A new, better champion
What does SOTY mean? Transworld is back? Olympic qualifiers good? Gabriel Summers? Yes.
The definitive weekly ranking and analysis of all the skateboarding and other things online that I cannot stop consuming and how it makes me feel, personally.
A new, better champion
Rank: 1
Mood: 🏆
There is both too much and not enough importance placed on Thrasher's Skater of the Year award. By this, I mean seeing the skateboarding industry swirl and swell in the final quarter of a calendar year, brands releasing video after video to jockey their paid representatives into pole position to win a trophy, is a bit much.
On the other hand, is it, though? SOTY is, quite literally, the only award in skateboarding that matters (besides SSOTY, of course). It is the sport's supreme acknowledgment and what most professionals pine for. Winning doesn't mean you're set for life, but you are cemented in history. What sponsor wouldn't want that for their independent contractor? It would be promotional malpractice not to pursue that superlative.
So, as the holiday season approaches, we are flooded with high-quality skateboarding "content." Multi-year marketing campaigns are executed in an effort to receive what, in reality, is the final leg of another marketing campaign. So it goes. And how it goes reflects the industry itself.
The last time a skateboarder sponsored by an endemic shoe company ("endemic" admittedly being a shaky descriptor as most skater-owned footwear companies have been sold, acquired, or scooped up by a private equity concern by this point) was dubbed Skater of the Year — if we don't count Vans with its billion-dollar conglomerate-sized coffers — was in 2014. That year, Wes Kremer, representing SK8MAFIA and DC Shoes, deservedly took it home.
This is what the field has looked like since, table courtesy of Wikipedia.
| 2015 |  Anthony Van Engelen | 37 | Regular | Fucking Awesome | Vans |
| 2016 | Kyle Walker[32] | 22 | Goofy | Real Skateboards | Vans |
| 2017 | Jamie Foy | 21 | Regular | Deathwish Skateboards | New Balance |
| 2018 | Tyshawn Jones[33] | 20 | Regular | Fucking Awesome | adidas |
| 2019 |  Milton Martinez[33] | 28 | Goofy | Creature Skateboards | Converse |
| 2020 | Mason Silva[33] | 24 | Regular | Real Skateboards | Nike |
| 2021 | Mark Suciu[34] | 29 | Goofy | Habitat Skateboards | adidas |
| 2022 | Tyshawn Jones (2)[35] | 24 | Regular | King Skateboards | adidas |
| 2023 | Miles Silvas[36] | 28 | Regular | Primitive Skateboarding | adidas |
| 2024 | Jamie Foy (2)[37] | 28 | Regular | Deathwish Skateboards | New Balance |
Not an Etnies, éS, Emerica, Lakai, DC, DVS (?), Fallen (??), iPath (???), Last Resort, or Hours is Yours (??????) in sight. For some, that has led to the belief that the athletic shoe behemoths are running a payola scam to get their riders a Rusty. More realistically, it's that they have the financial stability to put the best skateboarders on the planet on their payroll.
That doesn't mean the surviving endemic brands don't retain top-tier talent. In fact, this year, the year of our lord 2025, two of the top contenders for Skater of the Year ride for éS and Zombie Lakai, respectively.
TJ Rogers has built one of the year's strongest SOTY cases thus far, releasing multiple video parts, including last week's Happy Friday for Thrasher, which is potentially his best showcase to date. Rogers was not only productive, he also repped the magazine, received a debut signature model shoe from éS and was taken on a world tour to celebrate. Not to mention that he, in general, has a genuinely compelling story. That's a stellar year. A year that resembles the last three or four previous, another testament to his work ethic.
Chris Joslin, who was let go by longtime sponsor Etnies to start 2025, found a new home on the reanimated insoles of Lakai. He also put out one very impressive, very Chris Joslin video part, won a Street League event, and 360-flipped El Toro, which will be featured in a Lakai project due to premiere any day now — although, a source did hit the Simple Magic tipline this week with a rumour that El Toro High school threatened to sue if the footage is released, which is the purported cause of that project's hold up. I reached out to some of the parties allegedly involved; one declined to comment and another hasn't responded. The school has shown itself to be successfully litigious when it comes to skateboarding-related matters, so take that as you will. Rumoured drama aside, if a SOTY is measured by impact and not ad spend, Joslin is certainly in consideration.
Would it signal a shift in taste or the market if either takes the title? It has been a decade since someone without the backing of a major footwear conglomerate won the Only Award That Matters. Or does it even make sense to put this much thought into it, as the skater is the winner, and their sponsors secondary?
