March Madness

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Photo by Zach Malfa-Kowalski.

Cyrus is on Polar, Ben K is on 3D, and Steve Nash retired.

Found this podcast piece about “defensive architecture” with Ocean Howell really interesting (he’s an architecture professor now.) His points about developers positioning skateparks in rundown areas so they give way to gentrification seem to make sense. (Check where on the map the new Jersey City skatepark will be.)

An interview with Chad Bowers, former Alien Workshop team manager and principal figurehead behind Mother Collective about working for and starting a skateboarding company in…Ohio. “They forgot about the fourth coast.”

Nieratko interviewed Bill Strobeck on the occasion of cherry’s one-year anniversary.

#MPC: 1) HD video blog #9 from Johnny Wilson. 2) Max Palmer, Andrew Wilson, John Choi from Dime, et al. with one of the better clips from the now defunct Coda warehouse. 3) Some Paych second angles via Paul Young.

New Hi-8 clip (oxymoron?) with all the Bronze dudes.

Slam has a quick photo feature with the bro Rob Mathieson from his time in New York.

Hey, these guys like Virtual Reality Bump as much as we do!

There are some hot moves in this Evan Dittig part for Underground Skate Shop.

SMLTalk looks back the the first-ever skate re-edit contest. What up Jeremy.

Dunno what the deal with this blurry and dark Leo Gutman re-edit is (art?), but it was a good reminder to revisit The Brodies part that earned him Q.S.S.O.T.Y honors in 2013.

Even though he is quite obviously the entire QS office’s favorite skateboarder, it should be noted that Lucas’ slappy back smith IG vid was not the first known documentation of said maneuver on social media. This guy did it for the Vine back in January.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Nice to see J.R. Smith excelling in a city with minimal nightlife. Imagine him on the Thunder? He might become MVP.

Quote of the Week: “Tribeca is like the Equinox of skateparks.” — Connor Champion

Another One.

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J-John the Don. Photo by Jason Lecras.

Great way to open an interview with Karl Watson: “Wtf are you so happy about?”

There’s a high volume of three-second bust Midtown spots in the new clip from Traffic.

Got a kick out of SMLTalk’s Boston spot directory. Dana Ericson already did any trick you wanted to try at Eggs switch in Filas, Aquarium ledges are actually way harder to skate than they look on film, etc. And FWIW, this place in Berlin is “the absolute worst skatepark in recorded human history,” not Watertown.

An interview with your favorite skateboarder, my favorite skateboarder, and your former favorite skateboarder’s favorite skateboarder.

A 2014 web clip remix of your favorite third-generation Girl teamrider, and favorite first-and-second-generation Girl teamrider’s favorite third-generation Girl teamrider :)

HD video blog #4 from Johnny Wilson. I just miss Mike Giglotti man :(

Not a ton of Lucas footage in the Helas mixtape, but it is still a fun watch.

Ian Reid has been running in some weird scenes these days

Colin Sussingham has a nice photo feature over on the TWS website.

Did the Plan B video really come out?

A #listicle of the best tricks done down Clipper, which experienced quite a resurgence this year. Switch front blunt and alley oop 180 switch back 5050 got snubbed fam. That, and Muska switch noseslide should have been number one.

A late but enjoyable entrant to the “Summer Trip to New York” clip cycle.

Yo you know what’s really annoying about DVS tour videos? You see them and think, “Oh sick, I get to see Daewon skate outside of his typical SoCal comfort zone” — but then dude only has like 2-3 clips in the entire video. ANYWAY, The DVS team is pretty fun: Torey Pudwill took the Reres Award from whoever may have previously held it for the Milan grate this year, that fakie 5050-halfcab-5050-180 combo is wild, and Luis’ grind down the Le Dome hubba from the flat part (it’s over waist high) is insane.

This was the best video of 2014. Truly inspiring stuff. He really is the best:

(Another one.)

To be honest, Luis is also the best.

Dude, but to be really really honest, Muska is ALSO the best.

They’re building a new skatepark in Harlem (First Avenue and 114th.) Should be done in the spring, but you know how that goes. It’s still Lenox Ledges 4ever ♥♥♥

Blackberry’s business model has turned towards re-issuing the symbol of the partyboy skater c. 2007-2008 for those privy to nostalgia.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: You don’t get Rondo for his shooting / lack thereof. Great to have him on a relevant team again. Hey NBA, please take the Knicks or Lakers off the Christmas schedule and exchange it with a Mavs game. Thx.

Quote of the Week
Madison Square Garden Security Guard: “You okay in there?”
Guy Who Vomited on Himself in the Bathroom Stall: “I’m just taking it easy.”

Fab really isn’t feeling Christmas.

Skater of the Decade (Thus Far)

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Let this be a lesson to all aspiring owners of multinational media conglomerates: When you’re sitting on some #hot #content, don’t let it lay around waiting for a slow news day, because some Brits who are in love with the coco can sneak up and coincidentally throw a similar piece online before you. Needless to say, an audible “fuck!” was heard from the re-edit cubicle at the Quartersnacks office yesterday, when Kingpin dropped a Lucas Puig Instagram compilation video.

