March 29, 2013

HQ Saturday/Art Party

I've been slacking. More effort next week.

March 19, 2013

"SPRING"

Photo by Sam McGuire.

Plat alum, Sam McGuire, wrote and recorded a story about Hillary Thompson, a skateboarder who happens to be transgender, for Jenkem. It turned out well.

As winter continues to refuse to end itself, I present two more HQ clips since we'll probably be trapped inside for a bit longer. This is Tabari by Tim and then there's what Chris Burt and the North Coasters were doing last week. Could this be the end of linked indoor montages until November? Don't we all hope?

And then, there's this, a reminder that we're all pretty much OK, even if it's still cold outside:

March 12, 2013

Rippingest Filmer In Town

Fulton moved out West putting the title of "Rippingest Filmer in Town" up for grabs. Go get it.

Regarding the "Dunk Heard 'Round The World," here's the GIF that best tells the story. Note the coup de grĂ¢ce, the ball bouncing off poor old Knight's head.

In case you missed it: Looking for Dom.

That is all.

March 7, 2013

Selected Skateboard Video Locations

Illustration by Andy Sturdevant borrowed from Minnpost.

Tucker and I spoke to Andy Sturdevant about Twincities skateboard videos for his "The Stroll" column, and the results are here. It's a good read and an interesting perspective from a city-enthusiast; I wish I'd known that he was going to write specifically about the Sharon Sayles Belton years, because one time, post-9/11, she sent the chief of Minnepolis police to see what we were doing when we lit up a spot beneath the Hennepin Bridge.

In order to help out Sturdevant, Tucker compiled an almost exhaustive list of Twincity skateboard videos. Going back to the question of, "How did Minneapolis end up having one of the most productive skate scenes in America?," I present that list, mostly unedited:

Apocalypse 1997
The Fobia Movie 1995/96
Midopoly 1999
Anonymous 2000
Weekend Warriors 2006
Hatebreeders 1999
Joy and Pain 2002
All In 2005
Filler 2010
Filler 2D 2012
Feature Film 1995
Feeling Minnesota 2008
The Familia Video 2008/09
Flow Trash 2010
Homegrown 2012
Midwestopoloy 2001?
The "PHP" series of videos--gonna have to call Stillwater on that
Roots 1998 Promo
Debris 2012
Shitheads Vol. 8 2001
Poached 1995
Midwest Marauders 2007
Outbreak 2010
The Roll series of videos 2001-???

That doesn't even include Who What!?!, Boondoggle or North Coast and Open Iris,* among probably plenty of others. It doesn't bring us closer to any real answer to the question above, but it sure supports the premise.

Add to the list Street Loafers 2D, which I recently viewed. It's another solid one; it's got downtown-nighttime-vibes that play well into the map at the top and if I had one bit of constructive criticism, it'd be to check the sound levels and mixing. Standout parts include Trevor Carlson, Zack** Goulet, Ryan Yost and Dan Rusin. It's purchasable at the usual shops or at the link just above.

I want that illustration on a T.

*Missed in the post the first time, but astutely pointed out by a commenter.

**Because Zack>Zach.

March 5, 2013

In Or Around '97

Short of a new clip from Oyola, I'm not sure how The Philadelphia Experiment could be much better. The ollie over the camera-to-Hi8 land was really satisfying. It gets SOTY discussions going involving Ishod Wair and Mark Suciu. If you're even remotely interested in Belle & Sebastian, the above is one of the best things out right now. It saddens me slightly that B&S is beginning to look like their middle age (though Stuart Murdoch remains), but it makes clear how young they were making their first two albums and just how long ago that was, in a good way. The documentary reminds my why Andy Murray is so rad. Isobel Campbell is a babe.

March 4, 2013

In Which New York Media Talks About Us

Google image search isn't that forthcoming, but this seems apropos, sans jock-connotations.

The coverage of skateboarding in the mainstream continues to improve as those in-the-know make inroads. In that vein, Conor Dougherty writes about private indoor skate spots for the WSJ and focuses on Minneapolis as an epicenter. Amid howls of "the Blood Bowl sold out" (reports vary, but the dude that gave the interview may have said that; derp, unpaid for coverage and all that), Minneapolis is enjoying its time in the sun from New York media outlets.

From the WSJ, linked above:

"With its long and frigid winters, Minneapolis has one of the country's most vibrant key club scenes. There are three well-known private parks—Mr. VanSyoc's Blood Bowl, the Hiawatha Bowl and the Burrito Bowl—each with a different personality. The Blood Bowl is heavy metal with gory imagery while the Hiawatha has Neverland touches such as a couch that hangs from the rafters and a trapdoor that leads to a dark and winding tunnel under the ramp. Key holders of one bowl can usually get access to the others, provided they bring a cash or beer donation."

A bit late on a link that never made it off my Twitter feed, Quartersnacks had some nice things to say about the scene in a post from a week or so back, regarding Home Grown and Debris; kudos for the extended NBA metaphor:

"How did Minneapolis end up having one of the most productive skate scenes in America?

As one the country’s coldest big cities with a thriving (but still underexposed) skate scene, Minneapolis produced two great skate videos within a month of one another: Home Grown by Tim Fulton and Debris by Pete Spooner and Philip Schwartz (the crew behind Flow Trash.) Between the two, they total eighty minutes without filler. Best of all, nobody with a full part could be categorized as explicitly “a rail kid” or “a tech kid.” They skate everything, though some would have more fun skating in Brooklyn than others. When considering the months cut away by an average Minnesota winter, you can’t help but be impressed by their productivity, and thus surprised that more of these dudes aren’t hooked up with proper companies.

While the Timberwolves have been dealing with one of the worst bouts of bad luck in recent NBA history, Minnesota’s skate scene is sort of like the Wolves’ polar opposite: The Spurs. People mistake the Spurs as “boring” because they lack celebrity and glamour, but come playoff time, see if you find a more efficient, “greater than the sum of their parts” group. They have the most wins in the league right now and nobody notices. Minneapolis just put out an two incredible skate videos with a roster of Spurs-like diversity, and not nearly enough people noticed."

Much agreed, homerism be damned. On the question posed, "How did Minneapolis end up having one of the most productive skate scenes in America?" I'd love to know what you guys think.