Forrest Edwards

[hugo]

Good work.

2.44

Yep that's the one from the mag.

[volstenhulme]

Good work.

2.44

Agreed. Saves me having to re watch a load of handrail heavy parts just to satisfy my pathetic ego!

[hoorayforthecornet]

I want to see lines, I want to see NBDs, I want to see awkward spots that require adjustment not perfect rails for tricks trained up in a park, I want to guys with loose trucks, I want to see turning, I want... I want ... I want ....

Forrest Edwards does not give a fuck what you want. He seems to do the tricks he likes (really fucking hard ones) at the spots he likes, twice, if it takes his fancy. Why should he look for sketchy imperfect rails when he lives in Southern California and has so many perfect ones to skate and do those tricks on?

He does tricks really well and has a bit of individual style, which may look forced to some, but I think he genuinely does like to feel all thugged out when rolling away from tricks fag-in-mouth with sunglasses on, and he probably does it when there are no camera's on him too. Why shouldn't he? I like his skating and the fact that he was so cool in OIAM makes me like him even more.

You seem to want to watch a certain type of skating, that's fine. Forrest Edwards isn't going to give you that, but he is fucking brilliant at what he does. You cannot possibly watch that part and not think it was pushing boundaries. Maybe not the boundaries you'd like, but nobody has done those tricks before on those spots, and certainly not with the same finesse.

[volstenhulme]

Haha, fair point & as I said, I respect how talented he is & I respect that some people love what he does. There's room for all types of skating, I'm just voicing my unwanted opinion on an open forum about skateboarding.

By the way, nobody else has done a 5.0 shuv as good as me on the plastic kerbs outside my house (or any other trick for that matter), maybe I'm pushing the boundries of my home town!

[anonymity]

not with grundig living nearby you're not

[volstenhulme]

Haha, and with that I am well & truly put in my place!

[hoorayforthecornet]

By the way, nobody else has done a 5.0 shuv as good as me on the plastic kerbs outside my house (or any other trick for that matter), maybe I'm pushing the boundries of my home town!

Fucking right you are, and don't you forget it. Just don't let anybody film you doing it or the magic will disappear in a flurry of youtube comments.

[popwar]

Just so we're clear, I am not judging him by normal standards, if he was someone I saw skating a local park or street spot I would no doubt think he was ridiculous. All I am saying is, in terms of pro/sponsored US skaters (especially one of the few given such a high profile promotional tool as a thrasher section) I don't think he is anything special. I liked the switch backside flip the wrong way over the rail & the tre 5.0 was sick but there was nothing that really set him apart. All those tricks (including your much lauded switch flip back lip) have been done loads of times before. He was just retreading old ground. Not one thing he did was by any stretch of the imagination new, it was essentially a Street League part. He's obviously talented & I won't deny that but he just one of many people that could do all the tricks he did. I want to see people with ability pushing the envelope of what is possible with a skateboard.

The bottom line is I accept that a lot of people liked his section & I respect that, just for me it was boring & I stand by my comment that in my eyes he is nothing special.



I want to see lines, I want to see NBDs, I want to see awkward spots that require adjustment not perfect rails for tricks trained up in a park, I want to guys with loose trucks, I want to see turning, I want to see rail tricks that aren't the same old shit. Note to the Pro elite: We get it, it's possible to do lipslides & smith grinds on rails - push the fucking boundaries. Please.

In terms of pro and sponsored skaters, I think by his talent in this part alone he is a stand out skater. He had a popular (and rock hard) trick down a well known American spot as the opening trick, Maybe it has been done not “loads of times before” , as you say, like the switch flip back lip, but they are both extremely well executed and perfectly controlled. I remember Casey Ringey's in the Digital vid and one or two others. But you will not find a better switch flip back lip on a similar sized and type of rail.


This I think is why his part has gained so much attention/love He is doing hilariously difficult tricks in terms of technicality and the obstacles on which he is doing them.
(I dont watch Street League so I honestly cannot comment on that)


Other people can do the same tricks that he can do, other people can also do the same tricks Arto Saari does, the tricks Billy Marks does on handrails. But what I think also sets these two off-the-top-of-my-head examples apart is that the way they can do them sets them apart, and the spot selection they employ for their specific tricks.. E.g Billy Marks Kf Board Wilshire, notable spot NBD. Forrest Edwards Kf tre flip fs 5050 That rail he does it on.ha.
These tricks are comparable as they were both not yet done on the specific spots in question and are difficult “obstacles” to do the respective tricks on. Both Billy's tricks And Forrest's are, in small part, what makes them Stand Out They are both great examples of the tricks that, although have been done before by many many people, had not been applied in such a way as they did, at the places they did them.


Although Forrest may not be the most innovative skater if that is what your in the market for, he is certainly "outstanding" at this rather early stage in his not-yet-a-career.


I am not saying this was my favourite ever skate video part, or saying I overly enjoyed by the way. I just thought the skating was of an insane level that deserved more appreciation
I also think that he was pushing the boundaries, all his flip-in handrail tricks were on high rails by anyones standards. Not what I would really consider the best spots, some of them may require being fixed up etc I really dont know And the Clipper ledge seems like no easy fucking spot to be toying with that trick, even if it's not a rail.

[popwar]

Just watched Rigney's part again, what ever happened to that guy? That whole digital video was full of great skaters that have disappeared a bit.

[volstenhulme]

Sorry to keep posting in this thread but I just saw a switch flip back lip done just as well as in a section by a guy I genuinely consider a special talent, amongst much more interesting & gnarly skateboarding (the switch flip back lip seeming like filler).

3.22



I'm gonna shut up about Forrest now. I've watched the part four or five times & still come to the same conclusion but appreciate I am in a very small minority that feels this way.

[the dordsman cometh]

Just watched that Thrasher section - that is shocking behaviour. it's as high a level of skill and balls as is out there. holy fuck how can anyone be anything but awed by what this kid is offering? perhaps some folk want a skater that not only they can watch skate but also go for a cup of tea and a chat with. there's a kickflip down a double set that is nothing short of perfection....and the rest. keep this kid off the 10 deals and his future is massive.

[anonymity]

Been watching these again.
Forest is fucking hilarious...

[pervert]

abp but this thread needs a bump

[zoro]

If he wasn't a skateboarder he'd be a comedian, the guy is sick.

[anonymity]

Yep perv - just in case we forget.
forrest is fucking amazing.