As a street skater, I always watch vert parts with a skeptical eye. Not because I dislike or disapprove in any way, but because I know so little about that style of skating it’s difficult to contextualize and process what’s really happening. “Was that really that impressive?” , “How many other vert pros could do something like that?” , “What differentiates that flip-spin-grab from the one he just did on a whim in the last x-games qualifier?”
Street skaters benefits from an ever-changing litany of obstacles that differentiate any single maneuver from those of their peers. But vert skaters largely skate the same obstacles ad nauseam, and are forced to distinguish themselves with the tricks they perform, rather than the obstacles they perform them on. This can lead to obscure and subtle differences that take a keen eye and expertise to appreciate.
However, sometimes the skating is so sick, so obviously groundbreaking that it transcends the street/vert divide and Elliot delivers on that higher plane of shredding here. There’s a massive variety of ramps, rails, and coping being skated here, and Elliot has the raw skating chops to skate most of them without grabbing for stability in an effortless style that just looks down-right graceful. Like a eagle floating in the air just before the fatal swoop.
On top of all that he edited the part himself, adding his own favorite music, critics be damned, and delivered on an artistic and physical accomplishment he can be truly proud of. Hell yeah, Elliot.
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