Skate Update: Is the YouTube Takeover Complete?

It's almost 20 years to the day since Google bought YouTube and entirely upended the way the world consumes media. And though many skaters and companies were early adopters of the streaming platform, there's no denying the long-held stigma surrounding content creators who existed almost exclusively within the confines of the YouTube algorithm.

But with brands like Thrasher finding success on the platform, alongside legitimate pros pumping out videos daily, it seems even the most ardent of core legends needs a space to call their own. So we were thrilled to see Andrew Reynolds announce on Insta that he'd created an account!

It's strictly NOT for vlogging, and he's made it clear he might not post all that regularly, but so far we've had a previously unseen part from 1995, and it's every bit as good as you'd expect from the Boss at the tender age of 17. And if that ends up being the highlight of the Google acquisition's 20th anniversary, that'll be fine by us!

Talking of YouTube, has Chris Chann just pulled off the ultimate crossover? From making his name via some of the cringiest content imaginable (Skater vs Zombies POV, anyone?) to a long-term association with Aaron Kyro that could reasonably have been expected to put paid to any semblance of credibility, this week saw the release of Chris' latest part through Thrasher.

Now clearly Jake Phelps' corpse is spinning faster than a Peter Hewitt f/s rodeo, but Chris' ability was always undeniable. And, for whatever reason, Burnett and the powers that be have decided that Forever Unsatisfied is worthy of a full-blown Thrasher release.

The part itself is obviously insane — the creative eye, the technicality and the finesse are all there in spades, as is an ender that'll have you scratching your head for weeks. But does this usher in a new era? One where previously blacklisted names, shunned for their associations with persona non grata, are welcomed into the industry proper? Or is this an experiment that'll fall flat as "core" fans eschew these baggage-laden personalities?

We guess only time will tell! The ender really is mad, though...

Wrapping up this week's tech oligarchy video-hosting chat, we turn our attention to the man who truly bridges the gap better than most. Undeniably "core" to his core — he is the current Thrasher SOTY, after all — Chris Joslin has been delving into the world of vlogging for quite a while now, but continues to do so in a way that's entirely authentic to himself. There are no MrBeast-style giveaways or POV challenges here. Instead, Chris focuses on what he does best: jumping down big sh*t.

Chronicling the efforts behind the hammers, it's in some ways closer to a traditional Off-Cuts than a vlog — there's no "like and subscribe" begging here! But it is regular content, and he appears to be building an audience simply by unapologetically doing his thing.

Maybe think of it like Bill Clinton or Tony Blair: there was capitalism and there was socialism, then they came along with "the Third Way". That's pretty much what Chris is doing here. And if the '90s political analogy falls flat, go back to the end of the first paragraph for an explainer — this is Chris jumping down some big sh*t!