Most Memorable Video Parts of 2009
As much as modern skate videos provide all the pleasantries of acute throat cancer, I still occasionally stumble across a few that remind me all hope is not lost. 2009 saw a slew of skate videos hitting skateshop shelves and company websites and it’s amazing that with even with the over a hundred skate videos coming out, we’re still able to find inspiration somewhere in the pile.
Here are a few of the gems that got me the most sparked this year. I’m not claiming this to be a definitive list of anything more than the video parts that I was lucky enough to see and be inspired by in 2009.
#11 BOBBY WORREST-RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
I wasn’t able to narrow it down to 10, so I had to throw in an extra part. Bobby Worrest stood in as the token east coast guy in Transworld’s latest video offering, but ended up coming correct with some really impressive footage and lots of local DC area spots. I was stoked to see Matt Beach finally get some screen time and I back Joey Brez, but I’m not feeling the MTV, overproduced direction videos have been taking over the past couple years. So much contrived pole jams and lifestyle shots and not enough raw street skating. I give the TWS guys credit for producing some super clean videos with great filming for years and years, but lately with these big company videos it’s felt like we’re watching the intro to The Real World instead of a skate video.
#10 FORREST KIRBY-STATE OF MIND
The Zoo York video was in production for 47 years and featured people launching out of canons and Brandon Westgate actually grinding UP the Empire State building. But, on the night of the premiere, it seemed to be the general consensus that it was Forrest Kirby’s part that had the best overall feeling to it. More than just a series of single tricks, this part had the flow of a skater who knows how to put together a video part together.
#9 ALEX DAVIS-HABITAT WELCOME VIDEO
If I spent over a year filming around the world only to have it end up as an internet “welcome to the team” video, I would emit a sonic boom of anger so loud that even Joe Castrucci and the Habitat Ewoks on the forest moon of Endor would be able to hear it. But, with that being said, I was really stoked to finally see Alex Davis get his time to shine since he’s deserved it for a long time. But I wanted to see this part in an actual full-length dvd. Oh well.
#8 ANTHONY PAPPALARDO- Mind Field re-edit
Impossibles are the new pressure flips. And nostalgia is the new black. Quartersnacks may have produced the video of the year without having to film a single g’damned trick. Brilliant. I was more than jealous when I first saw this re-edit, pissed that I hadn’t thought of this first. But when the Pappalardo part appeared on the screen I realized that my feeble mind never would’ve dreamt up something so ingenius. My prediction for 2010….companies will attempt to pay Quartersnacks to do a re-edit of their videos. No publicity is bad publicity. Unless you just straight up remove team members from the video. Ouch.
#7 ELI REED-STATE OF MIND
Ok….yeah, so there’s the BTO song. But cue up Eli’s part, kill the audio and play Wu-Tang’s “Da Mystery of Cheeseboxin” and you’re set. Pretty insane breakout part for an am. I wish he would’ve had a cameo trick by Gangemi in his part though.
#6 DENNIS BUSENITZ-DIAGONAL
If Dennis Busenitz puts any amount of energy into a video part, the result is going to be epic. Diagonal didn’t disappoint. I feel like he spent a total of possibly 5 days filming this part. But it’s better than most skaters’ 2 year epics.
#5 BOB BURNQUIST-EXTREMELY SORRY
Ok, this is a tough one or me. To applaud a skate video with cartoons and claymation may seem a strange decision. I agree that hiring Jim Henson and some Teletubbies to make your company more sellable to little kids seems an insult to the efforts and talents of such legends as Rowley, Penny, Mountain and Appleyard. But to ignore Burnquist’s video part would be blatantly thumbing my nose in the face of the gods of gnarl. Circus rails aside, just the mere height of the tricks he did on that massive vert wall were enough to make one shit a golden egg. You can’t watch this part w/out at least expressing 7-10 “holy shit”s and 14 “What the fuck”s. Amazing. This part kept me in sheer awe until it turned into a Dukes of Hazard episode with Bob launching into the Grand Canyon like Wile E. Coyote. It was at this point that I set my TV on fire with mental death-rays and left the room.
