Pen & Paper: C.R. Stecyk III

As an impressionable young boy C.R. Stecyk III grew up idolizing his father who was an aspiring creative himself, photographing his family travels and modifying classic automobiles. That young apprentice then took his maturing affinity for photography to the beach capturing far-out images of the surf-life he came to adore. This Californian surf lifestyle, as many know, led to the early skateboarding movement of the mid 20th century, with Stecyk right in the middle of it all. Fusing his love for the arts, surfboard design and skateboarding, the Santa Monica native co-founded Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions paving the way for the iconic skate team, the Z-Boys. Accredited as a pioneering inspiration spanning a number of subcultures including graffiti, photography and apparel design, Stecyk’s work has been featured in countless arenas including his award-winning film with Stacey Peralta, Dogtown and Z-Boys. Fresh off the recent presentation of his latest film FIN, the multimedia artist opens up the pages to his sketchbook advancing HYPEBEAST’s Pen & Paper series.

Photography: Brandon Shigeta/HYPEBEAST