Jamal Smith turning pro is the perfect feel-good Christmas movie to close out the 2010s. Congrats to a Q.S.S.O.T.Y. alumn, and thank you Jamal for being an inspiration to us all for so long ♥
Tag: Homies Network
The 2019 Quartersnacks Year in Review: 15-6
So Much Content
If you can’t make it out on Saturday, don’t forget to help circulate the petition to keep turf off the asphalt at Tompkins Square Park. If you’re sharing any reflections or memories of what this park means to you on social media, please be sure to tag any posts with #savetompkins.
“One thing Jones has that a lot of pro skaters don’t is a bunch of hardheaded friends who are willing to bring city life to a halt for him.” Can’t imagine there’s a single person who reads QS that hasn’t already read Willy Staley’s incredible profile of Tyshawn Jones for The New York Times, but also don’t think anything else could justifiably be the first link this week.
“The further uptown you went, the quieter and more desolate it was. And the more you could get away with.” While on the topic of #MSM #skate #coverage — never knew about this 2005 New York Mag article about Andy Kessler and the original Zoo York crew of the 1970s-80s. (So nice that we have evolved and endured enough to avoid calling things “Dogtown East” now hehe.)
Eli Gesner found this 1995 clip of Peter Bici skating in front of the Met at 6 A.M. Wonder what club they had just left ;)
Homies Network — An Interview With Kei, Kyota, Mark & Sully
Photo by Mark Custer
A crew’s first video is always an experiment. It is an experiment in finding the tone, the pacing, and even the overall understanding from everybody that yes, you’re making a video. Everyone in The Homies Video would have started skating after Instagram came around, but it didn’t affect the idea that there is something unifying and special about creating a full-on video. We chatted with Kei (the video’s filmer + editor), Mark (the crew’s photographer), and Kyota + Sully (both of whom have full parts in it) about what it was like filming for the first Homies Network video.
How did all of you meet each other?
Kei: I’ve known Kyota almost since birth. My parents moved here from Japan around the same time as his [moved from Japan]. We were both born here, and we lived like two blocks apart. I was best friends with his older brother, who is 20, and I’m 18.
Sully moved from Florida, and started skating with Kyota and them. It’s really just mutual friends between everyone. I’ve known Mark through his Instagram and his photography. I asked him to take some photos for the video.
What is Homies Network?
Kei: It’s me filming my friends. Everyone in the video is one of my favorite skaters. I took my parents old TRV-820 because I didn’t have any money to buy a new camera. I wanted to make something small — like, a short video, and it turned out to be way bigger than it was.
Homies Network — ‘The Homies Video’
Photo by Mark Custer
The Homies Video is the first full-length by Homies Network, featuring a ton of upcoming skaters you’ll recognize if you spend any time pushing around downtown, or lurking by Labor. Filmed + edited by Kei Tsuruta.
We have an interview we did with Kei and a few of the guys, but a lot of it was in reference to stuff that actually happens in the video — so we figured we’d give this one a day to marinate and post it up tomorrow ;) There’s a lot in their first full-length to get hyped on and reassure yourself that the future is in good, enthusiastic and creative hands.
Support the Homies Network webstore, too.