To that end, wouldn't it be a more historic happening if Kevin Baekkel takes it, a skater without a shoe sponsor? Or, what if a vert skater won? Danny Way was the last in 2004, and that was because he went full MAGA Mega. Would winning in 2025 portend vert skating's resurgence? Tom Schaar would be excited to find out. Or — or, would it be even more historic (by a year), and to bring this all back around, if a Canadian, say TJ Rogers, won? That hasn't happened since Mark Appleyard in 2003.
I mean, this country could use a new, better champ.
Return of The Transworld-Ass Skater... ?
Rank: 2019
Mood: 🤔
There used to be more awards in skateboarding. When Transworld Skateboarding was around and in print, it gave out the annual TransWorld SKATEboarding Awards, which were decided by "readers" and "riders" polls. In 1999, the categories and winners were:
1999 TransWorld SKATEboarding Awards
Best Video Part
Readers: Jamie Thomas, Misled Youth
Riders: Jamie Thomas, Misled Youth
Best Video
Readers: Osiris, The Storm
Riders: TransWorld SKATEboarding, The Reason
Best Team
Readers: Shorty’s
Riders: Girl
Best All-Around
Readers: Bob Burnquist
Riders: Heath Kirchart
Best Vert
Readers: Tony Hawk
Riders: Bob Burnquist
Best Style
Readers: Peter Smolik
Riders: Donny Barley
Best Street
Readers: Rick McCrank
Riders: Brian Anderson
I would've been one of those readers voting for Smolik in '99, I can tell you that much. Alas, we won't know who has the best style of 2025 as Transworld hasn't been in print since 2019... that was, until this week, when their Instagram account announced a 2025 photo annual, featuring a beautiful shot of Jimmy Wilkins on the cover taken by Mike Blabac.
Transworld's account confirmed in the post's comments that it plans to put out the occasional print issue. The cadence of which is unclear, but it is promising either way. While I have been critical of the slop-site feed house that Transworld's web presence has become, if it's allowed them to muscle their way back into print, is that not a good thing? Ideally, they can keep it up. The issue goes on sale today at the industry's most valuable URL, skateboarding.com
Interested in some Olympic-calibre skateboarding?
Rank: 13
Mood: 🥇🥈🥉
While competitive skateboarding may, understandably, be anathema to some, especially when it pertains to the Olympic variety, which comes with its own baggage, there is really nothing like watching it done at the highest level. Because skateboarding, this infinitely difficult thing, is not supposed to be mastered like this. Or it seems like it shouldn't be possible to, anyhow.
And that's what was on display during the "street" contest finals at World Skate's World Cup stop in Kitakyushu, Japan, last weekend.
Predictably, the women's division remains as exciting as ever, with the field's progression evident from event to event. Take stock of a few of these tricks: China's Yuanlong Zhu made a flawless switch-frontside-nosegrind down the big handrail during best trick, Japan's Yumeka Oda kickflip-frontside-feebled it, Nanami Onishi backside-50-50-kickflipped it shortly after — backside! Jiyul Shin kickflip-backside-tailslide-shoved the bump to ledge on the pyramid, and 13-year-old Ibuki Matsumoto stole the show and the gold with a stunning kickflip-frontside-nosegrind on the giant bump-to-ledge feature.
There was also some classic high-stakes sporting drama. Australian phenom Chloe Covell struggled in the run section. When she finally managed to put together a complete run on her final attempt, her last trick, a frontside-feeble across and down a flatbar, was done a mere second after time, damaging her score and leaving Covell at such a deficit that she wept in frustration.
That meant she had to go big in best trick. After missing her first two attempts, she'd stick a perfect frontside-bluntside-bigspin out down the big handrail. I'm not sure I'd ever seen her pull one in competition. It was risky, but it paid off, shooting her from last place to third and securing a podium position.
The men's division also delivered. Korea's Juni Kang started his runs with a switch-alley-oop 270 lip, a trick I don't think I've ever seen anyone do, let alone down the biggest rail in the park during an Olympic qualifying event. Japan's Kairi Netsuke, Sora Shirai, and Argentina's Matias Dell Olio traded daggers back and forth. Netsuke landed a heelflip-backside-tailslide-bigspin down the big hubba and Shirai countered with a bigspin-backside-tailslide-bigspin it, followed by Dell Olio's half-cab-noseslide-270-heelflip.
In the end, Shirai squeaked out the win with an alley-oop-backside-180-fakie-5-0 down the hubba, a somewhat questionable decision as Netsuke's heelflip-backside-tailslide-bigspin appeared to be the more difficult and technical trick.
