Push: J. Grant Brittain - '80s Skateboarding Photography

Description

The dynamic images from the analog era found in PUSH demonstrate why Grant Brittain has become one of the most widely-recognized skateboard photographers on the planet. Brittain has been at the epicenter of California skateboarding since landing a job at Del Mar Skate Ranch in 1978. Brittain started shooting Kodachrome at Del Mar in 1979, and within a few years he was submitting photographs to TransWorld Skateboarding magazine, going on to become Photo Editor there shortly thereafter. In 1987, "The Push," a photo of Tod Swank made the cover of TransWorld, becoming one of the most recognizable photos in all of skateboarding. J Grant Brittain has mentored dozens of budding photographers while achieving the status of icon to skateboarders around the world. It's high time the world gets a chance to see this collection of his work from the 1980s that has inspired so many. PUSH includes a foreword by Tony Hawk, an introduction by Miki Vuckovich and a fold-out timeline by Garry Scott Davis.

Grant Brittain picked up a camera at the age of 25 and started shooting his friends at the Del Mar Skate Ranch. The "Ranch" was a skatepark in a small beach town north of San Diego, California that he managed in the early 1980s, and it was there that he honed his photographic skills. In 1983, Grant was asked to contribute skate photos to the premiere issue of TransWorld SKATEboarding magazine and became its founding Photo Editor and Senior Photographer. The photographs selected for PUSH: J. Grant Brittain - 80s Skateboarding Photography were captured during this exciting early period of J. Grant Brittain's photography career. The world knows Tony Hawk as a legendary skateboarder, entrepreneur, and founder of The Skatepark Project. By 14 he'd turned pro, and by 16 was considered the best competitive skateboarder on earth. A World Champion for 12 years in a row, he remains the most recognized action-sports figure in the world. Tony's business skills have helped create a Tony Hawk brand that includes a billion-dollar video game franchise (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2). Also in his portfolio are Hawk Clothing apparel company, Birdhouse Skateboards and the Tony Hawk Signature Series sporting goods and toys. Tony's autobiography, HAWK -- Occupation: Skateboarder, was a New York Times bestseller. Miki Vuckovich took a photo class with high-school friend Tony Hawk in 1982. Soon, Tony focused more on skateboarding, and Miki focused more on the camera. In 1985 his first published image appeared in Thrasher Magazine, though he went on to join the TransWorld SKATEboarding photo staff, shooting the sport and culture around the globe. In 2002 he left the magazine world, dabbled in video production, then spent the next decade and a half serving as Executive Director of the Tony Hawk Foundation, helping his friend build free public skateparks in under-resourced communities across the U.S. Since 2020, Miki is Director Of Development at USA Skateboarding, where he helps the national organization bring skateboarding to more kids and seeks the funding to make that happen. Garry Scott Davis (aka GSD) moved from Ohio to California in 1982 drawn by the skateboarding scene. Davis went on to invent the Boneless One trick and publish the long-running 'zine Skate Fate. The first pro model street deck was a a GSD put out by Tracker. He was editor of TransWorld Skateboarding from 1983-1987 and then the Art Director from 1988-1992. While the word legendary is often thrown about loosely, Garry Scott Davis unquestionably fits the bill.