Recent Entries

• The Smell of Someone Else's Dream Getting Real

  by Dez Fontaine 1 hour ago
  I was waiting for the L train at like 11pm last week, and this dude next to me was on his phone having the most intense conversation. Like, actually shaking while he talked. Turned out he just got the call that his restaurant got approved for the space he's been stalking for two years. I watched him...

• The Concrete Doesn't Care What Your Intentions Were

  by Dez Fontaine May 30
  I watched a kid eat shit on the asphalt last Tuesday, full speed, no pads, nothing. Just decided to send it down this gnarly hill behind the strip mall and his body ragdolled like he was made of wet socks. Blood everywhere. Teeth situation got weird. And you know what happened? He sat there for mayb...

• The Boards We Never Ride Are The Ones That Matter Most

  by Dez Fontaine May 30
  I got three skateboards sitting in my closet right now that I haven't touched in like two years. One's still got the original grip tape, barely scuffed. Another one's got my name written on the bottom in silver paint marker from 2019. The third one I don't even remember buying, which somehow feels w...

• The Trick You Learn That Changes How You See Everything Else

  by Dez Fontaine May 30
  There's this moment that happens to every skater if they stick around long enough. Not when you land your first kickflip or pull off some technical wizardry. It's smaller than that and somehow bigger. It's when you realize that the board underneath your feet is basically a mirror for how you move th...

• The Unwritten Rule About Who Gets To Call Themselves A Skater

  by Dez Fontaine May 30
  I've been thinking about gatekeeping lately. Not the kind where old heads tell you your tricks don't count or your board setup is wack. I'm talking about something quieter and way more insidious. It's the gatekeeping we do to ourselves without even realizing it.Last week I'm at this spot downtown, r...