Tokyo Block Party

The plan was simple: unlock the spot and skate. No trophies. No Prizes. Just tricks. But the skatepark builder, MBM, and Homma-san from Instant Skate Shop had other plans. Pulling wads of cash from their own pockets, the stakes were raised as rolling away from anything was now rewarded with a high five and crispy yen bills.

Returning the following day with our friends from The Dojo, the rain decided to pull up as well, so we carted ramps and ledges (and a speed gun) to a nearby bridge for protection from the elements and started handing out cash and shoes.

As X-Games spectators exited the stadium on its final day, some discovered a side a skating typically self-contained to this sub-culture’s core. A group of outcasts cheering for each other in a space that, come Monday morning, they’d likely get kicked out of.