Skateboarding was, even before we knew what an ollie was, something that developed in spite of the built environment, not because of it. And so, since the first purpose built skatepark was poured, skaters have been arguing about whether tricks done in a park are worth doing. The consensus seems to be that, in terms of legitimacy, skating things that are not meant to be skated still is best. Of course, DIY spots and transition skating in the context of concrete parks seem to get a pass, but are not quite as high up in the hierarchy. But now that the Olympics are here, raising the grim prospect of an entire caste of skateboarding “athletes” who enjoy the adulation of the masses despite never setting foot outside a park, people are having some thoughts.Red Bull, which has been doing some relatively thinky videos recently, just released this longish one that attempts to answer this thorniest of questions: street footy or contest glory? It features Ryan Decenzo, Jagger Eaton, and Samarria Brevard, who skate their natural habitats and submit to interviews alongside such skate sages as Chris Neiratko and Joey Brezinski. Samarria is set to be on the U.S. women’s Olympic team for skateboarding, but she’s still all about them streets.“When I’m out in the streets, I definitely put a different kind of pressure on myself to, like, do something that’s outside of my comfort zone,” she tells us. “As a pro skater, my top priority is to get a super sick video part out.” You love to see it!As for the men, Decenzo, a frequent doer of front 360s over huge contest course gaps, actually does his fair share of street skating in the video (although he Steve Berra’s a rail onto a fence), while Eaton all but admits that he’s given up on his previously stated dream of filming a part. He’ll just put it on Instagram and keep training until he can land everything exactly 11/12 times, he says. Anyway, can’t wait for the next Enjoi video.
