Lucia Griggi's Skateboard Portraits

The fotografista herself, in the full pipe at Cunningham Lake. With Buddy.

Lucia Daniella Griggi did a bang-up job shooting most of the portraits for Skateboard: The Good, the Rad and the Gnarly (aka Skateboard: De la Rue a la Rampe).

She also shot a boatload of skateboards. Hundreds. Thousands. This is Lucia with Dale Smith and Royce Cansler checking out the Paul Naude collection at Billabong HQ.

She nearly died a couple of times and lost some surfboards and called the cops on her assistant. But that’s how books go.

Here are a lot of Lucia’s portraits in no real sensible order, with some photos by Weegee and Ron Stoner and others mixed in.

Thanks to Lucia and all the people who sat for her camera

Seen all together, she killed it (and didn’t kill herself or anyone else)

Grazie mille volte, maestra.

The original cover, published in 2010. I suggested "The Good, the Rad and the Gnarly" jokingly, and then they done did it.

The French version, which I was unaware of until Sportel France nominated it for Sports Book of the Year and offered to fly me to Monaco. I was in Hawaii. Too far.. Lucia went. Didn't win.

"Hey Lucia, don't give me no lip!" The fotografista, with Buddy, in the full pipe at Cunningham Lake.

Steve Olson: Still life with pajamas and cigarette and primate.

"I'M MELTING!!!!!" Skip Engblom in his pool in Altadena

Lucia went all Cubist on Jay Adams.

Lucia said: I once shot Steve Olson in his pajamas!

Duane Peters, looking like Bogart.

Lucia Griggi shooting most of the Z Boyz.

The Z Boyz and Peggy - we got most of them. Wasn't easy.

Someone said they kinda look like the bad guys in a Dick Tracy comic book.

Lucia bossing around a bunch of badass LA skaters.

Dick Tracy bad guys: Prune Face, Big Boy Caprice, Flat Top, The Influence et al

Lucia shooting Steve Olson in his PJs as Dale Smith and ??? dig the scene.

Gregg Weaver, the Cadillac Kid in the ad that inspired an entire generation to go cuckoo: "The transition from clay to urethane was like the transition from Flintstones to Jetsons."

"Clay wheels were Flintstones because when you hit Pebbles, you went Bam! Bam! But urethane wheels whirred like a Jetsons' speeder." The Cadillac Kid - Gregg Weaver - circa 2010..

Tony Hawk looking like a Roman senator with his first skate - a Bahne from his brother Steve.

Frank Nasworthy - the man who brought urethane to skateboarding and founded Cadillac Wheels.

The face that launched a thousand airs and skinned a million knees: Frank Nasworthy, the founder of Cadillac Wheels.

Tony Hawk with his first skate - a Bahne, a gift from his brother Steve.

Lucia photographing Danny Way to show all the different ways he had been injured. He’s a combination of The Terminator and the Six Million Dollar Man and the Energizer Bunny and Timex Watches = Takes a beatin’ and keeps on skatin’,

Danny Way, resting his banged-up bones. This guy should have died on the MegaRamp at the 2008 X Games. He ate shit, brushed hiimself off and kept skating.

And this is what Lucia got with Danny Way. Another portrait we didn't use in the book, dangit.

Scooter dude, ancestor of the modern skater dude. Look at the chick behind him, evading her eyes from All That Cool.

RIP Tom Sims (1950 - 2012) We shot this portrait of Tom on what looks to be a dry summer day with his quiver and then ..

There's no question scooter preceded skateboarding, but when did they kick away those boxes? Back to the Future says 1955, but this book reckons it was sooner.

Butt boarding is an ancestor of skateboarding. These kids are in Pasadena.

Karl Knox, one of the most original skateboarders we could find, going back to La Jolla in 1947,

Herbie Fletcher and son Christian. Herbie skated pools on clay wheels. No BS. Ask him!

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Montgomery Earnest "Buttons" Kaluhiokalani RIP (1958 - 2013) inspired a generation of surfers and skaters in the 1970s.

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Herbie skating a pool in 1965, on clay wheels, in color. The Juice Magazine caption reads: "Unknown skater (Herbie Fletcher?)at Foxtail Park pool near Santa Monica circa March 1965. Photo: Stoner:

George Trafton, Malibu, California

Alexandra Westmore stepped in for Lucia and photographed long-time Malibu resident George Trafton.

The Hobie Skate Team @ 1965

George was a member of the original Hobie Skateboard team. George is the dapper dude in the middle and the two guys to his left are Steve and Dave Hilton - uncles of Paris. From right to left, these Lovely Lads are - according to Baby Dave Rochlen: Danny Schafer, Danny Bearer, George Trafton, Davie Hilton, Steve Hilton

Steve Hilton, a pool on clay wheels.

George took this photo of Steve Hilton shralping a pool on clay wheels, some time in the mid-60s.

