by Rob Meronek

Last night, I planned on doing nothing but getting some chill time in. I took several videos out of the Shop and decided to get all skate-nerd on you and take some notes while watching them. The first three are below.

I’m usually watching videos with my girl lately, so most of the time it’s plain old couples scenes, but I’m always down for an all girl cast. It works for that alone time. Huh? Ah ok, this is a skate video with all girls in it. Okay, cool. But wait, it starts out with bad acting. Am I sure this isn’t the video I think it is? Next thing you know, I’m watching Amy Caron superman slam sliding along the ground on her chest. Just when I’m almost convinced the strap-ons are coming out, some ripping skating comes on. I first saw Amy Caron skate at a Damn Am contest a few years ago. She ripped back then and does today, too. Here are some random notes:

Girls wear TAPS just like dudes and it looks just as bad.

What's the tube of Muscle Rub really for?

The Asian chick used some trance music. I was almost feeling it – maybe a couple more beers would help.

We’d better see that ginger-bread-man costume at the Damn Am in October.

Don’t let Alex White’s undies distract you too much. She can front board a seven or eight stair. Not bad.

Lauren Mollica gets Ass Crack of the Year Award.

Nyjah Huston needs to ask Elizabeth Nito out to the school dance or something. She’s another one of them 10-year-olds (or so) and can already kickflip a six or seven stair.

“Buttcrack” Jayme Erickson had a few tricks in it, too.

Those pants with the undies printed on the outside are sick.

Lyn-Z Adams’ footage of the Mega-Ramp of gargantuan proportions jump is not in there.

Stefanie Thomas is still ripping. She’s nollieing and kickflipping seven or eight sets. Didn’t Matt Giles date her for a while?

Vanessa Torres gets the closing part with a crooked grind down a seven or eight stair.

I didn’t watch anything after the credits came on so for all I know, there could have been a big Villa Villa Orgy I missed or something. The video was 45 minutes with an hour of bonus footage. Who knows what that is all about? Check it out if you’re at your bro’s house and he has a copy. On to the next video.

Click here to get the Getting Nowhere Faster DVD.

Putting half of Bam’s mug on the cover has ensured that for many, many kids out there, this will be the first legit skate video they remember watching. Hopefully they all keep skating for their entire lives. My first real skate video was The Bones Brigade II video, Future Primitive. Yeah, they had TV back then.

Jake Rupp and Tosh Townend open it up with a combined part together with music that reminds me that I’m going to be sitting around in Jamaica in about 10 days. It’s amazing how Jake Rupp can pop out of a front board on a rail.

Ryan Dewitt, Element Team Manager, might be a falling down drunk sometimes, but that one fall down after his tailslide beats them all. He was riding away, hit a crack, and fell like a sack of potatoes.

Dallas Rockvam – back tail to fakie on a large hubba like whoa. Then he almost did it down Hollywood 16. Footage of his three-wheeled feeble is also in there.

Brent Atchley used that one real old Public Enemy song where Flavor Flav, who was here in Tampa the other night, talks for like a minute or so in the intro. You can add that song to the list of songs used twice in skate videos (it’s in one of the Static videos), except on this one Brent has a line in a concrete park that’s as long as the intro part. He follows that with one amazing part. Brent’s got the mannies and the trannies on lock.

Jeremy Wray still has the best frontside 360’s.

Mandatory Ed Lover dance every time you watch Colt Cannon’s part. Kickflip backside 50-50 a round rail? Yikes. Along with Nyjah, that’s two former Tampa Am winners with a part in this video.

Think what you want of Bam Margera’s side antics, but regardless of that, he’s a good skateboarder. Footage of him making the loop is in there, too.

Nyjah Huston is only 10-years-old, so he doesn’t have sky-high pop yet, but he sure has those rails on lock. He’s still am, but they gave him the last part. Nyjah's older brother, Ahbi Huston also has some footage in there.

Brian Schaefer made the credits in one of the photos. Nice. Check the extras for footage of a barefoot hippie. There’s more than that in there, but I just like saying “barefoot hippie.”

Click here to get the Elementality DVD.

Stacey Lowery closed a good part at a spot in downtown Tampa.

Holmes is getting a lot of acting gigs these days. Mike Frazier goes for a Grammy in this one, too.

This is not the first video I’ve seen Sean Sterken, the former Team Manager, in. Anyone else seen footage of him “acting” lately?

Tom Knox and Eric Dressen – memories to me but, older than your dad to most of you. They’re still skating good.

Check the extras to see an alternate angle of Emanuel Guzman’s frontside flip over a street gap. He’s pushing downhill at the thing going light speed.

Click here to get the Guarte DVD.

Rob