Simon’s one of those skaters that can skate any obstacle and make hard tricks look like child’s play, and all with that effortless and flowy style.

The whole part, from the reggae jams to the combo of 9mm and VX footage, makes you feel like you’re looking back at a simpler time.

Watch the whole part here:

WHERE IT PICKS UP

The second half of the video is the “Crew” section, where a couple of friends and more street footage come. The energy steps up, the skating get a little faster and more technical, and the spots get mixed up.

Tyler Pacheco, Griffin Gass, and others from their crew come through with solid clips definitely worth catching. And the added mix of styles pushes the part forward without losing the overall vibe it started with. All in all it’s a great little video to watch.

THE CORY EFFECT

Cory Kennedy’s name alone was enough to get people clicking.

A lot of the early reaction was people hoping to see him skating or just hyped to see his name attached to something again

Though he doesn’t have any tricks in the edit, a lot of people were just happy to see that he’s still involved with skating and hope its a sign of more to come.

MORE GOOD VIBES TO COME?

Cory’s always had that energy where skating looks fun first, and everything else comes after. That comes through here.

The pacing is relaxed, the music is rad, and the whole edit has that loose, positive feel that makes you want to go skate.

If this is what it looks like with him behind the lens right now, it makes you wonder what else could be coming.

But what did you think?

What was your favorite clip?

And does it make you want to see more from Cory behind the lens, or back in front of it?

Let us know in the comments!

The post SIMON BANNEROT’S NEW PART IS ALL FLOW — BOWLS, BANKS, AND CORY KENNEDY BEHIND THE LENS appeared first on Concrete Skate News.

California $chemin’ follows Silibil N’ Brains, a rap duo from Scotland who were part of the Dundee skate scene before creating fake American personas and breaking into the music industry.

The whole thing was built around a California image pulled straight from early 2000s skate culture.

Watch the New Trailer Here:

From Dundee to the spotlight

Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd grew up skating in Dundee, where hip-hop and skateboarding overlapped in the early 2000s.

When they stepped into music, they leaned into that influence. Their personas were built around a West Coast image people already recognized, which helped them gain traction, get signed, and eventually tour with Eminem before everything unraveled.

The film, directed by James McAvoy in his first time behind the camera, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025. It’s set to release in the UK on April 10, 2026, with no confirmed U.S. release yet.

Photo: Silibil N’ Brains

The look then and now

Their background in skating gave their image something real behind it. The California look they presented matched what people expected at the time, which helped make it convincing.

That same style shows up clearly in the film. The trailer leans into early 2000s details, including pieces from brands like Shorty’s.

That era’s mix of skating and hip-hop made that look instantly recognizable.

Now those same styles are coming back around. Baggy pants are everywhere again, older brands are getting a second life, and that early 2000s look is starting to feel current again.

That lines up with the timing of this film, putting an old story right next to what’s happening now.

Photo: Silibil N’ Brains

WHO GETS A PASS AND WHO DOESN’T?

Part of what makes this story work is that Bain and Boyd weren’t just dressing the part. They actually skated, and that gave their image something real behind it.

But even today, you still see people in music leaning into skate style, sometimes as part of who they are, sometimes just as an image.

You’ve got someone like Lil Wayne, who’s been skating for years and documenting it, which makes him legit enough as a skater for a lot of people.

Photo: Jason LaVeris / FilmMagic

Then you’ve got someone like A$AP Rocky, who’s been closely tied to skate culture through interviews, brand connections, and collaborations, but isn’t really known for actually skating.

That’s where it gets tricky.

So where do you draw the line?

Who actually gets a pass for using the skater look, and who’s just building an image around it?

And is that line is determined by how much they skate, or how good they are?

Let us know what you think in the comments!

The post CALIFORNIA $CHEMIN’: TRUE STORY MOVIE ABOUT TWO SKATERS WHO FAKED THEIR WAY INTO RAP appeared first on Concrete Skate News.