George Trafton as a grom.

Football runs in the Trafton family, as does athleticism and being a character.

George Trafton Senior.

George’s dad played for the Decatur Staleys who became the Chicago Bears. Under Knute Rockne. He is missing a finger and they drank castor oil before games to protect their organs. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964.

George's mom. Va va voom.

George Trafton Sr was married four times. His third wife was Helen Lowenstein, mother of George.

George Trafton Jr at Malibu

During the 1970s. Trafton was one of the better surfers around Malibu and was part of the Topanga crew.

George Trafton on guitar

The 70s were fun around Malibu.

George Trafton, hanging heels.

Thanks to Janet Macpherson for letting us use her property and Alex Westmore for pulling the trigger.

Tracker Trucks co-founder Dave Dominy.

Tracker Trucks and TransWorld Publishing honcho Larry Balma let us into his inner sanctum in Oceanside.

Larry's Inner Sanctum 1

Larry's Inner Sanctum 2

Larry's Inner Sanctum 3

Lucia bossing around the boss of bosses - and Doug Haut.

Rich Novak and Doug Haut flank their friend Jay Shuirman = NHS.

Larry's Inner Sanctum 4

Lucia Griggi made Rich Novak look like a Shakesperean actor and got him to crack a smile.

My Skateboard, Myself: Judy Oyama at Cunningham Lake didn't make the book and I felt bad about that. Thanks Judy.

There was a time if Novak came at you with this look on his face, you had two options: Run! Or Gun!

Dale Smith was a big help with the book and they didn't use this portrait either. Sorry and thanks.

Lucia shooting The Boss and his Loyal Lieutenants at Santa Cruz Skateboards.

The Santa Cruz Skateboard brain trust.

George Powell in black and white.

Lucia photographing Michael "Smiley" Goldman out in the strawberry fields of Watsonville, near the top of Rampart Hill - our 70s version of Bonneville.

Michael "Smiley" Goldman. Once upon a time in the 1970s, the fastest man alive on a skateboard, when the record was in the low 50s. Fifty years later, the record is now in the low 90s.

Mr Vegas! 24/7. Rob Roskopp (Ret.). Pro skater, now Santa Cruz bicycles co-founder. Last seen in the Swiss Alps with his family.

Lucia shooting Zach Wormhoudt, one ot the top skatepark designers in the world.

Zach reflecting on the full pipe at the Ken Wormhoudt Skate Park in Santa Cruz - named for his dad and founder of the landscaping company that became a skate park design firm.

The Brothers Bahne. Did good in the early days of skateboarding.

Lucia setting up something on the almost-pristine, brand new DC ramp.

You know how they say animals sometimes start to look like their owners? Steve Caballero at home with his pups.

Caballero at home in the Santa Clara Valley, surrounded by trophies and collectibles.

Jeff Ho - original Z Boy.

Original Z Boy Jim Muir.

Original surfer and skater gal, Linda Benson.

Linda Benson with Don Hansen and LJ Richards.

Doug "Pineapple" Saladino. Vibing.

Dennis Shufeldt with the Old and Busted to his left and the New Hotness to his right.

Skitch Hitchcock RIP (1952 - 2014)

Original Hobie and shy guy Chris Dawson.

...and then we stumbled over this portrait of Sims in the 1970s. An almost perfect match. Coincidence!

Media savants Glen Friedman and Craig Stecyk.

Tony Alva can be a little hard to pin down.

But Lucia charmed him at an ASR Trade Show and got some portraits. The book would be incomplete without him.

Another angle on Jay Adams RIP (1961 - 2014)

Acccording to Skateboarding,fandom.com: "Chris Cahill was a member of the legendary 70's Zephyr skate team, based in Santa Monica. He has passed away from a battle with cancer RIP."

Wes Humpston and his skates.

Nathan Pratt. We shot this in Soma just after seeing The Happening.

The wind was blowing through the corn and it was spooky.

Threw off Nathan's juggling. This didnt' go in the book. Sad. Thanks Nathan.

Laura Thornhill put the B in 70s Babe - an inspiration for many girl skaters to come.

Ray Flores and friend.

Mirror mirror over Lucia's shoulder. Is that Ray Flores we behold there?

Ray Flores and friend. Who is that figure? Western Exterminator. Chastising a rodent and then clubbing it.

Duane Peters and son.

We asked Duane Peters: "Who's number one!?"

Team Sector 9.

A Bahne brother.

Another Bahne brother.

Lucia photographing freestyler Gary Holl at Cuinningham Lake in the Santa Clara Valley.

Gary Holl showing his paces after a brief rainstorm passed.

We managed to corner Rich Blackheart in the full pipe at Cunningham Lake. And he treated us to an Expression Session.

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A friend Michael Graber used to say that "get off your power trip" thing all the time. And then when we shot Brad Dorfman we found the source: Little Annie Fanny.