I feel like every blader on earth can unanimously agree on some of the most impactful or quite possibly "best" sections or profiles ever made. As you would guess, some would include parts from classics such as "Brain Fear Gone" or "Coup De Tat". As I was surfing around on the YouTube, I realized that there are a few of my personal favorites, old and new, that have had to have made as much of an impact on other people as they did to me. I titled this post "...Part 1???" because I feel like there are many more sections that I either couldn't find or just couldn't remember, so we'll see where this leads. Here we go:
1. Jon Julio - Valo4Life
Even though this is still a relatively modern section, I will argue with anyone that this was an instant classic. Over the years, I've popped in VHS tapes or DVDs that made me feel a certain way after watching them. Since this was only a few years ago, I vividly remember having that feeling. I remember that this video came out at a time where most current pros were hitting 30 and this was a huge thing for everyone because it was making them question their longevity in the sport. While this was going on, El Presidente (who was well over 30) came out of the fuckin gates with this banger. It wasn't that he just came out with this fire profile, it was more of the way it was initiated. The song mixed with the style of tricks and flow of everything all together made for a truly inspirational and motivational piece. It was one of those sections where afterward I didn't necessarily want to run out the door with my skates and jump off a roof. It straight up put a huge smile on my face and made me so happy that I do what I do. I recommend anyone to save this one for a rainy day or for when you're feeling down to lift you back up again. This will definitely be an inspiration for all bladers now and generations to come. As a matter of fact... I'm going to watch it again now before continuing this article.
2. Aaron Feinberg - Words
In extremely high contrast to Jon Julio, I will have to mention this slaughterhouse of a section from Aaron Feinberg. I could've mentioned profiles from any of the Mindgame videos over the years but I chose this one in particular because of the ending. From 3:52 and on, the singer's lungs erupt and Aaron unleashes an onslaught of impossible hammers including the soul to gap at 4:28. That could be the most raw, explosive minute of skating anyone could possibly imagine.
3. Walt Austin - Masters Of Delusion
Walt has always been a favorite skater of mine and I always felt like he was underrated. I recently shared his "Hashashins" section on Facebook but figured this one was more appropriate for this list. I respect style more than almost any other aspect of blading and Walt definitely had that on lock, even his basic little ledge lines were enjoyable to watch. Aside from that, he always came through with truly creative ways to impress us on his blades (1:36) and ridiculous hammers that no one has still mimicked to this day (2:30 wtf). Who else flies at 4 inch high curbs with 15ft drops on the other side? His ender is still something I haven't seen improved on or matched at all to this day. Walt is just one of those dudes whos blading makes you look at your skates, scratch your head and say to them "What else can I do with you two?".
4. Chris Haffey - Vibralux VOD
Although I can't share the video here since it's still on VOD, I'm sure you all know what section I'm talking about. This bad boy stood out to me for 2 reasons. First, due to Chris's career with Nitro Circus, no one has seen him skate street for years. It was like Michael Jordan not retiring but only playing ball in his yard instead of in the NBA. We all want to see you fuck shit up! We know you still got it, so lets see it! There's good reason for it though since if he gets hurt skating street then he can't get paid from Nitro Circus. So for that reason, it was relieving for him to team up with AJ for this one.
The second reason is that in my personal opinion, it was refreshing to see a ton of huge tricks and big hammers being thrown down in a time when bladers are getting more techy than going big. I was never a hammer guy myself but I always appreciate people taking the initiative in pushing the envelope and showing the rest of the world what we're capable of with wheels under our feet. Haffey is one of the best at doing this and he did not disappoint at all. I feel like this is his best section to date. Na fuck that, this might be THE best blading section to date. If you haven't done so already, donate and check it out.
5. Crescendo - Words
I hate to throw 2 sections up from the same video but it's hard to not include this one. This one is a pure metaphor for what we do. We fall down a bunch but we always get back up and do it again and again until we land our tricks. It's a better metaphor for life itself than just blading because our sport breeds hungry, motivated individuals who will stop at nothing to get whatever they want to achieve. It's a beautiful characteristic to have and what better way to see it than through this short video. Seeing the top pros in our sport go down hard back to back to back then go into a marathon of some of the most iconic tricks ever done is inspiration enough for anyone to pick up a pair of blades. I could be wrong but I believe Dustin Latimer edited this one. So for this, I thank you, Dustin, for creating this beautiful masterpiece that I would be proud to show anyone who asks what I've been doing for the past 20 years of my life.
What do you guys think? These are only my opinions but I'm no blading n00b. I do feel strongly about these sections and would like to hear what everyone else thinks. What are some of your favorites? I have more myself, but I will probably save them for another time.