It is fitting that there are maybe the most skate photos of the Twin Towers featuring Keith Hufnagel and Harold Hunter: two of the greatest representatives of New York skateboarding.
Revisiting our series from two years ago, here are five more stories behind images of the Twin Towers in skateboarding, including many of Harold and Keith.
Looking into the stories behind them, I learned how essential they were to the fabric of so much of the skateboarding that has come out of the five boroughs. In memoriam photos of the Towers turn into stories about people and eras who shared some form of dual history with them, and in turn, ourselves. They remind us that if anything can be learned from difficult loss, it’s to always make the most of the time given to us. And that can be turned into hope and happiness, at least for a short time.
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.
You’re in for an onslaught of recap content throughout the internet, but the Dime Glory Challenge wasabsolutelybrilliant. Forever grateful to be skateboarding on the earth at the same time in history as these brilliant Canadian minds.
“What was harder to do: switch big flip Chinatown Double-Set or switch backside flip D7?” NY Skateboarding has a solid interview with Tyshawn Jones, reigning “Did you hear what _____ did?!” king of New York City.
People began skating the new Harlem skatepark on 114th Street and First Avenue (conveniently located between Haiji’s and Patsy’s) this past week. Looks kinda like Cooper Park tbh. Troy posted a clip from it, but there are a few more floating around.
People are still pissed about you skating the plaza on 110th and 8th, and hopes for a new Byrdgang video are high in the QS office. Here’s a teaser for Byrdgang 3.
Max Palmer, Andrew Wilson, Chris Millic and Nolan Benfield went to skate Cuba this past winter. Sean Dahlberg made the video, and Colin Sussingham took da photos.
Chocolate is better than Girl in yet another enjoyable Bobshirt interview, this time with Scott Johnston. Includes Ty Evans’ full raw footage from S.J. trying the 180 switch crook on the J. Kwon gap-to-ledge from Carroll’s Modus part, A.K.A. The Greatest Trick Ever Done™, in addition to the story behind the sequence and clip.
Max Hull has a sick, new [mostly skatepark] edit featuring heavy doses of Max, Conor and John Choi footage. Who else heard rumors about the top secret John Choi part?
Even watching footage from that Roosevelt Island ledge-to-bank is stressful.
New nine-minute edit from Blue Couch. The ride-on grind of death at Chase is pretty wild. Has anyone transferred between the pillars at Cooper Union like that before?
Quote of the Week: “When I was 20, all I wanted to do was impress girls. And now, I’m 30 and all I want to do is impress 20-year-old boys.” — Torey Goodall re: E.T.
