It All Started With a Manual — The Skateable History of Columbus Park

Skate spots are living, breathing things. They shift with the socioeconomic climate of the time, and position themselves to best adapt with people’s needs. Skateboarding has always been reflective of greater society, so it should come as no surprise that our lives were pushed into Columbus Park as we began to get pushed out of the pricier, glossier haunts that we once frequented in lower Manhattan.

Columbus Park sits on ominous ground. It was built on top of what was once America’s first slum: a hotbed of vice, disease, murder and clashes for control that have been documented in many books and films. Though it would take decades for the neighborhood to rid itself of the notoriety it earned throughout the 19th century, the city built Columbus Park in 1897. A hundred years passed, and then a guy from Clifton, New Jersey came along. The park began its second life as one of the few downtown spots you can skate in 2017 without getting kicked out.

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It’s Warm Again

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Chrome Ball came through with a sick compliation of Four Star ads from the late-nineties and early-2000s. Keenan’s switch pop shove in Australia is super chill.

After hours with Black Dave by Taji Ameen. He 5050s the top of the metal bench at Grace. The guard looked mad though…

Want more mad security guards? Quim Cardona and Billy Rohan shred around Times Square and midtown for their Berrics “Off the Grid” segment. Light wash denim is definitely making the #trendwatch.

Speaking of which, what new spot is going to #trend for this summer’s wave of pro skater visitations, now that the green ledge in Harlem is gone? Or is the stockpile of footage on it enough to keep its memory going?

Guy Mariano offers some wise advice that should be common sense, but unfortunately isn’t for a lot of people: Don’t spend your time in skateboarding bitter and resentful, especially at a young age. That “bitter at 23” shit is the worst. Also, all due respect to Guy, but it’s tough to take his observation about “Skateboarders getting smarter” seriously after skimming through the comments of the Jenkem Mag “New Alien Workshop Rider” April Fool’s video. Then again, YouTube Hella Clips comments are one of modern society’s low-points.

Parts from the Mama’s Boys video are getting uploaded one by one each week. Kevin Maillet’s is the first to go live. Cyrus Bennett and Loose Trucks Max eventually?

For whatever reason, it’s easy to forget about Organika sometimes, but their new promo is great. They literally skate trees in it.

Spot Updates: 1) That new building at Astor is going to have stuff to skate. You can also count on it being knobbed or a six-second bust. 2) With the St. Vincent’s triangle slated for demolition, the actual bank has seen better days. 3) There’s a new box at T.F. It’s high and short. The green wallie thing is almost a wrap, too.

Did we travel back to 2006? Papoose’s album seriously just came out. Though the infamous “WorstPapoose” Tumblr got deleted, you can find the archive here. The stakes is high like the top shelf in the meat market.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Easy. J.R. Smith off Felton’s fumble with two seconds left. Is it too early to start getting scared about some team offering J.R. a better contract next season and him passing on his $2.8M option with the Knicks?

Quote of the Week: “Who hangs out with a girl on a Saturday afternoon? Girls are for rainy days and nighttime.” — Sweet Waste

Thanks to everyone who linked the Eli edit. Enjoy this wonderful week.