Slow Impact 2024 Photo Recap
2/23/2024
Who’s the smartest skater you know? Ted Barrow Ph.D? Is it former Element rider and current architect Mike Barker? Maybe MIT Media Lab alumn Rodney Mullen? Shit, you’re probably thinking of the obvious answer, Alexis Sablone. Well, in my humble opinion (and with no false modesty), it’s me. So when I heard there was a skate nerd conference in my hometown of Tempe, Arizona, I made sure to get down there to scope the competition. Join as I catalog their talks, document their modest moves, admire their vibes and systematically dismantle their arguments with my superior skills of logical reasoning I acquired with a minor in Philosophy from ASU. —Ted Schmitz
A little art to start. I’m not above it
Damn, full house on the first day
Welcoming everybody to the show, ASU professor Maurice Crandall introduces the weekend’s first panel. This was a heavy one with Palestinian skaters speaking about their experience with the occupation of their homeland
Surprisingly, there were light moments
And many heartwrenching ones
But always love
Somethin’ you won’t see at your typical skate event, a stunning performance from the Gila River Basket Dancers
Apache Skateboards founder Doug Miles spit the truth to spark the session. Can't handle it? Fuck off, dude
When Doug talks, you better listen. Let’s check the crowd
Does he really need that name tag?
I call this picture rock 'n' roll skate dick
You want NBDs on monumental spots? You’re thinking of Bust or Bail. Out here, we do things a little closer to the ground. Local ripper Jordan Elise twists into back D
Isabella Ostos Campo backs it up with a nosegrind to lip on the big QP
Enough skating, there’s more talking to do. Sam Korman hosts The Great Skate Debate where teams argue over deep paradoxes like, “Is it a heelflip varial or shove it heelflip?”
Between the debates, the crowd keeps the heat in the seats
Team NO’s Zamara dropped an absolute banger on why skating is better in the streets than the parks
Good start
Artist and writer Adam Abada from the winning Team YES came prepared. Although, as a judge on this matter, I did have to remind him that his deference to Steve Rodriguez on the Brooklyn Banks as a skate spot committed the logical fallacy of "appeal to authority." Seems like nobody heard me though
Judge Randy Ploesser liked it for some reason
Next day, we went to hear some crucial research from the fields of geology and sociology and what we philosophers call “the minor sciences”
Damn, fr?
Next up, we got tales of when the party goes on too long
Skate Like a Girl’s Kristin Ebeling hosted the damn thing and opened the floor to her esteemed panelists: Rosie Archie, Chandler Burton, Patrick O’Dell and Neen Williams
Good advice for fresh pros
Chandler always brings down the house
This is more of a comment than a question
What the fuck is O’Dell doing in Tempe, anyway? I guess we’ll find out more, later
Crushin’ a 30 rack and hittin’ a 16? Not a damn chance for Neen
The crowd headed over to the neighborhood-famous Mitchell Park for a premiere of Ryan Sherman’s Land’s End documentary. Think Chad Caruso’s cruise across America was harrowing? Wait ‘til you see Barney Page pushing across the UK in the rain for the Ben Raemers Foundation
If I wasn’t a man of reason, I might confuse Sherman for Jesus Christ
Culture continues with an art show from THERE superstars Marbie Miller and Jeff Cheung. Shag and Rosie were feelin’ it
Look Back Kevin and Jim T been in this game Since Day One. Which came out in 2011
Kebs and Sima linked the fuck up
Didn't shoot much of the art, but it's got BGPs with Marie De Courcy
Bluetooth speaker and Spotify playlist? Nah, Epicly Later’d editor Shane and HHF’s Patrick Kigongo brought their crates
Speaking of Epicly Later’d, O’Dell’s got the mic again
The world premiere of Ryan Lay’s Epicly Later’d projected behind a strip mall is about as Arizona as it gets
Brad, Leslie and Stu Lay always come out to see their boy
I forgot who sponsored this event
Next day, we had more research-heavy paper discussions on topics from gentrification to trauma responses
Captivating stuff
Industry heads, cultural figures and community organizers all made it
We also got photographers, real estate investors and big-wig shoe designers
It was 35 degrees back in New York, so that explains Kava doing this
And Leo doing this
Illibois Teej and Kev copped some fine art
What? You thought that we were skating after those talks? Fuck no, we’re gettin’ an architecture tour of the university with Ted Barrow! We started in front of the first building of the Normal School, which is where you should probably enroll, freak
Who can tell me where Jaws melon grabbed the biggest 15 in town?
