The first time I watched 5-Boro’s new video Join Or Die I wanted to rush outside and skate. The second time I watched Join Or Die I wanted to skate even more. The third time worked a charm and so on and so on. This is a no-nonsense production; there are no slo-mos, HD effects or skits; just top-knotch skating with a banging soundtrack.
Steve Rodriguez, Tombo Colabraro and Mark Nardelli didn’t try to introduce the audience to some obscure indie bands or impress viewers with a pompous tailor-made score. They went to the source and picked music from crowd favourites: Bad Brains, Nas, Wu Tang Clan, Joy Division, Dire Straits and The Rolling Stones.
With a 25 minute runtime the editing is quick and concise. It took a few extra viewings to pick up on some truly gnarly stunts performed by the team. The newest pro’s Willy Akers and Joe Tookmanian serve as book ends with Willy’s balls-to-the-wall ATV antics opening the show and Took’s ridiculous switch skills closing off the session. Jimmy McDonald and Dan Pensyl’s sections each leap some super tight and super wide bank to bank launches. Jordan Trahan has one of the most remarkable tricks in the montage section with an asleep-at-the-wheel skid and jump going mach 10 down a hill. It was cool to see Bordeaux resident Guillaume Dulout get a section to himself. The Frenchman and his buddies have been repping 5-Boro for a few years already so it’s great to see them get their shine just as much as the resident New Yorkers.
Finally, no 5-Boro video would be complete without some lovely 8mm footage of the city streets and skylines. The DVD also has a couple of sweet web edits as bonus sections that are bite size delights. I have to take my hat off to 5-Boro for putting out a DVD and then posting its entirety on the web. Obviously the video market is slim pickings and awash with mediocrity nowadays so putting the time and effort into a small masterpiece for free is worth everyone’s support and respect.
Watching Jeremy Elkin’s Poisonous Products DVD is like a throwback to the golden 90’s era of hip-hop mixtapes. Back in 1993 New York DJs were pumping out 90 minute Maxell tapes of raw talent. I remember Tape Kingz running a solid distribution program that stocked my tape deck with the latest joints out of the 5-Boroughs. You’d hear exclusive tracks from your favourite rappers, but also get the tip off on new rappers that were pinned to be the next big thing in the rap game. Kids nowadays ignore the debut of Jay Z as he cut his teeth with a unique double tempo flow on the epic Big Daddy Kane track Show n Prove alongside a miniature version of Shyheim and the one Ason (later known as Ol’ Dirty Bastard of the Wu Tang Clan). Big Daddy Kane, Jay-Z and Ol’ Dirty all on one track – That’s some dope shit right there.
Poisonous Products is a 13 minute mixtape of VX footage filmed in New York City between November 2010 and November 2011 set to the soundtrack of the aforementioned track, Boogie Down Productions (Poisonous Products) and Lil’ Kim (Queen Bitch) mixed together by Grapes La Roc. The Eastern Seaboard of skateboarding is well represented with everyone from Rob Campbell and Shawn Powers to Aaron Herrington and Joseph Delgado getting clips. Those last two names are definitely on the rise and likely to grab your attention. Both of them weave sick lines through the city: Aaron skating past IRAK throw-ups and piles of grey snow in Brooklyn whilst Joseph rocks colourful Supra’s through Queens.
I remember the day the 90’s era of hip-hop died. The producer formerly known as Puff Daddy released his own solo album No Way Out and introduced the world to a genre of Rap music that sidestepped the streets and went straight to the clubs, suburban bedrooms and MTV. Low budget bro cam videos of rappers spitting verses in front of their local bodega were shelved and replaced by Hype Williams bubble lens studio sessions in front of flashing lights and film crews. I can’t help but feel the golden age of the skate video fell to the same fate when Ty Evans decided to introduce HD cameras and fireworks to the session.
I can’t guarantee that Poisonous Products will receive unanimous applause, but it will definitely tug on the heartstrings of skaters that still remember how to set the white balance on a VX-1000. When Rob Campbell runs a quick slappy and a tailslide at Astor Place it makes me feel like I’m watching the promo tape for the infamous Zoo York Mixtape 15 years late.
Support independent skate videos and order a copy of Poisonous Products from Theories of Atlantis. Funds will go towards Jeremy’s camera repairs and broken fish eye collection.
When most companies are struggling to push as much content as possible onto the web, it’s nice to see a company take their time to prepare a proper DVD with quality footage and a great soundtrack.
Kill City have chosen to start the year off with a bang by releasing their full length video Rookies featuring Dave Davies, Sam Pulley, Nicky Howells, Jess Young, Joe Lynskey, Jake Collins and Caradog Emanuel. Head honcho Lee Dainton took the role of filming and general hypeman duties for the team and has worked his magic over and above expectations. Watching Rookies gives you the feeling that Kill City is a tight team of friends based in England and Wales where sessions are more about fun than business, which backs up Dainton’s legacy of his team tenfold.
