Real Skate Stories by Tony Roberts
Tony Robert’s new youtube channel REAL SKATE STORES will have the future vids, SUBSCRIBE here: https://youtu.be/gTlCv5ih598
ORIGINAL CAMERA TAPES FROM SPEED FREAKS FOUND AFTER 30 YRS TO BE RELEASED RAW ON REAL SKATE STORIES
Santa Cruz Speed Wheels “Speed Freaks” video was produced in 1988 by Tony Roberts. The skate industry was booming in 1989 and this was the biggest video release that year. The Speed Wheels Team took riders from nearly every deck company and assembled an arsenal of riders that set new standards in skateboarding. TR’s filming techniques and camera angles in this video would set the standard for the way skate videos would be filmed from this day forward. This was the during the transition from film to video and TR took full advantage of this new freedom to pull the trigger by letting it roll on every bit of action- skate or otherwise- they would encounter in the street. The video was edited and the camera tapes went in to storage and were eventually lost. On October 15, 2016 Tony received an Instagram message from a friend linking to an Instagram post by @LSBMarket- They had the original camera tapes and log sheets and were holding them for ransom. Tony contacted them and bought back his tapes. This raw footage of the Speed Freaks sessions has not been seen for 33 years…until today. TR is releasing the raw camera tapes in their entirety as a series on Real Skate Stories- All the sessions, behind the scenes conversations and shenanigans, and historical footage- that helped transform skateboarding to what it is today.
Coming soon, the raw camera tapes in their entirety form the skaters Christian Hosoi, Danny Way, Eric Dressen, Tom Knox, Jason Jessee, Jeff Grosso, Jeff Kendall, Jeff Phillips, Mike Vallely, Natas Kaupas, Neil Blender, Rob Roskopp, Ron Allen, Scott Oster, Steve Alba, Tony Magnusson, Keith Meek, Anders Pulpanek, Aaron Murray, Brian Brannon, Bryan Pennington, Butch Sterbins, Corey O’Brien, David Nielsen, Don Fisher, Jim Thiebaud, Jimmy Acosta, John Gibson, Ken McGuire, Monte Nolder, Simon Levine, Reese Simpson and more.
Filmed by Tony Roberts
JASON JESSEE RAW CAMERA TAPES FROM THE FILMING OF SPEED FREAKS SKATE VIDEO 1989 CHRIS MILER, ROSKOPP
Jason Jessee skating vert and mini ramp in the raw camera tapes from the filming of Speed Freaks.
Jason was known for being an aggressive, powerful and stylish skateboarder on a variety of transitions and his part from Santa Cruz Speed Wheels “Speed Freaks” was a highlight of the video.
This footage was filmed in San Diego and Orange County, California and also ripping the ramp was Rob Roskopp and Chris Miller, as well as iconic TransWorld Skateboarding photographer J. Grant Brittain, shooting the session and portraits of Jessee and his tattoos.
Music: Kinghorse
Filmed by Tony Roberts
REAL SKATE STORIES: CHRISTIAN HOSOI SALBA MALBA MURRAY ROSKOPP GROSSO 1989 BACKYARD POOL & VERT SESH
Many consider Hosoi The G.O.A.T. and I concur. His style, power, tricks and creativity on all terrains truly put him in his own league in 1989 and it is doubtful anyone since has enjoyed his type of dominance at the top. His motto “Skate Hard (SKTHRD)” is in full effect as the runs just do not stop! It is incredible the energy and stamina these guys had on these marathon sessions in one day!
Steve Alba aka: Screaming Lord Salba was rated #1 in the world in 1978 and was still one of the best in backyard pools when he linked up for these sessions for the filming of Speed Freaks, for Santa Cruz Speed Wheels, with Hosoi, Aaron Murray, Rob Roskopp, Don Fisher, Jeff Grosso, John Nakama, and Eric Jueden, and a gnarly vert sesh with the above plus Steve’s brother Micke: “Malba”…one of the best vert and pool skaters of his generation. Way more of these raw tape releases coming so click Subscribe and Notifications! -TR
Filmed by Tony Roberts
UNSEEN: REAL SKATE STORIES JEFF GROSSO 1988 RAW FOOTAGE FROM FILMING OF SPEED FREAKS
Jeff Grosso will be forever remembered as an extremely talented skateboarder, and funny and entertaining personality. This was filmed during the shooting of Speed Freaks for Santa Cruz Speed Wheels
.
He is greatly missed and his legacy lives on forever.
Filmed by Tony Roberts
REAL SKATE STORIES 1988 KEITH “SLASHER” MEEK SKATING BUENA VISTA POOL AND FOURTH OF JULY SESH
Meekster and Roskopp tear Buena a new one, raw footage from the filming for “Speed Freaks” for Santa Cruz Speed Wheels. Also The legendary Fourth of July sesh with Lance Ripley, Ethan Powell, Sean Quinn, George Milburn and friends and more.
