In a city where everything has been aestheticized by skate videos — curbs, trash cans, cellar doors — skateboarding inside the New York City subway system has still kept up an illusive mystique. We are hardly the only culture to fetishize the subway, which has tribute IG accounts chronicling the malarky that goes down on trains, right down to books celebrating the MTA’s use of Helvetica or cataloging its insignias. (Shout out BK!)
One of the great pitfalls of human psychology is that the more we can’t have something, the more we want it. Skateboarding in a subway station is no different. Every hurdle is revved up: there’s more people, less space, cops are generally angrier, the fines for getting caught are higher, and if your obstacle happens to involve a platform-to-platform connection, there’s an electrified third rail below. While the overall size of the system is about 850 miles, its A.B.D. list is still shorter than, say, Mambo Bar.
The World Trade Center — with its centerpiece, the Twin Towers — opened just a few months before the Knicks won their second championship in 1973, and symbolized a new, modernized era of New York City. As literal twins, the Towers are excellent symbols for the push and pull of capital versus culture which, by the 70s, was really coming to a head in American society. They were the biggest buildings in the world and just one wasn’t even enough.
Like every facet of American life, skateboarding was hit hard by the 2008 recession. Lurker Lou has an oddly insightful glimpse into the industry of the pre-recession, pre-iPhone era by giving a 2007 Thrasher a last look. “Respect the Machnau.”
Here’s post-Love Park life in Philadelphia, with a Grandpa cameo in Cell Jawn #26.
Yo for like a casual, pre-premiere session around the Lower East Side and Chinatown, this clip of the Volcom team before the Holy Stokes screening has some jams in it. Nobody’s ollied those two double bump-to-bars on Madison before, right?
Even if you skate zero transition, there are certain skate landmarks you gotta pay a visit to just because (think Burnside, the Christiana bowl, etc.) The La Perla pool in San Juan, Puerto Rico is on that list. Monster Children did a quick story on the spot’s history, and how it slowly revitalized one of the slummiest parts of San Juan.
As per the note re: everyone still wanting to see Todd Jordan skate in Lou’s segment, here’s his gem of a “Wheels of Fortune” section, checking off every box of late-90s/early-2000s New York skate nostalgia:
The Canal Wheels section from Transplantsis now online.
QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Gotta be Steph’s 4-on-1 off glass lay-up to close out the first half last night? What’s everyone thinking, Warriors in six? Durant leaves?
Quote of the Week Inquisitive Gentleman: “Have you ever seen a shark out in the water?” Dave Dowd: “I don’t believe in sharks.”
Last week was slow, but things should get rolling again these next few days. The Knicks are in the playoffs! All we need now is this Heat match-up and it’s gonna get wild.
Real’s Since Day One, which is probably the most anticipated video since Stay Gold, will be premiering in non-San Francisco regions throughout the coming week (New York & New Jersey premiere info here.) A handful of websites have already began putting together content based around the video. Skate Daily has a feature up that contains interviews with Jim Thiebaud, Dan Wolfe, and Davis Torgerson. The Chrome Ball Incident will also be spending the week with Real-centric content, with a Torgerson interview to kick the week off. Does anyone know if the video is going to be on sale April the 11th, or only premiering? Shops are allowed to sell the video as of April 11th as well.
The scaffolding is off the Terminator Rail on First Avenue, in case you were trying to get buck. Wear the Terminator shades if you do, those are what the rail is actually named after.
Again, this isn’t exactly a media outlet known for regurgitating nonsense from The Berrics, but Luis Tolentino is killing it out there. Probably the second best Berrics segment ever, after the Mike V one.
Crailtap posted up some outtakes from The Chocolate Tour (some of which appeared in random 411 issues throughout the years.) Carroll, Gino, etc. You should watch it if you already haven’t.
While Ziegfeld might not be the best spot for back tails anymore, it’s still a big location for paparazzi photos.
A (kinda old at this point) Todd Jordan interview discussing the earlier Zoo York days, skating with Harold Hunter, filming for Mixtape 1 & 2, and a variety of other topics.
Quote of the Week: “Y’all gotta put them cameras away and get out of here. I own a few of these [buildings]…I paid Trump for a few of these, and y’all can’t be doing that here.” — A gentleman kicking us out from a planter rail on a 138th Street sidewalk who pulled up playing “Dueces” on full volume with a baby in the backseat.
