Download or read book The Mutt written by Rodney Mullen and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2004-07-20 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At age six, Rodney Mullen was the family misfit who had to wear braces to straighten out his pigeon-toed feet. But by age fourteen, he was a world-champion skateboarder -- and for the next decade lost only one contest. Now, for the first time, Rodney tells the incredible story of his ascent to fame as the number one nerd in a sport where anarchy is often encouraged. Rodney learned to skate by himself on the family farm, his only company the wandering cows. As a teenager he traveled the world for demonstrations, invented the flatground ollie -- a trick that laid the foundation for modern street skating -- and in ten years garnered thirty-five world skating titles. While acing skateboard contests Rodney also earned straight A's in school, but his father forced him to abandon his fame and the fortune he could make from the sport he loved. Rodney was unable to stop for very long though, even after freestyle skating went out of fashion and the skateboarding world abandoned him. He adapted to street skating and eventually became one of the most innovative and influential skaters of all time. It's all here: everything from his eating and sleeping disorders to his comical experiences with loan sharks, occult-obsessed relatives, and the FBI. The Mutt is a look at Rodney's strange journey from penniless skateboarder to millionaire.

Download or read book The Skateboarder s Journal Lives on Board written by and published by Jack Smith. This book was released on 2009 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A piece of wood, two trucks, four wheels ... a skateboard. You start by rolling down a sidewalk, and end up rolling through life. For some the ride stops at the end of the street; for others the ride never ends. This book was written by those for whom the ride is never-ending: by the 15-year-old grom who falls asleep dreaming of skateboarding; by the 40-something "pad dad" you see at the local skatepark; by the women whose stories have never been told; and by the 73-year-old architect who didn't begin skateboarding until the age of 65. Over 170 stories and 200+ photographs. The 'everyman/everywoman' are accompanied by contributions from some 'notable' skateboarders, and other personalities from the skateboard world ... Some of the great skateboarding photographers have graciously contributed to the book."--Description from www.amazon.com

Download or read book Surf Nation written by Alex Wade and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-09-04 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If golf is the new football, then surfing must be the new golf. People are flocking to the sport in record numbers, often defying the unforgiving British climate to make the best of what can be some world-class waves. But is it all just surf dudes in VW camper vans heading down for a week's hell-raising in Newquay? Or is the sport attracting a wider range of addicts, often eschewing the established beaches in pursuit of a more solitary, and sometimes more dangerous, goal? In SURF NATION: IN SEARCH OF THE FAST LEFTS AND HOLLOW RIGHTS OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND, Alex Wade takes the pulse of these islands' surfing credentials, and finds a growing army of devotees as well as some stunning locations. A witty and engaging mix of travelogue, reportage and guide to where to find the best breaks, SURF NATION reveals Britain and Ireland to be not just a growing hotbed of surfers but a surf destination of real credibility.

Download or read book Always Happy Hour Stories written by Mary Miller and published by Liveright Publishing. This book was released on 2017-01-10 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Sleek, sexy, slyly funny.” —Tom Franklin, author of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter A “bracingly strong” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) collection brimming with savage Southern charm, Always Happy Hour propels Mary Miller to new heights. Claustrophobic and lonesome, acerbic and magnetic, her characters seek understanding in the most unlikely places—a dilapidated foster home where love is a liability, a trailer park laden with a history of bad decisions, and the empty corners of a dream home bought after a bitter divorce. “Full of wit, bite, and the boundless intelligence of their author” (Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds), these stories evoke the particular gritty comfort found in bad habits as hope turns to dust, and they prove yet again Miller’s essential role in American fiction.

Download or read book The Most Fun Thing written by Kyle Beachy and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2021-08-10 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR • Southwest Review • Electric Literature Perfect for fans of Barbarian Days, this memoir in essays follows one man's decade-long quest to uncover the hidden meaning of skateboarding, and explores how this search led unexpectedly to insights on marriage, love, loss, American invention, and growing old. In January 2012, creative writing professor and novelist Kyle Beachy published one of his first essays on skate culture, an exploration of how Nike’s corporate strategy successfully gutted the once-mighty independent skate shoe market. Beachy has since established himself as skate culture's freshest, most illuminating, at times most controversial voice, writing candidly about the increasingly popular and fast-changing pastime he first picked up as a young boy and has continued to practice well into adulthood. What is skateboarding? What does it mean to continue skateboarding after the age of forty, four decades after the kickflip was invented? How does one live authentically as an adult while staying true to a passion cemented in childhood? How does skateboarding shape one's understanding of contemporary American life? Of growing old and getting married? Contemplating these questions and more, Beachy offers a deep exploration of a pastime—often overlooked, regularly maligned—whose seeming simplicity conceals universal truths. THE MOST FUN THING is both a rich account of a hobby and a collection of the lessons skateboarding has taught Beachy—and what it continues to teach him as he strugglesto find space for it as an adult, a professor, and a husband.

