Cole Nowicki
LightNews LightNews
banner
colenowicki.com
Cole Nowicki
@colenowicki.com
650 followers 470 following 750 posts
Wrote some books, publish others.
https://colenowicki.com/

A weekly newsletter about skateboarding, the internet, and other means of escape: https://simplemagic.ca/
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
colenowicki.com
Cole Nowicki @colenowicki.com · Dec 23
It’s the third annual SSOTYs, an effort to catalogue and celebrate some of the best skateboarding-related writing in the year that was 2024.

Happy reading.

www.simplemagic.ca/ssoty-skateb...
SSOTY (Skateboarding Stories of The Year) 2024
An incomplete collection of the year's best writing.
www.simplemagic.ca
colenowicki.com
Spot check @bysameng.com
Happycube in Skate Story Happycube on the cover of Closer
December 13, 2025 at 5:28 AM
colenowicki.com
Consider this my marketing strategy.

bookshop.newestpress.com/products/las...
December 13, 2025 at 12:18 AM
colenowicki.com
What they don't tell you when you publish a book is that you'll receive AI-generated book marketing email scams, multiple times a month, for the rest of your life
Screengrab of email that reads: Dear Cole, Laser Quit Smoking Massage is such a sharp, witty, and deeply observant contribution to contemporary Canadian literature. Your voice is fresh, curious, and wonderfully attuned to the peculiarities of the Canadian West, and that distinctiveness is exactly what makes this book so memorable. You capture the tensions and tenderness of community, family, and belonging in a way that feels both intimate and universally relatable. But with only one review so far, it’s clear the book isn’t getting anywhere near the visibility it deserves. And that’s not a reflection of its quality, it’s a visibility issue, plain and simple. I’ve worked with countless emerging and mid-career authors facing this same challenge, and with targeted, strategic outreach, we’ve turned quiet releases into highly engaged, widely discovered books. The next few weeks are critical for you. Why the next 6–8 weeks matter so much: Screengrab of email that reads: Dear Cole Nowicki, Laser Quit Smoking Massage is a witty, insightful, and ever‑curious exploration that immediately stands out for its originality and voice. You’ve captured the peculiarities of the Canadian West—from prairie towns to sprawling citieswhile weaving together reportage that examines evolving states of community, family, and belonging. This book is both a cultural snapshot and a literary journey, introducing readers to a unique new voice in Canadian literature. What makes this book remarkable is the way you balance humor with observation. By reveling in the quirks of place and people, you’ve created a narrative that is as entertaining as it is thought‑provoking. This isn’t just reportage—it’s a gift of wit, insight, and cultural reflection for readers who crave both laughter and meaning. Here’s the challenge you’re facing right now:
December 13, 2025 at 12:14 AM
colenowicki.com
This week, some big-time OTY stunts by people and trains, a beanied boy cries wolf, Tony Hawk stumps hard, and more.

www.simplemagic.ca/gooooooaaaaa...
Gooooooaaaaaaaalllllllll
Tom Schaar off the crossbar, Chris Joslin takes his tarp off, is this skateboarding? Vol. 48, Tim Pool quits again, and more.
www.simplemagic.ca
December 12, 2025 at 5:24 PM
colenowicki.com
Mikey Taylor celebrating his mayoral victory with a ShreddER News screengrab. An auspicious start.
Instagram post from Mikey Taylor featuring a ShreddER News screengrab announcing news of his mayoral victory in Thousand Oaks, California.
December 11, 2025 at 11:57 PM
colenowicki.com
He did it twice. Impressive.
Screengrab of trending news topics on X the everything app that says "Chris Joslin Lands Tre Flip Down El Toro a Second Time"
December 10, 2025 at 10:04 PM
colenowicki.com
Shouting "I tre-flipped El Toro" after tre-flipping El Toro in case you forgot that you tre-flipped El Toro
December 10, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Reposted by Cole Nowicki
readtheorchard.org
Folks, I'm hoping to go to the NDP leadership convention in Winnipeg in March to cover it for The Orchard. In order to do so, I need 16 new paid subscribers by the end of the year.

Who's gonna help me?

www.readtheorchard.org
The Orchard | Jeremy Appel | Substack
News and analysis from an unabashedly progressive perspective, focusing on the intersection of politics, media and corporate power. Click to read The Orchard, by Jeremy Appel, a Substack publication w...
www.readtheorchard.org
December 8, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Reposted by Cole Nowicki
lukeoneil47.bsky.social
Open the schools
r/Bumperstickers • 1h ago safetypins22 I don’t get it but I chuckled bumper sticker with Random Rules lyric
December 9, 2025 at 12:12 AM
colenowicki.com
This week, a SOTY-related rumour, a lovely man taking brain-rattling slams, a Transworld-ass skater's dream, and more.

www.simplemagic.ca/a-new-better...
A new, better champion
What does SOTY mean? Transworld is back? Olympic qualifiers good? Gabriel Summers? Yes.
www.simplemagic.ca
December 5, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Reposted by Cole Nowicki
rickpaulas.bsky.social
So, here’s a bolted-shut glass enclosed room in the back corner of a casino in Atlantic City where people are playing live casino slots from their own homes. Did we know this was happening?
December 5, 2025 at 5:11 AM
colenowicki.com
Genuinely very cool to honour Gailea Momolu like this

engage.ottawa.ca/gailea-momol...
Gailea Momolu Skateboard Park
As the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project finishes, land that was used for construction is now free to restore. A large construction space at the southwest corner of Trillium Park in Ward 11 is becoming...
engage.ottawa.ca
December 5, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Reposted by Cole Nowicki
kylebeachy.bsky.social
Once more for midweek: An essay about life in the desert and distributing 1,800 skateboards to Diné youth.

