The Events That Defined New York City Skateboarding in 2012: 20-16

stuytownrail

Big news of the day: Google Maps is back for iPhones. Did anyone ever try going on a road trip with that Apple Maps app? It was horrible. Anyway, here is the second installment of our “Year in Review” series. Previously: #s 25-21.

20. Stuy Town Rail Becomes a Normal Spot

New York’s main contribution to the “skateboarding is beginning to look like rollerblading” theory (see: recent advancements in ledge dancing, 16-flat-16 handrails) was this rail’s transition into something people actually skated the whole way down. Before, it was only utilized for quick grind-to-pop-in tricks on the handicap ramp (Alex Olson does a feeble pop over on it in the Pretty Sweet bonus section) and near-death experiences for those attempting to slide the entire thing (Kerel Roach in the 2004 ABC video / maybe Remedy.) In the past year plus, Kevin Tierney boardslid it, Jonathan Ettman 5050ed it and some Australian will lipslide it next summer. (Sorry for all the parenthetical asides…)

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‘NO ARM & HAMMER IN MY HANNAH MONTANA’

Everyone skateboards now! Miley Cyrus is into it! Rihanna skates! This girl skates! Everyone skates! What a fun way to get your cardio in! Sk8 or die, girls! Derek Zoolander |*ngb**rds! When is the male model game of S.K.A.T.E? My money’s on Ted.

12th & A lives. There was an East Village community board meeting this past Thursday to decide its fate, and skateboarding prevailed. It’s open 5-8 P.M. on weekdays, 12-8 P.M. on Saturdays, and unfortunately closed on Sundays. Better than nothing. Hopefully, it will open earlier during late-fall and winter weekdays, since it gets dark at 4:30. (Also, there’s a new ~15-foot-long round flatbar there, and they sawed the legs off the larger picnic table to make it “Cali size.”)

“Gyro” is a montage filmed in New York over the course of two weeks via the same crew that brought you the SF-based Chunder and VHS1K videos.

Some kid wallrid off that giant bottle sculpture near 57th Street on the Westside Highway, which is pretty gnarly. It would make a great photo. Photo here. That trick, and six minutes of other NY/NJ/Philly-based footage in this “Gravity Hammers” clip.

Death Video throwaway clips set to the soothing sounds of 2 Chainz.

The first summer edition “Diamond Days” video (#62) is now online. It utilizes the early frontrunner for “Song of the Summer 2012,” Cash Out’s “Cashing Out” A.K.A. “Yeah, it’s the ‘Racks’ of 2012, but it’s not as good as ‘Racks.'” Grown & Sexy S.O.T.S. early honorable mention: Usher “Climax.”

Nate Rojas’ part from Five on That is on YouTube. He 5050s the kinked handrail outside the Tribeca jail skatepark.

“Oh no, I’m completely fine. I do this all the time. Have a nice day.”

The Museum of Modern Art in Finland claims to currently have “the world’s first large scale skatable sculptural installation” on its premises. Stadium did that, like, last year, bro. Though to be fair, the Finnish one is a superior “skateable sculpture” for “normal” people and not Zered Bassett.

SPOT UPDATES: 1) The rail gap and keyhole ledge at CBS are now blocked off by scaffolding. 2) The gas station on 15th & 10th with the flat rails got torn down. Near the end of this clip, Gigliotti does a line there in a controversial hat. (Aren’t there ~six gas stations south of 96th Street? Why the hell are they tearing them down?) 3) Those awful marble windowsill ledges on 4th and Bowery got knobbed.

Quote of the Week:


Straight bling-bling, whip it with an antenna

Call My Accountant, He Gonna Make It Do Magic

Is this a photo from the T.F. or an unseen production still from City of God?

Last week, Skateboarder ran a “25 Questions” feature with #PhatStylez co-founder, Jack Sabback. Ice coffee, switch shove-its, and Commodore nachos are all chill.

Bill Pierce’s part from the KCDC video is now online. The Juicy J skate part is still heavily trending in 2012. (Loosely related: “Girls who like Juicy J are the worst.” — Matt Mooney.) You can find some other parts from the video here.

Due to the song, this clip is a mandatory post. Hard to tell where it’s based out of, but the description was astute enough to acknowledge the song’s best line, so it doesn’t matter.

Jereme Rogers A.K.A. J.R. Blastoff was spotted at Tompkins and interviewed on a variety of subjects: making the world a better place, Audemars, “raising human consciousness,” Honda Civics being the dirty white tee shirts of cars, and Lurker Lou not saying “Hi” to him.

Some footage of the Washington Heights homies. (C.R.E.A.M. > Y.O.L.O.)

There’s a new quarterpipe at the lot under the BQE in Williamsburg. Here are some tricks on it.

Principal QS shareholder, Alexander Mosley, has been living in Puerto Rico for the past half-year. He has a line in the middle of this Mayagüez skate plaza clip.

That short loading dock to cellar door bank spot on Canal and Washington Street is gone. They removed the bank. Watch Jose Pereyra’s part from the 2008 2nd Nature video because he has an ender on it.

New wooden bench spot downtown. It sucks, but people are still going to skate it.

Weird. The 11th and Wythe Street ledge turned into a hotel.

Quote of the Week
Inquisitive Gentleman: “What’s the whitest trick in skateboarding? A benihana?”
Neal Santos: “The whitest trick in skateboarding is snowboarding.”


Don’t forget to do your taxes.