Deadspin.com - Rodney vs Daewon Round 1

[Atiba Applebum]

Cool to see a somewhat mainstream outlet produce a legitimate piece on skateboarding

https://deadspin.com/rodney-mullen-and-daewon-song-made-a-video-that-changed-1821514500

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

Legitimate piece? By overblowing the significance of World's first step away from legitimacy?

[lampshade]

Kind of random, but not a bad read.  Pretty rad how Daewon stuck with Rodney/World through all that mess.  I always wondered if Daewon getting on Girl/Chocolate was ever on the table.  Lol at calling Andy Mac and Brandon Novak some of the most influential skateboarders of all time. 

[GAY]

Kind of random, but not a bad read.  Pretty rad how Daewon stuck with Rodney/World through all that mess.  I always wondered if Daewon getting on Girl/Chocolate was ever on the table.  Lol at calling Andy Mac and Brandon Novak some of the most influential skateboarders of all time.

I feel like Andy Mac and Coldplay were kind of this magic gift from the spheres that gave the color yellow its moment in the spotlight before it burned out Icarus-like by catching too much heat too fast.

[MexicanSpaniard]

reading about radney is bad enough from skaters there's no way a non skater won't be kissing his ass worse than industry people

[Willie]

I liked the article but it made it sound like RvD was Rodney's first street part.

[happenstance]

Legitimate piece? By overblowing the significance of World's first step away from legitimacy?

That's the early World nostalgia ringing in your ears. While both Rodney vs. Daewon videos hold a special place in my childhood (I still remember showing up late to class in the 8th grade - getting a detention - because I had to finish round 2), I would say Round 2 was the start of the decline.

Round 1 had some of the same classic music as the earlier videos and a rough-around-the-edges feel. Sure, there was the A Team section in Round 1, but 20 Shot had a Prime section, which was pretty analogous in it's tastelessness IMO.

Round 2 on the other hand had some offputting beats and cheesy graphics that pushed it away from their earlier offerings. Also, the helicopter shots really drove home the fact that World was no longer a homegrown family brand (even though that truly deteriorated long before).

[Atiba Applebum]

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Legitimate piece? By overblowing the significance of World's first step away from legitimacy?

[close]

That's the early World nostalgia ringing in your ears. While both Rodney vs. Daewon videos hold a special place in my childhood (I still remember showing up late to class in the 8th grade - getting a detention - because I had to finish round 2), I would say Round 2 was the start of the decline.

Round 1 had some of the same classic music as the earlier videos and a rough-around-the-edges feel. Sure, there was the A Team section in Round 1, but 20 Shot had a Prime section, which was pretty analogous in it's tastelessness IMO.

Round 2 on the other hand had some offputting beats and cheesy graphics that pushed it away from their earlier offerings. Also, the helicopter shots really drove home the fact that World was no longer a homegrown family brand (even though that truly deteriorated long before).

Woah - no love for the A-Team?   Granted I was in 7th grade at its peak so it didn’t come across cheesy to me, but I remember thinking it was great.   But the star of Round 1 and 2 for me was Creager

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

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Legitimate piece? By overblowing the significance of World's first step away from legitimacy?

[close]

That's the early World nostalgia ringing in your ears. While both Rodney vs. Daewon videos hold a special place in my childhood (I still remember showing up late to class in the 8th grade - getting a detention - because I had to finish round 2), I would say Round 2 was the start of the decline.

Round 1 had some of the same classic music as the earlier videos and a rough-around-the-edges feel. Sure, there was the A Team section in Round 1, but 20 Shot had a Prime section, which was pretty analogous in it's tastelessness IMO.

Round 2 on the other hand had some offputting beats and cheesy graphics that pushed it away from their earlier offerings. Also, the helicopter shots really drove home the fact that World was no longer a homegrown family brand (even though that truly deteriorated long before).

Nah man, I just have a different opinion. Round 1 wasn't the abyss, but it was when world turned the corner. The whole cheesy theme, the minimal parts from most people- it was clearly different from trilogy or 20 shot, and while not terrible, was preparing the audience for the awfulness that was on the way

[happenstance]

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Legitimate piece? By overblowing the significance of World's first step away from legitimacy?

[close]

That's the early World nostalgia ringing in your ears. While both Rodney vs. Daewon videos hold a special place in my childhood (I still remember showing up late to class in the 8th grade - getting a detention - because I had to finish round 2), I would say Round 2 was the start of the decline.

Round 1 had some of the same classic music as the earlier videos and a rough-around-the-edges feel. Sure, there was the A Team section in Round 1, but 20 Shot had a Prime section, which was pretty analogous in it's tastelessness IMO.

