No matter how much has gone down on the world’s most famous white marble, there’s no way to overstate the hidden power of simply… skating it (or any well-worn spot, for that matter.) If that “Trick History” clip from Milano Centrale proved anything, it’s that after a while, gunning for some N.B.D. over the grate just starts to blend together with the last guy’s trick.
Skate spots are living, breathing things. They shift with the socioeconomic climate of the time, and position themselves to best adapt with people’s needs. Skateboarding has always been reflective of greater society, so it should come as no surprise that our lives were pushed into Columbus Park as we began to get pushed out of the pricier, glossier haunts that we once frequented in lower Manhattan.
Columbus Park sits on ominous ground. It was built on top of what was once America’s first slum: a hotbed of vice, disease, murder and clashes for control that have been documented in many books and films. Though it would take decades for the neighborhood to rid itself of the notoriety it earned throughout the 19th century, the city built Columbus Park in 1897. A hundred years passed, and then a guy from Clifton, New Jersey came along. The park began its second life as one of the few downtown spots you can skate in 2017 without getting kicked out.
After a debut full part in Away Days, a mag cover, Thrasher interview, the last great Love Gap photo and a pro board, TJ caps off what has been the most successful and productive year for a native New York skateboarder probably ever with the first official promo for Hardies Hardware.
The video includes many developments sure to reverberate around sports talk radio for weeks to come, such as Sean Pablo confirming rumors that he did indeed sign the dotted line with Monster Energy, the revival of 1999’s “Song of the Summer” to echo the #musicsupervision of the eternally underrated 411 Roc-a-Fella issue, and the continued pillage of the Madison Square Garden double-set gap-to-rail that has otherwise sat dormant for over a decade.
Features Tyshawn Jones, Who Kid, Na-Kel Smith, Blake Johnson, Brian Briggs, Sage Elsesser, Sean Pablo, Ben Kadow, Troy Stillwell, Kevin Bradley, Jake Donnelly, Louie Lopez, Donovan Piscopo, Kevin White & Tyquan.
Also, this one flew a bit under the radar, but Marshall put together this sick video of pretty much the same dudes late last year, and in my mind, it acted as the proverbial placeholder for a Hardies team video until now. Skating starts around the 2:30 mark.
Photo via Peter Sutherland
Start your day off right.
The 2003 magazine is now available. It includes a Quartersnacks feature with Zered Basset about the Vicious Cycle house, which was blocks from Ground Zero in the years after 9/11, and what it was like living/skating down there. We also released a hat with 2003, based on the QS Block Party tee from earlier this year. You can buy the two as a bundle, or individually ;) [Related: The skate feature from 1991.]
The Alltimers Jenkem mix by DJ Shrimp C is now live. Run your bands up.
“Yeet” is the new mini vid from Blue Couch. Features a pretty wide swath of spots around the city, a ton of night footage, and some #very #interesting line choreography at the park on 27th and 2nd Avenue. Also the back tail fakie on the fat flatrail on Water Street was really chill. Generic skate house song idk.
Are backside 360s where both feet kinda leave the board the #new #thing?
The Rios Crew went to Belgrade. I think I got anxiety watching it because of the song and the night footage where you can barely see anything else.
The Bunt has a new pod with Canadian legend, Russ Milligan. This part is still perfect.
Well, this plaza certainly looks fucking insane.
Andrew Wilson, Max Palmer, Mango and Aaron Herrington went on a Korea trip with Carhartt W.I.P., and reminded me to re-watch this old clip Conor Prunty made of Max Palmer’s first time in Korea [with John Choi] :)
Boil the Ocean on the Brian Anderson Vice Sports documentary and non-snitching sentiments being embedded within the skateboard industry. Actually had no idea Wes put Smolik on blast like that either, but shout out to 1998. What a cool year.
Everyone of a certain age holds a special place for Scott Kane in their hearts because of his Bootleg 3000 part. The “Free Lunch” series caught up with him to hear some stories from the Bootleg days :) “Man, you got that flick.”
Someone made a three-song/five-minute Kevin Bradley remix video.
2013 Q.S.S.O.T.Y. Leo Gutman crashes a quinceañera on a boat and skates Chelsea park with a disposable camera for Vice’s “First Person Shooter” series.
Aaron Herrington recreated Anthony Pappalardo’s needle-thread ollie at Blubba.
Josh Davis did a mini profile on Thrasher and Phelps for Hypebeast. I love Rihanna.
“Street Urchins 9” is a new iPhone clip from the summer full of streetside psychos.
Quote of the Week: “We were supposed to make way more money, but we spent it all on limousines.” — Phil Lavoie
Happy birthday Dre. (It was yesterday tho…)
“King Puppy” is the latest from Bill Strobeck, the Supreme boys and Grant Taylor, released in anticipation of the new GT Blazer they have dropping tomorrow. Highlights include a brief unofficial sequel to the Bronx bank-to-ledge session from “cherry,” switch street grabs, and Vincent Touzery displaying the finest bit of same-but-different line choreography (this website’s favorite brand of lines, tbh) since Danny Brady’s back 180 5-0 180 / back 180 5-0 shuv line at Republiqué.
BUT, the best part is Grant’s hypnotic section on the Supreme L.A. bowl. Making a three-minute section on a shop ramp look interesting isn’t the easiest thing in the world. More often than not, anybody who doesn’t know the people in front of the lens never makes it halfway through your average shop mini ramp clip. Grant annihilates every crevice, ending every line (is “line” accurate transition terminology?) by implanting thoughts of “…wait, what the fuck did he just do, why did it look so simple, and how did that light not break into a zillion pieces?” in your brain.
Previously: Pussy Gangster, Swoosh, The Red Devil, Joyride
