Tony Alva
Encyclopedia
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.
, California
to Mexican-American parents. The level of aggression with which Alva skated was in stark contrast to the traditional style of the era
which was still based around tricks formulated in the 1960s. Alva and the other Z-Boys were among the first to bring skating empty pools into the mainstream. In these early days, it was noted that Alva was hitting the lip so hard that he was actually taking off, hence Alva is often credited for the first recorded aerials
, a frontside air
, although Alva himself claimed that George Orton was the first to perform aerials. The same year he was voted 'skateboarder of the year' in Skateboarder Magazines readers' poll and he set the Guinness World Record
for barrel jumping.
In December 2005, Tony Alva opened two stores in Southern California locations. The Alva Shop stores are located in Oceanside near San Diego, California and, the other Alva Shop was opened in Los Angeles on Fairfax Ave. In December 2006, he celebrated the first anniversary of the stores with a party at the Los Angeles Alva Shop attended by some of the old Z-boys, current Alva Team members, MySpace friends, skate fans, and other minor celebrities. Tony signed autographs and served as DJ for the catered event. The evergreen bad boy image of the legendary Z-Boy was present in the publicity post card invitation for the Alva Shop 1 Year Anniversary Party which featured a drawing of a hand flipping the bird with a lit wick coming off of the end of the middle finger as if it were a birthday candle.
Tony Alva also pioneered the first rip grip product, a material that could stick onto the underside of a skateboarder's deck making
it easier to not lose grip on an aerial trick.
which was fictionalized into the 2005 feature film Lords of Dogtown
. He also played the role of Tony Bluetile in the 1978 film, Skateboard: The Movie. Tony Alva signed a three year deal with Vans
shoes and his pro model high-top was released in 2006. Tony Alva was featured in the video game, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
.
Z-Boys
The Z-Boys was a group of skateboarders in the mid-1970s from Santa Monica and Venice, California. The aerial and sliding skate moves that the Z-Boys invented were the basis for aerial skateboarding today.-History:...
and is considered to be one of the most influential skateboarders
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
of all time. He was professional skateboarding's first world champion in history, a title he won in 1977.
Career
He was born in Santa MonicaSanta Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
, 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...
to Mexican-American parents. The level of aggression with which Alva skated was in stark contrast to the traditional style of the era
which was still based around tricks formulated in the 1960s. Alva and the other Z-Boys were among the first to bring skating empty pools into the mainstream. In these early days, it was noted that Alva was hitting the lip so hard that he was actually taking off, hence Alva is often credited for the first recorded aerials
Aerials (skateboarding)
Aerials are a type of skateboarding trick usually performed on half-pipes, pools or quarter pipes where there is a vertical wall with a transition available. Aerials usually combine rotation with different grabs...
, a frontside air
Skateboarding trick
A skateboarding trick, or simply a trick is a maneuver performed on a skateboard while skateboarding. Learning and perfecting new tricks is the primary goal of many skateboarders, for whom most of the time spent skateboarding is spent on tricks....
, although Alva himself claimed that George Orton was the first to perform aerials. The same year he was voted 'skateboarder of the year' in Skateboarder Magazines readers' poll and he set the Guinness World Record
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
for barrel jumping.
Alva the company
In 1977, at the age of nineteen, Alva shunned the major skate companies to form his own skateboard company, Alva Skates. Alva's company was the first company ever run and owned by a skateboarder as well as being one of the first to use layered Canadian maple plywood for the skate decks.In December 2005, Tony Alva opened two stores in Southern California locations. The Alva Shop stores are located in Oceanside near San Diego, California and, the other Alva Shop was opened in Los Angeles on Fairfax Ave. In December 2006, he celebrated the first anniversary of the stores with a party at the Los Angeles Alva Shop attended by some of the old Z-boys, current Alva Team members, MySpace friends, skate fans, and other minor celebrities. Tony signed autographs and served as DJ for the catered event. The evergreen bad boy image of the legendary Z-Boy was present in the publicity post card invitation for the Alva Shop 1 Year Anniversary Party which featured a drawing of a hand flipping the bird with a lit wick coming off of the end of the middle finger as if it were a birthday candle.
Tony Alva also pioneered the first rip grip product, a material that could stick onto the underside of a skateboarder's deck making
it easier to not lose grip on an aerial trick.
Media appearances
Alva is featured in the documentary on Venice Beach skate culture Dogtown and Z-BoysDogtown and Z-Boys
Dogtown and Z-Boys is a 2001 documentary film directed by Stacy Peralta. Using a mix of film the Zephyr skateboard team shot in the 1970s by Craig Stecyk and more recent interviews, the documentary tells the story of a group of teenage surfer/skateboarders and their influence on the history of...
which was fictionalized into the 2005 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...
. He also played the role of Tony Bluetile in the 1978 film, Skateboard: The Movie. Tony Alva signed a three year deal with Vans
Vans
Vans is an American based manufacturer of sneakers, skateboarding shoes, BMX shoes, snowboarding boots and other shoe types.- History :On March 16, 1966, at 704 E. Broadway, in Anaheim, California, brothers Paul Van Doren, James Van Doren, and three other partners opened up their first store...
shoes and his pro model high-top was released in 2006. Tony Alva was featured in the video game, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, abbreviated to THAW, is a video game that was released for the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo GameCube and PC on October 18, 2005. Part of the Tony Hawk series, the game was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision.The PC version of the game was ported and...
.
External links
- Tony Alva – His Official web site.
- Skoundrelz official website