Round 2 on the other hand had some offputting beats and cheesy graphics that pushed it away from their earlier offerings. Also, the helicopter shots really drove home the fact that World was no longer a homegrown family brand (even though that truly deteriorated long before).

[close]

Woah - no love for the A-Team?   Granted I was in 7th grade at its peak so it didn’t come across cheesy to me, but I remember thinking it was great.   But the star of Round 1 and 2 for me was Creager

I’ll fully admit that I dug A Team when it was around. I was also a kid when it started. I’m speaking with tasteful adult hindsight.

Chet’s halfcab crook revert on the handrail in the round 2 part was and still is very impressive.

[silhouette]

happenstance I'm with you, to me Round 1 and 2 felt like the night and the day. Round 1 was a class act, Daewon has never looked as gangster since (he was always and still is the best, but this specific era of his is my favorite, on par with his Love Child days with perhaps a certain maturity on display, before getting a bit sidetracked counting tables and Matix tanktops - his skating just looked really solid at the time). Rodney looked like he was still experimenting, still trying to corner his own street skating sensitivity, thereby pushing himself in ways that didn't just consist in flatground underflips and crazy primo slides yet, feeling very much like an early Plan B part. then the other sections of the video were sick too but I really have the most recollections of playing the Blind section over and over in my room as a teenager because of the footage of Creager switch hardflipping in the rain, edited to that Stones song.

in comparison Round 2 felt like a bad imitation to me - some kind of poor attempt at a follow-up, a plastic sequel when really everybody looked like they had already moved on at that point. you can't replicate an original.

also this might be something that doesn't get brought up too often but I really, really like the filming in Round 1 to this day. there are puzzling comparisons to be drawn between all those close-ups on the street people's faces and on Rodney's feet in his flatland section, and the filming of some more recent skate films for sure - the blueprints are very similar, in a way Socrates was always very modern (even later figuring out the VX and filming for Almost, he was always underrated, but kept doing an amazing job). hell, even the fisheye in Round 1 looks so dope, 20 years later some people still try and replicate the look.

[Mongoloid]

I rewatched after reading the article as it's been maybe years since I last viewed it. The only real conclusion I drew from rewatching is that Daewon has underrated tre' flips, and I don't know how significant that really is.

[sluggers]

I am guessing the author never watched Rodney's Plan B video parts if he thinks he had been seldom seen since Rubbish Heap.

[DannyDee]

Kind of random, but not a bad read.  Pretty rad how Daewon stuck with Rodney/World through all that mess.  I always wondered if Daewon getting on Girl/Chocolate was ever on the table.  Lol at calling Andy Mac and Brandon Novak some of the most influential skateboarders of all time.

I thought it's been established that Daewon, Kareem, and Shiloh were all offered spots on Chocolate. I'd be shocked if Daewon wasn't offered a spot given they asked Little Daniel and Mulder to join.

[Billy Ocean]

I am guessing the author never watched Rodney's Plan B video parts if he thinks he had been seldom seen since Rubbish Heap.

Yeah, he seemed to confuse Second Hand Smoke with Round 1.

[georgethecat]

It was interesting to read about Daewon and Rodney's mindset leading up to the video, but the author waaay overstates the video's significance, which makes the whole article sound kind of corny.

[fongool]

Weird to hear that there was such resistance to Daewon getting on World in the beginning.

[PatrickSkateman]

The decline actually started in 1998 when Menace had to change their name to All City. It just wasn't the same after that. Next big hit was Kareem taking his company completely out of World.

[Atiba Applebum]

It was interesting to read about Daewon and Rodney's mindset leading up to the video, but the author waaay overstates the video's significance, which makes the whole article sound kind of corny.

I think it depends on your age.  I think It is for the THPS 1 generation.    This came out btw 7th and 8th grade and this was the video everyone was talking about.   Blew the Shortys Hardware video out of the water and Fulfill the Dream wasn’t coming out until a year later.   It was hard to get ahold of skate videos at that time/age and it was definitely an event when you got to finally see it.   There weren’t copies of video days, mouse, or trilogy just floating around in skate shops.  Shit took a lot of work to see.  I had to buy a vhs tape off ebay that had all the plan b vids recorded on it

[yep yep]

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Legitimate piece? By overblowing the significance of World's first step away from legitimacy?

[close]

That's the early World nostalgia ringing in your ears. While both Rodney vs. Daewon videos hold a special place in my childhood (I still remember showing up late to class in the 8th grade - getting a detention - because I had to finish round 2), I would say Round 2 was the start of the decline.

Round 1 had some of the same classic music as the earlier videos and a rough-around-the-edges feel. Sure, there was the A Team section in Round 1, but 20 Shot had a Prime section, which was pretty analogous in it's tastelessness IMO.

