QS Restaurant Week — An Oral History of Skateboarding’s Most Notorious Fast Food Hangouts

Words & Interviews by Frozen in Carbonite
Illustrations by Cosme Studio

The history of the [largely extinct] American Skate Plaza™ has been documented meticulously in thousands of hours of video footage, interviews and podcasts.

However, documentarians of #theculture have largely overlooked the ancillary dining establishments that fueled — on a molecular level — the innovation and unforgettable sessions at spots like the Brooklyn Banks, Pulaski, Embarcadero and Love Park.

Until the rise of “foodie” culture, Yelp and the general trend of eating healthy and shit, most skaters’ palates trended towards the most convenient fast-casual options.

With that in mind, and in conjunction with New York Restaurant Week (which is apparently almost a month long ¯\_(ツ)_/¯), we present Quartersnacks Restaurant Week — an oral history of legendary spot-adjacent fast food restaurants. Over the course of conducting the interviews, some common themes emerged, i.e. most skaters favored carb-heavy menu options as an easily accessible energy source. In addition, at most spots the skaters and food service workers formed alliances — an interesting anthropological wrinkle in terms of how different cultures interact.

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Welcome Back @badgalriri!

mtl

Photo via Pad Dowd.

Jahmal Williams is still cooler than your favorite skater.

Jake Johnson and Pontus skate some polejams for Jake’s welcome to Cons segment.

Here’s some footage of Antoine I poached during my lunch breaks at Quiznos®.”

Sidewalk has a really good interview with Mike Carroll about 20 years of Girl/Choc.

The oral history of EMB is a solid companion piece to your copy of the FTC book.

Lurk NYC’s “New York Times” B-roll series is back on with Volume 9.

Cross legged kickflip landings, no comply 360s when your foot doesn’t touch the ground, and other tricks on Flo Mirtain’s oddball tricks list. He forgot Kenny Andrson’s cab powerslide down the hill in Pretty Sweet.

ICYMI: 1) The Benny Fairfax and Chewy Cannon Palace + Adidas part is perfect. Nosegrind, front crook, nosegrind 180 is the line of the year. Grey also has a quick interview with Benny about the part. 2) Episode two of the Chocolate Epicly Later’d gives the most detailed account of what happened with Keenan Milton to date. Pretty rough episode. 3) What. The. Fuck. The rollaway sounds like a plane taking off.

“I ended that interview by asking if you thought it was a good interview and if you were going to kill yourself when you read it. Your response was ‘I hope not.’ I was worried about you all weekend and Monday, when I got back to the office, I called you to ask about some photo or something, but it was really just a call to make sure you were alive and OK. It was, without a doubt, the heaviest interview I’ve ever done.” Nieratko interviews 2005 Eric Koston Game of S.K.A.T.E winner turned children’s book writer, Jim Bates, about battling his depression in a heavy-but-important read.

An interview with Ian from Jenkem about running a D.I.Y. online publication.

What would rappers be doing right now if Tony Montana got into skateboarding instead of selling cocaine?

Way more interesting that expected: How “blue collar” vert skaters sometimes make a living with Paul Zitzer on the Mostly Skateboarding Podcast. Been a big year for shifting away from the vert button.

Quick iPhone clip from the Heights’ Mira Conyo crew.

hat

We made it! This is cool and all, but please nobody else buy any QS hats for $70 :( We will have them available again in the springtime, including some in new colorways. You’ll be wearing beanies up until that point anyway, which will be available later this month, along with hoodys and longsleeves. Tees still available.

The QS Rap Desk’s favorite artist, four years and running.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Gallo and Faried are back.

Quote of the Week
Dylgr: “We should drive there.”
Observant Gentleman: “It’s like a ten-minute walk and parking will be a nightmare.”
Dylgr: “Yeah, but we can listen to the Rich Gang mixtape.”

It’s just great to have RiRi back on the ‘gram again :)