To collect reference material for the stunts seen in the game, the development team went to the Skate Ranch in Toronto, where they were directed to Troy Manering, the community's reputed best skater. After the team rented a warehouse and set up a series of ramps, Snowden spent several days videotaping Manering performing a collection of moves, which were rotoscoped for the game's characters. For the game's graffiti art, the development team conducted an exhaustive tour of Toronto and photographed graffiti styles that they liked. After finding a phone number on one of the walls, the team came into contact with Carlos Zelaya, Zack Benwell, and Nelson Garcia. Because the trio were teenagers and unable to drive, the interview with them was conducted at a train station. The artists were impressed by the game's concept and suggested a grunge soundtrack during a visit to the EA Canada offices. The game's audio artist, Jeff van Dyck, was not initially knowledgeable of the genre, but developed a taste for it after being locked in a room and listening to a collection of CDs of bands from Seattle's grunge scene.