STEREO SKATEBOARDS - Will Skate for Food

[ german version of this article you'll find exclusive in the printed issue 3 / 05 of stw2d! ]

Stereo first appeared on my radar around 1993, a year after Jason Lee and Chris Pastras both started what is now known as the creative saviour of skateboarding.
In 1992 skateboarding was heading towards its last dip in terms of creativity and individualism, the mainstream was seriously digging its claws into the sport and pants were becoming ridiculously large. Well, like in a comic book when times are at their worst, Stereo came to the rescue and reminded us all what skating was all about and brought back the cruising attitude to it all. It reminded us all skateboarding wasn’t about having a huge posse and running pretending to be in NWA’s newest video but about hitting a pool and sessioning it for hours, then going home, crackin’ open a can a beer, callin’ your buddies and getting out your sketch books. They brought back the tighter pants, the larger wheels and the artist independence and forward thinking that made skating so special. Jason Lee left in 1996 to become a successful Hollywood actor in films such as “Almost Famous”, “Dogma”, “Mall-Rats”, “Vanilla Sky” and “Chasing Amy” whilst Chris continued to spread the mission. During the late 90s Stereo kept on appearing on the screen with edgy, jazz orientated funk pieces in 411 and Thrasher and kept the flame, albeit a small one, burning. Unfortunately for us all, Stereo called it quits in 2000. However, and luckily for us all, Jason dusted off his old board which, of course, led to the re-birth of cool. Kinda like Miles, just newer.

Today, the Stereo Sound Agency is back in full swing, Jason is back on board, and Stereo to unceremoniously kick their attitude back in our consciousness, as we obviously need. Skateboarding seems to have gone full circle again since the early 90s, and like the great comic book hero, Stereo is back. Matt Irving of the Delphi Collective is board as creative director as well and his amazing artistic abilities suiting Stereo’s output better than anything before. If they are not too busy setting up one of their art exhibitions, or partying with their fellow WE skaters on some Swedish beaches, they occasionally go out skating. Their current team just reinforces the message they want to put: Clint Peterson, Olly Todd, Daniel Shimizu and Benny Fairwax all skate stereo. Currently representing their style is their new team video “Way Out East” which I can only more than recommend, great skating, great soundtrack and spots that you make you wish you weren’t sitting in your office right now.

Text: Steven Vogel
www.stereoskateboarding.com