Thrasher has been posting some gems before clocking out for the weekend as of late. “Down Bad” is a Philly video by Harry Bergenfield. Includes the second Kris Brown opener part in two weeks, a lot of Jahmir Brown footy, and a wild ender section from Brian O’Dwyer. Front feeble Zuccotti is nuts.
“It makes me wonder how I’d have turned out if I’d only skated with people my own age? I don’t know if I’d have the same discipline.” Farran did a #longform interview with Justin Henry for the Slam City Skates blog.
→ Please sign the petition to show your support for keeping the asphalt at the Tompkins Square Park courts. This space is as sacred to skateboarding and the East Village as the Rucker or the West 4th Street courts are to basketball. It would be a massive loss to the youth and cultural fabric of the neighborhood if they were covered with synthetic turf. We are a few hundred shy of 25,000 (!!!) signatures, so please please please share the petition with your friends, and on your respective social channels.
After many years of captivity, the Zipper Ledge is finally free and dressed with a fresh, yellow paintjob, as first reported by @mini_spots. (Don’t ask for pin! That’s like asking where the Empire State Building is!) If only the park starts opening the gate at Yellow Rail, then the entire Morningside little kid skate scene circa 2003 will be in full revival.
One of the hardest things about interviewing skateboarders is not asking the same ten things that the last few interviews they did asked. It’s special and rare when you get someone for their first one. Caleb Barnett did his first ever interview with the Slam City Skates blog.
“For longtime devotees of the Art Dump, SHT Sound and goldfish-toting retirement home scammers, it’s difficult to separate dudes’ seeming lack of enthusiasm for skating their own boards with the company’s at times painful evolution.” Boil the Oceans looks toward the future of Girl Skateboards on the announcement of their upcoming am-focused video, Doll.
Element did a Keith Harring collaboration and the only reason we’re telling you about it is because the accompanying video for it contains about a minute of new Brandon Westgate footage from the Banks.
Big week for Chief Keef video parts, and a bad week for that antiquated tradition of keeping an unenthused stone face after you land your ender. Here’s another section from the Buffalo-based Jeb video. We have been claiming we’d drive to Albany to skate Empire State Plaza since before the summer, and now’s it’s probably too cold, huh?
“Bryan saw this pool while landscaping at the house next door and somehow charmed the owner into letting us skate for two weekends. How he did this, I have no clue. Must have been just the right mix of 7-11 egg salad, and ’90s skate photos that gave him the confidence.”
Some of you will be triggered by the aesthetics, but the skateboarding in Romain Batard’s “Giddy” series is always unique, albeit in a fried way. Episode #9 is live.
Ignoring the fact that its objectively horrid to look at (not even talking as a skateboarder here…but what the hell is wrong with them renovating these parks in a way that makes it look like their budget was a $200 Home Depot gift card?), there are these weird slappymetal things at the park on Spring and Sixth Avenue now A.K.A. the old marble chessboard park.
Bad news: McNally Jackson is closing. Good news: They’re insisting that they will remain in the neighborhood. So excited for that corner to become a Chase bank :(
QS Spots Desk Play of the Week: The Trae Young game winner seems like it was the most unavoidable highlight of the preseason. Regular season starts Wednesday!
Quote of the Week: “They don’t play Drizzy in pubs man.” — Tiko re: whether he heard the Spanish Drake song in London
We should be caught up with shipping all orders from last week by the end of today. If you ordered before the weekend and didn’t receive a shipping confirmation to the email address you ordered with, feel free to check in with us. Otherwise there are some loose sizes and hats left. Available at European accounts now. Arriving in Canada and Australia this week ♥ Thanks everyone for the support.
“Is the speed of Jamie Foy’s ascent, from amateur to pro and SOTY the same year, a reflection of or reason behind the breakneck pace driving skate media these days?…Could the nod to Jamie Foy also serve as a quiet acknowledgement that it shoulda been Fred Gall one of those years?”
Iron Claw is [not] having a premiere for their new video this Wednesday, December 13, at 122 Meserole Street. Two showings: one at 8 P.M. and another at 9. Teaser here.
Though Ride doesn’t do much these days apart from continue to ask us why Chicago isn’t a bigger deal in skateboarding, Slap brought back the article predictions thread for 2018. “Shake Junt hires Ty Evans for next video: Chicken Drone Nowison.”
Theories is posting raw files from Elkin’s videos. First episode is fall 2010, and features Aaron Herrington, Leo Gutman, Quim, and Vert God before he started to GRoE.
“Like the flow of posts through social media, skateboard graphics are inherently ephemeral. They are destined to be worn and scuffed and distorted until all that remains is smeared paint and exposed wood. But some images are designed to linger, if only in the imagination.” On the ascent of Polar Skateboards…as a menswear brand.
Jamal Smith tweeted this one yesterday. Probably, haven’t watched it this decade, but remember that finally tracking down that Diamond D song was a pivotal prepubescent moment. Also, shout out to all the 2017 Kasperholics.
Been slow around here, as recent injuries have taken their toll on office morale, but December is always busy. QS holiday 2017 tees are now available at Supreme Soho and Brooklyn. Arriving at other shops this week and next. Online soonish?
Probably one of the most fried concepts for a recent skate video, but in the best way possible — Kyota Umeki filmed an entire skate video on a Nintendo 3DS with a fisheye taped to it. 90% of it is filmed within like, five blocks of the L.E.S. Park. I also have “Groove Is In The Heart” stuck in my head now, great.
The crew behind Newark’s Shorty’s spot (R.I.P.) was allotted a piece of land by the city, in which they have begun to build a bowl. They’re looking to raise money for supplies, concrete trucks, etc. to speed up the project. If you’ve been to Shorty’s even once, please donate whatever you can so they can continue forward with the Shorty’s spirit ♥
Bobby Worrest has a comprehesive interview with “The Nine Club,” with a detailed discussion re: the lost art of skate spot politics and east coast aversion to wax. (His favorite Bobby Worrest part is also “Looks Ok To Me.”)
QS Sports Desk: Imagine if the Knicks did a subtler trust the process-esque strategy instead of doubling-down on iso-Melo and then trying to force the triangle onto the modern NBA for the past decade? Eh.