Transworld Skateboarding

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TRANSWORLD SKATEboarding is a skateboarding magazine, website, and production company owned by Time4 Media.

Founded in 1983, TWS was a response to Thrasher Magazine and specifically to the December 1982 article ‘Skate and Destroy’ written by CR Stecyk III under the pen name ‘Lowboy’, and the February 1983 advertisement for Independent Trucks that featured a topless model with Independent decals on her breasts.

TRANSWORLD began publishing under the ownership of Larry Balma, owner of Tracker Trucks, and Peggy Cozens. Initially, the publishing and editorial team were known as the ‘United Skate Front’. Balma later spoke of the magazine’s beginnings as a reaction to Thrasher, saying ‘They were pretty harsh, sex and drugs and using four-letter words and all that and in the early '80s, the sport started growing and (Thrasher) wasn't the best magazine for young kids’ (Union-Tribune, 2003).

The first issue of TWS contained the article ‘Skate and Create’ and its author Peggy Cozens noted ‘I have become increasingly concerned about a new skate attitude being pushed on skaters: Skate and Destroy’ (Cozens, 1983, p.13). The article went on to highlight the positive and creative side of skating. The stance of the magazine remained positive (Weyland, 2002) to the extent that Thrasher owner Fausto Vitello wrote ‘They were about Skate and Create; we were about Skate and Destroy.’ (NHS, 2004, p.17).

The magazine recruited David Carson as art director in 1984 and he remained with TWS until 1991 and gave the magazine a distinctive look. This period also featured the photographic work of J. Grant Brittain and Spike Jonze, and editorial contributions by professional skateboarders such as Lance Mountain, Tony Hawk, Gary Scott Davis, and Mark Gonzales.

The magazine was sold to Times Mirror in 1997 and in 2000 became a part of AOL Time Warner. In late 2001 the magazine was famously packaged with an AOL software disc which prompted the editorial note the following month that stated ‘Sorry for the poly-bagged edition with the 1,000 hours of free Internet access from AOL. We here at the magazine didn't even find out about the atrocity until (the magazines) made it into the office. We feel just as violated as you’ (Union-Tribune, 2003).

Internal tensions between the magazine staff and owners AOL Time Warner prompted a walkout of several key editorial members including J Grant Britain, Dave Swift and Atiba Jefferson to form the Skateboard Mag in 2003 (ibid).

The magazine and website Skateboarding.com are currently headed by Skin Phillips (Editor in Chief/Photo Editor), Eric Stricker (Editor), and Carleton Curtis (Managing Editor). The print edition continues to boast a 60%+ market share in the skateboarding category and is the largest skateboarding magazine in the world (Audit Bureau of Circulations), with a satellite edition TRANSWORLD SKATEboarding Japan.

On September 12, 2006, Time Inc. announced the sale of Time4 Media, comprised of eighteen print magazines, including the TRANSWORLD group of titles. This includes TRANSWORLD SKATEboarding as well as TRANSWORLD SNOWboarding and TRANSWORLD SURF. The rationale for the sale was that these magazines no longer fit into Time Inc.'s publishing strategy [1].

[edit] Videos

The magazine has released a series of skateboarding videos. In chronological order:

  1. Uno (1996)
  2. 4 Wheel Drive (1996)
  3. Greatest Hits (1997)
  4. Cinematographer(1997)
  5. Interface (1997)
  6. The Sixth Sense (1998)
  7. Transmission 7 (1999)
  8. Feedback (1999)
  9. The Reason (1999)
  10. Modus Operandi (2000)
  11. i.e. (2000)
  12. Sight Unseen (2001)
  13. In Bloom (2002)
  14. [unknown]
  15. Are You Alright?
  16. Subtleties

In addition, Transworld Skateboarding has also released a number of videos that are independent of the series:

  • A Time To Shine (2006)
  • Free Your Mind (2003)
  • Anthology (2000)
  • Show Me the Way (2004)
  • First Love (2005)
  • Trick Tips
  • Starting Point 1, 2, & 3
  • Videoradio (2001)
  • The Dreams of Children (1994)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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