June 24, 2016
Summers past
Footage from 24 or more years ago shouldn't look so familiar -- a good portion of the downtown spots skated in the video above are still skated today, a quarter of a century later. Made tricks/parts kick in around the 2:30 mark -- the video features, roughly in order of appearance, Chad Mohler, Matt Hubert, Judd Prozinski (with some Rob Sissi in there) and Jesse Mohler. Was the parking garage improved or hurt by that extra asphalt?
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11 comments:
Strange to say that when I watch footage like this, as much as I try to appreciate it, I'm instead left appreciating Ryan Sheckler a great deal more.
For reasons such as: I've never seen Sheckler moon the camera; never seen him spit out the word "faggot"; never seen him clench his crotch; nor wear floppy-fitting clothing; nor turn off attractive female passersby (I'd have to assume those guys were guilty of that); nor fail to use the verb "ascribe" while speaking (Sheckler uses that verb while speaking); etc.
And it's an outrageously unfair comparison, I know. But if it strengthens the case for Sheckler, it's worth making.
(Mr. Sissi probably has a much more educational outlook on such footage.)
Over sized clothing was a fashion trend during this era. We were called "faggot's" by jocks so often that we didn't even take offense to it. In fact we laughed about it and imitated jocks heckling us(as seen in this video).
Watch Plan B "Questionable" and World Industries "New World Order". Read the first six Big Brother magazines. Look for all the World, 101, Plan B graphics of this period. This will hopefully give you a better
view into the early 90's. Crude, politically-incorrectness, and sarcasm ruled the day.
I was a couple years late to the game, so I never experienced all the early-90s trends directly, but the stuff still looks familiar since we did watch Virtual Reality and the Questionable video 1,000 times over. Even in 95-96, though, dudes at school and random assholes riding around in trucks would still hurl insults and the threat of physical violence lingered; I get the sarcasm.
One other angle these comments remind me of: Guy at work who is 7-8 years older than me (that puts him 40-41) was chatting about the XGames possibly coming to MPLS. He was a multi-sport high school athlete, and said he was amazed back then at how skaters, to paraphrase him, unathletic and uncoordinated, could hop on a board and do shit. He definitely saw a sort of "otherness" in skateboarding.
Wylie. That was possibly the worst reply to a post I've ever seen out of your camp. Not even sure Shecker would be hyped on it. I know myself and and a handful of my peers were not.
First, I'm so happy that people are engaged about this post!
Last, I now say to you, Mr. Sissi, that as a flawed young man I can only know so much, as well as please so many people. Mainly I speak from feeling, and I'm feeling now that I should pay you and your era more respect -- since I wouldn't be here otherwise.
(So, did I ever tell you how closely I listened when "Turkey" once expressed that "Things used to go down at The Fed on a Friday night that I wish every local kid could've experienced"? I listened closely then, indeed I never forgot it.)
Not to pile on, but to pile on...you can't compare a professional skater's output that has been sanitized by an MTV career to what a handful of local kids did with what was probably a parent or uncle's camera for their own amusement. I'm sure Sheckler has had his share of off-mainstage moments that aren't super PC. It's also not especially fair to criticize the clothes or anything like that, as they were just wearing what EVERY skater was wearing then. Take what any random 15-18 year old skater is posting on instagram today, then go look at it in 25 years. Think it will be easy to make fun of? Sure. Can't we just enjoy someone sharing a video like this a a fun slice of Minneapolis skate history? Can't we just watch this and be hyped some of those people are still skating today? This wasn't a pro vid, it was just kids fucking around but luckily, those kids were very important parts of the local scene. Yeah, maybe some lame stuff in hindsight, but what kid (or adult) doesn't do lame stuff in hindsight. Wylie, not that you need my permission to do anything, but in my book, criticizing current output has some degree of merit as I appreciate the journalistic commentary on what's out there now. But, it's way too easy to bag on something put out by kids 25 years ago (that wasn't even really put out for public consumption in the first place). And I'll also defend Judd's use of "faggot", as Anonymous pointed out, it was pretty common back then to get called a "skater faggot". It was obvious he was using the term in a sarcastic manner to make fun of the jocks calling us that. Finally, I hope I'm not coming off as the old guy that got ruffled feathers because you ripped something I feel close to. I'm just suggesting there isn't any point or relevance to ripping on it or comparing it to a shiny, world-class skater's public persona 25 years later.
I totally support all that you said, Dan!
What can I further say? I erred, erred in a very preventable way, since every moment of past skateboarding is needed just as much as present skateboarding. You all illuminated that.
But when you admire Sheckler's athleticism, regrets, deadly good-looks, and civility as much as I do, it's difficult not to wonder why more skaters don't imitate him, even skaters from the past. But again, my words here are mainly feeling, scarcely logic.
(Will you ever forgive me, Mr. Sissi?! It's not Christian not to.)
fall back wylie
How long it's been since we spoke, Mr. Richman!
You really are one of my favorites. Did I ever tell you to what degree you're one of my favorites because your name is the exact same name as the Jonathan Richman who has musical cameos throughout the masterpiece of a romantic-comedy "There's Something About Mary"?
My sparring with you always feels like Hollywood glamour.
this video is actually so tight
Hurt, not improved.
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