Rookies introduces us to the next generation of UK skateboard royalty and beyond. You would think the video was edited backwards when you witness Dave Davies’ amazing two-song opening section. Joe Lynsky and Nicky Howells take care of the ledge techniques and switch skating, whilst Sam Pulley and Jake Collins mix things up with all-terrain skills. Jake’s all round gnar just landed him on the Quiksilver team so expect his talents to be traveling even more than usual this year. Jess Young has grown up during the filming of his section. He has gone from a gnarly kid leaping consecutive big sets of stairs into a young man with no fear of grinding down rails with 15-foot drops off the side. If he doesn’t kill himself, Jess has a great future ahead of him. Finally, there is Caradog Emanuel for the finish and he closes the video off in style. You can understand why he gets last part when you witness the talent he has on board. Caradog is quick to dish out 360 shove-its switch manuals down a steep bank, long backside lipslides through fountain ledges or a picture perfect heelflip over a rail into a massive bank – skills that make him a name to look out for in the future.
Overall, Rookies is a solid video that you can watch from start to finish without skipping sections or wandering off to make a cup of tea. Great skateboarding all round. The soundtrack also gets thumbs up with music varying from Mobb Deep and Biggie Smalls to Sebadoh and the Butthole Surfers. Finally, the extra credits are probably the funniest 4 minutes I’ve seen in a long time, get a copy today.
This DVD is highly recommended and available right now in your local skate shop.
Shake Junt is famous for making griptape and lumps of wax so anyone who didn’t know better would be safe in assuming their video consisted of cutting room floor clips that conjure up as much excitement as a tax bill. Well, stereotypes are made to be broken and filmer Beagle-Oneism and his buddies definitely smash any preconceptions with Chicken Bone Nowison.
There’s a reason why teenagers around the world are painting everything green and gold and neglect the traditional handshake for a double slap and pound combination. The industry runs on trends and Shake Junt are running the show right now. This is pretty amazing when you consider that all they do is deal hardware and scream obscure phrases, but when you look closer you’re quick to notice that Shake Junt is a subsidiary of the Baker-Deathwish camp which in turn means some of the biggest and best names in skateboarding are riding under their flag. As a result, Chicken Bone Nowison is anything but cutting room floor footage. Beagle-Oneism has gathered new footage, tour footage, off cuts from this year’s major releases and various other hi-jinks to create an hour long trip with some of skateboarding’s heaviest hitters.
Andrew Reynolds, Bryan Herman, Dustin Dollin, Justin Figueroa, Neen Williams, Theotis Beasley, Jeff Lenoce, Braydon Szafranski, Shane Heyl, Beagle-Oneism, Don Nyguen and new recruits Pat “Sinner” Pasquale and Mike White have parts as well as a couple of friends sections thrown in for good measure. The only person missing from the video (even though you spot him lurking) is Jim Greco. I was surprised to see he didn’t have any tricks as he rips.
Rather than go into detail, here are a few things Yays and Nays about Chicken Bone Nowison:
– Neen Williams has some of the most beautiful heelflips in the game.
– Jeff Lenoce finally came through with a real part that should prove the naysayers wrong.
– Even though some might find them annoying, Shane Heyl and Beagle-Oneism display genuine excitement and motivation which can only have a very positive effect on skateboarders trying to get tricks in an anti-skate city like Los Angeles.
– Terry Kennedy handling business like a boss.
– Unfortunately Antwuan Dixon fans will be disappointed especially when they see that his few tricks are twinned with that of Neckface.
– “Look mum, no hands!” jumping out of hotel windows into swimming pools is highly inadvisable. Whoever does jump is merely centimetres away from meeting their maker.
– Spray painting someone’s face isn’t a good idea either!
– Dustin Dollin (interview) proves yet again that you can skate anything and rip it apart.
– A very cynical person might remark that certain skaters are a bit like one trick ponies that filmed every possible variation of a specific trick on various spots. Haters gonna hate…
– With so many skaters and so many styles, the soundtrack is varied. Everything from mixtape tracks to Lemmy set the rhythm for the footage and it’s all-good.
In the category of hardware company videos Chicken Bone Nowison sits head and shoulders above the rest. The skating and positive vibe of the video are the major strengths which should guarantee that you get yourself a copy and watch it several times. If the tricks don’t convince you, the title jingle definitely will.
Not Another Transworld Video
A film by Jon Holland and Chris Ray
“Oh no! Not another Transworld video?!?!?” I hear you say. Jon Holland and Chris Ray are well aware that the skateboard publication has served us more than it’s fair share of audiovisual documentation, so when tackling the task of adding another video to the pile, the creators had some fun with the title at least. The cast is a who’s who of who’s hot right now and I have to admit that this selection is pretty damn good: Theotis Beasley, Nestor Judkins, Shane O’Neill, Mike Anderson and Wes Kremer.
Let me begin by saying that NATV watches like you were reading an issue of TWS magazine. By that I mean that each section is like an individual article that you will either like or dislike, skim or study, and peppered throughout is obvious and less obvious adverting from those who helped fund the project. Personally I could do without some of the blatant logo placement, but let me send a message to Go Pro and Shake Junt who might be mistaken for an atheletes foot remedies thanks to the filthy foot on display during their skit.
