On Skateboarding As Sport As Stupid — The 2017 Dime Glory Challenge

Words & Photos by Zach Baker

As the cloud of loud begins to dissipate from the stimulation of last week’s festivities up in Montreal, it is time to reflect. Tony Soprano once said, “I feel like King Midas in reverse, everything I touch turns to shit.” Since their inception, the Dime boys have proven to be a bunch of full-blown regular ass speed King Midases. There has not been a single public offering — be it a bowling montage, full-length skate video, a collab baby, or any of the annual skateboarding competitions to which they’ve played host the past three years — that has not gone off without a hitch. But this year’s Glory Challenge, with the newfound aide of DC Shoes, was more frivolous than anyone anticipated. DC, recently reclaimed by one of its original co-founders, weighed in hard with their trademark mountain of money, bringing the spectacle to a new echelon. We’re talking renting Wade D. a Ferrari and a helicopter for an Instagram post, a pyrotechnics exhibition that was described as “a buffet of fire,” renting ten limos to go bowling, and throwing a carnival-esque block party DJed by Darude that felt like a billionaire kid’s freakin’ quinciñera. These and every other tiny, speed shade-tinted detail amount to, from where I’m standing, the most expensive joke ever.

This long weekend of overstimulation has left us still unpacking all that happened. So these guys went out, invested all this effort, capital, manpower, organization…for…a joke? It took these boys the better part of a year to plan. Bryan worked tirelessly for weeks on end to construct the many rooms and modifiable obstacles of this year’s Glory Challenge. Legends like Tiago, Biebel, Kalis and Forrest Edwards were flown from the extremes of the continent to be in attendance…for a weekend of laughs? Listen — I’m no Miscavage, I don’t have all the answers — but the spectacle has left thousands of people at once psyched, inspired, shocked, and confused.

More »

Remember

Photo by Matt Weber

Still a surreal day on the calendar every year. Over the years, we have done several posts regarding how that day shaped our tiny corner of New York — An Interview With Zered Bassett About the Vicious Cycle House (several blocks from Ground Zero circa 2002-2003), February 2002 Transworld Article re: 9/11, Twin Towers skate photos, Twin Towers skate clips 1996-2001.

You’re in for an onslaught of recap content throughout the internet, but the Dime Glory Challenge was absolutely brilliant. Forever grateful to be skateboarding on the earth at the same time in history as these brilliant Canadian minds.

Watermelonism has some new embroidered tees and hats.

“What was harder to do: switch big flip Chinatown Double-Set or switch backside flip D7?” NY Skateboarding has a solid interview with Tyshawn Jones, reigning “Did you hear what _____ did?!” king of New York City.

Transworld interviewed Josh Kalis about the greatest kickflip ever done™.

We’re the last ones to continue beating the dead horse of varial flip pontification, but the one (you’ll know which one…) in Sami El Hassani’s all-around brilliant new clip for Pop Trading Company deserves some extra attention.

People began skating the new Harlem skatepark on 114th Street and First Avenue (conveniently located between Haiji’s and Patsy’s) this past week. Looks kinda like Cooper Park tbh. Troy posted a clip from it, but there are a few more floating around.

Yaje Popson warms up with avocados and nollie half cab switch backside 5-0s. No wonder he’s the only native T.F. local with his name on a skateboard ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

People are still pissed about you skating the plaza on 110th and 8th, and hopes for a new Byrdgang video are high in the QS office. Here’s a teaser for Byrdgang 3.

(When is Hijinx 2 dropping though?)

Here’s the raw footage from Dane Baker’s part for Lottie’s Skate Shop.

Jenkem has a Prodigy tribute mix by skateboarding’s official Mobb Deep ambassador.

Four minutes of nollie backside 180 heelflips throughout history.

Vice posted up a deleted scene from Bam’s Epicly Later’d of Kerry and Bam skating Kerry’s backyard ramp in Pennsylvania. Party at my house for the Muska one.

Quote of the Week: “I can’t wear blue, it’s a color.” — Girl Wearing All Black in the Dime Store

Happy belated birthday, Roy Ayers.

Love Your Boys

Please donate whatever you can spare to P-Stone’s Memorial Fund.

Manuel Schenck has a new all-Parisian edit for Supreme to commemorate their upcoming Nike SB Air Force 2. Features Nik Stain (!!!), Vince, Sage, Sean, K.B., Kyron Davis and Koston returning to gap skating at my favorite spot in the world.

