Somewhere in the English suburbs, Philippe De Rosa towers like the Corvocado in Rio, a statuesque God over the small world he inhabits. He's in between dreams of living off his favourite pastime and the obligations of finishing his education. Although he’s barely lived a fifth of his entire lifetime, skating has shaped his identity. More than a connection he shares with his friends, skate culture has seeped into every corner of his world.
French director Simon Cahn spent a day trailing Philippe, which culminated in a short film chronicling his scene. In it are the requisite totems of boyhood: a game console, friends, and cheeky haze. It's in these details and sequences that a moment of Philippe’s life is captured and put on loop, in which he’s suspended between youth and impending adulthood. A universal truth about the duality of growing up is undoubtably learning to balance reality with passion. Sometimes, that line isn’t so clear.
In a lot of ways Philippe represents a generation in the midst of a great skateboarding renaissance. Just a few decades ago, skating was regarded as a subculture for the anti-social, conjuring up images of delinquent kids and criminal activity. Today creativity has found a place to flourish in skating. For sticking the trials and errors, modern skaters have been awarded with choices. No longer is knowledge limited to the elite few. To become an overnight expert takes little more than motivation and an internet connection.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that, well, shit happens. Clothes rip and any semblance of security in a piece of clothing goes out the window the moment one steps on a board. The upside to this is that it gave us the opportunity to create something that withstands the traditional wear and tear that occurs when taking to the board.
It’s with this spirit that Carhartt WIP designed a pant worthy of hitting the ground over and over and over again. The Rodney pant is crafted from a durable, fast-drying denim woven with Cordura, a material designed to resist abrasions and tears. The finished pant is cut with a slimmer fit and straight legs, while a a back yoke and extra reinforcement at stress points ensures strength.
Skate culture has always attracted a unique kind of follower that fails to fit any one stereotype. This one activity has provided a safe place for anyone who wants to partake, and that’s part of what makes it so special. The misfits ride alongside the prep school kids. Everyone falls sometimes. Watch a someone skate and you’ll notice that even when they wipe out hard, they tend to do so with such conviction before getting right back up again.
Check out Simon’s film below:
Source: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/de/journal/news/2016/06/untitled-a-short-film
