Surfing, Skateboarding, Music, Photography, Travel, Culture and general antics of the youth on the run.

The Quik shoot Back Den 117 with Tyler Newton, Mark Healey, Danny Fuller and Ola Eleogram

what youth back den with mark oblow mark healey danny fuller ola eleogram

“i had to shoot the retro shorts campaign for quiksilver way back. this is when trunks were long as fuck so these shores were super short. i had an idea of taking them into the cane fields and shooting them the OG way back when the quik boys were hard as fuck. circa back den, north shore, oahu.” —Mark Oblow

Christian Hosoi and Dave Duncan carve the walls of pipeline bowls in Hawaii Kai.

Christian Hosoi and Dave Duncan carve the walls of pipeline bowls in Hawaii Kai Back Den 091

“this photo reminds me so much of a photo of two surfers carving down the face of a wave. christian hosoi and dave duncan carve the walls of pipeline bowls — a spot that sat in a valley in hawaii kai. kevin thatcher snap away as i sit and poach off his shoulder, tommy g walking back…

what youth back den mark oblow dylan rieder

Dylan Rieder, London 2010 Back Den 090

“if your life is all about skateboarding then i hope you’re ready to bleed. dylan rieder bleeds, and skateboarding is all about him. london, 201o.” —Mark Oblow

what youth back den mark gonzales

Mark Gonzales, Oahu, Circa ’80s Back Den 089

“being on the same team as the gone (‘vision’ in the ’80s) was better then getting your boxes. skateboarding with the gonz in the ’80s was a gift from the gods. mark gonzales pops an ollie at catlin on oahu. shot on polaroid camera.” —Mark Oblow

what youth back den mark oblow jason lee skateboarding

Jason Lee and Bo Ikeda, Oahu, Circa 1989 Back Den 088

“jason lee pivots as bo ikeda waves hello. palolo valley, oahu. circa 89′ shot on canon AE-1, 50mm. olden days were always about fun.” —Mark Oblow

what youth back den mark oblow

Jeff Kendal, Santa Cruz, Mid 80’s Back Den 087

“don’t be sad its monday, monday means a new back den. jeff kendal gets sad at the then remaining parts of the sequel sk8park santa cruz, ca. mid 80’s” —Mark Oblow

what youth christian hosoi back den mark oblow skateboarding hawaii

Christian Hosoi, Hawaii Circa 1986 Back Den 086

“christian hosoi skating off the walls in hawaii kai, on oahu hawaii. with steve caballero pressed against the fence laughing. tracy matsuda and gibo in da back. this was my home spot that is in the middle of the valley that sits above sandy beach. circa ’86 shot on a canon ae-1, 50 mm lens.”…

what youth mark oblow back den austyn gillette

Austyn Gillette, Costa Mesa 2016 Back Den 085

“i always love when my friends surprise me with a visit. austyn had just got back from Oz, picked up his dog from his brother and made a lil stop over at his old dogs for some stories, laughs and some art. i love my friends. austyn gillette shot at studio 35hm on 3/14/2016 with…

what youth back den dylan rieder reese forbes skateboarding

Reese Forbes and Dylan Rieder, Africa Back Den 084

“reese forbes and dylan rieder in a f r i c a…  mother earth. i must say this trip was a bit of a life changer for all of us. we met the best people, surfed the wave pool. we all slightly hallucinated from the vaccines while on safari. reese saved our bus driver from…

what youth back den mark oblow christian fletcher

Christian Fletcher 2002 Back Den 083

“christian fletcher taking a break after sk8ing his runs at the quikcup circa 2002. this was a contest that was surf, sk8boarding and snowboarding. the Fletcher’s were a dominating force for sure. shot on a contax t-3, with kodak nc 40.” —Mark Oblow

what youth omar salazar and danny fuller back den mark oblow photography

Omar Salazar and Danny Fuller, Puerto Rico, 2005 Back Den 082

“in July 2005 we went to puerto rico for a shoot. omar saw this refrigerator and decided to tail drop off it. when he went to climb up it the thing started to fall. have no fear brada fuller is here! one handed hold down. you can always get by with a little help from…

what youth back den skateboarding balthazar

Troy Von Balthazar, Hawaii circa 1980’s Back Den 081

“don’t be sad it’s monday. @troyvonbalthazar is as sad as can be. hawaii circa 80’s. shot on canon ae1, 50mm lens.” —Mark Oblow

what youth back den mark oblow erika saxon

Erika Saxon Back Den 080

“it’s monday “back den day” a fresh new week ahead of you, have yourself a beer and a smoke. if you don’t drink or smoke, have a green juice and cinnamon toothpick. we make art not war. erika saxon.” —Mark Oblow

Sign up for letters from What Youth


By enabling this page, you are acknowledging and accepting our privacy terms and conditions.