Anyway, back to the skating. Transworld took a bold step many moons ago to not include the names of skaters during the opening and middle montage sections. The result means you focus on the amazing skateboarding on display and not the name of each hungry amateur getting sweaty for the camera. Sidetracking slightly, how funny would it be if they used name credits in porn movies? I reckon it would be distracting to say the least. However, please can I propose that TWS include an option to add the names for old out of touch critics like myself who find it incredibly hard to keep up to date with all the new pixelated faces that I watch on the computer each day.
Theotis Beasley opens the show with a Waka Flocka anthem ‘Hard in the Paint’. I don’t know if Theotis is going ‘hard in the paint’ himself because he seems to be a genuinely easy going guy, but his suave skills on the skateboard have definitely propelled him to the ranks of professional for Baker since this video part dropped. With backing from The Boss, Andrew Reynolds, the future looks bright for Theotis. My favourite trick: The backside double heelflip over a gap.
Next in line is Nestor Judkins, another newly crowned professional for Enjoi. Nestor is obviously in touch with his board as well as the spots he skates. May I take the opportunity to say that Nestor’s section was like modern days take on one of the early Stereo videos. There’s quality over quantity even though his section runs for a healthy few minutes. My favourite trick: The frontside nosebluntslide pop over to backside nosebluntslide pop over line.
A brief funny-if-you-were-there skit by skipping extraordinaire Jimmy Carlin offers us a toilet / cigarette break before Shane O’Neill steps up to bat. I know that Shane has turned most of the industry on it’s head and has kids destroying the rewind and slo-mo options on their computers, but his flip trick wizardry doesn’t really do it for me. The analogy has probably been said before but Shane O’Neill skates like a robot that has returned from the future in a bid to destroy any and all tech skaters’ dreams. So far he has accomplished his mission without breaking a single smile that is until his ender. My favourite trick: The super long perfectly poised frontside boardslide.
Another nameless montage and we get to my favourite section: Mike Anderson. Manderson (as the industry has so creatively dubbed him) skates fast. Very fast. So fast in fact that I advise you to watch this section at least three times in a row to try and comprehend just how gnarly some of his tricks are. The other great thing about Mike is that he smiles (Take note kids!) when he skates. Why? Well maybe he has understood that when you boil this entire HD, pro, globetrotting skateboard bonanza down to the core all you’re left with is a toy that’s great fun to play with. My favourite trick: The massive alleyoop frontside 180 out of a bumpy bump to switch crooks a tall wall.
Helas, NATV draws to a close and new Sk8 Mafia’s pro Wes Kremer is dealt the tough card of ending it on a high note. Luckily Wes was born in a Wu Tang t-shirt, Khaki pants and with a skateboard under his feet because he takes to the task with ease. The first thing that came to my mind as I watched Wes annihilate spot after spot was ATV: All Terrain Vehicle. Concrete bowls, Rails, Ledges, Walls… The list goes on and on and Wes always has something original to offer. My favourite trick: The fast footed switch frontside 180 to backside 180 hop down a big double set followed by a perfect switch 360 flip down an even bigger set of stairs.
Honestly, Jon Holland and Chris Ray have chosen wisely for this latest offering from the Transworld camp. Yet again they have shined the light on the faces that are grabbing skateboarding by the ball-bearings and running it far into the future. I guarantee that at least one of the skateboarders on display will hype you up to go skate faster than any chemical caffeine canister could.
Antiz are the European underground champions. No-one is rolling on energy drink money or putting their face on popular websites. The team is busy skating, travelling and pushing a skater-owned skater-run company that gets stronger with every push.
Antiz’s latest video Occasional Antiz Flashback (OAF) is testimony to the notoriety of the riders. As per usual, master lens man Paul Labadie and the team have brainstormed an original theme to run through the 58-minute screening. Probably the most recognised rider, Steve Forstner presents each of his teammates à la Spinal Tap with self-mockery. The skits are witty and short that means you won’t be stretching for the fast forward button on your controller.
Without listing endless tricks and spots, there is one common element to the skateboarding the Antiz team put on display and that is versatility. All of the skaters ride everything. Obviously some handle specific terrain better than others (e.g. Aaron Sweeney, sole UK rider and transition terrorist), but everyone is well balanced on steep banks, gaps, quarterpipes, rails or flatground alike. This also means that there are plenty of original spots on show. During the filming of OAF, the Antiz team took the unknown path and unearthed some sick locations even in a city like Barcelona that has been under intense scrutiny for a while now.
So, with the ability to skate everything and travel anywhere, it is great to see that Antiz have incorporated the talent of new riders that fit the mould very well. Michel Mahringer from Austria takes care of rolling through spots like a wrecking ball whilst Samu Karvonen from Finland shines on technicality and light footed swiftness. Finally, Dallas Rockvam from the Unites States of America comes through with all terrain vehicle skills as he tames everything from tramline spots to hair-raising roll-ins.
