The purest carving feeling on asphalt: The Lush Samba is here.

by Michael Brooke Updates

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapters 1 - 18

  Each chapter (so far) one by one, for reading at your leisure: Intro: The Wisdom of 50+ years of Skateboarding Chapter 1: Re-inventing the wheel Chapter 2: Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 18: Not the Final Chapter

I have to admit something that most of you will find quite remarkable. When I started this manifesto, I wasn’t quite sure where it would take me. But back in May, something happened that took things in a whole new direction. You must understand what happened because... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 17: The Wheels Come Off

If that last chapter has you confused, join the club. The truth is that it's been over seven years since I sold Concrete Wave Magazine, and I am still processing what happened. In the 2011 edition of the mag, I wrote "statistically, only 10% of magazines make... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 16: Career Opportunities

  It's somewhat difficult to explain my life from about 1993 to 2003 because it was a blur. But this was not a "fun blur" that you might see in the movies  - it was twenty years of career mayhem and side helpings of uncertainty, fear and... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 15: Almost Less Than Zero

Chapter 15Almost Less Than Zero As some of you might recall, back in 1996, I decided to host the world's first "old school skateboard reunion." Despite getting a listing in a major newspaper and having 10 minutes on Breakfast Television here in Toronto, ZERO people showed up.... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 14: The Power of Print

When Nick Pitt of Warwick Publishing asked if I'd be interested in writing a book on skateboarding, I had no idea at the time how much of an impact this question would have on my life. It was quickly decided that within two weeks, I would have... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 13: Jumping Over the Slush Pile

I often think about how different my life would have been if Todd Huber had not sent up the four issues of his Skate Trader zine. There was something about what Todd created that rekindled a powerful skate stoke in me. This was now the second time... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 12: A SkateGeezer Comes Home

Five bucks. That's what it cost me to access the Internet back in 1995. This got me an email address and an opportunity to have my own website. According to an inflation calculator, $5 is about $9.40 in today's money. In the mid-90s, the Internet was just... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 11: Extreme Dreams and Nightmares

When the skate company owners met up after the Action Sports Show in January 1994 to discuss the future, they were most likely unaware of what sports cable network ESPN was dreaming up. Had they known, the meeting minutes would have been decidedly different. Why do I... Read more

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