Sometimes a video is so gnarly it defies an appropriate caption. Let's keep it simple: the skating here is absolutely incredible and you've got to watch this. Featuring David Gonzalez, Grant Taylor, and crew.

'Tis the season of SOTY. A lot of dudes went Rambo this year, so we're gonna need your help to sort this thing out. We'll start with a broad list of contenders and narrow down the finalists in the upcoming weeks. Let the VOTING begin!

King of the Road is over. Now it's time for the only thing left to give away: the Skater of the Year trophy. Rusty wants to party.

In honor of Chris Cole's amazing year we gathered up sequences featuring the 2009 SOTY.

Cover: Silas Baxter-Neal - Backside smith
Photo: Burnett

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 2009 Skater of the Year goes to Silas Baxter-Neal, Marc Johnson, SOTY '07 passes the torch, interviews with former SOTYs Hawk, Anderson, Cardiel, Arto and TNT

Music Articles: The Faint, Nasa and Gates of Slumber

Cover: Marc Johnson - Front board fakie
Photo: Reda

Inside This Mag: Skater of the Year Marc Johnson, past SOTYs Geoff Rowley, John Cardiel, Brian Anderson and more talk about MJ, Daewon talks about highlights of being an SOTY

Also In This Issue: Duffel, Haslam, Reynolds, Mariano, Silas, Duncombe, Rune, Janoski and Drew

Music Articles: Boris and more

Cover: Daewon Song
Photo: Burnett

Inside This Mag: Skater of the Year Issue featuring Thrasher's SOTY Daewon Song

Also In This Issue: Interviews with last year's SOTY Chris Cole, Corey Duffel, Bastien Salabanzi and Nick Dompierre, the Phelper's trip to China with the Nike team and Lance Dawes and the annual T-Eddy awards

Cover: Chris Cole
Photo: Shigeo

Inside This Mag: Skater of the Year Chris Cole, 2005 in review with T-Eddy awards and an interview with Daewon Song

Also In This Issue: Skater of the Year in retrospect featuring interviews from all the past winners including Tony Hawk, Danny Way, John Cardiel, Salman Agah, Mike Carrol, Chris Senn, Eric Koston, Bob Burnquist, Andrew Reynolds, Brian Anderson, Geoff Rowley, Arto Saari, Tony Trujillo, and Mark Appleyard

Cover: Danny Way – Switch Crooked Grind
Photo: Sturt

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 2005 Skater of the Year Danny Way, Mark Appleyard passes the torch, 2004 T-Eddy Awards and SOTYs that should-have-been Mark Gonzales, Pat Duffy, Chad Muska and Jamie Thomas

Also In This Issue: Interviews with Bastien Salabanzi, Zered Bassett, Darrell Stanton, Paul Rodriguez and Chris Cole

Music Articles: Fat Mike, Street Dogs, Lamb of God, Dios Malos, DJ Vlad, Shadows Fall, Mistah F.A.B. and Billy Reese Peters

Cover: Mark Appleyard – Torqued-Out Lien
Photo: Burnett

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's Skater of the Year Mark Appleyard, Tony Trujillo passes the torch, the year in review and skating in Puerto Rico with Reynolds, Greco, Hernandez, Spanky, Beagle, Lenoce, Angel and more

Also In This Issue: Anti-Hero in Australia

Music Articles: The Shins and more

Cover: Tony Trujillo – Stale
Photo: Ogden

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 2002 Skater of the Year Tony Trujillo, Arto Saari passes the torch, the year in review and this year's hot ams

Also In This Issue: 2003 Tampa Am Contest and the 2002 T-Eddy Awards

Music Articles: Sam Jones makes a film about Wilco, Hot Hot Heat and more

Cover: Arto Saari – Fakie Ollie Back Flip Fakie
Photo: Burnett

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 2001 Skater of the Year Arto Saari, 2001 T-Eddy Awards and a SOTY feature with Bob Burnquist, Geoff Rowley, Rick McCrank, Bastien Salabanzi, Eric Koston and Mark Appleyard

Also In This Issue: So Cal skating and an Am feature

Music Articles: Billy Childish, Slayer and more

Cover: Geoff Rowley – Portrait
Photo: Sturt

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 2000 Skater of the Year Geoff Rowley and the 2000 T-Eddy Awards

Also In This Issue: Skating in Phoenix with the City Stars Phoenix and an interview with Larry Perkins

Music Articles: Weezer, Propagandhi, Andrew W.K. and more

Cover: Brain Anderson – Portrait
Photo: Morf. Ogden

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 1999 Skater of the Year Brian Anderson, 1999 T-Eddy Awards and 1999 SOTY runner up Mitch Frydrick

Also In This Issue: 2000 Tampa Am and the top ten reasons to quit skating

Music Articles: Jazz June, Man or Astroman? and Blackalicious

Cover: Andrew Reynolds – Frontside Bluntslide
Photo: Diggs

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 1998 Skater of the Year Andrew Reynolds, 1998 T-Eddy Awards and the SOTY 1998 runners up

Also In This Issue: Combi-pools revisited, Tampa Am and a Southern skate trip

Music Articles: The art of Turntabalism, the Hellacopters, the Four Letter Words and the Real Kids

Cover: Bob Burnquist – Ollie
Photo: Ogden

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 1997 Skater of the Year Bob Burnquist, the 1997 T-Eddy Awards and Jay Adams

Also In This Issue: Royal rippers Phil Shao, Sean Young, Mike York, Peter Hewitt, Phil Hajal, Paulo Diaz, Jesse Paez, Bam Margera, Matt Field, Brad Staba, Darren Davarrette, Scott Bourne and Chet Thomas and how to steal a ramp

Music Articles: Candiria, Keni 3 and the Criminals

Cover: Eric Koston – Frontside Noseblunt Slide
Photo: Ogden

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 1996 Skater of the Year Eric Koston and a twenty year retrospective of Thrasher's SOTYs

Also In This Issue: Crazy Chicago skating and a trip to Ecuador

Music Articles: Sick of it All, Reel Big Fish, Brutal and Blue Tip

Cover: Ron Whaley – JR Frontside
Photo: Kanights

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 1995 Skater of the Year Chris Senn and the SOTY bash

Also In This Issue: Rad ams Tim Wells, Judd Hertzler and Charlie Watts, skating in Arizona and New Zealand, Sean Young and an East Coast skate sesh

Music Articles: Fugazi, Meatmen and Sister Machine Gun

Cover: Mike Carroll – Gap To Frontside Tailslide
Photo: Kanights

Inside This Mag: Thrasher's 1994 Skater of the Year Mike Carroll, an interview with Kien Lieu and a contest at Newburgh Skatepark in NY

Also In This Issue: Awesome ams Jimmy Chung, Jason Strubing and Pig Pen, people Jason Jessee has known and girls who skate

Music Articles: China White, Pegboy, Jack Killed Jill... and Pete Rock and CL Smooth