Notes from the Brigade

This is honestly my first board that wasnt a long board and so far my new Blacklight Skull & Sword is the smoothest board ive ever rode im starting to get into competitions and its holding up great compared to most of the other guy's boards I couldnt be happier with it

— Tyler Hassey

I just want to preface I am NOT ASKING FOR QUOTES, INFORMATION OR ANY INTERVIEWS.

To whom it may concern,

My name is Alex Sarkowsky and I am a senior at Wesleyan University (in Middletown, Connecticut), but am originally from Encino, CA. I am an anthropology major and part of our senior major requirement is to write a thesis or long essay on the research topic of our choice. Without hesitation, and not for the first time, I decided to write on skateboarding, with a heavy focus on Powell-Peralta and the Bones Brigade.

I just wanted to send an email to ask if, when it is fully bound, and accessible via the internet if you wanted to see a copy of it. Secondly, and more importantly, I just wanted to thank you (the Powell-Peralta company and the Bones Brigade's legacy) for all they have given to me. I have always been passionate about skateboarding, grew up watching the Bones Brigade videos, have followed the careers of Stacy, and the rest of the team as time has gone on.

I think that my love for skating and my desire to write this essay on the impact you have all made on the skateboarding world technically, socially and emotionally is what has made such an indelible mark on my life. The recent Bones Brigade: An Autobiography, Dogtown and Z-boys, and various interviews over the years in skate magazines and other quotes are sewn throughout my piece, but I felt this unshakable urge to let you know what all this has meant to me personally in the long run. I have loved all the videos you have created from The Bones Brigade Video Show, to the recent Bonus Brigade release. I ordered one of the Lance Mountain signed blem decks just a week or two ago, and cannot wait to be home for the semester so I can put it up in my room.

I do not mean to ramble, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for what you have given me, how you have impacted the skate world, and what you continue to do. I can't speak for everyone, but I know that all you have done, created and feel towards skateboarding has allowed me to find my niche in the skate community, something that no one can take away.

I hope this note finds you well, and reminds you all how important what you do really is.
Thanks again.

Sincerely,
Alex Sarkowsky

— alexandra “Alex” sarkowsky, Wesleyan University Student

I just wanted to thank powell for a life time of skating. I started skating back in 1985 when skateboarding was all about friends and fun! i had the honor of riding for the company many years ago as a sponsored rider. Im 1999 i had a very bad accident and was told that i would never be able to walk normal again. Well after about 13 years off I decided i was strong enough to give it a go! against all odds ive been back skating for four months now! everything came back super fast and im honored once again to be out there once again doing somthing i love and reppin powell!

— chris “chino” adams

My nickname growing up was Bones, so naturally when I took up skating in 1983, I gravitated towards Powell-Peralta and the Bones Brigade. I went through a bunch of decks, but my favorite was always my McGill. The other day, I went to my local skateshop in Northampton, MA to get a sticker for my new truck. I grabbed a rat bones hat, was wandering around, looked up and saw the red reissue McGill. I immediately said, can I see that...thought for a second, I'll take it. I brought home everything I needed, spent an hour or two getting it set up just right like I used to. Let me tell you, when I took it out, I wasn't 38 anymore, I was a kid in Avalon, NJ just skating around loving life. Thanks guys, I'm back...

— Joe “Bones” Gargan

YEAH Guys,
Big Props and high 5 from Germany.
im Sk8tin`since `87 , and it
is soo cool to see that powell still
exists ! One of my ALL-Time-Favourite-Brands :)
Last but not least - Thank u Guys for all
the Vids, Action and so on back in the 80s n 90s
- and - THANK U a 1000 times for bringing back
the old Boards as reissues !!!! u guys rock

— Patrick “Paddix” Nonnenkamp

This message is for Stacy Peralta: I enjoyed watching the Bones Brigade movie on Netflix.
I was born in 1959, and was still young enough to be a part of the big skateboarding wave which synced up from the end of high school (1977) to the time I joined the Air Force (1979). In fact my last weekend before leaving for basic training was turned in to a family trip to Cherry Hill New Jersey, where my two younger brothers and I skated in an awesome pool-skatepark during the last of the halcyon days when the parks were still flourishing. Somewhere in my archives I have a photo of us three at Cherry Hill, sweated up, my last day of boyhood, with me wearing a t-shirt bearing the phrase "avoid obsolete technologies", lifted from your famous ad with the flaming car. About a year later, I sent an artistic rendition of a character called the "Surf Marines" to skateboard magazine, which they ended up publishing in what was to be one of their last issues before going out of business. None of knew that the whole craze was going to implode at the time, though in retrospect it kind of makes sense because like my other hobbies of things like aviation and scuba, we always see that the more skill, practice, and dedication an endeavor requires, the fewer particiapants there will be. Anyway, thanks for a great film, I dug the music from Devo and the trip back to some innocent times. If you get me a real me address, I'll zap you that photo for your archives. Dave.