The part has a good mix of street spots that Ronnie fills with clean lines and controlled skating, with really solid style throughout. More than the trick or spot selection though, it’s the proper execution of his skating that really leaves an impression.

But there are a few tricks that definitely stand out. Like the crooked grind that drops straight into a dirt bank that he barely rides out of. That raw gnar factor is fun to see in a few of his clips. And there are some flip in and flip out tricks that I wasn’t expecting. Overall it’s a nice hesh-tech blend.

But his ender is one you’ll want to run back and spend some time appreciating. That one was wild.

Overall it’s a pretty solid part that a lot of people are talking about.

You can watch the whole thing here:

WHAT STUCK OUT TO YOU?

Did the ender catch you off guard the first time through?

What were some of the other tricks that stood out to you?

Let us know what you thought!

The post RONNIE KESSNER’S NEW APRIL SKATEBOARDS PART – WATCH IT NOW! appeared first on Concrete Skate News.

The part was released on the Nike SB YouTube channel on March 16, with his new shoe being avaiable online and in skate shops the next day. The part is tied to Dashawn’s first signature Nike shoe, an SB Dunk Low, but it doesn’t play like a simple promo video. It’s a full video part with serious tricks, and some heavy bangers.

Watch the Full Part Here:

THE CLIPS EVERYONE’S GOING TO TALK ABOUT

There are two tricks that feel impossible to ignore here.

The first is the lazer flip over the rail, which is already the clip a lot of people are rewinding. The second is the ender, a massive 5-0 down a 30-stair handrail that is set to be Dashawn’s April 2026 Thrasher cover. That cover is also his first.

That alone would have been enough to make this rollout hit. But what gives the whole thing more personality is that Dashawn also made the song he skates to. Same shoe, same part, same voice behind the music. That makes the whole release feel more personal and a lot less manufactured than most brand projects.

Photo: Atiba Jefferson / Thrasher Magazine

WHY THIS ONE LANDED

Dashawn has been that guy for a while now. Great style, crazy control, and the kind of pop and confidence that makes hard tricks look settled. But this part feels bigger than a standard reminder that he is good. It feels like one of those moments where everything lines up at once.

The shoe has a clear Arizona stamp on it too. Nike SB’s release page ties the design to Dashawn’s home state, with details pulled from the Diamondbacks look and the desert feel around it. That makes the whole project feel connected instead of random.

And honestly, that is a big reason the part works. Nothing about it feels thrown together. The skating is heavy, the song belongs to him, the shoe has a real point of view, and the ender is the kind of clip that people will still be bringing up months from now.

RUN IT BACK

Was the lazer flip your favorite trick in the part, or did the 5-0 shut the whole conversation down?

Does this feel like Dashawn’s best part yet?

And where does that ender rank among the heaviest 5-0s we’ve seen in recent years?

The post DASHAWN JORDAN JUST DROPPED ONE OF THE HARDEST PARTS OF 2026 – WATCH IT NOW appeared first on Concrete Skate News.

Now there’s a new documentary, The Antwuan Dixon Story: Skateboarding’s Wildest Ride, hosted by Torey Pudwill, that pulls the whole timeline together start to finish.

What the Documentary Covers

The film walks through Antwuan’s early days in Carson, getting noticed off a sponsor-me tape that was already pro-level, and quickly finding himself in the middle of the Baker crew alongside Andrew Reynolds, Erik Ellington, and the rest of that era’s heaviest hitters.

It dives into the Baker 3 breakout, the style that changed everything, and the run where it felt like he couldn’t miss—Carlsbad, Wilshire, Pharmacy hubbas, all of it.

But it doesn’t stop at the highlights.

The doc also revisits the struggles that followed—legal issues, addiction, and the stretch where everything unraveled. That part of the story has been told before, but here it’s paired with something more complete: the recovery, the support system around him, and how those relationships, especially with the Baker Boys, never fully disappeared.

