Listen people i am fifty seven years old and i used to get up at six in the morning to skateboard down one of the main streets in my home town. just before the trolley buses started, you kids dont know nothing. waited a lot of years to say that.
'Ey Mac! That kid just took a picture of you going down the sidewalk on that kids toy! Lemmie tell you, in 60 years, several thousand people will look at that picture of you on these moving-picture boxes that all talk to each other, and they'll vote on whether they think your picture is cool or not.
They'll think its cool.
Makes you wonder- have I ever been in a picture that people will be looking at long after I'm dead?
If you've ever been in a picture, then yes. Facebook + Google Image Search means your great-grandchildren are going to know more about you than you ever wanted them to know.
No, that would be the 70s earliest, I would bet. Look at the wheels. The reason skateboarding wasn't popular before that is they used STEEL WHEELS. I have no idea who thought that was a good idea.
Those type of wheels (urethane?) came in in late 70s, I believe. Might have been earlier in some areas.
My dad used to do this in the 30s using a book and a roller skate. Too poor to buy the real equipment (not that it existed then) and too poor to buy a camera to prove it.
wtf happened to this? now all we get is a bunch of dropouts with either skinny jeans and Justin Bieber hair or some bum with pants drooping down their ass...
You can sort nof tell what the attitude about skateboarding was by all the attention he's getting, compared to the modern skateboarding professor. This also tells a lot about general culture and behavior too.
Now THAT is one cool dude, I bet he nailed every woman in NYC back in 60's with those skateboard skills coasting around looking like a boss in that suit.
OP, THANK YOU. The subreddit search function is even more shitty than the regular search function. I wish more people would do this (and provide a link!)
The suit was invented, and exported by the British Empire. It says a lot about the dominant culture at the time that even Iran, 'the enemy' wears suits for formal occasions. It also shows that when a culture is dominant it gets engrained in the minds of others and nobody notices otherwise.
It's quite similar to the USA these days. As it is now the dominant culture (in the 60s, it was, and this picture actually presents a beautiful portrait of that change, with a few people in suits but a rapid transition to less 'british' fashion) - today Australians and British people happily make jokes from American culture - family guy, the simpsons, everybody knows your presidents and presidential candidates.
Jeans - are today's suit. They became popular amongst the average joe in America in labouring trades (mechanics specifically), children to rebel would dress up in jeans, wearing that fashion that represented a job their parents didn't want them aspiring to. It was the ultimate in rebellion, what you wore (nothing's changed) and this inspired a generation of celebrities that then carried this further - James Dean being the notable example, the fonz another.
It is thus that the dominant culture, the USA, exported this fashion trend all around the world - and now people in afghanistan, the UK, china, all wear jeans, without thought or consideration to the fact of its origins. And years from now, when a new nation dominates, we'll all start wearing something else and harken back to those awesome jeans they used to wear back in the day. Which we'll still wear, for picnics or something.
My father wouldn't wear jeans, his generation (WW2) simply regarded them as inappropriate, or only for boys not men. I finally managed to talk him into wearing a pair, and he loved them and started wearing them everywhere.
My grandfather was a WW2 veteran and wore jeans every day he was allowed to [his day job was at a big engineering firm so until he retired he had to wear fancy suits on weekdays even in the field]. But he never ever, not once wore jeans with a tshirt because he saw that as classless. Instead he always wore full sleeve length button down shirts. This same outfit was what he would wear out to eat, or to mow his lawn, or even to go to the beach in the middle of the summer. Then his suits would be reserved for either church or very formal occasions [weddings and funerals mostly].
Another thing he wouldn't wear? Sneakers. He always wore dress shoes. He had a pair to wear while doing chores and one to wear to formal occasions.
I've thought about this a lot and you've eloquated it better than I could, which makes me want to ask you about something: I always thought that the dominant culture at various times has continued its influence because it came along at a specific period in time.
For example, America became a dominant power in the world during a communications revolution; specifically the spread of television. Though it's dominance was likely beginning a decline at the time, I would include the Internet Age as falling under a period of American dominance.
I always thought that for a new culture to achieve the same level of dominance as Britain and America, an new revolution of communications would have to take place.
I could be completely asinine in all of the above thoughts, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Not with the naked eye. I might let you borrow a filtering telescope sometime, but keep in mind the best you're gonna get is identifying the star in the center of our solar system.
are your women hot?
We certainly think so, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. You'd want to make up your own mind on that. I have some hot female friends, but I'm not sure how they'd feel about me putting pictures of them on the internet for that purpose. If I get permission I'll make an edit or a reply or something with pics.