This truly international infusion does not take away from the original members like Julian Dykmans, Hugo Liard, Julian Furones and Julien Bachelier. Old dogs learn new tricks and age well like fine wine. In fact, the emphasis of age can be scrapped because none of the above seems to be slowing down even if the slams get harder.
OAF is very thorough video that packs a punch. At almost an hour in length and two additional sections dedicated to friends and flow riders, the video deserves your attention for the first couple of viewings. After that, you can skip to anyone’s part and get pumped to skate. The doctor recommends an occasional Antiz flashback for every skateboard addict!
Watch Michel Michel Mahringer’s section below and don’t forget you can download the full length DVD for free at the Antiz site.
It would seem that the era of big video productions is reaching an end. The industry is inundated with web clips, exclusive web clips, download links and deadlines that are about as tight as a porn star’s arsehole. So when a company decides that it’s time to bring their offering to the table, they know that they need to bring a game changer or else.
Judging by the discrete marketing campaign (no countdown timers!), lack of PM requests on message boards and the whole-hearted appreciation by their peers, the Real Skateboards family have left an honest testimony to their dedication to skateboarding with their new video Since Day One.
The video opens with an ode to the opening credits to their first video some 18 or so years ago and acts as a reminder that their hearts and minds are still in the same place since their earnest beginnings. No gimmicks or frills, just pure skateboarding and good times amongst friends. Once the intro reel is over, the similarity with their first video ends. Since Day One is a 1 hour and 10 minute burger of burly skating served up with a healthy selection of musical sources (sic). It takes some time to digest the gnarliness of what the Real team has produced, so multiple servings are recommended.
The Real team has quite a roster now: James Hardy, Max Schaff, Antoine Asselin, Dennis Busenitz, Jake Donnely, Justin Brock, Ishod Wair, Massimo Cavedoni, Alex Perelson, Kyle Walker, Peter Ramondetta, Ernie Torres, JT Aultz, Nick Dompierre, Davis Torgerson, Keith Hufnagel, Robbie Brockel and Chima Ferguson. That’s a lot of talent for Aaron Chillen and Chris Coward to focus their fisheyes on. The button pushers got some help from veterans Gabe Morford and Dan Wolfe and everyone got together to edit the opus. There’s no I in the team when it comes to Real, that’s for sure.
Now, with the unrelentless attack the Real team serve on America (no Barcelona/European footage?) and Australia (Chima Ferguson), the sight of ditches, rails, gaps and ledges merges together and gets a bit confusing. That’s why you need to purchase the DVD and skip straight to your favourite parts. After numerous screenings, a few faces stand out: Chima Ferguson for his nonchalance in the face of danger, Ernie Torres and Nick Dompierre tag teaming up to take the title, James Hardy using his big frame to crush spots, Alex Perelson single-handedly re-instating vertical skating as something sweet, Keith Hufnagel for keeping up appearances with a true to form pop concert of simplicity, Peter Ramondetta mixing tech and gnarly skating into a lethal cocktail and last but not least the definition of speed skating Dennis Busenitz. Dennis has won Skater of the Year for several years already. Maybe this time he’ll actually receive the trophy.
On top of the sheer volume of big balled skating, Real also offers loads of extras on the DVD and a great 100 page book of photos documenting the trials and tribulations everyone went through in creating Since Day One.
On a personal note, I have heard a few mutterings and musings about this video including complaints about the length (you’re never going to sit down for over an hour to get hyped before skating), lack of original spots (ditches and rails dominate) and questionable editing techniques (HD and SD mixed together). Even if each opinion is valid, you need to look at the product as a whole and understand the hard work everyone at Real put in to make it happen. The Real team are 100% skateboarding and Since Day One is testament to this. They haven’t left anything out and handed you everything they have. Sure the sun bleached cement and shiny black top of American architecture is a far cry from the cracked pavements and bustling cities many skaters live in, but the Real team spends nearly all of their time on the road doing demos, attending contests, searching for spots and skating full stop. 100% skater owned, skater run, and skater supported. Get a your copy of the new Real video today and understand why you’ve been playing with the same plank of wood and four wheels since day one.
If one were to pull a defining quote from an imaginary press release then Welcome To MIA is the first full-length video to come from Miami’s premiere skate shop, MIA. This is not to say that’s not true, it totally is. And on that knowledge alone we would have been excited to watch and review it; after all, the store – owned by Ed Selego and Chris Williams – has been supporting the Miami scene for eight years now and we’re baffled that despite its amazing scene of skaters, very little in terms of footage – let alone a full-length video – has emerged from Will Smith’s go-to party town where the heat might be on but apparently the camera isn’t. However, for anyone who has spent any time on the internet, this is much more than just the first video to come from MIA. It’s the latest Josh Stewart video, and that, is always very damn exciting.
