Uptown Magazine - November 12/09
The Evolution of Skateboarding
Although skateboarding is now generally accepted as a legitimate sport, it hasn’t always been. While skateboarding in the ’60s and early ’70s was on TV and seemed poised to enter the mainstream, something happened along the way; skateboarding became a fringe activity and was discouraged in many cities. The Evolution of Skateboarding is a series of videos curated by blogger Jason Kottke that offers a visual history of the sport. From an early broadcast of a 1965 competition on ABC to influential clips of the Bones Bridgade to highlights from X-Games 14, it’s amazing to see how skateboarding has evolved over the years.
Re-inhabited Circle Ks
Intrigued by the way abandoned convenience stores are often re-established as other businesses, photographer Paho Mann’s photo series looks at how discarded pieces of corporate infrastructure can take on new life “The slow individualization of re-inhabited Circle Ks caused by years of choices and actions caught my attention. These buildings do not show a linear progression of the corporatization and homogenization of suburbia, but rather serve as evidence of a more circular system - a system driven by a delicate negation between same and different, between complicated sets of actions and choices that shape our built environment,” explains Mann.
Sports Illustrated archive
While most magazines have embraced the power of the web to dig deeper into stories than they can in print, provide more real time content and interact with readers, one of aspect that hasn’t really been explored is archiving old issues digitally. Sure, Google is trying to corner the book market, but magazines are still largely untouched. Sports Illustrated doesn’t want to be left behind and has recently launched an extensive digital archive of its content that dates back to the ’50s. Hopefully more magazines will follow suit.
Quicks Hits
Video of the Week: Genius Kills
Ask anyone who was at the 13th edition of the annual Connect outdoor electronic music festival in Saskatchewan who stole the show, and the names Mr. Sofalumpkins and Dr. Funkinchunkin (Genius Kills) will come up time and time again. Blending bass-heavy breaks and forward-thinking electro, house and techno, Victoria’s Genius Kills’ unique sound and psychedelic theatrics were the surprise hit of the festival. The duo will bring its live show to Winnipeg for the first time when it performs at the Academy on Nov. 14. This is one show you’re not going to want to miss.
MP3 of the Week: Birdapres & DJ Brace - Raw
Birdapres gets busy with the beats and Juno winner DJ Brace handles the cuts on this 30-minute journey around hip hop. The duo is offering up its collaboration in a pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth model.
