Well, the time has finally come... Stuck In The Past 2000 concludes it's 20 year dip into my personal mini DV tape archives with part ten, The Last Past. This episode is a mega montage of familiar faces from the previous episodes, with a few favorite clips saved for the finale as well.
Jim Lacasse, La Jolla.
This project has been an absolute blast, going through all my old tapes from the 1999 - 2005 era... so much amazing skating went down during those years. I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who helped make all these clips possible, from the skaters featured, to the shops and distributors, and my family and friends who always had a couch available. Also thanks to everyone for watching the series - see you in 2030?
We're just about at the end of the line with Stuck In The Past 2000 - in fact - we were at the end, but I had so much extra footage left over for the final montage that I decided to split it into two separate episodes.
Gerry Loughran, Plaza, Vancouver.
This first of two episodes, Park Report, is exactly what the title would suggest - though the report may be a tad dated. My original idea for the final installment was a big family style montage of bonus clips from everyone who appeared in the previous episodes, and some who haven't. Park Report starts with a spotlight on the early days of The Vancouver Plaza, before moving on to a brief glimpse from a section of the Osiris 2002 Aftermath Tour, and finally a collection of clips from various indoor sanctuaries we were lucky enough to have in years past.
Josh Evin, Grand Forks, BC.
Paul Carter, Tsawwassen, BC.
Skateparks we're practically nonexistent when I was a young skateboarder - I didn't skate a proper concrete one until I moved out west in 1995. The generations that came up after skateparks were commonplace showed direct evidence of their significance/importance, and I only wish I had something so good when I was a runt. Thankfully, they also serve a great purpose for older skaters once the knees and everything else get too sore for the streets. Not sure when I'll feel that need to retire to the parks, but at 42 it can't be too far off.
Chris Haslam & Craig Williams, Richmond, BC.
Matt Dove, Costa Mesa, CA.
Only one episode left of Stuck In The Past 2000 - stay tuned because it's coming soon!
It's that time once again - Stuck In The Past 2000 is back with a banger of an episode, Wayward Origins, which takes us back to revisit the come-up of Chris Haslam, who went from unknown to a household name in essentially one year.
"Around the start of 1999, my good friend Ben told me about a guy he'd seen ripping out at the Richmond skatepark - apparently he was on a whole other level of technical ability, and Ben was adamant that I go out to see him skate in person. By the time I made a trip out there, my other friend George Faulkner had already met this new mystery ripper. I was introduced to Chris Haslam, and from that initial session it was clear that he was in a league of his own. I don't remember how it all went down, but from that day on George and I joined Chris on a mission to properly document his talents somewhere other than the River Road skatepark, and we could never have expected the level of skating we were going to witness over the course of the next few years. "
"Between 2000 and 2002, Chris filmed full parts for Skateboard Canada Video Magazine, Deca Skateboards, and my own first full length video, "VIDEO". In Vancouver, the rumors about the tricks he had done at local spots were getting out, and watching Chris shred at local parks was a treat for anyone who was lucky enough to have the chance.
On that note, one thing many people can attest to is that Chris always had time for the kids, going so far as to regularly spend the majority of his sessions playing SKATE with the local groms, or helping them learn the basics while he worked on some ridiculous new trick that no one else on earth could probably do. Hell, the only time I ever did a nollie lazer flip was in a game of SKATE with him - Chris has a way of pulling tricks out of you. His creative and unique outlook is a bit contagious when you skate with him."
"It didn't take long for the rest of the world to take notice of Chris's skills, and within a year he was already scooped up by, and skating with Daewon Song and Rodney Mullen, which says a lot. By the time his part in Deca's Second 2 None video came out, it was clear he was going to be one of the greatest skaters the world had ever seen, and in the following years he put out countless video parts full of NBD's and unbelievable skateboarding in every corner of the planet.
We've got a lot of love for Chris here in Vancouver, and it's been really nice to see him skating here in the city lots again after so many years away on the road. Re-editing all of Chris's parts into one mega remix was one of the main motivations for doing this series in the first place, so I couldn't be happier to finally present the main event of Stuck In The Past 2000! I hope you all enjoy the flashback - get ready for some of the gnarliest skating Vancouver's streets have ever seen!"
- Adam Cassidy
We're not done yet! Stuck In The Past 2000 returns in early October for one last jam with the whole family - stay tuned!
Stuck In The Past 2000's roots are in Vancouver, so it's no surprise Adam's tapes have an endless supply of Vancouver based clips featuring skaters from all over who have made the west coast city their home.
Part seven of the series dips heavily into the footage used for 2002's "VIDEO" video, with Craig Williams, Aaron Sheare, Kris Foley and a slew of other locs killing a wide variety of terrain, from the parks to the streets.
"I was skating a lot with Craig in the late 90's/early 2000's, and I even went along as the filmer on a Natural Koncepts tour to San Diego with the team, which was an insane journey filled with memorable stories, including waking up one morning in Lincoln City, OR, after sleeping all night in Craig's tiny car to turn on the radio and learn that two planes had just flown into the World Trade Center towers in NYC. We high-tailed it back to the border, which was a ghost town. Crazy times.
During my time filming Craig, we met Kris Foley and it was clear the dude was on a mission to make it or break himself off trying. The most mild mannered and polite person off the board, Kris was an aggressive beast once he got the skate juices flowing. I'm not sure he was scared of anything - or at least, he was confident and willing to try anything. He was incredibly skilled, and his willingness to tackle some of the gnarliest spots Vancouver has to offer was amazing to see, even if you were scared for his well being half the time. That 26 stair with the kink at the bottom had a crazy jagged and sharp metal post sticking out of the ground where the rail used to connect, and he just put some dirt and grass over it so he couldn't see it. Nuts. The other angle got sent in and used as a 411 opener - guess I missed the boat on that one. Haha!"
- Adam Cassidy
We also included some rare footage of a few fallen soldiers who are dearly missed by the Canadian skate community in this episode - RIP Josh Evin, Jamie Collins and Mike Evans. Three unbelievable rippers who had so much love to give and left a lasting legacy.
This one's a party on four wheels, so enjoy the trip down foggy memories lane, and stay tuned for a real banger in the next installment of Stuck In The Past 2000!
Keeping the momentum going, Stuck In The Past 2000 is back for part six, New Friends - a spotlight on two underground rippers who moved to Vancouver from elsewhere in Canada around Y2K.
Dylan Costello (from Kingston, ON) and Graham Landin (from Winnipeg, MB) both made the move from their respective homes to the milder climate of the west coast around 2000, and it wasn't long before they met Adam Cassidy, beginning a long friendship and setting out to discover all the crusty street spots they could in an era heavily impacted by skate stoppers.
"I always appreciated Dylan's eye for overlooked spots, and his willingness to give them a go despite any obstacles such as horrible ground or an awkward approach. When we met Graham, it seemed like he had a mutual appreciation for less-than-perfect spots, and he had an awesome unique style that brought a fresh perspective to any session. Both of them are criminally under-rated, but also happy to keep the skating fun while pursuing full time careers, and it's no surprise that they each found their way to more creative occupations (and still rip today).
It takes a lot to stay motivated when the powers that be try to do everything they can to skate-proof your city, but these two innovative skaters had no problem finding a path in the back alleys and passed over spots of Vancouver during the early 2000's. I was glad to have a couple new skate friends, and even happier to give a bit of exposure to some under-appreciated talents. Enjoy this collection of many never before seen clips, and don't be afraid to check out that crusty parking lot bank next time you pass by on your way home."