That nitpicking itself requires a moment of pause: those are some of the most difficult skateboarding tricks imaginable being done on command while en route to the biggest stage in sports. That's the calibre of skateboarding we get to choose from.
Besides all of that, the main takeaway of the event is that Ryan Decenzo (who nearly died on the course the day previous) wasn't terrible in the colour commentary role on the broadcast and had a decent grasp of how to fill the air without suffocating or poisoning it. That's a hard job, especially while concussed.
Most impressively, when asked by his play-by-play partner what music he would be listening to during his run, Decenzo didn't hesitate.
"DMX, 'The Rain.'"
Results via World Skate
Enjoy it
Rank: 1
Mood: 🤕
The highest compliment someone can pay a skateboarder is that they are enjoyable to watch. What "enjoy" means can vary from person to person. Maybe you like their style and trick selection, their technical acumen, how they push themselves, the limits of skateboarding, or our perceptions of it.
Sometimes those preferences are hard to explain. Certain skateboarders have it. An attribute or intangible that makes them stand out. In that sense, Gabriel Summers is one of this era's most compelling figures. What you might call a journeyman in this game, he's been around for some time, paying his dues, but not exactly seeing a return. But his fearlessness, or recklessness, has always made him appointment viewing. His tendency to slam, often and brutally, is as much a part of his oeuvre as the makes.
Summers has been the subject of multiple Thrasher "My War" episodes. He credits the first with "rebooting" his career. In a recent "Out There" segment, he says that kids at demos don't dap him up for riding away, but tell him "it was sick to see you battle that trick."
In a vacuum, as a viewer, that hurt is not enjoyable. In that same "Out There" piece, you need almost two hands to count how many times we see Summers knock himself unconscious. Speaking of hands, have you seen his?
The human suffering inherent to skateboarding, particularly on the level of Summers, is an odd thing to lionize, but if you've ever battled a trick yourself, it's not hard to recognize, even at a far remove, why he says he "loves it." Pain compounds the reward. There is a euphoria in riding away, even if you're not sure it was entirely worth it.
"I could have definitely made everything a lot easier for myself if I just chose a different career path in life. I definitely chose the one that is a war, a constant war with myself, with the spots. Like everything has been a battle. I think I'm a little bit of a masochist." Summers says.
That suffering is a consequence of vision and desire. And, one has to admit, it is also a brilliant narrative device. It gives heart to the rapid-fire intensity of Summers' skating, where each rideaway becomes a triumph over the guillotine's blade. You can see it on his face.
At the end of GABBERS, Summers' latest video part released by Thrasher on Wednesday, we watch his face go blank once more as he separates himself from consciousness attempting a trick. It's awful. He loves it. Enough to go back and try it again. Risking more damage for a meagre pay cheque and the entertainment of himself and us at home.
Who ultimately bears responsibility for what the rest of Summers' life looks like? We know what that amount of brain trauma can do. While he may enjoy it, Summers also admits he felt pressure to go back and try again because he'd already submitted a bail shot of the trick from that previous session, where he sent himself into oblivion, for an adidas ad.
It was a professional obligation to step back into the fray. Skateboarding as prizefighting on wheels. Of course, the concussions, the physical and emotional anguish, if you're a masochist, it only sweetens the pot.
When he rides away — and my god does he ever ride away — you can see it on his face. Relief and joy and shock and feelings too powerful to pin down with names. It made me emotional to watch through a screen: his triumph, and everything that comes with it, all of ours to enjoy.
Something to consider: A good dive into the oafish machinations I touched on last week.
David Roth
Good thing: Slow Impact is back. Get your tickets :)
A good skate media thing: Farran Golding at Skate Bylines has been doing a skate media demo survey. If that's you, fill it out here:
Farran Golding
And check out the WIP results here:
Farran Golding
Another good thing:
Natalie Porter
Good thing about a missing thing:
William Takahashi
Good pod round-up:
Village Psychic
Posted by
Templeton
A great milestone thing:
Village Psychic
Sure, why not, another good thing:
Cullen Poythress
At the risk of being too heavy handed...:
Drew Magary
Until next week… you can always apologize.
Laser Quit Smoking Massage
NEWEST PRESS
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A collection of essays that I think you might like. The Edmonton Journal called it a "local book set to make a mark in 2024," The CBC said it's "quirky yet insightful" (lol), and it won Trade Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the 2025 Alberta Book Publishing Awards.
Book cover by Hiller Goodspeed.
Right, Down + Circle
ECW PRESS
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I wrote a book about the history and cultural impact of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater that you can find at your local bookshop or order online now. I think you might like this one, too.
Photo via The Palomino.
