I recall a clip somewhere online of James Newrick doing a bar. It was awful, but hey that's why he's a candidate in the 'No-Barspinners' club isn't he? Let's just disregard the fact he was doing whips in street before they were a real plausible thing and that he has giant man hops, and focus for a second the fact his riding is very understated, a rare quality.
Take the opening line for example. Uprail to manny 180 on flat(it was a different time back then...), to manuel that small block. He didn't have to manual that foot, nor does it show some type of technical skill to complete that maneuver, it just looked cool in between doing the first trick and last huge 3. Isn't that all trick riding is, making stuff look cool? I guess I nitpick on riding a bit too much but details matter people! That small detail made it so much better.
Throughout the section, he lays downs a lot of under seen tricks like the x-up manuel, fakie cassette manuel. Cranks and hardways on rails before they were a thing, it doesn't feel like innovation for the sake of innovation just natural progression. I think that's what puts me off with a lot of tech riding, there is very little true innovation involved, just a bunch of guys throwing bars into and out of things already done because that's the type of riding that's popular these days.
This section was before it's time, most definitely. If you put into context the time it was filmed and the tricks that he was doing, it's mindblowing. James combines burly tricks with harder combos with creates a section that has aged well til today. Plus he filmed and edited it, something he continues to do today and all of it has only gotten better. You don't need no freaking bars you tosser.
I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes by Tom Vek
