They say that skateboard videos are dying.
In the late ‘90s, my baggy pants, butt cut, chain wallet early skateboarding days, videos were the trick-by-trick estimation by which professionals were measured. Each new video brought me, or whichever one of my grubby little friends could scrounge up 20 bucks, down to the local shop to make the eager purchase. As we gathered around my parents’ 13-inch TV and watched Jamie Thomas switch lipslide into the Venice sunset to the crashes of “Baba O’Riley,” I swore, at 15, that I had found …
Steven is one of those little shits who is just a little bit too old to be a “little shit” anymore. I mean that as a compliment. He’s the kid in class who never shuts up – not because he’s a bad kid, but because he’s too excited to sit still. The amount of enthusiasm that this kid has for life is admirable. I’m only 24, but he makes me feel like an old man – that, and he makes my skating look like an old …
What follows is my article that, as you may have deduced, did not make the cut over at The Skateboard Mag. It was supposed to hit print last summer but, and I can’t fault the fellas for this, a two page article on an Alabama World Cup Skateboard Contest by some unknown kid did not end up top priority. No hard feelings. However, I will say that I thought that the article turned out quite well. So, instead of letting it sit on my hard drive …
Toy Machine is the shit, yes, we have acknowledged this. However, what to do with the dreaded tour video? Remember Label Live? What…no? Of course you don’t, and there’s a reason for this – tour videos suck. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t much into Berzerker either. With that said, I was surprised to find that I kind of…well…liked Lurk-Fest. Granted, there was some good street skating at the end but I don’t think that’s why. I’m going to chalk this one up …
Marty is my kind of skater. He isn’t flashy, he’s got solid style, and he has ridiculous control on a skateboard. My kind of guy. As it would turn out, Marty is also an extremely pleasant fellow. You know that expression, “wouldn’t hurt a fly?” Well, that definitely applies to … “wouldn’t hurt a fly” … wait a minute … oh Marty, you got lucky! The McFly jokes that could have been! Oh the missed opportunities…
Wesley: You ready?
Marty: Let’s do it!
Wesley: So Marty, is this your first interview? Are …
“Certified gnarbuckle” says Thrasher. “Smell my finger” says Racket. Silas Baxter Neal folks!!! Read on…
Wesley: Are you psyched that none of these questions are about being a hippy?
Silas: Yes!!!
Wesley: (laughs) I gotta say though, your new Elwood ad probably isn’t helping. I mean, you look good in the ad, but you are sitting in the middle of a forest.
Silas: Yeah, I mean, their whole theme is woods though. They’ve got the tree on the side of the ads.
“Here’s that fucking book you wanted, you better write a good review! Why the hell doesn’t it have any pop-ups?”
-The Emperor
The new Thrasher book, Epic Spots, did indeed show up on the Racket doorstep the other day. First of all, let’s be honest, it is doubtful that any Thrasher book will live …
First pro skater interview in Racket and who do we land? That’s right, Ed F’ing Templeton. Introductions are unnecessary. We all know Ed and if you don’t then that’s okay, you obviously don’t deserve to. Commence brainwashing…
Wesley: Okay Ed, what is your least favorite interview question?
Ed: Let me think about this one.
Wesley: Do it.
Ed: There are two tiers. There’s the informal interview of a kid asking for your board at every demo you show up at. That’s not officially an interview but that’s one …
The good fellows at Osiris, most specifically William, sent us a couple pairs of Osiris shoes. Initiate product review!
Diego’s Cleaver shoe looking a bit suspect. (*Emperor’s note: fuck yea, these shoes make me…umm…skate in a more direct line. And they don’t smell as bad as my last ones. Thus, these shoes rule! Pimp-tastic!)
