Adam's Picks - Ottawa Affiliated Skate Parts

With the "Archives Block Party" fast approaching I find myself reminiscing more than ever before on the heavy history of skateboarding in Ottawa. It’s been said a million times but something was definitely in the water in our nation’s capital throughout the 90s and early 2000s. Tony Ferguson, Rick McCrank, Gailea Momolu, Wade Desarmo, Paul Trepanier, and Spencer Hamilton are amongst  the skaters that have spent at least a portion of their formative skateboarding years in Ottawa. As I slump into my “back in my days” years, I find myself trying to get the next generation of Ottawa skaters to understand this history. With that in mind, here are five skateboard video parts from Ottawa affiliated skaters that deserve some shine. Do yourself a favour and check ‘em out! After you’re done – keep hunting for more! There are tons.

1) Seb Labbé – Lo Def (2008) (start at 9:46)
Remember when people used to say “steeze”? Maybe this video just brought me back to 2008 when that word was more popular but it is also a combination of “style” and “ease” which is an appropriate way to describe Seb. He’s a super talented skater with the best style that looks effortless. If I’m losing your attention already at this point at the very least check out his last two tricks in this part. They’re insane.

2) Bryan Barbier – Tangent (2021)
I love it when a skate video proves me wrong. Do you know what I mean? Have you ever been to a spot or even considered skating a spot only to determine that it is too tough to skate? Whether it’s too rough or the security is too tight…there are many reasons. I love it when I have that thought and then see someone in a video absolutely destroy the spot in mind. It erases my excuses. Bryan does that with Archives in this video amongst other spots. If you’re an Ottawa skater, you know that Archives isn’t necessarily beloved by everyone. It is a bit crusty and is a “character builder” in many ways. Despite this reputation, Bryan manages to bang out some incredible lines here that look amazing due to Jordan Wiens’ filming. Next time you’re there and wondering “do these ledges even grind?” rewatch this part and remind yourself that it’s not the ledges, it’s you.

3) Paul Trep – Top Dollar (2004) (start at 5:00)
It's hard to overstate the impact that Top Dollar had on Canada as a whole and Ottawa in particular. The whole video is a masterpiece, but in particular I was always drawn to Paul’s part. It was the first section of the video after the intro and it set such a gnarly tone. The song is so sick and his skating is so buck yet controlled. There are also zero sketchy tricks. They are all perfect. The line he does at 6:29 where a cop cruiser pulls up on him in the middle of skating is the most gangster move in a skate video that I’ve ever seen. Paul was 18 when this video came out, meaning he was even younger while filming it. I’m convinced that he’s some kind of child prodigy skater. He was straight up born to skateboard.

4) Ryan Racine – 581 (2021) (start at 3:11)
On my “Mount Rushmore” of Ottawa skaters, there will always be a spot for Ryan Racine. He’s got that tasteful, creative, and super deep bag of tricks that we all dream of. As a case in point, check out his ender. Chef’s kiss! I get the feeling that Ryan thinks long and hard about the lines he puts together. They’re not just random tricks, tossed together. They’re specific tricks that work at specific spots strung together to create a sick flow. I can’t wait for his next part!

5) Gailea Momolu – Battalion (2003)
Although there is no Ottawa footage in this part and frankly, it’s possible that Gailea Momolu hasn’t even been back to Ottawa since he moved out, this was still a big deal to young Ottawa skaters back in the day. I started skating around 2003 and by then, Gailea was already a huge star. It was mind blowing for me to learn that just a few years ago, Gailea lived in the same city as me. In a place like Ottawa, where the winters are harsh and the spots aren’t great, a dude like Gailea was a huge inspiration. He became a legendary pro skater with big name sponsors in the same environment that we all complained about. I’m stoked that we’re getting a skatepark named in his honour in Ottawa. Maybe it’ll inspire a new generation of skaters to learn nollie bigspin back lips.