Before it became a multibillion-dollar empire, skateboarding was simply a productive way for surfers to wait out a dry spell.
"Arthur's Attitude (Arthur Lake), Kenter Canyon Elementary," 1976. Hugh Holland
"Hollywood Local," 1976. Hugh Holland
"In Your Face (Jay Adams), Kenter Canyon," 1976. Jay Adams was an original member of team Zephyr. He died in 2014. Hugh Holland
“Hardstanding on the beach. Danny Kwock, Balboa,” 1975.Hugh Holland
"Hangin' in Balboa," 1975. Hugh Holland
"South Bay Gang," 1975. Hugh Holland
"Asphalt Angel, Kenter Canyon," 1976.Hugh Holland
“Reach out,” 1976.Hugh Holland
"Stacy Peralta Ripping at Coldwater Canyon Pool," 1977. One year later, Stacy Peralta would become one of the founders of Powell-Peralta, the company that would later give us the Bones Brigade, another groundbreaking team that brought much attention to the sport. Hugh Holland
"Jesus Saves, Marina Del Ray," 1977.Hugh Holland
"I'll be on the street," 1975.Hugh Holland
"Sidewalk Surfer, Huntington Beach," 1976. Hugh Holland
“Last light at Kenter Canyon,” 1976.Hugh Holland
"Tube Socks on Board, Marina Del Rey Skate Park," 1977. Hugh Holland
“Green coping,” 1976.Hugh Holland
"Carlsbad Skate Park," January 1977. One of the first skate parks to open its gates. Hugh Holland
"Schoolyard Invasion, Brentwood," 1976. Hugh Holland
"Collision on the Ramp, Redondo Beach Pier," 1975.Hugh Holland
"Skate Snack, Del Mar," 1975. Hugh Holland
"Over the Light, Santa Monica," 1976.Hugh Holland
"Left Turn Only, Orange County," 1975. Hugh Holland
"Sidewalk Surfer Pit Stop, Huntington Beach," 1975. Hugh Holland
"Skate Contest Spectators, Torrance," 1975.Hugh Holland
"Team Line-Up," 1970s. Hugh Holland
"Flying Bull on the Ramp," 1975. Hugh Holland
"Del Mar Daffy," 1975. Hugh Holland
"Canyon Sunset Ride, Hollywood Hills," 1975. Hugh Holland
"The Viper," 1976. Hugh Holland
"Solo, Kenter Canyon Elementary," 1976. Hugh Holland
"Off the Wall Reach," 1976. Hugh Holland
"He Shreds this Pool," 1977. Hugh Holland
"Dog Day Down, Kenter Canyon Elementary," 1976. Hugh Holland
It was 1975 when Hugh Holland happened upon a gang of skateboarders cruising the drainage ditches of Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles, California. Holland knew he had found the next subject of his photographic endeavors.
Holland would go on to capture images of the sport, along with its accompanying culture, over the next three years. His timing couldn't have been better: Skateboarding, once an activity for surfers who wanted to get their adrenaline going when the ocean just wasn't supplying it, was well on its way to becoming the nearly $5 billion empire it is today.
High demand for the exploding sport meant that skate parks started popping up all over California -- and the rest of the country -- at around this time period. But given the risks that come with the sport, liability insurance premiums were high, and many of the parks struggled to stay open. Thus, boarding in a neighbor's empty pool became a popular alternative.
Before Holland bade adieu to skateboarding, he captured the careful choreography of Zephyr team (the Z-boys) members -- including legendary skateboarders Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, and Jay Adams -- at a time when skate tricks were not something you memorized but made.
For more, check out our collection of female skateboarders from the 1970s and the world's most extreme sports.