www.simplemagic.ca/being-there/
Being there
Kyle Beachy on being there, Good Medicine, and the branching paths of 1,800 skateboards on the Navajo Nation.
www.simplemagic.ca
December 3, 2025 at 6:12 PM
colenowicki.com
One of the trickier thought experiments I've attempted, tbh
Screengrab from job posting that reads "Think of yourself as a reporter who doesn't type."
December 3, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Reposted by Cole Nowicki
georgecutright.bsky.social
Great words from @kylebeachy.bsky.social about the Navajo Nation, the desert, and skateboarding.
December 2, 2025 at 1:07 AM
colenowicki.com
For the afternooners
December 1, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Reposted by Cole Nowicki
kylebeachy.bsky.social
I wrote about traveling to the Navajo Nation and helping to distribute 1,800 skateboards, which more or less changed my understanding of what a skateboard is. Also, what the desert is.
December 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM
colenowicki.com
A great way to start the week: @kylebeachy.bsky.social on being there, Good Medicine, and the branching paths of 1,800 skateboards on the Navajo Nation.

www.simplemagic.ca/being-there/
Being there
Kyle Beachy on being there, Good Medicine, and the branching paths of 1,800 skateboards on the Navajo Nation.
www.simplemagic.ca
December 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM
colenowicki.com
Was defeated by today’s Brickbanklunchbreak. Dedicating my life to exacting revenge.
November 29, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Reposted by Cole Nowicki
seemoreevil.bsky.social
After an ode to the skate photo, Cole summarizes slash-and-burn outrage farming very well:

www.simplemagic.ca/steve-caball...
Steve Caballero and the stupiding of the skateboarder's mind
Antonio Durao plays a sick game of mid-air patty-cake, Cab makes some sickening social media posts, FA goes sicko moto-mode, and more.
www.simplemagic.ca
November 28, 2025 at 5:44 PM
colenowicki.com
This week, things are getting stupider, including me, who mispelled Antonio Durao's name twice in this newsletter (since updated).

www.simplemagic.ca/steve-caball...
Steve Caballero and the stupiding of the skateboarder's mind
Antonia Durao plays a sick game of mid-air patty-cake, Cab makes some sickening social media posts, FA goes sicko moto-mode, and more.
www.simplemagic.ca
November 28, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Reposted by Cole Nowicki
kylebeachy.bsky.social
I wrote a very serious book about the world's least serious thing and I am more proud of it than anything else I've done. Phenomenology! Performance theory! Anatheism and even some William Gass!
November 27, 2025 at 4:40 PM
colenowicki.com
The Stupiding of Steve Caballero's Mind
Screenshot of Steve Caballero's IG Story reshare from last Friday of an incredibly Islamophobic video where cab comments, "Yes, I'll admit... I am Islamaphobic, you should be too" A follow-up hard post by Cab that reads "Authenticity starts by letting go of fear of how others will perceive you." I have always tried and wanted to be a man of integrity (meaning I do what I say and I say what I mean ) …what you see is what you get ...losing followers used to mean something to me awhile back because I worried about what people personally thought of me, I was scared and insecure to speak the truth about my faith ( spiritual beliefs) and now recently my political views and stance on life that coincides. But over time, I learned that's being fake, a poseur ( in Punkrock terms) but as i mature I'm learning that quality is more important than quantity... So if someone wants to unfollow me I completely understand and if I block you, I hope you understand that I just switched my page to "Private" just like the one you commented from with a zero post count #dailyrant #betruetoyourself #standupforwhatyoubelievein #staybold #jesusislord Screen cap of Cab IG story from this evening that reads: Dear Friends and Fans, I want to sincerely apologize for my recent social media story I posted that was misunderstood and caused concern against the Muslim faith. My use of the word Islamophobic was unacceptable based on a reposted story that did not reflect my own personal beliefs. My intention was only to express concern about certain groups targeting my personal faith, not to criticize or offend any religion or community. I respect all people and all faiths, and I do not harbor hate toward anyone whose beliefs differ from mine. So I am truly sorry for anyone I have offended in any negative way, I hold myself accountable to watch the words that l use moving forward so they are not misunderstood in the future. Thank you for listening and I appreciate all your love and support-CAB
November 26, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Reposted by Cole Nowicki
michellecyca.com
approved despite over 600 speakers signing up to speak to the budget, with all but a tiny number strongly opposed, and following a public engagement survey that found the majority of respondents supported a property tax increase to avoid cuts.
jmcelroy.bsky.social Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · 17d
Vancouver's 2026 draft budget has PASSED.

Approved on a 7-4 vote on party lines, with ABC in favour and councillors Fry/Bligh/Orr/Maloney opposed.

Property tax freeze, $50 million more for VPD, and cuts to Arts, Culture, Planning and Sustainability departments, among others.

Full story to come.
November 25, 2025 at 10:22 PM
colenowicki.com
For the afternoon's spiritus mundi
November 24, 2025 at 11:02 PM