2021 Reviewed Pt.1
As Christmas approaches and another year draws to a close, it's time to look back at the past twelve months, delve into our back catalogue of blog posts and pick out eight of our favourite media releases from 2021.
Of course, as with any 'best of' list, there will be notable exclusions - the timing of writing our musings, combined with the ephemeral nature of modern skate video content, often means big videos fall into the veritable no man's land of dead space between deadlines - so please don't be too offended if your favourite pro's clip didn't make the cut!
Best Of 2021: The Hardbody Video
Kicking things off, we're stepping back in time to early March and, if you're a regular reader, you may have noticed a bit of a theme during the first few months of this year; a fawning reaction to a new Antonio Durao release seemed a weekly occurrence and with good reason!
Honestly, it seemed as though the lad from Patchogue, NY was determined to run away with his SOTY nomination before spring had even sprung. First there was Lawn Guy Land, then came Stingwater's Paid 2 Sk8, and finally the thoroughly magnificent Blubba slaying part in The Hardbody Video; all with that insane level of footy we've come to expect from the raven haired skateboarding demi-god.
It's no exaggeration to say that Antonio Durao made the 2021 lockdown a lot easier to handle!
Best of 2021: Jeff Grosso 'The Regular Man's Skateboarding Legend'
It's not often we find ourselves consuming content from the pages of the LA Times, much less share our findings with you through this here soapbox of ours. That said, it's not often the LA tabloid produces a beautifully moving insight into the life and times of one of skateboarding's most treasured sons, which was very much the case here with this fantastic piece on the dearly missed Jeff Grosso.
Produced from an angle of explaining his appeal to an audience outside the skate-nerd universe we all inhabit, interviews with everyone from Tony Hawk to Jeff's mother Rae characterised the infectious passion for skateboarding Jeff shared with the wider world.
Not afraid to shy away from the fact he was never the most naturally gifted, the piece focused on the impact the larger than life Arcadia native had on each and every one of us, be it though his wonderfully unapologetic 'Loveletters to Skateboarding' series or his championing of women in a previously male dominated arena.
Even if you watched it when it first aired, click play to remember a one of a kind. If you can make it through his mum's reminiscing without a tear in your eye you're much stronger emotionally than any of us!
Best of 2021: Powell Peralta Presents 'Seen Him'
Here at Route One, Andy Anderson is a bit of a marmite figure. To some he's the ultimate renaissance man; an other-worldly talent that exudes love for skateboarding in the purest way possible, excelling at every discipline from freestyle to vertical. To other's he's a bit of a weirdo that used to live in an ambulance. Guess you can't please all the people all of the time!
At the end of March, Powell Peralta released 'Seen Him,' a skate video production that owed more to seminal 80's VHS 'Search for Animal Chin' than it did to Insta reels and trap. Celebrating the journey of skateboarding - the cruising the streets, the finding the spot, the talking to the characters you meet along the way - the video was less a showcase of Andy's abilities, more an expose of the reality of skateboarding's intrinsic essence.
There are awkward interactions and moments of crass stupidity, (slamming into a tree whilst running down a ravine is daft in anyone's books) but, above all, the key aspect one takes away from watching this time spent in the company of && is his pure unadulterated love for skateboarding and, as we all know, that's what finding Chin is all about.
Best of 2021: Nike SB 'Constant'
Though there was a rollcall of veritable legends sprinkled throughout this 'full length' from Nike SB, including the likes of Eric Koston, Korahn Gayle and Sean Malto, it wasn't exactly contentious to suggest this video was all about the boys from Anti Hero.
Actually no, that's not strictly true. Primitive's Carlos Ribiero once again proved he's on a whole other planet for board control (so much so we just about forgave forgive him for mugging off Kenny Reed with the cardinal sin of reusing 'Strawberry Letter 23'), producing enough jaw dropping footage to give the entire industry chin bruises.
But aside from Carlos, this was strictly the Daan and Grant show. And whilst it's no exaggeration that Daan's career has somewhat stalled over recent years - injuries and the tragic death of friend and mentor P-Stone having a huge effect on his productivity - the footage cobbled together for this really was rather special.
Then of course there was Grant Taylor; second generation pro, 2011 Thrasher SOTY and perhaps the most naturally gifted allrounder to ever grace a board - we all know what he's capable of yet every time he manages to shock us some more.
Summer '21 was kicked of a treat by Nike SB's Constant. Give it a rewatch now and we'll see you after Christmas to finish off our annual retrospective with a roundup of the final six months of the year. Feliz Navidad and all that!