Skateboarding in the 80s
Posted by TyI missed out on the 80′s skateboarding boom, in fact I started skating when it was at it’s absolute lowest point in the early 90′s, I’m a bit special like that. Skating was so cool in the 80′s, everything about it was sub zero, the clothes, the boards, the attitude; it was the preferred mode of transport for rebellious youth all over the world and I wish I had been there for that.
I feel like a lot of younger skaters aren’t really in touch with the old skool through no fault of their own, all they’ve ever known is skateboarding as a popular sport (even though we are still treated like dirt by most councils and ‘authority figures’). So here I offer up a couple of Hollywood gems from back in the day and a shed load of classic decks…
1) Gleaming the Cube. What a film! This has everything, action, guns, skating, rebellion and Christian Slater back when he was the coolest dude on the planet. If you haven’t seen this film then I suggest you find it on DVD asap (it’s in Swansea library, not sure about others), watch it before you go skating then rip! A few years ago I borrowed the video projector from work and made my girlfriend watch it projected 6 feet wide, she thought it was terrible but it was actually awesome.
2) Thrashin’. Another 80′s skateboard movie but a bit more of a cheese fest, well worth tracking down but I’ll always be a Gleaming the Cube man!
3) 80s Skateboards. Skateboards will NEVER be this good again, yeah we’ve got some cool graphics now and flashy technology and lightweight parts but just look at these things. The shape, the colours, the rails, they are off the chain! I’ve never owned a genuine proper 80′s skateboard, just a Turbo 2 for my 7th birthday in ’88, which was the equivalent of a £20 complete today, it had a Native American with a machine gun on the bottom, it was sweet. ‘Retro’ skateboards are making a big comeback at present with loads of companies putting out their old boards again so now is the time to pick one up and shred the ramp. The image below is from here, there are loooooads more killer boards there so have a look.
…Were you there in the 80′s? Want to share a story? Then comment below…
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Nice. Skating in the 80′s was great, but it was in the 90′s and the 00′s too.
The wierdest thing about it then was that there were so few people skating. You’d see someone in a pair of Vans or Converse and you’d approach them as, 99% of the time, they skated.
There seems to be a lot of remeniscing at the moment in skateboarding. Not a month goes by that you don’t hear about a retro board show.
I think one of the best things about skateboarding nowadays, is that there’s still an appreciation of older skaters/styles/tricks.
Personally, I’m chomping at the bit for the freestyle resurgence.
A freestyle comeback would be hysterical, the tech level now is so high that the stuff that could be done would be crazy!
guys check out Darran Nolans section from Heel Toe magic last year, freestyle madness!
http://vimeo.com/7615347
cool post too Ty, Gleaming the Cube got me into skating, watched it over and over!
Some bonkers stuff in that!
Know what you mean Jas, spent probably the first year of my skating alone before realising there was a whole scene to get into. Check the link from my blog about skate mag history, a real trip down memory lane. Some of my best memories are of the ramp we built in the wood overlooking Rotherslade. Skate – beach -skate – beach – skate for the whole summer. Really wish I’d taken more snaps from back then, mainly to have a giggle at the clobber. Nice post Ty.
Is that a D.R.I sticker is see?
D.R.I? Dirty Rotten Imbeciles?
man i used to skate that Rob Roskopp on santa cruz slimeballs and bullets, was mint.
never saw gleam, kinda avoided it, prob thought skatin should stay off radar and “street” so stuck to the powell vids, ban this, public domain. Ray Barbee and Natas’ street style were biggest inspiration for me.
gonna watch me some gleamin i reckon, see what i missed.