ECW Press,Canada strana 2 z 2

A vibrant, meticulously researched celebration of the women and non-binary skateboarders who defied a hostile industry and redefined skateboarding around the world. The experiences of heroic older women have traditionally been dismissed or buried in the history books, and the skateboarding industry has mirrored this trend. The conversation has focused on the iconic male professionals, their contest results, trick inventions, and sponsors, while female skateboarders rarely get mentioned beyond a token paragraph, and stories of their contributions and barrier-breaking have almost never been told. Until now. With enthusiasm and empathy, Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides celebrates the relentless participation of women in skateboarding from the 1960s onward who defied a hostile industry to carve out their own space through underground networks. Skater librarian Natalie Porter presents interviews and meticulous research, including the DIY zines created by female and non-binary skaters to expose this unacknowledged story while offering a personal narrative about the importance of community-building and validation, with or without your own video game. Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides disrupts the image of skateboarding as an exclusive male domain, offering historical context for the seemingly rapid progress of female skaters today seen competing on the Olympic stage. Discover how the collective action of a grassroots movement in the 1980s established meaningful change, building a foundation that has led to greater inclusion and diversity, which has inspired women, girls, and non-binary youth worldwide to roll on a skateboard for the first time and, sometimes, return to this passion as an adult.

Get a rare glimpse into the mind of Karrion Kross, the 6''4", 265-pound powerhouse known for his ferocity in the ring but admired for his thoughtful perseverance outside of it. This book is packed with heartache, humor, and invaluable lessons, revealing the real man behind the menacing exterior and his relentless journey to the top of sports entertainment.Karrion Kross’s physique — a hulking 6''4", 265 pounds — and the unbridled intensity in his eyes is enough on its own to inspire fear in opponents. Factor in his unique combination of precision and abject ruthlessness, and it becomes clear that anyone stepping in the ring with Kross is in immediate danger. A master of catch wrestling and sambo, Kross has done battle around the world. He boasts an array of devastating suplexes, including his dreaded Doomsday Saito. And if that’s not enough, he’s more than happy to put opponents to sleep with the Kross Jacket. For all his menacing exterior, the human being behind the character — whose real name is Kevin Kesar — is a soft-spoken, highly thoughtful individual with a powerful story. Recognized by peers for his exceptional love for his profession, Kesar endured numerous setbacks on the way to achieving his dream. Along with his wife, Elizabeth — known in WWE as Scarlett — he has repeatedly found the fortitude to bounce back stronger, personally and professionally. This book is full of fascinating stories, heartache, humor, and even some advice for those with similar aspirations. Readers will be immersed into Kesar’s unique mindset as he pulls back the curtain on what the journey (and the fight) to the top of sports entertainment is really like.

Using a blend of cultural criticism, humor, and personal memoir akin to Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror or Grace Perry’s The 2000s Made Me Gay, Joelle Kidd writes about her evangelical adolescence through the lens of Christian pop culture of the early 2000s, giving readers a peek into this odd subculture and insight into how evangelicalism’s growing popularity around the turn of the millennium has shaped culture and politics — including today’s far right.An empathetic, funny, and sharply critical collection of essays exploring the Christian pop culture of the 2000s and its influence on today’s politically powerful evangelicalism In 1999, after three years of secular living in Eastern Europe, Joelle Kidd moved back to Canada and was enrolled in the strange world of an evangelical Christian school. In Jesusland, Joelle writes about the Christian pop culture that she was suddenly immersed in, from perky girl bands to modest styling tips, and draws connections between this evangelical subculture and the mainstream, a tense yet reciprocal relationship that both disavows the secular while employing its media markers. But none of this was just about catchy songs: every abstinence quiz in a teen magazine was laying the foundation for what would become a conservative Christian movement that threatens women’s healthcare, attacks queer and trans rights, and drives present-day political division. Through nine incisive, honest, and emotional essays, Jesusland exposes the pop cultural machinations of evangelicalism, while giving voice to aughts-era Christian children and teens who are now adults looking back at their time, measuring the length of their skirts, and asking each other if their celebrity crush was Christian enough. With care and generosity, Jesusland shows us how the conservative evangelical movement became the global power it is today by exploring the pop culture that both reflected and shaped an entire generation of young people.

