Video Days

I am typically averse to top-whatever lists. I find them to be cheap and subjective, with many set up just to stir the pot and create fake controversy. I'm going to do one anyhow, but to stay to my principles there won't be any numbering or ranking. Instead I prefer just to state what it is I like about each.

Before hitting the streets in my younger days it became sacred to pop in a video, or part of a video to get ourselves up for what we were about to go do. It was our motivational speech, our Rudy.

First up is a spot from perhaps the most soulful skateboarder ever, Mark Gonzalez, from Blind's Video Days (directed by Spike Jonze). This exemplifies an I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude, and turned his skateboarding into a sort of performance art. You may recognize this part from the movie Kids. If you aren't patient go to the 6:26 mark to see a ridiculous boardslide.



Jamie Thomas, and the Toy Machine Welcome to Hell video, completely change the way my friends and I approached skating. Tech became secondary to going fast and big. This part was revolutionary.



To see where this craziness lead look no further than the followup video Thrill of it All and the infamous "leap of faith". Holy shit.



Second Hand Smoke came out in 1995 just as I was learning to ollie curbs, and was one of the most impressionable videos for me as a grommet. Rodney Mullen kills, and this IMO is his peak part.



Jeremy Wray made skating look ridiculously smooth and easy. He skated how I wanted to.



Fully Flared is the most recent video I've gotten (damn, old man). The video is aces from beginning to end, but since I'm trying to restrain myself to particular parts I'll go with the amazing hi-def, slow-mo intro.



Finally, I had to include a part from technician Daewon Song. This guy took Rodney Mullen to task in the series of Rodney vs Daewon videos. Guy has more board control than anyone. Excuse the Killers song.



I probably left out a ton, but screw it. It's an extemporaneous list and I make no apologies.