The popularity of skateboarding exploded in the early 1990s with the release of several classic skateboarding documentaries including Dogtown and Z-Boys and The Bones Brigade. These films showcased the incredible talent of the skateboarders at that time and helped to popularize the sport around the world.
More recently, there have been a number of great skateboarding movies released, including The Search for Animal Chin and Lords of Dogtown. These films tell the story of how skateboarding has evolved over the years and showcase some of the best skaters in the world.
If you’re looking for a good skateboarding movie to watch, these are definitely some great options.
A great way to get better as a skateboarder is to see exactly how the pros do it. We’ve compiled a list of over 30 of the best skateboarding movies, documentaries, and fiction films to inspire you. Your demo could be one more skate session away. Sit back, relax, and watch the pros.
Alien Workshop Mind Field (2009)
IMDb score: 9.8/10
Runtime: 60 minutes
Directed by: Greg Hunt
Featuring: Arto Saari, Steve Berra, Josh Kalis, AVE, Mikey Taylor, Heath Kirchart, and Jason Dill
Filmed and produced between 2005-2009, Mind Field is the fourth full-length video by AWS. This is an authentic document of the team’s talent and eclectic personalities. A film that no skater should miss out on.
Enjoi: Bag of Suck (2006)
IMDb score: 9.2/10
Runtime: 46 minutes
Directed by: Matt Eversole and Kyle Camarillo
Featuring: Louie Barletta, Caswell Berry, Clark Hassler, Jerry Hsu, and Jose Rojo
Enjoi: Bag Of Suck is anything but sucky. Enjoi Skateboards’ video features Jerry Hsu, Louie Barletta, Caswell Berry, and the rest of the Enjoi team.
Cheese and Crackers (2006)
IMDb score: 9.0/10
Runtime: 25 minutes
Directed by: no credit
Featuring: Chris Haslam, Daewon Song, Cooper Wilt, Lewis Marnell, James Craig, Luis Cruz, and Socrates Leal
Almost Skateboards presents Cheese and Crackers, a mini ramp extravaganza featuring Daewon Song and Chris Haslam.
Santa Cruz: Wheels Of Fire (1987)
IMDb score: 8.8/10
Runtime: 42 minutes
Directed by: Scott Dittrich
Featuring: Micke Alba, Steve Alba, Rick De Montrond, Mike Goldman, Claus Grabke, Jeff Grosso, Christian Hosoi, and many others.
Wheels Of Fire is the first feature film by Santa Cruz. It features skateboarding legends Christian Hosoi, Natas Kaupas, Steve Alba, and many more. The video is recorded entirely on Super 8 and features slo-mo photography that raises skateboarding to such a level that one can still appreciate it over thirty years later.
Propeller (2015)
IMDb score: 8.6/10
Runtime: 63 minutes
Directed by: Greg Hunt
Featuring: Andrew Allen, Tony Alva, Ray Barbee, and many others
Vans introduced their highly-anticipated feature film, Propeller. A documentary about some of the biggest names in skateboarding, as well as appearances from legends and skateboarding pioneers. Propeller is a comprehensive snapshot into the modern skateboarding world that only Vans could deliver.
Fully Flared (2007)
IMDb score: 8.5/10
Runtime: 89 minutes
Directed by: Ty Evans, Spike Jonze, and Cory Weincheque
Featuring: Brandon Biebel, Danny Brady, MikeMo Capaldi, Mike Carroll, Jesus Fernandez, Cairo Foster, J.B. Gillet, and many others
Fully Flared is an extravagant skateboard film featuring the Lakai team. This skate video was filmed over four years and was definitely worth the wait.
Yeah Right! (2003)
IMDb score: 8.4/10
Runtime: 71 minutes
Directed by: Ty Evans and Spike Jonze
Featuring: Richard Angelides, Stephen Berra, Brandon Biebel, Mike Blabac, Steven Cales, Mike Carroll, Jason Dill, and many others.
