Being a “creative” skater can easily be a cop out for being “not a very good” skater. Conceiving of the most non-trick tricks, finding the least skateable spots, and praying to land on your board can be fun for a minute, but it gets tiring quickly.
But Ben “Rollersurfer” Koppl is both creative and talented. He puts real power into all of his tricks, and he can take all the gimmicky things people love right now (running instead of skating into tricks, powersliding vertical walls, and firecrackering up stairs) and make them look as impressive as they should.
Ben is basically a master in what we’re gonna describe as “goof gnar,” and we love it.
“Goof gnar” is like laughing and shouting “oh shit!” at the same time. “Goof gnar” is wearing out the 5-second-rewind button on YouTube. “Goof gnar” is like Fancy Lad but faster and with less hardware. “Goof gnar” is like if Eric Koston’s only video part was in Chomp.
Make friends with “goof gnar” and make friends with Ben. Then when you’re fully aroused go check out the full personas vid and accompanying zine here. (JK it’s actually over here.)
Related Posts
Comments
Popular
-
RECONTEXTUALIZING ZAK ANDERS, ONE OF TODAY’S MOST MYSTIFYING SKATERS
"I don’t want to be this brutal punk that hates everything that people like, and I’m trying really hard to undo that."
-
RARELY SEEN PHOTOS FROM READ AND DESTROY, THE BELOVED BRITISH SKATE MAG
Check out early documentation of London's Southbank, vert ramps tucked into Lord of the Rings-level forests, and everything in between.
-
NAVIGATING SKATING’S HIGHS AND LOWS WITH MATT MILITANO
Over coffee and cigarettes Matt talks prank shows, ABDs and his love for the VX.
-
A CHAT WITH LUDVIG HAKANSSON, THE OLDEST SOUL IN SKATEBOARDING
The man loves to read Nietzche, skates in some expensive vintage gear, and paints in his own neoclassical-meets-abstract-expressionist style.
-
MEET THE SEATTLE ARTIST WHO DESIGNED A BACON ’N EGGS INSPIRED SKATEPARK
Breakfast-obsessed skaters rejoice!
February 25, 2019 5:07 pm
Somebody watched Vic’s Market!
February 25, 2019 6:28 pm
full shred
February 25, 2019 9:14 pm
Urban Urinator’s club is finding new ways to prevent gentrification.
February 25, 2019 9:17 pm
The first sentence of this article is the absolute truth. It’s good to attain a certain ability before you get weird. Ben Koppl does it right!