2014 Videos #1: Plan B Video

Not much needs to be said about the long-awaited, now cliche release of the Plan B Video. We know it's going to be good, no question there. The crew is super well-knit and the perfect size for a full length video with full parts from everyone. The question is when, or if really, the video will come out. Now after some good teaser trailers this past year, we can hopefully assume that the video will be released. The time has been long enough that a date later this year would make the most sense. And plus, how long can Plan B sit on the footage of Sheckler's backside flip down El Toro? Something's gotta give and I feel like 2014 is the year.

While I'd think the obvious contenders for last part would be Danny Way (Superfuture section above) and Ryan Sheckler, with most likely mind-blowing tricks, that doesn't mean every single other guy on the team won't have a phenomenal part. There's been so much time since Superfuture that even with some injuries and downtime, all of the guys HAVE to have some heavy footage stacked up for Plan B. And the sweetest thing is that Plan B is considered one of the best teams in skateboarding for a reason. We just need a reminder this year with the video!

Flow Bros to Blow Up #2: Chris Joslin

Chris Joslin is undeniably good at skateboarding. You knew he had a sweet assortment of fliptricks down stairs already with his Bang Yo Self entry from a couple years back. And then early this year he had a very memorable section in the Bones team montage for New Ground that made its way around the web. Big spinning the well-known triple-5-set and backside 360 kickflipping down Rincon will definitely go down in the spot bibles for skating, but also should put Chris on everyone's radar with his ability to shut down famous spots with heavy tricks. Then this summer you saw Chris unleash his huge bag of tricks at the Berrics through the Distreeto/Ground Control shared United Nations and his own personal Recruit. A serious dosage of seemingly endless fliptricks provides some solid entertainment for the eyes and makes you wonder how good he probably is at flatground.
And then there is his footage-filled Ground Control part (above). Though the repetitive editing techniques can get somewhat annoying when it comes to the full experience of watching the part, Chris's skill and variety definitely stand out. The spot diversity from this part also helps enhance Chris's status as not solely a gap skater, but there are of course plenty of awesome gap fliptricks that really steal the show. Utilizing all stances (except fakie I guess, but that's nitpicking a bit), a healthy mix of heelflips, shove its, kickflips, and spinning tricks, and never ceasing to land cleanly, the many great clips are on par with the ams and pros of today.
After coming through with all this great footage the past year and a half or so, it only makes sense that Chris has been seen with the Plan B squad, who's known for breeding skate rats like this with bangin footage. These clips give me the feeling that he is another footage machine and can easily churn out some more heavy bangers for 2014. And my prediction is that with the release of the now-mythical, long-awaited Plan B video, Chris will start off the video with an unlisted "surprise" introductory part, similar to Jeremy Leabres in Emerica's Made. I hope I'm right because I think it would be the perfect time for Chris to step up from flow to the official team at Plan B.

Video of the Week: Mark Frolich in "Till Ur Legs Fall Off"

Mark Frolich in Till Ur Legs Fall Off

Just because Mark Frolich isn't in the US skateboarding spotlight does not mean that he has not been absolutely shredding this year. After already releasing a gnarly part in January, Frolich comes through with this solo part entitled "Till Ur Legs Fall Off". Mark skates super fast at some pretty hairy European spots but manages to maintain a really sick style. Add in the fact that his trick selection and flick are large and super awesome respectively and you have an astounding part. The fact that this part (and his earlier one this year) is 6 minutes of no artsy fillers and just pure street shredding also amazes me. Props to Mark for a large amount of destruction with his crazy part here.

Some other noteworthy videos from this week:
-The very talented and all around awesome Huf team in their Stoops Euro tour, part 1 and part 2
-A video part via The Skateboard Mag for David Bo where he always looks like he's going to lose control and slam but manages to pull out some crazy tricks with the sketchiest rollaways
-Ty Beall's part in "Old Dominion" that has some really unique spots
-The fluid skills of Cliche flow Mike Long are demonstrated in this small part via Transworld
-A well-articulated interview with Jerry Hsu over at Jenkem about leaving enjoi and going to Chocolate, and about the skateboarding industry in general (technically not a video but definitely worth reading)

And finally, congrats to Felipe Gustavo for finally turning pro! It's been a long time coming but it's finally official with this sick part of quality technical perfection that we love from Felipe. Maybe an indication of the Plan B video right around the corner...?

