6.29.2009

chrome ball incident #301: the freed pig






"He's my hero... but he's rotten." -Rodney Mullen

One of the most influential figures in skateboarding's history (although not exactly for his skating), Steve Rocco dominated the industry in the early nineties... not only making or breaking the careers of skaters as he saw fit, million-dollar companies could also be reduced to rubble if he felt like doing so.

For good or bad, he did everything his own way with his trademark razor-ship wit that made his rise to power such a spectacle to watch... and his inevitable downfall all the more dramatic.

So many things that I love in skateboarding (and a few things that I absolutely hate) can be traced back directly to Rocco... needless to say, his presence looms large on this site.

5 comments:

Cheaps said...

Kill Rocco! Wish I still had my tee with that on. Gotta love him (in kind of hating way).

chepesent said...

respect the architect (even if his shit was crooked).

Keith said...

Doesn't get much better than triple pogos.

In my 20 years of skating, the Rocco era was the largest leap in skateboarding.

Who knows where we would be now if he never started SMA World Industries.

Anonymous said...

In the early years of World (Rubbish Heap / Video Days era), I- like every other kid- thought it was the coolest thing ever.
But looking back, it seems like the heyday of World... coincided the worst time in skateboarding- Blind jeans, vibing, everyone skating the same ("Tranny? Are you kidding? That's cut!"). It just seemed like this very weird, vaguely hateful time. And it seemed like with the appearance of Girl, and their whole mentality, it was like... Oh, you can have fun again.

REAL SHIZZLE said...

These ad`s flash me back to my early youth. The Rocco Revolution gone but never to be forgotten.