Video(s) of the Week: Ben Fisher, Brad Cromer, and Peter Raffin

There were three key videos that came out this week that I had to mention for this post.
Above is Ben Fisher's sml wheels part, which shows the great balance between technical control and style. Some tricks that stuck in my head include the impressive frontside rock pop out at 0:31, the fakie manual fakie flip to fakie manual through two kinks of a sidewalk at 1:54, the switch frontside flip manual revert (mid-manual) down a bank at 2:06, the nose manual nollie shove to fakie manual fakie flip out on a popular bank at 2:46, and the crazy control with the ender: manual bs revert to fakie manual frontside half cab flip out.
Next up is the Peter Raffin Transmission part from Transworld, which displays a serious appeal for unique and gritty spots. While it's already refreshing to see a bunch of new spots (the back tail at 3:00 is beautiful and scary at the same time), it's also pretty cool to see Peter skate everything with a variety of tricks, from huge handrails (like the gnarly crooked grind at 2:20) to precision tricks (like the kickflip back tail at 1:36 with a short kicker to a fairly tall ledge) to super fast gaps (like the line at 2:01 where he half cab flips over a short stairway and then does a huge front 180 out into the street). And of course, his frontside POP shove it ender combines so many pleasing aspects of watching skateboarding all into one trick.
And lastly, I would like to also mention Brad Cromer's Lo-Fi Quartersnacks Remix to recognize Brad turning pro for Krooked. He's got a really powerful and smooth style and definitely deserves pro status; turning pro for a company like Krooked makes it that much cooler. While the tricks in this part came out last year, Quartersnacks never fails at a good remix, and the kickflip 50-50s on waist high rails along with the front tail heelflip out on the NYC courthouse ledge spot can always be replayed without complaints.

Manny Maniacs #4: Ben Fisher

Ben Fisher has a wonderful style and his manual tricks down solid.  I'd say he's got the best reverts mid-manual out of anyone (backside and frontside) as well as the ability to stylishly flick fakie flips, fakie 360 flips, and especially a one-of-a-kind backside flip out of his manuals. He's probably got the best frontside 180 to fakie manny in the game as well.  His precision board control is unreal in many instances and to possess a smooth style like he does is just an added compliment to his skating. The first part I ever saw of Ben was his Recruit at the Berrics where he shows his skills at 0:32 with a beautiful frontside 180 fakie manny fakie tre out with a monster flick. Also he demonstrates his unique backside flip (almost like a kickflip with a really late back 180) out of a 50-50 and into a switch manual nonetheless at 0:52. It takes a serious amount of control to be able to speedily 180 fakie manny with a 180 out up a ramp like at 1:00 as well as fakie ollie up a euro to fakie manny then pop down some stairs like at 1:09.  On top of all that he does a nose manual body varial to fakie manual at 0:17 that I really don't think I've seen from anyone else.  Though this is just his skatepark footage from the Berrics, I feel like his style and trick selection from here are ever-present through his following video parts.
In Ta-Ha, he also shows his control over his fakie manuals at 0:23 when he drops down mid fakie manual a considerable distance and then still fakie 360 flips out of the trick.  Also, at 0:29, he starts a simple manual, reverts frontside to fakie manual, and then somehow spins back the other way with a half cab flip out, not flinching or flailing his arms one bit with any of the rewinding motions.  Talk about control.
In his Transworld Transmission part (above), Ben continues with that rewindable control at 1:36 where he is doing a switch nose manual, fakie big spins to manual and then frontside 180s out. Along with that, he upgrades a trick you see at 0:34 in Ta-Ha with a newer one at 2:46 where along the popular small circular manny pads he ollies to manual, backside reverts, and then frontside half cabs out with good pop to demonstrate his progression in his control of his balance.  At 2:19, Ben comes up with a crafty NBD by fakie frontside boardsliding and then doing a switch shove it out to fakie manual. Plus his last two tricks from 3:03 are extremely precisely done.
Most recently, in his Stereophonic Sound part, Ben shows at 1:32 strings together a front 180 fakie manual with a nose manual by a well-popped frontside half cab, showing how "simple" tricks can be so refreshing and fun to watch.  He makes good use of the bank at 2:24 as well with a switch nose manual half cab flip to nose manual.  And the ender at 2:46 is just a beautiful display of quick-footed precision skating.
What's great about Ben is that every manual trick you see from him either has some very stylish flip trick thrown into it, some difficult reverting or spinning, some innovative combination of tricks, or just a very controlled pop in/out to it.  His manual skills are definitely special and he is always intriguing to watch skate and balance.