Jack Branch in The Papa Mio's Video

by Papa Mio's Hardware

Hardware production has led to some of skateboarding’s most iconic brands. From Shorty’s to Diamond, Bronze to Hardie’s, empire-building based on $4 product takes democratic visionary talent for flooding the streets and skateshops with sticky product, Allen and Phillips. Based on The Papa Mio’s Video’s 40 minute runtime, Papa Mio’s, a pizzeria themed hardware brand, has delivered hot and fresh for the South Wales skaters. Video begins with a scene elder sending to Morrissey covering “Back on the Chain Gang,” further skaters influenced by Chewy Cannon and Magenta, city centre sessions with all the mandem out on a Sunday, Portishead and Blueprint Waiting for the World playing in their heads. Billy Trick and Kevin Bilyeu pop up for clips along with the melange of styles apparent within a local scene. I feel like most of these dudes don’t have board sponsors so are giving this video their best efforts. It’s filmed VX, which means what it will to you. My girlfriend made lasagna two nights ago and is reheating the pan for lunch. Bon Appetit:

Right before 25 minutes Jack Branch’s part begins with long-exposure Euromancer blurred metropolitan shots, transporting viewers to City At Night as playground dreamscape. Jack appears on scene in white tee, white shorts, and white shoes I wish I knew (Li-Ning?) to drop down a curb into nose manual across the street, pop up onto plaza ground, spindle leg push then nollie flip out of a bank; good to see a skater dressing well in first line. He returns in daylight to nollie backside flip same spot, then third trick here nollie back 180 followed fast by switch frontside flip. In navy rugby shirt with white diagonal stripe and navy track pants with white piping, he half-cabs up a curb then back smiths ledge into sidewalk nose manual, nollie shove into bicycle lane. Next clip, same spot, same outfit, he front 180s up the curb to half cab noseslide to manual back 180 out. He blasts a speedy ollie over cobblestones in the same outfit, skates a couple plastic Jersey barriers in different garms, then again in the rugby shirt and track pants at night to nollie front 180 over a gold rail into crusty bank.

Camo pants and black tee appear for a nighttime downhill line. Again at night, across a well-lit buildingfront three up three down, Jack switch front 180s up, tre flips, then nolliebackheelflips down. Nolliebackheelz again next as daytime single into bucolic concrete banking with mates watching, then next night spot he crouches over a backnosegrindpopout Wenning style. Next backnosegrind gets nollie heel out. Around a horseshoe shaped pad the Welshman nosemanaul reverts. Further tech manuals transfer us into parking garage for a cool front smith rideaway on the yellow/black striped caution bank. His bearded look brings to mind Javier Mendizbal and Javier Sarmiento. Branch feebles transfers a flatbar into bank then stacks multiclips in denim pants, light blue long sleeve tee and grey shoes outfit. He tweaks a front rock monument side under cloudy Cardiff skies, then his body varial offstage is a good reminder of how much greater a surprise quotient body varials posses than most other tricks.

He wears a baggy camo jacket for nighttime camera light tech and New Balances, probably 30 dizzying clips in 30 seconds tricks like Angel Fonseca, Watermelon Alex and Hardbody EJ while jazzy pan flute music keeps bouncy time throughout Millennium Centre, St. Fagan’s Museum and Bridgend. In a pre-finale move that shows his his showmanship, balance and sense of humor, Jack fangandles a push mid-lengthy nose manual before nollie heel out. For ender, he holds mellow downhill feeble grind for five seconds before pop out down onto brick ground in cool pants with outside stripe. Filmer’s gloved hand marking the footage shows the commitment to stacking in inclement conditions. There’s ten more minutes of credits cruising. I’m glad The Papa Mio’s Video gave each skater an acknowledgements section. Spit and Sawdust Skatepark gets a shoutout. Jack makes sure to thank lensman Pedro, Welsh Tommy and his girlfriend. Cheers.