Simple Magic: A weekly newsletter about skateboarding and other stuff

[Simple Magic]

Here we are again. This one looks at the making of Skate God, a crook-to-backlip phenomenon, Glory Challenge, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/kneeling-at-the-altar-of-skate-god

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Simple Magic]

Sure, another one of these things. Alan Rickman's skate video reviews, de Keyzer's frustratingly perfect pants, public park usage surveys, and more are touched on within.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/alan-rickmans-skate-video-reviews

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Simple Magic]

This thing. Talking Ryan Sheckler's Red Bull helicopter ball drop, full Hause video part, world-record kielbasa statues, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/ryan-shecklers-red-bull-helicopter

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Simple Magic]

T,G,I, and F. This week we're looking at Isle and Axion's questionable decision-making, Street League's sketch model course, calculating how much denim is required to cover a car, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/approx-70-ft-of-big-boys-simply-ranked

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Paperclip20]

Pretty rad, had no idea about the Isle NFT. Seems like a rough look.

[Simple Magic]

Pretty rad, had no idea about the Isle NFT. Seems like a rough look.

Big fan of theirs, but that one stung. Hopefully, they don't descend too far into non-fungible-ness. Thanks for reading the thing.

[scab]

I thoroughly enjoy your writing. It's nice to read someone who's willing and able to form a proper sentence in the realm of written skate content. Keep it up!

[Simple Magic]

I thoroughly enjoy your writing. It's nice to read someone who's willing and able to form a proper sentence in the realm of written skate content. Keep it up!

Appreciate the kind words and thanks for reading! (Full disclosure: if it wasn't for Grammarly, you'd be subjected to some pretty grammatically galling sentences)

[Simple Magic]

Friday. This thing. Talking about Greco, an existential content crisis, passionate blacksmiths, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/listen-to-me-show-me-santas-dogs

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Simple Magic]

Friday, here we are. This week we look at searching for and reaching your limit, an important CanCon update, SOTY season, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/searching-for-and-reaching-your-limit

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[scab]

When viewing this stunt through the efforts of another subculture besides skateboarding—BMXing, Scootering, freerunning—something interesting happens. The bias of being a skateboarder no longer clouds the vision, and it becomes clear how asinine attempting this is.

I've been thinking about this for the better part of a day now. I could barely stand to watch the embedded clip of the BMXer and purposefully didn't click on the links to the other videos, but I think I've seen Boulala's tries (and Sorry as a whole, for that matter) about a hundred times over the past 20 years. All instances show people trying to push the boundaries of what's considered possible in their respective endeavor, but I actively avoid watching unless it's someone trying to push the boundaries of the endeavor I consider myself a part of. Not only that, I also have a hard time understanding why anybody would jump down a 25 stair set WITHOUT A  SKATEBOARD. Taking a step back, I realize how ridiculous this thinking actually is, yet it's exactly how I feel. Cognitive dissonance is a powerful thing.

Anyway, the answer to why anyone would try to jump it is probably, as Mallory said, because it's there.

[Simple Magic]

When viewing this stunt through the efforts of another subculture besides skateboarding—BMXing, Scootering, freerunning—something interesting happens. The bias of being a skateboarder no longer clouds the vision, and it becomes clear how asinine attempting this is.

I've been thinking about this for the better part of a day now. I could barely stand to watch the embedded clip of the BMXer and purposefully didn't click on the links to the other videos, but I think I've seen Boulala's tries (and Sorry as a whole, for that matter) about a hundred times over the past 20 years. All instances show people trying to push the boundaries of what's considered possible in their respective endeavor, but I actively avoid watching unless it's someone trying to push the boundaries of the endeavor I consider myself a part of. Not only that, I also have a hard time understanding why anybody would jump down a 25 stair set WITHOUT A  SKATEBOARD. Taking a step back, I realize how ridiculous this thinking actually is, yet it's exactly how I feel. Cognitive dissonance is a powerful thing.

Anyway, the answer to why anyone would try to jump it is probably, as Mallory said, because it's there.

100% to all of that. It's also interesting that the freerunner guy's youtube video description gives respect to Boulala and Jaws for trying/doing the thing first:

"Biggest. DROP. in the history of Skateboarding. Of course, Dom had to give it a look and see if the front flip is a thing... SHOUTOUT to the legends Ali Boulala and Jaws for pushing the limits!"

Doubtful you see that flipped if a BMXer/Scooterer/Freerunner opened up a famous spot first.

