Krak has been prolific in bringing us video Cliffnotes of every name-brand spot as of late. The latest installment comes from the second most famous ledge over a grate gap on planet earth (the first one being in Italy obvs, as it’s maybe the most famous non-Philadelphian or Barcelonian ledge spot altogether), and the longest still-standing marquee obstacle in New York city limits.
Though it’s not arranged chronologically, it really goes to show you how psychotic the progression of skating has been in the fifteen years since a long switch back tail was an extra sslloowweedd banger in a video part. Gino was just talking about how kids being able to hop on a ledge and sit on it is a symptom of “I can’t remember a single trick from that part”-syndrome. At least the the reigning king of sitting on the grate probably has a 516 area code, and did all of his more noteworthy maneuvers before superhuman abilities to sit on ledges became more common. Everything post-Reres has been more or less a blur via obligatory clips in “Summer Trip to New York” edits.
A few footnotes…
– The first footage of this thing in mind is Rodney’s crook and S.J’s front tail in Peep This. (Or was it Heads?) Bici had the first footage of Flushing altogether that I can recall in Mixtape, though he skated the outside of the ledge. He’s also the last person to ever film a slide on the outside of spot as well ;)
– The only notable omissions that come to mind are 1) Moya’s switch front nose, which I swear was in a Metrospective clip but nobody remembers it, nor is it easily traceable. 2) Joey Pepper’s kickflip back lip and lipslide to noseblunt pop up thing. 3) Someone back smithed it right? McFeely in Solo Jazz. 4) Jack Sabback’s frontside nosegrind revert in the middle of the ledge. 5) I’m sure there are more, but these sort of things are next to impossible to be 100% comprehensive on.
– The first person to really #GO #OFF on the ledge and film a barrage of tricks was Danny Falla with the tail 270 / tail flip / tail heelflip / back tail flip ensemble that scattered through Metropsective clips / La Luz / E.S.T. Also tempted to say he was maybe the first New York dude getting coverage who did long slides with flip tricks out of them.
– Pretty sure the first person to flip into a slide was Lurker Lou, who would later go on to ruin the act of skateboarding for a generation of children everywhere.
– On the day that all those Billy Rohan half cab noseslide / switch boardslide clips with the “Militia” remix playing in the background were filmed (0:48 mark), he backside hurricaned it, but nobody filmed it.
– Has nobody frontside 180 nosegrinded it?
WHAT ABOUT THE NIGGA WHO FRONT BLUNT THE GRATE. IT WAS A PHOTO IN TRANSWORLD. EARLY 2000s
billy mcfeely, solo jazz..bs smith and fs smith 180
AO should halfcab back smith it!
the fact that that shit went down without the help of any wax….unbelievable
James Reres is the king of the grate and my boy Adrian did front tail front 270 kick flip out on this shit
Jason Dill’s opening line in the 101 section of the Trilogy video was the first time I ever saw FMP in a video.. (Pre Mixtape)
^You’re right :)
Forgot about that.
ave – switch crooked grind
@MURKYAMOMZ mike simonetti and it was in the montage, the sequence was in skateboarder shot by REDA. and man who ruled skating also first to slappy. Do remember gonyon nosebleed to fifty was #bossmoves and lewis marnell kicky front tail RIP.
Peerod switch back tail switch flip to regz in sum wackass berrics clip and i only know cuz i wuz ther
Someone’s going to darkslide it soon
The front blunt was actually Mike Simeone a dude from Sarasota, FL
^ It’s also in this compilation.
Marty Murawski fakie 5-0 shove-it in Blueprint’s MFWTCB aaaand Hjalte in Static
Stravros from Chile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQkpJRSCDmM
Tolentino 180 fakie 5-0 and Jake Johnson back blunt in his first video part.
Pretty sure lewis marnell kickflip frontside tailslide it.
The Billy Rohan bs hurricane was documented in a solo part – a video where he skates to the song “one more time” by the french kicks. He was sitting flat on it, an unusual but stylish choice.
Mistake: it was in the Instant Winner video, to “Natural One” Folk Implosion. https://youtu.be/TmyUQrYQNGc?t=927
I have 1 of the 2 angles shot of Moya’s switch frontside noseslide on a minidv tape somewhere in my stash of old tapes. When I find it, I’ll upload to youtube it during 2016.