Pioneers of Skateboarding® is a new book series and imprint from Black Salt Press that focuses on skateboarding’s rich and diverse history with independent, authoritative works by writers, skaters, photographers, and artists that paint a fascinating, authentic image of skate culture and its heritage.

Launching the series is Craig B. Snyder’s award-winning book, A Secret History of the Ollie, Volume 1: The 1970s. This lavishly illustrated work contains many never-before-told stories along with rare, never-before-seen images and photographs. Contributing photographers include Jim Goodrich, James Cassimus, Lance Smith, Bruce Walker, Jonathan Utz, and others. A Secret History of the Ollie is a fascinating and entertaining story about the origins of modern skating and the birth and evolution of the first aerials in both skating and surfing—including, of course, the no-handed aerial that is known today as the Ollie. Volume 2, which focuses on the 1980s, is currently underway but no release date has been set.

A portion of the proceeds from Pioneers of Skateboarding series are donated to the Skateboarding Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the preservation skateboarding’s history and culture for current and future generations.

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