Rad Skateboard Scenes

We pick some of the best skateboarding moments from the movies…

HILL STREET, a documentary by Jj Rolfe that follows the rise in popularity of skateboarding in Ireland, is released in Irish cinemas this week. To celebrate the passion and talent shown in HILL STREET, we decided to take a look back and choose some of the best skateboarding moments from the movies.

SCOTT PILGRIM Vs THE WORLD

In Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novels, Scott Pilgrim must defeat Ramona Flowers’s Seven Evil Exes, before she will agree to date him. In order to defeat Evil Ex number two Lucas Lee – brilliantly played by Chris Evans – Scott challenges the former skateboarder turned actor to ‘do a grindy thingy’ down a massive railing.
SCOTT PILGRIM Vs THE WORLD is wonderfully edited, and this scene shows the movie off at its best, while including some seriously intense rail grinding.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Ah BACK TO THE FUTURE, the movie that launched a thousand skateboards, and had kids on boards throughout the 80s holding onto the back of their siblings’ bikes, pretending they were Marty McFly.
The great skateboard scene in BACK TO THE FUTURE, entailed Marty getting on Biff’s wrong side, and running for his life, before creating a makeshift skateboard from a young boy’s scooter. The chase goes around the town square and ends with Marty escaping and Biff crashing into a truck full of manure. Alan Silvestri’s score hugely adds to the exciting chase, and even if you sided with Biff – although, why would you! – you had to admit that Marty escaping by walking through Biff’s car and jumping back onto his board was sheer genius.

JACKASS

Many of the JACKASS lads are known for their skateboarding skills, not least Bam Margera and Wee-Man. One man not known for his prowess on a board, however, is front man Johnny Knoxville. Lack of experience never kept a good man down though!
In the first JACKASS movie, Johnny is challenged to grind a rail. We know this is going to end in tears, but it is hard not to admire Knoxville’s commitment and resolve in the face of pain and humiliation.

HOOK

Inspired by JM Barrie’s Peter Pan story, Steven Spielberg’s 1991 movie imagined what would happen if Peter Pan forgot his childhood, and was called back to Neverland as a middle aged man.
Robin Williams plays Peter, the boy who forgot to forget to grow up. Peter finds, when he returns to Neverland, that not all of the new Lost Boys are too pleased to have him back. Rufio, the new leader of the Lost Boys, in particular is less than happy to learn that his predecessor has returned, and set out to make Peter’s life a misery.
OK, the skateboarding scene is rather short, but it helps Rufio to make an entrance, and just reinforce what a badass he is.
RUFI-OOOOO!

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

In Ben Stiller’s feel good Christmas movie of 2013, he got to have some epic adventures, but one of the best was when he raced across Iceland on a skateboard.
Mitty is travelling around the world in the hope of finding a photograph for the final print edition of Time Magazine when it becomes clear that the only chance he has of catching up to the photographer is to grab a skateboard.