"I embrace the essence of forwardness," veteran Montreal ripper Barry Walsh says about turning 40-years-old. "I can't stop representing the movement that I fell in love with." Born and raised in the suburb of Verdun, he went for his first roll in '79 and has remained a true bespectacled skateboarding purist ever since. His name is symbolically (or perhaps literally) etched into the Big O's history-laden transitions, and anyone from the old school will testify that Barry has carved his path in the most underground and organic way possible. Not necessarily from breakthrough video parts, but by making his presence known on a down-to-earth level. Aside from his powerful and fundamentally sound vert skills, his personality and street savvy wisdom resonates well with everyone he meets. As Ottawa's Richard Sarrazin says: "I've met a lot of skaters, but Barry has an aura around him. He knows how to talk to people and he knows how to respect them." Words by Frank Daniello