Scholars of New Jersey have observed how the nation’s fourth smallest state serves as a pint-sized overview of the country as a whole, in that it condenses diverse immigrant enclaves, rednecks, dense cities, desolate countrysides, casinos, beaches, and wilderness all into a place you could skate across in a few days if you felt psychotically inclined to do so. It is why it has been able to produce everything from one of the most inescapable sounds in music right now, to an enduringly fascinating fictional crime family, and of course, a bevy of skaters who have shaped their respective generations.
Just as the diversity of the place impacts the deep variety of its people, New Jersey skateboarding seldom submits to one lane of categorization, aptly seen in Steve Mastorelli‘s new video, DON’T ASK ME WHEN — a perfect 2023 addition to the canon of NJ classics from Justin White, Paul Young, Matt Velez, the In Crust We Trust dudes et al.
“‘If I was looking defeated, I would have been finishing rehab at the physical therapy place at Moda Center,’ says Boserio. ‘I looked at that drop-in twice a week for like nine months while I recovered from ACL surgery — thinking about how I should do it.'” Al Brown unlocks memories and recounts the joys of seeing skateboarding out in the wild before it makes its way into a video, via the prism of the Polar team filming in Portland for their past two videos.
Thank you to everyone who grabbed something from the webstore this weekend. Orders are going out as we speak, and stuff is available at your local shop by the end of this week globally if it isn’t already ❤️
Hope Dr. Paul O’Connor gets a commission from the tidal wave of electric skateboard sales that the New York Post‘s “Depresseed in midlife?” headline just incited ;) Jk, jk.
You can find the footage of Nick Matthews’ gap-lipslide HUF tribute on the midtown FDR benches in his very nuts “Venture x Uprise” part on Thrasher. The perpendicular Zuccotti trick is maybe the wildest thing ever done there.
“Everyone deserves a chance to show their heart.” Aaron Wiggs was the most recent guest on Lee Smith’s Mission Statement podcast, discussing the BLM sidewalk sale at McGolrick Park, losing family to coronavirus, and more heavy topics (there’s laughs too though.) An inspirational listen, and an affirmation that we’re all capable of making a difference ♥
Steve Mastorelli has a sick new edit out featuring a bunch of New Jersey dudes, a stubborn hubba ledge, a 10/10 frontside 180 nosegrind the helicopter way, etc.
Chrystie NYC’s first full-length video, Chapter One in now live on Thrasher. Features an ender part from Aaron Herrington, a bunch of footage of that dude Kuae Cosa who’s been popping up in Cons edits, the up-close angle of the other way ollie at the Crosby Street Vespa Bump… and that ride-on grind at LaGuardia High School is insane.
“The guys in the video don’t give a fuck about the American industry anymore. We were also all listening to a lot of Tupac at the time and getting kicked out of spots in Cali, then jumping into the van and blasting that Tupac song kind of cemented it.” Ok then. Free has a full retrospective on one of the seminal skate video imports of the 2000s, Lordz’ They Don’t Give A Fuck About Us (and answers the question we were asking a lot back in 2013: what happened to William Phan?
Steve Mastorelli made a rad Silvester Eduardo remix. Actually missed a bunch of this footage before. Syracuse nollie flip was sick.
These Bunt episodes are getting pretty long. Kerry Getz is the latest guest. Love a level-headed, smart former pro. Shame that the angry, “everyone screwed me over” curmudgeon types tend to get all the attention though.
Copenhagen and Malmö still got Paris beat on the whole “skateable obstacles integrated in public spaces but not exactly skateparks”-thing, but yeah! What they said! But for New York! Would trade like 3-4 New York skateparks for just that little red plaza on the side street in Berlin.
Quote of the Week Charles Rivard: “He skates like he’s on coke, and parties like he’s on weed.” Rob Harris: “More like he skates like he wishes he had friends.”
