Throughout most of our lifetimes, the four-peat has been elusive in professional sports. (The last one was the New York Islanders’ dynastic run of Stanley Cup wins from 1980 until 1983.) This weekend, however, we approach the real possibility of the first four-peat of the new millennium: Wade Desarmo could become the World Champion of Skateboarding for the fourth time in a row.
Only one obstacle stands in his way: winner of Thrasher’s 2013 “Skater of the Year” Award and recurring recipient of Quartersnacks’ more encompassing “Best Skater” award, Ishod Wair.
Your local shop, bar, and T.F. bench has no doubt been abuzz with predictions about this weekend’s game, but predictions seem split down the middle. Sure, Ishod is the Best Skater™ — except who really wants to play devil’s advocate by doubting a three-time repeating champion? Since none of us have ever played a World Champion in S.K.A.T.E. before, our opinions are reduced to amateur guesswork. To get some real insight, we contacted Wade’s past three Glory Challenge opponents and Dennis Busenitz, who once famously swept him in an obscure exhibition series called “Battle at the Berrics,” for their predictions.
These “new old” clips can be hit-or-miss (often miss), but Tombo’s 2000-2010 one that dropped late last week is an incredible document. It encapsulates the entire first decade of east coast skateboarding in this millennium — brown pants, first-wave cellar door searchers, Justin Barnes cameos, I-Paths, ABC Ledges, etc. Also, why does it still feel like Brandon Westgate has been 20-years-old for the past 15 years?
It’s that time of year when the Barcelona clips really start to roll in. Spencer Hamilton, Dana Ericson, Brian Delaney, Nick Ferro and Wade D. went out to the land of zero skate spots and came back with a sick clip for Grand Collection.
Much respect to Uru out in Japan for distributing and spreading the word about QS, Alltimers and other hot skateboard brands in the far east. Skateboard Story has an interview with him about his operation.
Please donate what you can to the Harold Hunter Foundation, which is doing a rout of fundraising right now. “A donation big or small will help enable them to provide mentoring, life skills workshops and college/career readiness activities for young people who would otherwise have no access to these vital services.” The best skater from New York is a H.H.F. alumnus so they’re doing real good work over there ♥
Quote of the Week: Pryce’s 30-Year-Old Friend: “Oh yeah, I’ve read about Finstas and Rinstas.” Pryce’s 16-Year-Old Brother: “Where’d you read that, Parent Magazine?”
“Chewy threw an ironing board at Lucien over this shit. The skate house, the skate house, the skate house—we’ve all been there.” TWSput their Palace in New York article online, which includes an interview with Jamal Smith, who doesn’t have any photos in it, but is the star of a pretty sick faux 411 “Wheels of Fortune” section.
“I think the reason nobody wanted to show us around was he fact we might have been a bit of an embarassment. Actually, that’s certainly the reason.” And even though it’s from last year, The Skateboarder’s Journal posted their Passport in New York article, with words from Callum Paul.
It’s amazing that people need to point out that they dislike front feeble laser flip outs in 2017 like it’s a kickflip backside tailslide or some shit. The Bunt’s new season kicked off last week, with what’s probably the most Canadian episode they’ve ever had.
F.A. uploaded a 46-minute compilation of B-sides and raw footage — some of which is unseen, some of which you’ll definitely recognize from past edits. Someone also turned all the episodes of “Atlantic Drift” into one single-stream 34-minute reel.
“We’re utilitarian people. That’s what the fuck we do.” Village Psychic has an interview with Jake Phelps about the cost of living in the only place with higher rent than New York: San Francisco. (Free idea: You guys should do a story about skateboarders living with random Chinese families in New York.)
Boil the Ocean with an early weigh-in on 2017’s S.O.T.Y. race, but is there 1) a single person who follows skating that doesn’t think it should unequivocally be Tiago, and 2) if not, what possible reason could you have?
Manuel Schenck has a new all-Parisian edit for Supreme to commemorate their upcoming Nike SB Air Force 2. Features Nik Stain (!!!), Vince, Sage, Sean, K.B., Kyron Davis and Koston returning to gap skating at my favorite spot in the world.
“But even in his most powerful Diamond t-shirt, Chaz Ortiz can’t carry 2.7 million souls on his back alone.” Boil the Ocean reviews Realm, the latest video from Chicago’s Deep Dish crew, which came out last month.
Tennyson Corporation put together every appearance Rick Howard and Mike Carroll ever had in an issue of 411to a four-song mega mix.
C.J. Keossaian, Sean Dahlberg, Hugo Boserup, Andrew Wilson, Nik Stain and John Choi traveled to the Westerly and Groton skateparks in Connecticut, and came back with “Jet Fueled Hog.” We did that once. Good times.
Frontside 5050 to nosemanual is maybe the last trick anyone expected to see on Pyramid Ledges from that period where the one side was unknobbed.
Heaps Chat interviewed A.V.E. about his favorite restaurants and least favorite streets.
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