In 1998, Justin Girardi and Mad Circle released 5ive Flavors featuring Bobby Puleo, Karl Watson, Pontus Alv, Rob Welsh, and Scott Johnston.
The video is a beautiful time capsule of classy 90’s street skating that showcased a meticulously stylish and selective team of pioneers. Its accessibility stood out in stark contrast to the “hammers” ethos that shortly followed.
All of these skaters have continued to be involved in skateboarding in the 23 years since 5ive Flavors joined the canon of classic ’90s skate videos, working with or owning various companies including Supreme, Adidas, Polar, Maxallure and more.
We were able to get the whole team back together along with photographer Mike Blabac for a good old-fashioned meeting in which the guys reconnect, reminisce, and rewatch the parts through the long lens of over two decades past. There’s a palpable joy the guys experience being back together, along with a sense that Mad Circle hasn’t been given its rightful place in the history books.
This condensed edit of their conversation captures a bit of what it was like for them to grow up together skating in a golden era, and how sometimes doing something with integrity means having to let it go…
PS. If you never saw the video – peep it here.
Related Posts
-
WATCH “POSSIBLY MAYBE” – A VHS REMIX OF CONS BRAZIL RIDERS
Highlights include: one guy doing a blunt on a rooftop mini, tasteful special effects, and more than one good-ass kickflip.
-
RIDING THE SUBWAY WITH NEW YORK’S MOST WANTED TRAIN SURFERS
We met up with some of NY's notorious subway surfers to try and go beyond the cheap thrills and understand why they are literally risking it all.
-
WATCH DAN MANCINA’S “MATRIX” PARK EDIT
Dan's blind but apparently when he steps into his local skatepark, he sees "The Matrix."
-
MOSHPITS, BURNOUTS & THE ANDERSON FAMILY AT THE 2ND ANNUAL RAPID FEST
We met up with Jake Anderson, Mike Anderson and their parents at Rapid Fest - a skate and hardcore music gathering.
-
PREMIERE: BRAZIL’S “STREET SURVIVORS VOL. 3”
Now that you're more familiar with the CPTMAFIA gang, peep their newest edit with friends & fam.
-
JENKEM LABS: TESTING HOMEMADE SKATE GEAR
We tested a few emergency solutions to some common skate gear problems.
-
TONY HAWK DISSECTS HIS MOST ICONIC (AND CRINGY) TV ADS
Who could forget Bagel Boy?
-
WORKING ON JOKES WITH SKATEBOARDING COMEDIAN, WHITMER THOMAS
Meet the only skateboarder to ever get an HBO standup comedy special.
Comments
Popular
-
ETHAN LOY’S CANDID TAKE ON THE SKATE INDUSTRY, FAMILY AND HIS CAREER REBIRTH
"Skating is bullshit compared to what I’ve been through."
-
A CHAT WITH LUDVIG HAKANSSON, THE OLDEST SOUL IN SKATEBOARDING
The man loves to read Nietzche, skates in some expensive vintage gear, and paints in his own neoclassical-meets-abstract-expressionist style.
-
WHAT FILM CAMERAS ARE SOME OF SKATING’S BEST PHOTOGRAPHERS USING?
It’s easy to feel lost in finding your own go-to camera. We hope this helps.
-
THE WAIT IS OVER: IPATH SHOES ARE BACK
Cats, Grasshoppers and Fred Gall. What's going on with this IPATH reboot?
-
AN INTERVIEW WITH DUSTIN DOLLIN, THE LAST OF THE PISS DRUNX
"It’s so weird being an alcoholic for 20 years and now my body feels fine."
November 8, 2021 3:00 pm
This is amazing. Thank you!!
November 8, 2021 4:35 pm
Excellent piece. I had a friend who lived really far from me and big spot in my area, but drove there every weekend. He was with me when I went to the shop to buy FF and he insisted we go to my house to watch it, even though it meant an even longer (1.5 hour) drive home. Anyway he was so hyped to see SJ’s part and was so bummed when it turned out to be only 60 seconds. Somewhere there’s an alternate universe where Element died and Mad Circle lived on.
November 8, 2021 8:29 pm
Love this! Please make more of these!
November 9, 2021 8:13 am
Awesome! “Zoo York – Mixtape” crew next please!!!