The Most Destructive Teams In The History Of Skateboarding
Skateboarding these days can have a pretty clean image- P-Rod loves Jesus, the Birdman has a backyard jacuzzi, and Terry Kennedy has his own show on BET.
It wasn't always this way. And for all the success that folks are acheiving these days, we at SkateMore sometimes yearn for a time like the early 90s when skateboarding wasn't cool, World Industries was, and wheels were 36 millimeters.
OK, we don't miss the small wheels.
But we miss the recklessness of the time, a time when you could fight security guards at Munster without having to worry about getting dropped by Mountain Dew. The following is SkateMore's homage to "The Most Destructive Teams In The History Of Skateboarding".
- Anti-Hero Fucktards (circa 1994)
You can't fuck with Anti Hero... You couldn't fuck with them in 1994 when they released Fucktards, and you still can't fuck with them now. From Sean Young's hill bomb in the rain to the puke-sesh on the living room floor (8:00 mark), to pre-incarceration Andy Roy, to Bob Burnquist's switch mastery, to everything Cardiel and of course The Stranger himself - these dudes established themselves as the gnarliest and most image indifferent brand of the 90s and are still carrying the torch twenty years later. Click here to Meet the Culprits! - World Industries (circa 1992)
Before World Industries started peddling Flame Boy and Wet Willy, World Industries was (get this)... Relevant. More than just relevant, they set the tone of the 90s, with ads and business practices that mocked the skate establishment and gave big brands like Powell a shot to the nuts. With tales of strippers, convertibles, thousands of dollars in ca$h money handed out to team riders and product raids on the warehouse, all of the brands under the World umbrella, including Blind and Plan B, crushed it from '91-'93; of course that was before Rick Howard defected with most of Plan B to start Girl. Click here to Meet the Culprits! - Birdhouse (circa 1998)
It's sometimes forgotten, but Birdhouse in the late 90s and early 2000s was partially what gave birth to Baker. You had two guys, Reynolds and Greco, who would go on to be the 'darkmen' behind Baker but in 1999 were two California transplants caught up in the hijinx of the Warner Ave Mob. Greco left before The End, but Reynold's boozing combined with Jeremy Klein and Heath setting shit on fire and generally destroying America, and you had a team that was seriously at odds with the clean cut image of the man behind it all, World's Coolest Dad Tony Hawk. Click here to Meet the Culprits! - CKY: Camp Kill Yourself (circa 1999)
CKY's first video featured Bam back when he still filmed video parts, Mike Maldonado when he was one of the most promising pros in the game, and Kerry Getz at the beginning of a long career with some of the best lines the world has seen. Plus, you had a motley crew of hanger ons, wannabes, and general riff raff who were willing to do anything for the camera. Mike V is included for his epic beatdown of 4 dudes, as made famous in CKY3. Click here to Meet the Culprits! - Baker (circa 1999)
Before rehab, there was Baker Bootleg. Their debut video featured shitty editing, lots of drinking, and some seriously gnarly skating. Click here to Meet the Culprits! - Deathwish (circa NOW)
Around here we call Deathwish 'Baker 2.0.' aka "Baker Has A Deathwish" Click here to Meet the Culprits! - Red Dragons (circa 1980's)
Red Dragons have been an iconic team in skating ever since the late 80's when Colin McKay, Sluggo Boyce and Moses Itkonen wreaked havoc on the streets of Vancouver. "We swarmed in groups, and it was always Red Dragons for years, spray-painting walls outside of the ranch... It was FSU. There was no rhyme or reason to it - when life got in the way, we smashed it!" - Sluggo
Click here to Meet the Culprits! - Wait.. What's Slash doing here? In addition to being a member of one of the most destructive teams in skateboarding, Slash has cultivated a wonderful bum-chic look that landed him a spot in our coveted 12 Pro Skaters You May Have Thought Were Homeless List.