Habitat Skateboards - “Inhabitants”
April 01, 2008
What Is It?
The second full length video from Habitat skateboards, with most of the guys you know and love from Mosaic, and introducing some of the fresh talent that they have picked up since. As it happens, Alien Workshop are also close to completing their next project, meaning that the Habitat team are left on their own for this one. Not that that is a bad thing, as a company Habitat have grown quite a lot since 2003 and the current team certainly reflects that.
Who's On It?
Danny Garcia, Raymond Molinar, Stefan Janoski. Silas Baxter-Neal, Tim O'Connor, Kerry Getz, Ed Selego, Fred Gall, Guru Khalsa, Steve Durante, Austyn Gillete and the Habitat international team.
Highlights
As with everything produced by Joe Castrucci and Habitat, this video has a very distinguished feel from the very first minute. Similar to Mosaic, the music is mainly made up of '60s garage pop, and each section is very polished with well put together animated intros and motion graphics.
Skating wise, Silas Baxter-Neal holds the first section and sets the tone for the rest of the video perfectly, covering all his bases with fullcab back lips on legit rails, various flips into wallride variations and an as yet unskated line at a familiar riverside bank spot.
Having been honoured with the curtains in Mosaic, Danny Garcia has the second section this time around with more emphasis on cruising and less on the ballistic hammers. East coast big lad and all round legend Fred Gall skates to some classic Sabbath and gets stuck into the most rancid bank spots all over the world as only he could be bothered to do so.
New boy Austin Gillette has a short part and looks set to carry Habitat into the next decade, as does Guru Khalsa who makes his first major appearance since the Satori video a few years back.
Steve Durante is someone who I was unfamilar with before watching Inhabitants, though I think it's safe to say there should be plenty more sections out of him in the future. This guy has got an exciting style, massive pop and the ability to switch heel into some awkward ledge tricks. Very promising indeed.
Raymond Molinar has a much shorter part than I was expecting, but comes through with a pleasant style, inspiring ledge lines and a well performed bag of flip tricks.
It's good to see that Stefan Janoskis lack of footage on the recent Nike SB video has allowed him to have a full part on Inhabitants. As expected, Stefan has the last part which more than justifies the hype. Everything you wanted to see is included from amazing tre flips to ambidextrous handrail antics. Switch flip krooks on a handrail? Easily a suprise contender for part of 2007.
Overall
A more than satisfying follow up to Mosaic. The skating is kept at a very high standard throughout, the music is mellow and the filming is well executed and thought out from start to finish. As usual, Joe Castrucci's involvement will safeguard that you won't be seeing anything else like it until the next one comes around.
The bonus features also includes a showcase of the international talent Habitat has been bagging up, including a short part from Sweden's Gunez Ozdogan, who graced these pages in the Adidas in Berlin article a few issues back. Inhabitants is definitely worth making an effort to see.
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