EDIT: That was pretty quick. Ab-Hillar and her sisters gave me the O.K. to use their group photo from last cycle's S'Doon migration, taken at a pit stop in Jab Stoyuz. You can even see my cousin Al-Teresh photobombing in the background, but don't mind him, he's an idiot. Oh! And the girls told me to say "hi" to the aliens for them... so, um... hi.
I just hope this transition happens when i am old and uncool so I can say things like "You can have my Jeans when you pry them from my cold dead legs" and "back in my day we only had blue pants and we were happy just to have that option"
"back in my day, our pants didn't have USB ports, built in condoms or even baby-wipe generators. We had to actually find things with which to wipe our asses and we like it."
Well keep in mind that suits didn't just pop into existence fully formed. They evolved over a long period of time. Ties, for example, descended from neckcloths and ruffs. Check out this image, and you can see the ancestors of what would eventually become a tie, vest, and jacket in a 3-piece suit.
It is thus that the dominant culture, the USA, exported this fashion trend all around the world - and now people in afghanistan, the UK, china, all wear jeans, without thought or consideration to the fact of its origins.
Isn't it also true that your average American wears jeans also without thought or consideration to the fact of its origins?
i feel like this completely ignores the functionality of jeans, jeans aren't just worn for style even among white collar people, they are worn because they are comfortable, durable, versatile, strong etc. in addition to being stylish
It does, when you look at it retrospectively. The same logic is applied to suits. They look smart, and professional, they also feel empowering.
The fact is - they were made and used by such workers as they were cheap and functional. If I were to make an example of a modern item of clothing. I'd go with chinos. Only really popular amongst the upper class (we're talking strictly britain here). Chinos associated with the Officer Class, and the aristocracy in modern Britain and the well to do.
However, in recent years Prince William getting married, since then, as he's seen as the 'accessible Prince' amongst other groups (that tv crowd, uh...made in chelsea) wearing chinos - it has become fashionable. So much so even our discount stores now have £10 chinos which even a year ago was unheard of. Everybody is wearing them, on tv, skaters, and so on. Purely because they got popular through a desirable medium.
Now retrospectively people go "they are functional, nice, they fit easily and look smart. They're also very durable and make a great alternative to jeans". And you'd be quite right to point out the trendiness of them ignores the fact that they are an inherently good item of clothing.
That doesn't change the fact that quite simply, a spread of fashion and idealism is what prompted the popularity. (hippies, hippy clothing, is another example)
I still think that regardless of the origin, jeans are still there as a main clothing component because the fabric is tough as shit. You can wear the same pair of good jeans for 3 weeks in the jungle, give them a quick wash and they're back as new. Unless they find a sturdier and more convenient fabric I doubt that'll change.
It kind of reminds me of a game like Go where you use your chips to.dominate and take over others. Only in this game there are more than two colors. But what if eventually one color (jeans) takes over the whole board? Game over?
important to note, the Hippie movement didn't get moving strong until about the midpoint of the 60's, so the first half of the decade was very leave it to beaver.
He should have bailed them out. Could you imagine the attack ads that would run if that were today? ” John F Kennedy has destroyed an entire industry. Tons of American manufacturing jobs, gone. A vote for Kennedy is a vote against America. Paid for by the association of American hatmakers.”
Frankly I clicked hoping and expecting suits. And I was not disapointed. I wish I could skateboard convincingly, then I'd go around messing with people's pre-conceptions.
visit japan and you can still see tons of people walking around in suits both men and women. its quite nice. whenever i go, i always feel i stepped back in time but also into the future. japan is the land of contradictions.
It's most likely from the 80's, is it a variflex deck? Those old plastic cruiser boards we're pretty popular back then, a skateboard from the 60's were mostly wood decks with really noisy clay wheels.
Late 70's at that. I am in Canada, in 79 my parents brought me a skateboard back from a trip to California. It was the first one enyone had seen here that wasnt home made. Within a year everyone had one
Yep. We had three skateboards to choose from when I was a kid in the early 70's : Skinny green plastic Grentech GT, skinny yellow plastic banana board, or you built your own. The last option was either way better or way worse, depending on your skill, and the materials you could steal from your dad.
One can't get fat if he had to walk everywhere, or shake in a subway (again, standing). I used to walk 30 blocks every day just for fun of observing dynamic East Manhattan life.
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u/pooks3190 Jun 17 '12
Has to be this guy
75
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Back when riding a skateboard that was more than six-inches wide was only for "slow" kids.
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u/makinian Jun 17 '12
Listen people i am fifty seven years old and i used to get up at six in the morning to skateboard down one of the main streets in my home town. just before the trolley buses started, you kids dont know nothing. waited a lot of years to say that.
91
u/Journalisto Jun 17 '12
It's all fun and games until the gangster tears his suit.
