Santa Monica (aka Dogtown) gives birth to "Skateboard"ing

In the 70s a new trendy toy called the Pet Rock made millions of dollars. It was made popular by idiotic kids who begged their parents to buy one just because their friends at school had them. The Pet Rock�s popularity died out in the late 70s along with the Yo-Yo and the Hula-hoop of a decade before.

One trend that did manage to survive the 70s and find its place in the 21st-century was the skateboard. With their flashy style and �tight� moves, skaters have become cultural icons. The history of the skateboard can be traced back to the 70s when a team of surfers called the �Zephyr boys� started skateboarding after long days of surfing. The history of the Zephyr team and the rise of skateboarding have been documented in a fascinating documentary called �Dogtown and Z-Boys.�

I had a preconceived notion that �Dogtown and Z-Boys� would be as mind-numbing as skateboarding itself. Skaters today seem to lack any true emotion and only try to impress each other, but the skateboarders in this movie are different. The Zephyr team made skateboarding come alive. They loved it. Skateboarding wasn�t trendy when the Zephyr team began to skateboard in their hometown of Dogtown. Their skating community within Santa Monica. Most residents of Santa Monica might not know that the Zephyr team sparked a cultural phenomenon in their community.

What makes �Dogtown and Z-Boys� so extraordinary is not the team�s skateboarding ability, but their passion for �land surfing.� Even when the fad of skateboarding began to die out in the early 1970s, the Zephyr team continued to skate. They didn�t follow the trend, they created it.

The interviews with the Zephyr team are funny and moving. The dialogue gives a perspective of the skateboarding movement from a group of guys with real passion for skateboarding. �We were doing it because we loved doing it,� says one Zephyr team member in the film. The Zephyr team is full of colorful characters who seem to have as much fun recalling old times skateboarding with their buddies as the audience enjoys watching them.

The movie also delivers an �in your face� visual style. �It�s all about style,� says one Zephyr member during an interview, and this can also be said about the motion picture. Directed by former Zephyr team member, Stacy Peralta, the movie has an exceptional soundtrack that includes Jimmy Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Blue Oyster Cult, and The Stooges. Then there are the revolutionary skateboard tricks. These moves might not be exceptional or daring by today�s standards, but they still manage to be thrilling. The Zephyr team was the first to take risks trying these moves. They had no idea what was going to happen, but they did it anyway, and the results were, well, �tight.�

This documentary film about the Z-Boys is screening at the Leamles in downtown Santa Monica. Call them for show times and other information:

* Photo Courtesy of Sonyclassics.com