5. Oskar Rozenberg – ‘Elite Squad’

Yung ‘Oski’ came as the transition-frying secret weapon last year in Polar’s ‘I Like It Here Inside My Mind,’ and his capacity to brutalize ramps and bowls and lesser beings in general only grew this year as he took his all-the-way-up approach to the European contest circuit, the Brooklyn Banks, China and various points in between. In return for a monochromatic sneaker with a semi see-thru sole, Oksar Rozenberg gave to Nike nearly five minutes of high-definition heaters, careening off walls, backside 180ing out of frontside smith grinds, impossibly charging a high bar out of vert, and doing doubles with Hjalte Halberg. That reservoir kickflip is perfect in every way.

“Fuckin’ monster”

photo via teamjaded.com

If it hasn’t already been posted a billion times elsewhere, last week Ted Barrow put up a really cool interview about the Brooklyn Banks with Rodney Torres, Rob Campbell, Louie-Louie, Ray Wong, and German Nieves.

RODNEY: Oh yeah, the banks contest. When was that, 93? When Kyle got a skate key to his head by Mario. Alright, Mario is still around today, and so is Kyle but, Mario is still around in skateboarding. He’s helping Vinnie Raffa put together skate videos now. Back in the day, I don’t know, they had some beef or something. There was a big contest, like all the top pros at that time were at that event, it might have been in a 411, but anyway. Mario and Kyle just didn’t like eachother, for whatever reason, and they saw eachother at the banks contest…from the story I remember is Kyle tried to rob Mario, tried to steal his chain, and they started fistfighting. Mario hit him with a skate key. The fork of the skate key, in the back of his head.
ROB: he hit him a few times
RODNEY: in the back of his head!
ROB: Busted his shit open…
RODNEY: Busted his shit open.