“MAKING PLANS” is a homie video by the Thumbs NYC crew, which is prolifically good at avoiding the familiar trappings of Manhattan and Brooklyn in favor of a more northern exploration of the city. Great Olu Stanley part to close it out, and going to go ahead and say that Baked Dougie has some of the most fire flip tricks of 2025. Tre flips and nollie flips with personality. We need more of that.
“THANK GOD IT’S NOT 2024 ANYMORE” is a seven-minute, all-New York montage by Shaquille Waite that’s a great time. Kickflip back lip banks rail + front three Broome Street + flip 5-0 / flip nosegrind + more, all fire. All to some 2015ish #skatevideohouse ;)
Copies of Matt Velez’s new video, Calzone, are on sale. Another teaser here.
“This urgent, shouty Mannie Fresh anthem, a sort of primal materialistic scream from within a sumptuously appointed mansion, stands as the best song in any Ty Evans-helmed Film to date; paired off Lucas Puig’s luxury-brand tech, it makes a strong argument for the greatest song in any video ever.” Boil the Ocean offers up eight of Ty Evans’ best #musicsupervision victories, the man who introduced skaters to electro.
^^^2017 Best of Dustin Henry, reigning titleholder for QS’ “Skater You’d Be Most O.K. With Your Daughter Dating” Award. Edited by Tyler Warren.
This one was pretty heartwarming: Monster Children has a mini doc on Josh Kalis’ relationship and history with the city of Chicago. I’ve seen that street gap kickflip a hundred times before and still said “oh my God” on this go-around. (Maybe Ride will finally stop asking us why Chicago isn’t a bigger deal in skateboarding with this one?)
QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: 76ers-OKC was game of the year so far, yes? Gonna give it to Embiid’s block on Russy in OT1, but only because Russy ended up winning anyway :)
Quote of the Week: “I fucking hate getting phone calls.” — Andrew Wilson
The best montage series going: Some forward-thinking front 5050 back 180s, #interesting Chinatown Manual Pad decisions, great cameos, and Tom Knox entering the third dimension of skating the knobbed Verizon Banks in the New York edition of Isle and co’s “Atlantic Drift” series.
The best interview series going:Josh Kalis x Bobshirt goes on for nearly an hour and there’s never a dull moment. Shout out to doing varial heels out of spite.
“And you’ll get stabbed if you break the hunger strike?” “Oh yeah.” Getting locked up was a big topic on the skate interview circuit this past week. The Bunt’s latest is with Brandon Turner. Still waiting on that Muska and/or Shorty’s Epicly Later’d.
A few minutes of throwaway footage from the Bluecouch crew, and a reminder of the enduring legacy held by that “bank” to “ledge” on 16th Street as the worst spot in New York that people still continue to skate. Someone said they got a ticket there one time and that’s the most “lol at your life” story ever ;) Forget who it was though.
Do not recall the last time there was footage of it, but Paine Webber is fenced off for construction. Can’t tell if they’re getting rid of the benches just yet. Would be pretty tragic if they do, considering it’s probably the last remaining iconic midtown spot to not undergo any major renovation or knobbing.
QS Sports Desk: In light of the Rudy Gay Spurs news, we’re reinstating the Sports Desk during the offseason to point you in the direction of the greatest basketball video of all time. Also, Twitter after the T.H.J. Knicks signing wassotherapeutic.
Quote of the Week: “I saw the coolest dog today. Sometimes that’s all you need.” — James from Labor
Look, we wouldn’t begin a Monday Links post with a link to a “Mask Off” challenge unless it was really worth it. Now enjoy the rest of your glorious day ♥
“We went to Gay Ledges, then Washington Square, then we started skating a book near NYU.” Skating a book propped against a curb = the state of skate spots in New York, planet earth, the year two thousand seventeen.
An Easter-best Conor Prunty — who’s a week away from celebrating the one-year anniversary of “422” — astutely skating a parking block, via Max Hull.
Not sure if him and the Vert God ever made amends, but Taylor Nawrocki’s part from Politic’s First Division video is now online. The Columbus Circle line with the cruise against three lanes of traffic was rad, and in the nineties tradition of going out of your way to end a line off with a flatground trick.
Pat O’Dell’s feature-length documentary, Dumb: The Story of Big Brother Magazine, will be screened as a part of Tribeca Film Festival later this month, but those outside of New York now have a Hulu release date in early June to look forward to.
2017 is full of surprises — even pleasant ones! Just when we were getting worried he stopped going in, perennial QS-office fave and composer of modern times’ finest love song, Rich Homie Quan, dropped a really, really good album last week. (Zillion dollar idea: Lock Quan and Thug in a room, force them to become friends again, give them all the instrumentals from Carti’s new album, boom, world peace.)
QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Stoked to see John Wall out there leading and thriving more each postseason, galaxies removed from the McGee/Nick Young/Arenas era Wizards, who were admittedly the funniest basketball team of this generation.
Quote of the Week: “I really wish you punched someone on this trip.” — Charles Rivard to Zach Baker
Enjoyed this interview with the O.G. 2000 / Mariah video dudes about skateboarding in Switzerland, a European destination that tends to escape the global spotlight, despite being the world’s eminent destination for skateboarding on six-figure cars.
Everyone loves a good one-spot part or montage, but there’s something especially admirable about a one-spot montage of a place that instills zero desire of wanting to skate said spot due to how difficult it looks.
“If Marc Johnson hadn’t waited until 2016 to move to Adidas, could his Fully Flared part have been 26 minutes long? Backed by corporate shoe money, could The End have offered more realistic pyrotechnics? If DGK had clung to the Reebok deal, could Parental Advisory have offered a Jay-Z cameo instead of Beanie Siegel?”
QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Knicks games are a tough watch these days, but at least Brandon Jennings got waived so you get to see more of the second best player on the team, Ron Baker.
Quote of the Week: “I realized that you could do that job hungover, but it’s just better if you don’t.” — Dallas Todd
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