Yeah Right! is a skateboarding video created by Girl Skateboards in 2003. This is considered one of the most influential skateboarding videos of all time and rightly so.
The Work of Director Spike Jonze (2003)
IMDb score: 8.4/10
Runtime: 200 minutes
Directed by: Spike Jonze, Lance Bangs, Roman Coppola, and Kim Gordon
Featuring: Mark Gonzales, Lauren Curry, Rico Bueno, Gavin Scott, Rick Howard, Spike Jonze, and many more
The Work of Director Spike Jonze tells the life story of Spike Jonze, the man that made so many music videos, skate documentaries, and short stories possible.
Opinion: To Each His Own (2001)
IMDb score: 8.3/10
Runtime: 43 minutes
Directed by: Matt Hill
Featuring: Rodney Mullen, Chad Fernandez, Jayme Fortune, Gershon Mosley, Ryan Kenreich, Danny Gonzalez, Mike Peterson, and many others.
Opinion is packed with 43 awesome minutes of skate footage. The video showcases some of the biggest names in skateboarding. The skateboarding was incredible to watch, not to mention that each rider chose their music and the places they wanted to skate.
Menikmati (2002)
IMDb score: 8.2/10
Runtime: 60 minutes
Directed by: Fred Mortagne
Featuring: Bob Burnquist, Eric Koston, Rick McCrank, Tom Penny, and Arto Saari
Menikmati was one of the most anticipated skate films in history. This is a film that skaters and non-skaters agree to enjoy. Menikmati showcases the talents of the éS team, which used to be one of the greatest teams in skateboarding.
Minding The Gap (2018)
IMDb score: 8.1/10
Runtime: 93 minutes
Directed by: Bing Liu
Featuring:Keire Johnson, Bing Liu, and Zack Mulligan
Minding The Gap is about three young men that bond together to escape their volatile families. As they begin facing their responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their friendship.
Bones Brigade: An Autobiography (2012)
IMDb score: 8.1/10
Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Stacy Peralta
Featuring: Tony Alva, Steve Caballero, Fred Durst, Shepard Fairey, Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Stacey Peralta, and many others.
Bones Brigade tells the story of six teenage boys coming together as a skateboard team in the 1980s. Together, they reinvented the sport and became some of the most influential skaters in history.
Pretty Sweet (2012)
IMDb score: 8.1/10
Runtime: 60 minutes
Directed by: Ty Evans, Spike Jonze, and Cory Weincheque
Featuring: Vincent Alvarez, Brian Anderson, Kenny Anderson, Will Arnett, Elijah Berle, Brandon Biebel, Jack Black, and many others
Pretty Sweet showcases the Girl and Chocolate skateboarding teams in some friendly competitions. Each skater performs tricks and stunts in a variety of settings.
Hot Chocolate (2004)
IMDb score: 8.0/10
Runtime: 53 minutes
Directed by: Ty Evans, Spike Jonze, and Cory Weincheque
Featuring: Kenny Anderson, Chico Brenes, Daniel Castillo, Justin Eldridge, Gino Iannucci, Marc Johnson, Scott Johnston, and many others
Hot Chocolate is a skate documentary that shows Team Chocolate’s 2003 skateboard tour. The interviews and voice-overs by the team members really shed a light into the team philosophy, the personality of the skaters, and their life on the road.
The Search for Animal Chin (1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TykbwBV7j4I
IMDb score: 8.0/10
Runtime: 66 minutes
Directed by: Stacy Peralta
Featuring: Chris Borst, Steve Caballero, Adrian Demain, Skip Engblom, Tommy Guerrero, Rob Roy Fitzgerald, Tony Hawk, and many others
The Bones Brigade travels around California, Nevada, and Hawaii to skate different areas. All the while, searching for a wise old man, Won Ton “Animal” Chin. The movie is a nomadic tale, where the skaters skate everything in their path. After much searching and skateboarding, they find a large ramp in the desert with a man on the inside of the ramp’s spine. Could it be Mr. Chin?
