2025 unpopular opinion thread

[Mean salto]

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This is the single best concept part that has been made.

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i could maybe back this as the best concept for a concept part (even though i wouldn't). but "best concept part" should have better skating shouldn't it?* a thread discussing concept parts would be cool. i can't think of any that aren't spot/obstacle or weather based, but i'd love to discover/rediscover what's out there.
*you are of course welcome to your unpopular opinion though

[close]

It's not the best skating in a concept part, but rather the concept and the "unusual" skating (and by extention the skater that is doing them) combined make it what it is.
I like that it and the soundtrack give it this very easy but not immediate to understand concept (even if I do think some of the zoom ins / extended focus on some letters were unnecessary). It has a very base level appeal in that nearly anyone of any age could potentially see something of its artistic merits.
So much so that even if you didn't know or understand a single thing about skateboarding or what is considered cool / impressive / difficult/ 9 club worthy / an ender, you would also likely pick up on what the concept is and find something about that to or enjoy or appreciate. Some people might reductivley say "it's like Richie Jackson bullshit skating that your aunt sends you on facebook" but that's missing the point of why I think it's one of if not the best concept part overall, rather than the best part that happens to contain some element of a concept.
Like I don't think heavy groupings of tricks from certain countries or spots, or even entire parts filmed in one country / city are concept parts either.

Admitedly I wasn't thinking of or including things like BHerman's table's Stay Gold tables lines because with a definition that loose it would have to be that part but only if considered separate from the rest of his part in that video. Which it is not. As a concept part I was thinking of this part ofc, Mike V's stupid pushing one, and maybe Verso but also maybe not because it's not so much a concept as an editing choice. But then if I was going to widen the definition to  full parts filmed in one spot being called concept parts, I think I would also have to consider tour videos or things like Santa Cruz "Out There" and Selfi$h Skateboards in Barcelona - Mi Amor's parts as concept parts, which doesn't feel right.

[close]

The example that first came to mind was Jordan Sanchez's dumpster part. Now I'm reminded of Daewon's Deca part, and also the Russian(?) guy skating obstacles of snow or ice (both of those i haven't seen in a long time so i may be a bit off). I agree that even I'm a little flimsy with the definition already, as I was about to add Almost's Cheese & Crackers -- but what's the concept there? Mini ramp with some bullshit? Focusing on one specific (/type of) obstacle is hardly a concept, I admit it.

Your response was really good though. I think you're probably right. But here's my personal take anyway. I think the best concept part would look like this: picture a scale with skating on one side and concept on the other. Both would be equally weighted. I think this Melcher part tilts heavier on the concept side -- and it could've been heavier on the skating side without detracting from the concept. I've skated one of those spots and he did the thing that everyone does after being there for 5 minutes. Anyway, maybe an example will come to me later, and/or i'm just being idealistic, biased, idk. Maybe the concept should take primacy, as with conceptual art, where keeping it simple is part of the point.

[close]

no you're fully right. the concept is smart but essentially wasted with some very weak skating. none of those clips would be in a "regular" video part, it's all cutting room floor stuff

as far as good concept parts go, i liked grant yansura's all boardslide and all 50-50 parts, and jaws' all roof parts were cool too... dug geoff campbells recent "inside ledge" edit even though it wasn't fully fleshed out

I always thought if they fixed a few things that Melcher part could be put into a seseme street type show. What about an entire concept video??

[G_Money]

Is it unpopular to say I've never cared if the wheel graphics are in or out? Provided they all face the same way.

Shit comes off in like 2 sessions.

I keep one turned opposite the other three to help identifying the front of the board

[formula420]

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This is the single best concept part that has been made.

[close]

i could maybe back this as the best concept for a concept part (even though i wouldn't). but "best concept part" should have better skating shouldn't it?* a thread discussing concept parts would be cool. i can't think of any that aren't spot/obstacle or weather based, but i'd love to discover/rediscover what's out there.
*you are of course welcome to your unpopular opinion though

[close]

It's not the best skating in a concept part, but rather the concept and the "unusual" skating (and by extention the skater that is doing them) combined make it what it is.
I like that it and the soundtrack give it this very easy but not immediate to understand concept (even if I do think some of the zoom ins / extended focus on some letters were unnecessary). It has a very base level appeal in that nearly anyone of any age could potentially see something of its artistic merits.
So much so that even if you didn't know or understand a single thing about skateboarding or what is considered cool / impressive / difficult/ 9 club worthy / an ender, you would also likely pick up on what the concept is and find something about that to or enjoy or appreciate. Some people might reductivley say "it's like Richie Jackson bullshit skating that your aunt sends you on facebook" but that's missing the point of why I think it's one of if not the best concept part overall, rather than the best part that happens to contain some element of a concept.
Like I don't think heavy groupings of tricks from certain countries or spots, or even entire parts filmed in one country / city are concept parts either.

