When Larry Clark’s Kids celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2015, there were countless think pieces and Instagram posts dedicated to the whereabouts of its ragtag crew of real NYC youths. One of the reasons Kids still feels so harrowing all these years later is that not all the kids are still alive. Ritualistically revisiting the film became wrenching after the death of charming skate-punk iconoclast Harold Hunter in 2006. The IRL pro-skater earned international recognition throughout his short life, thanks to Thrasher spreads and sponsorships from Zoo York. In the gritty parks bordering the East Village housing project where he was raised, Hunter reached — and retains — veritable legend status.
In special honor of the late icon, adidas and the Harold Hunter Foundation are expanding the annual Harold Hunter Day skate-jam into a whole weekend of events. Opening tomorrow is the HRLD Photo Exhibition, featuring the work of 15 skate photographers who have scoured their archives for their favorite photos of Hunter. Included are Sue Kwon’s raw black-and-white portrait of Hunter’s signature twisted grin, Lance Dawes’s neon-streaked mid-air action shot, and Gunars Elmuts’s behind-the-scenes snaps of the filming of Kids. Check out the show at Soho Arts Club tomorrow before the time-honored Harold Hunter Skate Jam on Sunday. All events benefit the Harold Hunter Foundation, a community-based non-profit supporting at-risk NYC youth by harnessing the positive potential of skate culture.
“HRLD Photo Exhibition” is on from 6-10pm at the SoHo Arts Club.
Credits
Text Hannah Ongley
Images courtesy of Harold Hunter Foundation