How Creative Misfits on the Pacific Coast Changed Culture Forever

Born in 1950s California, it took skateboarding some 40 years to be recognized as a physical art form blending style, athleticism and creativity. Throughout the ’80s, skateboarding had a knack for rising, crashing and reinventing itself, driven by an unshakeable DIY spirit. Media advancements like cable television, home recording and gaming systems provided unprecedented exposure, assisted by a melange of underground punk, metal, hip-hop and pop artists who orbited around the edges of the scene. The arrival of The Simpsons in 1989, with Bart Simpson’s four wheels in tow, solidified skateboarding as a pop culture tour de force.

Meanwhile, on the West Coast in the ’90s, skateboarding was undergoing a quiet renaissance that shifted culture forever. As skateboarding moved from backyard ramps and skateparks to the streets, an untapped wave of West Coast landmarks—from the Embarcadero (EMB) in San Francisco to the Santa Monica Courthouse—served as stages for legendary tricks and video parts. Brands, art, video games and other skate ephemera came with them, ushering in a new era of skateboarding that charged towards the 21st century.

“Skate culture broke into the mainstream with the X Games, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Fuel TV and Jackass,” says Ian Michna, publisher of skate and culture platform Jenkem Magazine, from the vantage point of 2024. “Skaters like Bam Margera and even musicians like Avril Lavigne made teens and middle schoolers want to look like skaters. Additionally, skating was progressing with bigger handrails, bigger gaps and there were opportunities for charismatic personalities to cash in on opportunities that went beyond endemic skate culture.”