I mean, its really a fringe sport at best, a public nuisance at worst. We're not seeing any earnest, self-important films about the origins of hackeysack or lawn jarts are we? Watching this film, I got confused sometimes over whether I was watching a film about a bunch of aimless teens who lucked into a fad, or the founding fathers of the United States.
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you are entitled to your opinion, but I dont see the point of posting it on a board for people who obviously LOVE this film
nice socks, man.....
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It took me a long time to learn to skateboard a straight line, and much longer to 360. Like most things, it's significant until you find another interest.
Why ain't you at the garden party you heathen?
you need to scrub hackeysack from your argument. lawn darts is ridiculous but hackeysack takes skill.
if you were a skater yourself, i think you would appreciate that.
i really doubt hackeysack and lawn darts give off the same ammount of rush as jumpin off ramps and riding bowls
shareHaha... "a fringe sport," "public nuisance." Damn, you may be right, but it sure as hell consumes a ton of American youth. Wait a second.... I see people every day wearing clothing and shoes from skateboarding companies, and those people can't even stand on a board for five seconds. So I guess the millions of people affects by skateboarding around the world doesn't matter. Meh... we shouldn't care how all this came to be, we should have asked for a movie about hackeysacking instead. Yeah!!!
shareYes, yes, I fully understand that skateboarding is important to a lot of people, and was a minor cultural phenomenon at one point. But the self importance of these "z boys" and the significance the filmmakers heap on them is way out of proportion with reality.
Hackysack really is an apt comparison. It is played by bored young people with a lot of time on their hands, there are competitive leagues for it, there are even hackysack "stars". Only, no one is calling them "lords" of anything or making out like they changed the world in any significant way. It's a fad, a pastime, a hobby, a fringe sport...I'm sure many people love doing it and watching it. Just don't make it out to be more than it is.
OP, please do not- and I say this as a non-skater- attempt to nullify the importance of a sport that you do not participate in. No one is making it out to be 'more than it is'. Skateboarding is as relevant today as it was thirty years ago.
It's a sport that millions of people around the world are passionate about and have built successful careers on.
And the title is not "Lords of the Universe" or "Lords of American Pop Culture". In the world of skateboarding the Z-boyz were revered, along with many others. The movie never makes them out to be gods. They're a flawed bunch of guys who share a love of an entertaining and challenging 'fad', as you call it.
"You know what's a good diet? Gum..."
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The history of skateboarding is VERY significant. It has influenced popular culture for the last 3 decades.
A minor cultural phenomenon at one point? Art, punk/rock music, hip hop, film, photography, etc. have been and are still HEAVILY connected to and influenced by skateboarding.
Fringe sport? It is actually one of the most popular sports in the world. Skateboarding is the #3 most popular participant activity in the states and is #1 in growth over the last decade out of any sport. Skateboarding would not be so prevalent in advertising, entertainment, etc. if it were a small "fringe" activity. Perhaps you should do some research before making sweeping and outdated generalizations about a sport you seem to know nothing about.
Also, the hackeysack comparison is a terrible one. Do they have large televised events like The X Games or the Dew Action Sports Tour(with a million dollar purse) for hackeysack? Do the athletes for hackeysack make millions, have their own TV shows, and get major sponsors like Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Puma, etc? Does Hollywood make countless movies about or including hackeysacking? Give me a break. Your comparison is about as apt as me saying golf is comparable to croquet. Both use clubs to hit a ball and is played on grass, requires accuracy.
People need to start accepting that skateboarding is up there with sports like basketball, baseball, football, etc. as far as popularity is concerned. The only reason it is not respected in the same regard is because it is still relatively young as far as sports go so it is not embraced by the older generations. The negative stereotypes of skateboarding as being for kids or vagrants/troublemakers doesn't help either.
To say that skateboarding is as insignificant as hackeysack is plain stupid and completely false.
"Dammit, Sulik died again! I'm taking back my Mega Powerfist, worthless tribal!"
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The people who made the movie believe it is significant, and plenty of others do to. I don't think hackysack is a good comparison, because it pales in comparison to skating in terms of popularity. Skaters are far bigger stars than hacksack players are, just look at the salary they make. Is there a Tony Hawk in hacksack? Is there someone who makes 10m a year? Obviously not. Tony Hawk Pro Skater was an enormously popular video game, which is the reason Hawk makes that amount of money. The guys in the x-games also make quite a bit. Is there a magazine dedicated to hacky that sells the way Transworld and Thasher do? Certainly not. Is there an x-games for hacky? No. I could go on and on, but skateboarding is significant to far more people than hacksack is. The comparison is simply not valid.
I realize this is an old post, but I can't help but reply.
Man this thread cracked me up. I quote Dogtown and Z-Boys..
'Back then if you skateboarded, the first thing that came out of someone's mouth is, "isn't that just like the yo-yo? isn't that the same thing as a hula hoop?"'
I've been a skater for 8 years now and it quite simply represents freedom. There is something so powerful embedded within the 'fad' that a non-skater simply cannot understand. Not only is it a medium for exploration (of different physical environments and one's self) but you also find a certain comradery with the people you skate with.
The beer has gone bad!
Let's put it this way, I don't have a clue what 'hackeysack' is, where as I've pretty much been clued up on skateboarding since I was 7
Gene Hunt: She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot
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A very ignorant observation of our lives in Dogtown in one of the best eras...can't you figure that out for yourself? There are some pioneers of the sport...and it isn't hackysack by any means, (please!) it is a tough sport and you have to have some talent to make it. Tons of people skate but not everyone can say they have the talent to get sponsored or compete just like any other sport. I skated for fun and had the best time doing it, like most of us. And I was there to see the beginings of the sport in the 60s, was in Dogtown for the birth of the now in the 70s and evolve into what it is now in the X Games with Danny Way and others doing the most daring stunts ever!
My friends came from nothing and did something with their lives and they do indeed have huge talent at surfing as well as skating. I'm still in awe of the Z Boys. And I'm glad I grew up with them. We had the best time back in the day!
Dogtown chica por vida!
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