Crazy But It’s True

Photo via Giese

“Jake Phelps surely embodied worlds in decline: Old San Francisco, famously non-PC, MJ1s on his feet until whatever deadstock tap ran dry, proofing a decades-old print publication with a snarling discontent any seasoned editor would recognize and respect. An artifact arguing and cussing every day for a place in a world moving some other way.” Unfortunate to link their way two weeks in a row for obituary purposes, but Boil Ocean has a way with them words.

“Though I would sometimes cross the street to avoid him, I can remember so much of what he said to me.” Patrick O’Dell also wrote a thing about Phelps over on Vice.

And here is a re-link to Willy Staley’s California Sunday profile of Phelps that originally ran in 2016, A.K.A. what BTO labeled as “secular-press skate piece top five.” Would be *so* open to a conversation about what the other four are ;)

The new Gang Corp video, Black Business, is premiering this Friday, March 22, at 198 Allen Street at 7 P.M.

Someone mashed together five minutes of Hjalte Insta clips a nice remix

Mike from Lottie’s takes five minutes to tell you what he’s pissed off about.

Munchies has a mini doc on the institution that has sustained New York skateboarding like none other throughout the 2010s — of course, we’re talking about 2 Bros. They also bring up a terrifying reality re: the ten-year leases that got signed at the start of the decade ending (e.g. when everyone was still reeling from the recession), and the dollar slice soon becoming a thing of the past.

“I think the mainstream American skateboarding culture is kidding itself. They’re really dismissive of emotions in a way that is hurting itself. It’s becoming more and more inline with traditional athleticism, but also what is acceptable as a skateboarder is so narrow – you have to be cool, not talk about your feelings.” If you’re one of those idiots like me who put off watching Minding the Gap for months, here’s another motivator: Skateism put their interview with director Bing Liu online. Yeah, you need to enter your card details, but a Hulu trial to watch it is free, and you can cancel the second you finish the movie — provided you’re not destroyed for the rest of the day.

Solo has a video profile of steez lord and Polar rider, Shin Sanbongi + Nick from Palomino took his legacy media expertise and wrote an introductory guide on Japanese indie zines and videos for the mag’s all-Japan issue. No Meatball interview?

TWS interviewed John Shanahan, though we all know A.V.E. had the best part in The DC Video.

Let’s just throw the interview loosies in one place… Frank 151 interviewed R.B. Umali (text), Enrique Lorenzo interviewed Dani Lebron (this one is audio, and yes, they have heavy accents, but their english is pretty perfect) + the Slam City Skates blog interviewed Colin Read (text.)

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Going to suspend our micro coverage of the NBA this week to acknowledge that the best feat of teamwork and athleticism of the past seven days was this guy getting a ~15-foot I-beam onto a New York City subway.

Quote of the Week: “Who the fuck is Andrew Wilson?” — Jake Phelps, flipping through a Skate Jawn

Better Late Than Never: End of Summer 2015 Montage

end of summer 2015

We made it! Just one day shy of October — when it becomes truly embarrassing to post an “End of Summer” edit. Not that we haven’t been late on the Labor Day deadline or entirely missed an End of Summer clip before (obviously in 2009, the year multiple viewers of the ten-year clip pointed out as the turning point for when the party became a crucial part of QS office culture), but it’d be too sad to enter autumn without bidding da summa farewell.

In our defense, these past four months had multiple extracurricular video projects: “56 Tricks,” “Core” (some of the better iPhone angles from it made their way into this one), the all-too-important TM101 anniversary clip, and obviously the ten-year edit.

Features Matt Perez [finally] graduating high school, Antonio Durao, Johnny Wilson, Andrew Wilson, Hjalte Halberg, Andre Page, Chandy Khon, Cyrus Bennett, Alexander Mosley, Jesse Alba, Daniel Kim, Will Robson-Scott, Jack Sabback, Brendan Carroll, Mike Gigliotti, C.J, Genesis Evans, Troy Stilwell, Tober, and a mini Connor Champion part. Contributing filmers: Andre Page & John Diaz.

Alternate YouTube Link

Previous Editions: 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006

All-Star Fashion Week Weekend

pebbles

Late one today. Weather got things sluggish.

“Skaters in Cars Looking at Spots” cruises around the Financial District with Zered.

“My last name is Baker, so this is called The Baker Video.” Good friend and breaker of four boards in one session, Zach Baker, made a fun skateboard video.

Life is Goodie is dropping on 4/20 fool.

“Rob [Dyrdek] told me, ‘Look, dude, there’s gonna be no pro skaters in the next…I see in the future no pro boards.'” Ride has a great interview with Josh Kalis about China, standalone video parts, GX1000, a declining middle class in skateboarding, and a future with no boards. ICYMI: Hit You Off Management dropped a “Kalis in Mono” remix last week, mentioned in the interview’s first question.

Sorta on that note, Village Psychic got an interview with the dudes who run Mood Skateboards, a company with no team. “In the 80s and 90s, pro skaters were the best at skating, but now everyone is the best. The ‘need’ for professionals isn’t the same.” It’s gonna be a really weird next couple of years, man.

Always a lot of surprises in this dude’s skating: Joel Meinholz time machine mash-up.

