Skip to content

Camden’s dance sensation | Inquirer South Jersey

And there’s no way to comply to New Jersey’s new e-bike law.

Ethan Tarte (center) is the man behind the viral dance, the "Camden bop."
Ethan Tarte (center) is the man behind the viral dance, the "Camden bop."Read moreCourtesy of Earl Hopkins

Good morning, South Jersey.

Five young men known as the Camden Bop Originators are the creators of a viral dance that has garnered over a million fans and views around the world.

And New Jersey’s new e-bike law is causing confusion over compliance.

Plus, Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt showed up to Deptford High School’s graduation, and more news of the day.

— Taylor Allen (southjersey@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Five men ages 18 to 25 known as the Camden Bop Originators appear in viral TikTok videos and Instagram clips. The dance crew has amassed millions of views, with little signs of slowing down.

Ethan Tarte, one of the members of the group, inadvertently invented the dance when he was trying to imagine what it would be like to glide around the rink at Camden’s Millennium Skate World. He practiced his moves barefoot in front of a mirror and that became the foundation of the “Camden bop.”

It wasn’t long before he posted videos of him doing the dance with his friends on Snapchat.

Tarte is particularly proud of the name and sees it as a way to honor his city.

“I hear how people talk about Camden, and people are genuinely afraid sometimes to come through here,” Tarte said. “I was excited it was the ‘Camden bop,’ so that everyone knew that there was something good that came out of Camden. We’re more than what everybody thinks we are.”

The Inquirer’s Earl Hopkins has the story.

A New Jersey state law, passed in January, requires residents with e-bikes to register them. In some cases, they also need insurance.

The problem? Evidently, there’s no way to comply.

The law came about after a 13-year-old boy was killed while riding an electric bike in a collision with a landscaping truck.

And Chase Sudano, a teenage local wrestler at St. Augustine Preparatory School, died earlier this month after a crash with a UPS delivery truck in Southampton.

The state Motor Vehicle Commission website doesn’t have a way to register an e-bike. The latest information is that the MVC will begin offering appointments for e-bike licensing and registration after the grace period ends on July 19.

And what if you’re coming from out-of-state and looking to bring an e-bike down the Shore?

Reporter Amy Rosenberg has more details about the law and the questions surrounding it.

What to know today

  1. ICE reportedly is planning to offload three warehouse properties it intended to use as mass detention centers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

  2. Veterans visited the USS New Jersey in Camden for a day of competition in Brazilian jiujitsu on Saturday. It was part of a two-day seminar and fundraiser for We Defy Foundation, a nonprofit that provides the martial art classes and mentors to combat veterans to help them transition back into civilian life.

  3. Eagles linebacker Jalyz Hunt attended Deptford High School’s graduation to support the two students who created a fan account for him.

  4. Before Leon Rose was the president of the New York Knicks, he was a beloved anchor in the Cherry Hill basketball community.

  5. According to 42 Freeway, Villa Nuova Italian Restaurant in Deptford will close at the end of month after more than 25 years.

  6. Burlington County is offering $40 farmers market vouchers to low-income seniors. Seniors in Evesham Township can redeem them at Cheyenne’s Road Market.

  7. Vineland public schools are relaxing its dress code policy and allowing teachers to wear jeans until the end of the school year.

What we’re …

🫐 Picking: Blueberries at Johnson’s Corner Farm in Medford.

🌒Anticipating: A lunar eclipse later this summer.

❌ Avoiding: Mutant mice that are resistant to pest control.

🧠 Trivia time

Clement “Clem” Pappas is one of the cofounders and the CEO of Stateside Vodka, widely known for its popular hard iced teas, Surfside. He lives in South Jersey but where specifically?

A) Marlton

B) Haddonfield

C) Bordentown

D) Sewell

Think you know? Check your answer.

📬 Your South Jersey view

I snapped this picture Sunday morning while taking a walk and listening to an audiobook.

Saddler’s Woods is a 25.8 acre forest known for its centuries-old trees. It’s named after Joshua Saddler, a formerly enslaved man who purchased land and built a home there in the 1800s. In his will, he wrote that none of his heirs “shall cut the timber thereon.”

What does your community look like? Submit a photo and a brief description for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

🗞️ What other South Jersey residents are reading

Thank you for starting your week with The Inquirer. I’ll see you tomorrow. 👋🏽

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.