“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.
If you have notsigned the petition to keep synthetic turf off of the Tompkins Square Parks court, but have the (*begin Stephen A. Smith voice*) AUDACITY to log onto QS — we are going to come to your house, break your refrigerator, and then fucking bring it to Tompkins.
It’s one of those rare weeks when the links gravitate towards the written word and not videos. Good time to load up Instapaper if you have a flight or long bus-ride ;)
No idea how this is floating under the radar… Muckmouth basically has an oral history of New Deal skateboards, in which they caught up with all (?) of the original riders as a specified addendum to the “where are they now” things that they were doing a few years back.
The New York Times has a story about the awful situation with the security guard and the GX crew at Black Rock, and how it has opened the conversation about about how we all interact with security. (Everyone just leave. Come back or don’t, but just leave.)
“The Dogtown phenomenon, billed in the doc as ‘the birth of the now,’ has since become a cottage industry.” This is a cool longform profile of Craig Stecyk that traces back on a lot of the “ethos” that skateboarding adopted from California surfers and quickly found itself commodified.
Jk, it’s gonna be 85 degrees on Tuesday, put your Northface away you lunatic.
Rest in Peace, House of Vans, which will begin demolition today. You were good to us for many miserable winters. You were a safe haven on cold nights that otherwise would have been squandered at bars, and an unofficial place to hold listening parties for new Future albums. You will be missed ♥
If you grew up watching old Zoo videos, Jamie Reyes was no doubt the first girl you saw getting footage all over the city. (Jamie is also one of three women to have a Thrasher cover.) Our good friend Jilleen interviewed her about coming up as a female pro in 90s New York, and just how much the industry has changed since.
Not sure on which planet this constitutes as throwaway footage, but here are some “extras” from Nick Michel’s (the dude who boardslide the double rails at Battery Park) World Peath part, including some New York footage at the end. (The Front Street Ledge ollie is cool.)
That bad manual pad at the UPS building on the westside is no longer skateable. Honestly have no clue how long this has been the case, as we rarely go down this street after the Parks Department 86ed Gay Ledges. Shout out to Zered Bassett and Eli Reed.
Every pull-quote you have ever read about the differences between California: The Home of the Skate Industry and New York: The Summer Home of the Skate Industry, has pontificated about how easy it is to get “caught up” in the, um, “party scene” here. It will be interesting to see how much of California’s competitive advantage will be shaved off after the state legislature voted to extend last call until 4 A.M. last week.
Quote of the Week: “It looks like something a coke dealer in Montauk would wear.” — Sweet Waste
This has always felt like one of those parts that everyone forgets to mention as a favorite (well, everyone besides Aaron Herrington), but the second someone brings it up, people begin fanning out on it. Also don’t know a single person who doesn’t love that song — though maybe not as much as Big Boi hehe.
“When I spoke with one of my friends about writing this piece, she cautioned against it, stating that women in skateboarding have come so far in the past few years and I should wait to see what happens in the next few. But this isn’t an article about female skateboarders. This is a piece about my experience as a woman in skate culture.”
The Canal Wheels full-length video, Mode, premieres at 198 Allen Street (between Houston & Stanton) at 8 P.M. on Thursday. Quick teaser here. Flyer here.
Village Psychic offers up some thoughts on the Polar video, which rather than being viewed collectively as a culture via a bunch of humans gathered in a room, was experienced on…PornHub. (Ed. Note: The video has been left off #QSTOP10 consideration until it is offered up on a more “official” viewing channel, because if we start counting things uploaded there, we probably have to start considering all of achievements uploaded to the ol’ Hub in a given week.)
“It’s dancing. And dancing’s fucking subjective. That’s why it’s a really weird thing when you can make a living doing it. And I was lucky that some people liked the way I danced. And I don’t ever take that for granted.” Rob Welsh reflects on his first-ever TWS Check Out.
“As nostalgia deepens to the point that people tune in to watch retired and beloved pros flipping through old CCS catalogues, each new print ‘Thrasher’ and ‘TWS’ issue begins to look like a collector’s item, every board on the shop wall a potential hanger, every pro with a couple video parts under his belt a legend.” Boil the Ocean ponders on just when does the nostalgia go too far.
“Juultage” is a montage filmed around New York that’s presumably Juul’s first not-so-covert foray into piercing through a skater market otherwise dominated by Cheap Cigs™ purchased in Chinatown with a state of Virginia stamp.
Quote of the Week Sweet Waste: “It’s crazy you’re 30 and never had a video part.” Keith Denley: “I’m just gonna go down in history as one of those O.G. legends who never had that much footage.”
Happy New Year to everyone. Late start to 2016. Still coming to terms with this “oh right, this is what winter is supposed to feel like”-feeling. Keep it positive this year and have a good one. Stay warm :)
Ever wonder what happened to early-aughts child star, Knox Godoy? Jenkem tracked him down. Seems like those Baker guys like drinking a beer or two, huh?
Kids worship is basically the skateboard/downtown-equivalent of rappers’ Scarface worship at this point, but still got a kick out of these unseen behind-the-scenes polaroids from it + interview via the film’s costume designer. Aanndd Washington Square is a full central spot again. Shit goes in circles bro.
