JinxPro "Money Time"
JinxPro "Money Time"
DIR: Tristan Warren
One of the best things that street skating does is put one in the middle of some of the most bizarre situations. Anyone who has spent any time out on missions will know the crazy and beautiful experiences rolling around backstreets late and at night can throw up—witnessing the most unexpected people, juxtapositions, and moments, humanity rubbing up against each other, and the world. I remember long conversations with tramps, discussing books and literature, and having bizarre interactions with crazy swivel-eyed "care in the community" types, high on psychotropics, away with the fairies but bristling with confused aggression. I recall beautiful moments climbing into vacant spaces to find a piece of architecture that worked perfectly for "that trick" and having to make ourselves scarce after being chased away by a screaming man with a samurai sword. That brilliant tour trip and our van were ripped off by Turkish rude boys for the second time that day. We chased them across the wasteland in the middle of a council estate in Marseille, only to have them disappear through a maze of alleys and well-known streets.
Crazy times but stuff that sticks with you forever.
Check with any skater, and you'll hear similar stories. It's not like this stuff isn't happening all the time; it's not out of the ordinary it's just that something about skateboarding and the spaces we occupy that put us in these types of situations.
I love "Money Time" because it's all of these moments. It's some of their crazy times. Nowadays, it's called hijinx, and it's as much a part of skateboarding as the tricks. It's the interactions, the real visceral feelings. It's scary, thrilling, and honest. Nothing prepares a young person better for life than having to keep it together in the middle of a riot, dealing with crazies, or navigating overzealous security meatheads.
It's all in this film, a collection of craziness both on and off the skateboard. It's hard to pick a favourite as there seems to be no end of radness on show and the pace doesn't slow.** Tristan Warren is my new favourite filmmaker. I can imagine him making many more notable films in the future, and I hope he keeps up his reportage "JinxPro" approach to documenting this crew and the world in general. It's refreshing in its rawness and exciting for its honesty. Skating is always better for having this layer of realism interwoven within it. Its feet firmly planted on the ground reflecting the spaces and people occupying this strange yet intriguing subterranean world.