Skateboard Video: Archiving the City from Below

This book explores skateboarding video as an archive of the city from below, documenting urban space, subaltern histories, and the perspectives of skateboarders and filmmakers. It advocates for taking skate video seriously as a valuable source of information about urban culture, practices, and encounters.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 157 pages
Publication date: 22 September 2022
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

This captivating book delves into the realm of skateboard video and offers innovative perspectives on urban exploration. It makes a thought-provoking assertion by proposing that skate videos can be regarded as an invaluable archive of the city from a unique vantage point—one that captures the essence of urban spaces from the ground up. The term "below" in this context carries two distinct meanings. Firstly, it refers to an unofficial and subaltern history of urban spaces, highlighting the stories and experiences of marginalized communities often overlooked by mainstream narratives. Secondly, it signifies the perspective from which skateboarders and filmmakers observe, capture, and engage with the city, offering a fresh and dynamic viewpoint.

Since its emergence on the streets in the early 1980s, skateboarding has been meticulously documented through various forms of media, including film, video tape, and digital memory cards. These recordings have undergone meticulous editing, shaping them into consumable formats that have been disseminated worldwide. Skate videos, in particular, possess the unique ability to be analyzed from an ethnographic perspective, providing valuable insights into the cultural practices, social dynamics, and urban experiences of skateboarders. At the same time, they serve as valuable archives of urban ethnography, capturing the creative endeavors, collaborative efforts, and personal narratives of the individuals involved in their production.

In advocating for the serious consideration of skate video as an archive of the urban backstage, collective memory across time and space, creative urban practice, urban encounters (both between people and objects), and the globalization of a subculture that is simultaneously rebellious and magnificent, the book makes a compelling case. It encourages readers to embrace skate videos as rich sources of knowledge and understanding, offering a fresh lens through which to explore the complexities and diversity of urban life. By doing so, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the role of skateboarding in shaping the urban landscape and the diverse voices and perspectives that contribute to its vibrant tapestry.

Weight: 233g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789811657016
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021