Merry Christmas

east 73rd st

Merry Christmas everybody. Here’s our annual mostly midtown / Christmas light footage / non-rap clip. Comes complete with two backpack lines and more tricks on three/four stair handrails than ever before. “I done seen everything today!”

In case you guys didn’t know, during annual Christmas music research for this clip, the fact that the Ying Yang Twins have a Christmas album came to light. Needless to say, it’s incredible. At least for the first minute or so. (Here’s another good one.)

Features: Alexander Mosley, Black Dave A.K.A. Black Santa, Tyshawn Jones, TJ’s homie (sorry for not getting your name), Gavin Nolan, Eli Reed, Josh Velez, Ritch Swain, Roctakon, Pad Dowd, Ty Lyons, Tyler Tufty, Dustin Eggeling, Keith Denley, Sweet Waste, Pryce Holmes, Pat Edge, Torey Goodall, Brendan Carroll, Matthew Mooney, Jack Sabback, Kevin Tierney, Brian Clarke, and Andre Page.

Contributing filmers: Joe Bressler, Jeff Ricker, Andre Page, Josh Velez. Thank you.

Alternate YouTube Link. Just an FYI for mobile users: YouTube will *not* play the video on iPhones, etc. because of third party content (i.e. uncleared music.) It should, however, work on Vimeo. YouTube poorly words their disable notice by making it seem like the uploader is preventing it for mobile playback as opposed to the company who owns the music.

This is the eighth one. In case you haven’t been keeping up, here are some relevant links to past Christmas clips: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005.

Where Have You Been? ‘Cause I Never See You Out.

She got good taste in skate brands. Keep in mind that we’re huge fans.

After a week of sparse exposure to the internet, please forgive us if any of these links are like, three days late…

Vice asks Stevie Williams questions that Stevie Nicks and Stevie Wonder had once answered. The photo of the three of them together is incredible.

Sorry for two Vice links in a row, but Taji put together a recap of Black Dave’s opening performance for Juicy J this past Thursday.

This week in our continued coverage of high-fashion’s pursuit of skateboarders, several notable Tompkins personalities have signed on with Rag & Bone. We’re looking forward to seeing more heavily-curated #stylez on the T.F. benches this upcoming fall. (Previously: Alex Olson on Chanel, Dylan Rieder on Alexander Wang. Funny how we predicted this a year ago.)

Here’s Kevin Tierney’s first solo Zoo York ad.

J3 is a homie video by Matt Roberge. It’s hard to tell where it is based out of, but Quartersnacks is contractually obligated to link any video that includes a (particularly great) Max B song. Beyond the soundtrack, it’s an all-around fun 16-minute watch.

R.B. Umali put together two clips for Red Bull in anticipation of Manny Mania. Manny Mania passed (Brezinski won), but any footage of Zered and Luis Tolentino skating New York is always welcome. P.S. Has anyone who takes skate contests too seriously screamed “CONSPIRACY!” in regards to Joey Brezinski designing the obstacles that he wins contests on? P.P.S. Puma has a skate team?

If you enjoy skateboarding, you should buy a plane ticket to Spain. Here’s one bit of motivation, which reveals how it is possible to skate the most blown-out skate trip destination in Europe (the world?) for three weeks, and still avoid many of its most famous spots. Oh, and Madrid has a lot of spots too, in case you didn’t know.

EVENTS! If you’re into contests and demos, the Afro Punk Festival is this weekend.

DON’T FORGET! Film a stupid line, and win a Girl/Indy/Spitfire complete, Nikes, stunner shades and a grip of Four-Star gear.

Quote of the Week: “Should I see Magic Mike or the Katy Perry movie?” — T-Bird


Last but not least, there was a Ryan Hickey sighting yesterday.

Based on a 25-Cent Story

Four-word Review of Based on a T.R.U. Story: Pluto is way better.

While on the topic of 2 Chainz, there is another round of Death Video throwaways edited to his insistence of starting a riot.

The next thing you should watch today is Manolo’s “Best of” Jovontae Turner mixtape. It puts particular emphasis on the proper form of a 360 flip, and is edited to a RBL Posse song closely associated with one of the more infamous PWBC episodes.

Even when Alien Workshop riders are presented outside the context of an Alien Workshop clip, they are contractually obligated to have their skating surrounded by video “art.” A minute of new Jake Johnson footage for Brick Harbor, plus mandatory shots of lightbulbs, smoke, sparklers, etc. (Our editing department is currently re-editing all of Jake’s recent footage to 50 Cent as a sequel to this.)

The Chrome Ball Incident has a sick Zered Bassett post up.

There is an upcoming skate video named after the (better) Chief Keef song that doesn’t have an annoying Kanye remix. 3Hunna is a video by the Endless Grind crew out of North Carolina. Features a new Connor Champion part.

We missed this month-old early entry to the “Summer Trip to New York” clip cycle. The residents surrounding a certain park on 8th Avenue sure do have a lot of “real” issues to worry about. Apparently, you deserve to go to prison for skateboarding.

