Customer Reviews

The Concrete Wave: The History of Skateboarding

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

It makes me feel old seeing as to how The Concrete Wave is a history book and most of the events mentioned happened in my lifetime. But I'm not over the hill by any stretch of the imagination. Hailing from Long Beach California I saw skate culture rise and fall and rise again in the 80's and 90's. Skate fashion, culture and music where very influential in my neighborhood. Many of my friends skated, not me, I had less coordination than the proverbial bull in the china shop. But it didn't stop me from making plenty of skater friends. There are many skate stories in the back of my mind. Author Michael Brooke helped me remember the better ones. The Concrete Wave is one of the best books I've picked up in a long while. Michael carefully researched and put together a fine read featuring articles and interviews from the biggest names in skating. The industry of skateboarding is not overlooked in this book. The founders and pioneers of the sport also have a prominent place in The Concrete Wave. There were a few things left out in this edition. Die hard skaters want more one-on-one interviews. Old-school skaters want more of the history. But for the first edition of any skateboarding history book, the Concrete Wave is interesting and great read. If you're an old-time skateboarder, someone who's never tried the sport or someone new to skateboarding I'd recommend The Concrete Wave highly. I look forward to reading every edition of the Concrete Wave down the road.

This 1999 book is more like a bunch of 'zines stitched together than a straightforward histroy of skateboarding: There are lots of sidebars, numerous authors and topics, full-page illustrations that look like ads, and unexpected excursions into such areas as "Skateboards at the Movies."

Still, there's a lot of love within this book. Those of you who enjoyed the recent documentary, "Dogtown and the Z-Boys," will find a similar fan/participant enthusiasm here. The early years are emphasized: The index lists Tony Hawk on only about 10 pages, and the X-games on only 4 pages. Still, for a chronicle of (especially) the early years of skateboarding, for its photos, density of information, and the enthusiasm of the writers, this is a good book for the skateboarding fan. 197 pages of text, an index, lots of photos, and five interesting appendices: "Pros of the Last 40 Years," "Skateboards at the Movies," "Skateboard Competitions (through 1993 only)," "Memorable Skateparks of North America," and "Skate 'Zines." What's really needed is an updated version of the book.

Finally a book about skateboarding that is actually written by someone who skates. The forword written by Rodney Mullen and the Alva interview also adds to the books credibility. Nice job.

This book grew out of author Brooke's work on the SkateGeezer web site, and while it does do a pretty decent job at recounting the history of skateboarding, it suffers badly from shoddy editing and poor design. The book is divided into the four "waves" of skating (1959-65, 1973-80, 1983-91, 1993-present), each of which has a one or two page introduction, followed by a mix of pieces on the technological developments, interviews, random skater stories, and company profiles and histories. This format makes it easy to pick up and flip through, reading here and there at random (much like a Web site), but if you read it cover to cover, it's not very cohesive. The book is probably strongest in detailing the progression and development of various manufacturing techniques and materials in making boards, the section on urethane wheels is especially good. Where it's weakest is in dealing with some of the "cultural" components of skating. For example, references are made to tension between "skate and destroy" and "skate to create" philosophies of skating, but what those terms mean isn't explained very well. The book could use considerable editing, as some of the pieces seem to be lifted straight from hastily written e-mails, there are a number of typos, and the apostrophe is consistently misused. I can live with those things in a DIY 'zine, but in a $20 book, it's unacceptable. The photos are a mixed bag, with the older 70s stuff being pretty interesting, but most of the newer stuff being sub par. The book's overall design is a joke, it's hands down, the most poorly designed full color book I've ever seen. It's amazing that a publisher would fork out the considerable money required to print a full color book, and then turn something out where the typography, use of photos, graphics, screens, and sidebars, looks like a 10-year old was running the show. If it was properly edited, reorganized, and totally redesigned, then I would consider it a book worth getting, otherwise I'd suggest snaking a friend's copy if you must read it.

The Concrete Wave

Being a skateboarder myself, I thought this was a great book. I think anybody who wants to know something about skating, the history of it and its's roots, this is the book for you. I think this book could be a great resource for a report for school or something. I recommend this book!!!

I love this book! From the moment my mom bought it for me I knew i wouldn't be able to keep it down. I finished and i still can't! An excellent book. It covers the entire history all the way Airwalks to XYZ clothing, he wrote about how each company got their name. And if you do some research they are all true . Thats why i think that this time the COncreate wave will stay in place.

Along with Jocko Weyland's "The Answer is Never," I would highly recommend this book as a great reference for the history of all things Skateboard. The comprehensive history isn't overshadowed by narrow histories (i.e. Dogtown's story), nor personalities (i.e. Tony Hawk as the definitive spokesman), nor stereotypes as it examines the evolution of the skateboard from its start in the 60s as a Sidewalk Surfer toy, through wavering bouts of popularity and decline, to the billion dollar industry it is today. The development of polyurethane wheels, the evolution of deck graphics, the magazines that facilitated its publicity, the rise of the pro skater, and everything in between to give skaters and non-skaters alike something to really appreciate about skateboarding.

Hopefully, author Michael Brooke considers updating the book to incorporate the latest epoch.

I love the book, it brought back memories, tought me alot, and took away my feelings of getting too old for the sport. Recomended for all, it's really exciting to watch skateboarding evolve as you turn the pages of history, as captured in this book

After over 25 years of skateboarding, I finally learned the history of the sport I still enjoy today. I just wish this information was available earlier in my life. I can't help but think that it would have changed the direction of my life [probably more towards skating]. It can only enlighten other skaters - old and young, as well as any non-skater. This book is both a bible and an encyclopedia, under one cover. At the age of 39, married with a child and self employed, I can't see a reason to stop skating. And this book has added fuel to the fire that excites me every time I ride a skateboard. These days I mostly ride longboards with a group of about 15 other skaters - ages ranging from 16 to 48. I hope Mr. Brooke amends the book as the history of skateboarding continues to unfold.

The Concrete Wave is a great book. It reminded me that, as a 30-something skater, my sport has a history worthy of making a good read. This book gets to the heart of it all. This is not an encyclopedia, it's not a technical analysis, it is a darn fine book about where we came from and proves that skateboarding has the stamina to withstand the comers and goers. If you have any interest in skateboarding at all, I suggest that you read this book. What I really like about it is that it is not written in the "I'm so cool look at me" style of some other skate books written by self-proclaimed industry insiders. If you're looking for attitude, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a great objective read about the sport of skateboarding's forefathers and the key happenings of past decades (and recent years!), I say give this book a try. You will only come out with more knowledge than you had before. And this is all we can ask of any book. (Plus, the photos are killer in some parts!)