ShredCanal: Monster Miata

It’s not everyday you see a skater full sending themselves over a Mazda Miata.

More elusive?

Seeing it happen in front of The Hub on Canal St.

Canal is no stranger to shutting down for events - happens all the time.

But it’s usually for art walks or car shows. Not skate contests.

And definitely not for huge airs over a Miata.

But that’s exactly what went down Thursday April 9th.

Armed with my A7CR and 50mm, I hit the streets to document the event—Dvoyd style.

First Time for Everything

By 4 PM, the “soothing” sounds of skate ASMR were already in full effect:

wood on wood,

metal on metal,

and when things went wrong—body on pavement.

The energy was kinetic—almost tangible.

Vendors and fans lined the sidewalks—old, young, and everywhere in between.

The Brewery seemed to be the major hot spot.

Beer was flowing. Music was playing.

A faint trace of cannabis lingered in the air.

It bordered on sensory overload—

but fun

Yelling, cheering—

and the occasional “OHHHHH” when someone took a slam.

A genuinely monumental moment for New Smyrna.

The annual Mike Martin Pro/Am Surf Festival is already a local staple—a multi-day surf contest every April.

But this year, they added something new.

Ahead of Tampa Pro, someone had the idea to include a skate day.

They dubbed it the NSB Skate Open.

It took a village—literally.

The City of New Smyrna Beach, Blake Carpenter, Monster Energy, and a stacked lineup of sponsors shut down an entire block—from Jimmy Hula’s to The Hub—and rebuilt it for one purpose:

Shredding.

Handrails. Quarterpipes. A massive bank.

…and of course—a Miata.

Absolute LEGENDS

The lineup was stacked.

Amateurs, pros—even Olympians.

Brian Anderson. Kelvin Hoefler. Curren Caples. Devin Bagnoli. The Dern brothers…

The list goes on.

They all rip.

One second, someone’s attempting a benihana over the Miata.

The next—someone’s locking into a front noseslide down the handrail.

Looking left. Looking right—

it was impossible to keep up.

Your best bet? Pick an obstacle and wait.

Things really ramped up once the contest started. With three minutes on the clock, it was game time.

Kickflip indys. Kickflip melons. Frontside flip attempts.

At one point, I swear Jhank hit a back smith on the Miata’s windshield wiper.

And then—Jake Wooten.

Despite a valiant effort from everyone, he took Best Trick with the cleanest backside 360 I’ve ever seen.

Undeniably gnarly.

Just watching it made my back hurt.

April Showers Can Suck It

Florida weather, of course, had other plans.

A little after 6 PM, a light shower rolled in—bringing everything to a halt.

A huge bummer, but understandable. For most of these skaters, this isn’t just fun—it’s their livelihood.

So as the sun started dipping, they called it.

Winners were announced. Merch started flying—

shirts, hats, boards… an absurd number of socks.

But the real highlight?

Someone’s dog broke loose and started running the course.

He almost took Best Trick.

Once Rover was back on the leash, the pros began to disperse—and the crowd shifted.

Onto the course.

Rain or shine, the skaters weren’t done—and honestly, it made for a perfect second act. Especially for anyone who showed up late expecting a show.

To wrap up the night, Harder Than Nunchucks played us out with some fresh jams.

And if you still wanted more, Clancy’s had your back with the after-party.

This Ain’t a Hobby - It’s Practice

In a world obsessed with reels and algorithms—why tell 2D stories?

Because I’m documenting New Smyrna.

And I don’t care about algorithms.

I’m a storyteller.

I pay attention to the things most people overlook.

Like this guy on the left—ecstatic that Jake signed his board.

Sure, the slow-motion clip of the bs 360 is insane.

But I’m telling the story of skateboarding.

I’m looking at everything everything around it:

The crowd.

The reactions.

The in-between moments.

That’s the real story.

Will the Monster Miata make a Comeback??

Short answer?

It better.

I didn’t get an official confirmation, but if Instagram has anything to say about it—we’re destined for a repeat.

The subculture showed up—and it was hardly subtle.

Canal was almost unrecognizable.

And honestly?

It looked good.

So yeah—

I think we deserve another.

If you made it this far, follow me on Instagram: @dvoyd