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| October 11, 2008 |
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Built To Grind - 25 Years of Hardcore Skateboarding
A lot of people have heard about this book and the blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into it’s production…well, the wait is over and this book certainly delivers. 316 oversized pages laying out the complete culture of Independent Trucks.
The book begins with a look at the state of the skateboard truck before 1978, and what drove the minds at Indy to create the perfect truck. The story is told by the people who were there, and lived it. Names like Stecyk, Denike, Vitello, and Novak lay it all out for you in vivid detail. You go inside the truck foundry and into the studio of Jim Phillips, as the trucks are knocked down and built back up, as the logo is created, and the icon realized. As the trucks hit the streets ( and bowls) the riders take over the story. Blackhart, Olson, Salba, and Peters rode the first Indys…and explain why they still do.
As much as this is a book on history, it’s also book about pure skateboarding. As the years pass by the team riders ARE the Indy story. In the 80’s it’s Hosoi, Guerrero, and Cab. The 90’s highlight Gonz, McKay, and Danny Way. But these are a just a few of the names that have been touched by the trucks they love and the brand they represent. There are pages and pages of never before seen photos, and other photos you’ve wanted to see again. From Bowman to Trujillo, Indy shows that skaters make the truck what it is today, and that they will continued to follow that mantra, 25 years out and still going strong.
The book is peppered with amazing Indy finds (classic team shirts, stickers, and merch), a complete ad archive (yup, every damn one), an amazing fold out timeline, and tons of other treasures from deep inside the Independent archives.
In an industry where brands seems to come and go, rise and fall, and buckle and change to cater to the latest trends, it’s amazing to see a brand like Indy stay the same for all the right reasons. For twenty-five years they’ve been skating faster, harder, and smoother…and not giving a fuck if you can keep up or not. That’s skateboarding.
(Check out the preview video for the book here, then visit your local skate shop and pick up a copy.)
- Chris
09/07
07/07 - Old Man Army Body Bag
07/01 - Crimson Skateboards
05/31 - Project Vulcanized - Etnies Shecker 2
05/20 - Project Vulcanized - adidas Super Skate
- Full Archive