Dear Winter

Bad (obvious?) news out of the way first: Sadly continuing our recent bad habit of no Christmas clip for the year. Blame it on the weather, blame it on life, blame it on Instagram. Rest of the Year in Review countdown up shortly today, and still got a “Best of 2018” montage to upload ♥

Monster Children has a photo feature by Ben Colen with a bunch of shots from Supreme’s “BLESSED” video. Looking at those two Sage photos side-by-side is a nice visual cue.

Boil the Ocean began its annual countdown of the year’s ten best video parts, which is always a good source for some under the radar choices.

Figured we’d get one more “what the actual fuck” trick before the year was out.

I know what you’re thinking! “Oh no, not another podcast!” But but but, the difference here is that it is refreshing to hear a) a woman interview a pro skater, and b) a skateboarder have to dig a bit deeper than “how I came up” and tour stories to relay what they do to a non-skater. Listen to Jerry Hsu on the first episode of the “Dig” podcast.

Pretty much everyone who uses the #skatetwitter hashtag got together, wrote individual things about their favorite skater to watch in 2018, and nobody mentioned Tiago Lemos. Ok, guys.

Speaking of the best skaters, here’s an Ishod Wair x Michael Jordan remix.

Not local, but wow is this part great: Shogo Zama for VHS Mag. Japanese skaters have this particular ability to flow in lines that is unlike anything else out there.

Anomaly” via Skate Jawn is another entry in an already stacked roster of upstate New York vids to come out this year.

Every time I see footage of the Empire State Plaza spot, I feel a lil’ bit dumber for not taking the trip up there at least once this past summer. See it in “Frank & Ted’s 2018,” filmed pretty much all over the northeast and in Barcelona.

New York Related Stuff on Thrasher ICYMI: Frankie Spears’ part obvs has a bunch of clips from the city, and this “No Hotels” video does too. Hope Bob was ok with drop-in on the spot he found ;)

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: It’s so wild that Ron Baker gets cut from the Knicks, signed to another team despite sending all his shit from New York back to his hometown, and is now a Vegas favorite for 2019 NBA Finals MVP.

Quote of the Week
Zhu: “It’s hard for me to get in the habit of stretching.”
Conor: “Yeah, it’s hard for me to do anything…besides like, smoke weed.”

We don’t normally post gospel music on here, but felt it was appropriate for the holidays ♥

Wifi Lit

Photo via Max Hull

What in tarnation

With it being high season for trips out to Rockaway (back up to 92 degrees tomorrow…) that include a pitstop at the charmingly bad beach 90th skatepark, it is worth pointing out that the park just got a bunch of new ramps. Unclear as to whether it is better now or before. Hopefully, before the world ends, both the bowl and mini ramp there will get replaced with cement versions of the exact same thing.

Last week, Louis Vuitton became the second company in 2018 to reveal that it um, was “inspired by” the Osiris D3. The people need a documentary about Osiris.

Gangcorp threw a BBQ and best trick contest at L.E.S. Park on July 4th. Here’s the recap video.

“Best of all, skateboarding’s independent streak means it fosters a healthily rebellious worldview — no small accomplishment as our society drifts toward bland authoritarianism. To be sure, there is money to be made in ignoring this drift, in remaining beholden to libertarian corporatism.” Hanson O’Haver’s “A Crime and a Pastime” piece looks at the underbelly of the skateboard business and its eerie house-of-cards-isms.

…anndd Boil the Ocean has some red pill / blue pill thing about Steely Dan songs, alternate realities, Scott Johnston’s Let the Horns Blow part, and idk man.

New London clip from the POP boys. That nosegrind revert / 3x flat tricks / switch nosegrind revert line reminds me of something that would’ve been in an old 411.

Another volume of Elkin raw tapes, this time with Dre and Josh cameos ♥

Frankie Spears is the first person to get a clip on that new-ish Battery Park double-set.

Some Canadians offer up one of the first entries to what will no doubt be an eventful “Summer Trip to New York” clip season. What % of people appearing in S.T.T.N.Y. clips do you think end up moving here? Thirty five? Eighty?

The rail is back in front of the ledge over the six at FedEx.

Quote of the Week: “Party footage only counts in nightvision.” — Pryce Holmes

Would embed something from Beast Mode 2, but this about covered it.

Just Did an Ollie ‘Bout a Week Ago

eli back 180 ng

Eli skating a rock. Photo by Black Dave.

Still a bunch of gear in the webstore. #supportyourlocalskatesite ;)

“Skating through midtown Manhattan that night, I remembered that I used to think skateboarding would never get too big because it hurt too much. Because you can’t take the pain out of skateboarding. Because putting yourself deliberately in harm’s way is a quick, easy, and reliable route to the truth.” This is a solid read.

TWS’ “Skate Nerd” segment with Kalis and Smolik is more entertaining than any link you may find below. “Kelly Slater?”

Worth repeating that Wes Kremer is the best?

Our good friend Alexander Mosley A.K.A. the Watermelon Man is having an art show at 2nd Nature in Bushwick this Saturday, October 4th. 7-11 P.M. Flyer here.

