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Tag: Humidity Skateshop

An Interview With Philly Santosuosso

Features & Interviews April 10th, 2015 · 4:00 am · 16

philly wallride

Photo by G. Dagostaro

Most people do not know much about skateboarding in New Orleans. You can walk down a major city’s downtown anywhere in America and bet on seeing at least a few skateable things. When you walk around downtown New Orleans, where the few tall buildings are, and there’s next to nothing. (Places like that make me feel bad about writing things like this, even as a joke.) Its first public skatepark has been entangled in red tape for years. Its most recognizable skater might be Lil’ Wayne.

Philly and Humidity have been our lens into New Orleans’ underreported skate scene for years now, a city that manages to make something out of not very much.

+++++++

Not many people think of New Orleans as a skate city. How did you first get into skating down there?

My half brother got into skating when I was eight or nine, then quit, and I kept going. There was a small indoor park called Second Nature, which was run by the best skaters in the city. I hung out there, and they had a skate shop that you could rent skate videos from. I would watch a lot of 411s, video after video, and that exposed me to what was going on in skating. I ended up riding for the shop inside the park when I got a little older.

What was the scene like at that time? It feels like it never gets much coverage.

Duane Pitre is from here, and was riding for Alien Workshop around that time. The first actual skateboard I bought was off his grandma, who owned poodle grooming shop where she also sold his boards. Dyrdek would come down — when Dyrdek ollies over a shopping cart off a little bump in Mind Field in one of his little clips from when he was younger — that’s actually in New Orleans. Sal Barbier is also from here, so there was a good community of skateboarders at that time when I was first starting to skate.

I didn’t even know New Orleans sucked for skating until later.

Filmed by Thom Musso / The Man Who Films

Why do you say you realized it sucked?

First, the park closed down. Then, the first Zero video came out, which was sick, but really bummed me out on skating. I saw that everything was about jumping down shit. In New Orleans, we have like one eight-stair and couldn’t really follow in that direction. I was young, so I got a bit more into BMX instead, building dirt jumps and shit, being a kid, you know?

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SremmLife

Daily News March 10th, 2015 · 5:30 am · 17

bk landmark diner

Landmark. Photo by Brian Kelley.

In honor of Paris Fashion Week, our interns GIF-itized most of Flo Marfaing’s tricks down the hubba ledge at Le Dome / Palais de Tokyo — which, as you are well aware, is the site of many prominent #PFW shows. Been waiting for that ledge to have a bit of a resurgence a la how Clipper has come back into fashion these past ~two years. Watch some trend-setting skater switch back 5050 it (assuming it’s too high to no comply into?) in an artsy photo and the floodgates will open.

Luis is the best.

The future is NOW — #jkjhnsn is now @jkjhnsn.

Lenny Kirk was / is a psycho.

The bro Adam Zhu got a chill one-minute part at the 3:30 mark of this video.

Frozen in Carbonite examines Gold Goons through the lens of the latest Drake album, while Boil the Ocean uses it as a springboard to contemplate the 5-0 grind’s place in the modern skate trick canon.

This guy is a bit of a cult hero around here: Andy Bautista’s circa 1998-99 Thrasher Firing Squad outtakes via Jim Hodgson. The original part can be found here. There are a lot of really good nollie back heels in it.

Check Ciber Wave, the new vid from the crew at Humidity Skateshop in New Orleans.

Cutty shared part between Tom Penny and Javier Sarmiento can be found at the 13:20 mark of this Spanish video. It’s dimly lit and 90% in skateparks, but you know… Javi.

Skate Jawn has a clip of the Paych dudes’ trip to Puerto Rico and Colin Sussingham is selling a 48-page zine of photographs from the same excursion.

J.P. Blair uploaded a throwaway reel of some guys who skate in New York.

Someone who’s really good at bump-to-bars once observed that “after you do two or three, they all start to look the same.” Adidas isn’t into that line of thinking.

An interview with Dan Wolfe about the low-key classic I-Path promo.

