Impossible

Rodney Mullen, Ryan Sheckler, And The Fantastic History Of Skateboarding

By: Cole Louison

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Paperback | 19 July 2011

At a Glance

Paperback
272 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.8 x 23.4 x 1.9

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Skateboarding: the background, technicality, culture, rebellion, marketing, conflict, and future of the global sport as seen through two of its most influential geniuses

Since it all began half a century ago, skateboarding has come to mystify some and to mesmerize many, including its tens of millions of adherents throughout America and the world. And yet, as ubiquitous as it is today, its origins, manners, and methods are little understood.

The Impossible aims to get skateboarding right. Journalist Cole Louison gets inside the history, culture, and major personalities of skating. He does so largely by recounting the careers of the sport’s Yoda—Rodney Mullen, who, in his mid-forties, remains the greatest skateboarder in the world, the godfather of all modern skateboarding tricks—and its Luke Skywalker—Ryan Sheckler, who became its youngest pro athlete and a celebrity at thirteen. The story begins in the 1960s, when the first boards made their way to land in the form of off-season surfing in southern California. It then follows the sport’s spikes, plateaus, and drops—including its billion-dollar apparel industry and its connection with art, fashion, and music.

In The Impossible, we come to know intimately not only skateboarding, but also two very different, equally fascinating geniuses who have shaped the sport more than anyone else.

Industry Reviews

âDavid Foster Wallace on a skateboard.â â" GQ

âWith its infectious enthusiasm, precise lyricism, and rigorous deeply-felt reporting, the book brings to life the sportâs historical roots, its cultural significance, and most of all, its artistic possibilities. I was hooked from the start. â"Ian Crouch, The New Yorker

âThe last time I thought seriously about professional skateboarders, I was hoping to become one. This book blew it wide open for me. Until now, only obsessive freaks had any idea how interesting this sport is. And even obsessive freaks should stick around for the tale Louison has so lucidly spun. â"John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of Blood Horses and Pulphead

âIâd never so much as stood on a board, let alone heard the names Sheckler and Mullen, but I found myself entranced by the fascinating cultural movement they created. The Impossible is a universal story, told in imminently readable fashion by a tremendously talented writer." --Michael Koryta, New York Times best-selling author of The Ridge and Those Who Wish Me Dead

âThe book provides a deep and nuanced insight into how contemporary skateboarding has evolved and where it will go. It honors the beauty, danger, and complexity of the sport, and lays bare its physical and psychological demands, and greatness. The Impossible is some of the finest writing on skating Iâve seen. I read it in one sitting." â"Bret Anthony Johnston, best-selling author of Corpus Christi and Remember Me Like This

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Sports & Recreation Skating & Rollerblading Extreme Sports Active Outdoor Pursuits

There's This Kid	p. 1
An Easy History of Skateboarding, Then another one	p. 11
Rodney Mullen's Genius Roots and Femoral Anteversion	p. 24
Tony Hawk Doesn't know when he started skating	p. 29
What're Ya Cryin' About	p. 34
Rolling Into Stacy Peralta, and the Strangest Day of My Life	p. 43
Gunite, Snake Runs, and The Late Great ' 70s skateparks	p. 51
Technical Reinvention of The 1970s, or How Mitch Hedberg Did Not Give Urethane Wheels to Emil Hersh In Heath Ledger's Skate Shop	p. 60
Dogtown, Stecyk, and The Business of Skate Media	p. 72
Ollieburgers, a World Championship, and The Skinniest Person I Have Ever Seen	p. 80
Unable to Do Anything, Magic Mountain, v.c.Johnson, and the Chess King	p. 90
The Golden Age of Skateboarding, or Tony Hawk was sixteen in 1984	p. 95
Rodney Invents and Wins Everything, and His Dad Makes Him Quit, Again	p. 109
Natas, Gonz, and The Birth of Street Skating	p. 116
The 1980s End, and Skaters Die and Go to Jail	p. 122
Rodney Nearly Dies in Sweden, and The Beginning of The 1990s	p. 127
Ryan Sheckler Can Kickflip And He's Six Years Old	p. 134
The 1990s Rebirth Of Tech Skating, And Chris Haslam Makes P-Rod Crack Up	p. 143
Waist 66 Jeans And The Rise Of World Industries	p. 151
The Insane Power Of Television	p. 160
Mike v's Greatest Hits, or How Skating's Newfound Success Was Not So successful	p. 172
The Best Skateboarder In The World Is a Seventh Grader	p. 181
Rodney Rids His Body of Scar Tissue, and The First Stanceless Skater	p. 194
Life of Ryan	p. 199
"I Hate Sheckler," and The Exploding of Ryan's Right Foot	p. 209
Healing at The Berrics	p. 219
To Try and Talk to Shaun White and Ryan Sheckler	p. 225
Dew Tour Finals 2010	p. 236
Watching Sheckler Skate	p. 244
Watching Rodney Skate, or Switch Nollie Laserflip at Midnight	p. 254
Many Thanks	p. 261
Notes	p. 262
Sources	p. 278
Index	p. 289
About the Author	p. 298
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Impossible

Rodney Mullen, Ryan Sheckler, And The Fantastic History Of Skateboarding

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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