Of all the peculiar trends to afflict modern skate videos, not putting skaters’ names is one of the most annoying — especially for anyone who came of age in the latter days of the “video magazine.” (We’ll forget the name of the person who introduced themselves to us five seconds ago, but will remember the name of the dude who did a nollie tailside bigspin in a Logic video 16 years ago…)
When Kyota won Stingwater’s coveted 2019 GRoETY award via an Instagram announcement, some of you were probably thinking, “Alright, where is the part?” (Antonio’s win came with a part.) Sidelined at the moment by an ankle injury from October, Kyota’s de facto GRoETY part became his section in Potluck, Diego Donival’s new one, which we are happy to share with you here.
If the Homies Video part was inspired by Misled Youth, this one was obviously inspired by Jaws v.s. the Lyon 25.
Potluck premiered back in December, and is a showcase of a new generation that came of age lurking around Labor, L.E.S., Tompkins, etc. looking for tree stumps to wallie and um, basketball hoops to drop in off. Features parts from Caleb Yuan, Kyota, Marcello Campanello, Isaac White, Quinn Bailey, Sully Corimer and Yaje Popson, who flies the flag for the 12th & A generation. You can buy a DVD or a VHS of the video via Diego’s Big Cartel page.
The other day, we were entrenched in an office convo about 2010s skate video #musicsupervision. It was observed that in Bronze’s Trust, there’s just something extra in how the video’s energy level reaches new highs once the Speaker Knockerz song kicks in halfway through Chachi’s part. Then came the subsequent dive back into his discography, the somber realization that the timelessness of “Lonely” would hit just as hard if it came out today, and proof that “Flexin’ & Finnessin'” helps cure depression. Rest in Peace ♥
For the past half-decade, Guy Riza’s summer 2014 Quote of the Week (“My favorite skater is Louie Lopez and my second favorite skater is Louie Lopez when he gets older”) has been taped to the fridge in the QS breakroom. With that always in mind, we obtained a stash of Louie loosies that have come out since Purple. And with “Lonely” playing for the 140 millionth time, E.J. said, “If Louie’s born in ’94, you have to edit the video to it.” (In reference to “I was born in ’94, got the tattoo,” naturally.)
Santa Claus does exist — his name is actually Antonio.
Though a long way from the sprawling epic Christmas Clips of the past, today marks the first time since 2015 that we put up an edit for December 25. Though not the mood piece of night skating in hoodys that it once was, here are some of the easier-on-the-eyes clips from the past four or five months of bringing out the #realcamera. Half the footage is in shorts with leaves on the trees, so there was almost a debate about whether to call it a Christmas Clip at all, but who even has the time anymore ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Features Jesse Alba, Daniel Kim, Antonio Durao, Ben Blundell, Kyota Umeki, Myles Gable, Lurker Lou, Connor Champion, Sully Corimer, Dustin Henry, Etienne Gagne, Stephen Ostrowski, Keith Denley, Emilio Cuilan.
And on a day when the wind-chill brings the temperature down to 12 degrees, we bring you some… good news.
Space 198, the new free, INDOOR Vans park is opening on January 2nd at 198 Randolph Street in Brooklyn. Unlike the belated House of Vans, which was more of an event space inside of a skatepark (and brought out people’s inner savages anytime there was a mid-winter open day there), this park is a community-oriented space built for skateboarding.
It’s going to be open Thursday through Sundays — you just need to to sign up on the website beforehand. And it’s off the Jefferson L stop in Bushwick, making everyone’s life a bit easier than a 20-minute walk through the snow to Greenpoint that we used to do ;)
As they were putting the finishing touches on it, they gave a handful of crews the chance to check out the park last week, and here’s what we came back with. Be nice to Jersey Dave when you see him, because chances are, his phone has not stopped buzzing for the past two weeks.
Filmed by Will Rosenstock, Paul Young, Max Hull, Cristian Berrios & Kyota Umeki.
