Recently, Supreme launched a brand new collaboration with Zoo York, a skateboarding brand rooted in New York since 1993, showcasing the unique skate culture of the area. The emergence of Zoo York broke through the dominance of Southern California in the skate scene at the time, allowing us to witness the style and spirit of the East Coast.
In the late 1980s to early 1990s, the mainstream skateboard brands were predominantly from the West Coast, heavily influenced by the punk rock scene in Southern California. However, skateboard enthusiasts on the East Coast deeply integrated local subcultures, such as graffiti and hip-hop, leading to the birth of Zoo York within this movement. Their skate video The Zoo York Mixtape perfectly captures the essence of this interaction and cultural connection.
Filmed by RB Umali, this piece premiered at the 1997 New York Underground Film Festival. The film features thrilling segments with skateboarders like Harold Hunter, Jefferson Pang, Robbie Gangemi, and Peter Bici, while also showcasing performances by Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Busta Rhymes, and Fat Joe as they freestyle skate on Stretch and Bobbito's radio show. These moments reveal how skateboarding enthusiasts confront New York's harsh weather and intricate streets with unmatched courage and style.
This film has significantly impacted skateboarding and its evolution over the next decade, becoming an important record in the history of New York skateboarding and hip-hop, symbolizing the golden age of that era.