Filmed by Tony Roberts
TIM JACKSON, DOGTOWN, RAW TR CAMERA TAPES FROM “RISK IT” 1990 STREET SKATING AND FILMING INNOVATIONS
THE ROOTS OF STREET SKATING AND SKATE VIDEO FILMING- TIM JACKSON, AARON MURRAY AND FRIENDS SKATEBOARDING VENICE, CALIFORNIA FROM THE FILMING OF “RISK IT…GAMBLING WITH GRAVITY” SKATEBOARDING VIDEO BY TONY ROBERTS FOR NHS INC/ SANTA CRUZ SPEED WHEELS.
TIM WAS WAY AHEAD OF HIS TIME WITH HIS ARRAY OF WALL, LEDGE, CURB AND FLATGROUND TRICKS, ALL WITH HIS UNMISTAKEABLE FLOW AND STYLE.
I FILMED THIS ALL IN ONE DAY, THIS WAS WHEN VIDEO CAMERAS JUST CAME OUT (I WAS SHOOTING ON FILM BEFORE VIDEO) ENABLING MY CAMERA ANGLES AND FILMING TECHNIQUES THAT WOULD LATER BECOME STANDARD IN ALL FUTURE SKATE VIDEOS.
REAL SKATE STORIES: NEIL BLENDER CLASSIC 1988 RAW CAMERA TAPES FROM “SPEED FREAKS” SESSIONS
“Raw unedited footage of one of skateboarding’s most creative innovators and funniest individuals Neil Blender from the filming of Speed Freaks (1989) by Tony Roberts for Santa Cruz Speed Wheels. Comedy and skateboarding mix for a day that will go down in history as Neil hits Sadlands, show us around his pad and rips his no transition 3 ft. high mini ramp with a foot of vert with Steve Claar, Rob Roskopp and O, and we hit the streets for some toy shopping and skits.”
Filmed by Tony Roberts
REAL SKATE STORIES PRESENTS: MIKE VALLELY & ED TEMPLETON, 1988 RAW CAMERA FOOTAGE from SPEED FREAKS
In 1988 Mike Vallely, Ed Templeton and I hit the streets, some schools and a mini ramp, filming for Mike V’s iconic part in Santa Cruz Speed Freaks (released in 1989). Mike was riding his classic “barnyard” deck, one of the first symmetrical skateboards designed for street skating. His enthusiasm and stoke for skateboarding is all over these sessions with his non stop, no rest, machine like approach to attacking his lines and tricks. Steely eyed determination guides his every move and you won’t see any board throwing here. You will notice I left the camera rolling between tricks and runs because he rarely stopped! I thoroughly enjoyed filming this part as I was experimenting with P.O.V. follow filming techniques and angles (which would become a mainstay in skate videos from here forward) and Mike was down try whatever and skated with incredible speed and fluidity. Video itself was brand new so I was able to really “let it roll” after having to be very picky about pressing the button during the “film days”. Ed Templeton was skating with Mike, still unknown at this point but showing signs of the greatness that was soon to come.
One hour and seven minutes of pure, hard skateboarding footage, shot in two days. These raw camera tapes were never seen by anyone and after I edited Speed Freaks, the tapes were put in storage then lost until a chance encounter where I was able to buy them back from someone who “found” them (story here: https://youtu.be/aVbVYQMgHjo).
Mike went on to revolutionize skateboarding over it’s next several chapters and sang in various bands, finally landing as lead singer of Black Flag in 2014. His family run skateboard business Street Plant® is 100% Independently owned and operate under the mission to Welcome All into Skateboarding with Love, To promote the Art and Fun of Skateboarding and To Support, Service, Inspire, and Empower Skateboarders—the Freest, most Unique and Creative People in the world—by making the Highest Quality Skateboards, Wheels, Apparel, and Accessories. go to streetplantskateboards.com
video ©1989 Tony Roberts/ NHS Inc.
REAL SKATE STORIES: UNSEEN MINI RAMP RAW FOOTAGE of ERIC DRESSEN FROM FILMING OF SPEED FREAKS VIDEO
1988. Eric D skating the Vans Factory mini Ramp, Anahiem, , California. Never before seen raw camera tapes footage of the entire legendary session from the filming of Eric Dressen’s iconic Speed Freaks part for Santa Cruz Speed Wheels. (His first video part, which is remarkable as he was rated #1 in the world in street 1987/88). Also making cameos are Scott Oster, Aaron Murray, John Thomas and filmer Tony Roberts gets some runs in as well.
This is the first in a series so please click subscribe and the notifications bell!
Speed Freaks Full Movie here: https://youtu.be/lCjwY86583U
Video by Tony Roberts
@tonyrobertsphoto
Skater: Eric Dressen
@ericdressen©1989 TR Productions / NHS Inc.
@santacruzskateboards