Minnesota Skate Video Premieres Are The Best
Hopefully you've watched this part 7-10 times by now. Pat Gallaher found a way to skate one of Brooklyn's most played out spots, slappy 50-50 180 out. Debri2, 2015.
The debut of a local skate video is always a special thing. It gives a city's skate community the chance to get together and celebrate the achievements of their fellow skaters
No matter where it happens, a skate video premier is likely going to be fun, but the events of last weekend reminded us that Minnesota skate video premieres really are the best. Half of our editorial staff made the trip to Minneapolis from NYC to check out the Debri2 and uknow premieres and are very happy to report that the state of skateboard video events in Minnesota is alive and well. .
The heightened level of appreciation for homegrown talent created by Minnesota's harsh climate and tight knit skate scene (which is itself likely a product of skating indoors 4+ months out of the year) has fostered a long standing legacy of skate video dynasties while providing space for up-and-comers. We were reminded this exceptionality last weekend while attending both premieres.
One such dynasty is headed up by Pete Spooner and Philip Schwartz, who premiered Debri2 on Friday. It's a big deal that Pete and Philip have been committed to making top-level skate videos this long. Videos like Debri2 and the energy that goes into making them help make the scene as remarkable as it is.
The release of Debri2 has an even greater meaning given Spooner's recent move to New York City. What might seem like a distancing from the Minneapolis scene is ultimately serves to make Minnesota videos better. Pete's presence in the NYC skate scene has helped promote the Minnesotan skate scene to those outside the frozen metropolis, along with providing East Coast footage for a Midwestern audience.
We won't ruin any surprises from this video, so go ahead and grab yourself a copy. The video turned out exceptionally well and will hopefully give inspiration to the further generations of Minnesota skaters to make a quality product.
Grady Moquin frontside bigspin into bank
For proof that the groundwork laid by Spooner & Schwartz is paying dividends in the inspiration department, one only needed to wait 24 hours for the premier of uknow.
This was another great premier, held at Familia HQ. The same vibe of camaraderie and anticipation was palpable, people were anxious to see it and proud of their friends work, and for good reason: the skating in it was excellent. uknow showcases the more spontaneous approach to skating that has been popular in recent years, but still contains quite a few 'bangers'. Complete with music that surely came from Soundcloud, glitch effects and lots of Chuck Taylors, uknow captures the state of skateboarding in 2015 by focusing on the type of creative skating that shouldn’t have taken this long to gain acceptance but somehow did.
The video features a cast of up-and-coming Twin Cities skaters including Corey Millet, Matt Zins, James Beckman and VP favorite Grady Moquin, who's part is available here. Head to Familia for DVD copies.
No matter how much the clothes might change, which tricks are "in" or what type of music the skating is set to, Minnesota is a badass place for local skate videos. We're glad to report that the tradition of Minnesota skate video premiers (and videos) is alive and well.