Online magazine Breaks has been killing it in the original content game for a hot minute now, and they recently sat down with 5Boro NYC's Mark Nardelli. The brand was founded in 1996, and as such, they're OGs in the NYC skate game, and recently have been paying homage to the '90s with some nostalgic deck series, including the VHS Decks.
Check out an excerpt from the interview below, and head over to Breaks to read the whole thing.
You distribute all over Europe now, how long has that been going on? Were there any challenges in getting that set up? Was there anyone in particular that helped you or that you couldn’t have done it without? Which stores in the UK do you stock?
Honestly, 5B was in the hands of skate bros for years all over the world. We would skate with people visiting NY get down and they would ask if they could sell 5boro in their country. They just saw what we were doing in NY, basically making rad stuff, selling it locally and hooking up our friends and then they just did the same in their country. Wes from Rock Solid is a perfect example of someone we met in New York skating and took 5boro on to grow it in England. The Challenges were always trying to keep the brand direction and sincerity straight as it grew in other countries and cultures which for a while was a little too loose, but now we have it under control. Our first tour in Europe was in 2000, that was insane…it became an article in Big Brother magazine where it even had a photo of this crazy chick I hooked up with, we referred to her as the sea hag – could of done without that in print, thanks Big Brother.
As for stores in the UK, Fifty Fifty is 5B Family, Lost Art because Macky is the man. Big Thank You to every shop that I know of supporting us in the UK cause every board, tee and hat getting stocked, repped, and rocked helps us bigtime. Shout out to Flatspot, Native, Skate Attic, Consortium, Drug Store, Yeuk, Bored of South Sea, Scene, Decimal, June, Projekt 21, Note, Magic Toast, Parlour.. So sick that we have luv in the UK. Thank You.
What are your favourite spots in NY to skate?
Was this brick bank with the flat rail next to it at St Vincents Hospital off 7th Avenue, but that just got demolished a few months ago. I’d say Flushing Meadow Park in Queens is probably one of the most epic places to skate. I still like skating these perfect granite ledges that kinda suck because the ground is so rough, they are near the Courthouse downtown and across from a place we used to call the new spot back in the day… if you skate rough spots enough it makes everything else seem smooth (opposite effect of skating skateparks). These empty basketball courts down by the projects next to the Brooklyn Bridge. Duane Reade ledges in Battery Park are fun to loop around with some flat tricks in between. If I convince myself to go to a skatepark, the LES Park under the Manhattan Bridge is fun when it’s not crowded. Most of all just cruising around the city, skating whatever feels right at the moment.
What are some favourite spots in the UK?
I remember skating and learning switch crooks on these stairs called the cheese ledges with Macky from Lost Art skateshop, that spot was sick back then. Jordan Trahan who was just in the UK and posted up in my apartment at the moment said the Glasgow Red Banks and New Bird in Liverpool are his favorites. Shout out to all that saved the South Bank! Loved following the save SouthB rally on Instagram.