Manny Maniacs #5: Rodney Mullen

Rodney Mullen is an enigma wrapped in legendary status with skills that are incomprehensible. Including him with the manual masters is a must when you can combine casper slides (2:43 above) and primo slides (4:38 and 4:43) into your manual combos, not to mention darkslides (2:10) and even handstand finger flips into manuals as well (0:28). Before I was even born, Rodney came out with manual tricks in his timeless part in Virtual Reality that you still see guys doing today (starting around 2:24). I still don't even know if I've someone even front heel fakie manny even today, which goes to show you that Rodney's on an entire different level. Any round with Daewon is mindbendingly insane, but I think his part in Almost's Round 3 (shown above), being one of the first bits of skateboarding I'd ever witnessed, acts as the skateboarding Bible for me today.  Some tricks from this part are untouchable to this day. For manuals specifically, besides the ridiculousness mentioned above, his stationary one wheel manual spinning at 0:33 demonstrates Rodney's freestyle background and explains why he's able to do so much on a skateboard, and right before demolishing the banked manual spot with tricks on tricks on tricks he comes out with an impossible nose manual nose impossible out at 3:46 that to me is still one of the best "straightforward" manual tricks done to this day.
Since then, I have felt an everlasting craving of more Rodney footage (Almost, please tell me you weren't kidding when you said on 5-Incher that he has a part in the works) and was partially satisfied by a few clips in Globe's United By Fate.  After hearing from interviews that Rodney went through some tough physical issues and through his own willpower is legitimately attempting to get rid of any stance that he has, I was intrigued to say the least.  His tricks in the short segment from United By Fate exemplify his goal in that he does a nose manual nollie 360 shove to manual in both "stances"...and makes it look just like a mirrored image! Most skaters show some signs of their stance in their shoulder and foot positioning but Rodney genuinely does not with these two tricks, making me think that once again he is breaking boundaries in skateboarding that no one else would think of breaking.  And just for good measure, he throws in a *switch* kickflip one footed nose manual as well.

Ams that Should be Pro #1: Felipe Gustavo

Right now, Felipe Gustavo is basically Schrödinger's professional skateboarder.  He is considered both am and pro at the same time.  After competing in a pro contest at SPOT, he's now listed as pro on their website, yet Plan B has not released any pro model decks for Felipe, which is the real turning point for professionalism.  Either way, just to alleviate everyone from the headaches they've been given for trying to label Felipe as a pro or am, Plan B most definitely needs to come out with a pro deck for him.  It's not worth even writing any supporting reasons for why he should be pro; everyone that is involved with skateboarding understands that he deserves it 100%.
So, to recap Felipe's progression in the skate world, here are most of his major video parts that he's put out over the years.  Knowing that he's Brazilian should be enough to mentally prepare for the technical wizardry that is about to follow:
Digital F.Y.I.: I absolutely love the full motion of the kickflip back noseblunt fakie to end a line at 2:27 and the hardflip front nose big spin out at 2:05 is still such a shocking trick today.
FKD Park Project: I always appreciate a good switch flip back tail (0:34) and to follow it up with a nollie frontside flip down the stairs was an enjoyable pairing of tricks.  Same goes for the pairing of the nollie frontside flip 360 over the hip with its backside counterpart at 1:07.
LRG United: I'm including this clip exclusively for the trick at 4:54. Never before had I seen a nollie 360 flip backside tailslide, and I still don't remember seeing many if any at all after this either.  Just leave it to Felipe to come up with a trick like this.
Plan B vAmdalism (above): Scott Decenzo has also been one of my favorites for a while, with this part cementing the fact that both he and Felipe are among the technical greats in skateboarding.  I feel like Scott should also deserve to be pro very soon, but needs a bit more consistent industry coverage first like Felipe has gotten (or it could be some Canadian curse...but more of that some other time). One of my favorite lines is at 3:40, where Felipe demonstrates his one of a kind, fast flicking, unnaturally elevating 360 flips into a nosegrind (revert out of course) followed by a proper frontside half cab flip and closed by a kickflip back noseblunt on the tabletop of a bench. The big spin out of the nollie front nose at 3:58 (ending a line nonetheless) totally shocked me as to how fast he's dropping off the handrail and still manage to big spin out. The fact that Felipe actually sits on the grind of a nollie flip crooks nollie frontside flip out at 4:48 shows me how professional he is already, and every clip after that has some very technically difficult trick that Felipe just throws down like a seasoned vet.
Switching it up for Plan B: I'm including this clip because there's another solid minute plus of quality tech clips, proving just how good he is at switch tricks.
DC's Rediscover Home (Part 3): One of the reasons that there are a ton of skaters out there that just can't seem to find their way into the industry, despite incredible talent, is the fact that their backgrounds or personalities are not unique enough to fund.  This three part series that DC did about how Felipe managed to work his way out of Brazil and fulfill his dream to skate with one shot at SPOT really shows a wonder story for one kid to make his way into skateboarding for everyone's benefit.  This is the kind of background that should get someone coverage and on the path to turning pro.  Not to mention Felipe displays his ninja precision on a skateboard once again at 6:30.