After dropping a sought-after collab with Mark Gonzales this spring, New York City brand UXA continues to push creativity with a new video titled “#TheChase.” Starting at the Astor Place cube, downtown’s most famous meet-up spot, the grainy black-and-white mini-movie follows pro skater Eli Reed as he slashes through lower Manhattan, trailed by some very large thugs played by Lower East Side natives Carlito Olivo and Johnny Diaz.
The video is another refreshing take on brand promotion from UXA and the brand’s founder/creative director Peter Huynh in support of a new collab skate deck and t-shirt line with Reed. “I used to get chased around my hood for skateboarding because it was new to the scene,” Huynh said, explaining the motivation behind the video. “NYC is an environment I grew up in. It’s tough, rugged and raw. Most of the spots I grew up skating were difficult to skate compared to most cities. I am inspired especially with the backdrop of the city: its architecture, obstacles and it’s the melting pot of so many races.”
After spending seven years downtown, Reed recently located to a street in Clinton Hill that he describes as “looking like the one from the Cosby show.” Unlike some NYC pros, he doesn’t seek sunshine in California for the winters. “There are only really a few pros that live here year round,” he said. “NYC is unpredictable and extreme, but that is why I like it.”
Check out Reed’s guest deck at Uxalab.com, and watch the video above.