Crazy But It’s True

Photo via Giese

“Jake Phelps surely embodied worlds in decline: Old San Francisco, famously non-PC, MJ1s on his feet until whatever deadstock tap ran dry, proofing a decades-old print publication with a snarling discontent any seasoned editor would recognize and respect. An artifact arguing and cussing every day for a place in a world moving some other way.” Unfortunate to link their way two weeks in a row for obituary purposes, but Boil Ocean has a way with them words.

“Though I would sometimes cross the street to avoid him, I can remember so much of what he said to me.” Patrick O’Dell also wrote a thing about Phelps over on Vice.

And here is a re-link to Willy Staley’s California Sunday profile of Phelps that originally ran in 2016, A.K.A. what BTO labeled as “secular-press skate piece top five.” Would be *so* open to a conversation about what the other four are ;)

The new Gang Corp video, Black Business, is premiering this Friday, March 22, at 198 Allen Street at 7 P.M.

Someone mashed together five minutes of Hjalte Insta clips a nice remix

Mike from Lottie’s takes five minutes to tell you what he’s pissed off about.

Munchies has a mini doc on the institution that has sustained New York skateboarding like none other throughout the 2010s — of course, we’re talking about 2 Bros. They also bring up a terrifying reality re: the ten-year leases that got signed at the start of the decade ending (e.g. when everyone was still reeling from the recession), and the dollar slice soon becoming a thing of the past.

“I think the mainstream American skateboarding culture is kidding itself. They’re really dismissive of emotions in a way that is hurting itself. It’s becoming more and more inline with traditional athleticism, but also what is acceptable as a skateboarder is so narrow – you have to be cool, not talk about your feelings.” If you’re one of those idiots like me who put off watching Minding the Gap for months, here’s another motivator: Skateism put their interview with director Bing Liu online. Yeah, you need to enter your card details, but a Hulu trial to watch it is free, and you can cancel the second you finish the movie — provided you’re not destroyed for the rest of the day.

Solo has a video profile of steez lord and Polar rider, Shin Sanbongi + Nick from Palomino took his legacy media expertise and wrote an introductory guide on Japanese indie zines and videos for the mag’s all-Japan issue. No Meatball interview?

TWS interviewed John Shanahan, though we all know A.V.E. had the best part in The DC Video.

Let’s just throw the interview loosies in one place… Frank 151 interviewed R.B. Umali (text), Enrique Lorenzo interviewed Dani Lebron (this one is audio, and yes, they have heavy accents, but their english is pretty perfect) + the Slam City Skates blog interviewed Colin Read (text.)

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Going to suspend our micro coverage of the NBA this week to acknowledge that the best feat of teamwork and athleticism of the past seven days was this guy getting a ~15-foot I-beam onto a New York City subway.

Quote of the Week: “Who the fuck is Andrew Wilson?” — Jake Phelps, flipping through a Skate Jawn

Chit Chat

Still late. Oh you thought the slump was over? New #content dropping tomorrow though :)

The roster and categories for the 2017 Dime Glory Challenge have been released. Tiago will be there. You can read Baker’s wonderful recap of last year’s event here.

Manchild has some New York clips in his raw B-sides video from The Flare (check the 5:18 mark), Bobby De Keyzer has some New York clips in his now-online Riddles part, and Paul Young has a quick compilation video from the Bronx Courthouse ledge-to-bank, one of the few New York spots to appear in a 411 opener.

Jason Byoun has a clip from the pool people have been skating in the purgatory abyss of Midwood. Be careful, because people have been getting tickets.

Was Nyjah’s rave the most 1990s thing so far this summer?”

To supplement Mike Arnold’s incredible “Lloyd’s” part, Sidewalk threw together a two part history of England’s second most famous skate spot :)

With one-spot parts trending hard these past several years, Politic’s sister brand, The Vacation, put together a remix video of Ross Norman (a.k.a. the guy Hjalte stole all his tricks from) at Legislative Plaza, one of the few remaining plaza™ spots in the U.S.

“That is what skating does: it fills the cracks in society…”

An undercover cop wearing DC once asked us what DC stood for. We told him it stood for “Danny and Colin.” I guess we lied. Anyway, Droors Clothing is making a comeback. Alphanumeric up next?

Fucked up T.F. obstacle hall of fame, first ballot

“There’s no hierarchy there. No one tries to out cool each other. And I love that the place is a real public place in the sense that you meet other people there and you get to see real city life. It’s warm, it’s tough – it’s diverse.” Village Psychic with some more knowledge from the skateboard utopia that exists in Denmark’s capital city.

And on that note, Max Hull has a video recap of the drunkest skateboard contest on earth. It’s the only bit of CPH Open coverage I’ve managed to watch in full.

The Northern Co. boys skate the Willy B Momument, Delancey curbs + the Banks.

And like that, the trinity of 6th Ave. spots that defined our adolescent years is gone. Though it has been 70% skateblocked since 2011, Ziegfeld is now closed off for renovations. You might be able to skate the barrier off the ledge though ;)

“I learned a word the other day. Refurbish.” C’mon you know that’s a five.

