Despite the Lower East Side's head-spinning changes over the past twenty years, one of its defining 'downtown' characteristics has managed to endure: It's still a magnet for skateboarders. Thanks in part to the Les Coleman skatepark on Pike Street under the Manhattan Bridge and the rebirth of art bar and skater mecca Max Fish last year, ollies and kickflips are as ubiquitous as the neighborhood's high-rise luxury condos. Fashion photographer David Paul Larson has devoted a new portfolio on his website documenting the boys and girls of the LES skate scene, and his black-and-white images have a timeless quality that wonderfully underlines the scrappy punk spirit of any skate scene, in any neighborhood. Per Larson, who grew up skating,"I've always loved the culture, diversity and the rebellious nature of the sport -- it's never been mainstream. These people skate because they love the sport. Its dirty, raw and dangerous. I wanted to portray this community as a raw, un-retouched, document of this culture."
Scroll through for Larson's work below and see the rest here. (And, yes, that's Madonna's son Rocco Ritchie in the first photo.)
