When you’re the most productive crew in New Zealand, a full-length video every year isn’t a big stretch. The Daylight aesthetic is marked by dreamy, hazy cinematography with a revolving cast of New Zealand’s finest street practitioners from every corner of these isles. Take Care hones this formula to the point where all previous efforts seem like a rehearsal for this.
If you believe New Zealand street skating is flailing in a soggy mess of skatepark apathy and Instagram stagnation, then let this broadcast be the sliver of light that changes your mind. With Luke Browne as the creative driver, there’s an aesthetic and a vibe which is uniquely its own, there’s a deeper reason here than selling t-shirts and 8.25s.
Most importantly, Take Care contains some of the most razor sharp skating to ever grace the lichen-spotted pavements of these isles. It feels like a defining moment, perhaps due to the insane times we live in, the faint nostalgia of street beers and group hugs from a few weeks past still strong in our memories. One might claim that a flame has been passed, although perhaps the flame was doused a long time ago and Daylight found a new spark somewhere on the faultline between Fairfield ledges and Aotea Square.
From government owned granite to the volcanic chunked curbs of AKL, the old favorite spots are still there with an extra dose of crust and reclaimed gems, (Train Station ledges in 2020?).
Jonty Hoggard opens with his most brutal display of raw power yet, note the kickflip over a rail which deserves multiple rewinds. Jack Fagan finesses a backside flip off a Wellington relic that might be my favorite trick in the video, ticking all the “new trick at classic spot” boxes. Mikey Gibson is proof that skateboarding in 2020 is in great hands; that cab flip, jean shorts and Chucks are just a few of the reasons. Not to mention the Auckland Uni planter vault skaters have been claiming since the 90s. Elijah Robertson just has it. Hootie too, their style and tricks are so refined now they seem like seasoned veterans, the Aotea caballerial was magical. PJ Wybrow skates ledges like we all wish we could. Scalpel style, absolute assurance, the basics and tech surprises assembled into lines worthy of the Quartersnacks top 10. Nico T fades it to black while spending time on two wheels in the gnarliest way possible, before cameos wind it all down and you’re compelled to watch it again.
So why is Take Care so important right now? Apart from my hope the cryptic title isn’t a goodbye, (because there’s been too many goodbyes lately), it’s important because it’s an honest and joyous representation of a healthy scene, and this genuine element makes it the first world class New Zealand skate clip in a very long while. When raw talent and charisma are clustered around a unique creative vision and drive, great things always happen. With street skateboarding essentially quarantined for the time being, Take Care could be a shot in the arm for skateboarding in Aotearoa post lockdown. With worldwide skate media also taking rightful notice, hopefully this is validation for us all to support Daylight to keep doing their thing. Take care out there.
All images provided courtesy of Daylight and Luke Browne.
