Dogtown and Z-boys

1975 and in a slum area of Santa Monica, California, was located a rough neighbourhood know as Dogtown. In Dogtown, twelve teenage friends, many from broken homes, zealously surfed their dilapidated well-protected turf. Known as the Zephyr Boys - or Z-Boys for short - these teenage boys and one girl, applied their well-honed surfing skills to skateboarding and a fad that had all but died out was reborn. Fuelled by competitive drive and pushing each other to perform increasingly daring feats, the crew were inspired when a chronic drought left innumerable swimming pools empty. It was in these empty pools that the Z-Boys skated (illegally) and devised unheard of manoeuvres, revolutionising the sport. When “Skateboarder” magazine chronicled their audacious adventures, fame and notoriety beckoned. Whilst competing in the revived National Skateboarder Championships, the tricks performed wowed those present and the Z-Boys ruled. This documentary uses extensive stills and footage from the era (some of it quite astounding) and intersperses it with contemporary interviews with the Z-boys, who reminisce about their glory days and the forces that shaped their destiny. MTV style editing, a plenitude of vintage material and a rocking soundtrack (including Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin The Stooges and Jimi Hendrix) makes for great viewing.