Skateboarding Reviews - Videos & DVDs

This retro gem isn't the slick Strange Notes DVDs you find free at local skate shops or packed with your sk8 mag subscription. Nope. These are the ancient ones that were used as promos for Santa Cruz and Santa Monica Airlines products in the late 80's... on VHS. They pre-date the onslaught of DVD technology (btw: screw Blu-ray & HD DVD - these dicks want to start a format war NOW?).

This DVD features the first six Strange Notes promos. The format is similar to the ones you see to day, but hailing from 1989 - 1990 they sink you into a prior era of skateboarding with all the fanfare of rock-star images and over the top hype - all good fun - and a ton of awesome skating.

Each issue is only 10 - 15 minutes long, but when you string 6 of them together it's a cool disc. They open with Evel Knievel bailing on the landing ramp of a motorcycle jump. Shot in montage format, you get a lot of skating, product promos and shouting. Yeah, it was a loud era and it shows on this DVD.

The product promos are awesome. All the old t-shirt designs await sales in large bins and 10" decks abound - everywhere! It's an old schooler's paradise... as long as you're down with Santa Cruz and SMA.

A few things that stuck out in my mind was hearing Kiss' Great Expectations cranking in the background of a ramp session and check out the text overlays they used. Desktop video has come a long way. Throughout many of the eps, the text-on-video is a thin Courier-looking font. You wouldn't be caught dead with that look today... or even a decade ago! Retro rules. Check out this disc... even though you have to pay for it.

This retro gem isn't the slick Strange Notes DVDs you find free at local skate shops or packed with your sk8 mag subscription. Nope. These are the ancient ones that were used as promos for Santa Cruz and Santa Monica Airlines products in the late 80's... on fucking VHS. They pre-date the onslaught of DVD technology (btw: screw Blu-ray & HD DVD - these dicks want to start a format war NOW?).

This DVD features the first six Strange Notes promos. The format is similar to the ones you see to day, but hailing from 1989 - 1990 they sink you into a prior era of skateboarding with all the fanfare of rock-star images and over the top hype - all good fun - and a ton of awesome skating.

Each issue is only 10 - 15 minutes long, but when you string 6 of them together it's a cool disc. They open with Evel Knievel bailing on the landing ramp of a motorcycle jump. Shot in montage format, you get a lot of skating, product promos and shouting. Yeah, it was a loud era and it shows on this DVD.

The product promos are fucking awesome. All the old t-shirt designs await sales in large bins and 10" decks abound - everywhere! It's an old schooler's paradise... as long as you're down with Santa Cruz and SMA.

A few things that stuck out in my mind was hearing Kiss' Great Expectations cranking in the background of a ramp session and check out the text overlays they used. Desktop video has come a long fucking way. Throughout many of the eps, the text-on-video is a thin Courier-looking font. You wouldn't be caught dead with that shit today... or even a decade ago! Retro rules. Check out this disc... even though you have to fucking pay for it.