is alex olson the least technically skilled pro of the last 10 years?

[darkslideoftheforce]

John Fitzgerald

[nice_guy_2]

nuke slap kill everthing that isnt dead

[Fukd]

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I'd say its prolly Jaws or Gravette. Olson can do a lot of things if he skated slower or with less power, he just likes to skate fast and with power. Also, I think tech skating is still extremely popular, people love Shane and P-rod who are both really tech.  Also, while some people here didn't like it Pretty Sweet probably the most popular video in the last 5 years has 4 sections that are extremely tech.

[close]

Both Jaws and Gravette are super 'technically' skilled for what they do. Jaws can do crazy high tranny airs with fliptricks and 540's. And Gravette does some of the biggest handrails and can fucking backflip. If you're talking about technically as in 'tech' flip in flip out ledge skating, I'd have to go with Austin Stephens. Great style, but not very tech.

http://youtu.be/R0wiILj74K8?t=1m50s

John Fitzgerald

Not yet pro.

[deadhead]

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skateboarding, much like playing a musical instrument, should be judged purely by technical ability. thats why i only listen to Yngwie Malmsteen.

[close]

This remembers me of one Tim O'Connor interview, i think it was on Jenkem...

That one quote always cracked me up:
"Skating can?t be put in the same category as other sports. It?s more like music? you can be technically good but nobody gives a crap. Just because somebody can play the shit out of a guitar doesn?t mean they can write a song."

[close]

Dylan said a similar thing in some interview like you can be in a Zeppelin cover band  and shred, but you can't write them or do your own thing, who cares, same thing with skating

[close]

WTF r u guys talking about? If you can skate, it doesn't mean you can skate?

We're saying its not solely about ability. It's about creativity and originality. you can be a great guitarist but you just do covers, you can be alright at guitar but write some fucking great music because your creative and trying something new. Same principal, if nyjah went to el torro and front lipped it he's obviously good at skating, but who gives a fuck, heaths done it, he thought of it first. fuck I don't know

[DannyDee]

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skateboarding, much like playing a musical instrument, should be judged purely by technical ability. thats why i only listen to Yngwie Malmsteen.

[close]

This remembers me of one Tim O'Connor interview, i think it was on Jenkem...

That one quote always cracked me up:
"Skating can?t be put in the same category as other sports. It?s more like music? you can be technically good but nobody gives a crap. Just because somebody can play the shit out of a guitar doesn?t mean they can write a song."

[close]

Dylan said a similar thing in some interview like you can be in a Zeppelin cover band  and shred, but you can't write them or do your own thing, who cares, same thing with skating

[close]

WTF r u guys talking about? If you can skate, it doesn't mean you can skate?

[close]

We're saying its not solely about ability. It's about creativity and originality. you can be a great guitarist but you just do covers, you can be alright at guitar but write some fucking great music because your creative and trying something new. Same principal, if nyjah went to el torro and front lipped it he's obviously good at skating, but who gives a fuck, heaths done it, he thought of it first. fuck I don't know

While I somewhat agree great skaters have creativity, there is a whole bunch of one-upism in skateboarding. If you saw someone fs 50-50, you can gather attention by doing a fs 5-0 or bs 50-50. Just look at the progression that goes on at spots. I mean it takes alot more talent than creativity to go to clipper after koston bs 50-50'd and sheffy did a fs 50-50, to then expand to stuff like nollie fs nosegrind. Same applies to other legendary spots like Hubba Hideout, Macba 4, Carlsbad, Love Fountain etc. Also Gravette is a crazy rail skater, but i wouldn't call that technical at least in context of how the term is commonly used, people weren't calling Jamie Thomas a tech skater even when he was progressing it in the 90's.

[deadhead]

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skateboarding, much like playing a musical instrument, should be judged purely by technical ability. thats why i only listen to Yngwie Malmsteen.

[close]

This remembers me of one Tim O'Connor interview, i think it was on Jenkem...

That one quote always cracked me up:
"Skating can?t be put in the same category as other sports. It?s more like music? you can be technically good but nobody gives a crap. Just because somebody can play the shit out of a guitar doesn?t mean they can write a song."

[close]

Dylan said a similar thing in some interview like you can be in a Zeppelin cover band  and shred, but you can't write them or do your own thing, who cares, same thing with skating

[close]

WTF r u guys talking about? If you can skate, it doesn't mean you can skate?

