While Montreal and Vancouver often dominate discussions about Canadian skate cities, Toronto, the country’s largest metropolis, boasts a vibrant and unique skateboarding culture. Daniel Policelli, a proud Torontonian and Crailtap family member, captures this essence in his debut full-length video, Rendered. This video serves as a time capsule, documenting the last two years of Toronto skateboarding through his eyes and those of his crew.
Rendered introduces viewers to new skate spots and fresh faces, offering a genuine feel-good vibe coupled with high-caliber skating. It’s the kind of project that elevates itself from a typical homie edit into a standout independent video. We had the chance to chat with Daniel about the making of Rendered, touching on Canadian slang, the challenges of skating house spots, and what makes a perfect Toronto skate trip.
Daniel Policelli filming
Diving into “Rendered”: A Q&A with Daniel Policelli
The video is titled Rendered. What’s the story behind that name?
The term “rendered” has a double meaning. While it’s often used in video production, it’s also a piece of Northern Canadian hockey slang that my crew uses. We started using it jokingly, but it stuck. We use it to describe that feeling after battling a trick, or after a long night, when you are just feeling spent or “rendered.”
Are there any other pieces of Canadian slang that you think outsiders should know?
Honestly, a lot of it has become our own language that even I don’t understand half the time. But some of the classics include “hackin’ a dart” which means smoking a cigarette, “tarps off,” which is taking your shirt off, or saying “baud” (bud) at the end of every sentence. We also use “pulling trig” and “snagging dig” to refer to getting digits, like a phone number. While “rendered” is the term I use most often now, many of these phrases are now unfortunately associated with Nelk, which I’m not too stoked about, but it’s still funny to hear people talk like that.
Skydome Pushing
The video took about two years to make. What do you feel is the ideal timeframe for such a project?
For me, video projects are all about creating a time capsule. If you work on it for too long, the vibe of the crew or the video can change drastically. That’s why I aimed to keep it shorter – to capture a specific period of time before moving on to document the next one. The two-year timeline was partly because I was traveling a lot with Girl & Chocolate, but I’m glad we took the extra time because it made the project feel more complete.
Girl & Chocolate have many older pros. In your experience, who has the longest warm-up routine?
I honestly haven’t really noticed. Most of the guys I’ve been on trips with are around my age. Wait, am I getting old now? [Laughs] But, I’ve heard that Mike Carroll has quite the lengthy routine. I haven’t been on a trip with him yet, but I hope to witness it one day!
Have you ever spent a night on the infamous Crail Couch?
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the pleasure yet, but maybe one day!
Ben St Aubin ender
You guys filmed at a lot of house spots, which can be tricky. Did you have any interesting encounters while filming at these spots?
We’ve had a few dicey situations, but one that stands out is when we were skating a ledge spot surrounded by three apartment complexes. A guy came out with a katana, opened it up, and held it over one of our friend’s heads with a wild look in his eyes. We had to get out of there. He ended up taking our friend’s camera bag, which we thankfully got back. It was hectic. Another time, we were skating a house spot, and our friend Chris broke the handrail while the mom and her kid watched from the porch. They didn’t mind, they just asked us to leave it by the curb. So, we skated the one on the other side, and they were totally chill about it.
Crew chilling
What should people know before planning a skate trip to Toronto?
Definitely try to stay close to a subway line. A lot of people come here and stay in the suburbs, which makes getting around harder. Make sure to hit up Blue Tile Lounge, So Hip, and Adrift. Toronto is a multicultural city so be sure to explore different neighborhoods like Kensington. You should also try to have a sunset session by the water at Harbourfront or Ontario Place. Dunbat, Christie Pits, and Wallace Emerson are all fun hockey rink-style parks to check out. The best advice is to stay close to the downtown core. If you’re near a subway or streetcar, you can get anywhere you need to be for the day. No need to stress about driving or parking. If you come here, you’re guaranteed to have a good time.
Is there a perfect amount of alcohol to drink for filming while maintaining your focus?
For me, probably just a couple beers. I don’t really like to drink when I’m filming or skating. There was a St. Patrick’s Day session when everyone was drinking and I had a couple of White Claws. I ended up getting a lens hit. It was a stupid mistake especially because those fisheye lenses are expensive. My reaction time was definitely off due to the Claw.
Crew on bus
Do you have a favorite part of the video?
The 7-minute credit section is my favorite. It’s a collection of little snippets of life in Toronto with my friends. These last few years have been the best of my life, and this video allows me to look back at them. I had just moved to Toronto, my friends were my roommates, and we were skating and growing up together. I’m going to cherish these memories, which is really why I wanted to make the video. I wasn’t thinking about getting sponsored or featured anywhere. I would be just as happy to show it to my friends. The aim was just to have fun and capture these years of friendship.
Q&A by: Davis Campbell
Video by: Daniel Policelli
Photos by: Sam Clarke, Callum Lang, and Daniel Policelli
Additional filming by: Dylan Jackson
