As you know, Ben Raemers passed away earlier this year from suicide. He is and will continue to be missed by everyone who had the chance to meet him, befriend him, or enjoy his skating.
Our close friend Richard Quintero did a good amount of traveling with Ben, and we went on a few trips with him as well, but we only got to experience a glimpse of what he gave the world. Our hearts go out to his friends, family, and anyone whose life he touched.
We felt like we needed to put together something to convey, even in a small way, what it was like to spend time with Ben and enjoy the liveliness he brought with him everywhere. So Richard dug through all his files to find every single thing he’d ever filmed with Ben and create this film in his memory.
Personality can be hard to capture on camera, but Ben’s oozed out of him naturally. He didn’t put on an act to be this fun and funny. It’s just how he was around everybody. As much as you’d want to skate with him, you’d also want to hit the town with him until dawn and keep the good energy going.
Skate with your friends. Talk to your friends. Most of all, tell them you love them. Thank you for always being yourself, Ben. We miss you.
From Lee Berman (CONS TM):
“Ben was like the puppy dog that shit on the rug and you’d try to be mad but end up giving him a treat. He was all-terrain in every sense and went for broke. It was amazing to watch him work his way into trying something. He’d have the whole van laughing by just being himself. He came from from nothing, saw everything, and even though his life was short, he lived three lives in one.”
( If you can contribute, there’s a donation campaign to raise money for charity in Ben’s name.
And if you feel like you need help or just want to talk with someone, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers free, confidential crisis counseling 24/7/365. They’re available by phone [1-800-273-8255] or online. )
Related Posts
-
VIDEO ESSAY: THE YEAR MODERN SKATEBOARDING BROKE
2013 might seem like a random arbitrary year to most people, but to us, it’s the year the current era of skateboarding was born.
-
PRESENTING… THE HEAVIEST PART OF ALL TIME
If anyone ever says you're too big to skate, pull up this video to show 'em how it's done.
-
DRUNKEN POETRY WITH LIZARD KING
"I hope we all get fucking hurt all the time...and I fucking hate my life and I love my fucking life."
-
G-FILES 002
Enjoy the diverse crew of up-and-comers out of the Pacific Northwest.
-
FRANKY VILLANI AND FRIENDS GO TO KNOTT’S SCARY FARM
Join us as we try some mazes and hit the Xcelerator, the most intimidating rollercoaster at the park.
-
RASPA’S TAPES: LOUIE LOPEZ’S NYC SHOE ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Rare indoor New York action mixed with questionable late night behavior. And if you're wondering why it's all shot in black and white, let's just say it was to promote the black and white shoe colorways.
-
WATCH “SLEPT ON PSYXXXO” A PLAYFUL VIDEO FROM THE MOHKIE CREW
Amin brings a mix of ledge combos, roof drops, and goofball tricks that will keep you on your toes.
-
HANGING OUT WITH… SHEEZY
We visited a sunken city, skated a classic DIY skatepark and shot some guns.
Comments
Popular
-
PLOTTING THE LIFECYCLE OF A TRENDY TRICK
"Pressure flips are cool again. Actually, their second act has lasted longer than their first did."
-
WILL TIKTOK BE THE NEW HOME FOR SKATEBOARDING ON THE INTERNET?
We called up some "skate TikTokers" to find out what they've learned and seen so far.
-
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH ILLEGAL CIV?
The Illegal Civ stuff feels like an ongoing soap opera, so to air out any confusion we talked to a few key characters.
-
CHECKING OUT A HIDDEN DIY FINGERBOARD PARK IN QUEENS
When we heard about a mysterious concrete fingerboard park hiding in Brooklyn, we knew we had to go find it.
-
INSIDE THE 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY OF EMERICA’S “THIS IS SKATEBOARDING”
We stopped by to pay our respects and see if we could squeeze a few stories out of the crew.
June 24, 2019 3:35 pm
RIP
June 24, 2019 6:28 pm
Talk to someone. There’s more help out there than you think. Just be real with someone. They will surprise you.
Spaceship earth wants you as a passenger.
June 24, 2019 6:47 pm
I have been running a Facebook page for skaters with mental health since last year.. it’s a safe environment for skateboarders to talk to others who are in the same boat, like me…’skateboard Mental Health’ 🙏
June 24, 2019 10:57 pm
Only the good die young
RIP BEN