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Dogtown And Z-Boys Analysis

Decent Essays

Skateboarding was created as an extension of surfing in 1950’s and 1960’s. This style was viewed as a graceful sport, but lacked legitimate attention from the public, leading to its inevitable decline in popularity. Former Zephyr team member, Stacy Peralta showcases the resurrection of skateboarding by presenting the audience the experiences the Zephyr skateboarding team in his documentary, Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001). The Zephyr team (also known as the Z-Boys) were the pioneers of modern skateboarding. The documentary and film conventions used in Peralta’s documentary are deliberately chosen to evoke certain responses from the audience. Respect, admiration, idolisation and criticism are the main responses Peralta tries to convey to the audience. …show more content…

Peralta shows several members of the Z-Boys explain through expert interviews, the arduous task of creating skateboards, as commercial skateboards were hard to find. Their skateboards used clay wheels, which would “lock up” and injure the rider if they turned too hard or hit a pebble on the road. This did not have any real negative effects on the Z-Boys and they continued to use this particular design until the invention of urethane wheels. Another example of the Z-Boys ingenuity is their incorporation of surfing into skateboarding. The Z-Boys all came from surfing backgrounds and incorporated these styles into their skateboarding. This emulation of “surfing on asphalt waves” would continue to used as the basic skateboarding style of the …show more content…

In the early 1960’s, skateboarding became a popular “after surfing activity”. During this montage, “Sidewalk Surfing” by Jan and Dean play. In the mid 1960’s, skateboarding lost its popularity and “virtually disappeared overnight”. The song scrambles to a stop to symbolize skateboarding’s abrupt end. In the 1970’s, skateboarding was only practised by “the most hardcore enthusiasts”. The addition of skateboarding’s downfall provides context to the Z-Boys’ efforts to revive a “passing kiddy fad”. During the early to mid 1970’s, skateboarding competitions arose after its apparent end in 1965. The older styles were “upright”, and those who performed wore bright colours as if they were not to be taken seriously, especially when Peralta plays “Lollipops and Roses” by Herb Alpert, during their montage. When the Z-Boys performed at these competitions, they were darker clothes. Their low riding styles and aggression, juxtaposed the “classical form”. Peralta plays “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix, during the Z-Boys’ skateboarding montage and there is a clear change in pace in music and style. During their first competition, the Z-Boys dominated their divisions with their “70’s surfing style”. The team looked so unique, “[the judges] didn’t know how to judge it”. This styles and skills used by the Z-Boys in this

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