Comfort Station

jake johnson wallride

Who wins the battle of most insane thing accomplished on a skateboard for the past week — Jake Johnson (above) or Dane Burman for 5050ing the Philadelphia Municipal Services rail? (As a result of those two, one of the crazier bluntslides in recent history may have unfortunately been overshadowed.)

Though it doesn’t have the particular Montreal trick in question, the new GX1000 montage has a good bit of Jake Johnson footage from Montreal.

Copenhagen seems like a good time.

Small Wheels has a short, entirely New York-set welcome video for Aaron Herrington. (Still tough to spell that with an “E” instead of an “A” given memories of a guy who spells his name with the latter.) Also, while (somewhat) on the topic of Polar, their section in Grey Area is nostalgic in a EE3 sort of way and generally awesome.

On Golden Pond 2 is a 20-minute homie video, mostly filmed in New York.

With winter midtown season fast approaching, here’s a chill black and white gallery of the DQM team on a high ISO session.

Some footage of dudes skating a bank spot that people began venturing out to in 2011, but in 1993 though

How long until someone 5050s this new traffic sculpture in Park Slope?

Watermelon Alex and Belief Skate Shop are hosting a best trick contest at the Astoria Park next Saturday, November 2nd.

Speaking of Belief, their 2013 video, Ever Upward, is on Vimeo in its entirety.

The good news: Someone up there likes skateboarding, because the Chase two up, five down has been remodeled into exactly what it once was. The bad news: The building has been sold to a Chinese company, with “plans to expand and enhance the retail space at the base of the building,” so it may soon become a bust.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Tyler Hansbrough was about to bring Psycho T out, until he realized who was behind him

Quote of the Week: “Maroon 5 has a hood pass.” — Ty Lyons

Slow news week. You’ve seen all this stuff before. OMG :(

Tape a Cheetah to Her Back

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Day after Christmas, 1975. Spotted via Skate and Annoy.

As we begin to search for the next generation of baggy-clothed, tech Euro skaters of the Javier/Lebron/Jesus/Flo/Enrique mold, the Czech Republic might be a good place to start. These dudes are not nearly as tech as the aforementioned five, but they’re maaaadddd hip-hop. There’s no doubt that a country containing possibly the best ledge spot on earth is bound to produce an eventual heir to Europe’s technical throne.

If there’s one company on the “I wish they put out more content”-list, it’s Hopps. Joel Meinholz skates through Grand Central in their new commercial.

Even if you’re going to condense the history of skateboarding into 120 seconds, your video should still include Mariano’s Mouse ender. It’s at least as important as the 900.

Music video portraits of urban teen angst are real hot right now. E.J. offers a Super-8 glimpse of dunion life in his visual for Slicky Boy’s latest rapz.

Your favorite rapper’s favorite stripper’s favorite shoe brand gets down with skateboarding for a weird result. #redbottoms

Old(er) skaters spend money to get away from the kids and scooters.

Some history on Southbank, the legendary London skate spot. The article includes the word “salubrious,” which seems like a great Jackie Chiles word.

A 16-minute raw footage B-roll from the recently released Schleyer Video (the video with the latest T.J. part.)

Wikipedia is not without its flaws, but it’s nice to know at least one of its editors considers QS an authoritative source on low impact street skating.

Spot Updates: 1) Chase is still closed off, but the steps have been resurfaced back to normal. 2) They’re putting even more ledges at Seaport, except this time, they’re pre-knobbed! 3) The five-second-bust ledge / manny pad over five on Sixth Avenue near the Holland Tunnel has been remodeled. It’s cool to look at…

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Some middle schooler from New Rochelle hit an insane buzzer beater this past weekend. It’s the middle school equivalent of Sheed’s deflection to mid-court desperation heave from 2004.

Quote of the Week: “What’s that girl with the cool tramp stamp’s name again?” — Anonymous. (Be on the lookout for our first feature film, The Girl With the Cool Tramp Stamp, starring Rooney Mara.)

Go to college, kids! It’s totally worth it!

