Skate Videos: What We Love, Part 2!
Here’s the Second installment of a series of questions we’ve posed to friends near and far about the role of skate videos in our culture. We believe it is still a vital art form and love seeing the new releases, such as Vans’ latest, Credits, featuring an all-female cast and a killer soundtrack!
Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Valerie B., age 35 (skater of 21 years)
What is the first skate video you remember seeing? The first skate video I ever saw was an episode of 411VM. I watched a lot of 411vm and then I think the first video I saw was Fulfill The Dream.
What is your Favorite Video? My Favorite skate video is Beers, Bowls, & Barney’s! All Hail Cardiel! When I started skating it was the end of the 1990s (1998/1999ish) dude’s in videos where jumping down huge sets of stairs, grinding rails, etc...that was impressive and scary as hell. I skated bowls and parks so I never thought I’d be able skate like that. When I saw B,B & Barney’s I felt like I found gold. I wanted to skate fast and find pools like those dudes.
What is your favorite part from a video you may not like overall? My favorite skate part from a video I may not like overall, this was a hard question. I would have to say my favorite skate part from a video has to be Jon Comer’s part from Allergic to Awesome from the Index days. It’s not that I don’t like the whole video, because I do. A lot of my friends are in that video. It’s my favorite because Jon Comer was one of my favorite skaters, and his part in this video -he is skating spots I skated with him on the regular. Now that our friend has passed away it really means a lot to me to be able to watch that video/part. I’m sentimental. 🤷🏻♀️
Do you feel skate videos are still vital?… Well yes and no. I really like going to skate video premiers and being apart of all the energy and excitement when the skaters get to share their videos, skate parts, hard work. Everyone is so hyped! Now with social media I think skate clips are digested differently. It’s a 60 sec. clip or maybe 2 minutes whatever that comes and goes so quickly through your s.m. feed and thought process, I’m not sure if it leaves a lasting impression like Natas in Streets on Fire or any Gonz skate video part. But it is also really cool to see someone in real time find a spot and do something incredible. It’s equally impressive to see someone’s creative talents involved with curating a video. The hard work and dedication it takes to film. The filmer/editor/ skaters/ etc. They put a lot of efforts in collectively. That deserves some respect.
Rodney R., Age 48 (skater and president, Fresno Skateboard Salvage):
What is the first skate video you remember seeing? The Bones Brigade Show or something like that..
Favorite part - Favorite scenes were probably from Streets of Fire. Street skating had really taken off then.. and Natas was just amazing, we all tried to learn his stuff..
Do you feel that the skate video is still vital in the social media age? I’m not sure about full length videos in today’s world.. so many raw amazing clips are released daily. And that seems to be the attention span now.. If I could add in, when a skate video came out in the 80s, I guess the 90s also, not sure cuz I had quit during that time.. it was special, like an event, someone would get it, and we’d all end up at their place to watch it, over and over.. go skate, watch it again.. it was a luxury to watch a skate video.. it’s everywhere now.
Jaylen P., Age 21 (skater for Pleased to Skate):
What is the first skate video you remember seeing? First video I can’t really remember, let’s say it was the 411VM on THPS
Favorite part... I usually like almost all of the skate videos I watch so idk
Do you feel that the skate video is still vital in the social media age? Yeah, skate videos and social media aren’t the same, video parts are like albums. If clips are just fun lil clips vs YouTube, you can do a full length on there or use it the same way as IG, so I feel like they’re both in their own league
Eric K, Age 32 (skater, YouTube skate channel creator and ShredSocial) :
What is the first skate video you remember seeing? Osiris The Storm
What is your favorite skate video? This is a really hard question, haha. Girl's Yeah Right!, Lakai Fully Flared, Almost's Round 3/Cheese and Crackers, and Element Trio are among my favorites.
Do you have a favorite part from a video that you may not like overall? I’m not sure about not liking but more like I remember/love Joey Brezinski’s part in the old Cliche video and don’t remember any other part, haha.
Do you feel that the skate video is still vital in the social media age? Vital from a sales POV: probably not. Vital from a personal POV: yes. I love watching full videos and seeing the creativeness behind creating what essentially is a full-length movie about my favorite sport.
If so, how do you think it differs than the IG or YT clip? I think Instagram and YouTube serve as quick hits of inspiration to go skate, whereas full length videos serve the same purpose plus are more re-watchable because there's so much creativity to take in.
Josh H., Age 40 (skater - still learning tricks! - and owner, Now Skateboards and Switch Life):
What is the first skate video you remember seeing? Toy Machine’s Welcome to Hell
What is your favorite skate video? Girl’s Yeah Right!
Do you have a favorite part from a video that you may not like overall? I'm not a negative minded person so not really.
Do you feel that the skate video is still vital in the social media age? Super vital when I was growing up. They don’t sell anymore. It fueled the fire for many years though. Companies are finding a way to conform and step up.
If so, how do you think it differs than the IG or YT clip? Change is good and now you’re in the palm of every skaters hand.
Al C., Age 64 (skater, the Grindfather, Guapo Skateboards and Texas Skateboarding Museum):
What is the first skate video you remember seeing? The first videos I saw were Super 8 films people shot or I made. 5 Summer Stories and Super Sessions we’re both surf movies that had skate segments. I think Skate Madness was the first all skate movie I saw.
What is your favorite skate video? Favorite skate video: Ban This and Animal Chin.
Favorite parts? The Ray Barbee and Frankie Hill parts plus Hawk are pretty cool in Ban This. The Natas documentary is probably my favorite in current times. The Hosoi documentary has great skating but it made me lose all respect for him and especially his father.
Do you feel that the skate video is still vital in the social media age? I think skate videos now give people inspiration and instruction. When we sed in 70s early 80s all there was for the most part were stills in magazines. So yeah, it’s valid and has value.Old videos shown on walls of surf shops or on a screen were events and that has passed us by. Insta and YT are up close and personal and available 24/7 - they are cool, but non-events.