photo: cesar schaeffer

You may be thinking, a list of drop-ins? Of all the stupid list ideas this may be the most stupidest one yet. But have you forgotten how scary it was the first time you put your tail on the coping and looked down at the tiny transition as it grew before your eyes into an impossibly steep cliff? Drop-ins can be misleadingly easy, that’s why so many parents embarrass their kids by busting their ass at the skatepark, or, if they’re too much of a pussy to try it themselves, kick their kid down the tranny to get them over the fear or release some repressed anger or something.

It takes a true professional madman to remind the experienced skater that the simple drop-in can actually be a stunt unrivaled by the most technical ledge trick or even biggest ollie – it’s all commitment and giving into gravity, and people are pushing it to greater heights and more pummelling plummets every day. So, in no specific order, here’s a few drop-ins that remind me how scary even the simplest act of skateboarding can be.

Jimmy Boyes – Extremely Sorry

Rumor has it that Jimmy first saw this spot in a BMX mag. It was on the upper deck of the Queen Mary and could only be accessed by jumping out of the window of a moving elevator. It took three harrowing tries with security hounding Jimmy, presumably thinking he was on some sort of suicide mission, but the madman rolled away. Afterwards with no phone or money, he had to skate 15 miles on hips the size of beach balls to rendezvous with Rowley, who broke from the scene as soon as security arrived. It’s safe to say a piece of Jimmy has been smeared into that roof since, and our minds, forever.

Rob Smith – Ordinary Madness

British troubadour of all terrain Rob Smith lets us aboard his cross-continental party bus in this oft-forgotten part from Death Skateboards. This drop however is relatively early on in the part before the bullets begin to fly, but it’s a good scene to demonstrate how reckless this guy is. Rob honestly cuts it close on this one. One false move will send him teeth first into the future via a medically induced coma.

TNT – “Propeller” RAW Files

The Vans video graced us with a load of new TNT footage, and whilst this drop may not be the biggest I’ve seen, there’s something about it’s do or die attitude that is inspirational. For starters, this thing is near vert and skinnier than a Hollywood crack head, being barely a deck’s width. TNT rolls away somehow despite slashing his way down the wall, breaking his tail in the process.

Sammy Baca – Bake and Destroy

You might not see a lot of Baca footage these days, but when you do, it’s probably going to be some combination of foolish and straight up amazing. In his shared montage with Nuge from Bake and Destroy, Baca hits this wall drop-in to ledge, and even throws in a quick slash at the end of it before swiping up a cone in celebration as he rolls away. Not the cleanest drop-in on this list, but that’s what makes it so unforgettable.

Ali Jusovic – WTF Clip

Removing himself from any skate “norm” Ali makes an appearance again, this time bumping one of our previously posted clips. This one might not look that dangerous, but next time you are at the park, spin around on a quarterpipe and see what it feels like looking down at your board… backwards. One wrong step and your face is literally eating the coping.

Scott Penman – Darlington Reservoir Drop

This is an oldie but absolute goldie in the British skate world, but it didn’t exist anywhere on the internet until Legacy Skate Store posted it last year. This gem has an almost four minute build up, overlaid with epic music, that seems a little cheesy, but is actually just right for the work that went into making this a reality. A day’s worth of demolition and sweeping all for a three-second rush of flying down this tranny made entirely of raw red bricks that are about as smooth as your grandma’s crusty skin.

Jaws – Push Ep. 1

Many people will talk shit on this man’s scarecrow style but nobody can deny that over these past few years Jaws has become skateboarding’s guy for stupidly big and impressive stunts. The first attempt in the video would surely bring a normal person’s hips crashing into their own ribcage, but Gumby Jaws gives it two more tries before firing off into the distance from this tight transition with a daunting amount of vert – cue the champagne!

Bob Burnquist – éS South Africa Tour

Bob Burnquist, bare-feet, board shorts, and 3 metres (≈10 feet) of vert. What more could you ask for? Bob can be seen dangling from the tall frame as his board is catapulted up to him, like some kind of third-world construction worker. One slip off the platform-less deck would send his body catapulting to the ground, and one failed drop in attempt would surely take all his toe nails clean off, but young Vov is unphased, feeding off the hype as if it’s some organic vegan root vegetable.

Grant Taylor – Nike SB Chronicles Vol. 1 Extras

Grant is no stranger to fucking giant transitions. We’ve seen him soar through the craziest tranny parks and on enormous vert ramps like he’s been doing it since he came out of the womb. He’s the kind of skater that almost never looks uncomfortable or shook, no matter what he’s skating. This is one rare exception where we see GT get a bit nervous as he rolls down this pillar-lined ditch and anxiously steps off his board just before flying into the ravine, proving what a deathwish this trick really is.

Miles Cannavello – Caddywhompus

Miles Cannavello flooded our Instagram feeds with a slam that left us wondering about this guy’s sanity. Being a complete cynic I saw the clip and immediately thought “Yeah right!” – you can’t drop into a roof as steep as a wall and as rough as a cheese grater and roll out on some mushy cardboard, no way. But the world is a crazy place, and I’m left utterly astonished at his defiance of physics and logic and just common sense.

Words/GIFs: Henry Calvert
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