Wheel Bite

This week’s episode features a close friend to us here at Wheel Bite, Big Pauly Harper. Pauly has been a filmer in San Francisco for several years, worked with some of the greats, and has now gone on to work on film and commercial sets around the Bay Area. Because of his background in skateboarding though, Pauly still feels the need to pay it forward to the subculture that shaped him, and pushes for skateboarding to be represented accurately when the shoot, and position allow for such things. Through this, Pauly, Ted, and J all explore films about skateboarding, how it is often portrayed, and how we can authenticate the image of skateboarding in the mainstream media.

After some Black Friday mishaps, J and Ted set their sights on Supreme, the mega brand that has the whole world buzzing apparently. The boys talk it’s Manhattan roots, why Bill Strobeck was the man for the job of media portrayal, and why shirts entitled “18 and Stormy” are cool. Tune in to this episode if you are in some sort of current events class and need to cite a couple of street kooks.

It's a classic debate for any subject: gangsta rap, gangsta movies, punk scenes, vacation destinations, and of course, skateboarding. This week, in true coming together for the holidays fashion, J and Ted discuss the subtle differences between each coast's skate scenes and what made each of them special.

The first installment of "Defunct" brings a guest into the conversation: local legend/skater/influencer Shawn Connolly. In this installment, and episode, we discuss Shawn's time with Think Skateboards, a classic Bay Area company who's time in the 90s left a small print in the grand design that is skating. Hear Shawn's experience with the brand, and how they shaped his path on this week's episode.

Board sponsors used to mean everything. They defined your identity as a skater, and which team you were on said a lot about who you were and how you skated. That has all shifted now. Shoe companies are the main source of sponsorship money, as well as the leaders of content. Shoe companies have less of an identity statement, but now they are how skating is seen by everyone, and have become the most important element of a skater's identity. In this episode, J and Ted explore how we got to this point, and what it means for skating as a whole.

In the season one finale, J and Ted set out to figure out who truly reigns supreme in the mag game. Is it Thrasher, aka the Bible? Or is it Transworld, artistically inclined mag boasting the highest caliber staff in skate print? Tune in and decide for yourself.

Ted's been waiting to discuss this one, so he and J dive head first into photo longevity. They explore how photographers have made careers off of skateboarding, and how certain photos stand the test of time beyond their physical shelf life.

Ted and J break down the nature of contests, from the Savannah Slammah in the 80s, to the speculation of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Skateboarding has always had a competitive side, and this week your humble hosts dive in head first.

It's time to focus on the now, as J and Ted take Episode 6 to dive into what's happening in skateboarding at this moment. From the underground sensation of Pizza Skateboards, to the Converse video, and even putting money down on the King of the Road champions, this episode tackles everything the guys have seen up until this point in 2018.