Weekend Viewing — POP Trading Company’s ‘POP’ Video

In the latter half of the 2010s, POP Trading Company’s “POP Clips” — videoblog style reels of footage from the scene in The Netherlands and Belgium — singlehandedly programmed us away from the idea that skateboarding in those countries was predominantly done on/around cobblestones. (Still haven’t visited either, but you could understand why a McDonald’s brain might assume that, when in fact, the place’s spots can look like this.) These were lesser-known skaters, skating lesser-known spots, with every bit of the talent and style as those in Europe’s mega-scenes situated in London, Paris, Barcelona, et al.

Since crystalizing into a proper Brand, the crew moved away from the “POP Clips” in pursuit of, at first, the 2021 POP Promo, and today, into POP: The 48-Minute Video, which doubles as a scene video as much as one for a softgoods imprint.

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The POP Trading Company Crew iPhone Mix by Sneep

Back in pre-historic times (the early-2010s), when we were first making our cute lil’ tees ‘n beanies ‘n stuff, the crew at Pop Trading Company reached out to us, asking to be our first distributor in Europe, covering the Benelux zone (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) — and effectively helping propel QS goods beyond our local shop homies that were down to take the gamble on it. In the time since, they’ve pivoted away from distribution and into becoming a formal brand themselves, producing great videos featuring skaters from a pocket of Europe that might not get as much shine as some of the continent’s mega-scenes.

2024 brings them to the premiere of their first full-length video, POP.

QS is hosting a premiere of the video at The Palace Bar in Greenpoint this Thursday, August 1st @ 8:30 P.M. 21+ only. Thanks J.D!

To get hyped, Jan Maarten Sneep, also known as the mastermind behind the Memory Screen remixes, put together this iPhone mix of the POP crew for some B.T.S. from the full-length.

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On The B.Q.E. Blasting Bach

Hardbody’s OD video is premiering at Village East Cinemas (E. 12th Street & 2nd Avenue) this Wednesday, July 31. Doors @ 7:45 P.M. No teaser, but you should watch Antonio’s Jefé mixtape from the Museum to get hyped.

QS is hosting a premiere of Pop Trading Company’s first-ever full-length video at The Palace Bar in Greenpoint this Thursday, August 1st @ 8:30 P.M. Flyer here. Teaser here. 21+.

“What kind of person looks at a dusty construction site, shoved under a bridge and controlled by a seemingly impregnable bureaucracy, and thinks: This is a perfect space for a park?” Skaters, for one. Glad she’s onboard, though was reading this Times profile of the woman trying to turn the space under the Brooklyn Bridge (Manhattan side) into a giant park and wondering — how has it taken this long to mention skaters? Because, you know. (They do, halfway in.)

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Nothing But A Mission

Action Shot by Zach Baker

It’s a [belated] Christmas Miracle! 🎄 Will spare you another disclaimer about supply chain delays, but “Fall / Holiday” QS merch is arriving at shops in the U.S. now! Travel got it! Labor got it! Everyone’s getting it! Europe soon! Japan soon! U.K. now! Webstore January 7! If you want 35% off on anything that’s left in there, use promo code lastcall at checkout. Thanks for supporting your local skate site! ❤️

In 2021, Joey O’Brien won by 28 points. In 2020, Tom Knox won by a whopping 534 points. The inverse is true with full lengths. In 2020, Cons’ Seize the Seconds video won by just 18 points over FA’s Dancing On Thin Ice. In 2021, The Reuben won by a sizable 174 points.” 4Ply Mag, the official statisticians behind the QS Readers Poll, wrote a deep-dive on the methodology and breakdown of how the votes got tallied 📊

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