Admitedly I wasn't thinking of or including things like BHerman's table's Stay Gold tables lines because with a definition that loose it would have to be that part but only if considered separate from the rest of his part in that video. Which it is not. As a concept part I was thinking of this part ofc, Mike V's stupid pushing one, and maybe Verso but also maybe not because it's not so much a concept as an editing choice. But then if I was going to widen the definition to  full parts filmed in one spot being called concept parts, I think I would also have to consider tour videos or things like Santa Cruz "Out There" and Selfi$h Skateboards in Barcelona - Mi Amor's parts as concept parts, which doesn't feel right.

[close]

The example that first came to mind was Jordan Sanchez's dumpster part. Now I'm reminded of Daewon's Deca part, and also the Russian(?) guy skating obstacles of snow or ice (both of those i haven't seen in a long time so i may be a bit off). I agree that even I'm a little flimsy with the definition already, as I was about to add Almost's Cheese & Crackers -- but what's the concept there? Mini ramp with some bullshit? Focusing on one specific (/type of) obstacle is hardly a concept, I admit it.

Your response was really good though. I think you're probably right. But here's my personal take anyway. I think the best concept part would look like this: picture a scale with skating on one side and concept on the other. Both would be equally weighted. I think this Melcher part tilts heavier on the concept side -- and it could've been heavier on the skating side without detracting from the concept. I've skated one of those spots and he did the thing that everyone does after being there for 5 minutes. Anyway, maybe an example will come to me later, and/or i'm just being idealistic, biased, idk. Maybe the concept should take primacy, as with conceptual art, where keeping it simple is part of the point.

[close]

no you're fully right. the concept is smart but essentially wasted with some very weak skating. none of those clips would be in a "regular" video part, it's all cutting room floor stuff

as far as good concept parts go, i liked grant yansura's all boardslide and all 50-50 parts, and jaws' all roof parts were cool too... dug geoff campbells recent "inside ledge" edit even though it wasn't fully fleshed out

[close]

I always thought if they fixed a few things that Melcher part could be put into a seseme street type show. What about an entire concept video??

Spirit quest

[radcunt]

Havin' Sex at the skatepark is 2024
Shittin' your pants at the skatepark is 2025
Wearing the shitty undies as a hat is all time

[cornman]

Havin' Sex at the skatepark is 2024
Shittin' your pants at the skatepark is 2025
Wearing the shitty undies as a hat is all time

You couldn’t be more wrong 😎

[Rick Trapasso]

Havin' Sex at the skatepark is 2024
Shittin' your pants at the skatepark is 2025
Wearing the shitty undies as a hat is all time

PREACH

[SatanicPanic]

The saying "new learn" kind of irks me. Not a big deal, but when a verb is turned into a noun it rarely sounds good (I feel the same about "get play"). If you want to express that you learned a new trick, you could say "learned a new trick" and it would convey the same general meaning. I get the argument that it's longer to write but it's not that much longer. I'm assuming this is unpopular because I'm seeing "new learn" being used a lot recently and really, who cares.

“New trick “ or even “new” also work fine

 “New learn” sounds like corporate speak

[radcunt]

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Havin' Sex at the skatepark is 2024
Shittin' your pants at the skatepark is 2025
Wearing the shitty undies as a hat is all time

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You couldn’t be more wrong 😎

oh hell yeah glad to be wrong

[back smith]

Even though Shane says the name "April" has nothing to do with April O'Neil from Turtles, the homie who came up with the name actually did probably make that connection, and therefore the name is a TMNT reference. Which is cool! 

[munchbox]

cowabunga dude

[slippy]

No one should be able to win SOTY twice, it would remove the annoying end of year spam and I doubt it would make people like Foy skate any less hard.  Better for other folks trying to win it, takes some power back from the corporate overlords seeking to use it as a marketing tool (currently skating cons so what do I know...)

[Buttworm]

I enjoy new trucks

[GnarAlarm]

I enjoy new trucks

I was just talking about this the other day. I recently bought new trucks, and I'd been a subscriber to the idea that "new trucks suck" my whole skateboarding life.
I guess I kinda forgot how bad new trucks suck because my first session on the new trucks went fine, wouldn't have even known I was on new trucks. Even hit a few smiths, feebles and crooks with absolutely zero issues.

New deck day can still be weird. New shoe day is hands down the worst for me.

