Skateboarding

Recently, while trying to put my life and university dissertation in permanent procrastination mode, I started watching some of my favourite skate videos of yore on youtube.

Skating in the last few years has seemed to me like it's changed for the worse. I find it increasingly difficult to keep up with the overexposure of every new "star" i.e. eleven year old who snapped a tre over the Carlsbad with no style and has burned out a month after his first video part came out. Events seem a lot more corporate based and coverage is definitely on the decline. Even the filming doesn't seem quite as tight, all Atiba rip offs and no individuals like the late Trevor Prescott.

Still, thought I'd put up some of my personal favourite riders-a lot are a little more offbeat.



This best of Jason Adams compilation is mostly taken from his seminal Black Label, "Label Kills" video part, with a little from "Blackout". In "Label Kills", this was the opening part in that video and hit me like a tonne of bricks-some psychobilly tearing to the sound of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." What I loved about Adams (he's weaker on Enjoi team I reckon) was that he consistently looked like he was going to fall off: he at least looked like he was surfing the terrain and rather than separate tricks, he had a desperate but very fluid style. His back boardslides still look brilliantly original to me.



Nilton Neves. This guy first impressed me in a 411 (don't recall the issue) with one of the most interesting lines I'd seen at the San Francisco pier. Very sharp and smooth style: expressive and with a good bag of tricks. Still the bar for Brazilian street skaters for me.

Who else? That I can talk about without consuming the whole page in this article? Donny Barley...you might noticed a pattern here of styles I like. Actually, it was his 411 Day in The Life that really tuned me into his stuff, when he put together runs in the drains in Honolulu I was very impressed. Keenan Milton was always a great watch. Bob Burnquist, TNT, Omar Hassan, early Trainwreck, Scotland's own John Rattray (nice guy too), Bastien Salabanzi, Marc Johnson...

To finish though, I want to remind you of two legends of style. Below, the classic Tom Penny "Wheels of Fortune" from '93, when the trousers were all MC Hammer and the wheels were no more than 49's. Still got the best 360 filp you'll ever see, hats off to Mr Penny.



And finally, Gino Iannucci. In my eyes, one of the all time greats, appearing here in Girl Skateboard's Yeah Right! for Chocolate. But please, go dig out the Mouse video and stand in awe.



Remember, for great skateboard advice and great deals on major skate brands-Fat Buddha is the place. As it is for just about everything. Till next week where I chew up more bandwidth, ciao,

Mark

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