Are you curious about China’s thriving skateboarding scene? Do you find yourself wondering about the best skating spots in Shanghai? If you answered ‘yes’ to either of these questions, crack yourself a Pabst Blue Ribbon and buckle up: Structure, a new short film by Shanghai-based skating brand Avenue & Son, will hit social media platforms on June 26.
Movie poster for ‘Structure’ featuring Avenue & Son team members and Shanghai’s iconic skyline. Image via Instagram
Mainly shot in Shanghai with only a few sequences recorded in other Chinese cities, the short film took over a year to complete and is accessible to international skateboarding aficionados.
“The process was delayed by Covid-19, and we didn’t have much time to travel to other locations,” says Avenue & Son’s founder Boss (alias).
Nevertheless, Boss is confident that audiences will be riveted, as everything about Structure, from its music to shooting locations, fully embodies the collective’s style.
He tells RADII that the shooting process came naturally to the team: “We mostly shot in skating spots that we go to very often. We would go out skating and, meanwhile, take some videos.”
In addition to glimpses of some of Shanghai’s most iconic spots, including the Oriental Pearl Tower, Structure also captures hilarious interactions between the skaters and non-skateboarders, such as security guards and elderly Shanghainese locals.
Also, gear up for a hearty dose of spectacular skate tricks — and hold on to that Pabst!
Founded by Boss and three other professional skaters in 2014, Avenue & Son is a leading name in China’s skateboarding scene. Selling boards, trucks, wheels and stylish skateboarding apparel, the brand boasts a large following on the Chinese micro-blogging platform Weibo and sponsors a team of more than 20 professional skaters in China and abroad.
According to Boss, Avenue & Son was built for and around the skateboarding community and champions important values found in street culture.
In 2021, the label opened its first flagship store in the Shanghai district of Pudong. A Mecca for local skaters, the sleek brick-and-mortar store has even attracted the attention of international architecture publication ArchDaily.
According to Boss, skateboarding culture in China is still niche and primarily influenced by the U.S., but he hopes it will continue developing and reaching a greater audience.
Both a plus and a negative, China’s general indifference towards skateboarding accounts for a lax attitude towards skaters, who are often free to make the most of newly-built, concrete-filled urban spaces.
Cover image via Weibo
