Wallenberg – Historical Documentation of Skateboarding’s Progression

Mark Gonzales, Video Days, 1991 (at 2:23)

Frank Gerwer, Kickflip in 2002

Same steps, May 30, 2009

Ramp House Done Nice

See more, including the floorplan here.

Girl Skateboards + Project (RED)

My second bite from Ibn Jasper today.  I am useless.  Time to retire.

Eric Koston in NIKE

Say it is not so. Koston in Nike. Hopefully those are his ‘in-between’ shoes.

Rodney Mullen – First Ever Darkslide

Rodney Mullen’s first ever darkslide.   Boring by typical skate footage standards, but it is kinda cool watching him piece the different parts of the trick together.   Definitely a genius at work.   I also like the fact that it is just him and a buddy at the spot and the overall casual-ness of the whole situation.  He smiles, but doesn’t jump up and down and fall on the ground with excitement.  Just another day at work, and another iconic trick invented.

Video: Supreme x Damien Hirst

Speaking of ulta-rich artists… here is a quick video Damien Hirst telling you what you should do with your Damien Hirst designed skateboard for Supreme.

Steve Berra On the Skateboarding Ecosystem

I love getting into conversations with my skater friends that border on the same topic and others like it.  Aside from my parents and a few key individuals in my life, I believe I can attribute a substantial amount of ‘who I am‘ to my time spent skateboarding – both on the board and observing – since 1991.   I would put teaching ‘Skate Philosophy 101′ at a university at dream job status.  I often say that one of my hobbies is tracing the influence of skateboarding throughout pop culture and society, from fashion trends, to art, to attitudes.   Pathetic hobby, I know.

I frequently see pop culture icons labeled trendsetters and style icons, when in reality they are taking their lead from the quiet (in relative terms) skateboarders who for the most part, could care less.   Style has always been an essential element of skateboarding, but progression and overall enjoyment should always remain most important.   Obsessing over a nollie flip – a skater.  Obsessing over the way your jeans fall onto your P-Rods – a misled skater.

I highly recommend reading Steve’s post.  It is long, but a great read.  It is begging for some David Armano-style graphic treatment to articulate the symbiotic relationship between the parties that call skateboarding theirs.

Terry Kennedy – Supra

I typically try to keep my blog posts positive, so I promise to spin this one in a positive manner as well. Supra is an interesting brand for me. I have never owned a pair, and it is highly likely that I never will. And this is really more of a personal commentary on the Supra brand. I subscribe to the ‘gut feeling, emotional response’ definition of a brand, and based on that, I am not a fan of the Supra brand. No need to elaborate, but it is the case.

And despite my feelings on the brand, I must give them huge props for their ability to create shoes that are definitely ‘on trend’. I am sure they have done this to great financial success, and I am confident that there are many small retailers that pay their bills off the Skytop. They nail it every time. The new shoe from Terry Kennedy for Supra is an absolutely perfect example of this. To the point where the shoe seemingly forgoes any of the typical parameters or expectations of a skate shoe, instead opting to pursue more fashion-driven trends that will no doubt fly off the shelves. They claim it is totally skate-able, but I would imagine you will see just about as many of these on skateboards as you do Muskas – in other words… TK may wear them.

For a particular segment of the market, I am sure Supra is seen as innovative and trendsetting and inspire that feeling in young kids. That is great. The miles of kids walking down Broadway everyday embody this. When I saw these sneakers, I thought… wow, nice job. But in reality, they just did a superb job of riding trends. Make that money. Job well done.

Congrats to Ryan and Jon!

I always knew these guys would eventually get some well-deserved print coverage! Check this photo of Ryan and Jon in TSM – I love it!
Click for the larger version. (Someone send me some credits!)

Ryan did have some nice 30+ footage in the latest Four Duos installment:

Reebok: Dan or Dave?

Since the 90s are officially ‘in’ and the 80s are now simply the domain of retro radio, let’s take a look back at one of the more ubiquitous campaigns from the early 90s – Dan or Dave? Man, this campaign seems waaaaaay older to me, but I guess that is due to some personal hang up I have with how long it has been since high school.

What would this campaign look like today?  Here is the formulaic Web 2.o plan:
- Dan vs. Dave on Myspace
- Dan vs. Dave Facebook app.  (Think:  Ninjas’ vs. Pirates)
- Dan and Dave blogs,  twitter,  daily inspiration SMS messages
- Dan x Karmaloop custom Reeboks;   Dave x Oakley custom blades
- Dan and Dave’s training playlist on Amazon music, since Apple hearts Nike

Were you a Dan?  Or a Dave?   Thinking back, I can’t remember. In 1992, I was mesmerized by this, which includes one of the best music selections ever!