The T.F. | Quartersnacks

2014 New York Skateboarding Year in Review: 20-16

Features & Interviews December 10th, 2014 · 12:56 pm · 10

the tombstone

Photo via Lurker Lou

Part two of our annual countdown series. Part one is here.

20. Marble at the T.F.

Throughout its history, Tompkins obstacles have been wood, steel, rubber, and sometimes even glass. The ability to move these materials without much manpower has been essential to the spot’s transient nature. Only the flat and ~~The Crack™~~ remain — everything else is just passing through until some green-suited bandit musters up the nerve to remove it.

T.F. culture experienced a shock this summer when a foot-tall, slanted slab of marble mysteriously appeared inside the baseball diamond. It became the first marble obstacle in Tompkins history, and dubbed The Tombstone™. This two-foot-wide piece of rock broke the record once held by the blue rail for the longest-standing loose object of the post-Autumn era. Claims of liquid-nailing it to the ground were abound in May and June, except that was, like, way too much work for anyone to do. The spot was gone as mysteriously as it appeared by the end of the month.

A video posted by . Kevin Tierney (@youngkev) on Jun 6, 2014 at 2:11pm PDT

Godspeed, Avenue A San Loco

Daily News February 18th, 2014 · 7:27 am · 1

sanlocorip

Gothamist is reporting that San Loco on Avenue A has shut its doors…

Everyone knows that San Loco was really just a step above Taco Bell, and that its contributions to drunk-at-3-A.M. culture surpassed its impact in skateboarding. However, it was a member of the Tompkins Day One pantheon. Even an institution like Mamani’s (which we now cannot imagine life without) hasn’t been there that long.

San Loco was the misleading springboard by which every California transplant judged New York’s Mexican food — even though it was the equivalent of judging the state of pizza in L.A. based on the nearest California Pizza Kitchen. It offered low cost margaritas for the T.F’s legions of summertime drunks who were too ashamed to be seen walking into Doc Holiday’s. “Oh, you’re going for a taco? Sure…” And above all, San Loco rode in solidarity with the hoards of freshmen that would arrive at Tompkins each September. Though they might’ve been shunned by locals for disregarding the the park’s unwritten rules, San Loco welcomed them with open arms via its $3 for two tacos and a drink with a student ID special. At least someone was in their corner.

Thank you San Loco. We hope you’re up there with Autumn reminiscing about the good old days. And consider the past two editions of Tompkins guides obsolete. Pour a margarita out on the curb.

2013 in T.F. Obstacles: #TFReport Special Edition

Daily News December 24th, 2013 · 8:55 am · 8

french

Ain’t worried about nothing, ridin’ through East 9th Street…

The T.F. solidified its legacy long ago. However, that does not mean it will maintain the same level of #relevance that it has enjoyed for the past decade-plus. Much like the social climate of the early 2000s forced the Brooklyn Banks to cede its status as the city’s prime skate spot to the T.F., that very same moment has been dawning on Tompkins for some time. Skateparks run New York; cramped spaces with ramps-to-rails have surpassed the value of flatground.

But is Tompkins ready to fade into the sunset? Definitely not. You can count of the first warm day of 2014 being a magical time. You can count on street debris being lugged here and contorted into borderline skateable obstacles for years to come. And you can sure count on plenty of East Village kids who have never been south of Rivington Street or north of Stuy-Town refusing to acknowledge that skateparks exist.

Here are the key developments that occurred at Tompkins Square Park in 2013, as told through the #tfreport tag on the ‘Gram. Apologies to anyone whose Instagram photo was stolen for this post (but not really…once you contribute to the #tfreport think tank, your image becomes public property.)

Tompkins Jam with B.A. & Friends on Thursday, 08/22

Daily News August 20th, 2013 · 12:21 pm · 5

Opting against the traditional skatepark route, Nike SB will utilize the greatest non-spot in skateboard history for its Brian Anderson shoe launch event on Thursday. Not since the enterprising days of the early-2000s has an actual skate company chose our beloved T.F. as the site of a major skate event (shout out to Leo Gutman #2003gameofskate.) There will be boxes, rails, a launch or two, and perhaps even a quarterpipe, an obstacle completely unfamiliar to Tompkins Square Park patrons in the modern T.F. era. Please note that this marks the first time more than two non-trash can obstacles will simultaneously occupy space at Tompkins since its heyday, so the significance of this event cannot be overstated.

Anyway, come celebrate the launch of the new Project B.A. shoe with Brian Anderson, Unlocking the Truth, and friends (and probably the Dunions) at Tompkins Square Park this Thursday, August 22nd, from 12 P.M. to 4 P.M. Food and refreshments will be provided for all those who cannot otherwise afford them.

Linkz N Hood Chek

Daily News April 1st, 2013 · 5:55 am · 1

bcc

B.C.C.B.G.Ps: Boot Camp Click Background Props. Photo by Brendan Carroll.

Never saw this before: The story behind the famous photo of Gonz at Alcatraz. If “music is fifty-percent of the video part,” then the spot is fifty-percent of the photo.

R.I.P. Drop-In Skatepark. Thanks for the memories.

As a follow-up to Friday’s William Phan post, here are two random GoPro clips found floating around on Vimeo. Nothing too exciting, but some display of the aforementioned flip trick abilities. Re-edit eventually?

Noted Park Slope rib spot, Pork Slope, put together a cruiser video with In4mation. Go skate the nearby pop-over ledge, and then enjoy some ribs and a beer.

Three Up Three Down (the New York version) is the chillest.

An incredible story about battling to skateboard in Buffalo and battling brain cancer.

Boil the Ocean continues with the common “skate industry = high school” analogy to explain how the ex-Blueprint rider offshoot and the actual Blueprint 2.0 reboot is like a broken up couple showing up to prom with new dates. Or something.

In light of Google Video’s demise, Peter re-uploaded Flipmode 3: The First Flipmode Video to YouTube. Enjoy a wonderful look back at the finest NY-based little kid video of its time, and the second best film of 2006. Free Billy Lynch.

Wait, so Mike Carroll and Lee Smith wear all the clothes at DQM before they get put on the rack? Weird.

Spot Updates: 1) Thanks to some awful asphalt work on behalf of the Parks Department, the entire T.F. is now covered in small pebbles due to one crack they filled in. It does however, now have a metal-less wallie box. 2) The city approved the construction of an AIDS memorial on the triangle at 7th Avenue and 12th Street / where the St. Vincent’s Bank is. Get your tricks in while you can. At least they’re not turning the triangle into a Duane Reade or another all-glass high-rise…

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Dirk’s game winner against the Bulls. Can you guys please make the playoffs instead of the Lakers? Thanks.

Quote of the Week: “Yo this dude is dressed like he just saw Fight Club.” — T-Bird

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