Author: Deia Valez
I have always been someone who has been a fascinated outsider looking in on what is known as skate culture. I mean, I can ride a skateboard, if you count going straight and making wide turns, but I wouldn’t say I am part of the skating movement. If Tony Hawk pulled up next to me asking me to do a kickflip, I wouldn’t even begin to know what to do, however, I have a great appreciation for what will now be an Olympic sport. Skating created a clothing style for the youth of the time and continues to influence today’s media and youth culture.
With the popularity of Supreme and Thrasher Magazine, the fashion world also seeks out a piece of the rising skate culture. Skating and fashion have clashed throughout the years. In 2016, Vogue caught massive heat after putting out their “Skate Week” articles. Skaters responded angrily that a fashion magazine claimed to have any knowledge of skate culture. When interviewed, one anonymous skater in New York told Fashionista, “I think Vogue is f****** dumb and knows nothing about skating, and their approach was ignorant and stupid.” Several articles came out criticizing Vogue, accusing the magazine of appropriating skate culture. While the crossover between Vogue and skating failed, Tony Hawk has attempted to bridge the gap with the 2019 launch of his high fashion clothing line. Tony Hawk’s Signature Line highlights Hawk’s looks from his skating career, featuring images of him skating throughout the years, and artifacts such as his first skateboard which is now on exhibit at the Smithsonian.
Tony Hawk’s high clothing line is an interesting move for Hawk considering that the crossover between skate culture and high fashion is so controversial in the skate community. However, it is not the first time Hawk has made a controversial move as such. In 2002, Tony Hawk starred in a Bagel Bites commercial that caused him to experience a lot of criticism. In an interview with JENKEM Magazine, Hawk describes the torment he received from the skating community for being a sellout. Hawk took the opportunities given to him in mainstream advertising to bring exposure to skating. He discusses the specifications he made to break records in skating and incorporate real skating into commercial television.
Interpretations of skate culture in the media do not always cause tension. Jonah Hill’s coming of age film, Mid90’s, follows a group of young skaters as they live in the heart of the Los Angeles skate scene. The protagonist, Stevie “Sunburn” (Sunny Suljic), a thirteen-year-old boy growing up in a middle-class family, emerges in the skating world, and makes a name for himself. The film depicts what it is like to be on a skateboard for the first time, as well as the feeling of mastering the Ollie. Hill’s film is notably authentic as he and much of the crew were part of the skating community during the 90s. The costume designer for the film, Heidi Bivens, was particularly familiar with the era as she sourced her looks from her own collection of Thrasher magazines, and recreated prints from skating brands of the 90s. Needless to say, the film was very well received as it preserves and speaks to skaters of the mid 90s.
Deia Zalez | Tony Hawk’s Phone Number (760) 4**-**** | KXSU Arts Reporter