Building A Skate Scene Archive: Nate Carey of Able Skate Mag

Jacksonville skateboarding doesn’t need more hype, it needs more history. That’s why I sat down with Nate Carey, the filmmaker and skater behind Abel Skate Mag, a platform that’s been shining a steady light on the Jacksonville skate scene for years. We start with where he’s from, how moving around shaped his perspective, and the kind of origin story only skateboarding understands: seeing Marty McFly, asking for a first board, then getting fully pulled in once real skate videos and magazines hit.From there we get into the details that make skate culture feel real: favorite skaters and classic video parts, the parks that feel like home, why a tre flip becomes “your trick,” and how Florida skateboarding stacks up when you’ve lived elsewhere. Nate breaks down what it takes to film and photograph skating in a way that actually captures the moment, plus the grind nobody sees, the hours of editing behind a few minutes of footage. We talk why Abel Skate Mag started in 2016, how community coverage matters, and what it means to consistently show up for local events and local talent.Then the conversation opens up. We switch gears into BLM, COVID-19, masks, voting, and how misinformation and division spread online, before detouring into UFO footage, aliens, and the late-night rabbit holes the internet makes too easy. If you care about the Jacksonville skate scene, Florida skateboarding history, skate videography, or building an inclusive local community, there’s a lot here to sit with.Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a friend who loves skating, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one local skate moment you wish someone had filmed?