Five Favorite Parts With Casper Brooker

Headline Picture by Alex Pires
Intro + Interview by Farran Golding

Even earlier than leaping on the “Five Favorite Parts” name, it’s tempting to attract connections between an interviewee’s record of inspirations and their most up-to-date physique of labor.

Such was the case right here, in (presumably) our most up to date part-forward installment. Nonetheless, from the easy aggression, mining of a sure locale for brand new routes, to the desire for monochromatic suits, there’s a little bit little bit of all of those favorites present in Casper Brooker’s latest video part.

Heath Kirchart — Alien Workshop: Thoughts Discipline (2009)

He was already my favourite skater – him and [Andrew] Reynolds – when Thoughts Discipline got here out. At the moment I’d put on… properly, nonetheless, I solely actually put on black sneakers or black trousers.

That half blew me away. I used to be like 15, 16. Listening to Morrissey and The Smiths was an enormous factor because it was for anybody in England at that age. Him skating to [“Speedway”], at night time, carrying all black – Nick [Jensen] stated it in his one of these: he’s simply on his personal path.

I discover it actually onerous to articulate, nevertheless it modified my view on skating. Clothes, trick, spot alternative – all unbelievable. He does the hole to again lip with the shoelace belt undone; there’s little particulars like that all through the entire half which simply add to the entire thing. Clearly, Greg Hunt is an unbelievable filmmaker, however that intro the place the chainsaw goes off with the sparks, I get goosebumps from it. It’s an emotional half.

He’s such his personal entity, he’s Heath Kirchart, you realize? He’s a type of “favorite skater’s favorite skaters.”

Anthony Van Engelen — Vans: PROPELLER (2015)

It’s fairly secure to say A.V.E. is my all-time favourite skater. When this video got here out, I used to be actually excited. It was his first full half since Thoughts Discipline [2009].

I purchased [PROPELLER] solely for this half. It was across the time we have been filming for Vase. It’s a bizarre Ozzy Osbourne music [“Over The Mountain”] and it’s good with the half, however by itself, I’d by no means hearken to that. I’d find yourself annoying everybody, singing the half and so they’d be like, “Oh fucking shut up, man.”

One thing I discover actually inspiring is it’s one the final full-length movies the place a complete group labored on it for 3 or 4 years, perhaps even longer. Skating has modified a lot since. I believe even then, it was a little bit of an enormous deal as a result of folks had been engaged on it for therefore lengthy. There’s a lot work that went into it and I believe he wears his coronary heart on his sleeve. All the things he movies, a lot of effort goes in and I actually like that.

White t-shirt, black Dickies, all tattooed up and a black trucker hat: that’s a timeless look. Change criminal half cab flip out, swap bottom smiths — his trick choice is de facto inspiring to me. He additionally appears to be like pissed off when he’s skating, which I discover actually sick.

He’s repeatedly progressing, one-upping himself in the very best means. There’s such sturdy consistency to his components. He does comparable methods, however they’re all the time on “higher” obstacles or accomplished quicker. It’s virtually like a reference to the outdated half.

There are way more technical skaters, however nobody else is doing tech methods with as a lot energy and magnificence as him. The road the place he bottom 180s up the curb, takes a few swap pushes down a sidewalk in L.A., then [does] a swap criminal half cab flip is so fucking cool.

I’ve watched Dancing On Skinny Ice a hell of lots. I attempted to do that as half all-time favorites and half present. I’ve watched his PROPELLER half — actually — a whole lot of occasions.

Tyshawn Jones — Supreme: “BLESSED” (2018)

I actually like Ben Kadow and Tyshawn’s components. A number of these components are due to the music as properly, that’s an enormous half to play in them. He skates to Rick Ross [“Blowin’ Money Fast”], then to Bob Dylan [“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”] and when he does the swap tre [at the very end] there’s this area of interest, Jay-Z monitor [“Hova Song (Intro)”]. All three collectively are such a mismatch of music, which works so completely.

He’s naturally proficient and top-of-the-line skaters on the market, however you may inform how a lot effort went into it. Once more, it’s a type of components that’s sort of emotional. When the Dylan music comes and it’s him and Dylan Rieder standing subsequent to one another, I really feel like there’s loads of layers to it. Not simply, “Right here’s a S.O.T.Y. half.” That’s a reasonably golden clip. That clip hit my coronary heart a bit, like, “Ooft, that’s gnarly,” however in such a good way that it exists and it’s in that half.

I assume Bill [Strobeck] put loads of effort and time in, and you may inform that he cares enhancing that half. Not that he doesn’t care all through the entire video, however there’s a really private stage that comes throughout, which I believe is de facto candy.