You get interviews from Reynolds, Ellington, Bryan Herman, Theotis Beasley, Shane Heyl, and Beagle, all speaking on that time and what it was like watching it play out in real life.

Photo: Antwuan Dixon/ / @antwuandixon

Why It Hits Different Right Now

This isn’t just a look back.

Antwuan’s been quietly putting together one of the most meaningful comeback stretches we’ve seen in a long time.

He’s now over five years sober, skating consistently again, and rebuilding not just his career, but his life. He’s spoken openly about finding faith, getting baptized, and shifting how he approaches everything.

And it’s starting to show in a bigger way.

He’s set to land the May 2026 cover of Thrasher, and was recently named an honorary member of the College Skateboarding Educational Foundation (CSEF) Class of 2026—something that speaks more to impact than just footage.

CSEF put it best in their announcement:

“No one’s story is over until they say it is. Antwuan Dixon embodies that truth better than most.”

For anyone who’s followed his story over the years, and who’s been wanting to see Antwuan make a comeback, this is that moment where his redemption arc finally comes full circle.

Watch the Full Documentary

If you’ve ever been a fan—or even just aware of how big his influence was—this docummentary is absolutely worth your time.

It’s not just about what happened. It’s about where he’s at now. And it’s the most inspiring comeback story you’ll see all day.

Check it out here:

The post WATCH: NEW DOC BREAKS DOWN ANTWUAN DIXON’S RISE, STRUGGLES, AND RETURN appeared first on Concrete Skate News.

Now that chapter is officially closed.

Welcome Skateboards made it public with a farewell post, writing:
“Where did the time go?! Farewell Ryan Townley, thank you for 10 years. Goodluck on your future plans, we love you ”

Townley responded in the comments:
“Love you all! Thank you so much for everything & all the special memories together ”

No drama, no weird energy — just a clean split after a decade.

The next clips are already telling a story

About a month after leaving Welcome, Townley started posting new clips — and about a week ago, the board under his feet changed.

He’s now been seen riding Enjoi decks across multiple recent Instagram clips.

There’s no official announcement tying him to the brand yet, but as always, what you’re skating tends to speak for itself.

A key part of Welcome’s most distinct era

Townley’s run with Welcome lines up with the brand’s most recognizable stretch — the shaped boards, the unconventional graphics, and a team that didn’t feel like anything else at the time.

He wasn’t just along for that era, he helped define it.

Ten years with one brand is rare now, and when someone like Townley steps away, it’s more than just a name leaving a roster. It marks a shift in what that brand looked like at its core.

A new chapter already in motion

Right now, the facts are simple — Townley is no longer on Welcome, and he’s currently skating Enjoi boards in his latest clips.

Whether that turns into something official remains to be seen, but the transition is already happening in real time.

Does Townley feel like a good fit for Enjoi?
If not, where do you want to see him land officially?

Let us know what you think!

The post RYAN TOWNLEY LEAVES WELCOME AFTER A DECADE — SPOTTED RIDING ENJOI appeared first on Concrete Skate News.

Phil Shao is one of those names.

For skaters who were around in the early-to-mid ’90s, Shao had a reputation for being able to skate absolutely everything. Vert ramps, bowls, pools, ledges, banks, weird DIY transitions, big transfers—none of it seemed out of reach. The new documentary The Legend of Phil Shao digs into why so many people from that era still talk about him like he was operating on another level.

And for a lot of younger skaters, this might be the first time they’re hearing his story at all.

Watch the Full Doc Here:

The documentary revisits a skater who could do it all

The film pulls together interviews from friends, teammates, photographers, and filmers who were around during Shao’s rise in Northern California skating.

It traces his path from early vert contests and local sessions around Redwood City and Stanford, through his time riding for Confusion Skateboards, and eventually landing on Think Skateboards—a team built around skaters who could handle any terrain you put in front of them.

By the mid-’90s, Shao had built a reputation as one of the most well-rounded skaters in the van. One minute he’d be skating Greer Park, the next he’d be blasting airs on a vert ramp, and later in the same day he’d be figuring out some technical ledge trick nobody else had thought of yet.

