It All Started With a Manual — The Skateable History of Columbus Park

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.

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Mondayyyyy Links (Feat. Future)

rihanna qs laptop

Stance Socks’ newest teamrider.

We will temporarily be closing up our webstore this week. There are mostly mediums left with a few white larges and XLs. Cruisers are almost gone too. It will be back in the spring with new gear. Thanks to anyone who supported and bought anything.

A Visual Sound sat down with Brad Rosado to talk about Parental Advisory’s all hip-hop music supervision. It was actually surprising that Stevie didn’t skate to Meek Mill, considering that even in the Roc-A-Fella era, Philly didn’t have a top-tier “relevant” rapper to lay claim to. (Always thought “Ready or Not” would go well with a skate part.) Also, “blue collar filming” is a great term.

“99% Invisible,” a public radio show about design, has a sixteen-minute episode about Love Park and skateboarding in public spaces. Solid listen, even if it’s tailored to a mass audience and telling much about what you already know. It reminds us of how this was one of the greatest moments in skateboard history.

Gino talks about the five favorite board graphics he’s had throughout his career.

Lewis Marnell’s Nike SB Chronicles part is online via an unauthorized upload. Skateboarder also has several sequences from when the part was being filmed.

Brian Clarke’s part from Outdated is online. The Bridgeport line is sick. And here’s another part from the NJ-based In Crust We Trust video.

Battylife is an 18-minute New York and New Jersey-based video by Sam Fickinger, with a soundtrack that’ll make people who don’t listen to Future happy.

Some kid backside 360ed El Toro.

Here’s a 2012 “Best of” clip from noted frontside crooked grinder, Petey Pablo fan, and homage-payer to the S.A.D. towel, Connor Champion.

Are Bronze-ish tech nostalgia effects destined to make the #trendwatch?

Taji got out of the cold to skate one of the few mini ramps left in New York with a small crew.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week:I LIKE MY MEATBALLS SPICY!

Quote of the Week
Sweet Waste: “You need a warmer coat.”
Shawn Powers: “This Dior. This all I need b.”

If you’re into parties and rap and stuff, we’re at Westway with Baller’s Eve, Angelo Baque, Thando, etc. on Thursday night.

So Arizona, Get Your Act Together & Hail the King

carwash

“But what I can’t understand is why people in a hot-ass desert town like Tucson, Arizona, wouldn’t want a day off work. It’s not like you have to do something black on that day. You know, you don’t have to read Ebony magazine. You don’t have to watch Soul Train. All you have to do is not work.”

Might want to read this instead of lurking the Slap board today: Playboy’s full January 1965 interview with Martin Luther King Jr., which happens to be the longest and most in-depth interview he has ever granted any publication.

Rest in Peace Lewis Marnell. Manolo already came through with a great five-minute tribute edit of Lewis’ footage.

“I’d rather watch Busenitz ________.” Today, that blank is filled with “cruise around mostly low-impact European spots and drive home the fact that America sucks for skateboarding.” Those spots look incredible.

Skateboarding Bloopers: Handrail Edition

It only took an hour after Dece Vid‘s release for somebody to rip Yaje’s standalone part to YouTube. Let’s all hope this isn’t Yaje’s final part. (Fun Fact: Most of the footage in that part is ~two-years-old.)

New Iron Claw iPhone montage featuring crowd favorite, Phil Rodriguez.

Jordan Trahan, Jimmy McDonald and Rob Gonyon (another crowd favorite) rip around Tribeca and the West Village in the latest Berrics “Off the Grid” segment.

Slam City Skates has a quick interview up with Lev Tanju, the architect behind Palace Skateboards, about the company’s future, sense of humor and Southbank.

Brooklyn Banks contest results from April 4, 1998.

ICYMI: Aaron Herrington is really good at skateboarding.
QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Ish Smith JUMPS OVER John Wall, turns around, and blocks his shot. Also, his name is Ish.

Quote of the Week:

A girl’s review of the new Green Diamond video. (Via Mike Heikkila)

Time to watch basketball. Enjoy this cold-ass week.