Chad Norman » Indianapolis

The 1990 Video

Chad Norman — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 19:53:01 +0000

You know, I got out of the habit of actually writing here despite that being one of the objectives for this project. My main focus was to create a repository for 100% original work. Because of this, I’ve been leaning on my photos…which is fine. But I totally forgot to post the 1990 video!

Huh?

Like all passionate skaters, we practiced self-documentation in ritualistic fashion. We filmed and we shot. We developed, edited, and screened. Guys were forever making sponsorship videos, and we analyzed contest films like fiendish hoops coaches. It was all part of the life.

Every year, my friend Todd and I would boil down a years worth of footage into “The Video.” We had two VCRs, one of which miraculously had an audio overdub feature, and we would spend hours getting our dub-on. After the segments were compiled and the hand drawn/written graphics were added, we slapped some tunes over the top.

I’ve been digitizing and posting these on YouTube for the crew…you can see the 1988 video here (Almost 20 years ago…gulp.) I had some flexibility when I worked on the 1990 video, because we hadn’t yet added the audio. I was able to mix the sounds of the skating with a the music, and this gave it a production quality that was unavailable back in the day.

So in writing this painfully long intro and posting a twenty-year-old video testament to skateboarding’s timelessness, I have pushed myself a little farther along. You poor soul. Here’s the video.

And for the record, the slams video gets watched the most on YouTube.

Dirty Old Contact Sheet

Chad Norman — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 05:12:50 +0000

I’ve been scanning old contact sheets, and this grungy role of skating from downtown Indianapolis looked so cool. The stop bath and fixer are still visible on the paper, and have given it subtle color over the years (this sheet is from around 1989). I was a total slob in the darkroom – a teenage skater working with chemicals in the dark is never a good idea.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure that is Andrew Wood popping off a concrete ledge.

Sunset Ollie

Chad Norman — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 01:31:22 +0000

David Luke, 1989.
End of session ollie into the Carmel High School parking lot.

Sliding the Picnic Table

Chad Norman — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 00:56:34 +0000

David Luke, 1989.
Back when street skating meant shredding a picnic table, not a simulated picnic table.

* image made from scan of contact sheet.

Steven Thompson in 1990

Chad Norman — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 20:27:17 +0000

Here’s a quick video of Steven I threw together last night. The footage is from both Indianapolis and Columbus. Check out a post-McSqueeb Steven shred a picnic table and bust out the goodies during an N-Orbit contest run.