TJ Rogers blew it out the park with his new video part on Thrashermagzine.com. There was a small glimpse of his current footage in a cameo for Brett Sube’s “A VX story,” yet it still wasn’t enough to prepare us for the absolute tank this video was.
Being a technical ledge skater, Rogers embraces his skill and makes homage to classic 90’s and early 2000’s skaters with huge raw denim jeans, backward caps, chunky shoes and extra tall shirts. Real name Thomas James Rogers, he has consistently proven that skateboarding doesn’t have to be what’s always popular.
The very beginning is a perfect example of what the video promises. Rogers runs up and switches frontside 180s over an absolutely huge hip to gap over a rail. Hammer after hammer (hammers are a term used to describe a trick that was done perfectly and looked great) he shows that any style of skateboarding, no matter how deep the skater is into their career, can still look gnarly.
Although certain techniques may not fully meet his elevated criteria, the video excelled just before the focus shifted away following Chris Joslin’s announcement that he had successfully executed a Tre-flip down El Toro.
The only thing I found myself repeating to myself while watching the video was, “This guy is 34 doing backside heelfips down a four to flat to six stair?”
Each clip could have absolutely won him a Skater of the Year (SOTY) for 2025 and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s nominated for the award. Yet he ultimately lost to Chris Joslin’s Tre-flip down EL Toro, in his video part “G-ma.”
Most of the video was actually filmed in Europe instead of the states, which is refreshing after seeing everyone skate the same spots on the rugged streets of Los Angeles. Filmed by Luke Lutz, Devin Lopez, Telmo Goncalves, Jake Cormier and Braden Gonzales, each videographer brings an exciting vintage and new age feel to the video.
Overall, Rogers is still in his prime and isn’t afraid to skate. He’s an all-around skater, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his clips are mundane or one-dimensional. He will skate anything from huge stair sets, random dumpsters, rails and beautiful thought-out lines. I’m super excited to see what else Rogers has in store for the next couple of years and I look forward to continuing to write about him.
