TRENDWATCH 2012: The T.F. Summer Trend Report

April 19th, 2012 | 10:21 am | Daily News | 5 Comments

Four months into 2012 and we can already determine which status symbols will dominate this summer at the T.F. The photo above is a routine slice of modern T.F. life, encompassing all of the styles relevant to a summer 2012 stint at Tompkins Square Park. Here are the five most heavily trending developments.

1) Camo: For the second year in a row, the consumer-base for camo continues to expand. Earlier this year, it was predicted that sweatpants would overtake camo’s New York-based marketshare, but their ascent has been slow to say the least. On the other hand, camo experienced nearly threefold growth. Discussions of whether or not camo “has gone too far” are rising, but not more rapidly than the adoption of new patterns and new customers (there are three different swatches in the picture above.)

2) Palace Shirts: With Autumn limited to an online operation (Autumn had dominated the graphic t-shirt market at the T.F. for the past 10 years), the London-based brand found itself a niche in an environment where the blank white tee is otherwise king. Though the triangle tee was sought after by insiders last summer, the brand’s expansion and thus a wider availability has made it one of 2012′s must-haves, even for those who are typically weary of the graphic t-shirt.

3) Cargoes: One of the more memorable door-guy moments in recent history was Big Rob from Lit denying someone by telling him, “Between the cargo pants and the laptop bag, it’s not happening tonight.” That was in 2008, when Lit was still somewhat relevant. Now that it is no longer relevant, perhaps it switched places with the previously frowned upon cargo pockets, which have crept their way back into relevancy and wardrobe rotations among the T.F. faithful.

Video Review: Natural Koncept – Creepin’ For Life

April 18th, 2012 | 11:01 am | Reviews | 8 Comments

We could have reviewed the new Transworld video. We decided to review the new Natural Koncept video instead.

By Galen DeKemper

Creepin’ for Life will make you forget you own other videos. Along with graffiti, Club Feria and urine consumption, Creepin’ for Life features the skate obstacles that try men’s souls. For a trick that allows Josh Zickert to have women call him “JZ Radical,” he goes above and beyond any call of duty save his own to master a vast intimidating sculpture in the heart of a landscape automobiles had previously owned. The rest of the video is similarly raw. Each rider’s part includes a heavy nod to his home turf mixed with the touring footage that ensues when this eleven man squad travels by van feeding off each other. Observe landmark skating on landmarks, monumental tricks on monuments and some wavy banks that you’d like to skate in the course of this 50-minute production that includes Sean Payne and thanks Paul Sevigny.

Call My Accountant, He Gonna Make It Do Magic

April 16th, 2012 | 12:29 pm | Daily News | 5 Comments

Is this a photo from the T.F. or an unseen production still from City of God?

Last week, Skateboarder ran a “25 Questions” feature with #PhatStylez co-founder, Jack Sabback. Ice coffee, switch shove-its, and Commodore nachos are all chill.

Bill Pierce’s part from the KCDC video is now online. The Juicy J skate part is still heavily trending in 2012. (Loosely related: “Girls who like Juicy J are the worst.” — Matt Mooney.) You can find some other parts from the video here.

Due to the song, this clip is a mandatory post. Hard to tell where it’s based out of, but the description was astute enough to acknowledge the song’s best line, so it doesn’t matter.

Jereme Rogers A.K.A. J.R. Blastoff was spotted at Tompkins and interviewed on a variety of subjects: making the world a better place, Audemars, “raising human consciousness,” Honda Civics being the dirty white tee shirts of cars, and Lurker Lou not saying “Hi” to him.

Some footage of the Washington Heights homies. (C.R.E.A.M. > Y.O.L.O.)

There’s a new quarterpipe at the lot under the BQE in Williamsburg. Here are some tricks on it.

Principal QS shareholder, Alexander Mosley, has been living in Puerto Rico for the past half-year. He has a line in the middle of this Mayagüez skate plaza clip.

That short loading dock to cellar door bank spot on Canal and Washington Street is gone. They removed the bank. Watch Jose Pereyra’s part from the 2008 2nd Nature video because he has an ender on it.

New wooden bench spot downtown. It sucks, but people are still going to skate it.

Weird. The 11th and Wythe Street ledge turned into a hotel.

Quote of the Week
Inquisitive Gentleman: “What’s the whitest trick in skateboarding? A benihana?”
Neal Santos: “The whitest trick in skateboarding is snowboarding.”


Don’t forget to do your taxes.

The Week in T.F. [West] Videos

April 13th, 2012 | 2:35 pm | Footage | 4 Comments

Office sports season has officially started at the T.F. The softball paralegals are wielding their permits as they hijack the park, and the guys playing street hockey in gym shorts and yamakas continue to wish they were as cool as the under-40 Jewish basketball league. The paralegals haven’t called the cops yet, but they inevitably will, especially when key derelicts decide they’re too dumb or too high to care if they get hit in the head with a softball while practicing switch mob flips.

What many casual T.F. patrons don’t know, is that there is an arguably superior slab of baseball diamond concrete on the other side of the island. It falls short of Tompkins from a cultural standpoint, but its amenities are unparalleled. They include a two-block skate from the best slice spot in Manhattan, a four-block skate to Mamoun’s and Gray’s Papaya if you’re poor, the former residence of the G-Man, and sightseeing benches that are vastly more fashionable than their eastside counterparts. (Many of Tompkins’ notable personalities haven’t left the East Village since ground was broken at the T.F. in 2001, so surpassing it in culture is next to impossible.) Tompkins may have one cone, but T.F. West has 1/3 of a sawhorse.

Below is a video by Xavier Veal that documents this monumental east-to-west journey, and the many hardships endured by those who dare to leave the East Village.

Related: Last week’s “Week in T.F. Videos” installment

Filed Under: Footage | Tags: ,

Hi, I’m Forrest, Forrest Edwards

April 13th, 2012 | 12:47 pm | Daily News | 3 Comments

As overzealous YouTube commenters continue to lament the decline of skateboarding’s holiest week, they are losing sight of the real tragedy. Reality show antics and failed attempts at creating tension between a bunch of bushy-eyed youngsters looking to “make it” in skateboarding are secondary issues. The real thumbs down of the One in a Million legacy is Forrest Edwards quietly continuing his brilliant work in relative obscurity.

Below is a teaser for the Wild Power video, in which he tastefully interpolates the opening scene of the not-so-subtle red state favorite, and Oscar-winning film, Forrest Gump. Either we all have a superficial understanding of how the skateboarding industry works, or Forrest Edwards’ low-key position on the Toy Machine team is a colossal missed opportunity in playing to (and eventually monetizing) his status as a crowd favorite. It’s like if the Sacramento Kings benched Ron Artest for the entire season after the trade with the Pacers.

One is left to wonder: If the current crop of OIAM contestants received the chance to shine without high ollie contests and board set-up challenges obstructing their path, how much different would their post-OIAM fates have been, especially if Forrest Edwards continues to toil outside of skateboarding’s focal spotlight?

Thanks to Brian on Twitter for the tip. There’s no release date for Wild Power, but everyone is looking forward to it.