— Dave R

Really enjoy reading these testimonials. So good to hear people's passion for skateboarding and bones brigade! After watching the doco I have got on a skateboard at the age of 37! Loving it, and enjoying getting out there with my kids. On a cab deck for good measure! So nice in the bowl!
Cheers

— Brent

Powell Peralta Folks:

I am a DoD Civilian currently deployed to Regional Command-West in Herat, Afghanistan. A fairly large NATO camp with concrete, I brought a Bones Brigade Mullen deck with me, which turns-out to be about the fastest way to transit Camp Arena. This is especially true when going between the Italian and Spanish sides of Camp Arena. A friend got a photo of me with the deck, should I post to the Powell Peralta FB page or is there a POC there I can send the photo to? Please let me know. Thanks!

— David Gault, US Forces Afghanistan

I started skateboarding in 1982 and for twenty plus years I loved skateboarding more tham anything .had a lot of the old powell boards even a lot of the bonite series ones from tony hawk minis to cabs to ray underhill to frankie hill to the mike v elephant model etc .anyway a few years ago I got sick very sick multiple surgeries couldnt walk for two years without a walker and a lot of help .finally got better could walk again and I saw the bones brigade movie rodney mullens part inspired me to try skateboarding again.now I can't do the tricks I could as a kid but for someone who two years ago was in a wheel chair to get around pulling off a sloppy kick flip feels pretty dam good and being able to skate with my son who rides a killian martin board feels great . Thank you powell your movie inspired me to do what I've loved my whole life again thank you

— daniel “dan” thompson

the powell reissue ray bones snub got me skating again. ive loved these decks since the britelites. my yellow and red snubs are heavily skated and need replaced. crossing my fingers in hopes of another batch of ray bones snub nose releases, hopefully in the britelite orange and purple. thanks for reviving my love of skateboarding.

— mark chapin

As a lover of skating and powell since 1987 I have recently got back into skating and built myself a brand new cab complete up to remind me of the good old days. For as long as skateboarding is around you guys will always make the best stuff which no other brand will ever get close too. But please please please could you re issue the per welinder street decks as they are one of the best graphics, shape, and the 9.7 size was perfect. Missed them last time round and I would love to have one to shred and hang on my wall next to my others. Cheers guys

— James Hardcastle

I started skating when I was 13. The first quality board my parents got me was a Tony Hawk "Claw" deck for my birthday and I remember sitting in my room and just staring at it, still in the shrink wrap, for about 3 hours straight. The graphic was so beautiful I almost couldn't bring myself to ride it. Needless to say, I kitted it out with rib bones, a jaw bone and tail bone and rode the hell out of it. I'm now 35 and even though I've owned and smashed more boards than I can remember, I still have that very same Hawk board and like a classic car, I bring it out and ride it from time to time (people say I'm crazy as it's now considered a collectors item). After almost 20 years it still has the pop and rigidity like I only bought it yesterday. A testament to quality and craftsmanship that in my opinion is second to none.

— Brad

u guys ripp!! awsome decks!!! still wish 4 my ray bones rodiquez brite lite snub nose (green) 1978...deck! im 43 in a couple of days!! that deck would go 2 my grave if had one again!

— winchester skate park

My name is Brandon Buchanan, I am 36 years old, and I wanted to share a quick story with you all. Here is a link to the pic of my tattoo for reference: https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1005223_626698804031448_905902381_n.jpg

Really the only homage to Powell and the Bones Brigade is the Tony Hawk deck, but it has a sentimental story to it. I grew up skating all the Bones Brigade decks, wish I still had them all. There was one deck though that I never had and that was the 1987 (I think?) Tony Hawk deck, the one where the nose of the board was shaped a little bit differently (sort of bottle neck) than the ones that you guys are reissuing on the Bones Brigade site. For some reason I was super scared to buy that board, afraid that the other kids would make fun of me because all of their boards had the standard shape in the nose. I look back now and think about how lame I was to even care if they made fun of me. I have always hoped that one day I would meet Tony or have an opportunity to own one of these amazing boards! I wanted that board SO BAD… but never got it. Fast Forward to 2012, I specifically chose that board to be permanently a part of my life by getting it tattooed on my arm where I can look at it every day. I could only dream to one day own one of those exact decks, but they are SUPER hard to find and if they are available they are so outrageously priced that I just can't afford it. I have a wife and 3 kids and some major school debt to pay off so luxuries like this are way down on the priority list… bummer. But, at least I can look at that board every day and dream right?!