[Lou Strux]

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I enjoy new trucks

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I was just talking about this the other day. I recently bought new trucks, and I'd been a subscriber to the idea that "new trucks suck" my whole skateboarding life.
I guess I kinda forgot how bad new trucks suck because my first session on the new trucks went fine, wouldn't have even known I was on new trucks. Even hit a few smiths, feebles and crooks with absolutely zero issues.

New deck day can still be weird. New shoe day is hands down the worst for me.

I love the first session on a new set of trucks also, as well, too.
Especially if it’s some new shits I haven’t rolled before: new trucks (especially a whole new style/geo) are always an adventure for me & I appreciate them for that aspect. 

[DERBY]

egg shape riders are a bunch of quirky pick mes

[ferguu]

No one should be able to win SOTY twice, it would remove the annoying end of year spam and I doubt it would make people like Foy skate any less hard.  Better for other folks trying to win it, takes some power back from the corporate overlords seeking to use it as a marketing tool (currently skating cons so what do I know...)

OK... I can see where you're coming from, but it's SOTY. We're trying to figure out who the people's (or at least Thrashers) favourite skater was in a given year. Foy can't help the fact he's had two years where he's absolutely run the show.

Plus c'mon, I don't think Foy would've released nearly as much footage as he did in 2024 without the possible reward at the end. I say having a free competition pushes innovation, kinda like how competition in other markets works. As viewers we can only stand to benefit from a competition where the winner can be unclear right to the very end. Would you say TJ was driven by corporate overlords?

[Rick Trapasso]

GH doesn't have that outrageous of takes, and shouldn't be nearly as polarizing of a figure as he is.

[BeachChicken]

Workshop/Habitat coulda been sicker if they had gone with a lineup like this, which I think is pretty realistic:

Alien: O'Brien, Suciu, Militano, Kalis+Shanahan+1 other Philly rider holding that contingent down, Eggeling, and Josh Matthews, maybe BOD. Wildcard would be a late career Westgate. To me Alien was always a bit of a mix of styles so it makes sense that some riders do not 100% seem like they would fit together, but there are little squads within.

Habitat: Trahan, Freddy, Rizzo, Janoski, Jimmy McDonald, Humienik, Ty Beall

[Lenny the Fatface]

Been meaning to get this off my chest for years but kept forgetting: Jerry Hsu blew it for not skating to the Luther Vandross version of Superstar in Bag of Suck.

[Mean salto]

Workshop/Habitat coulda been sicker if they had gone with a lineup like this, which I think is pretty realistic:

Alien: O'Brien, Suciu, Militano, Kalis+Shanahan+1 other Philly rider holding that contingent down, Eggeling, and Josh Matthews. Wildcard would be a late career Westgate. To me Alien was always a bit of a mix of styles so it makes sense that some riders do not 100% seem like they would fit together, but there are little squads within.

Habitat: Trahan, Freddy, Rizzo, Janoski, Jimmy McDonald, Humienik, Ty Beall

When would these lineups have taken place?

[BeachChicken]

This would be the current lineup. Kalis at some point would have rebuilt Alien to focus on whoever was centered around love in the mid 2010's (Suciu even tho he was a transplant, O'Brien, Shanahan) and few other East Coasters. Matthews and Rizzo woulda been added as a pair later with one going to each team, like a lite version of the Pops/Wenning pairing. Neither of these dudes make much sense on Quasi, which is more old Alien legacy/VA dudes. Quasi still woulda happened in this timeline and Alien 2.0 would have been a fresh start with a contingent of Philly/East Coast dudes.

Habitat stays East Coast as well. I forgot/didn't think of Silas.

[Resin]

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egg shape riders are a bunch of quirky pick mes

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wtf is a pick mes?

A pick me is essentially a person who, due to low self-worth and insecurity, debases themselves in bids to gain acceptance from their peers.

[Powdered Toast Man!]

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The saying "new learn" kind of irks me. Not a big deal, but when a verb is turned into a noun it rarely sounds good (I feel the same about "get play"). If you want to express that you learned a new trick, you could say "learned a new trick" and it would convey the same general meaning. I get the argument that it's longer to write but it's not that much longer. I'm assuming this is unpopular because I'm seeing "new learn" being used a lot recently and really, who cares.

[close]

“New trick “ or even “new” also work fine

 “New learn” sounds like corporate speak

Haven’t heard that yet.
But i empathize with your irk when people say “unalive” instead of suicide
And yeah, no biggie who cares

[Magnolia]

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The saying "new learn" kind of irks me. Not a big deal, but when a verb is turned into a noun it rarely sounds good (I feel the same about "get play"). If you want to express that you learned a new trick, you could say "learned a new trick" and it would convey the same general meaning. I get the argument that it's longer to write but it's not that much longer. I'm assuming this is unpopular because I'm seeing "new learn" being used a lot recently and really, who cares.

