Jesse Martinez - The Keeper Of Dogtown

Fox 11's news story on Jesse Martinez. To support Jesse and the Venice Skatepark, visit the Venice Skatepark fund page:

Vintage Skate Magazines, Catalogs, Newsletters & More...

Part 1 of a in depth look at a collection of various skateboarding memorabilia from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Every week (or so), we will pick a couple items to go over and give them high-resolution scans.


The late 80's and early 90's, back before EVERYTHING was on the internet, skaters had to rely on magazines to see what was going on in the skate universe. While there were skate videos, every few months or so one of the big companies would release their team video, on VHS tape, it was the magazines that kept you up to date. Luckily, there was no shortage of magazines. There was the two main ones, Transworld and Thrasher. Then you had Poweredge, WARP, Big Brother, and a couple others, as well as a variety of free zines. These skate zines ranged from regional scene zines, to the skate company produced zines, to the home-made photo-copied DIY zines.

Here we have a magazine from Europe called R.A.D. This was the UK's main skate magazine, the initials stood for Read And Destroy. Next to it is a couple issues of Poweredge Skateboard Magazine, which was created by Makaha Skateboard's founder Larry Stevenson.

Strange Notes was a free 'zine by Santa Cruz Skateboards that showcased their products and team. Strange Notes was also a video magazine, the first skate video magazine. It launched in 1987 and they are still making videos today releasing them on the Strange Notes Youtube Channel

That is the first issue of LowLIFE Magazine. It was Powell's answer to World Industries infamous Big Brother Magazine. It came out in 1993, right after Stacy Peralta had left the company and it re-branded itself from Powell-Peralta to the Powell Corporation. Unlike Big Brother, this mag was free. Also in the photo above is the first issue of Kor Magazine. Based out of San Diego, Kor was a free skate/surf/snowboard/music mag.
There's Jay Adams on the January 1989 issue of Thrasher Magazine. Next to the magazine are a pair of Thrasher Calenders.

Another thing skaters would look forward to was the mail order catalogs, just like the kids used to do with those Sears' Christmas Toy Catalogs, you'd get these catalogs and drool over all the stuff you wanted. In the photo above is one of the California Cheap Skates mail order catalogs. That's Tony Magnusson on the cover. Also in the photo above are some random flyers and letters, including a sponsorship letter from G&S, several H-Street newsletters, a Powell-Peralta Intelligence Report, and other various letters from Skull Skates, Swatch, and Acme. Also a couple contest flyers, one is for joining a shop team for a Los Angeles, CA shop that was called Rail Slide. We'll be scanning all these items (plus a ton more) and putting them in upcoming posts.

To be continued...

Video: Jay Adams Memorial Skate Session

For photos from Jay's Memorial Skate Session & the Paddle Out:

Jay Adams Mural Skate Session

Saturday, August 30, several hundred showed up at the Venice Beach pier for the Jay Adams Memorial Paddle Out. Surfers, skaters, friends, family, fans, from around the world, all came out to celebrate Jay's life.

A few hours later, everyone gather together at the Venice Skatepark for the unveiling of a Jay Adams mural that was painted in the skatepark's pool. Similar to the Shogo Kubo mural that was also just recently painted in the pool. After a mini skate session, Christian Hosoi, led the proceedings, where just as at the paddle out earlier in the day, many of Jay's friends spoke about him, his influences, and his legacy. Nathan Pratt, Tim Jackson, Jeff Ho, Tony Alva were among the many that stood in the deep end and spoke to the huge crowd that sat around the pool. Then the blue tarps was pulled off the pool wall to reveal the mural. After everyone got their group photos in front of the mural, the pool was cleared out again to be skated.

First Photo: Hosoi & Jeff Ho - Second Photo: Jesse Martinez & Allen Sarlo

Tony Alva

First Photo: Justin Burbage - Second Photo: Eddie Reategui

Shane Borland


Hadden McKenna

Julian Torres

Justin Burbage

Tony Alva

Shane Borland


For a ton more photos, check out the complete gallery:



More from Venice Skatepark:

Tony Alva: Dogtown Pride Story

Venice Skatepark From Above

2014 Z-Flex Jay Boy Classic

z-Flex riders Oscar Navarro and Malakai Monte

On Saturday, April 12th, Venice Skatepark hosted the first annual Z-Flex Jay Boy Classic, a contest for 21 & under unsponsored skaters. Taking place in the skatepark's pool, 40 skaters competed for the first place prize of a 1 year flow sponsorship from Z-Flex. Not only were there several skaters from states like Hawaii, Texas and New Mexico competing, there was also a little grom named Indiana from the United Kingdom.   Jay Adams was on hand all day skating, signing autographs, and tossing out free stuff. Along with Jay, a who's who of Venice skate legends were present, skating the pool, judging the contest, and having a good time. Christian Hosoi, Eddie Reategui, Aaron "Fingers" Murray, Tim Jackson, Aaron Scott, Pat Ngoho, George Wilson and Eric “Tuma” Britton who also was the contest announcer.

Here's a preview of the full contest edit that will be up soon:

After a morning practice session, the jam format contest started. Each skater got an intro run at the start of their heat. Z-Flez even brought in some bleachers for spectators to watch from, a first for Venice skatepark. From 40 skaters, 8 were chosen to compete in the finals. Highlights included Venice skatepark regular Hezekiah Seales unique stylish pool carves, which sent one of his shoes flying off a few times, Andrew Miller with a bunch of different blunt combos, and "Spacoli", who with his long hair, bandana, and flannel, resembled a young Jay Adams.

Christian Hosoi

"Spacoli"

Jay Adams

Hezekiah Seales

Eddie Reategui

Royalle Bernstine

Andrew Wallace

Andrew Miller

Results: 1. Andrew Wallace 2. "Spacoli" 3. Andrew Miller 4. Royalle Bernstine 5. Hezekiah Seales 6. Alex Vasques 7. Andley Lerma 8. Robert Baltazar

Jay Adams & the 8 Finalists

Aaron Scott

Dogtown's Hadden Mckenna

Malaki Montes

Andrew Wallace

Jay Adams & the 8 Finalists

With Nearly 150 photos taken, they all can't fit on this blog, so check out all the photos from the contest (146 photos total) in the Z-Flex Jay Boy Classic Photo Gallery. A video of the contest is coming up soon.

Bro fisting Hosoi