Download or read book The Trouble with Skateboarding written by Chris Ashley and published by Trafford Publishing. This book was released on 2004-02-15 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Counterfeit skateboards! Who is trying to put Mike Holt out of business? He's already had one tragedy in his life, will this be more than he can handle? Jim and Ben need to find out who is doing this quickly or their dreams of a skateboard park will be gone forever. This is the story of five close friends who all share one common love - skateboarding. They live in the small city of Exton, Pennsylvania that is not known as a skateboarding haven. They have dreams of changing that by helping to open a new skate park in their city. Their plans are taking shape when disasters strikes. Mike's shop is in danger of being put out of business by a mysterious stranger and that would lead to the end of the 2nd Annual Boardzone Skateboard competition and their skate park dreams. Like most kids they can't resist getting involved and jump right in to try and figureout what is going on - and of course, get into a load of trouble in the process. With the help of their Uncle, a retired policeman, the group of young people get into one precarious situation after another while searching for the identity of the counterfeiter. Each day leads our young group one step closer to facing their biggest challenge ever. Will they solve the mysterious counterfeit skateboarding ring? Will Mike lose his store and cancel the big competition? Will corrupt city officials steal the land for the new skate park? No one is going to take away their dream of the first skate park in their hometown. Even if they have to face their enemy head on - they will.

Download or read book Skateboarding LA written by Gregory J. Snyder and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2017-12-05 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inside the complex and misunderstood world of professional street skateboarding On a sunny Sunday in Los Angeles, a crew of skaters and videographers watch as one of them attempts to land a “heel flip” over a fire hydrant on a sidewalk in front of the Biltmore Hotel. A staff member of the hotel demands they leave and picks up his phone to call the police.Not only does the skater land the trick, but he does so quickly, and spares everyone the unwanted stress of having to deal with the cops. This is not an uncommon occurrence in skateboarding, which is illegal in most American cities and this interaction is just part of the process of being a professional street skater. This is just one of Gregory Snyder’s experiences from eight years inside the world of professional street skateboarding: a highly refined, athletic and aesthetic pursuit, from which a large number of people profit. Skateboarding LA details the history of skateboarding, describes basic and complex tricks, tours some of LA's most famous spots, and provides an enthusiastic appreciation of this dangerous and creative practice. Particularly concerned with public spaces, Snyder shows that skateboarding offers cities much more than petty vandalism and exaggerated claims of destruction. Rather, skateboarding draws highly talented young people from around the globe to skateboarding cities, building a diverse and wide-reaching community of skateboarders, filmmakers, photographers, writers, and entrepreneurs. Snyder also argues that as stewards of public plazas and parks, skateboarders deter homeless encampments and drug dealers. In one stunning case, skateboarders transformed the West LA Courthouse, with Nike’s assistance, into a skateable public space. Through interviews with current and former professional skateboarders, Snyder vividly expresses their passion, dedication and creativity. Especially in relation to the city's architectural features—ledges, banks, gaps, stairs and handrails—they are constantly re-imagining and repurposing these urban spaces in order to perform their ever-increasingly difficult tricks. For anyone interested in this dynamic and daunting activity, Skateboarding LA is an amazing ride.

Download or read book Calm at Sunset Calm at Dawn written by Paul Watkins and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 1996-10-15 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aware of the dangers of working at sea, James Pfeiffer's parents want desperately to keep their son on shore. But James finds a job on a scallop trawler andis drawn to sea.

Download or read book Here s Your Chance To Pick My Brain written by Christine Pechstein and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2010-04-24 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here's Your Chance To Pick Christine Pechstein's Brain! As a life management consultant and coach, people ALWAYS ask if they can pick her brain for insight, solutions, and creative brainstorming sessions. She created this highly anticipated collection to include her thoughts, beliefs, quotes from things she's written and said in her facebook status', Twitter feed, and life management blog in an easy to read format resembling her social media feed.Get all her thoughts on life, faith, kids, cats, leadership, and staying focused with her slightly hilarious viewpoint on life and pick her brain all you want! Don't miss this exciting opportunity to tap into her area of expertise and see her own life in action!

