Skate Essentials with Tony Alva

Our first video version of Essentials takes us to one of the original members of the Z-Boys skateboarding team — Tony Alva. Catching up with Alva before his session for the 2013 Vans Downtown Showdown in Paris, France, we took a look at the skate legend’s skate essentials and what he uses while on the road. His setup includes the ‘Snubby ‘ – a wide 10-inch deck with similar dimensions to skateboards found in the early ’80s, but with a modern concave. It’s fitted with trucks from the Independent Truck Company and ‘Cyclone’ wheels from his own Alva brand – all carried in his custom prototype skate bag. With the absence of bells and whistles, the OG rider keeps his Essentials simple as his passion for the sport has not changed since he first picked up a board some 35 years ago. Along with his signature Vans shoe, Alva also rides his longtime skating peer’s (Christian Hosoi) pro-model Sk8-Hi. Watch the video above to learn first-hand how each of the items get put to use.

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