Biographical note:
Ben Marcus was a Surfer magazine associate editor and still writes for Surfer, The Surfer’s Journal, and other magazines. He’s the author of several books, including The Surfboard, Surfing USA!, Surfing & the Meaning of Life, and The Surfing Handbook. He lives in Malibu. www.benmarcusrules.com
Lucia Griggi photographed skateboarders from Tony Hawk to Stacey Peralta and more for this book. She is a freelance photographer and works between LosAngeles and London.
Main description:
The story of the simple skateboard is part thriller, part underground, underdog success tale. It’s chock-full of innovations, far-out graphic artistry, and ever-more-incredible hot-dogging feats. And the story’s told in this book with contributions from the stars themselves—Tony Hawk, Stacey Peralta, Jeff Ho, the Dogtown Z-Boys, and more. Beautifully illustrated with historical posters, ads, and memorabilia along with new action photography, studio skateboard shots, and unique portraits of the stars, this is a fitting tribute to an American classic.
Review quote:
THE BEACHSIDE RESIDENT
"Marcus states in the introduction that “cred is important in skateboarding,” and he immediately establishes his. He’s lived a good bit of skateboarding history, growing up and skating in Santa Cruz in the ’70s, and he’s there to trace the history that took off in the 1960s. It’s a history that includes the advent of Vans (the first men’s pair sold for $5.99) to the Ollie, and all the way to the X Gamers of today. But it’s the pictures that make this book.
