As the amount of skateboard content has grown to uncontainable levels, it has been interesting to watch the reassessment of what people value in a skater, part or video. Everyone has sat stone-faced through a part with incredible skating before, and left without being able to remember a single trick twenty minutes later. Jamal’s Palasonic part was the exact opposite of that. It was impossible to watch without smiling, and carried that “he’s having so much fun that I want to go have fun!”-feeling from childhood in a way that few things do once you clock your 10,000 hours of watching skate videos.
We caught up with the 2017 Q.S.S.O.T.Y., star of skateboarding’s first viral video, and someone whose skateboarding always leaves you with a fuzzy feeling inside to get a rundown of his inspirations.
Alphonzo Rawls – H-Street: Next Generation (1992)
When I was around 15 or 16, I got real inspired by this part. Dude looked like he had hella fun spinning all over the place. If this part didn’t come out, I probably wouldn’t have tried tornado spins.
Rob Welsh – Aesthetics: Ryde or Die – Volume 1 (2001)
I should put the entire video in the list — me and my friends would watch it almost every day. But Welsh’s part really inspired me to do big spins and try manuals. Still one of my favorite parts of all time. I don’t understand the dice trick and don’t care if he touched on the opening trick.
Jahmal Williams — DNA: Continuum (2002)
We have the same name, and he’s from Boston, so of course he’s one of my favorite skaters. The early grab he did off a curb always stuck me.
Pat Washington & Henry Sanchez – Gold Wheels: Got Gold? (2002)
Not so much for the skating, but more so for how hard these two went on the raps. When Pat Washington said
“I’m getting hella gear from my sponsored folks, and if you see what I get a month, you’d probably choke” — it hit my teenage soul deep.
(Ed. note a.k.a. Loosely Related: A Comprehensive Guide to Rap Video Skate Parts)
Stevie Williams — DC: The DC Video (2003)
Black excellence! Philly! When this one came out, I lived in Massachusetts, but I was rocking Phillies hats and tanks trying to be like Stevie. The turn around after the switch heel manual at courthouse still warms my heart.
Previously: Paul Rodriguez, Gilbertt Crockett, Ben Chadourne, Tom Knox, Louie Lopez, The Chrome Ball Incident, The Bunt, Lacey Baker, Andrew Allen, GX1000, Brian Anderson, Gino Iannucci, Josh Kalis, Sean Pablo, Wade Desarmo, Chris Milic, Chad Muska, Hjalte Halberg, Danny Brady, Bill Strobeck, Aaron Herrington, Jerry Hsu, Brad Cromer, Brandon Westgate, Jim Greco, Jake Johnson, Scott Johnston, Josh Stewart, Eric Koston, Karl Watson, Josh Friedberg, John Cardiel, Pontus Alv, Alex Olson, Jahmal Williams