1. Vince Guzaldo – ‘Immortality Research’

In this glad and girthy time of dad tricks, judging any potential infractions, parsing which rules that still remain and tallying the expanding exceptions, there is a measure of comfort to be found with Vince Guzaldo, among the vanguard bearers of the current Chicago renaissance, who this year brought forth multiple video parts’ worth of impeccable trick and spot choices. In Tommy O’Mara’s ’Immortality Research’ he applies knife’s edge tech to downtown Chicago spots with aesthetics on par with your favorite Philly or New York inner-cityscapes, and roves more broadly across the greater ‘Grains’ and ‘Grand Prairie’ regions. He really works the frontside noseslide, going way deeper than the nollie heelflip out varietal that’s become commonplace in the last few years, and seems to have unlocked the pop shove-it to backside ledge trick, like on the AZ hubba and after dark, a pop shove-it backside 5-0 frontside 180 out, categorizable within the Tim O’Connor school of lesser-seen ledge configurations. His previous section in Bleach USA’s ‘Spike’ vid was just as gnarly, with a very nice switch Suski grind 180 out and one of this nearly dead year’s most picturesque switch 360 flips, flicked across an alleyway gap and backed by a freewheeling saxophone solo.

Tags: Bleach USA, Bronze, Choices II, comfy hooded sweatshirts, Grains, If you like saxophones, Immortality Research, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Suski grind, the bump to loading dock frontside crooked grind, Vince Guzaldo