Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Mike Vallely Celebrates 25 Years of Skateboarding and Elephant Launch

Celebrating his 25th year as a professional skateboarder Mike Vallely threw an all out party on Catalina Island this past Saturday, launching his own skateboard company.

The notorious bad boy of skateboarding parted ways with long-time partner Powell-Peralta in December to launch Elephant Skateboards. "This brand is not framed by someone else's idea of cool, or what they think skateboarding is from moment to moment. It's a brand that simply represents what I have always represented: 100% skateboarding for love," Vallely stated when he announced he was starting his own brand.

Vallely hooked up with artist Tim Clark to create the look and feel behind the brand as well as the entire first product line. The skateboards feature designs from his past, present, and what he hopes to ride in the future.


Vallely explained the special meaning behind the name of his new brand, stating, "The Elephant symbolizes both love and strength. These qualities feed each other and make for a complete and meaningful life. But also, they represent my approach to skateboarding and how I view skateboarding. Elephant represents my passion for and my approach to skateboarding."

Those lucky enough to escape LA for the day were treated to a mini-ramp jam session during the day and a special musical jam session from Ben Harper in the evening. Here's a photo recap from Saturday:
Not a bad turn out considering the jam session was on Catalina Island.

Classic Mike V style on display at the mini-ramp session before the party.

Some lucky fans capitalized on the opportunity to meet Mike V.

Neal Hendrix, Chris Pastras and Mike V.

Ben Harper closing down the night in proper fashion.

Photos courtesy of Eric Hendrikx

Source: http://www.grindtv.com/skate/blog/33526/mike+vallely+celebrates+25+years+of+skateboarding+and+elephant+launch/

shaun white

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