Pat Stiener

PREMIERE / "Hot Plate" / Marshall Nicholson

It is no less than six years that Marshall Nicholson spent restlessly working on his second independent, full-length skate video (after "FEED YOUR HEAD", and shorter clips such as "JIVE"): "HOT PLATE", a few parts from which had already found their respective ways online before - notably via Theories of Atlantis and Vague Skate Mag. Talking Theories, they are still hosting this interview with Marshall by Mike Wine where the approach for, and process behind the piece were discussed in length; Vague, on their end, had Dom Henry take over the interrogation room, which resulted in even more commentary from the author.

Now, Marshall is a full-time father and still undertaking new projects, be it video-wise or not as he's also been busy managing Palms Skateshop; and yet in spite of such an intense schedule, today, he's delivering and serving us the full "HOT PLATE" - now watchable in one shot fired from Fort Myers, Florida but also, by extension, N.Y.C., Baltimore, Chattanooga and Tokyo. A whole universal story wrapped up within exactly forty-two VX-1000-driven minutes; Douglas Adams himself never was this correct at estimating the meaning of life.

Retro-Traffic

Originally founded by East Coast pioneer Ricky Oyola, in the entire universe, Traffic Skateboards has always been celebrated for its appreciation for urban excellence and a direction in fine, occasionally downright sharp taste; and today, they live up to such impossibly high standards again, with the consecration of two longtime brand riders and activists Mark Wetzel and Pat Stiener as honorary pros, for this next season at least. And so, as the Internet typically calls for, a video retrospective was in order; except here, we're not talking one, but two separate edits by Theories of Atlantis - so, one for Pat et the other for Mark the Shark, respectively. The Traffic video saga already being impeccable in the first place, you can already start imagining how qualitative the best-of mix really is... Also to expand on (one of) the subject(s), please feel free to (re-)read our latest interview with Mark Wetzel about filming for the Traffic video "LOOK LEFT", his personal background and way more interesting stories, here!

Stay Static

Today, it's Josh Stewart and his fellow Theories of Atlantis Illuminati's turn to help fix the world's craving for street action via the high-quality (on all terms) upload of the New Jersey section from the indie cult classic "STATIC III", featuring two legends as the state's ambassadors: Mark Wetzel (also interviewed on LIVE a few eons back regarding his segment in the Traffic video "LOOK LEFT", here) and Steve Durante.

On a side note, now's probably the best time to (re-)discover "LOOK LEFT" in full (the recommended portion for your health), here!

Full Traffic

We've already done our best to warn you about the gem that is the latest Traffic video (if one somehow doesn't count their recent Japan trip as canon), "Look Left"; a while back, we even went as far as interviewing Mark Wetzel and Joe Yates for your reading pleasure - and also to try and provide a window into the culture surrounding an authentic company that is deeply anchored in the history of street skateboarding. Well now, the whole piece is finally online, thanks to the homies at Theories, the distro and collective led by Josh Stewart - who's also the filmmaker here. Don't slip and forget to catch a glimpse of the recap of Josh's recent exhibition at Vladimir, retracing the twenty past years the man has spent working on his own series of independent skate videos, the classic "Static", before you go!

Tokyo Transfer II

Traffic Skateboards, the longtime running brand of East Coast street skating style pioneer Ricky Oyola (whose urban interpretation some are unknowingly biting to this day, still), is the fruit of a conscious effort to try and do things proper - an apparent motto they've been adhering to since the start. Most remarkably, they were some of the first to cultivate an active connection with the Japanese skate scene, by sponsoring Deshi (his incredible section in "Night Prowler", by Katsumi Minami who now runs Evisen, here) and producing quite the legendary trip video there: "Tokyo Transfer", back in 2009.

A decade later, and some months following the release of the Traffic full-length video "Look Left" (an occasion LIVE celebrated with you by interviewing Joe Yates and Mark Wetzel), well, they did just that again and returned to the Mecca of spots that are perfect for the first twenty seconds (and then rigorously forbidden, unless you enjoy getting clubbed by flashing red neon sticks). The line-up might have changed over the years, but the approach never did.

Japan is one of those places where the uninitiated tourist should watch both sides of the road before thinking of attempting to cross, due to the Japanese driving on what is, to most Westerners, the unusual lane... Hence the title "Look Right" (or one of its aspects, that is), as covered in the full article (with photos) on the TransWorld Skateboarding website.

And if you're still eager for some more, very fine Hiroki Muraoka, feel free to revisit one of the best video parts of last year, here...

Viva Via!

Avid LIVE Skateboard Media readers should remember the noise around the latest Traffic Skateboards (East coast pioneer Ricky Oyola's board company) full-length video release: "Look Left", as it wasn't without causing quite some waves amid the underground scene last year and we also jumped on the opportunity to interview team riders Mark Wetzel and Joe Yates. For the past few years now, Theories of Atlantis' Josh Stewart (of "Static" independent series fame) and Pat Stiener have had a hand in the image and distribution of the company, something in the name of which they just put up its first ever full-length offering from 2006: "Via", on their YouTube channel, in its entirety. Along with Josh's "Static II", that film is a true pearl of culture in that it helped shine some more light towards an East coast scene that really had never slowed down since Dan Wolfe's "Eastern Exposure" saga ten years back, or the Zoo York "Mixtape" video from a few years prior. Of course, Ricky's direction for Traffic had to be pure street only, straight from some of its best East coast representatives with a visionary eye for trick and spot aesthetics - something that's become a standard since, but those guys were part of setting that whole imagery! Namely Mark Wetzel, Ricky Oyola, Pat Stiener, the incredible Rich Adler, Henry Panza, Andy Bautista, Brannon John, Shaun Williams and some guests of choice along the likes of Bobby Puleo all make appearances. The twenty-minute format makes "Via" a perfect pre-skate watch, oh and the soundtrack is as incredible as the skating. Homework of a pleasurable kind!

Live Skateboard MediaLive Skateboard Media

Wait to pass announcement...
Close