Video Days (1991)
IMDb score: 8.0/10
Runtime: 24 minutes
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Featuring: Jason Lee, Mark Gonzales, Rudy Johnson, Guy Mariano, and Jordan Richter
Video Days is raw and amazing footage of some of the best pros of street skating. The skateboarding in this film is inspiring and sets the bar for what every good skateboarding film should be about – skating.
All This Mayhem (2014)
IMDb score: 7.9/10
Runtime: 104 minutes
Directed by: Eddie Martin
Featuring: Tas Pappas, Ben Pappas, Erin Hawk, Tommy Caudill, Lance Conklin, Tony Hawk, Steve-O, and many others
All This Mayhem shows the never before seen dark side of professional skateboarding. Drugs, colliding personalities, and pros spiralling into a world of self-destruction.
We Are Blood (2015)
IMDb score: 7.8/10
Runtime: 91 minutes
Directed by: Ty Evans
Featuring: Chris Colbourn, Clive Dixon, Tiago Lemos, Sean Malto, Jordan Maxham, Luis ‘Moose’ De Los Reyes, and many more
We Are Blood is a skate film that highlights the universal bond that can be created just by skateboarding together.
Mouse (1996)
IMDb score: 7.8/10
Runtime: 38 minutes
Directed by: Rick Howard and Spike Jonze
Featuring: Chico Brenes, Mike Carroll, Daniel Castillo, Paulo Diaz, Tony Ferguson, Tim Gavin, Rick Howard, and many more
Mouse is a short skate film backed with some awesome music and short parody clips, including a Charlie Chaplin take-off. It is definitely a must-see for all aspiring skateboarders.
Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)
IMDb score: 7.7/10
Runtime: 91 minutes
Directed by: Stacy Peralta
Featuring: Sean Penn, Jay Adams, Tony Alva, Jeff Ament, Bob Biniak, Paul Constantineau, ‘Baby’ Paul Cullen, Skip Engblom, and many more.
Dogtown and Z-Boys is a must watch for every skater. It is a documentary about the pioneer days in skateboarding, back to the 1970s when the Zephyr skateboarding team was taking over the world.
Waiting For Lightning (2012)
IMDb score: 7.3/10
Runtime: 96 minutes
Directed by: Jacob Rosenberg
Featuring: Danny Way, Rob Dyrdek, Travis Pastrana, Laird Hamilton, Tony Hawk, Paul Rodriguez, and many others
Waiting For Lightning shows us into the life of pro skateboarder, Danny Way and sheds some light on his difficult childhood. It highlights his contributions to skateboarding, including footage of his jump over The Great Wall of China.
Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator (2002)
IMDb score: 7.2/10
Runtime: 82 minutes
Directed by: Helen Stickler
Featuring: Mark ‘Gator’ Rogowski, Stacy Peralta, Tony Hawk, Jason Jessee, Steve Caballero, Lance Mountain, and many others
Stoked is a skateboarding documentary that tells the tale of the rise and fall of the ‘80s skateboard legend Mark “Gator” Rogowski.
Pretending I’m a Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story (2020)
IMDb score: 7.1/10
Runtime: 73 minutes
Directed by: Ludvig Gür
Featuring: Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Rodney Mullen, Chad Muska, Jamie Thomas, Aaron Snyder, Scott Pease, and many others
Pretending I’m A Superman is the documentary of how Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video games helped to popularize skateboarding and make it a mainstream sport once again.
The Motivation 2.0: Real American Skater: The Chris Cole Story (2015)
IMDb score: 6.9/10
Runtime: 76 minutes
Directed by: Adam Bhala Lough
Featuring: Tom Asta, Edmund Bacon, Chris Cole, Rob Dyrdek, Tony Hawk, Bam Margera, Sean Malto, Nyjah Huston, and many others
Shot over a year in San Diego, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and China, Motivation 2: The Chris Cole Story is the story of Chris Cole. The man who earned his place in skateboarding as an innovator, motivator, and legend. This film highlights Cole’s progression from humble neighborhood beginnings to the world of elite street skateboarding.
