Winnipeg photographer launches skateboarding magazine

Founder Jackson Toone talks about creating ‘Clearcut Magazine,’ how it got started and what folks can expect in the latest edition.

A Winnipeg photographer has turned a high school project and a passion for skateboarding and travel into a new self-published magazine.

Jackson Toone , age 21, created Clearcut Magazine, which features photos from his travels and skateboarding photos from Winnipeg and across Canada.

“I’ve been shooting photos since I was really young, and early into high school, I started to get involved in skateboarding and the skateboarding community, “ Toone said in a Tuesday interview with Your Morning Winnipeg. “The two sort of mesh together. Media is a really important part of skateboarding; it’s kind of core to the culture.”

While in high school, Toone compiled a collection of some of his photos into a publication called “Don’t Waste Time.” Now a University of Manitoba student and with some more experience under his belt, Toone decided to rebrand and republish under a new name.

“I wanted a fresh start and just to be able to really position myself in a way I wanted to do, so I could be happy to put things out for the next 10 years,” he said.

The magazine, which will have a limited run of 300 issues, features photos taken between 2024 and 2025 in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

While print media has seen a decline in recent years, Toone believes there is still a place for a well-made tangible product.

“People definitely want to hold something, even people in my generation want something they can physically hold,” he said.

“The physicality of it was really important.”

Toone said his goal is to release a new issue of Clearcut magazine yearly.

Clearcut Magazine is available at McNally Robinson locations in Winnipeg or can be ordered online.

-With files from CTV’s Katherine Dow