Having worked with him in Adio’s ‘One Step Beyond’ and been his friend since forever, Selego approached Stewart with the job offer while he was filming for the eagerly awaited fourth instalment in his revered Static series. Whether as a result of fond nostalgia (Josh spent a great deal of his early filming career filming in Miami and both Ed and Chris were featured in the first video Josh ever sold outside of Tampa) or as dedication to a project with his close friends, the Static project went on the back burner and Stewart spent two years filming militantly for this video. Finally after a year of hype it’s here and it’s packed with a stellar line up of skaters including frequent Static cohorts Brian Delatorre, Forrest Kirby, Ben Gore, Luis Tolentino and many many more. This is definitely the latest Josh Stewart video and oh boy is that pretty damn exciting.
Firstly, let it be known now that if it is ever acceptable to have a time lapsed sunset or to have someone perform a flatland 360 flip in front of a setting sun then it is in the context of a Miami video in which this shit can fly. Have you ever been to Miami? It’s not so much iconographic as it is surprising that every 360 flip in the video isn’t in front of a gorgeous sunset. As for the up-skirt architectural pornography and billboard titles, well, anyone who still gets chills watching the intros to Static 3 will feel right at home here. Have I mentioned that this is a Josh Stewart video yet? It is, and it’s already damn exciting.
One of the definitive Miami skate rats, Joel Meinholz gets the first polejam of the video out the way by falling straight into it, setting the tone for what kind of spots we are to witness without hesitation. Before you’ve had the chance to finish your first audible gasp there’s already a tri-force baffling lipslide to lipslide on an awkward looking triangular monument. Fed up with skate parks and skater-made spots in videos? Welcome to MIA doesn’t waste time getting stuck into the realness and this opening section is as street as it gets. Joel has a great style that flourishes in the locations present, from each uncouth ledge hop to ditch spot layback rollaways to a seemingly unskateable transition that gets a twirly noseblunt treatment with ease. A solid opening section that’ll be doing great things to quenching that thirst for raw street skating I’m sure many of you have.
Ben Gore keeps the back-alley spot frequency high with frontside smith grinds over domestic gas meters and ludicrous trick selections on spots so crusty that even a Scottish skater might cringe. In this section you will find early candidates for the best gap-to-lipslide of the year this side of Caradog Emanuel, huge amounts of pop and some frankly mesmerising backside flips. I suppose I should warn you readers in advance too: a good friend of mine developed a problem with his eyes in that he subconsciously forgets to blink as a result of playing too much Super Mario Bros growing up. This is the kind of video that will induce a similar problem. So don’t blink. Blink and you could easily miss one of the best tricks in the section.
Next is quite the treat, a full length part from the MIA co-head-honcho Ed Selego set to the best song Arcade Fire have made since whatever Mike Mo skated to last. If any of you were a little gutted to see only a handful of footage from Selego in the past few years then you’ll be pleased to know that, somewhat unsurprisingly, he was saving all of the good stuff for this. This is classic Selego material but better than ever: quirky backtails, mindblowing pop, lengthy noseblunts and utter control. Reunions seem to already be a trend of 2011, but this one between Selego and Stewart is already champion. The section even fades to black after a flatland tre in front of a gorgeous sunset. More than acceptable.
You cannot have an independent video without the all-important brotage and after a slick drive-thru introduction to recognisable Miami locale we’re presented with a collection of bangers from the MIA family. Not all of you will agree, but seeing a scene so tight get paid their dues by being repped in this is way more inspiring than the latest ‘this changes everything, again’ edit. Skateboarding is about being with your friends and getting creative on whatever the streets throw at you, not being the western lone ranger who grimaces after kickflipping out of that motherfucking tailslide. If you’ve missed that ‘wanting to go skate’ feeling then watch this section for an instant reminder of why you love it.
Paul DeOliveira picks up the bat, dropping lines galore as MF Doom spits rhymes galore as we continue our baffling journey through Miami street knowledge. The lines in here are simultaneously natural and meticulous that they can only have been conceived through hours and hours of graft and bursts of epiphanal creativity. Remember Steiner’s meandering threads in Static 3? Paul knows these labyrinthine ways like the back of his hand, providing there are marble ledges interspersed between his knuckles or something. This section comes with a complimentary R. Kelly sing-along too. Result.
Things take a turn for the One Step Beyond as Danny Montoya kicks off the big-name montage after a Strobeck-esque sequence of the local bike-riding guitar picker. After an ankle-defying first trick this section is packed with bangers from the likes of Steve Durante, Tony Manfre, Steve Nesser, Danny Renaud (yes!), Pat Steiner, Josh Stewart himself (sick!), 80s Joe, Jeff Lenoce, Kenny Anderson, Fred Gall and many more. Pure chaos, all in that otherworldly yellow sun-bathed glow.
Next we see Stewart return to his favourite RJD2 mixtape for Jahmal Williams‘ section that’s complete with the rarely-seen 360 to fakie and more traffic-dodging malarkey. Chris Williams hits the spotlight next and when he’s not dodging the shadow of Josh’s perpetual 5-panel cap, MIA’s other head honcho mixes style with quirky spot hopping that screams for the jazz flute.
