PROTO - Reincarnate 2017

PROTO - Reincarnate 2017 from Proto Scooters on Vimeo.

Proto's follow-up to Armageddon 2012 recently dropped. A quick comparison between the full-lengths shows a few stark differences- namely, roster changes. A new wave of flow riders (plus Matt McKeen) have risen in the ranks, producing full parts to replace those who've moved on. Sometimes when teams gain/lose riders, it completely switches up the feel of the company and their videos. Not here. Proto feels like Proto; the rugged, honest, and OG scooter company we've all come to know and love throughout the years.

The riding in this video is spot on. Creativity, technicality, heaviness, and style abounds. From Kirk Svensson's opening section, attacking hubbas, nose manualing (front firecrackering?) down sets, to McKeen continuing to set the bar on what street scootering can be, and how good it can look, to Parrish Isaacs redefining what's even possible to do on a scooter, and finally, to Zack Martin showing how well rounded one can be, matching every monster gap or rail he hits with an equally impressive nose manual combo. For sure, everybody brought something new to the table.

One of the highlights for me was Brandon Kilbury's section. Turns out this is his last as a Proto rider, and he made it count. His front scooterflips have been iconic to me for 10 years now; seeing a manual front scooterflip again made it come full circle. Congrats to him for killing it while being a goddamn rocket scientist, he gives hope to graduated scooter riders everywhere.

It's hard to talk about full-lengths without bringing up the fact how nuts it is that people are still filming them. Each of these dudes are spending hundreds, even thousands of their own dollars to buy cameras, tapes, travel, etc, (not to mention opportunity cost of not being able to actually work) just for the purpose of getting clips. All without the expectation of getting reimbursed in any significant way. In other words, if you like this sort of content- real, meaningful, gnarly scootering- please support the people behind it. Companies are never making a profit off of feature videos- most will lose money, but they do it because it is a labor of love. As time goes on, it gets harder and harder to justify making videos like this. But remembering where your dollar goes when buying new scooter parts can help.

So is this the last Proto full-length video? The trilogy is finished now, after all. And trilogy remakes are never good (Damn you, Andrew Garfield). What's next? Will they finally turn Parrish pro? Will we see Jake ever make a vlog 7? I think it's safe to say that Proto will keep fighting the good fight, whatever that means in the year 2018 and beyond.