I know most of you, if not all already know this, but it's always worth pointing out that the whole "venus in furs" part in the original sorry video was TP and not Arto Saari. I got in the longest YouTube arhument w/ someone who would just not accept that it wasn't Arto.
I feel like that Europe 95 411 is truly the moment where people realized how awesome his skating was. And even though he didn't win it in 96, he stole the show in the 411 Europe 96 video.
As far as a sw tre down that bank...well if you watch Danny Minnick's Genie of the Lamp TP part, Tom is skating in a "roller skating rink" turned skatepark, does a noseblunt down a box set up on another box, lands fakie and then does the best sw tre i've seen to this day. I would totally love if there was even one more trick from that day...who knows. Skin did say he is sitting on some TP footage in his 9 club that wouldnt be released for the internet, but for something better. There's an IG comment from French Fred or Theo Hand where they say they still have more too.
On that cult of tom page, donny barley wrote a commenr about how Tom would sit around the house and figure out tricks, then if you watch that footage of tom that came out recently where hes wearing timbs and a scarf and a black jacket and he is at that hubba he sw nose slides in paris, he is clearly visualizing it, he even sits down and slides down it...pretty cool. Even if theres just behind the scenes footy left, its still really interesting.
Remember, back then 6 months felt like 2 years, so when Tom resurfaced skateboarding had changed. He had already left by "fulfill the dream", zero and jamie thomas sent skateboarding into hammer time, and the d3 was going strong; kasperholics, muskateers, 411 may have even changed formats by then...then returns Penny. He dressed way differently. But I loved it...because it's him...and he had fought his battles and won.
Not to get too nerdy, but he really is like a wizard...he fought the balrog of his own demons and came back the white wizars...hey, i guess we need heroes...but then again, a lot of the rumors of things he did during his hiatus in timbs and other ppls boards have been corraborated...like the ollie down that huge "jaws like" stair set that someone shot on a disposable camera only, yet it exists!
Btw, I think it was the skateboard mag where Tony Hawk is doing doubles on the cover where Penny has a great interview. It really hits on his wizard like persona. It's a classic.