Ollie up, early grab gap to 5050 on those two ledges under the High Line is intense.

Ever wonder what happened to Scott Kane? Here you go.

The ~30th attempt at a skateboard fashion blog: Kit Report.

“Rich Homie Quan seems like a really nice guy.”

Rest in Peace Sam Simon. No piece of pop culture has made me laugh throughout my time on this earth like The Simpsons has. Thank you.

QS Sports Desk: Maintaining our position that Russell Westbrook is the greatest basketball player to ever live is really tough with Steph Curry doing things like this. Also, if you think James Harden should be MVP, please leave a comment so we have a record of your IP address and can ban you from visiting this website.

Quote of the Week
Observant Gentleman: “Sometimes I see people wearing bootcut jeans with actual boots, and I think ‘Oh wow, that doesn’t look that bad.'”
Will R.S: “Bruv, you’re a fucking dimwit.”

It’s over:

spring

P.S. If you’re going to be one of those assholes complaining in June about how 85 degrees is “too hot,” you can live comfortable knowing you’re worse than the “James Harden for MVP” guys ;)

Weekend Viewing: Philly Santosuosso in OD WAVY

Daily News October 17th, 2014 · 1:37 am · 14

philly

Anyone who saw the exceptional Butter Goods promo probably noticed that Philly’s part was one of the standouts — except that’s not his best output from 2014. Thom Musso A.K.A. The Man Who Films has slowly been uploading parts from his rather under-the-radar video, OD WAVY, on Vimeo this past week. Philly has the ender, which went up today, and is easily one of the best parts you’ll watch in 2014.

This guy operates a fully functional skate shop in one of America’s toughest-to-skate major cities (Remember: Palestine got a skatepark before New Orleans), and still manages to find the time to film a five-minute video part. Any excuses you may have for time away from your skateboard are irrelevant.

And though the Diplomats “Bout It, Bout It” remix may have been used in any number of forgettable montages, its legend has finally been cemented in the most legit 1/2 N.O. + 1/2 N.Y. part to date. There has never been anything this applicable until now.

“No water, only pumping Mountain Dew.”

Have a good weekend. Alternate YouTube Link.

Running Around the Lobby

Daily News September 3rd, 2013 · 9:28 am · 10

beach cruiser

Monday Links on a Tuesday for the second week in a row.

Check out Philly Santosuosso’s mini New York part for Politic Skateboards. Eighty percent of it was filmed within maybe a ten-block radius. For those who don’t know, Philly runs Humidity Skateshop in New Orleans. DGK did a sick video about the shop and crew a few weeks ago.

The twenty definitive skateboard apparel trends of the nineties, in #listicle form.

For whatever reason, Shorty’s decided to start making skateboards again (don’t Skate Mafia and Shake Junt seem to split the space that Shorty’s would occupy, had it survived the post-Muska era?), but at least their iconic Horty shirt never lost relevance, as evidenced by this Westchester, NY-based montage. A notable QS associate also kinda met his wife because of that shirt. An undisputed classic.

If you live in/near the East Village, you knew 12th & A has semi been back for over a week. Due to Instagram, it’s now common knowledge for all. So, here’s the first known clip from 12th & A version 6.0. Is filming a lo-fi viewfinder the new VX1000?

…or wait, now that Instagram promos are a “thing,” has the iPhone solidified its position as the new VX1000?

And if there’s a new VX1000, what’s the new TRV900? A Galaxy S4? Until we figure that out, Billy Rohan has been hitting the streets with a TRV, and coming out with “Illumingnarly” edits of standard New York weirdos and some skateboarding.

R.B. Umali breaks down a nineties-heavy top five tricks he’s ever filmed. All due respect to Kalis’ Newport fakie flip, but the kickflip from Peep This that R.B. filmed might edge it out, considering it’s maybe the best kickflip ever done. Also, Billy McFeely 5050ed the ledge Lennie Kirk boardslid.

