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.
Ralph Lloyd-Davis
This video gem featuring a very young, then Airwalk shoe sponsored Geoff Rowley in 1995 is just one of the many videos shot for 411 Video Magazine. 
