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Back in the 70s, in a run-down area of Santa Monica, a gang of surfer kids pioneered a new style of skateboarding, reinvigorating the dying hobby and redefining it as a modern urban sport. They called themselves the Z Boys and luckily for us they made home videos of themselves which, spliced with present day interviews and old photos, form the basis of 'skate-umentary' "Dogtown and Z-Boys".
Director Stacy Peralta was one of the original Z-Boys, whose days consisted of surfing and hanging around board shops. With the advent of smoother polyurethane wheels and a lack of things to do out of the water, the Z-Boys created a fluid, surf-influenced style of skateboarding and a pivotal moment in skate history.
Curving round and touching the floor, it was a far cry from the rigid, upright style of older skaters, and with empty swimming pools used as half-pipes, a lot more dangerous. The Z-Boys took their street style to the 1975 games in Del Mar and caused a storm, the youth was hooked and skateboarding is now a multi-million dollar pastime.
Although devoid of objectivity and full of nostalgic comments from the now middle-aged participants, "Dogtown and Z-Boys" has a compelling story to tell. There's no doubting its cultural significance and influence, especially regarding the rising prominence of events like the X Games.
Nonchalantly narrated by Sean Penn, it has a classic soundtrack featuring the likes of David Bowie, Aerosmith, and Jimi Hendrix. But, at 90 minutes and with overlapping material it's not quite so tight during the later moments. Although self-congratulatory in places and subjective pretty much all the way through, you can't fault "Dogtown..." for its enthusiasm and energy.
