anyone noticed this new skateboard trend in nyc?

[mizanation]

in new york, cats from the hood (and elsewhere) have been buying skateboards, not to ride, but to carry around to match their outfits. they will get boards, trucks, etc. in different colors to go with a particular set of clothes they have. skateboard shops have been making a lot of money off these kids recently. you see them walking around all over the place, carrying their skateboards. it's a hot look right now. the new must-have accessory.

i come from a real skater city (seattle), so this movement is pretty funny to me. nyc is not a great city to skate, road conditions, traffic, crowding, just don't make it conducive to good skating. therefore, whenever you see somebody trying to skate in nyc, it's usually not a pretty sight.

[poly800rock]

wow, that really brought things to a whole new level

[Caps Lock]

As a skateboarder in New York, I haven't really witnessed this since I've been away for 3 months but I supposed as all trends they will hopefully die (the bad ones). I hear it is a hypebeast thing or something to emulate Pharrell (kids love Pharrell or should I say Skateboard P. ?). But yeah, has anyone seen the Flipmode skate video? Its a local vid done by some kids. Check it out: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4104832358048509145&q=flipmode+skate

[cheapmuthafukr]

if 10% of those kids learn to ride and stick with it, then the trend has been useful. if not, oh fucking well.

[mizanation]

As a skateboarder in New York, I haven't really witnessed this since I've been away for 3 months but I supposed as all trends they will hopefully die (the bad ones). I hear it is a hypebeast thing or something to emulate Pharrell (kids love Pharrell or should I say Skateboard P. ?). But yeah, has anyone seen the Flipmode skate video? Its a local vid done by some kids. Check it out: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4104832358048509145&q=flipmode+skate

that video is dope. a lot of it is outside manhattan though.

come to think of it, probably some of the best places to skate in manhattan must be in the P's. lots of open space, nice little objects, benches, etc. if cats really started skating, you could see a lot of incredible skaters coming out of the projects.

[kapay]

I've noticed ever since Vans got popular with Hyphy movement type people in the Bay a lot more people have skateboards. But all the ones I've seen actually skate. My guess is they're all people who've previously skated and felt the desire to get back into it. I'm attempting to get back into it myself but only because I suck and I want to get better before buying a longboard.

[mspark]

I teach HS in NYC and i see alot of the kids that thought skateboards, "fitted jeans" and Vans were wack and gay before are all up on the "look" of that whole subculture. We have real skaters at my school too but Im sure they're scared to call the poseurs with the clean wheels to fuck off.

[mizanation]

hey where do you teach???

[dcrevolution40]

FLIPMODE!!!!! Video is seriously amazing. I and a lot of others have been waiting for it for around a year. Big ups to Peter the filmer and editor. Derick (last part) just went to Official skateboards too.

Ya this new skateboard carrying trend is horrible. But it does give us something to laugh at.

[mizanation]

skateboard carrying is not even practical if you don't skate. i doubt it will last a long time.

btw, is peter a jewish kid who's father is a pretty big-time DP? if he is, that's my boy from a LONG time ago...

[Caps Lock]

FLIPMODE!!!!! Video is seriously amazing. I and a lot of others have been waiting for it for around a year. Big ups to Peter the filmer and editor. Derick (last part) just went to Official skateboards too.

Ya this new skateboard carrying trend is horrible. But it does give us something to laugh at.

Yeah I just saw that on the Official site, Rodney Torres left Official too; hopefully the Official video will be good when in drops sometime in the near future.

[Morningstar]

Does anyone remember when it was fashionable to rock baseball batting gloves. For some reason I think Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz whenever I think of that trend.

[mizanation]

baseball batting gloves have a history in the hood. usually used with firearms for a) better grip and no fingerprints!

i think the fashion trend followed the more pratical use of the gloves, which are still used today for this purpose.

what this has to do with skateboards, i'm not sure.

[rome1]

I run a skate shop in NJ and I can tell you this. There are diehard people whom I respect greatly and will always throw a hook up to if they need it, and then there are these kids that come into my shop and are just trying to play the part from time to time stocking up on the shit that happens to be cool at the moment and never truly having any recognition for the people who do this because they love it so dear. So if somebody wants their hat to match their skateboard well then I think thats just fucking stupid.

[cheapmuthafukr]

you mean you hat doesnt match your board?

[dcrevolution40]

Ya Caps Lock...Rodney left. He's going to the Supreme company now. A shitty choice imo. And I know the Official video will be amazing with all this new talent they gathering.

[onemancult]

the best ever was the couple of dudes i caught walking around with no grip tape on their boards, swearing up and down that they skate, that their board was a couple months old...

back when i was 15, skating through the Bronx and whatnot, a good day was when i didn't get heckled by more than five people affecting a contrived SoCal accent and saying "awesome dude, tony hawk".

the whole skateboard trend in NYC is totally all about pharrel, and lupe fiasco, and the street culture being diluted by rampant hypebeast-ism. nike sb is partly to blame for introducing skateboarding to this new generation of kids who were always into collecting jordans- but when everyone on your block collects jordans, what do you do to differentiate yourself? you buy SBs, and show off your 'weird Nikes' to all the cats on your block that are used to shopping at Foot Locker and Jimmy Jazz.

the fucked up thing about these kids is that you can't really hate on them, because they're more street than the typical white/asian kids holding a grip of their parents' money, in line at Nort for the latest drop... but when they take it to the level of carrying brand new decks around for show, it's hard to resist.