Anyway, I was super stoked on the tattoo, thought you guys might like to see it and read a little story. It has already been added to the tattoo album on facebook. The tattoo artist who did the piece is john caleb and you can follow his work here: http://instagram.com/johnxcalebtattoo he is an amazing artist!

Anyway, all of that to find out if you are planning to re-issue these decks or if you have any laying around? I would be super stoked to own one!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read my story.

-brandon

— Brandon Buchanan

This all came along at the right time for me. At 41 Im still surfing but no longer skate. Watching the BB video was the greatest thing. I've avoided skateboarding for years now in order to stay healthy and surf. but I feel like I can be a fan of skateboarding again without actually being a skater.
Its fun to own a classic Powell Peralta skateboard even if the only trick i do is get the mail. so glad these products are back and unlike the old days I can get a deck without destroying it in 6 months. Thanks stacy and The BB for presenting a solid, fun,enduring image of 80's skating.
Can you guys produce some small but detailed BB graphics that they could be used for homemade finger boards? ala Lance Mountain. By the way Lance, your a true boardsports stylist then and now. loved the Fronside invert to ladder and jumping the ladder! Just like the old days rewind stop rewind stop. Take care of yourselves, its worth it!

— Matthew “Matthew Thompson” Thompson

I started riding skateboards when I was five with a roller derby clay wheeled board and have been riding ever since. In the late 70’s I went to my first skate park, the concrete connection in Charlotte,NC and that was where I purchased my first REAL skateboard. The first deck I got was a Powell Peralta britelite in orange. The next two were the alan gelfand (tank) and latter the vato rat deck. I hung onto these decks for years but they were stolen out of my car in the late 90’s. Since the re-issues of the pig decks I have gotten back to skating and skate everyday weather permitting. I have five decks I ride and about twenty five I have collected. I just got the full set of the bones brigade decks last week and was blown away. I was going to add them to my collection but have decided to set up the Hawk and Guerrero with the indy stage 11 trucks and some old rat bones 2 wheels I’ve been hanging onto. I hope you all will keep up the re-issues and even do some decks like the old beamers and britelites in the original shapes. At age 48 I plan to skate as long as I possibly can so thanks for bringing the old days back! P.S. Thanks for bringing the wheels wells back–nice touch!

— Craig Hutcheson

Hello, My name is Ryan Phillips I am 10 years old and from Orlando, FL. I am writing you today to let you know how much you have inspired my skate career I have only been skating since August 2, 2012. I skate Vert nothing excites me more then the Half Pipe and the bowls. In my short time of skating my instructor and people that see me ride say I am a Natural and have great skills, I will only skate your decks people call me "The Powell Kid" I have seen your movies Dogtown is my favorite but the Bones Bergade Biography really inspired me to keep trying and giving it my all. Steve is one of the best skaters in my opinion I hope that one day I will get to meet you all or get a deck signed. My dream is to become and PRO and get to ride for such a great team such as yours. I hope that this message will reach you and perhaps you could check out my facebook and see all my tricks. I wish you and the team well and hope to hear back from you. Thank you for reading, Ryan Phillips :)

— Ryan Phillips

My first pro deck was a Mike McGill. I rode the color and wood layers off that deck until I was able to buy a Ray Barbee, then I rode the hell out of that deck. Powell Peralta will always be synonymous with my youth...or vice versa. Love you guys and THANKS!

— Jay “Jay” Tillery, Tillery Worldwide, LLC

I loved using your boards when I was younger. I'm now 32 and have not skated in years but I still love skating. I just seen the documentary Bones Brigade, I loved it!!!! It made me laugh, cry and happy. I just wanted to give you some feed back. I usually don't do this so I hope this isn't unnoticed. Skate Or Die, Curt Detman PS: Thanks for bringing some fun into mine and my friends childhoods :)

— Curt “Ol Dirty” Detman

Dear Powell-Peralta,
I started Skating around 1974. Bought a Skull and Sword (green with purple cubics,indy 131s, purple rails, nose and tail-bones) Still have it. I hadn't really skated since around 1990 until 2 years ago at the age of 47 I decided to take it up again. I went to the one local shop that sells your boards and picked up a Cab pinstripe dragon. It's a great board. I was recently please to see that you guys are advertizing again in the mags. Keep up the good work and I'll do my best to prmote your products.

— Dave Haviland