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

by Michael Brooke Updates

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 10: A Gentlemen's Agreement

Chances are you've probably never heard about a critical meeting of skate industry leaders that took place over thirty years ago.  I only found out about it because it was linked in a section of the Dansworld Skateboarding website. As mentioned in a previous chapter, Dansworld was... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 9: It’s Like Deja Vu All Over Again

You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what would happen to skateboarding once it was showcased in the biggest film of the summer of 1985 - “Back to The Future.” After toiling for close to four years in obscurity, skateboarding EXPLODED in popularity.... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 8: Back to your future

As this is the SkateGeezer Manifesto, it's essential at this stage of the book to reiterate one key point: don't stop skateboarding. If an injury prevents you, I get it. But longevity and quality of life work hand in hand. Skaters under 21 (aka NOT SkateGeezers) will... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 7: Living on Video

Skateboarding is such a powerful visual medium so it makes sense that films and videos are a massive part of its history. The first skateboard film was released at the height of the skateboarding boom in 1965. “Skaterdater” was an 18-minute film that greatly influenced the popularity... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 6: Minding the Gaps

In the previous chapter, I explained the two boom and bust cycles of skateboarding during the 1960s and 70s. In this chapter, I want to explore how different cohorts respond when things break down and why SkateGeezers are uniquely positioned. Not only can they deal with gaps... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 5: Joy and Pain

The Paradox of Skateboarding's Popularity  As 1978 morphed into 1979, something odd happened - skateboarding suffered its second bust. It felt like the rug had been pulled under my feet. My constant practice paid off, and the fusion of punk rock and skateboarding kept me super motivated.... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 4: Skateboarding is a numbers game

In the introduction of this book, I mentioned a book called The Fourth Turning. To get everyone up to speed, here are two key ideas from the book: The authors propose that history moves in recurring cycles, each lasting about 80–100 years (a "saeculum"), and each are... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 3: The Power of Generational Flex

  As 1976 rolled into 1977, my passion for skateboarding began to snowball. It consumed me, and my focus was learning new tricks. I wanted to get better and, of course, get sponsored! The way to do this was moving from a generic plastic deck to what... Read more

50+ Years of Skateboarding, by Michael Brooke -

Chapter 2: The Real Legacy of Warren Bolster

As 1975 morphed into 1976, I became more obsessed with skateboarding. Unfortunately, there was no YouTube or social media to quench my desire to learn more about skateboarding. At a certain point, I recall purchasing a book called "The Skateboarder's Bible." I learned about SkateBoarder Magazine in... Read more

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