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One could argue that not having heard of Dino Coce by now essentially means they fell out of the loop - his independent, conceptual, full-length video "FINTA" unquestionably being one of the most original skate products of the recent years, embracing inspiration from always celebrated, now classics of the genre such as Colin Read's "SPIRIT QUEST" but with a personal twist, borrowing from as far as Michel Gondry's aesthetics, or Takahiro Morita and "OVERGROUND BROADCASTING"'s style of quick cut-based editing, and exporting what's really blending into a unique approach to skateboarding all the way from Croatia with love.

Since the release of "FINTA" (of which you can still - and are being heavily recommended to - get a DVD straight from the man himself, here), Dino has also been experimenting with the format of Instagram skateboarding clips under the moniker Orionskate, on the constant hunt for moves of his own that themselves explore the boundaries between useless wooden toy maneuvers and literal magic tricks. The emphasis on illusion in particular is so certain, one is bound to wonder what really is up with every other seemingly reality-warping clip - not unlike Gou Miyagi's late career output, just picking up from it all the while based in a completely different corner of the world.

LIVE has actually interviewed Dino a couple times before: one time to celebrate the release of "FINTA", in the makings for five years, which you can browse over here alongside many of his conceptual sketches and one part from the video; and once more regarding "TABULA RASA", another independent croatian skate film by his compatriot Raul Žgomba in which Dino had a part back in 2019, which you can watch here alongside words from the duo. Speaking of which, it is worth noting that Raul has since dropped a brand new video: "QUICKSAND", released online via the great U.K.-based Grey Skate Mag, featuring many a local scene head (and we mean that), which was paired up with one more interview by Vladimir Film Festival co-founder Nikola Racan, to be discovered here.

All caught up? Well, you're most likely still not prepared for Dino's newest offering: "SHAOLIN SPONZOR ME TAPE" is a clip really meant as an appetizer for his upcoming video (yes, he's been working on another one), but also one inherently strong of, once more, exploring definitions, formats and concepts. What's a 'web part' (actually yes, really, that term - what is it?), what's the most technical trick possible - achieving enlightenment, perhaps? Surely that one is up there at least. And so, here's the video record of Dino transcending himself, in more ways than just one too.

Dino suggested that we would release this on 22/2/2 at 22:22 (that is 10:22 P.M.) and of course we embraced the flow. It was filmed by Dujma and Butko, salutes Dino's longtime appreciation of both Japanese skateboarding videos and Eastern spirituality at large in the best way possible and, as a single, online skate piece, will definitely make you reconsider at least part of what you think you know.

"I met Alfredo “Blunt” Franco on a skate trip in Mexico City back in 2006. At the ripe young age of twenty-one, I was immediately impressed this thirty-one-year-old was skating as hard as he was - still seeking out spots, filming, and getting photos, doing legitimately impressive stuff. This was the mid 2000's, where staple nineties pros were about the same age, and we were just beginning to learn what longevity is. And here's this guy from an unfamiliar skate scene, skating just as hard (or harder), but doing it only for the love.

I had a blast skating with him, hearing the early stories of Mexican skateboarding, and checking some of his spots; crazy transitioned fountains and old skateparks. We stayed friends and have been in regular contact since, visiting each other's cities.

As years progressed, my skating has slowed down, but Blunt seems to only progress. At my 36, I look at his 46, and can only be in awe. He's in the small group of skaters that seem to have found the fountain of youth.

But there's another layer for Blunt; he’s one of the originators in Mexico, skating since the eighties, and still keeping it moving to this day. He's seen his scene grow from nothing, evolve, progress, and explode. I can say from my first trip in 2006, every time I've returned I've noticed the changes: more skaters, more skateparks, brands, videos, and the level of skating has grown and grown. Blunt has lived it since its infancy, and still keeps the wheels turning as the years pass." - Brett Nichols

Montpellier-based, Five-O Skateshop affiliate Odran Fernandez (who hasn't been without getting some LIVE love already before) and his Melbourne holiday are both looking real sweet, or so do they at least via the 3CCD prism of local filmer Hunter D. Micaleff we're inclined to believe is truthful, since Hunter's own holiday footage doesn't lie.

Now about Odran, in between two considerably long noseslide maneuvers, the man himself recounts:

"Melbourne is just an incredibly, crazy city packed with spots! So as far as the back story goes, the place has been quite lockdown-heavy since Covid and the last instance of lockdown we had spanned for just about three months. That whole time period, I was getting more or less 'paid to skate' due to being unable to work and so, I was being supported by an organization called Centrelink, benefitting from some weekly program... Which was pretty sick, actually!

And so during that lockdown, I first met Hunter; we randomly got a couple of clips together one day and the dynamic was just working, so we naturally went on and filmed more! "JUST ON TIME" was filmed over two months, two months and a half, so quite the dense, fast process - we really were productive because, well, we both had nothing else to do and that's a fact [laughs].

Really, big up to Hunter since, whenever we would be going skating, he really would be coming to film and not with that mindset of mostly skating and then maybe getting a few clips on the side. We'd meet up at spots with specific ideas... For instance, that whole session for both the first and last trick - I probably spent two hours at that spot that day, it really was one of my most intense battles I ever fought - and here he was the whole time, sitting down with the camera, switching tapes and batteries... Because yeah, we did choose to film with the VX!

"JUST ON TIME" as the video title actually comes from how one certain line was filmed just that, five seconds prior to the end of one of the tapes..." - Odran Fernandez