Hostile architecture indeed
Frank Lloyd would be hyped. Alright, let’s go skate
I said, let’s fuckin’ skate, Randy!
These grown-ups really know how to lounge
Finally! Jordan saves the day with a crook
Shit, got too tech too fast. Cody Rosenthal, nollie heel nose
That's more like it! My favorite musician Sean Bonnette put down a classy back tail
Normally I look for someone with pink hair at every event, but Ella's front crook with the Frog board board will do
You thought your 40s were for slappies? You're not very smart. Worn Path’s shopowner Niles Armstrong is still rippin’ kicky back tails and you should too
Skate break’s over, we gotta get over to Kyle Beachy’s reading series. The author made sure his guests Jessie Van Roechoudt and Rosie Archie were ready
Readings in coffeehouses suck. A skateboarding-themed reading in a distillery rules. Not sure what makes the difference
Jessie Van laid out hella facts. I can’t remember what they were though
They had the audience hooked
Slow Impact MVP Kristin Ebeling gave us the how-to on responding to IG haters. This is what we in the corporate conference community call "a takeaway"
And Yaz got a raucous finger-snap applause
We interviewed Sean Bonnette from AJJ in the mag, but tonight he was playing covers from skate videos' greatest hits as the Van Deck Parks. I saw a few teary eyes after “Nights in White Satin”
Brooklyn’s Jokamundo opened up this fuckin’ pit while he spit
Last day, I made sure to flick up some handsome switch skaters. Tim Tim and Dr. Barrow obliged
As long as it’s not Create and Destroy, I guess they don’t need a cease-and-desist
Wanna know more about architecture and hideously designed parks? Let This Old Ledge’s host and his panel of building smarties be your guide
I think Eunice had some concerns about skateboarders working with city councils to endorse skateable spaces, as the illegality of street skating provides the most radical avenue for us to challenge notions of private property and the overwhelming hegemony of the capitalist class. But I wouldn’t know ‘cause she just quietly listened
He’s from State College, so yeah, he likes learning
Speaking of college shit, you knew there had to be some sack time
Looks like the jocks brought the big ball
I’d recognize that mustache anywhere
Felt like I was taking photos for yearbook
Yep, definitely a yearbook photo. Seen here: The Skate Nonprofit Club
Quasi fam and titans of regional-indie vids, Will Rosenstock, Jeremy Tubbs and Josh Wilson
Oh yeah, at the end of this thing, they give out prizes for ripping. Kinda like a formal product toss
This hug was either for Palestinian skateboarder Hytham’s powerful impromptu speech or the NBD late shove he did at Tempe High. Either way, well deserved
You think you can make it up the ladder at adidas if you ain’t a good student? That’s why Jessie Van is where she is and why you have a new brain disease caused by TikTok and unregulated vape juice
Levi took Jessie’s cue, lest he get that brain thing I invented
Spot the best hoodie in the building
A week of hard work doesn’t go unnoticed
Jordan’s moves didn’t either, seen here with a new REAL board and beau Aaron
I should make another joke, but really I’m just thankful these guys welcomed in my 35-year-old friend to be a pro skater with ‘em
Alright, everybody out unless you rode for Popwar and Element
Neen went to every event, skated with the locs and signed every autograph. Man’s an absolute mensch
Wishing nothing but peace for our Palestinian delegation: Omar, Hytham and Maen
Now, let’s close this fuckin’ thing out at the Wedge
Midwest party boys Nick and Pat locked down their picnic plot early
Volunteer VIP Preston had the best patches all weekend
If Kristin’s skatin', I’m shootin’. First manny to fire up the session
Arizona’s top tech doggy Preston Harper was on some innovative shit
And the event organizer gave that one-foot-on-the-ground thing a go too
It’s called style, sweetie. Look it up
This might be a world-record nollie nosegrind. Probably not
The essence of Slow Impact is adults acting like little skate kids, so stacking boards seemed like the perfect way to shut this shit down
Goddamn! Hytham drove here from New Mexico, but he booked a flight back
Alright, fuck it. Product toss for the grown-ups
And the best-dressed kids!
