DogTown: The Legend of the Z-Boys [Hardcover]

C. R. Stecyk III (Photographer), Glen E. Friedman (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 2002

In the early 1970s, the sport of skateboarding had so waned from its popularity in the 1960s that it was virtually non-existent. In the Dogtown area of west Los Angeles, a group of young surfers known as the Zephyr Team (Z-Boys) was experimenting with new and radical moves and styles in the water which they translated to the street. When competition skateboarding returned in 1975, the Z-Boys turned the skating world on its head. . Dogtown The Legend of the Z-Boys is a truly fascinating case study of just how an underground sport ascended on the world. These are the stories and images of a time that not only inspired a generation but changed the face of sport forever. The Legend of the Z-Boys has been described as "The Dogtown text book" and an insightful companion piece to the movie: "DogTown and Z-Boys". . Spanning 1975 – 1985, the first section of the 240 page book includes the best of the "DogTown" articles written by C.R. Stecyk III as they originally appeared in SkateBoarder Magazine. The second half compiles 100’s of never before seen skate images from the archive of Glen E. Friedman - many of which appear in the movie. Both Stecyk and Friedman acted as executive producers and advisors for the award winning film, Dogtown and Z-Boys to be released nationwide simultaneously by Sony Picture Classics in April 2002.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Might well be the most comprehensive biography ever written about a pop act while it was still in its prime." -- rolling stone, april 17, 2003

There was so much aggression... they were more like a street gang than a skate team. -- SkateBoarder Magazine circa 1975

About the Author

GLEN E. FRIEDMAN - Considered the most important photographer of his generation, Glen E. Friedman has been a unique documentarian since the age of 12, and soon thereafter his first published photo appeared in SkateBoarder magazine. Over the past 25 years he has photographed some of the most idealistic, interesting and rebellious cultural icons around, documenting the rise of the hard-core punk rock scene in the late 70's/early 80's with such bands as BLACK FLAG, DEAD KENNEDY's, MINOR THREAT and even producing the 1st album for SUICIDAL TENDENCIES (also from DogTown) and later the rise of rap music in the mid 1980's with groups such as PUBLIC ENEMY, RUN-DMC, and the BEASTIE BOYS. He was one of the first to publicize these groups nationally and many of his photographs are recognized as the subjects' definitive portraits. Glen E. Friedman has compiled images from his 25-year involvement within the rebelious cultures of skateboarding, punk and hip-hop music into two collections, Fuck You Heroes (1994) and Fuck You Too (1996). Selections from these books became the Fuck You All photography exhibit, which has toured internationally since 1997. In 1998 Friedman released The Idealist which showcases Friedman's unique perspective and asthetic. CRAIG STECYK III's role as a painter, photographer, graffiti-artist and journalist, played a pivotal role in spreading the influence of the Z-Boys throughout American youth culture. He has been working professionally in film and video production, as a writer, art director, production designer and photographer, since the late 1960s. In DogTown - The Legend of the Z-Boys, Glen E. Friedman says of Stecyk: "I personally credit this man as the single largest influence on my work. If I could consider anyone a mentor it would be him. Stecyk is a true artist and one of the most creative individuals I have ever encountered. The man is way beyond genius." and "Stecyk often credits me for uncovering and documenting some of the original radical energies of DogTown's skate heyday. But if it weren't for the instigation and inspiration of his articles, which so vividly told the story of our environment [and all included in this volume], I doubt that my life's work would have the influence it does."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Burning Flags Pr; 2 edition (March 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964191644
• ISBN-13: 978-0964191648
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Skateboarding

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost as good as having my old Skateboarders..., January 3, 2004

By 

L. Alper (Englewood CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DogTown: The Legend of the Z-Boys (Hardcover)

Finally, collected in one hardback book are all of the "Dogtown" articles from the mid 70's Skateboarder magazine. What a treat!

In their original incarnation, these articles (especially the single page "Who's Hot!")festooned the walls of my bedroom. Even if the originals hadn't disappeared over the years, most probably never survived the pillaging of their contents; thus, a hardback reprint is a treasure! But the real surprise is how well these articles were written.

Your average 13 year old skate nut is hardly a literary critic. So, I didn't really expect the articles themselves to still hold up nearly 30 years down the road. SURPRISE! They are extremely well-written, in a very adult voice. I'm amazed so many of us read these as young teens, they are really quite sophisticated. Whether Stecyk is writing as "John Smythe" or himself, his voice is intelligent and never descends to the "whoa, dude rad!" depths unless quoting a specific skater. The skaters themselves sound quite self-aware, and each has a distinctive attitude that comes thru, even in the first articles. Stacy Peralta is the proto-typical laid back SoCal surfer guy, into peace & inner-growth. Tony Alva is always & forever the rock star, fully into the babes & bling bling being thrown his way, but never losing sight of skating. Jay Adams is the unpredictable, mischievious imp, while Bob Biniack is thuggish & Wentzle Ruml is devil-may-care & funny.

Friedman's photos are awesome of course, & the color seperations & printing quality lavished on these photos is really impressive. This could have easily been a throw-away done for nostalgia or to cash in on the resurgence of "old school" skating, but instead someone took the time to do it right. The cover alone is a masterpiece of photo-reproduction. "The Legend of the Z-Boys" is a major bargain at this price.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MORE THAN I EXPECTED - A cult classic!, July 24, 2005

By 

Justin Time (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: DogTown: The Legend of the Z-Boys (Hardcover)

This book is just as most of the reviews have said. Fantastic pictures and stories of the original DOGTOWN Z-BOYS in their heyday. I don't understand how the previous reviewer can say it was "not what she expected" ? THE STORIES AND PROFILES IN THIS BOOK ARE WHAT MADE THE Z-BOYS! It's all about the Z-Boys and the cult that surrounded them, and no one else, so she is mistaken when she says it's not about the Z-Boys, she just must not have taken the time to actually look at the book. It is the ultimate resource on the Z-Boys. There was never anything as important as these stories and pictures to "The Legend" that showed the world what these guys did, who they were, and where they came from. And C.R. Stecyks's words go far beyond what you would expect! Top notch story telling and social commentary. The Glen E. Friedman photos alone, in the second half of the book, are worth it's price. All the photography is so colorful, literally and figuratively. This is true 1970's Southern California Americana at it's best. A must for ANY Z-Boys, Skateboarding, or 70's Pop-cuture fan.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look at it, read it, Love it!, April 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: DogTown: The Legend of the Z-Boys (Hardcover)

Just got it! it's amazing, I couldn't be more stoked. I was prompted to write this review because a previous reviewer said this would have been better if it had more previously unpublished photos, but this person obviously does not own all of the original Skateboarder mags like I do, or did not even read the introduction to the book! One of the greatest things about THIS book is that it DOES contain over 100 NEVER BEFORE SEEN Glen E. Friedman images as well as all of the original articles C.R. Stecyk wrote for Skateboarder. Anyone who knows about this stuff will be overwhelmed with all the new material, and blown away by the quality of the old material, and how it's laid out in this new book. If you're an old fan, or a newcomer because you just got turned on to the Z-BOYS by the movie, you will love this book. The quality of the photos in the book are far superior to how they look in the movie. You're going to love this book if you get it. Did I mention how incredibly inspiring this whole thing is?