Finally: Frozen in Carbonite’s annual “Song of the Summer” x “Video Part of the Summer” mash-up segment. It tackles Static 4‘s equivalence to a prog-rock epic, Chris Brown and Bronze’s penchant for controversy, the truth that VX just looks blurry now, Bobby Shmura videos having a similar gender breakdown to skate videos, and Sinner’s post-modern, post-genre take on a video part. Incredible.

Monster has a new interview with Jake Johnson. Some heavy reading on the current situation at Alien Workshop, relationships in skateboarding, life after skating, etc.

GX1000 also posted this incredible IG clip of Jake bails. Last one is nuts.

Quick clip of Danny Supa cruising around Washington Heights.

Antwuan Dixon back on it.

For such a high-profile world city, Paris has been rather underrated for skating ever since the Lordz video era. Last week’s nine-minute “Scene” edit from Kingpin really puts how great it is into perspective. Spent a good two weeks there this past summer, and never saw at least 75% of the spots they skate. Features some solid Rich Homie Juan tricks. Also, if you slept on Vincent Touzery’s part in the Cafe Clope video (14:40 mark) earlier this year, you’re dumb.

Yeah, uh, about that unreleased Lakai Koston 1… (Part was sick though.)

Wow @ ollie over the Gino manual pad (not Roslyn) and probably the first trick down that kinked 57th Street rail in this Frankie Spears “Video Check Out.”

New northeast-encompassing video from the Mood NYC crew.

#weird skaters v.s. the 181st Street park.

“Don’t try to impress the old people. Be yourself. I think it’s the duty of all young artists — no disrespect — to say ‘Man, fuck y’all’ to the people before them. That keeps the music going.” — Andre 3000. Why couldn’t this interview be an hour longer? (“Nah nah nah yo real hip-hop yo NYC yo.”)

Quote of the Week:
slicky

New Thug and Quan in a few hours, btw.

Recession Special

grays

Even though everyone knows truth about hot dogs, we must bid a farewell to the 8th Street Gray’s Papaya. See, before the dollar slice boom of the late 2000s (pre-Mamani’s, Pre-Two Bros.), the familiar dilemma of skateboarding all day and trying to eat for under $4 was far more difficult. It was perfectly reasonable to skate crosstown from Tompkins to get the special at Gray’s. The kids have it way easier these days.

Less pertinent to skateboarding, but still a bummer: Miladys closed on Sunday :(

Jake Johnson pontificates on various issues over at the Cafe Creme blog.

If you’ve ever been to House of Vans, you know how absolutely insane this is.

Yet another recent Gino footage compilation. And here’s Boil the Ocean on “Gino’s most productive 14 months ever” and other developments from late 2013.

Polar has a Aaron Herrington mini clip on their Instagram.

The issue has been out for a few weeks, but Shawn Powers has a photo and blurb about him getting interrogated at Heathrow for six hours in the January Transworld. Also, the mostly in New York Dylan Reider interview photos are nuts. Kickflip up Fish Gap, front heel Bond Street, etc.

Kennedy Cantrell has a new part out for Iron Claw. Includes a Phil Rodriguez cameo.

The raw footage of the Dane Burman Philly 5050 is wild.

Some Austin transplants skate in Bushwick on what looks like Puerto Rican Day, among other things. You have to admire a line at the new worst spot in New York A.K.A. Kent Step that doesn’t utilize the steps, too.

A video interview with Danny Supa, one of history’s greatest backside flippers. He talks about Dead End, Tree Fort, etc.

Here’s a brief HD bro cam edit from Johnny Wilson and friends.

Some throwaway footage from the Spam video. (Full video here.)

“Everyone that’s attractive seems to have some dolt boyfriend, or is literally made out of garbage.”

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Kris Humphries had a bad week.

Quote of the Week
Beer Drinker #1: “What’s up with these Coors Lights?”
Beer Drinker #2: “The ones on the right I just put in, the ones on the left are cold.”
Beer Drinker #1: “You think I don’t know how to look at the blue strip, motherfucker?”

It’s supposed to go all the way up to 51 degrees today! Have a good one.

Kids Today, Man

money team

“Money Crew,” no Mayweather

With the reminder that 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ album just reached the ten-year mark since its release, people past their teenage years were all given cause to feel old today. Well, here’s another reason for life to flash before your eyes: Tyshawn Jones and Frankie Spears’ part in the 2012 Schleyer Video. (Note: Tyshawn Jones was three-years-old when Get Rich or Die Tryin’ came out.) Though the video is recent, a lot of the footage is already past history, at least when considering the rate at which kids in their early teens film these days. Anticipate west coast excursions that have yet to be released in video form.

Also, did T.J. pass the hypothetical “First New Yorker With Backside Noseblunt Down Handrail Capabilities” benchmark? (“New Yorker” in a five boroughs definition — Long Islanders and New Jerseyians don’t count as otherwise it would be a concession to the widely accepted theories of Chris Nieratko and Ian Reid regarding the origins of the best New York skaters.) Either way, both of these kids are really good, in a way that only recently-born skaters can be.

D’s come, we dump the diesel in battery acid.”