Download or read book Four Wheels and a Board written by Betsy Gordon and published by Smithsonian Institution. This book was released on 2022-11-01 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A bold look at the creative, controversial, and vibrant history of skateboarding, and the amazing skaters who continually reinvent it Skateboarding isn't just a recreational activity, but a professional sport, lifestyle, art form, and cultural phenomenon. The striking book Four Wheels and a Board captures its spirited history, iconic skateboarders, diverse community, and the palpable passion of the people who love it. It includes contributions from the most influential names in the game, including Rodney Mullen, Tony Hawk, Mimi Knoop, and more. The gorgeously designed book presents objects, artifacts, and photographs from the Smithsonian’s collections that exemplify the vitality and innovation of skate culture. Book chapters are organized chronologically by decade from the '60s to present day, starting with 20th-century surfboards, moving through technological changes, the disappearance of skate parks, the rise of social media and collaborations, and ending with never-before-seen objects from the 2020 Summer Olympics, where skateboarding made its historic Olympic debut. Largely invented by youth, skateboarding has attracted punks, misfits, and dreamers looking for somewhere to belong. The book features skateboards and skaters who open dialogues about race, the gender binary, queerness, the displacement of Native people, and so much more, shining a light on people and places not often represented in traditional skateboard history. Four Wheels and a Board is a fresh look at a transformative culture, and one hell of a ride.

Download or read book Stalefish written by Sean Mortimer and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2008-04-30 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How is being a professional skateboarder different from being, say, a professional golfer? More scabs, for one. Veteran skate journalist Sean Mortimer has interviewed the top skaters of all time to answer that question in meaningful and often humorous ways. Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Lance Mountain, and Rodney Mullen are a handful of the skaters who opine on sacking yourself, skate-induced ulcers, and the various ways in which skating ruins your love life. Including compelling photographs, Stalefish documents the gritty oral history of professional skating like no other book.

Download or read book Following the Flame written by Greg Lautenslager and published by Virtualbookworm Publishing. This book was released on 2005-11 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jonny Langenfelder will do whatever it takes to make the Olympics. He will run 150 miles per week through duststorms or snowstorms, endure the torment of crazed coaches and bizarre teammates, flip burgers, wash dishes, and live in a van or a basement or with the two people who tell him he is wasting his time - his parents. Follow Jonny on a whirlwind journey that will take you around the world and into the locker rooms, hotels, stadiums, bars, and training ground of some great and not-so-great athletes, and inside the mind of a high-spirited runner who battles to stay on the straight path - no matter what temptation or tragedy threatens to keep him from reaching his goal.

Download or read book Skate written by Michael Harmon and published by Laurel Leaf. This book was released on 2008-02-12 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There’s not much keeping Ian McDermott in Spokane, but at least it’s home. He’s been raising Sammy practically on his own ever since their mom disappeared again on one of her binges. They get by, finding just enough to eat and plenty of time to skateboard. But at Morrison High, Ian is getting the distinct, chilling feeling that the administration wants him and his board and his punked hair gone. Simply gone. And when his temper finally blows–he actually takes a swing at Coach Florence and knocks him cold–Ian knows he’s got to grab Sammy and skate. Run. Their search for the one relative they can think of, their only hope, leads Ian and Sammy across the entire state of Washington in the cold and rain–and straight into a shocking discovery. Through it all, Ian knows exactly what he has to do: protect Sammy, and let no one split up their family of two. Michael Harmon tells a nuanced and unflinching story of wilderness survival, the fierce bond between brothers, and teen rage–and redemption.

Download or read book I m the Man written by Scott Ian and published by Hachette+ORM. This book was released on 2014-10-14 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I'm the Man is the fast-paced, humorous, and revealing memoir from the man who co-founded Anthrax, the band that proved to the masses that brutality and fun didn't have to be mutually exclusive. Through various lineup shifts, label snafus, rock 'n' roll mayhem, and unforeseen circumstances galore, Scott Ian has approached life and music with a smile, viewing the band with deadly seriousness while recognizing the ridiculousness of the entertainment industry. Always performing with abundant energy that revealed his passion for his craft, Ian has never let the gravity of being a rock star go to his shaven, goateed head. Ian tells his life story with a clear-eyed honesty that spares no one, least of all himself, starting with his upbringing as a nerdy Jewish boy in Queens and evolving through his first musical epiphany when he saw KISS live on television and realized what he wanted to do with his life. He chronicles his adolescence growing up in a dysfunctional home where the records blasting on his stereo failed to drown out the sound of his parents shouting at one another. He sets down the details of his fateful escape into the turbulent world of heavy metal. And of course he lays bare the complete history of Anthrax -- from the band's formation to their present-day reinvigoration -- as they wrote and recorded thrash classics like Spreading the Disease, Among the Living, and the top-twenty-charting State of Euphoria. Along the way, Ian recounts harrowing, hysterical tales from his long tour of duty in the world of hard rock. He witnesses the rise of Metallica, for which he had a front row seat. He parties with the late Dimebag Darrell while touring with Pantera and gets wild with Black Label Society frontman and longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde. He escapes detection while interviewing Ozzy for "The Rock Show" while dressed as Gene Simmons and avoids arrest after getting detained on suspicion of drugs while riding the tube in England with the late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. In addition, I'm the Man addresses the trials and tribulations of Ian's life and loves. He admits his foibles and reveals the mistakes made along the way to becoming a fully-functioning adult. He celebrates finally finding peace and a true sense of family with his wife, singer/songwriter Pearl Aday, and examines how his world changed after the birth of their first son. I'm the Man is a blistering hard rock memoir, one that is astonishing in its candor and deftly told by the man who's kept the institution of Anthrax alive for more than thirty years.

