Sláinte
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 Brazilian 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 it's 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 til infinity' 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!