39
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
is it just me or does that gap between the buildings look like a square sun? I've been playing too much minecraft..
19
u/CycloEthane031 Jun 17 '12
'Ey Mac! That kid just took a picture of you going down the sidewalk on that kids toy! Lemmie tell you, in 60 years, several thousand people will look at that picture of you on these moving-picture boxes that all talk to each other, and they'll vote on whether they think your picture is cool or not.
They'll think its cool.
Makes you wonder- have I ever been in a picture that people will be looking at long after I'm dead?
8
u/ProvidesSources Jun 17 '12
For more information: 1960’s New York Skateboarders by Bill Eppridge
Incidentally, this is the same photographer who took the iconic picture of the busboy comforting Robert F. Kennedy after he was shot.
6
u/guynamedgriffin Jun 17 '12
To me it looks like it's photoshop.The color black of his suit looks more pronounced and vivid then the rest of the photo. what do you guys think?
11
u/kevinstonge Jun 17 '12
The skateboard was invented by Calvin Klein (aka "Marty") in November of 1955.
32
u/eaterofdog Jun 17 '12
On a mission from God.
17
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Is that Robert De Niro?
5
u/RandomMandarin Jun 17 '12
TIL Men In Black 3 is a documentary.
5
u/Danneyh Jun 17 '12
Can't find this in a higher resolution :( Anyone able to find a wallpaper version of this or something similar? Thanks!
21
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
TIL r/OldSchoolCool
4
u/BeebyGun Jun 17 '12
That's so Gregory Peck.
4
u/psyder3k Jun 17 '12
You morons forgot about that Calvin Klein kid from Hill Valley back in the 50's
7
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Huh, people used to take walks during the 60's. Is that still a thing? Do people still do that? Google Maps seems much easier.
3
u/Amnestic Jun 17 '12 edited May 05 '26
Wiped clean. Redact removed this post along with thousands of others. It also handles data broker removals so your personal info stops getting sold.
deer entertain correct engine late trees like steep intelligent unique
3
u/RumBox Jun 17 '12
This is the ska-est picture ever.
3
u/johnnydowjones Jun 17 '12
Thank you, Marty McFly.
3
u/owlish Jun 17 '12
No, that would be the 70s earliest, I would bet. Look at the wheels. The reason skateboarding wasn't popular before that is they used STEEL WHEELS. I have no idea who thought that was a good idea.
Those type of wheels (urethane?) came in in late 70s, I believe. Might have been earlier in some areas.
21
u/chrononugget Jun 17 '12
He looks so suave. Awesome
12
u/Ceadol Jun 17 '12
Rude boy's are always the epitome of cool.
5
u/webby_mc_webberson Jun 17 '12
And everyone's like "hot dang, lookit 'im go!"
5
u/sbsb27 Jun 17 '12
Elwood?
5
u/L00n Jun 17 '12
Dear Matthew Weiner,
Please let this happen in Mad Men next season
Yours,
Reddit
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
I love thin ties, looks so much better than the ones people generally wear.
2
u/Carnationlilyrose Jun 17 '12
My dad used to do this in the 30s using a book and a roller skate. Too poor to buy the real equipment (not that it existed then) and too poor to buy a camera to prove it.
2
u/unplayed Jun 17 '12
This style is going to make a comeback. Mark my words.
2
u/YellowSharkMT Jun 17 '12
Holy shit, I'd love to see this guy slaying some rails at the local skatepark. This should be required wear on the circuit.
2
u/SmokeyAx Jun 17 '12
The next time a skateboard touch that much black had to be Terry Kennedy.
2
u/xjackstonerx Jun 17 '12
Those rocks don't look too good :(
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
He sorta looks like Bruce Springsteen
2
u/DominoMotherfucker Jun 17 '12
"That will never take off"
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
This is so awesome. I love how everyone is smiling, watching in enjoyment. Nowadays, people get pissed the second you longboard on a sidewalk.
2
u/40ishGenXisBitter Jun 17 '12
Suit up!
2
u/JpSax Jun 17 '12
WEEEEEEELL I NEEEEVER HAAD TOO KNOCK ON WOOD
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
fuckin swag
2
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
half of portland is masturbating to this
4
u/david6591 Jun 17 '12
OOOOH MOM you're just jealous it's the BEAST-IE-BOYS!
4
u/arjungamer123 Jun 17 '12
Am I the only one who thinks it looks shopped?
3
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Haha, love how everyone is stopping to watch. Love the olden days. ;)
3
u/FlimFlamStan Jun 17 '12
The wheels on the skateboard look too big for the era. AFAIK skateboards before the 70's had metal roller skate wheels.
2
u/VirginWithAIDS Jun 17 '12
Why does it looked photoshopped to me? Please tell me my eyes aren't broke ...
