Upstate Update: Albany & Syracuse

Photo by Zach Malfa-Kowalski

Every summer in New York has a “get me out of here”-moment. It usually happens in August — when you realize all your free time has been spent sitting at Tompkins, maybe leaving to watch your friend try a trick somewhere, and then ending up at T.F. West or maybe probably definitely the bar. The past month feels a week long.

The easiest way to slow down time is to spend it in an unfamiliar environment. Having already gone way over budget on the seminal European tour video, 56 Tricks, we had to resort to more modest options. Thanks to a paper bag full of crumpled bills from Nike SB, we were able to load up two vans with #core #skateboarders — guys without agents who would never dare suggest that we “warm up” at a “skatepark” — and got on the road for a five-city #core #tour of Upstate New York.

Photo by Zach Malfa-Kowalski

To get the pressing question out of the way, no, we could not make the Dime Glory Challenge. As we pulled into New York’s capital, we looked northward at the 200 miles to French Canada and wished the boys good luck, but travel towards Dime HQ ended there. In consolation, Albany contains one of the most perfect spots known to man: T.F-esque flatground separated by three levels of mellow banks. There have been rumors of it getting turned into a skatepark, but thankfully that hasn’t happened yet. It’s perfect as is.

Albany also sports a high volume of Fred Gall tourism. Almost every spot is a shitty bank with a story about what Fred Gall did there. The New Jersey governor’s achievements affect more than one state.

Photo by Zach Malfa-Kowalski

The next drive was to Syracuse, the second longest of the journey (the longest being the initial one that gets your the hell out of New York City.) Syracuse is notable because: 1) It is the site of Carmelo Anthony’s last truly great basketball achievement before he moved to the city and became more concerned with his #personal #brand, and 2) It has a street plaza. Like, an actual street plaza in the most classic understanding of the phrase. Everson could be best described as a poor man’s Love Park (ledges are the exact same material), which all things considered, isn’t a bad thing to have a not-as-good-but-still-good version of in a city of 145,000 people. It’s way better than any bust-free (?) street spot back home.

Between two prolonged sessions at Everson, we cruised around the city. The cops hate us there :(

Throwaways below. Big #important clip coming soon. Features Nick Boserio, Hjalte Halberg, Max Palmer, Cyrus Bennett, Antonio Durao and Bobby Worrest. Video by Johnny Wilson.

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Thanks to the crew at Seasons and Better Skate Shop