Some enviable weather in Gigliotti’s new clip.

The bro Jersey Dave has a photo book up for sale.

Dunno if these are the ten *greatest* spots ever built, but Kingpin has a listicle of ten “what were they thinking when they made this” spots from around the world.

Boil the Ocean compares Big Brother‘s resistance to abiding by the skateboard industry’s self-image to the Slap message board’s similar disposition of today, and uses the word “sanctimoniousness.”

The Helas team’s IG clips combined into one montage, with a mini Ishod and Lucas part at the end :)

“Before the Hubba girls, the Duffs girls, before Erica Yary or Leanne Tweeden, and long before any hot chick would be caught dead in a Thrasher shirt, there was Rosa.” SML Talk reminisces on the nineties most iconic half-naked skateboard hardware company model. Chromeball also had a Rosa tribute years ago, which includes a scan of the “15 Things You Didn’t Know About…” segment from Skateboarder.

Jake Johnson v.s. the D.C. Gold Rail, circa 2010.

Who had the better high fashion backpack ad, Eli or Alex Olson?

Part two of NY Skateboarding’s joint interview with Gino and Dill is now live.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Lebron v.s. Durant won’t be much of a narrative in the NBA soon.

Quote of the Week: “Johnny peaked with Space Heater.” — Max Palmer

If you’re stuck inside and need a good time-killer, I was recently put onto the fact that a lot of episodes of Insomniac with Dave Attell are on YouTube. It hasn’t been the best for productivity, but is really fun to reminisce on the drunken world of the early millennium that most of us had yet to experience (still recognized the venue for the “goddess” party though hehehehe…) The two New York episodes are here and here. Playlist with most of them here.

Merry Christmas

IMG_9565

Tree via The Local Weather

Merry Christmas. This our our tenth Christmas clip. It is also the shortest out of the ten, but that’s due to some stuff for upcoming projects getting put aside :)

We’ve never issued an apology for poor filming before. We alienated anyone who could be offended by bad filming in 2007 at the very latest. However, the worst filmed clip in this entire video is one of Jake Johnson, who is the best, and a long-time benefactor of the steady hands of Ryan Garshell, Bill Strobeck, Brengar et al. Sorry about that. First and last time you’ll see an apology for really bad filming on here.

Enjoy your holiday and the 50+ degree days up ahead.

Features Max Palmer, Dallas Todd, Keith Denley, Jake Johnson, Zach Baker, Pad Dowd, Lurker Lou, Alexander Mosley, Kevin Tierney, Josh Velez, Nick Nunez, Connor Champion, Andre Page, Kadeem Walters, Matt Perez, Alex Olson, Ty Lyons, Sweet Waste, Antonio Durao, Mike Gigliotti, Johnny Wilson, and Cyrus Bennett.

Contributing filmer: Andre Page.

Alternate YouTube Link

Past Christmas clips: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005

‘Bout to Leave the Crib With a Couple of My Pirates

cold candy

Been slow around here, but things should be picking up soon

Switch bigspin heelflip down the L.E.S. Park double-set.

Gigliotti made a new clip. It has Ted, Olson, etc. in it.

Jahmal Williams has a video interview with Japan’s Far East Skate Network about Static 4, along with some indoor park footage afterwards. “I’d rather see Jahmal do a 5050” is the new “I’d rather see Gino push” for the rest of 2014.

ICYMI and also on the topic of Static 4, Chris Nieratko interviewed Josh Stewart for a 17 Things You Didn’t Know About Static 4 feature on Vice, and Live Skateboard Media has yet another interview with Josh, which tackles a lot of unchartered topics from his recent interviews, e.g. music re-usage boundaries in skate videos.

Needless to say, this isn’t the Bobby Shmurda clip everyone has been expecting.

If you started skating around the height of Shorty’s reign as the coolest skateboard company around, you no doubt looked up to Sammy Baptista on account of his #youngestofdacamp status. Well, while we wait for O’Dell to (hopefully) complete the Muska and/or Shorty’s Epicly Later’d, the “My Name Is” series caught up with Sammy to look back on his skate career. (The dude still rips btw.)

#musicthatdoesntmatch, except we’re not really ones to talk

It has only been ~two years since the skateboard internet embraced #listicle #culture, and writers have already run out of ideas.

Speaking of ideas and #listicles, here are ten skateboard “innovations” that never caught on. [Turns out the entire concept and research behind it was from a series Vert is Dead did this past spring, so consult their posts.] What about Ollie Pop Bubble Gum, Spoonfish Board Locks, Dooks shock pads, bearing “rims,” and Aircraft Skateboards?

People are skating the early-2000s classic little kid spot, Central Park “Hubba” again! (At least in the new video blog from the Beef Patty dudes.)

Trash cans are the new picnic tables.

Simple formula: Edit your skate clip to Migos and it will get posted on this website.

This piece on deriving life lessons from Thug Motivation 101 is a little cheesy, but its heart is in the right place.

Quote of the Week: “I don’t understand why people don’t fuck with Yahoo.” — Peter Sidlauskas

A two-hour DJ Mustard mix might help you forget that the summer is actually over :(