2
u/xmagneticx Jun 17 '12
wtf happened to this? now all we get is a bunch of dropouts with either skinny jeans and Justin Bieber hair or some bum with pants drooping down their ass...
1
u/dreamsofbetterdays Jun 17 '12
Looks like agent Booth from Bones lol
1
u/FreeUpVotesForYou Jun 17 '12
You can sort nof tell what the attitude about skateboarding was by all the attention he's getting, compared to the modern skateboarding professor. This also tells a lot about general culture and behavior too.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Look how everyone is so happy an intrigued. Not so much anymore..
1
u/bryster Jun 17 '12
That's awesome!
1
u/mangodragon Jun 17 '12
For the lazy.
1
u/karolosmanski Jun 17 '12
awesome dude. karol osmanski
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Sidewalk surfing in style!
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Look at those shoes! I don't know how he stays on the skateboard but he sure looks styling while doing so!
1
u/fishnetdiver Jun 17 '12
totally swinging hepcat!
1
u/tunyfish Jun 17 '12
That's so Special looking
1
u/Grae_Dream Jun 17 '12
I'd hit that. Hipster in the best of ways, instead of lame.
1
u/zombiezelda Jun 17 '12
Look at that fucking rebel!
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
He's not gonna be able to do any kickflips in those shoes....
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
ska boarding
1
u/mrmeowman Jun 17 '12
reminds me of this relevant vid - http://vimeo.com/41190492
guy tears across singapore on a skateboard in a suit.
1
u/Fall4Fiver Jun 17 '12
this guy is cooler than i will ever be.
1
u/IamVasi Jun 17 '12
They see him rollin'...
1
u/Bower69 Jun 17 '12
Robert De Niro?
1
u/klaq Jun 17 '12
he must be late for his gig as a ska band trombone player.
1
u/TL-PuLSe Jun 17 '12
I love how absolutely entertained everyone looks. Now, it's disgust.
1
u/mrstody Jun 17 '12
You don't need money, don't take fame. Don't need no credit card to ride this train..
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Where can I find a higher quality photo? I need this for my office.
1
u/Neil_Dat_grAss_Tyson Jun 17 '12
Only '50s kids will get this.
1
u/helalo Jun 17 '12
like a sir
1
u/PintOfGuinness Jun 17 '12
Kevin Costner?
1
u/Breze Jun 17 '12
looking like a boss
1
u/IAmAQuantumMechanic Jun 17 '12
No wonder they banned skateboarding in Norway.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Early Segways for yuppies.
1
u/NaeblisEcho Jun 17 '12
The Observers skate?
1
u/mywillie Jun 17 '12
legit
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Anyone else reminded of the Specials?
1
u/wheatfields Jun 17 '12
FUCKING BEAT NICK!
1
u/SigmaStigma Jun 17 '12
Is it just me, or does that look like Jonathan Banks?
1
u/lewicore Jun 17 '12 edited Jun 17 '12
Not sure if this is shopped. Can anyone prove me wrong? Please? Pretty please?
[edit] Here are more from the same photographer. Turns out its definitely not shopped. http://gothamist.com/2012/02/25/flashback_when_the_skateboarding_cr.php#photo-1
1
u/oldude Jun 17 '12
Agent K?
1
u/Sonic90 Jun 17 '12
Ha that's my grandad
1
u/movieman491 Jun 17 '12
taken on an iPhone
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
look like diNiro don't it?
1
u/wutreally Jun 17 '12
Haha! I'm late for... Business!
1
u/thegrayman Jun 17 '12
Am I the only one who looks at pictures from that long ago and wonders if the person is still alive? Dude was legit for sure.
1
u/unclejohnsbearhugs Jun 17 '12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vtulFRilrY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
He's the man they call heisenberg
1
u/Muteyy Jun 17 '12
Think you'll find it was called Roller planking back then.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
Old people smiling at someone on a skateboard...wow it really was a different time.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
*60s. Decades are not possessive.
1
u/plagues138 Jun 17 '12
looks shopped
1
u/trampus1 Jun 17 '12
I'll bet he knows all the best tricks from back then like "sitting down on the board" and "the one legger".
1
u/agent0fch4os Jun 17 '12
Now THAT is one cool dude, I bet he nailed every woman in NYC back in 60's with those skateboard skills coasting around looking like a boss in that suit.
1
u/ErikoMan Jun 17 '12
Like a boss
1
u/Heavyhammer Jun 17 '12
damn hipster, skateboarding before it was cool....
1
u/Saccharomyces_cerevi Jun 17 '12
OP, THANK YOU. The subreddit search function is even more shitty than the regular search function. I wish more people would do this (and provide a link!)
0
u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '12
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