With Faltown Skateboard's release of the Art Of Going Sideways they not only put themselves on the map but also help to feed the flames of the sliding discipline that is developing on an international level. On hearing of the imminent release, we did what we could to get our hands on a copy. With company over we sat down on the couch, opened the Cheetos and hunkered down to see what was to be seen of the video. The initial credits roll and what follows is a vivid rendition of slop style skateboarding, the validity of the video as a statement of downhill freestyle skateboarding is true to the nature of the discipline especially in the opening and the following segments.
The video is narrated by Dom Lilly who, I take it ,is a member of the Mob Hill Crew and a purveyor of skate goods local to the crew. The insights into the developments of the crew he provides are pretty awesome and at times it seems like sharing a pint and a chat is what going on. It’s an interesting look into the development of the crew and follows the videos as the progression goes on. The soundtrack ,for the most part, was bad ass, keeping a firm flow with trip hop, rock and some underground hip hop styling. Not every song will rock every ear but, for the most part, it should please the ear and provide a bad ass backdrop for the riding to be enjoyed.
The editing is flawless and the filming provides a very close look at the highly technical scene that Faltown is engaged in. Seeing the lay of the land and all the riders that join the frey is one of the most enjoyable parts of the video for me. Seeing the riders as they are in there scene, sliding, stoking and teaching.
The technical level of the sliders in this video is, without a doubt, competent. With the level of advancement that sliding is seeing I wouldn’t doubt that many sliders that see this video will not only appreciate it for the approachable level of skill that is displayed but also for the inspiration it can provide. In this video you get to see not just prowess but progression and within that is the true honesty of anyone that has dedicated themselves to training in any discipline.
The cast is huge. With all those in attendance for all the sessions and the segments on the Berkeley hills there is non-stop skating and a massive load of riders. You get to see all the faces behind Faltown as well as some well known riders such as our venerable elder of sliding Cliff “You Want Some More” Coleman.
My favorite segments of sliding demonstration were the prowess of Mark Short, the unique manipulations of Charlie Whinney, as always the El Capitan Sergio Yuppie and the grom slayer Jacob Smith. Short attempts all his slides with a firmness of commitment and conviction that is rarely displayed. The one foot surrender manual Charlie pulled off is dope, that reminded me of something I could spend some time trying to nail, and he pulled it with perfection. Sergio Yuppie, what can I say that you don’t know, you know. I mean Sergio, you know you know. Check my words: if Jacob Smith keeps to sliding he will be just killing it with style. Not to mention Oli Binns... the strength of a crew is in their groms and Faltown is growing them strong!
The overall flow of the video is smooth and progressive. I can come up with a few points where it falls short of perfection, though. For example, somewhere around the point where they're covering the Summer ’06 Slide Jam, the overall momentum gets pulled down by too much back to back slo mo. It doesn’t however detract from the overall appeal of the video, but you'll notice it. When you find your favorites, you know what they are. In addition to the sliding, there is a great wealth of behind the scenes footy and bails. The bails are always my favorite! The best bail in the video is the "over the hill bail" You'll know it when you see it!
The extras were nice. Since they're "free" and "extra", some would say I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. The Faltown boys can take it, though, so I'm here to tell you the "slide school" segment should have been a bit more involved than just an in depth look at repeated slides. However, the segment would actually be a great resource for someone looking to learn the Faltown Skills. One addition on the extras is a complete soundtrack, so you can rock as well as a few musically infused galleries from the riders and a short segment on Cliff Coleman from a British TV show. You can also watch the official trailer to the movie. This is nice if you never saw the trailer.
Is that all, you're saying? That's all the Faltown boys have to "deal with"? Well, no... I have never liked the issue of ownership and I was hoping to hear less of it in this video. Maybe it’s a cultural thing. One more thing. Put on your lids. I got a friend in the hospital in a coma (and he was wearing his helmet), so it seems stupid to skate this hard without basic protection. And this "Dom Lilly"! The dude talks through the entire video and we only get a slight bite at his involvement and background. I'd have liked to know a bit more about the man, he seemed like a nice fellow. Finally, this is too short guys, way too short! 5 years and this is all we get? I would have expected a much longer video. You trying to leave us wanting more?
On the other side, this is quite a compendium of sliding, many skill levels and skill sets are displayed. We get to not only meet the Faltown crew and see their sessions but see our home team favorites Cliff and Sergio as well. The editing is tight and the sound track is dynamic and fits the video. And hey, it’s only $10 bucks. Are you kidding me? Well worth a buy. If you consider yourself a scholar of slopestyle or just want to get immersed in freestyle downhilling culture, pick up a copy of Faltown Skateboards “The Art Of Going Sideways”
Check out Faltown Skateboards website or pick up a copy of the DVD for yourself!