Craiglist Missed Connection alert! Anyone who reads this site lock eyes with some girl on the L train at 1 A.M. the other night? If you get a date out of it, be sure to thank the G Man at our Missed Connections desk ;)

BAM (the former best spot in Brooklyn), is hosting a skateboard-themed film series from September 6th through the 23rd. They’ll be showing everything from Gleaming the Cube, to This Ain’t California, to Waiting for Lightning, to Kids, and even Yeah Right! on a big screen. Taji Ameen interviewed George Gage, director of Skateboard starring Tony Alva, one of the first mainstream movies about skateboarding and the first in BAM’s series. (Related: The fifteen-minute short from 1966, The Devil’s Toy, is available online for free, and is one of the first films to depict skateboarding altogether. BAM will be screening it along with some related shorts later in the month. It was also the source material for the random shots of kids skating in the original Lurkers 2 promo.)

QS Sports Desk *Throwback* Play of the Week / Article Recommendation: As Knicks fans, it’s easier to remember Tracy McGrady as a past-his-prime cap-clearing piece than the guy responsible for things like this, but Bill Simmons makes a compelling case for his spot in the hall of fame over on Grantland.

Quote of the Week: “Nike Dunk wedges are the new tongue ring.” — Roctakon. (Should we expect a Three 6 Mafia reunion solely to sing the praises of young women in Nike Dunk wedges?)

Not the first time that we’re bummed over local TV programing changes: Despite the fact that Coming to America came out twenty-five years ago, and his only semi-recent output is admittedly an amazing Chapelle’s Show cameo, Pix 11 decided to give Arsenio Hall his own show at 11 P.M., moving Seinfeld reruns to 6:30 P.M. and midnight starting next week. Less of a reason to come home early.

YOU WASN’T WITH ME SKATING AT TOMPKIIINNNSSS

Daily News February 13th, 2012 · 8:43 am · 5

Talk about finding love in a hopeless place. (Thanks to Bart for the photo.)

R.I.P. Whitney Houston. There aren’t a lot of skate clips edited to Whitney songs, but there is this Lennie Kirk part from the QS Mind Field re-edit set to “I Will Always Love You.” The dudes who made the Stop Fakin’ video also had to good sense to edit a bonus section to “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

Hypebeast did an interview with Bill Strobeck about “the whimsical characters and subjects he portrays.” The new Transworld video, which Bill has a section in, is premiering in L.A. this Thursday. No word on a New York premiere, although people are *speculating* there will be another screening at Tribeca Grand, like the last one. In case you missed it, Crailtap posted a clip of Bill finishing up his section for the video out in L.A. last week.

Kevin Tierney got a lot taller over the past five years. It’s bizzare that lipslide down the nine happened five years ago, too. Feels like last year.

Brian Anderson offers some quick tips on properly experiencing New Orleans. Via the homies at Humidity Skateshop.

Shit U Not continues with the Big Brother retrospectives. Remember when you could run an ollie at a skatepark as a cover photo? Remember when Heath rode for Hooks-Ups shoes? Remember when Hook-Ups actually made shoes? Remember Kastel?

Skating in India looks pretty wild. Mooney is supposed to be going out there to look for an arranged marriage. Michael Mackrodt is one of the top five Europeans in da skate game.

Some brilliant human being made a mash-up of all Lurker Lou’s footage to W.A.S.P’S “Mean Man.” This is the video part Lou should have had all along. Yaje’s cameo is probably the most brilliant part of the whole thing — and there are a lot of brilliant parts. A bunch of 14-year-olds will still hit the thumbs-down button…

5Boro’s Join Or Die video premieres at 8 P.M. on Thursday, February 16th at Santos (Lafayette Street, just south of Canal.) 18+ to get in. Teaser 1, Teaser 2. Brian Clarke should have some new footage in it while we all wait until “next month” for J.P’s mystic video to drop.

Quote of the Week: “Black girls stay biting punk girls’ swag.” — Black Dave on the popularity of Rihanna haircuts


“Otis” still suuuccckkks, by the way.