Powell Peralta is an American skateboard company founded by George Powell and
Stacy Peralta in 1978. The company rose to prominence in the 1980s as
skateboarding began maturing as a sport. The company featured the Bones Brigade,
a team featuring the era's top competitors. Peralta left the company in
1991 and Powell continued to produce skateboard equipment as Powell, Bones
Bearings and RollerBones. The two company founders reunited to produce the
company's now classic inventory under the name Powell Classic.
Background George Powell studied engineering at
Stanford University and started making homemade skateboards in 1957. In 1974,
Powell's son came and asked for a skateboard. When Powell pulled an old
one out of the garage, his son complained it did not ride smoothly.
Powell became interested in skateboarding again, as he realized
urethane wheels improved a skateboard's ride. With this prompting, Powell
started making his own skateboards and wheels. He bought urethane and baked his
own wheels. He also used some new materials like aluminum and fiberglass
to fabricate his own composite boards. One of the test riders of one of his
flexible slalom boards was Stacy Peralta.
When Powell was laid off from his job in the aerospace industry, he moved from
Los Angeles to Santa Barbara to start his own skateboard manufacturing
business. In 1976, George built the Quiksilver ProSlalom deck which he
marketed through Sims. This was followed by the Quicktail.
Foundation of Powell Peralta In 1978, George teamed up with Stacy
Peralta forming Powell Peralta. Peralta took over team management and
advertising. In 1979 they created a skateboarding team called the Bones
Brigade. = Members=
The Bones Brigade was a skateboarding team that rode under the Powell Peralta,
and later, Powell banner. Notable Bones Brigade members throughout the years
have included: = Filmography=
Powell Peralta produced the Bones Brigade videos, starting in 1982, and
they became some of the most influential skateboarding videos of the era:
The Bones Brigade Video Show Future Primitive
The Search for Animal Chin Public Domain
Axe Rated Ban This
Propaganda Eight
Celebrity Tropical Fish Downturn and formation of Powell
Corporation In the late 1980s, smaller, skater-run
companies like World Industries appeared and took market share from the bigger
companies. Powell Peralta suffered as many of their riders defected and either
set up or rode for those new independent companies. At the end of 1991, Stacy
Peralta left Powell Peralta and the company was then re-branded as Powell
Corporation. = Filmography as Powell=
Hot Batch Chaos
Play Suburban Diners
Scenic Drive Strip Mall Heroes
Magic Bones Bearings Class of 2000
FUN = Bones Bearings=
Bones specializes in wheels. Powell continues to make skateboard products,
including Bones Bearings and wheels. Reunion
Powell Peralta has re-issued decks under the brand, Powell Classic. George Powell
and Stacy Peralta have teamed up once again to re-issue some of the original
pro models under the Powell-Peralta brand. Current reissues include models
from Steve Caballero, Ray "Bones" Rodriguez, Mike McGill, Steve Steadham,
and Mike Vallely. In late 2010 Powell Skateboards and Powell Classic were
folded into Powell-Peralta. The current team is Pros, which includes Steve
Caballero. In March 2011 it was announced that
artist VCJ has returned to Powell-Peralta, and is working on new
art for the Brand. Cultural references
Powell-Peralta Skateboards appeared in several films, from them:
The 1992 film Encino Man features Brendan Fraser's character Link riding a
Lance Mountain Family skateboard deck near the end. There is a Powell-Peralta
poster clearly visible in Dave's room. In the Teen-Angst/Skateboard movie
"Gleaming The Cube" starring Christian Slater, and featuring an early cameo
from Tony Hawk, the 'Crew' can be witnessed in one scene to be stickering
skate transfers on public property, one or many of which are of Powell-Peralta
design. Also, the main character Brian, as played by Slater, can be seen wearing
some Powell-Peralta Lizard Bones Black Sweat Pants.
Most of the Bones Brigade appeared in a skateboard sequence in Police Academy 4:
Citizens on Patrol in 1987. In the 2009 single "Skate or Die" by
Teenage Bottlerocket, the Bones Brigade was mentioned in the lyrics. "We're
waging war against the poseurs of the day, If we play our cards right someday,
we might be in the Bones Brigade." The lead off track "Hornets! Hornets!"
on the Hold Steady's 2005 album Separation Sunday references Bones
Brigade with the lyrics "She's got those Bones Brigade videos. She knew 'em back
and forth. She slept with so many skaters."
References External links
Powell Peralta