You may have seen this logo before on someone’s T-shirt or Hoodie walking by on the street, at school, in the mall, you name it. Trasher has become a popular brand in the past couple of years, seemingly coming out of nowhere wearing a Thrasher t-shirt or sweatshirt was considered to cool. It wasn’t always this way though, and it brings up a big issue in the skateboarding world. Why does fashion take so much from skate culture?

Trasher is a monthly issue skateboarding magazine. They also host skate competitions, events, and sell merch. Up until a few years ago Thrasher was only really talked about in the skating community. No one seemed to care about Trasher other than skateboarders or people in the industry. Then after a few celebrities were spotted wearing Thrasher hoodies the brand exploded. I remember people in high school wearing Thrasher and when I talked to them about it they had no idea what Thrasher even was. I’ve heard many stories like my own where people would strike up a conversation with someone wearing a Thrasher hoodie, and the person would know nothing about skateboarding or what Thrasher even was.

Now I’m not one to say that if you don’t skate then you shouldn’t wear skateboarding branded clothing, but there are definitely skaters out there who are upset by this sort of thing. Thrasher was such a niche skateboarder thing, then all of a sudden everyone is wearing Thrasher branded merch. There is definitely something to be said about situations like this. On one hand, skateboarders should be happy that their hobby is making its way to new people, however, some of these people don’t even care about skateboarding they just want to wear skateboarding clothes to put off some kind of image.

I for one don’t care what people wear. If you like skate branded clothing but you don’t skate then that is fine by me. I think its awesome when skateboarding makes it back to the mainstream, and I hope that skateboarding fashion can inspire some people to pick up a skateboard and try something new.

It is very common for some people to think they are too old to get into certain hobbies. Some people think they are too old to start skateboarding, but I’m here to tell you that anyone at any age can begin skateboarding, and with some hard work and practice you can finally experience the wonderful world of skateboarding. 

The first step when learning how to skateboard is accepting that there will be times when you fail, you hurt yourself and you want to quit. The people who understand this and continue to practice are the ones who become successful. Just like in life there will be obstacles in your way when you learn how to skateboard, but with your hard work and practice things will get easier.

You also want to take the time to understand the risks involved when skateboarding. It is important to understand you can and most likely will hurt yourself when skateboarding. It is essential to your personal health that you wear protective equipment and that you learn how to fall properly. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, “there’s a proper way to fall?”, And the answer is yes. When you are learning how to skateboard also learn how to fall. This means you will know how to take impact and how to prepare and train your body to react when you fall.

The next step is figuring out our stance. If you like having your left foot on the front of the skateboard and pushing with your right foot then you ride ‘regular’ stance. If you like the opposite then you ride ‘goofy’ stance. Now that you have figured out your stance you are ready to start riding.

Now its time to start riding. I don’t recommend trying tricks at first even though you may be tempted. Just ride around until you feel comfortable. This can take a couple of days or weeks, but eventually, you will become comfortable on a skateboard. This is a fun sport, and you will have fun riding around. Remember that the point of skateboarding is to have fun, so don’t get discouraged. Keep riding, keep practicing, and get up when you fail. And remember to wear a helmet!

Photo by: CKY

You may have heard of a guy who goes by the name Bam Margera. He is an icon of the early 2000s, and he holds a special place in the skate community. Bam Margera is a controversial figure because of his obnoxious antics, party lifestyle, and his public outbursts. However, we can separate Bam’s social image from his skateboarding to examine how and why Bam Margera is one of the most successful pro skateboarders of all time.

Bam Margera was born on September 28, 1979, in Westchester PA. Bam was a skateboarder from an early age, and he even formed a skate team with his friends from school. While Westchester PA is considered a small town it had its own skate scene which influenced Bam’s style and skate preferences. Bam continued to improve his skills and eventually decided to drop out of high school to pursue a career in skateboarding.

Bam’s first sponsorship was from a company called Toy Machine in 1998. This first sponsorship was very important for Bam as it helped him become more established in the skateboarding world. After a few years with Toy Machine Bam decided to partner with Element skateboards which helped his skate career really take off because of increased exposure. Bam continued to be a successful skateboarder throughout the early 2000s, but his career took a drastic turn for the better after meeting famous comedian Johnny Knoxville.

Bam eventually made his way to the film industry when he met Johnny Knoxville and joined the Jackass crew. The Jackass movies were very popular and made Bam Margera a household name for young people. This movie’s success translated into success for his skate career. At the height of his fame, Bam’s signature skateboards were selling like crazy. At one point he averaged 40,000 sales per month for over a year! Bam attributes the success of the Jackass films to his abnormally large sales numbers.

As Bam became more popular more opportunities became available to him. He was featured in videogames, music videos, and he even got his own reality TV show on MTV called ‘Viva La Bam’. However, none of this would have been possible without his dedication to skateboarding. Bam’s story shows us that our passions in life can open up doors and opportunities for us if we work hard and make ourselves available.

When I was a kid I didn’t know a lot about skateboarding, or the differences between skateboarding brands. My first skateboard was a Tony Hawk Birdhouse skateboard, and being a naive kid I thought that was the only skateboard company that existed. As I got older and started going to skateparks I noticed how everyone had different graphics on their boards. At this point, I began to look at these different brands and I fell in love with Alien Workshop. After discovering Alien Workshop I never bought a board from another company. I love their graphics, their pro team, and everything about the brand. Besides skateboards, Alien Workshop also sells clothing and accessories featuring the grey alien. They are a respected brand because of the quality and craftsmanship put into their skate decks.

Alien Workshop was founded in 1990 in Dayton Ohio by Chris Carter, Mike Hill, and Neil Blender. The company mascot is the classic grey man alien and most of the boards feature the alien in some aspect. The brand began to become more popular in 2012 when Rob Dyrdek became a pro rider for them. The company has had its fair share of ups and downs from economic conditions, and the sporadic declines of people skateboarding. However, they always seem to bounce back and continue to release new skateboard graphics. If you want to get into the world of skateboarding then you should look into buying an Alien Workshop skateboard. Their skateboards are made out of high-quality wood, they feature cool graphics, and they are reasonably priced. You will not be disappointed!

The boards below are some of my personal favorites. Feel free to comment on which one is your favorite.

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All Photos belong to Alien Workshop