Tommy Guerrero, a top shelf member of the Bones Brigade during the height of the ’80s boom, will be honored tonight at the 15th Annual Transworld Skateboarding Awards in Hollywood, California, as the recipient of this year’s Legend Award. The Legend Award sets out to officially recognize, acknowledge, and honor those who have forever shifted the legacy of what it means to be a skateboarder.

Tommy basically became the face of “streetstyle” when that concept changed what skateboarding was all about. Born and raised in San Francisco, Tommy’s free-flowing improvisational style and creative use of the San Francisco concrete put the city’s infamous hills and unique terrain on the map for skateboarding. It set the stage for modern street skating.

Today, Tommy’s focus remains on keeping skateboarding raw. He continues to play an active role at Deluxe Distribution and additionally juggles his time as a professional musician, skateboarder, and proud father.

Congrats, to RVCA advocate, Tommy!
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Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk and GRAMMY Award-winning musician Ben Harper have come together to create Boards + Bands, a fundraising initiative that merges the worlds of professional skateboarders and iconic musicians to raise significant funds for the Tony Hawk Foundation.

Hawk invited a select group of professional skateboarders to donate their personally ridden skateboards and submit the name of their favorite songs. Harper then sent those boards on to the appropriate artists with one simple message: “Please write the lyrics to this skater’s favorite song on his skateboard, and we’ll use it to create more skate parks for kids.”

The chosen recording artists have hand-written the lyrics on these one-of-a-kind skateboards, creating some cool works of art. The skaters and artists who have collaborated include Bucky Lasek and Adam Yauch, Rodney Mullen and Ben Harper, Jamie Thomas and Bob Dylan, Mike Vallely and Tom Petty, Steve Caballero and Metallica, Bob Burnquist and Ben Harper, Lance Mountain and Jimmy Cliff, and Tony Hawk and Paul McCartney.

The boards are currently on display at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles.

There’s only ONE more day left to bid on one of the amazing collaborative memorabilia, which are being auctioned at www.BoardsAndBands.org so hurry while you can. The auction ends tomorrow on Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 7 PM.

Proceeds from the Bucky Lasek/Adam Yauch collaboration boards will specifically benefit a skatepark project in New York City. Since 2002, the Tony Hawk Foundation has helped to fund 512 public skateparks in 50 states.

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“Waiting for Lightning,” a feature length documentary film about skateboarding legend Danny Way will debut in theaters and for digital download on December 7. Directed by Jacob Rosenberg, “Waiting for Lightning” delves into the life and accomplishments of Danny Way, one of skateboarding’s greatest innovators.

Way’s father died when Danny was 8 months old. Way went through a rough childhood with his mother working hard as a single parent. His mother re-married, and Danny Way gives credit to his step dad for his introduction to skating. His skateboarding passion has helped Way cross many cultural and ideological boundaries with feats that include jumping out of a helicopter and vaulting the Great Wall of China on a board.

“Waiting for Lightning,” was a featured selection and had its world premiere at the 2012 SXSW film festival. The film revolves around Way’s achievements, including how he became a skateboarder and his major project in Hawaii. It also shows how much abuse the body can sustain, how deep you have to dig to survive the betrayals of family, and how high and far dreams can fly.

The documentary also includes interviews with some of the greatest athletes in extreme sports, including Tony Hawk, Travis Patrana, Rodney Mullen, and Mat Hoffman, each talking about Way’s contributions to skating.

“Waiting for Lightning” is presented in association with DC Shoes. Danny Way’s brother Damon was one of the original two founders of DC Shoe Co USA (Damon was partnered with Ken Block). Danny Way teamed up with DC Shoes right at the company’s start, and his was the first signature shoe that DC made.

For more information, go to http://www.waitingforlightningthemovie.com/.
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