Some intractable force
Plus: Gerwer leaps at the half-century mark, measuring the value of public space, Shawn Hale, Lakai's rebound hook-ups, and more.
The definitive weekly ranking and analysis of all the skateboarding and other things online that I cannot stop consuming and how it makes me feel, personally.
Some intractable force
Rank: 1!
Mood: 🪨🎁
Somewhere in the skateboarder sits a stone. A hard, complex formation comprising various tangibles and intangibles collected and composted over years and decades until it breaks down, or builds up, into this ever-present thing. It exists in the person, the practitioner, as a leaden weight that pulls one to act, not by coercion, but by some intractable force. Like gravity, but stupid.
You see, if a person spends so much of their life thinking about and doing a thing, it eventually becomes a part of them. Muscle memory. Memory memory. An eager, anxious present until the future is filled with it. Inside of the skateboarder, in that stone, is the desire to skate and the belief that they can. An idea forms and can be manifested on our physical plane by sheer force of will, skill, and time. It's magic in a way, like gravity. However, its laws aren't hard and fast like gravity's, which remain constant, and we skateboarders, whether we like it or not, are subject to Newton's and our desires come second.
Yet we keep trying. Keep wanting. That stone rattles around, the noise growing louder until we're forced to act, no matter the state we're in. Take, for example, Frank Gerwer. In 2002, he kickflipped Wallenberg, one of skateboarding's premiere proving grounds. What else would compel Gerwer to step to that chasm again 23 years later?
In November, at 50 years old, he had the internet alight when he attempted to ollie those monstrous four stair steps. His failure was seen as a victory. Perhaps the largest stunt attempted by a person of a certain age, it demanded cries of hellride and inspiration — and it was those things. It proved and defied those competing laws. A skateboarder who had endured the weight of the world for half a century had nearly pushed back.
Then, as we saw this week, he did.
That stone pulled him back to the 'berg. In opposition to all reason, except to those of us who understand. Who can hear that rattling and find ourselves walking up to the edge thinking hmm, maybe.
Save MACBA
Rank: -1
Mood: 🛟
If you've spent time in and around the plaza at MACBA, another of skateboarding's premiere proving grounds, this one in Barcelona, Spain, then you know it is more than a simple skate spot. Wallenberg needs a roll-in trucked in and set up to leap. MACBA is a ready-made smorgasbord of ledges, stairs, and gaps. But more than that, it's an easy place to spend time.
It's a central meeting point for a vibrant skate scene, but there are also many neighbouring bars and restaurants. MACBA itself is an art gallery, we tend to forget. Sure, for the skateboarder, it has become blown out in recent years as energy-drink-funded ventures like King and Queen of MACBA turn the street spot into a contest course, but there's still history here. Well, perhaps not for long, reports Barcelona Secreta.
Farewell to the MACBA… as we know it. Thirty years after the construction of MACBA and its surroundings meant a turnaround for the Raval, now the City Council has already begun work on the renovation of MACBA and the Plaça dels Àngels to definitively change the face to which we are accustomed.
Apparently, this construction is set to begin this month. What that means and if the plaza's fate is sealed — and sealed off from skateboarders — is unclear, but there's a petition to sign if you're moved to make your voice heard regarding saving its current form.
MACBA's value
Rank: $1,000,000,000
Mood: 🧮
How does one measure the worth of MACBA to skateboarders? Is it possible to tally up decades' worth of iconic tricks or hours spent at home watching Arto Saari fakie-flip the big four in Flip Skateboard's Sorry? Maybe in the spiritual or emotional sense, but financially, that's a tough one. What about the value of public space in general? Putting a dollar value on that is notoriously difficult because it is, by definition, free to use.
However, according to Dr. Thomas Kemp, a skateboarder, Chair, and Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, there is a way. This week, a piece in NPR's Planet Money newsletter looks at one of Kemp's recent papers published in The Journal of Economic Analysis, "Shred Central: Estimating the user benefits associated with large public skateparks." In it, Kemp attempts to nail down the consumer benefit of Lauridsen Skatepark in Des Moines, Iowa, "the largest skatepark in the United States."
The intention behind finding the value of a skatepark and other "public goods, like parks, beaches, rec centers, and so on" is to help convince communities that they should build more; as Kemp says, "public resources devoted to skateboarding lag far beyond other leisure activities such as softball, tennis, or soccer."
So what's the formula?
Kemp argues that the distance skaters (and BMXers, roller bladers, and other recreationists) are willing to travel to go to the skatepark provides a good way to estimate the value of it. Traveling requires time and money, so the distance users are willing to travel provides an indication of how much they think a skatepark is worth.
In "Shred Central," Kemp surveyed skateboarders at Lauridsen Skatepark, and found they "will travel great distances at significant cost to ride a park of high perceived quality." Crunching numbers on use of the park and travel distance, Kemp estimates that the user benefits of this skatepark are "$61 per user per day and roughly $488,000 annually." This high estimate for the value of the skatepark suggests that there's a shortage of high-quality skateparks around the country and that community leaders should build more of them.
So, if we consider MACBA a skatepark, which it has become more or less, and how people travel from all over the planet to skate it, the value of that plaza should be through the roof. Not to mention how much skaters spend at the surrounding businesses. If I were the city of Barcelona, I would take this into consideration before removing such a beloved and valuable spot. In fact, I'd suggest they build an even bigger skateable plaza. I mean, who can't see the value in that?
* H/T to 'sletter friend José Vadi for sharing the Planet Money piece.