Danny Fuenzalida is disgustingly clean and has the kind of style that’ll invoke bromo-erotic comments on whatever site this video will inevitably be pirated on (shame on you in advance – really, you’re scum). Complete with palm tree dodging and smashing into do not enter signs this is yet another defining section for the video. I’m stunned that this scene hasn’t had more coverage, it sure as hell beats grey warehouses and the next big bench.
Since I’ve already mentioned that this video will inevitably wind up on the internet for all the barnacles and leeches to feast upon in crummy quality, the prelude to the next section served as a reminder as why both MIA and Josh deserve your cash. Josh could easily make a killing working for a tourist board, making those sleazy ‘Come to Miami’ adverts that rub middle class aspirations in your filthy corner shop ramen noodle-laden face. Instead, he grafts harder than most to make some of the few skate videos that keep the passion alive in this decade for next to nothing. Show your support.
Escaping this prime time commercial is none other than Forrest Kirby skating to a Morrisey song. Yup. As if this video couldn’t get any more rad, MIA have pressed the F.O.R.E button and everyone needs to watch their heads. Forrest is one of the most criminally underrated skaters ever: he is in the possession of a huge trick bag, inexplicable control and an inspiring approach to whatever spot lays in front of him. Switch double flip switch manual down a kinked manual pad anyone? Didn’t think so. This is already a contender for the best part of 2011 and undoubtedly the only time you’ll hear The Last Of The Famous International Playboys in Florida. Get that rewind button ready.
Brian Delatorre gets a lengthy part in before the curtains and it’s nothing short of banging. Sure, watching skaters weave through urban terrain and attacking everything in their path is all well and good, but watching Brian do it is like switching from Normal difficulty to Extreme mode (or what Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels was to Super Mario Bros). The sets are bigger, the run-ups tighter, the grinds longer, the ledges higher. This is as legit as it gets. He even skates into oncoming traffic as the words ‘The End’ take up the screen. Legit.
Once again, Josh Stewart has delivered the finest collection of pure street skateboarding passion that covers a refreshingly tight scene that was hitherto overshadowed by the equally sunny but notably less stunning west coast. Go and buy this video now, it’s available in all good skater-owned-shops. Bienvenido a MIA.
One thing I’ve always admired about Toy Machine productions is their meticulous attention to detail and maintaining a fluent coherency. When you get past the iconographic desaturated colours of the packaging and press play, you can be guaranteed that no section will be out of place and that there will be enough editing/artistic touches perfectly slotted in to not once tempt you in the direction of the fast forward button. Though I cannot take anything away from Welcome To Hell (which will forever remain a classic by anyone’s standards) I do enjoy how the bloodsucking skateboard company have moved towards making short, fluid visual mixtapes to frequently remain amongst the collective consciousness of the generation of skateboarders most prone to ADHD and short term memory loss. Brainwash is perhaps the closest Toy Machine have come to perfecting this notion, coming in at a Goldilocks-approved jussssst right 20 minutes. Which is – according to a statistic I just made up – the average amount of time it takes for a skateboarder aged between 14-41 to get amped for a session.
Before we jump straight into the action that does not once stop for air we’re treated to an introduction that dares to do something interesting! I know, crazy behaviour in 2010 to steer away from time lapses, montages or similar crap, but this one actually works. The screen divides into a Goldeneye style multiplayer horizontal split (apparently player 2 sucks) with different footage from the same sessions working together to tell seperate stories as a worm crawls across the centre of the screen introducing the film. At first it’s a lot for your eyes to make sense of, but when Templeton is constantly throwing in written captions throughout every Toy Machine video to the point in which 75% of them go unnoticed it makes for a rewarding re-watch. Attention to detail is as spot-on as you’d expect.
Daniel Lutheran serves as the insta-banger to get this 20 minute mix started, and for good reason; he’s got balls-out 50-50s that are both long and gnarly enough to cause even the most jaded and desensitized viewer to shit their pants. Handrail-wise, he continues the concept that Toy Machine have pioneered since day one: simple but ridiculous. The Albuquerque ripper also boasts a monster nollie/switch heelflip and some bonkers 360 variations that when combined with torn jeans and hands-down style make him a perfect addition to the Machine. Oh and if you hadn’t already, the last 50-50 WILL cause your bowels to do deeply unpleasant things to your underwear… so go sit on a toilet or something the first time you watch this. Oh, and there’s already been at least four speech bubble jokes put in by Templeton. Did you catch them all? Go and watch it again as there will be a pop quiz at the end of this review to ensure you’ve been paying attention (protip: there won’t be, but watch again anyway – go on, get amongst it).
Johnny Layton is up next and it’s a real pleasure to see him extend his trick selection, no matter how awesome street grabs are for those that have been initiated. Expect off-key manouevres from the Long Beach advocate, notably a no-comply bigspin heel and probably more fliptricks than you might expect. Solid section from a true powerhouse. Johnny has mad pop and a frontside flip that’s up there with someone who puts the captial B in The Boss. Then we move from powerhouse to powerstache, as the video makes a smooth transition to the oddball power moves of one Billy Marks. Billy continues to baffle me how his ankles and shins have survived such bait flippery but whatever, I dig it. These two sections also contain the funniest captions so far… which reminds me, have you been paying attention to them? You goddamn better have.