(Lance Mountain’s pool part really should also be mentioned as well as one of the raddest things that came out this year)
#4 GRANT TAYLOR-DEBACLE/MIND FIELD
Grant Taylor became a new favorite in ‘09. Dude’s style shits on 95% of skateboarding. I wish companies would learn to team up and let their riders just have one really dope part instead of splitting them between two projects in the same year. If Grant could’ve combined his Debacle part with his Mind Field footage it could’ve thrown planets out of alignment and turned Coke into Pepsi.
#3 ANTHONY VAN ENGELEN-MIND FIELD
Speed, power and creativity easily puts this video part in the top of 2009. I just watched this part for the first time in a while and am shocked by how good it is. It likely deserves the 1st place spot now that I think about it. But the overall feel of the combined song, skating and editing still doesn’t grab me like my choices for #’s 1 and 2.
#2 HEATH KIRCHART-MIND FIELD
If rumors are true, Heath Kirchart arrives at skate spots by repelling from helicopters and spies on other skaters’ late night filming sessions like a rogue government assassin. But these eccentricities only add to the mystique of his video parts. I don’t know how the dude does it, but he delivers every time with shockingly good footage and a perfectly chosen song that makes you want to have a good cry and reflect on why your mother never held you enough as a child. Hats off to Heath for proving you don’t have to fly to Kazakhstan and rape the streets of New York to produce a compelling and powerful video part.
#1 JAKE JOHNSON-MIND FIELD
The only complaint I’ve heard about this video part is about the out-of-the-box Animal Collective song. But, as far as I’m concerned, the song was the perfect compliment to Jake’s mix of power and finesse. Rumors of tricks Jake had done for this part were whispered around the streets of New York like unbelievable urban legends. But the part even surpassed those rumors and expectations once it hit the screen. You could make several different arguments for your choice of the best video part of 2009, but I bet that 5 years down the road this will last in our collective memories as the most iconic video part of 2009.
Real solid list. Enjoyed every part up there but I think Soy Panday in horizons deserves a shout. And hell, even that Leo Romero part with the Janis Joplin song made me want to skate. He’s up there with Heath in the “making big rails look good” category.
Comment by coopsta # January 3, 2010 at 1:11 am
The Pappalardo part was definitely a favorite, even if it was taken from videos not released in 2009. That was an amazing idea.
I don’t think anyone could argue that Jake Johnson didn’t have the most stand out part of 2009. ..and as far as a song goes.. to have a song by one of the currently most popular band in world’s songs called “Jake Johnson’s song” says something I think.
Comment by Psyched Floridian # January 3, 2010 at 1:46 am
Where can i find this pappalardo re edit?
Comment by geldof # January 3, 2010 at 6:30 am
i’d actually forgotten about FORE’s part…great addition to the list. i think you’ve missed a couple better parts by focusing on AWMF a little too much. here are a couple suggestions:
- pat burke, radio television.
- tom asta, strange world.
- dave casado, tribute takes portland.
- mikey chin, tribute takes portland.
- leo romero, RVCA promo
- dan plunkett, elwood promo
it’s funny how hard people have to try and justify their liking of bob’s part in the flip video…that skateboarding was absolutely mind blowing without being mind numbing like a luan or p-rod part.
also…look at how hard it is to pick out enough “video parts” to like anymore. you have to combine footage from internet clips and free promos and shit just to find something you like. what a sad state of affairs we have here.
Comment by poor you, poor me. # January 3, 2010 at 7:43 am
A rebuttal, of sorts.
1. I actually had Soy Panday’s video part in this list originally. But after some quick research I found that it could not be allowed in the running, considering that “Horizons” actually came out in late 2008. (insert sad face here)
2. I was careful to mention in the beginning that this list was focused on videos I actually SAW this year. So I’ll make sure to watch Leo’s video part today and see if my list needs revising.
3. Mind Field definitely got too much priority in this list. But, the catch is that you have a company with massive heaps of talent along with the amazing Alien Workshop art direction concept, originally developed by Mike Hill with their first video “Memory Screen” and Greg Hunts skilled cinematography/editing. So, it was a pretty unbeatable combination of pooled efforts and I don’t think video parts should be counted out just because they were in the same video as other ripping parts.
But…..very good points my friends.