Yearbook ender
Shit, I almost forgot to include a Liquid Death! Thanks, Ted and Eunice, for havin’ my back. In all seriousness, this new wave of events that blends heady skate talk with slow-and-low adult swim sessions is a pretty cool thing. After all, there are thousands of skaters who care deeply about our place in the man-made landscape but lack the hunger for a huckfest. Ryan Lay, New Balance and the volunteers might’ve cracked the code for keeping all those aching feet and aging eyes engaged in the culture—even if they’re all dumber than me.
A little art to start. I’m not above it
Damn, full house on the first day
Welcoming everybody to the show, ASU professor Maurice Crandall introduces the weekend’s first panel. This was a heavy one with Palestinian skaters speaking about their experience with the occupation of their homeland
Surprisingly, there were light moments
And many heartwrenching ones
But always love
Somethin’ you won’t see at your typical skate event, a stunning performance from the Gila River Basket Dancers
Apache Skateboards founder Doug Miles spit the truth to spark the session. Can't handle it? Fuck off, dude
When Doug talks, you better listen. Let’s check the crowd
Does he really need that name tag?
I call this picture rock 'n' roll skate dick
You want NBDs on monumental spots? You’re thinking of Bust or Bail. Out here, we do things a little closer to the ground. Local ripper Jordan Elise twists into back D
Isabella Ostos Campo backs it up with a nosegrind to lip on the big QP
Enough skating, there’s more talking to do. Sam Korman hosts The Great Skate Debate where teams argue over deep paradoxes like, “Is it a heelflip varial or shove it heelflip?”
Between the debates, the crowd keeps the heat in the seats
Team NO’s Zamara dropped an absolute banger on why skating is better in the streets than the parks
Good start
Artist and writer Adam Abada from the winning Team YES came prepared. Although, as a judge on this matter, I did have to remind him that his deference to Steve Rodriguez on the Brooklyn Banks as a skate spot committed the logical fallacy of "appeal to authority." Seems like nobody heard me though
Judge Randy Ploesser liked it for some reason
Next day, we went to hear some crucial research from the fields of geology and sociology and what we philosophers call “the minor sciences”
Damn, fr?
Next up, we got tales of when the party goes on too long
Skate Like a Girl’s Kristin Ebeling hosted the damn thing and opened the floor to her esteemed panelists: Rosie Archie, Chandler Burton, Patrick O’Dell and Neen Williams
Good advice for fresh pros
Chandler always brings down the house
This is more of a comment than a question
What the fuck is O’Dell doing in Tempe, anyway? I guess we’ll find out more, later
Crushin’ a 30 rack and hittin’ a 16? Not a damn chance for Neen
The crowd headed over to the neighborhood-famous Mitchell Park for a premiere of Ryan Sherman’s Land’s End documentary. Think Chad Caruso’s cruise across America was harrowing? Wait ‘til you see Barney Page pushing across the UK in the rain for the Ben Raemers Foundation
If I wasn’t a man of reason, I might confuse Sherman for Jesus Christ
Culture continues with an art show from THERE superstars Marbie Miller and Jeff Cheung. Shag and Rosie were feelin’ it
Look Back Kevin and Jim T been in this game Since Day One. Which came out in 2011
Kebs and Sima linked the fuck up
Didn't shoot much of the art, but it's got BGPs with Marie De Courcy
Bluetooth speaker and Spotify playlist? Nah, Epicly Later’d editor Shane and HHF’s Patrick Kigongo brought their crates
Speaking of Epicly Later’d, O’Dell’s got the mic again
The world premiere of Ryan Lay’s Epicly Later’d projected behind a strip mall is about as Arizona as it gets
Brad, Leslie and Stu Lay always come out to see their boy
I forgot who sponsored this event
Next day, we had more research-heavy paper discussions on topics from gentrification to trauma responses
Captivating stuff
Industry heads, cultural figures and community organizers all made it
We also got photographers, real estate investors and big-wig shoe designers
It was 35 degrees back in New York, so that explains Kava doing this
And Leo doing this
Illibois Teej and Kev copped some fine art
What? You thought that we were skating after those talks? Fuck no, we’re gettin’ an architecture tour of the university with Ted Barrow! We started in front of the first building of the Normal School, which is where you should probably enroll, freak
Who can tell me where Jaws melon grabbed the biggest 15 in town?
Hostile architecture indeed
Frank Lloyd would be hyped. Alright, let’s go skate
I said, let’s fuckin’ skate, Randy!
