Mark Gonzales hippy jumpin’ on a longboard in the latest issue of Transworld Skateboarding Magazine. Photos of Skin Phillips’ photos: Marcus Bandy.
Transworld Skateboard Magazine just released their top 30 Most Influential Skaters Of All Time and Mark Gonzales tops off their list at #1. And guess what? The Gonz loves riding everything, including longboards. In fact he’s been riding longboards for longer than many of you have been alive. Here’s a quote from the interview when he’s asked if he still thinks skateboarding is cool:
“Of course it is. You have these guys now who ride these boards that don’t have any tails on them and they’re made for going through traffic and have super soft wheels and this is growing. . . This type of skateboarding is being as popular as fixed gear bikes, and that’s funny.”
Note the word choice when he talks about “this type of skateboarding“. The Gonz knows what’s up y’all!
Anyway, It’s not often that the “cool kids” will run a shot of longboarding in their magazines (unless to make fun of some kookiness), so it’s rad to see this shot of the most influential skater of all time, the Gonz, getting hippy-dippy on a big and strange looking shredsled. Hell yeah!
What does this all mean? Who knows? Only time will tell. One thing that you can count on though is that Wheelbase will continue to support longboarding—because like the Gonz—we think it’s a badass way to ride skateboards.
Please also check out this classic shot of the Gonz and Jason Jesse (another legend) getting rad on longboards back in the December 1992 issue of Transworld Skateboard Magazine. To put this image into perspective: Sector 9 started in 1993.
As seen in the Dec 1992 issue of TWS Magazine. Mark Gonzales & Jason Jesse shredding on longboards. Photo of Daniel Harold Sturt’s photo: Marcus Bandy.
Random fact: that woman jogging in the background is not some random pedestrian, she’s there on purpose.
You have our attention—do tell. Did Sturt have her do that? And how did you catch wind? Interesting.
Such a bold comment requires a credible follow-up in order to retain any sort of legitimacy. Come on Max—you know this.
Gonz is hands down the man. thank you for all of your influence.
Most defiantly the man. The past and future of skateboarding