Skate videos are magical. I don’t watch television, I get antsy sitting through movies, I hardly even have the attention span to watch an instagram video, but when it comes to a full length skate video I am watching with every bit of focus zeroed in on the screen. Combine that with seeing my friends skating local spots and I am overcome with joy. Afterbirth hit me in the same spot as videos very near and dear to my heart like the Settlement videos or Double Guns.
The promos for the video were enough to get reviewing in the zine a few issues back. I had known they were making this video for a long time and was so happy to see it finally happen. I’ve been watching smaller projects by these dudes for years. The roots of hype for this video were planted a long time ago. When I moved to San Marcos my apartment was the same as Ozzy’s and I got to see him grow from a little quiet kid into a powerhouse of a skateboarder. At Mark Park I got to see these kids early on and it makes me so happy to see them out here doing it.
Even better is getting to see them doing it at San Marcos spots. They have a few clips in San Francisco and a few in downtown SD but for the most part the video is hyper-local to me. I have either skated or eyed these spots for years. The guy’s dedication to putting San Marcos spots on the map is incredible.
Ozzy opens the video and steps to some of the most amazing ollies I’ve seen. The grate over fence at San Marcos elementary is incredible and every time I go past it I tell whoever imp with, “Ozzy ollied over that fence.” He has the most important things dialed down, speed and power. His ollies are high and tucked. He is my favorite for the Strobeck style face zoom too because he has this intense look where you can tell he is about to destroy whatever he is skating. He is my favorite skater out of San Marcos without a doubt.
Then we get Ant, who is the perfect counter to Ozzy’s intensity. Ant is the smoothest skater of the bunch. He makes everything look easy in that “I wish my tricks looked like that” kind of way. He has a lot of tricks down at Balboa Park and whenever I am there I think of him because his picturesque skating fits perfectly into such a beautiful backdrop. His fakie 360 flip manual on the fountain couldn’t have been done better. He has some tricks like caspers on qp’s and blunt-powerslide’s down banks that somehow avoid coming off as circus tricks.
Noah’s part rocked me as soon as The Cure song came on. He really lays on the style thick with clothing and music selection. Blue jeans, vintage shirts, and high top Chuck Taylor’s have a classic look to them that I’ve always wanted to be able to pull off. He has a great eye for spots and clearly has an understanding of how it can add to the clip. The fs slappy on the wall behind the liquor store had me out of my seat. It’s one of those you drive past and just know there is an amazing trick to be done there and fs slappy is insane. Noah was the first person I met who figured out the No-Comply and it brings me joy to see that he now has a fantastic kickflip. The one that got him in the QS top 10 was amazing and the one during the hill bomb line was just as good. The bonk nollie flip at Fry’s is special too. I could go on and on about great moments in this part.
Closing the video out is Smilers, who I couldn’t be more proud of and stoked for. Nobody works as hard as him and enjoys every second of it. He is overflowing with love for skateboarding and hype. I’ve seen dozens of hall of meat worthy slams from him and he always gets back and gets the trick. (the caveman nosegrind on Rincon makes my body hurt.) He has found his lane with a unique trick selection and its constantly surprising me with new tricks he has learned. I got super excited to see him flip his board down some stairs! Not only does he have normal tricks but he has super-human control over fakie manuals and will step to some of the scariest things vie ever seen. His ender robbed him multiple times but he still committed to taking it into the bank each time. Unlike the typical California skater he seems to search for crust and isn’t afraid to slide chest first across it. He is 100% dedicated to skateboarding and it shows. That dedication is going to take him far.
The whole video is put together well. I didn’t really understand the 3 act sequence thing but I enjoyed each section. The filming has some long lens zoom but it isn’t exclusive as there is also fisheye when it looks right too. The music is really good with the bleeps-and-bloops of the first part keeping the focus on skating and making it feel very “new.” I liked how other skaters showed up in each other’s parts when the spot was the same or there was some connection. Big shout out to Collin and the whole gang for making a new San Marcos Classic.
eatthebologna 