[close]

We're saying its not solely about ability. It's about creativity and originality. you can be a great guitarist but you just do covers, you can be alright at guitar but write some fucking great music because your creative and trying something new. Same principal, if nyjah went to el torro and front lipped it he's obviously good at skating, but who gives a fuck, heaths done it, he thought of it first. fuck I don't know

[close]

While I somewhat agree great skaters have creativity, there is a whole bunch of one-upism in skateboarding. If you saw someone fs 50-50, you can gather attention by doing a fs 5-0 or bs 50-50. Just look at the progression that goes on at spots. I mean it takes alot more talent than creativity to go to clipper after koston bs 50-50'd and sheffy did a fs 50-50, to then expand to stuff like nollie fs nosegrind. Same applies to other legendary spots like Hubba Hideout, Macba 4, Carlsbad, Love Fountain etc. Also Gravette is a crazy rail skater, but i wouldn't call that technical at least in context of how the term is commonly used, people weren't calling Jamie Thomas a tech skater even when he was progressing it in the 90's.

I agree, i sorta liken the one up thing to say a jazz standard. Jazz players are always playing giant steps, its a standard a write of passage for someone studying jazz, yet no matter what they do with it its coltrane's, you can't one up trane you can just take a different approach and develop in your way. Compare that to say wallenberg, the most memorable thing is always going to be gonz ollieing it. its like a skateboarding standard if you will, someone kickflips it, reynolds backside flips it, but its always going to point back to gonz ollieing it. to me thats not so much one upping rather progessing a spot which is a standard spot like a jazz standard. But if you shut down someone elses spot or bite their trick at that spot or blatantly copy their style, bag of tricks, whatever, then no one could care less and it kind of pisses me off. e.g. I like eli reeds skating and he seems like a nice enough dude but every now and then I see clips or things in his parts that are less a reference or inspired and more rip off which bugs me. This was all probably in incoherent pile of words

[Everett425]

Nah. He's probably capable of doing some tech stuff. His style just doesn't really warrant it. He probably wouldn't be doing anything mindblowing but he could probably do some nice flip in/flip out stuff if he wanted.

[Makaveli]

nate jones had the fakie tre down double sets    Gall helped pioneer switch  and reynolds skates ledges and shit but dosnt release footy of it cause hes dumb i guess (bias i hate his parts) 

Yeah, I always wondered why Nate gave that fake tre down the double set for Kenny Reed's part and not his own.

[dirtyweemidden]

the music comparison is spot on!

in every town there is that one skatepark/local 'ripper' who can do every trick but they are just replicating what they have seen in vids/mags.. but unless they're bringing something new/exciting to the table noone gives a shit..

if you are meaning tech as in torey pudwill style flip in flip during flip out sense of the word then, Corey Duffel, Elissa Steamer, Jon Allie, Shuriken Shannon.. theres an endless list of skaters that dont skate like that but that does not mean they are less skilled/ talented in any way its just not how they skate..

[144p]

I can't wait until skating is like an Evil Knievel stunt, 25 minutes of buildup and slow mo's for one death defying stunt.

[ttching!]

OP is Ronson Lambert.

[GAY]

OP is Ronson Lambert.

His name is Ronson Lambert.

His name is Ronson Lambert.

His name is Ronson Lambert!

His name is RONSON LAMBERT!!!

HIS NAME IS RONSON LAMBERT HIS NAME IS RONSON LAMBERT HIS NAME IS RONSON LAMBERT HIS NAMBLA

[Baron Samedi]

nevr 4get

http://www.cheaterville.com/?page=cheaters&id=15930

[Monkey_Mcpott]

nevr 4get

http://www.cheaterville.com/?page=cheaters&id=15930

Wow!! just wow!!! 

[needlejuice]

Nick Garcia. Prove me wrong. Literally never seen him flip his board once.

his element part was fucking good, very kirchart esque, him and julian dont flip too much but manage to put out epic ass parts. though julian does have one of the better kickflips in skating

[needlejuice]

I'd say its prolly Jaws or Gravette. Olson can do a lot of things if he skated slower or with less power, he just likes to skate fast and with power. Also, I think tech skating is still extremely popular, people love Shane and P-rod who are both really tech.  Also, while some people here didn't like it Pretty Sweet probably the most popular video in the last 5 years has 4 sections that are extremely tech.

luan>olson... he's so skinny and goes just as fast and pops just as high, with his own individual bag of tricks, while being able to progress as one of the most technical dudes

yeah cory and marcs pretty sweet parts will forever remain classics to me at least

[nylin]

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fred gall

[close]

i hope you get hit by a car

You're crazy. Freddy was doing switch flip back tails at LOVE like 20 years ago. Dude can do it all and has shown every kind of skating through his parts over the years.