One thing I actually like about his skating, which I discover complicated, is that he does loopy, tech shit and extremely popped stuff, however in the event you take a look at his method, it’s prefer it shouldn’t work. It feels like I’m being lame, nevertheless it’s what I really feel makes him one of the best skater. He’s doing all this gnarly shit – and there’s no proper or flawed method – however I’m like, “How the fuck did that work? His foot is nowhere close to the place it supposedly ought to be.”

He’s so gifted at skating. He clearly places loads of effort into doing stuff: he speaks about having a work ethic exterior of skating, nevertheless it exhibits in his skating.

Kevin Rodrigues — Fucking Superior & Hockey: Dancing On Skinny Ice (2020)

I like Ok-Rod’s skating. He doesn’t put out a loopy quantity of footage, and when he does it’s fairly spot on. I used to look at his [I like it here inside my mind, don’t wake me this time.] part on repeat.

The music known as “Drunk in Paris” by Kind O Destructive. One among my finest associates, Rauri [Jones] loves Kind O Destructive. A couple of month earlier than this half got here out, I used to be in Paris. I used to be having an actual wobble on the time. He despatched me that music. I didn’t notice it was a minute-and-a-half lengthy. I had it on repeat, not paying consideration and I ended up listening to it for about three hours. With the chance of sounding pretentious, I had this actual romantic factor of that music taking part in, biking round Paris feeling sorry for myself all day. This [part] got here out and I used to be like, “Whoa, he skates to this. Good.” It’s such a definite music and you may inform Kevin’s skating from mile off, so that they praise one another so properly.

It leaves you wanting extra. There are few individuals who can put out a minute-and-a-half of footage and also you’re like, “Absolute gold mud.”

That street hole [to curb] the place he does nollie 180 into swap bottom 5050, that factor sucks. I’ve by no means skated it, I’ve simply seen it and thought, “That could be a actual pile of crap.” He has an excellent trick choice and does all of it completely. The noseslide 270 out on the Luxembourg C-ledge — it’s not technically the “hardest” — however he comes out quicker than he went into it. Little issues like that make his skating particular.

Andrew Allen — “AA for Vans” (2021)

I like Andrew Allen. Rising up, one in every of my oldest and finest associates, Sam Hughes — he’s been his all-time favourite skater for years. When Forestall This Tragedy [2010] got here out, I used to be like, “Oh yeah, he’s sick.” I’ve by no means disliked him, I’ve all the time understood it, however perhaps about 5 – 6 years in the past, out of nowhere, he grew to become one in every of my favorites.

About three years in the past, I obtained drunk and DM’d him. Then we grew to become “Instagram buddies.” After a number of too many beers, I generally find yourself sending him a message, however he’s tremendous candy and replies for some cause.

The “In Heaven” cowl: I assume it was Benny [Maglinao] who selected the music, nevertheless it works extremely properly. The primary half with “Gouge Away” is wonderful as a result of not many individuals have skated to the Pixies both. Dustin Dollin skated to them years in the past. I used to hearken to the Pixies lots after I was a child, as I’m certain lots of people did, so it’s taking part in on some nostalgia.

Truthfully, skating L.A. — everybody thinks it’s tremendous excellent, however road skating sucks. All the things is de facto troublesome to skate and perhaps among the stuff doesn’t translate. There are such a lot of spots in L.A. that folks have by no means skated. He’s discovering cool little issues that he doesn’t essentially should do the “hardest” trick on to look good.

These items simply appears to be like nice, he appears to be like depraved doing it and he’s been round for therefore lengthy; he’s established. It’s good and provoking to do what you need and persons are going to know. Some folks gained’t however that’s high quality.

Beforehand: John Gardner, Bobshirt, Brandon Turner, Shari White, Nick Jensen, Tony Hawk, Naquan Rollings, Jack O’Grady, Josh Wilson, Maité Steenhoudt, Jahmir Brown, Una Farrar, Chris Jones, Mason Silva, Beatrice Domond, Mark Suciu, Justin Henry, Breana Geering, Sage Elsesser, Bobby Worrest, Nik Stain, Anthony Van Engelen, Dom Henry, Bing Liu, Andrew Reynolds, Cyrus Bennett, Jacob Harris, Jamal Smith, Paul Rodriguez, Gilbert Crockett, Ben Chadourne, Tom Knox, Louie Lopez, The Chrome Ball Incident, The Bunt, Lacey Baker, Andrew Allen, GX1000, Brian Anderson, Gino Iannucci, Josh Kalis, Sean Pablo, Wade Desarmo, Chris Milic, Chad Muska, Hjalte Halberg, Danny Brady, Bill Strobeck, Aaron Herrington, Jerry Hsu, Brad Cromer, Brandon Westgate, Jim Greco, Jake Johnson, Scott Johnston, Josh Stewart, Eric Koston, Karl Watson, Josh Friedberg, John Cardiel, Pontus Alv, Alex Olson, Jahmal Williams