I suppose I’ll always consider myself a skater at heart, even though my best skate years are well behind me and I no longer have the time to skate like I used to as a father of two. One thing I think I can speak on, however, is that once you’ve stepped on a board and learned to skate the streets, you never look at them the same. Each ledge, stair set, rail, or bank is a treasure trove of imagined tricks waiting to be performed, much inspired by the skate videos I’d watch religiously in my youth. And now, 25 years later, many of the parts from those skate videos live rent free inside my head.

I’ll probably end up writing an entire essay on the Transworld Skateboarding videos at some point, for in the late 90’s/early 2000’s, they came out with a solid string of videos that really elevated the spirit of skateboarding. They showed that it was more than pulling off a few stunts on a board; that in its pure state, it was an artform, and they masterfully brought out the culture and style of each skater they profiled.  

No better is this showcased than in Tosh Townend’s part in Sight Unseen.

This became the first skate video I ever owned, having received it for Christmas in 2001. My father bought it because he told the guy at the skate shop (probably a Zumiez) that “my son likes the DVD format,” and that was the newest (and possibly only) skate DVD they had. In all honesty, I wouldn’t have minded getting one on VHS, but in the end, it’s safe to say I was fine with the choice.

As a 16-year-old relatively fresh to the skate scene, Tosh Townend represented what we all wanted to be. He was from Huntington Beach, California, the mecca of skateboarding. He was the same age as us, and as a skater, he was living the dream. When you watched him skate, aggressive enough to hit large handrails, yet laid back enough to make it all look easy, you never thought the dream was out of reach, something his music choice for the video, “Ammaring” by J. Mascis & the Fog (a band I am not familiar with), mirrors artfully.

In his Sight Unseen part, two tricks sequences stand out to me. The first is a line he does at a skatepark around the 1:45 minute mark. I guess it’s seen as taboo to include park skating in your video parts, but this clip always brings me back to those night sessions at the skatepark, where the entire crew is there feeding off each other’s energy, living in the moment and loving every second of it… wishing it would never end. The park he skates looks amazing and is appropriately filled with skaters, as it should be. I dreamed of skating it, imagining the lines I’d hit, and in a way, I envied not having a park like that in my hometown. Although looking back, even for how crusty it was, I wouldn’t trade my hometown park and the people who skated it for anything. And for those who grew up skating in the Lewis-Clark during that time, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

The next is a nose manual nollie flip out that he does on a ledge in the next clip. The smooth manner in which he moves his hands to balance, how relaxed he looks on the skinny ledge, and the technical nature of the trick just makes it an enjoyable combination to watch. I can’t tell you how many times that sequence would pop in my head during class or during a car ride as I looked out the window scoping out spots, thinking of the day when I’d be good enough to do the same.

I’m not sure how many of the younger kids would know Tosh Townend if you mentioned his name in skate circles today. Looking at his Wikipedia page, it seems that he’s been out of the spotlight for some time, focusing on the local scene in his community with his own skate company. For although skating is different than most other sports, the window for a professional career can still be small for most skaters. That holds especially true today now that skateboarding’s an Olympic sport. During his time on the scene, though, he created a glimpse into the heart of skateboarding, capturing the essence of what it felt like to be a young skater during its prime. He captured how fun it was to dream of becoming pro… dreaming along with the community we created, having experienced pure joy and freedom every time we stepped on a board.

Rewatching this part brings me back to that time, and makes me grateful for getting to experience it.

Check out the full video “Sight Unseen” here:

And feel free to check out some of my other posts on skating: Top 5 skate video parts of all time