How is professional skateboarding different from, say, professional golfing? More scabs, for one. And is skateboarding actually a sport? In Stalefish, veteran journalist and former pro skater Sean Mortimer interviews Rodney Mullen, Steve Olson, Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Jamie Thomas, Lance Mountain, Tommy Guerrero, Russ Howell, Mike Vallely, Dave Hackett, Daewon Song, Jim Fitzpatrick, Steve Alba, Kevin Harris, Bob Burnquist and Chris Haslam in search of answers, and to discover what drove them and millions of other disenfranchised youth to obsession with empty pools, sewer ditches, and handrails. This book may not settle the sport versus subculture versus cult debate, but with stories of skate-induced ulcers, skatepark torture, ramp arson, trespassing, the birth of punk, and more, it captures like no other how skateboarding can derail your life in a beautiful way.
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Review
"A classic collection of skateboarding lore and legend straight from the heart of the icons that created it." Juice Magazine
"Skateboarding's formative years and milestones eroded before they were documented. Stalefish captures those stories in a way skateboarders old and new can relate to. A necessary book." Transworld Skateboarding
"So, if you are a skater, or have ever been one, you need to read Stalefish. Honestly. Read it. Stalefish would also be a great read for anyone interested in the history of skateboarding, or skate culture. And really, I can't imagine a better way to represent skateboarding than with a book like this. Stalefish captures the personal and individual aspects of skateboarding perfectly. And that's really what skateboarding is. Read this book. You'll love it. Steve Cave, About.com Skateboarding Guide
"This ain't no run of the mill history lesson. It's more like sitting down at a bar to hear Mike Vallely tell his story about how he didn't want to be the face of change for skating or hear how Tony Hawk had his first kiss at Del Mar or how Daewon Song thought that he sucked at one point. No boring "Skateboarding adapted from surfing..." commentaries, only the juicy details from the pros that made the scene what it is today. Highly recommended." —Turntablelab.com
Sean Mortimer tackles the culture of skateboarding after taking us into the lives of Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen. Stalefish covers skateboarding from the vantage point of those who were there making it a cultural phenomenon from the beginning until modern day. With historic heavyweights Stacy Peralta, Steve Alba and Lance Mountain to modern-day culture makers Daewon Song, Jamie Thomas and Chris Haslam, this isn't a book that will tell you what happened; it's a book about the people who made it happen telling you how it went down. SBC Magazine
"Skateboarding's formative years and milestones eroded before they were documented. Stalefish captures those stories in a way skateboarders old and new can relate to. A necessary book." Transworld Skateboarding
"So, if you are a skater, or have ever been one, you need to read Stalefish. Honestly. Read it. Stalefish would also be a great read for anyone interested in the history of skateboarding, or skate culture. And really, I can't imagine a better way to represent skateboarding than with a book like this. Stalefish captures the personal and individual aspects of skateboarding perfectly. And that's really what skateboarding is. Read this book. You'll love it. Steve Cave, About.com Skateboarding Guide
"This ain't no run of the mill history lesson. It's more like sitting down at a bar to hear Mike Vallely tell his story about how he didn't want to be the face of change for skating or hear how Tony Hawk had his first kiss at Del Mar or how Daewon Song thought that he sucked at one point. No boring "Skateboarding adapted from surfing..." commentaries, only the juicy details from the pros that made the scene what it is today. Highly recommended." —Turntablelab.com
Sean Mortimer tackles the culture of skateboarding after taking us into the lives of Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen. Stalefish covers skateboarding from the vantage point of those who were there making it a cultural phenomenon from the beginning until modern day. With historic heavyweights Stacy Peralta, Steve Alba and Lance Mountain to modern-day culture makers Daewon Song, Jamie Thomas and Chris Haslam, this isn't a book that will tell you what happened; it's a book about the people who made it happen telling you how it went down. SBC Magazine
About the Author
Sean Mortimer was a sponsored skateboarder in the late '80s. He is the former editor of SkateBoarder Magazine and the author of HAWK Occupation: Skateboarding with Tony Hawk and The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself. He lives in Southern California.
Tony Hawk was ranked the best skateboarder in the world by age 16. He lives in Southern California.
Tony Hawk was ranked the best skateboarder in the world by age 16. He lives in Southern California.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great chapter in skate history...,
By
This review is from: Stalefish: skateboard culture from the rejects who made it (Paperback)
The Dogtown movies got people interested in the history of skateboarding, but Sean Mortimer's book throws a wider net to encompass some of the biggest names in skating. It's not a book about contests, sponsorships and who made up what tricks (although that is a component of the book). To me it really was a celebration of what skating meant to-, did for- and brought about in the lives of these skaters. Readers will find out how some of these guys used skating to escape unhappy family lives; how it feels to be a celebrity at 14 and then a has-been at 18; what it's like to be so obsessed with a "hobby" that nothing else matters. There are funny stories about being on the road; meeting skating idols and then beating them in competition; and a bunch of other inside info that really makes these skaters seem more real than an any X-Games interview can. It's all told in the words of the skaters with great photography.
If you have any interest in skateboarding get this book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Truly great book,
By RiotPelaaja "RiotPelaaja" (Finland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Stalefish: skateboard culture from the rejects who made it (Paperback)
While Sean's work on Rodney Mullen's biography wasn't quite what I hoped, Stalefish is an awesome, often intriguing collection of almost roadtrip tales from the legends who've made skateboarding into what it is today.
There's a lot of funny stories here making you realize just how haphazard the whole skate scene was back in the 1980's and early 1990's. The layout and the production values are excellent too. Highly recommended to especially those who grew up on skateboarding back in the day.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sk8,
This review is from: Stalefish: skateboard culture from the rejects who made it (Paperback)
This was given as a gift to my oldest son who was a sk8er. he loved the book
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
IN NO MAY AM I CROWNING THE SIXTEEN SKATERS INTERVIEWED IN THIS BOOK THE "BEST" SKATERS. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
roller derby, pro pool contest, first pro contest, vert skaters, skate spots, skateboard industry, skateboard team, freestyle contest, skateboard contest, street skater, street skating, mini ramp, street contest, vert ramp, barrel jumping, professional skateboarder, pool riding, other skaters, pro model, clay wheels Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Powell Peralta, Grant Brittain, Del Mar, Lance Mountain, Rodney Mullen, Kevin Harris, San Francisco, Tommy Guerrero, Steve Olson, Russ Howell, Steve Alba, Mike Vallely, Spring Valley, Santa Cruz, Bob Burnquist, San Diego, Daewon Song, World Industries, Southern California, Bones Brigade, Dave Hackett, Eddie Elguera, Jamie Thomas Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
IN NO MAY AM I CROWNING THE SIXTEEN SKATERS INTERVIEWED IN THIS BOOK THE "BEST" SKATERS. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
roller derby, pro pool contest, first pro contest, vert skaters, skate spots, skateboard industry, skateboard team, freestyle contest, skateboard contest, street skater, street skating, mini ramp, street contest, vert ramp, barrel jumping, professional skateboarder, pool riding, other skaters, pro model, clay wheels Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Powell Peralta, Grant Brittain, Del Mar, Lance Mountain, Rodney Mullen, Kevin Harris, San Francisco, Tommy Guerrero, Steve Olson, Russ Howell, Steve Alba, Mike Vallely, Spring Valley, Santa Cruz, Bob Burnquist, San Diego, Daewon Song, World Industries, Southern California, Bones Brigade, Dave Hackett, Eddie Elguera, Jamie Thomas Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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