The Love Park marble is in Michigan, the A.V.E. bench is in Atlanta, and here is part two of the QS Year in Review countdown. Part one is here.
15. The Airbnb Sweep
Insider couches among the city’s skate houses skyrocketed in value this year, when New York all but banned Airbnb listings.
Sure, the “Summer Trip to New York” video economy will take a few cycles to recover as “Yo, can I crash?” returns to being the norm, but at the astronomical prices these Airbnbers were asking for a one bedroom / one bathroom out by the goddamn Sombrero that “sleeps seven” for $595/night (+ $120 cleaning fee) — who was trying to pay for that shit anyway?
14. Frontside Flip For the ‘Gram
One bellwether of how insane skateboarding is today: this dude frontside flipped the 12 on Forsyth and Canal (during what looks like rush hour, which makes it even more nuts) and tossed it onto the timeline 😲
Or maybe it’s because some skier passing by leaked it, in which case, like Franco said in the comments: “Stick to the slopes.”
13. The Resurgence of the CBS Pit
Although the CBS drop ledge — made famous by any nineties east coast video — has been a go for brief slivers of time since 2018 (see #9), this year, the past became the future. It looks like it did in those 25-year-old videos. No planters to move and no scaffolding to negotiate.
Rezza via Andrew Skateshop’s “Persian Prince” edit
But it’s not only that. They opened up the handicap rail gap at 2023 regulation width. The old version might be a little kid spot at today’s regulations; the new one is the ender of John Shanahan’s new part.
Via John Shanahan’s “Double Down” part
But it’s not ONLY THAT. Jake Baldini had that line where he skates the higher drop ledge, turns around and does a manny trick into the pit in Chrome Zone.
BUT IT’S NOT ONLY THAT. Zach Panebianco somehow ollied over the entire manual pad, into the pit.
12. The Banks Nine Restoration
It was a big year of restorations: both T.F. and T.F. West, Penn Plaza getting rebuilt, and we even made it out to the remodeled Créteil Banks in Paris.
Seeing things happen twice is a wild feeling, and seeing the Banks happen twice — whether it’s a kid who was in the womb when they first closed down in 2010 doing a slappy down the curb, or Antonio doing a switch frontside flip one-foot down the nine — is surreal.
11. Spot of the Year: Seward Park
Kyota Umeki via “PIECED” by Tanner Diamond
We’re aware that much of the world looks at the spots in New York skate videos with wide-eyed envy. Plazas, crust, cellar doors, Courthouse, Blubba, metal curbs, hot people, pizza, bottles, models.
The actual skaters living here? We’d rather sesh some recycled plastic benches a block from the skate shop and five blocks from the skatepark while gassing our friend into trying a nollie heel down the seven across the fence.
10. Noseslide of the Year: Loooouuuuuu
Louie Lopez via Noah’s “Future Man“
Speaking of plain, reliable spots — nobody’s too excited to see a Chauncey clip in 2023. Especially not the kids.
Unless Louie is hoisting himself up to the second level from flat, and propelling over the perpendicular rail off his nose. Whatever that Noah check was, they got their money’s worth for this one alone.
9. Ty Beall in Chrome Zone
Thousands — no, millions — wait… BILLIONS of skaters have scoured the outer-borough crust for cellar doors, the deep-borough apartment complexes for banks, and traversed metal mazes atop the city’s garbage can containers.
Ty Beall’s Chrome Zone part opened the residential gates forbidden to us, grinded across the scaffold spots invisible to the street-level eye, and flipped trowels to cover the gaps into Great Video Part™ glory.
When your answer to “where should we skate today?” is “let’s go look for double-sets between Hasidic buildings in Midwood,” you’re about two-and-a-half galaxy brains away from us Seward Park slackers.
8. The Year of the Switch Flip
How did “do a switch flip” become the most heard phrase of 2023? It wasn’t the content-capturing phrase screamed out of B*rricsmobiles throughout southern California in the mid-2010s. No, it was a sincere request. An invitation. I can’t recall being asked to switch flip so much. Ever.
Switch flips are beautiful because they’re hard — though not hard enough that someone who doesn’t do them regularly can’t do a shitty one. And you know what’s a glorious small victory? A shitty switch flip.
A bigger victory? A pretty good switch flip. A *great* switch flip? Whoa there buddy, don’t get all Hollywood on us when you’re up in your Park Avenue penthouse, dickhead.
The 2023 switch flip movement peaked at The First Annual AMFM Switch Flip Off, one of the final events held at Tompkins, where all switch flips were celebrated with a prize.
7. Ethan Kaplan’s MetroTech 5-0
Clip is the first this in the part
On average, people find, like, one spot in the subway system every five years. They’ll do the ollie or wallie and move along.
But this is the Borough Hall station, a gateway to a dozen other spots. A handrail skater or three has walked up these stairs before, likely not even registering this was a spot. A boardslide would’ve been fine; a 5-0 on a 15-stair double-barrel rail inside the MTA system dodging cops is one hell of a way to begin a video part.
6. Farewell Pee Tree; Hello Functioning Water Fountain
Nobody is going to know the verdict on the new Tompkins asphalt until it’s hot out.
Nobody knows how the park’s new parliamentary system will play out, now that there’s twenty thousand hundred million benches inside the place.
Nobody knows if we’ll miss having a common enemy, now that the Parks Department kicked all the permit wielding narcs out onto the street.
Nobody knows where they’re going to pee anymore, now that the tree has been abducted by contractors.
We do know, however, that the first taste of purified Tompkins water is gonna be glorious.
Bonus Mini Rapidfire 5
Way To Crush Our Dreams: The ground at the remodeled 59th Street Bridge overpass
The Next Payphone: The green trashcans made famous by Tyshawn Jones
Most Viral Cellar Door: Grand & Centre
Best Web Series: Village Psychic’s “Lurking With Lou”
The New Astrology: F.T.I’s Monthly Challenges
It’s write ups like these that makes QS my go-to source for skate media :)
the best literary series in skateboarding. look forward to these every year.
oh and fuck airbnb