In the first two-thirds of “Year of the Rat,” the new Max Palmer part that just dropped on Free, we find him traveling the world: Mexico, Colombia, L.A. (Australia?) While much of skate travel can be reduced to a check-list of a city’s most famous spots, it has already been observed on the pages of this website that Max Palmer does not skate “spots.” He skates things.
Abroad, he finds a thing from which he can transfer that between the wheel grind that Wes Kremer did on the Rector Street bench to drop down into a back lip. He finds a thing that affords him the angle to ride his two left wheels on a barely-inches-wide morsel of metal at the reverse side of a highway divider.
Watching Max Palmer skate on a trip assures that even the famous spots are approached in a way that renders the tour guide’s mandatory list of A.B.Ds irrelevant upon arrival.
But it is at home where he shines: A rat fuck retreading familiar son-of-a-rat-fuck “things.” Less than half-a-year since 917 #2, he re-tweaks the approach to the spot from his first 917 Video opener, returns to the base of the Manhattan Bridge with yet another piece of wood and a front shove, holds his thousandth front nose over the Flushing grate for a surprise ending, and even pays homage to that piece-of-shit red Philly step by the navy yard — headlined in the first Max Palmer part we ever posted on QS.
Much of the footage was from the Year of the Pig, but it was only right that they waited for the Rat out of respect.
Music + sound design by Max’s brother.
Just want to move to mention the Jon West between the wheel grind in “Art Bars.” I know that shit was ages ago but dude needs a reason to be remembered…
Can’t wait to see the Miami footy they got.