More than seven years in the making, A Secret History of the Ollie tells in part, how a small, unheralded group of skaters revolutionized skating around the world. Although the no-handed aerial skateboard maneuver known today as the Ollie is nearly 40 years old, its influence on skateboarding remains, and has never been surpassed.
The 1970s were not just the Dogtown era, but skateboarding's Golden Era. The Z-Boys were an important part of the emerging American skate scene during the 1970s, but they weren't the only scene. In the state of California alone, besides Santa Monica and Venice, there were many other hot spots. Some of those included San Diego, Salt Creek, Vista, Upland, Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco—all equally influential and significant for the skaters and innovations they delivered.
But far, far away from California, on the Gold Coast of Southern Florida, thousands of miles from the control of the skateboard industry and media, there was another tale unfolding. More obscure and under the radar, the Florida scene would have a dramatic and immeasurable impact on skateboarding, allowing it to literally take flight. It all started with the invention of the Ollie, a magical no-hands aerial and the signature move that would forever change skating.
Created in 1978, the Ollie, without a doubt, is the maneuver that changed skateboarding for all time. In A Secret History of the Ollie , author, photographer, and skater Craig B. Snyder follows this revolutionary no-handed skate trick from its humble beginnings in his hometown of Hollywood, Florida, to the present day in this new historical multi-volume work with an origin story as dramatic and magical as the move itself.
Illustrated in color throughout, A Secret History of the Ollie is not just the story of the Ollie, but a history of skateboarding like no other. Over 1200 images and photographs, many of which have never been published before, accompany 912 pages of some of the more crucial moments in skating history.