“It’s not, ‘I don’t know man, I was just skating.’ That answer drives me nuts.” Our correspondent Farran Golding recently launched what he dubs as the skate-version of Longform.org: Skate Bylines. It is a new platform that aggregates and features works of skateboard journalism, rather than focusing 98% on video, like many of us do. Skate Bylines also creates unique pieces of its own, with the first feature being an interview with Chops from Chromeball about his interview process with history’s most legendary skaters. Also, R.I.P. Longform, but long live Longreads. Haven’t gotten on a flight without loading up the reading list with Longreads links in 10+ years. 🫡
Back in October, we asked QS visitors to choose their favorite video parts of the 2010s. If civilization and skateboarding were to end today, which five parts would you bury in a weather-and-nuclear-proof time capsule for post-apocalyptic earth dwellers to reference when they rediscover skate culture of these past ten years?
QS prides itself as being a destination for people who think a lot about skateboarding. Rather than poll a few close colleagues for their favorites, we felt we had a wide enough reverberation in the skate nerd universe to try and crowdsource a canon of the 2010s from anyone willing to sit down and think about it. I can emphatically say that in reviewing the mountain of ballots, everyone took their votes seriously — save maybe the guy who voted for five Micky Papa parts.
As we tallied the results, consistent trends in the count were apparent. Any fears about a recency bias went out the window; there’s only one part from 2019, and the average year of the top 25 is 2014. QS obviously has its own breed of skate nerd audience — this poll would look different if taken by Thrasher or Free — but I would bet that their lists wouldn’t be TOO far off from this one.
Presented without comment for the top 25-11, and then via a lot of favors from writer friends on the internet for the top 10: here are the 25 best video parts of the past ten years.
I turned 40 this summer. Eschewing a crazy-ass party, trip or any other type of midlife crisis-type behavior, I kept it mellow and went out to my local™ bar. Street skating over forty is unknown territory, but if you manage to stay fit, there’s what I call the Reggie Miller Effect: one’s physique remains essentially static, but one’s capabilities — whether because of reflexes or vision deteriorating — decline exponentially. It’s all about managing expectations. 360 flips might flip slower than in the past, but maybe one adds backside nosegrind reverts on small ledges to the repertoire. Other summer activities function in a similar manner; one might not be able to make it to OVO Fest, but maybe one could chill at one of those tiny New York hotel pools with a bag of tequila taped to one’s thigh.
This #frame gives one hope heading into the fall A.K.A. skate season. Indeed, while this may be the first S.O.T.S. x V.P.O.T.S. post without a part from an according-to-Hoyle physical release, at press time, we were still digesting the 917 and Traffic vids, plus anticipating the release of Sabotage 5. So with an eye towards hoody season, let’s take a look back at the songs and video parts that fueled summer ’17.
In honor of #NYFW, and given the free time available in their Boston-based, #FW-lacking headquarters, SMLTalk ran down the five most iconic Muska phases. The Muska’s sometimes bearded, #drk #fshn incarnation of today is not represented. Less sophisticated fashion editors may group this with the “Raver” phase, but we all know they are two different things entirely, albeit natural progressions from one another.
Not exactly the worst use of skateboarding in a music video, though the bar is remarkably low. B.A. skating in any shape, form or fashion is unobjectionable. Also, where exactly is this basketball court in the middle of the projects where every player is blonde-haired and blue-eyed? Did Dirk buy Smith Houses for his nephews?
The final, northernmost section of the High Line park is opening on September 21st. It’ll have spots, and you won’t be able to skate them for an excess of twelve seconds. Yeah, what else is new?
Teaser for volume two of the mostly-Chicago-but-also-some-New-York Deep Dish video is now live.
Quote of the Week: “This is great. Y’all look like a rock band. Like Kings of Leon or some shit.” — Home Depot employee to group of caucasian skaters purchasing dozens of bags of concrete
Andre Page — Ollie at Paine Webber. Brian Kelley posted up a quick “look back” post on one of the world’s most enthusiastic skateboarders, Andre Page. We filmed a line with that bench ollie this past December in twenty-degree weather (notice the down jacket) at maybe 2 A.M., so B.K’s words about the whole night thing are on point. A small handful of people could ollie that bench…not that many are doing it when the temperature is below freezing. If you ever want to learn how to properly execute a flip trick, or how to ollie well, go to Tompkins, act real creepy, and watch Dre skate. Somehow beating him in S.K.A.T.E. (once) is still one of my finer achievements.
Perennial Quartersnacks favorite, the Black Ninja, dropped a new part. It’s all skatepark footage, and the lime laces remain, but it is still a must watch. The soundtrack takes a bit of a turn, switching between a rock version, and an ominous, slow piano loop rap song. “Nosestall, tailstall, front shove, hell naw! Rippin’ through the nosestall game like a bearclaw.”
Here is an interview with Quartersnacks’ favorite Canadian skater, Torey Goodall, who is currently hiding out in Norway. Below, is a five-year-old B-roll edit from Baby Steps. He rips, skates to DJ Screw, and best of all, the edit was done by one of skateboarding’s finest auteurs, Rob Butterfield.
Quote of the Week: “You know that Jadakiss line, ‘Gangsters don’t die, they get chubby, and move to Miami?’ Well, it’s ‘Hipsters don’t die, they get sober, and move to L.A.‘” — Alex Dymond
