Thanks to everyone who grabbed a piece of Snacks in Progress merch. We still have free shipping on all orders over $50 for the time being 📦 Shout out to the deli men who keep our lives running 24 hours.
Free has a premiere of Garrett Boozer’s opening part in Matty Hilzenrath’s all-NJ video, A $20 Of Regular. All those Peaches lines + 5050 flip back tail + the flip back noseblunt bonk on the sewer cap + the fuckin’ nose manny nollie flip on the goddamn grate bridge = one of the best Jersey parts in recent memory. We’ll be premiering a part from it this week, and hardcopies of the full thing are due out soon.
So just in the past four days, the Brooklyn Banks reopened, Hardies threw a skate jam at D7 without incident (well, for the most part…), there’s a “~mini ramp~” at Tompkins, and summer *technically* hasn’t started yet…
Nico from Paris has a new bro cam edit out on YouTube that covers a trip to New York + Copenhagen, with an extended Paris section at the end. Probably one of the best places to see Kevin Rodrigues out in the wild …on the internet. Also includes Antonio, E.J., Hjalte + the bros.
“But after you’ve finished a project the best sign is if people come and actually use the space, often in ways you hadn’t envisioned in the design process. Skaters are particularly good at this.” If this were a tired and wired meme, the former would be Malmo, and the latter Tartu, Estonia ;) Jk, but you should read this interview with the woman reshaping the northeast European country’s approach to multi-faceted public space.
Solo has an awesome interview with ledge GOAT Javier Sarmiento about the early history of skating in Barcelona, his Powell days, growing up in a situation where terror attacks are normal, Catalonia’s political situation, and a bunch of other stuff.
Hotel Blue has a new montage with a mini Juan Virues part at the end. Even after a decade of unrepentant “Summer Trip to New York” coverage at every possible spot in the Financial District, that “lump to pole” by Rector Street has to have one of the slimmest trick lists in all of Lower Manhattan. Front big spin was sick.
QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Maybe the second time a college basketball highlight has made Play of the Week, but yeah, what else. And for a Duke player, of all things! (Idk shit about college ball, just know that we’re supposed to not like Duke because everyone I know from North Carolina is a UNC fan.)
Quote of the Week: “I’m O.D. good at nunchucks.” — Andre Page
New Jahmal Williams footage is an honor and a privilege. Him and Steve Brandi share a jazzy seven-minute section on the occasion of Hopps’ collaboration with Converse, composed by Static auteur, Josh Stewart. It’s one of those rare videos that you just watch with a smile on your face the whole time. And shout-out to Steve Brandi for his commitment to the iconic Paine Webber benches.
“The rest of the boroughs, excluding Staten Island, have had so many regular Americans move into the neighborhoods, spreading the disease of uptight suburbanites. The average mainland American is just more concerned about the use of private and public property. Maybe I’m wrong, but I like my theory…The Bronx has Bronx hospitality, and I think the average person in the Bronx is more socially advanced.” Caddo also has an awesome follow-up interview on Thrasher that discusses the complacency of finding spots in New York, his favorite borough (guess), and more insight into his ability to film a part here full of fresh backdrops.
This is one of those videos where you think the editing is going to mellow out after the intro, but then it just stays that way for the whole time. “Lentiicular” is a montage from Carhatt-WIP, and features Roman Gonzales, Andrew Wilson, Chris Milic, et al.
“As the human attention span shrinks to rival the goldfish’s, ’tis it better, in pursuit of longevity and countercultural heft, to regularly shed teamriders every few years or hold to the original foundation of dudes as long as can be?” Boil the Ocean takes a ponder over Element and Girl’s new videos.
This is like when Kevin Durant signed with the Warriors, except Tiago Lemos might actually be better at skateboarding than Durant is at basketball, if that’s imaginable.
“Critter” is a nine-minute video of an American road trip featuring a bunch of Pass~Port guys, and has an ender section in New York.
Can’t tell where this “Mud Monsters” mini vid is based out of, and can only pick out a few Chicago and New York spots, but going to guess Texas (?) because it’s maybe the first time I heard Z-Ro in a skate clip, but also have no idea what any Texas skate spots look like, but also also also it’s a fun watch regardless ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Calling all nerds / hoarders: Does anyone know if there’s an existing copy of the DNA Continuum DVD left on earth? Sources say that the video as a whole is whatever, but it would be nice to update the internet’s only existing copy of Jahmal’s part from the 240p upload on YouTube that is probably older than Kader.
The Baker/Deathwish team v.s. D7. Anyone who has taken visiting skaters around to spots in New York can attest to the fact that many talented / seasoned pros have stepped away from D7 after seeing how rugged it was up close. These guys killed it.
Whether or not there is space in modern skateboarding for a resurrected éS Accel remains to be seen (i.e. fond childhood memories of summers spent in Lakai Staples will immediately be tainted once you see the bulkiness that shoe in person today), but until then, SMLTalk list-iscized the 10 best moments in Accel history.