Having tried his hand at medicine, pickpocketing, and good old-fashioned thuggery, Seamus Caron has finally settled into life as a private detective, hunting down lost money and wandering husbands. It''s not glamorous work, but it pays the bills and provides a steady supply of fistfights for entertainment. The job also keeps him close to his best friend, Sandra Blair, a homicide detective for the Toronto Police. But when she calls in a favour on a murder case, Seamus realises that the victim is a notorious mob lawyer, putting an end to what little stability and safety he''d managed to scrape together. Seamus must find the killer before the murder sparks an all-out gang war. Luckily, he''s got help - a confidence man turned barman, the finest cook in Little Chinatown, and Maxwell Moscovitz, his new secretary. She has the mental sharpness and moral flexibility for the job, but she also has a few secrets of her own. Seamus begins to suspect a connection between the murder and a new drug on the street known as Platinum, which promises obscene profits for its suppliers, euphoria for its users, and a shockingly high death rate. As he investigates suspicious overdoses, Seamus can''t help hearing echoes of his past and the tragedy he''s spent 20 years trying to forget. Caught between the police, the mob, and an anonymous killer, Seamus will need to face his demons, or he just might lose it all.

Twenty-something Ruthie Cohen, a data entry minion for a second-tier movie app, spends her days thinking about the kickass meals she''s going to make for her besties, Trish and Lilly, while pining for Dean (sigh, Dean), her vacation fling from six months earlier. Could they have made it work in real life? On top of that, Bubbe Bobby Grace, Ruthie''s beloved and inspiring grandmother, passed away and left Ruthie an inheritance of USD 62,873.42, along with instructions on how to use it: ''Follow your passion, Dollface.'' During a prosecco-fueled night with her gal pals, Ruthie decides to turn her passion into a career and learn the art of French cooking, enrolling in culinary school, paying tuition, and buying her chef''s whites with a few quick clicks online. It''s not long before Ruthie marches into the kitchen and feels the heat from her cooking partner, Jeff, the super hunky (totally taken!) musician that weasels his way into her brain - right next to Dean. How can anyone be expected to focus on school, cooking, career planning, baking, friends, and deciding between two hot guys, especially when one of them also thinks that John Cusack is woefully underrated? And what if neither feels quite like Ruthie''s perfect pairing?

In June 2023, writer Dan Rubinstein lashed camping gear to his stand-up paddleboard and embarked on an improbable solo voyage from Ottawa to Montreal, New York City, Toronto, and back to Ottawa along the rivers, lakes, and canals of a landlocked region. Over 1,200 miles and 10 weeks, he explored the healing potential of ''blue space'' - the aquatic equivalent of green space - and sought out others drawn to their local waters. But the farther Rubinstein paddled, the more he realised that being in, on, or around water does more than boost our mental and physical health and prompt stewardship toward the natural world. He discovered that blue spaces are also a way to connect with the kaleidoscopic cross-section of people he met and the diverse geographies and communities he passed through. Weaving together research, interviews, and an unmacho, malodorous, anticolonial adventure tale, Water Borne shows us that we don''t need an epic journey to find solutions to so many modern challenges. Repair and renewal may be close at hand: just add water.

We are totally butt-crazy in love with Clueless. Since the movie''s premiere in 1995, pop culture has mined Amy Heckerling''s high school comedy for inspiration, from Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX''s ''Fancy'' music video to Cher''s iconic yellow plaid suit appearing at every Halloween party. In Ugh! As If!, Veronica Litt argues that this seemingly fluffy teen romp is the quintessential thinking woman''s movie, one in which the audience is asked to seriously consider the beauty and power of naivete. Cher Horowitz''s gradual pivot from oblivious it girl to burgeoning activist is a powerful reminder that even the most unlikely people can change for the better and contribute to their communities. In this bright, shiny film, pursuing a more just society isn''t just possible - it''s enjoyable. This fun, feminine, feel-good movie is a counter-narrative to nihilism, a refusal to give into cynicism, hopelessness, and passivity. Almost without viewers noticing, Clueless teaches Cher, and us, how to become better. Like the film it examines, Ugh! As If! nudges even the most jaded viewer into feeling hopeful about the future.

