skate rock

hearing a song can spark memories deep in the human soul. for me, skate rock and the music in skate videos takes me back to trouble-free days. a good feeling when a song can lift the anxiety of life, even for just 2 minutes and 25 seconds. your ear catches the tune, eyes shut, and you’re immediately taken back to the moment(s) that lived out those memories in past life.

public domain: ‘and now, as you witness the extraordinary exploits of the incredible rubber boys; steve saiz, eric sanderson, ray barbee and chet thomas’. a part where you were not only introduced to 4 kids that would be pros and icons in the industry, but also met the gritty punk skate rock sounds of chuck treece and mcrad. my weakness/mcshred pull you in with contrasting sounds. when hearing these songs i can still close my eyes and remember the video in full from ray barbee’s 43-shifty to steve saiz giant early grab method at lockwood.

hokus pokus: this is a video that introduced bands sub society, wonderful broken thing, kirk and the jerks, the cry, ron allen’s loopzilla, wheezing maniac to a population outside the california scene. a time when you found out about skate rock though underground zines or word of mouth from a friend of a brothers friends mom, this video really opened the door for how music would impact skate videos moving forward. the lead in of the video with the music of sub society and groundbreaking skateboarding creates a spark for memory. a true classic and cutting edge for its time. changed the game in many ways.

love child: again, cutting edge. this time the skate parts are accompanied by radio play hits from the 50s/60s/70s; steppenwolf, three dog night, stevie wonder. in the video, the songs that always resonate for me are that of daewon song's part. leading with the supremes love child and paired with his future forward tricks, this part is complete harmony. second scene for daewon partners him with the osmond’s one bad apple. sitting and watching this video in the early 90s brought a spark for pushing yourself. and when out on the street skating a curb the sounds of ‘one bad apple don’t spoil the whole bunch, girl…’ rang through your head.

rds: rob ‘sluggo’ boyce’s part. no need for words. watch, listen, love.

what are some of your favorites?