Here’s an amazing video about the mid/late 1980s skateboard boom and the particular story regarding skateboarding.
A note from the author says it all:
While gathering up every photograph, newspaper clipping, flyer and more from my garage for the 22 year anniversary issue of Pure Fun Skate Zine, it was hard to ignore a VHS tape that had “Eric On News” written on it. During the mid/late 1980s skateboard boom, skateboarding was reaching every suburb across the country and Lockport was no exception.
For about one entire school year in 1987, if you were a skateboarder, you were one of the coolest dudes in school. The previous year if you were a skater, you were public enemy number one. But thankfully the number of skaters then was still pretty small and you could fly under the radar. In 1987, the skateboard suddenly became the coolest accessory you could own. Jocks skated, preps skated, headbangers skated, everyone skated. And chicks even thought you were cool. It was a crazy time in Lockport.
At the end of the school year in 1987, a bunch of skaters, myself included, descended upon downtown Lockport during the lunch hour between our final exams for the day. Hell was raised everywhere we went and it wasn’t long before one of the Johnny-come-latelies broke their ankle and the first ever 911 call involving skateboarding was placed. Thus began Lockport’s war with the cops and city council.
By the time 1988 rolled around, most of the trendy skaters ditched their skateboards as they already discovered a new trend to latch onto but the war with the cops was raging as hard as ever. Cops were confiscating skateboards right out from under kids feet and it was gathering a lot of media attention from the Lockport and Buffalo newspapers.
Channel 7 News even made it to town to cover the action. Not sure where they found the little kids in the street but the footage from the Torrey family’s backyard is pure gold. Steve Delahunt, Kevin Marriott and Wayne Muirhead get a few quick skate clips but my main man Eric Shugats steals the show with his interview clip.
I used a portion of this clip in my documentary film, Salad Days, in 2002 but this is the full clip. It drops a few frames here and there but what to you expect when capturing footage from a 25 year old VHS tape?
