Author Topic: The Origin of the Term "Focus"  (Read 2556 times)

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sluggers

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The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« on: May 15, 2014, 02:00:12 PM »
Someone was asking about it in some thread so here is Jeremy Klein on the origin:

Where did the "Focus" come from? Is it really a Karate Kid reference?

I'm not sure about the Karate Kid thing. I didn't make it up but when I saw it, I thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Actually, now that I think about it, it was Spike [Jonze] that showed it to me. He couldn't do it at first and I remember him telling me, you gotta focus like you're going to go right through to the cement. You gotta focus.

http://www.chromeballincident.blogspot.com/2012/01/chrome-ball-interview-37-jeremy-klein.html
« Last Edit: May 15, 2014, 02:36:54 PM by sluggers »

SodaJerk

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2014, 02:21:02 PM »
Someone was asking about it in some thread so here is Jeremy Klein on the origin:

Where did the ?Focus? come from? Is it really a Karate Kid reference?

I?m not sure about the Karate Kid thing. I didn?t make it up but when I saw it, I thought it was the greatest thing ever.

?Actually, now that I think about it, it was Spike [Jonze] that showed it to me. He couldn't do it at first and I remember him telling me, ?You gotta focus like you?re going to go right through to the cement. You gotta focus.?

http://www.chromeballincident.blogspot.com/2012/01/chrome-ball-interview-37-jeremy-klein.html
Mike Daher's brother invented the whole thing.

Stanley Spadowski

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2014, 02:35:34 PM »
Expand Quote
Someone was asking about it in some thread so here is Jeremy Klein on the origin:

Where did the ?Focus? come from? Is it really a Karate Kid reference?

I?m not sure about the Karate Kid thing. I didn?t make it up but when I saw it, I thought it was the greatest thing ever.

?Actually, now that I think about it, it was Spike [Jonze] that showed it to me. He couldn't do it at first and I remember him telling me, ?You gotta focus like you?re going to go right through to the cement. You gotta focus.?

http://www.chromeballincident.blogspot.com/2012/01/chrome-ball-interview-37-jeremy-klein.html
[close]
Mike Daher's brother invented the whole thing.
Yeah, George Daher invented it, then Rocco put it in Rubbish Heap. And it took off from there.
"These floors are dirty as hell, and I'm not gonna take it any more!"

sluggers

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2014, 02:42:15 PM »
Mike Daher's brother invented the whole thing.


True.

So sick. But the million-dollar question here is: did George invent "the focus"?  A lot of people point to him as the true originator. And is it true that it?s a Karate Kid reference?

Yes, George did invent the focus but no, it's not a Karate Kid reference.  It's actually from Bruce Lee.

Focus power. Use your mental focus power.

I still remember the night so perfectly. I was sitting on my bed when George comes home from skating and his board is broken. With it being broken in the middle like that, I asked him if it had gotten run over by a car.

No, I just stomped it.

It was funny because he wasn't even mad or frustrated. Nothing like that. I just stomped it. I don't like this board.

I honestly didn't believe him. There's no way he just did it like that. I happened to have my board in my room at the time so I told him to do mine. He lays it down and snaps it first try.

It became a joke after that. All of my friends would come by and they wouldn't believe it either so he'd focus their boards, too. Then they'd get all bummed and he'd give them another board.

Good man.

But Mike V thought it was so insane. He ended up telling Gonz and everybody about it when he went out to the West Coast. Word spread pretty quickly but evidently, nobody out there could do it. They'd all try and end up bouncing their foot off their boards, almost breaking their ankles.

So when George and I finally go back out to Cali, we're hanging out with Mark at this contest in Santa Monica and Mark wants to see it. George snaps his board first-try barefoot and Mark just starts tripping.

Two months later, George flies back out to the World warehouse with Mike V when Jeremy Klein and Ron Chatman come up like, is this the dude? The focus? We heard about it! Let us see it!?

George shows them the focus and they love it. They start setting up all of these complete boards just so George can focus them. Lining them up in a row and George stomps them all without even taking a step in-between. Just one after the other, walking through them. They were amazed.

A couple months later, Rubbish Heap comes out and the focus was sold like it was their thing. George never got any credit for it. Mike V once brought it up in an interview for Thrasher years later but that was it.

http://www.chromeballincident.blogspot.com/2013/11/post-script-mike-daher.html
« Last Edit: May 15, 2014, 02:49:02 PM by sluggers »

Nth syd bear

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2014, 03:18:43 PM »
That's pretty funny iwas watching some old emb shit I don't know what it was
Probably some epically latered bull shit and I was thinking about why they called it that
That was like a few days ago

pinche gringo

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2014, 03:34:19 PM »
It's a brilliant marketing scheme. Throw in some small ass wheels and you're good to go. 

sluggers

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2014, 03:42:57 PM »
Brian Lotti had the tiniest wheels on lock down.


pinche gringo

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2014, 04:17:28 PM »
^ I love that photo. The kickflip on the bank with the plane in the sky is next level too.

Edit: This photo.

« Last Edit: May 15, 2014, 04:29:45 PM by pinche gringo »

sid vicious

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2014, 04:42:42 PM »
OJ has 42mm "Dingleberries" coming out soon...
https://nhsb2b.com/catalogs/36/2014-summer/25/oj/

matter of fact

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2014, 06:49:23 PM »
^ I love that photo. The kickflip on the bank with the plane in the sky is next level too.

Edit: This photo.



damn switch front shove manual front 180 out is pretty sick, and kinda crazy then. especially with how well he did it

SodaJerk

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2014, 11:57:34 PM »
^ I love that photo. The kickflip on the bank with the plane in the sky is next level too.

Edit: This photo.



I just don't see this type of creativity in photography these day, and especially being published in print. I miss this feeling

Fenzadill

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #11 on: May 16, 2014, 10:14:58 AM »
Rocco probably fuckin LOVED the idea of making it cool to break your skateboard.
example. i cant cast a spelll or love potion on a girl and she falls total in love for me
but i can show a girl my tv youtube clip on my or her phone. but there's a difference ok

sluggers

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #12 on: May 16, 2014, 05:38:43 PM »
I wish Rocco would make a comeback or at least hear stories of what the fuck he is up to now.

pinche gringo

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Re: The Origin of the Term "Focus"
« Reply #13 on: May 16, 2014, 06:26:55 PM »
I just don't see this type of creativity in photography these day, and especially being published in print. I miss this feeling

I agree 100%.