I was 14 back then with no local skate shop so getting my hands on a copy took a bit of work each month and usually involved a train journey. Commercially, the mid nineties skate industry was in a slump but the lo-fi D.I.Y ethic of the (mostly skater owned) companies just added authenticity to the whole thing.

When people are doing something for love rather than money, those scenes quickly attract and assimilate like minded individuals, equally interested in and open to doing their own thing. That attitude combined with the lack of any significant corporate presence made certain skate magazines of the era a hot bed of interesting graphic design, photography and art in general.

I want to share this Ari Marcopoulos feature in particular because it inspired me to purchase my first SLR and go on to study photography at College a few years later, but also because of the way it basically sums up a lot of what felt so visceral to me at the time… people just doing their own thing.

You can click on each of the images above for a bigger version but if you’re struggling to read the text or would like a better look at the photos, I’ve uploaded some slightly higher resolution scans here.

The 11 episodes released so far include parts 1-6 of Skate and Create, parts 1-3 of Graffiti and a couple of brief artist profiles on Swoon and Os Gêmeos…

Visit the site to check out all the episodes so far at…

http://www.wk.com/wke/show/diy/

“MAKE IT COUNT is a four-part documentary, which showcases Element’s defining moments and delves into its compelling story. From its humble beginnings, to a forward thinking global brand, this film covers two decades of stories and imagery.”

“MAKE IT COUNT is a four-part documentary, which showcases Element’s defining moments and delves into its compelling story. From its humble beginnings, to a forward thinking global brand, this film covers two decades of stories and imagery.”

Here’s links to the Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 posts with embedded video as above.

“The first incarnation of Element came in the form of a small collaborative, East Coast company called Underworld Element. Most often referred to as Underworld, the company was inspired by the hip-hop movement and used a mixture of urban styles and reflected a raw and controversial vibe.

Soon after its inception, Underworld was plagued with many challenges, and the business began to collapse. Its original crew had all moved on, and Johnny was left with two choices: either turn the struggling brand around, or abandon Underworld altogether and start something entirely new.”

If you’re into the documentary then the first Element video ‘Fine Artists’ (above) is a good follow up move.

“MAKE IT COUNT is a four-part documentary, which showcases Element’s defining moments and delves into its compelling story. From its humble beginnings, to a forward thinking global brand, this film covers two decades of stories and imagery.

In creating Chapter 1 of 4, “WIND” Kirk Dianda (director) followed Johnny Schillereff (Element founder & president) and dug into his history, interviewing the very people that have shaped his life and the company. The opening and closing sequences give you a small taste of the diverse community of people interviewed for the entire project, topics covered, and nostalgia that was un-earthed.”

The remaining three chapters are to be released on the first of each month. Use the button on the bottom right of the player to view full screen.

Here’s something tasteful to fill a half hour gap in your weekend. From the Winter 2004 issue of the long gone and sadly missed ON Video Magazine…

“Few skate spots on earth can claim the notoriety of philadelphia’s love park. its location and design have made it the focal point of east-coast skateboarding. for the first time, ricky oyola, stevie williams, josh kalis, kerry getz, tim o’connor, and a host of local notables tell the tale of this legendary landmark.”

I forgot about Epicly Later’d for a while so going back to check what I missed and finding this, really made my week. All 4 parts are going to take you over an hour but it’s so worthwhile.

From VBS… “This is the John Cardiel episode of Epicly Later’d. It began like all the episodes of the show begin, just meeting up with a dude to talk about skateboarding. But John is such a legendary skater with such a long and amazing personal history that to try and crush everything into a normal 15-minute episode would have been a joke. Over the course of filming and editing, this thing just grew and grew until now I almost want to say it’s a full-length documentary.”

“From his youth in the sticks of Grass Valley to becoming one of the most loved and respected skateboarders of all time to miraculously recovering from a horrific, paralyzing injury, we are proud to bring you John Cardiel’s story as best as we can tell it.”

You can find the clip above along with the remaining 3 parts at the Epicly Later’d page on VBS.tv

A name that gets less than it’s fair share of recognition is Natas Kaupas. To me, one of Skateboarding’s greatest strengths as a culture is its ability to be different things to different people and Natas really personifies what it’s meant to me over the years. The guy got involved on his own terms and carved his own route, that’s what it’s all about. Later, he would use that same personalized passion and drive as he began to get involved in related business ventures. Eventually finding himself as an art director he continued to turn his dedication and love for what he was involved with into some seriously fresh, original and influential styles.

Below is a 4 part ‘On Video’ biography on his career from pioneering skate legend of the 80’s to his post injury art direction of the 90’s. Don’t sleep on this if you’re feeling it’s not an area of interest to you, the cultural significance of this guys attitude and approach goes way beyond the context of skateboarding…