Some kids from Jersey threw together a pretty cool 19-minute mini video filmed in New York and outlying areas. Shout out to everyone who takes a NJ Transit train to skate Manhattan every day. NJ Transit suucckks.

Black Dave is opening up for Juicy J at an event in Brooklyn this Thursday.

2012 is weird, man. Dylan Rieder, ASAP Rocky, Zoe Kravitz and other people in the September issue of Vogue. Looks like Rieder settled for Alexander Wang as a fashion sponsor instead of joining Alex Olson on Chanel.

Is poetry the new VHS?

Well, now we know the answer to last November’s question about whether or not dollar burgers could steal some marketshare from New York’s dollar slice industry. A resounding “NO.” Hopefully, no one went in there to try it out.

Quote of the Week: “Slappying curbs is like talking to girls, you just have to press up on them a bit.” — Andre Page


Got a cruiser re-stock in. Tees this week. Both available online (in store?) soon.

God Forgives, The T.F. Don’t

Called it. Remember that “joke” post about $1,000 griptape last month? Guessing what’s next isn’t a tough call. P.S. Our trend forecasting and consultation services are available for a hefty retainer fee.

The Bronze 56K DVD (which includes the other three Flipmode videos) is now available at DQM for those who are afraid the government watches their every move, and are hesitant to enter financial information online. The DVD is not the extensive box set we had envisioned for New York’s greatest skate video franchise, but even as a bare bones release, it is a must-own. Hopefully, sometime before the DVD completely dies off, we’ll have a 6-disc Criterion Collection release with director’s commentaries, “Where are they now?” featurettes for Why Man Why and Billy Lynch, Flipmode 3, I Woke Up Dead, and the believed-to-be-lost first video all included.

If you’re over 21, have an internet connection, and ride a skateboard, there’s a 98% you’ll see any Gino-related thing within 12 hours of it going online. If not, watch his DQM welcome video. Wow on the music supervision.

Vice has a cool retrospective on early-nineties skate ‘zines.

Quim Cardona gives you a tour of the oft-neglected Newark, NJ skate scene. (“Daytime’s the shit out here in the bricks, boy. I love it. But when nighttime come…”)

This “Lil’ Wayne is into skateboarding” thing doesn’t look like it’s ending anytime soon. Hey Wayne, unless you’re Mike Carroll filming for Fully Flared or something, 30 isn’t the best time to begin focussing on skateboarding. Stick to what you’re good at what you used to be good at. (Also: Will the grand opening of the skatepark Wayne is building in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward look anything like the “Pop That” video?)

Here’s some extra crisp-looking footage from New York and Philly via the crew that brought you the video named Video.

Josh Kalis talks about how pills suck and other things.

New Krispy Du-Rag clip to keep them waves tight. Features Luis Tolentino skating the Maloof Park like it’s a street spot.

A few weeks ago, it was skateboarding in Uganda. This week, here are some photos of the skate scene in Afghanistan. Skateboarding is super chill.

A pre-trip video interview with our two friends who are skateboarding from Boston to New York right now. (Follow via @backstreetatlas on Instagram & Twitter.)

Nevermind, a video by Paul Young featuring yet another Jersey Dave part, is premiering later this month. Flyer here, teaser for the video here.

Quote of the Week: “Hamburger featuring cheese.” — Black Dave ordering lunch


Brooklyn is gross.

“I guess we’ll never know where BMCC gets us…”

Slicky Boy met Eric Koston this past weekend, so there’s that.

The new Bronze / Flipmode video, 56K premieres at Wreck Room in Brooklyn (940 Flushing Avenue, off the Morgan L stop) this Friday, at 10 P.M. Flyer & more info here. According to an anonymous QS commentor, the premiere will soon be followed by a release of the past three videos on a DVD disc. Who said DVDs were dead?

To get all the events out of the way — Black Dave is opening up for Chief Keef at S.O.B’s (Varrick & West Houston Street) tonight. Flyer here. Doors open at 7:30, show at 9. Age 16+, so you can cool with your young’ns. Tickets are $20.

Watch what “throwaway” footage from Lucas Puig and Mark Suciu looks like. Apparently, there are still a bunch of kids out there today who think they have a chance of going pro. Good luck with that.

Gravis has a new clip out with a minute of unseen Jake Johnson footage from the past year or so. Lots of gnarly, middle-of-nowhere midwestern spots. “Perfect trick selection, pants improving” — Ted Barrow. Ripped Laces has a post detailing the sketchiness of the bank to rail in Yonkers he backside 5050s.

E.J. with another Super 8 lifestyle-y summer in New York clip.

Here’s Zered Bassett’s second commercial for his UXA guest board release.

$$$ is a New York-based video with a bunch of young kids ripping around the city. Teaser here. It has a couple of really sick lines down the double-sixes at FedEx.

Lots of tie-dye and a Quim-ish backside 180. Speaking of #tiedyestylez…

This is the Satori wheels commercial from EST 2. Cool spots, and a nineties Stereo video vibe, except a bit more hippie-er.

Get well soon, Derrick Rose.

Quote of the Week:


Eddy Curry won a NBA championship. Don’t bother going to work or school today.