That kind of versatility wasn’t common as street skating started getting more specialized in the ’90s. Shao came from the vert world, but when street skating exploded, he adapted instantly—without losing the power and flow that made him dangerous on transition.

Photo: Place Holder / @Placeholder

The tricks and spots that built the legend

The documentary revisits a lot of the moments older skaters still bring up when Phil’s name comes up.

There’s the Fort Miley top-rail grind that landed him the July 1996 Thrasher cover, one of the most talked-about photos of the era. The setup is brutally tight, with almost no room between the bank and the rail, meaning you basically have to ollie straight up to get on it.

Then there are the sessions at China Banks, where Shao started stacking tricks on the upper ledges—progressing from grinds to tailslides and eventually pulling a front tailslide to fakie on terrain that barely seems skateable in the first place.

The film also digs into clips from Think videos like “Damage” (1996) and “Dedication” (1998), along with footage from Emerica’s “Yellow.” In all of it, the same thing stands out: Shao never looked forced. Everything flowed. Big stuff, tech stuff, transition lines—it all connected.

That’s why people from that era constantly describe him the same way: someone who could skate anything and make it look natural.

Photo: Thrasher Magazine

More than just a great skater

One thing the documentary makes clear is that Shao wasn’t just respected for his skating.

He was known as one of the smartest guys in the van. While skating professionally, he was also attending UC Berkeley, where he earned an English degree. Eventually he began working at Thrasher Magazine as a copy editor, and many people around the mag believed he was on track to eventually become its next editor.

It’s a part of his story that adds another layer to the legacy. Phil wasn’t just shaping skateboarding on his board—he was likely going to help shape it behind the scenes too.

Photo: Place Holder / @Placeholder

The loss that shook the skate world

In August 1998, while on a skate trip along the West Coast, Shao was killed in a car crash after accepting a ride from a driver who had been drinking. He was just 24 years old.

For the people who knew him, the loss hit hard. Friends, teammates, and people at Thrasher have spoken about how deeply it affected them and how different things might have been if he had lived longer.

The documentary doesn’t shy away from that part of the story, but it ultimately focuses on why Phil Shao is still remembered almost three decades later.

A legend a lot of skaters are just now discovering

The truth is, most skaters today probably didn’t grow up hearing Phil Shao’s name.

If you started skating in the 2000s or later, you likely missed his era entirely. His video parts weren’t circulating on Instagram or TikTok, and the photos that defined him lived mostly in old magazines and VHS tapes.

That’s part of what makes The Legend of Phil Shao important.

It’s not just nostalgia for the people who were there. It’s a chance for a newer generation to see why older skaters still talk about him the way they do.

Once you start watching the footage—Greer sessions, Fort Miley clips, China Banks tricks, Think video parts—you begin to understand why his friends describe him as someone who could skate anything and make it look effortless.

And why, nearly thirty years later, his name still comes up whenever skaters talk about the best all-terrain rippers of that era.

The post THE LEGEND OF PHIL SHAO BRINGS ONE OF SKATEBOARDING’S MOST COMPLETE RIPPERS BACK INTO FOCUS appeared first on Concrete Skate News.

Now, out of nowhere, the name just popped back up — and this time, it’s not just a rumor.

A new Instagram account under the handle @clicheskateboards quietly made its first post this week.

Cliché Skateboards was founded in 1997 by Jérémie Daclin in Lyon, France.

The account also lists Jérémie Daclin directly, making it clear this isn’t just a random fan page.

Photo: Cliché / @clicheskateboards

The Post That Started It

About three weeks before the page went live, JB Gillet posted clips of himself skating — along with a photo of the board he was riding: a Cliché deck.

The caption:

“ @jeremiedaclin”

At the time, it felt like it could go either way. Maybe just an old board. Maybe something more.

Now, with a new Cliché page tied directly to Daclin — and an actual “we’re back” message — that post looks a lot more like an early signal than a coincidence.

