I wrote a review of Josh Wolff's first part for skatepartreviews.substack.com
2017 is my third year attending Art Basel Miami. MIA Skateshop closed after my first visit now Andrew Skateshop is open to feed the need. The shop agrees to host my Speed and Desire video premiere after dark December 9. Matt and I spend the day skating then I return to my hostel’s communal bedroom that sleeps 20 and is thankfully empty so I shower immediately. I’m dressing in colorful apparel when a man returns to his bunkspace, fresh loaded with bags from Ross Dress for Less. He introduces himself as Ricky and starts showing me his purchases. He sprays Polo cologne. Nice. He is convinced he can sell these Star Wars sneakers for more than cost at Ross and may go back tomorrow to stock up. Seems like a lot of effort for little reward, but that Rocawear watch is fresh. Ricky asks what I’m up to, obviously something. I say I’m premiering a video. Before I invite him he’s excited and ready. He’ll can call a car, right now or whenever. Please, thank you. Matt is waiting downstairs so there’s three of us driven bridge to mainland as sun sets behind the Magic City.
MIA was located on South Beach, now Andrew is downtown. MIA shop did not have Andrew’s boutique white walls; Adrian from Paris has made proof of concept for his ‘92 hurricane respecting shop. Our premiere here provides free Pabst. Ariana attends with Brujas, Conor Prunty and Andrew Wilson’s crew pulls through, friends from Hollywood drive in plus local support. Ricky is having a great time and returns from 7-11 with chicken wings to share. Over the rest of the weekend we chill around the shop as a homebase. DZA plays dominos on a table out front and offers a hot breakfast buffet inside one morning. Virgil Abloh stops in to say hello and take a hot plate to go.
I haven’t returned to Miami since, but continue watching Andrew’s shop videos that release about annually. I don’t think it’s just my personal proximity that causes me to be more aware of Andrew’s skate shop team than any other skate shop team besides Supreme. Miami being the 3rd most popular American city for pro skaters and much of All-Timers’ brand identity employs locals linking and building with the industry, significant Miamian characters synonymous with the city. The woman Ubering me to the airport sees my board and asks if I know Joel Meinholz. Sure, Chocolate Sundays, father figure to the scene. Exactly, Joel had helped her get an apartment some years back. Regarding two skaters reaching their prime: Rezza Honarvar still seems both boyish and mature beyond his years, even as he’s been Hotel Blue smooth on the scene for like a decade. Elijah Odom’s tricks in last month’s You Deserve It! were among my favorites amidst plenty worthy. Vice City nightlives create access to the trappings of wealthy waterfront spots presented alongside weathered Art Deco and humid backstreet slides enable high/low conversation in spot selection. I spark a bowlful that fills my soul full and click into Rascal’s nineteen minutes, which begins with a tense en scene where Meinholz maintains mission focus as an irate driver stops to yell and inspect, before successful curb cut gap to back slip slide transitions to piano key noir observes skaters in and on water, with and without shirts and shades, pre and post landing frustrations and celebrations in a variety of Andrew apparel, elegant in its instrumental brevity.
Title screen Andrew presents Rascal hits black at 1:20. Next clip of a bypasser wearing a werewolf’s head holding a bottle of Casamigos in all its glory as skaters howl appreciatively heralds the beginning of Jamaican Josh Wolff’s part. Josh’s first trick attempt emerges from a carvéd church archway to back heel its 3 flat 3 double set. I think this spot is across from the Miami Heat stadium. Josh confidently dashes back up to get what he came for. Now tolling church bells add levity as Josh recognizes the sonic sense of occasion with roll away. He’s wearing a Miami orange shirt, dreadlocks bouncing ride off curb switch to handshake embrace from Elijah wearing a Bronze 56K shirt as Future’s whisper enters speaking of mob ties. Josh eats tortilla chips from a styrofoam bowl on a boat with the emerald surround ground testament to enjoying the best of times with given materials present. A steezy lil back smith on a bench starts his first no push line that ends with a front blunt backside flip out on the second bench. His white and red deck graphic invites examination. He balances the breadth of the burgundy concave fountain with a manual back big spin out as Unfoonk raps wistful lines about his mother and friends dead and away, then see Josh pulling up to a spot with bags of Fritos corn chips for himself and the happy homie.
Wolff nollie crooks with casual, speedy confidence in New Balances at the consecutive ledge spot where Arto began his Sorry part with mirror lines. Josh develops theme when again his second trick in a ledge line, hereby back tail with loose shoe strings, also features a backside flip out from slide. Next up on a Puerto Rican black marble step up ledge Josh kickflips out from back lip, then back lip 270 shoves out same spot. Half cab flip into a nose manual up that becomes switch manual ride down roll away at the pad on the underpass embankment blends technicality and style.
Josh pops and finesses on remarkable stair sets as Young Thug croons, with double angles on a backside flip over a rail that is my favorite b/s flip since Seven Strong’s in Stallion. Rezza pops a kickflip guest trick that indicates the close symbiosis in this tight crew of which Josh appears the youngest upstart. He again channels the sense of occasion that served him well during tolling bell to front feeble down a handrail in front of hundreds of incidental spectators. Rezza’s face acknowledges a hectic situation successfully rascalled and masked civilians indicate an earlier covid timeline reinforces as Thugga’s raps a pandemic bar seconds after. Young Stoner Life and Young Thug featuring Future’s “Mob Ties (Remix)” has 5 verses and additional micro transitions that allow for Josh to build genre foundations to crest on multiple occasions. Double angles in an Andrew newspaper shirt on back tail big spin out and down from the top green ledge level, over the lower level into red painted bank is another spot I recognize. Above angle of his varial heel gyrating down a lengthy set while Jeffrey raps about spinning the block and we get in on the groundlevel second angle with a passerby congratulating our playboy. Last trick arrives as song fades and Josh in an Oakland A’s style green and yellow Andrew jersey #92 hucks and sticks back 360 from a narrow elevated run up to sidewalk gap drop alongside a building that may be a library. Those present cheer with bated anticipation to see Josh this close. He throws down again the red devil with a gold halo deck that has served him so well so far in this part and spins back 360 in the way that all the best ones make me think of Jim Greco. We see the filmer who provides the second angle that continues to includes Elijah and the rest of Yambros stepping up to embrace him as another random passerby confirms the validity of what he has just witnessed. A hazy sun sets as traffic ignites its headlights. What’s the move tonight? Port of Miami feels pushed to the limitless riding high on daring creative success as a crew. Synthwave segues into Chris Morgan and friends, followed by the Meinholz, Odom and Honarvar so settle in and enjoy the rest of the ride.
Topic: andrew skateshop - rascal (Read 975 times)