These grown-ups really know how to lounge
Finally! Jordan saves the day with a crook
Shit, got too tech too fast. Cody Rosenthal, nollie heel nose
That's more like it! My favorite musician Sean Bonnette put down a classy back tail
Normally I look for someone with pink hair at every event, but Ella's front crook with the Frog board board will do
You thought your 40s were for slappies? You're not very smart. Worn Path’s shopowner Niles Armstrong is still rippin’ kicky back tails and you should too
Skate break’s over, we gotta get over to Kyle Beachy’s reading series. The author made sure his guests Jessie Van Roechoudt and Rosie Archie were ready
Readings in coffeehouses suck. A skateboarding-themed reading in a distillery rules. Not sure what makes the difference
Jessie Van laid out hella facts. I can’t remember what they were though
They had the audience hooked
Slow Impact MVP Kristin Ebeling gave us the how-to on responding to IG haters. This is what we in the corporate conference community call "a takeaway"
And Yaz got a raucous finger-snap applause
We interviewed Sean Bonnette from AJJ in the mag, but tonight he was playing covers from skate videos' greatest hits as the Van Deck Parks. I saw a few teary eyes after “Nights in White Satin”
Brooklyn’s Jokamundo opened up this fuckin’ pit while he spit
Last day, I made sure to flick up some handsome switch skaters. Tim Tim and Dr. Barrow obliged
As long as it’s not Create and Destroy, I guess they don’t need a cease-and-desist
Wanna know more about architecture and hideously designed parks? Let This Old Ledge’s host and his panel of building smarties be your guide
I think Eunice had some concerns about skateboarders working with city councils to endorse skateable spaces, as the illegality of street skating provides the most radical avenue for us to challenge notions of private property and the overwhelming hegemony of the capitalist class. But I wouldn’t know ‘cause she just quietly listened
He’s from State College, so yeah, he likes learning
Speaking of college shit, you knew there had to be some sack time
Looks like the jocks brought the big ball
I’d recognize that mustache anywhere
Felt like I was taking photos for yearbook
Yep, definitely a yearbook photo. Seen here: The Skate Nonprofit Club
Quasi fam and titans of regional-indie vids, Will Rosenstock, Jeremy Tubbs and Josh Wilson
Oh yeah, at the end of this thing, they give out prizes for ripping. Kinda like a formal product toss
This hug was either for Palestinian skateboarder Hytham’s powerful impromptu speech or the NBD late shove he did at Tempe High. Either way, well deserved
You think you can make it up the ladder at adidas if you ain’t a good student? That’s why Jessie Van is where she is and why you have a new brain disease caused by TikTok and unregulated vape juice
Levi took Jessie’s cue, lest he get that brain thing I invented
Spot the best hoodie in the building
A week of hard work doesn’t go unnoticed
Jordan’s moves didn’t either, seen here with a new REAL board and beau Aaron
I should make another joke, but really I’m just thankful these guys welcomed in my 35-year-old friend to be a pro skater with ‘em
Alright, everybody out unless you rode for Popwar and Element
Neen went to every event, skated with the locs and signed every autograph. Man’s an absolute mensch
Wishing nothing but peace for our Palestinian delegation: Omar, Hytham and Maen
Now, let’s close this fuckin’ thing out at the Wedge
Midwest party boys Nick and Pat locked down their picnic plot early
Volunteer VIP Preston had the best patches all weekend
If Kristin’s skatin', I’m shootin’. First manny to fire up the session
Arizona’s top tech doggy Preston Harper was on some innovative shit
And the event organizer gave that one-foot-on-the-ground thing a go too
It’s called style, sweetie. Look it up
This might be a world-record nollie nosegrind. Probably not
The essence of Slow Impact is adults acting like little skate kids, so stacking boards seemed like the perfect way to shut this shit down
Goddamn! Hytham drove here from New Mexico, but he booked a flight back
Alright, fuck it. Product toss for the grown-ups
And the best-dressed kids!
Yearbook ender
Shit, I almost forgot to include a Liquid Death! Thanks, Ted and Eunice, for havin’ my back. In all seriousness, this new wave of events that blends heady skate talk with slow-and-low adult swim sessions is a pretty cool thing. After all, there are thousands of skaters who care deeply about our place in the man-made landscape but lack the hunger for a huckfest. Ryan Lay, New Balance and the volunteers might’ve cracked the code for keeping all those aching feet and aging eyes engaged in the culture—even if they’re all dumber than me.
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