This isn’t an IG compilation. There are a few clips off the ‘Gram, but most of the footage stems from various Helas web edits from the past two years, the Bon Voyage part, and the Something Sinister part. Music supervision is via one of the best Helas clips ever, and follows up on an idea from a year-old QS post on the song.

People hate on China footage, hate on D.I.Y. footage, and say skateparks are boring, but really, all that shit depends on the skater. This guy is pretty much every adult person I know’s favorite for the past few years and running.

Alternate YouTube Link

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^^^Via Chocolat-Chocolat (It’s true)

68 Degrees

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The Watermelon Man. Photo via Merchants of Ill.

Johnny Wilson still trying to pretend like he uses his VX1000.

Also, some guy compiled a bunch of Cyrus Bennett’s footage from the more recent video blogs and put it over a more recent Migos song.

As far as “Summer Trip to New York” clips go, the skating in this is tops by non-pro team clip standards. These dudes somehow skate every spot in New York (e.g. when was the last time someone filmed a line at Breezy Ledges? Jeff Pang in 1997?) Obligatory Wu-Tang song included.

“The new Transworld video, Outliers, as seen through the prism of the Malcolm Gladwell book of the same name.” Frozen in Carbonite looks through some prisms.

Cario Foster on his Reason part and Danny Montoya on his incredibly ahead-of-its-time One Step Beyond part. “For the record, filming is hard.”

Lucas and J.B. in the Cliché U.K. tour clip.

Twenty seconds of “lost” Jake Johnson footage. 360 flip noseblunts, etc.

Jordan Trahan apparently kickflipped into the Washington Square Park fountain.

We can officially verify that the Plan B video exists, and that PJ Ladd does not have a part in it. The joke is dead. Except how is Hoboken going to get a premiere and New York isn’t? Was really looking forward to getting drunk in the theater for that one :(

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This is what your 2015 MTA fare hike is going to look like.

QS Holiday Gift Guide: This pixel print of skate shoes from the nineties is chill and this Hans Moleman x Muska Silhouette deck is amazing. “My name is Hans. Drinking has ruined my life. I’m 31 years old!”

Spot Updates: 1) It happened months ago, but finally just got around to updating the spot page…the ledge-to-flatbar in Battery had its runway knobbed. Some Japanese guy with quick feet will still get a trick on it by next summer. 2) The grate at Union Square that people propped up to skate over the pillar is gone. It’s a gap now. 3) The Blue Banks in Albany are being turned into an official skatepark. Even if it ends up being some pre-fab crap, at least you get to skate the banks worry-free now. Funnest spot north of Tompkins :)

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: 6′ 3 Reggie Jackson v.s. 7′ 2 Brook Lopez.

Quote of the Week: “The first thing I thought when I started watching that catcalling video was, ‘Oh no, I hope I’m not in this.'” — T-Bird

No idea what the point of this will be, but yeah, it’s there for now.

Music, Money, Monday Links (on a Tuesday)

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Shawn Powers — Soho heelflip. Photo by Mike O’Meally

Back in town. Heard of two new spots already! Some of these links are old obvs.

Lucas Puig and friends at MACBA. That little kid rips.

After causing quite a few cringes and “Ooohhh” reactions at the Static 4 premiere, Orchard put the painful teaser for their new video, Stone Soup, online.

“Based on his Bay Area legacy and the fact that my personal affinity for Marcus in my youth had gone as far as the habitual wearing of a Starter T-shirt inspired by the Trilogy VHS that was effectively super glued in my VCR, I was nervous just to be around him.” FYI: This should be mandatory weekly viewing.

Yoooooooooo Huf’s in-and-out Banks wall line

Ever wonder how skateboards are made? Here’s a brief mini doc on that very subject from the crew at Chapman Skateboards.

Jason Dill talks about pants and his Photosynthesis part. “That’s a bad frontside noseslide.” (Why didn’t they discuss the recording of this call though?)

NY Skateboarding filmed the entire Q & A with Chris Carter and Duane Pitre from the Memory Screen event that happened in Brooklyn last week.

Jenkem has an interview with Kevin Tierney and Transworld has an interview and mini clip with Rob Gonyon. Always found it weird when people (and there are A LOT of them, not just Rob) lose interest in the NBA when the Knicks aren’t involved, thus depriving themselves of viewing actually *good* basketball. It’s like listening to Wu-Tang and turning the song off after U-God’s verse ends. Anyway, new Bronze video!

Cooper Winterson has a cool new mini video with all the young guns. Citibike wallies!

Happy rap music! (“There seems to be an inordinate amount of exclamation points.”)

Hopps has a quick “Welcome to the Team” Insta vid for Cyrus Bennett and a mini clip with Brian Clarke from the Battery Park L Ledges.

The Canadian Vans team goes to Boston, New York and Philadelphia.

Raekwon and Ghostface Lieberman.

QS Sports Desk: Hyped that the Sports Desk’s new favorite non-German player over 6′ 3 won the Finals MVP. Lebron must really hate the state of Texas.

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Quote of the Week: “All ADHD means is that you’re psyched on doing things.” — Francesco Pini, C.E.O. of QS International’s Italian and Scandinavian Branches

Bruh.