2013 might seem like a random arbitrary year to most people, but to Jenkem, it’s the year the current era of skateboarding was born. It kicked off with a number of notable pros leaving their long-term sponsors, and many of them went on to start some of the most dominant brands of today. Jenkem’s friend and contributor Andrew Murrell picked out and wrote up the most notable events of 2013 in a neat timeline (featured in Jenkem Vol 3), and Alex Coles brought it to life in his usual video essay format.
JENKEM PREMIERE: Ben St. Aubin in “Rendered” by Daniel Policelli
Ben skates fast, hits unconventional spots and randomly wore a ski mask in one of his clips. Enjoy his part from Daniel Policelli’s upcoming Toronto-based video, Rendered.
JENKEM Went to Mardi Gras with Nora Vasconcellos
Skateboarding (probably) won’t make you rich, but it can definitely make you rich in experiences. Case in point: What other job would randomly fly you to Mardi Gras to party and interview Nora? When Adidas asked if Jenkem might be interested in the idea as a way to promote her new shoe colorway, they quickly agreed as neither Nora or Jenkem had ever been to New Orleans and were curious to check out one of the biggest parties of the year. With additional help from Philly (New Orleans native & Owner of Humidity Skate Shop) as a host and tour guide, they headed down to ride the wave of parties, film an interview with Nora while she was injured, and learn from the locals.
PREMIERE: “Peter Pan Syndrome” Section from Lenz III – JENKEM
Jenkem brings you Chapter 13 from Tightbooth Production’s “Lenz III” – featuring Japanese skateboarding legends and friends of Tightbooth.
South Bay with Louie Lopez, Ryan Lee & Mason Silva l Neighborhoods – JENKEM
JENKEM out to California to visit the South Bay, an area just outside Los Angeles, home to Louie Lopez and Ryan Lee. Initially, they were going to do the video with just these two, but quickly realized Louie and Ryan’s story can’t be told without Mason Silva, who has been part of the inseparable trio since day one.
Shop Talk at Pharmacy Boardshop Hollywood – JENKEM
Shop managers Kevin Martinez and Spud invited Jenkem to stop by Pharmacy’s newest location in Hollywood for the day.
Exploring More of Hong Kong’s Crustiest Spots – JENKEM
Skating in Hong Kong is kind of like if you mixed Tokyo, San Francisco, and New York in a bowl and threw everything into one dense city. The end result is a mix of crusty hills and tight alley spots packed into a densely populated concrete maze. Jenkem had their Hong Kong Correspondent Ollie Rodgers take us on a tour of some spots with his crew to see more.
PREMIERE: “Konton,” A New Flowy Homie Video from Japan – JENKEM
Though “Konton” does have a couple of bangers, it’s more a showcase of calculated speed, flow, style, and consistency we’ve come to love from Japanese skating. Featuring Ryunosuke Tomita, Yuma Takeo, Shin Sanbongi, Daichi Ishibashi, Daiki Hoshino, Rio Morishige, Shogo Zama, Takumi Wada, Shor West and Kelly Ishihara.
Meet Abe Bethel, one of the best curb skaters in the world – JENKEM
JENKEM first learned about Abe when we heard The Nine Club hosts, Ronnie Creager, and Jamie Owens all praising his curb skating skills. Jamie even went as far as calling Abe “the greatest curb skater of all time,” which was a claim Jenkem had to look into. It turns out Abe is truly a master of the slappy and had a part in last year’s curb heavy ((THEVIDEO)), which is a great showing of what is possible when you have a rub brick, a shit ton of wax, and a little determination.
Abe has since moved to Miami, opened Greater Skate Shop, and received even more praise for his curb dancing abilities. To get a better idea of his skating, Jenkem took a quick trip to Miami to see how he is settling and talked to a few curb-loving pros about his influence.
PREMIERE: “Fear and Loathing in Shanghai” – JENKEM
JENKEM brings you a skate video filmed like an action packed blockbuster movie in China.
Shop Talk at the FA Store in New York City – JENKEM
JENKEM hit the Fucking Awesome store in Manhattan’s East Village (420 East 9th Street New York, NY 10009) for their newest episode of Shop Talk. As usual, the homies were lurking, joints were burning, and shit was talked.
Hanging out with… Sheezy – JENKEM
Sheezy is a really rad skater from Australia who JENKEM recently met while visiting Seattle. They decided to do some classic skate tourism and checked out some famous LA area landmarks: Sunken City, Channel Street DIY and a shooting range.