Jordan Taylor has only been out of the flowtrash regiments from a year, but has earned his bloodsucking stripes with quirky quick-footed moves and an interesting approach (that 180 to switch slanted hubba ride is an absolute percy, and don’t get me started on that positively insane lipslide at 3rd and army). He’s someone to keep your eyes on for sure. Austin Stephens is another one I’m sure many of you have kept your eyes on, and the general consensus online is suggesting that his short, sweet, style-heavy parts are rich in marmite texture. Now, I’m the sort of person who actually drinks marmite on the regular, so unsurprisingly I enjoy watching Austin skate… but it’s understandable to see why people are disappointed with this. Since This Is Skateboarding he hasn’t shown any sign of progression but when so many of video watchers are blind and desensitized to progression then why should he strive to satisfy those that forget a section less than an hour after watching it? You cannot argue that Austin Stephens isn’t taking what he wants from skateboarding and giving back something that’s unmistakably his own… and I cannot hate on that one bit.
The extended team montage continues to be worthy of replay as The Butcher takes his feet-on tricks to the next level. Front smith 360 ollie out anyone? Right, so something marvellous has happened this year as more skateboarders than ever are landing stuff I frequently chose to perform in the escapist world video games permitted only five years ago. To see it happen without the addition of slomo and done like it’s nowt is quite the head scratcher. Ed Templeton straight up needs to skate more. He’s still killing it and all legacy aside, those three tricks stood out as some of the best in the montage so get that down yer. Josh Harmony takes his established style up a notch to carry on the montage. I’ve always been a fan of Harmony, particularly how he always skates the most awkward looking rails and ledges while landing stuff as though his arms are erratically paranoid of gravity. Finally we return our gaze to Nick Trapasso, who has come a long way since his breakout part in Suffer The Joy. He still sleepwalks through grinds and is one of the most nonchalant skaters out there right now. His conclusive 50-50 to ‘deal with it’ rollaway will silence even the most stubbornly contrary critics.
Although Collin Provost’s name signifies a return to the full section format, the flow is still that of an extended montage. All this means is that the excitement levels never once drop below AWESOME – a perfect response to the ‘tage era; editors take note. His part in Stay Gold is very much still hot and fresh out the kitchen but here he is serving up piping hot seconds that I’m sure you too are more than willing to get your lips around. Unsurprisingly, it’s another banger; filled to the brim with long lines, sketchy landings and walliebombs as plenty of rough street spots and man-made non-skatepark transitions alike get a thorough seeing to by another ATV to keep your eyes on. Something the filmer takes literally in the last shot, which lingers long enough for the viewer to see Provost overtake and cut-up a fucking bus during a hillbomb rollout. Amazing. A-ma-zing.
For reasons I’m not overly sure of, I’ve always considered Matt Bennett to be a comprehensive personification of all that is Toy Machine. Leftfield trick selection, an uneasy imperfect style, swampy hair and general overpowering radness. This section is a further testament to my uncertain argument and another solid 2-3 minutes of pure Toy Machine goodness. I’m stunned that he’s only just entered the world of professional skateboarding but better late than never I suppose. Have polejams up and down handrails become a trend yet? They will.
So who can play out this mixtape of sketchy, imperfect, balls out and positively pure skateboarding greatness? None other than one of the year’s absolute best of the best, the accomplished Leo Romero. If you hadn’t caught his section in Stay Gold yet then hand in your notice to the landlord of your rock and move the fuck out. Though many would be satisfied with a part as groundbreaking as that, here we see Leo shut down Brainwash with a manic push leading up to one jaw-dropper after the next. Leo has created a style of skating so impossible to imitate that all we can do is sit and watch, but when it’s this good, who cares? If P-Rod’s technical perfection depicted progress to the extreme in that direction then Leo isn’t so much the Anti-P-Rod but a very different reason to be stoked on where skateboarding is going, which, whatever direction you look in, is somewhere awesome.
Stanley
Out of the many Brainwash teasers that kept Toy Machines online omnipresence on godly levels it was Daniel Lutheran’s recent welcome clip that got us the most hyped. Enjoy… Now go buy Brainwash. This was a triumph.
Always ready to jump on the latest trend and make a complete mockery of it, Krooked have taken the holiday blockbuster release into their own creative hands with KROOK3D, also known as TH3 Y3AR’S MOST 3XCITING SKAT3 VID3O COMING OUT YOUR SCR33N IN 3Y3-POPPING 3D!!! Coming from any other company, this kind of effort would result in an awkward compilation of suck; but with Krooked you are guaranteed something that for me, is essentially canonical in skateboarding: being forward thinking in the dumbest way imaginable. So what better way to interpret the growing 3D novelty in film by using the technology (in a way that really, really works) and just piss around with your friends. Enter Mark Gonzales, Dan Drehobl, Bobby Worrest, Luke Croker, Brad Cromer, Mike Anderson and David Clark, the members of one of the most fun skate companies around, to provide you with a video that would be the one of the year’s must-see flicks whatever dimension you choose to watch it in.