Skate Spot Porn: Across the Street From Black Hubba

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Remember that spot across from Black Hubba? It had a some rails people haven’t skated since the 90s and a good marble ledge over three steps. After 9/11, they put security booths at every corner (obviously for way more important reasons than skateboarding), which made it an immediate bust with a good chance of a fine and board confiscation. Well, it’s looking good after a recent facelift: Ledge view, curved bench and ledge view, circular manny pad view.

Just count on it remaining a tease, because it’s part of a federal building. But hey, Jake Johnson had enough time to do that narrow wall ollie twice (same building) and security eased up on skating the Courthouse Drop these past few years, so you never know (though it’s a better chance that some moron gets arrested for skating there the first weekend the barricades come down.)

Other recent spot developments:

The bank to grated green ledge on the eastside / the most blown out spot of the past two years is gone.

Contrary to initial reports, the Chase three-up-five-down might be getting restored to its original surface material.

Uptown isn’t hyped on that West 4th Street dancing.

Lower Manhattan: Now With Even Less Stuff to Skate!

Just when the curb up top was starting to get waxed…

The Chase two-up-five-down is a wrap. Ain’t no economic downturn if banks can toss perfectly good marble into a dumpster for a mere facelift. Give us an empty lot and a dumpster full of white marble that’s bound to end up in a landfill, and we’ll make a better “skatepark” than anything currently in New York.

Chase was the last spot in lower Manhattan that had remained a downtown mission mainstay and unmodified since the nineties (and even that might not be entirely true, since the up-ledge Peter Bici 5050s in Mixtape that ran parallel to the handicap ramp just before the steps began got switched up over ten years ago.) It was also one of the few things downtown that had nothing wrong with it, unless you count that flagpole right after the five. Maybe they’ll resurface it and keep the same set-up. Maybe they’ll build a gigantic Philly step with a metal edge and then knob it.

Suski was the only person to ollie the double-set, right? And Zered and Kyle Iles were the only two to get manual tricks across the entire thing? Also, Wenning probably had the best line here…quick set-up + capri tech drawstring pants + no push = win.

When you’re in the club and you see me – High five!

The block said, ‘Dro you need to drop.’ Well, here it go…

Attempting to out-do the infamous MTA montage, the Mandible Claw crew put out a “Rush Hour” clip centered around skitching, and skating on motor vehicles. Considering there are no Jackie Chan or Chris Tucker cameos, they should’ve just named this “Arrest me, please.” Cops seem pretty content to kick people’s asses for no real reason these days, so God bless Colin and the rest of the crew for risking themselves for our entertainment.

The underground king of Queens, Rob Campbell, has a new “Day in the Life” clip up for his company, New Breed skateboards.

Will skateboarders ever get tired of editing things to songs from Jeru the Damaja’s first album? Probably not. Back tail stall at the Bubble Banks is real sick though, and Future’s debut album, Pluto, drops on 01/31/12.

In an effort to remedy “soft music” criticisms stemming from their first throwaway clip, the “Death Video” crew called upon the services of Cameron Giles and put out an “ignorant edit” promo. Why would anyone want to ollie off that small hut at the Queensboro Bridge downhill ledges?

Late, but insane: You apparently cannot skate the Thomas Greene Park spot (a place designated built for skateboarding) unless you are accompanying a small child. Good to know that the NYPD has its priorities in order when it comes to Brooklyn.

Events: 1) If you’re into art and stuff, the Gonz is having an exhibition of photos and illustrations from the past year starting tomorrow and lasting through January 7. 2) The Shake Junt video premieres at KCDC this Sunday. 3) Jeremy Elkin’s new, NYC-based video, Poisonous Products premieres tomorrow at 74A East 4th Street at 8:30 P.M. Flyer here.

Spot Updates: 1) Who’s the genius that decided to knob the ledges — yes, the ledges — at Brick Nine? “Why are they still skating here? I thought they were supposed to stop skating?” 2) You obviously can’t skate World Trade anymore because of the protests, but Chase is also blocked off on account of them.

Quote of the Week: “Yo, Chinatown is crazy. I feel like I’m in Tokyo.” — E.J.


P.S. People in Jersey are real smart. Well, maybe not as smart as this guy.

P.P.S. Payless has a knock-off of the Dylan Gravis shoe on sale for $13.