California Free Former was the world's largest skateboard

Skateboard

A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...

 manufacturer during the 1970s. From 1970 to 1981, it was owned by Steve Silberman with a business partner. They also held several licenses from Walt Disney

Walt Disney

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...

, manufacturing roller skates

Roller skates

Roller skates are devices worn on the feet to enable the wearer to roll along on wheels. A first basic type of roller skate consists of a boot with four wheels with ball bearings, arranged in the same configuration as the wheels of a typical car.-History:...

 and other Disney brand consumer products.

Free Former Professional Skaters

The prominent Free Former skaters included:

• Ty Page
  Ty Page
  Ty Scott Page is a professional skateboarder who was known as one of the most innovative skateboarder in the world. Ty Page was a leader in the skateboard world during "the golden era" of skateboarding in the early 1970s....
  
  
• Mark Bowden
• Curt Lindgren
• Bryan Beardsley
• Laura Thornhill

World Skateboard Championships

California Free Former also used to sponsor skateboarding competitions, including the California Free Former World Skateboard Championships held at the Long Beach

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

 Sports Arena. (Original and reenacted footage from the Free Former World Skateboard Championships was prominently featured in the feature film "Lords of Dogtown

Lords of Dogtown

Lords of Dogtown is a 2005 biographical film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, written by Stacy Peralta. The film is based on the story of "The Z-Boys", an influential group of skateboarders who revolutionized the sport...

.")

The California Free Former World Professional Skateboard Championships were held at the Long Beach Arena in California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. In The first competition in the summer of 1976 was the largest skateboard competition ever held up until that time. It's significant cash prizes changed skateboarding history and created a professional tier in the sport.

1976 Results

Men’s Freestyle: 1-Chris Chaput, 2-Ed Nadalin, 3-Mike Weed, 4-Gary Kocot, 5-Russ Howell

Russ Howell

Russ Howell began skateboarding in 1958. He competed and won many contests, including the main event at the 1975 Del Mar Contest that was featured in the Dogtown movies. He also won city, state, national, and two international skateboarding titles...

Men’s Slalom: 1-Henry Hester, 2-Bob Piercy, 3-Mike Williams
Women’s Freestyle: 1-Ellen Berryman, 2-Laura Thornhill, 3-Ellen O’Neal
Women’s Slalom: 1-Desiree Von Essen, 2-T. Brown, 3-Robin Logan
Consecutive 360s: 1-Bob Jarvis, 2-Chris Chaput, 3-Gary Kocot, 4- Steve Shipp, 5-Ed Nadalin

Sept 4-5, 1977 Results

Men’s Freestyle: 1-Bob Mohr, 2-Mike Weed, 3-Ty Page

Ty Page

Ty Scott Page is a professional skateboarder who was known as one of the most innovative skateboarder in the world. Ty Page was a leader in the skateboard world during "the golden era" of skateboarding in the early 1970s....

, 4-Ed Nadalin
Men’s Slalom: 1-John Hutson, 2-Bobby Piercy, 3-Greg Taie, 4-Randy Smith
Women’s Freestyle: 1-Ellen Berryman, 2-Ellen O’Neal, 3-Laura Thornhill
Women’s Slalom: 1-Terry Brown, 2-Kim Cespedes, 3-Desiree Von Essen
Consecutive 360s: 1-Russ Howell

Russ Howell

Russ Howell began skateboarding in 1958. He competed and won many contests, including the main event at the 1975 Del Mar Contest that was featured in the Dogtown movies. He also won city, state, national, and two international skateboarding titles...

, 2-Paul Hoffman, 3-Ed Nadalin, 4-Steve Shipp
High Jump: 1- Bryan Beardsley, 2-Jerry Pattison, 3-Brent McCullogh
Barrel Jump: 1-Tony Alva

Tony Alva

Tony Alva , is one of the original Z-Boys and is considered to be one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. He was professional skateboarding's first world champion in history, a title he won in 1977.-Career:...

 (17 barrels), 2-Paul Hoffman, 3-Ed Nadalin, 4-Steve Shipp.
The poster for the 1977 event was done by artist / designer Jim Evans

Jim Evans (artist)

Jim Evans born sometime in the 1950s, sometimes known as T.A.Z., is an American painter, printmaker, and Creative Director who was a contributing figure in the visual art movement known as underground comics...