TBT: John Cardiel - Sight Unseen

Should’ve done this yesterday but whatever. Can I get some love for one of my top 3 video parts, John Cardiel’s section from Sight Unseen

That wheel squeak on the noseblunt slide at 3:09 :heart_eyes:

Always wondered why the Levi’s handrail wasn’t the ender. I mean look at it it’s fucking insane. Some more info about it here, weren’t they going to do something with it? Anyone know what they did with the rail?

“It’s Cardiel’s Rail. He didn’t buy it, but he owns it” – Frank Gerwer

5 Likes

Such great memories of watching this video over and over with friends in Brisbane. Awesome soundtrack, savage spots, skating, the lot. Plus, being in Australia at the time, a lot of footage I’d seen from there usually involved some Cardiel insanity.

The Levis/Union Square rail footage had already been used in either a Vans ad or 411 opener shortly before. Definitely a good call to re-use it as it’s only improved with age.

A[quote=“Spanky, post:1, topic:279”]
Some more info about it here, weren’t they going to do something with it? Anyone know what they did with the rail?
[/quote]

The building was knocked down in 2015 to make way for a large Apple store - somebody marked it as the Cardiel Rail (Stockton St, off Union Sq in SF) in Google Maps and if you use the clock icon on the date in Street View, you can see the construction work.

Was it the Vans ad which featured Geoff Rowley but was pulled because he was not wearing a helmet?

yeah but what happened to the actual rail?

pretty sure I saw a video of Gerwer snaffling sections of it when it was getting redeveloped - possibly for posterity, or competition prizes…

I have a feeling Real Skateboards got ahold of the rail when they were knocking down the site, or maybe I imagined that!

That whole video was fantastic, I’d love to see a high quality version of it.

1 Like

Had this on VHS my brother Nav made for me. Had this amongst other great videos on, until my mum took it off me for the swearing in flip sorry

Bad influence Nav

Haha. My mum was hot on stuff like that. From memory it had this, flip sorry, Baker 2G, plan b virtual reality, blueprint the one that had a octogon wheels part in it. Think that was as far as I got with it.

That’s one educational video your bro sorted for you.

He has an interview in the new vague mag talking about his/this part a little bit. Basically saying it was down to John Holland putting in the effort to be there full time to film a part with him (something he wasn’t that used too).