August 29, 2014

AUG. 29 SOTY POWER RANKINGS

"The skating is sick but the song/editing/clothing/VX/etc. in that part is garbage." Thanks to Thrasher for using FB comments so there's a modicum of accountability there, keeping the prevailing nature of commenting pretty standard nitpicky.

Few songs are completely sacrosanct in skate part world; Joe McLellan skated to Natas' song from Streets on Fire in a Maple video less than a decade after Natas' turn, and while perhaps there was an element of homage therein (it wasn't obvious), it's a not-that-controversial exception to the rule, a rule recently reiterated by Josh Stewart while on his ongoing Static 4/5 press junket.

All that's a circuitous way of getting to saying I could see someone making the call to edit a Wes Kremer section to something along the lines of "93 'til Infinity," seeing as how his songs can act as dog whistle tracks for those of a certain age, and sort of being OK with the whole thing. Sort of. Kremer, so obviously with the evidence above, continues to rank among the best out, the video part an occasion to do AUG. 29 SOTY POWER RANKINGS:

1. Bobby Worrest: If Worrest wins SOTY we'll have sudden proof there is some sense left in the Universe, a small, righteous rebuke to the horrible (news) happenings of a summer now ending. He put out yet another part a week ago on Quartersnacks, making it three on the year. He seems like only a dark horse candidate until one remembers he's got a good portion of the skateboard industrial complex backing him, as in Nike and Deluxe.

2. Wes Kremer: With a current ranking most likely a result of the afterglow of watching his section prior to 8:00 a.m. today, Kremer's eventual overall ranking (if I ever revisit this) will likely reflect his natural orbital trajectory: perennial and highly respected All-Star, perennially coming up fourth in MVP voting. He may simply lack the extra flash and marketability to convince Jimmy on the street to back him fully, but then again, maybe you just decide he's got it and make it happen. DC's tried before.

3. Dylan Reider: Two parts and a couple of fashion spreads, along with mononym status sets Reider apart from many. If there's such a thing as a "gutsy" SOTY choice, he's it, if only because of skateboarding's forever simmering sexual insecurity. Then again, Dylan would be a triumph for skateboarding's smaller entrepreneurial class, a Rocco-like rebuke to the industrial complex which, confusingly, really does include Deluxe.

4. Nyjah Huston: 1996 in 2014: Nyjah is Chris Senn 18 years later. Left at the altar in 2013, Nyjah is winning all the money (contests) this year, and while it's unclear how he placed at Münster, if a Senn-like a ascension is possible in this day and age, Huston is your dude. Plus, he's probably got a November-surprise-video part planned, even more brutal than the last.

5. Davis Torgerson: DT is good for fifth on paper, a rookie-pro and possible homer pick, but like at the beginning of the sentence, here's the qualifications: two video parts (and a Real Street section), a media tour/victory lap after the pro-model, a high likability rating. On these rankings he's more akin to a Chris Bosh middling selection, solid as hell and super well-regarded, if not even a bit underrated, but still, sorry bud, no chance at the trophy.
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Edit: The original post touted these as "AUG. 28" power rankings, even though I did them a day later. The mistake will forever be immortalized in the URL.

10 comments:

sprntrl said...

Wes muthafukkking Kramer

Davis said...

I'm not backing this, but you forgot Torey. I know the plan b vid will drop at the end of this year, giving him one thrasher part, and that part. Just sayin' hes in the running, and not me. Either way Wes is the best.

sprntrl said...

Sure Pudwill is gonna drop a part and it will probably be great but 1) unless he gets those arms under control the critics will always blast the kid 2) the Fully Flared hangover is over and the ledge dancing has finally run its course 3) you're tripping if you count yourself out, you've been on a tear this year and haven't you already had 2 of the "best years ever" according to the Plat? Do I smell a 3 peat?

sprntrl said...

Also should mention that Cory Kennedy and Ishod both have a very good chance this year

Benjamin Ragsdale said...

"skateboard industrial complex" needs to be a book.

my vote would be for worrest, but kramer's part is one of the best i've seen in forever.

and davis probably did one of the best tricks in mpls skate history with the ollie over the bar, ride down and bs 50 on that rail. that is absolutely insane.

Andrewpaulsen said...

Hyped that all these dudes are goofy!

bshow said...

Turkey for SOTY!!!

Anonymous said...

thought of platinum with this one...

My blog’s older than Twitter and Facebook, and it will outlive them. It has seen Flickr explode and then fade. It’s seen Google Wave and Google Reader come and go, and it’ll still be here as Google Plus fades. When Medium and Tumblr are gone, my blog will be here.

Wylie Tueting said...

This site hasn't been updated in over fifteen days!, and so I feel forced to state my own picks for World and Regional SOTY.
For World SOTY I would choose Madars Apse, and for Regional SOTY I would choose Grady Moquin. Both these men represent the best in modern skating: they're very creative; they're forceful; they actually do lines; they don't land perfectly; they choose meaningful songs; they skate all sorts of spots; they look natural in their clothes, not like Nyjah or Greco in their clothes; they do handrails but not too many; and I could go on and on.
But you have it there, and I'll stand by it fiercely.

Anonymous said...

Potentially the first time Nyjah and Greco have been hated on in the same sentence. We need a Venn diagram Wylie.