Books about skateboarding....

[alcol]

The other day, after talking about skateboarding in one of my classes at college (I study in France), my teacher told me I should read a book written by an artist called Raphael Zarka ("Free Ride") that analyses skateboarding.

That made me curious, so I was wondering if you guys know any other books related to skateboarding.  I mean books that actually question what skateboarding is; books that analyse it and not only document it. 

Here's an interview with the author for those of you who speak french:

http://www.lesinrocks.com/livres-arts-scenes/livres-arts-scenes-article/t/67365/date/2011-07-10/article/le-skate-est-il-encore-une-pratique-subversive/

[victor333]

I mean this in all honesty with no disrespect: That sounds completely fucking retarded.

I love skateboarding, but that's just it: I love SKATEBOARDING. I really don't give two hee-haw's what skateboarding means to some dude I've never heard of. And, out of all the things I could spend my time reading, I'm damn sure not gonna read that.


Sorry for the unhelpful post. I know this probably hurts you emotionally, but you'll be alright, though.

[friendly dave]

Doug Brown: Beyond the Board (Book)

[alcol]

I mean this in all honesty with no disrespect: That sounds completely fucking retarded.

I love skateboarding, but that's just it: I love SKATEBOARDING. I really don't give two hee-haw's what skateboarding means to some dude I've never heard of. And, out of all the things I could spend my time reading, I'm damn sure not gonna read that.


Sorry for the unhelpful post. I know this probably hurts you emotionally, but you'll be alright, though.

I totally understand what you mean, a few years ago I didn't give a damn about how skateboarding was perceived by other people. I just cared about doing it.

As I grew older and noticed I couldn't do the same things as before I really wondered why I cared about it...Why not just quit skateboarding?

That's when I started to realize that skateboarding was something else, something that I can't define yet....so that's why I became interested in books about it....I just would like to know why I love it so much even when I can't skate as often nor as intensely as before.

I wonder if that happened to some of you guys as well...

By the way, you did hurt me emotionally (I felt like some useless old man actually), but as you said it yourself, I'll be OK....     

[pugmaster]

The independent book was fucking sick.  Its called "Built to grind: 25 years of hardcore skateboarding".  You can find it used for like 10 or 15 bucks.  Even if you don't like the trucks its a really cool history book.

[sleepypancakes]

The independent book was fucking sick.  Its called "Built to grind: 25 years of hardcore skateboarding".  You can find it used for like 10 or 15 bucks.  Even if you don't like the trucks its a really cool history book.

Who doesn't like indys? 

[ivegotlevitation]

The independent book was fucking sick.  Its called "Built to grind: 25 years of hardcore skateboarding".  You can find it used for like 10 or 15 bucks.  Even if you don't like the trucks its a really cool history book.

Who doesn't like indys? 

people who intentionally buy other brands.

[Facehead]

There was a short film posted on SLAP forums not long ago which was the closest thing I've ever heard to a reasonably deep analysis of skateboarding. It was French with English subtitles. There were two stories, one about a whacky and suspicious cabdriver, and the other was a radio talk show discussing skateboarding. Not a great description (on my part) but it was good and received good comments from SLAP posters.

I searched for it but couldn't find it, not sure what the title was.

[oyolar]

I believe Ocean Howell wrote his dissertation about skateboarding, as well as a few articles. There's Iain Borden's Skateboarding, Spcae, and the City and here's all the stuff I cited on a paper I wrote on skating:

Atencio, Matthew, Becky Beal, and Charlene Wilson. 2009. ?The distinction of risk: urban skateboarding, street habitus and the construction of hierarchical gender relations.?    Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. 1 (1): 3-20.

Beal, Becky and Charlene Wilson. 2004. ? ?Chicks Dig Scars?: Commercialisation and the    Transformations of Skateboarders? Identities? in Understanding Lifestyle Sports: Consumption, Identity and Difference. Belinda Wheaton (Ed.). London: Routledge: 31-54.

Beal, Becky and Lisa Weidman. 2003. ?Authenticity in the Skateboarding World? in To the Extreme: Alternative Sports, Inside and Out. Robert E. Rinehart and Synthia Sydnor (Eds.). Albany: State University of New York Press: 337-352.