Bodybuilding’s foremost nonconformist and strikingly handsome intellectual, Mike Mentzer, rose to the top of his sport despite opposition from industry insiders like rival Schwarzenegger. Written by his close friend of two decades, Mike Mentzer: American Odysseus chronicles Mentzer’s journey in a fiercely competitive world to become one of the most iconic bodybuilders of all time.“This is the definitive text on the life of bodybuilding’s greatest iconoclast … A towering achievement.” — Jack Neary, former senior editor of Muscle & Fitness magazine Mike Mentzer was a strikingly handsome man with a brilliant mind and a “perfect” physique — the first bodybuilder to receive a perfect score in both amateur and professional competitions. In the late ’70s, Mentzer rose to the very top of his sport (despite the efforts made by industry power brokers, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger), was featured in GQ magazine, and profiled on national television. But he was also a man who wrestled with mental illness his entire life and ended up living on the streets and being sent to prison. Just when it seemed his career was over, he found it within himself to reboot his intellect and revolutionize bodybuilding training, arguing bodybuilders should not forsake their mental development in favor of developing their bodies. He became a pariah in the fitness industry (which only cared about selling supplements and other products) but a hero to legions of fans who earnestly sought truth. Mike Mentzer: American Odysseus is the first biography of Mike Mentzer to appear in North America written by his close friend of 21 years, John Little, “one of the leading fitness researchers in North America” (Iron Man magazine). Drawing upon audio recordings, letters, diary excerpts, as well as interviews with those closest to him, this is the true story of one man who stood up to an entire industry — and paid the ultimate price.

On an overcast day in 1987, the pro wrestling landscape was altered forever when a reported 93,173 fans converged on the Pontiac Silverdome outside Detroit to see Hulk Hogan defend his championship against Andre the Giant. For several years, Vincent Kennedy McMahon had been transforming old-time rasslin'' into mainstream ''sports entertainment,'' incorporating A-list celebrities into storylines and forcing even cynics to follow the proceedings. But the massive turnout for WrestleMania III convinced sponsors, licensees, and media conglomerates that the company that would become World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) was no longer a fringe diversion for the unwashed masses; it was now legitimate physical theatre worthy of global attention. From this point forward, it would be acceptable for devotees to make the annual pilgrimage to WrestleMania from the far corners of the Earth, the way others journeyed to the World Cup or Super Bowl. BIGGER! BETTER! BADDER! is the story behind the seminal event, told from the perspective of company executives, wrestlers who appeared on the card, fans who attended the show, and other wrestling personalities. But wrestling author and historian Keith Elliot Greenberg also examines the entire industry at the time, including insights from representatives from the rival promotions McMahon was putting out of business as pro wrestling transitioned from a regional phenomenon into an international juggernaut.

Viola MacMillan had it all: success, money, and respect. Influence, even. But in 1964, after three decades in the mining industry, one of the most fascinating women in Canadian business history was the central character in one of the country''s most famous stock scandals. MacMillan, who started out as a prospector in the ''30s, had developed lucrative mines and put together big deals. But she still wanted ''a major discovery.'' Early in July 1964, shares in Windfall Oil and Mines, a company she and her husband controlled, traded for around 56 cents. Then one day, the stock took off. In the absence of any information from the company about what it had found near Timmins on its claims, rumours and greed pushed the share price to a high of 5.70USD. MacMillan stayed quiet. Finally, after three weeks, Windfall admitted it had nothing. So many small investors lost money when the stock crashed that the Ontario government appointed a royal commission to examine what had happened, which led to changes at the Ontario Securities Commission and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Although MacMillan spent a few weeks in prison, she later received a pardon and the Order of Canada.