Skating through the traffic is street skating in one oif it’s purest forms. If there is one man who knows this better than anyone else it’s Philadelphia’s finest, Ricky Oyola.
Traffic Skateboards is his take on what skating is all about: a close group of friends supporting and pushing one another as they charge through the city streets annihilating anything and everything in their path.
I don’t use the word “anything” lightly because I saw backside grinds up burnt out cars, ollies out to building map stands and poles of many sizes and severities getting jammed to high heaven. Ricky and Co. released a short Traffic promo which hit everyone’s hard drives faster than Sasser, and had us all salivating in anticipation of their first video, Via. Well, here it is and it’s all good!
Ok, the 20 minute skate tape is where it’s at right now. Honestly, if you get 20 minutes of all killer, no filler footage, then kids will be faster out of the door and dropping boards to the floor than toddlers in search of sweets. Without any climatic introductions, the Traffic team get straight to work catching rides on car bumpers and cruising through the hood in search of something to skate.
The first part of Via is a bit of a mish-mash of people and places, so I’ll summarise it by saying it’s good, but there are really three people on this tape that stand out like sore thumbs: Henry Panza, Rich Adler and the boss, Ricky Oyola.
Henry has the East coast swagger many a white man wants but can’t have, and he backs it up with some serious pop. Ricky Oyola blasts faster and faster until a lot of his skating just burns into your retinas for good. Then there is Rich. I hope a few of you have been keeping tabs on this little man because he’s been quietly killing it sine the golden days of Love Park.
There are several gap out to 50-50s and more than one hairy leap of faith in this ender part, but the overall steady flow and speed will definitely get you amped to go shred. If you could bottle the excitement that flows through us as we’re about to go street skating, then Traffic has got the formula right here with Via.
Watch the Traffic Promo here.
Ralph L-D