The Name Behind the Brand

For anyone newer to the scene, Jérémie Daclin is the original founder of Cliché Skateboards. He started the company in 1997 in Lyon, France, and it quickly became one of the most recognizable European skate brands of the late ‘90s and 2000s.

Cliché helped showcase a distinctly European style of street skating — marble plazas, long ledges, and city spots scattered across places like Lyon, Barcelona, and Paris.

Over the years the team included names like Lucas Puig, Javier Mendizabal, Joey Brezinski, Charles Collet, and Andrew Brophy, and the brand’s video output helped solidify its reputation.

The 2005 full-length Bon Appétit remains the most remembered release, introducing a lot of American skaters to the European scene and delivering standout parts from riders like Puig and Mendizabal.

Photo: Jeremie Daclin / Cliché

When the Brand Went Quiet

After nearly two decades in skateboarding, Cliché shut down in November 2016 when Dwindle Distribution — which had purchased the brand from Salomon in 2009 — announced it would discontinue the company due to worsening market conditions.

Founder Jérémie Daclin later shared a message thanking the skate community — riders, shops, filmers, photographers, artists, and fans — who helped support the brand during its 19-year run.

For a lot of skaters, the shutdown felt like a piece of European skate history quietly disappearing.

What This Actually Looks Like

Now, between JB Gillet skating a Cliché board and tagging Daclin, a new Instagram page clearly tied to Daclin, and a “Cliché is back! Soon” message, this is starting to look like the early stages of a real comeback.

There’s still no official word on team riders, product, or release timing — but at this point, it’s not a question of if something is happening, just what it’s going to look like.

A Different Era, Same Question

If Cliché is really coming back, it won’t be stepping into the same world it left.

The industry now is smaller, faster, and way more direct. Brands don’t need full-length DVDs or big distributors to exist — they can build straight through Instagram and video drops.

Which makes this kind of low-key, social-first rollout feel pretty fitting.

For now though, all we’ve got is a fresh account, one post, a story that says “we’re back,” and a clip from a few weeks ago that suddenly makes a lot more sense.

And in skateboarding, that’s usually how something starts.

Were you a fan of Cliché back in the day?

And are you excited to see their comeback?

Let us know!

The post CLICHÉ IS COMING BACK IN 2026 — HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW appeared first on Concrete Skate News.

There were rankings and prize money, sure. But the entire fantasy sports ecosystem that surrounds leagues like the NFL or MLB never really existed in skateboarding.

That’s starting to change.

Former pro Mike Mo Capaldi has launched a PSL Fantasy League app, built around the Professional Skateboarding League (PSL) contest format. The idea brings a familiar concept from traditional sports into skating — letting fans draft teams of skaters and earn points based on how those riders perform in PSL events.

It’s a completely new way to interact with skate contests.

A Format Designed Like a League

The PSL itself has already been experimenting with a contest structure that looks a lot different from the typical skate competition.

Instead of the loose jam-style formats or simple runs that most contests rely on, the league leans heavily into structured scoring, brackets, and season-style competition. That system naturally lends itself to fantasy play, where individual performances can be tracked across events.

The new app builds directly on that idea.

Fans can draft PSL competitors, follow their results during contests, and compete against other fantasy players based on how their roster performs throughout the season.

For fans who enjoy tracking stats and performances, it adds another layer to following contests.

A New Conversation Around Contest Culture

Even if the PSL app itself is centered around fantasy competition, introducing systems like this almost always sparks another discussion: betting.

Fantasy sports platforms in traditional leagues often exist alongside gambling markets, even when those bets happen on completely separate platforms.

And skaters are already talking about that possibility online.

That kind of reaction highlights something new. People are beginning to talk about skate contests in ways that feel closer to mainstream sports — tracking stats, and using them to predict performances.

For a culture that has always prided itself on being different from traditional sports, that’s a noticeable shift.

