The Kids Are Alright
For generations, old heads have asked the same question: Do kids even know anything about skating anymore?
I guess I’m an old head now because I find myself asking that question when I see the new generation of kids flocking to Melbourne’s city park, filming clips to achieve Tik Tok stardom, showing off their new outfits, getting in the way, eating Zooper Doopers, and littering. So, I figured the only way to answer this age-old question would be by asking some of them questions about skateboarding and skate videos to get inside their little adolescent brains. Thanks to them all for being good sports and answering my questions.
Fano & Xavier
How old are you and when did you start skating?
Fano: 15.
Xavier: 15.
And when did you start skating?
Fano: When I was like 3 or 4.
Xavier: About six months ago.
What pants do you wear?
Fano: DCshoecousa.
Xavier: Fast Times.
What’s your favourite trick?
Fano: Hardflips and front feebles.
Xavier: Hardflip, yeah.
Who’s your favourite skater?
Fano: Patrick Praman or Heitor Da Silva.
Xavier: Kader Sylla
What’s your favourite company?
Fano: DCshoecousa
Xavier: Evolve skate shop
What’s your favourite skate video?
Fano: Secky Presh. Just because its fresh.
Xavier: Internet Birthday.
What’s your favourite video part?
Fano: Heitor Da Silva’s Vice Versa Love part.
Xavier: Kader in Baker 4.
How many followers do you guys have on Tik Tok?
Fano: 13k.
Xavier: 429 followers.
How many views is the most views you’ve got?
Fano: 1.8 million views and almost 500k likes for boardsliding a 14-stair rail.
Xavier: 930.
Do you know who did the first kickflip?
Fano: I don’t know.
Xavier: Rodney Mullen
Who did the first 900?
Fano: Keefer Wilson.
Xavier: Tony Hawk.
Do you guys want to watch a skate video?
Fano: Yeah, alright.
Xavier: Yeah.
Fano and Xavier’s Review of Bobby Puleo’s (remix) part in Static II [2004].
Fano: I think he likes going into banks.
Fano: Skatepark clip what the hell.
Fano: Why does he have the same fit in every clip?
Xavier: That’s probably his favourite outfit.
What did you guys think of the part?
Fano: It was pretty dope. Nothing huge or anything, but it’s fucking sick. I liked his… I wouldn’t say skate style, but his trick selection and the obstacles he likes to skate it’s kinda different.
Xavier: How he skates and how he gets into stuff is cool.
What do you think of his outfits?
Fano: It’s fucking bland. The white shirts and brown pants in every single clip. Without failure.
Xavier: There is hardly any colour. Too repetitive.
What did you think of the song?
Fano: It was just kinda boring.
Xavier: It’s not really my kind of music.
What song would you have put to it?
Fano: ‘Godspeed by Frank Ocean.
Xavier: I don’t know I have to think about that one.
Who do you think would like watching this part?
Fano: 45-year-olds.
Xavier: Old school skaters.
Benny & Tahi
How old are you and when did you start skating?
Benny: 15.
Tahi: 16.
When did you start skating?
Benny: Like maybe a year ago or less.
Tahi: Two or three years ago
What pants do you wear?
Benny: I wear jorts. I just love the long Butters, bro, and long Dickies.
Tahi: Just baggy pants. JNCOs are my favourite.
What’s your favourite trick?
Benny: I just like airs. Flyouts are sick.
Tahi: Probably like a 50 on a rail.
Who’s your favourite skater?
Benny: Tyshawn Jones
Tahi: Kieran Woolley
What’s your favourite company?
Benny: Polar
Tahi: I’m trying to think. I don’t know. Real.
What’s your favourite skate video?
Benny: Probably, like, Nick’s videos. I don’t know how to pronounce his last name. Nick Boserio. I love him so much.
Just his Instagram videos?
Benny: Nah, his YouTube stuff. Like when he drops in on that massive rail. I think it’s in America or something like that.
Oh, so his part in the Polar video is your favourite part. Do you have a favourite skate video?
Benny: Whew, that’s a big question.
How about you, Tahi?
Tahi: This one by William Strobeck, Stallion.
Do you have a favourite video part?
