“mark gonzales was one of the guys who truly shaped the world of skateboarding. he brought creativity, art and style into the sport. his video parts are art. his art is incredible! and today is his birthday: happy birthday gonz! catlin, on oahu, hawaii circa ’80s. shot on a good old polaroid” —Mark Oblow
Mark Gonzales, Oahu, Circa 1980 Back Den 041
Pool skating in the ’80s Back Den 067
“when i was a kid growing up in hawaii in the early 80’s my back yard pool addiction started. there is so much that goes into this that people have no idea about. first, the hunt. you need to find the pool. then the stake out to see if the owners are home and when…
Ozzy Osbourne, 2010 Back Den 066
“i got the chance to shoot ozzy in his home in la, 2010. that was a big one for me, shooing ozzy and not for a client but for myself. i was tripping out setting up the lighting looking around in his office at his stuff thinking to myself black fucking sabbath!!!!” —Mark Oblow
Dylan Rieder and Chippa Wilson in Hawaii, 2012 Back Den 065
“dylan rieder and chippa wilson talking to stefan janoski not shown on the north shore, oahu 2012. this was from the last analog shoot that never got used except in what youth! we had such a blast. shot on leica m9, 50m.” —Mark Olbow
Kelly Slater, 2002 Back Den 064
“there is a breaking point in every man. if you have ever put on a wetsuit then you will know what a pain in the ass it is. well try doing a wetsuit studio photo shoot where there are racks of them. here’s the side of kelly slater that you rarely see, but if you…
Stefan Janoski, Circa 2007 Back Den 063
“stefan janoski circa 2007. these were shot when we first left quiksilver and were starting analog. i was so happy that i could use black & white film again. it was like we were finally out of high school, and free to do what we wanted. shot with toyo-field 45 cf 4×5 camera, polaroid film.”…
Jeff Lenoce, Andrew Reynolds, Mike Maldonado, and Brian Anderson, Europe late 90’s Back Den 062
“smoke break, jeff lenoce , andrew renolds, mike maldonado, and brian anderson. “what a fucking ripping crew!” any way you could break away from the scene and get a few minutes of you time was so needed. i think this was at a europe contest circa late 90’s yashica t-4″ —Mark Oblow
Tommy Guerrero Back Den 061
“tommy guerrero pops a frontside ollie at pipeline bowls with steve caballero and jesse martinez going back up for another run. this spot was a lot harder then it looks tommy just makes it look like nothing. they ended up ripping this ditch out, such a bummer. 80’s hawaii kai, hawaii, shot on canon ae-1.”…
Deanna Templeton, Vancouver, circa late ’90s Back Den 060
“behind every great man stands a great woman, and deanna templeton is more than great. her photos “all shot on film” are so real — her shots traveling the world to the nudes in her swimming pool. i’ve been friends with her for a long time and i admire her work and her friendship. check it…
Heath Kirchart double black eye, circa late ’90s Back Den 059
“heath kirchart showed up on tour with one black eye from his roommate’s elbow. later tim oconnor decided he wanted a black eye too, and so did jason dill, and of course i wanted one — but all i got was a fat lip from heath. heath ended the night letting one of the girls…
Dylan Rieder and Mark Oblow, France, Circa 2000 Back Den 058
“dylan and me in an elevador in marseille france, for a bowl riders contest circa 2000. we have known each other for a long, long, time and traveled the world together, all because of skateboarding. the friendships i’ve made riding my surfboard or skateboard are priceless! i’m very thankful. contax t-3, 35mm kodak 400.” —Mark…
Drake Jones and Bryce Kanights, Circa 1995 Back Den 057
“drake jones and bryce kanights at a contest circa 1995. bryce was such a big influence on me shooting photos and skateboarding. he is a bad ass photographer as well as a ripping pro. showing me you don’t need to choose just one. thanks bk!” —Mark Oblow
Craig Anderson, Dylan Rieder and Austyn Gillette on the Huf Tour in Hawaii Back Den 056
“i was lucky to be on the huf tour in hawaii with these boys last week. it makes me very proud to see the respect these guys have for each other. skateboarders and surfers not only getting along like brothers, but truly sweating what each other does on their boards, having an open mind and…