Smack dab in the middle of the 70s, a band of California natives made their début on the competitive skateboarding scene, where upright freestyle skating reigned.
Ironically, while skateboarding is commonly linked to spontaneity, freedom of expression and rebellion against the norm, at the time the sport was rigid in the sense that no new styles seemed to have been explored.
The Zephyr Competition Team’s explosion onto a scene so anchored in its upright freestyle skating ways was therefore a cultural shock of epic proportions. Opposing the normal form, they embodied a surf-style approach as they grinded wheels to pavement, riding their boards low and aggressive. The form was free-spirited, true to the roots of the skateboard and a remarkable contrast to the apparently over-rehearsed, rigid performances of their peers at Del Mar Classic competition in 1974.
The Z-Boys became a sensation practically overnight, and their performance paved the way for the evolution of an artform in the years to come. Some could argue that the aerial and sliding skate moves the Z-Boys utilised are the foundation of modern day aerial skateboarding.
A humble Vans shoe bears this skateboarding team’s legacy. A minimalist-esque navy blue pair, the Authentic Pro ’74 is a reinvention of a Pro Classic that commemorates American skateboarder and surfer Peggy Oki of the Z-Boys for revolutionising the sport alongside other skate pioneers including Stacy Peralta and Tony Alva.
Fun fact: despite being nicknamed the Z-Boys, the team was not a pure “sausage” festival. Peggy Oki stood out as the only female on the original team and also the only member to take home the 1st place trophy from the 1975 Del Mar Nationals.
If you are looking for a laid-back style to fit snugly on your feet, the 74′ would be the no-brainer choice.
