Despite its roots in skateboarding history, Boston’s largely seen as a “little brother” to New York. Sure, it’s smaller and less populous, but the history is there, I mean, fuck, it’s where Jake Phelps became Jake Phelps before he bailed to work at Thrasher. However, the city’s never been able to establish an industry presence.

In the early 90s, brands like Matthew Landon’s 3D Innovations became the city’s beacon before Landon relocated to New York City. Raw took hold in the 2000s before disbanding in 2016. And while Sexhippies has roots in the Berkshires and Hopps was founded by Jahmal Williams, Boston’s first pro skateboarder, Boston’s skate narrative can’t necessarily be told by brands.

It’s told by skate shops.

One of the longest operating shops in Boston has been Orchard, a space that’s largely survived through a diehard scene and obsessive dedication to making it work. Opened on February 11th, 2006, Orchard is now at their 8th location and lease, pivoting, scaling, and reacting to one of the priciest commercial real estate markets in the United States.

With no corporate or VC backing, what Orchard has is intention, reflected in owner Armin Bachman’s persistent vision of a shop being more than a retail space. “Armin’s hard-headed, but his vision has enabled him to grow,” longtime shop rider and DVS TM / Marketing Manager Lee Berman says. “He sees the chessboard in front of him and I think sometimes that’s hard for people. Orchard is a clubhouse, but it’s also a business.”

What’s one of the best ways to track Orchard’s long history as a clubhouse? Shop videos. A tentpole of Orchard’s presence regardless of financial viability, their full-lengths are an essential reminder of the shop’s larger connection to skateboarding.

“Orchard is a clubhouse, but it’s also a business.” -Lee Berman

Not only do the videos showcase their crew, they also establish Boston itself as a character. It’s an old city—founded in 1630 fuckin’ AD and full of legendary spots, but what’s most notable is its blend of new and old, it’s 200 year old granite and brick mixed with modern architecture features on the same street.

Starting in 2010, Orchard paid homage to the long-form video with Out of Body Experience (2010), followed by Suede Peach (2012) and Stone Soup (2014). More recently, Orchard has adapted to the ever present mid-length video with “The Trail” (2022) and “Crosshatch” (2025).

And now comes WISHBONE, the shop’s new full-length. Shot and edited by Orchard filmer Ted (that’s right, just Ted), the video premiered in Boston on September 3rd and features team riders Eddie Vargas Jr., Sean Evans, Eamon Durkan, Brianna Delaney, Connor Noll, Jojo Vargas, and resident and respected unc, Lee Berman.

Unlike other skate shops, Ted’s on Orchard’s legitimate payroll, which (in this economy) is truly a rarity. How many shops can afford to pay a filmer these days? My guess would be less than five. But with that comes living up to the shop’s penchant for longform documentation of Boston’s skate scene.

Taking shape offscreen over three years, WISHBONE was rife with all the tribulations you’d expect from a long-form project. There were changes in direction and funding, injuries, sponsorship changes, and of course, in 2026, the American economy’s squeeze on every form of commerce.

“Back in 2023 we were in Detroit, Michigan. First morning, first spot, first trip, and I basically broke my neck. So that’s where WISHBONE started.” Armin says. He went on, “Then in 2024 the shop paid for a sublet to get Eddie, Jojo, and Brianna under one roof a few blocks from Ted. That lasted about one month before it all fell apart.”

Falling apart meant a broken ankle for Eddie, Jojo taking time to sing in his hardcore band Fatcap, and Brianna and the rest of the world learning that Alltimers was done.

“There were some plans for me to get a board with Alltimers, so that was even more inspiration to take a sublet in Boston and go for it,” Brianna says. “I was locked in and focused, then I got the call about the brand being over. That definitely sucked—it almost felt like a breakup.”

“That’s just like what time does,” Ted says of the three years he spent on the video. “Everything changed, but the feeling never dies unless you lose sight of it. This thing has completely consumed my life for three years and I still don’t know what the fuck it is.”

“This thing has completely consumed my life for three years.” -Ted

With a close to 30-minute run time, WISHBONE is a full-length and more importantly, a time capsule of Boston skateboarding, even if the footage isn’t exclusive to the city locale. The crew day tripped around New England and New York as well as proper missions through the Midwest, along Interstate 95, and a “last push,” fly-out to Los Angeles in February 2026, before (predictably) extending the deadline Ultimately, everyone came through, with Berman delaying a full hip replacement until the project was complete.

“It’s bone-on-bone. I’m 40, but I’ll be fine,” Lee says of the surgery. “You can’t get time or your body back, so if I see them (the younger team riders) blowing it, I’ll tell them, “Yo, you’re like 25, all you need to be doing is going to school and skating.” You’ll never regret not going to a bar for a few nights… even if I did plenty of that shit at their age.”

“Lee has a good understanding of my skating and maybe some styling advice too [laughs],” Eddie says. “I remember one time I pulled up to the spot with a pair of SilverTabs and he was like, “Yup, you look sturdy” [laughs].

The team shares an ethos, but it’s not uniform by any stretch. From the jump, it’s Ted’s vision—Clean views of the action with personal touches that enhance the mood without being “art for art’s sake.” The architecture of Boston life appears throughout the film—bricks and fishing traps, slick metal modernity against mill town debris. And to emphasize the latter, some of these spots look absolutely shitty and beautiful.

Unlike other Orchard full-lengths, there’s an underlying menace that permeates the footage that evokes the bitter charm of the city itself. American flags are a recurring theme through the video—a somber and most likely subconscious nod to the warped Americana Ted culled from repeated viewings of Alien Workshop’s Photosynthesis and Mind Field—videos that he credits for showing him a “different world.”

WISHBONE isn’t melancholy; it’s honest, and Ted’s visual language is highly engaging and even “floaty,” if that’s a word you can use for a skate video. And yes, despite a viral clip poaching from a vlogger, Eddie got his after-black redemption.

“As much as I worked for this video, it’s for the kids–for Eddie, for Eamon, for Jojo,” Brianna says. “I think what gets me psyched more than anything these days is thinking outside myself and trying to support the next generation of skateboarding. I don’t want to be that old skater who’s bitter; it’s hard to be around.”

She went on, “When we first started filming, it immediately hit me: these kids are in their prime, they’re froggy, and I’m trying to keep the shit going—maybe I’m blowing it. But I snapped out of that and started to realize, ‘How can I be salty about some 20-year-old who is having the best time of their life?’ It’s their time to shine. And this is Ted’s moment. He’s been wanting to make a video like this forever.”

“I’ve always been a bad capitalist.” -Armin Bachman

“I want to make an impact on where I’m from and get people psyched,” Eddie says. “It’s skateboarding. It’s supposed to be fun. I’m honored that I could work on this and I want to keep pushing myself further. After every project I think, ‘That’s done,’ but I’ve claimed so much other shit–I gotta get back to work. I don’t know, it feels like shit’s just beginning.”

“I’ve always been a bad capitalist,” Armin says. “If this was just about making money we would’ve never reopened a brick and mortar post-COVID. I’m proud to pay our crew close to a living wage and help them pursue their passions. Videos are the benchmark of our culture and are still the best tool to showcase what we’re all about. They’re fiscally irresponsible at best, but you can’t put a price on the collective memories and keeping the dream alive for future generations.”

Written by: Anthony Pappalardo
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