Almost got caught off guard with December starting so close to Thanksgiving until NY Mag ran their “Reasons To Love New York” shit (which is what this series is pretty much based on.) Had to scramble the notes throughout the year and get to writin’.
Wow. Here we go…
Big Cartel Era…
Threw some leftover hats + scattered sizes of QS gear on sale over on the webstore 🛍
If you live off the G train …godspeed.
A five-minute raw reel from a Carpet Company trip to Mexico City in 2023, while filming for their inaugural video, BRAT. Includes a Troy Stils sighting 😍
“The future is AI, and that might seem scary. But don’t be scared — be terrified, because people are making AI-generated skate videos now.” New Bronze 56k Radio mix for the summer is now live over on Cloud of Sound.
If you follow skateboarders on social media, there must have been a thought of “what the actual hell” when you scrolled through your Instagram feed last week. Every single skateboarder on the planet was in Paris. Along with their corresponding filmers and photographers. And their entourages, love interests, and a gyrating cast of stragglers.
We were invited to tag along on a series of Vans events, not in full grasp that those events were a part of a gigantic event ecosystem called “men’s fashion week.” If we’re being real, I didn’t even know men’s fashion week was a “thing,” compared to, yaknow, the two regular fashion weeks that produce womenswear — an annual $820 billion global industry compared to the measly $465 billion reigned in by the menswear industry.
Well, it is very clearly a thing.
This was not the Dime Glory Challenge.
Most of us would be so lucky as to be cursed with authorship a thing that overshadows every other thing we could possibly make after it. Whether it’s a hit song, a pair of baggy Swedish jeans or a logo that could be reproduced into oblivion — making it there is the peak of that 80/20 rule that you always hear about.
But what if your “curse” isn’t a song that you could perform for the rest of your life, or a logo that sells out every time you reprint it? What if it’s an event that requires, say, 18 months of preparation before you begin the high-wire act on the big day?
Landmark. Photo by Brian Kelley.
In honor of Paris Fashion Week, our interns GIF-itized most of Flo Marfaing’s tricks down the hubba ledge at Le Dome / Palais de Tokyo — which, as you are well aware, is the site of many prominent #PFW shows. Been waiting for that ledge to have a bit of a resurgence a la how Clipper has come back into fashion these past ~two years. Watch some trend-setting skater switch back 5050 it (assuming it’s too high to no comply into?) in an artsy photo and the floodgates will open.
The future is NOW — #jkjhnsn is now @jkjhnsn.
The bro Adam Zhu got a chill one-minute part at the 3:30 mark of this video.
Frozen in Carbonite examines Gold Goons through the lens of the latest Drake album, while Boil the Ocean uses it as a springboard to contemplate the 5-0 grind’s place in the modern skate trick canon.
This guy is a bit of a cult hero around here: Andy Bautista’s circa 1998-99 Thrasher Firing Squad outtakes via Jim Hodgson. The original part can be found here. There are a lot of really good nollie back heels in it.
Check Ciber Wave, the new vid from the crew at Humidity Skateshop in New Orleans.
Cutty shared part between Tom Penny and Javier Sarmiento can be found at the 13:20 mark of this Spanish video. It’s dimly lit and 90% in skateparks, but you know… Javi.
Skate Jawn has a clip of the Paych dudes’ trip to Puerto Rico and Colin Sussingham is selling a 48-page zine of photographs from the same excursion.
J.P. Blair uploaded a throwaway reel of some guys who skate in New York.
Someone who’s really good at bump-to-bars once observed that “after you do two or three, they all start to look the same.” Adidas isn’t into that line of thinking.
An interview with Dan Wolfe about the low-key classic I-Path promo.
Ollie up, early grab gap to 5050 on those two ledges under the High Line is intense.
Ever wonder what happened to Scott Kane? Here you go.
The ~30th attempt at a skateboard fashion blog: Kit Report.
“Rich Homie Quan seems like a really nice guy.”
Rest in Peace Sam Simon. No piece of pop culture has made me laugh throughout my time on this earth like The Simpsons has. Thank you.
QS Sports Desk: Maintaining our position that Russell Westbrook is the greatest basketball player to ever live is really tough with Steph Curry doing things like this. Also, if you think James Harden should be MVP, please leave a comment so we have a record of your IP address and can ban you from visiting this website.
Quote of the Week
Observant Gentleman: “Sometimes I see people wearing bootcut jeans with actual boots, and I think ‘Oh wow, that doesn’t look that bad.'”
Will R.S: “Bruv, you’re a fucking dimwit.”
It’s over:
P.S. If you’re going to be one of those assholes complaining in June about how 85 degrees is “too hot,” you can live comfortable knowing you’re worse than the “James Harden for MVP” guys ;)
