• November 26, 2021

Lords Of Dogtown – The True Story of the Z-Boys

The site of the former Pacific Ocean Park in the beach district on the border of Venice and Santa Monica is something of a holy legend within the skateboarding and surfing community. The area, which is nicknamed Dogtown, was immortalized in the 2001 skate documentary, Dogtown and Z-Boys, and later in the 2005 feature film, Lords of Dogtown, which was based on the characters and events featured in Dogtown and Z -Boys.

Dogtown and Z-Boys, directed by Stacy Peralta (himself a member of the original Z-Boys) and narrated by Hollywood star Sean Penn, tells the story of skateboarding. The documentary tells the story of a group of teenage surfers / skaters in Santa Monica, known as the Z-Boys, and their influence on the history of skate culture (and to a lesser extent surfing), using a mix of films from la Z -Children photographed in the 1970s and interviews conducted more recently.

The air skating and sliding movements that the Z-Boys invented were the basis for the air skating and surfing that are still popular today. These were just twelve ordinary teens hanging out in Santa Monica’s Dogtown neighborhood who just wanted to surf and skate. They never would have known that they would start a revolution by turning what was a recreational pastime into an extreme sport.

Considered the most influential skate team in history, the Z-Boy movement continues to this day as an expression of performance, innovation and style.

Officially known as the Zephyr Skateboard Team, the Z-Boys began when they transferred their surfing skills to drain pipes and empty pools with astonishing results. His acrobatic maneuvers inspired generations of teenagers to join the skateboarding frenzy and catapulted them to fame and fortune; most of the original Z-Boys went on to compete professionally. Bob “Bullet” Biniak retired from skating in 1980 but went on to play golf professionally, while the only female member of the Z-Boys, Peggy Oki, rejected skating in favor of surfing and has competed in surfing competitions throughout. the world. . Jim Muir and Tony Alva rejected the agreements of the major skating companies to go into business on their own, and they were the first skaters to do so.

In 2005, Stacy Peralta wrote the script for Lords of Dogtown, which dramatically chronicled the days of Dogtown. Starring Heath Ledger and Rebecca De Mornay, and with a cameo by Tony Hawk, perhaps the world’s most famous modern skater, Lords of Dogtown focused more on the relationships between the Z-Boys, analyzing their friendships, how they coped with the fame and how they became increasingly competitive with each other. It also focused heavily on the tragic loss of Z-Boy’s partner Sid, who lost a battle with brain cancer.

Skaters or surfers looking to make a pilgrimage to the legendary and iconic Dogtown on their own can find a Santa Monica hotel for their lodging needs, and thankfully, the area has improved a lot since the days of Dogtown.

The story of Dogtown and Z-Boys is an inspiring tale of determination, rebellion and friendship, and even of those who have no interest in skateboarding or surfing, and have been conquered by this fascinating piece of American subculture.

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