Tahi: Riley Pavey in Welcome to Melbourne, the Nike SB video.
How many followers do you guys have on Tik Tok?
Benny: Dude, I used to make cringy edits, so I have 1,500.
Tahi: 980
How many views is the most views you’ve got?
Benny: I got close to a mil on some cringy Fast & Furious shit I edited when I was six.
Tahi: Like 15k. It wasn’t skating though.
Do you know who did the first kickflip?
Benny: It was that dude who…
Tahi: Rodney Mullen.
Benny: Yeah him, I was just trying to figure out his name.
Who did the first 900?
Benny: Tony.
Tahi: Yeah, Tony.
Do you guys want to watch a skate video?
Benny: Yes, bro!
Tahi: Yeah.
Benny & Tahi’s review of Daewon Song’s part in Rodney Mullen Vs Daewon Song Round 2 [1999]
Benny: Woah, this is crazy.
Tahi: Is that Daewon Song? I thought he was like a weird skater.
What did you guys think of the video?
Benny: That was very fresh.
Tahi: I liked it. The start was sick.
What did you think of his outfits?
Benny: They were fresh. They’re kinda like 90s style.
Tahi: Yeah. I liked it.
What did you think of the song?
Benny: I liked it. I thought it was Full Clip.
Tahi: Yeah, it was a good song.
If you could choose the song, what would you choose?
Benny: I’d probably put like ‘A Lesson to be Learned’ by RBL Posse. Bro, actually, I’d probably put ‘A Love That’s True’ by Slick Rick.
Tahi: ‘Rat Salad’ by Black Sabbath.
What did you think of the picnic tables?
Benny: Bro! There were so many of them. They, like, spawned. It was like True Skate.
Tahi: They were sick.
Noa & Luka
How old are you?
Noa: I am 16.
Luka: I am 15.
When did you start skating?
Noa: I started skating a year and three months ago.
Luka: I started skating 11 months ago.
What pants do you wear?
Noa: Butter Jeans.
Luka: Ah yep, Butter Jeans.
What’s your favourite trick?
Noa: Nightmare flip.
Luka: Tre flip.
Who’s your favourite skater?
Noa: Versace Plug
Luka: Nyjah Huston
What’s your favourite company?
Noa: Evolve Skate Shop.
Luka: I don’t know, probably something sick.
What’s your favourite skate video?
Noa: Rat Ratz 7
Luka: I don’t know, I don’t watch skate videos often.
Do you have a favourite video part?
Noa: Rat Ratz 7.
No, like a single person’s part.
Noa: Oh, I don’t know, I just watch them.
Do you guys watch skating on Tik Tok or something?
Noa: Yes, I post on Tik Tok.
Luka: Only if it’s people I know.
Sick. How many followers do you have?
Noa: I have 1.5k at the moment.
Luka: Like 3 thousand.
What is the most views you’ve got on a Tik Tok?
Noa: 24 thousand. You should ask this man that question.
Luka: Like a million. It was a video of me and a secky. Actually, 901k.
Who did the first kickflip?
Noa: Aaron Kyro from Braille Skateboarding.
Luka: Yeah, it’s him 100%.
Who did the first 900?
Noa: Tony Hawk
Luka: Tony Hawk
Do you guys want to watch a skate video?
Noa: Yeah, sure.
Luka: Yeah.
Noa and Luka’s Review of Anthony Pappalardo’s part in Habitat Mosaic [2003]
Luka: He’s mongo pushing… Woah, he nearly died.
Luka: Was that switch? That has to be switch.
Yeah, that was switch.
Luka: Why is everything switch? How does he do that?
Noa: How do you get such high ollies switch?
What did you guys think of the video?
Noa: It was crazy. It’s got me acting up a little.
Luka: It was not bad. I liked it.
What did you think of the song?
Noa: I think it’s pretty sick. I think it needs some reggae though.
Luka: Typical Thrasher Magazine song.
If you could choose the song, what would it be?
Noa: Probably some reggae. ‘Road to Zion’ by Damian Marley.
Luka: I’d probably use some song by Onefour.
What did you think of his outfits?
Noa: I reckon they could go a bit baggier.
Luka: Are you serious? I think the fits are clean. They’re, like, old school as hell.