What decides the relevancy or value of something? Often this is a personal journey, you see something, you interact with it, and build a relationship with it. As humans, we often choose to share those experiences, taking someone to see an exhibition or talking it up. Word of mouth is still the best way of advertising something. When it comes to value, a famous artist once said something along the lines of “If my work is great will be decided by history, history being the people that go see my work throughout time and passing their judgment. They, not I decide what the value of my art throughout time.” I personally feel like the work UNITY and THERE are doing in our world today will remain influential and relevant for a long time. I am not alone in that, our whole staff at Place Magazine feels strongly about the work that the Bay Area-based brand is doing. Why? Because they do something so needed in skating today, both broadening its horizon, and shedding a light on people that haven’t always historically been shown or put in the limelight. Don’t believe us, fine! We asked some important people to tell us what THERE & UNITY mean to them, Read on!
Intro & Text by Roland Hoogwater.
Video by Leo Bañuelos.
Filmed by Rey Choto, Abi Teixeira, Trish McGowan & Mike Iemma.
Photos by Fabi Reichenbach.
“A company for all the queer-dos and the misfits. There Skateboards is all love and they are here to stay . I’ve never felt so at home on a skate trip before . I can’t wait to be back on tour with them again . I miss and love you angels .”
Yann Horowitz.
During this week we are proud to work together with THERE & UNITY to bring you a gang of content from the riders, the HERA’s & Mark Nickels. We feel that our first order of business is to give Leo Bañuelos his flowers, the whole vibe of this project is amazing. This in part is because of the people he works with, they definitely bring a lot with them, but through his choices in the editing bay, Leo has managed to elevate everyone and made them all look pretty iconic.
“The feeling they give within skateboarding. It’s a happy and safe feeling, a “you can be who you are and we love you for you” feeling.
I love the Unity GG’s
Thank you Jeff and Gabriel<3″
Maité Steenhoudt.
Jeff Cheung is another person that we feel needs to be spotlighted. One of the people behind the company, he does a lot of amazing work on and off the board. If you don’t know, Jeff is responsible for the amazing art on most of the THERE & UNITY products that you see around you in most places skaters hang out. Similarly to Polar when it started, the product is instantly recognizable and always seems to carry a strong and loving message that attracts people from all walks of life. More on Jeff later this week but take Maité’s word for it when she says those nice things about both Jeff & Gabriel.
Lastly, I would like to say as the one writing this little text that THERE & UNITY mean a lot to me personally because it shows a diverse group of people that successfully navigate being themselves in a world where one can get stuck easily the pitfalls and “rules” put on us by others. Through projects like “EURO THERE 2” I feel inspired and happy about the diversity in skateboarding and life in general and it gives me the feeling I can be me at all times without being judged or judging myself. After their visit to Berlin, a lot of us could see the influence that day together with HERA had made and we feel that Berlin especially will remain a home for all that THERE and UNITY bring to the table.
“THERE is a family, just like how so many people reference companies, but this one’s different. I’ve had the honour of spending time with almost every rider, each one I admire and love for different reasons. Core values being as simple as following your own path, in the cool, understanding, gay aunt kind of energy. No judgemental parents here.”
Una Farrar.