Stephen Slappe, Founder and Chair of the Video and Sound Department at PNCA presents rare 16mm archival footage, tracing skateboarding’s history from clay wheels to pig boards.
These rare moving image documents feature early, sometimes uncredited, appearances by well-known skaters including Lance Mountain, Cara-Beth Burnside, Billy Ruff, Mike Weed, Stacy Peralta, Russ Howell, Tom Sims, Gregg Carroll, Bert LaMar, and Tony Alva. In addition to being a life-long skater, Slappe is Chair of the Video & Sound department at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR.
Skaterdater
(1965), 18 mins.
Skaterdater is the earliest skateboarding film outside of home movie footage. In it, a gang of clay wheel rippers session the streets of their suburb to a fuzzed out, surf instrumental soundtrack. It won the Golden Palm for the Best Short Film at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. During the 1970's and 80's, Skaterdater’s status was relegated to educational film and it was shown in classrooms across the country as a parable of pubescent love. The color on this print has shifted but the vitality of the action remains.
Skateboard Riding Tactics
(1978), 15 mins.
Is that Lance Mountain as a youngster? Sure enough. All the basics you need to operate your skateboard with skill while remaining safe.
A Different Kind of Winning
(1980), 30 mins.
This film captures a unique era of skateboarding, when it was declining in national popularity but still going strong in Southern California. The fictional story stars a tween Cara-Beth Burnside and Billy Ruff, tearing up Marina Del Rey Skatepark on pig boards. A tale of friendship and competition between two girls, one of whom has an overbearing father concerned only with winning. Stacy Peralta makes a cameo as a contest judge and other famous faces and stunt doubles are pop up throughout. Great color print with an after school special vibe.
Skateboard Safety
(1977), 15 mins.
Contains tons of hokey advice for would-be groms. This educational film includes several hilarious melodramatic crash scenes. Russ Howell offers valuable advice before going crazy with the handstands!