[close]

“New trick “ or even “new” also work fine

 “New learn” sounds like corporate speak

[close]

Haven’t heard that yet.
But i empathize with your irk when people say “unalive” instead of suicide
And yeah, no biggie who cares

Unalive is weird bc it started as a way to avoid posts about death and suicide getting removed on social media and has entered the offline lexicon as well

It's like pound sign being replaced by hashtag

[Painted Baby]

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The saying "new learn" kind of irks me. Not a big deal, but when a verb is turned into a noun it rarely sounds good (I feel the same about "get play"). If you want to express that you learned a new trick, you could say "learned a new trick" and it would convey the same general meaning. I get the argument that it's longer to write but it's not that much longer. I'm assuming this is unpopular because I'm seeing "new learn" being used a lot recently and really, who cares.

[close]

“New trick “ or even “new” also work fine

 “New learn” sounds like corporate speak

[close]

Haven’t heard that yet.
But i empathize with your irk when people say “unalive” instead of suicide
And yeah, no biggie who cares

[close]

Unalive is weird bc it started as a way to avoid posts about death and suicide getting removed on social media and has entered the offline lexicon as well

It's like pound sign being replaced by hashtag

It's incredibly hard to talk about suicide as a content creator. Either you piss off some part of your audience or the platforms bots either shadowban or demonitize you. A larger argument can be made as to whether AI is up to the task of content moderation (it's not at all) but until platforms are forced to change, it's gonna be this lazy bot solution and people will have to create new words to have genuine conversations.

Last week, I searched for the Suicidal Tendencies - How Wil I laugh Tomorrow video on YT and got a full page suicide prevention hotline number post that I had to click through to get my search results.

For the record, I've already introduced the term focus to my non-skate audience and am trying to get that to catch on as the word we all use to talk about a very real thing that happens.

[I-am-12]

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This is the single best concept part that has been made.

[close]

i could maybe back this as the best concept for a concept part (even though i wouldn't). but "best concept part" should have better skating shouldn't it?* a thread discussing concept parts would be cool. i can't think of any that aren't spot/obstacle or weather based, but i'd love to discover/rediscover what's out there.
*you are of course welcome to your unpopular opinion though

Spirt Quest.

[Troubadour26]

Workshop/Habitat coulda been sicker if they had gone with a lineup like this, which I think is pretty realistic:

Alien: O'Brien, Suciu, Militano, Kalis+Shanahan+1 other Philly rider holding that contingent down, Eggeling, and Josh Matthews, maybe BOD. Wildcard would be a late career Westgate. To me Alien was always a bit of a mix of styles so it makes sense that some riders do not 100% seem like they would fit together, but there are little squads within.

Habitat: Trahan, Freddy, Rizzo, Janoski, Jimmy McDonald, Humienik, Ty Beall

I like this.

Westgate deserves to skate for a brand that has some sort of identity. Trahan, Jimmy, and Humienik on Habitat would actually reassert their identity for them.

This is the best idea I’ve seen on Slap in a long time.

[Dwayne Hoover]

Workshop/Habitat coulda been sicker if they had gone with a lineup like this, which I think is pretty realistic:

Alien: O'Brien, Suciu, Militano, Kalis+Shanahan+1 other Philly rider holding that contingent down, Eggeling, and Josh Matthews, maybe BOD. Wildcard would be a late career Westgate. To me Alien was always a bit of a mix of styles so it makes sense that some riders do not 100% seem like they would fit together, but there are little squads within.

Habitat: Trahan, Freddy, Rizzo, Janoski, Jimmy McDonald, Humienik, Ty Beall

short of everyone who was already on these teams, i can absolutely not see any of this lineup ever happening

[I-am-12]

I'm not sure if this is unpopular but I believe it:

It doesn't count unless you have it on lock and it's done high, level, steezy, and at least fast enough to theoretically do it over another skateboard.

For example, you can't say you know how to kickflip if it doesn't look good and you only land 7 out of 10. You literally do not know how to kickflip. If you knew how, you would never not-land them.

[Szechuan]

I'm not sure if this is unpopular but I believe it:

It doesn't count unless you have it on lock and it's done high, level, steezy, and at least fast enough to theoretically do it over another skateboard.

For example, you can't say you know how to kickflip if it doesn't look good and you only land 7 out of 10. You literally do not know how to kickflip. If you knew how, you would never not-land them.

K.