In response to this post on one of the five skate sites I visit, your wishes have been fulfilled. These samples have been floating around for some time, and are bound to upset all the message board nerds who cry “support the industry” at times like these (comments are off because of them). They are supposedly making skate Chuck Taylors too, but I don’t think there are samples for those yet. YES THIS IS A HYPE BLOG NOW. Half of the skaters in half of the skate videos that invented the tricks you do wore these ten years back. Detail pictures here and here.

Official started posting clips again. We should start posting clips again soon too.

Quote of the Week: “Switch just called me to ask if rice was vegan. This is a day after he had mozzarella and didn’t realize.”

In an attempt to expand QS beyond international borders, we recently made a trip to an underwhelming city known as Montreal, some 350 miles north of Quarter Snacks Headquarters. It made me really proud of America, and made me never want to leave this country ever again, aside from maybe a trip back to the motherland, since they did in fact sustain the longest war with America in its history, making it undoubtedly the only other country I’ll tolerate. Here’s a blogtastic photo update, that should inform you of the horrible food, the really unforgivably sordid hotel rooms, and the country’s habit of serving shots smaller than a child’s dose of robotussin. Best of all, they’re taken on the best forty-dollar camera ever. Your Leica sucks.

I found this text file on my old computer containing this article that I had saved from the original Zoo York website. It’s a fairly detailed and interesting chronicle of the early days of skateboarding in New York City, and definitely worth a read. Especially since it doesn’t claim that Bobby Puleo pioneered skateboarding in New York.

Some dude ARTIST named Tom Sachs made just about the most perfect quarterpipes ever in Midtown. The problem (there always has to be one, right?) is that they are located within a gallery space of a bougey Park Avenue office building. Furthermore, they are ART and made out of bronze. Best of all, “If it’s made in bronze, it’s no longer this menacing object of noise and liability but now something that has to be protected.” People who talk out of their ass in the name of “art” are great.

The people responsible for Deathbowl to Downtown told me that the documentary should be available on DVD as late as the Fall, so that would probably be your first chance to see it, if you missed the premiere.

Late, but Police Informer posted this good vintage Thrasher article.

Hopefully this will make up for the lack of content going up on here as of recent times.

Out next week. You can probably get it for free if you’re in certain parts of New Jersey or in New York City. I’m not quite sure how much of a demand there would be for it outside of this area, but I might run some thing where you pay like four or five dollars to cover shipping and handling charges for me to get it out to you. But I don’t think anyone outside of this region cares about this site anyways. I’ll see what happens.

“Trailer” here.

A recent rumor is gradually beginning to seem like a reality. During the winter, there was some word of the imminent transformation to be had in the back of Union Square, in which the wide open space and much coveted farmer’s market would be transformed into an array of small stores, like the ones that occupy the front of the park during the holiday season, where tourists are able to purchase shirts condemning politicans, candles, and other environmentally sound goods. It seems that the parks department has taken initial steps towards rendering the back on Union a long lost memory. This obviously has repercussions for those of us who occasionally skate flat there when there is nothing else to do and we have expended all other possibilities, but of course, this is not all that significant.

It is still hard to say which community has been hit hardest by this devastating new reality — the ravers/goths, the squatters, or the people who own skateboards, but are unaware of anywhere else to skate in Manhattan besides Union Square. The goths, and particularly the ravers, being the adaptive individuals that they are, as evidenced by their clinging on to a scene that has not existed for over ten years, are most likely the community with the least to lose in terms of lifestyle modifications. They are, however, at a heavy loss of prime real estate, since inevitable relocations will never quite amount to the amazing proximity Union had to Saint Mark’s Place and the Goth store on 4th Avenue. The most probable possibilities for relocation will most likely be greeted with a significant rise in overdoses on stimulants (for the ravers) and suicides (goths). Presumably, both groups will attempt to reclaim Washington Square Park from the pushing-fifty Haitian drug dealers, but will all be either arrested or scared away by the various.. umm… businesses in the park, who will be forced to choose between the revenue to be derived from both goths and ravers, and the increased police presence that would likely proceed all of the glowsticks and kids dressed like they are on their way to the Jonestown People’s Temple. Tompkins Square Park is also another candidate for relocation, but is an unlikely one when you take into account that the park closes its gates in the nighttime, and the pants both groups wear are a very significant health hazard for anyone who may wish to hop a fence, you know, with the extraneous zippers, 40 inch wide hem, and all that. Furthermore, it is a very far walk from the goth and exotic apparel store on fourth avenue, and the spanish kids from the Avenue D projects probably would not rush to establish a welcoming committee either.

The squatters will be forced to relocate to the dim corners of McCarren Park in Brooklyn, since they are not in extreme need of the various “alternative dress” stores (also known as costume shops) and inexpensive fast food places favored by the goths and ravers. If that does not work out, they can always go back to their parents’ house in Sheepshead Bay, where they ran away from due to the enforcement of a 10PM curfew.

The people who own skateboards, but do not know of places to skate besides Union Square will quit skating and become full-time sneakerheads.

Any way you slice it, it is going to be a very interesting summer.
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Other important, but not as important things:

Somebody recently posted this video of Matt Hensley’s part from Gullwing’s Full Power Trip (1988). The part was largely filmed in New York, during a mostly undocumented time in the city’s skateboarding history. There is even footage from the Harlem Banks, which many people commonly cite as never appearing in any skate video.

A pretty good Paulgar montage, despite a bit too much 12th and A.

I just wanted to say, thanks, iPhone. It’s the only thing that keeps me sane these days. Well, that and the meth.

The 5050 Reunion (Remember this one?) - Photo By John Roman.

Contest/demo/event footage is pretty much the worst. Importing, organizing and editing hordes of little kids all flying into walls even moreso. We decided to take the easy way out and provide a mere recap of the several highlights from this past Saturday’s King of Spring contest at 12th and A, where the overall highlight actually took place on a scooter. We can’t afford any fancy, Fox 5 sports journalists, in the same way I am generally incapable of writing things that make sense myself, so I opted for seeking out the (semi) professional eloquence of Taj Mahal. The Taji 12th and A Contest Re-Cap.

One of the few spots that you would never get kicked out of in Midtown, in addition to one of the more iconic double-sets in east coast skateboarding is just about done for. Jacob Javitz Center has been completely fenced off from entry. If you’re nice with jumping fences and want to get one last trick down the double set or on the curved bench before it gets torn down, now many be a good time to do it.

Significantly less important, but still kind of worth mentioning to those who like stupid east coast cutty spots, “that step to cellar door across from Veteran’s Memorial” is gone. They put handrails on both sides of the steps. I know the picture is horrible.

Quote of the Week: “Yeah, he was in a picture in my history book with Martin Luther King during the civil war.” - Yaje “Straight Edge 4 Life” Popson