“Summer Trip to New York” season has obviously been affected by COVID travel bans, yet it has not full-on stopped skate travel into the city. It’s a really interesting time to visit New York, and videos from right now will stand out a lot down the line. Can’t tell where these dudes are from, but enjoyed every bit of “Pull Up,” a new nine-minute trip edit from Juan Reyna. (They got the memo that Times Square is fun right now.)
“The one thing that has stuck out in my mind from early on was that clip of you backflipping off the Love Park sign after that contest. What the hell were you thinking?” Josh Stewart interviewed the forever inspirational Jahmal Williams for Germany’s Solo magazine.
Here’s an eight-minute recap of the Hardies event at Blue Park this past Friday, which includes the best angle of Tyshawn’s kickflip over the table longways thus far.
The Man Who Films spent a lot of time in Rockaway this past summer and made a fifteen-minute video entitled “Beach Genius.” Everyone knows that Rockaway isn’t the most abundant part of the city for spots, so shout out to those guys for managing to avoid all the skateparks in all but one clip. Includes a mini Phil Rodriguez section where he somehow turns one of those blue bus shelters into an actual bank. And it’s also perhaps the first time in human history that there’s been a transition from Nicki Minaj to …MF Doom. Good vibe the whole way through, and the right amount of ~different~ ♥
If you can’t make it out on Saturday, don’t forget to help circulate the petition to keep turf off the asphalt at Tompkins Square Park. If you’re sharing any reflections or memories of what this park means to you on social media, please be sure to tag any posts with #savetompkins.
“One thing Jones has that a lot of pro skaters don’t is a bunch of hardheaded friends who are willing to bring city life to a halt for him.” Can’t imagine there’s a single person who reads QS that hasn’t already read Willy Staley’s incredible profile of Tyshawn Jones for The New York Times, but also don’t think anything else could justifiably be the first link this week.
“The further uptown you went, the quieter and more desolate it was. And the more you could get away with.” While on the topic of #MSM #skate #coverage — never knew about this 2005 New York Mag article about Andy Kessler and the original Zoo York crew of the 1970s-80s. (So nice that we have evolved and endured enough to avoid calling things “Dogtown East” now hehe.)
Doubtful that anybody hasn’t watched it through at least once by now — Sour Solution II is fucking insane. Their first video was nuts, but they entered some new dimension of spots and sorcery with this one. Also, this video makes the whole “Barcelona footage is boring”-thing that people have been saying as of late just seem stupid. Then again, these ten guys are maybe the only ten guys who can skate the spots they skate ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“Play – Part 2” is an iPhone video by Mateo deJesus featuring Marcello + a few of the Canal dudes, and really makes you happy to remember there’s this thing called summer that happens eventually. Can’t remember the last time anyone had footage from 3030 Park since they half-remodeled it either.
Two adults talking about adult skate shit… Chico Brenes chats with Tommy Guerrero about falling in love with skateboarding again, skating old school shapes, deciding to leave Chocolate, etc.
Blondey “Shorts in the Winter” McCoy and Shawn Powers build on the growing practice of skating the Banks’ exterior in “Serenity Now,” a shared part for Bronze. Shawn also has a quick video profile thing with …Manhattan Portage. (Honestly never registered the brand name of those red woven label bags until now. Content at work!)
Late to mention here, and it is more symbolic than anything, but Enid’s will be closing down at the end of March. It was the final North Brooklyn Barmuda Triangle institution still standing (Enid’s x No Name x Matchless), which aborted many day-after skate sessions before they even got started throughout the late-2000s and early-2010s. Its throne is now drunkenly held by the Bushwick Barmuda Triangle consisting of Carmelo’s x Birdy’s x Three Diamond Door. Shout out to that time Pryce and Waste held an Enid’s Christmas raffle with a chance to win a TV, and Marty won because he spent more on drinks than the TV itself costs ♥
QS Sports Desk Play of the Week:Steph to Giannis at All-Star, though who the hell paid any attention to the All-Star Game when you had the Sour video?
Quote of the Week Antonio Durao: “Yo! They’re selling hoodies for a dollar!” Inquisitive Gentleman: “You gonna buy one?” Antonio Durao: “…no.”
Rodney by Reda, behind Pyramid Ledges from the June 1998 TWS via Ted Newsome’s “New York Minute” spreads. This spot would be extra contemporary today had it not been knobbed for ~two decades.
“Words are escaping me, you’re talking about people I have a strong emotional connection to.” Torey Goodall’s Bunt interview is reaffirming proof of the fact that if you just go on enough drunken trips to New York, things sometimes just kinda work out in the end ♥ Just don’t ask him how he feels about Charles Rivard…
“Don’t mansplain tricks. Get out of here, you’re taking the fun out of skating. If you just go away, I’ll be so much happier. Half the fun of learning is doing it yourself.” Imagine having the audacity of giving Lacey Baker unsolicited trick tips. Anthony “The Writer” Pappalardo wrote an extended profile of Lacey for Huck magazine.
“Bontó” is the latest from the Rios boys, Europe’s most productive crew, and specialists in skating spots that I have absolutely zero interest in ever skating ;)