The battle of the century. See everyone in Montreal this weekend?

Café Creme has a new interview with my favorite Wilson brother. It’s weird how QS has ran interviews for my second favorite Wilson, in addition to my third favorite Wilson brother, but we never got around to #1.

New Era has a lifestyle-ish clip with Tyshawn Jones pushing around Soho and Tribeca. You likely already caught it, but the Hardies Australia clip featuring T.J, Troy, K.B, Chopped Cheese, etc. is a good time as well.

“But even in his most powerful Diamond t-shirt, Chaz Ortiz can’t carry 2.7 million souls on his back alone.” Boil the Ocean reviews Realm, the latest video from Chicago’s Deep Dish crew, which came out last month.

Tennyson Corporation put together every appearance Rick Howard and Mike Carroll ever had in an issue of 411 to a four-song mega mix.

C.J. Keossaian, Sean Dahlberg, Hugo Boserup, Andrew Wilson, Nik Stain and John Choi traveled to the Westerly and Groton skateparks in Connecticut, and came back with “Jet Fueled Hog.” We did that once. Good times.

Frontside 5050 to nosemanual is maybe the last trick anyone expected to see on Pyramid Ledges from that period where the one side was unknobbed.

Heaps Chat interviewed A.V.E. about his favorite restaurants and least favorite streets.

Amazing they even got to ten — Village Psychic re: the ten best backside feebles on ledges. We’re particularly offended Torey’s Baby Steps ender got left out, but Canadian skate gods are used to being neglected by the #fakenews media by now.

Mark Wetzel’s Static IV part is now online. (Also an experimental 5050 guy.)

Assuming everyone already caught the 13-minute Hotel Blue promo that was on Thrasher by now? Nick also uploaded a quick bit of new Powers footage on IG.

Mac Kelly’s Terminally Chill 3 was a fun watch.

A talent for fakie hardflips and a song from a rapper who never had his music used in a skate video before, via Jeremy Murray’s 1/2 D.C. 1/2 New York Good Grief part.

Quote of the Week: “There’s nothing worse than having to explain a t-shirt to someone.” — Pryce Holmes

Who you got?

  • Wade (52%, 208 Votes)
  • Tiago (48%, 194 Votes)

Total Voters: 402

Loading ... Loading ...

Sundays Are Too Fun ©

Via @rumoursandlies on Instagram

We made some fast Snackman tees with our friends at Dime. Available now at their store in Montreal, and available tomorrow at 8 P.M. E.S.T. on their webstore.

Also on that note, Monster Children has a quick preview of this year’s upcoming Glory Challenge. “Pretty stoked to use pyrotechnics this year.”

Eric Koston filmed everyone’s favorite Russian skateboarder and back smither do a line at my favorite skate spot on planet earth. It ends with a back smith.

Here is a thirteen-minute-long mega mix of any and all 917 affiliates’ footage (Cyrus, Max, Genny, Nyjah, etc.) that has been pulled off various Instagram depositories. Only just over a month until we figure out whether or not Logan is lying to us!

A new trailer for Sabotage 5, which will be, as strange as it sounds to say, the final Love Park video. Due out on DVD and VHS on September 29.

Vogue Skateboard Magazine has a rare, detailed profile on Supreme.

Skateboarders have been responsible for some horrendous, phoned-in art in their day, especially as they’ve lapsed away from actual skating — BUT we can all agree the most #subversive, #disruptive, and #iconic skate art can be found in the contentious world of skatepark graffiti. TBH, we should start doing Tompkins graffiti updates.

Nine minutes of raw footage from steezy underweight guy and ABC ledge survivalist, Nick Ferro, as derived from Grand Collection’s “Buggy” video.

Are people still allowed to ollie into ledge tricks on Instagram?

And with this video, @nextlevelkook A.K.A. Tyler Warren has taken the throne as IG’s finest auteur. Dutchmaster Delaney and Kevin Tierney are still up there though.

That short-lived manual pad at the Escape From New York cathedral on Amsterdam is no more. They put a rail around the corner, but that hasn’t stopped people from filming enders there.

Airdropping dick pics to people on the subway is pretty foul, but yo, now you can AirDrop your footy tape all over Agenda, Tampa AM, etc. to get on.

Quote of the Week: “Did I ever tell you about the time I was seven hours early to work but still three hours late?” — Keith Denley

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.

Do you fw the vision?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...