Round 2 on the other hand had some offputting beats and cheesy graphics that pushed it away from their earlier offerings. Also, the helicopter shots really drove home the fact that World was no longer a homegrown family brand (even though that truly deteriorated long before).

[close]

Woah - no love for the A-Team?   Granted I was in 7th grade at its peak so it didn’t come across cheesy to me, but I remember thinking it was great.   But the star of Round 1 and 2 for me was Creager

[PatrickSkateman]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Legitimate piece? By overblowing the significance of World's first step away from legitimacy?

[close]

That's the early World nostalgia ringing in your ears. While both Rodney vs. Daewon videos hold a special place in my childhood (I still remember showing up late to class in the 8th grade - getting a detention - because I had to finish round 2), I would say Round 2 was the start of the decline.

Round 1 had some of the same classic music as the earlier videos and a rough-around-the-edges feel. Sure, there was the A Team section in Round 1, but 20 Shot had a Prime section, which was pretty analogous in it's tastelessness IMO.

Round 2 on the other hand had some offputting beats and cheesy graphics that pushed it away from their earlier offerings. Also, the helicopter shots really drove home the fact that World was no longer a homegrown family brand (even though that truly deteriorated long before).

[close]

Woah - no love for the A-Team?   Granted I was in 7th grade at its peak so it didn’t come across cheesy to me, but I remember thinking it was great.   But the star of Round 1 and 2 for me was Creager

[close]

A-Team was a cheesy gimmick company. It really did not feel like a World company at all, just an attempt at a super team with Rodney, two guys from Maple, and one guy who rode a bunch of wack board companies and sweat a lot.

[Mongoloid]

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Legitimate piece? By overblowing the significance of World's first step away from legitimacy?

[close]

That's the early World nostalgia ringing in your ears. While both Rodney vs. Daewon videos hold a special place in my childhood (I still remember showing up late to class in the 8th grade - getting a detention - because I had to finish round 2), I would say Round 2 was the start of the decline.

Round 1 had some of the same classic music as the earlier videos and a rough-around-the-edges feel. Sure, there was the A Team section in Round 1, but 20 Shot had a Prime section, which was pretty analogous in it's tastelessness IMO.

Round 2 on the other hand had some offputting beats and cheesy graphics that pushed it away from their earlier offerings. Also, the helicopter shots really drove home the fact that World was no longer a homegrown family brand (even though that truly deteriorated long before).

[close]

Woah - no love for the A-Team?   Granted I was in 7th grade at its peak so it didn’t come across cheesy to me, but I remember thinking it was great.   But the star of Round 1 and 2 for me was Creager

[close]

[close]

A-Team was a cheesy gimmick company. It really did not feel like a World company at all, just an attempt at a super team with Rodney, two guys from Maple, and one guy who rode a bunch of wack board companies and sweat a lot.

I know the riders weren't on board with the A-team conspiracy vibes (Spray painting their boards etc..), but try to tell me the with a straight face that A-team was terrible with the riders they had, and that the montage in Round 2 to Rockwell didn't have you and the homies fucking singing the song.

Marc Johnson just.. "a guy from maple"? What the actual fuck?

[Mongoloid]

..and Since this thread again made me rewatch Round  2 as well, and specifically the A-team montage I have this to add.

Chet Thomas probably never has got, or will get the recognition he deserves. I think of all the street heads to come out of the Bones Brigade, and none of the street heads ever reached a similar level or longevity to what Chet was able to achieve. He was essentially able to evolve in a way that is under appreciated, and not all that dissimilar to Rodney Mullen. Not obviously so drastically as making the transition from freestyle to street, but an elevation that is entirely overlooked.

My inner drunken musings, and if I'm wrong then Slappers smite me with wisdom, but I think I'm one astute motherfucker.

[Atiba Applebum]

..and Since this thread again made me rewatch Round  2 as well, and specifically the A-team montage I have this to add.

Chet Thomas probably never has got, or will get the recognition he deserves. I think of all the street heads to come out of the Bones Brigade, and none of the street heads ever reached a similar level or longevity to what Chet was able to achieve. He was essentially able to evolve in a way that is under appreciated, and not all that dissimilar to Rodney Mullen. Not obviously so drastically as making the transition from freestyle to street, but an elevation that is entirely overlooked.

My inner drunken musings, and if I'm wrong then Slappers smite me with wisdom, but I think I'm one astute motherfucker.

i agree - i thought he was the shit back in the day.  all four or five of his globes seemed like huge hits at the time.  granted there was a lot of run off into the non skater crowd with that one.

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

Marc Johnson just.. "a guy from maple"? What the actual fuck?

I don't think you should take anything this Patrick poster says seriously, look how he described Gershon

+1 on Chet: dude was tech as fuck and also able to drop hammers on the regs

[RoaryMcTwang]

Expand Quote

..and Since this thread again made me rewatch Round  2 as well, and specifically the A-team montage I have this to add.

