has taken full effort to stock up some of the cutest crop tops, shorts, skirts, jackets and shoes just for the girls. With colour palates ranging from dark mean tones to candy pastel prints, any skater girl is sure to strike up a few accidents when she rolls up the street corner. PJay skater girls are delectably feminine yet has enough rocks to put any skater boy into a tail whip. Cotton is the main order of the day as each piece is ensured that the skater girl keeps her hygene factor cool and sweat marks merely left to emphasize the 'growing' form.

Choose from neutral stripes to star struck or polka dotted prints or even little graphic cartoon prints to trick the audience into thinking you're a girl who can't hold her pint. Take it all in at PJay,
the little skate shop that's about to ride across Saigon (and the occasional pit-stop for a tourniquet).