Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Content

Zered over The Grate™ by Jonathan Mehring 📷 • ~10ish years ago • Tell Zered happy bday today ❤️

Pat Smith’s Coda Skateboards imprint turned 20 this year, and to celebrate, they dropped their fourth full-length video entitled Coda EP, which is heavy on the D.I.Y. spots (some built outta mulch…) + crust + includes a Tony Farmer section! Lots of crazy shit towards the end.

The Mômes boys out of Paris did a Barcelona trip and came back with a new edit: “Zero Footage.”

Videographer Joe Hiddleson has been uploading tapes captured from 90s skate missions, and this one of Bam Margera skating the Financial District in ’96 is gold. Ends on a drop-in battle down the grey wall that Stu Kirst rode into in Johnny’s Vid. Was shocked to see how much of lower Manhattan in 1996 still looks the same today.

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Skaters Set Eyes on Hell-like Planet That Rains Lava at Night

Photo via @whatisnewyork

Rest in Peace, New York City payphones ❤️

Why go to Greece like all the other skate crews, when you can go to a hell-like planet that rains lava in the night footy? (Nah, jk – Greece is pretty dope.)

We’re up to 80 spots! Just added Dustin Eggeling’s “Reggaeton” part for Village Psychic (as in…the ledges, not the music genre) to the QS One-Spot Part Map. Includes guest tricks from Kyler Garrison, Brian Scherer + Keith Denley.

Frankie Decker talks Vegas, late shuvs, and the “Evan Frankie” ender in his new interview for Heckride. (Does anyone remember what edit the backside flip down the Canal and Division set at the Manhattan Bridge is?)

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Some Random German Links

futuro

Travel Tip: An Airbnb for seven dudes with one bathroom in Mexico is a bad idea.

Contrary to Instagram reports over the past week-and-a-half, the Banks are not *technically* open. A full section of the fence was down, and the DOT security booths were gone, but that section has since been put back up. Cops are still kicking people out (no tickets…yet), and claiming the space will soon re-open (also remember it was only supposed to be closed off until 2014, so, you know…) TWS caught up with R.B. Umali for a full status report, and a bit of new footage.

A bunch of Euro links for this Monday Links post…

Who would have thought that one of QS’ highest affinities for a non-New York skate crew would be out in Italy? Five-minute montage from the Milano Centrale boys, including #musicsupervision via Strap from Travis Porter, experimental pants supervision, and minimal tricks on objects over two feet in height.

Village Psychic threw together a remix of the extra-prolific “Sour Files” series, which has dominated the QS Top 10 perhaps more than any other single skate team.

A quick new one from Hjalte and the Blobbys.

/* end Euro links ;)

Always get a lil’ smile out of “Summer Trip to New York” edits that put the effort into skating midtown and SoHo, which seem to be antiquated routes in the L.E.S. + outer-borough dominant mindset of the past several years. The New York section in “Double Egg & Cheese” (begins at the 7 minute mark) is a fun watch.

Abada with some words on the enduring inspiration that is Mike York. (Related.)

They’re building a new skatepark at Van Courtlandt Park on 240th and Broadway. Also, it looks like they’re starting construction on the skatepark at Thomas Jefferson Park in East Harlem, with a projected March 2018 completion date.

Behind the scenes of Yaje’s Columbus Park polejam 5050 TWS cover.

Tennyson put together another 411 comp, this time for S.J. and Sean Mullendore.

Pete Spooner uploaded the New York montage from Insano.

Mike Blabac has a three-part series over on Slam City Skates’ blog about some of his favorite photos and the stories behind them.

A bit of new Anthony Correa footage in what is apparently a “VX Mode” on one of those Panasonic cameras.

Our bud Gianluca’s podcast “Skate Muzik” has a new episode with Jeff Pang.

Paul Coots started uploading single parts from BSA’s Whole Bitch video.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Who the hell would want to get a get a drink alongside somebody whose favorite basketball player is James Harden? Russ for MVP. Uninterested in any other arguments. Bye.

Quote of the Week:

quote

skaters

File Under: When sports fans start sounding like skaters.

Thank You, Mike York

york noseslides hat

This guy is still putting out full parts…but what else do you expect from perhaps the only first generation Girl/Choc rider to contribute a full section in literally every one of their projects that he was a part of. Makes you wonder why the 30+, people-just-wanna-see-you-skate guys don’t lighten up and throw something out there more often. Gino sorta started to oblige us after Pretty Sweet, and hopefully the guys who share that special category follow suit.

After last year’s “two 360 flips in a row” / FTC part, York is back with a four-minute section for a company that most of us out east have probably never heard of. The dude is writing the book on how to make the third arc of a skate career fun and relatable to people whose ability is a few million notches below a Plan B rider’s. Even the current no comply and wallie renaissance makes its way to York — a dude who spent most of his pro career with those tricks being underutilized — so it’s rad to see him toss those in between the noseslide and crook combos.

The part’s brief stop in New York makes us wish he paid Three Up Three Down a visit, as the potential for an on-brand York line there is huge. No, he’d know not to wax it ;)

Tied with Scott Kane’s comeback part as 2014’s best underdog film.

Previously: Ayo For Yayo – A Tribute to Mike York, an Icon of Low Impact Skateboarding

The Chillest Lines in Skateboarding History: 1993-1999, 2011-2012

chill lines header

Perhaps the only point in Alex Olson’s recent interview that did not polarize skateboarding’s sea of opinion, was his belief that nobody cares how hard tricks are anymore. We’ve all said “he’s good, but who cares” or written someone off as “a robot” before, so what do professional skateboarders have left to aspire to?

The line has long been the backbone of street skating. Skateboarder even published a print #listicle in the mid-2000s showcasing the best lines of all time. Appropriately enough, the latest entry belonged to P.J. Ladd, because his debut part was when progression really took off, and the “Everyone is Good” movement began to accelerate our numbness to incredible skateboarding.

“But what about style?” Sure, Ray Barbee looked amazing when only doing slappies and no complys, in a way that legions of art students have failed to replicate. Even Carroll’s library line — quite possibly the best thing ever done on a skateboard — wouldn’t be the same if it was performed by some midwesterner visiting San Francisco. Style plays a role, but remember when people would say things like “He’s so smooth?” None of that matters when everyone in a major skate video is “smooth.” Stylistic hallmarks have become less palpable because everyone skates and everyone is good. Everything was the same #drakevoice :(

A wise man once said “I don’t care how ‘good’ a video part is, all I care about is how cool it makes the skater look.” This list features the most timeless lines that were made so by the skater’s ability to make himself look cool, and not just “good.” They will stand out a decade down the line, even when each trick in a Micky Papa part is a go-to for fifty Stoner Park locals.

In a word, these lines are chill.

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