I like to see pro skateboarder Tyshawn Jones ollie over things. It's one of the purest joys in today's New York City. As we grimly stumble our way through the mists of social media, and in between disheartening news stories, here he comes, appearing on a Thrasher Magazine cover or in an iPhone video, hovering angelically over all of the obstacles in the way we wish we could. You may remember the instantly iconic photo by Atiba Jefferson of Jones soaring over the subway tracks at the 145th Street station in Harlem.
Well earlier this week, it happened again: here's Jones floating like a goddamn butterfly over a white Ferrari parked across Lafayette Street in Soho, which apparently belongs to Universal Music Group's Steven Victor.
And here's another angle, where you can drink in the cars honking angrily in the immediate aftermath.
Whoever's in the back of that black SUV will simply have to hold their horses. Tyshawn's jumping over shit.
I have to admit something, though. Can I be honest? When I first saw this video, I tried really hard to find it cool, but struggled. The ollie was nice, but who cares about some asshole record label guy's Ferrari and how much it's worth? (The video was captioned "$5 million ollie.") It seemed like a downgrade from the stunning feats Jones has become known for, which center his ability to reorder public space in a single bound.
But viewed from that second angle, and hearing the crowd yell "fuck yeah" and "let's fucking go" and other, less articulate screams of delight, I've begun to appreciate the stunt. I'm not gonna be a hater like the honking black SUV. Who fucking cares? Tyshawn is jumping over shit. When Tyshawn Jones has fun, we all have fun. That's our guy. Nice jump, Tyshawn.
Some nice links:
- A witness to Malcolm X's murder now says the NYPD was involved.
- People are paying Airbnb $96 dollars a night to sleep on a mattress in a van on the Upper East Side, and it's not working out.
- Conditions in New York City's migrant shelter have deteriorated, and some advocates say it's a deliberate attempt to deter asylum seekers from coming and staying in NYC.
- New York City's school enrollment data now includes a nonbinary option for students when listing their gender. Via Chalkbeat: "Just 108 nonbinary, gender fluid, or gender expansive students used the 'X' designation last school year out of more than a million children in the city’s public schools, including charters."
- As the SAG-AFTRA strike continues, some stars like Bryan Cranston and Jessica Chastain joined a Times Square rally.
- Some housing listings are trying to get people to pet sit as a condition of subletting.
- A construction crane collapsed in Hell's Kitchen—stay safe, everyone!
- Republicans are taking the redistricting fight to the Court of Appeals.
- Rich sick fuck allegedly did sick shit at other rich sick fuck's house, and the state's Adult Survivors Act may help the victim get justice.
- New York City is too good at trapping heat.
- The CITY continues its reporting on how speculators target homeowners, largely in Black and Latino enclaves, who die without wills.
- George Santos would never use his political connections for money making schemes, would he? He wouldn't do that.
- Mayor Eric Adams went and knocked on the door of a homicide suspect accused of tormenting his neighbors with violent and racist attacks. Why did he do that?
- This story is nuts:
(Photo: ZUBR / Youtube)