The Motivation (2013)
IMDb score: 6.8/10
Runtime: 88 minutes
Directed by: Adam Bhala Lough
Featuring: Felix Arguelles, Steve Berra, Chris Cole, Red Cole, Rob Dyrdek, Kelle Huston, Nyjah Huston, and many more
The Motivation follows eight pro skaters as they prepare for the Street League Championship in New York City. Each equally talented, must overcome their own unique challenges between family pressure, injuries, money, fame, and their own internal struggles. The winner gets $200,000 and the title of the best street skateboarder in the world.
Skatopia: 88 Acres Of Anarchy (2010)
IMDb score: 6.6/10
Runtime: 99 minutes
Directed by: Laurie House and Colin Powers
Featuring: Brewce Martin
Skatopia: 88 Acres Of Anarchy tells the tale of Brewce Martin and his Skatopia, a land of skating and anarchy. This documentary shows the many sides of Brewce and what can be expected by going to one of the many parties of festivals hosted at Skatopia.
Made in Venice (2016)
IMDb score: 6.4/10
Runtime: 77 minutes
Directed by: Jonathan Penson
Featuring: Jay Adams, Susanne Melanie Berry, Dave Duncan, Ray Flores, Christian Hosoi, Ger-i Lewis, and many others
Made In Venice shows the life of some of the skaters that made it pro in Venice, California in the ‘80s. But it also tells the tale of how they raised a ruckus in their younger days. For these skate legends, money and fame wasn’t all that they wanted. They wanted a skatepark on Venice Beach for the community, and for skaters today to learn to become pro skaters tomorrow.
Dragonslayer (2011)
IMDb score: 5.8/10
Runtime: 74 minutes
Directed by: Tristan Patterson
Featuring: Sid Rocket and Josh’ Skreech’ Sandoval
Skreech, a local skate legend in Fullerton, California, has realized that it is time to be responsible and care for his newborn son, and help out his family.
Santa Cruz – Streets On Fire (1989)
IMDb score: n/a
Runtime: 70 minutes
Directed by: Scott Dittrich
Featuring: Claus Grabke, Corey O’Brien, Jason Jessee, Jeff Grosso, Jeff Hedges, Jeff Kendall, Natas Kaupas, Rob Roskopp, and Steve Alba
The sequel to Wheels Of Fire was produced and directed by Scott Dittrich. Jason Jessee stars as a skateboarder that has been arrested for skateboarding on a public street. As Jessee sits in jail, he relives all the skating he did over the past year with his friends.
Fulfill the Dream (1998)
IMDb score: n/a
Runtime: 45 minutes
Directed by: Chad Muska
Featuring: Sammy Baptista, Chad Muska, Toan Nguyen, Steve Olson, Jesse Silvey, Peter Smolik, Aaron Snyder, and Brandon Turner
Fulfill the Dream is a skate film about kids between the age of 13 and 17 that are way ahead of their time. It’s a trying tale about kid skaters accomplishing their dreams.
Into The Void – Death Skateboards (2019)
IMDb score: n/a
Runtime: 49 minutes
Directed by: no credits
Featuring: Blinky, Ron Calow, Timmy Garbett, Rob Smith, MoggIns, Mike Simons, Eddie Belvedere, and many more
Richie Jackson is featured in this film, and every skater needs to see the way this guy skates. He is so innovative and out-of-this-world. If you don’t watch the entire movie, at least check out his part.
BONUS: Best Skateboarding Movies (Fiction)
Here are nine bonus videos to check out. Each is a full-length fiction film. But each one is extremely inspiring in their own way.
Mid 90s (2018)
IMDb score: 7.4/10
Runtime: 85 minutes
Directed by: Jonah Hill
Featuring: Sunny Suljic, Katherine Waterston, Lucas Hedges, and many others
Mid 90s follows a thirteen-year-old named Stevie growing up in Los Angeles in the 90s. He meets some new friends that like to skateboard and cause teenage mischief, which helps him cope with his troubled life at home.
