Thrasher – January 2025

Summary

Issue 534 opens with Tiago Lemos skating a handrail in São Paulo on page 108, while Elijah Berle and the Monster in Copenhell crew deliver the issue’s raw energy. Thrasher January 2025 packs 14 departments from Mail Drop to Firing Line, with a 5-page photo feature and a Big Boy spread that keeps the magazine rooted in street spots and DIY plazas. At $5.99 in the US, this is one of the most department-heavy issues of the year.

The Darkness Versus The Light feature on page 68 anchors the front of the book, and Tagabow, Hammered Hulls and Cursive/Notes round out the feature well. Regulars such as Intervals Fun Facts and People I’ve Known provide the banter, while the My War column and Abnormal Communication keep the tone aggressive. Canada’s Vitória joins the team in a welcome spread that bridges the North American and Japanese scenes.

Canvas and Photo-G (page 186) carry the visual weight, with full-bleed skate photography that needs no caption. RIP pays respects, Trash skewers bad behaviour, and Else closes the issue on a weird note — exactly what Thrasher readers expect. The Santa Cruz ad-heavy cover is a reminder that the magazine runs on brand partnerships, but the editorial content inside stays true to its street-skate roots.

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Content Guide

▸ Features

p.68 · The Darkness Versus The Light
A multi-page photo-and-text feature that contrasts night skating in lit-up industrial zones against daytime street spots. The black-and-white sequences work best when the flash catches the board mid-flip. Watch for the switch-up in pace between the two halves.

p.84 · Five Greats
Five skaters each pick one all-time great trick or moment. The selections range from Rodney Mullen’s flat-ground innovations to a recent rail slide that broke the internet. Use it as a mixtape to queue on YouTube afterwards.

p.94 · Photo Feature
A 5-page, no-caption photo run that lets the images do the talking. One sequence captures a kickflip frontside boardslide at golden hour. Study the shoulder positioning — that is what keeps the slide locked.

p.108 · Tiago Lemos
The Brazilian skater gets a multi-page portrait with street sequences shot in São Paulo. His switch heel down a 12-stair sets the bar for the issue. Notice how he dips his front shoulder to keep the board flat on landing.

p.126 · Monster in Copenhell
Backstage and on-ramp coverage from the Copenhell festival skate event. The vert demo runs are short but the atmosphere shots of the crowd tell the story. Check the mini-ramp jam for transfer ideas you can steal at your local park.

p.140 · Elijah Berle
Berle’s section mixes street and transition, with a blunt-to-fakie on a hubba ledge that requires perfect weight distribution. His choice of a wider deck (8.5 inches) explains the stability on steep handrails.

▸ Departments

p.20 · Mail Drop
Reader letters and hate mail, with the editors firing back in classic Thrasher style. One correspondent argues about the best era of skate shoe design. The reply includes a specific 2003 Lakai reference worth tracking down.

p.30 · Intervals Fun Facts
Skate trivia and statistical oddities — how many pro models certain brands have released, which tricks appear most in video parts. The fact about Tony Hawk’s 900 attempts (12 before landing one) is the takeaway.

p.36 · People I’ve Known
Short reminiscences about skaters who shaped the scene. The entry on a forgotten East Coast pool skater rescues a name that deserves more recognition.

p.48 · My War
A pro skater recounts a battle — with a spot, an injury or the industry itself. The piece on fighting through a broken fibula and returning to rail skating in 8 months is the standout.

▸ Visuals / Closing

p.186 · Photo-G
A gallery of reader-submitted skate photos, with the best shot earning a full-page feature. One sequence of a wallie to fakie on a brick bank shows how much speed you need to carry through the pivot.

p.194 · Firing Line
Short, aggressive opinions on what is wrong with skateboarding right now. The rant about indoor park fees hitting $20 per session is hard to argue with.

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Editor’s Take

Thrasher 534 delivers exactly what its logo promises: aggressive, unpolished, street-first skateboarding coverage with no concession to non-skaters. The Tiago Lemos and Elijah Berle features are the spine of the issue — real spots, real tricks, no lifestyle soft sell. The photo quality across the Feature and Photo-G sections is consistently strong, with several frames worth tearing out. The weakness is the sheer number of departments — 14 regulars mean some (How to Quit, Abnormal Communication) feel like column-inches rather than essential reads. The cover is essentially a Santa Cruz ad, which is honest but visually cluttered. This issue is for the skater who buys Thrasher for the photos and the attitude, not for someone looking for skate-fashion spreads or competition results.

Strengths
• Tiago Lemos street section shot in São Paulo
• 5-page uncaptioned photo feature with strong composition
• Firing Line and My War keep the voice raw

Weaknesses
• Too many thin departments dilute the feature pace
• Cover reads as a full-brand advertisement

Verdict: Recommended — Core Thrasher content delivered, but the department bloat means you flip past 6 pages of filler to get to the good stuff.