Quote of the Week: “Two years from now, we’ll all be living in Maspeth.” — Max Palmer re: increasing rent costs in New York City

2 Bros. has a new logo.

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tf bench

Looking for you babe, searching for you babe

Knew this would happen one day (everyone assumed Westgate would do it), but that doesn’t make it any less insane… Some Colombian on Natural Koncept ollied off the four stair and onto the manual pad at the Family Court building.

Transworld posted the extended transcript of their interview with Peter Sidlauskas from the July issue online. Also, someone with a lot of free time successfully completed Bronze’s “It’s the Zoo York” ten-hour challenge.

Also, shocked to learn that Peter (or “Fuck Jerry”) wasn’t the one who designed the purple and turquoise Solo Jazz cup.

We now know how 2 Bros. Pizza can afford to feed the entire unemployed New York skateboarder population for $1 a slice: workers are suing the company for millions in unpaid wages.

Live has the online premiere of Cimke, the new one from the Rios crew.

The shady homie Jack Greer made a bro cam edit of his time spent living in Paris, which features Kevin Rodrigues, Olson, the Palace bros and some other bros.

Bobshirt’s new interview with Puleo is great. First one in a long time that doesn’t make him sound like some crazy backwoods-dwelling cellar-door seeker.

Skateboard Story is a new website by our friend Ben. The site focuses on the people with behind-the-scenes (i.e. not pros) jobs in the skateboard industry. The first installment is with Huf staff photographer, Brian Kelley.

“I’m Tony Hawk and two of my favorite movies are The Naked Gun and The Spy Who Loved Me.” Also on the subject of movies and Tony Hawk, he responded to allegations made in All This Mayhem about the great 900 conspiracy. Doesn’t make the “Fuck off Hawk, you can’t even flip your board you old prick”-line any less classic though ;)

Some Olson and Reider throwaways from “cherry”.

Black Dave interviewed Eric Koston.

Free Skate Mag tells the story of Helas.

Pro skaters dads with advice on how to be a good dad.

Deck Aid / Bobshirt is having a show in Brooklyn on Saturday, with all proceeds going to Skateistan. They’ll be selling limited edition silkscreened prints of Keenan’s first graphic, signed by Sean Cliver :) Flyer here.

Quote of the Week: “Fucking Chachi man. I can’t hang out with Mexicans anymore, they party too hard.” — Matt

2014 New York Skateboarding Year in Review: 10-6

supreme dollar slice

Line around the corner.

Moving on… 25-21 here, 20-16 here, and 15-11 here.

10. The Dollar Slice Hints at an Eventual Extinction, Mass Starvation to Follow

Any New York-based news outlet spends at least eighty-percent of its content discussing how expensive it is to live here. We are no better, even if we have checking accounts to brave through higher prices for shitty pizza.

Since the dollar slice boom of 2010, this bare-bones food option has become an emblem for #poor skateboarders. It has been steadfast in its immunity to inflation, unlike every other pizza place that has raised its per-slice cost by 25 cents every year or two. That is, until 2014, when we began to see the unthinkable: dollar slice outlets charging TAX on a once tax-inclusive product, and promotions like a “Supreme Dollar Slice,” for $1.50. This hints at a future not unlike Interstellar, where [underemployed] skateboarders run out of available food and have to pack up and move to…Philly? :(

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Daylight Savings Links

redbottoms

Red Bottoms x Skateboarding: Vol. 2. You can tell Miley skates because her wheels are mad crusty yo.

A new teaser for Solo Jazz, the upcoming project from Bronze.

America could learn a lot from the Germans. They took hunks of granite from an old government building and used them to produce an amazing skate spot on an obsolete airfield. Imagine if all that City Hall granite actually went towards making a skate plaza for the city of Philadelphia? How many city plazas get torn out and reduced to scrap each year in the U.S? The “solution” is so simple, but gets turned into such a stupid mess because of zoning / permits / $$$ / insurance / red tape.

The Dimestore dudes made a parody of New York clips and it is incredible.

Manolo and Cliché teamed up for a J.B. Gillet “best of” edit. Dude has always been up there with Kalis in the “best flip tricks” category.

Shade is a 25-minute video by Jeremy Jordan (Todd Jordan’s brother), based out of New York [State]. Grown dudes don’t have to be pro to still rip.

This ongoing advocacy for the front of Union Square returning to its glory days is one of 2013’s most interesting developments.

“Now, the padless deep-pool and vert work of Ben Hatchell, Grant Taylor, Elijah Berle and Jaws may for the coming generation obviate pads and helmets altogether, because, when everybody’s good enough to do every trick, there is no point in falling and getting hurt.” Boil the Ocean dwells on the future of skateboard retail.

The NY Skateboarding crew re-designed their website.

Did @badgalriri teleport from the future to this party by any chance?

New bro cam clip from the PWBC fam.

Speaking of which, Palace eBay / bootleg watch: Might want to use spellcheck.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Is Brandon Knight okay?

Quote of the Week: “Pick up your pants, you criminal!” — A Parks Department security guard regarding the G Man’s sagging, oversized pants as he fled a prohibited skate spot.

2 Bros. has a breakfast menu now.