EVERY
ARTIST
NEEDS
HIS
CANVAS
Christian Hosal
Chud
ALL
STARS
od Convene inc
FBOOKIEM
by MCM
In case you haven't noticed, skateboarding has a fairly rich literary past, featuring several how-to, fix-it, and history books.
The editor recently dusted off his library of skate volumes, and we got such a good laugh we had to pass them along to you
in review. For you bookworms interested in obtaining any of these gems, we suggest that you keep a lookout in used book stores,
Goodwill or any thrift shop, and ask big bro or sis to check their bookshelf. It'll be a good history lesson if nothing else.
learn skate fundamentals, as well as
the "coolest tricks." This rag has
How to
Skateboard
THE SKATEBOARD BOOK
Ben Davidson, 1976
book
Live gorilla grip action footage!
Barefoot Eddie Money look-alike with
bell bottoms doing an L-sit on a long
board! Oh, hey, it's Tom Sims! The
old style lives on. The Skateboard
Book has a cool cover and a content
that successfully expresses the
casual seventies skate attitude.
Nowadays you don't need to know
how to pack your bearings and you
probably don't care too much about
fiberglass/wood laminates or even
barrel jumps, but don't be too aloof.
These are your roots, and you can
always learn from the past. Read the
book, feel the vibes, grab your skate
and let it all hang out!
THE SKATEBOARDER'S BIBLE
Albert Cassorla, 1976
You don't have to be religious to enjoy
SKATEBOARDERS
BEN
Albert's
weighty
tome. The
Bible"
I was writ-
ten over
ten years
ago, so
you could
consider
it an 'old
testament
Still,
does con-
tain some
pertinent information. One great
(though out of date) facet is the ex-
tensive index in the back of the book.
This index lists manufacturers,
distributors and literally every pro-
duct on the market at that time (in-
cluding measurements, composition
and price). An updated catalog like
this could provide the lowly con-
sumer with just the edge he needs
to survive in today's marketing
melee. Cassorla's book also has a
whole section on wacky skate games
like skate-hockey, skate-basketball
and jousting, a must for all you skate-
jock types. You probably don't have
a prayer of finding this bible in a book
shop, but keep your eyes open. If the
grapevine can be trusted, we hear
that Albert is working on an updated
"new testament."
ANYBODY'S SKATEBOARD BOOK
By Tom Cuthbertson, 1976.
anybody's
skateboard
book
cuthbertson
Tom Cuthbertson is the author of
other how-to guides (Anybody's Bike
Book, My Lawnmower Hates Me,
etc.), and they are generally pretty
helpful. His skate book is no excep-
tion. It's got a trouble shooting sec-
tion, instructions for freestyle,
downhill and weird terrain (pools and
ditches) skating. Read Tom's book;
you'll discover the true history of the
wheel and enjoy some hot vintage
pool pics, if nothing else.
HOW TO SKATEBOARD
By Adrian Ball, 1977
That's right, folks, for a mere 45
pence, you can be the owner of a
brochure on "The World's Newest
Sport." Well, if you were in England
about ten years ago you would have
been able to pick up this guide and
some classic
SKATE photos, in-
BOARD erine Hep-
cluding Kath
burn and Ed-
ward Heath
(former Brit-
ish Prime
Minister)
shredding.
and
high
Age the world speed, bell
bottom, high
jump action shots. Nevermind that
the literary content of this book
seems to be directly copied from its
American predecessors, this book is
an epic in its own right. If you can find
it, get it, but I'll bet you can't find it.
BLAST! THE SKATEBOARD BOOK
SUPER SLEEK SKATEBOARDING
National Child Safety Council, 1978
A skating cartoon bear demonstra-
tes all the safety essentials in this
23-page pamphlet. He wants you to
wear a long sleeved shirt, long pants.
leather wrist bands, a hockey helmet
and sneakers. No action photo-
super
SLEEK
SKATE
BOARDING
graphy here,
but how's
this for a
quote?
"Avoid skate-
boards if you
will. They are
bad accident
risks! Some
motorists
become very
confused
and will panic at the sight of a skate-
boarder zooming down a hill at fast
SURFING FUNDAMENTALS
by Nat Young, 1985
By Peter Hill and Stephen Hill, 1986 speed. He might accidentally run his
Here it is, new and improved.
car into you. Ouch! Kerplunk! Oooh!"
skateboarding at your fingertips!
Finally, a full color, up to date book
is available for the modern skater.
Peter and Stephen get a THRASHER
sticker of approval for creating an
informative, easy to read, well
The
Skateboard
Book
BIAS
organized volume. The reader gets
blasted with a full dose of history.
equipment and safety advice, ramp
plans, trick tips and positive skate at-
titudes. The diagrams are clear, the
photos are generally rad, and the
Australian slang is a gas. As far as
I know, Blast is the only full fledged.
full-length skate book to appear on
the scene in years, though I would
love to be proven wrong. Write to
HARDCORE, 155 Yarra St. Abbots-
ford, Victoria, Australia, 3067.
So, you're a full-on skate hero and
you could have written any of those
books while slashing a frontside
grind in your grandma's pool. Well
then, it's time you learned something
new, wheelhead. It's time you learn-
ed how to surf. No matter how land-
oriented you may be, Surfing Fun-
damentals is bound to get those tube
shooting juices flowing. From pad-
dling out to winning contests, Nat's
book is extremely thorough in cover-
ing every aspect of the wave-o world.
Follow his concise advice and you
could become the Big Kahuna faster
than you can say "off-shore wind."
After all, it is the sport that spawned
skateboarding. Published by The
Body Press, A division of Price Stern
Cload, Inc., 360 North La Cienga
Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048
113