Jesus Saves, Marina Del Rey, 1977.This post is Part 2 in a series about surf and skate culture. Click here for Part 1.
Have I ever told the story about my epic wipeout while hauling ass downhill on a yellow banana board? No need for gory details, but it's the main reason why I never became a skater. But, if you were to ask me what photos embody California youth culture in the 1970s I would point you to the work of Hugh Holland.
I'll let his mini bio do the talking:
One afternoon in 1975, a young photographer named Hugh Holland drove up Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles and encountered skateboarders carving up the drainage ditches along the side of the canyon. Immediately transfixed by their grace and athleticism, he knew he had found an amazing subject. Although not a skateboarder himself, for the next three years Holland never tired of documenting skateboarders surfing the streets of Los Angeles, parts of the San Fernando Valley, Venice Beach, and as far away as San Francisco and Baja California, Mexico. During the mid-1970s, Southern California was experiencing a serious drought, leaving an abundance of empty swimming pools available for trespassing skateboarders to practice their tricks. From these suburban backyard haunts to the asphalt streets that connected them, this was the place that created the legendary Dogtown and Z-Boys skateboarders. Indigenous to Southern California, these rebellious, daring, and highly skilled kids were at the forefront of this burgeoning sub-culture. Get the book here.
Warning: the following images make evoke a serious desire to break into your community pool and shred. I do not condone this behaviour. Unless, of course, said pool is empty.
Have I ever told the story about my epic wipeout while hauling ass downhill on a yellow banana board? No need for gory details, but it's the main reason why I never became a skater. But, if you were to ask me what photos embody California youth culture in the 1970s I would point you to the work of Hugh Holland.
I'll let his mini bio do the talking:
One afternoon in 1975, a young photographer named Hugh Holland drove up Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles and encountered skateboarders carving up the drainage ditches along the side of the canyon. Immediately transfixed by their grace and athleticism, he knew he had found an amazing subject. Although not a skateboarder himself, for the next three years Holland never tired of documenting skateboarders surfing the streets of Los Angeles, parts of the San Fernando Valley, Venice Beach, and as far away as San Francisco and Baja California, Mexico. During the mid-1970s, Southern California was experiencing a serious drought, leaving an abundance of empty swimming pools available for trespassing skateboarders to practice their tricks. From these suburban backyard haunts to the asphalt streets that connected them, this was the place that created the legendary Dogtown and Z-Boys skateboarders. Indigenous to Southern California, these rebellious, daring, and highly skilled kids were at the forefront of this burgeoning sub-culture. Get the book here.
Warning: the following images make evoke a serious desire to break into your community pool and shred. I do not condone this behaviour. Unless, of course, said pool is empty.
Stacy Peralta in the Valley, 1977.
Skater School, Orange County.
Skate Shooter, Kenter Canyon Elementary, Brentwood, 1976.
Sidewalk Surfer, The Promenade, Huntington Beach, 1975.
Reach Out, 1976.
Number 79, Long Beach, 1975.
Laid Out at Kenter, 1976.
One Hangs Ten (Jeff Jones), Kenter Canyon, 1976.
In Your Face (Jay Adams), Kenter Canyon Elementary, 1976.
Hollywood Local, Hollywood Hills, 1976.
Arthur's Attitude (Arthur Lake), Kenter Canyon Elementary, 1976.
Jeff's Return.
Stacy Peralta Ripping at Coldwater Canyon Pool, 1977.
Skatepark Construction, Montebello, 1977.
Hangin in Balboa, 1975.
Riding to Ride, Highway 80, 1977.
Gold Skater, San Diego, 1975.
Asphalt Angel, Kenter Canyon Elementary, 1976.
Last Light at Kenter Elementary, 1976.
La Bufadora (Todd Foot), Ensenada, 1976.
Jeff Jones Stands on Coping, 1976.
Canyon Sunset Ride, Hollywood Hills, 1976.
Solo, Kenter Canyon Elementary, 1976.
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