Download or read book Skate Life written by Emily Chivers Yochim and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2010-05-25 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Intellectually deft and lively to read, Skate Life is an important addition to the literature on youth cultures, contemporary masculinity, and the role of media in identity formation." ---Janice A. Radway, Northwestern University, author of Reading the Romance: Women, Patriarchy, and Popular Literature "With her elegant research design and sophisticated array of anthropological and media studies approaches, Emily Chivers Yochim has produced one of the best books about race, gender, and class that I have read in the last ten years. In a moment where celebratory studies of youth, youth subcultures, and their relationship to media abound, this book stands as a brilliantly argued analysis of the limitations of youth subcultures and their ambiguous relationship to mainstream commercial culture." ---Ellen Seiter, University of Southern California "Yochim has made a valuable contribution to media and cultural studies as well as youth and American studies by conducting this research and by coining the phrase 'corresponding cultures,' which conceptualizes the complex and dynamic processes skateboarders employ to negotiate their identities as part of both mainstream and counter-cultures." ---JoEllen Fisherkeller, New York University Skate Life examines how young male skateboarders use skate culture media in the production of their identities. Emily Chivers Yochim offers a comprehensive ethnographic analysis of an Ann Arbor, Michigan, skateboarding community, situating it within a larger historical examination of skateboarding's portrayal in mainstream media and a critique of mainstream, niche, and locally produced media texts (such as, for example, Jackass, Viva La Bam, and Dogtown and Z-Boys). The book uses these elements to argue that adolescent boys can both critique dominant norms of masculinity and maintain the power that white heterosexual masculinity offers. Additionally, Yochim uses these analyses to introduce the notion of "corresponding cultures," conceptualizing the ways in which media audiences both argue with and incorporate mediated images into their own ideas about identity. In a strong combination of anthropological and media studies approaches, Skate Life asks important questions of the literature on youth and provides new ways of assessing how young people create their identities. Emily Chivers Yochim is Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Arts, Allegheny College. Cover design by Brian V. Smith

Download or read book Skate or Die Jacob Jones written by Jon Coley and published by Jon Coley. This book was released on 2024-03-05 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Skating Star, Jacob Jones, is visiting the desert town of Sierra Vista to support the troops. But upon his arrival, he may not survive all that’s happening, from radical vegans, to a local zombie apocalypse, and to copious amounts of banana pudding. A Firebird Book Award Winner!

Download or read book Shredders written by Sierra Prescott and published by Ten Speed Press. This book was released on 2020-08-11 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A stunningly photographed tribute to female skaters of all ages and backgrounds, from novice to pro--plus an illustrated history of the skateboard, skating tips and tricks, and more. In celebration of the rad, undying spirit of skateboarding, Shredders features gorgeous photography and stories of today's most awesome female skaters. The women and girls profiled range from rising young riders like eight-year-old Ariel Cai--who shreds at the largest indoor skate park in China--to old-school pros like Laura Thornhill Caswell--the first woman to get a signature model board--and today's star shredders like X Games gold winner and Tony Hawk protégé Lizzie Armanto. From street and slalom skaters to park queens and long-distance pushers, Shredders features athletes and hobbyists of all skate styles, ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, showing that skateboarding has something for everyone. For aspiring skaters, Shredders is the perfect entryway into the world of skateboarding, with tips for setting up and maintaining your board as well as overviews of skate styles, history, and slang. And Shredders also invites experienced riders to fall back in love with the sport that embodies freedom, individuality, and active self-expression. Skaters of every stripe are sure to find their inspiration to shred within these pages.