Comment by BridgeBurner # January 3, 2010 at 8:21 am
Yeah, I’m pretty sure Horizons came out in late 2008. Can anybody confirm or deny this with some proof? I’m interested to figure this out.
Comment by Theorizer # January 3, 2010 at 8:28 am
If we had been able to include videos from 2008 I would’ve included Gou Miyagi’s part from Overground Broadcasting, at least as an honorable mention, for being one of those out-of-left-field parts that blew people away from around the world.
Comment by BridgeBurner # January 3, 2010 at 8:29 am
Has anyone got a link for that pappalardo re-edit?
Comment by Luke # January 3, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Horizons premiered in London on the 22nd of november 08
Comment by boobies # January 3, 2010 at 1:55 pm
also:
ben skryzpek in that new black label video. that one was probably the most surprising part of the year for me.
Comment by poor you, poor me. # January 3, 2010 at 2:26 pm
http://smotri.com/video/view/?id=v89554648bd
Comment by Bryan # January 3, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Here’s a direct Youtube link to Pops’ Quartersnacks re-edit.
Pretty rad song choice as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU9uLDVCT6Q
Comment by Theorizer # January 3, 2010 at 5:08 pm
“There’s something about aliens too, the way that they come from other planets and just drop in a little bit at our planet. Ya know, they just get in and out. They don’t talk to much they just come in explore and see things and get outta there, I just find that amazing”
Comment by PennyPacker # January 3, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Damn, I just watched all these video parts in the top 11 and can’t believe how gnarly skateboarding has gotten. Sweet Jesus. Just watched Brezinski’s part in Right Foot Forward as well and can’t believe some of the shit he did. I wish that only about 20 videos would come out per year so we could actually take time to appreciate each person’s part and get some time to watch them a few times before we were beaten over the head with the next 1,000 videos that’ve come out.
Comment by Theorizer # January 3, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Agreed, videos come out far to often and fast. before the popularity of the internet, videos would come out on vhs and you had to go to your shop and grab it, as cool as it is to see so much. less is more for sure.
Comment by marcus # January 3, 2010 at 8:37 pm
I definitely agree with Jake Johnson, that Dude is talented, I remember see him skate around NY before he blew up and He would kickflip front tail a ledges first try and switch flip back tail ledges first try like nothing. What do you guys think about Morgan Smith’s part in the Blind video?,did you see how long that switch back tail was he did?
Comment by cberrios # January 4, 2010 at 7:17 am
Thanks for the Pappalardo link. Just to comment on that Blind video. I think it is possibly one of the most boring and uninspiring videos in the last 20 years. Should have been called ‘The Bland video’. Doesn’t matter how many tricks you can do on a skateboard, if you have no personality or direction, then a video is just a mindless marketing tool.
Comment by Luke # January 4, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Hey Luke that Blind Video was horrible but I believe you have to give credit where it’s due and Morgan Smith killed it, every other part gets skipped.
Comment by cberrios # January 4, 2010 at 5:38 pm
morgan isnt to original or different from anyone else.
and nice list. all those parts were defiantly top notch
Comment by ......... # January 4, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Does anybody have a link to FORE’s part? I cannot find it anywhere.
Comment by rich # January 4, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Brandon Westgate.
Comment by Seabreeze # January 5, 2010 at 2:45 am
I know…..should be in there too
Comment by Theorizer # January 5, 2010 at 7:45 am
westgate should be in there instead of eli reed. talk about a song ruining a part.
Comment by poor you, poor me. # January 5, 2010 at 1:02 pm
CHEWY CANNON —DIAGONAL ADIDAS , JUST RAW
Comment by WHATITBE # January 8, 2010 at 10:52 am
[...] thanks to the homie at Boil the Ocean and Josh Stewart for their inclusion of the Mind Field re-edit on their respective year-end [...]
Pingback by Quartersnacks.com: Home of the New York Noseslides # January 10, 2010 at 11:45 pm
As far as the Al Butterz part goes, they wanted to get it out as quickly as possible because of the shoes he’s wearing. Most of that is old footage also, can’t wait to see a fresh new Habby vid!
And I agree with the guy that said Pat Burke, that part had so much personality!
Good shit.
Comment by Joey P # January 11, 2010 at 1:47 pm