Thrasher Magazine

Who’s buried at Grant’s Tomb? Not just a former president and his wife (and dog). A more recent and gnarly history lives at this Upper West Side spot, highlighted by Ted Barrow and the rippers who tested the beveled blocks at this exalted NYC staple.

Some surfaces and settings are seemingly built for skateboarding, inspiring decades of innovation. In our third NYC installment, Ted details the appeal and surprising history of the Pyramid Ledges.

New York City is a treasure trove of Epic Spots and rich layers of history. Ted Barrow takes us through three blocks that boast some of the best terrain in the world. Monumental spots make great skateboarding.

Few plazas loom as large as The Banks. From the Bones Brigade to Harold Hunter, the sessions that sparked these clips are seared into our minds. Ted Barrow's back to highlight its significance.

For over 25 years, Pier 7 has been at the center of technical skating. It’s not just where you are, but who you’re with and how you roll. That code of conduct was forged in the ’90s along San Francisco's waterfront.

Though “The Ribbon” was a doomed project for city government, the stretch of concrete blocks along the Embarcadero further cemented San Francisco’s mecca status in the ’90s and beyond.

It’s not just what they did, but where they did it, and what they named it. Hubba Hideout cemented the importance of location more than any other spot. In episode 2, Ted shifts from EMB to the most famous ledge in the history of skateboarding.

There’s more to the spot than meets the eye. Follow Ted Barrow into the world where skateboarding, architecture and the concrete jungle collide to spark the magic of modern street skateboarding. We start at EMB.