[dcrevolution40]

wow onemancult I can't believe you saw kids with no grip!! What did you say to them?

[onemancult]

wow onemancult I can't believe you saw kids with no grip!! What did you say to them?

I just went up to em and started a normal conversation, they're little dudes from my area, and we were talking random shit until I said, "So, how come you guys don't have griptape on your board, do you need some? I've got extra." They were both really confused- I'm not sure they knew what grip was. So I just let it slide, and they kept on telling me how they practice for five hours each day and blah blah.... real funny situation, I had to keep my cool since they were only 15, 16.

[mizanation]

one man cult, you speak the truth. interesting stuff is happening though, i wonder where it will lead....

[onemancult]

What I think is more interesting is the general surge in interest in street culture of all forms- carrying around a skateboard as a fashion statement is the tip of the iceberg, I think. Remember when high-end fashion designers started pulling ideas from grunge, the uproar that created, and then the eventual death of the subculture as it became exceedingly popular? I'm not going to venture that the death of street culture is coming, even though I sometimes fear it, but I do foresee a huuuuuge change happening within the next five years, particularly here in NYC- we're oversaturated with producers, consumers, and the industry that could capitalize on both, plus the media that covers it all.

[will_i_am]

ok kind of off topic.

but i hate when i go to six flags or the boardwalk and there's those kids walking around with the basketball that they won cause i get jealous that i can never win one cause the fucking hoops are banged in with a hammer. i just wanna dribble one around the park so i can look like a baller......the skateboards reminded me of that.

ok done venting.

[mspark]

hey where do you teach???

In Brooklyn. I teach art.

[mspark]

I run a skate shop in NJ and I can tell you this. There are diehard people whom I respect greatly and will always throw a hook up to if they need it, and then there are these kids that come into my shop and are just trying to play the part from time to time stocking up on the shit that happens to be cool at the moment and never truly having any recognition for the people who do this because they love it so dear. So if somebody wants their hat to match their skateboard well then I think thats just fucking stupid.

Sounds like Supreme.

[dcrevolution40]

Ya man good call on that one......that rite there is the whole problem with the young kids. They are just following what they believe will make them appear "cool" without any knowledge to back up what they are doing. But that situation is def an extreme. Not even knowing what grip is.

[Seething Tortoise]

As a skateboarder in New York, I haven't really witnessed this since I've been away for 3 months but I supposed as all trends they will hopefully die (the bad ones). I hear it is a hypebeast thing or something to emulate Pharrell (kids love Pharrell or should I say Skateboard P. ?). But yeah, has anyone seen the Flipmode skate video? Its a local vid done by some kids. Check it out: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4104832358048509145&q=flipmode+skate

I watched that last night. Amazing video.

I think matching your board to your outfit is a little bit too much. Even more so if they're not even going to skate.

[mizanation]

what's crazy is the same people who would make fun of skating and skaters are now repping it to death.

anyways, if it brings people together and stops some of the dumb shit that's been happening, then i'm all for it, even if it costs legitimacy. *edit* i'm talking about all the senseless gangsterism bullshit and general ignorance.

like cmf said, if 10% become legit, then it can't be that bad.

[DJ2xTech]

Flipmode skate. I know the kid who made that video, Peter S.

Went to elementary and JHS with him. Too bad I was too busy with the Asian kids playing Pokemon rather than hanging out and learning how to skate with him.

lol w.e being pokemaster of my school was totally cool! -____-

btw back to the question: yea i've seen a lot of hoodkids like that in NYC. oh well, at least its better that than dressing all thug and gangsta and tall 50XL tees and 32x108 rocawear pants with a size 26 fitted cap and some fake uptowns.

[mspark]

Flipmode skate. I know the kid who made that video, Peter S.

Went to elementary and JHS with him. Too bad I was too busy with the Asian kids playing Pokemon rather than hanging out and learning how to skate with him.

lol w.e being pokemaster of my school was totally cool! -____-

btw back to the question: yea i've seen a lot of hoodkids like that in NYC. oh well, at least its better that than dressing all thug and gangsta and tall 50XL tees and 32x108 rocawear pants with a size 26 fitted cap and some fake uptowns.

I agree. Alot better than wearin some huge ass shirt and jeans.

I remember back in the days when i used to ride BMX in the early 80s i wore straight leg lees(tapered),nylon slim fitting BVDs and Puma basket.

I showed my students a pic and they said i looked "gay" lol

*Sigh* We've come full circle.

[masuerte]

What I think is more interesting is the general surge in interest in street culture of all forms- carrying around a skateboard as a fashion statement is the tip of the iceberg, I think. Remember when high-end fashion designers started pulling ideas from grunge, the uproar that created, and then the eventual death of the subculture as it became exceedingly popular? I'm not going to venture that the death of street culture is coming, even though I sometimes fear it, but I do foresee a huuuuuge change happening within the next five years, particularly here in NYC- we're oversaturated with producers, consumers, and the industry that could capitalize on both, plus the media that covers it all.

Man, I could start throwing stuff up about Marx and postmodernism and all that shit, but I'm just too lazy (to cut and paste stuff from wikipedia) to do so.

Or I could go biblical and be like NYC = S&G ??

But forreals tho, hasn't NYC just gotten fancier and sleeker from the 80's on? I heard NY was pretty nasty and trashy in the 60's through 70's.

And with street culture and consumerism, I don't know how it was before but it seems like there's a good amount of independent brands being blown up and that seems better than everyone clamoring for one style/brand. Oh damn, forgot about nike.

Hope someone understands this.