Traffic Skateboards’ Ricky Oyola making the most of one of Philly’s rugged street spots.

Skateboarding is undergoing a serious identity crisis these days.  From “The Life of Ryan,” to the XGames, to Mountain Dew Tours and talk of skateboarding entering the Olympics one day, it would be easy to conclude that skateboarding has lost its cutting edge vitality.

 Therefore, I’m always happy to stumble upon documentation that represents reality a bit more convincingly. No stadium tours, no corporate sponsorships or reality docudramas. Two recent flicks that caught my attention are Traffic Skateboards’ “Moving In Traffic” and Portland photographer Dave Hupp’s “Why Wouldn’t You?”

The Traffic video features the natural street spots of Philadelphia and the East coast, while Hupp’s video focuses on the perfect concrete curves and DIY spots of the Pacific Northwest. Check them out, if Ryan Sheckler’s reality show or Bob Burnquist on the Mountain Dew tour have you pulling your hair out.