The video begins with a dedication to the sorely missed Van Wastell, who sadly passed away in 2008. His absence from the group’s antics that follow is missed but the crew do a brilliant job in letting Van Wastell live on in our memory and in the good times that Mark and co. continue to bring us. Rest in peace, brother. Your legacy won’t ever be forgotten.
Rather than follow a section-by-section routine, Krooked have chosen (wisely) to seperate the footage into locations, beginning with New York and moving on to San Francisco and so on. I often feel that more companies should consider this as a possible option and not to dismiss it as too outside of the norm. If you have a team that work so well together like these guys, then it unsurprisingly works to the video’s advantage by depicting Krooked as Krooked, not as a series of individuals. Not to take anything away from the individuals themselves (come on, people like the Gonz, Drehobl, Worrest and co. have a distinct and uniquely awesome taste seperate from one another) but the cocktail is something most pleasant for your eyes to sip on. More so that instead of a showcase we’re presented with something that’s closer to the late 80s/early 90s ‘session’ style of video editing than anything else outside of Etnies’ Skate and Create edit has brought viewers this year. We encourage this. Now, are those glasses sitting comfortably and looking ridiculous on your face? Good, then let’s hit up New York.
To this day, there is nothing like watching The Gonz skate New York. He’s the undisputed king of all things skateboarding in the East Coast and no one will ever interpret something as simple as getting from A-B in a way as imaginative as him. For A-B to Mark is more a case of going from A, then to Y, then to 4, then to Yellow, then to Z before finally arriving at B. In this uncouth journey we see everyone tear up whatever they see before them in a way that combines the free-flowing jazz spirit of 90s Stereo flicks and the gloriously juvenile tomfoolery of the Tilt Mode Army. Hammers aren’t planned, but come out of the natural talent that sporadically bursts from the team’s feet, like Bobby’s backside noseblunt at City Hall that’s so perfectly imperfect. Don’t think that the ‘3’ motif stops at what dimension we’re in either, as Gonz explains during a particularly rad downhill spot, “three sets of stairs, three stairs in each set, three skaters, take it down! in 3-D!”. He then sucks on a monster cigar. I challenge you not to love him even more than you already do.
San Francisco is the next stop and opens with Dan Drehobl’s trademark mayday variations set to a backdrop of the Golden Gate bridge. Visually, it carries something potentially beautiful that countless budding photographers constantly fail to achieve. Of course, Gonz has covered this landscape HDR fiend’s wet-dream with crudely drawn stars and a scrawled ‘San Francisco’ title that makes it the skateboarding equivilent of drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa. Words cannot begin to explain how much I’m all over this shit. This section is totally rammed with car-dodging, pram-dodging, big grinds, dorky combos, quotes from strangers, flips over questionable ‘bums’ and Drehobl hitting up the China Town Banks like only he can.
We head back east to Washington D.C. for more fruity jazz scores and lines that make you feel grrrrrrreat. Unsurprisingly Bobby Worrest totally owns this section but there’s some serious bits and pieces from Manderson and David Clark in the mix too. A brief transition segment follows that features welcome cameos from Lance Mountain, Jake Brown and more. As expected, vert looks pretty spectacular in the third dimension so suck on that James Cameron.
After some dicking around in skateparks we’re returing to the west coast to Los Ang3l3s. Here, there are more perfectly captured sessions that are making it progressively more difficult to sit through the entire thing without pausing and running out for a quick skate on whatever is directly outside the front door. But amongst this we see some Crailtap heads getting in on the action, notably Eric Koston doubling up with Gonz as seen on the cover of the latest Wallride Catalogue. The footage from these sessions is as awesome as you’d expect. Koston’s line (featuring the rarely seen regular hardflip) at the end is something magical. Although, not quite as magical as Bobby’s noseblunt on a LOG during the slow-motion section that concludes the film. Yeah, a log. What is this I don’t even…
Props must go to Erik Bragg and all those that made this production possible. Nothing else this year will inspire you to go out and have a proper session with friends, dick around, occasionally do something epic, but in a way that only enhances the session rather than overshadow it. This is how skateboarding should always be. Make sure you get this.
Stanley
The DVD also features twenty minutes of eye-popping mind blowing tantalising 2D action! It’s out now in all good skater-owned shops.
The first time I watched 5-Boro’s new video Join Or Die I wanted to rush outside and skate. The second time I watched Join Or Die I wanted to skate even more. The third time worked a charm and so on and so on. This is a no-nonsense production; there are no slo-mos, HD effects or skits; just top-knotch skating with a banging soundtrack. 
If one were to pull a defining quote from an imaginary press release then Welcome To MIA is the first full-length video to come from Miami’s premiere skate shop, 
One thing I’ve always admired about 
Always ready to jump on the latest trend and make a complete mockery of it, 
