Wakeskating has been blowing up over the past couple of years, and Cassette is again leading the charge with the help of Attention Deficit Productions by putting out the first all-wakeskating video, "Linear Perspective".
Concept
Linear Perspective has a very simple concept, it's the first all-wakeskating video. At the same time, it's a team video for Cassette Wakeskates, the company headed up by Thomas Horrell. The skaters featured in the film are Horrell, Tim Kovacich, Cole Munster, Drew McGuckin, and Jim Leatherman. Another part of the concept is the artistic and simple feeling the video portrays through it's music and imagery that we enjoyed quite a bit. Some people may say it's too artsy, but we liked that it wasn't like every wakeboarding video out there.
Cinematography
Linear Perspective has footage shot by many different people, and in different formats. Some of the footage is 16mm shot by Danny Vanzura of Sidewayz, and other of it is digital footage shot by Horrell and the rest of the Attention Deficit crew like Chase Heavener, Chris Heavener, Myles Vickers, Jim Leatherman, etc.
Length
Our biggest complaint about Linear Perspective was the length. The video comes in just under 30 minutes, and some of the video is spent showing non-wakeskating imagery which isn't necessary, but really adds to the feeling of the video. However, we were left wanting more wakeskating footage when the video was over. The positive of this is that the wakeskating footage is not repetitive, and you never get too much of any one particular rider.
Music
Horrell has chosen non-mainstream music for Linear Perspective, and it's really a nice choice. The music fits the feel and cinematography of the video very well, as well as keeping some of the "underground" feeling that wakeskating has. Artists include Bright Eyes, Milemarker, Fugazi, Modest Mouse, Swamburger and Beef Wellington, Trans Am, Built to Spill, and Clint Mansell.
Skating
The wakeskating in Linear Perspective is outstanding, with strong segments from each skater.
Tim Kovacich
Youngster Tim Kovacich is the first section in the video, and this is a kid who has a bright future in wakeskating, and may end up being the one who gets the torch from the first generation of wakeskaters in Horrell, Byerly, McGuckin, Grubb, etc. Kovacich's highlights include all kinds of shuvits, 360 shuvit, lipslide shuvits, a frontside boardslide to 180 shuvit out on a rail, and a rarely seen kickflip.
Cole Munster
Cole Munster is another younger skater who can hang with anyone with his shuvits, but also has a nice arsenal of wake sliding tricks. Like Horrell, he's got some nice tricks where he'll ollie 180 or 270 into a boardslide on the wake. He also has the longest uncut trick sequences in the video where he hits 4 or 5 difficult tricks in a row. The one unique trick we liked the most was a 180 shuvit into a boardslide on the wake, and then a 180 shuvit back out of the boardslide in the reverse direction.
Drew McGuckin
McGuckin is a long-time wakeskater who was doing it back with Byerly in the early days. He may be the guy who currently goes the biggest on a wakeskate as he has a few big wake to wake 180s, and a huge double up frontside mute 180. He also gets a lot of height on his shuvits, and pulls off a nice 360 shuvit. His most impressive wake trick is probably his wake to wake 180 body varial, which is very clean. McGuckin's top slider trick in his section is probably when he does a backside board slide up one slider, clears a little gap, and then switch 50-50s down the other slider.
Jim Leatherman
Jim Leatherman is a long-time wakeboarder, who also is making a big push to wakeskating now. His section consists mostly of sliding as he really risks his body sliding some tough obstacles and doing quite a few dockslides.
Thomas Horrell
Horrell's section is as impressive as you'd imagine, as he shows that he's the most skilled, and smoothest wakeskater in the sport right now due to his ability on wake to wake tricks, flip tricks, wake slides, and sliders. There are too many good trick to list, but some highlights include his attempts at clearing a slider that has a gap over a road and Leatherman's SUV, a frontside ollie into 50-50 on a slider, some frontside boardslides to shuvit 180s off the slider, backside 180s and 360s wake to wake, some big shifty airs, backside boardslide to shuvit 180 off on the Boss metal rail, a shuvit off a kicker, and a frontside boardslide to backside 180 out off a rail. Of course there are also a huge array of wakesliding tricks, and lipslide shuvits.
Rave 'Til Dawn
An added bonus is a skit done at the very end of the movie called "Rave 'Til Dawn" from Attention Deficit. It features pro wakeboarders having their own little rave, and is basically too funny to describe here. You'll have to watch it to enjoy it.
Rating
Linear Perspective deserves credit for being the first wakeskating video. It also is well done, well shot, has good music, and good wakeskating. We personally liked the artistic feel to the video, it makes it different to watch and will evoke feelings, whether those are positive or negative. Our only complaint is that the video is too short at being under 30 minutes when that 30 minutes isn't completely full of wakeskating. For these reasons we give it 4 out of 5 stars, and recommend it to anyone who is into wakeskating.