Lords Of Dogtown (2005)
IMDb score: 7.1/10
Runtime: 107 minutes
Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
Featuring: Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, and many more
Lords Of Dogtown follows the crew that made skateboarding popular in Venice, California back in the 1970’s. It is a hard look into the surf and skate culture and just what it took to make it big. This is the story of Stacey Peralta, Tony Alva, Jay Adams and their crew, the Zephyr Skateboarding Team.
Kids (1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yf6dN4S0zU
IMDb score: 7.1/10
Runtime: 91 minutes
Directed by: Larry Clark
Featuring: Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloë Sevigny, and many others
Kids is a glimpse into a day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around New York City skating and causing all sorts of shenanigans.
Skate Kitchen (2018)
IMDb score: 6.8/10
Runtime: 106 minutes
Directed by: Crystal Moselle
Featuring: Rachelle Vinberg, Dede Lovelace, Nina Moran, Jaden Smith, and many more
Skate Kitchen is the tale of a teenage skateboarder who makes friends with some skateboarding girls in New York City.
Paranoid Park (2007)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkMDs3FXVzg
IMDb score: 6.7/10
Runtime: 85 minutes
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Featuring: Gabe Nevins, Daniel Liu, Taylor Momsen, and many others
Paranoid Park takes a dark, thrilling turn. It is the story of a teenager’s life and how it begins to turn sideways after he was involved in the accidental death of a security guard.
Thrashin’ (1986)
IMDb score: 6.7/10
Runtime: 93 minutes
Directed by: David Winters
Featuring: Josh Brolin, Robert Rusler, Pamela Gidley, and many others
Two skateboard gangs fight to be the top gang. All the while, one of the gang members falls in love with the sister of one of his rivals. If only Romeo and Juliet were skateboarders in the Twentieth Century, this is how their story might unfold.
Gleaming the Cube (1989)
IMDb score: 6.3/10
Runtime: 100 minutes
Directed by: Graeme Clifford
Featuring: Christian Slater, Steven Bauer, Richard Herd, and many more
A young skater uncovers a government conspiracy while looking into his brother’s mysterious death.
Skateboard (1978)
IMDb score: 5.5/10
Runtime: 97 minutes
Directed by: George Gage
Featuring: Allen Garfield, Kathleen Lloyd, Leif Garrett, Tony Alva, and many more
An agent from Hollywood finds himself in a difficult situation, indebted to a powerful bookie. To try and get the cash quickly, he forms a team of talented young skateboarders and enters them in a downhill race with a cash prize of $20,000.
MVP: Most Vertical Primate (2001)
IMDb score: 3.9/10
Runtime: 87 minutes
Directed by: Robert Vince
Featuring: Louie, Scott Goodman, Richard Karn, Bob Burnquist, Jane Sowerby, David Kaye, Tony Alcantar, and many more
Jack the chimp, transitions from being a hockey player to a skateboarder with ease. With his new pal, Ben, they both take off on a cross-country skateboarding competition with lots of laughs and plenty of tricks.
Recommended merchandise related to skateboarding: After watching these best skateboarding movies, your heart must be excited and pumping. You might want to have a skateboard of your own immediately. Of course, don’t forget to customize personalized die cut stickers to decorate the skateboard. Nowadays, both skateboard associations and skateboard enthusiasts cherish their skateboards and will stick some unique and conspicuous stickers to show their personality and attitude. You can do the same!
Conclusion
Skateboarding has a long and interesting history, as evidenced by the films above. From its origins in the 1970’s to the present day, skateboarding has always been a way for people to explore their creativity and have some fun. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced skateboarder, there is something for everyone in these films.
So, those are some of the best skateboarding movies out there. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced skater, these films are sure to entertain and inspire you. Get your skateboard ready and enjoy!
