North Carolina has a rich history in independent skate media, dating all the way back to Web 1.0 pioneers like SkateNC and Post 22. NC’s scene was among the most prodigious in producing skaters who were every bit as good as the pros, back in a less visible era when such distinctions were easier to catalog. Despite being a pretty big state with a dispersement of mid-sized cities, videos out of North Carolina have always carried this interconnectedness of the entire state’s scene, and Ricky Covach’s new one, Former Glory, certainly has a way of weaving in that local shop vid camaraderie despite covering a place as big as New York State.
We first arrived to Former Glory on account of a part from Connor Champion [31-minute mark in a rare non Freebandz-endorsed bit of #musicsupervision], the North Carolinian tied with Tyler Tufty who is dearest to our hearts, but the whole video is a fun watch, including a picture-perfect Mike Mo ender homage from Zac Powell, and a fire closing part from Will Smith.
Though 53-minute long projects aren’t exactly our favorite form of skate media in the Year of Our Torched Attention Spans 2025, the video is so thoughtfully crafted in the form of an O.G. Transworld video — the graphics, the editing, the voice intros about nonsense over 16mm to begin each part — that there were plenty of Easter eggs and nostalgia exercises to hold your attention throughout.
Man, this one had me feeling some feelings.