SKBSG

These are only a few of the ams that have been around for long enough to get the nod to turn pro this year. CW from L to R: Grant Taylor for AWS, Justin Brock for Real, Levi Brown for Element, Brandon Westgate for Zoo York and Ben Raybourn for 1031.

 

2009 brought a lot of new dilemmas to skateboarding. But, a lot of good came out of sticky situations. The word "recession" circled around and made pros re-analyize what it meant to be pro. People that hadn't been doing much suddenly appeared, proving why they were pro. Skaters showed up to contests in droves, eager to win. Companies found creative ways to push cool stuff, while holding the thinning industry together. But, most importantly, there was visual proof of a kind of transfer of power from this mythical skate axis we call California to smaller local scenes worldwide. Legends lived, companies cared more, Chris Cole annihilated, new pros arose, Flip dominated, everyone had a Deathwish, Leo Romero went in reverse, some contests got cushy, some got core, girls stepped up, skaters swapped, the world Tilted, we became radioSlaves and "Mindfield" blew minds. Take a look at a photo review of 2009 in 2009 in Review: A Gallery. Enjoy.