Underrated and oversaturated
Rank: 1
Mood: ⭐
One interesting byproduct of skateboarding being an individual, user-led sport is that anyone can become good at it. In team sports like hockey, basketball, football, etc., there are, in some cases, centuries-old frameworks for how a person builds their skillset and turns from amateur prospect to top-level professional. For youth, there are "levels" of play, scouts that scout, schools that offer scholarships, amateur success that leads to drafts into pro leagues, and so on.
That doesn't stop the everyday person from becoming "good" at those sports, but those structures will most always preclude someone with a mean slapshot who plays on a poorly kept public ice rink from getting called up to the NHL. In skateboarding, some of its best practitioners are not "professional" in the way we understand it, i.e. they do not have a board or other product with their name on it (although, you could argue making money from skateboarding in any form makes you a "PRO").
There are so many good skateboarders who are not professionals that we often forget about the actual professionals. Case in point: Why is Shawn Hale not a bigger deal? As his VX part for Birdhouse Skateboards that came out last week attests, he is one of the most dynamic, skilled, and engaging talents out.
Yet, he's slept on. Overlooked. Underrated. Is it because he doesn't have "cool" sponsors? Does he not seek out the spotlight like others? Is he privately a real meanie? Too humble to advocate for himself? Or is there some indefinable cultural blindspot that he's caught in? Whatever it is, he keeps showing us that he should be front and centre in our minds. Hopefully he stays there this time.
Rebound hook-ups
Rank: 70 days
Mood: 😮🤔
Admirable is not the right word. Impressive is close, but not quite it. So, how else does one describe the unprecedented turnaround time Lakai Limited Footwear has made in going from having a full roster of skateboarders at the beginning of November to its new owner, Marc Roca, facing an incredibly messy and embarrassing falling out with brand founders Mike Carroll and Rick Howard, laying off and losing those team riders, and then releasing a tour video with a quickly assembled new team on January 15?
In just over two months, Roca's Lakai went from a public relations disaster to a public relations disaster whose media output and, apparently, team being handled by a legitimately solid filmmaker in Luis Mora of Erased Project and Aura Skateboards (interestingly, Erased has collaborated with Lakai in the past, pre-Roca). In short order, they brought on Roman Hager, Gabryel Aguilar, Jumpei Tsutsumi, and Bastien Salabanzi to fill out that empty roster. That's an exciting young trio of skateboarders with Salabanzi taking on the role of the veteran, and while you might be right in saying that we've seen this exact play before when Salabanzi was introduced to Cariuma several years back, he doesn't appear to be taking this opportunity lightly, as his output in Tokyo shows.
Overall, LAKAI IN TOKYO offers high-level, generally enjoyable skateboarding. The edit lacks creative substance and any semblance of brand direction, but that doesn't seem to be the goal. It appears Roca wants to post through it and weather the storm. Whether it will work remains to be seen. If there's one thing working in their favour, it's that Lakai's previous form wasn't terribly popular either. The outrage at the acquisition was due to Roca's handling (and alleged misleading) of Carroll, Howard, and the previous team. And, of course, Roca's sad-sap posting where he proclaimed himself "just a dude trying to save Lakai with his own money" when public opinion started to sour.
If you want to get your rocks off with some loose numerology, in the weeks following Lakai's initial implosion, the team page on the brand's website was taken down and replaced with a countdown clock, which teased the reveal of the new team on January 31. The team was then announced half a month early. When Roca first announced the Lakai deal in October of last year, he promised the team would stay on and even expand. Roughly half a month later, they were all gone. Wow.
So maybe "astonishing" is the best way to describe what Roca's Lakai is attempting at such breakneck speed — the rapid destruction and reinvention of a brand that is both genuinely surprising and dismaying.
Something to consider:
Brett Murphy
Good thing: 'sletter friends Sam Korman and Ted Barrow had a great chat about chatting shit and "the role of criticism in skateboarding" for the University of Chicago's Portable Gray. If you subscribe to Ted's Patreon, there's an easy-access PDF there.
Good blog thing:
Wes Allen
Another good thing: New Frog Eyes and another great music video by Derek Janzen.
A thing from earlier this week: Andrew Murrell and I went back and forth on what's been going on with skate vids for the inaugural edition of "Doubles."
Andrew Murrell
A pod thing: I was the guest on the latest episode of Beyond Boards. Thanks again to Quentin for having me and everyone who sent questions in. I ramble a fair amount but had a good time.
RIP
Until next week… something is happening out there. Go see what it is; maybe you'll like it.
Laser Quit Smoking Massage
NEWEST PRESS
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My new collection of essays is available now. I think you might like it. The Edmonton Journal thinks it's a "local book set to make a mark in 2024." The CBC called it "quirky yet insightful." lol.
Book cover by Hiller Goodspeed.
Right, Down + Circle
ECW PRESS
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I wrote a book about the history and cultural impact of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater that you can find at your local bookshop or order online now. I think you might like this one, too.
Here’s what Michael Christie, Giller Prize-nominated author of the novels Greenwood and If I Fall, If I Die, had to say about the thing.
“With incisive and heartfelt writing, Cole Nowicki unlocks the source code of the massively influential cultural phenomenon that is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and finds wonderful Easter-eggs of meaning within. Even non-skaters will be wowed by this examination of youth, community, risk, and authenticity and gain a new appreciation of skateboarding’s massive influence upon our larger culture. This is my new favorite book about skateboarding, which isn’t really about skateboarding — it’s about everything.”
Photo via The Palomino.
