Transworld 30 most influential skaters , (link to Transworld online article)
I’m not sure if many people review magazines, but I think it’s worth giving a shot. Out of my library I checked out the new Transworld Skateboarding magazine, January 2012, and I think I’ll return it, go to a store and buy a copy.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Transworld they decided to highlight the 30 most influential skateboarders of all time. Thrasher also celebrated their 30th anniversary recently, and it’s interesting they both started around the same time. What makes this issue of Transworld so unique is that they interview all of the 30 people listed, and about 6 additional people about their own careers and the history of skateboarding. Also throughout the main article they have a timeline of important events in skateboarding.
They list Duane Peters, Tony Alva, and Steve Cabellero in the top 30. Duane Peters and Tony Alva are over 50 years old, and Steve Cabellero is approaching 50. All three continue to skate well. In the magazine Steve Cabellero states he now likes getting older because he can continue to push the boundaries and can see how long he can keep at it.
Also listed were several vert and street skaters from the 1980’s. Lance Mountain says some interesting things in his interview, and I also enjoyed Matt Hensley’s interview.
On the timeline for the year 2007 the magazine states this about the Lakai video, “Mike Carroll and Eric Koston prove the 90’s generation is still comfortably in the driver’s seat.” (page 129) I always felt it amazing that some of this guys were popular when I was in high school, and still are pro and testing the limits. Several skaters on this list are from my generation. I think skaters in their mid thirties now that skated through the late 1980’s to the mid 1990’s did see skating become dynamic. In the magazine it states that Rodney Mullen invented the 360 flip in 1987. That was right before I started to skate. That trick must have caught on like wild fire, because by 1989 it was common. Also Blind’s Video Days came out in 1991, and The Questionable Video came out in 1992, and they had a much different image and trick variation with just a year between release dates.
Anyone that would think about the most influential skaters would agree that Rodney Mullen, Tony Hawk, and Mark Gonzales would place at the top of the list. Out of the 30 skaters though, I recognized almost all of them, and could think a few important skaters not on the list. It really shows that even though skateboarding is very individual, a lot of people contributed to the progression of the sport. I also enjoyed that this issue interviewed the skaters, and had a long interview with the rated most influential skater Mark Gonzales. A running theme of the skaters that made the list was longevity. Their impact was over a long span, and they still skate.
Anyway I’ll keep this short. If you skate or skated at some point, go get this issue of Transworld.
Here is one of Mark Gonzales’s famous clips:
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