Nike SB Olympic USA T shirt

For the USA, the story is of the first, fiery launch— the origin story of skateboarding. Skateboarding was, of course, born out of experimentation and play in the streets of 1960’s California. American skaters can look back to those beginnings, and forward to the global phenomenon skateboarding is today, with a sense of great national pride.

The imagery of the crest combines iconic American symbols—the rose, the eagle, red and white stripes—into the scene of this fiery launch out of North America. The saxophone playing eagles introduce playful characters that, to me, speak to the improvisational, creative, and almost jazz-like nature of skateboarding. Unlike other “sports,” the culture of skateboarding has overlapped with music and art from the very beginning.

So much of skateboarding is about being “in and of the moment”. It is pure frenzy, energy—a response to every surface, texture, and minute crack in the city. The flashes of blue coming from the saxophone out across the blaze of fire symbolize this creative, “in the moment,” energy so particular to skateboarding.

FZ8935-417