For the last few years HUF and its affiliates have dedicated annual trips out to one of the most revered international skateboarding markets, Japan. The treks serve two very important purposes in the business of keeping a skate brand relevant and progressive—visibility and great riding. This year the squad teamed up with Australia’s Monster Children for the trip and the accompanying edit titled “Huf City Japan Tour”.
Not only are cities like Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo the epicenters of the Japanese fashion, business, and shopping, but they also served as very cosmopolitan terrain for street skateboarding from the likes of HUF riders like Austyn Gillette, Josh Matthews, Brad Cromer, Matt Gottwig, Dick Rizzo, Jake Anderson and special guest Shin Sanbongi.
The resulting tour video is a brooding and cinematic edit that feels like the trailer to a dark action flick coming to theaters in the Summer of 2017. There are black surgical/ninja masks, montages of villainous security guards throwing up “x” gestures, as well as an ambient soundtrack that heightens the sense of drama. Cheesy as it may sound, it actually looks and feels really damn good. Thank the great skateboarding, of course. The switch godliness of rats like Brad Cromer and pop wizardry of Austin Gillette, along with the rest of the squad really overloads the senses in a very impressive way.
Filmed by Martin Reigel and Brandon Kuzma, the short respectfully earns its keep by offering viewers (skater or civilian) a refreshing perspective and soundscape of the Land of The Rising Sun.