Skateboarding Has Always Played by Its Own Rules

One of the reasons skate contests have historically felt unique is because skateboarding never fully embraced the structure of other competitive sports.

Events like Tampa Pro, Street League Skateboarding, and the X Games built their reputations around the skating itself — the tricks, the style, and the moment when someone lands something nobody expected.

Fans debated results and favorite tricks, but they weren’t drafting skaters onto fantasy rosters.

The PSL’s approach pushes things toward something closer to a league-style sports ecosystem.

Whether that ends up bringing more attention to skate contests or making them feel a little too much like traditional sports is something the community will probably continue debating as the league grows.

Are you Hyped on Fantasy League?

With the PSL Fantasy League app now live, it introduces a completely new way for fans to follow skate contests.

But skateboarding culture has always been protective of what makes it different.

Do you think you’ll draft a fantasy team of skaters?
Does this make contests more interesting to watch?
Or does turning skate contests into something that resembles traditional sports miss the point of what makes skateboarding unique?

Let us know what you think!

The post FANTASY LEAGUES ARE COMING TO SKATEBOARDING WITH MIKE MO’S PSL APP appeared first on Concrete Skate News.

The Vans Skate Era is firmly in that second category.

Originally introduced in 1976, the “Era” helped set the template for what a skate shoe could look and feel like. Now, half a century later, Vans is bringing back the classic silhouette as part of their 50-year celebration of the iconic shoe. But this time, it’s got some upgrades.

Check out Dogtown legend Tony Alva, who influenced the original shoe’s design making the announcement:

And here’s Geoff Rowley, also a legend in the history books of skating, sharing his experience with the Era:

From Dogtown Pools to Modern Streets

When the shoe first dropped in 1976, it was called Vans Style #95.

Skaters Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta worked with Vans to tweak earlier Vans models based on what they needed for skating backyard pools and drainage ditches.

The updates were simple but ended up influencing skate footwear for decades:

• a padded collar for ankle comfort
• a low-profile vulcanized sole for board feel
• durable construction that could handle grip tape

The Era quickly became one of the defining skate shoes of the Dogtown generation.

Over the years the silhouette has also inspired several updates and pro models. One of the more notable examples was the Vans AV Era, designed for Anthony Van Engelen in the late 2000s/early 2010s. That version kept the recognizable Era shape but added modern skate tech aimed at heavier street skating.

That balance between a familiar look and updated performance has been part of the Era’s story ever since.

Photo: Tony Alva

Features That Keep the Era Relevant

For the 2026 version, Vans kept the classic look but rebuilt the shoe with modern skate durability and impact protection.

Features include:

• Single-piece suede toe panel
• PopCush insoles for impact cushioning
• SickStick rubber outsole for grip and durability
• DuraCap reinforcement in high-wear zones
• Internal tongue straps for a more secure fit
• Molded heel counter for structure and stability
• Padded collar returning from the original design

This release also comes in two sole constructions.

The classic vulcanized version keeps the traditional Vans board feel: flexible, low profile, and very responsive.

The WaffleCup version uses Vans’ hybrid cupsole design, which adds a bit more structure and durability underfoot while still keeping a similar look to vulcanized shoes.

Vans has used this vulc vs WaffleCup approach on other skate models before, but this marks the first time the Era is being offered with both options.

Photo: Vans Shoes

Are You Picking Up a Pair?

The Skate Era has been part of skateboarding for five decades, and this release keeps a lot of the elements that made the original popular in the first place.

Things like board feel from vulcanized construction, suede durability in the toe, solid grip from the waffle outsole, and impact protection underfoot are all features that a lot of skaters look for when choosing a shoe.

With both vulcanized and WaffleCup versions available, this release gives skaters the option of sticking with the classic feel or going with a more supportive build.

So the real question is pretty simple:

Wafflecup or Vulc?

Let us know in the comments which one you’d pick!

The post VANS BRINGS BACK THE SKATE ERA FOR THE SHOE’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY appeared first on Concrete Skate News.