Brooklyn Banks Opening Photos

After almost a decade on the do-not-rip list, a part of the Brooklyn Banks is viable once more. Not only that, it’s also totally cool with the city to you to get your clips in peace. Next time you’re in town, stop under the bridge and give props to Steve Rodriguez and the Skatepark project for helping get this historic spot back. —Ted Schmitz

If you don't know much about its deep history. Watch this retrospective from legendary New York lensman RB Umali

01 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher DSC02325On the way downtown I told everyone on the train The Banks were back. This is how they reacted. Posers

02 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher DSC02326For years this sidewalk has had barriers and fences next to it. Almost didn’t recognize it

03 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher DSC02327On tonight’s top story, we’re gonna figure out where the bump to street used to be

04 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher DSC02328“You’re not really gonna let them play skateboards here, are ya?!”

05 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2624First pro sighting of the day

06 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher DSC02330These seem like important people

 

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Oh shit, it’s the dude who made it happen! New York legend and public space savior Steve Rodriguez

08 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher DSC02331The scene was very inclusive

09 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2833Thanks to the Skatepark Project’s Alec Beck

10 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher DSC02335First day and we already got poachers

11 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher DSC02336Someone told me they didn’t really slappy this thing back in the day. They missed out

12 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher DSC02337High spirits and good times? Jersey Dave must be on the scene

13 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2625“It’s taller than I thought”

14 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2626“And wider?”

15 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2627The real masterlensman Jared Sherbert explains to Pad and Richie how he can shoot a cover one month and film and edit the next. Or maybe he was saying something less self-jocking

16 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2628 EditBen will always be one of my favorite skaters because he skated to Billy Joel

17 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2629Can’t believe Dave was brandishing those finger guns with all the cops around

18 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2632The SOTY and his SHOTY

19 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2634I poached someone’s photo. Just thought it was a wholesome scene

20 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2637Every skate event needs a party dog

21 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2638A lot of people think about Pete Davidson when they hear Staten Island. I only think of Leo Heinhert. And maybe that Van Wastell line at ABC

22 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2640The REALest, Jaime Reyes pointed out what had changed since she skated the nine. To our right is where Kalis lofted that insane kicky

23 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2642Peace up!

24 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2795You thought the HPX was heavy?

26 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2648What innovative graphic technology!

27 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2652I think this is the board that just skated across the country

28 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2653Coco’s owner said she liked to eat sticks. It’s true. This dog really likes to eat sticks

29 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2655KIDS

30 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2664You may have heard Jiro dreams of skating. I don’t. I mostly have awful nightmares where I’m ridiculed by the people I love most

31 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2666It’s beautiful

32 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2667OBEY

33 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2669“At 5 o’clock they take me to the gallows pole”

34 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2684The delegation from Chrystie NYC came through—Neil Herrick and Pep Kim

35 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2689You thought he was just a desk jockey? Nah, Alec shows how he got that Birdhouse board with a fatty caveman

36 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2690I was hoping Naquan would skate the set, but looks like he only brought his filmer board

37 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2691You know when a trick is somewhere between a shove and pressure flip? You don’t? Well now you do

38 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2693Westchester County legend Marcus Eagel and pop god Pero Simic rolled up

39 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2695I thought the session was starting. False alarm

40 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2713FALSE false alarm, Tompkins ripper Coles Bailey was the first to it with a front board

41 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2717Was this the best no-comply I’ve ever seen or an ollie gone horribly wrong? Use your imagination

42 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2720RB’s put in more hours at the banks than almost anyone on site

43 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2721Coles  steady killin’ it

44 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2732Coco’s homie quick to the back Smith

45 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2737One of the city’s most prolific, Neil Herrick threw a V heel to feel out the bricks

46 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2740This thing barely grinded when the day started, but somehow Dick Rizzo took the switch slappy to the end. Magician shit

79 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher Ben Kadow Boardslide BK Banks 2000Not sure how this boardslide worked either

47 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2750Jiro, no! That’s ABD!

48 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2751Queezy and Jack Fardell get a good look at K Walks’ butt on a back heel

49 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2757My fellow Queens guy Marcello Campanello couldn’t resist a free slice

50 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2760I’m gonna make that Drake meme but it’s like Raffi’s "Bananaphone" in the no box and then banana flash in the yes box

Drake Bananaphone 1500Nailed it

51 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2772Back to the good stuff, Jiro throws a front hurricane

52 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2773And the crowd went absolutely ape shit

53 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2780Kyle told me “people will probably be bummed on a benihana, but as long as you’re stoked I’ll do it.” I was absolutely stoked

54 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2781So much that I shot it twice

55 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2786Nine rail MVP, Coles was gunnin’ for that hundo someone taped to the rail

56 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2790Noodle hopped to feeble

57 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2793Older KIDS

58 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2797And he’s back on it, 50-50

59 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2803REAL recognize REAL

61 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2811This photo sounds like weed

62 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2819And he jumps?! Wait, where’d that 100 go?

63 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2825With the backpack?!

64 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2829Fuck yeah with the backpack. It’s 2002 and Muska’s gonna meetup later

65 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2832One more spot? Come on, lemme get a pin

66 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2834After the jam, we walked across the street for everyone who still had their jumping legs. Marcus was skate stopping the Gilbert block though

67 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2836If you’re next to the Courthouse, you’re probably gonna see Giorgio the gargoyle

68 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2842Noodle legs are actually good in this case

69 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2843Another 50 on the day? Hell yeah

70 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2857You saw Roadkill? Brandon’s the one fuckin’ up the rails all over town. Here he is back at it

73 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2878A few tries later, back 5-0

74 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2895And a crooks to close us out

77 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher DSC02345Is this a band photo or just my gang skate-stopping the Gilbert block even harder?

78 Brooklyn Banks Reopening Thrasher T0A2679Let’s go out on a picture of The Banks. I tried to make this like an old picture. Can you tell by the black and white? ET with a classy heelflip. Congrats again to everyone involved on liberating this epic spot. Special shout out to Steve Rodriguez for almost a decade in what I imagine is the longest email chain of all time. Thanks, Alec and the Skatepark Project. Stoked to see what goes down in the years to come

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