Wheaton, Belinda and Becky Beal. 2003. ? ?Keeping It Real?: Subcultural Media and the Discourses of Authenticity in Alternative Sport.? International Review for the Sociology of Sport. 38 (2): 155-176

Yochim, Emily Chivers. 2010. Skate Life: Re-Imagining White Masculinity. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

[Basingstoke]

There was a short film posted on SLAP forums not long ago which was the closest thing I've ever heard to a reasonably deep analysis of skateboarding. It was French with English subtitles. There were two stories, one about a whacky and suspicious cabdriver, and the other was a radio talk show discussing skateboarding. Not a great description (on my part) but it was good and received good comments from SLAP posters.

I searched for it but couldn't find it, not sure what the title was.

I saw this can't remember much about it except for the guy interviewed by the radiohost is Raphael Zarka. One of the few books I read about skating is Jocko Weyland's "The Answer Is Never".

[johnnymousedoom]

reading that french interview was weiiiiird. I feel really weird reading/ watching stuff about skateboarding in French or English.

[Facehead]

From the link in the first post (Hermes commercial with fingerboarding in it):

HERM?S FINGERBOARD SKATE VIRAL	Small | Large

Putain de merde.

[landCow]

Rodney Mullen and Tony Hawks bio's are pretty damn good.

[sluggers]

Another book on skateboarding for those who speak french:

Le Skateboard

Analyse sociologique d'une pratique physique urbaine - This is Street Skateboarding by Julien Laurent

http://www.editions-harmattan.fr/index.asp?navig=catalogue&obj=livre&no=36219

[layzieyez]

Cliver's book Disposable is pretty good too.

[hentihero]

There was a short film posted on SLAP forums not long ago which was the closest thing I've ever heard to a reasonably deep analysis of skateboarding. It was French with English subtitles. There were two stories, one about a whacky and suspicious cabdriver, and the other was a radio talk show discussing skateboarding. Not a great description (on my part) but it was good and received good comments from SLAP posters.

I searched for it but couldn't find it, not sure what the title was.

I had posted that topic for the movie "Which Is To Be The Master?"
http://www.slapmagazine.com/component/option,com_jfusion/Itemid,4/index.php?topic=59637.0

Raphael Zarka is the same dude that is explaining it in the video.  I recently found out one of his books had been translated into English Raphael Zarka: On A Day With No Waves. A Chronicle Of Skateboarding 1779-2009.  I ordered a copy off Amazon, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

[loggedinLurker]

There was a short film posted on SLAP forums not long ago which was the closest thing I've ever heard to a reasonably deep analysis of skateboarding. It was French with English subtitles. There were two stories, one about a whacky and suspicious cabdriver, and the other was a radio talk show discussing skateboarding. Not a great description (on my part) but it was good and received good comments from SLAP posters.

I searched for it but couldn't find it, not sure what the title was.

Here it is..

WHICH IS TO BE THE MASTER? (english subtitles)	Small | Large

I really liked it too. (Website to the film is http://www.quiseralemaitre.com/)

[steve]

ahhh, i've got to brush up on my french... do any of you dudes have those in English or have an idea where i might be able to find English copies?

[loggedinLurker]

Come on, it's got subs. I doubt it exists in English language.

[apad88]

The independent book was fucking sick.  Its called "Built to grind: 25 years of hardcore skateboarding".  You can find it used for like 10 or 15 bucks.  Even if you don't like the trucks its a really cool history book.

Who doesn't like indys? 

[ScreamingHand]

the thrasher book is really good

[ThirtyYearsYoung]

I'm dying to read Zarka's Free Ride. Looks like his English one (Day with No Waves) just came out last year. I wonder if it's selling well and if his publisher has plans to translate the other book.

[Jack Wong]

I want to see a serious historical account of SF street skating.  Like a legit nonfiction book.  I'm a writer, so if no one else has done it in five years I'll attempt it (there's probably someone out there who'd line up a grant, too).

Ocean Howell's dissertation is pretty cool, found that online a while ago.  About how skateboarders were the last people really taking advantage of public space, which is a legit argument.  Good read. 

Skateboarding is one of those things where people that do it learn to see and experience the world differently - I think that writing about how and why skaters say fuck you to modern society as most people know it is worthwhile, because you really don't get that unless you're a part of it.

But if it's done in a smarter-than-you scholarly way and isn't grounded than fuck skate writing.  It came from the streets and belongs there.