[Simple Magic]

This thing, once again. Getting loose with language, conspiracy aesthetics, the Shredline 360, and more are discussed within.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/thumpers-inferno-simply-ranked

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Simple Magic]

Another of these. This week, talking about caring about Hollywood High, local elections, avoiding the time trap, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/beware-of-the-time-trap

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Simple Magic]

Hark, Friday is here. As is this thing. This week we look at the return of the athleisure villain, a hypothetical skateboarding estate sale, a USAS update, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/how-much-for-szafranskis-jacket-simply

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Simple Magic]

It's (Black) Friday. Here's this thing. Talking shopping for cellar doors, death of the poster, beautiful and useless skateboarding product gimmicks, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/death-of-the-poster-simply-ranked

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[botefdunn]

You did a really good job of describing skating's relationship to pop culture, I'll prolly refer people to this in the future.
My 2 cents is that pop culture exists to celebrate and further social cohesion and intrinsically lacks the flexibility to embrace or fully acknowledge perspectives that run counter to its own preeminence as "normal". Seen in this light, skating's lack of mainstream acceptance, despite its popularity, is a measure of the implicit social critique it contains. I wanna say that social critique is a key argument in the ol art vs. sport debate, i guess i just did.
Nice article.

[Simple Magic]

You did a really good job of describing skating's relationship to pop culture, I'll prolly refer people to this in the future.
My 2 cents is that pop culture exists to celebrate and further social cohesion and intrinsically lacks the flexibility to embrace or fully acknowledge perspectives that run counter to its own preeminence as "normal". Seen in this light, skating's lack of mainstream acceptance, despite its popularity, is a measure of the implicit social critique it contains. I wanna say that social critique is a key argument in the ol art vs. sport debate, i guess i just did.
Nice article.

Oi, I forgot to post that one here.

I'd agree with all of that. Pop culture isn't designed to handle nuance well, especially from subjects that aren't easily translated or actively avoid doing so.

Thanks for reading the thing!

[Simple Magic]

Rare Monday post, posted on a Tuesday, about the enduring novelty appeal of the skateboard:

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/the-enduring-novelty-appeal-of-the

Thanks for reading and have a nice week.

[Simple Magic]

It's Friday, almost a full week into the SOTY splash zone. What else? Mikey's ultimatum, YouTube attempts to hornypill millions, and people are on fire.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/soty-splash-zone-simply-ranked

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Simple Magic]

Another Friday, another of these. This week we're talking about a fate worse than death (acquisition), all of the SOTY stuff, Omar Hassan at MACBA, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/a-fate-worse-than-death-acquisition

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[botefdunn]

Was a good one.

[Simple Magic]

Was a good one.

Thank you, as always, for reading the thing

[CrumblingInfrastructure]

These have become part of my friday morning toilet time and im very grateful for everything you do

[Simple Magic]

These have become part of my friday morning toilet time and im very grateful for everything you do

That's the best possible locale for the newsletter to be enjoyed in. Appreciate you reading the thing!

[Simple Magic]

Friday. Here we are. This week we've got a skate spot nickname generator, we take a look at Sewa's CV, some alternative angles, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/the-flatbar-of-righteous-indignation

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Simple Magic]

Damn ass festive Friday. This week we're talking alternative OTY awards, Rayssa's NFT shoes, Asta's vlogging, and more.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/the-oty-iest-time-of-the-year-simply

Thanks for reading and have nice holiday times.

[Simple Magic]

It's Friday. It's the end of the year. Here are some predictions and betting odds on what might happen in skateboarding in 2023.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/ive-got-5-cad-on-it-betting-on-the-6e0

Thanks for reading this thing this year and have a nice weekend.

[Simple Magic]

Here we are again. This week, The Berrics is... back? Alexis Ramirez continues to be very good at skateboarding, and the hunt for a more elusive style of NBD.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/intimate-close-up-of-a-skateboarder

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

[Madam, I'm Adam]

Here we are again. This week, The Berrics is... back? Alexis Ramirez continues to be very good at skateboarding, and the hunt for a more elusive style of NBD.

https://simplemagic.substack.com/p/intimate-close-up-of-a-skateboarder

Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend.

Colonoscopy vid leading into fullpipe footage made me laugh. That's the intro for Salba's next (only?) video part.

Marriage footage is surreal as well. I didn't see Soundtrack so that was new to me. I don't totally know the point of putting it in a skate vid, but I'm not hating.