Chet Thomas probably never has got, or will get the recognition he deserves. I think of all the street heads to come out of the Bones Brigade, and none of the street heads ever reached a similar level or longevity to what Chet was able to achieve. He was essentially able to evolve in a way that is under appreciated, and not all that dissimilar to Rodney Mullen. Not obviously so drastically as making the transition from freestyle to street, but an elevation that is entirely overlooked.

My inner drunken musings, and if I'm wrong then Slappers smite me with wisdom, but I think I'm one astute motherfucker.

[close]

i agree - i thought he was the shit back in the day.  all four or five of his globes seemed like huge hits at the time.  granted there was a lot of run off into the non skater crowd with that one.

Completely agree, he blew my mind back then. I still liked acreage better, but Chet's name definitely belongs in the underrated legends thread.

[Atiba Applebum]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

..and Since this thread again made me rewatch Round  2 as well, and specifically the A-team montage I have this to add.

Chet Thomas probably never has got, or will get the recognition he deserves. I think of all the street heads to come out of the Bones Brigade, and none of the street heads ever reached a similar level or longevity to what Chet was able to achieve. He was essentially able to evolve in a way that is under appreciated, and not all that dissimilar to Rodney Mullen. Not obviously so drastically as making the transition from freestyle to street, but an elevation that is entirely overlooked.

My inner drunken musings, and if I'm wrong then Slappers smite me with wisdom, but I think I'm one astute motherfucker.

[close]

i agree - i thought he was the shit back in the day.  all four or five of his globes seemed like huge hits at the time.  granted there was a lot of run off into the non skater crowd with that one.

[close]

Completely agree, he blew my mind back then. I still liked acreage better, but Chet's name definitely belongs in the underrated legends thread.

just based off that first shot of him in the round 1 a-team section, i thought he looked like marky mark a lot

[PatrickSkateman]

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Marc Johnson just.. "a guy from maple"? What the actual fuck?

[close]

I don't think you should take anything this Patrick poster says seriously, look how he described Gershon

+1 on Chet: dude was tech as fuck and also able to drop hammers on the regs

In terms of World's downward spiral, 20 Shot and Trilogy era teams had a non-contrived raw vibe to them. The whole point of A-Team was literally to recreate a super-team that resembled Hannibal, BA, Face and Murdoch from the TV show.

MJ was still a really good skater riding for a mediocre company at that point, so him being under the World umbrella was long overdue.

Gershon was a good skater, but he skated to Counting Crows.

All good skaters, just didn't fit the vibe World had prior to that.

Chet's fakie hardflip late backside 180 trick from the A-Team best trick ad contest that Chris Cole won was pretty gnarly

[Billy Ocean]

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Legitimate piece? By overblowing the significance of World's first step away from legitimacy?

[close]

That's the early World nostalgia ringing in your ears. While both Rodney vs. Daewon videos hold a special place in my childhood (I still remember showing up late to class in the 8th grade - getting a detention - because I had to finish round 2), I would say Round 2 was the start of the decline.

Round 1 had some of the same classic music as the earlier videos and a rough-around-the-edges feel. Sure, there was the A Team section in Round 1, but 20 Shot had a Prime section, which was pretty analogous in it's tastelessness IMO.

Round 2 on the other hand had some offputting beats and cheesy graphics that pushed it away from their earlier offerings. Also, the helicopter shots really drove home the fact that World was no longer a homegrown family brand (even though that truly deteriorated long before).

[close]

Woah - no love for the A-Team?   Granted I was in 7th grade at its peak so it didn’t come across cheesy to me, but I remember thinking it was great.   But the star of Round 1 and 2 for me was Creager

[close]

[georgethecat]

Expand Quote

It was interesting to read about Daewon and Rodney's mindset leading up to the video, but the author waaay overstates the video's significance, which makes the whole article sound kind of corny.

[close]

I think it depends on your age.  I think It is for the THPS 1 generation.    This came out btw 7th and 8th grade and this was the video everyone was talking about.   Blew the Shortys Hardware video out of the water and Fulfill the Dream wasn’t coming out until a year later.   It was hard to get ahold of skate videos at that time/age and it was definitely an event when you got to finally see it.   There weren’t copies of video days, mouse, or trilogy just floating around in skate shops.  Shit took a lot of work to see.  I had to buy a vhs tape off ebay that had all the plan b vids recorded on it

It's funny, because for me this came out between 8th and 9th grade, so we're only a year apart in age. I was a big Rodney fan back then and repped A-Team hard. I think the video meant as much to me as it did to you. But what I was getting at is that the premise of the article is "this video changed skateboarding", which it didn't really, and so the whole thing sounds kind of silly.