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The Skate Update: Best of 2023 Pt. 1
The Skate Update: Best of 2023 Pt. 1
Dec 2023 by Route One

Best of 2023: The 440 By Tom Knox

 

Whilst it appears (at the time of writing) that Yuto's new part means he's a shoe in for SOTY, I'm sure we can all agree that Tom Knox was our people's champion, not least because he got two separate shoes in this year!

Kicking off his amazing 2023 with the release of the New Balance 440 (the NB 600 following a mere eight month later), Jacob Harris helped Tom celebrate his ascension to the pro shoe ranks with a part that inspired a whole new level of pretentious verbosity from our in-house copywriter:

"If music be the food of love, play on" wrote Shakespeare in Twelfth Night. We're reckon we can refresh that for the modern era, so entertain our hubris paraphrasing the Bard if you will:

"If style be the essence of skateboarding, push on (Tom Knox)."

Nailed it!

Essentially a mini Atlantic Drift fashioned into an advert for New Balance shoes, filmed as it is by Jacob Harris, Tom Knox reminds us of everything we ever wanted skateboarding to be as he escapes the grimness of British wintertime to roost in the Sicilian sun. Impossibly long lines, cheeky two pieces, fast footwork and foreign climes, all on the dime of his footwear sponsor; is there a better dream for a skateboarder from this oft' parochial isle? We think not.

Push on (Tom Knox), push on.

 

Best of 2023: Worble World

As April rolled round and spring was in full effect, Thrasher hosted the latest Worble release and all those winter cobwebs were swiftly brushed aside in a flurry of fun times and Chris 'Cookie' Colbourn. It was almost as if you could hear a million and one neglected set ups being pulled out of cupboards approximately 38 minutes after the video went live!

Is Worble the spiritual successor to Tiltmode (if you don't know what Tilmode is, stop what you're doing this instant and acquaint yourself on YouTube, ya hear!)? We're not sure if we'd stake our reputation on it but one thing is for certain, every new Worble release brings an even bigger smile than the last. You really can't fault a result like that!

Chris 'Cookie' Colbourn's crew's latest full length just appeared on the Thrasher's site and it's a televisual joy from start to finish. Whether it's Man Ramp invoking the spirit of the Village People, The Mull Brothers getting their Vermont Crazy on or Cookie being one of the most talented skaters on the planet, this really is what skateboarding is all about.

37 minutes of pure, unbridled skateboarding joy, courtesy of those good ol' Worble boys? What more could you want for your pre-session hype!?!

 

 

The Best of 2023: Oscar Candon 'Abseiling Down'

Cast your mind back beyond the appalling weather of late and you might just be able to remember May and the glorious sunshine we found ourselves bathing in. When the going is good, we go skating, so there are often some amazing video releases that get tragically overlooked and this stellar part from Oscar Candon is a perfect example of a victim of magnificent weather.

First bursting onto the international scene as Emerica footwear's French poster boy, before finding fame with the constantly touring but ultimately short lived Supra programme, Montpellier born ripper Oscar Candon achieved that most unlikely of feats; an internationally acclaimed skate career without full time residency in the United States.

Finding favour with Vans and the unparalleled Sour Skateboards, to the external viewer it no doubt appeared that Oscar was living the dream. But, as the Free interview to accompany this part explains, the pressure he put upon himself to reach an impossible bar of what was 'good enough' inevitably led to burn out and a point where he barely even touched a board for the best part of a year.

Ultimately settling on a home with Converse, alongside his love affair with all things Sour, we're thrilled to report Oscar has worked through his difficulties to come out the other side battling (and succeeding) some of the most impressive tricks of his career. Filmed and edited by Romain Batard, this is Oscar re-defining what being a sponsored skateboarder means to him in 2023 and it's every bit as intimate as it is impressive.

This is something you're going to enjoy!

 

 

The Best of 2023: Slainte

The middle of June was a high point in this year's releases. In one week alone we were treated to a Jante video ("I used to think Atlantic Drift was the best series, until I watched Jante" remarked one chap on Youtube), Dougie George blowing up for Butter Goods and Primitive dropping their Carlos 'Define' Off-cuts - all were fantastic and have been on constant repeat ever since.

But this year stood out for different reasons; this was the year that one particular internet freestyler stepped up from his role as a fringe NPC to being a full blown main character. 2023 was definitely Jamie Griffin's time to shine!

The rise of the social media freestyler is, without a doubt, one of the most contentious aspects in modern skateboarding. Seemingly existing in their own self supporting industry, these boys prioritise technicality over taste and become massive stars in their own bubble without ever really troubling the traditional industry, save for derisory comments from old men who hark back to Kareem checking his pager as if that was the highwater mark of skateboarding.

But scroll past the click bait titles and Brazillian shoe brand sponsorships and you'll no doubt come across Jamie Griffin. Jamie, the Irish lad who learned to skate on a bit of carpet in his garage, seemly transcended the cultural divide by storming to victory in last year's Battle of the Berrics, all the while maintaining the non-traditional sponsors who've had his back since day one.

His new part for Hop King, the brewery-cum-skatepark-cum-board brand hit the airwaves on Monday and its safe to say this whirlwind of merlin twists and hard flip late flips has sent shockwaves rippling, both through subscribers of the likes of NKA, Braille et al, and those aging fellows who still write '93 till infity' on their griptape.

What we're trying to say is this, if you reckon YouTube skaters aren't for you then maybe think twice and give this a go. Jamie is an unreal talent and this part is mind-boggling in its technicality - its defo worthy of five minutes of your time, we promise!

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The Skate Update: Best of 2023 Pt. 2

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