Out of the Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope

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YO, massive shout out to the crew, politicians, shops and community in Providence, Rhode Island, on getting an approval to turn an underused corner of their downtown into a full-on block of a skate plaza. Let this be a precedent for cities across the U.S.

Also congrats to the boy Sean Pablo on going pro

“If they didn’t name me Genesis then my dad would have named me Jubilee, from X-Men, who was a girl. That would’ve been very funny. I’m glad they named me Genesis.” Sex mag (sure) has an interview with Genny re: growing up, DANY, etc.

Zered is on Alltimers, and has a new part out to reassure you of his decade-plus status as the east coast’s most productive pro, and the king of the worst spot in Queens ;)

“It’s still the same if I just don’t let myself become too jaded and reclusive. There are still endless possibilities.” Huck has a feature with Jerry Mraz, who they apparently dubbed “The Batman of Skateboarding.”

The ender of Pat Gallaher’s Insano part is insano. Great part :)

Josh Kalis and Mike Blabac talk about the state of the plaza in 2017 + other things, and The Muska reveals what was in his backpack all those years. Get well soon bud.

Antosh and the Canadians have a new one out on TWS.

“We decided to make the game more fun so that’s why it was never a realistic simulation of skateboarding. That was key to the success of the game.” Ironic that the reason maybe 50% of the people now in their late 20s started skateboarding was something intended to be an unrealistic simulation of skateboarding. Jenkem has the oral history of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.

Keeping a real skate shop open in 2017 is God’s work ♥ Thank you to all who do.

Rodrigo TX skates Three Four Up Three Four Down, T.J. does a bunch of crazy shit, and lol that there’s security standing at the bottom of the bank in every clip ever gotten at the Roosevelt Island Monument in this link to a clip with 54k YouTube views.

Boil the Ocean re: Lil Wayne’s proclamation that skateboarding is a better feeling than sex with an actress while her movie is playing on a screen in the background.

Canal uploaded a 30-min 2016 Year-In-Review compilation of Instagram videos.

A bit of street skating + a Maple tee in Quim and Freddy’s Portland, M.E. visit.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Isaiah is the second funnest player in the NBA.

Quote of the Week: “Only three things are keeping me sane in 2017: cocho, hucking, and the boys.” — John Choi

Tyshawn Jones, Na-kel Smith, Kevin Bradley et al. in the New Hardies Promo

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After a debut full part in Away Days, a mag cover, Thrasher interview, the last great Love Gap photo and a pro board, TJ caps off what has been the most successful and productive year for a native New York skateboarder probably ever with the first official promo for Hardies Hardware.

The video includes many developments sure to reverberate around sports talk radio for weeks to come, such as Sean Pablo confirming rumors that he did indeed sign the dotted line with Monster Energy, the revival of 1999’s “Song of the Summer” to echo the #musicsupervision of the eternally underrated 411 Roc-a-Fella issue, and the continued pillage of the Madison Square Garden double-set gap-to-rail that has otherwise sat dormant for over a decade.

Features Tyshawn Jones, Who Kid, Na-Kel Smith, Blake Johnson, Brian Briggs, Sage Elsesser, Sean Pablo, Ben Kadow, Troy Stillwell, Kevin Bradley, Jake Donnelly, Louie Lopez, Donovan Piscopo, Kevin White & Tyquan.

Also, this one flew a bit under the radar, but Marshall put together this sick video of pretty much the same dudes late last year, and in my mind, it acted as the proverbial placeholder for a Hardies team video until now. Skating starts around the 2:30 mark.

New One From Supreme, Bill Strobeck and Grant Taylor

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“King Puppy” is the latest from Bill Strobeck, the Supreme boys and Grant Taylor, released in anticipation of the new GT Blazer they have dropping tomorrow. Highlights include a brief unofficial sequel to the Bronx bank-to-ledge session from “cherry,” switch street grabs, and Vincent Touzery displaying the finest bit of same-but-different line choreography (this website’s favorite brand of lines, tbh) since Danny Brady’s back 180 5-0 180 / back 180 5-0 shuv line at Republiqué.

BUT, the best part is Grant’s hypnotic section on the Supreme L.A. bowl. Making a three-minute section on a shop ramp look interesting isn’t the easiest thing in the world. More often than not, anybody who doesn’t know the people in front of the lens never makes it halfway through your average shop mini ramp clip. Grant annihilates every crevice, ending every line (is “line” accurate transition terminology?) by implanting thoughts of “…wait, what the fuck did he just do, why did it look so simple, and how did that light not break into a zillion pieces?” in your brain.

Previously: Pussy Gangster, Swoosh, The Red Devil, Joyride

‘PUSSY GANGSTER’ — Supreme in Paris

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Present-day Paris is a case study in how one street spot could revitalize an entire skate scene. In the few years that République has existed, we’ve seen an indigenous sect of skateboarding emerge from the spot, company trips to Paris increase tenfold, and a jolt of energy to other places in the city that had otherwise found their way out of coverage circulation. The best spots are the ones we are left alone in, and there’s no greater compliment you could give Parisian culture — or any culture that applies, really — than to say that people mind their own business. No bust, no “you almost hit me,” no “there’s a skatepark down the block.” There’s a unanimous respect for your right to be in a public space, on a skateboard or whatever else your purpose may be.

You can stay in Paris for a week, meet up at République daily, but still come back with zero footage from the spot. It’s a vortex where modern ideas of “productivity” wither away in exchange for the joys of being unhassled in an open space with ledges. “Pussy Gangster,” Bill’s new one to commemorate the opening of Supreme Paris, treats République like he treated Love in 2001. While it only takes up a quarter of the screentime, you feel it at the origin of every clip. And when you’re back at the spot — the lurkers, the crazies, the unplanned lines, the sure-what-the-hell clips from the O.Gs and the interactions with traffic all count for as much as the wildest trick to go down outside of it.

Features Sage Elsesser, Sean Pablo, Tyshawn Jones, Na-Kel Smith, Kevin Bradley, Ben Kadow, Jason Dill, Mark Gonzales, Greg Cuadrado, Vincent Touzery and Kevin Rodriguez.

Previously:Swoosh,” the red devil, Joyride

Five Favorite Parts With Sean Pablo

mehring sean pablo soho ollie

Photo by Jonathan Mehring

You’d think that by targeting someone in a younger demographic for one of these — Sean’s is probably the youngest person to do one — we’d steer selections away from the more recurring choices. Then you realize there’s a reason certain things are classics, yaknow? There’s always gonna be some thirteen-year-old who is just discovering the Rolling Stones, just as Gino’s nollie back heel off the three is never not going to be #relevant to anybody who enjoys the act of skateboarding ;)

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