OK, trickwise, the skating in the Penal Code video was pretty basic, even for the time. That was what was good about it, together with the soundtrack, the all-star cast, the chill vibe, San Francisco and the era it documented. My mom picked this one up for me one year she was in SF, and for a long time this was the video that got me most hyped to go skate.
This is the video that me and my boys would watch to get us hyped before we went skating, too--this montage in particular. And part of the appeal was that the skating didn't seem beyond our realm; I mean, it definitely was. I could never do anything as good as Marcus's heelflip at Wallenberg. But it wasn't like watching one of the old Plan B or World vids, which could be discouraging because everyone in them was so far ahead of you. Penal Code made me want to get out and skate all day.
Yeah, I still feel that way, actually: I much prefer the type of raw street skating videos associated with the East Coast now than a lot of back-to-back bangathons coming out of Cali Entertaining and amazing as it might be, watching dudes grind UP tripple-kink rails or whatever is just so far removed from my own experience that I might just as well be watching a vert contest. I recently got my hands on the FTC coffee table book, which features interviews and photos with/of pretty much all the EMB/Pier7 heads. Turns out Puleo wasn't and still isn't feeling the song Meza used for his opening part at all.
Here's a funny one that I can't verify because it came from some ancient Slap interview that hasn't been uploaded to the web (which only makes me like it more): Apparently Meza got a lot of shit for the soundtrack, particularly from Chico Brenes, who said he wouldn't watch the video because he hated the music so much. Meza came back with something like, "Whatever, Chico listens to reggaeton, so I'm not really concerned with his opinion." I've always thought the Van Morrison song on Puleo's part was perfect, even though Bobby has said a few times that he doesn't like it (he reiterates this in his Bobshirt interview). The whole soundtrack is perfect, actually. Like you said, it's probably the best encapsulation of that particular place and time in skating. And that's when skating looked the best, if you want my completely biased opinion . . . I'm actually hoping some kid reads this and wants to call me out on it. Hear that, children? Skateboarding looked better in 1995 than it does today.
interestingly enough, I interacted with Lavar one day in 1993 at EMB. He pulled his gold fronts out of his mouth as we sat on the third stair of the big three, the opposite of the seven.
OK, trickwise, the skating in the Penal Code video was pretty basic, even for the time. That was what was good about it, together with the soundtrack, the all-star cast, the chill vibe, San Francisco and the era it documented. My mom picked this one up for me one year she was in SF, and for a long time this was the video that got me most hyped to go skate.
This is the video that me and my boys would watch to get us hyped before we went skating, too--this montage in particular. And part of the appeal was that the skating didn't seem beyond our realm; I mean, it definitely was. I could never do anything as good as Marcus's heelflip at Wallenberg. But it wasn't like watching one of the old Plan B or World vids, which could be discouraging because everyone in them was so far ahead of you. Penal Code made me want to get out and skate all day.
Yeah, I still feel that way, actually: I much prefer the type of raw street skating videos associated with the East Coast now than a lot of back-to-back bangathons coming out of Cali Entertaining and amazing as it might be, watching dudes grind UP tripple-kink rails or whatever is just so far removed from my own experience that I might just as well be watching a vert contest. I recently got my hands on the FTC coffee table book, which features interviews and photos with/of pretty much all the EMB/Pier7 heads. Turns out Puleo wasn't and still isn't feeling the song Meza used for his opening part at all.
Here's a funny one that I can't verify because it came from some ancient Slap interview that hasn't been uploaded to the web (which only makes me like it more): Apparently Meza got a lot of shit for the soundtrack, particularly from Chico Brenes, who said he wouldn't watch the video because he hated the music so much. Meza came back with something like, "Whatever, Chico listens to reggaeton, so I'm not really concerned with his opinion." I've always thought the Van Morrison song on Puleo's part was perfect, even though Bobby has said a few times that he doesn't like it (he reiterates this in his Bobshirt interview). The whole soundtrack is perfect, actually. Like you said, it's probably the best encapsulation of that particular place and time in skating. And that's when skating looked the best, if you want my completely biased opinion . . . I'm actually hoping some kid reads this and wants to call me out on it. Hear that, children? Skateboarding looked better in 1995 than it does today.
The good old days. Miss them
interestingly enough, I interacted with Lavar one day in 1993 at EMB. He pulled his gold fronts out of his mouth as we sat on the third stair of the big three, the opposite of the seven.
no comments yet? what about that MM KF at 1:54 yoooo?!!!!