Overlooked: Great Stuff You've Been Sleeping On
In the first edition of this new series, five outstanding sections that came out in the last couple of months get some well-deserved shine.
Given the abundance of skate footage and Insta clips we’re bombarded with on the daily, it’s unavoidable that a lot of great video parts escape our attention and fall through the cracks, too. This is only amplified at the turn of each passing year, when most viewers’ attention is captured by the ever-intensifying race for the Skater of the Year trophy.
So, in turn, this observation rather logically led us to create this new feature where we’ll aim to redirect some of that viewership toward a few gems we feel, somehow undeservedly, fell through the proverbial cracks. Overlooked is the name, and if you’re looking for great skating that might have flown under your radar, you’ve come to the right place!
In this first edition, we’ll focus on five individual sections that came out in the last couple of months. All exceptional in their own rights, they showcase singular artistic visions, a variety of great wallrides, and pure aggressive wizardry. So behold the power of a solid forward landing, and praise the motivation that fuels a solo session: grab yourself some popcorn, and read on!
JUSTAS KARČAUSKAS // LOOP
After he made the amateur podium at Winterclash just two years ago, you would think Justas Karčauskas’s skating would garner a bit more recognition. Not only does he have great style, but his skills are up there too, mixing flat ground tricks with technical grinds and making creative use of his environment, flowing effortlessly through the streets of Vilnius. Loop, his latest section, puts all this on full display. The result is undeniable.
The artistry does shine, indeed, both in the skating and Rytis Aliukonis’s videography as a whole. With coloring and sound design to match, all the way to the logo and graphics created by Mykolas Saulytis, Loop offers a full package that makes it the best 2:27 minutes you can spend on your screen today. So make sure to dim the lights and put your headphones on as you treat yourself to a real piece of art.
NATHAN BENTLEY // DROWN
While we all may enjoy skating alone from time to time, filming a full part solo is a whole different beast. Mind you, this is far from the first time Nathan Bentley has even achieved such a feat: Drown is the latest in a series that includes Like Swimming, covering the 2024 season, In It Man and Special Case, both released in 2023, with another five or six parts entirely produced just since Covid first hit. A whole different beast, for real.
Pushing himself with a highly technical approach, Nathan constantly surprises with his creative takes (and hard slams) on inconspicuous spots, keeping the viewer guessing where his inspiration will take him next. Not only is the skating well worthy of praise and his sense of humor delightful, but the motivation and dedication that come with doing tricks several times to catch different angles can only command one word: Respect.
NICOLA TORELLI // KIZER
While this one might be a bit of an outlier, it is nonetheless one of the most impressive edits we’ve seen in a long while. Nicola Torelli’s Kizer promo is a slightly less obvious inclusion on this list, for he has a bigger audience and view count than our other picks, and you might be inclined to think that being Mushroom Blading’s favorite wizard in a year that saw the release of Base Odyssey and Permafrost is enough attention already.
But we would argue that Nicola’s introduction to Kizer, a legacy “aggressive” brand, still remains overlooked by the core “aggressive” scene. And that’s a damn shame, because Nicola’s approach and spot selection are quite aggressive indeed, while his flow and technical mastery are undeniable. So, if you’re wondering how aggressive Wizard skating can truly be, you’ve got your answer now, so go boost that view count.
PIOTREK GBYL // BURN BABYLON
Produced by Burza Torden, Burn Babylon did reach a certain audience but is worth rewatching anyway, especially if you missed it when it was released at the end of 2024. Seba Dzbik’s filming perfectly captures Piotrek’s fast-paced, energetic skating, and the spot and trick selection highlight his solid style and maturity. All the more impressive at such a young age.
His wallride game is especially strong (grinding into them, transferring from one to another, jumping at them at the weirdest angles), which makes for a truly exciting watch: Mr. Gbyl is another brilliant Polish export with a bright future ahead! The good folks over at Mesmer better be paying attention - as his inclusion in the recent team project Warszawa would suggest - because Piotrek is quite a perfect, natural fit for the brand. Now you know!
JOHN GANTZ // MATCHBOOK
There’s sometimes no better feeling than to ignore the technical intricacies of skating and keep it simple instead, charging as fast as possible down a hill. And if there’s someone who’s mastered that (apparently) simple yet essential aspect of skating, it’s definitely John Gantz. In Matchbook, his latest part filmed by Duran Bickmore and Manuel Rodriguez, which he edited alongside Duran, straightforward does sound like the main keyword, indeed.
Showcasing the power of solid forward landings with a variety of rollings, gaps, roofs and wallrides, bombing hills, cess sliding, and hitting banks of all sorts, Matchbook is an incredibly enjoyable watch, where I also found myself pausing the video to admire the mountains in the background and the beautiful colors of Salt Lake City in the Fall. To say I recommend this one is an understatement: Matchbook is the definition of a must-watch. Exhilarating!